#roniekendig

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Meant to post yesterday but forgot 🤣 Anyway, I've got Brooke in my hands!! If you guys haven't read @kendigronie #TheMetcalfes, you're missing out and should go find book 1!! . . . . . . . . . . #rapidfirefiction #RonieKendig #TheMetcalfesSeries #BrookeMetcalfe #CordTaggart #Brooke #TheMetcalfesbook4 https://www.instagram.com/p/CoqTrskLZSx/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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@bethanyhousefiction #anopenbook #roniekendig Thank you for this amazing opportunity ❤️ to review these beautiful 😍 #books #series! #soulraging & #kingsfalling & #stormrising #thebookofwarsseries #thebookofwars #suspense #thrillers #mustreadbooks #recommended #bestsellingauthor #new #bookclub #summerreads #bookblogger #bookclub #bookstagram #reviewer #Amazon #goodreadschallenge2022 https://www.instagram.com/p/ChS5GeErg_Y/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Stone

She cost him everything. Now, he’s forced to protect her.

Stone Metcalfe embodies the Metcalfe legacy—blue eyes, an unfair amount of good looks, and hardcore patriot-laced character. But a foolish lapse in judgment dismantles his name and career. Humiliated and furious, he retreats to his mountain lodge to hide from media hounds and eke out a new life. However, one phone call from an old Army buddy upends Stone’s best-laid plans. Supermodel Brighton Buchanan had designers and men eating out of her hand until a terrible mistake trapped her in the soul-eating world of human trafficking. Years later, she is used by her captors to take down the best man she’s ever known. The man she loves. Hope lost, she’s unexpectedly freed—and thrown back into Stone’s life. Being forgiven is out of the question considering how much he hates her. Believing danger and her are one wrong move away, Brighton will do anything to keep him from being ruined again—even if it means going back to that life. As everything is falling apart and threats mount against Brighton, Stone realizes forgiveness is the easy part. Protecting her—and his heart—is another story.

MY REVIEW:  4.5/5 Stars!

So exciting getting to see more of the Metcalfe's! We got introduced to Canyon back in the Discarded Heroes series, and by extension, a brief intro to other Metcalfe's through that series. Then of course, we got Leif's story in Storm Rising. And now, we're getting the rest of the family! Overall, Stone was great. I did want to smack him for the way he was treating Brighton. Yes, what happened was bad and she did play a part in it, but at the same time, her choice wasn't as black and white as he wanted things to be. I was glad that he finally pulled his head out and listened to her. And then realized why he was as mad about things as he was. Then of course, I loved that he threw himself into trying with everything he had (loved the way he started trying to get her to understand he wasn't going to let anyone hurt her). Brighton was interesting. On the one hand, it was interesting watching her fighting to decide if she could even try to hope. I could understand her not wanting to be around Stone when he was being a butt, and that she maybe wasn't thinking too clearly, but I did have to wonder at why she thought running away was a good idea. I did like that she seemed to feel like Stone was worth the chance, so she kind of thought about sticking around. I did wish she'd managed to signal or something when Finch showed up. I did like the fact that she got Mari out of the car though. There were some grammatical/spelling errors scattered through the book that distracted me/pulled me out of things. And I will admit that I would have loved a little more on how Horvath located Brighton and everything. That part seemed to get a little glossed over; Stone got the call and then they're defending the lodge and he's acknowledging how he feels. I mean, I was glad that everything with those feelings got resolved but I did feel like the path to get there was a little foggy and could have been cleared a bit more. I loved the Zulu reference/cameo and the Nightshade cameos! Please tell me more of those are coming? I mean, since it is Canyon's team and this series is about the Metcalfe's, at the very least, the rest of Nightshade has to step in to help, right? And will we get to see how Leif and Iskra are handling life? Also maybe a throwback/cameo to Tox?

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Soul Raging

Sometimes, the only hope is the enemy. 

Leif Metcalfe is done waiting for answers and seizes control, a move that comes with a high price and a deadly risk: teaming up with the enemy. He can only hope that what he uncovers will heal the wounds he's inflicted on those he loves.

Iskra Todorova believes Leif is on a collision course with death and knows firsthand the irrevocable cost of that path to the soul. While trying to protect her daughter and intervene with Leif, Iskra is forced to set her sights on the man behind the evil organization ArC--Ciro Veratti. 

Torn apart by injuries and opposing views on how to handle Leif's act of treachery, team Reaper hunts one of their own. The only thing they agree on is not stopping but starting the final battle prophesied in the Book of the Wars.

OMG! This book was everything I'd hoped going into the end of this series/trilogy. I will admit to being slightly anxious/worried about things (especially Leif), after the ending that was Kings Falling. There were also some personal things going on that were effecting my ability/want to go through and read things. But then I saw a comment Ronie Kendig made regarding writing a fallen hero (Writing a Fallen Hero) and somehow, I just knew things were going to turn out mostly alright. I did find myself the slightest bit frustrated at how easily the team even thought about considering Leif might turn traitor. Granted, they almost immediately dismissed it, but even the momentary doubt bothered me slightly. I was glad that the team welcomed him back with the familial relationships they'd had, even though they were still admitting they'd been hurt by what happened. I did like Cell's thing when they were on the Seneca, it felt like, while he was still mad about what had happened, he'd still started to forgive Leif. And was wanting to give him a reason to come back. I did like Iskra's pointing out that if he had meant to turn on them, things would have been a lot worse. Her momentary lapse she had when she got the satchel was understandable, but at least she acknowledged that she'd made a mistake. And she was able to use it to kind of start a conversation with Leif. Dru kind of surprised me. I'd figured he'd known a lot more about what was going on, but there were clearly reasons he was having to take all the back roads to figure out what was really going on. I was a little surprised at Braun, although I had suspicions. It was surprising to see how far/deep Veratti and ArC had managed to infiltrate. I did find myself wanting to know if the others like Mercy, Alisz and Iskra were able to get free. Same for any other Gen2s or the Neiothiens. That epilogue was so beautiful. It was nice to see people getting slices of happiness and futures that seem to be growing by the second.

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Kings Falling

Leif Metcalfe and his team, dubbed Reaper, need to recover the stolen, ancient Book of the Wars if they hope to stop the Armageddon Coalition and their pursuit of global economic control. But their attention has been diverted by a prophecy in the book that foretells of formidable guardians who will decimate the enemies of ArC. While Iskra Todorova uses her connections in the covert underworld to hunt down the Book of the Wars, Leif and Reaper attempt to neutralize these agents but quickly find themselves outmaneuvered and outgunned. The more Reaper tries to stop the guardians, the more failure becomes a familiar, antagonistic foe. Friendships are fractured, and the team battles to hold it together long enough to defeat ArC. But as this millennia-old conspiracy creeps closer and closer to home, the implications could tear Leif and the team apart.

****screaming**** So, yeah, I just finished this and I just...I can't...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I really don't think I can wait for November for Soul Raging. This book! My heart, my head, my loves! All the characters need to be okay, please! I will beg on my hands and knees for them to come out of this alright! Or at least healing. I'll accept them not being 100% but they need to be healing! There's family potential going on here and apologies need to be said and secrets need to be unveiled. This book definitely got a little darker, tugging on more emotions. Everyone is examining their places in the world (it feels like), and how they fit with the team and themselves. And then they're still hunting for the Book of the Wars and the Neiothein. From the previous book, there were definitely things that I'd suspected (Leif's missing time, Andrew being more than he seemed, etc) and while certain things weren't expressly stated, I feel like I've gotten started on answers, at the very least. I wavered between getting excited and getting frustrated with Leif and Iskra. Don't get me wrong, I love both of them and I know they're both kind of new to this, but it seemed like every time one of them would start to open up, the other would pull away. Granted, that was usually because Leif was being paranoid, although some of the internal reasonings, I don't blame either of them. I did like that they talked about a potential future and both seem open to it. All that being said: Leif!! No! Please, no! There's got to be more to this! I know there's secrets and fear, but just, stay on the good side! Don't take the cookies! I ended up with a few more questions regarding Cell. Although that was mostly because I still feel like his assignment with Reaper has more to it. But maybe I'm just reading into things because there's so many questions left! And Mercy...more questions! Like her past. Clearly there's stuff there and someone went to great lengths to discover it so that Andrew had a pressure point to leverage. And of course, Andrew. Seriously, Loki, what's the end game here? Basically: ALL THE QUESTIONS! I did like that even though it feels like Mercy is still trying to misplace feelings for Ram, she's slowly opening herself to a potential something with Baddar. And Peyton and Adam seem to (please, oh please let it be real) heading towards something interesting as well. I loved getting to see more of Canyon and Dani and their family. Hopefully they come back and Dani gets to smack Leif upside the head again. Please survive for familial abuse! And then there was that appearance of Canyon's there at the end...QUESTIONS!

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Storm Rising

Once lost to history, the Book of the Wars has resurfaced, and its pages hold ancient secrets and dangers. Former Navy SEAL Leif Metcalfe has been tasked with capturing the ancient text, but a Bulgarian operative snatches it, determined to secure her freedom. When a series of strange storms erupt, they must form an alliance to thwart impending disaster.

Yet another thrilling book that had me on the edge of my seat! Ronie Kendig has an amazing ability to bring quickly to the edge of my seat and the writing keeps me there; and now I’m anxiously awaiting the ability to preorder Kings Falling because I need to know how things end! Not that they ended bad as it is, but there were definitely questions that I must have answered! Please, for the sake of my poor nerves, can it be April yet?

This book was yet again filled with the sass, humor, chemistry and family that I love in each and every one of Ronie Kendig's books. I also loved getting to see some old characters, not only from The Tox Files, but also getting more on the Metcalfe's from back in the Discarded Heroes!! It was interesting to see Canyon again and there's part of me that hopes the rest of them get to make a cameo or two!

As I mentioned, there were some questions. For example: Cell. Granted after things happened with the AFO and Ram and all of that, it's kind of understandable that he might not want to be boots on the ground anymore, but at the same time, he felt like he was a lot more...evasive about his actual reasons/job description now that he's with Leif and co. Or maybe that's just me? Then there's Andrew. What side is he on?! Good guy? Bad guy? Loki? Enigma's abound! I'd also like to know more about the Meteoroi and those components. Mainly: How many are left!

And what happened to Leif in the desert? That’s one of my bigger questions...missing time is never good in general and now he’s got extra abilities that aren’t exactly normal. It does have potential for some interesting story points though!

And then there's Mercy. I still love her, she's sassy and snarky and knows her way around a computer. And which super team to bet on (sorry Leif, but Marvel all the way!!). I do still want to know about her. Obviously, she keeps things close to the chest, but there's still more to her than meets the eye. And I find myself oddly excited about a potential something between she and Baddar. Hopefully she doesn't try to convince herself that whatever it is is just misplacing lingering feelings for Ram.

And I do want to talk about the chemistry. Oh baby! I loved it!! The team in general had great chemistry and was able to work so well together, anticipating and watching each other's backs and also able to rib each other like there's no tomorrow. And then there's the romance. Even amongst the danger, I found myself getting giddy with excitement as things progressed. Of course, there were some things that had me almost screaming (I reined myself in since I was at work) as people got soooooo close and then backed away for whatever reason. But that being said, I loved the determination that was exhibited when going after the one they wanted.

Seriously can't wait for Kings Falling!! Is it April yet?

** I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.**

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This book pulled me in and had me on the edge of the seat the entire time! Although, like the first image, there was some humor too! This book is releasing 7/2! Check it out if you want to know what this is referencing!! Book is up for preorder and you can read more into it here: http://roniekendig.com/series/book-of-the-wars/

[echoesofbooks]

Thirst of Steel by Ronie Kendig

Dismantled centuries ago, the sword of Goliath is still rumored to thirst for its enemies' blood. Cole "Tox" Russell wants only to put the dangers of his past behind him and begin his new life with Haven Cortes. First, though, he's called to complete a final mission: retrieve the sword and destroy the deadly Arrow & Flame Order.

The AFO, however, is determined to reunite the sword. Threatening the life of Ram and Tzivia's father, they jeopardize Ram's long-held and dangerous secret while demanding Tzivia locate the blade. With the Wraith team slowly being torn apart, things worsen when Mercy Maddox, a new operative, emerges with the stunning news that the artifact is tied to both Ram's secret and a string of unsolved serial murders. Tox, Ram, and the others are forced to set aside fear and anger to target the true enemy. No matter the cost, Wraith must destroy the AFO...or join them in the flames. First: NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Why does this have to be the end of The Tox Files!!! I'm not going to lie: I spent a good portion of at least the last 50 pages in various stages of crying. Filled with twists, turns, action, mystery, faith and a heavy dose of mysticism, this SAARC mission certainly pulls out all the stops.

Seriously though, this book threw twists at you like there was no tomorrow. I did have my suspicions regarding at least the direction of a couple of them, but I was still pleasantly surprised. And there are a couple that I'd like more information on please...because those bombs can't just be dropped on us without telling us how things end up!! (I don't want to spoil anything, so if you've got questions about what I'm talking about, feel free to message me) And there was romance! *sigh* It was just so...well I mean, it wasn't exactly beautiful because of reasons, but it was! There was so much love and potentials that I was seriously cheering for. And not just romantic love either. There was familial love as well. And that was just as strong, if not stronger than the romantic love that wove through the book. I loved getting to see more Wraith. The relationship between all the team members is just awesome. I love their family dynamic and the fact that they can rib each other till there's no tomorrow, but they've got each other's backs and they trust each other (yes, that did make things a little difficult at a couple points but still). It's interesting watching Leif try to integrate with the team. I did feel a little bad; the rest of Wraith has had years to get to know each other and he's still a comparative unknown so they are a little standoffish, but I did like that while it doesn't seem like they trust him completely 100% of the time, they've still got his back and it feels like they're working on making him a full blown member of the team. I was a little frustrated with Tzivia. I get that she was trying to rescue her father and she didn't have all the information, but that doesn't really excuse some of her behavior. Ram shocked me. I mean, I'd had questions about where he'd stand on things. While it was clear that he was loyal to Wraith in the other books, at the same time it always felt like there was something...else there as well. Something that pulled him to just this side of, well not disloyalty but maybe priorities? Even though I was angry at the way he went about accomplishing certain things, in the end, he proved where his true loyalties lay. Mercy was an interesting character. I loved her spunk and the fact that she could seriously handle herself. And had a serious superhero obsession :D. I would definitely have loved to know more about Greece and her relationship with Ram though. Same really for how she came to work with Iliescu. And Tox and Haven!! So excited that things look like they're going to work out for them! Although I don't know that I can imagine Tox being able to do the whole "domesticated" thing for too long--he just feels like someone who needs to be out there doing something. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own