Ensnared has been one of my most anticipated releases. Even though I have a paperback on it's way, I couldn't wait and also bought a copy on Kindle as well. Unhinged left readers on tenterhooks, with Alyssa's ultimate choice between her Mortal Knight in Jeb, or the fabulously manipulative Morpheus.
Each guys occupies a different side of my dual heart. Together, they bridge my netherling and human worlds.But before Alyssa can make a decision, she has a wonderland to save. Yet again, the world building is phenomenal. The morbidly fascinating creatures that have now been driven from their homes blame Alyssa, and rightly so. She halfheartedly invested in their world, then left them all to deal with the consequences of a Queen gone mad. But the underlying storyline still remains her decision on which suitor she will choose.
I was enthralled from the opening chapters, revisiting the world of Splintered with the verge of Wonderland being all but destroyed. The royal politics at play, the deception and manipulation were delicious. Alyssa is forced to become the heroine, or risk the lives of her family and the two men in her life. Her wicked streak was enchanting, on the verge of becoming the cruel tyrant Red Queen once was, while trying to hold onto her own humanity. So where did Ensnared begin to fall apart? The romance.
It completely engulfed the second half of the storyline. Now kids, this is where I'm kicking off with the complaints. The romance was strung along throughout the storyline, Alyssa's inner thoughts and soapbox speeches teasing readers, while teasing both Morpheus and her Mortal Knight as she fluttered between the two. She would be pinning over Jeb, who was still angry at her deception, while allowing Morpheus to flirt and she willingly accepted his advances. It was irritating. It turned the suspense and intensity into a mockery. I don't usually buy into love triangles, and rarely ever support one side over the other, but Morpheus left me no choice.
He's manipulative, deceptive and incredibly dreamy. He's made of imagination and I was adamant that I'd be flipping tables and readying myself with a fork if I didn't get my way. But did I enjoy the ending? The short answer is yes. The in depth answer is that I thought the ending was softened to please all fans. No difficult decisions were made. A conclusion was reached, but it felt more so that the author couldn't commit to taking the plunge and we end up back at the same dilemma of Alyssa having the best of both worlds.
Readers will see it coming. But overall it's a worthy series finale, although may hint at further installments in the series. We can only hope.