#(the scene of the only truly innocent woman being hanged was heart wrenching.)

[morp]

Chicago (musical) is incredible. Btw

[damn-stark]

To our last chapter till next time!

Thank you for busting this out as quickly as you did. I’m sure it isn’t easy at considering all your other works you got going on, so thank you!

The little flashback of young Cherry and Hange😭

Seeing how they truly did anything but to conserve the innocence and heart of Cherry while they could. Shows just how much Hange and the other OG scouts really saw Cherry as a light in the terrifying hell,of the cruel world they had to survive and fight in.

It’s really cute when you think about it now, most people forget how young scouts are when they are sworn in. Hange, Levi, Erwin, Moblit, Furlan, and Isabel they ranged from their late teens to early 20s and early mid 20s. All of them looking out for a kid as their own. And being puzzle pieces of what make her the woman she is now.

Though Cherry thinks that she isn’t who she was before. I hold onto this attachment. I KNOW that deep down somewhere, even if it’s only an ounce, a mere 1%, Cherry is in there.

Because though i don’t think ever explored this though specifically thoroughly. The trauma did a NUMBER on our poor girl. Which would change ANYONE. Who would have to experience even two seconds of that. Marley traumatized her, ruined her spirit. Changed her.

But I feel like that part of herself not only died, but is suppressed by Cherry on her own. She probably during Marley and even post Marley looked back at the person she was and chastises herself. Thinking that maybe if she wasn’t who she was (all of the beautiful qualities we cherish in her) then she wouldn’t be so weak. Let alone stuck in the position she was in. If she had JUST not been who she was, she wouldn’t be tormented a second longer. So she had to bottle that part of herself as a means of protection and a byproduct of the abuse.

And I could NEVER imagine the physical trauma let alone psychological hurdles she will have to face for the rest of her life after what she experienced. But I hold onto this hope that maybe JUST maybe when Cherry finds her peace, her serenity, whatever that may be to her now. That she will be able to find peace in bringing out that side of her again. It would never be the same, but the Cherry we know wouldn’t be as she says just “gone”. And I feel, that’s what Mikasa holds onto now as well.

The PATHS SCENE HAD ME IN LITERAL TEARS. Though I had already watched it before, it’s so different being put into the shoes and being there. Cherry having to swallow her hurt, KNOWING all that she does. But now experiencing it with her friends and family, having to hear those she holds most dear beg him to stop, begging him to see that they could handle it all, all cries she knows very well cause she had to do the same not that long before.

But knowing that it’s inevitably hopeless. No matter how hard they try or how fast they chase after him. And her accepting Eren’s wish and standing true by it. By not fighting against it, by not crying and begging, but my not chasing after him. She knows what has to happen, and seeing her stand so firmly by the last promise, though it is guy wrenching, it makes you love her and Erens relationship all that much more.

Thank you again for this wonderful ‘see you later’ chapter. Thank you for this story. It’s one I hope most dear to my heart. And thank you for making time to crank it out despite how stacked you are with your other writing. I appreciate it.

I wish you well dear author. Stay healthy till then🫶🏽

Cherry rn is very traumatized, but it’s like you said she just needs to find peace within herself. I think once the war is over and she can find some ease she’ll find what remains of herself.

But yes she’s still there, just buried deep!

ALSO THANK YOU SO SO SO SO SO MUCH FOR THIS!!! I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO READING WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY!!!

[ohcaptaintarthister]

Brienne of Tarth: The Finale Death Twist?

Before I begin, some things first: 

1. Brienne is my FAVORITE character in the books and the TV show. I love that her character has put into question the meaning of being a woman and femininity, and the portrayal of Gwendoline Christie is just perfect. 

2. Being as she’s my favorite, I don’t want to see her dead. I don’t want her hurt any more than she already is in the books. She’s my baby.

3. In the immortal words of Ramsay Bolton, “If you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention.” (Ramsay Bolton deserves to be eaten alive by fire ants but Iwan Rheon was fucking excellent in the role)

4. Bear in mind this is just a SPECULATION. It’s not based on leaks but on what I’ve seen in the show this Season 7. 

5. Again, she’s my favorite. I’d hate if this happens. As I told a friend, if D&D do this, they should throw themselves into shark-infested waters. 

6. This post contains spoilers from Episode 6. Leave if you haven’t seen it yet. I don’t want to ruin it for you. 

You’re still here? Here we go. 

As a fan of Brienne, Season 5 was a huge disappointment. After a run-in with Littlefinger’s knights at an inn, the most badass warrior in the Seven Kingdoms arrived just outside of Winterfell and spent the rest of the season waiting for a light to appear in the tower. Moments before Sansa finally did what we’ve been waiting for, Brienne was told by Podrick about Stanni’s army marching toward Winterfell. I felt Brienne’s conflict at being caught between two vows: avenging Renly or fulfilling her promise to Catelyn Stark and Jaime Lannister to find and protect Sansa. She chose Renly.  

Season 6 reminded us of the Brienne we’ve come to know and love. She rescued Sansa from the Boltons, reunited her with Jon at Castle Black, vowed to serve her and give her counsel if need be. Then of course came Episode 8, which reunited her, too briefly, with Jaime Lannister. It ended in another goodbye, yet it wasn’t as heart-wrenching as their previous partings. There was hope that they would meet again in Season 7 and maybe this time, stay with each other. 

We know what’s happened to that so far.

With the show having no source material to draw from beginning Season 5, D&D were forced to advance character storylines and events based on rough outlines and their own interpretations of them. Season 5 was bad, bad, bad, without question. Season 6, which revisited some chapters of the books, was great. 

Season 7 started on a good note. Not as great as we’ve been hoping but there’s really not much to expect from a transitionary episode. And then. . .you know the rest. 

My frustration aside, I suppose it rocks that characters who either last saw each other in Season 1 or have never shared a scene together are now on a collision course. Tyrion and Jon! Tyrion, Jon and Theon! Jon and Daenerys! Arya! Sansa! Jaime and Daenerys! JAIME AND TYRION. DRAGONS! Euron. It’s obvious that it’s these meetings that matter and fuck logic. Fuck questions. Just sit back, watch and drool over dragons now the size of 747s. Alright.

But I can’t. I just can’t. I do understand the importance of reaching the finish line at all costs but the current season has made some compromises that I simply can not agree with. And one of that is Brienne. 

Let’s be honest. In the books, after Brienne leaves King’s Landing, she just wanders around, gets attacked, gets her face eaten off. Then she gets hanged by Lady Stoneheart. She finds Jaime and lies about Sansa. The next time she’s referenced, it’s after Cersei is told that Jaime went off with Brienne and they haven’t been seen in weeks. 

It’s not interesting TV seeing Brienne lost in Westeros and possibly failing to fulfill her vows. You want to see a character who succeeds so we get TV Brienne fighting against the Hound, Knights of the Vale and Bolton men. That’s fine with me. Because through no fault of her own, she already had, in a way, failed in her vows--she couldn’t protect Renly from Stannis’ shadow assassin, she wasn’t there when Catelyn was murdered. So yeah, I wanted to see her achieve something in the show. 

Now there’s not one but three Starks back in Winterfell. She also managed to convince Jaime to take Riverrun peacefully rather than through violence. She didn’t get the Tully men but made it back to Winterfell unscathed. Here, she continues training Podrick. She becomes Arya’s sparring partner. She remains suspicious of Littlefinger. My question is, is this all that Brienne is left to do? 

No. She has to do one more thing. 

This is the part that’s unpleasant. I fucking hate it. I would love to be proven wrong. I don’t blame anyone who reads this for hating me. I hate myself for writing this too. But I am, anyway. 

She’s not doing anything much in Winterfell. It’s painful to watch. It’s more painful than in Season 5 because at least you’re still wondering if she will fulfill her vow regarding the Stark girls. But as Podrick thought to point out in Episode 4 of this season, she has fulfilled her vows to Catelyn Stark. You might read that as Brienne being noble and honorable. I do. 

I also read it as a death sentence.

No, this isn’t the unpleasant part yet.

If you’ve seen Episode 6, Sansa is sending her to King’s Landing in answer to Cersei’s summons. Holy Seven Fucking Hells. What was Sansa thinking? If she was sure that Cersei would take her as prisoner or worse (I don’t think Cersei is 100 % convinced she’s innocent from Joffrey’s murder), why would she think Brienne would be treated any nicer? Knowing how Cersei is, she’s going to take this as an insult. She’s high on being Queen, getting to fuck her brother openly, there’s another incest baby on the way. What would stop her from hurting Brienne? 

I’m not yet on that hated, hated part.

Look, Brienne has not had anything to do this season. I don’t know what her point is anymore in the show unless something happens to her in the finale that advances the plot significantly. I would love if her presence yanks Jaime from the fluffy incest cloud he’s been on. But then D&D didn’t only had to shoot down the BT ship (thank goodness), they also had to announce that one of them will be killed soon. That’s going to be Brienne.

Think about it. If Tormund dies, so what? He’s not a POV character. His death would be sad for Jon, if he’s there. But for such a dispensable character, this might be the factor that ensures Tormund survives until a few episodes of Season 8. His death will do nothing to the plot. That’s his armor. When he dies, you’ll mourn for three seconds. That’s it. If you mourn. 

Season 7 has been surprisingly sparing in known character death tolls. We don’t give a fuck about Ellaria and Bad Pussy although it’s horrible how they went. We felt and cheered for Olenna. But they’re not POV  characters. I have a bad feeling that D&D are saving up a major death in the finale and it’s going to be Brienne.

Why Brienne? Again, she’s not doing much this season. That’s a bad sign. From a character that was instrumental in Jaime Lannister re-thinking about honor, she’s been slowly pushed to the sidelines. She’s become something other major and POV characters are propped on--Sansa and Arya, namely, maybe even Tormund. She’s used to give them meat. And I think Jaime Lannister is next in line.

Who is not furious with Jaime’s arc this season? It’s a BETRAYAL to the Jaime we know and kind of root for in the books. His disillusionment with Cersei begins much earlier. They never have sex after the deed next to Joffrey’s corpse. Everything that Book!Jaime has done to get us on his side has been undone or not at all by TV!Jaime.And with him more attached to Cersei, who has promised to acknowledge him publicly as their baby’s father, he won’t be leaving her side. Unless--

Unless Cersei discovers his other betrayal.

Remember in Episode 5 when she was taunting Jaime about being betrayed by Bronn? How she knew about their meeting with Tyrion but let it happen? She was testing him. After she tells him about the baby and they, ick, kiss and hug, she reminds him to never betray her again. I don’t think Jaime will be leaving her side anytime soon. 

But what if Cersei hurts Brienne to teach Jaime about never betraying her again? Wait, Cersei doesn’t hurt people. She tortures them. 

Alright people, this is the very unpleasant part. Look away. Stop reading this. Again, I hope I’m wrong. But we’ll know next week. I’m gunning that this is sick crack, okay? 

Cersei has no idea in both the show and the books that Jaime charged Brienne with looking for Sansa and protecting her. When Brienne arrives in King’s Landing in Episode 7, and, being that this is the season for suspending disbelief (you don’t drown in armor nor fur, you won’t freeze to death falling asleep in the snow), I will have to believe that Cersei knows swords and she will recognize Oathkeeper. There has to be a reason why Sandor Clegane, Littlefinger and Brynden Tully have called attention to Brienne’s Lannister sword in previous seasons. It’s to lead to this moment. It’s not going to be pretty.

We probably won’t see torture (I hope not). But what if prior to the Dragon Pit scene, IF there is a scene here (I’m not basing my spec on leaks but on what’s been on the show so far), there’s a confrontation between Jaime and Cersei? Cersei reminds Jaime about his promise to never betray her again and he swears he hasn’t. Enter Brienne, clearly bearing signs of torture. 

Cersei is barely keeping it together but she’s gleeful. Jaime is horrified. In order to teach him a lesson, she has The Mountain kill Brienne. Jaime is unable to stop her. Finally, he knows Cersei for what she truly is. But the price is too high. 

Except for the population of King’s Landing, the people Jaime saved didn’t really fare well later. He chose to murder Aerys after being told to bring him Tywin’s head. Years later, he had to tell Tywin that he couldn’t believe he saved his father just for him to want his baby brother dead. Tywin is murdered by Tyrion. Jaime pushed Bran off the tower but his children died horribly, anyway. 

What if there are callbacks to these in the season finale? He saved Brienne from rape and a bear only for her to be tortured and murdered at Cersei’s orders. 

Brienne’s murder finally shows Jaime the extent of Cersei’s cruelty. He wasn’t there when she blew up the Sept (and is probably unaware she’s behind it). He didn’t know she had Ros tortured to keep Tyrion in line. He was off sulking while she gave Bad Pussy the Poison Kiss and sentenced Ellaria to the torture of seeing her daughter die so painfully. He’s finally awake. Along with the realization of the kind of person Cersei really is is also the realization that he contributed to Brienne’s death. That’s going to destroy him but no, Jaime won’t kill himself. 

So if and when he leaves King’s Landing, it’s really over between him and Cersei. Away from this cesspool, Jaime has to try and live with honor.  It’s going to be hell. Brienne was the only person who believed this about him. He has to try. At last, he will try. 

**** I told you it’s upleasant. 

[movieswithkevin27]

The Bridges of Madison County

After watching David Lean's brilliant film Brief Encounter, it seems like fate that I would encounter Clint Eastwood's The Bridges of Madison County soon after. Though it is possible that Eastwood did not take inspiration from Lean's film, the two are incredibly similar thematically and plot-wise. Portraying two people meeting for a fleeting few days in 1965, this film is a transcendent look at love and denial that is positively heart wrenching. Set in both 1965 and the present day, the film looks at the affair between Francesca Johnson (Meryl Streep) and Robert Kincaid (Clint Eastwood) as it occurs and as it is viewed by Francesca's two children as they learn about it after their mother's death. Both a passionate and mournful look at love, the film is a brilliantly constructed look at relationships.

In 1965, Francesca is an unhappy housewife. With her husband and children out of town for a few days, she plans on just getting some time away from them and breathing. However, photographer Robert Kincaid comes to town to take pictures of the bridges of her Iowa hometown for a National Geographic spread. Quickly falling for him, their relationship is brief, just four days, but very much akin to the one in Brief Encounter. Robert is not married to a woman, but is married to his work. Taking him all over the world, he is devoted to the world to the detriment of his relationships with women. Francesca, meanwhile, ditched her dreams long ago to have children. The part of her that would jump and leave at the drop of a hat is long gone, for fear of instilling a bad message to her children. Thus, both know their relationship is doomed. It will end because there are forces beyond their control that pull them away from one another. Yet, as much as it hurts them both, neither wish to forget what they felt over the course of those four days as they, by their own admission, cram a lifetime of passion into just four days.

With the relationship defined in small moments - Robert picking her flowers, dancing in the kitchen, taking photos at the bridge, laying in the bathtub, and simply talking at the table - the romance is incredibly authentic. Yet, no moment really rips your heart out akin to the last chance they have to be together in spirit. With her husband Richard (Jim Haynie) home now, Francesca goes into town with him where she sees Robert. Staring at one another in the rain, the film refuses to go for the overly dramatic and unrealistic conclusion. They look at one another, Francesca leans over in the front seat to get a better look at him in the pouring rain, but they go their separate ways. Leaving town, Richard winds up behind Robert. In his truck, Robert can be seen hanging the crucifix Francesca gave him on his rearview mirror and waiting at a green light. He gives her one last chance to come with him. She clutches the door handle and waits. Her worries about Robert no longer wanting her are long gone. The connection is mutual. The experience unique. They are brief soulmates, but Francesca must choose: her family or Robert. In this tense and dramatic scene, the drama feels real. It is not manufactured and you can feel her dilemma. Regardless of what she chooses, she will never feel complete as her heart is guaranteed to be pulled in two separate directions. As is the case throughout, Streep beautifully portrays this complex character and the dilemmas before her. She acts out at Robert for making her feel this way, is set to leave, and is set to stay. She cannot make up her mind, but settles on hurting the least amount of people. Were it not for Streep's powerful performance, the film would still be good but not great. This is the perfect marriage between actor and material as she brings power and grace to the picture, as well as the dilemmas put before her character.

One of the film's greatest assets, however, is the portrayal of Francesca's husband. Often times in these films about affairs, the spouse is shown to be boring or abusive or any number of things. Robert, however, is not treated in such a way. He is a great husband and father. On his death bed, he expresses his regret that he never gave Francesca her dreams. His role in the film is moving and powerfully written. A large part of why Francesca stays is to not hurt Richard and it is easy to see why. He is a beautiful soul who never hurt anybody. Why would he deserve to be hurt in such a way by his wife, who he never wronged. Thus, by not portraying him negatively, The Bridges of Madison County brilliantly shows the pull her marriage has on her heart. Had he been portrayed negatively, it would be a mystery as to why she would stay when she was so unhappy. But, due to his characterization, it becomes clear that she stayed because she loved him. She could not hurt somebody she loved for the simple reason that he was not her soulmate. It is a truly selfless act and yet another example of her giving up her dreams for her family. In this area of the film, it almost becomes an ode to mothers who give up their lives for their husbands and children. Though things are changing now, women in 1965 had to drop all their hopes and dreams for their family. Yet, they would do it without complaint. Francesca, though a bit different than many housewives of the era, is a testament to this as she sacrifices all of her hopes to care for her family and give them a strong example of how one should behave in a marriage. In his final words to Francesca, it is also clear that Richard knew. He knew his wife was not happy and he simply did not do enough to make her happy. Just as she had regrets, those were his as he held her back from following her heart and could not make up for it any fashion beyond simply loving her.

Her example is certainly not lost on her children, Michael (Victor Slezak) and Carolyn (Annie Corley), in the modern day either. Though reading about her affair initially stirs up emotions of animosity, the two quickly learn that the letters and journals were the final lesson given to them by their mother. By sharing these with her children, she leaves an indelible mark on their lives as she encourages them to follow their heart. She stayed because she loved them, in spite of her unhappiness. But, she realizes all these years later that she does not want her children to just suck it up and stay when they are unhappy. She wants them to go find somebody that makes them feel wanted, feel beautiful, and feel loved. If their spouse is not doing it for them, there is no shame is following your heart. Upon reading these letters, Carolyn takes a break from her marriage. Michael runs home and tells his wife that he wants to give her the dreams she never followed. By reading these letters, both of them are given a second chance at love, regardless of who it is with. No longer do they accept that marriages are something to be stuck with and divorce is shameful. Instead, working on themselves and their marriage is a must, as is finding a way to bring joy and happiness to their spouse.

The film is also a compelling look at farm life and society. Similar to Brief Encounter or a Douglas Sirk film such as All That Heaven Allows, the film shows gossip and appearances. As Francesca pursues her heart, she risks being ostracized like Lucy Redfield (Michelle Benes), who is having an affair with a local married man. Francesca fears the scorn of the people and her relationship with Robert must be done with absolute discretion. While the film is a celebration of smalltown America and its simple beauties, which is captured with stunning cinematography, the film shows its faults. It is a community and a family unlike any other, but there is a lack of understanding. Things are the way they should be. Divorce is shameful. Affairs even more so. One should get married and stay that way. Similar to those aforementioned films, however, we are shown that the heart can pull us away from these norms. To become happy, one must not be concerned with the perceptions of the world. By the end of the film, Lucy has married her lover and time shows that none of it really mattered after all. This could be why Francesca struck up a friendship with Lucy. Though she says it is because it was the only place she felt she could think about Robert in safety, it was also because Lucy followed her heart. She lived with the "shame" and come out on the other side because she had found her soulmate. As time went on, part of her knew that people would forget and that she would be the fool for having let present prejudice persuade her to not follow future happiness. Thematically, this is also similar to Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence, though from the opposite perspective as that film concerns a male protagonist. Similar to Francesca, however, he stays in his passionless marriage to have children and to avoid being ostracized by society. By the time his children are grown and his wife is dead, he learns that the scandalous affair of years ago has now become a regular old marriage and that time would have forgiven him had he left his wife for the woman he truly loved. For Francesca, though she chose the opposite route, being near somebody who chose happiness allows her to essentially live vicariously through her.

A truly unique entry into Clint Eastwood's directorial filmography, The Bridges of Madison County is a salt of the earth kind of film. It is not flashy. It is not dramatic. It is real life. It hurts your heart to watch, but it is an entirely poetic and melodic experience that, upon seeing it all come together, proves to be a film that brings an overwhelming tide of emotion onto viewers. It is a powerful film directed with serious gravitas by Eastwood, while also featuring Meryl Streep in a role she was absolutely born to play. Together, the two bring class and justification to affairs, showing that they are not always done out of nastiness or evil intentions. Instead, they can be the product of two soulmates finding each other too late and being forced to separate as their roads fork away from one another. Melancholy, moving, and methodically paced, The Bridges of Madison County is an absolutely outstanding work.

[graceivers]

Review #26 - Ruthless

Ruthless Author: Lexi Blake Genre: Billionaires & CEOs, Contemporary Romance, Lawyers, Romantic Suspense, Workplace Romance Rating: ★★★★★ Recommendation: worth reading; might read again Summary: Riley Lawless is hellbent on seeking revenge for his family. Ellie Stratton happens to be innocently connected to the Lawless family’s downfall. The plan for Riley to seduce Ellie to get what he wants, however, takes many turns and soon changes both of their perspectives on what they know about each other and their own lives.

Female Lead: Sweet, amazing Ellie Stratton. Blake tirelessly writes Ellie as sweet and innocent and a bit idealistic even when her world turns upside down thanks to the Lawless clan and other people undermining her under her very nose. And still, after all is said and done, those amazing qualities persist. Her compassion is consistent and apparent and wins out in the end. Ellie has a pretty strong moral compass. She chooses to look toward the future instead of wailing about everything unfortunate thing that has happened in her past. She has appropriate and justified reactions to every twist that throws her life in a loop, and yet she rarely wishes ill on those who have wronged her. She has understandable insecurities given the position she is in as a female leader, but in the end, she is still a strong and independent woman who worked hard to get to where she is. Seriously, kudos to Blake for writing a WELL-ROUNDED female protagonist—one that is strong, one that stands up for herself, one that takes her life into her own hands, one that recognizes her insecurities and overcomes them, one that is vulnerable, one that is compassionate and loving and understanding and willing to forgive and all in all, GOOD. Male Lead: Oh, Riley Lawless. My favorite thing about the way Blake wrote this character is the duality between his aggressive and hard personality due to the circumstances and experiences of his life and the outright fear and vulnerability this character exudes when he is honest and comes to terms with the life he’s been forced to live. Riley is hellbent on avenging his parents and has worked basically his entire life since their deaths toward that singular goal. Given his horrible experience in foster care, though, he’s bruised and broken. He admits that he’s not normal. But oh, it was the most heart-wrenching moment when he told Ellie that he just wanted to be normal. That kind of honesty behind the usual hardness we get is exactly what I wanted to see in this character in order for me to really root for him and his relationship with Ellie.

What was even better was his character development, especially in regards to how he was approaching his relationship to Ellie and how his perspective on it continued to morph. Riley views her as a target first and maybe collateral damage, but once he worms his way into her life and they begin an intimate relationship, his perspective changes. He puts Ellie first! For the first time in Ellie’s life, someone has put her first. And even though Riley has so much to make up for given that he lied to and betrayed Ellie, he still puts her first. He does everything in his power to love and protect her. He’s willing to give up what he has left of his family and their crusade to avenge their parents because he loves her more than anything. Take note! Love is far more powerful than hate. That is something to be remembered, and Riley perfectly exemplifies that notion. But oh, it doesn’t stop there. No, when Riley is trying to win back Ellie and it’s not exactly going as planned, he recognizes his faults! He realizes what he’s doing wrong, how he shouldn’t be treating Ellie like some goal he should plan and execute, and he rectifies his behavior! He refuses to give up and decidedly changes his tactics because that’s what Ellie means to him. And because that’s how you treat a woman—not by demanding or giving an ultimatum or forcing her but by chasing while respecting her wishes and boundaries. That was seriously the best, and I commend Blake for infusing that into this book.

One tiny note, Riley’s sleeping issue. I love that that was incorporated into his character, but I think the issue was kind of left hanging when there was a point to its inclusion. I can’t really believe that for a guy who can only sleep in a room by himself with the door locked and a chair underneath the doorknob can suddenly get so much better after literally sleeping with Ellie for a night. Blake does include the revealing nightmare Riley has into that scene, which tells us that he’s not completely over it, but I personally thought the issue was a little glossed over. But… that’s me being a little nit-picky when I can understand that there are a lot of other parts of the story that require attention compared to this sleeping issue Riley has. Plot & Writing: Ruthless is a work of romantic suspense with all the right ingredients that made the book an enjoyable read. The female lead shines; the male lead is a three-dimensional character; the plot is dramatic and juicy and yet emotional all at once. I mean, okay, the definition of internal screaming was me reading the prologue because I had zero idea that the Lawless clan were kids in that moment until it was embarrassingly late, and geez, I basically loved every single Lawless child right there and then and would defend them no matter what they would do and who they would become in the future. Blake really got me invested in these characters from the get-go, and that was crucial.

I must talk about how much female empowerment I felt in this book through Blake’s writing. I mean, maybe it was enhanced because literally the last book I read was that abomination in my previous review, but seriously, Ellie Stratton was sorely what I wanted and needed. First of all, FEMALE CEO. I mean, she kind of has to fight for the title given the book’s plot, but still. She’s top dog at her company and everyone knows it, including the people trying to take her down. Not only is she all but the CEO, but she worked her way up. Yes, the company is her father’s, but she wasn’t just given the position and the company. She had been working there since a teenager and in multiple departments, so much that many employees showed a lot of courage and loyalty to her when others tried to undermine her reputation. But not only that, SHE’S THE ONE TO TAKE DOWN THE BAD GUY. I mean, Castalano, the bad guy, died not at the direct hands and effects of what Ellie or any of the Lawless’ physically did to him, but seriously. Ellie was the one that physically neutralized him as a threat. I love Ellie as a character so much in that moment, and I love Blake for putting that in. So much female empowerment. I love it.

I thought Riley and Ellie’s relationship developed at a pretty good rate. I wasn’t really keeping track of how long they knew each other before they decided they were falling in love with each other. Did I initially think it was too fast? Yeah. Somewhere in there, Blake said it had only been a matter of a weeks or at most like a couple of months or something. I could be wrong. And yet, I didn’t feel bothered by any instalove problems. It was so clear to me that Riley loved Ellie so much, that she changed not only his view on life but his life entirely. I thought the strong emotions and determination behind that feeling was genuine to root for the couple. Of course, Ellie was absolutely entitled to feel hurt and betrayed the way she did given that Riley lied and all but used her, but again, her compassion is what defines her character, and in the end, she can’t help but feel compassion towards Riley and his siblings. She can’t help but be on their side. Hell, she kind of already was when she found out both what her father did to their family and who Riley truly was. And though Ellie has every right to be angry at Riley for the rest of her life and never forgive him, well, life and death situations tend to make people reevaluate and sure enough, she realized that Riley’s relentless ways to win her back were in fact genuine and that their love could not be denied.

And then there was the fact that there was no dilly-dallying on Blake’s part. Blake didn’t keep secrets from the reader, and that was great. I know authors like to drag things out, keep readers in the dark and guessing as to what’s going to happen to create that suspenseful tone; hey, as a writer for fun, I’m probably guilty of it too. But Blake doesn’t go there. She flat out states what she needs to when she needs to. The fact that Ellie knows straight-up her father’s involvement in ruining the Lawless family was honestly refreshing. The fact that Ellie was brought into the Lawless revenge plan once she knew of Riley’s true identity was great. Blake got to the point and moved things along. The plot itself was suspenseful, and Blake honored that plot and relied on her story to set the tone. It worked out well.

Two slight, tiny things. First, there were a couple of typos. That was a little disappointing considering I read this off of Overdrive and it wasn’t self-published or whatever. Very minor in the end, but still, shouldn’t have occurred. And second, the epilogue was a tiny bit disappointing. Yes, I understand that Blake utilized the epilogue as a segue to the next book in the series. Unfortunately, I was kind of hoping for a better wrap-up for Ellie and Riley’s story. Alas, I hope that they’re going to make strong side appearances in the future books of the series. Secondary Characters & Plots: I LOVED THEM ALL. Seriously, all of them. Even the bad guys, I loved for playing their part in being bad. Again, I was absolutely Team Lawless from the beginning. If Riley is hard, Drew, the eldest Lawless, is twice has hard and aggressive. I mean, Blake describes him predatory. Is he a scary man? Probably, yeah. Am I going to read his book and root for him to find love? Absolutely. After finding love with Ellie, Riley is concerned and so wanting his big brother to find some light and warmth and to have love in his life the way he has, but Drew is so closed off and adamant that he won’t find it or get it or have it. It was heartbreaking when Drew kept having moments where he said that he didn’t get it or didn’t understand why Riley so vehemently protected and chose Ellie over avenging their parents’ death. Goodness, Blake really made me feel for Drew then.

And then Bran. Oh, Bran. His childhood was clearly the worst out of all the Lawless siblings having gone from foster home to foster home. It’s evident that something horrendous happened, which is why Bran can be so wildly violent. And yet! There’s the sweetest side of him that protects women. I mean, Blake wrote that Bran worships the housekeeper basically for doing her job! Cute isn’t the right word to describe Bran at all, but seriously, that soft side of him is exactly that. Bran is absolutely the philosophical one, the one with the psychology minor, the one that sees the world in that particular and almost poignant way. I love him as much as I love Riley and Drew and am equally invested and rooting for him.

Mia, the only Lawless girl, was great, though we didn’t get much of her. And again, Blake wrote all the other secondary characters very nicely by giving them defined roles. Even the McKay-Taggart clan/company/whatever! SERIOUSLY. I WILL BE FOREVER DISAPPOINTED THAT BLAKE HAS AN ENTIRE SERIES DEVOTED TO THE MCKAY-TAGGART COMPANY THAT I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO READ BECAUSE SHE PUT BDSM IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE BOOKS. Forever. Disappointed. I wanted read about Case and how he got together with Mia. I wanted to read about Case’s scary older brother. I wanted to read about Adam, the freaking hacker guy that was in Ruthless for like three pages when he was on the phone with Riley! And now it’s never going to happen. Sigh. Favorite Part(s): Every time there was a honest and communicative conversation between two characters. For a book about lies and deceit, manipulation and thievery, Blake incorporated quite a few serious and honest conversations between characters—between Ellie and Riley, Ellie and Bran, Drew and Riley. These conversations were very well done. They moved the plot along; they revealed character and subsequent development; they forced characters to genuinely communicate! For all that was planned to take down Castalano, none of it would’ve occurred had the Lawlesses as well as Ellie communicated with each other.

And of course, I loved the female empowerment I got from Blake’s writing. It deserved another mention. Final Thoughts: Ruthless was a pleasant surprise! Even though I have a massive to-read list, I was just browsing around Overdrive and thought I’d give this a shot. I am super happy that I did. The book had romantic suspense without the hardcore alpha/military stuff, inclusion of a female CEO-type, and still a solid romance overall. I liked Blake as an author; she made all the genres that I categorized this book under work very well together. Everything was seamless and cohesive, and I very much enjoyed it. Definitely worth reading in my opinion.