Holy Hearts by Amanda Richardson is the final book in the Ravaged Castle series, a collection of kinky contemporary romances following billionaire brothers in interconnected standalones. Ravaged Castle books were among my favorites last year, and this last book was hotly anticipated here at The Nora Theory. It promised oh so many of my favorite things: kink, polyamory, and a dirty priest.
Malakai Ravage and Julian Ashford were best friends growing up and even lived together their first year of college. But complicated feelings, a kiss, and Kai’s acceptance into seminary school drove them apart. Now, seventeen years later, Julian and his wife Sophie are back in California, living in Kai’s hometown.
Kai and Julian run into each other and old tensions resurface. When Kai stops by their house later and talks to Sophie, he agrees to help with their home renovations. Kai discovers that their marriage is a little unconventional, and the three of them start to explore new things together. Old habits die hard though, and long-buried feelings threaten to get in the way of all the fun.
Malakai Ravage is one of the middle Ravage brothers, and after leaving his position as a pastor took up the job of headmaster at Saint Helena Academy. He loves his job, and he’s good at it. He fights tirelessly for what is best for his students, but after work indulges in a secret dark side.
Sophie Ashford is a stay at home wife, but she wants more. She’s searching for her purpose, and thinks the key just might be romance novels, which is incredibly relatable. Her dream is my dream. She loves her husband, but she’s also a hotwife, meaning that she (under her husband’s direction and discretion) sleeps with other men.
Julian Ashford is a bisexual English aristocrat with ADHD, which is an excellent combination of things. He’s an art consultant and a dominant, but most of all a loving and devoted husband. He’s spent years trying not to think about the best friend who left him as a teenager, the boy he was hopelessly in love with, but all that goes out the window when said best friend waltzed back into his live, capturing both his attention and his wife’s.
None of these characters are perfect, but they are all quite emotionally intelligent and empathetic in their own way. Liam is still my favorite Ravage brother, but hot damn Malakai is a close second. This book captures the complex dynamics of a polyamorous relationship, especially one with a previously established couple.
All three main characters get pieces of the story told from their perspectives, and it gives the reader an intimate look into each of them. The characters are what make this story so emotionally intricate and engaging. It’s very character-driven, but the story and writing are so easy to get lost in.
Holy Hearts does not shy away from adventurous kink, just like the rest of the Ravaged Castle series. The spice kicks in very quickly, and it does not disappoint. All of the characters frequent Orion’s sex club Inferno, where they practice religion and worship kinks, hotwifing, and an extreme form of BDSM known as edge play. The chemistry between these three is scorching hot but still feels grounded and authentic. Which just makes it hotter.
I am so sad to see the Ravage brothers, and all their incredible partners, go, but wow was it a fun ride with this series. At the very end of the book, the author teases at what could be a continuation of the series with the second generation and if that materializes, I’ll be the first one to preorder.
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