A white background with light blue flowers pressed to the page and pollen all over the cover. Two typewriter keys make up the first letters of the title.

About the Book

Title: Ruthless Vows (Letters of Enchantment #2)
Published: 2023

Cover Story: You’ve Got A Little Schmutz
BFF Charm: Oda Mae Brown x2
Talky Talk: Showing The Cracks
Anti-Bonus Factors: War, Character Death
Relationship Status: Overstayed Your Welcome

Careful, Sweetie: spoilers! This is the second book in the Letters of Enchantment series, so if you haven’t read the previous one, you should probably hop back in the TARDIS and go curl up by the pool in the library with the first book before continuing.

Cover Story: You’ve Got A Little Schmutz

The white and fading blue flowers don’t pop as much as the first book’s cover, and I really just want to brush off the image to clear it of the pollen from the flower stems.

The Deal:

It’s been two weeks since Forest dragged Iris away from the gas and the love of her life with no news of Roman, although there’s plenty of whispers of Dacre’s army moving closer and closer to Oath. When Tribune editor Helena asks Iris and Attie to go into the field again, there’s no hesitation; Iris wants to find her husband.

Meanwhile, Roman was healed by the mercurial god and tasked to write opposing opinion pieces about Dacre in a positive light. He’s troubled by dreams of a girl and a life he desperately wants to remember…

BFF Charm: Oda Mae Brown x2

BFF charm of Oda Mae Brown from GHOST

All things considered, Iris is holding up quite well. Her faith in Roman is unshaken, and her desire for action puts her in some dangerous situations. I just kept wanting to whisper, be a little more strategic!!

Roman’s also in a very precarious situation where he doesn’t have all the information to make the right decisions, but his decency guides him. Spy he is NOT, though, and sometimes it strained my belief that he managed to make it so long bumbling around in the most suspicious fashion without being outright killed or re-mind-melded.

Overall, I found it harder to connect with both characters in this book compared to the first.

Swoonworthy Scale: 5

I can see what Ross was aiming for—I mean, for a romance, once you’ve had your couple get married there’s not much room for anymore yearning and tension, so a memory wipe is a great angsty reset. But the first book kept throwing Iris and Roman together, and their interactions were, I’d argue, the BEST parts of a book I already felt was light on its world-building. To keep them apart for most of this book and trade the banter for pining was not the right move for me.

Talky Talk: Showing The Cracks

I had a good idea where Ross was going to take this book, and as I read chapter after chapter and it proved me right, I found myself becoming more disconnected and having that “let’s get this over with already” feeling, which is not really a thought you want to have when you’re reading for enjoyment. While this still classified as a “romance”…without the Iris/Roman interactions, what did we have left? A vague war story where the decisions of the opposing forces were muddy at best and questionably incompetent at worst (why would Dacre allow Roman so much freedom around sensitive information?? What is the point of adhering to “vows” you gave to a reprobate at the expense of THOUSANDS of lives, Enva?? What is even going on?!).

Ultimately, because the book simultaneously expanded the world without actually providing any interesting or compelling details, this book meandered and limped to the finish. I think Ross could’ve added up to 100 pages to Divine Rivals, erased most of this book, and found a way to incorporate the Underground and Iris (briefly!) trying to find Roman and that would’ve given us a single satisfying standalone that wouldn’t have given me too much time to ponder the paper-thin plot outside the love story.  

Anti-Bonus Factor: War

Soldiers in a trench during World War I

Based on when this book came out I think the similarities were not intentional, but the way the last third of this book plays out in Oath bears a bit of similarity to the genocide and bombings in Gaza. I think it has the potential to feel a bit too real for some readers.

Anti-Bonus Factor: Character Death

This didn’t even hit that hard. The character in question didn’t get any kind of depth, and how the death played out felt so Too Stupid To Live. Which, I mean, people die for dumb reasons all the time, but the way it happened made it feel preventable, and that feeling of annoyance on top of my other criticisms of the book overrode any kind of sadness I was supposed to feel.

Relationship Status: Overstayed Your Welcome

Our whirlwind romance was intense…and should’ve been brief. After spending more time in your presence, I don’t think we’re ultimately a good fit long-term. I’ll always have those memories, but it’s time we parted ways.

FTC Full Disclosure: I purchased my own copy of this book. I received neither money nor peanut butter cups in exchange for this review. Ruthless Vows is available now.

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Stephanie (she/her) is an avid reader who moonlights at a college and calls Orlando home. Stephanie loves watching television, reading DIY blogs, planning awesome parties, Halloween decorating, and playing live-action escape games.