A bonus for the final book in the duet; it’s basically twice the length of the first and it’s worth every page written as it doesn’t suffer from slow points or unnecessary feeling scenes. Each moment matters, and if anything I just want more.
Summer Sparrow particularly intrigued me with its setting in the thick of the Vipers as I was very interested to learn more about the Jackals opposition. Not to mention this inside looking into the Vipers was also really the first chance to get to learn more about Rylee’s father, while also giving more of a chance for Rylee and Holly to connect.
With the events that took place at the very end of September Doves, the first part of this book spends a good deal of time with Rylee coping with the trauma of it all which is so heartbreaking to witness. On top of this is the difficulty of being separated from Colton and not knowing where things stand, if he’s safe, or generally what is going on. This does create one upside however, which was one of my favourite things about this sequel; Colton point of view chapters.
These chapters were particularly enthralling because it gives an inside look into the Jackals goings-on and how they work from the inside. His chapters were so insightful and getting to know more about this club from an insider was such a beneficial addition to this duet. Colton’s story isn’t any easier than Rylee’s however, as he has to endure some of his own horrors in order to keep both the Jackals and Rylee safe. Both points of view were so heartbreaking in their pains and had me feeling so deeply connected to the characters.
These two go through so much. At times it was even hard to let the story play out not knowing where things were going to end up. The struggle is what makes Summer Sparrow so raw and real, however, and is what makes the characters so easy to love and invest in. And most importantly, it’s integral to their growth and who they become. Seeing the strength they gain and the people they become, particularly throughout the second half of the book is so satisfying and helps justify the struggle.
As with September Doves, the side characters were once again a great strength of this book. From Minho, to Danny, to Alex, and even new characters introduced such as Mac. I couldn’t help but love these more minor characters as well, and was so deeply invested in their stories as well as Colton and Rylee’s. I couldn’t get enough of all of them and seeing characters after periods of time without them on the pages had me so happy and filled with relief, like I hadn’t seen them in ages. The characters for sure make this duet the incredible, impossible to put down work that it is.
Suffice it to say, I loved the conclusion to this duet. I legitimately could not put it down once I settled in with it and blasted through a huge chunk of it in one go. Summer Sparrow was somehow even better than the first book in the series and I’m so sad to see this world and these characters go. I just want more and am definitely going to be stuck in this world for a bit mentally as I miss it already.
