Under His Wrath – Rhea Harp

After a very, very long awaited few months, I finally got this book in my hands after reading the insane cliffhanger from Under His Command. Let me tell you, the wait was so worth it. I savored every second of this book and adored seeing these characters come to life in front of my very eyes. 

The story 

After Dove is kidnapped by the Echelons of the Free World (EFW), and realizes that her brother is still alive, she must find out how and why she’s being held captive. Rowan will stop at nothing to find his girl, calling in old favours and sacrificing everything to get her back. 

“She looks so angelic, so fucking pure as she looks up at me through a web of eyelashes. My fingers itch to drag her into my chest and undo all of that. Me. And no one else.”

As Dove and Rowan navigate life together while taking down the EFW, they must decide which sacrifices they’re willing to make – whose life is more important? 

The characters 

I’ll start with Dove as her character really resonated with me. There were times throughout the first book that Dove came off as a little bit of a damsel in distress. The book was centred around Dove giving up control to Rowan and surrendering herself. I was worried going into this book that she’d be the same, old Dove, timid and unable to fight for herself. Despite this, she proved me very wrong. Dove continued to show her strength throughout the book and worked tirelessly to contribute to the team regardless of her lack of expertise around the topic of the EFW. She held her own and tried to push the right beliefs onto Rowan, especially when he was overbearing or made a wrong decision. She was no longer a pushover and I love that her character clearly developed over the course of the two books! 

“The way this woman owns my heart is in no way normal or sane. One minute she’s Cole’s little sister and I leave her crying in front of her house, and the next I’m on my knees for her. She’s my drug. And my fucking kryptonite. She could ask me for anything, anything in this world, and I’d give it to her.”

I’ve been obsessed with Rowan King since I first met him and my obsession has only grown stronger. He’s soft for his girl but somehow rigid and strict with everyone else. He takes care of Dove in the ways she needs and he pushes himself to sacrifice until Dove is safe. I love that his entire character is centered around Dove’s safety but we got bits of pieces of the other sides of him too – time with Cole, Maddox, and even his mother. 

Maddox and Cam are a couple I’d love to explore more of. They’re exciting and unique and I’d love to hear more of Cam’s story. I’d also love to see more of Cole and understand his experiences at the EFW and how he managed to get to the point that we met him in the book. 

The writing 

Rhea never fails to amaze me. I knew I was going to zip through this book but it was even easier to read than I expected. I loved every second of the writing and the descriptions of the characters. 

Final thoughts 

I can’t wait to see what else Rhea does next with her writing!! Rowan and Dove are everything and I hope there will be more exploration of this universe! 

Rating: 5/5⭐️