Shantel Tessier New Book: Carnage; Review w/ SPOILERS!!

So many feelings about this book, I hope some people here have read it as well so we can discuss! This review is for those who have read the book and preferably the previous LORDS books!

This book was good and the smut was great but man it had me confused af and had so much more potential.

I keep going over things in my head and I’m so confused about so much so prepare for some yappin.

The beginning was so perfect that it made me sad to read the end and see how messy it was. I had so much banking on a good second half to finally answer the questions that started to build from the previous books. I LOVE these books so much and I was so looking forward to this one and the end left me feeling unsatisfied sadly.

I feel like we needed a good long monologue from Ash to Saint. I get she felt trapped when she shot him and left but like she really did them dirty and of course in part 2 once she is kidnapped and in harms way all the past issues just seem to disappear with no real communication involved (this feels like a common theme in some of these types of books). I mean I get Saint is harsh but we were expecting that from the Carnage men, but she also just up and shot HER HUSBAND. Didn’t even care if it killed him or not, I would have at least thought she would aim for a leg to just give her time to get away (she knew she had help and a new identity waiting for her).

So many messed up feelings from the characters in this book. These books are depraved and I love that but all the others work so well because the love is clear throughout almost the whole time, where with this one I couldn’t understand the motive of Ash and whether she truly loved saint or didn’t at times. We didn’t get to see much of the love interactions, more straight depraved smut (not complaining ;)) but it did leave some holes for me considering she was scared he might throw her to the side because someone else knocked her up, so she just shot him and ran. Then was happy on her own basically (except in bed). THEN you find out she was actually married to Saint that whole time and they shared this heartwarming moment before she ran after the whole branding situation in the cathedral?? Like girl what?

Who else was shocked by that by the way? That they just happened to be married?? I didn’t know what he was talking about when he would say Wife earlier in the second half and she had a ring on in Vegas. Like Wdym wife? Do the vows mean marriage in the spade brothers world or did they actually get married?? And then you find out that oh yeah they did get married actually…surprise! Yet somehow Ash still felt like Saint was going to find ANOTHER wife and kick her to the curb because she was raped? She also knew to an extent that HE knew she was raped because she found out “he cheated the lords” so girl just go talk to him don’t shoot him and run (this is where I think Shantel was stretching to create this new book and yes I understand lack of communication can make for a better storyline but still). So Ash, you definitely owe him an apology and an explanation of your feelings now that this is all over and this man never stopped looking for you while you had an apartment with another dude. (would have loved to have seen this play out in the first epilogue. A “1 week/month later” situation. Where they both explain their time apart and she gets treated for her trauma and injuries from her time away, and then it ends with them finally having sex again and trying for a family). The Lords books always have that all or nothing depraved loved for one another aspect to them and I LOVE THAT and this one fell flat due to communication issues and writing (not the actual feelings from the characters I don’t think, it just wasn’t elaborated on enough from Ash’s POV)

And what is up with Adam and Haidyn?? How did Adam just bring him back to life? Did they plan the whole thing all the way back to when they hit the SUV Haidyn and Ash were in? Like that part was so confusing and so convenient? How did they bring a man back from the dead like that? Really really hoping we get some more info in Haidyns book because I am so confused.

And like who were those masked people she found dead when she was wandering around right before she left Saint in part 1? And why would the guards ever think she killed them and blame her? Confused again!

Add on: did we ever find out why Benny is important? Was he part of the team that helped the lady “train” the spade brothers after Ash left? I remember them noting how he knew where everything in carnage was and he had a way in somehow. So I’m guessing he is connected to it in a way? Maybe he was a masked person who helped train them and ended up following Ash somehow?

So distraught over the ending. Feels like Shantel didn’t plan on this story unraveling until her other books got popular so she had to jump through hoops to make it all seem like it works and it sadly doesn’t. (In the previous books what Ash has done is made to be some life shattering crazy terrible unforgivable event and I feel like it’s hard to write that in a story where it all comes together in a happy ending. It’s possible but difficult and it wasn’t achieved here sadly)

My last note: this would have read really well as a reverse harem if it wanted to be. I would have loved to have seen the true chemistry between these characters. Sadly I think it was a true option but there was an opportunity for more books so Shantel is going that route. (Which I understand as well).