I think this is number 9 of 12 of my smut buddy read, and I’m struggling a bit. So, I decided that I’m not going to continue with the ones thDNF @ 38%
I think this is number 9 of 12 of my smut buddy read, and I’m struggling a bit. So, I decided that I’m not going to continue with the ones that have no plot. And while this one has a general storyline. The Dragon King trying to save his world by kidnapping every female from the h’s line on her 21st birthday. There's a TON of smexy filler and I’m super bored.
So, I’m not going to rate this, but I will note a few potential issues. (view spoiler)[ 1️⃣ There's not a ton going on with the plot until around 60%. 2️⃣ The H has kidnapped her female family members and had sex with them for extended periods of times for generations, including her mother and grandmother. 3️⃣ There're some loose ends left. We never learn why her family members returned crazy and shells of themselves because she just forgot she cared to find out, and the villainess is left smirking and disappearing. What's up with that? (hide spoiler)]...more
*This is the 14th book in the series. I didn’t read the others and never felt super lost, but you’ll have to wing it with the worldbuilding b2.5 Stars
*This is the 14th book in the series. I didn’t read the others and never felt super lost, but you’ll have to wing it with the worldbuilding because I assume it was introduced in the earlier books and is not provided here. So, as a standalone this is missing a lot from that standpoint. We’re given some tidbits thrown in here and there, but most is left unexplained.
I don’t read a ton of RH, but I’m working through a buddy read challenge, so I have a couple of them coming. For these to work for me, I need to feel like the romance/relationship is balanced, so I tend to avoid dynamics like this one where the H’s have had a long-term relationship and are adding the h into the mix… and I need some plot. The good news is that I felt like this had both, but it was a little too surface-y for me.
Here we have Freya, Lor, and Aston. Freya grows up crushing on Aston and meets Lor once before they go away with her father to war. (this part was a smidge fuzzy, her family moved away, and her dad ended up in the military with the dudes) Years later, stuff happens, and they are brought back together.
Bottom Line- Not bad but not great. It had a plot but lacked any real relationship development or dialogue between the characters to build any authentic feelings or chemistry. As is, it sort of felt like they only returned because they discovered she was super special because they never made any move until then. However, I did think that they were more into her than they were each other, so there was that. ...more
This is my third book/buddy read by this author, and for me this was the weakest of the three. It just didn’t have much plot going on outside o2.5 ⭐’s
This is my third book/buddy read by this author, and for me this was the weakest of the three. It just didn’t have much plot going on outside of the house that they were staying at, and not much happened until towards the end of the book.
The GR blurb didn't give much away, so stop if you want zero details, but I’ll only give a general outline.
Emilia is working at a pool when she sees something and tips off Daniil Lenkov that he’s about to be attacked. Stuff happens and he takes her back with him to keep her safe… or maybe just keep here. Most of the book is her and Daniil having sex or her hanging with his sister. There is a small subplot with the attack, but nothing comes from that until the end.
She has a formula (at least the 3 I read), dark, very alpha H’s paired with strong-ish (they don’t cry or beg) h’s that enjoy a dom/sub dynamic in the bedroom (and sometimes out) with spanking and punishments.
I feel like she does a good job of showing us the men are obsessed with the h’s and maybe love them, but not a great job of them cherishing/appreciating them within the dom/sub relationship. Specifically, the aftercare and caring part feels like it’s missing. I’d like to see that part show a smidge more to balance it out.
Bottom Line- Ok, but I needed more plot/action going on other than the spanking and sex. I’m wondering if maybe this book is older than her other series. I’m stopping here. ...more
This has great reviews, and I can be a sucker for an evil sister, so I jumped right in.
Marcello is the adopted son of a mafia family. He has psychopaThis has great reviews, and I can be a sucker for an evil sister, so I jumped right in.
Marcello is the adopted son of a mafia family. He has psychopathic tendencies but loves his family greatly. It didn’t sound like he’s been that into girls (he was abused as a young child), but he knows at first glance that Samirah is the woman for him. Samirah is the unwanted daughter of a truly terrible family.
The book opens with Sam walking in on her boyfriend (Alex) having sex with her evil slutty sister (Cassidy). She storms out only to be picked up by human traffickers. (This part overlaps with the first book) Shit happens (she’s not hurt) and Marcello rescues her quickly coming obsessed. The rest is Marcello going to INSANE lengths to manipulate her life, so they end up together.
I liked both main characters. Marcello has an almost childish side to him that I found fictionally endearing. I loved him loving his pet rats and baby seedlings. He was nuts.
Bottom Line- I’m not really sure how to rate this. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible. It’s so OTT and some parts are super cheesy bordering on cringe. It’s not romantic at all or really serious.
DNF @ 50% I’m going to count this as a DNF because I skimmed large chunks of it. It started out alright, but then things went a smidge sideways. EspeciDNF @ 50% I’m going to count this as a DNF because I skimmed large chunks of it. It started out alright, but then things went a smidge sideways. Especially with the extreme insta-love, the Harvard educated h that acts like a dum-dum, and the dom firefighter/future mafia leader that may or may not have killed his wife was all a lot to swallow.
Bottom Line- Not terrible, but I struggled to connect, and skimmed loads. I LOVE crazy people, but I need some logic, chemistry, and for it to be somewhat believable. I found the random mafia stuff really distracting. ...more
3.5 Stars This is my kind of sci-fi romance. An alien looking alien with questionable morals paired with a mentally tough human… danger, a developed re3.5 Stars This is my kind of sci-fi romance. An alien looking alien with questionable morals paired with a mentally tough human… danger, a developed relationship, violence, action. YUM Not to mention, an independent plot that has minimal mention of previous characters and can easily be read as a standalone. There was just one problem… the middle dragged so hard.
The blurb sets this up, Elodie has been posing as a boy (Ely) for years working with her father when they’re captured by pirates. She’s desperate to keep up the charade because things would go from bad to unbearable if the crew learned her secret. Things are looking bleak when she gets a new cell neighbor, Gunner. The blurb is misleading because Gunner suspects Ely might be be a female, but he isn’t sure and waivers for a huge hunk of the book.
This is a dark, twisted tale of a forbidden relationship with an age gap romance. It’s not pretty or healthy, but the H and h are dedicated and OBSESSThis is a dark, twisted tale of a forbidden relationship with an age gap romance. It’s not pretty or healthy, but the H and h are dedicated and OBSESSED with each other, and they get their version of a HEA.
To enjoy this, you really need to be in the mood to be entertained immorally by psychos and just go with it. The h is not endearing or really likable. She does terrible things to both guilty and innocent people… like killing, blackmailing, and even screwing her BFF’s dad just because she wants to break his 20-year faithfulness to his wife… who she liked… and be able to compare father and son.
The flow flips between the past (two years earlier) and the present and is told by the h’s POV.
Bottom Line- I thought it was ok. I love reading crazy people, they’re super fun… I just thought this was missing something or was 70-100 pages too long. Maybe having the H’s POV would’ve helped. ...more
I loved this cute little story of Simme and Aurora. We met Simmi in Contaminated, as Erreck’s OCD, germophobic lab partner. He’s simply adorable. I loved this cute little story of Simme and Aurora. We met Simmi in Contaminated, as Erreck’s OCD, germophobic lab partner. He’s simply adorable. ...more
DNF@ 50% I think this will get better (based on reviews) but this is odd and I’m confused by the lack of worldbuilding… and it’s 500+ pages… and I justDNF@ 50% I think this will get better (based on reviews) but this is odd and I’m confused by the lack of worldbuilding… and it’s 500+ pages… and I just noticed there’s going to be 2 other books, and I’m not enjoying myself that much.
The book takes place in some future dystopian world. So far, I can’t get a hold of it. The H has little reference on what a carnival is but knows what a circus tent is. He has clients come in from China, but they’re using lanterns and having issues with the power grid. I believe some disease killed most the females but sounds like the few remaining are abused and mistreated.
The H wears a creepy mask, I’m not sure what he really does… or why he wears it. We’re told he’s super crazy, but he hasn’t done anything really psycho. The h is naive and sheltered which isn’t my favorite couple type. I like my unhinged male to have an equally insane female for a partner. We're also told she's really special but not why.
Bottom Line- I believe this will pick up towards the end, but I like to know where I’m going… or at least understand where I am, and I’m lost. I get trying to be mysterious, but the ambiguous riddles are getting old… and I know I don’t have the patience to see three books through, so I’m stopping here.
I didn’t realize this was a HS romance and thought we were going to FFW into adulthood… but that’s not the case. And it’s like YA/HS, not the bully trI didn’t realize this was a HS romance and thought we were going to FFW into adulthood… but that’s not the case. And it’s like YA/HS, not the bully trope with 18yr old rich thugs running around unchecked doing grown up stuff. This is the immature bullying shenanigans you see in RL… tripping, name calling, water throwing, etc.
The blurb sets this up, Brock and Kirsa were the best of friends when Victoria joined their group. At 14, Kirsa has her heart ripped out when she witnesses Brock and Victoria kissing. Soon after she’s accused of telling exaggerated lies and calling Victoria a whore. ENRAGED Brock and Victoria vow to make Kirsa’s life a living hell until she admits her crime.
I really should’ve stopped reading there because it screamed immaturity, and I am WAY TOO old for HS bullshit… but I’m a sucker for OW drama and Victoria is certifiable.
I predict a lot of strict romance/safety readers will dislike this book because they find Brock irredeemable. He’s a total ass and her “crime” does not warrant his extreme reaction…not to mention he barely apologizes. But for me… Other than the twist/mystery being (IMO) super obvious, the book had one major issue… and I just couldn’t get over it.
The foundation for the conflict made absolutely ZERO sense to me. Why would Brock believe some random chick over his best friend since the age of 4? He wouldn’t even listen to her? Then the “explanation” was just as confusing.
(view spoiler)[ “Think about it from his point-of-view, Kirsa. He probably felt like an idiot for thinking you were such a good friend, only to have you throw Victoria under the bus so viciously. For him to even consider you might be innocent would make him look even stupider and weaker. He defends his friends fiercely, and to take your side over Victoria’s would have destroyed him.” My heart stutters and then squeezes— Rylan’s right. Brock was in an impossible position, and he did what he thought was right, but am I ready to forgive and move forward?
What?? That makes no sense. Why would taking her side, his BFF of 10 years instead of the girl he was “experimenting” with destroy him?? (hide spoiler)]
Bottom Line- I’m not going to rate this because I never should’ve read it. ...more
I went into this blind, and it wasn’t what I was anticipating but was ok. I saw it as a recommendation for OW drama… and there is a wannabe OW, but shI went into this blind, and it wasn’t what I was anticipating but was ok. I saw it as a recommendation for OW drama… and there is a wannabe OW, but she doesn’t really generate any drama and is only around a few times later in the book, so I wouldn’t recommend it if that’s what you’re craving. It’s also not dark, there’s actually a level of light/silly tone at times, so I wouldn’t recommend if you prefer a hardcore mafia read.
Payton meets Nero when he walks through her open balcony door while he’s dodging the police. She’s had a tough life and is barely scraping by, but (for some reason) just sits there as he walks in/watches a movie with her. This didn’t make a ton of sense as you’d expect an abuse survivor to be a smidge more guarded… but you’re going to have to just go with it/overlook some things to get through the book. Both are instantly smitten, but Nero tries to fight his feelings to protect her, so he stalks her from afar.
The good ✅ Nero is completely obsessed/devoted to Payton. She’s the center of his universe and no other women exists. ✅ The bromance between Nero and King (although a teeny bit corny at times) was enjoyable. ✅ Shorter chapters that provide an equal amount of his/her POV, so you never feel lost or in the dark.
The not-so-good ⭕ Payton’s choices/actions were a bit too TSTL at times. ⭕ Not very dark, relatable, and almost silly at times. ⭕ Distracted by plot holes and slow at times.
Bottom Line- OK read. It felt slow at the beginning and long at times like there wasn’t enough plot to fill 368 pages. (The last half is better.) I struggled to really connect with the main characters. They weren’t flat per se but weren’t really round either. I never felt like I knew/understood them. (lots of telling) BUT Nero should make readers happy that love a bad boy that will kill to protect his girl.
Random- The scene where he brought King’s sister (she wasn’t as violent) to deal with the OW reminded me of another mob read where the H brought his sister in (because he also didn’t hurt women) and she stomped her high heels all over that meddling OW. Does anyone know what book that is? It’ll bug me if I can’t figure it out.
Notes that won’t fit- Why did he randomly walk in her apartment? There had to be better places to hide. What’s up with the Mayor? Why was the villain so confident if he had no plan? Why did King blow his cover for an easy rescue? ...more
I feel like I’ve read a HP very similar to this. Couple have been married for several years, the husband works a lot running his empire but lavishes hI feel like I’ve read a HP very similar to this. Couple have been married for several years, the husband works a lot running his empire but lavishes his wife with gifts and treats her well (great sex life, affectionate, etc.) but never says those three little words.
This was a frustrating read for me. It started out strong. I was right with her with her fury over his dumbass decision to visit his SIL (having a breakdown) on their anniversary, but I didn’t understand why he couldn’t understand his mistake or why she was upset.
Then, I felt like both their actions became annoying and repetitive. I wanted to smack them both in the back of their heads as we’re stuck in their inner thought loops going over the same crap again and again and again, but neither making any effort to communicate or reflect on the situation. God forbid you try a different approach.
Amandine put too much importance on the ILY when his actions showed he cared. She was also obsessed with having this perfect marriage she thought her parents had when all evidence showed otherwise. She was so busy feeling sorry for herself that she never looked at her blessings. Sure, it sucks to have a workaholic spouse, but there’re plenty of jobs/circumstances that require people to work long hours. And let’s face it, she had it much better with her cook, housekeeper, private plane, BFF assistant, etc. than someone whose spouse is working long hours just to stay afloat.
Gavin for being a tycoon was quite clueless and non-alpha... and a smidge stupid. The man has no fight in him, it was so frustrating. They were both Eeyore’s which made for a dull read.
Bottom Line- I wasn’t impressed and won’t be continuing the series. It looks like the ex-SIL gets her own book, but I thought she was a witch and am not interested in her redemption tour. It was way too long for the storyline and things became repetitive with too much inaction. I needed more than insecurities and lack of communication to keep it going. The blurb was a bit misleading, there isn’t any family drama or OW drama. She’s not hated by his family, and no one is trying to get into Gavin’s pants....more
2.5 not-for-me Stars OK biker read it just didn’t go where I thought it would. Incinerate is sort of a fluffy version of an mc read. The blurb sets it 2.5 not-for-me Stars OK biker read it just didn’t go where I thought it would. Incinerate is sort of a fluffy version of an mc read. The blurb sets it up and teases drama, but that’s not how it shook out.
Grit/Grey was in love with his neighbor Maddie when she disappeared eight years earlier. He joined the mc to use their resources to locate her but has recently started to move on after meeting Lani. I didn’t read the previous books but am assuming Lani and Grey have slowly been stoking a friends to attraction relationship. The rest will have mild—plot outline spoilers.
The blurb tells us Maddie returns, and I had assumed this would occur after the couple started coupling and Grey would be torn -- but Maddie shows up in the second chapter before Grey and Lani even kiss or go on a date. He cares about Maddie, but he’s all in for his budding relationship with Lani, and his prez/club are all VERY supportive of her, so there’s virtually zero angst.
Lani is my priority, and Maddie is getting in the way.
That girl means more to me than you ever will. I don’t care how that makes you feel, brother. You fuck her around, you cheat on her, you break her heart even a fraction, and I will feed your limbs to La Fin. You. Understand. Me?” Each word is reinforced with a shake of my cut, jolting me.
Bottom Line- Ok, it was a smidge boring-- fluffy bunny isn’t really my thing -- and I thought it was very predictable, but I’ll round because this was a Jac thing – and it was free to read on KU, so I’m out nothing but my time. My tags might be misleading, Maddie is nutty, but she doesn’t generate any relationship drama… she’s just crazy.
**Spoilers from last book** Brooke and Tanner have been around since Cooper, and their situation was setup in the last book. Brooke pulled away when s**Spoilers from last book** Brooke and Tanner have been around since Cooper, and their situation was setup in the last book. Brooke pulled away when she learned she couldn’t have children (without assistance). Tanner got drunk at a party and woke up with a naked new club girl (Melissa), he can’t remember anything but says they slept together. She showed up at Harper and Kain’s wedding and announced that she’s pregnant.
I’m going to be honest… I was bummed about this one because this H and h was the only couple that were solid and not cheating on each other. Tanner was OBSESSED with Brooke, like he couldn’t stand to be away from her, and she seemed to like his stalker ways. They’d been together for years, so I was SO upset when I read the Melissa part.
Making things worse was this conversation from the last book which was so far outside of Tanner’s typical MO.
Tanner, sighing. “It’s not me. I don’t do that shit, and now, I feel as guilty as fuck. I can’t look at her, I can’t have sex with her, the guilt is tearing me apart.” “Melissa, won’t leave me alone. She’s flirting her arse off and it’s distracting me.”
“So, you’re telling me that you fancy Melissa?” “No. Well, I don’t know . ..
“But you want to fuck Melissa?” I ask. “Damn, you make it sound so much worse than it is.
Thankfully, we get normal Tanner for this book, and he’s back to being completely OBSESSED with Brooke again.
Bottom Line- Ok. I liked that Tanner wasn’t an asshole like the other H’s, but I HATED how it was resolved. Especially Tanner’s undercover work. If felt unneeded and was never discussed, so what was the point other than to frustrate us? The ending was rushed (a common theme) and one of the baddies (the one I hated) got off with zero comeuppance…pfft. The mystery part was way better than the other books in the series, but their HEA was rushed… and there were loose ends.
OPP Shenanigans-(view spoiler)[ Ends up he didn’t cheat, Melissa pretended, but later during the breakup, he has sex with Melissa several times (off-page-we’re just told about it) while he’s trying to figure out who she’s working with/motives. Brooke makes out with OM, Hawk but no sex. (hide spoiler)]
** Random thought- There’s this ongoing theme with the club girl Lacey causing trouble but it never being addressed. In Cooper, Lacey was his ex’s BFF and instrumental in trying to come between Mila and Cooper. Later it’s insinuated she slept with Cooper, but it’s never mentioned again. Here, we’re told Lacey told Jase’s ol’ lady (Kayla) he slept with Kim. (We’re also told Kim is crazy, but she’s watching the babies later ...more
The Ritual is a dark, secret society college romance between Ryat and Blakely with LOADS of sex/kink and violence. Ryat is a superstar recruit of the The Ritual is a dark, secret society college romance between Ryat and Blakely with LOADS of sex/kink and violence. Ryat is a superstar recruit of the Lords when he’s “gifted” Blakely as his chosen. There’re layers of things going on- twists, betrayals, etc.
The beginning sucked me in but then it started to fizzle because it takes a while to get going, then we're overloaded by nonstop crazy sex. It does pick up once the action/intrigue parts start, but the ending went sideways for me. (OTT stupid)
I liked the main characters, but they were lacking the maturity and depth needed to pull off the dark themes. For me, I can suspend disbelief, but if the characters can’t balance/connect/anchor the crazy/out of this world shenanigans… things start to feel silly.
Bottom Line- It was good… just not great. I feel like the author might’ve just tried a bit too hard to make this dark, gritty, smutty, etc. Everything was done in excess (view spoiler)[ (knives, sex, kink, Blake’s constant WAP, forehead kissing, twins, mom-boss, names, whimpers, !!!, etc.) (hide spoiler)] that it lost its punch and started to all blend together. I needed some variation/substance or 200 less pages. There’s an epilogue 18 years later that could set up spinoff books.
If you like this genre… This reminded me a bit of Celia Aaron’s Acquisition series. Or this list Secret society romance has others....more
The blurb sets this one up… Francesca is a mafia princess sold off to marry Fausto’s son to cover a “lost shipment”. She resists and is carted off to The blurb sets this one up… Francesca is a mafia princess sold off to marry Fausto’s son to cover a “lost shipment”. She resists and is carted off to Italy to await the nuptials… but her and the dad quickly figure out they have the hots for each other.
I think this is a Jac/the mood I’m in thing because most of my friends loved this one. My guess is your enjoyment will come down to how you feel about Francesca. She’s definitely spirited, but where most everyone found her feisty because she’s outspoken about her situation… I found her a smidge childish as she yelled I hate you and stamped around. ...more
**spoiler alert** 3.5 Stars I was looking forward to this one, and not just because it’s the last one (T.C. book) to clear out of my TBR. I saved it fo**spoiler alert** 3.5 Stars I was looking forward to this one, and not just because it’s the last one (T.C. book) to clear out of my TBR. I saved it for last because I love the mafia/famiglia/firm genre and was intrigued after listening to my husband/son RAVE about Peaky Blinders all summer…also, there’s no child abuse in this one which was a HUGE boon for me after her Hangmen and Deadly Virtues series.
I enjoyed it… not as much as her Scarred Souls series (that now I’m afraid to reread) but more than anything I’ve read on this binge… so I’m rounding up… but it wasn’t the freshest… and felt awful familiar with some repeat vibes.
I just assumed from all the P.B. comparisons that this would be historical (1920’s), but Lord of London Town (LoLT) takes place in modern day London. It actually reminded me a lot of her It Ain't Me, Babe (IAM,B) minus the child abuse/cult tidbits, and left me with similar issues.
First, like IAM,B, the characters (Arthur and Cheska) meet as children and have an instant, life-altering connection that’s still there after the time-jump reconnection. LoLT takes this farther with two additional jumps, but (for me) the result was the same… a disconnected, unnatural-feeling leap from strangers to love. For example, the heavy/deep/obsessive emotions appear to have evolved over a 5-year period of sex only hookups… and we jumped right over it. This was jarring for me and made it difficult to get lost in their romance.
Second, like IAM,B there’s not a ton going on. Both are part of criminal organizations that are going to war with a foe trying to kidnap the h, but there’s a lot of downtime until the kidnapping/showdown at the end. Other than random attacks on the docks, the mobster parts were in the background. (sort of like the MC stuff in the Hangmen series) Even the “rat” part was almost the same.
It also reminded me of N.B.’s Badlands series with all the… you let the devil inside, my darkness and her darkness, the dark king and his corrupted queen monologues repeated numerous times.
“The queen knows who and what the dark king is, and she still wants to stand by his side.” “I want the dark lord in the obsidian chariot, black horses carrying us away into hell. “I’m your tainted, sullied, and corrupted queen.” “I am your queen. And you are my king. Your dark kingdom is now ours.” This broken king loved his broken queen.
The good ➕ Anti-H paired with a strong/compatible h ➕ Females are badass and gang members not accent pieces. ➕ Last 20% is fast paced with twists. ➕ Smart villains – not stupid h.
The not-so good ➖ Plot slow moving at times with large chunks dedicated to introducing characters/couples for future books. ➖ Several plot devices are a repeat. ➖ Plot holes- like why was she going along with daddy if he’s always been mean and she had her own money? ➖ Some twists were very predictable.
Bottom Line- My fav of the binge, but not a solid 4 ⭐ for me. It starts out slow but picks up towards the end. It’s free to try with KU. I liked it but am not really interested in the teasers for future books (they’re pretty much all coupled up) and I doubt that I’ll revisit if she ever releases them.
Safety- Other than two scenes (her making out with her BF and him fingering a chick at a bar) before they sleep with each other, there aren’t any on-page OW/OM scenes. In fact, I can’t remember one time that their past sexual relationships are even discussed. She has a BF/fiancé during the time jumps (up to 30%) that I assume she’s sleeping with, but it’s never discussed. (so technically she’s cheating on the BF during the 5-yr fuck-buddy period) For Arthur, there’re no OW lurking about, and we get zero details/mentions if he was with others during that 5-yr period, or during the 13-months they were broken up and she was planning her wedding. ...more
*Random- the POV tags call her Liana but they (in book) call her Liliana.*
Rejected mate with a twist of reverse harem. Liana falls within the lowest t*Random- the POV tags call her Liana but they (in book) call her Liliana.*
Rejected mate with a twist of reverse harem. Liana falls within the lowest tier of pack hierarchy, and things got worse a few years earlier when her mother died and she took comfort (hug) from one of the pack betas (Declan) and his crazy mate Clara saw. Since then, Crazy Clara has made it her life’s mission to mistreat/abuse Liana, and keep her separated from everyone else.
From the blurb we know that she shifts late (20 instead of 18) and learns she is both an Omega and is rejected separately by her 3 mates within days. The rejections weren’t the most heartbreaking scenarios I’ve read… They all want her each just has issues (duty, prior engagement, misunderstanding) but it still generated a few feels.
There’s a time jump followed by some groveling… maybe not as much as I was craving… but we have the added satisfaction that they were miserable during the separation. After that it does get a smidge bogged down with sex, but that’s expected with rh.
Bottom Line- It was ok for me. I’m biased because I’m not a HUGE rh fan. The content doesn’t bother me I just feel like the “too many cooks in the kitchen” dynamic gets in the way of the plot/feels. For instance, I think Declan and crazy Clara could’ve provided plenty of drama and streamlined things for maximum feels. I also would’ve preferred if Liana was made of tougher stuff…. And less Omega, kidnapping, scents filler with more focus on the relationships, but that’s a preference thing....more
3 Recap Stars I’ve haven’t LOVED this series and have picked around and skipped books, but I just finished Dante/V’s book and was intrigued by the litt3 Recap Stars I’ve haven’t LOVED this series and have picked around and skipped books, but I just finished Dante/V’s book and was intrigued by the little blurb/shoutout about getting Dante’s POV… which I really needed, so I jumped in. Ok, so like I said… I’ve jumped around… so I’m by no means an expert on this series… but… it feels like she had like three ideas for a plot and then stretched them out into 10 or so books by just swapping the POV. In other words, this feels like a repeat of several books (same events) from Dante’s POV.
The first part is a super-fast summary of the first few books, and Dante’s early relationship with his wife. Then it FFW over the 12-yrs of marriage to her being sick and dying. I actually appreciated this because I didn’t really want to get attached to her. Then we move into his side of Bound by Duty which I did find interesting. I also liked that we went beyond that timeline and achieved the ILY that was missing by 30%. The next chunk is another jumpy (3yrs, 8mths, 8mths, 6yrs) FFW run-through of events from other books with little updates on Dante and the kids along the way. Then around 60% things went a little off the rails when it repeated the Serafina/Remo show AGAIN.
I mentioned before that something has always been missing for me with this series. Initially, it was because I hated the earlier h’s (sorry I know Aria is a fan fav, but I found her annoying AF and don’t even get me started on her sister) But, the deeper I go I think my biggest issue is the lack of loyalty. The characters in these anti-H/criminal (mob/biker) are flawed and at times hard to love… but… there’s usually a level of deep dedication to the family or brotherhood that I find appealing… and I feel like it is missing here. The author tries to provide reasons, but at the end of the day… they all suck. Just looking at this book you have… fathers selling off their daughters…Carla lying to her husband about being infertile then his sister (HIS sister) keeping the lie from him so he thinks the problem is him for YEARS, Orazio screwing over his family, Fabiano attacking and stealing Fina, Serafina screwing over both her sister and brother into arranged marriages, so she can run off and be happy. Ugh..
Bottom Line- This started out as a recap from Dante’s POV, but then Dante got sidelined in his own book and it morphed into another retelling of Twisted Pride, and an intro into other spinoffs… Twisted Cravings, Fragile Longing, By Virtue I Fall. I’m annoyed, but will 3⭐ because I keep reading these even though they frustrate the crap out of me. ...more
Loading...
