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Book Review:: Ruthless Vows | Rebecca Ross

Letters of Enchantment Book #2 (conclusion)

[Book One is Divine Rivals – skip this review if you haven’t read it yet! There will be rampant book one spoilers!]

The last pages of Divine Rivals left me SO nervous. I was terrified it was going to be similar to a Hunger-Games-Peeta situation, but it was clear pretty early that was not going to be the case. Maybe that’s a spoiler, but it held me back from picking this book up for a few weeks, because my heart couldn’t take that! So for anyone else in the same boat, know it’s okay. This book isn’t going to run your heart through a shredder in that same agonizing, irreparable way.

The war between gods continues with fervor. Dacre moves relentlessly toward the city of Oath and his estranged god-wife Enva. Corruption in the city has left it unprepared for the invasion Dacre is planning. Iris is back in town, working at the newspaper with Attie and they’re striving, as ever, for the truth. Meanwhile, Roman wakes up among Dacre’s ranks with no memory of who he is, or how he came to be there. He is tasked with writing articles for Dacre, from his side of the war, in direct opposition of Iris and friends. But he’s still using the Aluette typewriter, and Iris is determined to save him.

This is a book about war. War is violent and messy and maims or destroys everything it touches. Rebecca Ross did a great job keeping that front of mind. There was no character unscathed by their experiences in this story, but in the end, there was hope. There was always hope, and that’s the key to a story with so much darkness.

If you loved the romance of Divine Rivals, rejoice! This book is still very romantic. Iris and Roman’s romance is plagued by distance and danger, but there are other sparks kindling, too. I loved the subtlety of Attie’s love story told in lingering looks, concern, and quiet conversation. I loved that Forest was able to find someone to share himself with, too. Within the darkness, there is always light.

The focus, of course, is not the romance, but the whole saving-the-world-as-we-know-it thing. Rest assured, there is plenty of action in the relentlessly paced plot. So much is at stake, and success isn’t guaranteed. The tension is strung tight, but there are little moments of respite sprinkled in too that offer great balance.

This book had to accomplish so much. It is the conclusion of the series, and from where Divine Rivals ended, there was a lot of ground left to cover. This book was far more heavy on the magic and fantasy, but since book one eased us in, I still think it’s a great entry-level fantasy book those unused to the subject could easily devour.

There is nothing in this duology I would change. It’s wonderful. No notes! If it were up to me, it would be required reading! I know I will personally be rereading these beautiful books many many times, and the hardcovers look gorgeous on their well-earned place on my bookshelf.

Details

Title:: Ruthless Vows (Letters of Enchantment #2)
Author:: Rebecca Ross
Genre:: Historical Fantasy
Publisher:: Wednesday Books
Length:: 432 pages
Audio Length:: 14h 6m
Audiobook Narrator:: Alex Wingfield & Rebecca Norfolk
Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio
Published:: December 26th, 2023
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

In the Likely Event | Rebecca Yarros
Divine Rivals | Rebecca Ross

Most Anticipated Book Releases, Fall/Winter 2024

Spring and summer 2024 brought so many amazing books. So many of my preorders came in – it was like Christmas just about every Tuesday. Katherine Center, Abby Jimenez, Carley Fortune, Emily Henry, Tarah Dewitt…the season of romance (mostly)! I can only hope to have as great of a season next year! But what about the books still to come?

But there are some great books still ahead of us yet! These are some of my most anticipated book releases for the rest of the year. This is everything I personally have on preorder that come out in the remainder of 2024:

…looks like I’m going to have an exciting September, too!

Here One Moment | Liane Moriarty

Goodreads | Amazon (Hardcover) (eBook) (Audible)

I love Liane Moriarty. Her deep character work and puzzle-style plot structures are so yummy. With a cover that alludes to the butterfly effect and a high concept premise about death predictions, I can’t wait to read this intriguing novel!

Release Date: September 10th, 2024

We Solve Murders | Richard Osman

Goodreads | Amazon (Hardcover) (eBook) (Audible)

The Thursday Murder Club was such a refreshing and humorous story about geriatric sleuths. I’ve been reading more and more mysteries and thrillers, and I’m hoping the tone of this one is similar to his other work. There’s something about investigating a murder! So compelling!

Release Date: September 17th, 2024

If I Were You | Cesca Major

Goodreads | Amazon (Hardcover) (eBook) (Audible)

Maybe Next Time was the first bowl-me-over book of the year. It hit me in all the feels at exactly the right time in my life. Automatic must-buy author for me after that. I actually got an arc of this book on netgalley, so I get to read it early. Another interesting premise, I can’t wait!

Release Date: September 24th, 2024

Intermezzo | Sally Rooney

Goodreads | Amazon (Hardcover) (eBook) (Audible)

Beautiful World, Where Are You? Is a stunning book. I read it three times in a row. Normal People gutted me, then set my guts on fire. Not sure I can bring myself to read it again, ever. Sally Rooney’s writing is sharp and philosophical and at times damn poetic. Absolutely I’m going to read this…just might be through squinted eyes!

Release Date: September 24th, 2024

Where the Library Hides | Isabel Ibanez

Goodreads | Amazon (Hardcover) (eBook) (Audible)

With the way What the River Knows ended, I’d be crazy not to be on the edge of my seat to continue the Secrets of the Nile series. I was pleasantly surprised by book one, and I can’t wait to see what happens next! If you’re looking for an accessible historical Egyptian fantasy with a strong female lead, don’t sleep on this!

Release Date: November 5th, 2024

Variation | Rebecca Yarros

Goodreads | Amazon (Paperback) (eBook) (Audible)

I read In the Likely Event this year and it absolutely blew me away. I loved every minute of it, and couldn’t put it down. Tears, chills, intense longing…makes this new contemporary romance release from Rebecca Yarros a must read on my list. Looks like it’s going to be on Kindle Unlimited, too!

Release Date: November 19th, 2024

Wind & Truth | Brandon Sanderson

Goodreads | Amazon (Hardcover) (eBook) (Audible)

Wind and Truth Brandon Sanderson Book Cover Placeholder Image from Tor Publishing

The fifth volume of the Stormlight Archive! The culmination of the first half of the series! More than 1,000 amazing pages practically guaranteed! I have recommended this series to so many people. It’s the most incredibly done fantasy I’ve ever read, and every book has surprised me in the best way. What a name, too!

Release Date: December 6th, 2024

What book releases are you anticipating most?

Do you have any of these on pre-order too?

Book Review:: PS: I Hate You | Lauren Connolly

A human life is fleeting. We only get so much time before we run out. Sometimes, there is no warning. Sometimes, you get a heads up that the end is inevitable. Either way, death is a reminder of our ticking clock, and often shines a spotlight on what is important, and what is not. This is a theme that has come up a lot in my reading this year, and it strikes home every time. Because we’re all alive, and one day, we won’t be. What are we going to do with the time we have?

PS: I Hate You Lauren Connolly Book Cover

Before Josh Sanderson died of cancer, he wrote some letters to those he left behind. To his mother, his grandmother, and his friends. But to his best friend Dominic and his sister Maddie, he left a task: travel to the last eight states he never got to visit using the coordinates he left, scatter some of his ashes there, and read the letter he left for each place – together. The only problem is, Dominic Perry is the reason Maddie fled PA for the west coast. If it were under any other circumstances, Maddie would’ve told them both to kick rocks, but Josh was the only person in the world who loved her, and she’ll do anything to read the letters he left.

I think my favorite part of the whole adventure was that Josh didn’t spell out his reasons for sending them on their quest, leaving Maddie to speculate what his intentions could possibly have been. She comes up with several theories along the way, each of them making her reconsider everything she thought she knew.

I was pulled in from the very beginning by Maddie’s snarky, heartbroken voice. Her backstory is devastating, and she’s developed unhealthy coping mechanisms to survive. In the depths of her grief, she clings to them harder than ever, but the journey through the eight destinations illuminates the need for changes.

Dominic is the strong silent type. Through so much of the book, all we really see from him are ‘looks’. He’s staring at her, he has a strange look on his face, you know the drill. It leaves a lot of room for the reader to project what they want him to be thinking, which is clever. The one complaint I have is that Connolly WAY overused the phrase ‘the man’, when referring to him, especially at the beginning.

The themes in his book are heavy, but it reads very much like a rom-com. There is plenty of banter to enjoy, and a lot of personal growth for our MC. There is a fun cast of friends which make me hope there might be another book featuring one of them (Tula?) still to come. This was my first Lauren Connolly book, and it certainly won’t be my last!

Thank you to Berkley & Netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released on December 3rd, 2024, but it is currently available for pre-order!