Eight years ago, I believed I’d finally found a place to call home. My mother’s marriage to Vincent Sharpe meant security and three stepbrothers who were already my best friends. But Mom’s mysterious death one week before the wedding turned my world upside down. The day of her funeral, I was whisked away to live with my aunt in Kansas, and I never heard from the Sharpes again… Until a … again…
Until a devastating tornado leaves me destitute.
Now, Vincent is offering me the opportunity of a lifetime—he’ll pay for my tuition and expenses at an exclusive university. All I have to do is move back in with him and his sons.
Knowing this is my one chance to discover what really happened to my mother, I grudgingly accept. But if I thought living in the same house with a potential murderer was going to be my biggest obstacle, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Leo, Hayle, and Tristin Sharpe are no longer the boys I remember. They’re all grown up, with the adult attitudes, tensions, and sex appeal to prove it. They aren’t my problem anymore. Yet, somehow, they keep drawing me into their web of drama.
I might be the only person who can fix what’s broken between them. But I don’t trust that they won’t shatter me in the process.
*The Lonely Souls trilogy is a contemporary reverse harem series inspired by the main characters in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz…except, this version of Dorothy and her friends is a little twisted.
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I was hooked right from the start! Thea found her best friends as a child and due to circumstances she gets sent to Kansas. 8 years later and she finally gets to see Leo, Tristin and Hayle. I loved the mystery elements. I loved Thea’s awesome way of handling anyone and anything that tries to bring her down. I can’t wait to read more!
Introduction
Autumn Reed is one of my unicorn authors. No matter what she writes or what genre she writes it in, I fall immediately in love with her stories. This story is certainly no exception. In fact, it’s quickly become one of my new favorite reads from this talented and imaginative writer.
Review
Spineless is book one in this series of books inspired by The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which is one of my all-time favorites (both the book and movie. I’m also going to include the musical Wicked because it rocks my socks off) and I love what Autumn‘s done with this reimagining.
There are a couple of twists that enriched this story in a way I couldn’t have anticipated. The *main* twist added to this story absolutely blew my mind and I have no idea how Thea–and the guys, once they find out–is going to handle this throughout the rest of the series.
Also, I love the beginning of the book where you get a bit of an understanding of their relationships when they were kids. The difference between the boys as children and the men as adults is astounding and proves just how much people–and circumstances–can change in a relatively short time. I loved getting that peek into their past together.
The Heroine
Thea–short for Dorothea–has quickly jumped to the top spot of my favorite Autumn Reed heroines. She’s independent, resilient, sarcastic, and takes no sh*t. She’s a little broken and a lot jaded, but she’s also strong and empathetic. When we first meet her as an adult, all she really wants is to leave the small Kansas town she’s been living in since her mother died. She has no delusions of grandeur; she just wants to get away and live her own life.
“I wasn’t one of those girls who dreamed of a glamorous life in New York City or even a quiet existence in a village by the sea. Probably because I didn’t dream. Well, of anything but leaving this dusty farm behind and never looking back.”
Thea has been through a lot in her young life. She lost her mom when she was a kid and then went to live with her aunt Emmy, who was very brash and cold. It wasn’t that she was abusive to Thea, but she came across as uninterested in her and had no warmth toward her at all. It was super sad to read Thea’s description of what her life with her aunt had been. While the way she grew up definitely helped shape her into the person she’s become, I think all children deserve a little nurturing–especially those who’ve suffered trauma–and it’s sad that she grew up with someone who was so apathetic. I don’t think Emmy intentionally meant to hurt Thea–I think that’s just the way she handled life in general–but it definitely wasn’t all sunshine and roses, either.
The Heroes
Leo, Tristin, and Hayle–inspired by the lion, tin man, and scarecrow, respectively–are all incredible. They’re all so different and they each have baggage in different ways. There’s Leo, the star athlete; Tristin, the “juvenile delinquent”; and Hayle, the brain. These men are so much more than the labels that imprison them, but they hold themselves under the weight of their “titles,” so to speak, and I think it’s going to be a slow-moving process for them to break free from these bonds.
They’re all kind of dickish at first, but the attraction is immediate and undeniable for all of them. Hayle even has the added complication of a girlfriend–who is terrible, by the way–and despite being in a relationship, he is clearly super into Thea, much to his awful girlfriend’s chagrin. And look, I know it’s super cliche to hate any girl who isn’t the heroine, but seriously–this girl is awful and Hayle deserves so much better, even if he does have his head up his butt for most of the book, lol.
I also want to give an honorable mention to Tobias–inspired by, of course, Toto–who is Thea’s best friend back in Kansas. There’s kind of a will they/won’t they thing between the two of them in the beginning, and I’m not fully convinced he’s completely out of the running yet.
Bullet Points
*The angst! Oh, the angst in this book. For someone who has severe anxiety, you’d think angsty books would be a deal-breaker for me, but man, do I love them. While this one definitely doesn’t make you want to bawl your eyes out every three seconds, the angsty tension is palpable through every encounter. It’s what I refer to as “delicious angst”–the kind of emotional turmoil that adds that extra quality to a book and keeps the story moving.
*All the Wizard of Oz references!! I mean, obviously, there are going to be plenty with a book that’s inspired by The Wizard of Oz, but I felt like such a fangirl looking for all the little Easter eggs while reading. It was amazing, lol.
*Each dude is so incredibly sexy that the interactions between them and Thea were giving me a fever. ESPECIALLY when you throw in a few sexy interactions here and there. Hot damn, you guys.
Conclusion
I absolutely loved this book and I can’t wait for the next one! There are so many questions that need to be answered and I’m dying to see what happens next with the guys. There’s so much potential for the rest of this series and I’m so excited!
If you’re a reverse harem fan, then you definitely need to read this book!
Original review: https://alatedbibliophile.com/review-spineless-autumn-reed/
I absolutely loved this retelling of the wizard of oz. it was so different. Thea is a favorite character of mine. The book has mystery, chemistry, and plenty of, ehm, tension lol. I’m excited for more.
I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book, but I was engrossed within a few pages. This book is well written and a fantastic start to what I imagine will be an amazing series. I didn’t know what to expect from these characters, but Thea is relatable and I am interested to see her character and the relationships around her develop. I’m very intrigued by the mystery of her mother’s death. It definitely adds to a mix to the standard RH book styles.
I love the Wizard of Oz references and the shows the main character watches. Overall, a great read! Give it a shot, you won’t be dissatisfied.
What a great read from Autumn, I really do think that this has become my favorite from her so far. Just everything about it just really hooked me. From the characters and their story to the plot itself. So going in you know that this is a retelling of sorts of the Wizard of Oz, I am not a huge fan of these, but I do read them. This could change my mind.
So Spineless is centered around Thea, her mom was going to marry Leo, Tristan and Hayle’s dad. But her mom suddenly died. She left to go and live with her aunt. Eight years later through fate, she is back in their lives. But these are not the boys that she remembers, they are men. Men with problems that she cannot help but want to fix. Add in the fact that she wants to finally find out what exactly happened to her mom.
Guys I am telling you this was so good. There is a cliffhanger, not as bad as some. The pace is fast, the characters so very interesting and the plot had me addicted. Definitely a must read.
Ok so I don’t know what the actual hell just happened, why is it every time I read Autumn books, I am lost, I can’t function, think or do anything else until I have devoured every word she writes. I love Thea and Leo and Hayle and Tristin so much, this is the best retelling of the Wizard of Oz I have ever read. I loved all the references and little clues to the wiz, and yet it stands on it’s own two feet as a wonderfully written book, I am biting at the bit to read Heartless!!! 5 Stars again Autumn AMAZING!!
I knew when I started Spineless it would be based on a modern day twist on the Wizard of Oz, which happens to be one of my favorite stories. I wasn’t really sure how the story would be told, which aspects would be kept while others not included. I was not disappointed one bit. Autumn masterfully wove the very premise and soul of the Wizard of Oz into her characters and storyline. What I appreciate the most is that it was not a complete retelling, certain character traits were similar and storyline held true but the plot and the characters stand on their own.
I love Thea. She is someone I would absolutely love to be friends with. She’s snarky, sarcastic, playful, and an alpha in her own right. She has zero tolerance for attitude and bullying, regardless of who it is (even from the guys!) Her relationship with Leo, Tristin, and Hayle develops well throughout the entire book, it’s not insta-love by all means. Although I like Leo and Hayle, Tristin is my favorite and if you read Spineless (which I REALLY hope you do), then you’ll see why.
There is a cliffhanger, nothing too terrible but I kept wanting to read more! I was that invested in her characters and storyline. There is mystery, suspense, humor, romance, all wrapped into one fantastic package! I can not wait for book two!!
This book was brilliant!
Thea has had more than her fair share of heartache and turmoil in her life! She’s living with a secret that is stopping her from reconnecting with her former best friends when she’s thrust back into their lives but it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows for them either and she has to come to terms that. Not only has she changed but so have they and with obstacles at every turn, along with her secret knowledge from a conversation she overheard this story has you on the edge of your seat! I loved the Wizard of Oz spin within the book and the ending has me NEEDING more.
Can’t wait to see what comes next for this lot!
I didn’t know what to expect going into this book. Thea is sassy, nosy and ask’s all of the questions that need to be asked. She was so relatable. The boys each had their own personalities that made it easy to fall for them in completely different ways. The story reeled me in from the first chapter, I cant wait to see where its going.
Thea’s childhood was unsettled, so when her mom got engaged to Vincent Sharpe, Thea thought that she finally had the home she wanted complete with three stepbrothers, her best friends Leo, Hayle, and Sharpe. But then her mother died one week before the wedding and she went away to live with her aunt in Kansas. She didn’t hear one word from the Sharpes from the moment she left. It was as if the color had bled out of her world. She lived a life lacking love with her aunt. Then a tornado destroyed her home and killed her aunt leaving her with nothing and bringing Vincent Sharpe back into her life. He offered her a home and to pay for her college if she would agree to live with him and his sons. Unable to pass up the opportunity to get answers to her childhood questions, Thea accepts his offer. Once there she discovers that the boys she left behind are no longer boys and nothing like the friends she remembered. They are broken and as much as she wants to ignore them, Thea can’t help herself. She’s drawn to them once again and needs to help piece them back together. Now if only they don’t break her.
This is a subtle, intelligent, somewhat twisted retelling of The Wizard of Oz. I was impressed with its cleverness. Some of the comparisons to Oz are apparent, others take thought. It makes a compelling story. There is a mystery and several unexpected twists. It’s sexy and sad. The main cast of characters is complex and there are several worthy side characters that make it a richer story.
Thea is an intelligent woman with a smart mouth. Her sass amused me. The guys are closed off. The years since Thea left have damaged them. They are lacking. Lacking courage, lacking brains, lacking heart. But as they accept Thea’s return they start revealing themselves more and more. I couldn’t get enough. The connection between Thea and the guys is evident but this is slow-burn. It has to be. They may have been best friends at one time but the foundation was destroyed. It must be rebuilt. The guys have all changed, Thea too, and this grown-up Thea surprises the guys. Not growing up in their world, her normalness stands out to them. She’s a breath of fresh air. They are so off track and she puts them back on the yellow brick road. But their journey is only starting and it is going to be on a long, winding road.