Book: Every Last Breath, #3 of 3
Series: Dark Elements
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Publisher and Publication Date: Harlequin, 7/28/25
Pages: 304
Genre: YA Fiction, Paranormal, Gothic
Rating:
My Blurb:
“Triumph and tragedy; a beautiful ending to a beautiful trilogy.” ―Candace Reads
My Review in a Nutshell:
Do I love this series a million times over? Yes. Was everything wrapped up into a pretty package with a bow on top in the end? No. It was not. If it weren’t for the open-ended finale, Every Last Breath would have been a shoo-in for a 5 star rating. Sigh. But, the ending will not sway my undying loyalty to Jennifer Armentrout (creepy, I know). She brought the smexy, action, and humor we have all come to know and love.
What’s It All About?
Stone Cold Touch ended with heartbreak, leaving no one unscathed. In Every Last Breath, Layla is living in the aftermath. Sam is gone and it is up to her to save his soul from the pits of Hell; even if that means traveling to Hell herself. Sadly, Hell is looking safer than Earth, with the city being an all you can eat buffet for the Lillin. With the odds stacking against her, she must work together with Zayne, Roth and her estranged ‘father’; making things a little trickier, majorly awkward, and a lot more interesting.
My Thoughts?
Before I gush, I must get my frustrations out. Armentrout has an amazing ability to write strong well-rounded characters, main and supporting. Which is a curse and a blessing, now I am not only attached to the main characters, I am attached to supporting ones- and there’s a lot of em’. *Clears throat* Justice was NOT served to the “supporting cast”, if anything, a whole new can of worms was opened for them, and then left there squirming all over the damn place. BUT WHY? For the love of baby Jesus, why? Is there a spin-off in the works? Is this a mean tease? It is very unlike Armentrout to leave several characters hanging in the balance. Oh, Calamity.
Okay, I feel better now. Zayne or Roth? This was by far one of the best love triangles, each prospective man-friend being equally satisfying. If you are new to the Dark Elements world, then you might not know that the readers voted on who Layla would choose. Neato, right? I am happy with the out-come, really, really happy. Although, with an ending being up to the readers, comes a set of problems. The author now knows just how many of us could possibly be unhappy. Leading to an unusual amount of time being spent in the romance department, almost as if to convince the losing voters that the winning guy was a good decision. I am not complaining, though, I am a sucker for sexy scenes and cheesy lines. And in the end, aren’t we all kind of in it for the romance? So if you were unhappy with the lack of sex, well, you’ll be over-the-moon-happy now.
The action.. The gore.. I had nightmares, and I loved it. Layla has finally found her wings, hardy har har. There is nothing I love more than a girl finding her inner sparkle and kicking some major butt. Girl Power, y’all! The stakes were incredibly high through-out this book, with every page a new element being brought in to thicken the plot, and the odds of anyone making it out alive. From the looks of it, everyone is going to be screwed sideways and the world was going to end. Gruesome battle scenes galore, perfect!
Even though there were loose ends, and at times a lot of cheesy bedroom talk, I am very happy with this series, or as Layla would say; “I was the corniest cornball in a cornfield full of popcorn”. Layla’s story was inspiring, heartbreaking, and brought out all of the feels. But if there isn’t a spin-off in order to wrap up these loose ends, the proverbial poo will most definitely hit the fan.
My Favorite Quotes:
“Because I wasn’t this selfless. I was just one girl with no other options, no other card up my sleeve.”
“I wanted to hide from that gaze and everything it dredged up, but I picked up my lady balls and held them close.”
“When it there ever a right time to fully give your heart to another? There are always going to be obstacles. You just have to decide which ones are worth it.”
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