In Ponderosa Springs, this version of Romeo and Juliet isn’t a tragedy. It’s war.

Jude Sinclair is West Trinity Falls’ favorite exiled loner.

Cocky. Insufferably hot. Family foe.

Raised across the tracks in a rival town, he reeks of trouble. Which is the one thing I’ve always had a problem avoiding and now that he’s just down the hall, it’s harder to resist the pull.

My father made one rule when Jude moved in, never trust a Sinclair.

The last thing I need is for my new foster brother to make me question my loyalty with his filthy smirks and poet tongue. But with every forbidden kiss and secret hookup, I quickly find myself faced with two options.

Betray my family? Or betray my heart?

My thoughts:

Monty Jay has potentially secured a lifelong fan with Wrath of an Exile. It’s a rare feat for an author to captivate me within just a few pages, but this book managed to hook me from the very first line.

Let’s start with the most striking aspect: the prose. You should read this book for the haunting, lyrical writing alone. If all of Monty Jay’s works are penned with this level of beauty, they have unquestionably gained a new superfan. Narrowing down my favorite quotes was a near-impossible task; the writing itself moved me to tears on several occasions.

A fair warning: this is a dark romance, and it delves into heavy themes. However, the handling of these topics is masterful. Both Seraphina and Jude are burdened by horrific pasts, and I found their journey profoundly compelling. What felt incredibly authentic was that they neither simply “moved on” from their trauma nor attempted to “fix” one another. Instead, they are two beautifully broken souls who, together, learn to find the light without erasing their scars.

The characters are phenomenal. Seraphina is a take-no-prisoners heroine, a true baddie. Jude is the epitome of a tortured soul, possessing the heart of a poet paired with the mouth of a sailor—and my, can that man command a page with his dirty talk.

The story is fast-paced, though not overwhelmingly plot-heavy. This is very much a character-driven novel. A thread of suspense emerges, primarily near the end. While some might note its length relative to the plot’s simplicity, I found myself not minding in the slightest. The character immersion was more than enough to carry the narrative.

Overall, Wrath of an Exile is a fantastic starting point for newcomers to Monty Jay, as it was for me. It’s dark, intensely spicy, and deeply emotional. In the end, it was a truly enjoyable read that I simply could not get enough of.

As a note, it is a spin-off within a larger series. While I absolutely plan to explore the author’s other works, I never felt I was missing crucial information, as it stands perfectly well on its own.

This was my first Monty Jay book, but it will certainly not be my last. This feels like the beginning of a new obsession. With its gorgeous writing, compelling characters, and perfectly executed, scorching-hot spice, I am utterly sold. The plot may have been lighter, but I found I didn’t care at all. I cannot wait for more stories from this world.