Lexi Ryan

In this thrilling conclusion to These Hollow Vows - the sexy, action-packed fantasy by New York Times best-selling author Lexi Ryan that started it all - Brie finds herself caught between two princes and two destinies while the future of the fae realm hangs in the balance.After Abriella's sister was sold to the fae, she thought life couldn't get any worse. But when she suddenly finds herself caught in a web of lies of her own making - loving two princes and trusting neither - things are not quite as clear as she once thought.As civil war wages in the Court of Darkness, Brie finds herself unable to choose a side. How can she know where she stands when she doesn't even know herself anymore? In this darkly romantic thrill ride, the more Faerie is torn apart from the inside, the clearer it becomes that prophecies don't lie and Brie has a role to play in the fate of this magical realm - whether she likes it or not.

These Twisted Bonds: These Hollow Vow Bk 2

raia

“In a different world, in a different life, we’d be together,” I whisper. “No kingdoms to rule, no people to save, just you and me and a simple life loving each other.”

“I’ll be right by your side,” he says, his lips brushing my ear with each word. “And doing so will be the greatest honor of my life.”

“I’m not interested in pretending I don’t want you, that I don’t think about you constantly. It’s insulting to us both.” 

“I can’t change what happened, and I can’t make the mortal realm a safe place for you, but I can give you a place to call home. The most beautiful place in my whole court. It’s yours.”

“What’s that?” Finn asks, following my gaze.

I shake my head, still staring at it. “I don’t really know, but I think it’s Juliana’s hair.”

Finn barks out a laugh. “You cut off Juliana’s hair?”

“Home,” I say softly, burying my face in his arms. I don’t know where we are, but home feels right.

“Brie is mine. She bonded with me, not you. You can’t have her.”

“I don’t want to be bonded to either of you!” My shadows swirl at my feet and wrap themselves around my arms, and I don’t bother to pull them back in.

Folding his arms, Finn rocks back on his heels. His smile is anything but cheerful. It’s the smile of an exiled prince who had his only chance at the throne stolen from him.

“Don’t you understand?” I whisper. “You didn’t just take the crown. You took my life. You killed me.”

Sebastian squeezes his eyes shut. “I love you.”

I shake my head. Because I know it’s true. I know he believes it. “Love means nothing without trust.”

“You’re just angry that she chose me,” Sebastian snarls.

“Oh, I’m angry all right.” Finn’s eyes glitter. “But she didn’t choose you. She chose the work of fiction you created for her, the pretty little story you wooed her with—the poor golden prince with the dying mother and the dream of uniting two kingdoms after centuries divided.”

His eyes blaze, and he tilts his head to the side. “Your anger is intense. I like it.”

Of all the things he could’ve said or asked, he wanted to know if I was happy.

I’m stuck here. I’m fae. But I am not powerless, and I will never be like them.

Sebastian’s no better than the rest of them, and now I’m tied to him forever. For my entire immortal life.

mirin

this is defo more of a 4.5 stars due to the ending, and cause i gave THV a 4, but i found this one way better but just not 5!!! 

i loved this story a lot and the ending was amazing. the first third of this book didn't hit it with me as much and i think it could have defo been a trilogy! 

-- spoilers below :) 

sooo the ending almost brought me to tears. i did not like sebastian the entire way through the book, i wasn't a fan of the fact he refused to end the bond with brie even though she had practically begged and told him that she would never be romantically involved with him again and he kept saying "give me another chance we can try" etc etc, gave me big big predator vibes but anyways.. 

maybe he did all that because he knew he would sacrifice himself and become mortal again, or did he only decide that after she came back with the solution of saving the courts and being obviously in love with finn who knows. but that part almost made me cry, where he's like i am happy to sacrifice myself for you yadayada. AND WHEN FINN SAID "thank you brother" - tears in my eyes :') 

every intimate scene with finn and brie was so hot lmao lexi ryan knows how to write that stuff and it was obvious they were gonna be end game but honestly i love that. 

misha was the best side character. love him and their secret mind communication and the fact him and brie became besties by the end of the book v cute. 

think the book could've been a trilogy because the first half was a lot of lore and reading and dialogue rather than action and things actually happening, probably because she had just ran away from both courts so we had complete new setting and characters buttt it would have been great if it was a trilogy and we could have split up some of the lore-y explanations in the first half of this book to make it not sooo long. 

also wish we had seen more of arya and had more like scenes and fights with her directly considering she was basically the big bad in this series, but they only spoke to her like right before she d-worded.

anyways great book all round, love the fae lore and would recommend !!

These Twisted Bonds: These Hollow Vow Bk 2

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