Unfortunately can’t give a good review o this because I did t realize this was a second in the series and I haven’t read the first!

The lies we protect aren’t worth the burden of guilt they create”

Book - River of Wrath (St. Benedict series #1)
Author- Alexandrea Weis, Lucas Astor
🚨Trigger warnings - Incest, Rape
Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5

Review- This book is sequel to River of Ashes and part 2 of St. Benedict Series. 

Part 1 focused on the kid’s lives. In contrast the part 2 shows us the parents had their own secrets and kids were inevitably doomed to get trapped in those secrets. 
The harrowing story continues with focus on Gage Deveraux who is adamant on securing the family reputation at any cost 
The deep dive in characters lives made it an unputdownable read for me. 
It was hard to recall the 1st book at first but after reading few chapters I got hooked in. 
The secrets that were unanswered in the 1st book got some revelations and really satisfying too. The plot thickens and more secrets are left unanswered now. I can’t wait for the 3rd book of this series

This book also revealed a bit about the much awaited lady in white legend that surrounds St. Benedict from years. It was truly shocking revelation.

I received an e-ARC from authors in return for my honest review

I did not realized this was a sequel when I original requested it. 
I did try to read it, but ultimately had stopped reading it as I felt sort of lost. I will maybe come back to it once I read the first one

River of Wrath by Alexandrea and Lucas Astor is the second book in the St.Benedict Series. The book takes place right after the first one ended and has the same characters with a few new ones.

Leslie Moore, whose sister was killed by Beau, a rich kid that was pretty evil. She has problems coming to terms with her sister's death and misses her terribly. Her mother has started drinking and her father hides himself away in his office. She broke up with her boyfriend Derek.

There is a woman's body that has surfaced after the floodwaters have receded on the Bogue Falaya River. Leslie and her friends want to find out who the killer of this woman is, who is she and how long had she been buried? It appears that she had been there a long time. This woman is somehow connected to Gage, Beau's father.

Luke Cross comes to town and the friends are intrigued with him, who is he and why did he show up in St.Benedict? He befriends Leslie and her friends and not long after there is another girl found dead.

It is up to Sheriff Kent Davis to piece everything together but it is challenging. There is a legend surrounding St.Benedict Abbey, which is not only ruins of what it had been. It was burned down the previous Halloween when horrible things happened. The legend is about a woman in white who has a pack of dangerous dogs. Are they real?

Then another girl is killed, who is the killer, looks like there might be a serial killer loose in the town. How are all of the murders connected? Could it be newcomer Luke Cross? That is what Sheriff Davis must figure out, until then the girls are in danger.

I enjoyed the first book in the series and really loved the second one. I have been a fan of Alexandrea Weis's books for a long time and each book I read of hers seems better than the last. I look forward to book 3, River of Ghosts where there are more murders.  Hopefully the reader will get the answers that they are wanting.

This is the second book in the St. Benedict series, so I can't say much about the plot without spoilers. River of Wrath continues the story of sinister dealings and murder in the small town of St. Benedict, Louisiana. How much longer can the Devereaux family hold their power over the residents and will the killing come to an end?

I read River of Ashes and River of Wrath back to back and they are incredibly intense. The characters are dark, their deeds are even darker, and the skeletons keep tumbling out of the closet. While some of the violence was a bit much for me, I couldn't stop turning the pages. This is a book full of twisted minds and evil deeds that you won't soon forget, and it's a worthy continuation of the St. Benedict saga.

If you are sensitive to violence, abuse, and sexual deviance, this series is not for you. Walk away.

If you are a fan of edgy and graphic gothic horror, this will be right up your alley. The writing is atmospheric and will make your skin crawl as you tear through the chapters on the edge of your seat. You won't be able to put these down.

River of Wrath picks up where River of Ashes left off. This is not a standalone volume.

The book opens after Beau Devereaux is dead. Leslie, Kelly, Taylor, and Sara have created an alliance after they  made a deal with the devil, Gage Devereaux. A new character named Luke Cross arrives in St. Benedicts. He reminds Leslie a little of Beau. What exactly is Luke's connection to the Devereaux family.

Reading about the kids at Bogue Falaya River felt like coming home. I was glad to see that the violent and graphic sex was minimized to only one small section of the book. Hopefully, by book 3 we won't have to read it at all.

I am hooked ladies and gentlemen. I was actually upset that Book 2 ended; I wanted more. When can I expect Book 3?

Thank you @partnersincrimevbt for the copy of the ARC. These opinions are my own and are being expressed without bias.

I clearly didn’t read the description to realize this was book two and silly me read part of it was confused because of that. I went back and read book one and loved it this was a really good sequel to it! Definitely want to read more from this author

This is book 2 in the St. Benedict series, following River of Ashes, and it picks up months after the previous book. If you've read this blog for any time, you know we love Alexandrea's books, and this YA series contains all her thrills- great dialogue, believable characters, realistic settings, and a knack for knowing human nature and how our inate emotions can rule our thoughts and actions- which is a long way of saying this book is juast as much of a page turner, as the previous book! It very much is in the vibe of vintage Stephen King- all those surprises and thrills are there! 

I love that this book looks at the afteraffects of crime and how it's not always in the immediate moments that it is felt- it can be months, years and decades, and the emotions are still raw and just under the surface, ready to come back to cause havoc on the now. And that now, is more deaths. more grief and unease, as the truths come out, and no one is what they seem.The foreshadowing in the book adds the icing to the cake, giving the reader a hint of the possible deliciousness to come in book 3. This is a book you need to be prepared to sit down with and finish, as you won't want to walk away from it- it will call you back when you do, like the wind through the cypresses at St Benedict's! 

It may be a YA aimed series, but I've found that there are really great talking points that parents can use in each book, to share experiences and how to handle different types of situations, making it a book that all ages of readers can not only enjoy reading, but discuss! Parent/child book club starter books? YES!

I love a good mystery and suspense and this book was full of that and more surprises than you could imagine!

This is book two of the series and so far it is a story to remember. This is the aftermath from the first book and how life truly goes on.. but the past always comes back to haunt you! So many secrets were unearthed in this book and I was shocked with every single one! While Beau is no longer in the series he is definitely remembered and haunts the pages of his book. Continuously brought up and compared to other situations or people, he is still there..

While new players are brought into the book, or brought out more actively than they were in the first book, it still keeps pace very well and hasn't allowed anything to be blown off the tracks just yet. I appreciate the author's attention to detail in this book but mentioning the slightest glance or touch necessary to get a point across. I am (strangely) exited for what was revealed and cant wait to see what happens in this series next. I am actually surprised that a few people don't actually know what happened to Beau yet but, all in good time..

Thank you NetGalley and Alexandrea Weis for an ARC of book two of this incredible series! I am counting down days to book three !

4.5 stars-RIVER OF WRATH is the second instalment in the contemporary, adult ST. BENEDICT thriller focusing on a group of high school seniors, and the increasing number of bodies found along the Bogue Falaya River in the small Louisiana Parish known as St. Benedict. RIVER OF WRATH should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the events and cliff hanger of book one RIVER OF ASHES.

WARNING : Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several third person perspectives RIVER OF WRATH focuses on a group of high school seniors who attend St. Benedict High, a group that is slowly succumbing to a possible curse. As more bodies begin to surface in and around the Bogue Falaya River, Leslie Moore, and her friends Sara, Kelly and Taylor begin a search for the truth but the more secrets revealed the possibility increases that Leslie and her friends may suffer the same fate. Having pushed away her boyfriend Derek, in the face of unending guilt and grief, a newcomer to St. Benedict catches the eye of everyone involved, a newcomer with dangerous and dark secrets of his own.

RIVER OF WRATH is an intense, dramatic,  graphic and detailed story of horror, vengeance and betrayal, power and control, wealth and madness, obsession and murder. The story line is ensconced in the requisite YA tropes including mean girls and jealousy, as well as the parents fueling or hiding intimate details and history of the St. Benedict Parish. Once again, the premise is haunting and startling; the characters are tragic, desperate, determined and mad. RIVER OF WRATH ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.


THE READING CAFÉ: http://www.thereadingcafe.com/river-of-wrath-st-benedict-2by-alexandrea-weis-and-lucas-astor/


GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4832741774


AMAZON COM: https://www.amazon.com/review/R323N50T6L8506/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0BQ87KNQB


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to be honest, I had no idea this was a sequel so I was very confused. however I liked the writing and the characters but yes, I will definitely have to read the first book now so I can truly understand and appreciate the story

TW: death, murder, suicide, incest, pregnancy as a result of rape (no rape in book 2), capture, restraint, rough s3X (choking, hitting, slapping)

In book 2 of the St. Benedict Series we follow a group of girls who are trying to live their lives after the horrors they have endured, while also trying to uncover the mysteries of the river.

When another body shows up questions arise, especially when it's discovered she's been buried for over 2 decades. Who else in the area would have known other than the family that's been around for centuries?

With more bodies piling up who will be next? Is anyone safe? And what is with the mysterious lady in white?

If at all possible, book 2 is better than book 1, and I can't wait for book 3.

There's so many twists and turns that just when you think you have it all figured out, you're wrong. I love when I can't guess what's happening in a book, and this book gives me that!

This one isn't full of all the violence of the last one (no rape) though there are murders and a possible suicide.

This book will have you looking over your shoulder.

Thank you to the authors for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a terrifying story is the second installment in a three-book series.

After dealing with the abuse from a classmate and the loss of her sister,  Leslie Moore has broken up with her boyfriend while trying to deal with guilt and trauma. Sightings of an apparition haunting local ruins send Leslie and her friends back to the scene of the aforementioned horrors that took place the last Halloween. Leslie's friend Sara believes she can contact Leslie's dead twin. The stakes are raised after receding floodwaters expose the skeletal remains of a woman. The horrors of St. Benedict are not done, and Leslie doesn't know if she will live through this round of violence.

The story is great but I had to subtract two stars.

The first is that this is clearly a middle section of a story. The author gives you basic details and illusions about what happened in the first book. But this story moves on emotions. If you have not read the first book, River of Ashes, it's hard to emotionally buy into what happened and why we should care for the characters.

The second star demotion is the ending. There is no ending to any of the stories. It's just a wide open space for the next book. I have no problem setting up for a sequel but you should give me some real answers and consequences with the book itself. This decreased my enjoyment.

It does deserve three stars because it is paced well. Large events are balanced with small events. There is never too much time downtime at school or too much tension that you can't keep it up. The writing is smart and while there was no character depth for most characters, the villains are multilayered. I enjoyed seeing which side of these characters I would get during different situations.

River of Wrath is intense and emotional but needs to be read after the first book of the series to truly appreciate the emotional work Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor put into River of Wrath.

This is the 2nd book in the St Benedict series and it -Ickes up shortly where the previous left off. Leslie is struggling to come to terms with the loss of her sister and all that has happened. She’s not the only one though. Soon a newcomer arrives and the disappearance of another missing girl and Leslie will find out what is behind both of them no matter the cost to herself or her family. It held my attention from start to finish and I am eagerly awaiting the next book.

I had not read book 1 before reading this book, and didn't realize this was a sequel until I had it. I was super confused when I went into this read because of that. Even after reading reviews of the first book, I never felt like I had a good grasp on this story. I did notice great reviews on the 1st book through, so I will go back and read it before reading this one again. There were many twists and turns that were written beautifully but I am sure I will appreciate them more once I re-read the series in order.

River of Wrath is book two of the St. Benedict series. I read River of Ashes in the fall and fell in love with the. characters and setting. The book is set in a small town in Louisiana that is pretty much controlled by the wealthy and powerful Devereaux family. We are introduced to this family and without possibly giving away any possible spoilers, let’s just say that they are wealthy enough to cover up any wrongdoings. This book goes into more of the history of the Devereaux family and we get the point of view of the family patriarch, Gage. Of course along the easy there are many twists and turns as more secrets are revealed and more people end up in the River. I loved going back to St. Benedict and look forward to River of Ghosts which is supposed to release in August 2023.

I was excited to get an arc on NetGalley for the sequel to River of Ashes. I had no idea where the authors could go after book one. It had a fantastic ending, and that epilogue was a chef's kiss! But I was thrilled to hear additional books are coming. I really wanted to know more about the Devereaux family.

While this series is a dark family saga filled with secrets, deception, and murder, it is so much more. With characters who feel real and a haunting Louisiana atmosphere, we follow older teen Leslie Moore and Gage Devereaux (patriarch of the river town) as secrets unfold and more bodies are found, both figuratively and literally. Though you can read this installment without reading book one, you don't want to miss out on the character arcs and growth of what brings us to this point. Addictive reading I highly recommend!

This is the second book of this series. I enjoyed this book as much as the first. I like how the author kept adding to the story. The reader already knew that Beau was a bad guy but to find out that the issues might be hereditary was a new grain of the thought. To find out the father was just as guilty for hiding stuff from the community was more of wealth being able to protect bad choices. This is an author to read.

I didn't realize this book was a sequel until I got it and it was a mistake.
I had picked this book up because of its cover( I'm not going to lie)Overall, I didn't connect with any of the characters. It seemed like the characters created so much unnecessary trouble for themselves because they refused to communicate, and it was pretty rushed towards the end. I'm seriously so sorry I didn't like it but this book just isn't for me.

First, I must say this cover is breathtaking!! 

Now onto the book:
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Rating

*Triggers: rape, sexual & physical abuse, POV of psychopath.* 
***Make sure to read the author's note at the end of the book, explaining why it was written.***

Umm what did I just read? Wowser! This book was really really good, although some of what Beau did in this story to others was pretty rough. 

Such a dark and creepy story. It did bring to the forefront about rape, sexual abuse, and bullying and how a person who commits this can be thinking. 

This book was very chilling and eerie. Especially The Abbey, which plays a large role in this story. The way the author described it made me imagine not wanting to go in it.

This was very well written, and so happy I found this author. Getting ready to read book 2. 

If you are okay with sensitive material then you definitely need to read this one