Filthy Beautiful Love by Kendall Ryan | Rating: ★★★★★

"Call me crazy, but I have a rule about dating men who are married: I don't."

Delectable and filthy in ways that grip tightly to the heart, Kendall Ryan's slowly seductive prose strikes all the right cords again and again with Filthy Beautiful Love. The (dazzling) conclusion to Sophie and Colton's love story is satisfying and enthralling. With all the events of the first book, Filthy Beautiful Lies, there are two hearts on the lines and a whole lot of questions.

Deeply romantic and tantalizing in its seduction, hearts will soar and shatter throughout the course of this book. There are many things a reader should keep on hand whilst reading Filthy Beautiful Love but most of all, I recommend applying waterproof mascara to your lashes because the journey we take is so emotionally charged. Kendall Ryan is the biggest talent in her genre and I knew that this novel would be beautifully crafted with steam and human complexities, but nothing can prepare you for reading it.

We already knew that Sophie and Colton's story was far from over. It just so happens that there is a big speed bump along their paths. Which is kind of ironic that their biggest cause of tension and heart-break isn't rooted in how they met, but in the fact that Colton is technically married still to his estranged wife, Stella. Filthy Beautiful Love picks up quickly where the previous book left off.

Time has passed slightly. We finally are introduced on-screen to Sophie's beloved twin-sister, Becca. While the story is undoubtedly about Sophie and Colton, all roads lead back to Becca. In this sense, she is the center and the soul of their story. Everything revolved around the lengths that Sophie would go to, to pay for her sister's cancer treatments. I was positively charmed by their relationship and the little side-trip they took with one another to Rome.

In a surprising turn of events, Colton and his brother Pace fly out to find Sophie. Colton has made it his biggest priority to explain the situation with Stella and to win her back. There is a lot of tension that comes in these moments but you just know that the way the talk to one another, their love is real and although it began in strange circumstances, it's as pure as it is fiery.

I loved the buildup that Kendall Ryan toys with when it comes to how their physical relationship is continued to be explored. You'll remember correctly that Sophie is still a virgin. Colton's fondness has only grown for her and the way they interact with one another is stunning. I also love the way that Sophie grows to understand her desires and her body throughout this novel; Colton may be an Alpha male, but he is respectful and totally swoon-worthy.

The next chunk of my review will contain spoilers. Proceed with caution.

As for the emotional punches that come throughout, I have to say I wasn't expecting the way that the story of Becca's life ended. There's a scene that the two sister's share towards the middle of the book that foreshadowed that she would pass away at some point. I thought that Kendall Ryan handled it with care and portrayed the heavy loss that came with it beautifully.

This is where the waterproof mascara must come in. I was caught off guard with how abruptly it all happened--this isn't a bad thing, it's very true to life. You just never know how long you have or what could be the cause of death. I'm entirely used to reading books that are heart-wrenching (after-all, I grew up reading Lurlene McDaniel books and training myself how not to cry in public while reading them) but the loss of Becca is heavy on Sophie and us.

What Sophie feels and looses, we mirror.

My favourite emotional part of the novel is not just within the romantic relationship between Colton and Sophie. It's in the letter that Becca leaves Sophie--and Sophie's raw emotions when coping with the loss:

I love you without end. Don't you dare think for a second that that love is gone. Don't you dare mourn for me. Miss me. Every day, just as I will miss you. Then get on with living. Do it for me. Because I can't. I will be there in every starry night, in every whisper of breeze against your skin when you job, I'm in every package of Starbursts, smiling down at you when you eat the pink ones.

 OH, IT'S FINE, KENDALL. YOU ONLY JUST CRUSHED MY SOUL.

As Sophie continues to struggle, Colton provides her with all the care he can give. Although their relationship had progressed quickly and deepened throughout the course of the book, the way he cares for her is that A-HA moment. You know they are meant to be from the start, but it really hits you around this time.

"Baby?" I ask, approaching her with caution.

Her head turns in my direction and she blinks several times. "I'm losing it, Colton."

I kneel down on the deck in front of her and cup her face in my hands. "Losing what, sweetness?"

"Everything. The sound of her voice..."

I'm cutting that part off early because oh man, it hurts. You know it's a good book when every single emotion the leading characters feels cuts you. That's what reading a Kendall Ryan book feels like. It is everything--love, loss, strength and lust. Filthy Beautiful Love ends exactly how I hoped it would and I already miss Sophie and Colton dearly; their love story was as moving as it was explosive and I adored every moment of it. 

There were many surprises in the duration of the novel and a lot of nods to what is next in the series. I can't wait to continue forward with Pace and Collins' stories--who can say no to such a delicious set of brothers?