A review by btlitell
Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

5.0

While I really enjoyed this, there were parts that felt almost too similar to the first. Parts of the romance felt like a rinse and repeat of book 1 (which makes sense given what happened but could have been approached differently). There were some moments that E and R shared that were very tender and intimate, and I really loved and appreciated those moments. It gave me something to hope for beyond the magical typewriter letter system.
I really appreciated seeing a divine being

blunder like Dacre did by admitting that 5 is a sacred number and then not counting Roman as a trusted person near him and becoming number 6

as it really chiseled away at the image of a deity being flawless compared to a person. That was a really nice touch. There was one particular story arc that reminded me of Tom Clancy's Cardinal in the Kremlin with the initially unknown mole who is later discovered part of the story that unfolded. That also helped humanize the deity and keep them from seeming like an omnipotent being incapable of making mistakes.
I enjoyed this book and the duology overall and will recommend it to anyone who is looking for this kind of story. Also, I am really hoping that we can get some spin-off stories.