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The Naturals #2
Killer Instinct
Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing situations. After barely escaping a confrontation with an unbalanced killer obsessed with her mother’s murder, Cassie hopes she and the rest of the team can stick to solving cold cases from a distance.
But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean’s incarcerated father—a man he’d do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer’s psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer’s brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?
With her trademark wit, brilliant plotting, and twists that no one will see coming, Jennifer Lynn Barnes will keep readers on the edge of their seats (and looking over their shoulders) as they race through the pages of this thrilling novel.
But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean’s incarcerated father—a man he’d do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer’s psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer’s brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?
With her trademark wit, brilliant plotting, and twists that no one will see coming, Jennifer Lynn Barnes will keep readers on the edge of their seats (and looking over their shoulders) as they race through the pages of this thrilling novel.
375 pages, Hardcover
First published November 4, 2014
About the author
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
42 books40.7k followersJennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has been, in turn, a competitive cheerleader, a volleyball player, a dancer, a debutante, a primate cognition researcher, a teen model, a comic book geek, and a lemur aficionado. She's been writing for as long as she can remember, finished her first full book (which she now refers to as a "practice book" and which none of you will ever see) when she was still in high school, and then wrote Golden the summer after her freshman year in college, when she was nineteen.
Jen graduated high school in 2002, and from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science (the study of the brain and thought) in May of 2006. She'll be spending the 2006-2007 school year abroad, doing autism research at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
Jen graduated high school in 2002, and from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science (the study of the brain and thought) in May of 2006. She'll be spending the 2006-2007 school year abroad, doing autism research at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 15,757 reviews
September 9, 2024
4.5 stars! I love that we got to focus a lot on Dean in this book. I am a team Dean girl & he's such an interesting character with such an interesting back story so I'm glad we got to learn more about him. He deserves so much love and happiness. I wanted to give him a hug this entire book 🥹💗
Also, the mystery was great!! Lots of great twists and new characters. I'm also intrigued by the ending of this book & how it will impact the characters in book 3! Loving how fast-paced this series is.
Also, the mystery was great!! Lots of great twists and new characters. I'm also intrigued by the ending of this book & how it will impact the characters in book 3! Loving how fast-paced this series is.
Currently reading
December 10, 2023❥12/09/23
okay i need more dean and michael. i’m absolutely invested in the plot, the love triangle, the characters…everything!🤭
to the lovely angels who’ve read this series, please let me know what team you’re on between dean and michael! i’m having a hard time😩✋🏼
okay i need more dean and michael. i’m absolutely invested in the plot, the love triangle, the characters…everything!🤭
to the lovely angels who’ve read this series, please let me know what team you’re on between dean and michael! i’m having a hard time😩✋🏼
August 5, 2019
Team Michael, bitch
October 5, 2023
dean redding they don't get you like i get you
January 19, 2024
as a team jameson girlie i really thought i was going to be team micheal but i am in fact in love with dean now but do not worry we will dye his hair dark brown 😌
this plot ate though, and left NO CRUMBS. 🍽️
———
in my head dean is a brunette and no one can tell me otherwise
this plot ate though, and left NO CRUMBS. 🍽️
———
in my head dean is a brunette and no one can tell me otherwise
August 15, 2024
Better than book 1 but I'm still not sold on the series... FRTC. On to the next one though!
I wasn't blownnnnn away by the first one but it was enjoyable - can't wait to see what this one brings next! 🤸🏻♀️🤸🏻♀️🤸🏻♀️
I wasn't blownnnnn away by the first one but it was enjoyable - can't wait to see what this one brings next! 🤸🏻♀️🤸🏻♀️🤸🏻♀️
May 22, 2024
☆ ͡ ݂ 2 STARS ֺ ָ ⋆
lowering the rating becauserashmi manipulated me into doing it it doesn't deserve three stars tbh.
I hate to say that, but this was really a disappointment for me. Even though the book wasn't so long and the chapters were short, and I think the plot was a little better than the first book, I felt it was so long that it literally took me three months to finish it. It was just so dragged until 70% in or something.
For the plot twist, actually, there's nothing I hate more than predictable plot twists. and in that book, I predicted like 80% of the plot twists. And one of the things I loved about the first book was that the plot was unexpected, so that really pissed me off.
I still love the characters so much though. Cassie got on my nerves sometimes, to be honest, in this book. and I loved Lia more in this book. Salone is absolutely my favorite one. and I really don't get the hype about Dean. And Michael, my baby, is just so perfect; I love him so much.
Overall, I still didn't hate this book; I still enjoyed it a little. I just thought this book was going to be better than the first one, and I had high expectations for it. But still, it wasn't bad, and it was an enjoyable read.
For the next two books, I really hope they're going to be better, with better plot twists and more fast-paced
a quick, little review, because I don't have time at all these days
・ฅ～🎀 PRE REVIEWꕊ﹕︶꒷꒦
coming back for this series, cuz I'm in a reading slump again, but it's so much worse this time 😭 plsss do it for me like the last time 🙏🏻
And I missed my man sm 🤭
lowering the rating because
You were always going to go after him
I hate to say that, but this was really a disappointment for me. Even though the book wasn't so long and the chapters were short, and I think the plot was a little better than the first book, I felt it was so long that it literally took me three months to finish it. It was just so dragged until 70% in or something.
For the plot twist, actually, there's nothing I hate more than predictable plot twists. and in that book, I predicted like 80% of the plot twists. And one of the things I loved about the first book was that the plot was unexpected, so that really pissed me off.
I still love the characters so much though. Cassie got on my nerves sometimes, to be honest, in this book. and I loved Lia more in this book. Salone is absolutely my favorite one. and I really don't get the hype about Dean. And Michael, my baby, is just so perfect; I love him so much.
It’s not the bad memories that tear a person apart. It’s the good ones.
Overall, I still didn't hate this book; I still enjoyed it a little. I just thought this book was going to be better than the first one, and I had high expectations for it. But still, it wasn't bad, and it was an enjoyable read.
For the next two books, I really hope they're going to be better, with better plot twists and more fast-paced
a quick, little review, because I don't have time at all these days
・ฅ～🎀 PRE REVIEWꕊ﹕︶꒷꒦
coming back for this series, cuz I'm in a reading slump again, but it's so much worse this time 😭 plsss do it for me like the last time 🙏🏻
And I missed my man sm 🤭
October 21, 2023
—— 4.75✰ stars.
➼ Woooow buckle the fuck up because this book was incredible.
➼ The book begins where the previous one leaves off, and like the first book, the naturals must help solve the case, without forgetting to get into trouble in the meantime. I can't say much about the book without spoiling it, so I will refer to a general view of the book.
➼ As for the plot 10/10. A+. 100/100. I couldn't be more hooked. The pages flew, I devoured the damn book. The main case is much more fun than the first book and although I got some things right, the final plot twist got me. Jennifer Lynn Barnes' writing is very simple and addictive, both in The Naturals series and in The Inheritance Games.
➼ The characters, SLOANE MY BABY MUST PROTECT MUST LOVE. Ok, now, more calmly, I love how different everyone is, their personalities and their relationships. (Obviously I'm Team Dean, please Dean profile me 😫.) Cassie is a good main character, pleasant and interesting to read.
➼ I'm going to rip off my wig because the UK edition of these books is not available on my Amazon and I think I'm going to have to buy them on Amazon USA and I'm going to fucking riot because the editions are gonna be different size and that's not good for my OCD DJBHVJB.
➼ Read this. Now. 🔫 (now why the gun is plastic 😔, not threatening at all)
➼ Woooow buckle the fuck up because this book was incredible.
➼ The book begins where the previous one leaves off, and like the first book, the naturals must help solve the case, without forgetting to get into trouble in the meantime. I can't say much about the book without spoiling it, so I will refer to a general view of the book.
➼ As for the plot 10/10. A+. 100/100. I couldn't be more hooked. The pages flew, I devoured the damn book. The main case is much more fun than the first book and although I got some things right, the final plot twist got me. Jennifer Lynn Barnes' writing is very simple and addictive, both in The Naturals series and in The Inheritance Games.
➼ The characters, SLOANE MY BABY MUST PROTECT MUST LOVE. Ok, now, more calmly, I love how different everyone is, their personalities and their relationships. (Obviously I'm Team Dean, please Dean profile me 😫.) Cassie is a good main character, pleasant and interesting to read.
➼ I'm going to rip off my wig because the UK edition of these books is not available on my Amazon and I think I'm going to have to buy them on Amazon USA and I'm going to fucking riot because the editions are gonna be different size and that's not good for my OCD DJBHVJB.
➼ Read this. Now. 🔫 (now why the gun is plastic 😔, not threatening at all)
December 1, 2023
So much more thrilling than the last book. You can expect more twists, more fast in pacing yet it wasn’t, and some character development especially in the relationships between them all, and a little more background on the naturals which I enjoyed and I cannot wait for more.
3.5 stars
I can’t say anything without spoiling so when I say my theories for the twists/unsub here were mostly right (equally going insane because of the back and forth) but Jennifer had to go and add another twist—like what was that?? I don’t even remember how I felt but my jaw didn’t drop lol so I’m hoping this next one leaves it absolutely on the floor
Not sure what to say about lia. Her strong usually hostile personality is what makes it so difficult to like her as I’m constantly going back and forth. But I can see myself growing to like her more eventually.
honorable mention of Sloane. I adore her and that beautiful brain of hers. As most have mentioned, she truly gives off Spencer Reid vibes, but also in someway felicity smoak from Arrow for those familiar with the show. I can’t wait to learn more about her background
Here’s to hoping I don’t have to wait long for answers to the lingering questions I have when it comes to Cassie
And lastly, Dean and Michael. Love those two, loathe this love triangle drama yet also absolutely love what happened towards the end 🥰
Less oversight is given to the naturals and their abilities in working together further and I’m definitely looking forward to ALL IN living up to its name.
**Also, Jess is so right. I refuse to believe Dean is blonde so therefore he is not.
3.5 stars
I can’t say anything without spoiling so when I say my theories for the twists/unsub here were mostly right (equally going insane because of the back and forth) but Jennifer had to go and add another twist—like what was that?? I don’t even remember how I felt but my jaw didn’t drop lol so I’m hoping this next one leaves it absolutely on the floor
Not sure what to say about lia. Her strong usually hostile personality is what makes it so difficult to like her as I’m constantly going back and forth. But I can see myself growing to like her more eventually.
honorable mention of Sloane. I adore her and that beautiful brain of hers. As most have mentioned, she truly gives off Spencer Reid vibes, but also in someway felicity smoak from Arrow for those familiar with the show. I can’t wait to learn more about her background
Here’s to hoping I don’t have to wait long for answers to the lingering questions I have when it comes to Cassie
And lastly, Dean and Michael. Love those two, loathe this love triangle drama yet also absolutely love what happened towards the end 🥰
Less oversight is given to the naturals and their abilities in working together further and I’m definitely looking forward to ALL IN living up to its name.
**Also, Jess is so right. I refuse to believe Dean is blonde so therefore he is not.
May 22, 2023
4.25 ⭐️ THIS SERIES IS SO ADDICTING HELP
August 1, 2024
5★
꒰ ° “𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚍𝚍𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚍, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚎𝚜” ꒱
part of this review will have spoilers, but this first part will not.
: ̗̀➛ this series has managed to pull me in deeper with every single page. reading this book was a similar experience to the first one, absolutely captivated by the story and consuming every single word. I had no urges to skip a part and I was never bored, this was so entertaining for me. I know that inheritance games is a bit more popular, but this series is ultimately superior for me.
the characters, their dynamics, the “you” chapters that let us inside the mind of the killer. there’s so many things that make this book so great. in my opinion, the key to a good book is making the readers invested in the characters, and I am SO incredibly invested.
tropes & genres
➛ love triangle (blond vs brunette..)
➛ found family
➛ mystery
➛ “enemies” to friends
➛ copycat killer
➛ quadruple plot twist
entering spoilers territory
˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ “𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙬 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧. 𝙊𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨, 𝙄 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙢𝙚, 𝙄 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚.”
: ̗̀➛ so first of all, the fact that there were three killers was actually shocking. the first one being the original suspect WAS ALSO CRAZY because we were led to believe that there was no possible way for him to be the killer. and then for the second killer to ALSO be “obvious” only to have an alibi?! I thought that these were misdirects, because that’s what they were painted out to be. I honestly really love the trope where a misdirect becomes a misdirect. the way JLB set up the whole killer thing was pretty cool honestly, the killers chose victims for each other so that people with motive would ALWAYS have an alibi. but after one of the killers gets killed, the question is, who’s doing the picking now?? MEANING THERES A THIRDDDD. and this was honestly so well done because if you really analyze it, the “you” POVs did feel different sometimes.
˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ “𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨.”
Cassie
╰┈➤ CASSIE THEY COULD NEVER MAKE ME HATE YOU. Cassie is the type of character that’ll make mistakes, but she’s the character that will actually own up to them. she’s different from the other naturals because she’s led by her emotions, she feels things more than the others. meaning she’ll put herself in harms way for the people she loves. but while she is the character that loves so much, she’s also the character that chooses who she loves wisely. when she’d first come to the naturals program she’d told the others in a game of truth or dare that she’s only loved one person. I HOPE we get a call back to that moment where the answer has completely changed because she’s found her new family. she’s just such a great main character and one of my favorite redheads.
˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡. 𝙄 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙚���𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙. "𝙆𝙚𝙮𝙨."
"𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙡𝙖," 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙙. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙢. "𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣'𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 ����𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙨?" 𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙡𝙮.”
Michael
╰┈➤ this is when I openly admit, team Michael. ya’ll really thought I was gonna pick the blond guy?! no thanks, double it and give it to the next person. let’s face the facts and admit this book wouldn’t be as good without Michael, they couldn’t have done it without HIM. no like actually tho. in the first book Michael full on got shot and then proceeded to save Cassie’s life, where was Dean might you ask? knocked tf out, lying on the floor. but that’s old news, Michael carried this book at the less exciting parts with his humor. whenever he was in a scene, I was absolutely laughing and having the time of my life. AND he was willing to wait for Cassie to understand her feelings, while initially Dean was trying to ignore the fact that his feelings existed at all. emotionally stunted men will never do it for me. to be quite frank, I’ll always prefer the funny, flirty, wears a smile even when he’s sad, comedic relief guy.
˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ “𝙈𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨. 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.”
Dean
╰┈➤ it was always gonna be Dean. I will say, while I do like Michael more, Dean surprised me. I thought he’d be a Grayson part 2, all brood and no personality. but Dean was a really sweet and soft guy, he just had a rough exterior. hides his emotions because it’s easier that expressing them, shuts people out, he never wants to be someone’s problem and it’s honestly so sad. Cassie understands him, and he understands Cassie. I liked Dean, I liked his storyline, and I love his backstory with his dad. I’m happy he got his (for now) happy ending.
˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ “𝙉𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨," 𝙎𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙡𝙮. "𝙄𝙛 𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙, 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙨.”
Sloane
╰┈➤ SLOANE MY PRECIOUS BABYYYYYYYY. I will always adore the Spencer Reid coded characters. You know, the characters that don’t exactly think and feel the same way other people do, but they really care SO MUCH. Sloane was always the kindest, most caring friend in the group. Everyone has a soft spot for her and it’s really so adorable. I love that this book dived deeper into her lore, why she’s always acknowledging that she does the wrong thing when in reality everyone loves her just the way she is. I’m a sucker for her character, she’s probably my favorite and always will be.
˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ 𝙇𝙞𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩. “𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚,” 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙. “𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚, 𝙄’𝙢 𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝘼𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜.” 𝙇𝙞𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚. “𝙄𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩?”
Lia
╰┈➤ I hated this girl in book one. but oh my god, I might be in the early stages of loving her character. she says it how it is, never holds back. and while this initially annoyed me beyond belief, I’ve grown to really enjoy her sassy bluntness. and now it’s time to be honest cassie and lia had the best dynamic in the book i mean come on, they go head to head the entirety of the first book and then in this one they end up eating ice cream on a roof while eavesdropping?! I love them. I need need need the other books to dive deeper into their relationship because I love the progression so far.
˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ “𝘼 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙮”
CASSIE, MICHAEL, AND LIA ARE THE BEST TRIO. it’s like a black cat (Lia) a golden retriever (Michael) and an orange cat (Cassie) and I’m living for it like I live for the way these three interact. I was so giddy when they were working together.
˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ “𝙄 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡,” 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙. “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢 𝙬𝙝𝙤’𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙥𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨.”
Sterling
╰┈➤ I HATED HER AT FIRST, AND I ADORED HER BY THE END. like actually, I loved her character so much more than I thought I would and more than that, I loved her relationship with Cassie. at first, Cassie was wary because of what happened with Locke, but by the end of the story it almost felt like Sterling mended the wound that Locke left on Cassie. I loved the way they could relate to each other. AND OH MY GOD, I literally gasped when it was revealed that Sterling was one of Redding’s (deans dad; serial killer) victims that got away. she was a big opening for deans backstory while also having her own character complexities and I love that.
in conclusion I loved this book. and while 1% of people have really made it to the end of this review, I could talk about the story for hours without getting bored. I absolutely recommend this series to anyone with a love for mystery, a bit of romance, and a nice found family.
edit because I genuinely can’t shut up about this
I wanna take a second to admire Jennifer’s ability to create complex characters with depth and detail while still managing to have so many. the biggest hit or miss when it comes to found families or friend groups like this is that sometimes there will be characters that lack the same emotional impact and complexities that other characters in the book may have. but all the main characters in this book felt equally dived into and I appreciate that so much.
﹒⪩ 𝚙𝚛𝚎-𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 ⪨﹒
╰┈ ✎ soo how am I supposed to sleep at night after reading this book?? you know when a book is simply so good that you will not think about anything else for the next month. yeah that’s this.
heart? shattered
mind? boggled
eyes? wide
jaw? dropped
﹒⪩ 𝚙𝚛𝚎-𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 ⪨﹒
╰┈ ✎ my team Michael heart is gonna break isn’t it..
꒰ ° “𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚍𝚍𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚍, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚎𝚜” ꒱
part of this review will have spoilers, but this first part will not.
: ̗̀➛ this series has managed to pull me in deeper with every single page. reading this book was a similar experience to the first one, absolutely captivated by the story and consuming every single word. I had no urges to skip a part and I was never bored, this was so entertaining for me. I know that inheritance games is a bit more popular, but this series is ultimately superior for me.
the characters, their dynamics, the “you” chapters that let us inside the mind of the killer. there’s so many things that make this book so great. in my opinion, the key to a good book is making the readers invested in the characters, and I am SO incredibly invested.
tropes & genres
➛ love triangle (blond vs brunette..)
➛ found family
➛ mystery
➛ “enemies” to friends
➛ copycat killer
➛ quadruple plot twist
entering spoilers territory
˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ “𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙬 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧. 𝙊𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨, 𝙄 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙢𝙚, 𝙄 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚.”
: ̗̀➛ so first of all, the fact that there were three killers was actually shocking. the first one being the original suspect WAS ALSO CRAZY because we were led to believe that there was no possible way for him to be the killer. and then for the second killer to ALSO be “obvious” only to have an alibi?! I thought that these were misdirects, because that’s what they were painted out to be. I honestly really love the trope where a misdirect becomes a misdirect. the way JLB set up the whole killer thing was pretty cool honestly, the killers chose victims for each other so that people with motive would ALWAYS have an alibi. but after one of the killers gets killed, the question is, who’s doing the picking now?? MEANING THERES A THIRDDDD. and this was honestly so well done because if you really analyze it, the “you” POVs did feel different sometimes.
˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ “𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨.”
Cassie
╰┈➤ CASSIE THEY COULD NEVER MAKE ME HATE YOU. Cassie is the type of character that’ll make mistakes, but she’s the character that will actually own up to them. she’s different from the other naturals because she’s led by her emotions, she feels things more than the others. meaning she’ll put herself in harms way for the people she loves. but while she is the character that loves so much, she’s also the character that chooses who she loves wisely. when she’d first come to the naturals program she’d told the others in a game of truth or dare that she’s only loved one person. I HOPE we get a call back to that moment where the answer has completely changed because she’s found her new family. she’s just such a great main character and one of my favorite redheads.
˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡. 𝙄 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙚���𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙. "𝙆𝙚𝙮𝙨."
"𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙡𝙖," 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙙. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙢. "𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣'𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 ����𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙨?" 𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙡𝙮.”
Michael
╰┈➤ this is when I openly admit, team Michael. ya’ll really thought I was gonna pick the blond guy?! no thanks, double it and give it to the next person. let’s face the facts and admit this book wouldn’t be as good without Michael, they couldn’t have done it without HIM. no like actually tho. in the first book Michael full on got shot and then proceeded to save Cassie’s life, where was Dean might you ask? knocked tf out, lying on the floor. but that’s old news, Michael carried this book at the less exciting parts with his humor. whenever he was in a scene, I was absolutely laughing and having the time of my life. AND he was willing to wait for Cassie to understand her feelings, while initially Dean was trying to ignore the fact that his feelings existed at all. emotionally stunted men will never do it for me. to be quite frank, I’ll always prefer the funny, flirty, wears a smile even when he’s sad, comedic relief guy.
˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ “𝙈𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨. 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.”
Dean
╰┈➤ it was always gonna be Dean. I will say, while I do like Michael more, Dean surprised me. I thought he’d be a Grayson part 2, all brood and no personality. but Dean was a really sweet and soft guy, he just had a rough exterior. hides his emotions because it’s easier that expressing them, shuts people out, he never wants to be someone’s problem and it’s honestly so sad. Cassie understands him, and he understands Cassie. I liked Dean, I liked his storyline, and I love his backstory with his dad. I’m happy he got his (for now) happy ending.
˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ “𝙉𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨," 𝙎𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙡𝙮. "𝙄𝙛 𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙, 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙨.”
Sloane
╰┈➤ SLOANE MY PRECIOUS BABYYYYYYYY. I will always adore the Spencer Reid coded characters. You know, the characters that don’t exactly think and feel the same way other people do, but they really care SO MUCH. Sloane was always the kindest, most caring friend in the group. Everyone has a soft spot for her and it’s really so adorable. I love that this book dived deeper into her lore, why she’s always acknowledging that she does the wrong thing when in reality everyone loves her just the way she is. I’m a sucker for her character, she’s probably my favorite and always will be.
˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ 𝙇𝙞𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩. “𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚,” 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙. “𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚, 𝙄’𝙢 𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝘼𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜.” 𝙇𝙞𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚. “𝙄𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩?”
Lia
╰┈➤ I hated this girl in book one. but oh my god, I might be in the early stages of loving her character. she says it how it is, never holds back. and while this initially annoyed me beyond belief, I’ve grown to really enjoy her sassy bluntness. and now it’s time to be honest cassie and lia had the best dynamic in the book i mean come on, they go head to head the entirety of the first book and then in this one they end up eating ice cream on a roof while eavesdropping?! I love them. I need need need the other books to dive deeper into their relationship because I love the progression so far.
˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ “𝘼 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙮”
CASSIE, MICHAEL, AND LIA ARE THE BEST TRIO. it’s like a black cat (Lia) a golden retriever (Michael) and an orange cat (Cassie) and I’m living for it like I live for the way these three interact. I was so giddy when they were working together.
˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ “𝙄 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡,” 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙. “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢 𝙬𝙝𝙤’𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙥𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨.”
Sterling
╰┈➤ I HATED HER AT FIRST, AND I ADORED HER BY THE END. like actually, I loved her character so much more than I thought I would and more than that, I loved her relationship with Cassie. at first, Cassie was wary because of what happened with Locke, but by the end of the story it almost felt like Sterling mended the wound that Locke left on Cassie. I loved the way they could relate to each other. AND OH MY GOD, I literally gasped when it was revealed that Sterling was one of Redding’s (deans dad; serial killer) victims that got away. she was a big opening for deans backstory while also having her own character complexities and I love that.
in conclusion I loved this book. and while 1% of people have really made it to the end of this review, I could talk about the story for hours without getting bored. I absolutely recommend this series to anyone with a love for mystery, a bit of romance, and a nice found family.
edit because I genuinely can’t shut up about this
I wanna take a second to admire Jennifer’s ability to create complex characters with depth and detail while still managing to have so many. the biggest hit or miss when it comes to found families or friend groups like this is that sometimes there will be characters that lack the same emotional impact and complexities that other characters in the book may have. but all the main characters in this book felt equally dived into and I appreciate that so much.
﹒⪩ 𝚙𝚛𝚎-𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 ⪨﹒
╰┈ ✎ soo how am I supposed to sleep at night after reading this book?? you know when a book is simply so good that you will not think about anything else for the next month. yeah that’s this.
heart? shattered
mind? boggled
eyes? wide
jaw? dropped
﹒⪩ 𝚙𝚛𝚎-𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 ⪨﹒
╰┈ ✎ my team Michael heart is gonna break isn’t it..
December 10, 2023
this shit was so yawn worthy wow. the ending was anticlimactic, the fmc pissed me off, this book was so... dragged. the chapters felt long even tho they werent that long. hope the next plot is better bc what was this. also team michael, i cant find the chemistry between cassie and dean but yk what i understand, bland people deserve to be together <3
June 1, 2024
꒰ 💜 ꒱ this was even better than the first?? both the mystery & the romance were top tier and I’m so emotionally invested it hurts. I love these traumatized teenagers sm <3
p.s. team dean forever!!
p.s. team dean forever!!
Currently reading
January 10, 2024in JLB i trust 🫡
March 23, 2024
4.75!!! the y/a fbi profiling and true crime combo was truly something i didn’t know i needed in my life. the vibes are immaculate, such fast paced impossible to put down reads (and just saying, i diddd guess two of the twists — like to a tee and im so proud, but guessing it didn’t lose its shock value & i still loveddd ♡ )
April 26, 2024
it's been a day and i already finished this 🤭 this is my fourth 5 star read in a row, hopefully the streak continues <3 ik a lot of people disliked this one but it's my fav so far!!! rtc 🩷🫶
November 20, 2017
Close your eyes.
Imagine.
A Castle/Criminal Minds crossover episode, but with teenagers.
Snarky, clever, absurdly likeable teenagers.
Unbelievable, you think? Impossibile, you say?
Let's agree to disagree and
Welcome to the Naturals Program.
Your life will never be the same.
Can you believe this little bitch kept me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning? And can you believe that it may or may have not have given me a tiny aneurysm halfway down the road?
THAT'S RUDE.
But it's okay, I love you anyway, Jennifer Lynn Barnes.
The Five of Briggs (because we already established it was only fair to give myself permission to rename the Naturals group this way) were back at it again. And they didn't disappoint.
When I was 17 I spent my time gushing over Twilight and I considered it a technological success when I managed to plug an USB the right way on the first try.
But these kids, they're all so amazing. And talented.
And so darn cool.
Cassie, Sloane, Lia, Dean, Michael: I'm adopting them all.
Hell, even Briggs, Judd and Sterling, coz why not.
I'd give a pinky to be part of the team. Unfortunately I don't have any profiling talent, but I could make coffee. Or bring donuts.
Even young geniuses need someone talentless to fetch their breakfast.
I love this series! Can't wait to start book 3.
Imagine.
A Castle/Criminal Minds crossover episode, but with teenagers.
Snarky, clever, absurdly likeable teenagers.
Unbelievable, you think? Impossibile, you say?
Let's agree to disagree and
Welcome to the Naturals Program.
Your life will never be the same.
Can you believe this little bitch kept me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning? And can you believe that it may or may have not have given me a tiny aneurysm halfway down the road?
THAT'S RUDE.
But it's okay, I love you anyway, Jennifer Lynn Barnes.
The Five of Briggs (because we already established it was only fair to give myself permission to rename the Naturals group this way) were back at it again. And they didn't disappoint.
When I was 17 I spent my time gushing over Twilight and I considered it a technological success when I managed to plug an USB the right way on the first try.
But these kids, they're all so amazing. And talented.
And so darn cool.
Cassie, Sloane, Lia, Dean, Michael: I'm adopting them all.
Hell, even Briggs, Judd and Sterling, coz why not.
I'd give a pinky to be part of the team. Unfortunately I don't have any profiling talent, but I could make coffee. Or bring donuts.
Even young geniuses need someone talentless to fetch their breakfast.
I love this series! Can't wait to start book 3.
August 23, 2023
high 3 stars
found family, serial killers, and a bit of romance? count me in.
this is entertaining, fast-paced, and i’m a sucker for short chapters. i think i actually liked the reveals and plot twists better than the first book, but i did get a bit bored during the middle portion.
let me get on my pedestal real quick and remind you — 3 stars is NOT A BAD RATING. this was definitely enjoyable!
i can’t wait to see how the naturals and their bonds continue to develop in books three and four. my babies deserve the best. if only these books were multiple POV!!! 🥲
… and yes, the love triangle is killing me slowly.
found family, serial killers, and a bit of romance? count me in.
this is entertaining, fast-paced, and i’m a sucker for short chapters. i think i actually liked the reveals and plot twists better than the first book, but i did get a bit bored during the middle portion.
let me get on my pedestal real quick and remind you — 3 stars is NOT A BAD RATING. this was definitely enjoyable!
i can’t wait to see how the naturals and their bonds continue to develop in books three and four. my babies deserve the best. if only these books were multiple POV!!! 🥲
… and yes, the love triangle is killing me slowly.
October 15, 2024
4.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I take it you’re Michael,” she said. “The emotion reader with the attitude problem who’s continually doing stupid things for girls.” “That’s hardly a fair assessment,” Michael replied. “I do plenty of stupid things that aren’t for girls, too.” - keep doing the stupid things for Cassie 😮💨😭😭
Guy's stop!! This series is so so good! I'm so invested in the plot & I need more Michael and Dean right this second 🤭🤭😮💨
This book picks up right at the end of the second. After narrowly escaping the serial killer Cassie and the team hope they can focus on solving cold cases from a distance. However, a new copycat serial killer who is imitating Dean's fathers is playing mind games and it seems only the naturals can help solve the case.
I just love all the characters so much in this book. I love Cassie and her relationship with both Dean and Michael I also love Lia and Solane and everyone working together on this case? *chefs kiss* And omg please can we talk about the fact the naturals are now allowed to work on active cases?! I'm so so excited for the next book!
Quotes I loved:
Most people built walls to protect themselves. Dean did it to protect everyone else.
Michael and Dean weren’t so enthused. “Cassie’s not going.” The two of them spoke in unison.
“Okay, I’m calling it,” Michael announced when the quiet got to be too much. “I’m turning on the radio. There will be singing. I would not be opposed to car-dancing. But the next person whose facial expression approaches ‘brood’ is getting punched in the nose. Unless it’s Cassie. If it’s Cassie, I punch Dean in the nose.”
“Touch her again,” Michael told Christopher conversationally, “and Dean will be the one trying to pull me off of you.”
“Keys.” “Spatula,” Michael replied. She narrowed her eyes at him. “We aren’t just saying random nouns?” he asked archly.
“I know,” he said. “I know that you care about him. I know that you’re attracted to him. I know that when he hurts, it hurts you. I know that he never looks at you the way he looks at Lia, that you’re not a sister to him. I know that he wants you. He’s in over his head with you. But I also know that half the time, he hates that he wants you.”
Some people said that broken bones grew back stronger. On the good days, I told myself that was true, that each time the world tried to break me, I became a little less breakable.
“We’re going to need those regulations,” she added, “because as of tomorrow, the five of you are cleared to consult on active cases.”
Pre-reading ࿐ ࿔*:･
The first one was so good, I'm so excited for this one!!! 🤭🤭
“I take it you’re Michael,” she said. “The emotion reader with the attitude problem who’s continually doing stupid things for girls.” “That’s hardly a fair assessment,” Michael replied. “I do plenty of stupid things that aren’t for girls, too.” - keep doing the stupid things for Cassie 😮💨😭😭
Guy's stop!! This series is so so good! I'm so invested in the plot & I need more Michael and Dean right this second 🤭🤭😮💨
This book picks up right at the end of the second. After narrowly escaping the serial killer Cassie and the team hope they can focus on solving cold cases from a distance. However, a new copycat serial killer who is imitating Dean's fathers is playing mind games and it seems only the naturals can help solve the case.
I just love all the characters so much in this book. I love Cassie and her relationship with both Dean and Michael I also love Lia and Solane and everyone working together on this case? *chefs kiss* And omg please can we talk about the fact the naturals are now allowed to work on active cases?! I'm so so excited for the next book!
Quotes I loved:
Most people built walls to protect themselves. Dean did it to protect everyone else.
Michael and Dean weren’t so enthused. “Cassie’s not going.” The two of them spoke in unison.
“Okay, I’m calling it,” Michael announced when the quiet got to be too much. “I’m turning on the radio. There will be singing. I would not be opposed to car-dancing. But the next person whose facial expression approaches ‘brood’ is getting punched in the nose. Unless it’s Cassie. If it’s Cassie, I punch Dean in the nose.”
“Touch her again,” Michael told Christopher conversationally, “and Dean will be the one trying to pull me off of you.”
“Keys.” “Spatula,” Michael replied. She narrowed her eyes at him. “We aren’t just saying random nouns?” he asked archly.
“I know,” he said. “I know that you care about him. I know that you’re attracted to him. I know that when he hurts, it hurts you. I know that he never looks at you the way he looks at Lia, that you’re not a sister to him. I know that he wants you. He’s in over his head with you. But I also know that half the time, he hates that he wants you.”
Some people said that broken bones grew back stronger. On the good days, I told myself that was true, that each time the world tried to break me, I became a little less breakable.
“We’re going to need those regulations,” she added, “because as of tomorrow, the five of you are cleared to consult on active cases.”
Pre-reading ࿐ ࿔*:･
The first one was so good, I'm so excited for this one!!! 🤭🤭
June 17, 2024
˚ ༘✶ ⋆｡˚ ⁀➷ 𝓴𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓻 𝓲𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓽
·˚ ◌༘͙ 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒔! ⋆｡🕯. -ʚɞ
{𝟒 ☆’𝒔}
{𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 𝟑𝟕𝟓}
{𝟑𝒓𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒆!}
{𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: 𝒚𝒂 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒚/ 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓}
════ ⋆★⋆ ════
~ 🎬 decided to do this review a little differently 🤭
⋆ ִֶָ ๋𓂃 🎬 ⋆
𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴:
"Killer instinct” - S:1 ep: 2
20:27 ━━━━●──── 45:55
ㅤ ㅤ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤㅤ↻
~ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 ~ 🎬
╰┈➤ it’s so crazy to me that i dnf’d this a while back. I had a slight annoyance to one character that made me put the book down but omg her character development 🤌🏽 the reason i did this review different is bc i truly think these books read like a criminal minds episode 😭 it’s so good!! I can see everything play out in my mind the way it would in the show! JLB’s writing style is fast paced with short chapters, and i love it 🤭 if ur a fan of true crime and love mystery/ thriller anything; you definitely need to read this series!!
~ 𝑪𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒆 ~ 🎬
╰┈➤ our main character! i love being in her profiling mind.
~ 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒏 ~ 🎬
╰┈➤ now if you looked at my review for the first book i said that i was team Michael. well i still am but for me LMAO. Dean is good for Cassie. Therefore I am team Dean 😌 he lowkey gives Grayson vibes 👀
~ 𝑴𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒆𝒍 ~ 🎬
╰┈➤ MICHAEL. he’s funny and charming 🤭 he’s mine 😡😇 he also gives Jameson vibes!
~ 𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒏𝒆 ~ 🎬
╰┈➤ in my mind i picture her as Garcia but her mind is more Spencer Reid! I LOVE SLOANE. she’s my fav 🫶🏼
~ 𝑳𝒊𝒂 ~ 🎬
╰┈➤ i did not like Lia at all in the first book. she gets much better in this one <3
════ ⋆★⋆ ════
~ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 ~ 🎬
╰┈➤ i can’t really say anything without spoiling but i guessed who the UNSUB was 🤭 my word JLB really gives you a run for your money 😭 had me second guessing myself for a minute LMAO. i did however not guess the final twist but omg i was SHOCKED. i love the found family throughout this series <3
➳ 𝒓𝒕𝒄! -༉‧₊˚✧ 4 🌟 everything i guessed was right.. up until that final reveal 😭 JLB you are a mastermind. also lia got better <3
ೃ⁀➷ 𝓹𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭: picking this series back up! let’s hope i don’t get severely annoyed with one specific character 🥰🥰
·˚ ◌༘͙ 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒔! ⋆｡🕯. -ʚɞ
{𝟒 ☆’𝒔}
{𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 𝟑𝟕𝟓}
{𝟑𝒓𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒆!}
{𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: 𝒚𝒂 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒚/ 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓}
════ ⋆★⋆ ════
~ 🎬 decided to do this review a little differently 🤭
⋆ ִֶָ ๋𓂃 🎬 ⋆
𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴:
"Killer instinct” - S:1 ep: 2
20:27 ━━━━●──── 45:55
ㅤ ㅤ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤㅤ↻
~ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 ~ 🎬
╰┈➤ it’s so crazy to me that i dnf’d this a while back. I had a slight annoyance to one character that made me put the book down but omg her character development 🤌🏽 the reason i did this review different is bc i truly think these books read like a criminal minds episode 😭 it’s so good!! I can see everything play out in my mind the way it would in the show! JLB’s writing style is fast paced with short chapters, and i love it 🤭 if ur a fan of true crime and love mystery/ thriller anything; you definitely need to read this series!!
~ 𝑪𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒆 ~ 🎬
╰┈➤ our main character! i love being in her profiling mind.
~ 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒏 ~ 🎬
╰┈➤ now if you looked at my review for the first book i said that i was team Michael. well i still am but for me LMAO. Dean is good for Cassie. Therefore I am team Dean 😌 he lowkey gives Grayson vibes 👀
~ 𝑴𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒆𝒍 ~ 🎬
╰┈➤ MICHAEL. he’s funny and charming 🤭 he’s mine 😡😇 he also gives Jameson vibes!
~ 𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒏𝒆 ~ 🎬
╰┈➤ in my mind i picture her as Garcia but her mind is more Spencer Reid! I LOVE SLOANE. she’s my fav 🫶🏼
~ 𝑳𝒊𝒂 ~ 🎬
╰┈➤ i did not like Lia at all in the first book. she gets much better in this one <3
════ ⋆★⋆ ════
~ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 ~ 🎬
╰┈➤ i can’t really say anything without spoiling but i guessed who the UNSUB was 🤭 my word JLB really gives you a run for your money 😭 had me second guessing myself for a minute LMAO. i did however not guess the final twist but omg i was SHOCKED. i love the found family throughout this series <3
➳ 𝒓𝒕𝒄! -༉‧₊˚✧ 4 🌟 everything i guessed was right.. up until that final reveal 😭 JLB you are a mastermind. also lia got better <3
ೃ⁀➷ 𝓹𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭: picking this series back up! let’s hope i don’t get severely annoyed with one specific character 🥰🥰
October 16, 2024
⌢ ⊹ 3 stars ☆
now playing 🎧 ⋆ pretty boy - the neighbourhood
⤹ "As long as i got you, yeah im not afraid to die"
this was such a fun and fast paced read, definitely so fall coded <3 the fact that it was pouring outside when i was reading this just made it all so much better 🥹 i liked the naturals a bit better but the story of this book was still interesting as well! i have to admit, the plot twist at the end was slightly underwhelming for me. i couldn't guess it but i was not over the top surprised as well. that did kind of bump my rating lower :( i can't wait to continue this series and see even more of all the lovely characters <3
now playing 🎧 ⋆ pretty boy - the neighbourhood
⤹ "As long as i got you, yeah im not afraid to die"
this was such a fun and fast paced read, definitely so fall coded <3 the fact that it was pouring outside when i was reading this just made it all so much better 🥹 i liked the naturals a bit better but the story of this book was still interesting as well! i have to admit, the plot twist at the end was slightly underwhelming for me. i couldn't guess it but i was not over the top surprised as well. that did kind of bump my rating lower :( i can't wait to continue this series and see even more of all the lovely characters <3
“When the odds are bad,” she said, removing something from one of them, “you change the rules.”
January 10, 2024
3.75! ☆ no spoilers!
“𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗱𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀.”
yikes, i cant say this one was my favorite. BUT the ending & some of the twists made up for it. this is the 2nd book in a series. i'd say i did enjoy it. but it did fall a little flat for me. to get you hooked though, think of criminal minds in the YA world. [you've probably already heard of that though.]
now playing 🎧: read your mind & so it goes
and all the piece fall, right into place, getting caught up in the moment, lipstick on your face, so it goes.
𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 🗡
🠊pacing: i will say, it was a bit slow for me, though thriller/mystery books are normally "page turners" this one wasn't fully for me. even though i read it pretty fast. now, dont get me wrong!! you'll be hooked, but for me, i didn't feel the anticipation & adrenaline till the 150 -200 page mark, dont let that scare you though. it flows nicley, just a bit repetitive in the beginning!
🠊plot: oh how JLB is a matstermind. how does she come up with these story lines?! i WISH i could guess but i never am fully right. one moment i think i've got it, i know who the villan is. WRONG. so yes, i was entertained. dare i say i like the first book better because that ending had me on the FLOORR ifykyk 😭
sidenote: people say the naturals series is better than the inheritance games trilogy. [JLB's best selling series] bu i think you need to consider the pros & cons of each one. dare i say, TIG will always be my fav series by her.maybe that'll change but i will say, the found family in both series is so PRECIOUS 🥹
🠊romance/love triangle: yep, i know, the "love triangle" trope might scare ou, BUT when it comes to JLB and her love triangles, its not so bad.still not my fav trope but for this book, i didn't find it too present. the romance i should say, there wasn't that much. which is fine!! i just wanted to see more yk? so eh, there wasn't a lot but team DEAN!! for now.. 🤔
🠊overall experience! fun, intriguing, & unique. ill always be amazed by her writing & plot twists for her books. i just felt it was a bit slow at first & i didn't get fully engrossed till later. im in a tiny slump atm, so maybe this would've gone better. maybe one day ill reread & enjoy more! bcuz i cannot WAIT to read all in [i think ill like that one best after reading that synopsis 🤭]
𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 🗡
cassie: character growth who?! they all deserve sm, but ESPC her. i love the character she has come to be. like the things shes survived thru... so proud. and i cannot wait to see her in the 3rd! but girlie needs to pick a side 😭
dean: DEAN!! ugh he absolutely deserves the world. after reading this, we got more insight on his backstory and oh how i WISH i could tell him it's going to be okay. ive grown to understand where hes coming from. so yep, never judge a person yk? wish i could proflie omg. also i thought he was a brunette help
michael: i will say, i like his sarcasm! i understand him, and sometimes dont. he makes it hard to choose which team im on. but seeing him in this one.. how he cares for her!! and we got more of his backstory & wow. def have grown to like him more. all of them.
sloane & lia, SLOANE !! SHES SO PRECIOUS I LOVE HER. i cant wait to see her next book, so underrated in this one smh 😭 but we love her. and lia.. still cant fully form my thoughts on her. BUT i do like her & her character dynamic. yeah, i could be a little annoyed sometimes. but thats just lia for you, yk? i hope we get more on her backstory tho!! the friend that she is to dean wow 🥹
𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 🗡 [mini]
⬧ so it goes
⬧ read your mind
⬧ is it over now?
⬧ mastermind
⬧ you're on your own kid
⬧ vicious
⬧ sweet nothing
overall, fun and enjoyable and the twists just kept on coming!! just wish the beginning was faster :) JLB does it once again, but so ready for all in!! here's to the 2nd book of the year. happy reading guys ILY MWAH <33 💌🫂
preview!!, finally continuing this series! so mad that it took me forever to finally pick it up again 🤭 i still dont know what team im on.. MAYBE team dean 🫡 also, do we like lia?!
“𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗱𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀.”
yikes, i cant say this one was my favorite. BUT the ending & some of the twists made up for it. this is the 2nd book in a series. i'd say i did enjoy it. but it did fall a little flat for me. to get you hooked though, think of criminal minds in the YA world. [you've probably already heard of that though.]
now playing 🎧: read your mind & so it goes
and all the piece fall, right into place, getting caught up in the moment, lipstick on your face, so it goes.
𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 🗡
🠊pacing: i will say, it was a bit slow for me, though thriller/mystery books are normally "page turners" this one wasn't fully for me. even though i read it pretty fast. now, dont get me wrong!! you'll be hooked, but for me, i didn't feel the anticipation & adrenaline till the 150 -200 page mark, dont let that scare you though. it flows nicley, just a bit repetitive in the beginning!
🠊plot: oh how JLB is a matstermind. how does she come up with these story lines?! i WISH i could guess but i never am fully right. one moment i think i've got it, i know who the villan is. WRONG. so yes, i was entertained. dare i say i like the first book better because that ending had me on the FLOORR ifykyk 😭
sidenote: people say the naturals series is better than the inheritance games trilogy. [JLB's best selling series] bu i think you need to consider the pros & cons of each one. dare i say, TIG will always be my fav series by her.
🠊romance/love triangle: yep, i know, the "love triangle" trope might scare ou, BUT when it comes to JLB and her love triangles, its not so bad.
🠊overall experience! fun, intriguing, & unique. ill always be amazed by her writing & plot twists for her books. i just felt it was a bit slow at first & i didn't get fully engrossed till later. im in a tiny slump atm, so maybe this would've gone better. maybe one day ill reread & enjoy more! bcuz i cannot WAIT to read all in [i think ill like that one best after reading that synopsis 🤭]
𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 🗡
cassie: character growth who?! they all deserve sm, but ESPC her. i love the character she has come to be. like the things shes survived thru... so proud. and i cannot wait to see her in the 3rd! but girlie needs to pick a side 😭
dean: DEAN!! ugh he absolutely deserves the world. after reading this, we got more insight on his backstory and oh how i WISH i could tell him it's going to be okay. ive grown to understand where hes coming from. so yep, never judge a person yk? wish i could proflie omg. also i thought he was a brunette help
michael: i will say, i like his sarcasm! i understand him, and sometimes dont. he makes it hard to choose which team im on. but seeing him in this one.. how he cares for her!! and we got more of his backstory & wow. def have grown to like him more. all of them.
sloane & lia, SLOANE !! SHES SO PRECIOUS I LOVE HER. i cant wait to see her next book, so underrated in this one smh 😭 but we love her. and lia.. still cant fully form my thoughts on her. BUT i do like her & her character dynamic. yeah, i could be a little annoyed sometimes. but thats just lia for you, yk? i hope we get more on her backstory tho!! the friend that she is to dean wow 🥹
𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 🗡 [mini]
⬧ so it goes
⬧ read your mind
⬧ is it over now?
⬧ mastermind
⬧ you're on your own kid
⬧ vicious
⬧ sweet nothing
overall, fun and enjoyable and the twists just kept on coming!! just wish the beginning was faster :) JLB does it once again, but so ready for all in!! here's to the 2nd book of the year. happy reading guys ILY MWAH <33 💌🫂
preview!!, finally continuing this series! so mad that it took me forever to finally pick it up again 🤭 i still dont know what team im on.. MAYBE team dean 🫡 also, do we like lia?!
January 2, 2024
when i had it all figured out... michael, why did you do this to me, love? i'm falling deeper for you and it shatters my heart bc you deserve far better.
michael when you say these things-
❝i know that you care about him. i know that you’re attracted to him. i know that when he hurts, it hurts you. i know that he never looks at you the way he looks at lia, that you’re not a sister to him. i know that he wants you. he’s in over his head with you. but i also know that half the time, he hates that he wants you.❞
i genuinely want tod!e cry
full rtc when i'm able to articulate my thoughts and emotions
pre-review: more of dean? yes, yes, and yes, a thousand times over!
michael when you say these things-
❝i know that you care about him. i know that you’re attracted to him. i know that when he hurts, it hurts you. i know that he never looks at you the way he looks at lia, that you’re not a sister to him. i know that he wants you. he’s in over his head with you. but i also know that half the time, he hates that he wants you.❞
i genuinely want to
full rtc when i'm able to articulate my thoughts and emotions
pre-review: more of dean? yes, yes, and yes, a thousand times over!
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May 1, 2024
‧₊˚✩彡 “I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, unable to shake the fear that if I closed my eyes, there would be nothing to keep the ghosts at bay.” ⋆˚
🎐 ༘⋆ spoilers not included
˗ˏˋ ꒰ 4 ★ ꒱ ˎˊ˗
‧₊˚✩彡 “I couldn’t keep from feeling his pain and recognising it as an echo of my own.” ⋆˚
𓍯𓂃. 05/march/2024 — 08/march/2024 ˚｡𖦹
‧₊˚✩彡 “maybe, to do what you and I do, we have to have a little bit of the monster in us.” ⋆˚
✮⋆˙ I. playlist ᝰ.ᐟ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺
⟢ I did something bad — taylor swift
⟢ blood // water — grandson
⟢ bury a friend — billie eilish
⟢ daddy issues — the nbhd
⟢ twisted — missio
⟢ panic room — au/ra
⟢ happy pills — weathers
‧₊˚✩彡 “anyone ever tell you that you have a sadistic streak?” ⋆˚
✮⋆˙ II. genres & tropes ᝰ.ᐟ
✶ mystery
✶ young adult
✶ thriller
✶ fiction crime
✶ wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing
✶ love triangle (resolved)
✶ ‘like calls to like’ romance
✶ found family
✶ friends to lovers (?)
𝜗𝜚 trigger warnings — please look them up! there’s too many to include here; some of them are: homicide, assault, abuse, neglect, psychotic behaviour, violence, etc. (also angst <3)
‧₊˚✩彡 “did someone say character flaw? I believe that might be one of my middle names.” ⋆˚
✮⋆˙ III. general thoughts ᝰ.ᐟ
♒︎ usually, books get worse when they’re part of a series but not with this one. obviously, book 1 was better than book 2 (as they are) but this one, in itself, was amazing. the fact that I ate this up in like 3 days pretty much explains it.
♒︎ jlb definitely knows her stuff. she knows exactly when to break chapters, when to add a ‘you’ chapter, and exactly how much suspense is required and when it’s required. i’m honestly astounded by her works, and her. her plot twists are *chef’s kiss* absolutely mind-boggling.
♒︎ I must say though: I guessed 90% of the twists before they came. this was part-satisfying and part-boring. while it did feel smart and cool to be able to guess the twists before they actually happened, I felt like it made it all a bit.. boring, dare I say? maybe there are others who don’t like working out stuff before and enjoying the twists as they come, but I can’t sit still till I figure it out lmao. but, the few times I did go wrong in my predictions, I was even more take aback than one might have been if they hadn’t guessed it already.
♒︎ the plot was, as always in jlb’s books, intricate and well-planned. the characters were written exactly how she wanted them to be portrayed. we got to see so many unfiltered scenes of some of the main characters being vulnerable, which really made it a bit more realistic. this was such an emotional book tho- safe to say, I almost cried like five times.
‧₊˚✩彡 “and then there was one.” ⋆˚
✮⋆˙ IV. characters ᝰ.ᐟ
𓂃 ࣪˖ ཐིཋྀ cassie hobes — do we ever really fully love the mc of any book? we don’t. I would have loved to love cassie, but she just came off as a little annoying (only sometimes). yes, she suffered. yes, she went through trauma with you-know-who being the real culprit and all. yes, she has emotional baggage (tons, actually). but that doesn’t give her enough reason to be as self-centred as she is (: the only realistic parts about her are shown when she’s with dean, which is, I suppose, adorable <3
𓂃 ࣪˖ ཐིཋྀ michael townsend — the man that you are, michael <3 what I love about his character is not just his laid-back, cocky
𓂃 ࣪˖ ཐིཋྀ dean redding — is it weird I had so many mixed feelings about him until halfway through this book ;-; I definitely was into his whole mysterious and brooding thing, but then the whole daniel redding thing came up, and I was like: hold up. safe to say that I realised he was actually a good character and the right one for cassie too.
𓂃 ࣪˖ ཐིཋྀ sloane tavish — my absolute favourite! my number 1 baby! i’m the president of the sloane protection club, like it or not. the fact that I could relate to most parts of her story did not make this easier. she needs a hug, and she’s getting a million from me. when she said she was used to being left out, I almost sobbed- no one deserves to be able to say stuff like that. + I hate her father so so much for causing 99% of her mental health problems. the way he single-handedly caused her abandonment issues? way to go, asshole.
𓂃 ࣪˖ ཐིཋྀ lia/sadie zhang — idk if I really wanna talk about her. I have a love-hate relationship with her character. and, I do get that she doesn’t trust a lot of people because of what went wrong in her childhood or something. I don’t like how her and michael are always on-or-off tho. call me jealous
𓂃 ࣪˖ ཐིཋྀ cassie x dean (team dean) — the little dean x cassie moments are everything! I live for their romance fr. if I don’t get more of their moments in book 3, you bet i’m not reading book 4 either.
‧₊˚✩彡 “you win some, you lose some.” ⋆˚
🫧 ༘⋆ pre-read :: do I still have exams going on? yes. will I stress read a good book (I hope) instead of studying? yes. will I fail my test? maybe, maybe not. so let me read pls 😌 bc i’ve waited so many days to read the second book since the first had me hooked 🫶
🖇️ ༘⋆ pre-review :: jlb, you put drugs in this book… didn’t you 😏 I loved the ending sm bc of the action, and somehow it didn’t feel all that rushed. the love triangle angst finally caught up to cassie and i’m so happy w how it ended (team dean girls are winning in life 😌💪) <3 so excited for the third book!
‧₊˚✩彡 “when the odds are bad, you change the rules.” ⋆˚
September 9, 2023
"Cassie." Agent Sterling's voice broke as she said my name. "You've been buried alive in a glass coffin with a sleeping cobra on your chest. There's a way out. There's always a way."
this book had me on the tip of my toes, the edge of my seat, and at the brink of insanity. it was 1 pile of shit after another, although it was way more predictable than the first. i literally had a suspect list. lets just say everyone on that suspect list disappointed me, and also proved me right. for which im very grateful, because this means i would slay the fbi 💁♀️
i just adore agent sterling, she had a villainous aura in the start but shes my baby boo that needs to be protected at all costs
and dean ☹️ my baby dean 🥰 my two working eyes only exist for dean redding n nobody (not even michael with his brown hair) can dissuade me from dean-o
this book had me on the tip of my toes, the edge of my seat, and at the brink of insanity. it was 1 pile of shit after another, although it was way more predictable than the first. i literally had a suspect list. lets just say everyone on that suspect list disappointed me, and also proved me right. for which im very grateful, because this means i would slay the fbi 💁♀️
i just adore agent sterling, she had a villainous aura in the start but shes my baby boo that needs to be protected at all costs
and dean ☹️ my baby dean 🥰 my two working eyes only exist for dean redding n nobody (not even michael with his brown hair) can dissuade me from dean-o
February 3, 2024
being a team jameson and team dean girl, i stay winning 🏅
May 7, 2024
➳ 4.5 ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚
╰┈➤ ”it's not the bad memories that tear a person apart. it’s the good ones.”
this was so good!! maybe not as good as the first one (?) but I flew through the last half and i am seriously loving this series. the suspense is so good and i can’t put these books down!!
i am still a michael girlie 🫶💗 sorry to all of you dean girlies but i love him so much. don’t get me wrong, i love dean as a character but michael is just so 🤭
also, agent sterling?? love her, she’s a queen, and i think she’s my new favorite character in this seriesand i want her to be played by cobie smulders in the tv adaptation that i’m manifesting 💌
i just love this found family and their dynamics!! i can’t wait to pick up book 3 and to figure out what it is jennifer puts in her books because i— ✋😭
୧ ‧₊˚ 🍓 ⋅ ☆
╰┈➤ ”it's not the bad memories that tear a person apart. it’s the good ones.”
this was so good!! maybe not as good as the first one (?) but I flew through the last half and i am seriously loving this series. the suspense is so good and i can’t put these books down!!
i am still a michael girlie 🫶💗 sorry to all of you dean girlies but i love him so much. don’t get me wrong, i love dean as a character but michael is just so 🤭
also, agent sterling?? love her, she’s a queen, and i think she’s my new favorite character in this series
i just love this found family and their dynamics!! i can’t wait to pick up book 3 and to figure out what it is jennifer puts in her books because i— ✋😭
୧ ‧₊˚ 🍓 ⋅ ☆
August 21, 2024
→ 3.5 ✮⋆˙ ~ ꒰ spoilers are marked ꒱
ya mystery| 14+| 336 pages
✦ from: 08/11/24
✦ to: 08/15/24
✧₊⁺꒰🍇꒱ story
"Killer Instinct" by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is about our friend group from the first book. When The Naturals have another active case that they are not allowed to work at, a few members of the group take matters into their own hands. Don't knowing that this case is way more personal than they could've imagined, they suddenly are tangled in a web that stretches to one in their own middle. Could this case potentiality split the group and are they possibly more in danger than they thought…
✧₊⁺꒰🍇꒱ characters
⟢ Cassie Hobbes - profiler #1
JENNIFER LET MY GIRL REST. Cassie’s been through so much by the end of the book, AGAIN. She already has enough trauma like it's enough slices!! 😭 But yeah, she really didn’t deserve to go through all of this once more. Cassie made mistakes in this book but I feel like she owned up for them. To get a deeper look into her brain and how it works was so cool. The way she can't control to profil and analyze people was so interesting. She's definitely a main character I like reading about! Also I think if I was her I'd have the same problem choosing between Dean and Michael (I would probably go for Michael tho, he radiates so much golden retriever energy 🥹) So personally I'm team Dean for Cassie and team Michael for myself 🤭
⟢ Dean Redding - profiler #2
Omg Dean, I felt for him so much in this book. He didn’t deserve any of this. We learnt a lot more about this past. Everything that happened to him is so horrible. One thing that annoyed me was that he wasn’t open and honest about his feelings towards Cassie until the end of the book. I know that also has to do with his past but still…
⟢ Michael Townsend - emotions reader
MICHEAL DESERVES SM BETTER!! He was honest about his feelings towards Cassie and she knew them all along. He waited for her and didn’t pressure her into being with him and she still chose Dean. I mean I still think they go well together especially because they know each other so well but Michael was there the whole way and supported Cassie and still excepted that she chose Dean at the end. My guy deserves better.😮💨 MEEEE Also his past 😕 we learned why and how he developed his talent, I am so sorry for him, ily him sm 🤧
⟢ Sloane Tavish - math expert
My girly Sloane, I ADORE you! To whoever made you feel less worthless, I WILL fight them 🤬👊 We didn’t get that much of her backstory in this book but I highly guess that we will in the next, also because it plays in Vegas and I have a feeling she's from there. Sloane feels like she is the left out one in the friend group because she's better with numbers and statistics than with people and emotions but everyone loves her. She deeply cares about everyone around her. Also the scene were she felt left out by Cassie and Lia. I was so so sorry for her. I'm sending her all the hugs because she deserves them. 🫂 She’s definitely my favorite in the series 🫶🏼
⟢ Lia Zhang - lie detector
I like Lia more and more with every book going on. I HATED her in the first book but I feel like this book kinda was her redemption arc. She needs to do more tho! Her backstory sounds so interesting. We only got little crumbs of it so I can't wait for what the next book brings. But her and Cassie eating ice cream on the roof and eavesdropping, *gasp* did we get a BONDING moment?! 🤭 But Lias character is actually so interesting. She does what she wants and speeks what's on her mind. I love her for that.that could never be me 😭
⟢ Agent Sterling
I did not like her when she was introduced but she undeniably grew on me! Her whole backstory was so sad. All she wanted to do was protect the group and help. Also the end 😧 when she wanted to sacrifice herself for Cassie… 😞
✧₊⁺꒰🍇꒱ thoughts
⤷ ⌞spoilers below⌝
Ummmm, this book was so so much better than the first one!! 🥹 I actually was so invested in the story. Again, the beginning was a bit slow but that was only for the first 5/6 chapters. So I personally got faster into this book than I did with the first one. After 30% I was hooked and I couldn’t put this book down, especially after I reached the 70% mark!Sleep, what’s that?? 😃 The writing was, same as in the first book, easy to get through. This book is really fast-paced, I wish I could’ve read this in a day but school said no. 😝 The plot was guessable to be honest… That's also the only reason why this book didn’t get a four-star rating. I already kinda guessed that Clark & Christopher would be the two killers. The plot twist that there was a third killer involved caught me surprised tho! I also did not guess that Daniel Redding would be the one pulling the strings all along from prison! JLB did a great job with the plot twist in this book. Throughout the whole book I was stunned when another twist was revealed, e.g. when it was revealed that Agent Sterling was one of Reddings victims but she escaped him with Deans help. The last chapters were awesome in every way. When I suddenly read that there was someone grabbing Cassie from behind I was SHOCKED!! And then the whole hunter & prey thing started and when the killer was suddenly deviating from Reddings M.O and started fulfilling is own desires, ugh it was saurrrr good. One thing that I loved to read as well was that we got a deeper backstory for most of the characters. For example with Dean of course, but also with Lia and Michael we got to see more of their past. Also I read someone saying that Michael, Lia and Cassie are the best trio in this book and I agree! Micheal has so much golden retriever energy, Lia is the black cat and Cassie the orange cat and I'm loving it!
In conclusion, I enjoyed reading this book and I was inhaling the last chapters. Can't wait to continue the series. The third one sounds like it's going to be my favorite!! 🤭
꒰✩♬₊˚.꒱ ▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။|||| |
⌞ now playing: "Ultraviolence" (album) by Lana Del Rey ⌝
✦ ────────────✦──────────── ✦
✧₊⁺꒰🍇꒱ pre-read: so exited to continue this series!! This book sounds so intriguing as well and I can't wait to get to know these characters even better 🫶🏼
ya mystery| 14+| 336 pages
✦ from: 08/11/24
✦ to: 08/15/24
✧₊⁺꒰🍇꒱ story
"Killer Instinct" by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is about our friend group from the first book. When The Naturals have another active case that they are not allowed to work at, a few members of the group take matters into their own hands. Don't knowing that this case is way more personal than they could've imagined, they suddenly are tangled in a web that stretches to one in their own middle. Could this case potentiality split the group and are they possibly more in danger than they thought…
✧₊⁺꒰🍇꒱ characters
⟢ Cassie Hobbes - profiler #1
JENNIFER LET MY GIRL REST. Cassie’s been through so much by the end of the book, AGAIN. She already has enough trauma like it's enough slices!! 😭 But yeah, she really didn’t deserve to go through all of this once more. Cassie made mistakes in this book but I feel like she owned up for them. To get a deeper look into her brain and how it works was so cool. The way she can't control to profil and analyze people was so interesting. She's definitely a main character I like reading about! Also I think if I was her I'd have the same problem choosing between Dean and Michael (I would probably go for Michael tho, he radiates so much golden retriever energy 🥹) So personally I'm team Dean for Cassie and team Michael for myself 🤭
⟢ Dean Redding - profiler #2
Omg Dean, I felt for him so much in this book. He didn’t deserve any of this. We learnt a lot more about this past. Everything that happened to him is so horrible. One thing that annoyed me was that he wasn’t open and honest about his feelings towards Cassie until the end of the book. I know that also has to do with his past but still…
⟢ Michael Townsend - emotions reader
MICHEAL DESERVES SM BETTER!! He was honest about his feelings towards Cassie and she knew them all along. He waited for her and didn’t pressure her into being with him and she still chose Dean. I mean I still think they go well together especially because they know each other so well but Michael was there the whole way and supported Cassie and still excepted that she chose Dean at the end. My guy deserves better.
⟢ Sloane Tavish - math expert
My girly Sloane, I ADORE you! To whoever made you feel less worthless, I WILL fight them 🤬👊 We didn’t get that much of her backstory in this book but I highly guess that we will in the next, also because it plays in Vegas and I have a feeling she's from there. Sloane feels like she is the left out one in the friend group because she's better with numbers and statistics than with people and emotions but everyone loves her. She deeply cares about everyone around her. Also the scene were she felt left out by Cassie and Lia. I was so so sorry for her. I'm sending her all the hugs because she deserves them. 🫂 She’s definitely my favorite in the series 🫶🏼
⟢ Lia Zhang - lie detector
I like Lia more and more with every book going on. I HATED her in the first book but I feel like this book kinda was her redemption arc. She needs to do more tho! Her backstory sounds so interesting. We only got little crumbs of it so I can't wait for what the next book brings. But her and Cassie eating ice cream on the roof and eavesdropping, *gasp* did we get a BONDING moment?! 🤭 But Lias character is actually so interesting. She does what she wants and speeks what's on her mind. I love her for that.
⟢ Agent Sterling
I did not like her when she was introduced but she undeniably grew on me! Her whole backstory was so sad. All she wanted to do was protect the group and help. Also the end 😧 when she wanted to sacrifice herself for Cassie… 😞
✧₊⁺꒰🍇꒱ thoughts
⤷ ⌞spoilers below⌝
Ummmm, this book was so so much better than the first one!! 🥹 I actually was so invested in the story. Again, the beginning was a bit slow but that was only for the first 5/6 chapters. So I personally got faster into this book than I did with the first one. After 30% I was hooked and I couldn’t put this book down, especially after I reached the 70% mark!
In conclusion, I enjoyed reading this book and I was inhaling the last chapters. Can't wait to continue the series. The third one sounds like it's going to be my favorite!! 🤭
꒰✩♬₊˚.꒱ ▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။|||| |
⌞ now playing: "Ultraviolence" (album) by Lana Del Rey ⌝
✦ ────────────✦──────────── ✦
✧₊⁺꒰🍇꒱ pre-read: so exited to continue this series!! This book sounds so intriguing as well and I can't wait to get to know these characters even better 🫶🏼
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