Étienne Lacroix and I had a fire I thought would never die. Our love was timeless. An irreversible decision sent me back to the present day with a family I barely recognize, but I am determined to find a way back to Étienne. I can survive time. But I can’t survive life without him. Time bends to no one’s demands, so I must fight with everything I have to return to the past. However, I am … However, I am terrified that the past I once knew might not look the same, and the man who once called me his surviving trace will no longer be waiting for me.
Time bends to no one’s demands but sometimes love does…
The Reigning and the Rule is book two in The Surviving Time Series.
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This series will easily go down as one of my favorites ever. There hasn’t been a book or series for me since I read Harry Potter where I wanted to be able to jump into the book itself and truly live it as I read. Calia has created something downright magical in Belgrave. She makes you crave wanting to live inside its walls and unravel every last secret they contain.
Etienne is still at the top of my list of heroes of all time. Not much has changed in my thoughts of him since The Surviving Trace. I understood his own heartbreak and why he did some of the things he did. His hesitancy and brokenness that surrounded certain parts of this book made him all that more real to me. His own hurt was palpable but just like the first book so was his love. He loves those closest to him with everything he has and you can feel that loving bleeding from the pages at all times.
Serene, so much to say but so little time to say it. She embodies everything I look for in a heroine. She’s strong willed, spirited, independent and definitely has a mind of her own. But I think I found in TRatR is that these could also be one’s downfall. Don’t get me wrong, Serene is still one of my favorite heroines of all time, but for some reason in this book she lost some of her magnetism for me. There were at times that I lost my patience with her and just wanted to reach in the pages and shake her. With all that said I understood the why of all her emotions and actions during this book I just wish she would have figured things out quicker than she did.
Once again Calia’s secondary characters are a huge driving force in TRatR. They all play an important part in Serene and Etienne’s story no matter how insignificant they may seem at first. I will not be disappointed if we are able to go back to Belgrave again and again and see how certain character’s stories pan out.
Like stated before this series is magical and will easily go down as a favorite of all time. I cannot wait to see where the next book takes us. I only hope it’s back to Belgrave forever.
It’s been two days since I finished reading The Reigning and the Rule and I feel like I’m still traveling in the world of Etienne and Serene and I don’t want this feeling to end. There’s something about this couple that completely sucks me in. I’m so fascinated with their lives, I feel like a creeper because when I’m reading it’s as if I’m right there watching them. Gahhhh if only that was a reality!
The Reigning and the Rule is the second book in the Surviving Time series. I have to tell you a little secret. When I first heard of The Surviving Trace I was a little hesitate because I never read a book about time travel. I’m so glad I dove right in because it’s one of my top favorite reads ever. No matter what I say about this series, it will never be enough because it’s simply AMAZING!!! It’s one everyone should read. Take a chance and get lost in TIME.
“Time can rip me from his arms and drop me in any era it pleases. Time can give me a different identity. Different name. Different memories. But it can’t change my heart.”
*ARC received in exchange for an honest review*
The second instalment of the trilogy, The Reigning and The Rule is as intense, fast pace, sexy, page Turner, history, and just kill me now I need the next book yesterday kinda cliffy.
Yep!
I don’t even know what to write in my review here cause hot dang it Calia Read! You did it again! The exact question I had at the end of the first instalment, how could you do that to me, Calia??!!!
From the epilogue till the last page I was like… WTF is going on here??!!
How can that be???!!!
Why oh why???!!!
No No No No!!!!
My heart keep tumping tumping tumping so hard, I finish reading it in one sitting.
Reading this book is soooo relaxing…. Not!
67% I was ready to throw my phone away. That’s how this book make me feel! Beside their steamy scenes won’t make all the ac going good. They are just tok hot!
And the end… I don’t know If I love seeing Etienne there or should I be afraid???
Anyway I need the next instalment yesterday!
OK world…Calia Read just kill me with the anticipation
I was both ecstatic and reticent to start this book. After the was Calia Read left us in The Surviving Trace I was eager to find out what was to become of Serene and Etienne, but since I knew there was another book coming in this series, I also didn’t want to live in that uncertainty I’d already been wallowing in again. Of course, as soon as I started reading, I was unable to force myself to put this story down, so now I’m once again counting the seconds until we can check back in on Serene, Etienne, and the entire Belgrave gang.
Part of the beauty of this series for me is how wholly unique it is. I know there are other time travel romances, but I haven’t read them, so the Surviving Time series has been a completely new experience for me. The layers upon layers that Ms. Read has had to build in this world make these books a much richer reading experience than I have found in the romance genre. It harkens to the intense world-building I’m more familiar with in the fantasy or sci-fi realm (because what is more fantastical or science-fiction that time travel?). The idea of love or soulmates pulling each other through time is such a beautiful concept, and Ms. Read has raised an incredibly high bar, for me, going forth in this very specific sub-genre of romance.
Serene proved her mettle in The Surviving Trace, especially in those final chapters when she was willing to sacrifice everything for the man and family she’d grown to love so deeply. She continued to show that sass and strength I’d come to admire in The Reigning and the Rule. There was so much thrown at her in such a short time, but she kept fighting, adapting, learning, with a fire that is uniquely her. There were plenty of moments when my frustration with her ramped up, but she was due a little sympathy and understanding considering the unique and unusual life she’s been thrust into.
The Reigning and the Rule was as captivating as The Surviving Trace, with a whole new set of mysteries and questions to decipher. And I’ll tell you; there is no way to anticipate what is coming, to whom, when, or where. The Reigning and the Rule is a giant ball of intrigue that has to be unwrapped piece by piece, and when you finally reach the final pages, there is no way to predict the final twists Calia Read has in store.
The Reigning and the Rule is the second book in Calia Read’s Surviving Time series. These books are not standalones and must be read in order. There will be one more book in this series and a spinoff series based at Belgrave. The Reigning and the Rule is written in dual first-person perspective, narrated by primarily by Serene.
Where to begin?!? I proclaimed book one to be my top read of 2018, well it just got demoted to my second favourite with this one jumping to the number one spot.
Book two went way beyond my expectations, I love this author’s words and book one blew me away so I thought there no way book two will be better but it really was.
We leave off where book one ended and we see Serene back in her own time and what has happened since she was gone.
How Étienne is coping without his love and will they both move on or get back to each other.
This book captures you mind and heart and don’t let them go, you feel as though you are there too.
It keeps you guessing and wanting for more, I didn’t want the story to end and let’s talk about that epilogue!!!!
Can’t wait for book 3, can’t recommend this series enough. Much, much more than your average love story.
What did I just read???? OMG I think this author is trying to kill me. She seems sweet in her photos but don’t let that fool you – she’s the devil I swear!!! This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2018. After devouring The Surviving Trace I was so excited to reunite with my favourite characters. What a ride!!
“Don’t you ever forget you love me.”
I was swearing, I was swooning, I was squirming and I was crying!!! This one gave me everything I love in an angsty romance read. My feelings were all over the place and I might have thought a few not so nice thoughts about the author – she totally deserved them – messing with my heart like that.
If you’ve read The Surviving Trace you NEED to read this one, If you haven’t read it there’s still time to join the Belgrave cult and grow to love these characters like I do.
2018 Favourite For Sure!!!
4.5 ‘s Wow! What an ending. Calia’s words never disappoint. This book brings you laughter, sadness, mystery and hotness all wrapped in one. I loved this story and loved all the characters, especially Livingston. I can’t wait to read more about them! ARC provided by author
The world wouldn’t understand. The only two people in this world who understand are Serene and me. And I might have lost her permanently.
***
We pick up from where we last left off with Serene back in her time and not knowing what happened with Étienne after she disappeared. But one thing is certain….She wasn’t supposed to survive. So how did she? Not only that, but how can she possibly survive without Étienne. Doing whatever it takes to get back to him and learning who she is with her new family, Serene is struggling to pick up the pieces in this new life of hers. If and when she does make it back to him, is she going to like what she finds? Time has passed and life tends to move on with or without us.
***
Time has made us it’s playthings, and there is no way to escape its clutches. We merely have to hold on and hope it doesn’t destroy us.
***
Our favorite, feisty redhead knows how to spar with her words when she finds herself cornered in any situation and is never one to back down. These new friends and foes won’t know what to make of her. While some will find her intriguing others will see her as a threat. But Serene is always fast on her feet. And sometimes she is putting those feet right into her mouth. That’s one of the reasons why we all love her so much.
I had so many emotions with this book. I experienced absolute heartbreak and tears of happiness. There was heart pounding fear and gut wrenching hurt. Many moments had me laughing out loud, only to soon find myself wiping away a few tears. Without a shadow of a doubt, Read did an amazing job with this story. I was worried I wouldn’t have the same need to go back and read pieces like I did THE SURVIVING TRACE. But I still clung to this book and immediately searched out several scenes to keep them fresh in my mind and to ponder on. One thing is for sure, you have to pay attention to everything that is happening in these books.
Cannot wait to read more from this fabulous series. I cannot get enough of the romance, the intrigue and the mystery of time. But after another incredible, heart stopping ending…I am not sure I can handle another wait!! So please hurry!! 5 brilliant and breathtaking Stars!
5 TIMELESS STARS
My anticipation for The Reigning and the Rule was at an all-time high in this epic tale of time travel and true love. I knew returning to Belgrave would put a smile on my face and fill my heart with joy, but little did I know that the roller coaster of emotions I’d encounter would consume me.
Calia weaves a story that is so captivating, it’s impossible not to feel part of the characters worlds, both past and present. Her attention to detail and descriptions of their lives is fabulous. All of the characters are integral to the path Serene and Etienne are on. But, the question that remains is how will the people in their lives impact their fate. How will Serene and Etienne’s actions change their life and those around them?
The journey between Serene and Etienne was engaging and mysterious. Trying to figure out what would happen next is virtually impossible. I become obsessed with stories that keep me on my toes, I can’t turn the pages fast enough and this story was no exception. Their journey is unpredictable and that’s what makes this timeless love story so intriguing.
The angst, the heat, the passion between Serene and Etienne is palpable. Their chemistry is off the charts sexy and I could not get enough of these two. You will laugh and swoon, feel like throat punching some of the characters and then gasp at the twists and turns.
So here we are again, anxiously waiting for the final installment in this trilogy. Will their love stand the test of time?!? I wish I could travel to the past or the future to find out, but we’re at Calia’s mercy to give us the answers we so desperately want. I recommend transporting yourself into Serene and Etienne’s world, you won’t regret it!
“My surviving trace, I love you.” – Etienne Lacroix; The Reigning & The Rule
I’ll never be able to do these books justice with my reviews. Ever.
And now that we’re on book #2, even less.
The Reigning & The Rule (book #2; Surviving Time series) was a HIGHLY anticipated book for me. After reading book 1, The Surviving Trace, I was completely and utterly hooked.
This time travel romance is EPIC. The love and connection between the main characters is indeed so strong that THAT alone takes my breath away. Etienne & Serene’s story continues but is not without some major setbacks and new cast of players that make their journey more difficult. Even time and the past is a character in itself; weaving a web that both will need to either fight or surrender until the end.
I don’t want to spoil this wonderful book so just TRUST ME when I tell you, READ.THIS.STORY.
Calia Read, I’m a fan forever of your words. Cannot wait for book 3!
The Reigning and the Rule is book 2 in The Surviving Time Series. Please do not read this review, as there may be spoilers from the first book, The Surviving Trace.
We first find Serene adapting to and learning her new life, after the changes she made to history. This was hard for me to read, and hurt my heart so greatly to see her separated from Étienne. I felt her despair and loneliness.
The book continues on from there, with Serene finding her way back to Étienne’s time. But what will she find when she arrives? What changes have happened in the early 1900s? Will Serene and Étienne be able to be together?
This series is unlike any other I have ever read. The emotions that this love story brings out in me are real and all over the place. Calia does an amazing job of transporting the reader into the story. Her words are true poetry and magical. There are so many special and heartbreaking lines in this story, I would be listing them forever. I feel as if I am living in the moment with Serene and Étienne, living their story right along with them.
This is a beautiful story that will be on my mind daily until book three is released. Until then, au revior pour le moment, Belgrave.
OK this book was the most highly anticipated book for me this year…after book one, The Surviving Trace of course
After what the author did to us in TST, I NEEDED the follow up like I needed my next breath!
This one deserves more than 5 stars!!! My mind is still reeling I must admit I devoured this book cover to cover and mom failed soooo hard while my face was stuffed in my Kindle! For the love of all things that are holy this book you guys! I can’t even express my feelings properly. I’ve even been marinating on it for days, but I won’t do it justice, so sorry!
We jump right back into the emotionally crippling yet so damn beautiful love story of Éntieene and Serene. Due to circumstances she’s thrown back into her time to a family and life she doesn’t recognize. In her desperate attempt to return to Éntienne she’s scrounging for any information she can. Things she’s uncovered are shocking and everyone is even more connected and things are even more twisted than they were before! Their love story is truly one for the history books, but will it survive time?!!!
I really can’t say much more due to far more details than you can even imagine would spoil and I WILL NOT do that!
This author continues to blow me away with her brilliant magical mind and with endings leaving me salivating for more she will always be a go to author for me! My mind is super mushy right now and I’ll just be over here on the edge of my seat waiting for the conclusion to this magnificent story
“My love is giving yet selfish. And selfishly, I want him to only be with me for the rest of his life.”
Sigh, after book 1.. Anything related to Surviving… It gave me an edge to begin with.. I was very excited with the blurb.. The hope to find the next chapter from Serene and Etienne love story. My heart had always skipped a bit when I went through the stage of moving..
I have this fear for whats going to happen.. Every scene was different.. the feel was revealing. Each steps had going like a paint on the wall.. I envied Serena and Etienee love.. Cant I be selfish to say their love was Mine? MINE only.. to see them to struggle with the only love threading like a thin layer of air..
Calia had captured the story with rich storyline that will stir your heart left and right. I cant pinpoint my emotions since it was a rollercoaster. The crazy relationships between Etienne and Serene were angst, sexy off the chart consuming… I sensed the desperation of love… the fear of what will become.. They didnt have it easy and i kept wondering why? Was it fate?
There were so much more between the couple. The story had kept me going with anxiety! This epic journey was captivating like a fairytale. It was very difficult to set your emotions in check where everything was coming at once… Between past and present, Calia had it perfectly where it should be.
“Cry for what you lost. Cry for what you miss. Cry for the ache in your chest.”
And I can assure you we cried and A LOT! For those who were patiently waiting for the continuation of Serene and Etienne story, let me tell you that the wait was worthy and you’ll be extremely happy once you finished reading this second installment of the SURVIVING TIME series.
“Because if our love extends past the boundaries of times, then it certainly extends past words.”
Romance readers are always seeking happy endings, and that can’t be more true than with Etienne & Serene’s story. Their love doesn’t know boundaries, not even with time. But on every occasion that the history changes, their love gets tested and that leaves you wondering if they could make their love last beyond time.
In this second book, we are “running out of time”, the clock is ticking and we got immersed in this angsty world that makes us feel ALL THE FEELS. There is betrayal, jealousy, and pain, mixed with hilarious and scorching HOT moments. A lot of twists and turns, that once again will blow your mind making you create SO MANY theories in order to find a way to make these two amazing characters have their well deserved happy ending.
We also have new characters, which make us understand a little more about this ever changing family tree/history. What we knew for sure in book number 1, it’s different now because each time Serene goes back and forth, she alters history, and the past and the present changes radically, so they will have to be more careful to not modify the past, so they can’t mess with the future, and ultimately, they will have to fight against time so they can be together.
I don’t want to finish my review without emphasize that Calia’s writing is flawless, and I think this series is also about details, she is very precise with the description of this Surviving World that makes the reading very enjoyable and even fulfilling.
Just as book 1, THE SURVIVING TRACE, THE REIGNING AND THE RULE ends on a cliffy that will make our wait unbearable until we have book #3 in our hands. Please Calia please!! Give it to us ASAP!!
The Reigning And The Rule sucked me in from the get and hasn’t let me go yet, it may be a while before it releases me from its grasp. I’m still mulling over and digesting this story.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was intriguing, interesting and a tad bit annoying well just the one thing, the main characters having the same conversation over and over again. Other than that I loved it, highly recommend it and can’t wait to read the next book in the series. I have a feeling the wait just may kill me. I need to get back to these characters as soon as possible. My NEED is great for the next book.
Copy provided by author
In this continuation of the SURVIVING TRACE series, Etienne and Serene’s love gets tested…oh man does it get tested, and it’s not just time testing it.
MY HEART HURTS SO MUCH DURING THIS BOOK! #Angst
We get pummeled with angst, burning passion, turbulent emotions (anger, jealousy, betrayal, hurt), timeless love, feisty banter (that had me literally laughing out loud!), new characters, and many new plot twists that make this web of a story that much more detailed and that much more confusing! But in a good way 😉 #SoManyFeelings
This has to be what hell feels like–being near the person you love, hearing them say they love you, yet knowing the universe is against the two of you being together. The heartbreak in Etienne’s eyes reveals that he realizes the same thing. He merely accepted our fate quicker than I did.
“I need you forever. Not for a moment.” he says in a low voice. “I wish I could be your forever. I really do.” I exhale on a shaky breath as I slip out of Etienne’s grasp.
This was the most brilliantly crafted book world I’ve read in a LONG time, maybe ever! SO MANY details went into creating it. Calia Read fine tuned this novel to perfection and has the reader feeling as if we were truly in the early 1900s right along with Serene. And the timeline/family altering was just mind-boggling. This is why is real life, we can’t go back in time because ONE changed thing causes a ripple effect and changes the course of history. I was literally taking notes while reading, and to the outsiders eye, my notes would make no sense, but to me, they mean everything! Every minute detail given, every new name or character mentioned felt important and I wrote it all down, but yet I feel as if I am missing something. Calia definitely keeps you thinking, that’s for sure!
The entire novel was a race against time and I could FEEL it in Etienne and Serene’s encounters. They are literally fighting the odds with their relationship and they both realize it, but they can’t deny their pull to each other. They will forever be each others one and only, but time is proving to make that impossible…unless…*wink*
“My heart will always belong to Etienne Lacroix no matter what happens or what he does, and that’s the cruel truth.”
I can not express how much everyone needs this series in their lives! It is TIMELESS! One story I will never forget. Now, is the painful wait for book 3 because once again, Calia leaves us on a cliffhanger.
5 stars!
This brilliant, amazing, emotion inducing book was well worth the wait. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars. I thought I loved them in The Surviving Trace but The Reigning and The Rule just made me love Serene and Etienne even more. Both books are definitely in my top reads of the year.
I felt so many emotions throughout this book, heartbreak, sadness, anger, happiness, shock, and so many more. The writing is so exceptional that I was feeling everything the characters were going through.
Calia has very quickly become one of my favorite authors despite giving me the feeling that she has ripped open my heart and plucked pieces out with tweezers before putting it back together.
The Reigning and the Rule stole all the pieces of my heart, smashed them into tiny bits, and then slowly gave them back to me. I am serious when I say that. I literally was a mess reading this book. I didn’t know I could love a book so much, but also hate it just as much. There were times where I was screaming at the characters, then laughing hysterically, and then holding back the tears. Every page was filled with angst, longing, desire, and so much more.
I loved Serene in The Surviving Trace, but she upped her game immensely in The Reigning and the Rule; which made me love her unconditionally. She was feisty, fiery, fierce, enchanting, and everything I want to be. She stole the show, in my eyes. I think what I enjoyed most about how fierce she was in The Reigning and the Rule, was that she was truly herself. She didn’t hold back, but at the same time, she still loved with her whole heart. She may have irked many a person, but that’s what made her story more powerful.
The dynamic with Étienne and Serene is awesome. They have a very layered relationship, nothing about it has ever been cut and dry. It is fascinating to watch how things work around these two. I also love the passion that burns between them. It is real, raw, and very intense. But at the same time, it is so much more than that. Then throw in Livingston and Nat, as well as any other key player who may enter their world, and it adds that extra bit of excitement.
The story as a whole consumed me. Every minute detail that Calia placed throughout this story, had me grasping for straws. It’s the little things in her books that I always overlook, so I was tirelessly trying to piece things together, but at the same time I was trying to absorb all of the words. That is what makes this series, thus far, phenomenal. Her words speak to my soul, on a level I didn’t know was possible. Which brings me to having to wait for book three. I don’t think it is possible, because I will die everyday piece by piece, until I have that book in my hands. I am so excited to see how everything wraps up, and where each of these fantastic characters end up.