Chaos Reigning A Novel

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance Chaos Reining is the finale of the Consortium Rebellion trilogy and part of me is sad because I don't want to say goodbye to these characters at ALL and this family just rocks in so many ways. But I believe she has a companion series that is connected to this one, so its not completely goodbye so I am looking forward to seeing what this author does to build this world even further. But still.....I wanted two other books involving the brothers, that would have been awesome because I fell in love with their sibling bond with their sisters. I know that this is NOT everyone's favorite of the trilogy but I actually LOVED it so much. I am not sure if it was because of the narration (which is fabulous) or just the story just drew me in, but I couldn't put this one down. Its why I listened to it in two days. Chaos Reigning is focused upon the younger sister, the under appreciated one in many ways....Catarina. She is the public face of the family, the one who wears all the dresses and acts the socialite while being so far different. Catarina has felt so undervalued in the family, and the "black sheep" as it were. She knows that one day she will have to do her duty and marry for the family, but she wants more than marriage to a man older than her father....she wants deep rich love in her life. After the attempt on her eldest brother's life (which still cost him his voice) she is determined to find out who is after her family. She goes undercover at a house party that is full of vipers, but her sister forces her to take two bodyguards and one of them...Alex, to pose as her current love interest. Catarina is intently drawn to this broody Alex who is full of secrets but is protective yet supportive of her plan. But what begins as a undercover operation turns into an adventure where Catarina will risk all to save her family and house against a corrupt regime.... I desperately had a blast with this book and I didn't want it to ever end. I have to say that this author never ceases to impress me in all the best of ways here. I was so drawn into this story and Catarina and Alex's journey. I truly adored Catarina and Alex together, they were a powerhouse together. I loved that Alex was just like Catarina and he understood her in ways that her family never could. She needed someone that would always stand by her. I really respected her growth and what she became within the pages of this story. This book turned out to be a story I vastly underestimated in numerous of ways. I never thought it would be such a action packed book that would keep me on my toes. But it did and I adored every single thrilling moment this author portrays. I couldn't help but fall for both of the characters. Alex is such a bold character but somewhat in the background at times in the story. I would have loved to see so much more of him but the focus was Catarina and her growth. I really felt a kinship to Catarina, and for some reason I connected to her character much more cemently than I did with the other two sisters. I found her connection to Alex to be sensual in some moments but also much deeper on an almost psychic level. There is a level of understanding and respect that these two hold for each other. I adored that even though Alex didn't always agree with Catarina's decisions, he held such support towards her. He was honest with her but respected her choices and I adored that. Overall I found Chaos Reigning to be a stunning conclusion to a delightful series that held me focus from beginning to end....its a story of laughter, adventure, secrets and embracing the best parts of yourself in the moments when you least expect it to happen......THRILLING AND PASSIONATE!

Content warnings: (view spoiler)[scifi violence and death, medical experimentation without consent, parental abuse (physical and emotional) (hide spoiler)] I’ve been a huge fan of Jessie Mihalik ever since Ilona Andrews posted about her first serial novella, and I was hooked. I’ve been absolutely blown away by each of the Consortium Rebellion books, from their gorgeous covers to their heroines to their tropes, and I’m honestly sad that this is last book in the series. “I wished I had Ada’s confidence or Bianca’s intelligence. I would even take Benedict’s boisterous arrogance. But all I had was me. It wasn’t enough, but I was still a von Hasenberg—I wouldn’t go down without a fight.” After I read Polaris Rising, I thought I couldn’t love another heroine more than Ada. Then along came Bianca in Aurora Blazing and stole my heart. And now (can you see where this is going?), we’ve got Cat in Chaos Reigning and, honestly, I would stab people with a rusty spoon for her. It also doesn’t hurt that the tropes are fantastic – a bodyguard and a space princess have to pretend to be in a relationship at a house party (where, naturally, there’s only one bed) in order to figure out how badly the hosts have betrayed them. “Did you volunteer or were you the most expendable?” she asked quietly. I laughed. “I volunteered because I’m the most expendable.” All the von Hasenberg sisters know that dresses and makeup are just another form of armor, but Cat has elevated it to an art form. As the youngest of the siblings, she’s treated like a child, there to be protected and coddled and not really trusted with anything important – unless it involves shopping or social calls. For reasons of her own, Cat has carefully cultivated her image as a ditzy socialite, but it hurts that not even her own family seems able to see past it – and makes her question her own abilities. The house party/spy mission is the first big thing her family has trusted her with, and even then, Bianca insists on sending special bodyguards with her. Readers will be familiar with Alex from Bianca’s book and know exactly why she’s insisting he and his partner Aoife go with Cat – hello, super soldiers! – but for Cat, it’s just more evidence that her siblings don’t think she’s capable of handling what should be a simple mission. Cat’s doubts – that she’s the least of her siblings, that they all have their particular skills and strengths while she has none, that they think she’s useless – are, I think, infinitely relatable to a lot of people, and watching her realize exactly what she’s capable of, with Alex’s help, was extremely satisfying. “You can hide all you want, but I’ve seen you, and you’re amazing.” Trust Alex to drop perhaps the single nicest thing anyone had ever said about me into our conversation like it was no big deal.” Alex definitely plays second fiddle to Cat, and with everything else going on in the book (so. much. action.) his character development takes a back seat. I never really got a good sense of him as a person except for how he reacts around Cat and Aoife, and he doesn’t even get as much of a back story as Ian did in Aurora Blazing. Overall, the romantic plot was definitely secondary to everything else going on, especially in how it intersects with Cat’s internal struggle with her own worth. It does feel like the series has moved from scifi romance to scifi with strong romantic element as the series progressed. In terms of their relationship, the big hurdle is that Alex is there because Bianca hired him to look after Cat, and she believes any kindness is obviously not because of how he feels about her as a person but because he’s good at his job. What we do see, however, is that, after a few initial hiccups, he never underestimates Cat’s ability to get things done and he constantly supports her. So while he’s certainly good on paper, I wasn’t blown away by their romance. “Taking risks is what I do. It’s what I was designed for.” “No, it’s what you decided on. And you can decide on something different.” What did have me on the edge of my seat was the action. All of the books have been action-packed, but this one really ups the stakes. It’s hard to discuss how this book goes from 0-60 without going into spoilers, but the first section is all the high society house party shenanigans you could expect (racing! sneaking around at night!) which then leads directly into an almost frenetically paced end of the book. While the first part is slower action-wise, it’s chockfull of character development for Cat and Alex, and it provides the necessary tension for the rest of the book. It also helps highlight the spectacular worldbuilding that I’ve loved throughout the series. “You’re my sister; I’d love you even if you sprouted horns and a tail.” One of the other things that I’ve really loved about the series is the strong bond the von Hasenberg siblings have with each other. They always have each others’ backs against the world and, more importantly, their own parents. Yet despite that, they’ve still been affected by their upbringing and each is keeping secrets from the others, whether it’s Ferdinand’s relationship with the daughter of a rival house or Bianca’s ability or Cat’s…. well, I’m not gonna spoil it! The secrecy is finally addressed in this book, and honestly, one of the scenes made me a little teary. I also loved Cat’s friendship with Ying, one of the heirs for House Yamado. One of Cat’s strengths is her ability to make friends and allies for her house, and I think that friendship perfectly expressed it. Overall, this was an immensely action-packed and satisfying end to the series, though I definitely hope the author will revisit it one day as there’s still unattached von Hasenberg siblings left! I received this book from Edelweiss. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

** spoiler alert ** This was a great conclusion to the consortium trilogy.. Catarina was experimented on when she was little by her father and becomes a sort of super soldier like loch, and Ian. As she got older and realized what her father had done. She started hiding her abilities. And affected this persona of a spoiled rich girl. This makes her perfect to go be a spy at a house party to help figure out who ordered the kinapping of her brother Ferdinand in the last book. Her sister Bianca asks her friend Alex to pretend to be her boyfriend so he can look out for her. Cat and Alex end up working together to help bring the consortium back up so the evil syndicate won't end up in control. We get glimpses of ada and loch, bianca and ian. And all the other siblings that we met previously.. and see the beginning of how they are going to work together to change the Consortium for the better..

4.5 I liked this book better than the 2nd but not as much as the first. I think it's a fitting conclusion to the series. Everything is tied up nicely. I liked the first half of this book way more than the last half. The smaller scale intrigue along with navigating a fake relationship with bodyguard was well-done! The second half was too over the top. While interesting and had a lot of political and tactical maneuvering it fell a little flat. While I've spent a few books investing in the world it wasn't enough for me to get invested in the whys/hows of the overthrow. A few more books in the universe, esp on Serenity, would be helpful, but that would require more relationships. And honestly, the romance needs some variety. I liked Cat and Alex better than Ian/Bianca, but their relationship mirrored the same path as the two previous ones. I will say Alex definitely respected Cat and her abilities more. And that's the thing that I liked/disliked depending on the way it was used-Cat's abilities. She hid what she could do and played up a bubbly front which is always intriguing. But characters still doubted her even when she showcased the front. Maybe they were acting in character, but a little faith would've been nice. Good solid series! I wouldn't recommend reading all within 48 hours of each other. This series benefits from some breathing room.

One of my most anticipated romance reads of 2020, Chaos Reigning was the PERFECT book to launch me out of the atmosphere and into space, far away from my worries here on Earth. Catarina von Hasenberg, youngest and hiding a secret, must try to leverage the socialite, insipid image she's honed over the years to find evidence framing those responsible for her brother's kidnapping while attending a swanky house party. Her sister Bianca has thrown a wrench into her plans by sending two bodyguards to "help" Cat, including one who is supposed to be Cat's new boyfriend. Alex is mysterious, large, quiet, and devastatingly attractive. So much so Cat worries pretending might turn in to something more. As with the other books in this series, reader's will enjoy a firm focus on the heroine as she defies expectations and protects those she loves, while falling in love with a delicious cinnamon roll along the way. I only wish we got to know Alex a little bit more, he is very much a side character to Cat's magnificence and is instantly in love with her. CW for violence, guns, medical experimentation, explicit war scenes I received a free copy from Edelweiss+ for review.