annie's Reviews > The Truths We Burn

5 stars

❝You never truly realize how much you care about a person until they’re gone.❞

I totally underestimated Rook and Sage, and this book completely shattered my heart! The emotional depth, the intense angst, and the pain it depicted were absolutely phenomenal. I might just cry my heart out – I devoured this book 🥺💓

I just realized, they're kinda giving WillEmory vibes but I haven't read their book! (First michaelRika, then WillEmory and obv the third's gonna give DAMON).

❝Show me all your truths, Rook. And I’ll show you mine❞

I didn't expect to fall in love with Sage so deeply! Her backstory was utterly heartbreaking, and the hardships she endured were beyond terrible. While I liked Rook, Sage has an absolute hold on my heart – she's a queen! 💓

❝She’s a liar. A manipulative bitch. A traitor. The enemy.❞

The enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies-AND-AGAIN-lovers in this book was so goddamn good! The amount of pain Rook went through when Sage broke his heart, and how they both remained in pain for a year without forgetting about each other. also THE MATCHING SOULMATE SCARS 😭

╰┈➤ Sage Donahue & Rook Van Doren:

❝I’d been here for eight months. Two hundred and forty-three days. Thirty-four weeks.❞

Sage — she's the twin sister of Rosemary Donahue (who was killed in the events in Book 1) and made an appearance at the end of Book 1 after being released from a mental facility!

❝I’d never been able to keep anything I cared about. I just want this one godforsaken thing.❞

I LOVE HER SO MUCH! 🥺 She was so broken and alone and always hid behind masks! She hurt people through her words when she was hurt as long as she kept up her pretense! She's a Queen B and Cheerleader, and damn, she was actually full of power! I seriously thought all of this would fall flat, but SHE DIDN'T DISAPPOINT.

❝I really love pain.❞

Rook — ughhh, his character was so good! Instead of all those goofy vibes I got from in book 1, there were real emotions and nothing funny about the situations he went through! The way he let anyone hurt him as long as he feels pain to atone for his sins (which he blames himself for, that aren't even his fault).

❝You’ve always had me, Rook. Always.❞

The way he pined for Sage and was so completely obsessed with her, and even though she crushed him badly and his trust, he was still torn between believing her because he just couldn't resist her. 😭

❝My pyromania is the drug and the cure.❞

He was obsessed with fire and is seriously AN ARSONIST! He burned each and everything, including but not limited to THE LEFT SIDE OF SAGE'S SHITTY EX-FIANCE! (update: I'm dying because Rook's daughter is gonna fall in love with shitty fiancée's son 😭)

❝I shove the left side of his face straight onto my exhaust, plastering him to the side of steaming hot metal. My body buzzes with pleasure when I feel him try to pull away and hear him start to yell in despair.❞

╰┈➤ RATINGS:

The Lies We Steal - 3 stars
The Truths We Burn – 5 stars
The Blood We Crave pt 1 - 4 stars
The Blood We Crave pt 2 - 3.75 stars
The Oath We Give - 3 stars