Thoughts while reading:
-incredibly funny
-why didn’t Caspian change the locks? Not cool Ellery can just crash into Ardy’s apartment
-love this quote:
“He was quiet again. And then, very softly, “I love the glimpses of the world I see through your eyes.”
Wow, this was like that scene in that movie where the guy is super moved by the beauty of a plastic bag blowing in the wind. Except it was my penis. I wasn't entirely sure how to respond, apart from, y’know, graciously because he’d given me a compliment. “Um, thank you.”

Really well written and hysterical. I love Ardy’s humor and clumsiness. I did agree with Caspian after their first fight about Ardy’s wanting to change Caspian, or wanting more than he could give. I was disappointed Ellery likes Lancaster and wanted him at her party when she knows he preyed on her brother. Not going to lie. I was pretty reluctant to read this one because I knew what was going to happen and it’s the “middle of the trilogy dilemma”, but it was still good. The whole Nik thing didn’t seem to add much to the story. And of course Caspian is a jerk to leave, again.
Read on Overdrive

I am UNSPEAKABLE ANGRY.

How the HELL will his own sister condemn Caspian for being a child and being GROOMED into an abusive screwed up relationship with a GROWN ASS MAN, but then the man who PREYED on his dead best friends grieving teenage son, gets invited to her birthday party????????????????????????

Literally screaming at my phone like what the actual fuck is wrong with these people. He goes back to his ABUSER because he thinks that’s what he deserves because before his fucking brain was finished developing the part that’s good at making choices, ESPECIALLY ones pertaining to the future, he experienced the trauma of losing a parent and then a grown man slide in and warped his mind. When he should’ve been learning about health relationships, and coming to terms with being a dominant and sadist and fleshing them out in way healthier circumstances, that PEDOPHILE swooped in and now he not only blames himself for a grown ass man not saying no to a CHILD, the shame he associates with sleeping with that PEDO, is actually just the shame that many survivors of CSA carry inherently and now those two links are forever link in his mind to his sexual fantasies because that PEDO taught them too him.

It’s so textbook I literally wanna jump through my phone and smack him over the fucking head with a psychology of child sexual abuse textbook.

I haven’t been this mad over a book all year. I’m going to randomly remember that argument for years to come and just became so insanely enraged that I scream and possibly jump up and down a bit.

Not a good book

Oh holy fuck, I loved the first book and I’m in love with this one too. The plot is thickening and relationships between characters are getting more intense, the storyline has me utterly hocked and I think this trilogy of the St Ives set, is probably my utter favourite pieces by the author, which is insane to say because I felt the same when I read their other works.

I liked this a lot more than I liked the first book, and miraculously, a lot of that has to do with the reason I didn't 100% love the first book: Caspian.

Apparently running off to Scotland to get your sort of boyfriend back from his parents' house does wonders for your attitude?? Haha but honestly, the shifts weren't exactly subtle, but they were believable and natural enough to make him outright endearing to me. It makes sense: after coming that close to losing Arden, he's a little easier to fluster, to embarrass, to tip slightly off kilter. All the blushing and stammering was FRIGHTENINGLY sweet. Like, wow! He's a person! That I kind of like now! Seeing Arden get closer to him and coax trust out of him and get him to be vulnerable was just lovely.

Spoiler

And hey, now I have a new mission in life: to fucking kill Lancaster. Also hug Caspian. Fuck, those last couple of chapters hurt, especially with Caspian being so adamant that he's a monster that deserves to be hated. Honey no. :( And since I listened to this on audiobook and can't fact-check super easily: did Ellery invite Lancaster to the party? Why??? If she knows all about it??? Does the mother know??? What in the WORLD. Yeah, I know, rich predators have even more room and freedom to be predators, but it made me so SAD. When Ellery said that Caspian was probably back with Lancaster I almost screamed. SOMEONE SAVE HIM. ARDEN GET YOUR FUCKING STEED AND RIDE INTO THE CASTLE AND GET YOUR MAN.

I sincerely hope that's what the third book is going to be about.

Other miscellaneous things I liked: keeping the kink to the bedroom, Arden being involved and having people and things in his life other than Caspian, but ALSO the fact that this book showed them getting closer in sweet normie ways (dork Caspian is my bread and butter), Ellery in general, GEORGE (I can't be the only lesbian who got all perky-eared and perky-elsewhered when she was mentioned), Arden's thoughts and musing on personal achievements and accomplishments, and the ways we self-sabotage before we even take the first step. HE'S SO FRIGHTENINGLY ME. ALSO, how could I forget. The office scene? With the writing on stomach?

2nd installment of Arden and Caspian. Had a few slow times where I was unsure how it contributed to the overall story. Heartbreaking when we get to where they breakup at the 90-something% mark at the end. I’m very intrigued as to what will happen in the 3rd book.

Okay so, I didn't love this installment quite as much as the first book. It felt a little aimless. Or I guess, more specifically, it felt like Alexis had a plan and knew exactly where they were going, but at the same time wanted to drag this out so it would be a trilogy and not a duo. This could have totally been a duo.

Buuuttt, there was this amazing spanking scene, and also this like um... nipple twisting scene... so.... f it let's just go with 5 stars.

I feel like they’re going to break up at the end of every book