Dive back into the sexy side of the Upper East Side with the second billionaire romance from USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde.I finally have everything I ever wanted—fame and fortune and literary success.Only one problem: I lost my muse.He was tall, dark, and handsome. Broody, enigmatic, alluring, and right for me in every way.Until he wasn’t. Until I lost everything.And I can’t lose it … wasn’t. Until I lost everything.
And I can’t lose it all again. I’ll do anything to keep it.
Even seeing him again…
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I could not wait to read this book, and it did not disappoint. My favorite part of any K.A. Linde book is the characters, and these are phenomenal. It had all the “I want to throw my kindle across the room, I just can’t deal with this right now, what are you thinking, I can’t believe this is happening” angst. I cannot wait for Cruel Legacy to come out in July to find out what happens next. This is a fantastic series!
I’ve been waiting impatiently for this book, the second in the Billionaire romance series, since I finished Cruel Money. This book opens a year after the events of the last book. Our girl Natalie has used her heartbreak to her advantage by writing a best selling book that throws her smack dab in the Upper East Side world of wealth and privilege. This also throws her back in Penn Kensington’s orbit. A new relationship with a familiar face also comes as a surprise but adds the drama as only KA Linde can. This book is so jaw-droppingly good and you’ll find yourself wanting to throw your Kindle across the room. I need Book Three now!
What a freaking roller coaster of emotions I had while reading this one! This one took a turn that I didn’t see coming and had my stomach in knots!
Honestly, that was so different from what I was expecting to read. I’m not even 100% sure how I feel about this book. I’m giving it 3.5 out of 5 stars. This review is for an ARC, and reflects my honest opinion.
This was dual POV with the exception of one chapter from another person’s POV, but honestly, most of the book was focused on Natalie. I enjoyed this overall, but like I stated in the above paragraph, this was nothing like I thought it would be. It was a roller coaster of emotions for at least 1/4 of the book.
I can’t say much without spoiling things, so I’ll just discuss how I felt about our main characters. I liked Natalie once again. She was a good main character, and yes, she made some stupid decisions, but so do a lot of people. We’re human after all! And Penn…I loved him. He was definitely a cross between anti-hero and hero. He fell firmly in the gray area when it came to morality and his actions. But I couldn’t help but adore him, because he sacrificed for what he wanted most in the world.
I can’t wait to read the last book in this trilogy! I need to know what happens after that epilogue. Also there was a part in this book that mentioned characters from a previous series that made me smile. I haven’t read the last few books in the Wright series, so it kind of spoiled things for me unfortunately. I’d recommend reading that entire series before this one, if you can.
Cruel Fortune by KA Linde
“Will she or won’t she, 5 stars”
Welcome back to the Upper East Side lovers. In Cruel Fortune Natalie once again finds herself amerced with the rich and devious. If you are looking into Cruel Fortune then you should have read Cruel Money and if not, you have to go back and start there. Last we knew Penn and Natalie had what I shall call a falling out of epic proportions. The question is…
Will Penn win back his girl?
Is there another player in the game that wants Natalie?
Only one way to tell…
Linde was brutal with her story weaving. I was sucked in from the get go and didn’t trust anyone but Natalie. You know all those don’t do it things you say during horror movies when you don’t want the main character to do something? Yeah, that was me while reading Cruel Fortune. I didn’t want Natalie to fall victim to anyone ever again. But once a victim always a survivor and now our sweet Natalie has some bite of her own. I cannot wait to see how Linde wraps up this series and the end cannot come soon enough.
Plot-5/5
Characters-5/5
Heat-5/5
Writing style-5/5
Overall-5/5
So if you read the first book then I think you ended it being either Team Penn or Team Lewis. I can’t tell you who Ii was originally rooting for, but I quickly changed my mind in this book. This was a really quick read because it was hard to put down since I was always wondering what was going to happen next. All I will say now is that I am Team Natalie. I love her and she deserves all the happiness. And Totle he’s a good little puppy too! LOL
Cruel Fortune is just as scandalous and exhilarating as the first book in the series.
The second book, Cruel Fortune, continues right where the first ended. Natalie is now a bestselling author and doesn’t want anything to do with the Upper East Side. And Penn, well he just wants Natalie. And as the story continues it gets even more juicy. The twists and turns in this book just kept me going. The whole story of Natalie, Penn and the Upper East Side is just so scandalous and exhilarating I couldn’t stop reading. I loved this world of affairs, intrigues, money,… – simply put, the Upper East Side, and it’s likable and unlikable characters.
The writing and the storyline is just so unique and heartfelt, with its own style and characters. This world KA Linde created in the Cruel universe is just amazing! I’m totally in love with it! And Natalie and Penn! I love those two so much! They kept me on edge the whole book.
Gawd and that ending! KA Linde just knows how to keep me on edge. I can only say I’m really anxious to read the next book in the series. Is it July yet?
This book, so much angst… so unexpected!! Just so much for book too… I am left waiting for book 3 now!
4 stars!
Cruel Fortune brings us back to the cruel world that broke Natalie, only she’s not as broken as when she left it a year earlier. Natalie’s dream is finally in her grasp as her newly published debut book hits the best seller lists. She has no desire to go back to NYC where her heart was broken but that’s exactly where she is sent to promote her book. Her plan is to pop in and out before anyone from her past can take notice but once she is there, Natalie realizes that NYC might just be what she needs to help her career.
I love the Cruel Trilogy because we get so much intense, twisted, and angsty goodness with every book, and Cruel Fortune has it all. It is fast paced, addictive, and consuming. I was surprised more than once and enthralled with every jaw-dropping turn, and I loved it all!
Every character brings so much to the story and I was totally invested in each of their lives. No matter if the character was “good” or “bad,” I loved their impact on the plot. There are more games, secrets, and lies. More deception, manipulation, and betrayal. This story takes us on an emotional ride that is painful, heartbreaking, and frustrating at times. However, it’s swoony, sexy, sweet, and so freaking good, and with the ups and downs and everything in between, I couldn’t get enough of everything and everyone.
The ending brings another twist and I am so excited to see where the story goes because I want more. More Natalie. More Penn. More Upper East Siders.
Revenge is in the air and I. CAN’T. WAIT!! Cruel Legacy is coming July 16, 2019!!
Cruel Fortune by K.A. Linde is the second book in her Cruel series and continues the story of Penn and Natalie. And let me tell you, it was quite a story! I never knew where it was headed, but I needed every world of it! It was full of angst and surprises!
Natalie’s dreams are finally coming true. She is an accomplished author, but that also requires her to return to New York City, the last place she wants to be. But once there she finds exactly what she needs and this time, she is not the same trusting girl she used to be. And yet it is still full of the same cruel and manipulative people.
There is so much I want to share, but this story must just be experienced! Cruel Fortune captivated me from start to finish. The characters and the journey were mesmerizing! I cannot wait to see how it all ends!
4.5-stars! Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
5 Angsty, Emotional, Blindsided Stars
“Because it’s all about never really knowing the truth and getting every side of the tale, except what really happened.”
Natalie is back, 1 year after her falling out with Penn. She achieved her dream of publishing a book, but unfortunately that accomplishment also requires her to go back to the place that caused her so much pain – New York City. At a meeting with her publisher, she is surprised by Lewis, whose family owns the publishing company. Once again she is brought into the world of the Upper East Side.
“I don’t fit in here. The Upper East Side isn’t my home. It’s this other universe that I’ll never belong to. I learned that the hard way.”
I won’t go into anymore details about the story, but I will say there is a whole lot of Penn’s friend Lewis and not nearly enough Penn for my taste. I lovvvvve bad boy Penn. I spent the majority of this book missing Penn and living for Natalie and Penn’s limited interactions sprinkled throughout. I was absolutely stunned by the direction this book took and now I honestly have no idea what to expect for the conclusion! Kyla is not afraid to blindside us readers – haha!
What I disliked about Cruel Money was how Natalie was so insecure and afraid to stand up for herself. No need to worry though, because at the end of Cruel Fortune, she has FULLY come into her own.
“But I did know that I Was done playing by my own moral code. Done playing by the rules.”
I am so excited (and slightly terrified) to see what Kyla brings in the final installment, Cruel Legacy.
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
Holy Smokes!! Who knew?
This is book 2 in the Cruel Series and it really need to be read in order. After the ending in book 1 Cruel Money, I couldn’t wait to see what direction the author was going to take.
What a direction it took!!
I was so taken aback with the direction this story line took and I’m still on the fence on how o feel about it, however, it certainly made for an edgier installment.
As I questioned why…I came to the ending…whaat??
Now I need more!
3.5 stars!
Every book by KA Linde just gets better and better. With each new release her writing as an author is even better than the last, and her skills at plot development have grown exponentially since her debut. While you can always expect angst in a Kyla book, I must admit I truly never know what else to expect. Twists around every turn, YUP! Passion and love and hate, YOU GOT IT! With Cruel Fortune, I was nervous going having had a book hangover since the last page of Cruel Money, but boy was I in for a ride I couldn’t even have predicted from Kyla!
In Cruel Money we pick up 1 year after THAT ending in Cruel Money. You know the one…. The one that was heart-wrenching to read! Yes, that one! Natalie and Penn in Cruel Fortune, where do I even begin? Their lives have both continued even with their fierce connection they shared being shattered at the end of book 1. Natalie is a best-selling author now, and Penn has distanced himself from his crew after the events from the prior year. When Natalie finds herself back in the one place she never wanted to step foot in again, it’s inevitable that the two will cross paths. As we watch things unfold with Natalie and her new career, she finds herself once again navigating the waters of the Upper East Side. Penn however has not moved on from how he always truly felt about Natalie, and once he hears about her being back in town once again, it all comes flooding back to him. Penn’s character is very deep in this series and right when you think you have him figured out, he throws you a curve ball which in some cases can be a good or a bad thing.
The way Kyla has managed to develop all these characters in this series has simply blown me away. I find it very had now days to find original stories that hold my attention, but the Cruel series is by far my favorite thing I’ve read in 2019 to date! While the angst is nail biting when you are in the middle of it, it adds such a complex dimension to the stories being told and how the characters live their lives. I can’t wait for the final book and to see how Natalie and Penn’s story, as well as all the crew’s, unfold! This story is truly Gossip Girl meets Cruel Intentions, with a splash of Scandal and Mean Girls mixed in!
4.5 Stars
The queen of angst has done it again! I am still reeling. Did I really just read that!
A Year later and Natalie is a New York Times bestseller author and her dreams are coming true. She is living her life away from New York and the Crew until she is pulled back in when she heads to big city for a book signing. She is hoping to go and not be seen and then head back home. Things don’t always go as planned.
I am not going to go into to detail so I don’t ruin the book for anyone. Make sure you read Cruel Money first. I am still thinking about this book. My emotions were all over the place while reading. I can’t wait for the next book, I need to know what happens.
I have been waiting patiently for the second book to the Cruel Trilogy by K.A. Linde, and now I regret reading it so fast due to the cliffhanger at the end. Seriously, I can’t wait for the next book. This is going to be brutal the next few months until it’s released. Wow, what a cliffhanger!
If you read the first full-length book (because there is a prequel novella), then you would’ve been left wondering what happened to Natalie and Penn after Natalie found out about the bet. In this book, readers will go through another crazy storyline of the cruelty of the Upper East Siders. Don’t worry you’ll get to read some severe tension and drama unfold after the bet, and it may be something unexpected from the characters.
This time though Natalie is faced into becoming like them when her book is finally being published. She’s forced to New York by the publisher and her agent to make some appearances, but Natalie wants to keep her identity hidden that she wrote the book. That’s the only drama that is happening in life. Her muse she had her first book is no longer there until someone else comes along that stirs her inspiration.
Be prepared to deal with a lot of craziness in this book. You’ll get dual POV’s of Natalie and Penn, and you may even get another POV in this book. (not telling who though.) A lot is going on the Upper East Side that poor Natalie still has no clue about and she’s been warned several times about who she hangs out with may have other secrets.
The only things that drove me crazy in this book were the constant mention of Natalie not fitting into the Upper East Side world. This not only from Natalie but a specific character. There’s also an issue towards the end of the book that is an element I hate in stories. I didn’t like how Natalie handled a particular situation.
I LOVED the cliffhanger though at the end. Although poor Natalie went through a lot, I know the next book is going to make Natalie become an even more kick-butt character.
Story Rating: 4 stars
Steaminess Rating: 3.5 stars
Standalone or part of series: Part of Trilogy. You’ll want to read these in order.
Do I recommend this book? Yes.
Will I read other books from the author? Yes.
Tropes/Elements: Billionaire Romance
BAH! I wasn’t prepared for this book. The twists, angst, chemistry… it was so, so good!! Classic Linde awesomeness. There’s just something about Natalie, Pen, Lewis, the rest of The Crew, and the Upper East Side that I can’t quite figure out. You never know who to trust, what’s going on, what secrets there are, or where this story is going to go that sucks you in. I can’t wait for the last book!
Cruel Fortune is a bit like Gossip Girl meeting Mean Girls, and I loved every second of it!
The second in K.A. Linde’s Cruel series finds Natalie becoming a New York Times Bestselling author, her dream may have come true, but she’s still finding herself drawn to New York. Of course, we see the entire Crew, as beautifully messed up as they all are. Penn, Lewis, and the like are all back in their glory. I gobbled up the drama, and my oh my is Ms. Linde able to write the angst. I don’t want to leave any spoilers, just know that this book will put you on a roller coaster of emotions, and leave you breathless. There are some characters that you love, some that you love to hate, and some that you hate to love. All will leave you panting for more. Do not miss this electrifying series!
I received a free copy of this book from the author.
If you haven’t read Cruel Money *STOP* reading here.
Cruel Fortune is the second book in the Cruel Trilogy. In true KA Linde fashion she has given just just enough to drive us crazy and make assumptions of what’s to come. This book focuses mostly on Natalie and her return to the Upper East Side. Something she swore she’d never do.
I’ll be the first to tell you the north – especially NY is a much different beast than South Carolina. She doesn’t come from money. She definitely isn’t ready for the evil conniving side of the NY money.
So as Natalie becomes comfortable in her surroundings the bottom falls out on her again! I mean really, she didn’t learn the first dang time? Nope. You might see it coming. You might not. It’s all cloak and dagger. Which is one of my favorites to read and typical K.A. Linde. It’ll have you on your seat. It’ll definitely keep you guessing what’s going to happen. Who’s going to do what, and what will Natalie do about it.
Jeez I can’t wait to see how things wrap up in Cruel Legacy. This is going to take a mountain of connections, planning, conniving to pull of the coup I know Natalie hopes to pull off.
5 So Many Moving Parts Stars!!
The minute this book hit my kindle I literally let out an EEEPPP. I was so ready to see what happens next in this series and I can honestly say Ms. Linde didn’t disappoint…however, there’s three books in this series so you know I’m going to be “vague city” in this review because..no spoilers from me!
We’re one year later from when Cruel Money ended and Natalie has truly made it! She’s a listed bestselling author and thinks her life is smooth sailing…until she’s told she needs to go back to NYC which is where her life almost came crashing down on her.
I admired her fortitude and her plan to get in, get done what needs to be done and leave…except it’s not that simple because hello…this book is full of manipulation, machinations, lust, lying and everything in between. Needless to say, once she’s in NYC, things happen that make her have to stay much longer than she planned and the thought crossed my mind while reading that just maybe it would be okay.
Yeah, look no further than the aforementioned exploitation, maneuvering and betrayal of key players in this story. I was totally incensed and somewhat freaked out by some of what went down! Ms. Linde pulled me right back into this world and I’m still trying to figure out what’s going to happen next!!!
Needless to say July needs to be here soon cuz it’s GOING DOWN in Cruel Legacy!!
Seriously KA Linde is trying to kill me…the suspense, the angst, the love <---- all the things I love in a book. Cruel Fortune picked up where Cruel Money left off. Natalie is heartbroken after everything with Penn went down. She's the butt of the joke with the Crew, and she's trying to rebound. She's written a book that was based on her true story of Penn and her, and she's moving on. She was picked up by a major publisher and has written the book under a pen name. All looks as though it's changing for the good. One little speed bump is returning to New York for the launch party and signing. Running into Penn and the Crew is her fear. Finding her new muse wasn't something she bargained for. Returning to the world, she vowed never to come back to proves to be more than she could have ever imagined. ...you are entirely you, unequivocally you. Fearless, stubborn, brazen and strikingly independent. You say what you mean and mean what you say. There are no games with you. Cruel Fortune went to a place I never even thought it could go! I love that about this book, it wasn't predictable and I read this book with my mouth agape as I read. Chapter after chapter I fell in love with Natalie and her strong ways. I can't say much more because spoiling a book is my pet peeve! Read this series, One Cruel Night, Cruel Money then Cruel Fortune. Be prepared for another little wait for the conclusion of Cruel Legacy coming in July. I am sure it will be worth the wait. Another great book by KA Linde that kept me up reading Up All Night!