Title: Broken Knight
Series: All Saints High, #2
Author: L.J. Shen
Publication Date: August 17, 2019
Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Add to: Goodreads / Amazon
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2 stars)

Not all love stories are written the same way. Ours had torn chapters, missing paragraphs, and a bittersweet ending.

Luna Rexroth is everyone’s favorite wallflower.

Sweet.
Caring.
Charitable.
Quiet.
Fake.
Underneath the meek, tomboy exterior everyone loves (yet pities) is a girl who knows exactly what, and who, she wants—namely, the boy from the treehouse who taught her how to curse in sign language.
Who taught her how to laugh.
To live.
To love.
Knight Cole is everyone’s favorite football hero.
Gorgeous.
Athletic.
Rugged.
Popular.
Liar.

This daredevil hell-raiser could knock you up with his gaze alone, but he only has eyes for the girl across the street: Luna.

But Luna is not who she used to be. She doesn’t need his protection anymore.
When life throws a curveball at All Saints’ golden boy, he’s forced to realize not all knights are heroes.

Sometimes, the greatest love stories flourish in tragedy.

I'm giving this book 2 stars: one for Rosie, the other is for the Spencer family.

I'm not attached to this series nor I am with its prequel. I did like Vicious though and Vicious and Emilia were a couple whose love story was a ride I went with. Daria was a character I treasure in her book but Pretty Reckless was too full of drama that was BS at most points. Still, Daria was a treasure. Knight, Luna and Vaughn are the kids of the SoS characters who intrigued me enough to continue this series. Knight and Luna's friendship? Vaughn as mini Vicious and got his mom's artistic heart and talent? Like I said, enough.

So I was lowkey looking forward to this book. What I got instead was unnecessary drama, the lack of trust and communication, unreasonable and out of place actions, and back-and-forth mixed signals.

We could've had a best friends to lovers story and not the typical hate to love that seemed to be the only formula repetitively done by this for this series and the its predecessor. Let me tell you, best friends to lovers trope IS CAPABLE ENOUGH to deliver an angst. Let's not limit to one trope, please. I know the author is capable of doing more than the same, tired, repeated trope.

Also, was that kiss - y'all know what I'm talking about - truly necessary??? If this was a fanservice (and I've read that there were even pins of this in the book's Pinterest board) then this was just a bad move. Don't bait your readers/fans like that if they just ask for representation and diversity. This ain't it. I've encountered author/s who've done this before and let me tell you, it never ends well.

Now let's get spoilery. Highlight if you want to read the spoiler: [Like I said, I'm not attached to these books. But I'd be lying if I say I didn't want Rosie to have a better life and more happiness. I'm pissed because it seemed like her death was essential for this book to progress with its plot and main characters. Why.. why would you do that.. ??? I get she's sick and not in a good condition but did her life had to prolong until this book was out? It was so uncalled for. She's lived long enough and then this happened??? 

I'm also going to be honest here. I didn't like how teasers or little breadcrumbs were dropped during promotion about the idea of her dying. If it means to promote how heavy on the angst scale this book would be, then that's just annoying and unfair for this character/couple's fans. I just can't believe it.. it's like her dying became part of the hype.

And then there's Dean. REALLY? REALLY??? I know it wasn't explicitly stated that he's moved on but it doesn't take a genius to put the hints together that HE HAS MOVED ON. REALLY??? REALLY??? A YEAR LATER??? REALLY???? That was just so frustrating and I don't even ride on this ship. But the disrespect on Rosie's part. Ruckus was an entire book dedicated to their love and how much they progressed and grew as a couple and individuals but I'm given a few words in the epilogue A YEAR LATER that he's moving on. I'm so sorry if I sound bitter AF but you don't get to do this to two of your characters who have such dedicated and loyal fans who love them and their story that easily and quickly.]

I don't like writing spoilers in my review but I had to let this one out.

There are still some few things I liked like how the writing style is fine and how fleshed out the writing for some characters could be. And because of these, I know the author's capable enough of delivering creative stories with a different approach that doesn't involve hate between the main characters. Sadly, I have low hopes for this to happen.

At this point, I'm just waiting for Vaughn's book to come out. I like this kid but I really hope his book doesn't end up being another typical hate to love because I've read enough of it. And him being another asshole/jerk because... that's really nothing new.

After that, I'm done with this series. I have so much more to say though but I think it will be more of a rant than a review and I don't want that.