Worth reading 😎

The return of Tommy Carter, his family, and the woman he once rejected.

Scorned is the third instalment in the Carter Brothers series by Kerry Kaya.

I had high expectations for this book, especially after I enjoyed the first book so much. Sadly, Scorned wasn't what I hoped it would be, but I still enjoyed aspects of it. I loved seeing Tommy Carter and his family again, and I actually really welcomed the time jump where the kids were older and had something to bring to the story.

Bethany's return was the focus point of the plot and although I felt some sympathy for her in book one, she is insufferable in Scorned and it felt as though her purpose was very predictable, such as her manipulating her son to infiltrate the Carter family to benefit her plan. Also, Gary was equally as irritating, if not more. It is clear why he has such disdain for his brothers, Tommy especially, but to try and ruin the harmony of the family after everything they have been through is a low blow.

I still love the relationship between Tommy and Stacey, and seeing how they navigate raising their children 20 years on from the first book was lovely. Pete, Karen, and Jake were great additions to the story. Karen and Jake were mostly present as they had their individual sub-plots which eventually caused tensions amongst the family.

I had a soft spot for Jimmy in the first book, and it was nice to see him take on a support role after a significant event happens in the book (no spoilers!). Jimmy loves his brothers, and family as a whole, so it was nice to see him step up and be the figurehead during a time of need.

Ideally, it wasn't the ending I wanted for the Carter family, but Kaya made the reality of gangland crime very clear, which I appreciate. Onto the fourth and final book!