Ricochet (Sins of Ophelia Aster Book 1)

4.5 STARS!!This book was so dark and intense and I loved it so much!!This book is definitely not everyone's cup of tea so please beware of the trigger warnings.I loved Phee so much, she is so strong and lets nothing get to her. I think Phee and Kieran and perfect for each other even though fate is not by their side right now. I really hope that changes.That ending was really unexpected and it is making me eager to know what is coming next!!Such a great book by a debut author. I have a feeling this series is going to get more intense and I am really looking forward to it!!A great and intense read!!

Wow. Mind blown Away. I cannot believe that it is her debut novel because this author killed it. This book was absolutely Guy-wrenching, hauntingly beautiful and completely unforgettable. From the first moment she pulled me in with the storyline and the chemistry between the MCs were super hot, raw and so intense. I just couldn’t get enough. Once I started I only wanted more. This definitely has become my top reads of 2021.I recommend it to all those who love their romance dark, gritty and thrilling. You won’t be disappointed. I’m really excited to see where the story goes and cannot wait for the second book.

OK...I'm not sure how to describe this book... you knocked it out the park L.The characters are just so complex and damaged and all so beautifully written you feel every emotion along with them. I am still in shock with how awesome the storyline in this book is and I can't wait to see Phee in Equilibrium and what she gets up to. I need it now L 🥺❤

Eines meiner Lieblingsbücher. Die Handlung war unvorhersehbar und packend. Von der ersten Seite an konnte ich das Buch nicht aus den Händen legen. Freue mich auf weitere Werke der Autorin.

What an amazing book to discover. Unexpected, totally raw. All my emotions were exposed as I was reading this book. One of the more creative, original books I've encountered in a long time. This story does not adhere any strict rules on love and requisite themes, instead, it delves into the emotions, good and bad, light and darkness of each character. It demonstrated the depths of human expression and how circumstances shaped character. It questioned nature or nurture, revealing traits of the characters that are just unleashed, those that with the right prompting, may realize themselves, perhaps evolving into, something different, dark even.Two mafia families puppet the lives of their children in holding onto to their stronghold. Two families, two best friends, and two lovers, this is not a traditional romance though there is love; there is also hate, betrayal, envy, and retribution. This story delves into change, dark emotion, and freedom through self-actualization. Ophelia "Phee" and Kieran, childhood friends to lovers, lovers to enemies, are changed as they become embroiled in illicit acts of their respective families. Ophelia, the accomplished assassin and given to psychopathic tendencies, is often made to be at odds and put at a disadvantage in power struggles. Still, she is fierce and not to be taken lightly despite outward displays of vulnerability. Kieran, emerging as the head of his family business, is characterized as lightness; he is even given to weakness despite being alpha. Both embattle the edge of darkness until being consumed by it, embracing it along with their siblings, but everyone's reception to this darkness is different.Characters garnered hate and scorn, sympathy, affection. I enjoyed living in the headspace of the main characters, following their motivations, experiencing their pain, daily trials with doing the "right" thing, and eventually becoming who they are. Their values and preferences were challenged by their circumstances, all with the backdrop of love's pull. Quite a bit of steam, tension, absolute feral passion played out unconventionally; this story was heart-wrenching.Just a couple of elements didn’t work for me: At times the inner monologues while often darkly humorous, self-deprecating, became too much, producing a lot of a telling rather than showing. Also, flashbacks employed until the end of the story made for a disjointed, disruptive flow. I often felt as if I were having to pause to catch up rather than continuing with what truly was an amazing tale. Overall, though, those did not detract from the pleasure and power of the story.A medium burn with such an emotional pull as to keep me captivated, this storyline felt like a modern-day saga. Raw and gutting. Love, betrayal, strength, darkness. I haven't come across a book like this in a long time. I was absolutely consumed. Excellent read.

"You are the daughter of a dragon. You do not bow, you conquer."* * * * *As soon as I can breathe again properly, we need to have words about this brutally beautiful masterpiece, L.K. Reid - and about what you have done to my dang heart!Ricochet is L.K Reid's debut novel, and she opens this hauntingly depraved dark romance by reminding us that love runs deep in our veins, but betrayal cuts deeper. We'd do well to remember this warning, as those themes sneak and slither beneath the surface of these pages, much like the Nightingale's ophidian emblem; a deadly, serpentining dance of lies, anguish and treachery. But it’s not until a snake raises its head to strike that we can truly see into the monsters' eyes, and sometimes, we don't find what we thought we would. This is a love story, but by the final lines, we realize it was never the one we were expecting; but it was so much more.Like the beautiful, trained assassin gracing its pages, Ricochet lures us in as Reid begins spinning the tale of Ophelia Aster, the daughter of a Russian businessman growing up in the picturesque town of Croyford Bay, and Kieran Nightingale, her brother's best friend - and her best friend's brother. Their futures are as intertwined as their families, and the ties that bind tighten further with each exhilarating and excruciating twist and turn their story takes.Ophelia and Kieran struggle to come to terms with the expectations of their fathers, and the feelings they have for one another. As time progresses and the hits keep coming, they learn the painful and potentially devastating lesson that love and devotion can lift you higher than you ever dreamed - or fell you fast enough to shatter everything you've ever held dear; that love may be a blind force, but when loyalty is too, no one walks away unscathed. No one is safe.This is the first in a multi-part series, and Reid slowly and cleverly peels back the layers of secrecy and deceit to reveal the hemorrhaging wounds left in the wake of duplicity and manipulation. There were moments I loved these characters, and times I loathed them. Moments they terrified, traumatized and tantalized, too. Moments I grieved at the anguish Reid painted onto the pages, and times I reveled in stolen bits of beauty and hope.In the end, - and what an end, holy hell - Ricochet rings true to its name and reminds us that one person, one moment - one decision - can connect us all, and change everything.For better, for worse.Forever.Five massive stars for this ferocious, poignant and evocative story. Congratulations on a brilliant, mind-blowing debut, Miss Reid!

Firstly I absolutely loved this read! But my good was I wasn't expecting what I experienced. My jaw is still hanging open in shock! Ophelia is our bada$$ main character who I liken to a phoenix. She was truly broken down to below her base level, yet rose from those ashes. At heart she has a massive heart, yet must become someone else to survive and try to protect those she loves. This is a very dark, twisty, turns ride and oh so worth it. Oodles of suspense and action, massive betrayals, heartbreak, deception, and a mystery to solve in between all of that. When at the age of seventeen your life shatters and changes in an instant what would you do to survive? Welcome to Ophelia's story, and its far from a fairy tale. This book did an epic job of laying the groundwork, world development, and character relationships for this series. The final pages will leave you shocked and desperate for the next in this series. As dark as it is, I'm cheering for Phee every step of the way. I just hope idiots who make assumptions wake up and face reality. Maybe then they can all join forces? Who knows what will actually happen as the author does an excellent job of laying breadcrumbs then changing everything in an instant. This book will leave you wanting more... And that's a good thing 😉.