Killer Instinct

The Naturals #2

by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing situations. After barely escaping a confrontation with an unbalanced killer obsessed with her mother’s murder, Cassie hopes she and the rest of the team can stick to solving cold cases from a distance.

But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean’s incarcerated father—a man he’d do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer’s psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer’s brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?

With her trademark wit, brilliant plotting, and twists that no one will see coming, Jennifer Lynn Barnes will keep readers on the edge of their seats (and looking over their shoulders) as they race through the pages of this thrilling novel.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Romance, Crime, Fiction

375 pages, Hardcover

First published November 4, 2014

About the author

Jennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has been, in turn, a competitive cheerleader, a volleyball player, a dancer, a debutante, a primate cognition researcher, a teen model, a comic book geek, and a lemur aficionado. She's been writing for as long as she can remember, finished her first full book (which she now refers to as a "practice book" and which none of you will ever see) when she was still in high school, and then wrote Golden the summer after her freshman year in college, when she was nineteen.

Jen graduated high school in 2002, and from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science (the study of the brain and thought) in May of 2006. She'll be spending the 2006-2007 school year abroad, doing autism research at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

Reviews

[Ali Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! I love that we got to focus a lot on Dean in this book. I am a team Dean girl & he's such an interesting character with such an interesting back story so I'm glad we got to learn more about him. He deserves so much love and happiness. I wanted to give him a hug this entire book 🥹💗

Also, the mystery was great!! Lots of great twists and new characters. I'm also intrigued by the ending of this book & how it will impact the characters in book 3! Loving how fast-paced this series is.

[Luz García · Rating 2 out of 5]

Team Michael, bitch

[Rachel Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 slay

[eden ⊹ · Rating 5 out of 5]

dean redding they don't get you like i get you

[kendyl ʚ♡⃛ɞ (hiatus)]

❥12/09/23
okay i need more dean and michael. i’m absolutely invested in the plot, the love triangle, the characters…everything!🤭

to the lovely angels who’ve read this series, please let me know what team you’re on between dean and michael! i’m having a hard time😩✋🏼

[jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

as a team jameson girlie i really thought i was going to be team micheal but i am in fact in love with dean now but do not worry we will dye his hair dark brown 😌


this plot ate though, and left NO CRUMBS. 🍽️



———
in my head dean is a brunette and no one can tell me otherwise

[bruna · Rating 4 out of 5]

★ 3.75 stars

𝅄 𓂃 𖥻 “Maybe, to do what you and I do, we have to have a little bit of the monster in us.” 𑇛 ˚

the first installment in this series was very enjoyable to me — it was a fun, fast-paced story that easily gripped me from the very beginning. for that reason alone, i eagerly had to jump straight into this second book and i couldn’t help but believe that it would give me the same (or an even better) experience. however, it didn’t. well... not at first, at least.

the first couple chapters were a tad disappointing, they didn’t easily grip me like the first chapters in The Naturals did. the pacing was slower here and the plot, initially, was not very fun or engaging to me; something was missing and i couldn’t exactly pinpoint what it was. i kept waiting to feel the same vibes from the first book and for awhile i just... wasn’t feeling it, you know? and i was worried i would never feel it. i genuinely thought for a second that this would suffer from the so popular ‘second book syndrome’.

but, much to my surprise, it didn’t! somewhere along the way, things fortunately improved and i could finally feel like the story was becoming engaging. it may have taken a little while to get there, but i was thankful once it did.

i said earlier that something was missing for me at first, but then that was quickly forgotten. when things started improving, i realized i wasn’t feeling like something was missing anymore. i was really having a good time. i adored the tension and the suspense, and the twists, while sort of predictable in some areas, were great. suddenly i didn’t have anything to complain about. i thoroughly enjoyed the plot in the first book — but in my opinion the plot in this second book is somehow better and dare i say more interesting?! because of that, i’m deciding to round up my rating to four instead of rounding down like i did for The Naturals.

in my review for the first book, i complained that the characters lacked depth, which made me feel disconnected with them — but i chose to believe that the author would change that here. and you know what? i can happily say that i was right. Jennifer did flesh them out and gave them significant depth here, and that made it possible for me to feel a connection with them. needless to say, i was very satisfied with the development and i hope to see even more of that in the upcoming books.

i also complained about the romance that felt unnatural and a bit forced, but in this book it felt more genuine. well, i’m talking about the sweet romance between Cassie & Dean only and not the “romance” between Cassie & Michael — i still feel like whatever is happening with them is unnatural and forced; i’m sorry to anyone who’s #TeamMichael, but i honestly can’t see the appeal and i [still?] don’t get the hype surrounding them. i can definitely get the hype surrounding Cassie & Dean, though. that’s for sure.

all in all, i enjoyed Killer Instinct. the beginning may not have been super exciting, but like i said, it gets better eventually — and when it does... believe me, it’s impossible to put it down. i was left feeling extremely satisfied at the end.

another successful buddy read with my lovely charlotte. 💐 binging this series with you has been so much fun! <3

[Krisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

ᯓᡣ𐭩⋆°.⋆  "𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴."  ᯓᡣ𐭩⋆°.⋆

Nothing takes me out of a story like predicting plot twists in a thriller novel. I basically foresaw all of the twists and turns in this novel, yet I still kept reading in the hope of being mistaken. But, spoiler alert: I wasn't.

My expectations for this book were a little higher because I had heard from many readers that this series gets better with each book, but despite the first book being so slow, it was still far better than this one.

Despite being only 380 pages long, this book felt so extensive that I was at a loss for words. What are all these pages for? 75% of the novel is made up of the same repeating events, which left me feeling nothing but pure frustration. Considering the extremely slow pacing, this book might have easily been 150 pages short, or even better, a novella.

Speaking of our fmc Cassie Hobbes, I thought she was a great character in the first book, but her persona felt totally alien to me now. In contrast to the first book, she was blatantly obnoxious and incredibly self-centered in this one. I hated how she made everything about herself. Like get over it, girl—it's not all about you.

Lastly, despite the love triangle trope grating on my nerves, the only reason I'm giving this book an extra star is because cassie ended up with exactly who I wanted her to all along.

[katie is reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5!

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than book 1 but I'm still not sold on the series... FRTC. On to the next one though!


I wasn't blownnnnn away by the first one but it was enjoyable - can't wait to see what this one brings next! 🤸🏻‍♀️🤸🏻‍♀️🤸🏻‍♀️

[Larissa Cambusano · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️ THIS SERIES IS SO ADDICTING HELP

[Lyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

5★

꒰ ° “𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚍𝚍𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚍, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚎𝚜” ꒱

part of this review will have spoilers, but this first part will not.

: ̗̀➛ this series has managed to pull me in deeper with every single page. reading this book was a similar experience to the first one, absolutely captivated by the story and consuming every single word. I had no urges to skip a part and I was never bored, this was so entertaining for me. I know that inheritance games is a bit more popular, but this series is ultimately superior for me.

the characters, their dynamics, the “you” chapters that let us inside the mind of the killer. there’s so many things that make this book so great. in my opinion, the key to a good book is making the readers invested in the characters, and I am SO incredibly invested.

tropes & genres
➛ love triangle (blond vs brunette..)
➛ found family
➛ mystery
➛ “enemies” to friends
➛ copycat killer
➛ quadruple plot twist

entering spoilers territory

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ “𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙬 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧. 𝙊𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨, 𝙄 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙢𝙚, 𝙄 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚.”

: ̗̀➛ so first of all, the fact that there were three killers was actually shocking. the first one being the original suspect WAS ALSO CRAZY because we were led to believe that there was no possible way for him to be the killer. and then for the second killer to ALSO be “obvious” only to have an alibi?! I thought that these were misdirects, because that’s what they were painted out to be. I honestly really love the trope where a misdirect becomes a misdirect. the way JLB set up the whole killer thing was pretty cool honestly, the killers chose victims for each other so that people with motive would ALWAYS have an alibi. but after one of the killers gets killed, the question is, who’s doing the picking now?? MEANING THERES A THIRDDDD. and this was honestly so well done because if you really analyze it, the “you” POVs did feel different sometimes.

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ “𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨.”

Cassie
╰┈➤ CASSIE THEY COULD NEVER MAKE ME HATE YOU. Cassie is the type of character that’ll make mistakes, but she’s the character that will actually own up to them. she’s different from the other naturals because she’s led by her emotions, she feels things more than the others. meaning she’ll put herself in harms way for the people she loves. but while she is the character that loves so much, she’s also the character that chooses who she loves wisely. when she’d first come to the naturals program she’d told the others in a game of truth or dare that she’s only loved one person. I HOPE we get a call back to that moment where the answer has completely changed because she’s found her new family. she’s just such a great main character and one of my favorite redheads.

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡. 𝙄 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝��𝙣𝙜, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙. "𝙆𝙚𝙮𝙨."

"𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙡𝙖," 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙙. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙢. "𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣'𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙨?" 𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙡𝙮.”

Michael
╰┈➤ this is when I openly admit, team Michael. ya’ll really thought I was gonna pick the blond guy?! no thanks, double it and give it to the next person. let’s face the facts and admit this book wouldn’t be as good without Michael, they couldn’t have done it without HIM. no like actually tho. in the first book Michael full on got shot and then proceeded to save Cassie’s life, where was Dean might you ask? knocked tf out, lying on the floor. but that’s old news, Michael carried this book at the less exciting parts with his humor. whenever he was in a scene, I was absolutely laughing and having the time of my life. AND he was willing to wait for Cassie to understand her feelings, while initially Dean was trying to ignore the fact that his feelings existed at all. emotionally stunted men will never do it for me. to be quite frank, I’ll always prefer the funny, flirty, wears a smile even when he’s sad, comedic relief guy.

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ “𝙈𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨. 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.”

Dean
╰┈➤ it was always gonna be Dean. I will say, while I do like Michael more, Dean surprised me. I thought he’d be a Grayson part 2, all brood and no personality. but Dean was a really sweet and soft guy, he just had a rough exterior. hides his emotions because it’s easier that expressing them, shuts people out, he never wants to be someone’s problem and it’s honestly so sad. Cassie understands him, and he understands Cassie. I liked Dean, I liked his storyline, and I love his backstory with his dad. I’m happy he got his (for now) happy ending.

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ “𝙉𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨," 𝙎𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙡𝙮. "𝙄𝙛 𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙, 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙨.”

Sloane
╰┈➤ SLOANE MY PRECIOUS BABYYYYYYYY. I will always adore the Spencer Reid coded characters. You know, the characters that don’t exactly think and feel the same way other people do, but they really care SO MUCH. Sloane was always the kindest, most caring friend in the group. Everyone has a soft spot for her and it’s really so adorable. I love that this book dived deeper into her lore, why she’s always acknowledging that she does the wrong thing when in reality everyone loves her just the way she is. I’m a sucker for her character, she’s probably my favorite and always will be.

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ 𝙇𝙞𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩. “𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚,” 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙. “𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚, 𝙄’𝙢 𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝘼𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜.” 𝙇𝙞𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚. “𝙄𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩?”

Lia
╰┈➤ I hated this girl in book one. but oh my god, I might be in the early stages of loving her character. she says it how it is, never holds back. and while this initially annoyed me beyond belief, I’ve grown to really enjoy her sassy bluntness. and now it’s time to be honest cassie and lia had the best dynamic in the book i mean come on, they go head to head the entirety of the first book and then in this one they end up eating ice cream on a roof while eavesdropping?! I love them. I need need need the other books to dive deeper into their relationship because I love the progression so far.

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ “𝘼 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙮”

CASSIE, MICHAEL, AND LIA ARE THE BEST TRIO. it’s like a black cat (Lia) a golden retriever (Michael) and an orange cat (Cassie) and I’m living for it like I live for the way these three interact. I was so giddy when they were working together.

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ “𝙄 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡,” 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙. “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢 𝙬𝙝𝙤’𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙥𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨.”

Sterling
╰┈➤ I HATED HER AT FIRST, AND I ADORED HER BY THE END. like actually, I loved her character so much more than I thought I would and more than that, I loved her relationship with Cassie. at first, Cassie was wary because of what happened with Locke, but by the end of the story it almost felt like Sterling mended the wound that Locke left on Cassie. I loved the way they could relate to each other. AND OH MY GOD, I literally gasped when it was revealed that Sterling was one of Redding’s (deans dad; serial killer) victims that got away. she was a big opening for deans backstory while also having her own character complexities and I love that.

in conclusion I loved this book. and while 1% of people have really made it to the end of this review, I could talk about the story for hours without getting bored. I absolutely recommend this series to anyone with a love for mystery, a bit of romance, and a nice found family.

edit because I genuinely can’t shut up about this
I wanna take a second to admire Jennifer’s ability to create complex characters with depth and detail while still managing to have so many. the biggest hit or miss when it comes to found families or friend groups like this is that sometimes there will be characters that lack the same emotional impact and complexities that other characters in the book may have. but all the main characters in this book felt equally dived into and I appreciate that so much.

﹒⪩ 𝚙𝚛𝚎-𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 ⪨﹒
╰┈ ✎ soo how am I supposed to sleep at night after reading this book?? you know when a book is simply so good that you will not think about anything else for the next month. yeah that’s this.

heart? shattered
mind? boggled
eyes? wide
jaw? dropped

﹒⪩ 𝚙𝚛𝚎-𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 ⪨﹒
╰┈ ✎ my team Michael heart is gonna break isn’t it..

[shei · Rating 5 out of 5]

—— 4.75✰ stars.

➼ Woooow buckle the fuck up because this book was incredible.

➼ The book begins where the previous one leaves off, and like the first book, the naturals must help solve the case, without forgetting to get into trouble in the meantime. I can't say much about the book without spoiling it, so I will refer to a general view of the book.

➼ As for the plot 10/10. A+. 100/100. I couldn't be more hooked. The pages flew, I devoured the damn book. The main case is much more fun than the first book and although I got some things right, the final plot twist got me. Jennifer Lynn Barnes' writing is very simple and addictive, both in The Naturals series and in The Inheritance Games.

➼ The characters, SLOANE MY BABY MUST PROTECT MUST LOVE. Ok, now, more calmly, I love how different everyone is, their personalities and their relationships. (Obviously I'm Team Dean, please Dean profile me 😫.) Cassie is a good main character, pleasant and interesting to read.

➼ I'm going to rip off my wig because the UK edition of these books is not available on my Amazon and I think I'm going to have to buy them on Amazon USA and I'm going to fucking riot because the editions are gonna be different size and that's not good for my OCD DJBHVJB.

➼ Read this. Now. 🔫 (now why the gun is plastic 😔, not threatening at all)

[kenzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

☆ ͡   ݂ 2 STARS ֺ ָ ⋆ 

lowering the rating because rashmi manipulated me into doing it it doesn't deserve three stars tbh.

You were always going to go after him

I hate to say that, but this was really a disappointment for me. Even though the book wasn't so long and the chapters were short, and I think the plot was a little better than the first book, I felt it was so long that it literally took me three months to finish it. It was just so dragged until 70% in or something.

For the plot twist, actually, there's nothing I hate more than predictable plot twists. and in that book, I predicted like 80% of the plot twists. And one of the things I loved about the first book was that the plot was unexpected, so that really pissed me off.

I still love the characters so much though. Cassie got on my nerves sometimes, to be honest, in this book. and I loved Lia more in this book. Salone is absolutely my favorite one. and I really don't get the hype about Dean. And Michael, my baby, is just so perfect; I love him so much.

It’s not the bad memories that tear a person apart. It’s the good ones.

Overall, I still didn't hate this book; I still enjoyed it a little. I just thought this book was going to be better than the first one, and I had high expectations for it. But still, it wasn't bad, and it was an enjoyable read.

For the next two books, I really hope they're going to be better, with better plot twists and more fast-paced 

a quick, little review, because I don't have time at all these days



・ฅ～🎀 PRE REVIEWꕊ﹕︶꒷꒦

coming back for this series, cuz I'm in a reading slump again, but it's so much worse this time 😭 plsss do it for me like the last time 🙏🏻

And I missed my man sm 🤭

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much more thrilling than the last book. You can expect more twists, more fast in pacing yet it wasn’t, and some character development especially in the relationships between them all, and a little more background on the naturals which I enjoyed and I cannot wait for more.

3.5 stars

I can’t say anything without spoiling so when I say my theories for the twists/unsub here were mostly right (equally going insane because of the back and forth) but Jennifer had to go and add another twist—like what was that?? I don’t even remember how I felt but my jaw didn’t drop lol so I’m hoping this next one leaves it absolutely on the floor

Not sure what to say about lia. Her strong usually hostile personality is what makes it so difficult to like her as I’m constantly going back and forth. But I can see myself growing to like her more eventually.

honorable mention of Sloane. I adore her and that beautiful brain of hers. As most have mentioned, she truly gives off Spencer Reid vibes, but also in someway felicity smoak from Arrow for those familiar with the show. I can’t wait to learn more about her background

Here’s to hoping I don’t have to wait long for answers to the lingering questions I have when it comes to Cassie

And lastly, Dean and Michael. Love those two, loathe this love triangle drama yet also absolutely love what happened towards the end 🥰

Less oversight is given to the naturals and their abilities in working together further and I’m definitely looking forward to ALL IN living up to its name.

**Also, Jess is so right. I refuse to believe Dean is blonde so therefore he is not.

[mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

this shit was so yawn worthy wow. the ending was anticlimactic, the fmc pissed me off, this book was so... dragged. the chapters felt long even tho they werent that long. hope the next plot is better bc what was this. also team michael, i cant find the chemistry between cassie and dean but yk what i understand, bland people deserve to be together <3

[madi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me obsessed from start to finish. The twists, the tension, the mind games—I couldn’t get enough. Jennifer Lynn Barnes somehow managed to make everything even darker and more intense than the first book, and I loved every second of it.

Cassie is stepping up in ways I didn’t expect. She’s still quiet and observant, but there’s a new kind of confidence in the way she approaches cases. She’s starting to understand her own abilities, but at the same time, she’s dealing with so much personal baggage. I love how she’s trying to find her place in this world of profiling and crime-solving, even when it pushes her way out of her comfort zone.

Dean was a lot in this one (in the best way). His story was brutal, and the way this case forced him to confront things he wanted to avoid made everything so much more personal. You can tell he’s trying to keep people at arm’s length, but the cracks in his walls? Yeah, they’re showing.

Michael is still the definition of trouble, but I can’t lie—he makes things interesting. He’s got this whole charming-but-infuriating thing down to a science, and the tension between him, Cassie, and Dean? Absolutely stressing me out.

At first, I didn’t really like Lia. She was a little too much, always messing with people and saying things just to get a reaction. But the more I got to know her, the more I realized there’s so much more to her. She’s smart, fearless, and scarily good at reading people. She plays things off like she doesn’t care, but when it really matters, you can tell she does. By the end of the book, she totally grew on me.

And then there’s Sloane, my favorite character ever . I knew I loved her before, but this book solidified it. She’s the kind of person who rattles off statistics like they’re casual conversation, drinks enough caffeine to power a small country, and somehow manages to be both the smartest and most unintentionally adorable person in the room. But beyond all the facts and quirks, there’s this quiet longing to be part of something—to be wanted—and that hit so hard. I want to wrap her in a blanket and tell her she’s the heart of this team. 💙

As for the mystery? Chilling. The way everything unraveled had me questioning everyone at some point, and just when I thought I knew where things were going, the book laughed in my face and flipped the script. That ending?? Yeah, I need the next book right now .

Except my package got delayed, so the third and fourth books aren’t even here yet. And now I have to reorder them, which means even more waiting. The universe is literally working against me. 😭

And before anyone calls me out, I know I’ve been reading this book for like a week, but that’s Pati’s fault—she’s made me addicted to The Rookie, and now my reading schedule is a disaster.

₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵‿︵ ˚₊

𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ pre-read ♡⋆°｡⋆𐙚
⤷ diving right into book two because waiting is not an option. 🤭 the first book was such a ride and i’m hoping this one keeps the twists coming and the tension high. fingers crossed it’s even better.

[zeinab ⟢ [semi-ia] · Rating 4 out of 5]

── . ⟢ 4.25 stars ★
﹒⌗﹒ this review is spoiler free ⸝⸝

”some people said that broken bones grew back stronger. on the good days, i told myself that was true,
that each time the world tried to break me, i became a little less breakable."

𓏲thoughts⸝ ⸝⸝

➵ i genuinely don’t know if i should scream, laugh, cry, jump, or all of the above. just know that this was absolutely phenomenal. if anyone doesn’t know, found family is my favourite tropes of all time, and this book?? oh my god it delivered. i love these characters and this world so much that it’s actually unhealthy to be as attached as i am. everything was just done so perfectly, and what can i say? in jennifer lynn barnes we trust.

we are once again following cassie as her journey continues in the naturals program. i think this book really steps the plot up compared to the first book. this one just felt darker from the beginning. there’s a new case that just pulls you in right away, this time having a connection to dean’s dad.

what i really liked is how the pacing almost never dragged. there was always something going on which is one of the aspects that made this book utterly unputdownable for the most part. there were times where i got a bit bored but it was honestly nothing too bad and it certainly didn’t last long either. the mystery in itself was so good and the plot twists genuinely had me putting a hand to my mouth.

as always, jennifer’s writing style remains one of my favourites. it’s so fast-paced and she manages to capture the characters’ voices so beautifully. the way cassie is described using her abilities feels believable and so does the way she observes the others using theirs. i really like how cassie’s voice stays just as consistent and thorough as in the first book. no, didn’t start casually trying to profile people after this book how could you think such a thing??

and can we just talk about the relationships between the main characters in this book?? gold. found family at it’s finest. the overprotective sibling dynamic between dean and lia had me smiling so hard. and i also loved how micheal was always the instigator trying to get a reaction out of dean.


𓏲characters⸝ ⸝⸝

cassie hobbes‧˚₊⊹

she is honestly one of the smartest fmcs i’ve ever read about. the way she figures things out literally has me so jealous. like hello?? teach me your secrets please. also i learned so much from her. i literally try to apply her skills in my life because of how impressive they are. she is so loveable and sure, she makes some bad decisions but she gets back up and learns from them. seeing how her brain worked to solve cases had me so intrigued.

dean redding‧˚₊⊹

oh my baby. we learn more about his past in this book and let me just say i wanted to give him the biggest fucking hug throughout everything. he doesn’t deserve the father he got. the way he was described as the kid who was always smiling and so happy that everyone else was happy around him broke my heart. mostly because he always has his guard up now. i’m never getting over the he made me watch. i love him more than words can express.

cassie & dean‧˚₊⊹

yes, i am indeed team dean. i’m sorry, but they are soulmates in every lifetime and not even micheal can change that (i still love you micheal). everything about them together is so perfect and just makes sense i will never change my mind on that. i’m so excited to see more of them in the coming books.

𓏲quotes⸝ ⸝⸝

✧ “it’s not the bad memories that tear a person apart. it’s the good ones.”

✧ ”most people built walls to protect themselves. dean did it to protect everyone else."

✧ ”if you can't keep them from hitting you," micheal said, "you make them hit you. at least that way, you're ready. at least that way, it's not a surprise."

✧ ”none of us had normal childhoods," sloane said quietly. "if we had, we wouldn't be naturals."

𓏲overall⸝ ⸝⸝

i went in with high expectations and i had them met. this book was almost as good as the first one and i’m so excited to continue this series. i definitely recommend it for all my fellow thriller lovers. this series so far is everything i could have imagined for it and more.

[lydia ‧ ia · Rating 5 out of 5]

꒰ 💜 ꒱ this was even better than the first?? both the mystery & the romance were top tier and I’m so emotionally invested it hurts. I love these traumatized teenagers sm <3

p.s. team dean forever!!

[vee!]

in JLB i trust 🫡

[Ashley (back!) · Rating 1 out of 5]

woah what an ending

[Seeraaa ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,75 ⭐
𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯. 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.


No dull moments. Not even one. 💜✨
This book had me hooked from page one — every chapter charged with tension, suspicion, and the constant question: who’s the killer this time?

The twists kept playing with my brain — I had so many theories (some right!), but just when I thought I cracked it, the story pulled me back with a “wait, what if…”

💔 Michael still owns my heart — charming, layered, and way more compelling than... well, Dean. Yeah, Cassie’s final choice? Not a fan. Dean feels dull and disappointing, though I get it — maybe she chose the one who mirrors her trauma best, and the one who shares her ability. His dark past definitely shaped who he is and explains a lot about his guarded nature. Still doesn’t mean I have to like it 😤

Lea? Iconic and entertaining as always 😎
Cassie? A total trouble magnet. Her ability helps, sure, but it’s often Sloane who saves the day with actual logic. I need more scenes for Sloane — she deserves the spotlight.

I loved this book. It was intense, clever, and filled with characters who are both brilliant and broken. I’m desperate to dive into the third one now — and honestly, it better live up to this or go even harder. I accept nothing less. 😁



Book two, here we go! Hoping for more twists, mind games, and murder. 💜👾

[Karyn⁠ ۶۟ৎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars 👩🏻‍🦰 👱🏽 👩🏻 🧑🏻 👱🏻‍♀️ 🏡 👩🏻‍💼👮🏼👨🏻‍💼🌳

“The next person whose facial expression is ‘brood’ gets punched in the nose. Unless it’s Cassie. If it’s Cassie, I punch Dean in the nose.”

જ⁀➴ ♡ I’m completely in love with the three of them.

──── ୨୧ ────

I loved this book. I seriously enjoyed every bit of it. The twists, the turns, the way everything unravels, it’s absolutely wild. I’m obsessed with this series, and honestly, I’m in love with everyone in it.

And come on, the love triangle arc? Jeremiah Conrad who??? 𐀪𐀪𐀪 ˎˊ˗

Okay, controversial opinion, but I’m Team Michael ⋆.˚🦋༘⋆ Sorry, I’ve tried to be Team Dean (I really do love him too, I REALLY DO) but ever since Michael showed up in that restaurant scene at the very beginning, I just knew I was going to fall for him 🫀

I devoured this book from start to finish. The ending had me on edge. It felt like it was over for a second, but then you realize it’s not. It’s never over. The suspense and tension in those final pages? Ughhh, I live for it (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

──── ୨୧ ────

Story:
The murder of a young woman surfaces, and the MO is identical to that of a notorious serial killer from Dean’s past. However, the murders start to look less random and more like part of a twisted game.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

beware of minor spoilers down below!!

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

Memorable Parts:

• “Touch her again…” ꉂ(˵˃ ᗜ ˂˵)
Thank you Michael Townsend for delivering this good line. My favorite trope EVER. Touch her and I’ll kill you.

• “If it had been me in the woods, if I’d been the one you saw at the exact second…
Would it have been me?”
ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH 💔💔💔💔💔

• “That’s the difference between the two of us, I don’t just want you. I want to want you.”

(ദ്ദി ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ ) Cassie’s stronger than me cus if Michael Townsend was real and he’d say this to me I don’t know what I might do.

DEAN…
• “Did you know he had dimples?”
My boy Dean has dimples. DIMPLES.
HE HAS DIMPLES. ༼;´༎ຶ ۝ ༎ຶ༽

────୨ৎ────

After thinking about it again, I might be Team Dean. Michael’s so good, but he’ll never understand Cassie the way Dean does… right?? UGH, I’m so torn!!! 😭💔

[Madison Kait · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75!!! the y/a fbi profiling and true crime combo was truly something i didn’t know i needed in my life. the vibes are immaculate, such fast paced impossible to put down reads (and just saying, i diddd guess two of the twists — like to a tee and im so proud, but guessing it didn’t lose its shock value & i still loveddd ♡ )

[Katie Witruk · Rating 4 out of 5]

so entertaining + fast paced. dare i say i’m entering my mystery/thriller era..

[hanna ʚ♡ɞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's been a day and i already finished this 🤭 this is my fourth 5 star read in a row, hopefully the streak continues <3 ik a lot of people disliked this one but it's my fav so far!!! rtc 🩷🫶

[astarion's bhaal babe (wingspan matters) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Close your eyes.
Imagine.
A Castle/Criminal Minds crossover episode, but with teenagers.
Snarky, clever, absurdly likeable teenagers.
Unbelievable, you think? Impossibile, you say?
Let's agree to disagree and
Welcome to the Naturals Program.
Your life will never be the same.

Can you believe this little bitch kept me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning? And can you believe that it may or may have not have given me a tiny aneurysm halfway down the road?
THAT'S RUDE.
But it's okay, I love you anyway, Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

The Five of Briggs (because we already established it was only fair to give myself permission to rename the Naturals group this way) were back at it again. And they didn't disappoint.

When I was 17 I spent my time gushing over Twilight and I considered it a technological success when I managed to plug an USB the right way on the first try.
But these kids, they're all so amazing. And talented.
And so darn cool.
Cassie, Sloane, Lia, Dean, Michael: I'm adopting them all.
Hell, even Briggs, Judd and Sterling, coz why not.
I'd give a pinky to be part of the team. Unfortunately I don't have any profiling talent, but I could make coffee. Or bring donuts.
Even young geniuses need someone talentless to fetch their breakfast.



I love this series! Can't wait to start book 3.

[Mel&#x1f33b; · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“I take it you’re Michael,” she said. “The emotion reader with the attitude problem who’s continually doing stupid things for girls.” “That’s hardly a fair assessment,” Michael replied. “I do plenty of stupid things that aren’t for girls, too.” - keep doing the stupid things for Cassie 😮‍💨😭😭

Guy's stop!! This series is so so good! I'm so invested in the plot & I need more Michael and Dean right this second 🤭🤭😮‍💨

This book picks up right at the end of the second. After narrowly escaping the serial killer Cassie and the team hope they can focus on solving cold cases from a distance. However, a new copycat serial killer who is imitating Dean's fathers is playing mind games and it seems only the naturals can help solve the case.

I just love all the characters so much in this book. I love Cassie and her relationship with both Dean and Michael I also love Lia and Solane and everyone working together on this case? *chefs kiss* And omg please can we talk about the fact the naturals are now allowed to work on active cases?! I'm so so excited for the next book!

Quotes I loved:

Most people built walls to protect themselves. Dean did it to protect everyone else.

Michael and Dean weren’t so enthused. “Cassie’s not going.” The two of them spoke in unison.

“Okay, I’m calling it,” Michael announced when the quiet got to be too much. “I’m turning on the radio. There will be singing. I would not be opposed to car-dancing. But the next person whose facial expression approaches ‘brood’ is getting punched in the nose. Unless it’s Cassie. If it’s Cassie, I punch Dean in the nose.”

“Touch her again,” Michael told Christopher conversationally, “and Dean will be the one trying to pull me off of you.”

“Keys.” “Spatula,” Michael replied. She narrowed her eyes at him. “We aren’t just saying random nouns?” he asked archly.

“I know,” he said. “I know that you care about him. I know that you’re attracted to him. I know that when he hurts, it hurts you. I know that he never looks at you the way he looks at Lia, that you’re not a sister to him. I know that he wants you. He’s in over his head with you. But I also know that half the time, he hates that he wants you.”

Some people said that broken bones grew back stronger. On the good days, I told myself that was true, that each time the world tried to break me, I became a little less breakable.

“We’re going to need those regulations,” she added, “because as of tomorrow, the five of you are cleared to consult on active cases.”

Pre-reading ࿐ ࿔*:･

The first one was so good, I'm so excited for this one!!! 🤭🤭

[chloé ✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

high 3 stars

found family, serial killers, and a bit of romance? count me in.

this is entertaining, fast-paced, and i’m a sucker for short chapters. i think i actually liked the reveals and plot twists better than the first book, but i did get a bit bored during the middle portion.

let me get on my pedestal real quick and remind you — 3 stars is NOT A BAD RATING. this was definitely enjoyable!

i can’t wait to see how the naturals and their bonds continue to develop in books three and four. my babies deserve the best. if only these books were multiple POV!!! 🥲

… and yes, the love triangle is killing me slowly.

[megs · Rating 4 out of 5]

being a team jameson and team dean girl, i stay winning 🏅