By Calia Read
★★★★☆
“Everyone has a weakness. You just have to look.”
The second book in the Sloan Brother’s Series by Calia Read is finally out. If you read book 1 Every Which Way you remember meeting Emilia. You also probably remember that feeling that she was not what she seemed, she was up to something, just not certain exactly what that was. I know I was terrified of how that would affect Severine and Thayer so it was hard for me to imagine myself liking her. Of course that is what a good author is great at; completely changing your perspective when it comes to the stories they create based on the specific circumstances and events they allow you to see.
The Blurb:
Emilia Wentworth would do anything for her sister.
For three years, Emilia has lived in the past, feeling her sister’s pain and hating those who are to blame, including one of the Sloan brothers.
Finally, she has had enough. The only way to be free is to create a Burn List with all the people who have ever hurt her sister.
As she crosses each name off, she gets closer and closer to her final target. But, things aren’t always as they seem.
Loyalties are tested.
Boundaries are crossed.
And the truth is revealed
Emilia is a complicated character, although the story is told from her POV (alternated with Macsen) I had a hard time really liking her at first. I wasn’t quite sure why, maybe because I wasn’t completely sure what her plans for Macsen actually were. The author hints at what was done to her sister but really keeps you in the dark for most of the book (there are a few surprises and twists closer to the end) which makes me unable to fully connect with Emilia’s anger and need for revenge. Somewhere along the way and again I am not sure where, I finally felt the connection to Emilia and realized I liked her after all.
Tosha heaves a sigh and pats me on my knee. “Whatever you’re after … just take it, Emilia.” She walks over to my desk and unzips my makeup bag. “You can be fierce when you want to be.”
“You think so?”
Cocking her hip to the side, she points my lip liner at me. “I know so. You’re like broken glass.”
“Broken glass?” I give her a strange look.
“You’re intense. It’s unexpected and makes everyone jump.”
“I hope I cut a few people,” I reply dryly.
Pulling out my compact she looks at her face and nods at her reflection. “You will.”
Macsen Sloan who we met in the first book was a character I already liked but I have to say I really fell in love with him in the story. We get to see a much deeper side to him. We begin to understand that even after all of the mistakes he has made he is still deep down a good person. He has many layers that most aren’t able to see, yet he and Emilia are so similar that they really fit together.
It’s the quiet people you need to watch out for. And that’s one of reasons why I’m sitting here, asking for advice. Macsen is quiet. Just like me. His mind is running at top speed. I can barely focus around him.
There are a lot of secrets in this book and although you may think you have them figured out the author has come out with a way to surprise you. It’s not as simple or cut and dry as it may seem and that is what I really loved about it. I would have loved to get more of Severine and Thayer though. There just wasn’t enough interaction with them as I would have liked but this wasn’t their story so I guess it makes sense.
I am looking forward to the rest of the books in the series. I am really anxious to find out more about the remaining Sloan brother and I hope we get to see more of a family dynamic as well. I also am happy to see that Calia Read has listed a book about Thayer and Macsen’s friend Chris is in the works.
I definitely recommend this book, especially if you loved the first book!
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