Advanced Reader Copy generously provided by the author
in exchange for an honest review.
Blurb:
Adrian Maddox fled his royal life—and tragic past—in Sector One, choosing instead to join up with the O’Kanes. For years, he’s lived by one rule: love fast, love hard, and always be willing to walk away. He’s managed to guard his heart, keep it whole and untouched—until now.
They couldn’t be more different—Dylan, the brilliant, burned-out doctor from Eden who drowns his pain with drugs and self-destruction. Scarlet, the sensuous, sexy rocker from Three, a woman unafraid to embrace the world. And Jade, the whore turned spy from Sector Two, who battled addiction and came out stronger than anyone he’s ever met.
Separately, they make Mad long to open his heart, to tumble head-first into a sea of possibilities and wild love. Together, they make him burn, inside and out, with lust and unbearable, unimaginable pleasure.
Then one fateful moment shakes their world to its foundations—and leaves the sectors on the verge of all-out war with Eden. It’s the biggest fight the O’Kanes have ever faced, and Mad and his lovers are at the dead center of it. They could end up with everything they never knew they wanted—or lose it all. Including their lives.
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Kit Rocha
Dystopian Romance, Menage
323 e-book pages
3rd person
Beyond series, book 7
February 9-11, 2016
Kindle Edition
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Review:
“Alright, you crazy motherfuckers. […] Let’s tear down the walls of heaven and let a little sin in.”
Holy JEEEZUS. What a ride.
The Back Porch was way too cold to sit outside and read. Instead, I sat cozied up on the sofa or in bed, like a relatively normal person smart enough to be inside during freezing February temps.
But this book? The Scorch Factor was so high with all the fourpling fourgys I had to step outside several times to cool off. Not joking even a little bit.
“Maybe…some things aren’t supposed to be easier. They stay with you forever, because you need to remember.”
Uhh, yeah. I’ll remember that–in and out of context.
This series. So many details and threads of secrets, conspiracy, threat of war, uncertainty, the living on the edge of loss and destruction, shouldering heavy burdens, finding love, sating lust, finding beauty amidst the chaos and ruin…all of this. I swear I don’t know how the writing duo of Kit Rocha keeps up with all of this and weave these threads so eloquently.
They do it, though. And this book propels this series forward like a rocket. Where some series, by book three or five or whatever, start losing steam this one just doused the already burning flames with a truck-load of jet fuel.
The writing is gorgeous in this gritty tale and the world-building continues on the solid foundations laid in the early books.
The characters are…
This one is a ménage à quatre. FOUR people fourpling.
Four.
I still can’t get over the choreography of all the four-play.
Not just that, but falling in love, accepting flaws, shoring up each other’s weaknesses, sharing their hearts three ways instead of just with one other, figuring out how they all fit, and need, and want, and how they can make it work. How they are all stronger and better for it.
I was worried that it would be nearly impossible to create a sense of intimacy with all those extra body parts. But they did it. One-on-one and all together there is a peaceful, loving calm building amongst them that was illustrated beautifully. Errr, why was I worried?
“The hardest part of all this, of life […] is learning how to keep going. Even when you fuck up, even when you fail everyone around you. You have to let them forgive you, and you have to forgive yourself.”
As a collective, every character we meet is flawed in some way for believable reasons of their circumstances. Their flaws drive them in their actions, but also make them appealing, human, and relatable. They don’t need to be fixed–just given a safe place to simply be and work through it.
Dylan. I’ve wanted his story since forever. He’s Doc, the dude who slips in and out of the sectors to heal the wounded, not really an O’Kane, always high as a kite and a guy who seems irreparably damaged. I’ve been wanting him to find his place to be loved and accepted and get his redemption. And uhh, I was pleased (understatement) to see how it all came about. I had no idea he’d be so delicious. Especially with Mad.
And Maddox? I’ve about bitten off my bottom lip with all his hotness. He’s more, though, so much more that digging in deeper with him was a pleasant surprise. I loved how he loved his family despite the ghosts and enmity he carries for his home sector. The man had way more going on than we know from previous books. So taking that O’Kane ink? Seriously serious throw-down of allegiance.
“…trust should be at the heart of everything–and that you didn’t reward people with trust. You rewarded them for it…”
And the women.
My god, the women. I cannot tell you emphatically enough how much I absolutely love how Kit Rocha writes women. They are strong, smart, capable. They are steadfast. They are not shrinking violets in the face of adversity. They are powerful and feminine, unapologetically sexy and refuse to be window dressing. They might be hurt, but they aren’t broken. And they damn sure don’t need a man to put them back together–because fuck that noise.
The best thing…is that the men get it. Usually pretty fucking quickly. If they’re shocked, they adapt then they have their woman’s back(s). But not because she needs that–but because we all do from the people who love us.
“We all feel it. And then we nut the fuck up and get the hell out of their way, because that’s what we’re fighting for. Everyone’s right to choose how they fight for what they love.”
I’ve wanted Jade and Scarlet’s stories, together and separately. Because these two are so incredibly different. Different backgrounds, different outlooks, different strengths. But, they get each other. I wasn’t surprised by them…and I didn’t want to be this time. From everything I can remember about them from snippets from the other books I didn’t want surprises, I just wanted to nod my head and say YES–you’re everything I hoped you’d be. They were. Plus a little more, I can’t deny, in the best ways possible. Flaws, insecurities, strengths and all.
“I spent seven years keeping a psychopath wrapped around my little finger. If you think you present a challenge after that, your ego is even bigger than your cock, and I’m happy to trim either for you.”
I loved getting a few POV shifts to Lex and Dallas and a few of the others. Mainly…some foreshadowing of things to come. Also, revisiting people from the stories we’ve already had. Dallas and Lex especially–even though their story was book two, it’s the story that fully cemented this series for me as one I’ll love forever. Getting in their heads for a few minutes here and there is a solid reminder of what it is they’re all fighting to keep, fighting to gain, why winning is the only option–no matter the price.
And dammit, if it didn’t make me cry a few times.
This story is crammed full of surprises of what’s going on beyond the romance. There are Big Things happening; huge things balancing precariously on a knife’s edge. Massive developments in play, some with possibly catastrophic consequences.
Even two weeks after reading…still overwhelmed with the love for this book–and the entire series.
That end? I needed a drink. I need another drink just thinking about it.
A shout-out and thanks to a certain someone (she knows who she is) for the rec so long ago. I can’t WAIT for you to read this!
This review also posted on GoodReads. Review posting on Amazon on 2/23.
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NOTE: If you’re new to the series, you need to know this is a progressing storyline. Each book centers on one relationship, but the underlying plots keep building. It’s best to start with book one, Beyond Shame–and that’s FREE at all e-book sellers.