I went through a rollercoaster of emotions while reading Stellan and Isadora's book. It wasn't perfect by any means—in fact, their romance was more of a train wreck than anything but it worked in their favor. Their love story was messy, reckless, heartbreaking, and frustrating but I could feel the passion and desire they had for each other throughout the book. Some things worked for me while others were a bit strange. I eventually came to understand why Isadora had that particular kink because she did not come from a loving family and had a desperate need to be loved and cared for. Stellan was the perfect protector for her in that sense. I felt that the love triangle between Shepard, Isadora, and Stellan was also unnecessary because it caused a lot of tension and conflict between the characters. I do have to give props to Saffron Kent for being able to turn Stellan and Isadora's story around for me because I was yelling at their antics and almost gave up on them. They had an incredibly toxic relationship and kept hurting each other in the process.“I’ve always considered her a threat. A threat to my peace. My control. My promise. A threat because she makes me feel things. She melts the ice around my heart.”Isadora initially came across as an immature and reckless young woman who used Shepard to get to Stellan but it was more complicated than that. She never intended to let it get this far but it blew up in her face. On the other hand, Stellan had his own demons to fight and was more broken and tortured than I thought. He loved Isadora but felt unworthy of her because he always believed he was just like his father—a monster. His attempt at making Isadora fall out of love with him was laughable and would not work because feelings were already involved. I do have to admit that I loved Stellan and Isadora's sexual chemistry with each other. Their love scenes were so sexy. Despite my frustrations with these two, I was invested by the second arc of the book and wanted them to work. I was glad to see that Shepard came out of this ordeal unfazed because he was more focused on his own issues—specifically his supposed stalker Jupiter Jones, who we all know has been crushing on him forever. The author also hinted at Homer and Maple's potential love story and there were cameos from Ark and Byron as well.
“All I ever wanted was you to believe that. To believe that you could love me. That we deserve a chance. That’s all I wanted from you, Stellan. To just love me and let me love you.”In the end, Stellan and Isadora's story was truly unexpected and I loved how everything came full circle in the end. Even though I was so mad and frustrated at them, they grew on me as I started to understand why they made certain decisions. I came to love their steamy moments, overprotectiveness, and craziness for each other. Stellan and Isadora's love for each other was ridiculous at times but it was an improvement over Ledger and Tempest for me personally. Fans of Saffron Kent and the St. Mary's Rebels series will not want to miss out on her latest release because it has all the tropes, spicy scenes, obsessive love, and writing that she is known for. Isadora's love for her wildfire Thorn and Stellan’s for his Lolita was all-consuming and unforgettable. I'm really looking forward to what the author has in store for Shepard and Jupiter's book next because I could feel the chemistry they had with each other in one particular scene near the end. It's going to be explosive since he is Stellan's twin after all.
*This ARC was generously provided by the author for an honest review*
Rating: ★★★★☆
