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Freezing bonds that tie our hearts

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A child of the stars.

That's what my mother used to call me. That's also the reason behind my name, Nova.

Star.

It sounded poetic but it wasn't, not really. Mom used to say I would accomplish great things. That me and her, we were cut from the same cloth, born under the same moon.

She said we weren't like the others, that we didn't see life the way everybody else did.

She was right.

My whole life, I felt like nobody could truly reach me. Like, besides my sister Aurora, no one else could see through me, into the inconspicuous dark depths of my soul.

I certainly didn't expect him of all people to do so.

Aiden Walker was everything I shouldn't want. He fought, cussed, he had more tattoos than anyone should at eighteen and could be quite brutish to those around him. But for the life of me I couldn't keep my eyes from veering in his direction whenever he entered a room.

The fact that he liked to pick on me didn't help. He annoyed me almost as much as he fascinated me. As much as I wanted to dislike him, hate him even, I never truly could.

When tragedy struck our small town and Aiden and I found ourselves stuck together, hiding for our lives, I finally gave up on fighting him. Because there was much more to Aiden than met the eye.

For some reason, his soul called to mine. He loved like I did.

So I swore I would help him. I just didn't know how much it would cost us.

Paperback

First published June 28, 2024

About the author

Macy T. Riosa

5 books364 followers

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5 stars
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23 (19%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
Profile Image for jude⋆°. (IS EDITING REVIEWS).
443 reviews503 followers
July 16, 2024
I genuinely enjoyed this book and admired how it addressed important mental health issues, shedding light on these significant topics. I also loved reading about Nova and Aiden's characters. While I feel their relationship and dynamic could have been developed more towards the end, I still loved them as a couple nonetheless. I have a lot to say about this book, I'll do it soon.
Profile Image for Esther.
250 reviews192 followers
June 29, 2024
UPDATE: I just realized the book is out!!! 🙃🙃🙃 So I will give you all the spoilers ❤️❤️❤️
Here’s a review that explains a little what happens while I write mine:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


4’5 stars. RTC
I was CRYING with the end. Please please please check TW before reading this. I know I have said it multiple times but IT DOES DEAL WITH VERY HEAVY STUFF.
I will ask the author if I can explain and how much but if I can’t spoil anything I will explain what happens once it’s published.

So many people deserve better in this book. Pretty much everyone’s story is PAINFULLY heartbreaking 😭😭😭💔💔💔💔💔
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for vania ౨ৎ.
112 reviews89 followers
July 21, 2024
She never disappoints. She's here to deliver excellence, not to let us down. You can't imagine how much I adore Miss Riosa; she is so incredibly honest and exceptional at her work. If she has no fans then I’m dead.
“Fuck being friends, Nova,” he bit my lip, “I don't wanna be your fucking friend.”
“What do you wanna be then?”
“Yours. I want to be yours.”


I started this book with no expectations (well, that's not entirely true—I did have some), and it turned out to be just AMAZING. There's something about Macy's writing that's hard to put into words. Her characters, the romance, the plot twists, and even the mental depiction are so well crafted that it feels wonderful to see a writer get it so right.
Profile Image for Kaylee.
4 reviews1 follower
June 30, 2024
Freezing Bonds that Tie our Hearts
By Macy T. Riosa

Nova and Aiden

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
-Good Girl/Bad Boy
-opposites attract
-high school romance
-she hates him/he loves her
-Mental illness rep.
-dual virgins


There are some heavy topics so definitely check the TWs before reading!

I absolutely love all of macy t. riosa books, and have read them all. I was a little worried when she said the book was a bit different from her others, the Amazon glitches, and the release date being pushed, I thought I was going to be disappointed… BUT it was worth the wait! Aiden and Nova are so cute, I love his pining for her, always being there and standing up for her no matter what or the consequences. He’s tough but blushes for her, hangs out with her siblings, makes sure she takes her meds.

CHAPTER 26!!! It took me OUT, was bawling like a baby. The ending was hard, I felt so bad for Nova, definitely wasn’t expecting that. But really made us understand her and her mental illness more as a whole.

Things I liked:

-being each other’s first every thing

-him being totally whipped about and not caring what others thought about it

-siblings relationship was cute, loved how close they were

-the kinks 🥵


Thing(s) I didn’t like:

- Mrs. Diaz’s unborn baby passing, I feel like there should’ve been a TW about that one. I know there was one that said death of children but I personally felt like there should’ve been a separate TW for those circumstances

Overall a great read, just make sure you have your tissues ready. So grateful I got to be an arc reader for one of my favorite authors. Literally finish the book the morning I got it. Macy, your books are amazing, I reread them all. the. time. I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us next! Thank you!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Tara.
64 reviews2 followers
July 2, 2024
4.75⭐️

ARC REVIEW

Thank you Macy for giving me an ARC to read about Aiden and Nova's story 🫶🥹


Nova Starling, she's such a STAR. I absolutely love her character especially she is the oldest daughter who is always there for her sister. She's the queen. Her friend group was so funny and their dynamic is so unique since everyone in her friend group has different personality. It was so refreshing to read about them(Zee is queen fr).

Aiden Walker is the EPITOME of he falls FIRST and HARDER and also was OBSESSED?!?!. This guy had crush on Nova for 3 freaking YEARS ?!?! What more a girl wants? He portrays bad boy but this guy BLUSHES the first few times they met which is super super cute. His upbringing was rough but the way he treats women especially his sisters and mom was a whole green amazon FOREST to me. He understands Nova like no other. The best bro relationship goes to him and Oscar(😭) it destroyed me when I read about him😭.

One thing about the author is that she NEVER misses when writing a swoonworthy romance and a plot-twisting romance. The balance of both was executed perfectly. I love when author incorporates romance and a good plot together. I absolutely LOVE Macy for writing siblings relationships. She encapsulates the bond between the older and younger sister so perfectly.

I literally squealed and giggled when Maddox had a appearance in the book and knowing that Aiden is related to him in a way just made me happy. Ofc the author's book are not always rainbows and sunshine, I died, come back alive then died again after the last 10% of the book. That was devastating for my poor soul😭
Profile Image for Cristina.
1,159 reviews221 followers
July 1, 2024
I understand there was a tragic event in this book. I just didn’t see it coming. The shooting, death of a character, the rape of the h’s sister, the constant injustice of how people treated the H.

I don’t know why I thought this would be lighter (perhaps it’s what I needed). I’d suggest to read the triggers because this is not a fluffy read. While I enjoyed the couple (they’re both each other’s firsts), I thought all the issues in this book were hard to swallow.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for lysareading.
217 reviews23 followers
July 8, 2024
This book is so plot-twisting and deserve to be read by everyone. Young adult combining with heavy matters that turn into thrilling plot. Personal rate 4.5 stars! Full review will be up later and thanks to the author for the arc ❤️
Profile Image for Em ౨ৎ.
135 reviews13 followers
July 4, 2024
꒰🪩⊹ ࣪ Freezing bonds that tie our hearts ᯓᡣ𐭩
౨ৎ 5 ⊹ ࣪ ˖

⤿ .`★ The only thing i regretted was that it took me three years to realize that the guy I had built in my head was so different from reality. I regretted not seeing Aiden for who he really was, kind, protective, and oh so thoughtful.

‧ * ₊ 。 ꒰🍁꒱ Words cannot explain how much I loved this book. There were so many plot twists (check TWs before reading!!) that I never expected 🙁 I loved that Aiden was in love with Nova the WHOLE time, no matter how much she hated him, he loved her 🥹🥹. He waited THREE years (a girl can dream 😔🤞). Macy is now one of my favorite authors (with only one book of hers read 🤭) she keep me so entertained and distracted.

BEFORE READING CHECK TWS!!!!!


————— ୨୧ —————

୨୧‧₊˚ 🎞️ pre-review ✧˖°

Thank you to Macy (idk what PR it’s from 😿) for allowing me the chance to read her new book!! 🤭🤍 It sounds so interesting!
Profile Image for Trinity.
385 reviews125 followers
July 7, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶🌶/5

TW - school shooting (on page incl murder), physical violence, death, blood, suicide (parent, mentioned throughout and recounted, drowning, FMC found the body), schizophrenia, child abuse, kidnapping, death of children, death of a loved one, police injustices, child abandonment, classism, racism, mental health issues, bullying (incl violence), fostering & adopting, child disappearances / kidnapping, FMC is medicated, islamophobic comment (among scs RE a hijab), panic attack, alcoholism (scs), nightmares, broken bones (sc), aversion to small spaces (sc, mentioned), cheating (sc, mentioned), rape (mentioned / implied, scs), murder, grief, drugging

CW - degradation

Tropes - romantic suspense, small town, bad boy x good girl, he falls first and harder

Representation - mental health (depression, anxiety, schizophrenia), BIPOC MCs

The way Aiden (MMC) had a crush crush on Nova (FMC) was literally the sweetest 😅. One thing I really liked about this book is that the characters actually acted their age. They're in high school and come from different sides of town where there is a clear class divide but they try not to let it phase them despite the creeping insecurities. The characters were very very sweet together and I loved how they got to explore each other and experience things for the first time.

Both MCs are dealing with shit in their personal lives and I liked seeing how they dealt with those situations both together and individually. Tragedy hits the town again and again and I liked they suspense aspect of the story and how the plot unfolded to that respect.

Nova's dad was a real piece of work and frustrated me to no end throughout this book, I'm glad Nova was able to work through anything.

Scale:
⭐️ - would've DNF'ed / continued out of spite
⭐️⭐️ - shit, but whatever
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - meh, could've been better
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - lit 👅
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - loved it, inject this shit into my veins 🤪

🫑 - no smut
🌶 - no point
🌶🌶 - mediocre at best
🌶🌶🌶 - standard smut, hot
🌶🌶🌶🌶 - 🥵 okay, some CW
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 - fuck me 🥵🥵 CWs / filthy with a side of filth - see Poison / Room Twenty-Two: Hide and Seek/ The Naughty List
Profile Image for ᴹⁱʰᵃᵉˡᵃ.
115 reviews4 followers
July 1, 2024
Freezing bonds that tie our hearts

Macy T. Riosa

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don’t even know how to start… but I have to say - Macy, you’re absolutely brilliant and you never disappoint, all the waiting for this book was worth it. Nova & Aiden’s story was breathtaking and will forever stay in my heart and mind.

“For some reason, his soul called to mine. He loved like I did.”

Nova Starling - a child of the stars, a sweet girl and a big sister. Too good for Aiden Walker and “clearly out of my league” - as he would say, she’s the soul of this book, a character who’s been through a lot and is feeling too much, so much that when you read, her emotions get to you. Aiden is everything she shouldn’t want, her “complete opposite”. She kind of hates him, their first encounter leaving a bad impression on her, but everything changes when they’re paired together for a school project.

“I swore I would help him. I just didn’t know how much it would cost us.”

In their small town Southies and Northies don’t mingle, the prejudices are extreme and even those who should protect everyone, make differences between the poor and rich. When young kids are being kidnapped, no one but Aiden tries to search for them. And while he and Nova get closer, things take turns no one expects…

“You fall in love with flaws?”
“I mean, don’t we all? Being perfect is boring, what makes someone human is the way they’re flawed and how they manage these flaws.”

I fell in love with this book from the first pages, the characters were so real and the story too good to not live it with them. A book about sisters and black representation, something that I truly admire in Macy’s books, the love between Nova and her sisters is beyond words and makes you want to have sisters (this love being present in RRBD too and reading it made me miss Valentina & Sofia). A book about tragedy and how to deal with it, a painful story, one that will make you cry at some chapters. A book about young and innocent love, who makes you feel their butterflies, because the way they interact and every scene they have together is too beautiful and deep.

“I had no idea what she was doing to me, I had never felt this way before I met her.”

This good girl - bad boy college romance surpassed my expectations. I am not usually a fan of college romance, but the way Macy wrote it and how she, as always, messes with our heads… It is a masterpiece, one I think everyone should read (but not before checking the trigger warning, cause it deals with sensitive and hard subjects)
Aiden is now on my book boyfriends list and close to Maddox, the way he took care of Nova and how he loved her (and also his interaction with his three sisters and Nova’s when he met them)… we need an Aiden in our lives
.
If you want a story that will steal your heart and make you cry, but a good one that you will always remember, this is the one. And also, all of Macy’s books, I will recommend her every chance I get cause she deserves it, I can already see improvements in her writing style and I cannot wait for more.
.
Congrats, Macy, for this amazing book and thank you for everything ❤️❤️❤️
Profile Image for nawraa.
38 reviews3 followers
June 27, 2024
(ARC Review)
ٰ
can i just start by saying macy i love you so much but you’ll be getting my therapy bills very soon :’)
ٰ
i feel like i’ve been waiting decades to finally meet nova and aiden but you bet it was worth the wait, i’m officially adopting them as my babies too from now on.
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this book like macy mentioned, is very different from her other works but lord is it still so good and hits every spot, it was definitely and emotional roller coaster i cried so much i’m sure i’ll be waking up with puffy eyes.
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nova, our sweet girl and little star. i will fight alligators for her i swear, i love a girl that knows what she wants. she has a special place in my heart i love her forever and ever.
aiden, my lover boy! where can one get someone like him? is he available on amazon? (we love a blushing man) his caring and kind heart made me sob i love this guy will probably protect him with everything.
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the sisters bond was so precious and wholesome, it reminded me of me and my sisters, as the youngest sister it made me so emotional because my sisters practically raised me since i was a child so i truly enjoyed and loved seeing the strong bond between nova and her sisters.
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my favorite side character is probably zainab she’s literally me i loved her so much such an iconic best friend and her being a hijabi muslim is a plus! the way she was ready to shred aiden if he ever hurt nova yes that’s me with my friends and their partners.
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and to sum up my review i always write a love letter to macy because i love this woman with my whole being, macy you are a lovely genius, your stories have a whole suite tucked in my heart, you saw how much i loved this book with all the messages i sent you while reading it. i’m so happy you decided to share it despite the multiple issues that went through behind the scenes these characters deserve to be known. and i can’t wait to see what else you have for us in the future stories.
ٰ
as always, proceed with caution and check the trigger warnings before reading.
Profile Image for sahra (sahrasbooks).
342 reviews51 followers
July 5, 2024
***ARC***

I am not a fan of good girl / bad girl in its traditional way, so this book was not for me but might be for you

after reading the previous 3 books from macy this one is undeniably a disappointment. it didn’t felt has flushed out as RRABD (understandably so, after all the struggles the author went through with it)

I was not a fan of the romance (from how it started, to how it developed to how it finished), I didn’t connect with both main characters and didn’t have interest in following their love story in all honesty

I also had some issues with how the little girls (5yo) talked in a unrealistic way which bothered me and the mystery which I thought would be a big part of the story being such a little thing in the story. the plot twists were not the most incredible but they surprised me a bit

although with all these comments made, this book was very easy and fast to read and the best thing about it was the depiction of family. it’s written in a very human, beautiful, funny and comforting way

ratings:
overall: 2⭐️
spice: 3🌶️
tension: 2.5⚡️
Profile Image for Ashlee B.
930 reviews61 followers
June 30, 2024
-high school romance
-he falls first
-good girl x bad boy
-dark themes
-double v!rigin mcs
Profile Image for ni ☽.
42 reviews
Want to read
May 18, 2024
if she writes, I’m going to read it
Profile Image for Ada’s Book Review.
151 reviews3 followers
July 2, 2024
✨ I received this book as an ARC for my honest review✨

Rate: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is my first read by Macy and it won't not be my last read. I buddy read this with Fatima and let's just say TISSUES were needed! The roller coaster of emotions that I went through while reading this was not okay. However, this was a very hard and interesting read. While it was hard to read at certain moments, the author's writing and the way the story was written and came together made me love every minute of it. Please make sure to check trigger warnings before starting.

Nova’s story broke my heart. To have your mind both protect you and be your worst enemy is a fate no one should ever have to deal with. Nova has to always be in control of her emotions and never lose her composure, is a hard way to live your life.

Aiden, our misunderstood book boyfriend. Aiden was the only one who could truly see under Nova's well-crafted persona. As we’re told at a very young age, boys tend to pick on girls that they like and Aiden is still using it now on Nova. Aiden’s main goal has been to be noticed by Nova and his wish comes true when they are made to work on a project together. Aiden became a safe space for Nova to deal with her emotions and his whole personality made me care for him so much more. Aiden wasn’t only protective, but caring, and loving, and while being kind of dark gave off major golden retriever vibes.

While this was a very heartbreaking story, it did have a happy ending. I definitely will be recommending this book as Macy's writing style brought the book to life for me. While I did not read her first book I definitely recommend doing so before starting this, so you are more aware of some of the events. I loved the mystery behind it, and I’m glad I was able to solve it and get proven right. Super excited to see what’s in store next for this series.
Profile Image for Izzy Vee.
68 reviews2 followers
July 17, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

she did it again. MACY DID IT AGAIN. when she first said that this book gonna be heart wrenching i do not expect it to be THAT much because i am not the kind that would cry over a book so easily. Oh she proved me so wrong i cried like a b!tch

The love Nova and Aiden has for their family especially their siblings are so dear to me. All of macy’s book has that signature sister/brother’s love that is so special for me. This is the first time i read a poor boy X rich girl when its always the other way around. That one time where Aiden literally saving up for a date with nova make me so ?!:?:!;?::

the plot. One thing about macy’s book is that she has a jaw fucking dropping plot. Im not even joking. It was hit after hit on the few last chapters. When i thought RRABD was insane, FBTTOH was even crazier. At first i was scared I couldn’t finish this on time due to my fever but the plot had me changing my seat for each minutes because i have to continue or else i would be crazy thinking whats gonna happened.

im so happy to be one of the ARC receivers again and i’m proud that even after all macy went through she did so great on publishing this book, (she even dmed me asking if i got the arcs wtf im gonna cry you’re so sweet. it shall be read by everyone because i cant be suffering alone.


thats it love u macy
Profile Image for Vivian Lau.
127 reviews13 followers
July 24, 2024
My rating: 4.5/5 ☆

Wow what a book! This was one hell of a rollercoaster ride while reading the book. A mixture of mystery and romance together with a dark twist and Macy has done it again! I personally enjoyed every moment of it and I didn’t expect what was coming towards the plot just like the first book. I’m a dark romance girlie, and this was a good book.

This good girl - bad boy college romance surpassed my expectations. I am not usually a fan of college romance, but the way Macy wrote it and how she, as always, messes with our heads... It is a masterpiece, one I think everyone should read (but not before checking the trigger warning, cause it deals with sensitive and hard subjects) which i liked. I’m really NOT a fan of college romance (it’s just not my thing), but this one was really different as I can get into it and it makes me want to continue even more.

If you want a story that will steal your heart and make you cry, but a good one that you will always remember, this is the one.
And also, all of Macy's books, I will recommend her every chance I get cause she deserves it, I can already see improvements in her writing style and I cannot wait for more.

Thank you so much to Macy for this arc!🤍
Profile Image for evelyn.
23 reviews1 follower
June 30, 2024
Wow, what a book! Macy has once again proven that her books honestly never fail to amaze me. I was captivated from page 1, and couldn't put it down for one minute until the very end.

Nova Starling is a kind and gentle girl with her seemingly picture perfect life - a caring father and loving sisters, while Aiden is a bad boy who lives on the other side of town. However, things aren't always what they seem. In this case, Aiden is actually a very protective and sweet guy who is willing to go to the ends of the earth for the people he loves, and Nova has a secret no one knows which has traumatized her her whole life.

This book was such an emotional roller coaster. The sisterly bond between Nova and her sisters were so cute, and the way Aiden has been simping for Nova and looking out for her for YEARS is just the sweetest. The way these two instantly clicked when they were paired together for a school project, the way all the walls they put up for the world came crashing down, the way they NEEDED each other and found comfort in one another during difficult times..., they were EVERYTHING.

With that being said, this book features some really dark themes and has many scenes that made me full on sobbing. I never would have guessed that twist, and I felt so heartbroken reading it. It will forever amaze me how Macy was capable of writing such words that draw mixed emotions from readers.

Let me end this by saying that if you're looking for a good romance combined with some psychological mystery/thriller, this is the perfect book for you. Thank you so much to Macy T. Riosa for the opportunity to read an ARC copy of this book.

Profile Image for Erica Williamson.
87 reviews1 follower
July 2, 2024
3.5 ⭐️but rounding up

Before picking up this book I highly advise checking all trigger warnings!!
I understand i normally read fluffy romance so it it important to note that Macy writes dark themes and her works deal with heavy stuff! Now with my warnings out of the way i must say she did it again! Macy wrote an absolute mindf**k that literally kept me up all night to finish. FBTTOH Is the second part of a series but can be read as a stand alone with minor ties to the first book.

The story follows two teens from opposite sides of town that are truly night and day. Nova is the perfect daughter sister and friend but even she has her own skeletons to hide. Adrien is the loyal and charming rebel with a heart of absolute gold that he hides from most and yet he can’t seem to keep his cool guy act around her. Of course their developing relationship is one of my favorite parts of this story but what Macy always manages to do in her stories is take you on a dark and bumpy ride. Truly amazed how a book full of so much tragedy and heartbreak can also house a tender and 🔥🔥🔥 love. With the perfect amount of spice to not distract from the overarching plot lines going on FBTTOH is the PERFECT dark,mysterious, and sexy story.
Profile Image for Elle.
88 reviews25 followers
July 5, 2024
Arc review
(May contain spoilers)

4.25✨

Nova and me hating bullies 🤝🏻

Aiden is such a simpp

She saw him beat up a guy one time and labeled him a bully, doesn’t make much sense

Hint on AKs name 😏 cant wait for his book

Chapter 26 was wow 🤯🤯

The time jump after the reveal of aidens biological mom almost got me doing 🔪🔪🩸


Safety
Both virgins
She has went a few dates but didnt go further than a few kisses
Not much info on is past
No cheating
Hea/hfn ( they were about to start living together in new York when she goes to college)
Profile Image for Mathilde.
114 reviews2 followers
July 9, 2024
That one episode of criminal minds

First of all thank you Macy T. Riosa for trusting me with this ARC.

I saw a part of the plot twist coming but it didn't bother me. Macy managed to leave us clues so that we guess certain things but not everything. She kept us on our toes.
Although I found that the story focused a lot on romance and not enough on investigation, it was necessary for the impact to be poignant.
Special mention for Zainab. We all deserve to have a friend like her.
Can we talk about the fraternal bonds ?
The end iykyk
I can't wait to read her next books.
Profile Image for Deena Holcomb.
47 reviews22 followers
July 2, 2024
I am obsessed with this web of lives and stories that Macy is weaving! Another emotional roller-coaster! As always, Freezing Bonds starts off pretty cute and fluffy. All the back and forth of high school enemies forced into a class project together. Tension, attitude, unrequited feelings, a secret make out in a janitor’s closet. Then BAM! Emotional damage! Trauma, depression, PTSD, healing, more freaking trauma!
Profile Image for D Amora.
283 reviews231 followers
July 22, 2024
This book literally ruined me. How does Macy always come up with these twists BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT. I’m literally still in shock trying to process this.
Profile Image for nighttime reader.
213 reviews
Read
July 5, 2024
rate: ★★★★★

——————————— SPOILER REVIEW ———————————

I honestly didn’t expect I would’ve read a 5 star book this year and this book took all my expectations away. The entire time I couldn’t put it dow I just kept going and going and before i knew it I done. The way that each event tied into another and not to mention I was suspecting everyone!!! It was also great seeing past characters coming back especially Daddy Maddox & AK & my girl Medusa at the end🤭.

I felt a rollercoaster of emotions while reading this book. We got to see how the relationship between Nova and Aiden developed from one of bickering and misunderstandings to just pure love for each other. Nova misunderstanding who Aiden truly is only realize that he is a guy who literally goes above and beyond for the people he love and cares for. Also the way that Aiden was able to see who Nova truly is too, she is a strong amazing girl who does every and anything for her younger sisters, stepping up and taking care of them since her mother’s passing all while dealing with her mental illness. I love this girl so much and as a black girl myself it was amazing to read about a girl that looks like me who is from a privileged family and who is comfortable in herself and deals with issues that aren’t limited to racism.

Also the way the author portrayed classism in this book was so beautiful done. In a town where the community is divided we got to see how truly prejudice people can be. The a town where the economics is divided into north and south (in this case the north is considered to be the worst of the worst) we say the overt difference in how people from each side is treated. Children in the north side of the community was constantly going missing and when reported to the only police station in town, no actions were taken. With the force consisting if mostly “southies” and the kids going missing was “northie” kids, these were brush off as to be ‘troubled kids running away from home’, and eventually no actions were taken by the force or community, only the northies went out searching for their missing kids. When their was a school shooting at the school the perpetrator being a southie kid who killed over 10 persons and was seen walking around with a gun the cops used terms such as ‘allegedly’ or ‘proposed’, even when a culprit was made known they instead arrested a northie kid completely ignoring the actions of the southie. FUCK YOU SEBASTIAN.

Again the bias was shown when the a southie kid went missing as well and in less than a hours the entire police force and town was up and searching and somehow SOME FUCKING HOW, the biggots in the south made the north to be the issue, plot twist a southie did it.

This books truly is a piece of art. Had me sobbing, laughing, blushing and imagining myself in their place. Amazing book. ❤️❤️
Profile Image for Fatma.
139 reviews13 followers
June 28, 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

PLEASE CHECK TWS!

Tropes:
Hate-to-Love
Each others first everythings
Good Girl x Bad Boy
Opposite side of the tracks
High School Romance
Small town
Suspense
Spicy name calling

I want to start my review by having a moment of silence for the victims in this story and for real life victims of abuse.

This was an intense read, like extremely intense, so again please check TWs! I did give this book 5 stars because it was a literal masterpiece. It had be sucked into the book from page 1 and had me on the edge of my seat. But all the emotional damage and tears it caused😭😭

Nova is a troubled soul that has an immensely strong facade. She's a master of control when it comes to emotions and who she shows them too. The only person that truly sees this facade and pushes to break it is Aiden.
As I said, Rory didn’t understand how much it hurt getting to talk to someone you loved more than life itself, to feel them and listen to them, only to blink and see they disappeared. That they were never there to begin with.
It felt like losing them all over again.
It felt a lot like losing my head too.

Aiden is perfection. He's loving, caring, & has a protective nature. He believes that violence solves problems and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty to protect his loved ones. He sees Nova for who she is even with her facade and loves to break her walls down any chance he has. To be noticed by her.
That gave me pause. Truth be told, I was afraid that if she didn’t hate me, she’d just forget about me. And I’d choose having her hate me for who she thought I was rather than having her forget about the real me, any day.

When they are forced to work on a project together, Nova sees Aiden for who he really is. The connection these two had was amazing! Aiden being a safe haven for Nova when she needed one. Giving her strength to show her true felt and not be afraid to live.

Now the depressing parts😅 The last sentence of Chapter 26 will FOREVER haunt me. I'm not joking! But as saddening as it was, it was a very key element to the book. To really see Nova's true nature. For some characters to be reassured and have closure in some sense. The river scene also broke me, but it gave perspective on how serious the situation was and why Nova's dad is the way he is.

Macy's writing is mesmerizing. You feel as if the events were real life and you lived them yourself. She's a true artist! The way she gives no hints, but pushes your gut instinct to figure out the puzzle, top notch writing! And I just LOVE how all her books are connected somehow! And seeing Maddox again was wonderful!

While this was a heartbreakingly happy ending, I'm excited to see what she has in store next for the series.
Profile Image for Anca A.
73 reviews4 followers
June 30, 2024
#Review: *Freezing bonds that tie our hearts* - ARC - Macy T. Riosa [18+]
5+/5✨
3/5🌶️

This book was absolutely breathtaking!!!❤️️ I looved it soo much and I'm super grateful for this recommendation by @bohemian.math 🤗. Thank you Macy T. Riosa for the chance you've given me, to be part of the ARC team for this one! 🥰

Nova is a bit different from other teenage girls. She has been through a traumatic experience with her mother and now she is still dealing with some problems. After this incident, her family, which included her two little sisters: Cece and Rory, and her father, Michael Starling, moves to the small town Ravenbridge, where people had been split into two parts: south and north aka wealthy and poor.

Aiden Walker is the school's good-looking bad boy, who only has eyes for one girl: Nova. He's been obsessed about her for a while but he has never shown her his real self. He always stayed behind his arrogant image, which actually annoyed Nova. She definitely couldn't resist the pull she felt for Aiden. But he is part of the north side, so he knows he has slim chances with someone like Nova, that she is too good for him.

This story had more than the romance story between Nova and Aiden - which was built really beautiful ❤️️. Sensitive subjects were reached, like: mental health, loosing one parent, bulling, kidnapping and others, not spoil too much from the content of this book. Everything was written sooo good that I felt like I was right there with them. The emotions were so intense, rising more with each chapter! The last part made me shed tears because of everything that happened 😭 - so prepare some tissues for when you'll read it 🥺.

For me this book has become one of my best reads of this year and goes on the list of favorites!❤️️ A real masterpiece!❤️️ It will definitely become the book I'll always recommend to readers and I'll also need to read other books written by this author 🥰.

Tropes:
✨#BadBoyGoodGirl;
✨#ForbiddenLove;
✨#Bulling;
✨#HighSchoolRomance;
✨#SmallTown;
✨#BoyObsessed;
✨#FatedMates;
✨#FirstLove;
✨#Protector;
✨#MentalIlness;
✨#VirginMC;
✨#DualPov
Profile Image for bookedbylana.
94 reviews2 followers
June 29, 2024
ARC REVIEW :

OMG OMGG WHAT DID I JUST READ? This was one of the most anticipated read of mine and it live up to expectations and more.
Macy really slayed, ate and left no crumbs with this one. It was everything I could ever hope for it to be.
I am so in love with the way Macy writes but this one is so different from all the work she's written & when she said that, she wasn't lying. It really is different and I love this the way it is.

If I thought I couldn't love anyone more than Maddox & Sofia oh boy I was so wrong, Aiden and Nova stole the show. This one is infinite star for me.
Also if we're discussing characters how could I forget Oscar & Rory? My babies deserves so much better, I am so fucking sad for them. The way Rory's character was written should be the talk of amusement. I always knew from the day I read Book 1 of this series that Macy has a thing for unbreakable bond of sisters & it showed in this one too. I love her for this.
And Oscar!!! My baby boy was so fucking strong.

And yes you guessed it right, The plot twists (yes twists, as in plural, because when you read Macy's work you couldn't expect just one plot twist- & I'm not complaining here) were as always amazing.

Chapter 26 broke me too much. Istg if I thought I was ready for anything after the revelation that was made in the chapter before this I couldn't be more wrong. I was not ready and Damnn it hurt right within the depth of my heart.
But after that we got Aiden & Nova together so I think it's okay (not that I would ever be able to recover from what happened before).

This is so different from book 1 yet the intense feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop never waver. Reading this feels like walking on the rope over the valley just to get a rush of adrenaline and dopamine together

Also that bonus scene oh godddd, I love her cameo too much, can't wait to read her own book.
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