Compared to my feelings on the first book, I LOVED this sequel, which is very romance first and fantasy second, but that’s okay! I was into that for this book!

Frankly speaking, I don’t know that much happened plot-wise until the last maybe 10-15% of the book. The majority of the story felt like Talasyn and Alaric figuring out what their arranged marriage and simultaneous attraction to each other meant, while Talasyn continued to navigate her varying roles that she took up in book one (princess, empress, double agent, rebel, the list goes on). The last couple chapters had a lot going on, and as many other reviews stipulate, the plot twist at the end makes me immensely curious for what will happen next.

The best part of this book was by far the romance. The tension was strong, and we love a declaration done in the form of yelling (don’t judge me, the passion is there and I am feral for it). The spice was more present in this book, but that came second to the verbal banter and pure vibes that emanated from our two leads, in my humble opinion.

Lastly, I have to shout out our FMC for being so much more tolerable in book 2 than 1. Talasyn was obnoxious in the first book; I was praying for her downfall. But she matured so much in this sequel, and I found myself actually rooting for her! Who would’ve thought, right? Anywhoo, a fun read and a great follow-up, with a fabulous cliffhanger! Looking forward to book 3. 4 ⭐

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This was a very solid follow up to The Hurricane Wars! I really enjoyed the progression of Talasyn and Alaric’s relationship. The tension and chemistry was so good! I of course was left frustrated with them for not communicating better or trusting each other, but then there wouldn’t be a plot without all of that.! It was a character driven book and the plot moved more subtly. We were left with a cliffhanger that speaks to more action to come. I wish I had the next installment in my hands right now, because I can’t wait to continue this story!

I had a lot of fun with this second installment. It took a little bit to get to the point, but overall I enjoyed it. The slow burn was definitely worth the wait. I do wish that these two characters would have ended their miscommunication a lot sooner, but the pay off when they finally get over it was so good! I love a good cliffhanger, so l am excited to see where this story goes.

This is the perfect conclusion for this duology. I absolutely devoured this book and the story building in book 1, provided this conclusion.

“…Just him and me and the monsoon”

I thoroughly enjoyed being able to dive deeper into to the inner workings of Talasyn & Alaric.

Plus the spice *chef’s kiss*

I just want to reread the duology all over again… and I probably (most definitely) will.

I truly enjoyed this book even more than the first. The tension and development of Alaric and Talasyn’s forbidden romance has been soooo good. The creativity that went into the world building for this whole series is amazing. I honestly don’t understand how authors are able to create this world themselves and put it out there for us to enjoy. The only thing that really got to me with this book (and the first book) is that some of the sentences are SO long which can make it hard to understand what is going on or being described. Regardless, I’m so excited to read the next one because what was that cliffhanger???? 😭

Following The Hurricane Wars, this picks up right where we left off. We continue to see war rage and our newly married friends start to fall in love. I struggled with being engaged by the world building but I loved the romance development!

The second in a series is usually my favorite, and monsoon rising was no exception. I loved how much more we learned about Talasyn and Alaric and the development of their stories!

To say this was the perfect sequel to The Hurricane Wars is an understatement! I devoured this book. The world the wonderful author continues to build is magical, and it weaves an intricate story that kept me reading and reading. The main characters develop a lot in the sequel, and that is one of the reasons this book helps elevate everything that was in the first one. I'm a sucker for romance, and this book delivered tenfold! I won't lie, I got lost a couple of times when reading this book, but I think it had more to do with the fact that I didn't reread the first book. Highly recommend reading the first book or a detailed recap to be able to fully enjoy this story. Of course, I still loved it! It was the romance between Talasyn and Alaric that kept me racing toward the end of the book. I wish I'd slowed down because that ending was AHHHHHH! I need the next book like yesterday. Can't wait for book 3!

If there’s one thing that truly excites me, it’s when a sequel completely outshines its predecessor—and this book does exactly that. While I found the first installment a bit slow and just okay, this sequel takes everything up a notch, delivering a story that’s faster-paced, more engaging, and undeniably addictive.

Picking up right where the first book left off, the plot finally gains momentum, pulling me in with its heightened stakes and deeper character development. The side characters, who felt somewhat sidelined before, now get their moment to shine, adding richness and depth to the story.

But let’s get to the heart of what made this book unforgettable: Talasyn and Alaric. Their relationship growth was hands down one of my favorite elements. The banter? Utter perfection. The tension? Absolutely electric. And the slow burn with just the right amount of spice? Chef’s kiss. But what truly stole my heart was Alaric’s unwavering devotion—there’s just something about a male lead who is completely, unapologetically in love with his wife that gets me every time.

With that jaw-dropping ending, I’m already counting down the days until book three. This sequel proved that sometimes, the best is yet to come!

Could book 2 be even better than book 1? (The answer, yes!)

If you enjoy a slow burn with true enemies to lovers then this is your series. Alaric and Talasyn are married. After years living in warring nations its hard to get past old ways. But Alaric has been told by his father that this marriage is the only answer.

Book 1 was setting the world, but book 2 definitely brought more romance. Alaric and Talasyn haven't been living their lives in a romantic perspective so it was so good seeing the two of them explore their romance as it grew.

Talasyn gets the opportunity to get to know family better. She's still hurting though, missing her best friend. Alaric has come a long way from book 1. He's grown some.

The banter between these two was so enjoyable! And that ending!

A Monsoon Rising picks up right where The Hurricane Wars left off and I had so much fun! I like that the plot is definitely starting to pick up, the side characters got more page time and development which was great.

Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I honestly just don’t think this series was for me. I had the urge to DNF on several occasions. I could see how the general plot and world building is good, I think these main characters just read as too immature and cringey for me, as someone in their mid-30s. I was hoping to get more character growth and deeper relationship development as the series progressed, but they were still up to their same patterns of push-pull, hate-attraction through both books. Their dynamics were so frustrating and I basically enjoyed all the other characters more than our main duo. I did not get the feeling of excitement I get from other romantasy faves, either in the romance or plot. I don’t know if hearing from others that it was based on Star Wars fanfic helped or hurt in this situation. Sadly, this is a 2 star book for me personally. I have read a lot of really good romantasy, so my bar is high for this category.

This book combines intense character drama with a beautifully crafted world full of political intrigue, elemental magic, and cultural depth. The setting, a vibrant land on the brink of upheaval, is rich with history and magic tied to the fierce monsoons that shape both the land and its people.

The characters are just as compelling:

• Talasyn: A determined and fierce heroine, Talasyn has endured hardship but carries an inner strength that drives her forward. Her connection to elemental magic makes her not just a key player in the conflict but also a symbol of hope and defiance.
• Alaric: The charismatic yet enigmatic commander who comes from a world of privilege but is torn between his sense of duty and his growing connection to Talasyn. Their relationship is full of tension—both emotional and political—and the way it unfolds is one of the book’s highlights.

Thea Guanzon’s world-building is spectacular, with vivid descriptions of stormy landscapes and intricate political systems that shape the lives of its characters. The magic system, tied to the natural elements, especially the monsoons, feels fresh and integral to the story’s stakes. Every element of the world feels alive, from the bustling cities to the windswept plains, creating an immersive backdrop to the characters’ struggles.

If you love fantasy with rich character development, layered world-building, and a plot full of twists and high stakes, A Monsoon Rising is a must-read!

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an ARC and allowing me to provide my honest review

Unfortunately life has been chaotic as all and I was unable to sit down and devour this book as soon as I had hope but once I was able to I could not put it down! I was ridiculously excited for this sequel and it did not let me down. This series really shines when our two main characters interact with each other and this book really came through on that front. I had been predicting/saying that I expected this to be like ACOTAR in which a lot of readers will say you’ve gotta get through the first book and it picks up in the second since the world building in book one was a little difficult to get through and this has proved me right. I can not wait for the third and final installment.

I absolutely loved this book ! While it did take me a little bit to jump back into the world (since I read the first book so long ago) and acquaint myself with the writing style, once I was in, I was really hooked. I love the world, the magic, the characters, the politics, the love, and the heartbreak. fantastic work 5/5.

A Monsoon Rising did 3 things that many sequels miss:
Consistency. It always felt like the same story and the same voice, the characters read the same and the writing style flowed well from the first book.
Character Development. These characters felt like the same people, but they were also growing and evolving through the story. By the end they were clearly new and different people, but it wasn’t due to a drastic shift in writing style.
Story Flow. One of the biggest faults of second books is they often feel like an overall story line slump. Because of how long story arcs flow the second or middle books often feel underwhelming, but in this case the story line felt just as strong as the first book and ended in a nice lead up to the third book.
Overall this was an excellent next step from Hurricane Wars. The relationship and characters continued to evolve and the author didn’t try anything extra like throwing a whole new person’s perspective in there. I can’t wait to see what’s coming next!

Read this if you like:
➡️ Unique Magic System
➡️ Arranged Marriage
➡️ Political Alliances
➡️ Dragons
➡️ Simmering Heat
➡️ They’re Both Falling
➡️ 2nd in Series

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🔥🔥🔥

#AMonsoonRising #TheaGuanzon #Romantasy #Sequel #Dragons #ForcedProximity #NetGalley

Thea Guanzon brings another AMAZING installment in this virbrant world she has created. The stakes of war, pending betrayal, and beautiful pining between the leads …. Leads to rapid page turning and late nights to finish. Highly recommend, and cannot wait for the next installment! This is a Romantasy EPIC that everyone should read.

aaaand we’re back with the two people who are very much in love with each other even though they don’t want to admit it:. yet.

i love a good marriage of convenience and guanzon really delivers in her sequel. admittedly this one is more romance than politics and so it made sense to give us these scenes with alaric and talasyn but!!! are you really gonna tell me that they just knew what to do despite the fact their both quite inexperienced in that department? hmmm HMM okay.

while i did like a monsoon rising better than the hurricane wars, the plot felt overshadowed by all of the romance throughout. it seemed more like an afterthought than anything and hopefully this will all get better with the third book (i beg!!!!). i mean, i can’t really complain here. 9 times out of 10, i read for fun and this is what the book is. fun! all i want is for alaric and talasyn to go back to cuddling forever and ever!

ty to netgalley & harper voyager for the arc -

Insanely addictive. Are you kidding me?!?! I am OBSESSED with this series. The world building, the plot, the angst?!?!? I NEED THE NEXT ONE ASAP

thea has done it again!!!!! the masquerade ....so good...chef's kiss....the writing as usual, the twists and turns...love!!!