A review by booksabrewin
Wicked Trials by Elena Lawson

4.0

Ava Jade is in the thick of it now after witnessing a scene she should have never seen. She knows too much and her only hopes of remaining alive is by taking the trials to become a full fledged Saint. The last thing she ever wanted was to join the ranks of a group that reminds her so much of the one who took her father from her, but perhaps if she can wriggle into the inner-sanctum she could bring them down and eke out some sort of revenge for the gang system as a whole after how thoroughly they ruined her life. But as she is awaiting her trials she has gained three very attractive shadows that can't let her out of their sights. Add to that navigating the waters of her new friendship with Becca, classes, a surly aunt, and a stalker from her past, things are expected to be a cakewalk right? But the more time she spends with the Crows the more she starts to wonder if her aim in all this may be a little off. Can men that make her heart skip a beat and who know her pain in equal parts be as bad as the rest of the bloodthirsty gangsters?

Poor AJ just seems to never catch a break. It's no wonder she is so brash with the way she treats the guys. She has never been able to trust a single soul in her life. That is bound to damage a person. And while the guys are more capable of opening up to her (even the stoic Corvus), AJ is at constant war with her walls and her heart. In this second book the guys pasts were explored a little more and AJ connected with them in ways she never would have imagined. The reader can feel the love blossoming even as each of them fights it for different reasons.

I would have liked if there was a few more sweet moments and not just constantly fighting to stay alive. I understand that in a gang romance that is probably par for the course but the trials and overall plot seemed to be more at the forefront in this book than nurturing the relationships between the parties. I get why that was once I reached the cliffhanger but it was the only thing I could think of that I would have liked more of.

This installment was even better than the first and I am absolutely on pins and needles to find out what happens next!