A review by bribreez
Word to the Wise by Eva Simmons

dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

*Thank you to Luna Literary and Eva Simmons for providing me an E-ARC of this story. All opinions and thoughts are my own. 

*Please check Trigger Warnings before reading.

4.5⭐️/ 4🌶️

The final book in the Twisted Roses series! This series has been a whirlwind of drama, suspense, romance, and found family. This book centered on, Reed (Sage’s sister) and Mason (Sage’s tattoo apprentice). The previous book introduced not only Sage and Lyla’s story, but also the little bit of Reed and Mason briefly meeting, as well as leaving us wanting a bit more of them. This story didn’t waste any time jumping into the drama that unfolded in Reed’s life or namely the danger she found herself in. When Reed needed help who better to go to than her brother, Sage, but upon arriving at his apartment she instead found herself face to face with his tattoo apprentice, Mason. Mason had his own mysterious past that he kept hidden, but when it came to seeing how Reed in pain and in need of help, Mason was determined to protect her at all costs. 

(Sigh) Reed was really going through it in this book, and it was disheartening. Reed always prided herself on being a strong woman, and with her childhood being surrounded by an MC group, she was taught at a young age how to defend herself, and other things as well. Despite all that Reed knew what to do, when it came to her boyfriend, Carter, she couldn’t have known that six years in a relationship would become her worst nightmare. My heart really went out to Reed while I was reading because, throughout the beginning of the story she felt like it was partly her fault for allowing the things that happened to her when in fact IT WASN’T. Reed at the start of the book wasn’t in the best place both physically and mentally so it was sad to see just what she experienced. 

Mason was an interesting character who I wasn’t expecting this kind of storyline to intertwine with Reed’s storyline. At first glance, Mason seemed like the kind of man who just worked, relaxed, enjoyed his time going out, hooking up, and whatever. Upon further inspection, (*namely in Mason’s p.o.v. Chapters) I started to see that Mason had his own inner demons and past he was running from. Certain things that were sprinkled throughout the book left me wanting to uncover the mystery of Mason’s past, and why it was such a crucial part of his backstory. I also wasn’t expecting to learn about Mason’s family namely how they too also played a role in his past. While Mason dealt with his problems internally, he was guarded, and didn’t allow others to get close, but that changed once Reed became his roommate. 

The way Mason was with Reed was absolutely amazing! If you want a fictional man who not only cares of you, but also supports you wholeheartedly, then you’ll love Mason. The thing I loved most about Mason was the way he treated Reed. If there was a love language for Mason it would DEFINITELY be, acts of service. No matter how late Mason got home from work, this man would cook meals for Reed because, he didn’t like knowing she probably hadn’t eaten all day (*again Reed at first wasn’t doing well so this was a big deal for Mason). In addition, the way Mason didn’t try to dictate what Reed could and couldn’t do was something that meant more to Reed than Mason could have realized. At the end of the day, it wasn’t money or being spoiled that Reed wanted, she just wanted someone to be by her side, care for her deeply, and trust someone wholeheartedly which was exactly how Mason was with her. Plus, there was still plenty of that, “I’ll unalive anyone who hurts her” trope that Mason was set on the moment he knew Reed was in trouble. There were a lot of great moments between Reed and Mason that were enjoyable, sentimental even in the midst of their spicy scenes and danger lurking around with Carter. 

Oh my, I can’t believe this marked the end of the Twisted Roses series! It’s bittersweet that this series is over, but from each of the characters stories that I’ve read, I’ve enjoyed them very much. While Fel and Jude will always remain my all time favorites within this series, I did enjoy this story as well. Getting to see Reed’s story alongside Mason’s was heartbreaking, but also eye opening in getting to see Reed gradually get to a better place mentally and physically. Mason had his own mysterious past that I was not expecting, but allowed me to see him in a different light. I think the suspense to this story added a bit more danger as well as gave Reed and Mason’s story that level of fighting against someone if that makes sense. Aside from the heavy subject matter, this story also had some great romantic, spicy moments too! Most of all, the acts of service throughout this story were AMAZING! No need for grand gestures just take notes from Mason and treat your partner lovingly…and the occasional possessive (respectfully) is nice too. Like always, Eva Simmons stories leave me falling in love with her characters from the added darkness, their characters finding their way, and romance, this was another great story. Loved yet again seeing the rest of the Twisted Roses gang appearing since I love the found family in this series! All in all, a good way to wrap up the series, illustrate the highs, the lows, and obstacles Reed and Mason went through in order to get their happy ending. Highly recommend reading this series! 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings