 | 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
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