The Rain King by Selena

**An Open Letter to Selena**  

Dear Selena,  

I really, *really* wanted to love *The Rain King.*  

Especially because *Only Happy When It Rains* absolutely *wrecked* me (in the best way possible). I read that masterpiece four times already, bought the audiobook, bought the paperback — I’m living in that book. So naturally, I thought, “If I loved the second book this much, I’ll love the first one too.”  

But here’s the thing.  

I’m so sorry, Selena — I just didn’t love *The Rain King* the way I hoped I would.  

Maddox and Rae...they just didn’t hit me the way Scar and Lennox did.  

It’s not even close.  

Scar and Lennox *breathed* fire and chaos and love and destruction.  

Maddox and Rae? They felt more like a game being played.  

Now — what I *did* love:  

Even when Maddox was being a complete dick, he still *protected* Rae. I’ll give him that. There were moments, small ones, where you could see the flicker of something real underneath all the arrogance. But honestly? It felt like Maddox only wanted Rae because Lennox wanted her first. Lennox, at least, was honest about it — brutal, dark, and raw. Rae wasn’t a girl to be loved; she was a prize to be won. Even when you wove in the feelings, the undercurrent stayed the same.  

So even though this book didn’t tear my soul apart (the way *Only Happy When It Rains* did), I still appreciated the pieces of it that hit home. And the best part?  

You don’t have to read the first book to dive into the second.  

(Confession time: I didn’t even *know* there *was* a first book until today when I was trying to find *Only Happy When It Rains* again. Oops. 😂)  

Selena — you *own* my heart with the second book.  

Thank you for that.  

(And if you ever want to give Lennox and Scar more pages? Just know I’ll be first in line, no questions asked.)  

Sincerely,  

A Reader Who Lives in Book Two and Isn’t Leaving Anytime Soon 💔☔  

**P.S.** Maddox may have the looks, but Lennox has the soul. And that’s the hill I’ll die on.

Friggin' Candy by Maddison Cole

 

**An Open Letter to Maddison Cole**  

Dear Maddison,  

First of all — *Friggin Candy*? Absolutely addictive.  

There were parts of this book I devoured like, well… candy. And then there were parts where I found myself screaming into the void because I just wanted a *little bit more.*  

Let’s start with what I loved:  

The guys? *Chef’s kiss.* They were chaotic, messy, and *perfectly* imperfect. Jasper — oh, Jasper — his unconditional feelings for Candy *wrecked me* in the best way. His love wasn’t neat, it wasn’t easy, but it was real. And Jack? Don’t even get me started. There’s a part of my soul that wishes Jack had found his own happiness (maybe even with Candy’s sister, if we’re being brutally honest). But I get it. I get why it had to go the way it did — even if Jasper lowkey ruined what could have been an *epic* Jack/Candy storyline.  

And then there’s Bishop.  

*My poor chaotic boy.*  

Getting hurt at every turn, hopelessly in love, and somehow still hilarious about it. Bishop was the kind of character that sneaks up on you, the one you realize you love when you’re not even paying attention. His heart was on full display, right next to Jasper’s, and I adored him for it.  

Now… Ace and Malik?  

I wanted *more.* More Dom energy, more background, more *everything.* Malik especially — he stayed too far in the shadows, and I was desperate to see him take up more space with Candy. Their connection had so much potential, and I would’ve loved to watch it burn a little hotter, a little darker, a little *louder.*  

Was it perfect? No.  

But did I love it? Absolutely.  

You built a story that pulled me in and kept me up at night thinking about what could’ve been — and honestly, that’s the best kind of book.  

Sincerely,  

A Candy-Craving, Slightly Heartbroken Reader  

**P.S.** If Jasper ever needs a support group for guys who loved too hard, sign me up. I’ll bring snacks. 🍬💔

Reckless Love by Ashlee M. Edmonds

 

Dear Ashlee,

Why did you do this to me!?
Seriously — why?

Okay, before I really dive in, let me talk to the readers who might be lurking:
Readers — spoilers ahead. Look away now if you don’t want your heart broken.
.
.
.
Still here? Good. You’ve been warned.

Now, back to you, Ashlee:
WHAT THE ACTUAL FLUFF?
You killed Gabe? GABE!?
How could you?? He deserved better. He deserved happiness. You gave him a beautiful send-off, sure — I’ll give you that — but you didn't have to rip him away from us. You didn’t have to tear my heart out, throw it on the ground, and stomp it into dust.

I truly believed you were going to find a way. That somehow, Gabe’s story would end with healing, with love, with something other than grief. I believed in you, Ashlee. And you wrecked me.

That said (and yes, I'm still bitter about it) — I absolutely loved this series.
I’m buying it in paperback. It's going straight onto my library shelf where all my favorites live... even if every time I look at it, I’ll remember how you broke my heart.

But still.
GABE.
I’m never getting over this.

Sincerely (and dramatically),
A Wrecked and Loyal Reader

Such a Filthy Girl by Effie Campbell

 

Leo could have been a nightmare; you begged to stay trapped inside.

An obsessed, broken man with a mind that never saw the outside world the same way again — that was the promise. And it almost delivered.

Almost.

Effie Campbell set the stage for something vicious, something raw and crawling with darkness... but pulled back when she should have shoved us straight into the fire. Leo needed to snap — to drown in his obsession, to lose every tether to reason and take us with him.
Instead, he wavered. And the story did too.

Such a Filthy Girl touches the edges of what it could have been — but if you came here for the full spiral, for the sharp teeth and shattered glass version of dark romance, you might walk away still starving.

I wanted blood.
I wanted madness.
I wanted Leo to become the monster love made him.

If you’re looking for a softer brush with obsession, this will satisfy.
But if you were hoping to be dragged into the deep and left there?
It doesn't go far enough.