The “heartstopping” conclusion to the USA Today bestselling White Monarch series.I’ve become a queen to the forsaken, a leader to thieves, and the wife of a man who instills fear in all who cross his path. He was the husband I didn’t want. Now, I can’t fathom life without my king.I should’ve been ready for anything. Like the caterpillar that feeds on poison during metamorphosis, I was raised in … feeds on poison during metamorphosis, I was raised in the dangerous world of cartel crime. But nothing could’ve prepared me for Cristiano de la Rosa, his brother’s poison, or the Calavera cartel.
This is still a story about a love strong enough to topple households, unite enemies, and divide brothers. Resilient enough to bring down those who would try to destroy it . . . and selfless enough to make the ultimate sacrifice.
But I was warned, and so were you. Death’s day always comes. This time, it will find what was once a caterpillar is now a butterfly—and hell hath no fury like the White Monarch.
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Jessica Hawkins knocked it out of the park with this conclusion to the wonderful series of the white monarch. Christiano and Natalia’s story is unlike any that I’ve ever read before, and I was not prepared at all for it to be over with. Christiano is such a sexy Devil with a dirty mouth but a huge heart that he tries to keep hidden, and Natalia grows from a innocent Caterpillar into a beautiful Mariposita * Butterfly* all because of her King.
“My organs are impenetrable.” “And your heart?” she asked. “Is it impenetrable, too?” “No, but it wasn’t where he thought it would be,” I said. “Because it was here. With you.”
“I need, Natalia. I need you like I haven’t needed anything in a long time. Maybe ever.”
“I wouldn’t be allowed in Heaven, but I swear on all that’s holy—I’d rattle the gates until they let me have you.”
This will forever hold a special place in my heart they totally consumed me in the most fulfilling way. Jessica’s SITW series will forever be my absolute favorite, but Christiano, and Natalia are a close second. I have such a book hangover from this series and I still haven’t fully recovered or gotten my feelings in order to write a great review, but for now this will have to suffice. Read this series Ladies/Gents you wont regret it!!!!
To paraphrase the fabulous Margo Channing, fasten your seatbelts, dear readers, because Jessica Hawkins is landing her White Monarch plane with one heck of a bumpy ride.
From the opening pages, where we fret and worry for Natalia and Cristiano, until the last pages, when Jessica Hawkins FINALLY allows you to take a breath, you will furiously turn the pages, waiting for peace of mind for not only Cristiano and Natalia, but for yourself.
You get answers. Who is behind what happened to Natalia and Cristiano? Who murdered Natalia’s mother? What will happen to Diego? Will Natalia and Cristiano be allowed their happy ending? Jessica Hawkins tells you all those things. You likely will be happy with some answers, whereas others might feel a little too manipulated, as if they were not organic to the story or characters.
You also get some sexy times. As she did with Lake and Manning in her Something in the Way series, Hawkins keeps you w-a-i-t-i-n-g for the happy couple to make the magic happen. Sometimes that wait feels too long in a good way, in a “this needs to happen first” way. Other times, though, the wait feels forced on you. There were moments when reading this conclusion to the trilogy when I would wonder if the whole thing would have been stronger had it been a duet. I had the same sense of impatience with the second book, too, where it felt like some of the pages (if not whole chapters) served no purpose in advancing the plot.
And that’s what we want as readers, right? We want a story that feels as if it unfolds in a way that is true to the characters. I didn’t always feel that way when reading these books. I enjoyed them. Heck, yes, I enjoyed them. Cristiano is ALL THE THINGS. I loved him. He has the depth I wish Natalia had. (Don’t get me started on the utterly one-note and flat Diego, who is just … UGH. For a bad guy, he sure is dull.) Anyway. Back to Natalia. She’s a little too predictable for me. Yet she is only twenty–not even legally able to drink alcohol in the United States–and Jessica Hawkins certainly crafts her with every bit of the emotional immaturity you’d expect from someone that age. There were SO MANY TIMES I wanted to reach into these three books and shout at Natalia to JUST STOP. She’s her own worst enemy, and that’s saying something, considering the enemies around her.
Cristiano, though, rescues the whole thing. I love him. I love the way he loves, and I love his strength. I love his complexities and devotion. I love his faith in himself and in what he’s doing. I will die on the hill of belief that he could do better than Natalia, but maybe that’s because I’m jealous of her. I’m woman enough to admit that.
Have you read this series? Tell me what you think.
Best ending to a trilogy in recent memory! I’m so sad it’s over! Jessica is the master of the slow burn and I was dying for each installment the whole time. One click this series, it’s all complete! Also her other books can’t be missed. Just read them and don’t plan on sleeping or getting anything else done!
Book three is here! I’m so excited. Love Jessica’s writing and world building.
An explosive ending to what has been yet another outstanding series from Jessica Hawkins. There is something about her stories that have me pinned to my seat while I binge read the book in a day.
Once again she delivers us characters that we love passionately and hate intensely. This is a series completely different to anything else she has done before, it’s edgy, raw and dark but still with her trade mark love triangle, my favourite genre. I love how my opinion changed during the course of this book, how characters changed as their true motives came to light! When the book takes a different direction to the one you thought.
The epilogue was just the icing on the cake … something more than the usual lived happily ever after and had children. Definitely a top read for 2019!!
Violent Triumphs is the epic conclusion of Natalia and Cristiano’s story. This book is everything!! Seeing their story come to an end is bittersweet. I feel so attached to them and everyone in the book and definitely wasn’t ready for it to end. Jessica did a wonderful job finishing their story and brought out all the feels! I highly recommend this trilogy!!
Natalia and Cristiano’s relationship has never been easy but things are changing. Natalia has always fought him but she’s ready to give in. Cristiano and Natalia are building a life together until the past comes back up haunt them. Will they ever be safe? Will the past ever die?
A perfect ending that I definitely didn’t see coming!
This series has had me hanging on by a thread through all three books!! Jessica Hawkins gives us an ending that nobody saw coming, not even Natalia and Christiano.
Epic. Flawless. Perfect. Violent Triumphs gave me all the feels. I thought I loved these characters in book one and two but NOTHING compares to the way I feel about them after finishing book three.
The chemistry between Natalia and Christiano has always been hot as sin. I could feel the heat through the pages. Christiano is so incredibly hot. He’s older, he’s dangerous, but he is passionate. He’s definitely not one of the good guys but my heart is sold.
Seeing the progress that Natalia has shown is breathtaking. She has grown so much, not only physically, but mentally. She trusts herself and her decisions.
The White Monarch series was an amazing series that I am sad to see end. I truly fell in love with Jessica’s words and these characters. The whole series was flawless.
Talk about the conclusion ending in a blaze of glory and on a bang! Literally. Violent Triumphs picks right up from the last page of Violent Ends. Everything comes to a head in this book. All of the answers are revealed. So much has changed since the first book. The characters and relationships have undergone major developments. I was happy to see Natalia give in to her gut instincts and to see the truth for it was and not what she was told to believe. She also stands up for herself and takes charge, as a woman in her position should. Cristiano and Natalia finally get their time together and after all the build up and anticipation, it did not disappoint. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. I wanted to see a bit more of the side of Cristiano that was in the previous books, because in this one, he seemed a little more subdued in comparison rather than the fearless and domineering leader. Otherwise, readers won’t be disappointed with the culmination of this cartel trilogy done in Jessica Hawkins style.
Jessica Hawkins nailed it with the final piece of her White Monarch trilogy!! This is a definite must-read!
Jessica has done it again
This is a must read series that you don’t want to miss out on. Jessica Hawkins has a way with words and her promise to deliver a heart stopping, engaging, sexy story full of love, passion and betrayal has been fulfilled.
Yes, you have to read Violent Delights and Violent Ends first, this is of course a trilogy. In true Jessica Hawkins form, she has left us gasping for air and wanting M O R E after the first two installments. The conclusion of the journey between Natalia and Cristiano and Diego was played out with great intensity until the very end.
I’m not going to give anything away, you can read the blurbs if you want, but I suggest taking the plunge, jump right in with Violent Delights and enjoy the journey. But know this, Jessica Hawkins and her charismatic ways are in full force. She packs a punch and rest assured you’ll come out swinging!
This is a delicious journey of love, loss, betrayal and redemption. You won’t want to get off this ride until it comes to a complete stop!
The conclusion to Jessica Hawkins White Monarch series has come to an epic conclusion. I consumed this story within two days because I had to keep reading to find out what happens. The story line picked up right where book #2 left off at and it was like no time had passed at all in terms of remembering the story line. The intrigue was off the charts. The dirty talking alpha male was spot on. The way Jessica had written these characters was exceptional. The way the perception readers had of certain characters had changed. It was flawless in its execution. The whole world she created was amazing. The level of detail and mapping out these characters lives had to be time consuming.
I’ve never been a big fan of mafia / cartel books but this world captured my heart. I was eager to read more about this world and the constant threat on their lives. The constant action that appeared. The whole world transported me, the writing kept me coming back for more, and the ending was satisfactory.
The long-awaited and anticipated conclusion to the White Monarch Series is finally here, and I took my time and savored it. Jessica’s words in Violent Triumphs are poignant and beautiful, emotional and steamy, shocking and intense; full of poetry and metaphors. They weaved their way into my inner soul and showed me a love like no other. Her references to the monarch throughout the series, and especially in book 3, totally captured my heart. Their love affair will forever reside inside me, and I will remember this book for years to come. The whole series has been inspiring, dramatic, and suspenseful. Author Jessica Hawkins has once again written what can only be described as a masterpiece.
Cristiano has loved Natalia since she was a child, and now he loves her as a woman, as his queen, as the love of his life. As Cristiano patiently waits for Natalia to see the truth and to trust in his feelings for her, he guides her and molds her into the queen she was born to become. He turns her into the woman she doesn’t even know she needs to be. She is strong and fierce and well prepared for the journey they are about to embark upon.
As Natalia awakens to her new truth and her true feelings are revealed to both herself and Cristiano, she became one of my favorite heroines. She rose from a naïve child to a powerful woman prepared to stand by and die by her man.
Throughout the series, readers craved more than anything, to see Cristiano and Natalia finally become a true couple. And though the wait was sometimes painful, it was always intense, it was always there just beneath the surface waiting for the perfect moment, and Jessica found it.
Cristiano is a lover like no other. He is gentle and slow yet harsh and animalistic. He is in tune with Natalia and knows what she needs even when she doesn’t know herself. He forces her to face her desires and ask for what she wants, ask for what she needs! He loves her like no one else ever could or would. Every word out of Cristiano’s mouth urged me on, brought me to my knees with the way his love for Natalia shone through his brutal reality.
Only Natalia, his queen, had the power to bring Cristiano to his knees. Only Natalia could stand by his side and rule their kingdom. Cristiano and Natalia are faced with violent circumstances and the toughest choices. They give power to each other through their eyes, they support each other through everything, they are a power-couple.
Violent Triumphs has one of the most heartbreaking and inspiring endings of any book I’ve ever read. The dramatic scenes, the surprising events, the heart-wrenching choices, the sadness, the love, and the tears I shed and the smile that finally broke free. Those last few chapters put me through the wringer. My husband caught glimpses of me as I read and his comment says it all, “It must be a good book. I can see it in your face.”
This book, this series was truly amazing, and I can’t wait to sit back and enjoy it all again. It’s definitely one to be re-read now that the series is complete.
“This was my destiny. I belonged by Cristiano’s side. He was the man I wanted, and now I knew-he was the one I needed.”
Violent Triumphs is the conclusion to the White Monarch trilogy. As someone who isn’t a big fan of trilogies, Jessica Hawkins did a great job in keeping me invested in the story. I looked forward to the character development and how the story would play out. I wanted to see Natalia grow from a sheltered and naive young woman into a strong and independent one. Her transformation was completed in this book. I am so proud of her and enjoyed seeing her grow so much in this trilogy. I wouldn’t change anything about it. I also loved seeing her and Cristiano finally fully come together. She really did a great job in resisting him, for which I can’t blame her because she didn’t really knew him. Everything was laid out in the open and piece by piece all the secrets were uncovered. They finally had the answers to all their heartbreaking questions.
Love is, “I’d die for you.” Not, “Would you die for me?”
Natalia and Cristiano are made for each other and I absolutely loved seeing their relationship develop. The pacing of it was great and it gave me more than enough time to connect to them. I was invested in their relationship and I really hoped that they would get their HEA. Like the previous books, being part of a cartel means you have more than enough enemies, and those enemies want to take you down. The suspense and action was fully delivered in this book. There were scenes that had me on the edge of my seat and in tears. Especially the last quarter of the book was extra intense. I couldn’t put the book down until I was finished. I really loved the world the author created for this book, and I really hope there will be spin-off novels focusing on a couple of the side-characters. If you love dark and mafia romances, then I highly recommend you to give this trilogy a chance. PS: the sex scenes were incredibly HOT and totally worth the wait.
White Monarch trilogy is complete and Jessica Hawkins takes out with a “bang” This last installment is my favorite of the trilogy.
It has the right amount of tenderness, romance, sweetenes, hotness, sexiness, action and revelations.
The buildup in the first 2 installments was real!!! Definitely getting us ready for the story of Cristiano and Natalia and what would or wouldn’t be.
There were 2 elements in this book that I didn’t like but I won’t say because #SPOILER….I will say this:
One was an *eye rolling moment* and the other was “I CAN’T BELIEVE SHE DID THAT” but it’s not my story *shrug*
Overall I enjoyed this one very much!
Oh the ending! Everything comes together in this book and makes the perfect story. The characters were rich, sexy, and interesting. The chemistry flowed between Christiano & Natalia. The banter between them was almost better than the sex. The author upped her game for the sexy moments! It’s a beautiful love story that keeps you enthralled until the very end. This may be my favorite series of hers yet!
4-4.5 stars
Well….I feel like the “end of an era” has come in the way of Natalia & Cristiano. I also need to catch my breath because WHOA.
What a freakin’ ride THAT was!
VIOLENT TRIUMPHS, book 3 of The White Monarch series by Jessica Hawkins – NOT A STANDALONE BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION – kept me on my toes pretty much throughout the whole book. The suspicions I had of a certain character were confirmed, but NOTHING could prepare me for THAT “holy crap!!” moment where I literally gasped, put the book down, and was very close to messaging Jessica with a “WTF, woman?!?!”
*deep breaths*
Anyway….
This books picks right up after the crazy cliffy from book 2.
Cristiano and Natalia’s relationship blossoms amidst the chaos surrounding them, and the most noticeable growth of all is Natalia’s. She begins to chip away at her hard, naive shell until the true diamond shines through. And my goodness, witnessing that was very satisfying. On the other hand, we see a side of Cristiano that we didn’t see much(if at all) in the first two books….his walls crumble and we see the true Cristiano in all his glory: strong, ruthless, KING, but with a freaking amazing heart and sense of loyalty and sacrifice that’s 100% unmatched. FOR NATALIA. Always for her.
Their love grows to be incredible strong and epic. Them together were a force to be reckoned with, regardless of the tests and tribulations a cartel life can bring. It was VERY clear that they LOVED and ADORED each other with EVERY.FIBER.OF.THEIR.BEING. Their love would endure even after death. Despite death.
Overall, I really enjoyed the conclusion to the story as well as I believe that Jessica gave this characters the ending they deserved. However, I couldn’t give a full 5-star rating because I had some reservations regarding some parts in the book that at this point they’re probably more my hang-ups so I’m not going to bother explaining what they were.
Regardless, this book was INCREDIBLE and I will NEVER forget these characters.
5+ Stars!
This was my favorite book of the trilogy and it was the perfect ending!
Waiting almost five full months for this book to release was not easy. I was highly anticipating the epic conclusion and impatiently waiting to get my hand on it. It did not disappoint.
I don’t want to give a single thing about this story but the twists and turns threw me for a loop and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I read this book so quickly, that I will be going back and binge reading the series from the beginning! The depth of this story was fascinating and so entertaining! The writing was amazing and I felt as if I was right there with the characters as they went through their journey.
Please, do yourself a favor and binge read this entire series right now! If you love romances filled with danger, mysteries, and all the angst, this should be at the top of your to be read pile!
Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.
5 Triumph
This was the best book of the series the suspense was at an all time high. Truths are discovered and lies are revealed. Great conclusion to this series.
***ARC Provided by the Author***
First, this is not a standalone, not even a little bit. So, if this is where you are starting, go back to the beginning. This one you are going to want to read the build up before you get to the ending.
Well, this didn’t go the way I thought it was going to. Not at all. I had an idea where I thought Natalia and Cristiano’s story was going to go and, nope. I did not guess right, not at all.
That said, I loved where this went, I loved how it got there, and I absolutely loved the ending. It’s not what I thought would happen, but in so many ways it was better.
There were parts my heart was in my throat, and there were a couple where I could NOT believe what I was reading and that it actually happened. And, there might have been a couple of times I was mad…at the characters, the author…my Kindle. The entire world.
But, I got over it. And, what a ride. It’s not even a little possible to review this without spoilers, so I am not even going to try to talk about what happens, or give specifics about how each of the things made me feel. There’s just too much that can be messed up.
I enjoyed and recommend this title…and I absolutely loved the last line of the book. It was actual perfection.