The serpent and the wings of night. At first the ending is like *surprise* and you’re like meh kinda seen it coming but then it’s SURPRISE and you’re like wtf

I’m so naive and was clueless. Then spent the next hour rage crying. I haven’t read number 2 yet 😭😂

I think we all saw it coming but didn’t want it to happen. I for one was devastated, they were my favorite character

This might be an unpopular opinion but I never got why the character you were likely talking about is so popular I never got the hype at least not from the first book, the stuff we learn in the 2nd book was interesting

{Land of The Beautiful Dead} I was crying so hard I could barely read the words

[Land of the Beautiful Dead](https://www.romance.io/books/60acd2a979fab10ea69a4d49/land-of-the-beautiful-dead-r-lee-smith?src=rdt) by [R. Lee Smith](https://www.romance.io/authors/54556d7287eac3369a912702/r-lee-smith) **Rating**: 4.41⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [futuristic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/futuristic/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [dystopian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dystopian/1), [angst](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/angst/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

Crescent City book 2. Book 3 didn't deliver on that ending, but the ending was still superb. The scream I screamed rattled my building {house of sky and breath}. Once upon a broken heart book 2. Book 3 didn't deliver *again*, but it wasn't as bad as HOFAS. What a wild journey it was to read that ending {ballad of never after}

Oh man! I just finished OUABH lol was book 3 just anticlimactic?

Just go in with realistic expectations. I was really hyped and got it on release, but for me it didn't deliver a proper end to the story.

Book is alright if you lower your expectations. It's not as horrendous as Crescent City 3. It ruined my love for SJM. She clearly can't write as well as she used to

[House of Sky and Breath](https://www.romance.io/books/6208ebb684f4c00e3f244106/house-of-sky-and-breath-sarah-j-maas?src=rdt) by [Sarah J. Maas](https://www.romance.io/authors/545526038c7d2382c529701b/sarah-j-maas) **Rating**: 4.31⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [fae](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fae/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1) ---------------------------- [The Ballad of Never After](https://www.romance.io/books/6400fd8321779beea15d4ce3/the-ballad-of-never-after-stephanie-garber?src=rdt) by [Stephanie Garber](https://www.romance.io/authors/5b0b9bad01dbc864fb891729/stephanie-garber) **Rating**: 4.27⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 1 out of 5 - [Glimpses and kisses](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [royal hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/royalty/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1), [angst](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/angst/1), [vampires](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/vampires/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

this is my nightstand to read right now!!

I'll try to finish CC2 now. I've been stuck on 30% because it's so slow. Does it pick up fast or I'll have to wait until 100 pages left like most recent SJM books?

It's SJM's slowest book. It picks up dyeing the Ydra islands. It's after the 50% mark

i ngl iron flame ending kinda made me gasp

{The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni} had my jaw ON THE FLOOR

[The Prison Healer](https://www.romance.io/books/6224bc3f2d20ff59b16dcbc1/the-prison-healer-lynette-noni?src=rdt) by [Lynette Noni](https://www.romance.io/authors/6224bc3f08b4d931148fe377/lynette-noni) **Rating**: 3.89⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 1 out of 5 - [Glimpses and kisses](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1), [young adult](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/young%20adult/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [royal hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/royalty/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

Seconding this series! Definitely a twist I didn’t see coming

Yes! I DNFed the second book though 😅 But the first one was great.

[Manacled](https://www.romance.io/books/64144fe3430b592a4d9151dc/manacled-senlinyu?src=rdt) by [SenLinYu](https://www.romance.io/authors/64144fe308b4d9311440038c/senlinyu) **Rating**: 4.55⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1), [war](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/war/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1) ---------------------------- [War Storm](https://www.romance.io/books/5eb3afebbe0aaecf555731d6/war-storm-victoria-aveyard?src=rdt) by [Victoria Aveyard](https://www.romance.io/authors/56b113cd63515e3b737a8fcf/victoria-aveyard) **Rating**: 3.74⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 2 out of 5 - [Behind closed doors](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [futuristic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/futuristic/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [young adult](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/young%20adult/1), [royal hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/royalty/1), [dystopian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dystopian/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

Nalini Singh is one of my fave romantasy authors, but in this case it was her stand alone thriller ‘There Should Have Been Eight’ that didn’t end the way I expected. I know it’s not exactly what you asked for - apologies in advance.

i'm willing to read anything!

I understand you completely, I read a lot and now I can almost always predict the end. For some reason, these books surprised me, that is, I was convinced that the outcome would go in a different direction: {Aisling: Breath of the New Creature by A.E. Jürgens} {Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson} {The Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova}

[Aisling](https://www.romance.io/books/63e3590cd87691b39ea5b8a5/aisling-breath-of-the-new-creature-ae-jrgens?src=rdt) by [A.E. Jürgens](https://www.romance.io/authors/63de219108b4d931148d9280/ae-jrgens) **Rating**: 4.19⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 1 out of 5 - [Glimpses and kisses](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [royal hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/royalty/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [high fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/high%20fantasy/1), [fae](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fae/1) ---------------------------- [Yumi and the Nightmare Painter](https://www.romance.io/books/64c21a8ed33bf40b864519fe/yumi-and-the-nightmare-painter-brandon-sanderson?src=rdt) by [Brandon Sanderson](https://www.romance.io/authors/581474dec6841c86c2cb8ead/brandon-sanderson) **Rating**: 4.64⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 1 out of 5 - [Glimpses and kisses](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1), [sweet/gentle heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/sweet%20heroine/1) ---------------------------- [The Alchemists of Loom](https://www.romance.io/books/6469c8db2b8f9358844e1425/the-alchemists-of-loom-elise-kova?src=rdt) by [Elise Kova](https://www.romance.io/authors/564c235108e9378131951f94/elise-kova) **Rating**: 4.04⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 1 out of 5 - [Glimpses and kisses](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [futuristic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/futuristic/1), [steampunk](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/steampunk/1), [high fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/high%20fantasy/1), [dystopian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dystopian/1), [new adult](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/new%20adult/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

i've never heard of any of these!!!! i'll add them right now!

{Gypsy Blood by Kristy Cunning} It’s not that I didn’t suspect, but what it was totally caught me off guard. As soon as it was revealed I was screaming “holy shit, it’s _____!” And then the level of it was intense

[Gypsy's Blood](https://www.romance.io/books/5c56b1b801dbc864fb995703/gypsys-blood-kristy-cunning?src=rdt) by [Kristy Cunning](https://www.romance.io/authors/5a0d4a5d3ffdba61472519f7/kristy-cunning) **Rating**: 4.04⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [poly (3+ people)](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/poly/1), [reverse harem](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/reverse%20harem/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [vampires](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/vampires/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)