The destruction’s done. There’s no taking it back.
Reed took all my firsts like a shiny present. He made promises with silky words I greedily kept as truths. But the moment I faltered, he took away everything.
Now we’re both guilty of sins.
As we come together for Grandfather Ian’s funeral, it’s time to face what I’ve done—what we’ve done. The boy I’ve loved since age eight is now a man; his rage palpable, his turquoise eyes piercing me with an intensity that sets me on fire. Each delicious kiss seems to peel away our ugly past- a past we’re desperate to escape.
They say forgiveness comes from within. Can I trust him to forgive me? Have we both been enlightened?
I used to believe in the fantasy of a happily ever after. Trouble is my life’s not a fairy tale.
The Enlightened is second in The Entitled duet. The story begins in The Entitled.
Cassandra Robbins is a USA Today, Amazon Top 20, KDP All-star and International bestselling author. She threatened to write a romance novel for years. Robbins finally let the voices take over with her debut novel, The Entitled. She's a self-proclaimed hopeless romantic driven to create obsessive, angst-filled characters who have to fight for their happily ever after. Cassandra resides in Los Angeles with her hot husband, two beautiful children, and a fluffy Samoyed, Stanley. Her family and friends are her lifeline but writing is her passion.
I received this ARC for free and this review contains major SPOILERS, so read at your own risk….
For anyone who cares, Heroine dated a nice & boring guy for a year. She cheats on him with Hero first before she breaks things off so at least she wasn’t celibate either, but really, I should have DNF’d right away. WHY didn’t I DNF???
This is the amazing conclusion of this epic love story of Reed and Tess. I coined the phrase “Collateral Beauty” to describe how I felt reading this book. Reed was one of those characters you would love one minute then hate the next. As for Tess, I wanted her to finally find the true love and security she truly deserves. Reed and Tess’ relationship was turbulent at times but there was always that eternal love for each other. The type of bond that people search for their entire life. Their love is insatiable and this story comes full circle. Secrets are revealed and they are both faced with reality that they truly belong together! Absolutely amazing story and well worth the wait!
I have to admit that I'm quite surprised with this one. I kind a expected more drama.Something similar to the first book,but this was something else.
So this picks up right where the first book ended. Tess and Reed need to finally confess their sins and accept that they are both guilty for their current situation. I loved how author handled this thing with theme. I was glad when I realized that they are finally both grown up.
Tess is less spoiled and dramatic in this book.Her children did wonderful things to her.They made her realize that there is more to life than money and Hell even more than Reed.I'm actually really proud of her.She is a wonderful mother and great person.I do hate her father tho,more than her mother,I thinks.
I was really angry at Reed at the beginning of this book.He disappointed me greatly.I know that Tess made mistake and all but he should have stayed.Everything could be different and better for theme had he stayed.But he had to go and destroy him self.I didn't like that but I guess that was something he needed.I,however did really loved how he handled his children.Even though he wasn't there from the beginning,he jump into the father roll straight forward and he did well. Luke and Lilly really are wonderful kids.
As far as Tess and Reed go,as a couple I have to say that they've been going on my nerves greatly.They are both stubborn and so immature when it comes to the other one.But they did take their time to work through their differences.At the end they are soul mates.
Overall I greatly enjoyed this book,just like the first part. Definitely recommendation from me. And can I just say that I'm really excited for Jax story???
The Enlightened (The Entitled #2) is a phenomenal read and is a brilliant conclusion to the duet. I have to say, out of the duet, this is my favourite.
The story was very easy to follow. It was a fast-paced reunion between Tess and Reed, and I couldn’t help but be swept away in their story. It was just as dramatic as the first novel, and the tension between Tess and Reed had not been dampened at all. It was an unconventional, yet beautiful way to carry on Tess’ and Reed’s journey together.
There was a LOT of angst in the story. It wouldn’t be Tess and Reed if there weren’t any angsty tension. We get a glimpse into the past and see why they reacted the way they were. And I loved how Reed had matured so much since the last book, and I loved how territorial he got with Tess. And their little bundles of joy... GAH! How adorable were they?!
As for Brance... I loved him as per. I feel like I want to know more of Brance’s history and see life through his eyes. His character intrigued me so much I want to know everything there is to know about him.
I loved how this book rounded out. It answered all the questions I had from the first book and more.
It was such a great way to conclude Tess’ and Reed’s story. I am so happy for them!
I fell in love with these characters in the first book and totally adore the author's writing.
Reed and Tess fell in love when they were kids and they had such an amazing love story but then... all hell breaks loose and they are no longer together.
This book picks up right where we left off in first book and Tess has moved back to California and Reed is now married and lives across the country. A death in the family brings them back together and a HUGE secret comes out that changes the relationship in the best way.
I am very excited for this new author she has a gift and I can't wait to read more from her!
This is the 2nd book in this Duet of Reed and Tess's love for each other that quiet possibly bordered on obsessively possessiveness with Reed that it practically consumed him and something happen's that makes him go off the deep end and she's left to pick up the pieces. I think this book was actually better if that is even possible. It had me wanting to strangle Reed and hug him the next because he was so lost they both were. This book is definitely a must read, but you need to read the 1st book Entitled to really understand these 2 characters. Grab this book you will not regret it.
The so called hero can drink and drug himself senseless as well as fuck around but the heroine is evil for keeping his kids from him. Fuck this shit. I don't care she wanted to abort. She was a young scared woman. If he is that weak I wish she would have. Now she is tied to this loser piece of shit for life. Not a win in my book . And that was by chapter 16. Gave up after that with 14 more chapters of this crap to go. NO THANKS. If anyone can give an explanation for how he redeemed himself feel free to let me know. He's disgusting. I wish Brance was straight. I would have cheered him on.
I've been dying for this book since I devoured the first in the series!
Reed and Tess were born into the life of the rich and elite, so we all assume things are so much better for them. When really they are just humans with the same kind of emotions and actions that we have when it comes to life.
I loved that we watched Reed and Tess grow up. We watched their relationship develop and fall apart. We got to see how things played out when it came to the actions of those around them and of themselves. We watched these characters mature and grow.
The Enlightened is that perfectly imperfect fairy tale ending that we all want.
I loved the bits and pieces of deepness we saw in some of the side characters. I loved even more to see the note at the end that Jax will have a story, I hope we will see Brance's story one day, too.
For a first release, Cassandra Robbins knocked it out. She is, without a doubt, an author I will be keeping my eye on and one-clicking in the future.
I hate stars, but this one is more of a 4.5. I can't fully explain without spoiling the story, but I still highly recommend the series!
I loved every twist and turn of Reed and Tess's story. The Enlightened concludes their happily ever after. There were sad moments and moments that made me angry but mostly happy moments! Cassandra did an amazing job with this duet and she has fastly became one of my new favorite Authors :) Keep up the amazing work I cannot wait for Jax and Ava's story ❤️
I received a copy of Entitled and Enlightened from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the first time that I’ve read anything by Cassandra Robbins. You pretty much have to commit to reading both books. The first book in the series, Entitled, ends with the mother of all cliffhangers. The second book, Enlightened, picks up exactly where the first book leaves off. The author doesn’t spend anytime recapping what happened in book one so you really can’t read each one as a stand alone.
If I had to rank angst on scale of 1 to 10, I’d give this series an 11. Tess and Reed are soul mates, having met and immediately developed a bond when they were eight. They are part of New York City’s wealthy elite where everything glitters on the outside but is pretty darn dysfunctional on the inside. The book is basically their journey to their happily every after and everything that comes in their way.
This is a very dark and heavy series. It is intense and passionate and there’s nothing light about it. It is a page turner but at the same time there are so many things that go wrong for them that you want to give up. By the time you get to the end of the second book, there’s a good chance you are going to be emotionally wrung out.
I enjoyed this series. You have to know what you are getting into and like a darker book though. I look forward to reading what is next from Cassandra Robbins.
What a follow up to The Entitled! Tess' secret was revealed. Reed's response was quite shocking and the book picked up right where these two's turmoil left off.
Still unbelievably flawed and broken, Tess and Reed attempt to pick up the pieces of their love and trust each other again. I loved how honest the emotions were in this read. Both good and bad! All you wanted was for these two to find that connection they felt at 8 years old and hold onto it tightly, ending in a happily ever after.
And can I just say, I need a book with Brance's story? His supporting character role really helped hold this duet together! Ever the dedicated and unwavering friend that Tess desperately needed in her life!
This read gave me all the things I needed out of book 2! Passion, pain, honesty, raw emotions and reflection. I was so happy with how the book ended! 4.5/5 star read!
Thank you to the author and Next Step PR for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
We pick up about 4 years later in this book. There is definitely new drama involved in this series as Reed and Tessa interact for the first time in 4 years. As the reader, we do get some "past" scenes to help fill in the blanks on what happened in those 4 years. I enjoyed reading about the past and helping to connect the dots on what is happening during the present scenes.
I don't want to give too much away but there are a lot of secrets divulged in this book. There is a lot of raw pain with these two characters and their interconnected past. You'll definitely have to read book one in order to read book two.
**some pet peeves** I did not care for the fact that "certain" things were readily accepted - you'll find out when you read it to know what I am talking about - I don't want to include any spoilers. Also, some of the dialogue bordered on cheesy but nothing horrible.
---> This was an enjoyable second installment in the Entitled series <--- Check this out when it hits the book shelves.
After reading the first book I wasn't sure if I ever wanted to read this one. Tess is not a favorite of mine. However I had to try and it had some redeeming qualities. My problem still lies with Tess. This book is about living with the choices we make and not holding them against someone else. After his world exploded Reed went down a very destructive path and took forever to climb out of. He made his choices and he only blames Tess to the point she put him on that path. Afterwards it was all his choice.
Now Tess lives with her head in the sand and never wants to deal with serious issues. Her codependency on Brance gets a bit much but this book puts him in a more grown up role and not such a child. Facing her choices, Tess still wants to hide and not take responsibility for them. If she was a bit stronger I think I'd have been okay. At the end she is a much better character and I think that is what saved this duet for me.
You see great strides in Tess and Reed in this book. Tess is not as spoiled and irritating. Her children have had her grow up and see that there is more to life than money and getting what you want all the time. Her father is a jerk though. Tess still got on my nerves but she did grow up more. We see that both Tess and Reed learned through their time apart that there is more than them to worry about and learn from. They learned from their life experiences. I think Reed, although it took him a little longer, learned and grew more than Tess. I say this because he no longer gets all he wants, he works hard to get things, he doesn’t decree things and is now thinking before doing things. We see this when he first learns of the children and when seeing Tess. You can see the love in Reed’s eyes for those kids.
Reed we see grow more in this book again. More than Tess. She still acts spoiled at times but alot less than in the first book. I feel for Reed’s brother and family. I loved that although he was disappointed in them he understood and let it go. He admits he was not in a place for his children for a long time. This is the growth I was talking about with Reed- he became more of an adult. Don’t get me wrong Tess grew but she was only an adult when it came to being a mom. The rest of her life she was the same old Tess. I was glad to see her put her children first above it all. She was still dependent upon her best friend and I think this is what really hurt his relationship. That and not being accepted by his other half for who he is. He shows us that you are not defined by your money but some can’t see past that and it is sad.
The story is past and present. We see what Reed went through to become who he is today. He has hardened and become more rough and gruff. With his children you see the true reed. The beautiful kind man he can e. With Tess you see his love and lust for her shine through. You see his protective send with his family and you see that he would give everything for them and to see them safe and happy.
This is told in both Tess and Reed’s view and it is Reed’s I like more. We see more of his growth. With Tess we still see her do the blame game. And she blames Reed for where they are today still. With Reed he acknowledges his actions and part in what happened but also sees that it was both of them who is at fault. He did have a harder time forgiving Tess but I expected that due to the situation.
The romance was raw and emotional. You can see their attraction and how Tess tried to fight it but in the end the pull won. We can feel their emotions and confusion through the pages.
This was a great way to end the love story of Tess and Reed. We get to see them grow and truly become who they are meant to be. We see them learn from their mistakes and move forward and find love with each other once again. Now I would like to see Reed’s brothers story because i love that guy and want to see him happy.
The Enlightened, book two in Cassandra Robbin's Entitled series, was everything I hoped it would be!
Just like book one, I had my moments with Tess and Reed. They were far from perfect characters, so one minute I liked Tess then the next minute I wasn't happy with Reed. But it was all good because the drama that the story centers around, the angst and heartache was what made this duet so worthwhile. Not to mention, where Tess and Reed both were at the end of book one, to where they ended up in The Enlightened, made me see them for what they really were.
So much came to light about them both and I'm happy with the way the author chose to end their story. It was about owning up to mistakes and not placing blame on anyone. There were certainly some emotional moments that I wasn't expecting as well.
If you like stories written from the perspective of both characters, then you'll definitely want to give this duet a try. Robbins will certainly win you over with her less than perfect characters and when you get to the end, you'll actually be craving more. I know I did.
Great conclusion and well deserving of five stars!
I have been eagerly waiting for this book to come out since I read the first one because I was dying to know what was going to happen with Tess and Read. This one was just as packed with just even more emotion than the first one. This book picks up were the last one left us. One of the things that I loved about this book was how we got some glimpses into the past. Reed… you made me want to strangle you. I get that Tess made some mistakes, but I think he could have handled it just a little better. I loved the character development they these two had. I mean they both fell to rock bottom and we got to see how their lives were apart and it wasn’t anything like what it was when they were together. I would love to see Jax have his own story because the name alone remines of Jax from Sons of Anarchy and loved him on that show. All an all this was a great conclusion to these two. I can’t wait to see where the series goes next.
I loved this book! I read it as quickly as I did the first in this series, The Entitled. I was happy to see Tess grow up a lot and Reed really redeemed himself and became the man we hoped he would become. I really look forward to more work by Ms. Robbins, I think she has a wonderful understanding of human nature and draws great characters.
"It’s perfectly round, unlike Tess, who had amazing curves but her ass was definitely on the skinny side."
Tess is the heroine! So if this is your idea of romantic, than this is the book for you. There is absolutely ZERO need to have hero compare bodies and physical looks against the woman he claims to love, I hate when authors do this.
An amazing second part that brings answers to all those questions that bothered you after finishing the first part of this phenomenal duet... Love, resentment, passion and hatred... are masterfully woven into one story that you will surely enjoy... Check my full review here
Reed have any problems with Tess then all he does is go to Drugs and sex, that's what he know. Anyway While reading first book I thought they're young, they do mistakes they gonna learn in the future. But holly hell what the fuck is wrong with Reed.
I understand he is hurt and wanted to numb the pain with the help of drugs, manwhoring etc. He literally spoiled Lexi ( not that she was better earlier) David and his life with all his decisions. He didn't talk with Tess for 4yrs but got worried abt her when he got call from his brother. Poor Jax literally speak one thing always I am tired, I can feel like coz at this point I feel the same.
Lexi and Reed getting married when they're high ??? I am not sure but does officiant allows people getting married when they're high in Vega ?? Anyway him not divorcing Lexi even after finding David and her in the same bed. At this point Reed is really wrong in his mind.
Tess and Reed both are wrong in the whole situation and him blaming Tess for almost 95% book is hypocrite, blaming Tess for what he became is such a low blow ( bro u r the reason for what you've become and did u forget how u slept with half of the women in NY, the paid escorts etc ) I hate how Tess felt guilty whole book I mean she should tell him but it's not her fault if he disappears for months and then gets married become a drug addict.
Is Reed even safe with all the drugs and manwhoring he did in the last 4yrs. I hate how the author made Tess a bad guy.
I hate how Tess is, like she doesn't need to feel guilty for everything and beg for his forgiveness like she is the only one who did mistake. she should have left his sorry ass long back and never would've accepted him when she came back in the book1 and Reed is such a manipulator, he literally blames her everytime like seriously if anything goes wrong all he does is sex and drugs
Brance ❤️ I love that guy since book 1 and he deserves to be happy.
Only thing good about this whole book are the kids Lilly and Luke.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I have to say that book 2 is an even stronger read than book 1 for me.
The opening scene in this one is brutal. Talk about kicking off a book with a gut wrenching moment. My heart hurt for everyone. As the characters are older in this book, years have passed, more mistakes have been made and secrets/betrayals have occurred that had me cursing up a storm. I sat up until 4am reading this one as I had to know how it ended. The amount of heartbreak these characters inflict upon each other during their journey is rough, but felt very genuine. I love how the author didn't shy away from mistakes both sides made. Loyalties were tested and secrets were kept that might just rip a family dynasty apart.
I will definitely be looking forward to more stories from this author.
Cassandra Robbins hit it out of the park with her follow up to the first book in the duet, The Entitled. Tess and Reed's story is dramatic. It is a roller coaster. And yes, it is not for everyone. But if you do love a complex, complicated love story written by a superbly talented author, do yourself a favor and pick up both The Entitled and The Enlightened.
Wow, finally we know all the secrets. This was a bit more tame and slower pace but an enjoyable read. The writing is fantastic. You do not want to miss a word. These people are all fucked up, even all the secondary characters. I don’t know how Cassandra does it - creating the most superficial and entitled group of characters with little redeeming qualities who continue to sink even lower as the book progresses, but GETs me to love them all on the most part (except Tess’s parents, which there are no words). As far as likability, I liked them a smidge less this time around because of the stupidity and redundancy of their behavior. It did start to finally wear on me so for that dipped to 3.5 rating rounded up.
I'm so enthralled with Cassandra Robbins' writing in bringing Tess and Reed's heart rendering story to an epic continuation of their destiny! I don't want to call it a conclusion because I know they'll be a part of stories about secondary characters to come and I cannot wait! I'm so book hungover in an awesome way! I love this Duet and highly recommend it!!!! A MUST READ!
This was a great follow up to book 1. With out going into detail because it could really ruin book one, I really enjoyed seeing what happened when they were apart, more things leading up to the end of book 1 and just the all around repercussions that came from the choices both Reed and Tess made. Along with Reeds brother and best friend Brance, this was another great book. I can’t wait to see what this author is going to write next. She has a nack or pulling me in. 4 stars #2OCCJD
What a fantastic conclusion to this angst ridden emotional story! Reed and Tess’s love story is full of so much pain hate betrayal and obsession but a love that never stops these two are both beyond obsessed with each other but I think they truly belong together. They love each other so much it’s almost painful it was painful to read . What happens when you meet your soulmate at eight years old ? Read this magical heartbreaking love story and find out !