Review: Daisy Haites
Hello and welcome back!
Moving on to the second book in the MPU (Magnolia Parks Universe), we have Daisy Haites. Daisy and the primary characters in this second instalment also appear in Magnolia Parks. The book can stand alone but is best read in sequence just to give some extra context for certain characters. Quick summary; Daisy is the baby sister of England’s most infamous gang lord. Her world is filled with fine art, all the things money can buy and violence. Daisy is currently having a casual situationship with Christian Hemnes, who for many years has been in love with Magnolia Parks.
Daisy has also recently separated from her own toxic dependent relationship with Romeo, the little brother to Julian’s (Daisy’s brother’s) second in command. Daisy is quite different to her brother in that, she hates the life they live and when he and others threaten to cross the lines she has set to keep them morally sound in a very messy world, Daisy has to decide what’s more important to her. Doing what’s right or sticking with her brother.
So, I couldn’t really tell you if I liked this more or less than Magnolia Parks because despite existing in the same world, it felt very different. Daisy, as an MC, was overall much more likeable and, in a weird way, relatable. I don’t want to reveal too much about her past, but if you read it, you’ll know Daisy’s life is anything but typical. Still, I felt like the feelings she was experiencing were relatable; her situation just turned everything up from a five to a ten.
The mobster life added an extra layer of drama that made me feel like I was reading The Godfather Gen Z. I feel like Hastings utilised old mob movie tropes and was able to modernise them for this setting which gave this story a little something different than Magnolia Parks.
The love story however felt just as messy, but I personally found myself routing for Daisy and Christain more than Magnolia and BJ, probably because Christian is more likeable and so is Daisy for that matter. I really liked how Hastings was still able to make our relationship with these characters complicated, essentially blending the moral lines with the “business” they are involved in, but still having us want them to succeed.
Without giving it away I will say the ending had me in tears, so prepare for that if you’re an emotional reader like I am!
I love these books for what they are, full-fledged drama romance stories full of angst, upper-class pride and tortured hearts.
Rating: **** (4/5)
