This book was one of my most highly anticipated reads of the year! Book 1 (Blood & Betrayals) BROKE ME. So the hopes were high for this one. This is book 2 in the “Avalon University” series. It’s is a dark academia, romantasy mixed with mystery and spice… Enjoy my review. Happy reading darlings!
What Is Sorrow & Strangers About?
Synopsis: Summer Tuatha De Daanan reluctantly returns to Avalon University for her second year after spending the summer with her vampire best friend in Draculea. She’s a shell of her former self, and the peace promised to her has never felt further from her reach.
All Summer wants is to keep her head down and get through the year cloaked in her depression, but looming threats linger, and she quickly finds herself thrust into a dangerous position once again; entangled with a friend turned enemy, the protector of her beloved family, and the target of two very powerful kings.
Unwilling to suffer any further loss, Summer must push through her emotions to prepare herself for the enemies who threaten everything she holds dear. Through runic training with the revered and brooding Headmaster Emrys, combat with the aloof and strong-willed Max, and improving her mental walls with the dark and mysterious stranger, each step pulls her further from the edge of despair. Yet, nothing will be simple for Summer, and the more she trains, the more she discovers who she truly is, forcing her to confront her inner darkness. The beast within that purrs for her enigmatic stalker.
A darkness that is waiting to be explored. A darkness that will not be denied.
Tropes & Spice
TROPES:
- Academy Setting
- Found Family
- Grief
- Healing
- Stalker
SPICE:
4/5 – Spicy🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
My Review
Okay, so I have a few things to discuss:
The first 10% broke my heart. I could feel Summer’s grief through my kindle screen that was truly heartbreaking.
After that, I was waiting for the pace to pick up a bit, but it didn’t. I feel like most of the plot of this book was either Summer grieving over Connor, hooking up with one of the guys, or playing push and pull with Stranger.
Now don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it. The SPICE was wild in this book, buttt when I compare it to the first book, that book just had so much more suspense and thrill. I felt this book dragged on a little and it wasn’t until around 90% when things started really happening.
Stranger😍 devour me, I beg. I want you.
Rafe🥺 he’s just too adorable I can’t deal with him.
I swear these men know how to YEARNNNNN and I seriously can’t get over the spice in this book it was freaking fantastic🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
I’m ngl, I did not see that ending coming AT ALL😭 wtffffff please don’t tell me I have to wait too long to know what happens :/
So overall, I did have higher hopes for this book, but the spice was FANTASTIC, and I absolute adored the found family between Alice, Summer and rafe!
(Also not him having her initials engraved on his 🍆 piercings…🤭😭😭😭)
My Rating: 4/5 ⭐
My Favourite Quotes:
Some quotes I highlighted:
“I’d burn everything to save her”
“She is my beginning and end, as I am hers, first and last breath”
“You poison me.” I barely move, barely breathe. “My thoughts. My dreams. My soul. Poisoned with you.”
“You look like a mum ready to slut it up.”
“Demon baby”
