I had no idea this was a sequel so take my opinion with that going in. I enjoyed about half of this book, sorry as I am to say.

I wasn't totally lost going in, though I never did get context for the mc's relationship the way I hoped? Maybe that was my bad for zoning out during our boy's chapters.

Something about switching between your female MC who got abducted into a Russian, Black-Widowesque program and your male MC who is *checks notes* partying with creepy older criminals and having some of the most irritating dialogue ever.

I think this one was just, meh. Wasn't insulted by anything but neither was I impressed.

(I listened to the audiobook version)
Thanks to NetGalley and the editors for providing this copy of Love and Other Cages in exchange for an honest review.
I love dual pov and even more with dual narrators.
I loved the soft voice of the female narrator, however the male narrators voice was a bit weak for my taste.
I read other reviews and most people said this could be read as a stand alone, I did not read the first one yet and I didn't have any issues following the story.
I found the female pov more interesting and with more action than the male one.
I appreciate small chapters however I found it way too long, I got lost a few times in unnecessary explanations and interactions, that could have been removed to move the story faster.
(I will post this same review on good reads)

*Love and Other Cages* by Emilia Ares had the makings of a compelling YA romance, but unfortunately, it didn’t meet my expectations. I went in hoping for a heartfelt, engaging teen story, but I found myself struggling to connect with the characters and overall execution.

While the writing is undoubtedly beautiful, the pacing felt slow, and the emotional depth didn’t quite land for me the way I expected. I was looking for that classic YA charm—relatable teenage experiences, heartfelt moments, and a story that pulls you in—but instead, I found myself losing interest before finishing.

That being said, just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t mean it won’t be for someone else. If you enjoy poetic, introspective storytelling with a more mature tone, this might be worth picking up. Every reader connects with books differently, so if the premise intrigues you, give it a shot!

I came across this one on Netgalley in the "Listen Now“ menu and after reading the blurb (and of course seeing the cover) I thought I‘d give this one a chance. And I‘m SO glad that I did.

Though the story is apparently a sequel (I say apparently because I didn‘t notice until after hunting down the author on Goodreads), it definitely can be read as a stand-alone, as I did. Though to be fair, you‘ll probably get a better feeling sooner for all that‘s happened if you read the other one before.

I listened to this one as an audiobook while at work (and cleaning the flat and staring at nothing, spellbound by the action), and first and foremost I was SO in awe with the narrators, especially the female voice. She really brought Mina to life for me and made me understand her. It turns out that the female narrator is the author! Kudos to her, her performance definitely felt like she didn‘t do this for the first time and I‘d actually go and listen to more of her, if she‘d narrate more because her voice is just that nice to listen to.

Mina is a high school senior who after being kidnapped by an underground criminal organization only to be thrown into a world of torture, blood, and death, all while being threatened with her mother's life. But all is not as it seems, and although she couldn‘t tell her fresh boyfriend, Oliver, just why she needs to end things, he isn‘t opposed to turning the world upside down in search of her.
The whole plot is not what I expected it to be while also being exactly what I hoped for. The farther we went into the story, the more I wanted to know, to understand. I didn‘t think it would go the way it did, and definitely thought it would take an even darker turn after Mina‘s kidnapping but was glad to find out otherwise.

The book did end in suspense, definitely leaving room for a sequel, so I‘m hoping I‘ll get to read more of Mina and Oliver. All in all, both the writing and the characters themselves really spoke to me and made it easy to connect with the story.

I can wholeheartedly recommend this one to all my action lovers out there who love to read about star-crossed lovers and aren‘t afraid of a little bit of gore.

This book had a lot going as soon as you started! When the beginning starts with relationship drama and then turns to drama with a house invasion, you know a LOT is about to happen. This book does have moments that make you question how much time has passes, as well as moments that make you wonder how we got here, but over all very interesting book that definitely has me looking for the next book.

3.5 stars!
Love and Other Cages was a pleasant surprise! I definitely did not realize that this was a second book in a series. I would recommend reading the first book first- I felt like I definitely missed some context with Oliver and Mina and some pieces of the story at the very beginning based on how the book began.

This book is intense. Throughout the shifting perspectives of Oliver and Mina, we are given glimpses of their lives when intense tragedy strikes Mina and her mom right off the bat. Mina's forced involvement with an underground criminal group was the most interesting part of the book. We see her go through emotional and physical situations through this book that no 18-year-old should ever have to experience. The book was fast-paced and easy to keep up with. Oliver's perspective was definitely not my favorite of the two, but the last 25% of the book his chapters got quite good. I listened to this as an audiobook and I liked that we had two narrators for the two perspectives. Overall, the ending left me on the edge of my seat, and I am excitedly waiting for the next book!!

Thank you NetGalley for the audio copy of Love and Other Cages and for the opportunity to review this book!

this is the second book in a series. it can be read as a standalone but i do think reading the first book will help you to fully understand this book. Mina and Oliver have such a strong bond. I also really enjoyed towards the end of the book. For being a young adult mystery thriller, this has some really dark themes, i think this would be more for other teenagers that can comprehend what’s going on. thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The narrators were perfect for this book! I can’t wait to go back and read book 1. I’m so excited for book 3.

Wow, what just happened? This story was full of unexpected twists and turns that completely caught me off guard! Some moments felt a bit ominous or confusing, but overall, it was a gripping tale that kept me hooked. And that ending—what a cliffhanger! I’ll definitely be on the lookout for the next installment because it cannot end like this!

I absolutely loved the author’s writing style and how she brought the storyline to life through a dual POV between Mina and Oliver. Seeing both perspectives not only deepened my connection to the characters but also gave me insight into their struggles and emotions. Emilia Ares does a fantastic job with her descriptive and engaging writing, pulling me into their world. I flew through the pages, eager to find out what would happen next!

<b>Wanted to Love It… But It Was a Slog</b>

I had heard so many good things about this book, so when it popped up as an ALC option on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to listen. But honestly? It was a slog to get through.

I kept feeling like we were almost at the exciting part—only for the author to drag us down into yet another long-winded internal monologue. It happened so many times that it became frustrating. Honestly, the whole book would have been so much better if it had been cut down by half.

That being said, the narrators were incredible! They did such an amazing job bringing the characters to life, and honestly, I’m not sure I would have been able to finish this book if I wasn’t listening to it. If I had been reading a physical copy, I definitely would have skimmed a lot more.

Also, since this is a YA book, I think it’s worth noting that it covers some more mature themes. While I wouldn’t personally call this spicy, it leans more toward the 15-18 side of YA rather than the 12-15 side.

4.5 stars.
I didn’t realize that this was book 2 of a series but it does say that it can be read as a standalone and true enough, I understood everything without reading book 1.

That being said I do want to read book 1 now because I’m interested in Mina and Oliver’s story and how they came to be together.

I got this audio on NetGalley and it was a great listen, the author and male narrator did a great job. The story had me invested from start to finish and intrigued for the next book, hopefully we get an audio version of book 3 cause I would gladly listen to the same narrator again.

I’m not saying too much cause I don’t want to give anything away but the way Oliver did everything possible to get Mina back while also dealing with stuff of his own and Mina’s strength throughout this whole ordeal was so admirable truly can’t wait to see how this story concludes.

sadly I did not connect with the story and didn't find the audiobook compelling enough to keep me hooked. Unfortunately I dnf'ed it, although I do think this is a nice story.

This book was great! At the end I thought well that’s not a complete ending but then I realized the book is part of a series! Now I need the next book!!

Love And Other Cages by Emilia Ares

A BIG thank you to #NetGalley and #SERAPress for sending me this ALC in exchange for my honest review!


About the book: High school senior Mina Arkova is kidnapped is kidnapped by a secret Russian organization because of her father’s past. She faces torment and is uncertain she will ever be saved.
Her boyfriend Oliver Modell, searches all over LA to try and find her. He has a traumatic past of his own.
They are both faced with unthinkable challenges, their love for one another becomes their greatest strength but also their biggest target. Will Oliver be able to save Mina?

What I thought?: I thought this was a pretty entertaining read for sure. For the most part it’s pretty action packed. Apparently it’s part of a series, but I didn’t read the first one and felt fine reading this one, so I feel like it can definitely be read as a standalone. Although, now I do want to go back and read the first book. The book is has dual narration between Mia and Oliver. I did feel like it became a little “slow” towards the middle and a bit repetitive. I’m hoping there will be another book because it does end pretty abruptly on a cliffhanger. All in all I’d rate this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Will Collyer and Emilia Ares did an amazing job narrating this story!

I didn't realise this was book 2 of a series as it's not clearly marked as so. This meant as I was trying to get into the story I found myself getting a little lost, so unfortunately DNF for me just because I found it hard to jump into.

Unfortunately this story was not for me!
Although the narrative is good and I liked how the narrative was going, the story itself didn't captivate me, much to my regret because I thought I would love this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity!
___
2.25 stars
My thought the whole time I was reading was: if someone is mature enough to handle this subject matter they’d be mature enough to handle more adult writing (I.e., better characters, faster pacing, foreshadowing, more complex plot resolution). I think because the author didn’t lean into those elements, it read as lengthy expositions about plot points that don’t further the story, and characters that continue to act like teenagers in very adult situations. There were lots of elements that, if fleshed out more, would have made for a very cool story.

As far as the romantic plot goes, it’s basically nil, as the characters have almost no contact with each other throughout the story. This, paired with the insta love that was set up between them in the last book, makes the characters motivations a bit unbelievable. It also made this book so different from the first one, that they almost don’t feel like a series anymore.

To my knowledge SA wasn’t listed as a content warning, and it should have been. There were a number of times where I felt really uncomfortable reading about a minor getting harassed and basically groomed by much older characters without any indication from the text that this is unacceptable. For a YA book, I’d expect explicit mention that this is wrong. This is one of the main reasons for my low star rating.

Overall, if I hadn’t agreed to review it I would have DNF’d it.

First I’d like to say I did not read the first book, however, I was able to follow along and get engaged in the story anyway. Both narrators voices fit their characters and helped bring me deeper into the story. I was very intrigued by Mina’s story and enjoyed the love and devotion Oliver felt for her. This was extremely entertaining and helped me get through my days at my boring office job. It’s very interesting and I can’t wait to see what comes next. I highly recommend checking it out if you want some romance, action, stress, and so on.

DNF, Personally I think there is a lot going on in within the plot which is a little overwhelming to listen to. I don’t think this one may be for me.

Once again, I started a book not realizing that it was the second in a series. This one wasn't clearly marked at a first glance. There were definitely some trigger warnings that people should be aware of going into this read. I'm not sure that I'll pick up the first copy, but maybe. I didn't enjoy the long chapters. It made finding a clean place to take a break hard to find. It was a good mix of thriller and romance. Definitely a young adult read for sure in the writing style and wordage. While this book was fine as a stand alone, reading the first would have tied things together and given a better experience. But that was on me. Another short but good read. I would recommend this one.

Well, this is awkward. I wouldn't hold my rating against the author, really, seeing as this is on me. It was if I had jumped into the middle of something and felt like I was missing a load of context -- according to the reviews, I am. I have not read its preceding installment, "Love and Other Sins." I may have to go through that one and then come back, possibly. Sorry! Thanks, Netgalley and SERA Press for giving me a chance - so sorry I royally boofed it.