This post is all about the romantic thriller book Chosen Daughters by Jessica Carrasquillo.
CATEGORIES: BOOK BLOG POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS, THRILLER, ROMANCE
ABOUT THE BOOK
TITLE: CHOSEN DAUGHTERS
series: THE MANCHINEEL #3
AUTHOR: JESSICA CARRASQUILLO
GENRES: THRILLER ROMANCE, ROMANTIC SUSPENSE, SOUTHERN GOTHIC
PUBLISHER: self-published/ SONGBIRD PUBLISHING LLC
PUBLISHING DATE: MARCH 25, 2025
FORMAT: E-BOOK
length: 240 PAGES
source: ARC COPY
WHEN YOU FIND THE GIRL OF YOUR DREAMS, BUT SHE’S IN A CULT
GOODREADS summary
THE CULT SHATTERED THEIR FAITH. LOVE WILL PICK UP THE PIECES.
Ulysses never planned to return to the cult. The Church of the Ninth Order shaped his darkest memories, and while love drew him back into their oppressive community, heartbreak left him stranded. Clinging to his fragile sobriety, he plans to keep his head down and distract himself with his art. But when he’s asked to counsel the enchanting Esme, staying detached is no longer an option.
As a Chosen Daughter, Esme’s survival depends on her submission. Bound to marry a much older church elder, she dreams of escaping to the world she lost. Ulysses promises to protect her, even if it means navigating the church’s sinister politics in ways he never expected.
When Esme uncovers a deadly secret that could bring down the entire Order, their defiance becomes rebellion. Now, Ulysses must silence Esme to protect them both or honor her right to take a stand—a choice that could cost them their lives.
My Thoughts:
I couldn’t wait to get my hands on “Chosen Daughters” by Jessica Carrasquillo. I have been loving The Manchineel series thus far. It’s the perfect series for anyone who’s a fan of thriller romance books. After finding out there would be a spinoff to the second book, Mysteries of the Southern Gothic, I was curious about where the author would take this one.
First, I need to thank the author and BookFunnel for providing an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
A common thread throughout this series is the presence of strong female leads who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty or bloody to achieve their goals. Naturally, I was intrigued to see how Esme, the newest protagonist raised within a cult, would embody this trait.
The author hinted at a steamy romance with Handmaid’s Tale vibes featuring the returning character, Ulysses Katsaros.
Let’s dive into it.
THE PLOT
While this romantic thriller book stands on its merit, I highly recommend reading the previous book first to fully immerse yourself in this dark, twisted world. You can find my review of Mysteries of the Southern Gothic here.
This story opens with Ulysses Katsaros, a substance abuse counselor and artist, turning his life upside down for Sophie, his volatile long-term on-again/off-again girlfriend. She persuades him to join an isolated, heavily armed religious group called The Church of the Ninth Order.
What could possibly go wrong?
Everything, as it turns out.
Sophie abandons him almost immediately after arrival, but instead of cutting his losses, Ulysses stays put. His fear of relapsing into old addictions keeps him trapped in this compound, where the outside world is strictly forbidden.
“Where the immoral world sees ruin, the Lord sees a foundation. Out there, you’re weighed down by sinful burdens. Here, you set them down and pick up a purpose. The tools to rebuild what the world tried to break in you.”
At first, his choice to remain seems baffling – but trust me, it all makes sense in the end. I’ll get to that later.
Lang, the Order’s charismatic leader, slowly draws Ulysses deeper into the group’s web, using a captivating young woman named Esme as bait.
Having spent most of her life within the Order’s walls, Esme knows almost nothing of the outside world and has been conditioned never to question authority. It’s through his growing connection with her that Ulysses finally realizes the horrifying truth: he’s stumbled right into a cult.
The narrative builds momentum through three powerful threads: the forbidden romance blooming between Esme and Ulysses, his ongoing battle with personal demons, and the violent power struggles erupting within the Order’s leadership.
Each element weaves together to create a romantic thriller book that’s impossible to put down.
Across the table, Ulysses takes his seat at the far end. She can’t help but admire him. He’s different. It’s not just his long hair and tattoos but because he spoke to her like she mattered.
THE CHARACTERS
ESME
When we first meet Esme, she’s a quiet young woman just trying to survive within the cult’s suffocating rules. But beneath her obedient exterior lies an ember waiting to burst into flame.
It takes the prospect of an arranged marriage to make her question everything she’s been taught. All she needed was someone to fan that spark into a fire.
Her mind drifts back to Ulysses. There was an intensity to him, something she hadn’t seen in anyone else, something safe and kind. She closes her eyes, wondering what it might be like if he could see her the way she’s begun to see him.
Ulysses
I’ll be honest—Ulysses drove me crazy in the previous book. His decisions made me want to throw my Kindle across the room, especially when he crawled back to Sophie, his walking red flag of an ex-girlfriend. But stick with him.
As his battle with inner demons unfolds, you’ll start to understand why this beautiful mess of a man keeps stumbling into chaos.
His character arc was definitely the most emotional impactful part of the story. As a fellow Pisces, his emotional tornado of a personality—caring so deeply it hurts, yet somehow always managing to complicate things was totally relatable.
Making bad decisions when emotional. Relatable.
Giving a toxic ex another chance, despite knowing it’s a bad idea. Relatable.
Ignoring obvious red flags. Relatable.
Falling back into bad habits. Relatable.
You’ll fall in love with him. Eventually. Trust me.
To act on anything he felt for her now, knowing how limited her choices had been, would be nothing short of selfish. It would make him no better than these men who sought to claim her.
THE WRITING STYLE
Though character-driven, the story would have benefited from deeper exploration of the cult’s core beliefs and power dynamics. These elements remained somewhat unclear throughout the narrative.
The romantic thriller masterfully balanced its love story against the backdrop of a sinister cult. Despite the surrounding darkness, the romance brought an unexpected yet welcome sweetness to the novel.
The story’s pacing remained slow until the midpoint, when Ulysses’s feelings for Esme deepened into something more profound. As anticipated, the finale delivered both violence and drama.
This novel successfully blends genres, combining sweet romance with suspense and drama while exploring the dark world of a patriarchal religious cult.
IS “CHOSEN DAUGHTERS” SPICY?
Though it brings the heat, this story’s spice takes a backseat to its passionate romance. Set against the haunting backdrop of a cult society where women are stripped of power, the narrative stirs up complex and sometimes uncomfortable emotions.
Personally, I kind of enjoy when a book makes me a little uncomfortable. When you’re uncomfortable your mind is getting a workout, and you’re not just a passive passenger along for the ride. However, if you’re a sensitive reader beware of triggers listed by the author.
For those keeping score: two chili peppers for spiciness 🌶🌶 and a solid four hearts for romance ♥️♥️♥️♥️.
“I don’t want to let you down,” he finally says, his voice breaking, shoulders sagging, as if the pressure of the words had been too much to hold back. He rubs his forehead, elbow resting on his door panel. “You see something in me that I don’t. You always have. And I’m terrified that one day you’re going to realize I’m nobody special. Out here I’m just a guy.”
“Chosen Daughters” by Jessica Carrasquillo is a twisty thriller with a sweet romance at it’s core. It definitely tied up the open-ended of questions we had about Ulysses from the previous book.
If you are a fan of thriller romance books, you’ll love this series. Also, If you rooted for Nick and June’s relationship in “The Handmaid’s Tale” TV series, this might give you the same feelings that romance inspired.
As the latest addition to “The Manchineel” series, it leaves me eagerly anticipating what dark corners we’ll explore next.
Have you already dived into this book? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Did the twists catch you off guard? Did the romance give you butterflies?
If you haven’t read this yet, do yourself a favor and click on the links below to get a copy!
OTHER BOOKS BY JESSICA CARRASQUILLO
If you love gritty romantic thrillers, check out this blog post on my favorite thriller audiobooks here. Also, save this article to your Pinterest so you can remember to add it to your TBR later.
Thanks for reading this book review. Please with share this post with a friend. Sharing is caring.
Very good https://is.gd/N1ikS2
Awesome https://is.gd/N1ikS2
Good https://is.gd/N1ikS2
Good https://is.gd/N1ikS2
Good https://is.gd/N1ikS2
Very good https://is.gd/N1ikS2
Very good https://is.gd/N1ikS2