Giving Away by Lola King - Book Review

Giving Away picks up after the events of Giving In and takes Jamie and Jake’s already complicated relationship into an even messier and more emotional direction.

What I liked most about this book is that it feels like we get to see more layers to Jake. In the first book, he can be incredibly difficult to understand, but here we get more insight into his past, his demons, his possessiveness, and the reasons behind some of his actions. He is still very much a morally grey character, but there are moments where you start understanding him rather than simply judging him.

Jamie also gets more interesting as the story progresses. She makes mistakes, keeps secrets, and sometimes makes decisions that had me wanting to scream at her through the pages, but I liked seeing her become more aware of herself and the complicated situation she’s involved in.

And then there is Nathan, who brings an entirely different kind of tension to the story. His return makes everything between Jamie and Jake even more complicated, and the whole Jake-Jamie-Nathan dynamic kept me questioning what was actually going to happen next. The book does a good job of keeping that uncertainty alive without giving everything away too quickly.

The relationship between Jamie and Jake is definitely toxic, intense, possessive and messy. This is very much a dark/bully romance, so if you’re looking for a healthy relationship, this is probably not that book. But if you enjoy morally grey characters, obsession, jealousy, complicated relationships, secrets, drama and plenty of spice, there’s a lot here to keep you hooked.

I also enjoyed the supporting characters, especially Rose, because she brings another layer to the story and her relationship with Jake gives us a different perspective on him. The side characters aren’t just there in the background; they contribute to the drama and make the Stoneview world feel bigger.

The pacing worked well for me because there was always something happening. There are emotional moments, relationship drama, revelations and twists that kept me turning the pages. Some parts did feel overly dramatic, and there were definitely moments where I questioned the characters’ decisions, which is why I didn’t give it a full five stars.

But that ending…

Lola King really knows how to end a book at the exact moment when you desperately need answers. The book leaves you with more questions and makes you want to immediately pick up the next one.

Overall, Giving Away was an addictive second book that expanded the story and characters while making the whole situation even more complicated. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a book I’d recommend to everyone because of the dark themes, bullying, violence and sexual content, but if dark romance is your thing, this definitely has the ingredients.

I had a love-hate relationship with several characters, got frustrated more than once, and still couldn’t stop reading.

And honestly, if you’ve already read Giving In, you’re probably going to want to continue because Lola King clearly wasn’t planning on letting us have peace with that ending.

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️