Violent Triumphs (White Monarch, #3)

My Thoughts…
I’ve gone back and forth with this review for a few days now. It’s been very hard to get my feelings out and to explain myself, so please, bear with me. I willingly admit that the six month break in between the second and third book caused me to forget a few details – so some things coming out later, I had to jingle my brain a bit. I didn’t hate this book, but I didn’t love it.

Only could I/would I be willing to allow my favorite author to test my reading comfort with regards to an arranged/forced marriage or marriage of convenience – my least favorite trope out there. Hmmm…Tell me a story, Jessica. I’ll listen. I happily go into every one of her books with an open mind because I know how she pulls at my emotions, spoon-feeds me angst, and delivers an epic love story worthy of a book hangover. Never once have I questioned what I know her books can do to me. With the first two books sucking me in with mystery and intrigue, this one was sure to give me all the feels. I was sure of it. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any of the feelings that Jessica is known for giving me. I just didn’t. What’s most frustrating is that I didn’t love this book, but what’s equally frustrating is that I didn’t get the book hangover everyone else did. I just felt….underwhelmed, and that saddens me beyond my own understanding.

“You make me lose control.”
—-
“And you make me powerful when others would have me powerless.”

I will say, this final book showed a cool, calm and collected Cristiano – but he was very calculated. He had a seriousness to him that I cannot even begin to imagine; way beyond my comprehension. What a heaviness to digest at all times. Individually, Cristiano was amazing. Natalia was strong. Diego was always a douche. Costa loved his daughter so hard. His Princessa, his baby girl. Barto and Alejo and Pilar have something going and I need their story ASAP. There were so many elements working for this book and it was a busy and fantastic storyline.

But let me dig a little deeper.

Cristiano made me smile. He was the man that you know will always have your back. He took care of everything. He was the unwavering strength in the dark, unknown abyss of an ever-changing world of the cartel and he made sure to take care of his own. Oh, and he had a mouth worth craving. I did like his naughty tongue. I loved every single thing about him. Even the softer side of him that buckled to Natalia’s desires. Natalia, herself, was a brat. Straight up brat. But Natalia grew on me. Slowly. Very slowly. I know I have to keep in mind that she was only 20, so I can’t hate her. But, what I ended up feeling the most conflicted about her character was the change from an insolent child to a queen, seemingly overnight. She didn’t settle, but you can’t all of the sudden grow into a queen if you’ve never tried on the crown. While Natalia irked me in the past two books, I could understand where she was coming from and I knew she would grow, so the buildup that Cristiano’s gruff determination promised me made me fall in love with their dynamic. Yes, I realize the circumstances dictated this change in her confidence, but I struggled with that because for two books, I saw one side of her and then the switch was flipped immediately – and voila! She was a strong, confident woman standing beside her powerful man. Maybe it was the nature of the circumstance that made her “realize” this, but I definitely understood why Jaz questioned her loyalty and truthfulness.

With the extravagance of circumstances surrounding them, I knew there was going to be some things happening that I wouldn’t know about, like behind the scenes activities and such. I mean, it’s a world I hope to never encounter, so I definitely read on with wonder and Jessica didn’t spare any details when it came to building this empire for Cristiano and Natalia. What I didn’t appreciate was Diego’s role in this book, nor did I understand the ending AT ALL. Like, at all. I didn’t understand why Cristiano made it a black and white decision for her, and then changed the plan. That was completely out of character to me, so I had a hard time compartmentalizing this change. The adrenaline rush of the last 25% was fast and almost felt too uneven for me. I was excited, anxious, and all around nervous for what was going to happen – which is the best when your head is spinning with possibilities!! I knew Cristiano was The Devil in disguise…..or no disguise, but he was evil and exacted revenge with precision, so I couldn’t deny that I was intrigued with his actions and how he handled certain scenarios.

“There’s only the underworld for people like us. But down here, we don’t burn. We rule.”

Some of the analogies were….interesting, but the way she told the story was definitely in-depth, down to the most minute of details. She was quite articulate as Cristiano amassed a world of chaos and destruction within, all the while including a love that was indestructible. Trust me, I know that Jessica’s writing is superb. I’ve read every book and have walked away star-struck each and every time. But I was looking for more with this one. I was hoping for an ending that made me scream and feel like I needed to jump around and discuss this. In the end, it just felt…done. That’s never happened with one of her books. Ever. This does NOT mean I don’t want to read the probable spinoffs from the other characters in this world. On the contrary. I am looking forward to exploring more. I couldn’t stop turning the pages and I couldn’t put it down, no denying the pull it had. But…overall, it ended without flair for me.

I’m very sad that I didn’t get the book hangover that was promised me and I’m sad that I feel so blah about it. That’s probably the most heartbreaking part for me, seeing as this is my favorite author and I’ve never given her a low rating before. I wanted to savor the ending as a book hangover. I wanted to be stuck in a love that held me captive and held me back from moving on. I don’t feel like I got that. Was it good? Hell yeah! It was well written. It was a great ending. But, based on all the glowing reviews, this is just a me thing – obviously.

It is NO secret. I don’t hide it. I can’t deny it. I love Jessica Hawkins’ books. She is my #1 author out of my Top 5 Favorite Authors. Constantly. Continually. Jessica does trilogies well. Jessica does epic love stories well. Jessica writes her men exceptionally well. I love Jessica’s books. I can’t say it enough. So it bothers me to no end that this one didn’t wow me like I was anticipating. This one, I built it up so much in my head, and the first two books ramped up this story to the point that it couldn’t go any way other than fantastically amazing. I’m heartbroken that I didn’t love this one. Heartbroken. For this reason, I am giving this book a 3.5 STAR review. Too much didn’t work for me to love it, but it was still a great story.

“Don’t mistake strategy for weakness.”
~BEE

Violent Triumphs, the final installment to the White Monarch trilogy by Jessica Hawkins was exhilarating!

Violent Triumphs begins right at the edge of the cliff where Violent Ends left us!

Natalia has completely changed from the previous books. She is no longer the naive, fragile, obnoxious woman she was in the prior two books. Now she’s fierce. Now she’s a fighter. Natalia proves herself worthy of standing by Cristiano’s side and ruling as his Queen .

Cristiano has been to hell and back, fighting the dark underbelly of the cartel world. He will stop at nothing until he saves as many people as he can from the Belmonte-Ruiz cartel. He’s such a sexy bada**. There is no doubt why he is King

“I’d thought he was the enemy— but maybe he never had been.”

Cristiano and Natalia had a rollercoaster of a relationship. It was a bit rocky in the beginning but soon it turned passionate. Natalia’s feelings for Cristiano bloomed with time and watching their relationship transform was consuming.

Truths and secrets come to light in this action packed trilogy. Power. Betrayal. Greed. A labyrinth of twists and turns. This is hands down a binge-worthy trilogy!!

Amazing conclusion to this trilogy. Jessica Hawkins remains one of my absolute favorite authors.

What a fantastic conclusion to this brilliant series. It’s been a thrilling ride full of gripping suspense and intrigue. Christiano and Natalia are the best of characters as together they face the good and the bad. But will they come out the victorious?
I highly recommend!

Another gripping, addictive trilogy from Jessica Hawkins! Violent Triumphs concludes this angsty, emotional high-octane cartel saga! If you haven’t started, go back to book 1 to get our sexy binge on!

This is the third book in a finished trilogy, so get ready to binge read all of this sexy goodness!! You need this in your life!

Wow! No words! I’m like, OMG, Cristiano is ‘THE’ ultimate hero! I fell in love with him in this book! Great job Jessica Hawkins for writing this series! I was spell-bound! I read it in one sitting!

I love the series, though, I was not impressed with Natalia in the first 2 books, but on the 3rd, she just took a 360degrees! Chemistry is building up between them from the first moment they met until ‘the’ day. And… oh…my…gosh, the wait was killing me but it was worth it! Loved them both, the king to his queen!

The suspense and drama, the danger and the underground, the events and the characters were all in line with the story, and wow, bravo! It was like watching a movie unfold! I would love to see this on Netflix!

This book is added as one of the best books I have ever read during my lifetime!

I was so excited to finally listen to the last installment of this trilogy and let me tell you, it does not disappoint. There is a level of twists and turns that keep you on your toes. The narration gives it that extra depth that makes it feel like it is playing out in front of you. Seeing how this one all played out and the way it ended, I am very impressed with it. It kept me fully engaged and I honestly, could not take my headphones off at ALL! Jessica Hawkins has woven a brilliant story with this trilogy and I highly recommend it!

Violent Triumphs
White Monarch, Book 3
By: Jessica Hawkins
Narrated by: Emma Wilder, Brian Pallino, Gomez Pugh

Jessica Hawkins has completed the White Monarch Trilogy and my heart is full! It brings our story full circle with twists and turns you just do not see coming. Cristiano’s love for Natalie burns hot, evident if every move he makes. It may take a while, but this girl acclimates to her new life, understands it and her feelings are growing. But there is that ever nagging in the back of her head about his guilt with her mother’s death and the deal he made with his brother to marry her. Will it ever stop? Hawkins has us tied up in knots as we learn and love this couple. It takes us on a journey of deception and redemption, danger and passion. Complex characters, interesting story line, slow burning passion, what more can you ask for? I loved every minute of this series!

Hawkins concludes her series narration with the fabulous team she assembled. Emma Wilder shines in the darkness creating Natalie into the strong woman she is. Brian Pallino with his fantastic accent wins our heart with his portrayal of the dark and delicious Cristiano and Gomez Pugh comes through with one of the best deceptive voices as Diego. This cast brought out the best aspects of the story, adding their nuances to the characters to give it depth. Loved them!

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I’m sitting here clutching my chest since this book give me a literal panic attack. The twists and turns, the angst it all had me with tears in my eyes and so many emotions I couldn’t even handle it half the time. I knew this author would give us an ending to end all, but I couldn’t have envisioned that! If you’re hesitant to pick up work by this author or this series, implore you to give it and the author a chance. You will not regret it. All the White Monarch stars. I volunteered to listen and review a complimentary copy of this. All opinions are my own.