Exodus (The Ravenhood) Paperback – 20 Aug. 2024

I have started and finished the Duet in a weekend. That was two days ago. I am still feeling very raw and tender, extremely emotional. During the day, while I work, I surprise myself thinking about how the Duet made me feel and I still feel the need to cry a little more.Let me be clear. I have read a few amazing books and felt them deeply, but this Duet - despite not being perfect - has left me reeling. It's jam-packed with feelings, light and heavy. Solitude, abandonment issues (the weight of caring for a fragile parent and the lack of relationship with her father even when physically present), friendship, love, lust, breaking the barriers of the comfort zone, anger, angst, mystery, learning to dig deeper into adulthood and what it means to not stop on the surface, interesting topics and conspiracy theories, shame, break-ups, separation, grief, inertia, trust issues, again so much anger and angst and conflicts and confrontation and pride, death and even more grief and anger.(SPOILERS)I felt my heart soar and break and mend and soar and break times and times again while reading it. I also felt incredibly hot and bothered and I could understand why she was so torn while feeling in love with one, two then three men at the same time. I thought that KS was amazing in sneaking characters under your skin so much that you could actually feel happiness, warmth and sunshine while being with Sean, and coolness, moodiness and "never-enoughness" (I know it's not a word) while being with Dominic. And then Tobias really threw everything in the air because when he came into the equation and started growing on you, KS had made Sean and Dom disappear so you started forgetting why you were so in love with them and that falling in love with Tobias actually made sense because he was so all-encompassing and annihilating and all man that you couldn't help it.I didn't always like Cecilia. I understood her, I understood where she was coming from (especially her relationship with her mother and how being her mother's mother crippled her for so long) and I appreciate that she was so young and impressionable but sometimes I couldn't stand her. I resented her young age and its clash against the maturity of the other characters, and the battle that they were fighting. But i liked the woman she became (even though 26 is still such a young age to accomplish all of that, even if it's implied she grew up very quickly, also because of the boys of summer). Her defining qualities for the majority of the books are her stunning beauty and her heart (which she uses as a mouthpiece. I loved that quote). Which, don't get me wrong, are two amazing qualities. And in the "now" part of the book she comes across as a shrewd business woman, and very brave. So I can appreciate her character development.I loved that one of the main characters died and that it was rather quick and that it was such a momentous plot twist.I loved how people are so cold with her once she comes back to Triple Falls. I started crying when Tyler shows up at Eddie's and that warmed my heart beyond words. It really gutted me for some reasons. And I love that she sees Sean only at the end. How he hugs her without thinking twice about it only to then put distance because every feelings comes back up again and not everything is magically forgiven and forgotten on the spot. And I loved how he gives her Dom's car and then goes back to her to mend the broken pieces before she leaves for good.I think that the ending was a little rushed. I honestly felt a little underwhelmed as I thought that there would have been some big showdown between the Ravenhood and Jerry Siegal or someone else. Perhaps it will be addressed in the bonus epilogues. I think that Tobias showing up 8 months later would have led to some more groveling and really I was extremely disappointed to just see them ride in the sunset towards her new home without a proper love scene as a parting gift.I wouldn't be surprised if the bonus epilogue would be a better glimpse into the new Ravenhood generation with Dominic Junior taking the helm. But who knows.I am also convinced that the pendant was from BOTH Dominic and Sean because they didn't want her to chose one of them and she belonged to both. That's my theory.I feel a lot about this book and I really don't know why but I can't stop thinking about it. I think these are the best kind of books.

I devoured this book, in fact all three!, and I could not read them fast enough. A story that will make your pulse race, your heart break and bring tears to your eyes. I loved every.single.page. A beautifully painful story and a must read for the romantics.

This book stayed with me for a couple of days after I finished it as I struggled with thoughts and whether to leave a review because of course it was great. Kate's ability to make readers feel is evident in this series and ‘Drive’. This talent is frankly phenomenal. I felt so much that I sometimes needed to take a break from reading and feeling so much when Cecelia was heartbroken.But as much as the talent was undeniable, the story’s ending (book 2) left me disappointed.Usually by the end the clear victor emerges through his reformed actions or renewed efforts. Instead I wondered whom to root for and found no one deserving. Was it to be1- Sean whose love encouraged her to get together with another man and was happy to share her without an ounce of jealousy, OR2- Dominic who treated her terribly for the majority of their relationship.Oh and without much explanation or an idea of when they'd return, they arrogantly expected to come back for her 10 months later and find her still waiting?? Really?!!I just wanted her to move on so badly.3- But with him?? However, just when Tobias started to treat her well, as soon as his brother and friend returned, he acted just like they had and walked away from her. What kind of love am I being sold where he walks away for years, she returns for him only for him to push her away AGAIN.Making mistakes as a 20 year old is a given but repeating them at 26 made me want reach out to her if only to say Honey, have some pride, self esteem something, anything. I really needed her to value herself more.After the heart break that Cecelia suffered, I think Kate actually thought that readers want a HEA so much that we would be satisfied simply because he finally showed up. No ma'am!!!She needed to look for more than the bare minimum from men who treated her poorly. She needed to show at least a bit of strength and I just couldn't fathom how she was unable to learn from previous hurts and kept chasing people who found her too easy to walk away from. Unfortunately by the time Dominic got his act together and actually started to express himself, it was sadly too late. We'll therefore never know if he'd have treated her better.So all in all I was torn. The aim of writing a story is to entertain, capture readers, make us feel, etc and this book thoroughly achieved that and more. I only wish that Cecelia had shown strength at the end. Allowed him to truly deserve her all consuming love. Instead the end left me feeling that Kate underestimated her readers need for a HEA. Sure we want it.... BUT once it's deserved. I imagine that correcting this crucial error is probably the reason that the 3rd book was written. I don't know that I will read it because if once again Cecelia is depicted as a poor little lost girl begging to be loved or rolling over to be trampled upon, I'd lose the respect that this book has earned thus far from me. So I'll likely stop here where I can appreciate a great story told, one which elicited so many emotions while recognising that it's flaw is in its ending. An ending that should have finally had us feeling that he did in fact love her, not just claiming to. Just because we are told it doesn't mean we'd believe it without supporting action/evidence. For a book that makes one feel so much, we should have felt that at the end!. That is the only reason for which it lost 1 star

Did I finish this book or did this book finish me? Bawling my eyes out all night just so I can go to sleep knowing something good happens. WRONG. Well it happens... IN THE LAST FREAKING CHAPTER. Alexa, play "Daddy Issues" by The Neighbourhood. Now I know Kate Stewart is a sadist because this had absolutely no reason being so heartbreaking."Once upon a time, I was a lonely girl who met a lonely king, and we both suffered from too much pride and oh, how the reckless have fallen. Between my romantic notions and his aspirations, we deceived ourselves, and all I feel now is sorrow."This was the most toxic relationship I've come across and not just between her and Tobias but with her family, friends.. everyone. Cecelia is literally a punching bag for every single person in her life. I felt so bad for her, lived through all her pain and distress. And I still don't know how can someone be so broken, tossed around like literal garbage and still find strength to move on? The last chapter was long overdue, THANK GOD finally something good she deserves.I loved everything about this book that I went back and reread it immediately after The Finish Line. It's all-consuming, perfect and heartbreaking. An absolute favourite and I will never stop thinking about it. Can't recommend it more, read it people!!!