Ivory (Alabaster Penitentiary)

I loved that story so so much. Honestly, this is my favourite MM series at all. Why? I think because of the characters. Everyone is a special personality, different but lovable. It was good to read that this book answers every question. My favorite part is the relationship between Ivory and Velle. I kind of regret that it couldn't really deepen. But I understand why. The connection between them is palpable. The scene when Ivory washes Velle's hands....:) SPOILER I was under its influence for a long time - when the sentence that serves as an explanation for the whole first book turned out - when Kemper said: "Imagine me" OH MY GOD! What was a bit too much for me was all the weddings at the end. This was a bit too sappy. But along with this, I loved it. It was a nice ending when the boys were sitting at the table again. Pen, you will be missed!

OMG this was everything I thought it would be and then some! We finally get all of the answers! I had an idea of some things from clues we had been given along the way, but A LOT was 🤯! So many feels! I fell in love with The Ivory. I was pretty confident I would, because Nyla K is an expert at humanizing the villain and redemption arcs! Not ALL villains, but the ones who have squishy spots burried down deep. As for his mystery love interest- you would have to be an irredeemable villain to NOT fall in love with that person as well! They fit in with the AP crew perfectly 🥰. POV chapters from most of the AP MCs was *chef's kiss*. It was genius and really helped tie everything together 💗! It was also nostalgic AF...SWOON. So many laugh out loud moments! Nyla K humor is my favorite. Although there was a lot of heavy stuff in here, it all balances out perfectly. Speaking of signature Nyla K elements, THE SPICE 🥵🫠🔥! Holy moly, I can't wait to listen to the audiobook! I'll admit, I did cry my eyes out at the end but it was a happy cry 😭🥰! It was so satisfying and a perfect conclusion to the series. I'm looking forward to peaking in on them in the future on Patreon/Vacation stories 🥰. Infinity stars all around ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

This totally ended up being a much more emotional and satisfying read than I expected. Going into this book, I honestly still had a lot of mixed feelings about Ivory as a character because of everything that happened previously. Okay I still don’t love Ivory but I forgive him a little and am happy he got his HEA. He definitely redeemed himself some there at the end. There were moments where I was still frustrated with him and struggled to fully forgive some of his choices and behavior. Even so, this book did a really good job of showing his growth and making him work toward redemption instead of just handing it to him easily. I am still angry at Ivory over some things but I am willing to get past some of it. By the end, I found myself softening toward him a lot more than I thought I would. I still don’t completely love him as a character, but I appreciated that the story acknowledged his flaws and let him earn at least some forgiveness. Watching him finally get his HEA felt rewarding because it didn’t feel effortless — it felt deserved after everything he had to confront emotionally. One of my favorite parts of the book was honestly the deeper exploration of the island’s history and AP. That aspect added so much atmosphere and emotional weight to the story, and it made the world feel richer and more immersive. Nyla really balanced the darker emotional themes with moments of vulnerability, healing, and connection. Overall, this was a compelling finale to the series with…

Before you read this- Make sure that you read the first five books in this series otherwise you will have no clue what's going on in this book. Ivory was fantastic. This was everything we have all been waiting for. Alabaster Penitentiary is one of the best series I have ever read. This series makes you think; a puzzle that you have to figure out. Its complex, with 3d characters. The final book give us our favorite one of them all the Warden of Alabaster Penitentiary The Ivory; Manuel Blanco; the villain of all villains and his love interest Angel Alverez. Not giving anything away. Read this yourself but its phemonenol wrap up to a masterpiece of a series. This series has truly been a gift. There will never be another like it. * before reading make sure to check cw to make sure this book is right for you. * make sure to read all five books prior.

I loved all the others in this series... But just didn't love this one. I don't know if I did that to myself or what. It was okay. I did love to get some of the blanks filled in and see how it all fit together. Seeing everyone in the same book was nice.