This book is nothing like I expected. I loved Jen Lawrence’s debut novel Guardian, and was looking forward to more of that universe, and while I did get it, I also didn’t. Fury is a study in contrasts, an apparently straightforward romance that morphs into fantasy, kinda-enemies-to-lovers/meant to be, a story of grief with deep feelings and irresistible chuckles.

Shay visits her grandmother after a few years of staying away. Living with Mama Ellie is August, not an old man as Shay expected but a very hot woman her own age. Shay’s suspicions that August is taking advantage of Ellie don’t seem to affect how attractive she finds her, however.

The banter between Shay and August and the chemistry they share are wonderful. Ellie is another engaging character, smart, witty, sassy. While I was looking forward to a fantasy novel, I enjoyed the first part of the story the most, because of the character development. The second part is good too and I like the way the author pushed her characters to evolve and react but I probably would have liked it even more if it had been introduced more progressively. The ending feels slightly abrupt as well, to the point that I almost expected a cliffhanger.

That said, there’s a lot to love in Lawrence’s second novel. As I wrote, it’s set in the same universe as Guardian but reading the first book before this one isn’t necessary. If you do, you’ll recognize one of the characters and will probably understand the shift towards fantasy more easily. If you don’t, you won’t be tempted to compare and try to anticipate the second part, looking for elusive clues. Either way, I recommend reading both books, in whichever order pleases you.

Fury @ Bookshop.org / Kobo / amazon

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