3.5 stars... Ugh,,, I am really kind of sick of the Merit/Ethan back and forth at this point. I was so happy in this book that they finally acted on SOMETHING,,, only for the tide to turn pretty damn quickly. Ethan is such a jackass! And even though it seemed like he redeemed himself at the end (that gift was pretty awesome!), there still appears to be the back and forth (now with Merit?). This book was definitely better than the first 2, which I enjoyed, but was kind of waiting for something to happen. However, there was too much inner monologue by Merit in this one,, and I found myself skipping over some of that. What I love about Neill is her ability to write great dialog, and so that's what gave this the additional 1/2 star for me. I know I said this after reading the 2nd book, but I think I need a longer break before I can go on to read the next installment. I don't know how long, though, I can stand the back and forth indecision between Merit and Ethan before I abandon the series altogether. I wish Neill had taken a hint from someone like Jeanine Frost and the way that Cat and Bones's relationship has progressed through the books. There is clearly still heat between those two characters, and the stories are thoroughly enjoyable to read.