Reaper And Ruin by Elle Thorpe

Reaper And Ruin by Elle Thorpe
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ, Action/Adventure, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

An explosion shatters the night. The three men I love are thrown from the bluff into the raging sea below.

And one of them can’t swim.

But the fall isn’t the only thing trying to kill us.

Every step we take, danger stalks closer.
Every breath we steal, the killer waits in the shadows.

When he rips someone I love away from me, the fragile family I’ve fought to build begins to unravel.

The killer has to be unmasked.
The ruin has to end.

Because this time, losing means more than death.

It means giving up the only people I can’t live without.

Violet and her three lovers are determined to find out who the killer tormenting them is. With all their lives in danger – as well as those around them who they each love – these killers are determined to go back to what they know. To being the predator and not the prey.

Readers should be aware that this book continues on immediately from the explosive ending of book 2. I would strongly recommend these three books are read in order (X’s and O’s – book 1 and then Whips and Chains – book 2). This is a complete trilogy and I don’t feel they can be easily read out of order. This book picks up exactly where the previous one ended on a cliff hanger and for that I was grateful.

I believe that this trilogy stands by itself quite well. There are absolutely hooks/links and characters that I’ve since learned are from Elle Thorpe’s other trilogy’s. This is the first (and currently only) set of her books that I’ve read and I’ve enjoyed them. I do feel that you don’t need to have read any other of the books set in this world because while a number of the characters cross over I don’t feel the other trilogy’s/group stories are necessary to thoroughly enjoy this set.

Readers should be aware of that one of the strong secondary characters in this book has absolutely been set up as a lure/hook into what I feel is likely the next trilogy. The final chapter of this book absolutely is a lure into the next series I feel. Readers who dislike final chapters/epilogues that lead into the next series might want to be cautious before reading the final chapter here.

I was very pleased with the way this series wrapped up. I feel it’s completed enough that most romance readers should be satisfied. The main mystery plot that arcs through all three of these books was very well wrapped up and I was quite happy with the mystery/killer aspect to the plotline. I thought there was also a very good balance between the spicy plotline of the foursome’s relationship and the mystery plotline. I thought the author did a good job with both these sides of the series and this book in particular.

I do also have a strong suspicion that (like with the throwbacks to other groups in this book) Violet, Levi, Whip and X might very well likely have some input in the next and other series so readers can get a glimpse of how things are progressing. For the most part I feel like their story, however, is quite well rounded out and left in a good place. I don’t feel there’s much to complain about here in that respect.

Readers should be aware there is a fair bit of spice in this book. I didn’t feel this book was very dark at all – certainly it didn’t feel as dark to me as the first book did and to a lesser extend the second book. This book felt a bit more like a very spicy mystery/romance and not so much a dark romance. This absolutely isn’t for the faint of heart nor the non-spicy reader, but I did feel some of the darker themes in the first book wasn’t as heavy or pronounced in this book. I absolutely think this is a good trilogy for readers who are new to dark romances and darker themes to dip a toe in and see if this genre is really for them or not.

With some seriously spicy sex and a good dose of darker mystery plot this was a trilogy I enjoyed. As my first foray into “Dark Romance” I found it was a good read for me and the new-to-me genre is a bit of a hit.