Cruel Fortune (Cruel #2)

I loved that Natalie grew some balls after what happened in Book 1, but her naïvety is annoying. Lewis comes into the picture and I remember how cool they were until that bet. Because Lewis was a part of the bet, I wondered why she’d trust him that easily? Those Upper East Side kids are manipulative, treacherous creatures, so I didn’t understand why Natalie wouldn’t put anything past them. I figured Lewis had some ulterior motive with the way he was coming onto Natalie….the fact that she’s so gullible is near heartbreaking. The only real one was Penn. I liked how he traveled hundreds of miles to SC, get turned down, and still pine after Natalie. I liked how he was still there for her even when she was with someone else, but Natalie did get on my nerves a bit because I felt by that point, she was playing games and being purposefully dumb. Otherwise Nat and Pen forever!!! And Katherine, poor miserable Katherine…in real life, she’s get her ass beat and now there is a new fire in Natalie that will burn Katherine down once and for all. Honestly, I think she still had feelings for Penn and felt threatened by Natalie. After all, if Natalie is a “nobody,” why do you care so much about her! Why are you actively trying to destroy another person without any real reason other than her being more “popular” and liked by the guy you actually like? High school I tell you! The storyline is quite riveting. You meet Lewis’s family, especially Etta and Charlotte. I like there are characters of color without the stereotypes and how Linde describes them without fetishizing them. The first book was my favorite and this one’s great too. I kind of felt the story itself was a bit…hallow. Storyline itself dragged you in, but it was filled with mundane details. I’d like to see more character driven plots…where their actions and behaviors is dictated by who they are we see their many layers. I’d love to see more of that on the final book.

Reviewed by Donna on behalf of KFF Cruel Fortune is the second in the Cruel trilogy and picks up a year after an incident which happened in Cruel Money. Natalie is now a successful bestselling author and finds herself going back to the place she never thought she’d step into again. It’s only for a short while before her book’s released and then she’ll be out of there and back home in Charleston. The only issue is she’s struggling to write at home. She’d lost her muse previously; the hot alpha enigmatic man, Penn Kensington. Natalie would sacrifice seeing him again to have the words flow freely but it’s possible she’ll find a new muse in the Big Apple with lots of potential stories in such lively surroundings. After all, she knows she’d never belonged in the world of filthy rich people who will scheme to get what they want or give a second thought as to whom they’d step on. Obviously, even though it’s a large city, Natalie finds herself bumping into the Crew, a bunch of ruthless people that had hurt her in a spectacular way. However, new friendships and a relationship are formed regardless of her being a little apprehensive. In the back of her mind, she isn’t sure about people’s intentions towards her. “Your passion is my favorite thing about you. Most people around here lose it, contain it, leash it. You set yours free and it lights you up.” I can’t go into this story too much without potentially giving loads away. But let me tell you this; it’s a rollercoaster of a ride full of drama, scheming and abounding angst. I mean angst with a capital A! Brilliantly executed, I was on the edge of my seat watching what felt like a car crash in slow motion. I couldn’t stop reading to find out what was going to happen; especially some of the decisions and actions key characters took. I couldn’t figure out who was sincere and I certainly knew who wasn’t, that’s for sure. I mustn’t forget the chemistry and passion in Cruel Fortune. Wow, one scene was intensely hot! The writing and storytelling were absolutely outstanding and there’s a brilliantly put together playlist which if you listen to periodically as well as reading, you’ll feel like you’re living the story. When an author can transport you right there in the moment, it’s evident the writing is cleverly put together. I was kept wondering if certain characters’ actions had a lot more going on then what I was being led to believe, and intrigued as to where Ms. Linde was taking the story. I have so many books to read and it was with trepidation that I picked up my kindle to read another since this thrilling book was still stuck in the back of my mind. The ending definitely left me thirsty for more. The only clue I will give is I think the next and final part of this trilogy will have the readers even more on edge as the closing scenes were fighting talk. Bravo for a fabulous story Ms. Linde.

So, I really wanted to love this book as much as the first one, but sadly I didn’t. For a majority of the book, I was yelling at Natalie to wake up and open her eyes. As they say “When people show you who they are the first time, believe them.” For me, Lewis had shown exactly who he was within the first few chapters. Everything was written clear as day what type of person the man was. It always made Natalie seem a lot weaker than she was in book one. I loved the bohemian wearing hippie that she was. She was so carefree and happy. That’s not who she was in this book and I realize a piece of her died, but you never give up your individuality. I guess I have to wait three months (July 16th!) before the conclusion.

Holy crap, my emotions were all over the place with this book. The ending of Cruel money left me in shambles. I was counting the days for Cruel Fortune and it didn\’t disappoint. My heart broke for what Natalie had been through, but in this book she got on my nerves. I am a huge fan a love triangles but this one really bothered me. The triangle the author created left me strongly disliking the heroine. I didn\’t see it coming, or maybe I did and just didn\’t want to (crying) believe she\’d go there. Penn is sexy and ruthless. The villain you love to hate. I should\’ve been happy he was getting what he deserved. But instead I felt completely betrayed for him! Ugh, I was tapping the pages of my kindle all hard and wanting to throw it at times. Angry as heck, but I couldn\’t put it down. I had to know how this was going to play out. Still don\’t know. (Side eye) I NEED BOOK 3!

Their world is so fascinating it’s a mixture of Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars! I had goosebumps from the very first page! OMG what a roller coaster of emotions reading this book..anger, happiness, sadness so frustrated at times with Natalie and so much love for Penn! It’s so hard to review it without giving things away. Just go read it! It’s a fab addition to the Cruel world. Can’t wait for the final book.

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