EVERY LAST BREATH by Jennifer L. Armentrout

EVERY LAST BREATH by Jennifer L. Armentrout

This is the final book in The Dark Elements series by @jennifer_l_armentrout and it was everything I could have asked for and more. Reminder: because this is the final book in a series, it will involve spoilers for the first two books!

“take me down to the paradise city, where the grass is green and the girls are pretty…”

Tell me why I’m now the biggest Guns N’ Roses fan???? I have Roth to thank for THAT. Okay. Where do I begin with this review. Let’s start by saying that this entire series took me by such a delicious surprise. I’m a decade older than Layla and yet…this series made me feel like I was 17 again and falling hard and fast for the bad boy with the studded belt and tongue ring. Nostalgia, but add a little *spice.*

This was a perfect conclusion to this trilogy: I was a little worried it would be wrought with heartbreak and betrayal, but every high tension moment in this story had an excellent resolve. Even the saddest parts served an important role (which I won’t go into detail about here, but iykyk). I loved seeing Layla step into her identify and see herself beyond the self-imposed labels she carried for so long. She found her voice, her self-worth, and realized that, no matter how others saw her, she was confident in who she had become. And in the final scenes of this book, the courage she displayed felt like a satisfying cap to a fulfilling journey.

And, of course, Roth 4ever. He is baby Rhys to me, you can’t convince me otherwise. I love him. I love his growth, I love what he stood for (that no one is inherently evil and that we all have free will). I love how he stands beside Layla through everything, even when it hurts him. I love how delicate he was with her when she needed it and how proud he was when she didn’t need any help at all. This is the type of young adult love interest I love to see. He isn’t all rainbows and butterflies (more like piercings and snake tattoos) but he is kind and honorable and just LOVELY.

JLA answers a lot of my lingering questions in this final book and overall I loved how this ended. I have a perfect vision for Layla’s future, which is all I can ask for. I can’t wait to read Storm & Fury and get to see a little bit more of Zayne (and praying for some Roth and Layla in this book too!)

Also, because I can’t help myself, I made a mood board for this series. Find it here.