Get a First Look at Highly Anticipated Sequel Destructively Mine From Krista and Becca Ritchie
Twin sister author duo Krista and Becca Ritchie have been writing romance stories together for over a decade, captivating readers with their unique mix of drama, spice, and twisty storytelling. While most readers in this genre are likely familiar with their work through their went-bonkers-viral-on-TikTok hit Addicted, their latest series is equally worth your time. Described as Euphoria meets Colleen Hoover, their Webs We Weave books have a little bit of everything: Found family, ride or die BFFs, former con artists trying to go legit, steamy romance, and lots more. And the second installment, Destructively Mine, is poised to really kick things up a notch.
The sequel to the USA Today bestseller Dishonestly Yours, it picks up the story of ex-grifter Phoebe Graves and her BFF Hailey Tinrock as Phoebe’s relationship with Rocky takes center stage and their found family struggles to hold the life all they’ve attempted to cultivate in Connecticut together. Yes, Phoebe’s fake-dating the son of the richest family in town while still secretly with Rocky, but things don’t get really complicated until her conniving mother shows up—and a lifetime of secrets begin to emerge.
Here’s how the publisher describes the story.
As the daughter of a con artist, Phoebe Graves only knew a life of swindling the rich until her best friend and fellow grifter, Hailey Tinrock, proposed an idea to start a new, honest life in a wealthy college town of Connecticut. Once there, they decided to leave behind their deceitful tricks and be truthful for once. But you know what they say about best intentions. . . .
While Phoebe is fake-dating Jake Waterford, the third-born son to an uber-wealthy and influential family, she’s actually dating and falling deeper in love with Brayden “Rocky” Tinrock—Hailey’s older brother. To make matters more complicated, Phoebe’s mother shows up out of the blue with conniving match-making designs of her own.
Her mother’s arrival threatens to unravel Phoebe’s plans. To keep her love, her friends, and her newfound happiness, Phoebe will have to return to her old games . . . and win.
Destructively Mine will be released on April 29, but we’ve got an exclusive first look at the story right now.
Irritation mounted on burning anger—that’s what’s eating through me. “If he ends your lease over you making copies of your keys or because he’s not getting his fake girlfriend for another two months, I will leave him broken on the floor.”
She’s trying not to smile. “Don’t.”
“Be a little more convincing next time and maybe I’ll consider it.”
She groans out like I’m horrible, but she’s also fighting a grin.
Then I swing the door open. All dark banter vacates the loft. Because I face the ever so fucking tall Jake Koning Waterford.
“Hey, sorry.” He’s out of breath, and he looks like a sopping-wet golden retriever.
Water drips off his light brown hair, and a soaked blue button-down suctions to his six-pack and chest. Look who forgot an umbrella and probably sprinted through the rain.
I hope he drowns in the thunderstorm and slips into a sewer and eats shit.
“Are you all right?” Phoebe asks.
Is he all right? “He’s fine, Phebs.”
“I am fine,” Jake interjects, finally filling oxygen in his lungs. He wipes the wet rain trails off his face with one hand. “I just got caught in the rain, and I wanted to check on Hailey. She asked me for some books from my family’s library, and I met her last night at Seaside Griddle to give them to her . . . but she seemed off. She wouldn’t let me walk her home, and it’s kept me up all night. She is here, right?”
Phoebe sends me an I told you so smug expression. She’s short of saying, See, Jake cares.
I grip either side of the doorframe so Phoebe doesn’t butt in and soften this exchange. “Ever hear of this modern device used to call people?” I mime a phone with my hand. “Hey, Grey, how’s your sister doing? Good? Great. Bye.” I hang up and force an acidic smile. “Is it that hard?”
“With you, yeah.” He nods strongly. “Yeah, it can be, Grey. You’re a real fucking piece of work, and it boggles my mind how you could even have a sister as nice as Hailey and a wife like Phoebe—though, the ex part of wife, I definitely get.”
I boil. “Your presence is unwelcome.”
Jake has a hardened scowl.
“It irks you,” I say. “Mr. I Own This Town being told he doesn’t belong somewhere.”
“You’re in my loft.”
“Yeah.” I look him head-on. “I fucked your fake girlfriend in it.”
Jake is borderline enraged.
Excerpted from DESTRUCTIVELY MINE by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie, published by Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2025
Destructively Mine will be released on April 29, but you can pre-order it right now.
Lacy Baugher Milas is the Books Editor at Paste Magazine, but loves nerding out about all sorts of pop culture. You can find her on Twitter and Bluesky at @LacyMB
