The pacing in this felt really slow to me and I just couldn't get into it. That with the fact that it was over t00 pages, I just couldn't rate this higher than 3 stars. Someone might like this, but I didn't 🤷🏼‍♀️

Phoebe + Rocky

-best friends brother
-childhood love
-mutual pining
-conartist families
-grumpy/grumpy

woah. 🤯 this family is fckkkkddddd uppp yall! all these schemes this family has conditioned these kids into & then the layers & layers of lies…is truly wild!! i love the nature of these two relationship tho inside & outside cons! it’s truly a love of a lifetime! & the little hints we’re getting of the other characters is sure to make the coming books spiral even more!

Picking up where Dishonestly Yours ends, we are thrust back into the world of Phoebe and Rocky as they and their family work a con in an affluent Connecticut town. As always in a Ritchie novel, I enjoyed the closeness and dynamics between the main characters and their families (found or related).

Coming in at over 500 pages, this never felt long as it was entertaining and the writing flows easily. Yet much of it also felt like it was largely filler, preparing us for the finale next book. Not a lot happens until the end.

As this series focuses on two con families, there’s a hint of mystery involved and I enjoyed trying to figure it out.

Let me first start off by saying that I love Krista & Becca Ritchie. I will read literally anything this duo writes. Dishonestly Yours was one of my top reads for 2024, so I’m not gonna lie, the bar was set extremely high for Destructively Mine.

Destructively Mine picks up right where the last book left off and I couldn’t help but fall harder for Phoebe and Rocky. I mean, the steam between them is OFF the charts and I just love how they fought to be together and where their relationship ended up. The secondary characters were just as fantastic and engaging as they were in the first book. I loved that while we finally got some answers, the plot twists were twisting and kept me on my toes.

All that being said, I did have some major issues with this book. The first one is always a big one for me and that’s the pacing. At over 500+ pages, I could not believe how slow the pacing was. It felt like the story just dragged and that nothing really happened until I got about 40% or so into the story.

To be honest, I felt like this book suffered from second book syndrome. Like it was an enjoyable read, but it didn’t live up to the hype of the first book, and it KILLS me to say that. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but this book was way longer than it needed to be and it felt like something was missing.

Overall, I thought this book was an okay read. I think maybe my expectations for this book were a bit too high. I enjoyed this book, but I didn’t love it as much as I was hoping to. All my issues aside, this book was still filled with enjoyable drama, tension, and scorching moments.

Sadly, this book was not a hit for me. I adored Dishonestly Yours (even went to get my copy signed by the girls!) The writing felt so different in comparison to the first book and it was really difficult to get lost in the story due to the choppiness and constant changes in pacing.

I felt that Dishonestly Yours laid a lot of promising groundwork as far as character development and I was disappointed to find that this was not explored any further (if at all) in this book. The romance felt forced and spice scenes were acted upon extremely hastily so I got tired of reading about the “chemistry” the main characters talked about so clearly having when I couldn’t feel an emotional connection between them at all.

So thankful to have gotten to ARC read this as it was a highly anticipated release for me this year.

“Believe nothing you hear and only half of what you see.”

This quote perfectly encompasses all my feelings while reading Destructively Mine. Finishing Dishonestly Yours left me with some truly important questions about the characters, but I felt like I had a foundation on who the characters were. Destructively Mine crumbled my foundation and I’m once again left reeling with all the revelations that this book brought.

Phoebe has been fake dating Victoria town royalty, Jake Koning Waterford, but in secret is dating her longtime love Brayden “Rocky” Tinrock. All Phoebe and Rocky want is to be together truly and honestly but there are a lot of roadblocks in their way. Phoebe’s mom has arrived in Victoria at long last and is posing as a matchmaker with mysterious plans of her own, refusing to answer any pressing questions. But Phoebe and her best friend, Hailey Tinrock, are determined to make their new honest life work… they just might have to be a smidge dishonest to achieve that.

The Romance:
Phoebe and Rocky spent so much of their lives resisting the pull that draws them to each other time and again. The angst in Dishonestly Yours was truly heart wrenching, and it all pays off in Destructively Mine. These two were volcanic in this book, their chemistry practically lit the pages on fire. There was significantly less angst in this book, but in a good way. My heart needed a break after the last one, so I was able to just enjoy watching Phoebe and Rocky fall more and more in love with each other and uncover parts of the other that they never knew, despite growing up together. Things only a significant other would know, and omg did it melt my heart.

The Plot:
Writing the basic synopsis of this book is truly so hard because there’s so much going on - but I won’t spoil anything. A big aspect of this book was hunting for the answers about the Graves and Tinrocks. Who are they really? Where did they come from? And why does every question answered still feel like another lie?

There were so many little clues that were being laid out and woven into the book. On the one hand, I had so much fun combing through the book for these hints, but at the same time, it was quite heart wrenching seeing the characters trying to grapple with what is actually the truth. If I felt like my foundation for these characters crumbled at the end of the last book, then my poor Graves and Tinrocks were decimated. Which leads me more into…

The Side Characters:
At the end of Dishonestly Yours, we finally saw our merry band of heathens all together in Victoria. The silver-tongue, the mastermind, the seductress, the getaway, the chameleon, and the psychopath. Now we finally see why they’ve earned these monikers.

For Phoebe and Hailey to make their honest life stick, they need to return to their dishonest ways - so this book sees these characters living up to their monikers. And also at the same time, we see them challenging those titles and proving that they’re more than simply a role in a con. It’s a fascinating deep dive into the characters when you see them balancing who they’ve always been with what they’re slowly becoming. Krista and Becca have always been really insightful with their characters and their development and growth across a series, and this book is no different.

I loved getting to see more of their lives through the lens of Phoebe and Rocky. For as much as Phoebe and Rocky are the center of the story, the Graves and Tinrock siblings and Jake are very much in the spotlight in this book. In Dishonestly Yours, I felt that we got to know Oliver, Nova, and Trevor more through the flashbacks to past cons that they’d participated in. I love that in Destructively Mine, we really get to see them a lot more in the present timeline, and get more insight into their characters.

All this to say…
That. Was. Wild. I think it might have been the most wild ride that any of Krista and Becca's books have taken me on. The romance, the cons, the tension, the suspense, the mystery, it was damn near impossible for me to put it down at all. Unfortunately for me, there was no savoring, I had so many burning questions and I was flying through the pages in search of answers. I am obsessed. The ending once again has left me reeling, and it's a tragedy that I now have to wait for Book 3.

There’s so much more I wish I could say but just know it was heart wrenching, pulse pounding, swoony, mind twisting fun being back in this world, with this merry band of heathens.

The ending was everything. All the kudos to Krista and Becca for making me feel settled with the answers I did get, but also feeling like my brain has been scrambled and I still have so many questions left to explore in Webs We Weave 3.

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for an early copy!

Destructively Mine by Krista and Becca Ritchie, is book 2 in the Webs We Weave Series.
This is Phoebe, Jake and Brayden's story.
An ok read that drags a bit, is a bit overwhelming, not easy to connect with the characters. I really liked the first book, but this second ones, I don't know - 3,5 stars.

Thank you for the early copy.
I read the first book in the series before diving into this one, and I was super excited to read it. However, I ended up feeling a bit disappointed—I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Maybe my expectations were too high, and in the end, it just didn’t live up to them.

My all time favorite authors with another home run! I devoured every book they write and this one was no different. I am obsessed!

Spice? Mystery? Elaborate plans and deceits? Sign me the fuck up.

Destructively Mine starts right where Dishonestly Yours leaves off, with our favorite gang of con-artists shaken by a recent revelation that shows their whole lives are not what they believed them to be. Alternating between Phoebe and Rocky's POV, this book takes us deeper into the underbelly of Victoria, Connecticut, and the histories of the Tinrocks and the Graves. I love how we learned more about the gang's origins, with flashbacks of previous jobs they pulled, as well as seeing Phoebe and Rocky's relationship grow. We also get to know their other siblings better and see more relationships blossom (hehehe).

This book gave us so many answers and so many more questions. It also gave us elaborate cons, shocking twists, and moments that stopped my heart. Krista and Becca have done it again, giving me a book that left me 100% breathless.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

One thing you should know about me is if Krista and Becca Ritchie write it, I’m going to love it. I am absolutely loving this series so far! The first book was nothing special to me, but this second book has me absolutely hooked. Krista and Becca are the queens of the found family trope, and these books are no different. I adore the found family dynamics between the main characters and those closest to them. Another thing KB Ritchie do so so well is write relatable, loveable characters that feel real. Although these characters aren’t on quite the same level for me as the Addicted/Calloway characters are, I am absolutely loving them. Phoebe and Rocky are so swoon worthy and Lily and Lo fans would absolutely love them. The plot of this book is also so so fun. Con artists trying to live a double life; so fun, interesting and different from anything I’ve ever read before. Overall, I absolutely adored this book and this series. Fans of Krista and Becca Ritchie need to pick this up asap!

Thank you thank you thank you Berkeley for an early copy of this book!!! I will love you guys forever for that!!!

This book was a wilddddd ride and I loved every bit of it! This one answers some questions that were left from book but also will give you more questions that I can’t wait to see answered in the next book! I loved getting to see more of Phoebe and Rocky together but I also really loved getting more of the Graves and Tinrocks backstory. Destructively Mine focused more on the cons and it was so cool getting to see how each person’s role played out. I’m definitely more fond of Jake in this one than the first book. I was really hesitant on trusting him (as I should be because he’s a side character from a Krista and Becca Ritchie book lol) but after this one I can confidently say that I like him! There was some jaw dropping moments that had me turning pages and pages. I was hooked!!!! Hooked on the story, hooked on the romance, hooked on the answers. Can’t wait to see where this story leads to next!!!

I wish I loved this like I wanted too, but I think I still had a bad taste in my mind from book one… I just don’t think it’s for me…

defff liked this one better than the first but i feel like it’s still missing something for me!!! there was more plot and interesting twists in this (thank god) but idk i feel like i’m not in love with the characters? i like them but i’m not obsessed with them, not hooked on every word or anything like that. i am looking forward to more in this series tho!!

thank you to berkley and netgalley for the arc! all opinions are my own <3

Thank you so much Krista and Becca Ritchie for this ARC!

After how the first book ended, I’ve been impatiently waiting for more. There’s not a single KBR book where I’m not fully invested in each of the characters, and getting a deeper dive into them all was well worth the wait.

Even though this book felt like it was setting up for more to come in the series, the plot was still well paced and engaging. So excited to see how things play out in the next book (and for the side character romances to come) !!!

I really wanted to love this one.... after not really enjoying the first one, I went back to it and did a quick reread on audio to brush up for this one. I didn't like it again. This one was a pretty quick DNF for me - around 40% because it started putting me into a slump. I have loved the addicted series for years! I was so excited for a new KBRitch series, but I just don't think this one is for me.

Book 2 SERVED on a freakn silver platter. If you thought it couldn’t get better than your wrong because this literally was EVERYTHING.

So here’s the lore: You’ve been raised by a mom who could sell ice to an Eskimo and you’ve spent your whole life swindling rich people for fun. Yeah, Phoebe Graves has some serious trust issues. But she’s like, “I’m done with this life. I want to be normal!” (Spoiler alert: normal doesn’t exist in her world).

So, Phoebe and her bestie Hailey move to Connecticut to start fresh, with zero plans to get tangled up in more drama that is until she decides to fake date this rich guy Jake,.. whilr actually falling for Hailey’s brother, Rocky. Yep. Things get messy. Like, way messy. ( I’m so here for it)

Here’s the kicker though, her mom shows up, stirring up trouble with her own manipulative schemes (oh no here we go) It’s like Phoebe can’t escape her past, no matter how hard she tries. And honestly? I live for the chaos. I feel bad for her, but where’s the fun without the run?

The romance? OH boy. It’s electric. Sizzling. Swing. You can practically feel the sexual tension between Phoebe and Rocky through the pages🔥 and every time they’re near each other, I giggle so hard.

If you're looking for a book that’s equal parts steamy, full of twists, and makes you want to scream at the characters because they just won’t make it easy, Destructively Mine is a perfect sequel that will be your new addiction. Trust me. It’s like this book had a baby with the oceans 11 franchise and American Hustle. (Another reason I’m madly obsessed with this series)

I can’t wait for evreyone to pick up this up, and prepare to dive into a world of love, lies, and literally no chill. You won’t regret it….unless, of course, you do regret having zero self-control when it comes to devouring this. Because all it took was one sitting for me to eat. This. Up.

Destructively Mine by Krista and Becca Ritchie brings all the addictive drama, romance, and high-stakes deception that fans of the Addicted series will love. Phoebe Graves is a fascinating protagonist caught between her desire for an honest life and the lingering shadows of her con-artist past.

The fake-dating trope between Phoebe and Jake Waterford is deliciously complicated by her forbidden romance with Brayden “Rocky” Tinrock, creating palpable tension. Phoebe’s mother’s unexpected arrival only ups the stakes, forcing Phoebe to revisit her old tricks to protect the happiness she’s fought so hard to achieve.

Expect steamy moments, heart-wrenching twists, and that signature Ritchie brand of found family and emotional growth. This book is perfect for readers who love complex characters, messy relationships, and stories where love triumphs against all odds. Fans of new adult romance won’t be able to put this one down!

I didn't like this one as much as the first, but it moves the story forwards and creates a good future plot line for the main character's best friend.

Did not finish. I ended up DNFing this book at around 35%. I think most of us have grown to love the ritchie twins through either the addicted or calloway sisters series (i'll forever love connor colbalt) so I think that again I like most of the general public was excited to see this new series and where it would go. I was not blown away by the first book but thought that maybe the twist and turns would amp up in this book. in my opinion it was almost the say it was the opposite. Rocky and Phoebe were almost weirdly overly sexual... again it was very weird. I also am just not very interested in the storyline and was upset to know that things would not be wrapped up in a nice little bow in this box. Also once you see the similarities to the addicted "core six" its hard to unsee them. The webs we weave series seems to be addicted/calloway except with some illegal activities.