Genevieve Daylee didn’t expect to be standing in front of a judge on her twenty-seventh birthday. But ever since her life became entangled with a former motorcycle gang, she’s learned not to expect anything but trouble.

Her mother, a woman she once admired and adored, is gone, leaving behind a trail of secrets and lies. She’s living in a tiny apartment above a garage owned by her brother, a man who loathes her very existence. And the father she met beside her mother’s grave is as much of a stranger as Isaiah Reynolds, the broken man with soulless eyes standing beside her in front of the judge.

Isaiah is her protector from the murderer at large in Clifton Forge. Though he’s more like a riven knight in dented armor than a prince on a white stallion. She knows next to nothing about him, other than he works as a mechanic. As of tonight, he’ll be sharing her bathroom.

And, according to the judge, Isaiah is now her husband.

This continues the story that began in Gypsy King. Lives were changed due to murders, a setup, a kidnapping, and a bunch of secrets. And I did not even realize when I read the first book that Isaiah is Kaine's brother from Tragic adding more depth to his history. But that is explained in this book as well. 

Genevieve came to town to visit her murdered mother's grave and got all mixed up in the whole mess. And she found an unexpected ally and helper in Isaiah. Afterward, the two of them kept quiet about their part in the events and hatched a plan to protect each other. She now has had to leave her life in the city in order to make at least a temporary home in Clifton Forge. And while there, she is also dealing with secrets her mother kept that are affecting her life now. But she is also smart, resourceful, and determined to find out who to blame. 

Isaiah is an ex-con who is just trying to find a new life. He keeps his head down, works hard, and has to live with his demons and lack of self-worth. His history is tragic and it cost him everything. Now he is just trying to protect himself and Genevieve. But he knows it cannot be more than that since he does not think he would ever deserve her. He is a quiet, stoic, and broken man, but he is there for her.

These two are thrust into an awkward situation where they have to lie to those around them and try to co-exist in close quarters. There are still unanswered questions, unsolved murders, unknown enemies, threats, and a whole lot of tension.

I have to admit that I had a hard time connecting to Isaiah and Genevieve as a couple. I know it was supposed to be two strangers living together. I also understood that they were guarded and afraid. But the fact that is was such a slow process and slow-burn not to make any gains at all until like sixty percent was kind of frustrating and made me lose patience at times. Isaiah, bless his heart, was just so closed off and self-deprecating that he had such a hard time even imagining the idea of love or happiness. And she relied on him but was afraid of spooking him when she pushed too hard. Ever so slowly, things did start to progress.

But I have to say the last part of the book moved faster and brought more of a connection, more emotions, action, surprises, and tied up a lot of loose ends. I was glad that we got the answers I wanted and they were not withheld until the next book. I was surprised by how some things turned out, and overall I leave their story satisfied.  It was mysterious, emotional, hopeful, and showed the importance of finding people to have your back.

I am excited to get to Presley's book, Stone Princess and the rest of the series hopefully with Leo and Emmett finding their matches. 

I have been looking forward to Isaiah’s story since he was introduced in Tragic. I wasn’t sure what he would have to do to make me love him, but I also knew he was already paying for his mistakes prior to Tragic’s timeline. Then meeting Genevieve and reading the teaser for Riven Knight, I couldn’t wait to see why these two felt like marriage was their answer and what would happen to these strangers as they merged their lives, even if as a ruse.

Neither Genevieve nor Isaiah are native to Clifton Forge. Genevieve’s arrival is only due to her mother’s tragic death in town, while Isaiah is rebuilding his life. Neither are directly attached to the former Tin Gypsy MC, but between family and job connections, they have been folded into the Gypsy group, if peripherally. Their marriage is the only way to keep their secrets from the forest safe, to keep each other safe.

This was a major slow burn -- after all they are strangers. But as they let down their guard in the safety of their apartment, there is the opportunity not only for a friendship to blossom, but healing as well. Because they are strangers (having met that fateful night in the woods), things are awkward and uncomfortable as they move in together and begin selling the tale of their instant love to their friends. While Dash and Draven are not fully sold on the story, Bryce and Presley love the romanticism of love at first sight. But beyond convincing their friends, they have to learn how to at least be comfortable with each other because who knows how long it will take until it is safe for them to go their separate ways.

I loved watching as they went from strangers to reluctant friends. But even then, it was frustrating to see the wall that was Isaiah’s past looming between them. His resistance to forgive himself kept him from so much. Even though his backstory is explained in Tragic, it is not necessary to know what happened in order to enjoy this story. Eventually his story comes out here, and the not knowing would only add to the depth of that wall between them.

While the beginning was slow to develop, the ending was fast paced and stressful, as I am coming to expect with this series tied to a former MC. The MC drama permeates this story, as does the murder mystery begun in Gypsy King. There is both closure to these storylines and threads woven to spill into Stone Princess, Presley’s book coming in May. With the teaser at the end, I am looking forward to seeing the fallout in Stone Princess.

Stone Princess (#3)
Expected May 5, 2020
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Court Jester (#4)

Noble Prince (#5)

Tin Queen (#6)