Gabe meets Lincoln when he steps out of bar, drunk. Lincoln offers him a ride. (Hellooooo, he could be an ax murderer, you stupid mWell, this was bad.
Gabe meets Lincoln when he steps out of bar, drunk. Lincoln offers him a ride. (Hellooooo, he could be an ax murderer, you stupid man!)
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They hit it off (if you could call the weird seduction scene that) and have sex (well, frottage). They somehow end up spending 3 days together.
This could have been a sweet book where a one night stand turns into something more. But the writing felt off and the ‘connection’ the author wanted there to be between Gabe and Lincoln simply wasn’t there.
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Sometimes you read a book where the author just has this talent to write beautiful dialogue. Well, you won't find it here. Authentic, interesting dialogue is hard to write. But it's such an important part of believing in a romance for me. And because the dialogue here felt stilted, weird and just plain wrong, I pretty much disliked the entire book.
Don’t get me wrong, the premise was great, but the execution was not.
And what was it with working up to a big sex scene (they had no condoms at first so only hand jobs and frottage) and then skipping it??
BR with Elsbeth, Julie, Marcie, Momo, Paul, Britta, Marte, and Kayl.
---Spoilers ahead---
Where to start, where to start…
The first 70% was so good I wouBR with Elsbeth, Julie, Marcie, Momo, Paul, Britta, Marte, and Kayl.
---Spoilers ahead---
Where to start, where to start…
The first 70% was so good I would have gladly given it 5 stars, and the last 30% was so terrible I wanted to give it 2 stars. I REALLY liked the first 70%. And in my head the book ended there.
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This is a book about two broken characters. Tom is all alone. His father is in jail for conning people. Tom is currently homeless and without any money or friends. He is trying to work his ass off driving a cab in the weekends, so he can afford to remain in school. He has been hurt so many times by so called friends, that he has decided never to trust another person.
And we have Reese, Tom’s gay roommate. Reese is not happy when Tom, a jock, moves in. Reese has had some terrible experiences with jocks hurting him, so he wants Tom gone.
Tom finds out Reese is constantly brining home guys. After blowing them, Reese makes them leave. Tom is puzzled by this behavior. There’s nothing in it for Reese, he never lets the guys touch him. But it’s obvious Reese is trying to chase Tom away with this behavior.
It is not long before Reese finds out that blowing guys while Tom is ‘asleep’ is turning Tom on. Perhaps Tom is not as straight as he thought…
This was so HOT:
If Tom held still, breathed evenly, Reese would never know for sure whether or not he’d been awake and watching them. He opened his eyes. Reese gaze was locked on Tom.
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Tom was so sweet, he had no trouble admitting he was bi and that he was attracted to Reese. He always wanted to protect Reese and not do anything that might startle him. Reese went through something awful and was trying to deal with it every day. Tom was such a sweetheart.
And Reese, he was feisty, I liked him. I could totally understand him when he was done with Tom’s bullshit about coming out at campus.
But then…. major ANGST. The kind that makes my skin crawl. The unnecessary kind… I understand it when someone needs to go through something to become a better person. But if you would just talk to your man about it, you can do it together! And not break up, not see each other for months and after that everything is fine again. No, I don’t get these kind of things. And Tom…. WTF were you thinking acting like that??
I still feel so sad that my amazing book took a turn for the worse. Why?????????
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So, a nice read, but a disappointing ending (don’t worry, there is a HEA, I just didn’t buy it anymore).
Merged review:
BR with Elsbeth, Julie, Marcie, Momo, Paul, Britta, Marte, and Kayl.
---Spoilers ahead---
Where to start, where to start…
The first 70% was so good I would have gladly given it 5 stars, and the last 30% was so terrible I wanted to give it 2 stars. I REALLY liked the first 70%. And in my head the book ended there.
[image]
This is a book about two broken characters. Tom is all alone. His father is in jail for conning people. Tom is currently homeless and without any money or friends. He is trying to work his ass off driving a cab in the weekends, so he can afford to remain in school. He has been hurt so many times by so called friends, that he has decided never to trust another person.
And we have Reese, Tom’s gay roommate. Reese is not happy when Tom, a jock, moves in. Reese has had some terrible experiences with jocks hurting him, so he wants Tom gone.
Tom finds out Reese is constantly brining home guys. After blowing them, Reese makes them leave. Tom is puzzled by this behavior. There’s nothing in it for Reese, he never lets the guys touch him. But it’s obvious Reese is trying to chase Tom away with this behavior.
It is not long before Reese finds out that blowing guys while Tom is ‘asleep’ is turning Tom on. Perhaps Tom is not as straight as he thought…
This was so HOT:
If Tom held still, breathed evenly, Reese would never know for sure whether or not he’d been awake and watching them. He opened his eyes. Reese gaze was locked on Tom.
[image]
Tom was so sweet, he had no trouble admitting he was bi and that he was attracted to Reese. He always wanted to protect Reese and not do anything that might startle him. Reese went through something awful and was trying to deal with it every day. Tom was such a sweetheart.
And Reese, he was feisty, I liked him. I could totally understand him when he was done with Tom’s bullshit about coming out at campus.
But then…. major ANGST. The kind that makes my skin crawl. The unnecessary kind… I understand it when someone needs to go through something to become a better person. But if you would just talk to your man about it, you can do it together! And not break up, not see each other for months and after that everything is fine again. No, I don’t get these kind of things. And Tom…. WTF were you thinking acting like that??
I still feel so sad that my amazing book took a turn for the worse. Why?????????
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So, a nice read, but a disappointing ending (don’t worry, there is a HEA, I just didn’t buy it anymore)....more
I absolutely adore stories about time travel and getting a second chance. But this one missed the mark for me.
The writing was just too confusing for mI absolutely adore stories about time travel and getting a second chance. But this one missed the mark for me.
The writing was just too confusing for me. And what really bothered me were the flashbacks. I finally got what this story was actually about when it ended. I was confused for the rest of the story.
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Nice premise, poor execution. (And I could not help compare this to Thyme, which I absolutely loved.)
Merged review:
I absolutely adore stories about time travel and getting a second chance. But this one missed the mark for me.
The writing was just too confusing for me. And what really bothered me were the flashbacks. I finally got what this story was actually about when it ended. I was confused for the rest of the story.
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Nice premise, poor execution. (And I could not help compare this to Thyme, which I absolutely loved.)...more
Iggy is a real party animal, but somehow on his 36th birthday he comes to the conclusion that the foam party he is at just isn’t doing it for3.5 stars
Iggy is a real party animal, but somehow on his 36th birthday he comes to the conclusion that the foam party he is at just isn’t doing it for him anymore.
So he goes home and decides to turn over a new leaf. And that includes his hot neighbor Ronan and his daughter. Iggy has always had the hots for Ronan, but never wanted a serious relationship so he just stayed friends. But now the time has come to let Ronan know he has different intentions...
I’m becoming quite the Nell Iris fan these days. Her writing is fluffy and it just clicks with me. But…. I do have to say that this one felt a bit superficial. I never really got to know Iggy and Ronan. And the two basically start a relationship simply because they both decide it is so.
I get that they’ve been friends forever and there was always something there, but still, I wanted something more romantic than them simply decided it was time to become a couple.
So while this was still fluffy and gave me the happy feels, I wished it was it was just a bit more.
------------------------------
An ARC of Awakenings and French Songs was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Iggy is a real party animal, but somehow on his 36th birthday he comes to the conclusion that the foam party he is at just isn’t doing it for him anymore.
So he goes home and decides to turn over a new leaf. And that includes his hot neighbor Ronan and his daughter. Iggy has always had the hots for Ronan, but never wanted a serious relationship so he just stayed friends. But now the time has come to let Ronan know he has different intentions...
I’m becoming quite the Nell Iris fan these days. Her writing is fluffy and it just clicks with me. But…. I do have to say that this one felt a bit superficial. I never really got to know Iggy and Ronan. And the two basically start a relationship simply because they both decide it is so.
I get that they’ve been friends forever and there was always something there, but still, I wanted something more romantic than them simply decided it was time to become a couple.
So while this was still fluffy and gave me the happy feels, I wished it was it was just a bit more.
------------------------------
An ARC of Awakenings and French Songs was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
It took me quite a while to get into this. At firstRe-read November 2021
I'm just going to read all the Christmas books.
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It took me quite a while to get into this. At first I wasn't impressed at all. I even put it down and thought about quitting altogether. But I'm glad I stuck with it. Because suddenly I found myself enjoying the story more and more. I ended up liking it enough to give it a solid 4 stars.
At first I was a bit annoyed at the whole ‘let’s be friends with benefits so I can teach you some sexy moves’ trope. But once Max invites Jeremy to his house for Christmas it got so much better.
I really liked how sweet these guys were with each other. Jeremy was such a shy nerdy guy, I loved him. But I liked Max the most. He was sweet and patient and just the perfect boyfriend really.
I’m also very allergic to the whole ‘let’s not tell each other how we really feel’ thing, but I was so happy that it didn’t happen like that here. It was obvious there were feelings involved for both of them. Sure, there is a part where they agree they should maybe put things on pause for a while, but that didn’t really last that long.
So overall I really enjoyed this and would sure read it again next year.
Merged review:
Re-read November 2021
I'm just going to read all the Christmas books.
-------------------------------
It took me quite a while to get into this. At first I wasn't impressed at all. I even put it down and thought about quitting altogether. But I'm glad I stuck with it. Because suddenly I found myself enjoying the story more and more. I ended up liking it enough to give it a solid 4 stars.
At first I was a bit annoyed at the whole ‘let’s be friends with benefits so I can teach you some sexy moves’ trope. But once Max invites Jeremy to his house for Christmas it got so much better.
I really liked how sweet these guys were with each other. Jeremy was such a shy nerdy guy, I loved him. But I liked Max the most. He was sweet and patient and just the perfect boyfriend really.
I’m also very allergic to the whole ‘let’s not tell each other how we really feel’ thing, but I was so happy that it didn’t happen like that here. It was obvious there were feelings involved for both of them. Sure, there is a part where they agree they should maybe put things on pause for a while, but that didn’t really last that long.
So overall I really enjoyed this and would sure read it again next year....more
I absolutely love books with tortured characters who are struggling, so that we can witness them getting better and finally finding love and be happy.I absolutely love books with tortured characters who are struggling, so that we can witness them getting better and finally finding love and be happy.
What I don't like are characters who do not want to be helped, to whom it never occurs to go to therapy, and who are trying their best to keep their pain instead of finding ways out.
And Tristan was definitely such a character. He felt he didn't even deserve to heal, and didn't even want to be happy.
And I was not happy that this book only mentions therapy in passing, all the way at the end.
Merged review:
I absolutely love books with tortured characters who are struggling, so that we can witness them getting better and finally finding love and be happy.
What I don't like are characters who do not want to be helped, to whom it never occurs to go to therapy, and who are trying their best to keep their pain instead of finding ways out.
And Tristan was definitely such a character. He felt he didn't even deserve to heal, and didn't even want to be happy.
And I was not happy that this book only mentions therapy in passing, all the way at the end....more
I love books about mental illnesses. I love to read about people overcoming whatever is bothering them, or at least find some way to live wit3.5 stars
I love books about mental illnesses. I love to read about people overcoming whatever is bothering them, or at least find some way to live with it.
That being said, this book is hard. Don’t expect this book to be uplifting, because it was mostly depressing. Yes, we do get a HEA, and it felt good. But the road these guys had to take (and are still taking) is a long and hard one.
Hunter is 16 years old and feels guilty. So guilty that he gets aggressive. When he hits a teacher at school, his mom sends him away to get help. For 6 weeks he is to spend time at the facility Better Days with other troubled kids.
Hunter has no idea how to deal with the fact he couldn’t save his sister from being abused by their father for years. He thought his father was one of the good guys, but he turned out to be the bad guy instead.
Hunter doesn’t really want to get better if better means talking about his feelings. He just wants everything to go away. He just wants to stay quiet for 6 weeks an go home, he’s not there to talk or to make friends. But when he meets 4 other kids who for some reason want to be his friend, he can’t help but to start caring for them.
There is cheerful Rosie, who’s family just doesn’t know how to deal with her, there is bulimic Bethany, anxiety ridden Casey, and blue haired, self-cutter Stray.
He grows especially close to Stray, who simply tells him he thinks Hunter is hot. The 5 of them they together cope with everyday life at Better Days by doing little rebellious stuff. Nothing too serious, just having fun.
But even though Hunter has friends now, and even a boyfriend, he will have to face his demons someday, or he will never truly get better..
I loved getting more insight in Hunter’s anger with himself and his doubts. And how they manifested themselves so all he could do is lash out. As a mother of an angry (younger) child, I sometimes am puzzled what kind of emotions lie underneath the angry exterior. I have often read about kids and teenagers in books all behaving so rationally, it’s annoying. Kids and teens aren’t always rational. They are scared, feel angry, and lash out. So this felt very authentic.
But that being said, this was not a happy book. Hunter feels pretty depressed, and if that wasn’t enough, all kinds of tough shit happens to make it worse.
The relationship is not the center of this story, but it was a sweet one nonetheless. There were no real hiccups along the way of these boys except both their mental states.
So overall this was insightful and very interesting, but it did make me feel sad.
(Since this is YA, we only get kissing in this)
Merged review:
3.5 stars
I love books about mental illnesses. I love to read about people overcoming whatever is bothering them, or at least find some way to live with it.
That being said, this book is hard. Don’t expect this book to be uplifting, because it was mostly depressing. Yes, we do get a HEA, and it felt good. But the road these guys had to take (and are still taking) is a long and hard one.
Hunter is 16 years old and feels guilty. So guilty that he gets aggressive. When he hits a teacher at school, his mom sends him away to get help. For 6 weeks he is to spend time at the facility Better Days with other troubled kids.
Hunter has no idea how to deal with the fact he couldn’t save his sister from being abused by their father for years. He thought his father was one of the good guys, but he turned out to be the bad guy instead.
Hunter doesn’t really want to get better if better means talking about his feelings. He just wants everything to go away. He just wants to stay quiet for 6 weeks an go home, he’s not there to talk or to make friends. But when he meets 4 other kids who for some reason want to be his friend, he can’t help but to start caring for them.
There is cheerful Rosie, who’s family just doesn’t know how to deal with her, there is bulimic Bethany, anxiety ridden Casey, and blue haired, self-cutter Stray.
He grows especially close to Stray, who simply tells him he thinks Hunter is hot. The 5 of them they together cope with everyday life at Better Days by doing little rebellious stuff. Nothing too serious, just having fun.
But even though Hunter has friends now, and even a boyfriend, he will have to face his demons someday, or he will never truly get better..
I loved getting more insight in Hunter’s anger with himself and his doubts. And how they manifested themselves so all he could do is lash out. As a mother of an angry (younger) child, I sometimes am puzzled what kind of emotions lie underneath the angry exterior. I have often read about kids and teenagers in books all behaving so rationally, it’s annoying. Kids and teens aren’t always rational. They are scared, feel angry, and lash out. So this felt very authentic.
But that being said, this was not a happy book. Hunter feels pretty depressed, and if that wasn’t enough, all kinds of tough shit happens to make it worse.
The relationship is not the center of this story, but it was a sweet one nonetheless. There were no real hiccups along the way of these boys except both their mental states.
So overall this was insightful and very interesting, but it did make me feel sad.
(Since this is YA, we only get kissing in this)...more
Not a lot of background, but there could be more in the next book (this will be part of a series, no cliffhanger).
Nathan 3.5 stars
Now this was cute!
Not a lot of background, but there could be more in the next book (this will be part of a series, no cliffhanger).
Nathan and Vince were great. I especially liked Vince’s reaction to finding out Nathan’s secret.
“So, a shapeshifter, huh?” Nathan nodded. “And you’re squirrel?” Nathan nodded again. Vince looked thoughtfully at him. “And you don’t feel screwed at all by fate?” “Huh?” “I mean, shifters in books and movies are all werewolves and weretigers and stuff like that. It doesn’t suck being a weresquirrel?”
This is a sweet, short book about a squirrel shifter. Not a lot happens, but it’s sexy and cute and I really enjoyed it.
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Merged review:
3.5 stars
Now this was cute!
Not a lot of background, but there could be more in the next book (this will be part of a series, no cliffhanger).
Nathan and Vince were great. I especially liked Vince’s reaction to finding out Nathan’s secret.
“So, a shapeshifter, huh?” Nathan nodded. “And you’re squirrel?” Nathan nodded again. Vince looked thoughtfully at him. “And you don’t feel screwed at all by fate?” “Huh?” “I mean, shifters in books and movies are all werewolves and weretigers and stuff like that. It doesn’t suck being a weresquirrel?”
This is a sweet, short book about a squirrel shifter. Not a lot happens, but it’s sexy and cute and I really enjoyed it.
First if all, this cover has to be one of the most hideous photoshop jobs I’ve ever seen. Mattin’s head looks like it’s not part of his body…2.5 stars
First if all, this cover has to be one of the most hideous photoshop jobs I’ve ever seen. Mattin’s head looks like it’s not part of his body…
And I have to say, the cover fits the story. Half of the time I had no idea what was going on because of the writing. Now English is not my native language, but I really had a hard time following along.
I wanted to DNF around 10%, but then it started to pick up some and I decided to finish it anyway. There was a part in the middle where I thought I could end up liking this, but once again the weird writing pulled me out of the story.
I thought I could at least follow along with the romance, even if the plot and side characters were a foggy mess to me, but I even got confused during the sex scene. Now that’s never a good sign.
And I’m no expert, but I don’t think an epilogue is simply the last chapter of a book. The purpose of an epilogue to me is to have some kind of closure. Here it was very strange. It was simply a continuation of the story, so no real epilogue at all, and instead of seeing these 3 happy together, we got a bit of a separation, then a reunion, and then it ends.
This was quite a weird book.
Merged review:
2.5 stars
First if all, this cover has to be one of the most hideous photoshop jobs I’ve ever seen. Mattin’s head looks like it’s not part of his body…
And I have to say, the cover fits the story. Half of the time I had no idea what was going on because of the writing. Now English is not my native language, but I really had a hard time following along.
I wanted to DNF around 10%, but then it started to pick up some and I decided to finish it anyway. There was a part in the middle where I thought I could end up liking this, but once again the weird writing pulled me out of the story.
I thought I could at least follow along with the romance, even if the plot and side characters were a foggy mess to me, but I even got confused during the sex scene. Now that’s never a good sign.
And I’m no expert, but I don’t think an epilogue is simply the last chapter of a book. The purpose of an epilogue to me is to have some kind of closure. Here it was very strange. It was simply a continuation of the story, so no real epilogue at all, and instead of seeing these 3 happy together, we got a bit of a separation, then a reunion, and then it ends.
This was exactly what I needed. Lots and lots of sugar. A
small, clumsy man, getting swept off his feet by a big possessive alpha male. This 3.5 stars
This was exactly what I needed. Lots and lots of sugar. A
small, clumsy man, getting swept off his feet by a big possessive alpha male. This could have been a shifter book, but without the shifters. Lots of growling and MINE MINE MINE. Insta-love to the max. It was absolutely wonderful.
Lany is a 25 year old small guy who keeps getting into trouble. When he is getting beaten up in the bathroom of a bar one night, he is releaved when a big man comes to his rescue.
Lany is not used to people actually wanting him around, so he is surprised and thinks this man is crazy when his rescuer lets him know he wants to date Lany and isn’t planning on letting him go, ever.
Sal Delvecchio knows this adorable man is his as soon as he lays eyes on him. He has been waiting his entire life to find someone to hold his interest and now that he’s found him, Sal is not letting him go…
I LOVE LOVE LOVED Lany. He was one of the most adorable characters I’ve ever read about.
“How did you keep crashing your car?” “Well, it wasn’t easy, let me tell you. I tried as hard as I could, but no matter how much I concentrated, things just seem to jump out at me.” “At your car?” I nodded. “Things like?” “Garbage cans, mailboxes, buildings.” I frowned as I went down the list of things I had crashed into over the years. “There was an elephant once, but I don’t think that counts because he hit me.”
And Sal was just the perfect man (and keeper) for Lany. There were growls, there was a lot of MINE, there were hot sexy times and lots of hurt/comfort.
I absolutely loved this book. Is it cheesy? Yes, definitely. It’s Stormy Glenn, so fans of hers know what to expect (although I have to admit that this book actually has way more of a plot than her other books).
I do think that this book will be too cheesy, too OTT insta-lovey for most of my GR friends, but this hit all of my happy buttons, so I loved it anyway.
This ends in a HEA, but I do feel as if their relationship just got started, so I’m looking forward to the rest of the books about these sweet men.
Merged review:
3.5 stars
This was exactly what I needed. Lots and lots of sugar. A
small, clumsy man, getting swept off his feet by a big possessive alpha male. This could have been a shifter book, but without the shifters. Lots of growling and MINE MINE MINE. Insta-love to the max. It was absolutely wonderful.
Lany is a 25 year old small guy who keeps getting into trouble. When he is getting beaten up in the bathroom of a bar one night, he is releaved when a big man comes to his rescue.
Lany is not used to people actually wanting him around, so he is surprised and thinks this man is crazy when his rescuer lets him know he wants to date Lany and isn’t planning on letting him go, ever.
Sal Delvecchio knows this adorable man is his as soon as he lays eyes on him. He has been waiting his entire life to find someone to hold his interest and now that he’s found him, Sal is not letting him go…
I LOVE LOVE LOVED Lany. He was one of the most adorable characters I’ve ever read about.
“How did you keep crashing your car?” “Well, it wasn’t easy, let me tell you. I tried as hard as I could, but no matter how much I concentrated, things just seem to jump out at me.” “At your car?” I nodded. “Things like?” “Garbage cans, mailboxes, buildings.” I frowned as I went down the list of things I had crashed into over the years. “There was an elephant once, but I don’t think that counts because he hit me.”
And Sal was just the perfect man (and keeper) for Lany. There were growls, there was a lot of MINE, there were hot sexy times and lots of hurt/comfort.
I absolutely loved this book. Is it cheesy? Yes, definitely. It’s Stormy Glenn, so fans of hers know what to expect (although I have to admit that this book actually has way more of a plot than her other books).
I do think that this book will be too cheesy, too OTT insta-lovey for most of my GR friends, but this hit all of my happy buttons, so I loved it anyway.
This ends in a HEA, but I do feel as if their relationship just got started, so I’m looking forward to the rest of the books about these sweet men....more
While this was definitely a book worth reading, it was also long. So so long. And I don’t necessarily mean page wise (although it’s not a sho3.5 stars
While this was definitely a book worth reading, it was also long. So so long. And I don’t necessarily mean page wise (although it’s not a short book with 456 pages), but boy, did it feel long. I sometimes thought it would never end.
That being said, I did like this book. I think I could have loved it even more if it were at least a 100 pages shorter. Especially the first half felt very repetitive at times. And I’m all for hot kinky sex scenes, but this book could have used a little less of them. (Why the heck am I complaining about too much sex, I must have hit my head at some point yesterday).
Trystan is Alex’s best friend from book 1 (but this can definitely be read as a stand-alone, since I remembered almost nothing from the first book). He is one of the most popular guys on campus. He is a football star, rich, a bit spoiled, but also kind and caring. When he sees the new addition to the swim team one day, he can’t stop drooling. All he knows is that Dakota has to be his, no matter what.
Dakota has secrets. So many secrets. He is skittish and doesn’t want anyone to come close. That’s why he is surprised that such a popular jock as Trystan gives him the time of day. Even when Dakota turns him down again and again Trystan doesn’t give up. And despite Dakota wanting Trystan to be an awful person, like another jock he knew from his past, he can’t ignore that Trystan really is a good guy. A bit forceful, but also kind.
When Dakota finally gives into Trystan, they start a relationship with some very kinky sexy times…
I loved the hurt/comfort parts in this. Trystan was patient with Dakota all the way, despite Dakota not opening up one bit. Trystan knew that when he just showered Dakota with love, Dakota would eventually love him back.
I liked the second half of this more than the first half. The first half felt very slow and at times couldn’t hold my attention. But I did want to know what happened to Dakota to make him so sad.
The second half was definitely more interesting than the first half and I was really getting into the story. But what was a bit much for me were the details about Dakota’s past. I’m not squeamish, but this turned my stomach.
Still, this was a nice hurt/comfort story with some relationship angst (around 75%, but it wasn’t artificial and it wasn’t drawn out), but overall it felt a bit too long and could have done without so much sex. The sex was nice and kinky though. These guys had no true BDSM relationship, but there were definitely some BDSM elements in the bedroom ((view spoiler)[ lots of bondage, a spanking, a blindfold, a fucking machine, edging, and some other stuff (hide spoiler)])...
Merged review:
3.5 stars
While this was definitely a book worth reading, it was also long. So so long. And I don’t necessarily mean page wise (although it’s not a short book with 456 pages), but boy, did it feel long. I sometimes thought it would never end.
That being said, I did like this book. I think I could have loved it even more if it were at least a 100 pages shorter. Especially the first half felt very repetitive at times. And I’m all for hot kinky sex scenes, but this book could have used a little less of them. (Why the heck am I complaining about too much sex, I must have hit my head at some point yesterday).
Trystan is Alex’s best friend from book 1 (but this can definitely be read as a stand-alone, since I remembered almost nothing from the first book). He is one of the most popular guys on campus. He is a football star, rich, a bit spoiled, but also kind and caring. When he sees the new addition to the swim team one day, he can’t stop drooling. All he knows is that Dakota has to be his, no matter what.
Dakota has secrets. So many secrets. He is skittish and doesn’t want anyone to come close. That’s why he is surprised that such a popular jock as Trystan gives him the time of day. Even when Dakota turns him down again and again Trystan doesn’t give up. And despite Dakota wanting Trystan to be an awful person, like another jock he knew from his past, he can’t ignore that Trystan really is a good guy. A bit forceful, but also kind.
When Dakota finally gives into Trystan, they start a relationship with some very kinky sexy times…
I loved the hurt/comfort parts in this. Trystan was patient with Dakota all the way, despite Dakota not opening up one bit. Trystan knew that when he just showered Dakota with love, Dakota would eventually love him back.
I liked the second half of this more than the first half. The first half felt very slow and at times couldn’t hold my attention. But I did want to know what happened to Dakota to make him so sad.
The second half was definitely more interesting than the first half and I was really getting into the story. But what was a bit much for me were the details about Dakota’s past. I’m not squeamish, but this turned my stomach.
Still, this was a nice hurt/comfort story with some relationship angst (around 75%, but it wasn’t artificial and it wasn’t drawn out), but overall it felt a bit too long and could have done without so much sex. The sex was nice and kinky though. These guys had no true BDSM relationship, but there were definitely some BDSM elements in the bedroom ((view spoiler)[ lots of bondage, a spanking, a blindfold, a fucking machine, edging, and some other stuff (hide spoiler)])......more
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