Honestly, walking into Crush by Tracy Wolff right after finishing Crave is a total trip. You think you know what you’re getting into. Vampires? Check. Moody Alasken boarding school vibes? Double check. A romance so intense it literally causes earthquakes? Yeah, that’s there too. But then Wolff decides to flip the entire table over.
If you haven’t read it yet, or if you’re staring at that 700-page spine wondering if it's worth the carpal tunnel, let’s get into it. Most people think this is just a "vampire book." It’s not. It’s a 121-day gap in memory that changes everything we thought we knew about Grace Foster.
The Hudson Vega Factor (He’s Not Who You Think)
Let's talk about the elephant in the room. Or rather, the British-accented vampire stuck inside Grace’s head.
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At the end of Crave, Grace turns to stone. Literally. She becomes a gargoyle to save Jaxon. When she wakes up in Crush by Tracy Wolff, four months have vanished. She thinks it's been five minutes. Everyone else has been mourning her, moving on, or in Jaxon’s case, brooding himself into a dark corner.
But she didn't come back alone.
Hudson Vega, Jaxon’s "evil" brother, is hitching a ride in her subconscious. This is where most readers get things wrong. In the first book, Hudson is painted as the ultimate villain—a genocidal monster. But as he starts snarking in Grace’s ear, the narrative shifts.
The banter is top-tier. Honestly, his commentary on Grace’s life is often funnier than the actual plot. While Jaxon is busy trying to wrap Grace in bubble wrap, Hudson is the one pushing her to actually use her gargoyle powers.
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Why the Love Triangle Hits Different
Usually, love triangles are exhausting. One guy is the "safe" choice, the other is the "bad" boy. Boring.
In Crush by Tracy Wolff, the dynamic is way more complex. You’ve got Jaxon, who is struggling with massive trauma and trying to protect Grace to the point of stifling her. Then you’ve got Hudson, who is technically a ghost in her head, seeing everything she sees.
It’s messy.
- Jaxon: Protective, intense, but kinda controlling this time around.
- Hudson: Sarcastic, observant, and surprisingly supportive of Grace’s autonomy.
- Grace: Caught between her "mate" and the voice in her head that won't shut up.
The "Mating Bond" is a huge deal here. We find out later—spoiler alert—that the bond Grace thought she had with Jaxon might not be what it seems. Wolff uses the four months Grace spent as a statue to fundamentally rewrite the rules of the supernatural world she built.
Katmere Academy Gets Way More Dangerous
If you thought the chandelier falling in the first book was bad, Crush by Tracy Wolff ups the ante. We finally get to see more of the "Circle" and the "Vampire Court."
The world-building expands outside the school walls. We meet characters like the Bloodletter—Jaxon’s surrogate mother who is basically a terrifying ancient vampire witch—and we learn about Ludares.
Ludares is... a lot. It’s basically supernatural hot potato mixed with high-stakes sports. Some readers find these sections a bit long (the book is huge, after all), but it’s where we see the side characters really shine. Macy, Grace’s rainbow-haired cousin, is still the MVP of the series. Her loyalty is unmatched, and her relationship with her own magic adds a nice layer of "normalcy" to the chaos.
The "Gargoyle" Problem
Grace being a gargoyle is the ultimate game-changer. For a long time, the supernatural world thought gargoyles were extinct or just... gone. Grace being the last of her kind makes her a massive target for the Vampire Court and the Circle.
She isn't just a girl who fell in love with a vampire anymore. She's a political pawn.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Ending
People often complain that the ending of Crush by Tracy Wolff feels like a "betrayal" of the first book's romance.
I get it. You spent 500 pages shipping Grace and Jaxon. But if you look closely at the breadcrumbs Wolff leaves throughout the sequel, the shift makes total sense. Jaxon’s protectiveness turns into a lack of trust. He doesn't believe Grace can handle herself.
Hudson, for all his flaws, treats her like an equal.
The cliffhanger ending—where the bond between Grace and Jaxon is shattered—is one of those "throw the book across the room" moments. It’s divisive. But it’s also why this series blew up on BookTok. It’s not afraid to be messy.
How to Tackle the Crave Series Next
If you’ve just finished Crush by Tracy Wolff, don't jump straight into Covet without taking a breather. This book is a marathon. Here’s the actual way you should handle the series to keep your sanity:
- Check the Timeline: Remember that Charm (Book 5) actually takes place during the four months Grace was a stone statue. You don't have to read it yet, but keep it in mind if you're confused about Hudson's "secrets."
- Focus on the Banter: If the 700+ pages feel like a slog, focus on the dialogue between Hudson and Grace. It’s the strongest part of the book and carries the middle section.
- Track the Artifacts: The quest for the artifacts to "free" Hudson seems like a side quest, but the lore behind them matters for the later books, especially Court.
- Embrace the Tropes: This series knows it’s a bit "Twilight 2.0." It leans into the clichés and then subverts them. Just enjoy the ride.
The biggest takeaway from Crush by Tracy Wolff is that your first impressions of characters are usually wrong. The "villain" might be the hero, and the "hero" might be the one holding you back.
Go grab a cherry pop-tart, put on some One Direction, and dive into Covet. The drama is only getting started.