LunatIc

“War only benefited those in power, never its people.”

It genuinely pains me to give this rating to one of my favorite series—but this was bad. Very bad 😟😟 The level of disappointment I felt while reading this book was unreal. I have so many thoughts, yet at the same time, it feels like there’s nothing to say. That probably doesn’t make sense, but that’s exactly how it felt 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

I don’t even know how to properly summarize the book because it barely left an impression on me. The moment I finished it, my brain practically erased it. I actually had to go back and reread the first few chapters just to refresh my memory enough to write this review 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ This will be a spoiler-filled review, so stop here if you want to go in blind.

Apparently, Archer isn’t who he’s been pretending to be his entire life. He’s been lying to everyone for years, with only a handful of people knowing the truth. He’s secretly helping Thomas with some kind of “raising-psychopath-children” project, and during that time, he becomes heavily involved with one of his coworkers. They’ve been sleeping together for months, trying (and failing) to get each other out of their systems. Then, after a drunken night in Vegas, they wake up married. Soon after, we discover that someone is targeting Mac and trying to kill him. From that point on, the story centers on uncovering who’s behind the threats—and why.

The twist about Archer not actually being an alcoholic had potential. It could have been fascinating. But the execution didn’t land 👎👎 We spent five books believing in a version of Archer that apparently wasn’t real—and then, when the “real” Archer is revealed, we barely get to know him 😑😑 We’re given small crumbs about who he might truly be, but they’re never explored in depth. And without depth, a character inevitably becomes dull. That’s exactly what happened here. Even by the end of the book, I still couldn’t tell you who Archer really is. And Mac wasn’t any better

Mackenzie Shepherd, or Mac, is the son of one of Thomas’s professor friends. He has a lighter energy compared to Archer’s grumpiness and enjoys provoking him for fun. And… that’s about it. I warned you—he’s boring too 🥱🥱Together, they didn’t spark anything for me. No tension. No emotional pull. Nothing.

“Very little in this world roused enough interest to make him mad. He found his brothers’ antics hilarious, his father’s rules optimistic, his in-laws mildly amusing, and his nieces to be fascinating but rather dull conversationalists.”

I read this series for the romance 🔥🔥 I enjoy the darkness and the crime plots, sure—but at the end of the day, I want to see two characters fall in love. We didn’t see how Mac and Archer met. We didn’t see them fall for each other. We barely saw any tenderness between them. The moment they get married, we’re thrown straight into the crime plot. Whenever they do get time alone, it’s mostly physical. And without emotional buildup, those scenes meant nothing to me. How am I supposed to connect to a couple when I don’t feel their bond? 😠😠

I’d already complained in Mad Man about the repetitiveness of the crime plots—human trafficking, child abuse, and similar themes. They’re intense, yes, but after being used in almost every book, they’ve lost their impact 😑😑 I kept waiting for the story to pick up. It never did. The characters bored me. The plot bored me. There wasn’t even real tension to hold onto 🙅‍♀️🙅‍♀️

The only bright spot for me was Noah. His dynamic with Archer was the sole source of entertainment 🥰🥰 He’s precious, and I appreciated how Archer eventually acknowledged and corrected his mistake. The epilogue, at least, was intriguing—we’re finally moving toward Aiden and Thomas’s story. I wish I could say I’m beyond excited, but after this book, I’m keeping my expectations in check. We’ll see how it turns out. See you in the next review 👋👋