- Interesting MCs (I especially liked that Jack was so vulnerable and his PTSD wasn't brushed aside, and that Edward was not a First, the good stuff:
- Interesting MCs (I especially liked that Jack was so vulnerable and his PTSD wasn't brushed aside, and that Edward was not a typical self-absorbed nobleman; he was charming and genuinely interested in people.)
- Flirting (The chemistry between Jack and Edward was palpable from the beginning.)
- Great secondary characters, particularly Matilda
- Decent amount of steam
- HEA (I loved the last chapter!)
And that brings me to the not-so-good stuff:
- Lots and lots of angst and drama (Jack's PTSD; the assault charges; the paparazzi . . . There was A LOT going on in this story that wasn't romance. As soon as Jack and Edward got together, the universe conspired against them. I felt overwhelmed at times.)
- We only get Jack's POV, which was really disappointing. I wanted to get in Edward's head something fierce.
- Certain parts of the book just really dragged; it took me a while to get into the story, and, truth be told, Private Truths never fully kept my attention.
- This book is well edited, and Lewis is not an amateur by any means, but the writing seemed dry and formal, stiff even.
I still recommend this story. I suspect most readers will connect with it better than I did. ...more
This is the first non-mystery Tal Bauer book I've read, and it was quite a ride, let me tell ya.
The first 40% is all hot tropical nights and passionaThis is the first non-mystery Tal Bauer book I've read, and it was quite a ride, let me tell ya.
The first 40% is all hot tropical nights and passionate kisses. Wyatt and Noel fall for each other and fall hard, but a Cancun vacation is not real life. It's a fantasy, and the higher you climb, the farther you tumble.
For Wyatt, life is all about his family (brother, SIL, and nephew, all three of whom are strong supporting characters) and his vineyard. Central Texas is where Wyatt was born, and it's where he'll die. The vineyard was not just his father's dream, and Wyatt is determined to make it a success.
Noel works a high-profile publicist job in Manhattan. His fiancee just left him at the altar. His phone is in the trash, and everything he owns is in five boxes on a street corner.
Wyatt is a goddamn miracle: selfless, romantic, a bear of a man with a huge heart.
Noel is a hot mess. He disappears like a thief in the night and leaves Wyatt broken.
The angst about did me in.
The chapters set in Manhattan showcasing Noel's shallow existence bored me. I despise celebrity culture and didn't care about the wedding Noel was organizing for an A lister.
Granted, this particular celebrity was a good person, and the wedding was happening at Wyatt's ranch, but I just wasn't into it.
The MCs have to fight for their HEA, but the ending is just the beginning. Let the real honeymoon begin.
The fine print: ages 26/29, opposites attract, biawakening, separation, family, plenty of steam...more
Seven of Spades would make a fantastic movie! There are so many action sequences, seeing the story unfold on the big screen would be a wild ride.
LeviSeven of Spades would make a fantastic movie! There are so many action sequences, seeing the story unfold on the big screen would be a wild ride.
Levi and Dom are complex, compelling characters with real human flaws. The secondary characters - some likable, some not - are equally well developed and add dynamic layers to an already thrilling story.
However, I was disappointed in the series finale, mostly because the identity of the serial killer is utterly unbelievable. I had this person in mind as a suspect but kept dismissing them because no way could they have committed the murders as described.
WARNING: BIG SPOILER IN TAGS
(view spoiler)[How does an average-sized woman who isn't particularly fit or strong drag around so many dead bodies? There are a dozen plus bodies buried - that's a lot of heavy lifting and digging, even for a big dude. While Natasha had technical help, physically she was on her own.
She somehow hid and transported the bodies of the four men who hurt Levi. One was placed in an abandoned house; another was dragged to Levi's upstairs apartment. Seriously, how does a smaller person pick up and carry an unwiedly two hundred pounds of dead weight?
On top of that, why would a social worker be welcome in all these situations? Sure, she didn't appear threatening, but that didn't give her carte blanche to stroll into a judge's house on a weekend morning and start pouring drinks.
How did she collect, deliver, and set up hundreds of liquor bottles? How did she sneak into a warehouse full of criminals and drug all their drinks?
There's no way one person can manage all that, and none of it was explained.
Sawyer as the killer would have made a lot of more sense, and even then I would have been skeptical. (hide spoiler)]
That being said, if you like murder mysteries, don't even think about skipping this series. It's an immensely enjoyable, edge-of-your-seat, unputdownable read.
ETA: Even though the identity of the killer is far-fetched, the emotional exploration of vigilante justice is brilliant.
The Seven of Spades targeted the worst of humanity - rapists, pedophiles, human traffickers, white supremacists - because they didn't trust that by-the-book justice was or would be served. And they're not wrong.
Case in point: Brock Turner was sentenced to six months in jail, of which he served only three because the judge thought a longer sentence "would have a severe impact on him.” Never mind the impact on the woman he brutally raped.
The public, including members of law enforcement, was largely sympathetic to Seven of Spades' cause for this reason. I was too. They were ridding the world of evil.
Levi didn't see it that way though. He didn't think one person had the right to play judge, jury, and executioner. Why did the Seven of Spades get to decide who lived and who died?
Topics of moral ambiguity present a fascinating philosophical quandary that Kingsbridge didn't shy away from. The Seven of Spades was not an unsympathetic character, and that's part of what makes this series so fascinating....more
Lord give me strength to finish this series without having a nervous breakdown.
One-Eyed Royals (macabre but apt title) was intensely fast-paced, painLord give me strength to finish this series without having a nervous breakdown.
One-Eyed Royals (macabre but apt title) was intensely fast-paced, painfully angsty, and downright infuriating.
Levi and Dominic are a hot mess, alone and together. Dominic pawns everything he owns to keep gambling. Levi is one freakout away from a psych hold.
Levi fucks someone else. It's not "literal" cheating, but does that matter? He still loves Dominic. I was so pissed at the author for going there.
The kidnapping and ransom plot was too convoluted (the perp already had money, so why bother?), and no, I don't believe Dominic and Levi alone could have taken down seven armed, former military mercenaries. It sure was exciting though.
And the eyeballs, dear god, the eyeballs - that's the stuff of nightmares right there.
The Seven of Spades antics officially crossed the line into OTT eye roll territory. How can one person pull off so many high-profile showboat crimes without being caught? Sure, they have a tech genius at their disposal, but they slaughter alone. You have to be hella strong and fit to drag around two hundred pound victims and set up wildly inventive crime scenes.
How did the latest victim's arteries get nicked just so? Is the serial killer a trained surgeon? How do they have the time and means to pull off twenty plus carefully calibrated and brutally creative murders while supposedly holding down a day job?
Talk about an emotional rollercoaster. The book begins with Dominic and Levi in love and on their first vacation together. When they return to Vegas, Talk about an emotional rollercoaster. The book begins with Dominic and Levi in love and on their first vacation together. When they return to Vegas, Dominic meets Levi's parents, who are an absolute hoot. Levi's mom call Dominic Levi's "bashert" (soulmate).
The book ends with Dominic in active addiction, gambling away his life and pride; Levi spiraling to the point he can't keep his rage in check; and the MCs no longer together.
Watching Dominic make excuses for his gambling, seeing his shame and his unwillingness to do anything to help himself was gut-wrenching. He loses Levi, almost loses his job, misses his niece's birth, ditches Carlos ... all for what?
On top of that, we have gang warfare, a Russian mobster and his lover, a very handsome FBI profiler hitting on Dominic while hinting that Levi might be the serial killer, an informant in the LVMPD, and the Seven of Spades upping the ante with ever more elaborate displays of violence and power.
Cash Plays is thrilling and angsty. It made me angry, uncomfortable, and frustrated. I didn't enjoy the book but couldn't stop reading. Someone pour me a vodka double, STAT.
Fearne Hill is a wonderful writer. Her novels are always deeply rooted in a time and place, and Salt - set in Loix, a small village on a French islandFearne Hill is a wonderful writer. Her novels are always deeply rooted in a time and place, and Salt - set in Loix, a small village on a French island - is no different.
Sadly, the story just didn't hold my interest. Not even halfway through, I started skimming because the relationship between Florian, a local who harvests salt, and Charles, a British venture capitalist who's on holiday recuperating from a nervous breakdown, felt heavy and tedious.
I was more interested in the gentle relationship Florian had with his grandfather, who is slowly sinking into dementia.
Charles struggles with deep depression and suicidal ideation. Like his mother, Charles has synesthesia; he associates colors with people and emotions. But colors do not bring him happiness. They are a burden he carries.
Florian is joyful and free; he charms everyone he meets. He falls for Charles almost immediately, but why?
Try as I might, I couldn't feel the connection, and it's nay impossible to get into a book when you're not rooting for the MCs.
The epilogue offers some reassurance. I'm just hoping the next book in the series isn't so glum....more
The premise of this book is that Morgan and Dusty are best friends until Morgan stumbles upon Dusty and Rhett (Morgan's older brother) kissing. M~2.5~
The premise of this book is that Morgan and Dusty are best friends until Morgan stumbles upon Dusty and Rhett (Morgan's older brother) kissing. Morgan and Dusty are 24 at the time and have always been just friends, so Dusty can kiss anyone he wants.
Morgan carries animosity toward Rhett, so I can understand that he was upset and maybe a little jealous. I can understand that he'd need a few days, maybe even weeks, to cool down.
What I can't understand is Morgan leaving and going no contact with his brothers and best friend for TEN FUCKING YEARS.
That is not normal. Grown men in their 20s don't act like that, and if they do, they are immature asshats, not troubled heroes. Nothing justifies that. NOTHING. Morgan doesn't even let Dusty explain.
Yet when Morgan waltzes back into town because his father had a stroke, Dusty immediately forgives him, and declarations of love are exchanged in the blink of an eye.
On top of this, Morgan has a boyfriend for half of the story. They're in an open relationship, and the boyfriend isn't a great dude, but still. This added nothing to the story, and I questioned why it was even included. It felt like the author was preaching about open relationships, because everyone in the story kept clarifying, "not that there's anything wrong with that." Okay. We get it. Move on.
There was drama on top of drama on top of more drama. Drama llama central.
The entire story was a giant soap opera, with the characters meeting in various places to have deep conversations that go round and round in circles: Rhett and Morgan; Dusty and Rhett; Morgan and his father; Dusty and Easton (Morgan and Rhett's younger brother); Easton and Morgan. And so on ad nauseam. It all felt so staged and fake.
The father was so terrible and selfish and callous, he was a caricature of the Bad Parent. He didn't have one redeeming quality, and it made no sense that after a decade-long absence, Morgan finally returns to his home town not for his brothers or the best friend he dumped but for his cruel, abusive father whom he hates.
The book focuses on how fucked up the Swift (is this really the best choice for a last name at the moment?) brothers are. Dysfunctional family dynamics, particularly when grief and abuse are involved, are a thing for sure, but Morgan and Rhett are in their 30s and can't be in the same room for five minutes without yelling, trading insults, and nearly coming to blows. It was exhausting.
Honestly, I didn't like Morgan much. He takes Dusty for granted until the very end. Dusty and Rhett are supposedly friends, but I didn't see that. In fact, the second Morgan arrives in town, Dusty dumps Rhett to shack up with Morgan.
Morgan and Dusty get their tentative HEA, and I will admit the steamy scenes were damn hot, but overall this book was a miss for me.
Rounding up because I like small town settings and have no complaints about the writing. Riley Hart rarely writes gay MCs (they're always bi/pan), and both Morgan and Dusty are gay, so that's a bonus....more
I had high hopes for this one, but even though the beginning was promising, the book quickly deteriorated into meaningless chaos.
Remi is a deceitful, I had high hopes for this one, but even though the beginning was promising, the book quickly deteriorated into meaningless chaos.
Remi is a deceitful, immature brat with terrible self-esteem. Even after bonding with Jeremiah, Remi still tricks him so he can ... what? Explain something to someone who's obviously unhinged. That's what FaceTime is for, dear princling.
Remi must get his smarts from his mother, who continually puts her kids in danger by hiring a protective services agency and then ignoring all their advice. Not that the agency is much help.
This isn't the first time I've read a book where the elite protection crew is utterly incompetent. Jeremiah and his team establish that there's an insider threat at the palace and that they can trust no one. So what do they do? Leave random palace detail to guard the 4-year-old twins' room. Because of course they do.
And this dude is then able to sneak two royal kids out of the palace and out of the country without anyone stopping him. What a feat! The Trident Agency should hire this guy.
Raise your hand if you spotted the villain from page one? It's so incredibly obvious. I mean no one investigated the "best friend"??
There is a lot going on here, but the world building is vague at best. The authors decided that hey, there are numerous supe books out there now, so why do the work of creating a believable society? Nah, we'll just throw the readers into the thick of things and hope for the best. Such lazy writing.
Even the romance didn't do much for me. It's the usual we can't/we can dynamic that's boring and unoriginal.
And because I wasn't frustrated enough, the "epilogue" features a huge pet peeve of mine: Rather than focusing on the happy couple, it's a set-up for the second book....more
I expected angst and pain. What I didn't expect is the prevailing sadness, the nihilistic outlook. I wasn't sure I could get through this story. The fI expected angst and pain. What I didn't expect is the prevailing sadness, the nihilistic outlook. I wasn't sure I could get through this story. The first 40% or so was slow going.
Jersey and Koa were childhood friends. They hung out for several seasons at a boys' summer camp, where Jersey was the popular athlete and Koa the sensitive, awkward freak who screamed in his sleep and had fits of rage.
Some thirty years later, Jersey is a retired hockey player and physical therapist, and Koa is a successful doctor of philosophy who teaches at a prestigious boarding school. Jersey has been through the wringer: pain med addiction, divorce, estranged son, deceased parents with whom he never made amends.
But Koa ... Koa struggles with deeper demons. Something happened to Noah before he went to live with his cruel, religious grandfather. It's not difficult to approximate the tragedy in your mind, but we aren't privy to the reveal until the very end, when Koa shares a box of newspaper clippings with Jersey.
Jersey is determined to reconnect with Koa, but Jersey broke a promise and Koa's heart and Koa is none too eager to rekindle a relationship of any kind.
I skimmed most of the chapters that took place at summer camp in the late 80s/early 90s. I don't find flashbacks compelling, and there were so many here.
The tone of the book is gloomy and heavy, devoid of sunshine. Koa doesn't believe life has meaning or that happiness is real. Why be happy when life is meaningless? He's a hard-core atheist, a morose philosopher, with only his cat and one-time lover, Niles, for company.
Jersey works hard to break down Koa's barriers, but Koa feels nothing.
The last few chapters really turned the story around for me. I connected more with the MCs, especially Koa and trusted that they'd be okay. But it's a long road to get there.
I adored Niles and am glad that he's getting his own story; god knows he deserves it for his loyalty to Koa and selflessness in letting Koa go.
In terms of the reveal about Koa's past, I wanted to know (view spoiler)[more about Koa's family and childhood⅘. Were they happy? Did his parents love and take care of him? And his brother ... dear god, what happened there? (hide spoiler)] The point of the story is the AFTER, not the before, but I needed more to understand Koa.
I struggled with how to rate this book. I can't say I enjoyed it, but that's not always the point of literature. In the end, I have to go with 4 stars because The Promises of Forever is evocative, beautifully written, and has stayed with me through days or rumination.
_________________________________
I don't know if this book is a standalone or a series, but I'll take it!
I am decidedly NOT a mystery fan nor a fan of an excruciatingly long series featuring the same MCs.
I haven't read anything by this author for a couple of years, because she's written nothing but Valor & Doyle. Please, please make it STOP....more
I loved this unconventional story of passion and obsession. Cyrus and Crow's relationship is anything but typical.
Cyrus is trying to build a new~4.5~
I loved this unconventional story of passion and obsession. Cyrus and Crow's relationship is anything but typical.
Cyrus is trying to build a new life for himself after overdosing and going through rehab. He was raised by an addict and followed in her footsteps, but he's trying to do better, BE better. This isn't easy as Cyrus struggles with mental illness and low self-esteem.
Crow is the only son of a cult leader. His father exerted control and dominance over Crow's life, teaching Crow lessons no child should have to learn. Crow lives as a recluse on a large swathe of land on top of a mountain. He's selectively mute and deeply traumatized.
Crow and Cyrus don't meet as much as collide. Crow needs to dominate and control, and Cyrus lets him. There's no sweet love-making in this book. The sex scenes are raw, desperate, and rough. Crow makes his little lamb take it all.
If you're looking for slow burn, soulful romance, or standard relationship development, you won't find it here. The men fall quickly and deeply. It's codependence to the max, but that's what works for them.
Crow and Cyrus have to learn to trust: themselves and each other. This is not a lighthearted story. It's filled with angst, pain, and loss.
Despite this, there are unexpected glimmers of joys: Crow's smile, Cyrus learning to ride a snowmobile, the baths they share.
After all, to quote St. Francis of Assisi, All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle....more
This book could have been a short story. The internal monologues went on for pages - chapters even - words upon words upon MORE WORDS playing out the This book could have been a short story. The internal monologues went on for pages - chapters even - words upon words upon MORE WORDS playing out the same angst and drama.
This is a dual, singular POV narrative. Darcy has known for years that he and Wren are not biologically related, yet he's anguished about lusting after his "brother" for like a third of the book. We as readers are in Darcy's head and privy to everything but this "secret" until the big reveal. Wouldn't that be like Darcy keeping a secret from himself?
This story is ridiculous. The corporate world doesn't give a shit about marriages, bastards, or other "scandals." All they care about is profit. Junior getting involved in the Ponzi scheme would have been a much bigger deal than two "brothers" getting together, but that gets swept under the rug with the snap of a finger (in reality, the investigation, lawsuits, etc., would have dragged on for years).
The characters' names also don't make sense. Wren is firstborn and named after his father, Warren, yet he's the bastard, hidden away like dirty laundry.
Darcy is set up as heir, so wouldn't his mother have insisted he be named Warren? To make matters worse, the second legitimate son is named Warren Junior; um, what? That's some George Foreman level of bullshit right there.
Shoving all that aside, I just didn't find the characters or romance compelling. Darcy puts Wren through the wringer but capitulates easily when Wren comes crying. It's all very middle school llama-drama.
Neither MC has a real personality. Darcy is all about work and playing martyr. Wren is ... I don't even know. He's angry at his bio father but not his mother. He works construction. And that's all I got.
Wren also betrays Darcy's trust in the worst way by taking a DNA sample without Darcy's permission. That, right there, would be a deal breaker in most relationships, but here it's justified and quickly forgiven because Wren lusts after Darcy and wants to make sure it's okay to fuck him. Lol WHAT?
Even the epilogue had me cringing. What father refers to his child as "it"?
I liked Remi (Wren's cousin and roommate) and Harvey (Darcy's intended) more than I liked the MCs. Remi stole every scene he was in, and I honestly felt bad for Harvey, although he's better off finding someone who will love him.
I gave this book a real chance, but I need to rush to the ER now because I legit sprained my eyeballs rolling them so hard....more
The prologue gutted me. The author made the right choice in letting readers see Sebastian as he was before the darkness took him. Without the prologueThe prologue gutted me. The author made the right choice in letting readers see Sebastian as he was before the darkness took him. Without the prologue, I would have spent most of the book hating on Sebastian.
Sebastian isn't easy to like. He's spent centuries alone, unaliving people for pay. He's rude, confrontational, angry, violent, and an opportunist.
But not with Matty, never with Matty.
Matty is Seb's sunshine, his long-buried joy, and his greatest dilemma.
Matty carries scars from a sexual assault, but he's not afraid of Seb. He wants Seb to want him, to touch him.
Seb tries to stay away because he doesn't think he's good enough for Matty. It's a tale as old as time.
There is a great deal of pining here, and Seb is definitely the problem. He blows hot and cold. He denies his feelings and hurts Matty in the process.
There is a rescue closer to the middle of the book, but this book is tamer than the first one in this series (and all The Reckless Damned books). It's sweeter and more relationship focused.
The secondary characters (all the demons and their mates, plus Danny, Leo & Ferry, and others) are very present, but I didn't mind.
There were a few humorous bits, and to my utter horror, I found myself laughing when Seb staked Danny (repeatedly). I mean, I've wanted to stake a few people, so I get it.
I'll warn you now that there's a long separation (all Seb's doing obviously), and both MCs suffer being apart, but the epilogue is the flipside of the prologue - hopeful and filled with redemption.
This book is not a standalone!
There was more MM romance title/author dropping that was no less annoying than in Lark Taylor's other books. It's such an odd choice that pulls me straight out of the story every time (why???), but I'm kind of resigned to it by now....more
If King of Death were not the final book in an otherwise amazing series, my rating would be lower.
The first half was slow going. Both MCs seemingly foIf King of Death were not the final book in an otherwise amazing series, my rating would be lower.
The first half was slow going. Both MCs seemingly forget how to communicate, which is something Ash and Lonan did well, particularly in the second book.
Ash refuses to discuss Lonan returning to unseelie land to confront his mother and brothers. Lonan is miserable but doesn't want to push, so he suffers in the seelie heat, feeling useless and pretending he's not resentful of Ash.
Ash is overwhelmed with his kingly duties, neglecting Lonan and his own needs. He's angry, frustrated, and ready to give up because he thinks he's going to become just as evil as the Brid.
Eventually, the avoidance blows up in their faces, and the two have a huge fight, with Ash refusing to let Lonan leave and Lonan running away in the dark. It was infuriating, frankly.
Ash was such a likable character in the previous books, but I couldn't stand him for most of this story.
The second half was better, if mildly predictable. I liked that Lonan learns more about his father (god, what a sad, tragic story), but the scene where Lonan kills the Carlin is anticlimactic and lacks any real tension. Same goes for the way Lonan's brothers are dealt with.
Some plot points are left unresolved, like what happened to the noble Folk whose grievances Ash dismissed? Much is made of that, but nothing ever happens.
I'm not saying this is not a good book. The setting and complex characters, including secondary ones, are well written. The sex is hot. There is a hard-earned HEA.
But I expected more and feel like the series ended not with a bang but a whimper. Closer to 3.5 stars, rounding up because the first two books were phenomenal....more
I adored The Alien's Omega series by this author and eagerly dived into Bait Wolf.
This book is immensely readable and fast-paced. I enjoyed it en~3.5~
I adored The Alien's Omega series by this author and eagerly dived into Bait Wolf.
This book is immensely readable and fast-paced. I enjoyed it enough to finish in one sitting but couldn't ignore the glaring issues.
For one, the MCs are named Coal and Ember, which, come on. Too obvious.
Coal is a fierce alpha fighter in an underground ring in Lunar City. He's a huge, intimidating shifter who never loses a match. Spoiler alert: Coal is a marshmallow deep inside.
Ember is a bait wolf, an omega snatched from the streets and kept prisoner to provide motivation to the fighting alphas. Ember is near death but determined to live.
I liked both MCs, even though Ember's change of heart regarding being mated to an alpha was too abrupt. He went from suspicious to pliant and eager overnight.
There's not much relationship development here.
The plot revolves around Coal's missing little sister, who's like a daughter to him and who was taken as collateral to incentivize Coal to lose a fight.
Where and how she was kidnapped is unclear. The resolution is weak; like I'm really going to believe two powerful mobsters will just back down when threatened.
The ending is a HEA for the couple, but I'm sure more dangers await us in the bleak concrete jungle of Lunar City....more
I skipped book 4 and didn't seem to have missed much. This fifth installment of the series is intense and angsty.
Keegan and Nico are a good pair~3.5~
I skipped book 4 and didn't seem to have missed much. This fifth installment of the series is intense and angsty.
Keegan and Nico are a good pairing. Nico's playful, joyful nature balances out Keegan's suspicious, serious side.
Rosie, their little girl, is adorable and brought much-needed joy to the story.
The book ends on a cliffhanger plot-wise. I have no idea what Rick, the pack alpha, was thinking putting his life on the line with that idiotic non-plan, but wow, what an insanely stupid thing to do....more
The MCs are complex but unlikeable, and the plot careens like a rollercoaster gone off the rails.
There's so much, TOO much, gThis book is maddening.
The MCs are complex but unlikeable, and the plot careens like a rollercoaster gone off the rails.
There's so much, TOO much, going on here: violence, murder, grief, Russian mafia, transphobia, abusive family members.
Eric and Daniel don't speak the same language. One is always pushing the other away, and the why is hazy.
Daniel is 27 but acts 17. He's emotionally volatile, angry at the world, and downright mean. He blames his terrible behavior on his neglectful parents, but having a not-so-great childhood doesn't give you carte blanche to treat everyone with contempt and rage.
Eric is almost 50 but, despite having been married for a couple decades, has not mastered the art of communication. He does things for Daniel, but he might as well be a statue. He sulks and disappears for days to "protect" Daniel from his moods.
Eric's late wife is a heavy presence in the story, but for how much we're told, we actually know very little. I wanted to know more about Eric's sexuality and how Sam presented when he first met her.
There are several scenes where the line between reality and fantasy blurs. During the New Year's Eve party, for example, Eric approaches Daniel and pecks him on the side of his mouth, then they're alone and devouring each other ... except they're not. It's nothing but Daniel's feverish masturbation session.
I had to reread that scene, and others, because I lost the thread.
Toward the end, Daniel takes Eric to his hometown. They gallivant into a country club, take over a conference room, and make out because Daniel has nothing left to prove.
It's all very film noir, bordering on absurd.
There are moments here, glimpses of something, but the story doesn't read like a romance. The author tries too hard to make this book edgy, but it veers dangerously close to melodrama.
The highlights include Larry and Chanel, the dogs, although like hell do I believe Eddie wouldn't have spayed his precious princess; never mind that Larry is a rescue and one hundred percent would have been neutered.
So that's another pointless bit to throw on the ever growing pile of head-scratchers.
A few interesting secondary characters breathe life into the story and there is a HEA of sorts, but the execution is unnecessarily mired in drama and despair.
P.S. My three star rating feels rather arbitrary but fair....more
I've been looking forward to this series because Onley James novels are typically fun and entertaining. This one wasn't.
Indeed, it dragged for me to I've been looking forward to this series because Onley James novels are typically fun and entertaining. This one wasn't.
Indeed, it dragged for me to the point I half-skimmed just to get through it.
My main complaints:
~ This is the first book in a series and since the author has no restraint, a veritable smorgasbord of secondary characters/future MCs is introduced.
The MCs interact more with their roommates/friends/colleagues than they do with each other. The story felt crowded and unfocused.
~ The MCs are one-dimensional. Gift is the stereotype of every soft, sweet K-pop idol. The psychopaths take him on as a pet and "emotional support human."
Park is a cold former assassin who tries to keep Gift at arm's length. The relationship development is nonexistent. Park goes from being Gift's self-imposed brother figure to reaming his ass.
And do not get me started on Gift hiding his fluent English from Park - not for a few days, mind you, but for MONTHS. No one other than a highly trained, experienced international spy, which Gift most certainly was not, could pull that off (never mind that it seems everyone except Park knows - people aren't that good at keeping secrets.)
~ The sex scenes are super cringe. Park fetishizes Gift to the max, but I guess that's okay because they're both Asian? Gross. Nope.
~ And the plot. LOL What plot? There's a girl's murder, a "game" all the "pods" play, revelations about Gift's background.
It's seemingly serious and complex but barely scratches the surface. My brain was screaming, Make it make sense!
~ What I liked about the Necessary Evils series is the dark humor, and that's entirely missing here. Everything feels fuzzy yet exaggerated.
The final scene where the bad guy is tortured is disturbing. I know he was an evil human, but, fuck, just shoot him already.
~The ending is not a HEA. It's a HFN maybe, which whatever. I don't care about the MCs or their future....more
I wrote the first part of this review when I was tired and grumpy. It's not a particularly constructive review, thus part II.
I liked the firstPart II
I wrote the first part of this review when I was tired and grumpy. It's not a particularly constructive review, thus part II.
I liked the first few chapters of this story. Riven is just so angry and lost. He doesn't trust the Hunt family at all. When he finds out Parrish Hunt is going to be his supervisor, he's none too happy.
Parrish isn't exactly thrilled either. He had a crush on his older brother's best friend for years, but how can he believe a murderer?
Cue Parrish (conveniently) overhearing his brother, Dex, and their father talking about Riven going to prison for Dex's crime.
He immediately drives over to Riven's house, and the two have rage sex.
That's when the story takes a nosedive. Parrish and Riven are all heat and wariness. They're not great at communicating, and the relationship development is sorely lacking.
Riven moves back home to protect his grandma, but his grandma refuses to leave town even when it becomes clear the Hunts (minus Parrish, obviously) won't leave Riven alone. Apparently, her house is more important than her grandson.
Becca, Riven's ex and Dex's girlfriend, plays a large part in the story, and I really didn't like her character. Yes, being trapped in a place, repeating destructive patterns, is real. Becca is very much a product of her environment, and that may be one reason for her choices, but it's not an excuse.
She cheats on Riven with Dex and gets knocked up. She is supposedly still in love with Riven but never went to visit him in prison. She has two kids with Dex who's involved in unsavory shit and blows through all their money. She can't keep a job to save her life.
Parrish supports her and the kids, yet he becomes the bad guy when Becca finds out he's with Riven. I didn't need to know this much about her, and she certainly wasn't the hero the book portrayed her to be at the end.
I don't mind angsty stories, but this is ALL angst. There are few feel good moments. It's all very grim, and the plot overshadows the romance.
The epilogue is definitely a HEA, but even here we get a two page summary of how great Becca is doing now. Dude, wtf? If you're going to fight the misogyny that sometimes creeps into M/M romance, be more subtle. Maybe write truly sympathetic female characters. They don't all need to be someone's ex either.
Finally, the bi thing. When I started reading M/M romance a decade ago, there were few, if any, bi MCs. It was all "gay for you," which is highly problematic. But I think some authors have become too heavy handed in writing ONLY bi characters.
Riley Hart is one such author. I won't name others, but you know who they are. My brother, who's gay, claims we're moving toward gay erasure in this genre. I don't know if I'd go that far, but I've noticed the trend for sure.
(To clarify, in this book, Parrish is gay, while Riven is bi.)
I can't fault Hart's writing. I have loved many of her books, but there have been more misses than hits lately, and this book is certainly the former.
Part I
I'm THIS close to giving up on Riley Hart.
The angst in this book was just sooo predictable.
Also, real question: Has this author ever written a book where both MCs are gay?
I mean, yay for bi representation and all that, but at this point it stinks of fetishism
Not every queer man is bi, lady, and being obsessive about it is not the flex you think it is.
The entire "romance" here is danger, drugs, and murder - blah, blah, blah.
I didn't even like the epilogue. The dirty talk was so awkward, I wanted to crawl under a rock.
This author writes extremely unlikable female characters and then shoves them down our throats.
Ugh, Sloane Kennedy doesn't know when to stop. Every one of her MCs is broken, and the angst is so heavy and bleak, the reader becomes desensitiz~1.5~
Ugh, Sloane Kennedy doesn't know when to stop. Every one of her MCs is broken, and the angst is so heavy and bleak, the reader becomes desensitized.
This fifth installment features: homophobia (but of course), conversion therapy (described in some detail), euthanasia, self-harm (very graphic), a suicide attempt, assault, and other themes of despair.
I felt like I started reading in the middle of a story. I don't really remember the previous MCs, so the confusion was real.
All of Sloane's men run, like legit they take off into the woods or, you know, steal a car only to sit in front of an ice cream stand for hours.
Theo changed the rules of the relationship so many times, I got whiplash, and Linc just put up with it.
There is no real character or relationship development here, and the declarations of love come out of nowhere.
Walter, Linc's patient, is meant to be funny, but I, for one, don't find sexual harassment amusing. And, yes, looking for cum stains and ribbing the MCs about having sex is harassment. Imagine if a woman were involved - would it be cute then too?
Plus, the epilogue is frankly ridiculous. Was the scene in the library necessary? Where did that come from? And the porn? Just what.
~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~
>
Books:
angst-central
(272)
Loading...
