Oh boy this was intense. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Was the plot a bit all over, but I was still eating up every word. It was a pretty fun time! It'll hook yah!

⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ (3.5/5 Stars)

Love and Other Cages is an intense blend of thriller, romance, and suspense that takes readers into the dangerous world of underground crime and forbidden love. Mina, a high school senior, finds her life upended when she’s kidnapped and thrown into a life she never expected. Oliver, a man with a complicated past, struggles between his own survival and the deep connection he forms with Mina. Their relationship is a constant push and pull, teetering between love and the realities of the violent world around them.

Though I didn’t realize this was the second book in a series, I can confirm that it does work as a standalone. However, I did find myself feeling slightly lost at times, and I suspect that reading the first book might have made me feel more invested in the story. The writing has an interesting lyrical quality, and there are definitely moments of gripping tension, but overall, the tone felt a little uneven for me. It blends very mature themes with a style that occasionally felt more youthful, which created a bit of a disconnect in my reading experience.

The audiobook narration by Will Collyer and Emilia Ares added to the immersion. The dual POV was a great touch, and it’s clear that the narration was meant to bring depth to the characters. While I personally had a harder time connecting to one of the voices, Will Collyer, others may find that the dual performance enhances the story’s intensity.

Overall, Love and Other Cages will likely appeal to readers who enjoy high-stakes romance, action-packed plots, and emotionally charged narratives. While it wasn’t fully my cup of tea, I can see why others would love it, and I’d recommend it to fans of romantic thrillers with a dark edge.

Thank you to NetGalley, SERA Press, and the author for the opportunity to review this book.

I really enjoyed this! The author grabbed my attention and kept me engaged right from the beginning .
I didn't realize until after I started that it was the second book to a series, but it read pretty well as a standalone I think.
I appreciated the use of dual narrators for the separate povs, although the Russian-English accents became a bit annoying at times. It's a young adult action packed thriller, but was pretty graphic and dark in places for YA.
I did think the ending was a bit abrupt which makes me think there may be another book coming to the series to, hopefully, wrap it up better.

This was an interesting read over all I enjoyed the audiobook although there was a couple of prolonged silences. The storyline itself had me intrigued as I could definitely feel all the emotions that come along with the difficult subjects that were discussed. But, I’m really hoping Mina and Oliver get their HEA because they truly deserve it.

This book took me back to when I was obsessed with the Simone Elkeles! It has the perfect mix of thriller/romance. Well written. And the audiobook narration for this with Will Collyer and Emilia Ares is a 10/10 😍
My man Oliver was there through and through proving himself to Mina! 😭

I would suggest some trigger warning for people. There some areas that can be a bit sensitive/uncomfortable to some. It’s good to have a heads up.

Very new to this author and didn’t realise this was the second book in a series, however felt this book could be a standalone. I had this book as an audiobook. It’s a dual POV therefore had a male and female narrator. Both were great, my only issue was depending on the POV they would cover both female and male characters. The effort was made to have a male and female voice and I felt that all the male characters/lines should have been covered in the male’s voice and vice versa (I hope that makes sense). It was an interesting plot but the audiobook is about 15 hours long and at times I felt I was dropping off because some parts felt a bit repetitive. I do hope there is another book coming with this ending on such a cliffhanger! I would like to give this book another go but actually read it rather than an audiobook to see if it changes my opinion. I don’t know if other marvel fans would agree but this book kind of gave Black Widow vibes for me. This is a YA thriller but the book does cover some quite dark things so would recommend looking into the book before reading, more of a 16 and above

I really enjoyed the first book and this one picked up right where it left off. But then it took a turn I wasn't expecting. It kept my attention and it really sped up at the end leaving you wanting more. But for the middle part, I wish the FMC and MMC were together for more of the book, since that's what really kept you interested. But I know they had to be apart for this story to move along. Can't wait to read book 3. That ending was so mean!!!

I had no idea that this was part two in a series, but it was still a great read. I will be going back to read the first book again and then will reread this one to see what I missed. It was a great read and could be managed as a standalone if you aren't a stickler for reading in order, but I need to go back so my brain can read the story as it was meant to be read. Great story!

Thank you so much for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review. Definitely worth reading!

(I listened to the audiobook version)
Thanks to NetGalley and the editors for providing this copy of The Perfect Rom-Com in exchange for an honest review.
I love dual pov and even more with dual narrators.
I loved the soft voice of the female narrator, however the male narrators voice was a bit weak for my taste.
I read other reviews and most people said this could be read as a stand alone, I did not read the first one yet and I didn't have any issues following the story.
I found the female pov more interesting and with more action than the male one.
I appreciate small chapters however I found it way too long, I got lost a few times in unnecessary explanations and interactions, that could have been removed to move the story faster.
(I will post this same review on good reads)

I didn’t know this was the 2nd book in a series. Whoops but I believe it can be read as a standalone. I personally didn’t feel lost listening to this but I might go back to the first book to see if there’s any backstory/extra information I might be missing in this series. There isn't any backstory about Oliver and Mina’s relationship so it just starts off as two couples navigating their struggles.

Mina is strong, smart, and stubborn in my opinion. Mina is constantly trying to save Oliver from trouble and Oliver is trying to protect Mina. So, there’s a lot of issues between the characters and they are separated throughout the book often. Mina is forced to be trained as a spy and Oliver is trying to find Mina.

I think the writing was well written, I enjoyed the story and it was very interesting. I actually like the voices and accents that the narrator used for certain characters. It definitely helped me stay connected to the story.

There were a lot of twists and if I am being honest be aware that it ends in a HUGE cliff hanger. SO, I AM DYING for the 3rd book now.

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I did not read the first book prior to reading this, and I probably would have gotten more out of it if I had. I still enjoyed it overall and would consider reading the whole series, especially with that cliff hanger!

I'll admit I should have listened to the preview for the narrators, but the male voice was just so aggressive and cold. I couldn't get into it. I do plan to read the physical copy when I have a chance as the story line is really interesting to me!

Thank you NetGalley for letting me listen to this in exchange for this review.
I have not read any in this series. I would have to recommend reading the first one because it is referenced a whole lot in this book. Where something has happened and an attack took place and a knife and whatever. Things like that were referenced several times but I didn't know what they were. Most of the story though I could follow and it was actually an interesting story. I don't know it's so believable that these are high school kids. Early college would make a lot more sense. But they do point out they are underage. But this is pretty brutal and deals with human trafficking not heavily but be aware it does exist and is seen but also kidnapping as was the case for our female protagonist in this book. She was taken to become a spy of some sort. While her boyfriend doesn't know that she was taken to a foreign country is attempting to find her and knows I guess from the first book that it was somebody Russian that took her and so he's trying to get in with Russian people to find her. Probably the whole series would be a better story. But also if the kids were aged up a bit because the things they are dealing with in this certainly are aged up and it would be a little more believable that way.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook arc. While I wanted to love the book more cause the narrator does a great job unfortunately this book is not for me. It’s marketed as a standalone, but is part of a series so I was confused when it drops you in the middle of the story. Highly recommend reading her other book first , and wished that it was listed as a sequel.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC opportunity!

Wow wow wow. I didnt know what to expect going into this, but it was so good! There are definitely alot of things here that could trigger some, so be sure to read those warnings first, but its worth the read!

I am itching for the next installation after that cliffhanger. Everything seems messier than ever and i have no idea what could happen next.

DNF at 46%. The story was good up to this point, it just wasn't my type of book. I have solely listed/read romance books to this point and really wants to try a different genre. Turns out YA thrillers are not my cup of tea.

This was marketed as a standablone, but with some Googling, I realized it is a sequel. The beginning was good and the narrators were amazing. The romance aspect fell a little flat, for me. There were some scenes that probably could have used a better trigger warning - especially the graphic SA depiction.
Thank you to Netgalley and SERA Press for providing me with a copy of this audiobook for an honest review.

A wild ride! Loved the narration! This story was deftly told and I will look for more from this author for sure.

This book definitely doesn’t fall victim to the “book 2 slump” that so often happens in series. And holy cow, I am STILL reeling from the cliffhanger! Thrillers aren’t my typical read, but I really enjoyed Love and Other Sins, and this book was just as good, if not more so! Mina and Ollie are incredibly dynamic characters that reel you into their story fast and hard. I read this as an audiobook and found myself listening every spare minute I had. I loved that this book was a blend of new information and answers to questions that we didn’t get in book 1. I loved seeing how both Mina and Ollie developed as individuals and as a couple. They both had a lot of character growth in this novel. Mina at the end of the book, is a very different character than she was at the start. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book to see how this series continues!

This book is emotional rollercoaster-heart-pounding suspense, deep character growth, and a love story that truly tugs at your heartstrings. Mina and Oliver's journey is intense, gripping, and beautifully written. It's dark at times, but the raw emotions and twists kept me hooked. If you love romance with high stakes and thrilling drama. this one's a must read!