Vandal Unbound by S. Cole

I finished Vandal Unbound, and while Knox is still holding on to the top spot for me, I really liked this one!

This was definitely more of a slow burn than Knox Unleashed, but honestly, I think it needed to be.

Vandal is dealing with a lot. Between his injuries, the alcohol and medication he’s using to cope with the aftermath, and what appears to be undiagnosed PTSD from the attack, he’s not exactly in a place where he’s ready to jump into a relationship. And I appreciated that the author didn’t pretend otherwise.

Meeting the Right Person Doesn’t Magically Fix Everything

One thing I really liked about this book was how Vandal’s struggles continued even after he met Daisy and her daughter, Elsie. I’ve read plenty of books where a struggling MMC meets the FMC, suddenly finds his reason and purpose in life, and everything starts falling neatly into place. And while I understand the appeal of that storyline, it’s not always particularly believable.

That wasn’t the case here.

Vandal wanted to do better. You could see that. But wanting to do better and actually knowing how to get there are two very different things. It took him time to fully recognize what was happening, accept that he needed help, and finally turn to his brothers for support. And even after he took that step, he still struggled.

I really appreciated that. The author didn’t completely gloss over the complexities of what Vandal was going through or make his recovery dependent on falling in love.

Obviously, this is fiction, and a relatively short novel at that. We can’t spend hundreds of pages exploring every aspect of his recovery. But within the story we were given, I thought the author did a really good job of giving his struggles the attention they deserved.

A Slower Romance, but One I Really Liked

Because so much of the story focuses on Vandal working through his physical and emotional struggles, the romance develops a little more slowly. And that made sense to me. I’m not usually someone who goes looking for a slow burn, but in this case, I think rushing the relationship would have taken away from the story.

I also really liked Vandal and Daisy together. There’s a secret Daisy is keeping, and I’ll admit, that can sometimes be the beginning of a whole lot of unnecessary relationship drama in romance books. But thankfully, that’s not what happens here.

Once we as readers learn that Daisy has a secret, it doesn’t take too long for it to come out. And even better? It doesn’t cause problems between them. I appreciated that the author didn’t turn it into some massive misunderstanding or drag it out for half the book. Their relationship has enough going on without adding drama just for the sake of drama.

There’s a happily ever after and no third-act breakup, which is always a plus for me.

The spice was a little lower than Knox Unleashed, landing around 3–3.5 peppers. And as always, keep in mind that my spice threshold is pretty high!

Elsie and Havoc? I Need More of This.

I loved Elsie! And her love-hate relationship with Havoc was one of my favorite little parts of the book. I’m already hoping we get Havoc’s story sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like he’s getting either of the next two books, so apparently I’ll be waiting a while. But whenever his book finally comes around?

I’ll be ready.

That Outside Threat Is Back

The threat from Knox Unleashed makes another appearance in this book. And I’m crossing my fingers that maybe, just maybe, we’ve finally dealt with it. But I guess we’ll have to see what happens in Sunny’s book.

I like having some ongoing club drama connecting the books, especially when it adds tension without creating unnecessary relationship problems. I’m just curious to see whether this particular storyline is finished or if there’s more coming.

Final Thoughts

I really liked Vandal Unbound. It was a slower romance with less spice than the first book, but I thought that worked for the story being told.

What stood out most was that Vandal’s struggles weren’t magically resolved because he met Daisy and Elsie. He had to recognize what was happening, ask for help, and keep working through it.

I also appreciated that Daisy’s secret didn’t become a source of unnecessary conflict and that their relationship was allowed to develop without a third-act breakup. Plus, Elsie and Havoc were an unexpected highlight, and now I need his book.

Liked It.

Knox is still my favorite so far, but I’m definitely enjoying this series and looking forward to Sunny Undone.