Everything was a lie. My mate and my life. Our first time meeting wasn’t when I went to his hotel, it was years ago, and he’d cruelly rejected me.
The image of him turning his back on me wouldn’t stop haunting me—nor would the years I’d spent vomiting my guts out because he’d touched others—even when I hadn’t known that was the reason.
He’d thought I was dead, but that meant nothing to me. I’d spent years, cold and alone, while he did what he pleased.
It was time for me to do the same, because even if my world fell apart, the realization that I was a second choice to my mate haunted me.
I was nothing.
I was forsaken.
MF, Spicy, Billionaire Shifter Romance. Please read CW inside of the book.
As much as I enjoyed the first book, some things were so hard for me to get over. I kinda wish that he had been at least a little celibate because my god, 36?! Put me off, no matter the groveling (none…just bossy whining while injured) or the love.
This man was gruff and mean, and he had potential, but his dick controlled him or something because it was impossible for him not to have sex at least once a month…all while thinking his fated mate was dead. He should have been close to dead himself to satisfy my expectations. And sure, he gave up territories and a beating for her…but she was in pain for four years, lied to, and abandoned. He should have done more for her after she found out, and all he did was cry out to make her assist him so that she wouldn’t run away from him.
And her? She was supposed to have a backbone, not fold immediately because checks notes dick!? Ma’am, your fated mate rejected you in a brutal way, not to mention everything else, and you are just “oh but he fucks me so good”?? And then she forgives and gets mad again, and forgives and gets mad again…a loop with tons of sex scenes in between. At one point, I was skimming through them because I was done already.
I’m giving it a three-star rating because I enjoyed book one, and some parts of this one weren’t too bad.
Quotes:
"Hate me for as long as you want, Princess, but hate me while your thighs shake around my head."
This sequel picks up where other left off. Lucian is doing a fair bit of groveling to make up for his past repeated indiscretions. Joey is still trying to find out who killed her father. Pack politics and outside influences are ramped up here. I don't want to give too much away. This does wrap up nicely, I was more a fan of the first book, but happy how this one ended.
Meh, it was ok. Still smutty more than storytelling. Lucien grovels throughout. Joey is TDTL and has BBS because well Lucien's her mate. Her running away from him was stupid though. Honestly he is the only one who can protect her. That's why I called her dumb. All the players from book one who we thought was involved with killing her dad and trying to kill her were. All in all very underwhelming and I don't think this author's shifter books are a good fit for me unfortunately.
SYNOPSIS (of Duet): Both books are quite short and could be combined in a single book. The story is set in a world where shifters live alongside unknowing humans. The FC, Josephine/Joey, is about to head off to college and she and her father are in town wanting to join the MC’s pack. It is here that Joey meets the MC who turns out to be her fated mate, an older Alpha, Lucien. For reasons never really explained, Lucien immediately rejects Joey who then runs off to find her father. The story fast forwards 4 years to where Joey has just been released on parole having spent the last 4 years in prison for vehicular manslaughter of her father. She has no memory of her life before prison or of Lucien and just wants to move on with her life. As luck would have it she is given a job in one of Lucien’s hotels and it is there that they bump into each other again. Lucien quickly realises that Joey has no memory of him and what happened. It turns out he quickly regretted rejecting Joey and has been missing her ever since having been told she was killed in the accident that killed her father. Book 1 covers the evolution of the MC/FC’s relationship and how they fall deeper for each other whilst in the background the MC’s old girlfriend is trying to make life difficult and Lucien feels guilty about hiding the FC’s past from her. Book 2 covers how, now that Joey has regained her memory, she learns to forgive Lucien after a lot of grovelling whilst they both fight against enemies that have appeared and deal with betrayals.
HEAT LEVEL: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/🍆🍆🍆🍆 There are a lot of graphic, hot scenes. Whilst they do not go on for pages and are pretty vanilla there are plenty of them and they take over to an extent. This is one of those duets that leans more towards to the sex than the story or romance. In fact there is limited romance and more emphasis on heat.
SUMMARY: This Duet is decently written and edited but with a focus on the sex rather than the characters or the story - although there is a decent enough story to hold everything together. There isn’t much depth and some parts don’t really hang together but it is an enjoyable read if you are looking for a very alpha, possessive, slightly psychotic older MC and a strongish young FC. There are some violent scenes with one in particular in Book 2 that is quite graphic although not long. There’s drama and action but with some angst.
There is limited backstory for the MC/FC so not much character or world building. Whilst there are a few secondary characters such as the MC’s brother and the FC’s best friend neither of these are fleshed out and seem to be there just to allow parts of the narrative to play out. As this is a fated mates story there is also no real relationship building with the MC jut going straight to overbearing and possessive and the sex starting almost straight off. The result is that whilst the story is engaging enough I felt little real buy in to the characters or understanding of where they came from. You get hints about the FC’s time in prison and some references to some trauma on the MC’s side but nothing substantive. The other characters, such as the MC’s father and mother, are superficial and actually pretty pointless in terms of narrative or story evolution.
The FC is likeable and intelligent enough with a strongth of character although there is a scene where she does that thing where an FC does something just so stupid you want to smack your head (or her) and which results in the MC suffering. 😖 The MC is overly psychotic and possessive and seems to go from 0-60 at the drop of a hat. It felt a bit over the top and I didn’t really manage to connect with the MC or understand, outside of the fated mates point, why the FC or anyone would want to be with him. Unlike many fated mates stories where you see a relationship develop outside of the FM link this story seems to have little to show that the MC and FC would be together without that link. It was a shame.
The author tries to write a decent action based story arc but unfortunately it doesn’t fully work. The starting point, the rejection by the MC, seems fundamentally flawed as there is no reason given for why he would just reject the FC out of hand without any thought or interaction and you never get a full explanation. The result is that, as a reader, you conclude this was just a mechanism for the author to then write a rejected mates redemption story. One of the biggest issues I had with the story ****SPOILER ALERT**** was also the timeline of how anyone could find out about the MC and FC being fated mates and then try to get rid of her. I mean, the MC and FC just discovered they were fated mates, the FC immediately ran after being rejected, jumped in the car with her father and is then run off the road which results in her being sent to prison and disappearing for 4 years. How did anyone find out they were fated? How did they then have time to run the FC off the road? How did they know where the FC was headed? None of these questions are answered which was very frustrating and lazy on the part of the author. You also never received an explanation as to why the individual who ran the FC off the road felt that the MC was better off without her despite knowing nothing about her. Again, very frustrating. **** END OF SPOILER****
In conclusion, this was an enjoyable, angsty read if you can overcome your frustration with the gaping plot holes 😬
The bond is real. So is the betrayal. Fate chose them. Lucian didn’t. Now Josephine remembers and Lucian must face the consequences. He’s a mess. Begging on his knees. Apologizing. Promising things he should’ve said from the start. We get groveling and impassioned pleas of love and devotion from Lucian.
First of all, I loved the groveling. BUT I didn’t love how Josephine’s body kept betraying her. Every time Lucian groveled, she gave in, and it started to feel like the bond overpowered her pain. I wanted her to hold the line, to make him earn it, not just fall back into his arms because fate said so.
Josephine calls him out on his past with other women, and his response is basically, “There’s only you.” That's pretty much his answer for most of it. That’s not an answer, it’s romantic fluff meant to dodge accountability. She deserves a real explanation, not a pretty line.
I'm a big fan of Allie Santos’ female leads especially Maya from Moretti Academy. She’s sharp, emotionally grounded, and doesn’t let the mate bond override her sense of self. Compared to Josephine, Maya holds her boundaries and makes her love interest work for it. With Josephine, it felt like her body kept betraying her and she gave in too easily every time Lucian groveled. I wanted more resistance, more growth, more Maya-level spine.
The villain is handled accordingly. She’s not dragged out for unnecessary drama or given too much page time. Her role serves the plot, adds tension, and then gets resolved without overshadowing the main plot.
I read a lot of RH which actually how I discovered Allie Santos. When it comes to traditional M/F stories, I need angst or I’m out. Thankfully, this one delivered. The bond rejection, the emotional tension, Lucian’s groveling—it all hit the mark. Even when I was frustrated with the characters, I couldn’t stop reading. I was hooked.
What to expect: Spice, Scoville scale 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 of 5 Repentant Hero Fated\Rejected Mates Shifters
Wow this ending was phenomenal This is part 2 of forsaken devotion and part 1 ended with Josephine being drowned in a river by Lucian’s ex. It picks up there and Lucian makes it in time to save her. Josephine is not happy with Lucian at all, she realized he rejected her and her memories come flooding back, the things she recalls are heartbreaking and the way and things Lucian had done in there time apart made me want to junk kick him, hard! Joey has decided she’s out and Lucian has to work hard, really hard to convince her to stay. While Lucian is a giant jerk he is truly in love with Josephine and very much wants to make things right. There’s other pack drama (which I won’t spoil) and seeing Luciens rotten ex get what’s coming to was amazing! Part 2 didn’t disappoint, the interactions between Lucian and Josephine were 🔥🔥🔥🔥. Allie Santos is an incredible writer and every book I read by her gets better and better. She’s definitely an instant read for me every time. If you want smoking hot smut and some serious groveling from the MMC and to watch the sweetest FMC come into her own. This is the book for you!
Alright I was really curious to see how Lucian would be redeemed. We were all waiting on the grovel and honestly I think this delivered. Lucian made a terrible mistake and paid for it. Josephine suffered the consequences of his bad decisions.
Now its time to finally unravel what really happened those years ago and make those responsible pay. There's spice, heartbreak, and revenge in this half of their story. Frankly I loved that Josephine wasn't quick to forgive. Yes she gave in to their undeniable attraction but didn't want to commit too quickly. Lucian for his part was even more possessive of her. He knew 100% she could slip through his fingers and he'd spend the rest of his days chasing after her if necessary.
Is anyone really curious to see what could possibly come next? Like with Drake and if he'll get a redemption and story?
I was obsessed from the beginning! I devoured this story. I think this book was even better than the first and Ioved the first. We dont have to wait long to find out what happened to Josephine, because it picks up right after the previous. This book had everything I could ask for! There was drama, betrayal, secrets, danger, much needed groveling, and most importantly answers! I would also like to mention, that I was so glad Josephine didn't forgive Lucian right away. In addition, there were lots of emotional moments and tons of spice throughout. Josephine and Lucian always brought the heat. There journey to get their HEA, was hard fought, but their reward was much greater. What an excellent duet!!
This is the second and last book in the Ruthless Wolves duet. I have not read many books by Allie Santos, I have only read 3. In future, I will be adding all of her books on my TBR list! I have been waiting for this book to be released…and it was so worth the wait! H#ll hath no fury like a woman scorned and the FMC proves it. I love me a Petty Queen! She has truly come into her own in this book! I am also excited to see the MMC reap what he sowed! All of the rage, revenge and retribution is just too delicious!! Thank you, Allie Santos, for this amazing morsel of sinful goodness! I did not ant to put this book down, despite my husband’s objections! I mean, he’ll get over it eentually…right?!!
You know that saying, what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Yup, that's Joey (FMC) and Lucian (MMC). This book picks up right where book 1 ended. Joey has regained all of memories. She angry, a woman scorned, and put for revenge against everyone. She's ready to leave Lucian behind, but he's not letting go. There so much angst, tension and lots of hate spice. I loved this version of Joey! She's fierce and unforgiving. Lucian has to grow and learn to be flexible when it comes to her. He has to learn that while he's still the alpha, she's his partner and not his subject. I loved it!
Forsaken Devotion delivers raw heartbreak and the agony of betrayal. Josephine’s voice is drenched in pain—her mate’s rejection, the years of loneliness, and the crushing weight of being a “second choice” all make for an emotional gut punch. It’s dark, angsty, and full of that tortured-mate dynamic that shifter romance readers crave. While the story leans heavy on suffering and despair, it’s gripping in its honesty and unflinching in exploring the wounds rejection leaves behind.
A must for readers who love their romance messy, emotional, and devastatingly real.
I literally live for a good betrayal and grovel book. Allie Santos is queen of writing men I love to hate. By the end of the book, I always feel like the MMC has earned his way back into the FMC's heart. I love a feisty leading lady who ruthlessly reminds the man that they are in control of their own destiny and makes them pay for their betrayals. Allie always leaves the book feeling whole by the end and I think having trust in an author to play out a good betrayal and grovel is earned and Allie always pulls through.
I was so looking forward to reading this book after all the drama at the end of the first one. I was 100% not disappointed! I absolutely loved how Joey made Lucien grovel throughout but, I must admit, he did melt my heart with some of his actions 😍
Full of tension, sadness, very hot romance and a bit of betrayal, this book was very enjoyable to read and ended the duet in a really nice way. I do hope we have more to come from this shifter world as the secondary characters definitely have their own stories to tell.
Picking up right where book one left off, the amazing conclusion of Josephine and Lucian's story had me isolating myself as soon as I got home from work to read. These two are forged in fire, and their bond is so strong because of it. I loved the addition of Verity and her side story, but honestly watching Lucian and Joey push and pull every inch of slack between them was chaotic beauty. Lucian's go to is physical connection, but Josephine wants him to truly understand her emotions and motivations. I enjoyed watching him cave to her to every whim while trying to remain top dog.
5⭐️ 5🌶️ Forsaken Devotion is book two in a duet and continues the story of Joey and Lucian.
After the cliffhanger at the end of book one I couldn’t wait to start the second book and Allie did not disappoint (she never does) Following the regaining of her memories Joey had to fight to trust the mate who rejected her.
The twists and shock surrounding what happened 4 years ago had me in a chokehold and don’t even get me started on the chemistry between Joey and Lucian! Add to TBR Immediately!
A great ending to Josephine and Lucian’s story! This book begins right where book 1 ended, and boy were we in for a whirlwind of tension and emotion. Let’s just say that the grovelling makes all the hardship from book 1 worth it! I still think the grovelling needs to last at least as long as Josephine suffered, but we’re getting there! Overall, a great series. Can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next!
Holy smokes, this book was hot!!! I was blushing through 75% of it. I loved Josephine and Lucians' story so much. I'm sad that it's over. I loved that Lucian fought so hard to keep Josephine with him, and I loved even more that she didn't just give in. She made him work so hard for her forgiveness. We find out at the end of the book who the next duet will be about, and I am actually really excited about it.
I truly loved the ending to such an amazing read. Lucian and Josephine are destined for each other and you could just see the love. Even in their darkest moments it shown in such a deep way you couldn’t help but push for their HEA. Mistakes were definitely made, but it was easy to seep how truly sorry Lucian was and how devoted he was to his Josephine. The only complaint I can even come up with is that it’s ended. What an amazing read!!
I SWALLOWED THIS LIKE THERE WOULD NEVER BE A TOMORROW🤣 Dear Josephine really made Lucian suffer for his bad decisions!👌🏻 And when they finally got together, it was fireworks like no other. These two were truly perfect for each other and I LOVED every single part of their journey🥵 Thank you Allie for this phenomenal duet!🖤
This book is better than the first for me but i still dont like Lucian. The story is good and the side characters and fmc are great. It's a personal thing for me with why i don't like the mmc. I don't feel his grovel was enough for what he put Josephine through and he is just an idiot, making the same mistakes over and over with her. I would really like a book on Alex and Verity though.
This was a great continuation of the Duet. I feel like it was a lot smuttier than the first part, like the completion of the story was a second thought and not a priority
I was desperate for Lucian groveling and oh boy he delivered… still I feel a little uneasy about the fact that she suffered insufferable pains for 4 year because he couldn’t resist the urge to fuck but idk
With memories flooding back, Joey is out to punish Lucian for his initial rejection that caused mayhem to her life. Lucian bares down and will take anything she throws at him for he truly can not and will not live without her. A true redemption within these pages. the turmoil and action have you edged and the spice is spicing!
I felt like this was a good wrap up for Lucian and Josephine. I appreciate that Josephine didn't immediately forgive Lucian and that he also never stopped apologizing for his actions. They had to continue to work through things. Grovel is always subjective but I was satisfied with this one. I look forward to more stories from the Ruthless Wolves world.
Wooooo spicy! So much spice! Book picked up right where it left off, and was amazing. Love the characters and plot. Love how much Josephine grows into her role.
Wow, this story was an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. The heartbreak, the hope, the betrayal, and the raw pain of discovering the truth made me feel so much for Josephine. Lucian’s redemption was powerful, you can truly feel how much it torments him to know that his mate suffered because of his choices.
Their journey was heartbreaking yet beautifully written, and it leaves you rooting for healing, forgiveness, and love against all odds.
If you love stories packed with angst, second chances, and deep emotional turmoil, this duet is absolutely for you.
It was good, I wanted to like it more. I appreciate how the groveling goes on well into 75%, there’s no easy or fake forgiveness, their issues are not swept under the rug, tensions remain in their relationship dynamic well into the ending. It just fell a little bit flat compared to book 1 overall.