Antidote Book Review By Shae Ruby

Okay, so I have emotional whiplash from this book. I couldn’t tell if I either hated or loved it and I’m still on the fence about it. There’s a lot that has been done wrong but equally, a lot that has been done right. I’m going to lay it all out in this review and there will be a few spoilers along the way so if you haven’t read the book, keep that in mind.

Would I recommend it? Maybe. It depends on what you like to read. If you’re looking for surface level writing with a ton of spice then this is the one for you. I think this has to be one of the hardest reviews I’ve written because I’m so conflicted and I can see both sides of the for and against debate.

However, check out my review and let me know what you thought about Antidote by Shae Ruby because I love to hear other opinions and sometimes pick up on things I may have overlooked.

Antidote Shae Ruby Synopsis

It was never meant to be more. But somehow, it was. We became two halves of a whole, bound together even when we shouldn’t have been. Oliver Scott swept me off my feet and turned my world upside down, only to shatter it. When my mother died, I told him I wanted nothing to do with him—that he was dead to me. Because I lost her because of him. Somewhere along the way, Oliver needed the drugs more than he needed me, and I paid for the consequences of his choices. Yet, no matter how much I hate him for it, something deeper still lingers between us, refusing to let go.

A second chance was never supposed to be in the cards—until it was. But betrayal doesn’t fade easily, and the scars he left still ache beneath the surface. Forgiveness feels impossible, yet here I am, gambling with my sanity, knowing full well he could destroy me again. The worst part? I want him to. I always have. Because no matter how much I try to fight it, it’s always been him.

Antidote By Shae Ruby Tropes

Antidote by Shae Ruby includes several compelling romance and drama tropes, such as:

• Second Chance Romance – The main characters have a painful past but are drawn back to each other.
• Tortured Hero – Oliver struggles with addiction and his past mistakes, making him a flawed but captivating love interest.
• Forbidden Love – Their relationship is complicated by circumstances that make it dangerous or unacceptable.
• Angst & Emotional Baggage – Heavy themes of loss, addiction, and betrayal create deep emotional tension.
• “I Hate You, But I Still Love You” – A mix of resentment and lingering love fuels their dynamic.
• Addiction & Redemption Arc – Oliver’s battle with addiction plays a key role in the story’s conflict and resolution.
• Fated Love / “It’s Always Been You” – No matter what happens, they are destined for each other.
• Bad Boy with a Soft Spot – Oliver may be reckless and troubled, but his love for the protagonist runs deep.

Where To Buy Antidote by Shae Ruby

If you are looking to buy Antidote by Shae Ruby then you have a few options. You can either buy the original copy as I did or the new copy. I won’t lie, I’m not a fan of the art work on the new copy and I would recommend sticking to the original copy.

Antidote Book Review By Shae Ruby

Take a look below for the Antidote by Shae Ruby Review. I will say it is filled with spoilers as there was so much to look at in this book, I felt at times it should have been a series and some of it could have “been an email”, however, I will say it’s probably an acquired taste.

Antidote by Shae Ruby Rating – 3.8/5

You can see below what my overall thoughts were. I will say there are quite a few spoilers as I’ve mentioned so if you haven’t read the book, turn back now! It’s not for everyone and even I’m still on the fence about it.

I’d love to know what you thought about Antidote by Shae Ruby and if you are the same as me, loved it or possibly hated it.

Antidote By Shae Ruby Plot Rating – 3.5

The plot was a little all over the place. There were inconsistencies and it showed. There were contradictions and sometimes it felt very surface level which was a shame. There was an obvious addiction trope but it wasn’t overly touched on.

That being said, it did make me want to continue reading and it was gripping at times which is always good to see in books, as some get boring fast. I will say I wasn’t a fan of how it started, the whole car crash because the emotion wasn’t there yet so it fell a little flat.

One last thing, what was the point of saying the mum suspected them and then it was never brought up again? Made no sense to me.

Antidote By Shae Ruby Character Rating – 3

Oh dear. So was there anyone I really liked? Not really. I did like James/Jamie (I think they got called by both names at some point) and the rest were okay. I wanted to like Oliver but for some reason Shae decided to do a 180 on him in the second act and turned him into some emo guy with a prince Albert although that’s not how I would have imaged him and not how he was made out in the first act.

I wanted to love Hunter and don’t get me wrong, at times I did but there were moments when he was a total dickhead so I couldn’t do that either.

Antidote By Shae Ruby Emotion Rating – 4.5

Time for something good. The emotions in this book were off the chart. I will admit that the start of the book with the death fell flat in my opinion as there was nothing building up to it but the rest of the book was very emotional.

I cried several times towards the end. I was enraged a lot of the time and I had my eyes rolling at some of the actions of Oliver and Hunter. Their dad pissed me right off as well so I was seething.

Antidote By Shae Ruby Ending Rating – 4.5

Endings can be pretty hit or miss and for the most part this was a pretty decent ending which I did not see coming. It ended how I thought it might and honestly, it was one of the highlights of the book. Not because it ended but because it was done well and it was the happily ever after they deserved.

Antidote By Shae Ruby Spice Rating -3

I don’t add spice into the overall rating and I have to say the spice hit different in this book and I’m not sure if that’s good or bad honestly. Two things, I hate when authors overdo the whole prostate thing, if a guys prostate is that easy to find then they need to go and see a doctor and every single anal scene in this book the prostate was found.

Also, I’m not sure how this is possible but I felt there was too much spice! It was every other chapter and the chapters are short and many in Antidote so I was a little meh when a new spicy scene appeared. That being said, some of the spicy scenes were pretty decent so it wasn’t all for nought.

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