✨Im Literary Anxious✨

𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲🕒: 3 minutes

𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Scarlett Cole ✍🏻𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: 357 📖

“𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚, 𝙒𝙧𝙚𝙣. 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. 𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙙𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙣 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙. 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙚.”

💚 Golden Retriever MMC
💻 MC Biker x Hacker
💚 Grumpy x Sunshine
💻 Black Cat MC
💚 Forced Proximity
💻 Hands-Off Clause
💚 He Falls First. They Fall Harder.

That’s it. Scarlett can do no wrong.

I loved River and Wren. And yes, I know I say that about a lot of bookish couples—but these two are genuinely something special.

Is there spice? Of course.
Is there plot? Absolutely.

But what really made this book shine for me was the level of healthy communication between these characters. And that’s coming from someone who once would’ve rather set themselves on fire than have an honest conversation. 😅 There is something wildly attractive about emotionally mature adults who actually talk through their issues.

It’s like Catfish heard me say Grudge was one of the more emotionally self-aware MMCs and said, “Hold my cut.”

River is pure golden retriever energy—kind, devoted, protective, and just… good. I wanted to squish his goddamn cheeks the entire book. I have zero doubt he was Gerber baby material as an infant. Wren, on the other hand, is sharp, capable, guarded, and fiercely protective in their own right. Together, they balance each other beautifully.

Scarlett also did an incredible job tackling a complex topic like representation. From my lens, the story felt thoughtful, insightful, and natural—never forced or heavy-handed. That kind of balance isn’t easy, and it was handled with care while still being entertaining and engaging.

Now, full transparency: I read this less than a week after finishing Grudge and Lucy’s book, and I fell hard for Grudge there. So imagine my disappointment when he showed up here acting like a grade-A ass. He does come around eventually, but I would’ve really appreciated an actual apology or acknowledgment of his behavior. Growth is great—owning your mess is better.

That said… THIS IS NOT A DRILL—we got a Niro sighting. Along with appearances from a few other OG favorites, which was an absolute treat. Also, Scarlett… if you’re listening… can we please get a novella about what happened with Rae and the whole kidnapping situation? 👀 Please and thank you.

I’ve been wanting more Shade and Jackal since Grudge and Lucy’s book, and seeing more of them here only confirmed that I need more of these two in my life. I have a strong feeling they’d steal my bookish heart.

And because I can’t help myself, here are a few random sprinkles that lived rent-free in my head:

• “I don’t feel like a hurricane, I feel like a leaf blower could knock me on my ass.”
  Niro: “Hurricanes don’t show up polite. They build. As the air heats, the pressure drops, and the storm gathers.”
  —Once again, Niro delivering wisdom like it’s his side hustle.
  
• His name is River. Immediate swoon.
  
• “I’m not giving them lumps of rock.”
  Mom rolls her eyes. “Sometimes I think I raised a lump of rock.”
  —Savage. 😂
  
• “I guess I want you to be happy, and I don’t want you to get hurt”
  River: “I think the meaning of life is understanding you can’t have one without the other.”
  —Excuse me while I spiral.
  
• River: “I can’t imagine a world where either of those kids looks back and I’m not there.”
  —Stick a fork in me. I’m done. 😭
  
• I never knew communication could be that sexy, but here we are.
  
• Wren calling King? Big tattletale energy. I am deceased. 😂
  
• W: “I wasn’t going to let them hurt you.”
  R: “They weren’t.”
  W: “Then they fucked around and found out, didn’t they?”
  —I. Love. Wren.
  

The Bottom Line:

This book delivered heart, heat, emotional maturity, and characters who actually communicate like adults. River and Wren are a standout couple, and this installment only deepened my love for the series. Protective, tender, emotionally rich, and incredibly satisfying.

If this is the direction we’re heading? I’m seated. 🖤

The Truth We Seek will be available January 8th! And yes, it’ll be on KU 😎