I want to thank NetGalley and Berkley for supplying me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
HOLY SMOKES! Ok, now that I got that out of my system, let's reel it in and I'll give you my opinion.
This book was 100% better than the first, and that's saying something because i rated the first one rather high!
How can I even give a review without spoilers? It's so hard.
First let's talk about the plot. Freaking Brooke, man, I cannot stand her. And she has her claws in the Royals. She will do just about anything to grab on and never let them go. Did I mention I hate her? And then there's Ella coming back, begrudgingly, at least at first. But also finding more of herself and standing up for herself and becoming badass! And we still have Easton's wicked humor (I LOVE HIM), and the mystery of the twins and whatever it is that they do.
The pacing, super fast. I couldn't put it down. I needed to know what happened. It was a thrilling ride. Erin Watt certainly knows how to drag you along and keep you coming back for more. Finished this one in under 24 hours!
And the characters. Did I mention Ella becoming badass? I thought she was tough before. And she was. But more silently tough, with little pin pricks here and there. In this book she comes out of that shell and shows everyone who she can really be. She is totally awesome standing up for herself, and others, no holds barred. And Reed, le sigh, I do love his point of view. In the first book we only saw him through Ella's eyes but here we see him as him. We see in his head and hear all his thoughts and really get to understand how he ticks. Callum had a good change in this book, In the first book he's more or less nonexistent in his sons' lives. Or maybe it's that he's given up having a relationship with them. But in this book he turns that a bit. Becoming more of a father, getting more involved, and starting to show up. Maybe there is hope for him yet! And Easton, that boy needs a good girl to get to him. I was hoping it might be Valerie, but so far it's not. They seem to me to kind of click with their sense of humors and their love of Ella. I'm not giving up hope. and the twins. i'm not even sure what to say. I need to understand them better and i'm really hoping we get some of that in the coming books!
But can I just say, THAT ENDING! I mean, honestly, I didn't really see it coming. I did question the story that gets shattered by it, at least a bit, It seemed odd and there was never truly evidence of it being true. But, alas, I cannot talk about it or you'll know what happens!
Overall, this one was fantastic and I am jumping into the next book right now!

Erin Watt has officially become one of my all time favorite authors!!! The beautifully rich blend of drama, heated romance, and complex characters that make you feel every single emotion will have you addicted to this series from the first page. I cannot wait to see what’s in store for our characters in the final installment!!!

This was so freaking awesome. A totally addicting read. I'm like, what the heck am I reading? This is crazy, give me more! Seriously - nothing else existed while reading this.

The craziness continues and jumps in right where book one leaves off and I loved every single second of it. This was filled with so much tension and angst and the best all-consuming drama, I was on the edge of my seat. I love the mounting tension and build as Reed and Ella go back and forth with their relationship. You could feel that building angst!

I had so many questions going into this and loved the answers I got but now I have a whole bunch more. I was mesmerized by it all. It's such fantastic writing, this privileged and crazy world with all these different layers and elements, I loved all the details that hooked me and pulled me in.

I found myself completely rooting for the Royals as they navigate their way through complex situations and figure things out. The father and boys all fascinate me and I really liked getting to learn more about them. I love them and want to slap them all at the same time since sometimes their choices are way out there. Such a great cast of complicated characters. Besides the Royals themselves, the secondary characters are well-rounded and play a big part in adding great detail. I love a well-written "bad guy" and there are a few in this. It's just elicited so much emotion out of me. It was so exciting to read.

Manipulation. Blackmail. Power plays. The fighting. All the things happenings were just insanely perfect. It was such a full, detailed story and I couldn’t get enough. Loved the twists and turns and drama!

And again with the killer cliffhanger! I'm not a fan of them but this one was pretty awesome... though I did yell at my Kindle. Cannot wait to dive into Twisted Palace! You just have to read it for yourself to experience it, I can't put into words how thrilling this is to read. I am completely ruined by The Royals!