Honestly, I was just disappointed. These Hollow Vows was such an amazing book for me, the twists and turns, the characters, the setting… everything I loved and this second novel just let me down.

I felt like Bree backtracked against everything she stood for, she was flip flopping over both sides for the whole novel it felt like and it just irritated me.

I was thinking the whole time about how long I had left to read, and this is not a feeling you should get when reading.

The plot was predictable, the characters felt annoying, I just didn’t enjoy this at all.

1 star [not for me]

I raced through the first book in this series so I was really looking forward to this one.

I enjoyed being back in this world and working to the conclusion of what was going on but ultimately there was too much back and forth with who the MC trusts for me.

Still an enjoyable read.

Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for granting me an ARC of These Twisted Bonds 😍

Overall rating 4.5 ⭐
The start was a bit slow, I found it quite difficult to get into the first 30-40%, as I tried to remember exactly the events and lore from the previous book, These Hollow Vows. At times I did get a bit confused about the lineage and ancestry of the kings and queens of both the courts.
But boy, after that, the storyline really picked up and I couldn't put it down.
I'm so glad we got to see Brie really tap into her powers, and fully understand her as a character. The romance was swoon-worthy and I'm SO glad we got tons more Finn action 👀
All the characters were well developed and got the ending they deserved, and whilst the ending of THV and beginning of TTB had me hating on Sebastian, he truly redeemed himself by the end.
Overall this sequel really does THV justice, and the conclusion left me feeling very satisfied.
I'd say that this series is like a YA version of Sarah J. Maas' a Court of Thorns and Roses.

Review also posted to GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4831205453
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf3SJiJPgzg

I really enjoyed this book. I find it to be a great ending to this duology. The storyline, the characters, the writing, everything was great! This duology makes me want to read more books by this author

After loving These Hollow Vows, I couldn’t wait to read this one and was so excited when I got it from NetGalley! The easiest way to sum up how I feel about this book is: I absolutely loved everything about it! I was a bit nervous after loving book one so much, but I loved this one even more. I read all of it in just 5 hours! I didn’t want to put it down, and it was so easy to read. The characters are really loveable, and I really liked the new characters that you get to meet in this book. The storyline was fantastic and kept me intrigued from start to finish. I partly guessed what was going to happen, but I was still very surprised. I absolutely loved this book and I’m so glad that I got to read it early. I’m not sure if there’s going to be another book in this series, but I would love to read more about these characters and would love to know what they get up to next. I can’t recommend this series enough and can’t wait to read more from Lexi Ryan in the future.

An excellent end to this series. This book has me gripped from the beginning to the end. I loved how the relationship between the three main characters grew and shifted across the book, as well as how the world and the lore of the world were developed!

After not really enjoying book 1, I had high hopes for this one. It's better than book 1 for sure, but I just couldn't connect with the characters like I wanted to, and it was just too predictable for me.

Wow!! What a sequel! I did not know how the second in this series could possibly live up to the first but it did not disappoint!

The characters were given so many additional layers in this & the romance was perfect. I’m so thrilled I have a signed physical copy of this on the way because I just know it will live on my shelf forever!

Such a great conclusion!
These Twisted Bonds picks up right where These Hollow Vows left off, and Brie still has no idea who she can trust.
Much like the first book, we get glimpses of both good and questionable qualities in both the love interests, though I was firmly one team over the other this time!
Brie is just as self assured as she has always been, firm in her quest to save and protect those who need it. I love that about her.
I would love to see more in this world, but I felt the ending resolved very well, even if I was sad.

This is one of the best books I have read in a while. If you like Sarah J Maas, then you need to read this duology... Which I hope will be expanded... Hint hint
If I'm totally honest, I couldn't see how this could end well, but with all well written stories, you get the ending you want and it seems plausible
All I was to say is I want to hear more about Brie and Finn!

Ryan had me on the edge of my seat with the thrilling sequel giving just the right amount of teetering romance to offset the story picking up where the first book left off. It was easy to fall back into the the world created and whilst drama filled the additional moments of relief whilst fleeting added the right amount of tension. A must read for anyone who loved the first and high-fantasy at its finest.

I've read These Hollow Vows last year (my very first fae book), and was agreeably surprised, so I was excited to read the sequel this year.
I enjoyed it a lot, much like the first book. The author manages to pull me into the story and make me care for the characters, even if I found Abriella sometimes annoying with her pity parties. Sebastian got on my nerves most of the times but ultimately I made my peace with him and I'm satisfied with how it ends for him.
I enjoyed seeing all the other characters again, especially Finn, and I loved Misha! I wished we would have learned more about Misha and the Wild Faes, maybe in another book?
I liked how Abriella discovers her magic, her powers, her purpose and somehow herself through the book.
The book is well written, even if the beginning was a bit too slow-paced for my liking. I'm glad the story tied up all the loose ends and has a satisfying ending.

I definitely recommend this duology if you enjoy fae stories or if you have never read any before and want to start somewhere.

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars
Thank you to the author (Lexi Ryan) publisher (Hodder and Stoughton) and NetGallery for the e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I want to say that I was excited to read this after the jaw dropping ending to These Hollow Vows, however These Twisted Bonds did not hit the mark for me.
Although a good end to the storyline, I felt that the book could have been 100 pages less and have a lot less seemingly random scenes in it, the love triangle continues between Brie, Bash and Finn, however Brie spends a lot of her time ‘working on herself’ then going straight back to either Bash or Finn with a lot of “I can’t trust anyone” and “I’ve been betrayed by everyone” scenes, but then kissing said men!
I was debating whether to DNF this book a couple of times, however there were then some points where I was excited to read more as it seems as though the story was picking up, however it then fell flat and it seemed as though the author wasn’t even sure where to go with the story. For example:
* Finn being ‘ tethered’ to Brie felt very random (it did kind of make sense as to why they were so close etc but…just meh)
* having Brie ‘kidnapped yet again’ but the queens guards (this happened like 3 times)
* Brie having this ‘dark side’ to her which helped her and Bash escape (but this was only mentioned twice before)
* the ending > this necklace which was on Brie the whole time because she couldn’t bring ‘herself to get rid of it’ at the beginning of the book, and then was only mentioned one or two more times throughout the book, being one of these ‘magical stones’ that (you guessed it) could turn fae into humans, something that Brie had wanted all along

Also all those people wanting more spicey scenes are all going to be disappointed, because this also fell flat for me (I’m not however sure if this book is marketed as YA or NA, but I’d have to guess at YA)

Overall, 3.5 stars, probably more 3 stars.
I know a lot of people really liked the first one (and I’ve even seen some people who have really enjoyed the second), but just my opinion!!

These Twisted Bonds pick up immediately after These Hollow Vows. The beginning of the book is fast-paced and action-packed! We also meet Misha early in this book, who is one of my new favorite characters. He was much needed!

This book contains so much more political aspects than the last book. I couldn't really keep up with it half of the time, but that's not something new. I also found the magic confusing sometimes, but that's nothing new for me.

I wish there was more fighting though. After the beginning, the action kinda dabs off and we're left with more politics.

All in all, I liked this book much better than the last one, and I'm quite satisfied with the ending even if maybe it felt a little bit rushed. The story itself wasn't very original though, but I was still intrigued by how it would play out!

I would definitely recommend this duology!

So excited to read this book and it did not disappoint!
I thoroughly enjoyed it - I loved that it started exactly where the first book finished. I thought it was well written and the pacing of the story was great.

Really satisfied with how the series ended

📖 These Twisted Bonds by Lexi Ryan

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“I’m fae. But I am not powerless, and I will never be like them.”
------------------------------------------

This is the second and final instalment in the ‘These Hollow Vows’ duology. This story picks up where the previous book ended. Brie has been betrayed by those she thought she could trust. With these betrayals weighing heavy on her, and her sudden and unexpected resurrection/transformation, Brie finds herself in an impossible situation, torn between the two courts and their princes. As civil war wages in the Court of Darkness, Brie finds herself unable to choose a side. Despite this, Brie can’t deny that she has an important part to play in saving this magical world and those that are suffering the most, whether she likes it or not.

What you'll find:
🌎 World building
✨ More insight into the magic aspect of the story
🔮 Prophecy
👩🏻 Brie’s character development and seeing her really coming into her power
🤴🏻 More Finn!
🖤 Love triangle
👯 Some new, really fun and interesting characters
😮 Shocking reveals
💀 Quest into the underworld
🔥 The Brie/Finn tension and pining!!
😭 Sebastian being an emotional mess, tbh

I was so excited to jump into this ARC once I finished the first book! I loved These Hollow Vows and was desperate to learn how Brie’s story would end. One thing I really loved about this story and Brie’s character development was that she held Sebastian accountable for the shit he pulled at the end of book one. She does the same with Finn, although I think that his behaviour was less terrible than scaring her into a bond and not telling her she would die and come back as a fae.
I loved the side characters, especially Misha. Super flirty, powerful and has that awesome mind-reading power.
I think Brie really came into her own in this book and I love how she really fought for what she wanted, especially in the second half. The ending itself was satisfying. It ended the way I wanted it to, although I was shocked by Sebastian’s actions at the end! Also, while I love who she chose, I don’t know if I completely bought their love story. Something I’m still processing, I guess.

Overall, a really entertaining read and a great way to end a fantastic series!

Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to leave an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for this incredible ARC! I definitely would have cried having to wait any longer for the sequel to These Hollow Vows!

This was my most anticipated sequel of the year and it did not disappoint. Lexi Ryan’s writing has significantly matured and has created a well thought out and detailed plot line. This leads to the pacing of the book being slower than the last novel however I preferred this as it felt like a tangible journey with the reader following alongside Brie. Following on from the major plot twist of These Hollow Vows, we follow Brie in the discovery of the new her and her place in her world. I know you have all been dying for some Finn time and don’t worry you’ll get it! Bries journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance alongside power and it’s cost, has created an incredibly empowering yet vulnerable storyline that all fans of These Hollow Vows will adore.

If you liked These Hollow Vows, you’ll probably love These Twisted Bonds. If you didn’t like it, the second one most likely won’t change your mind. I thought Book one was okay, Book two turned out pretty mehh.

First thing that comes to my mind was the love triangle. It was somehow alright in the first one, but in the second one it was seriously starting to annoy me. Abriella just can’t decide who she likes. She gets jealous as hell when Finn talks to other girls, but then she kisses Sebastian, only to tell him a second later that she really doesn’t like him anymore, but she still can’t stand the thought of kissing someone else either. Make up your mind, girl! And not just about boys – Abriella spend most of this book just figuring out what she was supposed to do and how to deal with everything, but not in an interesting way. Just whining and waiting for other people to tell her what to do, basically, and then whining about not liking being told what to do.

I didn’t like Sebastian at all in this one. He was so dishonest in These Hollow Vows that I simply couldn’t trust him and he was so whiny all the time because Abriella didn’t love him. He was also pretty selfish. And Finn wasn’t that much better, tbh. A very whiny book.

I was also a bit confused about the role Misha played. He was an interesting character, but I felt like he didn’t actually do anything. He could’ve easily been left out of this book. Many people and scenes could’ve been cut out, in fact. There just wasn’t much action. A lot of talking, a lot of trying to figure out what was going on. It was a bit boring. Didn’t help that I didn’t exactly care about the characters.

So yeah, I didn’t really care for this book. I’m sure there are many people who will absolutely love it, but that’s not going to be me.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder&Stoughton for offering me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was everything I could’ve asked for and more. The story is so enthralling and capturing and I am so emotionally involved in both the characters and the plot. It truly encapsulates love, purpose, sacrifice and heartbreak all in one. Brie is so important to me, she’s trying to find a place in a world she thinks she doesn’t belong in and she consistently chooses other people and their well-being over her own. I really couldn’t say enough good things about this duology and the ending was so perfect it made me cry.
Thank you so much Netgalley for the arc!

The second book was good! The writing was well done, the pacing of the book was on point and the characters were full of life and personality. I liked the direction the author took the story, especially how she was able to show us more of the that world.

There was drama and there was spice. The book stared exactly where it left off on the first one.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, the sequel certainly didn’t disappoint. It was a good conclusion to the story.

Arc generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review