Welcome to Tynga's Reviews — Where the story began. Reviews published before June 2017 may have simplified formatting. Thanks for being here. ♥

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Review: Whips and Chains (Saint View Murder Squad #2) by Elle Thorpe

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Tynga's Reviews! ♥

Whips and Chains (Saint View Murder Squad #2)

Whips and Chains (Saint View Murder Squad #2)

by Elle Thorpe

★★★★☆

Read: October 11, 2025

380 pages


Elle, you absolute menace—in the best possible way. You’ve done it again.

Whips & Chains throws us right back into Saint View’s chaos and doesn’t let go for a second. I laughed out loud, clutched my chest, and at one point might have whispered “no, no, no” while out in public. The emotional swings in this one are brutal and delicious—Elle somehow manages to make heartbreak and humor live in the same breath, and I adore her for it.

Violet is going through hell, but she’s also growing, finding strength and softness in equal measure. Watching her dynamic with the boys shift—especially X—was everything. He owns my entire heart at this point. There’s something about the way his madness hides a strange, aching tenderness that just wrecks me. And the banter? Some of the best lines I’ve heard in a long time. I was grinning like a fool half the time, swooning the rest.

The audiobook was an experience all on its own. A full-cast duet with sound effects—it felt cinematic, immersive, and alive. Gregory Salinas as X was perfection, Kelsey Navarro-Foster captured every ounce of Violet’s vulnerability and fire, Theo Sinclair was the perfect Levi, and Sean Crisden saying “good girl” should be illegal.

And that ending? Jesus. Holy. Cliffhanger. My jaw literally dropped. I am not okay, and I need book three RIGHT NOW!

Thank you, Elle, for the audiobook—what a ride. You’ve once again proven why Saint View feels like home, chaos and all.

Main tropes: why-choose · dark romcom · found family · protective & possessive MMCs · unhinged MMCs · tall curvy FMC · Bi-awakening · hilarious banter

View on Goodreads


Track your own reading journey ✦

Discover Tynga Publishing Reading Journals

Hey, I'm Tynga! Montreal-based mom of two and lifelong book lover. I started this blog in 2009 reviewing PNR and UF, and over the years my shelves expanded into Romantasy, Dark Romance, and Dark Rom-Com. This blog is the archive. These days, my bookish life lives mostly on TikTok. I also create reading journals through Tynga Publishing — designed by a reader, for readers.

Tiktok | Instagram | My Reading Journals

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Join the Inner Circle

Free 2026 Reading Bingo printable, occasional freebies and new-release updates for all Tynga Publishing reading journals.