Tragically Yours

Apparently the Title Was a Warning

Alright my fellow spicy book dragons, we're back in the fae realms for book three! And remember that giant spider scene I told you about?

WE HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED.

Tragically Yours is the third book in Jamie Applegate Hunter's Fae Kings of Eden series, and just like the title suggests, this romance is definitely tragic. But don't panic.

We still get our HEA.

This book had a different emotional feel from Viciously Yours and Obsessively Yours. Dean and Fawn's story deals heavily with grief, trauma, loss, and the consequences of everything that's been happening throughout the kingdoms. But Jamie Applegate Hunter balances those heavier moments with plenty of hilarious characters, ridiculous situations, mystery, romance, and, of course, plenty of spice. And we finally start getting answers to some questions that have been building since the beginning of the series.

First, We Need to Talk About Lilith

Before getting into Dean and Fawn, there's another character you need to know.

Lilith is a fallen Fate.

In this world, a fallen Fate is a Fate from the heavens who has forsaken or abandoned their duty to the Aether. Unlike the Fates, Lilith can only see pieces of what the future holds. She has secretly guided the Garden Kingdom since Eden's creation. Normally, Lilith doesn't reveal herself to a future king until he takes the throne.

Dean? He gets to meet her at fifteen. And considering why she has to reveal herself early, you quickly realize there's something much bigger happening with Dean and Fawn's fate. I really liked getting more information about the gods, Fates, and the history behind this world. It adds another layer to the series and starts connecting things we've seen in the previous books.

Meet Fawn and Dean

Fawn (FMC): Half human and half fae, Fawn is independent, intelligent, kind, fun, spunky, and takes absolutely no shit from anyone. She originally grew up in the human kingdom until her magic unexpectedly appeared when she was thirteen and she accidentally glamoured a bully's teeth. Her family eventually moves to the Mountain Kingdom, where tragedy changes Fawn's life forever.

She also has a pet tarantula named Tickles. Remember that.

Dean (MMC): The future King of the Garden Kingdom, Dean is intelligent, kind, easygoing, fiercely protective, and another MMC with some serious touch-her-and-die energy. Thanks to the cruelty of his father, Dean learned early to hide his emotions and keep his true feelings buried.

Then, at fifteen, Dean receives his familiar. Cassandra. A gigantic serpent that absolutely nobody wants to mess with. Including Dean's father. Good girl, Cassandra.

Three People Died That Day

Fawn's backstory absolutely broke my heart. After her magic develops, her parents decide to leave the human kingdom and move their family to the Mountain Kingdom, where Fawn's father originally came from. A year later, rebels attack. Both of Fawn's parents are killed. She's left with only her grandparents. And this line perfectly describes what happens to Fawn afterward:

Three people died that day, but only two stopped breathing.

Fawn decides she doesn't want to feel anymore. The trauma completely changes her. But there's someone else experiencing the effects of her grief. Dean. Because even though they haven't found each other yet, Dean can feel his mate's emotions. Then suddenly... He feels nothing.

Dean Thinks His Mate Is Dead

Before Lilith's intervention, feeling his unknown mate was one of the few bright spots Dean had while dealing with his father's cruelty.

Then the Mountain Kingdom is attacked. His mate's emotions disappear. When Dean's father attempts to find her, everything points toward tragedy. Fawn is supposedly dead. Dean believes he's lost his mate without ever getting the chance to know her. And his grief sends him into a very dark place.

It's one of the reasons Lilith is forced to reveal herself years earlier than she normally would. She knows pieces of what's coming. She knows more about Dean's fate than she can tell him. And she needs to stop him before he makes a decision he can never undo.

Surprise! Your Dead Mate Isn't Very Dead

Years pass. Dean eventually travels to the Mountain Kingdom for the new king's coronation. And guess who he finds working inside the palace and friends with the new queen?

Fawn.

His supposedly dead mate. Very much alive. Can you imagine mourning your fated mate for years only to casually discover: Oh... There she is.

This revelation completely changes Dean's world. Eventually, Fawn returns with him to the Garden Kingdom, and that's when their real journey begins. But finding each other doesn't magically erase everything they've survived. Fawn is still carrying the trauma of losing her parents. Dean has his own scars from growing up with his father. And there are plenty of secrets neither of them understands yet.

Someone Really Wants Fawn Dead

You would think discovering your supposedly dead fated mate was alive would be enough drama for one book. Absolutely not. Someone wants Fawn dead. Now Dean and Fawn have to figure out who they can trust while secrets surrounding the Garden Kingdom slowly start coming to light. And some of those enemies? They're a little too close to home.

This book gives us secret engagements, betrayals, insane family dynamics, assassination attempts, royal drama, hidden motives, and questions about who might be betraying the crown. Every time I thought I knew who the real problem was, something else happened. And then we have Dean's family.

Dean's Family Is Something Else

If you thought Dean's father was the biggest problem in this family... You might want to reconsider. There are some revelations surrounding Dean's parents that made the entire situation even crazier.

And then there's Cali's sister Emi. Unhinged bitch.

That's all. Actually, no it's not, because somehow Fawn and Cali's relationship isn't complicated enough. Things between them are definitely complicated, but after Fawn nearly dies and Cali saves her life, the two eventually manage to reach a... Let's call it an understanding. Kind of. For these characters, I'll take it.

Fawn's Friendships Were One of My Favorite Parts

I really loved Fawn and Naomi's friendship. It's an unexpected friendship, which made me enjoy it even more. With everything Fawn has been through, seeing her have someone she can trust and be herself around added some much-needed warmth to the story.

Then we have Dean, Braddock, and Braddock's husband Monroe. The sass. I was here for all of it. Their dynamic gives the story some fantastic comedic relief, especially when things start getting darker. And apparently nobody's maps are safe either.

"You didn't have to insult his maps."

Why did this make me laugh so hard?

AND NOW THE SPIDER

My fellow spicy book dragons. We've made it. This is the moment that originally convinced me to start this entire series. Fawn has a pet tarantula. His name is Tickles. Already fantastic.

Now take one grown man. Add one large spider. And...

SCREAMING.

This was the scene. This was the clip that made me think, "Okay, I need to know what the hell is happening in these books." After waiting three books to finally reach it? Still hilarious. Tickles deserves recognition for bringing me into this series in the first place.

Cassandra Deserves Some Love Too

Tickles isn't the only creature stealing scenes. There's also Cassandra, Dean's enormous serpent familiar. I loved the relationship between Dean and Cassandra, especially because she represents such an important turning point in his life.

Once Cassandra enters the picture, Dean's father can't continue treating him the way he once did. Nobody wants to piss off the giant snake. Smart.

Between Greta, War, Babs, Tickles, and Cassandra, I'm starting to think the animals and familiars need their own spin-off. I would read it.

The Romance Has a Lot of Healing

What made Dean and Fawn's romance work for me was everything happening underneath the fated-mate bond. Both characters have been shaped by trauma. Fawn lost her parents and emotionally shut down. Dean grew up hiding his emotions because of his father's cruelty, then spent years believing the one person meant for him had died. Their relationship isn't simply:

Oh, you're my mate. Let's live happily ever after.

They actually have emotional baggage to work through. Dean is fiercely protective of Fawn, but she isn't some helpless FMC waiting around for him to save her. She's independent, stubborn, and perfectly capable of standing up for herself. Which means their personalities make for some entertaining moments when Dean's protective instincts kick into overdrive.

And My Spicy Book Dragons...

Don't worry. The tragedy doesn't kill the spice.🔥This book is very spicy. And some of those spicy moments are definitely not happening behind the privacy of a locked bedroom door. 👀

Dean and Fawn have plenty of chemistry, but what made their relationship more interesting to me was the emotional connection underneath it. Dean thought this woman was dead. Fawn spent years trying not to feel. Finding each other gives both of them something they thought they'd lost. That makes the romance feel like more than just the mate bond telling them they belong together.

We're Finally Getting Answers

One of my favorite things about Tragically Yours is how much it adds to the overall series storyline.

We're three books in now, and some of the mysteries and questions from Viciously Yours and Obsessively Yours start getting answers.

We learn more about the Fates. We learn more about Lilith. We get more information about the gods and the history of the kingdoms. And some of the secrets revealed here made me even more curious about where the final book would take everything. Because clearly, this story is bigger than four fae kings finding their mates. Something else is going on.

The Verdict

Highly Recommended For: Fans of fae romance, fated mates, touch-her-and-die MMCs, hurt/comfort, traumatized characters finding love, royal intrigue, magical kingdoms, mystery, betrayal, found family, protective familiars, hilarious side characters, spicy romance, and stories that balance tragedy with humor.

Tragically Yours absolutely lives up to its name. Dean and Fawn's story is heartbreaking, but there's enough humor, romance, friendship, ridiculousness, mystery, and spice mixed throughout to keep the book from feeling overwhelmingly heavy.

I loved Fawn's spunky personality and her friendship with Naomi. I loved Dean's protectiveness and the hilariously sassy dynamic between him, Braddock, and Monroe. I loved Cassandra, Tickles, and finally getting the spider scene that convinced me to start this entire series. Most importantly, I loved how much this book expanded the bigger storyline.

Lilith and the fallen Fates add another layer to the world, questions from the previous books finally start getting answers, and the secrets surrounding the kingdoms made me wonder exactly what Jamie Applegate Hunter has planned for the finale. And despite all the tragedy?

Yes, my fellow spicy book dragons, Dean and Fawn get their HEA.

Now I'm ready for book four, Brutally Yours, because it's finally time for Amos and Clover's story. And after everything we learned in Tragically Yours? I need to know how this ends.

Happy reading, and remember my fellow spicy book dragons, before starting a book please check the tropes, and always check for trigger warnings. Nobody likes an unfinished book because the tropes aren't your cup of tea or having a bad reading experience because of unexpected trigger warnings.