Saving the Best for Last
I have absolutely loved my time with the North Shore Titans series, but I have to admit... Ruthless Titan is hands down my favorite book of the bunch.
Every novella in this series offers something different, but this final installment wrapped everything up beautifully. It has the humor, the spice, the emotional moments, and the found family that made me fall in love with these characters from the very beginning.
Meet the Couple
Connor (MMC): Wealthy, intelligent, calculating, and seemingly untouchable. Connor has spent his entire life being molded into the perfect heir for his family's powerful business empire. Beneath his cold exterior is a man who's spent years being emotionally neglected and controlled by abusive parents. Watching those walls slowly come down made him one of the most rewarding characters in the series.
Ryan (MMC): The definition of a gentle giant. After losing his family in a tragic accident as a child, Ryan has built a quiet life for himself, but he still carries emotional scars that make trusting others difficult. Once he lets people in, though, his warm, funny, and caring personality shines through. He quickly became my favorite character in the entire series.
What I Loved
I absolutely loved Ryan.
He's seven inches taller than Connor, making the size difference between them both adorable and surprisingly funny at times. More importantly, Ryan perfectly balances kindness with quiet strength. He's the type of person who would rather comfort someone than fight... unless the person he loves is threatened. Then he becomes an absolute grizzly bear.
The fake marriage trope was handled so well here.
Connor's desperate attempt to escape an arranged marriage leads him to force Ryan into becoming his husband, setting up one of my favorite forced proximity romances I've read in a while. What begins as a business arrangement slowly becomes something much deeper as they share a dorm room, pretend to be the perfect married couple in public, and gradually lower the emotional walls they've both spent years building.
One of my favorite moments happens during the public press conference announcing Connor's arranged engagement. Instead of allowing his parents to control yet another part of his life, Connor completely derails their plans by announcing that he and Ryan secretly eloped instead. I could practically feel the chaos that followed, and I loved every second of it.
While the romance is incredibly sweet, this book also tackles some difficult topics.
Connor's abusive parents remain a constant threat throughout the story, making it impossible for him to truly feel free. Ryan's protective instincts shine every time Connor needs someone in his corner, and I loved watching their relationship evolve into one built on trust, devotion, and unconditional support.
Ryan's own emotional journey was equally compelling. As the two work through his past trauma together, their relationship grows naturally instead of feeling rushed. The hurt/comfort moments between them ended up being some of my favorite scenes in the entire series.
Of course, E.V. Olsen doesn't let things stay peaceful for long. Just when everything seems to be falling into place, Connor's parents remind readers exactly how dangerous they can be, leading to a rescue mission that had me glued to the pages. The suspense ramps up quickly, and the final confrontation delivered several surprises that kept me guessing until the very end.
The Verdict
If you love fake marriages, forced proximity, protective heroes, gentle giants, emotional healing, found family, and plenty of spice, Ruthless Titan is an absolute must-read.
Ryan completely stole my heart. Watching this giant teddy bear transform into an unstoppable force whenever Connor needed protecting made him one of my favorite book boyfriends in the entire series. Combined with Connor's emotional journey and a wonderfully satisfying happily ever after, this was the perfect ending to the North Shore Titans series.
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.
