3.5 stars

Not gonna lie, I sat on my ARC of this book. I wasn’t ready to read it. I really enjoyed These Hollow Vows and I fear getting disappointed by the conclusion of Brie's story.

Turns out I was right to be worried.

This book was not bad. At all. It managed to keep me hooked till the end, even though one too many things felt off.

Let's start with Brie. I was not a big fan of her in Book #1. She was too trusting and naive for my liking. In this book, she actually learned from her mistakes and "I can’t trust anyone" became her new mantra along with “This is all my fault". I know that her survival put the Unseelie court in a difficult position, but - as Finn and Bash repeatedly pointed out - it was hardly her fault. Yet, for nearly 75% of the book, she kept whining about the great mess she put everyone into, complaining that she was not special at all and bla bla bla...
In the end, she finally accepted her role and her darker side, but this otherwise rather cool character development felt a bit too rushed and coinvent.

The pace was pretty inconsistent. The first half was SO SLOW, while the second half (especially the ending) felt way too rushed as if the author wanted to squeeze tons of things into this book but was too tired of writing them down properly.

Even though my favourite got the girl, it didn't leave me 100% satisfied. In more than one way, the ending was terribly anticlimactic. I was expecting something more.

The only thing I loved without any objection was Misha. Period. I hope the Author considers writing a spin-off about him.

All in all, despite the criticism, I can't deny that I wolfed down this book. In all its flaws, it remains an enjoyable guilty pleasure.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are, as always, my own.

I am often very reluctant to give a book a bad review because I can’t even image all the effort that goes into writing a novel, let alone a series. But unfortunately this duology just isn’t for me.

I mostly had an issue with the pacing and the fact that there are too many concepts in this book that I’ve seen in other series (It felt a lot like ACOTAR, FBAA, The Mortal Instruments)! There were lots of stretches where the world was explained to me as a reader with dialogues and very little things actually happening.

I also don’t think the characters were fully developed. Abriella didn’t grew as a character. I mainly felt annoyed by her inner monologue. Finn felt like a side piece to me and I wish there would have been more development of their relationship to get me more invested. Sebastian wasn’t likeable at all but at least had some depth.

I did enjoy the ending of the book, although I wish the final conflict would have taken place over more than just 1 chapter. With all the buildup to this final showdown, it would have deserved more page time for me. Overall, I just feel like this wasn’t for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Holder & Stoughton for providing this e-arc. In return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review.

First of all I would like to thank NetGalley, the author and the publisher for receiving a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review !

I think I actually liked that one more than the first one !
It was sometimes predictable but overall I really enjoyed it !

Thank you to Netgalley, Hodder and Stoughton and Lexi Ryan for providing me with an e-arc of my most anticipated read for 2022.

"The male who was supposed to love me, supposed to protect me, used me to steal the Unseelie crown."

I dropped absolutely everything when this e-arc landed on my Netgalley shelf after receiving the e-arc for these hollow vows and falling in love it, I was beyond excited to read These Twisted bonds and you know what, it did not disappoint me at all and I want to reread it right now.

These Twisted Bonds picks up straight from where These Hollow Vows ended, we continue to follow Brie and her story, her growth and how she grows into this power all while trying to help save the realms, the children that are dying because of the actions at the end of These Hollow Vows. Brie's character development was so interesting to follow. I found some elements within this story to be predictable, which is typical for most YA books i have read but I honestly did not care, I was so invested in this book and I was loving every second of it.

I wish that ending was longer, and that is probably its only downfall. the ending was rushed, it could have very easily have been stretched a few more chapters but we really need a small novella of the ending couple or maybe a Misha spin off.

I loved this book, it was everything I wanted to be. I will be screaming this recommendation from the roof tops to everyone that will listen.

𝑰𝒏 𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅, 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆, 𝒘𝒆'𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓. 𝑵𝒐 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒅𝒐𝒎𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆, 𝒏𝒐 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆, 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆..."

It pains me with a deep sorrow that we have reached the conclusion of These Hollow Vows duet and I can only hope for some sort of spin-off, I'm not ready to wave goodbye to them just yet.

These twisted bonds picks up from the explosive ending of These Hollow Vows, with Bree fleeing for refuge after Sebastian's betrayal.

All the loose ends from book one are tied up in a satisfying package in this non-stop action packed fantasy romance. I absolutely loved the world building and character development in this duet, I have absolutely no complaints. I 100% recommend, I had a blast reading both books and look forward to whatever is next in the pipeline from Lexi Ryan.

𝑳𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:
Enemies-to-lovers
Love triangle
One bed (Forced proximity)
Fake dating
Political scheming

I’m speechless. Absolutely blown away. This was everything I wanted and more. Lexi Ryan, you are a genius!

Unfortunately, this was very bad for me. I was not the biggest fan of the first book and gave it 3.5 stars, but it did keep me entertained and the plot twist was good at the end. This one, however, brought nothing enjoyable for me. One of the biggest downsides of this book for me was Brie. I just really do not find her a good main character. I just don’t get the hype around her and I was so annoyed by her thoughts The plot was nothing special and there were so many cringe moments, it was too much. The side characters were ok, but nothing worth remembering. Very sad to write a negative review, but sadly it’s how I feel.

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton for the copy!

Auch Buch 2 hat mich nicht enttäuscht. Es wird nicht langweilig. Die Charaktere sind toll ausgearbeitet und es gab ein tolles Finale. Nur für Sebastian hätte ich mir mehr gewüscht, doch im Grunde hat er genau das was er wollte.

These Twisted Bonds is an amazing sequel and the conclusion to These Hollow Vows , ii loved this as much as the first. Theirs you on the edge of your seat, it’s emotional, I went from crying to screaming to laughing, it’s such a rollercoaster read, fast paced with fantastic world building. I loved the character development, particularly of Brie, she still fights for what she believes in, but her growth shows in acknowledging mistakes and learning from them, that’s not to say she doesn’t face her demons. The love triangle which I know isn’t everyones favourite trope (not me I enjoy them) is handled really well, lots angst, tension , scheming emotion and heartbreak. This is a thrilling and emotional conclusion , one I was sad when it’s over, but I’m so looking forward to future books from Lexi

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest opinion

I loved it! I enjoyed it so much more than the first book which I found fairly average YA fantasy and that makes me so happy.

I absolutely adored the political intrigue throughout, it added to the tension and made the book just that bit more gripping.

Misha is a wonderful character and he did so much for the book! I kinda wish we had seen more of him to be honest but I loved every moment he had, especially with the whole crew together.

I was a little frustrated with the whole love triangle thing which carries over from book 1. Love triangles are one of my least favourite tropes and it’s because they’re so frustrating and this was frustrating in some places!

I was surprised by the steamy moments but I quite liked that, even if it’s a bit unusual with YA, I think it helped to bridge the gap between some of the really young YA and the older and steamier NA fantasy books that are out at the moment.

I felt that the resolution was a bit rushed but I was so hooked anyway, it didn’t really matter.

Would absolutely love a spin off or two…?! ;)

4.5 stars

Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for my e-ARC of this book xxx

Such an amazing book! I’m actually having a book hangover after this!

I loved SO MUCH this duology! I want more and I can’t believe that it’s not a trilogy! At least!

Anyway, this book has everything.
A satisfying romance (a bit cheesy in some parts for my liking but not too bad), a curse, magical creatures, kingdoms in despair and a lot of secrets!

The plot is beautiful and the world building well structured. The writing is so easy, I read the book in two days. The characters are interesting and well developed. The magic system and the curse, all beautifully woven together. Was a bit slow in the first part but didn’t feel boring as the author provided the background information for the story to progress.

Such satisfying read! I’m obsessed with these series!

Betrayed by her bonded mate, Abriella ran away while possessing the powers of the Crown of Starlight. Now, Sebastian is left with just the crown but is rejected by the throne because he lacked the power. While saving a camp of innocent Unseelie children, kidnapped by the queen for insidious reasons, the newly turned fae met Misha, a Wild Fae. With nowhere to go, and despite not wanting to trust another fae, Abriella stayed with Misha. As each child slowly falls into the Long Sleep, time is running out for everyone involved. How can one reunite the crown, the power, and the throne without sacrificing anyone? The curse is broken but the world is still crumbling beneath their feet.

I’m not a fan of love triangles but I get why it happened in These Twisted Bonds. Finn and Sebastian are both eyeing the throne, and Abriella is stuck between them. Sebastian’s betrayal cut Abriella deeply, but with the bond, she’s forever connected to his emotions. While trying to save all of the faerie world, interactions with Finn is unavoidable. Making things more complicated, it seems like Abriella’s powers are stronger when Finn is around. As far as love triangles go, the Finn x Abriella x Sebastian entanglement isn’t that bad. Abriella pretty much made her decision and stuck with it. There wasn’t any excessive flip-flop which I appreciated.

With the children continues to fall into the unending sleep and the Court’s gradual death, all Abriella wanted to do is save everyone if it meant that she would have to sacrifice everything–her love, her life. Armed with the noblest of hearts, even those that doubted her started to understand that Abriella isn’t there to do nothing. Furthermore, Abriella finds out some truths behind her powers and why it stuck to her instead of transferring to Sebastian.

Overall, I enjoyed These Twisted Bonds. The duology was wrapped up nicely with this conclusion. The plot was okay and I was hoping that we got more of Abriella using her shadow powers. Honestly, I wanted Abriella to show her darker side, considering that she’s wielding such immense power from the Court of Moon. The darkness within her could be further explored. Lexi Ryan worked with the traditional Seelie/Unseelie Court dispute while putting her own spin regarding her character’s journey into finding out how to resolve the conflict. Still a good duology!

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ rounded up to 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

This was a pretty satisfying end to the duology. I am glad it wasn’t extended to a trilogy as those series almost always suffer for it.

I do think this could have been a bit longer to fully realise some of the plot points. At 80% I was wondering how it was going to manage to wrap up. It did, but it felt quite rushed to me.

Overall this was an enjoyable fae series and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fae stories.

I read the first book a few months ago and was curious to know what happened next as I usually hate cliffhangers .

While I’m not big into the love triangle, this story is told that makes you cease and wonder what's lying more under all these hidden secrets and political greediness.

It's interesting to see how everything evolves and the end felt a little rushed and not exactly what I was expecting. That being said, I enjoyed it for exactly those reasons, because I love when a book exceeded my expectations.

📖Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

Following on from book 1, we meet our main character again as she grapples with the betrayal of the prince, and falls for someone she shouldn't.

Book 1 was a lot of fun and very fast-paced. But this one was a good follow up. The pacing could've been better however. I liked the world and the magic system. The idea of fae and the family bloodlines was fun to read about. I also liked the sisterly relationship that is portrayed here.

Overall, a good follow-up, but I would've liked some more action.

Fantastic followup to the first installment. I greatly appreciate that this was a duology, as too many series get dragged out over three or more volumes when they truly did not need to be. Romance, adventure, and so much drama!

Amazing follow up to these hallow vows. I would love if this became a series. Great character development and providing answers to all the questions you have as you go through

This was such a good read! It wasn't anything different, but I liked it nonetheless. This sequel starts off immediately after 'These Hollow Vows', where Brie ran off after being heartbroken by Sebastian and his abuse of her trust. There were so many twists throughout the plot that it was shocking. Honestly, if you enjoyed reading 'These Hollow Vows', then you’ll most likely enjoy this one. It basically had scenes and relationships that were kept similar to their counterparts from the first book but were also more intense and detailed, which really helped give depth to the characters and provide more insight to their perspectives. I also liked how it didn’t have only one major plotline that was dragging on from the start till the end, and instead it had different subplots that all added up to the final ending. However, the ending was a bit rushed because of the multiple ‘steps’ that needed to be taken by Brie.

The love triangle was so much better in this book, with way more scenes, and there was so much more chemistry. The author clearly showed the angst of certain characters, which at times made me want to forgive them. This sequel was very similar to ACOTAR, with the character bonds and parallels. It was also at times somewhat repetitive, like with the reminders of Brie’s ‘selflessness’ in literally any scene that was possible. However, I appreciated how the author changed this towards the end and showed the characters’ flaws because at times it seemed that some characters were shown as being completely perfect while others were portrayed as flawed, for example with the differences between Sebastian and Finn.

Personally, I liked how the story was completed in a duology and wasn't allowed to drag on for long because there really wasn’t a lot more that could be added to make it into a longer series without taking away from the main plot. It had a great conclusion that resolved the main ‘problems’ of the book and also provided closure for some of the characters, which was great because it didn’t leave much for you to wonder about.

My rating is 3.5 stars (rounded down for NetGalley).

Seriously, this duo is now one of my all time favourites!!! 😍😍😍
UTTERLY AMAZING!!! 🔥🔥
The plot, the romance, FINN 😍, the steaaam ❤️.
I honestly cannot recommend this enough, if you are a fan of fantasy and romance this is for you.
Love Triangles, Fae, Morally grey men, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, found family, forbidden love.
And oh my word the LIES & DECEIT 🔥
Full review coming soon on Goodreads and Instagram. 🖤

Just wow - I devoured the first book and then have done the same with this one. Brie is so badass, and I felt for her so much throughout this one. Brie is left reeling after everything that happened during book 1 and she is confused and lonely and everything is awful. I feel like she was left in the dark for quite some time. Brie has so much to figure out in this one and obviously, Bash and Fin do not try to make this easy for her, especially Bash. I really enjoyed this one, the ending was brilliant but felt a bit rushed. I would have loved a little bit more insight into life after the big events happened. However, I am satisfied with the ending and it ended really well. I just always want more.