Laura and Lauren’s Review of Convicted (Consequences #3) by Aleatha Romig

If you like The Dark Duet Series by C.J. Roberts, Disastrous by E.L. Montes, and Crow’s Row by Julie Hockley then you love this series!!

“When the cards were dealt, Claire should’ve demanded a re-deal”

Basic Summary:   There were still lessons to learn and consequences for the truth! When Claire Nichols met Anthony Rawlings, she didn't know they had a past, of that he had plans for her future.  Over time, the role of teacher changed—games became reality—and domination turned to desire.  Despite an insurmountable history, Clair and Tony found their way back to one another.

Just when they seemed to have it all—love, respect, and the promise of a family—the game master exposed the truth.  Claire’s world once again spun out of control.  Unwilling to allow her child to suffer the consequences of an old vendetta, Clair fled…

            At one time, Claire was held captive in an opulent mansion—then her incarceration was a cell inside a state penitentiary.  Was her prison—a tropical island—truly less lonely?  Perhaps that was the game master’s plan all along?

            Who will save Clair from her oldest nightmare and her newest reality? Will it be Tony?  Can he forgive her for leaving him—again?  Harry?  Will he utilize previously unknown connections to save the woman who infiltrates his thoughts?  Maybe Phil?  Will his devotion in keeping Claire and her child safe be rewarded?

            As the cards are played—sins of the past, innocent victims, and truths are revealed.  With compartmentalization no longer an option, is the reality too much?  Could there be an even worse isolation?

            With the game master dealing from a stacked deck, can this new high-stakes game possible be won?

            When it’s all over and their cards are on the table—SOME will discover their bets were too high—they have nothing left to lose—ALL will learn the crucial lesson—the important rule—there were CONSEQUENCES for the TRUTH!

“The thought of someone doing to her what he’d done filled him with rage.  If it were another person whom she described, Tony would want him dead.  He’d leave no stone unturned to make him pay for his sins.”

What I Love About This Book: I love shows and books that make me question my own morals, and this series definitely delivers!!! This plot is so twisted and there are so many surprises that by the end of book 2 you don’t know which is up and which is way down.  All through Truth (Consequences #2) I didn't want to like to Tony Rawlings, but by the end I was rooting for him and broken hearted when Claire ran.  This is a complete 180 from how I felt about him by the end of Consequences (Consequences #1) because by the end of that book I wanted something horrible to happen to him and was kind of happy Claire was in jail because she was away from him.  You don’t want to fall in love with Tony but Aleatha Romig being the evil genius she is, you can’t help but want him to be the knight in shining armor by the time this book begins.

            This isn't just a love story, this series is a mystery, a thriller, a romance, and a suspense novel all wrapped in one. Immediately after reading chapter 1 I was a mess, and broken hearted all over again!  Chapter 1 zooms two years into the future, and leaves you with a horrible book hangover NEEDING to find out where it all went wrong!!!! Each chapter brings you closer to finding out how this all happened, yet answering other questions you had from the previous two books by going back and forth between the present and the future.

            After finishing chapter 1 I didn’t want to hate Anthony Rawlings again and prayed that Claire’s current state wasn’t because of his actions.  It drove me crazy!!! In Consequences I wanted him away from Claire, and I felt a physical relief when there was a scene where Tony wasn’t around, then in Truth I couldn’t wait for the scenes when they would be together!!!  This series has probably left me with THE WORST book hangover ever.  I was up till 3 in the morning reading it, and when I woke up it was all I could think about.  This series is truly a masterpiece, and it so unique and so challenging that you immediately get hooked.  It almost makes me happy I’m sick so I can stay in bed and read all day! That’s how good this series is!!

            I thought I was pretty smart after reading Consequences because I guessed pretty early on why Tony had picked Claire and how the chapters that zoomed back to the past connected to Tony and Claire’s story.  Even after reading Truth I thought the things I knew about Tony, about his actions and all that had happened in the past were fact.  The things I thought I knew Tony to have done, I believed 100% but after reading Convicted I had to start questioning what I knew, and that put everything up in the air again and I couldn’t wait to see where all these pieces would fall.

“At one time, they were opponents, strategizing against one another, now they were teammates, yet their tournament wasn’t over.”

Cons:  The only con I have and this is stupid, that if you have a series or a story like this where there are many characters, make a glossary with all the characters names and who they are.  Even Girl With the Dragon had a Vanger family tree in the beginning of the book so we could keep track of people.  That would have been helpful; the previous two books were lent to me so I couldn't go back and reference them, but I see that the novellas that are coming out from Tony’s POV will have a family tree so that solves that.

Overall:  One thing I absolutely loved in this book is that so much happens that you feel like you should be almost done with the story,  but when you look down you’re only 25%  of the way through! I absolutely love this because that just means there is so much more to read and enjoy.  I love when books make me question what I believe, they push you to your limits of what you know and then throw you off the cliff all at the same.  This series definitely does this and so much more.  As much as I love Anthony Rawlings, I was never 100% behind him till the end of this book.  The only character I have ever been 100% behind is Claire, she  an amazing leading lady, and is probably the strongest female character I have ever read.  She’s manipulative when she needs to be, and is incredibly smart to be able to go against not just Anthony but Catherine as well.  I could not have asked for a better leading character in a book in my entire life.  

Side Note to Aleatha Romig:  Reading this series has been like unlike any other because it’s not just the writing in this story that is amazing, it’s the experience while you read it.  Most of the time my heart was beating rapidly, reading about these characters and all their twists and turns and secrets being revealed little by little.  Sometimes my heart had dropped into my stomach and I was queasy in anticipation as to what would happen next.  Lots of times I had a smile on my face while reading, sometimes I laughed, and sometimes I got a little teary eyed.  This book and the rest of the series offer you so much then just a really good story.  When I wasn’t readying I was thinking about Tony and Claire, when I was reading I couldn’t wait to get to the next chapter!!  To Aleatha Romig you are an evil genius and I love you for it, this series was quite an experience, one that I will read over and over again because Claire and Tony’s journey will never get old.  Thank you!!!! 


Click here to see our reviews on Behind His Eyes (Consequences) & Behind His Eyes (Truth)
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Lauren's Review of Conviction-11/8/2013

Rating: 3 Stars...I don't want to but I have to. Don't hate me!!

What I Loved: I loved getting to 80% of the book because that is when I finally started enjoying this book.  First, let me say that I loved Consequences & Truth. With that being said, I could not wait for Convicted to come out.  Aleatha Romig...I have never hated, loved, hated and loved a character before the way you made me feel towards Tony.  I guess in my heart I was always Team Tony and even when I hated him, I was trying so hard to find some love for him.  I love the twists, I love the turns and I love the surprises.  I enjoyed the journey of Tony and Claire and I am glad they got their HEA ending. 

Cons: First chapter, I had no idea what the hell was going on. I don't know if I am getting old, or if my children have caused significant brain damage, but I had to go back and read some of Truth to try to figure out what the hell was happening to Claire.  I get that we are given a scenerio that Claire is in now and the more you read, the more you will discover but holy moly, it took way to long to get there. I was discussing this with Laura when we briefly talked about this book, but when I read a book, you have to keep me. Between work, kids and life, I want to be able to ignore it all and throw myself into the story. I can't stand when a book drags and the beginning/middle of this book dragged. I feel that the third book in a trilogy typically drags. It's hard to keep us involved in all the action and fun for three full books. Bottom line-too much filler and unnecessary focus on useless information and storylines. I will most likely not read Behind His Eyes.

*Side Note: I agree with Laura-I need a character glossary. It is so hard to remember who everyone is when there is a significant break between books.

Hot Scenes: Never quite get there...the last chapter is the closest I got to being so what hot.

What's Next: AHHH! I am so excited to read Mine by Katy Evans!!!!!