ARC Book Review: Into the Fire (Into the Churn #2) by Hayley Reese Chow

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Sci-Fi
Length: 380 pages
Author: Hayley Reese Chow
Publisher: Whimsical Publishing
Release Date: May 21st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The finish line was only the beginning.

Champion race royalers Ezren Hart and Foster Sterling never dreamed winning the Belethea Race Royale and solving their teammate’s murder would only be the start of their troubles. With legal proceedings taking an unfortunate turn, accusations of a sham race, and a divided Belethea of warring ideals, they find themselves in the middle of a storm once again.

However, when a mysterious private investigator shows up at their doorstep with news that Ezren’s long-missing father’s life hangs in the balance, she doesn’t hesitate to chart their course to the incendiary moon of Otho despite Foster’s misgivings. But after political violence separates the pair before they even get off the ground, Foster scrapes together a crew to go after her.

While Ezren and Foster race toward Otho, the growing ripples of corruption bring the system to the brink of war with the two of them balanced on the tipping point. As they run, drive, and fight across an explosive land scarred with bullets and death, they’ll have to decide what sacrifices they’re willing to make for a dangerous discovery in a world prepared to silence their voices forever.

Because on Otho, there are no winners—only survivors.

Thank you to Whimsical Publishing for the eARC.

LOVE.

I am just smitten with this duo y’all. I adore Ezren and Foster and I can’t tell y’all how much I LOVED that they WORKED TOGETHER. Bless the fact that there wasn’t ridiculous drama between the main couple. There was still tension and romance, it was just formulated differently and I was able to fall in love with them more because of it. The outside forces caused the chaos and had me gripping my kindle needing to know who made it out alive.

I liked the continuation of the story too. There’s a bit more politicking and interweaving of keeping friends close and enemies closer. I liked the switching sides and the newly added characters too. I love the found family and tight knit friendships. I love the high level of action and seeing the expansion of the world and systems. I felt lots of emotions and loved seeing the familial reconnections woven throughout too.

This was a full story (not a standalone though, definitely read book one first, which I also loved), but there was some room to continue as well. I would definitely read the next book.

Overall audience notes: