The Beyond series is one of my absolute favorites. There is something about these gritty down to earth survivors that just resonates with me. Kit Rocha has a major talent at delving into the psyche of her characters. Or should I say their characters? Beyond is the literary genius of co-writing team Donna Herren and Bree Bridges writing as Kit Rocha. This duo also writes as Moira Rogers, whose books I started reading several years ago and love as well. Unlike their paranormal romances as Moira Rogers, the Beyond series are dystopian romance. As the definition of dystopian implies the society of the sectors and Eden that Beyond inhabits is characterized by human misery, squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding. The rich and elite inhabit the city of Eden and the characters we have grown to love and cheer forward, the O’Kanes inhabit sector four of the sectors that surround the city.

Unlike most typical romances, Beyond Run is not a story of love between two or even three people, but rather four. One thing the O’Kanes are known for is their drinking and their loving. They are an open lot and prize open sexuality. Their open views on sexuality, however, do not in any way define their capacity for loyalty and love. When an O’Kane loves, they love wholeheartedly and with a promise of forever. So, be forewarned that this series is explicit and not your standard romance. That being the case, I will tell you that although I am not typically drawn to some gender combinations in relationships, the storylines, the depth of character development and the writing are so compelling that I am emotionally drawn into these relationships. I fall in love with all of the characters and want them to find their HEA together. Even though I may not personally hold to their sexual preferences I find the scenes hot and far from gratuitous. If these scenes didn’t reflect so much on the characters, their needs, their love and their aspirations I don’t think this series would stand a chance in drawing me in and holding my attention. Bottom line it’s all about the relationships.

Beyond Ruin centers on the relationship between Adrian Rios “Mad” Maddox, Dr. Dylan Jordan, Scarlet and Jade, four very different people from very different backgrounds. Mad is the self-exiled prince of Sector One. Orphaned as a young teen at the brutal hands of rebellion and a self-righteous grandfather, he wants nothing to do with leading or being the saint his people expect of him. Dylan, or Doc as everyone else knows him is from Eden. His past isn’t pretty and he has a slight problem with addiction. His medical knowledge not only tells him how to heal a body but just how much pain and suffering it can take. Scarlet is an ophan from Sector Three. She’s the rock star of the group. She has a sinfully beautiful voice, a very giving and forgiving nature. At the same time what you see is what you get with Scarlet. She is no wilting petunia. Jade was born with a silver plated spoon. Then it tarnished and she ended up trained in the houses of Sector Two to become someone’s mistress and the consummate spy. That is until her protector turned on her, drugging her senseless and taking a major piece of her. Now she struggles to define who she is beyond being broken and all the training.  The one thing they each have in common is that they are now O’Kanes.

They fit together in so many different ways, and for so many different reasons. The way Scarlet proved with every breath that a woman’s strength could take whatever form she damn well pleased, then challenged Jade to believe it. The way Mad looked at the world with the same determination in Jade’s heart, refusing to believe he couldn’t make it better. The way Dylan cut through the tangle of her desires to remind her that trust should be at the heart of everything—and that you didn’t reward people with trust. You rewarded them for it, because there was nothing as valuable in a dark and broken world as someone who believed in you enough to let themselves be vulnerable. It was the way Dylan looked at Scarlet and found hope. The way Scarlet’s music brought Mad peace. The way Mad loved all three of them so fiercely, so brightly, you could almost believe he really was touched by a higher power. It was all of them, together. And she could hold Mad close and stroke his hair while Scarlet sang him to sleep, but they wouldn’t be complete. They wouldn’t be whole. Not without Dylan.

If a relationship between two people can seem insurmountable at times imagine making one work amongst four and yet that is exactly what Kit Rocha does. She brings these four individuals together and makes them each other’s salvation and love against the backdrop of a brewing rebellion. The danger escalates and the future is uncertain in the sectors. Beyond Ruin leaves you with a HEA, but a series cliffhanger. Once again I’m swept away into the Broken Circle and I’m left impatient for the next story to unfold. If you like something beyond your everyday romance, have an adventurous soul, an open mind, and heart, then you are going to love Beyond Ruin and the Beyond series.