The Ravenhood
I have so much to say, but no clue where to start. This review contains spoilers.
Flock opened with a bang—a fish-out-of-water troupe that had me hooked. Every one of Cecelia’s decisions left me gasping, “Girl, what are you doing?!” “Stop! Think. Just don’t do it.”
Cecelia, the poor daughter of a wealthy and morally questionable father, heads to his factory for a year to earn her inheritance. A small-town where her father’s factory is both a lifeline and a curse. There she meets Sean, then Dominic King, and from there the sparks turn into fireworks. With Sean, there’s understanding and quiet warmth; with Dominic, it’s mystery and chemistry. Both equally exciting and hard to choose. The steamy scenes are over the top HOT!!!
It’s not usually my go-to trope, but I’ll give credit where it’s due. I was hooked. Beneath all the heat, a layer of suspense built slowly, even if Cecelia’s emotional decisions sometimes left me in disbelief. The cliffhanger ending was brutal, so naturally, I dove straight into Exodus.
And then… blur.
I couldn’t even trace how the story went from A to Z, from Sean and Dom to Tobais King. Tobais enters, Sean and Dom disappear, and suddenly the story’s emotional compass spins wildly. Within a few chapters, Tobais and Cecelia are passionately in love, villains multiply, and antagonists change faster than I could track. The main villain of Flock wasn’t important anymore; he even died, and no one cared. The narrative felt scattered. Too many puzzle pieces in the wrong box.
And don’t get me started on the French—10% of audiobook delivered entirely in French, then repeated word-for-word in English. I get it; maybe it’s meant to feel exotic, but I was ready to toss my headphones after the first hour into the book.
By The Finish Line, I wanted to see it through, but the pace and tone had shifted so dramatically that it was hard to stay focused on the story I’d first fallen for. By 20%, I found myself more ready for closure than catharsis.
My overall take, Ravenhood Series has an undeniable start—bold and passionate. Midway through book two, I found it extremely boring. I would definitely suggest Flock, but the cliffhanger at the end of each book forces you to go for the next one.
What worked for me:
Each character arc was well-defined, even if the overall plot lost its footing.
Pacing, though fast, slowed to a crawl midway through the series.
Joe Arden’s voice was the real winner. Honestly, I picked up this series just for him.
Genre: Dark Romantic Suspense
Flock – Spice level – 5/5, Overall Rating – 5/5
Exodus – Spice level – 3.5/5, Overall Rating – 3/5
The Finish Line - Spice level – 2/5, Overall Rating – 1.5/5
Don’t come after me if this series is your favorite. I already know I’m in the minority here, but I’ve never been great at keeping my opinions quiet. Maybe that’s exactly why I started writing in the first place.
