Unfortunately I was unable to finish the book as I did not like it. Out of respect to the author I will not post a negative review online as I did not finish the book in its entirety.

This is a fun sequel to The Hurricane Wars, and we get to see Alaric and Talasyn's relationship continue to develop. This time, with their dynamic as a married couple in one of my favorite tropes, marriage of convenience. I love seeing that in a fantasy setting, and this setting felt especially lush.

Talasyn reads super young which sometimes made the book feel juvenile. But all-in-all, fans of the first book will enjoy this sequel!

4.5 ⭐ - <i>Thank you to Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!</i>

Oh, Talasyn. Oh, Alaric. How I've missed you so 🥹

<blockquote><i>"She returned his kisses eagerly, as though they lived in a world where there had never been a war and he was wanted and adored—and that was how he realized he was dreaming."</i></blockquote>

This spellbinding 2nd book of The Hurricane Wars was much better than the first: the writing improved, and everyone who didn't like the romance in the first book can't say the same for this one because the chemistry was AMAZING. The romance was genuinely so much better, not just because they've spent more time getting to know each other, but also because of the bond they've formed, the vulnerabilities they've shared with each other and how they're each other's emotional support. Through all their doubts, insecurities and flaws, the other is always there to support and comfort them. They're each other's safe space, and I love that.

<blockquote><i>"You should never flirt again,” he said. “It might be the end of me."</i></blockquote>

The banter is hilarious as always, not just between Alaric and Talasyn but also between Sevraim and Talasyn's noble friends (you could never make me hate Sevraim 🤭). And the ANGST. Oh, the angst. It was MULTIPLIED in this book if that was even possible??? It made the book so much better, and I can't wait for book 3 and for them to find out the depth of their obsessions with each other 🤭

Not only was this book shorter, but it was just so much easier to read. There's a lot less plot than the first book, too, but I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the plot-focused scenes (the one with the world eater was truly so so beautiful and so wonderfully written that I could see it playing like a movie in my head- I love a tragic love story.) Also, the Filo rep!! I loved that Nenavar is a tropical country, SEA countries need more appreciation 🫶 I do wish that there were more developments and motivations for side characters, though, which would help with the abrupt reveal at the end!

<blockquote><i>"He had let her get too close. She would be his undoing. Light and shadow couldn’t exist together without one destroying the other."</i></blockquote>

One of the main things I appreciated about this sequel is that Talasyn still doubts Alaric. Of course, I don't want them to stay enemies forever, but I believe that no matter how "good" Alaric is, he's still a coloniser and needs to understand the error of his actions to fully redeem himself. The Hurricane Wars can't ever be truly over between the two of them otherwise.

I really loved this book and can't wait for the last one!! I need to see Alaric and Talasyn together and safe and living happily ever after 😭😭

This book was absolutely amazing! It was perfection! And the fact that thea is making me waiting so long for the third book is killing me!

A wonderful follow up to The Hurricane Wars. Watching Talasyn and Alaric grow in their relationship, from fighting it accepting it. Their combined growing power.
Loved it!

Love the enemies to lovers dynamic in this book, was really looking forward to the developing relationship between Talasyn and Alaric.
I didn’t realize that there is going to be another book when I started it so didn’t expect to be left off on a cliffhanger but excited that the story is going to continue.
I personally enjoyed this book even more than I enjoyed the first one, I love the development of the characters in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review.

“A Monsoon Rising” is the much-anticipated 2nd book of The Hurricane Wars trilogy. I was very much hoping to have more scenes with Alaric and Talasyn since the first book left me wanting more, and I was not disappointed by this sequel!

Alaric and Talasyn are now married and being forced to be together despite wanting nothing to do with one another. Other than trying to save face for the sake of their political alliance, the new couple are secretly plotting against one another while trying to push aside and ignore the undeniable chemistry between them.

Fortunately and unfortunately, there are some very spicy scenes on a number of occasions, and I surprisingly found myself wishing the author would ease up and focus more on the story at times, because the plot was getting lost. I was also getting a little annoyed by the main characters’ repetitive, juvenile behaviors. Yes, they are young, but the more their relationship evolved, the more I thought these annoying behaviors would lesson. Not the case.

The plot finally picks up towards the end of the book with lots of action and an explosive cliffhanger of an ending. This part felt much more like the first book, and I really enjoyed it. I’m sincerely hoping that the third book will be a balance between the first two books in terms of having more scenes with the main characters together, but also more scenes to move the plot along.

Overall, if you liked The Hurricane Wars, you’re going to like this book. The writing style is outstanding, and the world-building is spot-on, but the romance overshadows much of this particular book. I’m eager to read the third book to see how Alaric and Talasyn’s story ends.

Thea has done it again with this highly awaited sequel to the hurricane wars. No tension can compare between Alaric and Talasyn. Their relationships with the others around them are also so well written. I'm a person that loves well written characters more than plot and most times, authors can write one well but not the other. However, Guanzon writes both character and plot so well.

Compared to my feelings on the first book, I LOVED this sequel, which is very romance first and fantasy second, but that’s okay! I was into that for this book!

Frankly speaking, I don’t know that much happened plot-wise until the last maybe 10-15% of the book. The majority of the story felt like Talasyn and Alaric figuring out what their arranged marriage and simultaneous attraction to each other meant, while Talasyn continued to navigate her varying roles that she took up in book one (princess, empress, double agent, rebel, the list goes on). The last couple chapters had a lot going on, and as many other reviews stipulate, the plot twist at the end makes me immensely curious for what will happen next.

The best part of this book was by far the romance. The tension was strong, and we love a declaration done in the form of yelling (don’t judge me, the passion is there and I am feral for it). The spice was more present in this book, but that came second to the verbal banter and pure vibes that emanated from our two leads, in my humble opinion.

Lastly, I have to shout out our FMC for being so much more tolerable in book 2 than 1. Talasyn was obnoxious in the first book; I was praying for her downfall. But she matured so much in this sequel, and I found myself actually rooting for her! Who would’ve thought, right? Anywhoo, a fun read and a great follow-up, with a fabulous cliffhanger! Looking forward to book 3. 4 ⭐

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This was a very solid follow up to The Hurricane Wars! I really enjoyed the progression of Talasyn and Alaric’s relationship. The tension and chemistry was so good! I of course was left frustrated with them for not communicating better or trusting each other, but then there wouldn’t be a plot without all of that.! It was a character driven book and the plot moved more subtly. We were left with a cliffhanger that speaks to more action to come. I wish I had the next installment in my hands right now, because I can’t wait to continue this story!

I had a lot of fun with this second installment. It took a little bit to get to the point, but overall I enjoyed it. The slow burn was definitely worth the wait. I do wish that these two characters would have ended their miscommunication a lot sooner, but the pay off when they finally get over it was so good! I love a good cliffhanger, so l am excited to see where this story goes.

This is the perfect conclusion for this duology. I absolutely devoured this book and the story building in book 1, provided this conclusion.

“…Just him and me and the monsoon”

I thoroughly enjoyed being able to dive deeper into to the inner workings of Talasyn & Alaric.

Plus the spice *chef’s kiss*

I just want to reread the duology all over again… and I probably (most definitely) will.

I truly enjoyed this book even more than the first. The tension and development of Alaric and Talasyn’s forbidden romance has been soooo good. The creativity that went into the world building for this whole series is amazing. I honestly don’t understand how authors are able to create this world themselves and put it out there for us to enjoy. The only thing that really got to me with this book (and the first book) is that some of the sentences are SO long which can make it hard to understand what is going on or being described. Regardless, I’m so excited to read the next one because what was that cliffhanger???? 😭

Following The Hurricane Wars, this picks up right where we left off. We continue to see war rage and our newly married friends start to fall in love. I struggled with being engaged by the world building but I loved the romance development!

The second in a series is usually my favorite, and monsoon rising was no exception. I loved how much more we learned about Talasyn and Alaric and the development of their stories!

To say this was the perfect sequel to The Hurricane Wars is an understatement! I devoured this book. The world the wonderful author continues to build is magical, and it weaves an intricate story that kept me reading and reading. The main characters develop a lot in the sequel, and that is one of the reasons this book helps elevate everything that was in the first one. I'm a sucker for romance, and this book delivered tenfold! I won't lie, I got lost a couple of times when reading this book, but I think it had more to do with the fact that I didn't reread the first book. Highly recommend reading the first book or a detailed recap to be able to fully enjoy this story. Of course, I still loved it! It was the romance between Talasyn and Alaric that kept me racing toward the end of the book. I wish I'd slowed down because that ending was AHHHHHH! I need the next book like yesterday. Can't wait for book 3!

If there’s one thing that truly excites me, it’s when a sequel completely outshines its predecessor—and this book does exactly that. While I found the first installment a bit slow and just okay, this sequel takes everything up a notch, delivering a story that’s faster-paced, more engaging, and undeniably addictive.

Picking up right where the first book left off, the plot finally gains momentum, pulling me in with its heightened stakes and deeper character development. The side characters, who felt somewhat sidelined before, now get their moment to shine, adding richness and depth to the story.

But let’s get to the heart of what made this book unforgettable: Talasyn and Alaric. Their relationship growth was hands down one of my favorite elements. The banter? Utter perfection. The tension? Absolutely electric. And the slow burn with just the right amount of spice? Chef’s kiss. But what truly stole my heart was Alaric’s unwavering devotion—there’s just something about a male lead who is completely, unapologetically in love with his wife that gets me every time.

With that jaw-dropping ending, I’m already counting down the days until book three. This sequel proved that sometimes, the best is yet to come!

Could book 2 be even better than book 1? (The answer, yes!)

If you enjoy a slow burn with true enemies to lovers then this is your series. Alaric and Talasyn are married. After years living in warring nations its hard to get past old ways. But Alaric has been told by his father that this marriage is the only answer.

Book 1 was setting the world, but book 2 definitely brought more romance. Alaric and Talasyn haven't been living their lives in a romantic perspective so it was so good seeing the two of them explore their romance as it grew.

Talasyn gets the opportunity to get to know family better. She's still hurting though, missing her best friend. Alaric has come a long way from book 1. He's grown some.

The banter between these two was so enjoyable! And that ending!

A Monsoon Rising picks up right where The Hurricane Wars left off and I had so much fun! I like that the plot is definitely starting to pick up, the side characters got more page time and development which was great.

Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I honestly just don’t think this series was for me. I had the urge to DNF on several occasions. I could see how the general plot and world building is good, I think these main characters just read as too immature and cringey for me, as someone in their mid-30s. I was hoping to get more character growth and deeper relationship development as the series progressed, but they were still up to their same patterns of push-pull, hate-attraction through both books. Their dynamics were so frustrating and I basically enjoyed all the other characters more than our main duo. I did not get the feeling of excitement I get from other romantasy faves, either in the romance or plot. I don’t know if hearing from others that it was based on Star Wars fanfic helped or hurt in this situation. Sadly, this is a 2 star book for me personally. I have read a lot of really good romantasy, so my bar is high for this category.