Between Two Kings (Split or Swallow, #2) by Lindsay Straube Review

This review contains major spoilers - read with caution! A list of trigger warnings is available here - reader discretion is advised. You can read my review of Kiss of the Basilisk on my blog, now!

Never in my life have I felt a rage about a book ending like I felt when I was reading the final chapters of this installment. I truly feel like I was being rage-baited into thinking it was an acceptable ending when it was basically some of the laziest writing and plot development I have ever come across. Tem's character, while slightly annoying in book one, seemed to lose all common sense and reasoning. The character assassination that occurred with Caspen was like getting shot in the chest - everything that I loved about his character seemed to fly out the window as the author showed clear favoritism towards Leo. Caspen was notorious for loving Tem without reservation and all of her - he would do anything to have her and anything to keep her, and yet the author suddenly decided she was okay with him basically abandoning his feelings for her for the "good" of her? I wanted to pull my hair out.

Leo's presence in this book started off as a little bit of a forbidden love triangle yet soon became a nuisance to me the more he showed up with his lingering glances and being controlled by Evelyn. It was literally nauseating when he would come on the page because I knew it would be a chapter filled with his whining and Tem's internal monologue of how much she wanted him but could not have him. Caspen's clear distain toward the human king was so justified and I honestly wish Caspen was more brutal and straight up just took out Leo when he had the chance - so many issues would have been resolved. Sure, the humans probably would have revolted against the basilisks, but at this point, it would have been worth it. Tem was basically emotionally torturing Caspen every single time they had dinner with Leo and Evelyn, and yet she did not see anything wrong with what she was doing.

Let me tell you something - I was starting to root for a little action with Tem and Apollo solely because he was eons more intriguing than Leo. Sure, he is Caspen's brother, but good god, hsi scenes were always so alluring and he clearly was able to care for Tem in a way that Leo would not be able to, with the added benefit of having first rights to Tem. I would have supported a Tem, Caspen, and Apollo why-choose development over the actual ending of this forsaken book, Tem was running around those caves "resisitng" having sex with all these hot basilisks on the basis of her saying she only wanted Caspen, but clearly the girl's love for Leo was influencing her decision on that part. Sure, she engaged in mating season activities with other basilisks, but it was annoying to see her act righteous over refusing sex when it's literally the basis of the basilisk way.

The entire ordeal with the Senecas contesting Tem and Caspen's marriage would have been so good... if it ended up being worth it in the end. I absolutely cannot stand Rowe after everything he did in the first installment, and somehow we are supposed to accept that he would ever be considered a better choice than Caspen. And all that build up to him being more powerful now and alluding that he did something in order to achieve it, only for it to become an abandoned plot line?? So many plot were lost in the author's clear attempt to make readers want to have Leo be the chosen one for Tem instead of Caspen, and the book suffered for it.

There were a million other choices the author could have made for the ending that would have been satisfying on all fronts - instead, readers are presented with one of the most ludicrous ending imaginable. You are telling me, in the series about a girl who loves more than one person, that you could not end it as a "why not both?" and we could have lived happily ever after?? SHE LOVED THEM BOTH!! Never in my life have I ever rooted for a throuple - literally the first time ever - and yet this was the perfect opportunity make them all love each other. But no... apparently happiness cannot exist here and we have to KILL one of them?? And not even the more boring one?? I was a sobbing mess when I realized what was happening and at that point, wish I never read the book in the first place. Because why are you killing the hot, sexy Serpent King, making the Hybreed lose her basilisk side, and end up with the boring human king that could barely fight for her?? You're telling me I had to lose the man that responded to "You're not a god" with "Am I not? He should thank me for my benevolence." to the human king that cannot even stand up to a simple village girl that ran away from him for money??

One positive thing I will say - I love how unhinged these books are and how straight to the point - or smut - the book gets to the nasty within the first chapter. Mating season was absolutely crazy and honestly had some moments that had my jaw dropping - some things were not for me, but they aligned with the basilisk way so it was appropriate. Some scenes were super juicy and I ate them up but others felt so repetitive in the sense that the author would inserting them into the story to avoid addressing the plot.

Overall, I wish I could wipe my memory from ever deciding to read this sequel - at least then I would be able to live in ignorance and bliss without the knowledge of this atrocious ending. Will I read the prequel being published later this year? Probably, but I won't be happy about it. Especially considering I thought it was actually the third installment and not about other characters. If you want to send someone through the ringer, then you can make them read this series knowing they will be met with disappointment and anger. I do not even know how I will be able to move on after finishing this book.

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Bratva's Secret Girl (Obsessed Bratva Bosses, #1) by Evie Rose Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I have been in a reading slump for far too long and despite me saying I would read more literary fiction this month, I once again find myself in the throws of mafia romances. I am such a sucker for an age gap romance, and when presented with one that includes some more-than-toxic tendencies, I simply cannot resist the temptation. However, the excitement was short-lived with this novella, and I found myself less-than entertained as I flew through Hayley and Maxim's story. While my expectations were not through the roof, I was hoping this novella would be more captivating, but instead it fell flat and while I was able to speed right through it, I was left unsatisfied.

The writing felt juvenile - sentences were not well-structured and the entire thing read like an early Wattpad publication. If you are looking for a novella with plot, abandon ship now - the author chose smut over plot lines in this novella, and even calling it smut is overstepping in my opinion. The "erotic" scenes were nothing short of the bare basics when it comes to what should be included in dark romance, and none of them read well enough to have my jaw on the floor. The scenes felt as though they were somehow supposed to push Hayley and Maxim's story forward, but instead made it feel like Hayley was this naive little girl when she is an adult.

Maxim's characterization, at first, seemed like everything that I wanted in a male lead - that was quickly shattered when any of the anticipation of him wanting Hayley was bypassed by the author in favor in going straight into the story with Maxim and Hayley having a more formal working relationship. I was hoping for some raw tension, and instead I was presented with Maxim, the rough and tough mafia man, counting cash in a money laundering front in order to spend time with Hayley. It would have read much better if he had honestly was stalking her to at least give some darker undertones to their relationship rather than basically make them friends from the beginning.

If you are looking for a quick little tale to make you move from one book to the next, this novella provides enough pages to get you back into the flow of things. If you are looking for something with a little more meat on its bones, you can pass on this story.

You can add Bratva's Secret Girl on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

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Friends Like These by Meg Rosoff Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I bought this book over the summer last year, but with an ever-growing TBR pile, it soon got lost in the long, long list of books that I needed to tackle and recommendations from my deceiving For You page on TikTok. But alas, I finally grabbed it off the shelf and parked myself on the skydeck of my apartment building to catch some sun and check list off the list. The summary on the back of the book drew me in, but unfortunately, it was the only interesting about this book. I was expecting some devious, toxic friendships in Rosoff's novel, but was met with lackluster characterization and a plot that could not get a grasp of what it wanted to be. The writing felt mediocre and often times unfinished - the only upside was the styling allowed reading to be quick paced and after two hours of reading, I only had about 30 pages left.

Beth, eighteen, is riding the high of being selected for a summer internship in New York, is met with a number of challenges raging from the heat of the city to wavering relationships with her co-interns. When luck seems to find her way and she befriends Edie, they have an instant connection and soon become attached to the hip. But with attachment comes consequences, and Beth finds herself riding in the passenger seat of Edie's never-ending drama, theatrics, and mood swings. The more time Beth spends with Edie, the more she succumbs to manipulative tactics and the constant stress of always following her lead. Keeping that in mind, I wish Edie was as diabolical as Beth made her out to be, and while I agree that Edie's actions were frustrating and thoughtless, she just seemed like an annoying, self-centered girl at the end of the day who Beth never stood up to until the very end.

Dan and Oliver's characterization were surface-level and unappealing in the sense that they held no true value to me throughout the entire book. They provided some minor support in showcasing Edie's true character, but ultimately I could not form an attachment or interest in their little side quests - they were simply uninteresting. I wish this read more as a core four toxic friend group rather than two girl best friends accompanied by their male coworkers - it would have made much more sense for all of them to be conniving towards one another than only having one "true" villain of the group.

If you're looking for a quick read that you can fly through, this definitely checks that box. To be frank, I read it so quickly in hopes that there would be some form of climax to the plot that would be explosive or really make Beth and Edie "enemies" but was let down by the end. While this classifies as historical fiction by being set in 1983, the author was only able to set the scene by mentioning the AIDS epidemic and World War II scattered throughout the book - I never felt like I was transported back in time other than when they would mention that bagels would cost twelve cents instead of the typical two to three dollars in today's world. I may give another one of Rosoff's works a chance in the future as I have heard good things, but for now I will move on to my next read.

You can add Friends Like These on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter (X), and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!