Cruel Castaways Series by L.J. Shen: Finding Love in the in the Wake of Tragedy, Betrayal and Revenge

Three boys – all of them brilliant, all three are good looking, and even at their young age, it was easy to see that they were extraordinary. All of them were sent to a boarding school wherein getting an education was only secondary. All three were castoffs from their families. They were sent away to be hidden there. They are the Cruel Castaways.

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First there was Christian Miller who became a lawyer. An excellent litigator, he has Manhattan at the palm of his hand from get go. He lands a big case, not huge compared to the others he’d handled. But this was personal because Arya Roth, the daughter of the defendant, was his first love and she broke his heart.

Christian and Arya’s story, “Ruthless Rivals,” will tug at your heartstrings. Told in the present but with lots of flashback, we meet young Christian and Arya as teenagers falling in love for the first time. But she was a 1%ter and he was poor. Their relationship did not end well.

As adults, readers meet a much different Christian and Arya. The chemistry is still there, but will they be able to go past their shared history of heartache?

Second is Arsène Corbin who became a financial whiz kid at Wall Street. His story is told in “Fallen Foe.” Born a 1%ter, he was sent away due to his quintessential evil stepmother. His evil stepsister is an entirely different story. Oh, the term “evil stepsister” aptly applies as Arsène endured her cruelty and lies.

Then she dies, and Arsène had to piece together not only his own life but also the life of Winnifred Ashcroft who got caught up in the evil stepsister’s web.

Two beautifully written stories. L. J. Shen outdid herself on this one as she wrote the male leads as tragic anti-heroes. The women are soft yet also strong, pliant like the bamboo who can weather storms. Christian and Arya, Arsène and Winnifred – they danced to their own tunes. They are not your typical romantic heroes and heroines.

The dialogue is serious, not much banter but very intelligent without sounding highbrow. In “Fallen Foe,” Shen referenced Anton Chekov’s “The Seagull” a lot. It is almost as if that play is another main character in the story.

For the male leads, Joe Arden was the narrator. And as always, he aced it. He breathed life to Christian and Arsène, adding a fourth dimension to the already three-dimensional characters.

Stella Bloom voiced Arya in “Ruthless Rival.” She perfectly balanced the young and unsure Arya to the tough as nails grown up Arya. Bloom was flawless as Arya.

In “Fallen Foe,” Savannah Peachwood beautifully rendered Winnifred’s Southern accent when she’s alone while giving her the no-nonsense New Yorker when Winnie was dealing with Arsène. Peachwood’s performance as always, was faultless.

The third book, “Cold Hearted Casanova” is the story of Riggs Bates. But it won’t be out till April 2024, so we just have to wait for the conclusion of “Cruel Castaways.”