Dishonestly Yours by Krista and Becca Ritchie Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Angsty

➮ Grumpy x grumpy

➮ If he can't have her no one can

➮ Best friend's brother

Synopsis

Phoebe grew up where deception and seduction are commonplace. The Graves and her best friend Hailey's family have been on the run their whole lives. After a high-stakes con goes south, Phoebe and Hailey decide to start over. The biggest flaw in their plan is Hailey's brother, Rocky, who insists on coming with them. Living honestly isn't in his DNA, and his past with Phoebe is messy. He's everything she wants, but nothing she can have. Phoebe worries that Rocky will tempt them into their old ways. She doesn't want him to mess up their new life. The longer she stays in town, the more she realizes what it means to have a reputation--and what a normal life with the man she loves could look like.

Best Quote From the Book

“If I fuck you, it won't be for power or for the money or for them. It'll be because I love you and every ounce of my being couldn't contain the love I have for you, no matter how much I should've."

LGBTQ+ Representation

4/5 🌈

There is some minor but included lesbian representation in this book. It is positively portrayed in a casual way. 

My Thoughts

Oh my goshhhhh! This book is INCREDIBLE. It is fighting for my top book of this year with The Trouble with Love and Ink. Super super easy 5-star to give! I've never read any books from these sisters before but that is clearly going to have to change. You already know I'm looking to their backlist to get holds at my local library. Please inject this story into my veins. Everything about this story is purely incredible and just what I needed. 

This book is super angsty, dark, and drama-filled and I am here for it. This book was in the trenches pulling me out of a potentially major slump. This story had the depth and action-packed elements I have been craving. This was a perfect start to reading a few stories on the darker end of things. 

This book absolutely flew by! I had to break it up into chunks due to being busy but I know I would've totally binged this if I were less busy. I totally ate it up and adored every moment. This factor is a good part of why I knew this gave me the 5-star feeling. 

I want to take a moment to just appreciate the strawberry motif throughout the story. It really humanized Phoebe and was a nice thing to continually circle back to. It felt like how someone actually passionate about something would have it as a small part of their life all of the time. 

Every single one of the characters in this book is fantastically written. They are all morally grey and create an interesting love-hate relationship with the reader. Even during conning moments, I am tempted to root for the characters. They are all just so addictive. I want to be in their inner circle (hopefully not by being conned lol). Not just Phoebe and Rocky, absolutely all of the kids and even the side characters and parents. Some of them are more devilish than others which made them even more appealing. Their various complicated relationship dynamics and inherent trust (or distrust) in one another made them perfect for the plot. There genuinely wasn't a character I didn't like. I really really want to see more from this group.

There were a ton of moments when I was genuinely laughing out loud and reading parts out loud to people I was around. The banter and quips the boys had in particular were especially amusing. The blend of humorous moments with more serious moments was totally perfect. If I ever write my own book, I hope I can achieve this balance. 

Speaking of wanting more, that cliffhanger at the end has me foaming at the mouth for this to become a major series and never end. I was shockingly satisfied with the answers that were given in the story versus the things that are still secret to perfectly set up for a continuation. I need more. Krista and Becca, I am begging for the next installment to come out as soon as possible because I need it. 

This book is definitely a dark romance. There are violent and graphic moments that may be triggering to some readers. There is also open door spice of various levels. If those are not your vibe, sadly this is not the book for you. 

If you couldn't tell from the extreme ranty length of this review, I adored it! I will probably skip the blub on Instagram for this one so I can squeeze in more review. If you can handle it, you need to read this. Just go, go get the book for yourself, it is worth every penny. 

I received this book as an arc from Valentine PR. This review is honest and voluntary