Second Rite

Filthy Rich Vampires #2

by Geneva Lee, Geneva Lee Albin

He wore darkness with such graceful ease…

Thea Melbourne has a broken heart. A month after her world turned upside down, she’s struggling to return to the life she left behind. Her mother is in a coma, she’s selling off designer gowns to pay the bills, and her roommates seem to think she’s made of glass. But when the vampire who broke her heart shows up at the hospital, she learns a devastating secret.

To save the love of his life, Julian pushed her away. Now he has to live with the pain and regret or find someone to put him out of his misery. When it becomes clear that Thea is still in danger, he has a choice to make. He can stay away like the Council demands or risk everything, including their lives, to win her back.

Convincing her means facing his own dark secrets and resisting the temptation to claim her as his mate once and for all. But Thea isn’t going to make that easy for him.

Return to the seductive world of Filthy Rich Vampires with Second Rite, the thrilling, sensual continuation of Julian and Thea's story.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Vampires, Audiobook, Romantasy, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance

400 pages, Paperback

First published October 4, 2022

About the author

Geneva Lee is the New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of the Birthright Cycle, the Royals Saga, and the Iconsverse, amongst other works. A recovering academic, Geneva traded studying books for writing them and never looked back. She currently lives in Kansas City with her high-school sweetheart, three children, two cats, and a rescued goldendoodle named Honey.

Reviews

[✨Julie✨]

✩ 2 stars ✩

What to Expect:
➼ Mate Bond
➼ Touch Her & Die
➼ Secrets
➼ Forbidden Love
➼ New Paranormal Beings Introduced
➼ Dual POV

I was trying hard not to take this series too seriously, but my issues with this one have really stacked up. They’re pretty obnoxious now that they’re together, but the biggest issue with these books is that literally any vampire could make her forget him and the entire existence of vampires with a few words. There’s so much drama surrounding them being together and the fact that someone could so easily erase their relationship makes it hard to take any of the events that ensue in place of that simple “fix” for those who oppose them laughable.

Beyond that, Thea is just kind of an idiot. She invites trouble without any concern for her well being despite the fact that the other Vampires could end her in an instant. They both keep insisting that she can fight her own battles, but news flash girly, you CAN’T (at least as far as we know up to this point). She’s also just really slow on the uptake. She was clueless that both her mother and his had an idea of what she was despite the obvious things they said to her. And how could she not realize that she would be expected to bear him an heir when they have talked extensively about the purpose of this whole marriage season. Not only that, but if the council is really so worried about the bloodlines, why aren’t the pure-bloods also expected to continue procreating together?

Now that we’re getting an idea of what she is, I have to wonder how her mother could have ever really hoped to hide her. Wouldn’t she have figured it out if she had a boyfriend no matter who it was? Her mom went to those extremes and then just disappeared without giving her any answers? Seems pretty unrealistic to me when her previous choices were so clearly made out of love.

I can’t even imagine what the 3rd rite will be or what else the council will throw at them. I’m obviously going to keep reading, but I’m so bummed by how thoroughly this one suffered from second book syndrome.

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

Pre-read: No wait on Libby?? How lucky am I?! 🤗

[Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️]

Lots of action and answered questions!



The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🖤💙❤️💚
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: 🙂🥰😎🤩
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Dual Narration

The Hero: Julian Rousseaux - He is a pureblood vampire from the wealthiest and oldest vampire family. Basically, he is vampire royalty. Due to low birth rates and the fact that pureblood vampires are incredibly old, and hate each other after knowing each other for so long, they have an agreement with witches, since both of their magic has waned throughout the centuries, they can use each others magic in a way that they breed pureblood vampire children and witches get a long life instead of a human lifespan. As the eldest Rousseaux, it is Julians time this season to find a wife. Instead, he found a mate, something that was thought to be a myth. However, his mate, is Thea, and she is human. It is against vampire law to marry her.

The heroine: Thea Melbourne - she is a cellist and when she first met Julian, she was finishing college for music, and she had a job playing cello in a quartet. She gave that all up to travel the world with Julian and be his pretend girlfriend. In exchange he was going to pay her student loans and her mother’s hospital bills, for her cancer treatments. Thea realized that she is in love with Julian and had hoped they could find a way to be together, though she now knows that is impossible.

The Story: This book started out with Thea and Julian apart. Julian is distraught at losing Thea even though he was the one to kick her to the curb. Julian also saw his twin sister Camilla at the opera when the elite vampires were attacked by other vampires who wanted change. Though he wasn’t quite sure whether he saw her. What he didn’t know was that Camilla was out to get his entire family including Julian. When Julian thought she died, he had wanted to die as well. However, Camilla didn’t share his feelings. She was angry and out for vengeance against everyone and she wanted Julian to lead her to Thea as well.

I really enjoyed the first book, and this book was nearly as good. It had more action and more happened in this book than in the first. Also, we finally got some answers to questions brought up in the first book. The one thing I disliked about this series so far is the fact that when someone finds out something new, they don’t ask the questions I would ask. Well, they do, but only when it is too late and the people that could have answered the questions are no longer there or not willing to be forthcoming.

This audiobook is in dual points of view and narrated in dual narration. Stella Hunter and Teddy Hamilton did the narration. They are two of my favorite narrators. Stella hunter has a great voice and never sounds like she is reading. Teddy hamilton has a deep, gravelly voice and is also very natural sounding. They do a terrific job.

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[Lolina ⋆]

3 days left until the next book comes out, and I genuinely can't wait 😭.

I think I liked this book a lot more than I did the first time around- however in terms of being the second book in the series, I still think that the first was better. It's a fast-paced series with a constantly changing storyline, but it just works. I'm really looking forward to the next one 🫡

---
🤩 About to have a mental breakdown bc the third book isn't out yet and doesn't even have a release date 🤩

This book definitely got off to a rough start for me. I'm not a big fan of separation and thought that there wasn't really enough communication/ groveling at the start- and it annoyed me at the time.

I'm just so used to second books not living up to the first, and the fact that I didn't immediately love it stressed me out so bad 😭😭.

However, that's not to say that I didn't enjoy this- after a certain point, I just fell back in love with the storyline and characters. I'm honestly unhealthily invested in how this story turns out. The book progressed in a way I wasn't necessarily expecting, but I'm just rolling with it 😭.

There were definitely some questionable plot twists that I'm still trying to form an opinion on, and some frustrating repetition (in terms of thought processes), that did sort of get to me.

However all in all, although I did end up preferring the first, I still really enjoyed this. It did take me a while to get into it, but once I did I really couldn't stop. (Julian I love u 😭💞💍).

No, but the way that now looking back on it, I absolutely love these characters and series. It wasn't perfect but I'm so invested. I know the reading slump after this one is gonna hurt 💀.

Ok bye- I'm trying to stay calm and happy and positive but the way the next book comes out next year has me questioning life- I am not doing ok rn 🙃🔫.

[Tasha Metzler]

Ah man. Why can’t a 900 year old vamp come find me and claim me 😂💀

[Hilda]

Usually I’m mad at these types of books that feel like one giant book split up in pieces, but I guess since it’s all out, I don’t care. And I’m living for the drama. I’m so curious to see what happens.

Just fyi, don’t expect much. If you have low expectations this series is great. It’s just fun and full of vampire and witch drama. So much drama.

[Adama]

My humble thoughts


- Cringe
- Didn’t think to tell Thea that her mom is 100% dying
- Straight up liar
- Did I mention this book is cringe especially the club scene like be so for REALL RIGHT NOW
- “Stop I need to handle this 🥹🥹”
- Biggest pick me girl ever
- cringe.
- Growls 🤮🤮🤮🤮
- Dominic is a bottom we know this !!!!
- The yelling makes my head hurt like I’m aware this is a book but Sabine had me irritated
- I hated how Julien took it upon himself to point out that used to duck a lot of women but now that’s he’s with Thea he doesn’t anymore?!? Like great job dude the bare minimum but also he directly contradicts himself because Rhea essentially asked him if he fucked a lot of women and he was like no I didn’t duck everything that breathes or whatever. Like dude is so stupid
- Thea is kind of stupid
- Why is my girl Olivia being pointed as the villain when she’s literally the only rational thinker here. I hate the portrayal of people in their 20’s because we’re stupid but not that f’ing stupid.
- Sec every two seconds this girl is def ending up preggggooooo
- Thea reminds me of a feral Victorian child LMAOO
- So stupidddd I don’t get how Camila can give a very convincing story and they turn around do exactly what they shouldn’t I hate this couple so much it should be illegal
- When will this girl learn that men ain’t shiii
- I don’t like Jacqueline she truly serves no purpose
- How can she be feminist and also my misogynistic
- Thea has no backbone she will literally sit there and let people insult her TO HER FACE and not bat an eye. Julien is more pissed then she is
- If I ever see the words “mouth dropped” I will kill someone.
- “Pet” …that’s all I’m going to say.
- I truly don’t understand how julien could think all his mothers actions were out of love
- DHAMPIR DHAMPIR COPYCAT COPYCAT

[༚˳⁺✧˚Jennifer ˚✧⁺˳༚]

This was a good one, RTC

[TJ]

Many of the extreme annoyances that plagued me in the first book of this trilogy are worked out (and very nicely) in this story. With that, it turned into quite an addicting read! Dealing with both the vampire council and Julian’s family (oh my gosh, his evil mother!) was some can’t-put-down reading!

The downside? Dumbest cliffhanger ending in the history of cliffhanger endings! Could we get any more cliché? AND, it truly comes out of absolutely nowhere… seriously. Everything is going well - we are happy, yet super invested in what comes next in the story (knowing it will be in the next book) then in the last sentence, the author somehow feels a deep need to throw us off the silliest cliff imaginable… Uh… why? Dumb, dumb, super dumb.

Still, I enjoyed the rest of the book enough to just roll my eyes and jump into the next installment (luckily, it’s already out so bingeing and ignoring that last bit of stupid stuff is easy).

[Madison H.]

This is like 2.5 stars MAYBE. Lacking in twilight references.

Ugh, between the overuse of the term mate, the idea that you absolutely MUST procreate, and the fact that Thea couldn't just be human she also had to be a magical being... I dunno, that last plot point seemed like something a middle schooler would write into a fanfic.

I got tired of the tell, don't show and the fact that this relationship went from broken up, engaged and breeding (ew) in like two weeks. Pretty sure less than two months since they met.

I realized I forgot completely what Thea and Julian are supposed to look like. Is Julian a blonde with long vampire locks? Is Thea a red head? What are descriptive details and why were they completely missing.

Will I read the third book? Well the reviews don't look great, so I kind of want to watch the car crash happen. But I also want to revive my love for reading, so...

[Wanda Pedersen]

Oh, the mysteries of the reading life! I borrowed the first book in this series from the public library and enjoyed it, but they didn't have subsequent volumes. They also turned down my request that they purchase this book. So I ordered this one from a bookstore in town back in the summer and was a bit whiney about it. What should happen next, but I get a notification via Libby that it's available through that platform as an audiobook. I should have been more patient. (Unusually, I can access it on Libby, but not through my library catalogue.)

This isn’t a bad book--it's very much a continuation from book one. Julian is still trying to run Thea's life and she's still trying to pry all the secrets out of him. But they have determined that they are Mates and that they will stand up to the Vampire Council together. Cue Olivia Newton-John singing Hopelessly Devoted. Julian has never been able to compel Thea and now we learn the possible reason for that. The couple unknowingly undergo the Second Rite necessary before they can wed with the Council's approval (if not Julian's mother's). The remaining number of Rites are unclear, but there are two more books, so I'm guessing two.

Here's my thing: book one was very much a screwball comedy. This one, not so much. Julian's jackassery is more pronounced and Thea's predictable problems with her mother and university friends are tiresome. Julian's family issues are suitably threatening. It was nice to figure out that Thea does have some magic of her own to help her cope with all the cranky vampires and witches.

Libby has volume 3 as an audiobook and I have no doubt that I will borrow it soon. I'm halfway through this soap opera and I might as well keep going. But I will wait MUCH longer before buying the final volume.

[Beth]

1.5 ⭐️

This series is turning out to be a relatively easy read… but at what cost? 🫠

The pacing was all over the place, for starters. Thea & Julian made up incredibly quickly and I soon started to feel like I was on a very bad rollercoaster ride. They went from having alllll kinds of issues with him taking her virginity, to banging it out pretty much constantly in the space of a few pages. Sadly, they remained insufferable for the duration of the book 🥲

The dialogue was teeth-clenchingly cringeworthy and the whole book read like a shitty vampire fan fiction. I’m the first to admit that I’m a smut lover but this was all-round BADDDDD.

The most annoying part for me, is that the plot is actually pretty decent. I’d love to hear more about the various conflicts and impending war; but the Shagathon 5000™️ between Thea & Julian apparently takes precedent.

Let the record state that I will only be finishing this series because I’ve already bought the last 2 books ✌🏼

[Jenny]

Drinking game: take a drink every time someone says “mate.” Actually maybe don’t because you’ll die within the first 100 pages
Idk why I suffered through this tbh, it was so so bad. Someone get this man to an ENT doctor because there is no way he hasn’t done some damage to his larynx with all that growling wtf

[Laura]

I'm really not into vampire books but this has been good since I started the first one.
The second one ends on a cliffhanger but one I didnt see coming and shocked me can not wait for the 3rd one.
It's a really good series

[Anastasija]

Thea is getting bolder, Julian is getting more protective, and the banter is captivating enough to keep me up way too late. Five stars, no notes. 🧛‍♂️🔥And we are off to no. 3 📚

[BOOKLOVER_81]

I am a vamp girl deep in my bones, and this book made my dead black heart sing.

Julian and Thea are the total end game. They went through a lot of crap in such a short time, but they fell for each other fast and hard. They still have some hurdles with family and outside influences, but also stand up for each other as a couple.

The characters were executed so well. To the point we’re I also felt like I could see what they look like and feel what they were feeling.

The plot has its twist and turns that make me wonder where it will go next. FYI: The Council need to get over themselves..

This book gave me all the feels, happy, sad, angry, confused , love, LUST, and the creeps at time.

"I wanted 900 years for my life to begin. I waited 900 years, for you" - Julian 😩😍😍😍


Can’t wait to move into book 3!
Libby listen 🎶

[Cassandra ☀️🌊☕️📚]

I love Julian and Thea. I enjoy their banter too.

[Book Keeper]

As I feared, me liking the first book was a fluke. I have no idea what happened except that everything annoyed me and it was drug out sooooo long.

I will try not to rant [again]; however, I WILL say: Thea does not act like someone who was DESCRIBED as someone that could take care of herself.

She cries as the drop of a hat. (I can't take this teenage-hormonal attitude) Not to mention both her and Julian do not have a lick of sense, between them. It was like watching a train wreck. 🫣

And with that, I'm out!

[Mayra’s BookVerse]

3.5⭐️
I had high expectations for book two but was a bit disappointed. There was some plot development but the majority of the book focused on the two main characters and how much they’re obsessed with each other. With the mating bond a huge topic and main source of their conflict with others, there was a lot of time spent reinforcing their bond. A lot more spice than I think was really necessary. The last 15 percent saved the story for me. I’ll continue on to book 3.

[starryeyedjen]

WITAF was that ending? I will not be falling for that and find myself unwilling to continue this series. Not that I expected much from it to begin with, but sheesh...

[Mandy (Bookishlove85)]

This series is only getting better! I’m really loving it. Julian and Thea = 🥹🫠😍🥰 It’s gonna kill me to wait for the fourth book in audio lol. Onto book 3 now.

[Anayah]

aaaaaaaaaaaaand on to the next book, immediately.

[brittany:)]

🤩🤩🤩

[Anastasia ｼ]

╭ ✦ •
│ ⊹ 𝟹.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙 ⊹
╰ ✦ •

“I chose you, not just in that moment but for every lifetime. I chose you for eternity—and I will choose you every time.”

Honestly, kinda enjoying the story, but I feel like there's a lot of unnecessary filler and some things are just cringy?

And although I did spoil myself…. while flipping through the pages and found out what she is... other things were predictable that her father is a vampire? or possible vampire (it's not confirmed but THE FANGS?! HELLO?? + she's probably pregnant already

I'm interested in knowing what happens in the third book though.

────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────

⊹ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 ⊹

❥Mate Bond
❥ Touch Her & Die
❥Secrets
❥Forbidden Love
❥New Paranormal Beings Introduced
❥Dual POV

_________________________________

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[Reading With Ghosty]

A great follow up to the first book! This one starts off one month after Thea goes back home. Of course Julian and Thea find their way back to eachother and make up. We finally get home run spice and to be expected it was pretty good. Some thoughts:
*The whole controversy/denying of their marriage reminds me a lot of Katee Robert's "Neon Gods".
*Julian's sister showing up is an interesting layer to the drama.
*Thank god Thea is starting to get more assertive.
*Thea's is she "magical" or not arc kind of feels like a cop out to me. It reminds me too much of Sookie Stackhouse being a fairy. (And not in the best way. I absolutely love the Sookie series though.)
*The ending was very sweet...until it wasn't.
*Excited to see how the third book picks up and the new drama to unfold.

Would definitely recommend.

[Dash fan]

Wow was this book a page turner and sooo much better than the first book.

So much goes on in the second installment.
Thea and Julian's relationship intensifies and it's just a matter of time before they seal their fate.
Or until the council catch up with them!

Again there is a LOT of sex scenes, as you become to expect from vampire books.

There's so many intriguing juicy twists, revelations and turns in this book it really was hard to put down!

That's all I'm going to say, except if you are a big fan of vamps then give this series a try. I don't think you will be disappointed!
I'm off to sink my teeth into the third installment!

[Langleigh]

Yikes. For starters, there was not a single chapter in which they did not talk about Thea’s virginity. Which was wild. The plot of this book was so boring. Basically Thea fell in love with a guy who was hot and bought her everything she wanted and had only known for a month. And everyone in the entire world did not want them together. The very end felt like the author was just throwing a bunch of random “plot twists” our way?? Like Thea being a siren/vampire hybrid? It was lame. 4/10

[Diana R. Johnston]

wow

Great follow up to the first! Now I can’t wait for the third!! I literally read this in a day because it was so good!

[Gry ☾]

°. *࿐pre-read:

ooops, I quite literally forgot to update but I am kinda eating this up ngl

[G]

0 stars actually. I’m reading this as community service to a friend. Let it be known I wrote this whole thing and sent it to said friend via bird on the Roost app. It took a week and 11 birds for him to get the whole story lol.

Obligatory warning, I'm going to spoil THE WHOLE PLOT. ALL OF THE BOOK. In this review. If you don't want that, be elsewhere.

OUR CAST: Thea (FMC), Julian Rousseaux (MMC), Olivia (Thea's roommate), Tanner (Thea's other roommate), Jacqueline (Julian's vampire best friend), Sebastian (Julian's brother), Kelly (Thea's mom), Sabine (Julian's mom), Benedict (Julian's other brother), Camilla (Julian's twin sister), Celia (Julian's assistant), Willem (Camilla's bitch ass fuckass husband), Dominic (Julian's dad), C/Seela/h (Council bitch), Agatha (Council witch), Thorin (Julian's other other brother), Lysander (Julian's other other other brother).

HERE WE FUCKING GO.

The last book ended with Thea and Julian in Paris. She got a call from a hospital about how her mom was found comatose and ran down to tell Julian she needed to go home. Also, they just almost had penetrative sex, but Julian changed his mind at the last minute (which is fine, that's totally his choice, consent can be revoked at any point - the bigger problem is that he did so while actively denying Thea's choice in the matter as a way of controlling her and it...the whole situation was just so fucking icky). Julian, meanwhile, is in a meeting with the Fascist Vampire Council and also his mom and they tell him they will straight up kill Thea if he keeps seeing her. Thea tells him she needs to go back to San Francisco and he says great! Because we're also breaking up. Notably doesn't tell her a goddamn thing about the Council threatening her life, but whatever. She leaves, the end.

Book 2 starts with Olivia hitting on Kelly's doctor for some reason? Much like the beginning of book 1, this will not ever matter. This goes nowhere and means nothing. Thea has sold most of the couture clothes she bought with Jacqueline in Paris in the past...month? (the timeline of these books is so stupid) to afford living with no job, no school, nothin', but can't bring herself to sell the VERY nice, VERY old, VERY expensive cello Julian gave her. She's depressed, her mom hasn't woken up, and Olivia convinces her to go for coffee.

Back in Paris, Julian is out with Sebastian getting shitfaced and calling people slurs. :) Sebastian is probably the dumbest brother because he convinces Julian, fuck the council, go get your girl! Julian says shit, you right, and books the first flight from Paris to San Francisco.

Suddenly, three chapters in, we get a surprise third POV (we will never get this POV again, don't worry). It's Julian's sister! Camilla is in fact alive, she is with the fascist Vampire Supremacy cult, and has decided to leave Julian a "housewarming" gift in Paris by killing his butler and burning his house down (get it? housewarming? in case you missed it this joke is repeated four more fucking time).

Thea comes back from coffee and surprise! Her mom is awake! Yay! They immediately get a visit from billings and collections (most accurate part of this book), but it's fine! Thea's husband has paid off everything they owe. Thea says, "Husband?? Who the fuck is that???" Bam, enter Julian, he's also at the hospital now.

Thea pulls him aside and is (rightfully) like "what the fuck are you doing here thanks for paying the hospital but you're not even my boyfriend not to mention husband??" and Julian is like...teasing her?? And trying to banter with her??? Mind you, he has NOT apologized for all the bullshit from the last book and Kelly's a real one because she's like, "hey, fuck you dude, my daughter's been despondent and also fucked off to Europe while I've been fighting cancer because of you and also DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL ONE SEMESTER BEFORE GRADUATION for you just for you to break her heart." How does Comatose Kelly know this? Fuck you, that's how. But she goes IN on him, and Julian, shocking no one, doesn't apologize.

There's a line here:

"It feels entirely similar, but different."

Thank you. So helpful. I hate this fucking book.

Anyway. Thea forgives him fucking immediately, of course, but Kelly is still tearing him to shreds and Thea starts...defending him?? Also she tells her mom, without prompting, about the blood orgy like??? You would have to waterboard that info from me and I would NEVER tell my mom but go off. Also surprise! Kelly knows he's a vampire. She knows all about the supernatural and never told her daughter, never warned her, nothing. And then Kelly tells Thea "him or me." Thea's been working her ass off to get a good job so she can take care of her cancer-riddled mom. She's known Julian for like 5 weeks, and 4 of those weeks were when he broke up with her right as her said cancer-riddled mom went into a coma.

So naturally, Thea chooses Julian over Kelly. :) Kelly tells Thea to get the fuck out (go off, fav character, <3 Kelly) and Thea goes to Julian's house where he immediately fingers her and shit, and she's grinding on him, and he whips out the Twilight

and Thea's just all "please can we just have sex." They talk about the tether-vampire-virgin-STD thing again, and he's saying he knew they were mates from the first time he saw her which, no??? Did Geneva Lee forget we were in Julian's head at that moment and he absolutely did fucking not?? But Julian's like "marry me and we can look for a way to fuck without the vampire virgin STD (VVSTD if you will), and Thea's like "good point, I'll marry you AND we'll fuck" and negotiates him frown from 6 months to 6 weeks? Again, he's not apologized for ANYTHING or explained why he broke up with her. And then he eats her out but hey, that's not sex. Thea gets him to bite her and they have this ridiculous fucking conversation about the scars it leaves behind:

Thea: "It means I belong to you."
Julian: "I think it means I belong to you."

Right, like how the cows all line up to brand the farmer.

One of them says "we're gonna be irrationally horny forever" or something stupid like that, but I think it's a threat. They have a conversation about her going back to take her finals, maybe, more talks about why they're not having penetrative sex, whatever. I'm bored. Thea decides she's moving in with Julian and has to go talk to Olivia and Tanner and get her shit and her cello, because Julian has bribed the school to let her take her finals so she can graduate. Thea says:

"I know my roommates would be as happy about our reunion as my mother was."

because Olivia and Tanner actually care about Thea while neither Thea nor Julian care about Thea. Funny enough, Olivia is hella judgmental when Thea tells her she chose Julian over Kelly, but Thea's like "she just doesn't understand because she doesn't know about the supernatural world" like I'm not here looking at Thea sideways while also knowing about the supernatural world. Julian starts arguing with Olivia about Thea making her own choices, which is really fucking rich coming from him, and says:

"I would never hurt Thea. She's free to make her own decisions."

Except when, how, and who she has sex with. Except when Julian broke up with her for no reason. Except when her choices aren't also Julian's choices. But hey! Vampires are a matriarchal society or what the fuck ever!

Also suddenly! Thea can hear Julian's thoughts? Why? How? Stay tuned, it's real fucking stupid. Julian, who lies to her often and keeps things from her always, is very nervous about this new development. But now we definitively know that Thea isn't a witch or vampire, but she's also for sure not human.

Thea practices for three days and takes her finals, where a famous cellist who's also a witch tells her that when she plays cello, she's doing magic. Their conversation in a dark parking garage is interrupted by Camilla, who has great lines like:

"Hell. I went to Hell and they made me their queen."

She makes the witch leave and lore dumps on Thea until the witch hits her with a car and Thea escapes with her cello, but not her phone. Camilla, with Thea's phone, calls Julian to taunt him, and Julian fully thinks Thea is dead (she's not, she and the witch went to Waffle House a diner before taking Thea home). When Thea comes home unscathed, Julian is horny and tells her he's actually ready to respect Thea's decision she made last book to have sex and be tethered because he can't live without her and her near death experience has changed his life forever. They talk about Thea's magic, that Thea's worried about how Julian's shit mom is going to take the tethering, and we get some more lore dumping.

Basically, during the last vampire-witch season, Camilla was put on the market as the oldest Rousseaux sibling, and unbeknownst to everyone, was (TW) assaulted during the first party by her future husband, tethering her to him. Willem did a ton of abusive shit, including but not limited to: (TW:DV) isolating and torturing Camilla, setting their kids on fire, and ultimately disappearing without paying for any of his crimes. Since then, Sabine was actually the champion for the anti-virgin laws so what happened to Camilla could never happen again. She also made all her sons blood vow they wouldn't do that to someone.

But since Thea's Julian's mate and fiancée, he's willing to risk it all. He also finally tells her that the Council threatened to kill her, and Thea? Does not care. Julian tells her that if they tether, accept the mating bond, and marry, that's it. At 21, Thea is locked the fuck down because vampires don't believe in divorce. There's some shit about how Julian isn't actually that old (he's like 955), and all of this takes place over like 5 long ass chapters.

And then they bang. 42% of the way through this book, 16 hours into this series, and the smut is so bad. Thea also says, about waiting:

"But I was never meant for a man. I was waiting for a god."

They're both literally crying, he's roaring, I'm wishing I never learned how to read, but hey! Their heartbeats changed! Isn't that neat and absolutely not a health concern. Her heartbeat slowed and his sped up and I want to flatline at this point but we persist. They have a sex fest for like two days, no breaks, no food, nothing, and shockingly Thea doesn't have a UTI. She sneaks out to eat something, Julian teaches her how to finger herself in the kitchen... And his grand plan to get around the slave tether thing, he just straight up yells at her to never take an order from him, and that works.

Julian:"You are not my possession."
Thea: "But I belong to you."
Julian: "As my mate, as my equal."

That would require you to respect her and alas, you do not. So.

Thea unsurprisingly passes her finals and gets to graduate despite the last book saying she straight up dropped out but whatever. To celebrate, Julian sends Olivia, Tanner, and some A name girl who doesn't matter with a blank check to this super exclusive bar. Olivia is still pissed because she hates Julian but she will spend his money. Thea pulls her aside to get it all out in the open, and, much like how Julian told Thea about vampires in a Waffle House, Thea now tells Olivia about vampires in this super packed bar. Olivia DOES NOT believe her lol.

Julian isn't with them. Instead, he is being kidnapped by Camilla, who can't stop killing folks just doing their job (first Julian's butler, and now his driver). Camilla is explaining her villain origin story for a third time, but it's revealed that, shocker, Julian is still keeping secrets from Thea. Turns out, when Willem did the arson, Julian saved them and took a blood vow to keep them secret, keep them safe (this is implied here but confirmed at the end of the book). He couldn't save Camilla because he didn't know she ran into the fire to commit suicide (a witch saved her, and then Camilla killed the witch, but the fire did destroy her tether to Willem). Turns out, Camilla's been threatening Thea, killing Julian's staff, and overall being sick and twisted because...she wants their help.

Meanwhile, in the bar, Tanner has (accidentally) delivered a drugged drink to Thea, who ends up in the bathroom with A and Olivia, who are then cornered by the couple who gave the drugged drink to Tanner. Surprise! They're Council vampires here to kill/collect Thea. Julian and Camilla show up in this now very crowded bathroom, kill the couple, and traumatize Olivia and A. Julian compels the two to forget everything, including Thea's confession to Olivia, but Thea is the worst friend anyway and Olivia is better off without her.

On their way to the bathroom, Julian and Camilla did a little murder in the bar, so it's cleared out, and Julian and Thea have sex on a table. When they finish, Julian picks a napkin up OFF THE BAR FLOOR, shakes BROKEN CHINA SHARDS out of it, and uses this DRY DIRTY NAPKIN to CLEAN OFF THEA'S BITS. We've hit the 63% mark.

Thea and Julian go to Greece to continue the season since Thea's not human and the Council can't stop her anymore. They can arrest y'all for the VVSTD tether, but what do I know. It's revealed that Thea read Julian's mind and does know about the children and his blood vow, but you, the reader, won't get to know this until 98%.

In Greece, Julian's whole family is here and immediately talking shit about Thea and Julian getting married (as they should). Thea gets pissed at Sabine and plot twist! Thea has fangs. Julian and Thea continue to have sex, and right when they finish, the Council and Sabine burst into the bedroom. Julian and Thea, buck-naked, get arrested. They try to argue that Thea's not human, but that doesn't solve the fact she was a virgin and y'all also broke that law.

Thea and Julian are separated and drugged, and then Thea is interrogated by a Seelah/Ceela. When things don't go the Council's way, Julian is brought into the room to be hateful and reject Thea. She ends up winding him up and when he chokes her, she's able to touch his skin and realize that's not really Julian.

Julian is in a dark room and killed someone he was hallucinating was Thea. He really did kill someone, but it's not Thea, so fuck 'em. Turns out that was the Second Rite (roll credits) and congrats! They both passed. They're brought back and are talked at by Agatha and S/Ceela/h. Agatha says if Julian and Thea want to marry, they have to pass all the Council's Rites or Thea has to be impregnated and Thea has sudden war flashbacks of all the unprotected sex they've been having since the 40% mark.

They go back home and Thea thinks Sabine knows what she is, but Sabine is less than helpful. They then go to Lysander, who's an archaeologist, and he immediately goes "oh, yeah, she's a siren, duh." Duh. They were thought to be extinct, but here's Thea! Kelly probably knew because she always had Thea in music lessons, and Kelly's cancer is actually magical because she's been glamouring Thea this whole time. The mind reading? Turns out sirens can do that to their lovers to better service them in the bedroom. Ta da! Told you it was stupid.

Thea and Julian talk about kids, since Thea's like "hey so I'm 21?? and don't want to be a mom rn??" and Julian's like "well, I'm ready to be a dad, so." Julian "Respects Women" Rousseaux everyone. Before you ask, they're still not using condoms, because if Thea gets pregnant, she gets pregnant, who cares. Their current theory is, since Thea bites Julian and drinks his blood during sex, that her mom was a siren and her dad was a vampire, leading to her being able to have vampire babies.

They have to go to a party elsewhere in Greece, so Jacqueline helps Thea get ready and also reveals that Jacqueline is the sole queer token of the whole series. Good for her. Happy Pride, Jacqueline. Julian finally proposes to Thea with a ring he bought before he broke up with her, Julian almost actually drives them off a cliff, and we get these bomb ass lines.

"Thanks to most vampires adhering to a matriarchal order, Julian has been raised to not only respect a woman's wishes, but defer to them."

and

"While some males [...] desired control over their partners, Julian actually respected me."

Which are just. blatantly not true?? Evident by the fact that, when they roll up to this event, Thea says "I don't want to tell everyone about our engagement" and the next line is Julian getting the announcer to call her his fiancée like. Be so fucking forreal.

But hey! THE END. BOOK 2 IS OVER.

Verdict: this was so much nothing in between Thea and Julian having sex and Camilla killing everyone but the one guy that deserves it. I'm with Olivia and Kelly, even if they're written like you shouldn't agree with them, because the way Thea chooses that man over everyone we've been told she loves and cherishes? Girl, stand the fuck up.

Throats slid 5 times and glided once. The Rousseaux's were described as "filthy rich" four times. Will be running another Instagram poll to see if my friends will make me suffer through book 3. :)

[Frida Hemborg]

Safe to say I’m kind of obsessed with this series! Adored the first book, loved this one even more 👏🏼 This installment had lore GALORE. And I’m not just talking vampire and witches lore, I’m talking several other kinds of supernatural beings. We uncovered something big regarding Thea’s background, and I’m so excited to see how this will play out in the next two books. I have my suspicions of who her father might be, let’s see if I’m correct 😎 We also got to see Julian’s family more in this one, fun times indeed. Family, but I also kind of hate you, and wouldn’t hesitate to put a sword in you 🤣 And my god this turned the heat up by a LOT on the spice level, might need a cold shower now 🥵🔥 But still very tasteful and well written scenes 👌🏼

I have so many questions that hopefully the next two books will provide great and shocking answers to. Won’t really say any more than this, given that it’s book two it’s kinda hard to review without spoiling too much 😅