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Review

4 stars

Like most fans of this series, I have been so excited for this book. I didn’t know much about it other than it’s the continuation of Jane and Thatcher’s passionate love story (squee), and something about a twin switch between gorgeous Thatcher and his equally gorgeous twin brother, Banks (another squee). I dove in with high hopes and ended up having some really mixed feelings, but I loved it.

It should be clear, but just to say – be aware that this book is not a standalone. Not only is it the continuation of Jane and Thatcher’s story that began in Tangled Like Us, but the books in this series form a continuous storyline, and you can’t just jump in. There is a complicated backstory to these characters and their relationships, and you need to read the books in order to fully experience and appreciate it all.

OK, on with the purge of feelings…

Firstly, I was overjoyed to be back in this world. The Ritchie sisters write the most phenomenal character dynamics and being back with this group is like coming back to family. You feel like you’re actually sitting in the room and watching everything unfold, and I could happily just sit there and soak it all up whenever all of these characters are bantering, bickering and teasing together. And when there are romantic relationships in the mix and you’re getting to see the intimate interactions between couples in love, it just makes it better.

Which leads me to Jane and Thatcher. I was completely swept off my feet by their romance in Tangled Like Us, and though I questioned the need for them to have a second book, I was so in love with them that I pre-ordered this one without question, excited to experience more. There’s a different dynamic between them now – no longer bodyguard and client engaged in a forbidden, clandestine affair, now everything is out in the open and they have to get used to being together openly… dealing with the fallout of the secrets they kept from their friends and family, being apart every day now Thatcher has been reassigned and Jane has a new bodyguard, Thatcher coming to understand what dating a Cobalt really means, and Jane getting used to the first relationship she’s ever had.

However, as much as I love them together, this wasn’t the story I wanted for them. I found myself so frustrated with Jane. I couldn’t understand her issues, and I was constantly rolling my eyes as she over-analysed everything and held herself back from the love that she gave herself so freely to in her first book. She’s almost skittish around Thatcher, and the way she behaves started to make me wonder why he was so madly in love with her, which was really sad given how much I initially felt their love story.

“When I was your bodyguard and we were fucking, you’d let me help you no hesitation, and now that I’m your boyfriend, you’re frozen.”
My eyes flit down.
Thatcher shifts uneasily. “You’re confusing the hell out of me, and I want to walk with you through this, honey. But I don’t know where you’re going.”

It’s drawn out and frustrating, but the authors needed something to write about and I guess they decided to make Jane’s journey the main focus of this book. To me, it just seemed like drama for the sake of drama, and I wasn’t a fan. Especially because Thatcher is pretty much perfect, and his epic declarations had me swooning madly!

I can’t apologize for falling in love with her.
I can’t call what happened a mistake. Gun to my head, I’d repeat every moment so I’d have the boldest, smartest girl next to me – a girl I shouldn’t have.
But she’s mine, and I might not deserve her but I swear to God, I’ll never harm her, and I’d give my life to protect her. I know I’m not a prince.
I’m not a king.
But I’d treat Jane like she should be treated. She’s my princess, my angel, and my queen. Every morning and every night. I’d kneel at her feet and stand by her side.

I also felt like a lot of this book went nowhere. As much as I enjoyed seeing the characters all together as a whole, the book seemed to drag without much story progression, and I was honestly a bit bored. It didn’t help that I was annoyed with Jane and just wanted her to get over herself, but I could have dealt with it if there was other stuff going on. But there really wasn’t. There were a few key scenes here and there, but not a whole lot to get excited about.

However, having said all of that, things pick up towards the end of the book and there is resolution for Jane, and some exciting twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting and that finished the book on a high. And once I got to the end and looked back, I was actually glad that I got to experience the whole story. It felt a bit ‘lost’ there in the middle, but it ended up being worth it to spend time with these characters and experience everything right along with them.

With such a huge cast of characters, things are happening and future stories are being set up, and I’m super excited for Moffy and Farrow’s wedding book coming up next! There’s something about those two together, and after seeing glimpses of them throughout this one, I need more! The book after that, not so much, but Sulli’s book is sure to be an interesting read. I’m not sure how I feel about the direction of her story yet, but the seeds are being planted (rather abruptly, I might add), and I’m so curious how that is all going to play out.

So yeah, not my favourite of the series, but I still loved spending time with these characters as a group, and I loved seeing Jane and Thatcher work through ~~their~~ her issues and find their happy ending.

Sempre toujours.
Always always.

4 stars.

Like Us

Spin-off from the Addicted series

The Like Us series is a true series, one continuous timeline, that follows a family of wealthy celebrities and the people that protect them. It must be read in the following order.