� 3.5 "weakest in the series so far, but I'm still getting Park/Cooper tattooed on my left buttcheek" stars �
After months of postponing the inevitable� 3.5 "weakest in the series so far, but I'm still getting Park/Cooper tattooed on my left buttcheek" stars �
After months of postponing the inevitable, I'm back here to review the third installment of what is quickly becoming my favorite example of shifter literature.
Granted, the story ended up amounting to...
[image] But I will still take 4000 extra pages of the romance alone, please and thank you.
***
Firstly, I’ll need to file this as yet another example of high expectations backfiring in spectacular fashion. If the previous two books hadn’t been five-star ordeals for me, chances are I would’ve enjoyed this one considerably more.
Nonetheless, that does not mean I didn’t still find several things to appreciate, so in honor of that, my take will be split into two specific sections: Yes, Please and No, Thanks —titles that are, I’m sure, pretty self-explanatory.
Without further rambling, let’s venture forward!
YES, PLEASE
� The Continous Beauty of Cooper Dayton and Oliver Park.
Aka:
[image] These two could pour their milk before their cereal and I’d still find a way to justify the atrocity.
To start this segment off, it’s important to mention that there are protagonists I admire, others I relate to, a few select ones I truly love, and then there is Cooper Dayton, an amalgamation of all of the above. It's a beautiful sight to follow his progress and ongoing transformation throughout the series, from the begrudging and detached man he began as� to the begrudging but caring man he is now. Still extremely prickly and guarded, but what’s some charm without a little edge, amirite...more
⭐️ 2.4 “why keep your brain cells when you can read this book� stars ⭐️
So this happened. And I read it, HATED it for the first sixty percent or so� an⭐️ 2.4 “why keep your brain cells when you can read this book� stars ⭐️
So this happened. And I read it, HATED it for the first sixty percent or so� and then was sort of entertained by the sheer ridiculousness? This could very well be me deluding myself, but hey, stranger things have happened.
The lack of intelligent life forms I encountered, however�
[image] Yet it was so horrendous it became laughable, so there’s that!
**
Full disclosure: I decided to start my way from the very bottom of Avril Ashton’s interconnected universe� for the sole purpose of getting to Call the Coroner.
Yet as my buddy reader for this, Florence, repeatedly said: If that book doesn’t end up being an instant favorite, Avril Ashton will be getting some strongly worded emails from the both of us. Because believe me, despite my “lax� 2.4-star rating, the first 60 percent of this tale?
‘Twas the stuff of nightmares.
There were some positives (aka ridiculously entertaining) aspects I salvaged from my experience, but instead of starting by listing them, I’ll reserve that spot for the horrible experience that was the traumatizing first half of this book.
Now brace yourself and gather ‘round for�
� The Horrendous and Completely Gratuitous Spanish (and the issues with fetishizing a language)
As a native Hispanic speaker myself, I couldn’t help but cringe. Truthfully, the Spanish included here was the toe-curling, nose-scrunching, closing-my-eyes-and-oh-god-make-it-stop kind of cringe. It’s, as with a lot of other unfortunate cases, the underwhelming outcome of somebody not fluent in a language trying to forcefully insert it.
Think gratuitous uses of “Sí� every few dialogues, translated Spanish phrases that flowed terribly (I’m half convinced Avril Ashton used Bing Translate, since Google couldn’t have failed her this much), and words applied as synonyms that made zero sense in the context of the story.
For example, Angelo kept calling Gabe, the other MC, �amante� and �amado� as if they were interchangeable and had the same significance, when in reality amado means beloved and amante is widely used to signify side chick/side dude.
So...
[image] Quite the stark difference indeed.
But following through on the ridiculousness that was the gratuitous(ly bad) Spanglish, let’s continue focusing on the man himself�
� Angelo Pagan, The Worst Gang Leader In The History of Gang Leaders.
For perspective, if Angelo actually had the job he was assigned in the story, Florence and I concluded that he would’ve died within the first week. In case you were wondering the extent of his ineptitude, which far extended past his “professional life� by the way, a brief breakdown of it below:
� He flirted and prepositioned a cop while getting interrogated in a police precinct� on the very first page of the book.
� Used the female “hangarounds� that frequented the gang’s headquarters for sexual favors� despite identifying as a gay man? I couldn’t help but wonder, wouldn’t it be easier to jerk off instead of getting a blowjob from someone you aren’t attracted to?
But again, keeping in mind how this book was narrated and the crazy subsequent developments, he could’ve easily revealed he had a hook for a hand that justified his actions and I wouldn’t have blinked twice.
[image] How I choose to picture Angelo in my head. Instant improvement of my reading experience, lemme tell you.
� An unimportant point perhaps but� he kept calling his mother Mami. Let’s take a moment to let that sink in. A grown-ass man who calls his mother Mami. As in Mommy. Now, I’m not saying he gave off Norman Bates levels of creepiness necessarily, but I would also not risk taking any showers in his vicinity.
That is all.
� Later on decided to MURDER a fellow gang member out in the open, touching him and his surroundings with bare hands and surely leaving enough DNA evidence for law enforcement to clone his ass and arrest him twice over.
Although this was not even the best part, because his murder weapons of choice?
“Bending at the waist, Angelo pulled a knife and garrote wire from his boots.�
Now those boots must’ve been incredibly spacious, as in humongous, as in�
[image] Which was perfect because he kept acting like a damn fool so might as well wear the uniform.
� Later on, he is frankly baffled when Gabe learns of the murder he committed, despite having full knowledge his boyfriend's precinct was the one tasked with investigating said crime.
And again, we’re supposed to believe Angelo is an experienced gangster who has somehow evaded both the law and the sharp end of a knife?
[image] [image] By now, I was already wondering how Los Pescadores, which Angelo was the useless leader of, hadn’t already become the defunct Blockbuster of street gangs.
� While describing in length how he is a terrible guy, lamenting that he belongs to a gang and is a murderer and etc etc etc (Sorry, I kept checking out at this part), he also adds that he will never sell drugs because “he isn’t willing to go that far.�
This implies that dealing drugs is worse than distributing military-grade guns, which Angelo does regularly, AND the repeated murders perpetrated by both him and the rest of his criminal squad.
Won't even try and explain why the logic continues to shine in its absence.
� Lastly, as the final cherry of idiocy on top of this mess of a cake, Angelo was so useless that when he chose to quit his “illegal lifestyle� in order to be with Gabe (who also abandoned the police force because why not), his solution was giving himself over to law enforcement, pleading guilty to some bogus crime, and facing two years in prison. Yet after that, he still faked his death and created a whole ass new identity to escape scrutiny.
So my question: why not fake your death before and, I don’t know, avoid wasting years of your life behind bars?!
@ Angelo, this one's for you:
[image] He might have not dealt any drugs himself, but he sure as hell had to be consuming them.
Finally, moving on�
� Period Accurate 2012 Misogyny.
Sexism in early 2010’s MM romance? It’s more likely than you think. As in rampant, really.
Outside of Angelo's mother (sorry, "Mami"), all the other women present here were referred to as —and I'm quoting the book here� goldigging bitches, whores, and my personal favorite, throwaway pussy. All of whom, of course, were there to lust after our protagonists and do everything in their power to gain their attention.
Meanwhile, all I gotta say about this�
[image] But oops, call that my hot take of the day I guess.
And now, onto our last but still incredibly eye-rolling point...
� New Levels of Insta-ness Were Uncovered.
Actual relationship development? That bitch was kidnapped and held at gunpoint. The search is still ongoing, but the likelihood of success nonexistent.
These two, you see, met each other once, exchanged barely three sentences, and were subsequently consumed by that single 0.2-second encounter for the next SIX MONTHS. Only for then, as soon as they met again� proceed to jump immediately into fucking, professing their adoration the next day, meeting the parents in two, even talking about being soulmates, "the most important person in each other’s lives" and more.
All of this in the span of a week and about� sixty pages give or take.
[image] The summary of the so-called romantic progression.
Now moving onto the (briefest) of highlights, because y’all can’t accuse me of being negativity personified.That’s a weekend-only activity, after all.
� MCs that felt equal.
And by that, I mean equally dumb. But you had to admire their commitment to the cause, tenacity, and gumption to uphold it. It takes a special kind of character to continue lowering the bar of intelligent human behavior, yet Gabe and Angelo were the ones to look beyond the common TSTL affliction, and dive headfirst into TSTEB (Too Stupid To Even Breathe, in case anyone was wondering).
But regardless, you know what they say about couples that [display the brain patterns of a sponge] together� They stay together...more
�2 “started from the bottom and now we [have reached the pits of despair]� stars�
I read this a while ago, yet I wanted to wait and settle my thoughts �2 “started from the bottom and now we [have reached the pits of despair]� stars�
I read this a while ago, yet I wanted to wait and settle my thoughts before reviewing it. Which was the wrong move, because guess what?
My initial issues only GREW.
[image] This book started out quite nicely, but after the sixty percent mark� Well, pardon my crassness but it was a bit of a shitshow.
***
The question that applies here is quite simple: how can something that started oh so right� end up being oh so wrong? Disastrous, truly. Nonsensical and gratuitous. Tethering the edge of logic before diving into the purest of oblivions, by which I mean plot holes and a bizarre parade of events.
In fact, the tally of those things became so extended by the last page, I decided to structure my review by compiling separate lists devoted to them. Tackling the inconsistencies, bizarre twists, and an overall brief summary of the most head-scratching, eyebrow-quirking, what-the-hell-is-happening moments that transpired.
So skipping anymore introductions...
[image] See y'all on the other side of this madness.
First off:
THE SWISS CHEESE OF PLOT HOLES
� 1) From the very first chapter, we are told that Gideon, the Daddy MC of this tale, has a physical resemblance to Superman à la Henry Cavill. Dark hair, blue eyes, incredibly handsome, buff and put together. You get the picture.
Yet, about sixty percent in, the narration casually informs us that the man happens to be forty-five, compares him to George Clooney (who by the way is sixty, so damn Gideon, those forty-five are looking ROUGH) and starts making every character remark on his advanced age. Which had also never happened before that point.
[image] Loki ain’t got nothing on this shapeshifting granddaddy.
� 2) Cal, the other lead and a student at Gideon’s school (and who spent a night having sex with him for money, but that’s neither here nor there), starts detailing his childhood in Hong Kong. He specifies how he attended a boarding school where he didn’t speak the language, felt out of place and friendless *cue tiniest violin music*, etcetera etcetera. Yet seventy percent in, the school is suddenly located in Japan, and no mention of Cal’s Chinese education is ever brought up again.
That absolutely checks out. [Sounds of IQ plummeting]
� 3) A remark is made of Cal’s sole possession that he kept after his family’s belongings were confiscated, all following his rich father’s incarceration. Considering he is a type one diabetic, you would think it’s probably something related to that, right? A way to check his insulin levels? Perhaps a few doses of his medication?
±�
[image]
He kept his Xbox instead. And not even that managed to remain unscathed, because past the sixty-five percent mark, the console magically turned into a PS4. That’s right, not even inanimate objects were safe from this mess.
� 4) When Gideon’s best friend, Dev, is first introduced, we get a brief interaction discussing their shared upbringing, with Dev making a point of mentioning how they both �came from the hood.� Yet the next time the bff appears on-page, suddenly there’s talk about the small rural town Gideon and him supposedly grew up in. Only to have Gideon just a few chapters later AGAIN referencing the �hood� and trying to claim some kind of misguided “street cred.�
Meanwhile...
[image] Me trying to figure out where the hell this so-called rural hood was located. Geographically, I’m guessing Narnia.
But with that out of the way (and keeping in mind those are just the more glaring plot holes in a laundry list of them), let’s move onto the second list:
THE BIZARRE HAPPENINGS
� 1) Cal being able to secure a spot in Harvard and several other Ivy League schools despite missing several days of class, not doing homework once, and spending most of his time either playing Mortal Combat (not a typo, that’s just how Onley wrote it ...more
� 2.6 "Even [believable relationship development] was under arrest in this prisonmance!" stars �
After much delay and dread, I decided to give the spin� 2.6 "Even [believable relationship development] was under arrest in this prisonmance!" stars �
After much delay and dread, I decided to give the spin-off for Elite Protection Services a go. This featured one of the previous side characters as an MC, so considering I liked him in the other books, expectations were mild to high going in.
Now that I've finished, however, I can look back at my anticipation and proclaim�
[image] While this wasn’t a wholly negative experience, going in expecting nothing would’ve made it significantly better.
**
For anyone who has read an Onley James book before, I’m able to tell you that you can let out that breath you didn’t know you were holding, because this first installment of her spin-off definitely sticks to her formula. Unlike with most of her other works, however, this time it didn’t entirely jive with me.
Yet there were still both Positives and Negatives overall, so that’s how the review will be structured.
Without further ado, let’s jump into the chaos�
POSITIVES
� The Dynamic Between MCs (Step-brothers gone wild� ly loving and caring for each other)
First of all, we all know the age-old proverb�
[image] (What do you mean The Office isn’t made out of verifiable life advice?)
But if a brief stint behind bars secures you a significant other like Cyrus, I am willing to do the time and engage in some canine roleplay myself. Because boy was he a devoted man. As is usually the pattern with Onley’s couples, Cyrus simply worshipped the ground Webster walked on.
No matter what Webster did, his big burly cellmate was all over it, and don’t we love to see it. If prison stan accounts were a thing, I just know the man would be running several for his beau.
I do wish there had been more pining and at least an emotional slowburn to make the relationship more rewarding, but at the end of the day�
[image] ճ’r not even close to being one of my favorite Onley couples, but they still had their moments (even if those happened to mostly be in the smut)
...Which takes me to my next incredibly crucial, important, and impossible to gloss over point...
� Suggestive Physical Displays Of Affection.
Or as I like to call them�
[image] Subtlety is not part of my dossier.
Let me be explicit: This book was earth’s core levels of scorching, delivering on all that I wanted and expected from a prisonmance —when it came to steam, at least. You had the sense of perpetual voyeurism (with even an instance of exhibitionism), then intense tension brought by the dangerous setting, and finally, all of that emphasized by a pronounced theme of possessiveness and ownership.
Think bruises, hickeys, scratching, biting. If it’s rough, Webster was begging for it and Cyrus was gladly delivering.
Which is of course how romance works in this fantasyland, and I’m not complaining at all.
(What do you mean meeting your step-brother in jail does NOT qualify as a meet-cute? Are you implying porn has been lying to me all these years???)
Moving on...
� Introduction Of Future MCs.
So yeah, Cyrus and Webster were fine. They were cute. And had hot sex.
I was still more invested in the side characters showing up though. Older guy Preacher, who wore a crucifix despite not being religious and called himself the Switzerland of prison. Mysterious Lawson, who presented himself as a hillbilly, yet hid the genius of a man with the mental prowess to scam millions out of casinos. And, last but not least, badass Javier, in charge of Webster not offing himself accidentally Webster’s security while inside, with mysterious ties to the Mexican mafia and who looked like he could beat everyone up with his hands tied behind his back (also tattoos? and written representation of a Latin man who didn’t use gratuitous Spanish every 0.3 seconds? I swooned...more
� 3.7 “Why is this fictional psychopath a better partner than all my exes combined?� stard �
I actually read this several weeks ago, but since my revie� 3.7 “Why is this fictional psychopath a better partner than all my exes combined?� stard �
I actually read this several weeks ago, but since my reviewing slump is still at a mild stage at the very least... I just finished editing this one now. You can call me Miss Productivity...more
� 3.4 "Can I get some [porn] with a side of [porn], please?" stars �
What I expected from this book? Smut. What I got? Also smut� but featuring one of � 3.4 "Can I get some [porn] with a side of [porn], please?" stars �
What I expected from this book? Smut. What I got? Also smut� but featuring one of the most hilariously psychopathic protagonists I've read in a while.
So clearly�
[image] Because what more could I ask for in my erotica truly.
****
First and foremost, I'll open this up by letting my cavewoman instincts kick in and say...
This was HAWT.Blood-boiling, underwear-tossing, sweat-inducing kind of hot. So if you're looking for something to melt your kindle, phone, or whatever other device you read on, then look no further.
The real star of the show besides the steamy content, however, and who I will be focusing on for the sake of this review, was our dearly unbalanced MC Isaac Kaz.
You know Joe from the show/book series "You"? Well, now make him the kind of loser who takes "vape breaks" at work and wears shoes indoors, then rearrange his looks until he resembles a twink (because let's face it, Joe is a twunk at most), and that's the protagonist Isaac right there.
He was cray cray, an unrepentant asshole, and had the empathy of a loaded pistol. Which, of course, meant I instantly liked him.
But don’t take my word for it. Instead, allow me to drop some gems from his treasure trove of delusions:
(Context: Isaac is pestering his friend for tips on how to sway Atticus, aka the "cleanfreak" from the title)
“This civil shit doesn’t work. He hates me too much.� “Rome wasn’t built in a day,� said Zack. “You think you’re going to undo all the ill will in eight hours?� “Then I don’t give a shit about ill will. He doesn’t have to like me,� Isaac asserted, insisting. “He can think I’m a fucking shit person, just as long as he lets me kiss and fuck him.�
I stubbornly refused to give up on this series by Sloane Kennedy, since I loathe leaving any series u� 2.5 “it was enjoyable� until it wasn’t� stars �
I stubbornly refused to give up on this series by Sloane Kennedy, since I loathe leaving any series unfinished (and I'm way too stubborn for my own good).
What conclusion have I drawn from my latest attempt?
[image] This is going to be my mantra when I look at myself in the mirror every morning now.
***
Me and Sloane Kennedy? We have a toxic unilateral relationship (in which I dislike most of her books, but still read them). This, however, does NOT mean her books are bad or I judge anyone else who loves them.
It's just a matter of�
[image] And my own foolishness if I'm completely honest.
But with that out of the way, let me get to the juicy bits.
WARNING: spoilers will be discussed below. Pretty heavy ones too because I just gave up and decided to make this review into a diary of my highlighted notes.
�5 “Enemies to lovers but write the enemies in ALL CAPS� stars�
I must confess, I’ve been circling these books for a while now. Yet due to some� unsavo�5 “Enemies to lovers but write the enemies in ALL CAPS� stars�
I must confess, I’ve been circling these books for a while now. Yet due to some� unsavory spoilers I read about the sequels, I had decided to avoid them like the plague. After a kind soul (Elena) told me the first two volumes worked as standalones, however?
I was all in.
In fact, right now the only struggle I’m facing is�
[image] Which is exactly how you know the first one was a winner.
Before we commence�
WARNING: this book is a DARK take on the enemies-to-lovers trope. The protagonists are, for all intents and purposes, horrible people. It features explicit sexual assaults (emphasis on the plural), torture, graphic murders, abuse of power, and pretty much everything bad humanity has to offer rolled up into one juicy read.
This review will discuss most of the above (and make some jokes along the way), so if the topics upset you, please be aware of that.
*
With that settled�
A PRELUDE
Fuck me sideways and call me Sally, this was hands-down the most intense story I’ve picked up in a long while. Filled with hatred, sensuality, larger underlying historical and philosophical themes, and topped with two complex protagonists that kept me on edge, equal parts enthralled and horrified.
Here you meet two soldiers on opposite sides, a brit and a soviet facing each other with the backdrop of the tail ends of the Cold War, and even from the very first chapter (which features a very graphic scene of one of the MCs raping the other, mind you), you will be bombarded by a distinct lack of empathy and humanity.
A world where the only kind of justice that exists is revenge.
Where you witness empty ideas and morals explored and dismantled (vestiges of the agendas spewed by each government with the sole purpose of justifying their own ethical shortages). A place to become acquainted with humiliation, retribution, and lastly, if you decide to read on, a need so deep as to finally snap awake two men in the midst of it all.
Lust born from rage, hatred, and unfairness. Wielded as both a weapon for punishment and a blanket of comfort. To humiliate and to hold, because the edges when it comes to these two are never clear cut, and therefore expecting any raw emotion to remain unchanged here would be an exercise in futility.
But now, before I get (even more) ahead of myself, let me split the actual review into three parts, for the sake of organization if nothing else. Those sections below will be for the MCs, Dan and Vadim, plus their Relationship as a whole.
So let’s commence.
� DAN.
He was a funny guy. A misogynistic and homophobic pig drowning in enough denial —about his own victimization, his sexuality, and his subsequent attachment to Vadim, the perpetrator of his trauma� to put the Iceberg that sank the Titanic to shame. Yet, exhibiting what might as well be a display of witchcraft, the authors still succeeded at making him endearing in an extremely fucked up way.
Because don’t be mistaken for a second, Dan was every terrible stereotype about uber masculine military guys rolled into one. If Die Hard, Rambo, and Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver (AKA Mr. “Are you talking to me?�) managed to conceive a baby, Dan would be their offspring.
Nonetheless, to give you all an idea of the true ridiculousness that was this man, let me drop some moments of his:
(Context: Dan’s denial rearing its head after a rendezvous with Vadim.)
“Damn, he wanted to bury his nose into the scent of sun, heat, skin and man. Tasting the sweat and biting the flesh. He did nothing. Just blinked again. One thing to fuck a man� another to kiss his neck.�
Vadim might’ve been the one who was an ex-Olympic athlete, but Dan’s mental gymnastics put him to shame.
[image] His logic at work.
And then, probably one of my favorite moments of disturbing hilarity:
� 4 “You know it’s a good one when it has you loudly squealing in public (shame? what’s dat)� stars �
I finally decided to give this one a go after lik� 4 “You know it’s a good one when it has you loudly squealing in public (shame? what’s dat)� stars �
I finally decided to give this one a go after liking the first installment (I LOVED Drew and Trent as a couple from day one, but hated all the racing talk featured there).
It is with great satisfaction, however, that I must declare�
[image] My thoughts on this one. This was a major SUCCESS (for the most part, at least).
**
Can you hear the sound of my considerable relief? Usually, I’m a bit reluctant to pick up a continuation of a series with the same couple� because I live in fear that the series will ruin what I appreciated about the romance in the first place. Miscommunication, characters acting out or reverting to the supposed flaws they already overcame in previous books. Yup, the true fuel of every romance reader’s nightmares.
So the fact that not only I enjoyed this sequel, but also found myself even more in love with the characters than before? I was about ready to send Mrs. Cambria a bouquet of flowers for the fantastic feat.
But in order to address what I absolutely adored with a semblance of coherence, let’s do it in parts.
Starting off with�
—The couple. Duh.
On one hand you have Trent, the president of a frat house and the definition of a stereotypical jock exterior rounded up with a Huge Teddy Bear interior (Although he will absolutely maul you if you mess with his man, let’s be clear). And then, as his counterpart, you got Drew, (a)typical bad boy with adrenaline junkie tendencies and a possessive streak as wide as the Mississippi. Together these two were, to put it plainly, the reason for the public squealing I referenced above.
(Not my brightest idea to read this while waiting in line to get groceries lol.)
They started book one as best friends with a simmer of attraction that sparked below all the camaraderie, something that was slowly acknowledged and just began to be explored in the original installment. Yet it is in this one where we truly see their romance bloom. You fully understand their intimacy, propelled by the kind of understanding that only previous years of friendship could bring, and a type of epic love you can’t help but be in awe and slightly jealous of.
�Just like that, we transitioned into best friend mode. I loved it. Because though our relationship had many layers, they weren’t separate. Like my feelings for him weren’t kept in a neat little box beside the one where our friendship was. We swirled together. Like chocolate and vanilla soft serve, like ketchup and mustard on a burger. Our friendship was better because of our love. Our love was better because it blossomed out of friendship.�
Trent and Drew really said�
[image] And I very much approve. Friends-to-lovers? Get that shit outta here. We support only simultaneous friends AND lovers from now on.
�THE REVENGE ARC.
Without spoiling events for book one, Trent was left in quite the precarious situation where we last left off. So seeing the despicable culprits for the incident not only facing very real consequences, but being toyed with and falling for delicious mind games in the process? It was indeed a highlight for me (I’m vindictive, what can I say?). Together, the MCs were the kind of scheming and conniving I could easily get behind.
Plus, the fact that Drew was the one strategizing the entire downfall of these jerks also helped, giving you an even bigger clue of just how ride or die both of these guys were for each other.Now that's relationship goals, if you ask me.
For example, here you have Drew talking about getting some payback on Trent’s behalf:
�I nodded. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do yet, but I wasn’t going to turn down help. The more painful the revenge, the better. And if worse came to worse� I’d have someone to bail me out of jail.�
[image] If your partner ain’t helping you achieve revenge and retribution, then they ain’t worth it.
—The found family trope.
Despite me not having read the original series (I literally only found out this was a spin-off after starting book one), I was still very much charmed by all of Trent and Drew’s friends. They were supportive, loyal to a fault and a perfect example of just how deep platonic bonds can truly run. Even if the context from the original series might’ve given me a better grasp of their backstories, I didn’t need it to sense the current of familial adoration they all felt for each other.
[image] In shortened terms, I inhaled that.
—Therefore, in conclusion:
I could get into the few issues I had with the book. I could refer to the author’s lack of subtlety (Cambria Hebert really likes to hammer in the analogies and can be quite heavy-handed with her delivery), some of the predictable drama that involved Drew’s racing career and his and Trent’s parents reaction to their coming out (Homophobic bunch, because of course), and even the needless paragraph after paragraph detailing character’s outfits and physical appearances�
(Since we really needed to know what kinds of pullovers and jeans they were all wearing in explicit detail, uh? *sarcasm detected*)
Also, what was up with the author mentioning Drew’s love of french fries every two pages or so? I counted more than thirty references to it just now. And even as a french fry aficionado myself (because who isn’t), that’s at least twenty mentions too many.
Yet, at the same time�
[image]
I was too consumed by all the good ol� serotonin I got from this book to really care. Truly, I was otherwise occupied by cheering for the main couple, being entertained by all the side characters, and enjoying all the deliciously smutty scenes we got (the sex wasn’t plentiful, but when the MCs got it on, it was ON), and so it became particularly hard to find the time to pay those few issues more than a passing glance and some minimal eye-rolls.
If that was the price to pay to get to see more of Trent, Drew, and their epic (b)romance...
Then I would gladly pay it again.
****
Now, lastly�
Keywords to figure if this book (and series) might be the one for you:
Epic (b)romance. And one of my favorite examples of friends-to-lovers done delectably right. A frat boy and a rebel racer getting it on. Chemistry through the roof. Intimacy and healthy communication. The kind of romance that might give you a toothache with all the sweetness (but hey, some cavities are worth it). Heartwarming use of the found family trope. Homophobic parents *mandatory eye-roll here*. Versatile lovers (big buff guy Trent gets topped too and it’s glorious). Ride or die type of couple. A great side plot about getting revenge to spice things up. Lots of gratuitous comments about french fries. And finally, a realistic HFN that only serves to propel my need to continue the series.
(Because book 6 features Trent and Drew as MCs one last time, and I truly can't get enough of these dorks).
� 2.5 “And the sob story olympics CONTINUE (but hey, at least there’s gratuitous smut)� stars�
I really am a clown for claiming I was in the mood for s� 2.5 “And the sob story olympics CONTINUE (but hey, at least there’s gratuitous smut)� stars�
I really am a clown for claiming I was in the mood for some fluff and then turning around and deciding to pick up a Sloane Kennedy book of all things (aka the antithesis of anything lighthearted).
But what can I say?
[image] While I’ve had very mixed experiences with her previous works, I still keep coming back!
***
As a starting point, let me set the scene for anyone jumping in without any prior knowledge. Most of Sloane Kennedy’s books take place in the same world (Sloane Kennedy Literary Universe or SKLU for short), and therefore that means that you’ll see plenty of familiar faces popping up in each installment. If you ask me, however, her books have enough exposition to be practically standalones.
Allow me to elaborate:
You see, something I have noticed is how you get paragraphs after paragraphs detailing most of the important plot points from previous stories and, as someone who has made sure to read all the other books leading up to here, it’s hard not to be left with the faint impression that the author might have mistaken her audience for a bunch of amnesiacs.
[image] Yes, I get that the books were released months and even years apart, but when you have whole pages of recapping? At that point it’s not catching up anymore, but a whole ass reenactment.
So it’s probably a good idea for anyone venturing forward to keep that small nugget of information in mind, since your patience could very well be tested.
Moving on, let’s address�
The actual plot (or the semblance of it in any case).
This is Sloane Kennedy’s second attempt at MMM after Finding Home (the first book in the Finding series)... and can I just say right out of the gate that it did not meet expectations? It has almost fifty extra pages on its polyamorous predecessor, yet the relationship ends up feeling somewhat hollower, with the connection between the three MCs barely managing to leave an impression at all.
There's a whole lot of telling and not showing when it comes to the central romance, basically. We get told about a decade-old crush one of the protagonists harbors (because Declan apparently spent ten whole years pining for Ren after exchanging about five words at a wedding once). Then characters proclaiming they’re soulmates after barely a week of knowing each other (Despite Jagger’s supposed commitment issues). Even big declarations of love and eternal loyalty get exchanged here. The whole romantic shebang, truly.
And still�
[image] My thoughts on the throuple in this one.
As can be the pattern with SK’s work, the story is much too busy focusing on all the angst(y backstories) to bother with the actual depth of the romance. Instead of witnessing character development and quality bonding time that propels the relationship forward, we get a book that was too fixated on highlighting traumatic past events. Horrifying kidnapping in the middle east? Check. Traumatic childhoods? Check. Internalized homophobia after years of repression? Check. Check. Check.
(And that’s not even half of the examples, y’all).
Although some of the anguish did manage to somewhat land, such as the struggles Ren, who is the middle child from the Barretti brothers and the last one to get his own book, faced relating to his PTSD after a year in captivity. The way Sloane Kennedy tackled the problems he had differentiating between reality and horrific memories was descriptive in a way that was realistically daunting.You felt like you were there with him in those moments, the sand from the desert sliding between your fingers and the coppery smell of blood overwhelming your senses. And that, as a result, transformed Ren into the only MC I was able to empathize and give half a damn about.
Which was quite a far cry from my reaction to the other members of the throuple, Jagger and Declan...
[image] There is only so many fucks I can afford to give, and mine were all used up by feeling sorry for Ren to even bother with the other MCs.
Besides, as my title for this review implies, it really turned out to be the Sadness Olympics over here. If by Sadness Olympics it was also implied to be bizarrely superficial levels of angst, at any rate. And its impact on the narrative was not helped by the abrupt transitions from tragic themes into explicit smut. Those became so ridiculously tactless at times that I couldn’t even fully enjoy the steam. And when I, the biggest perv out there, cannot partake in the joy of some raunchiness?
Now that’s truly the biggest alert of them all.
***
To fully give you all an idea, below will be examples of the level of nuance we are dealing with:
� 3.7 “The dirty uncle stereotype� but make it actually appealing� stars �
I haven’t had the best fortune when it comes to Cara Dee, so after my last d� 3.7 “The dirty uncle stereotype� but make it actually appealing� stars �
I haven’t had the best fortune when it comes to Cara Dee, so after my last dud by her I decided to cave in and ask my much wiser pals for some recs. Now consider my surprise when one of those ended up being for a little less than 200 pages of an uncle and his nephew getting down and dirty, and all of it neatly packed in a some voyeuristic wrapping of its own�
Well, of course I had to read it.
Did I enjoy it, however?
[image] I’m finally getting the Cara Dee hype, and I’m decidedly NOT looking back.
Now, let me first address this, considering it was a bit of a disappointment for me at the start: this is not actual incest, but rather stepcest, since Adam was adopted by Everett’s older brother when he was a very young child. Yet while this might make the premise a little less appealing for some (if you are a twisted puppy like me), rest assured that Mrs. Dee does not pull any punches when it comes to the taboo or taboo adjacent angle.
If anything, both Everett and Adam get off on the family connection here, instead of trying to overcome it as yet another hurdle in their blossoming liaison. They refer to each other as Uncle and Nephew (which absolutely does include those steamy scenes), and in fact barely ever acknowledge the fact that there’s no actual blood relation linking them. So if taboo generally rocks your boat? I can promise your proverbial watercraft WILL be swayed.
(You’re gonna be able to fill up a couple of saunas with that steam, to put it mildly).
For me personally, this sort of exploration of boundaries and kinks is a large part of what made the story so exquisite. You get two ends of the spectrum with Everett, an older and recently divorced architect who is only just now beginning to grapple with some of his less conventional desires, and then Adam, considerably younger yet seemingly so much more assertive and secure in his own identity.
After these two reconnect under the guise of forming some kind of familial bond (they were estranged family members, after all), the lines quickly get blurred to the point where affection and attraction become indistinguishable. And for Everett in particular, this is at first hard to accept since he was never before able to fully admit his desires for other men. So not only recognizing he feels an allure towards his same sex, but also his much younger nephew? Let’s just say the man was using all sorts of excuses to justify himself, in true GFY/OFY fashion.
But who doesn’t end up accidentally pulling a Peeping Tom on their estranged relative, watching them engage in an impromptu jerk sesh across the street while thinking oh how neat would it be to draw them juuuust like that?
Don’t worry, though, it’s only artistic curiosity.
Luckily for him, his nephew was just as obsessed (what kind of taboo adjacent story would this be otherwise?). Indeed, the stalking here was fully reciprocated. And as a reader, you just get a kick out of watching these two grown men mutually pining for each other, circling the object of their desires without fully daring yet to engage, and, on top of that, doing the title of this story justice by engaging in a voyeuristic dance of faraway admiration.
Because windows do absolutely play a big role in this, of that I can assure you.
[image] Adam and Everett’s dynamic summed up in a single gif, pretty much.
And then, when finally all of that delicious forbidden crushing and UST reached its crescendo� boy, how Cara Dee delivered. Adam and his Unc (no joke, that’s his pet name for Everett) don’t only cross into forbidden territory, but embark on an entire odyssey past it. Of the decidedly kinky variety.
Yet even past the gloriously written smut, you get a nice degree of emotional attachment going on for this couple as well. Their romantic connection, at least for me, went well beyond just some (considerably spicy) steam. So while I’m guessing a lot of people will end up reading this simply for that taboo twist, the truth was that I found myself looking forward to those small moments of domesticity shared between them just as much.
Both Everett and Adam were parents with daughters of their own (although Everett’s was in college, while Adam’s was just a kid), so actually getting to watch the men bond over that and even teach each other a thing or two about parenting was quite an unexpected pleasure. It fleshed out their characters better in a way, gave them a motivation beyond just being a centerpiece in a romance story, and in return provided a new kind of believable intricacy to their relationship.
(Basically, I went in for the smut and did not expect to actually get an interesting character/relationship arc along the way)
Not everything was perfect, however, and I could point out some issues with the pacing as an example. How most of the last few pages seemed to be rushing to tie up all loose ends� only to end up welcoming the kind of lackluster epilogue that left me famished for some real closure. It was still very firmly in the HEA territory, but I wished we could’ve seen the main couple actually interacting instead of just narrating how the past few months had been.
I could point all of that, and perhaps a few things more, such as Cara Dee’s bizarre insistence of painting wives/ex-wives as gold-digging caricatures without any sort of redeeming qualities. Besides Aftermath, this has been the unfortunate second time I’ve noticed that happening, and I’m afraid of it turning into a pattern.
Yes, certainly I could elaborate more on all of those niggles� but being completely honest?
[image] Because the author managed to deliver on all of what I was ultimately craving and then some more. So for that alone, I can’t find it in myself to be too critical.
All in all, a definitive recommendation from me to anyone who considers themselves a fan of blurred lines, a side of taboo lite and some wholesome family times (sans comically evil ex-wife). Believe me, chances are you will enjoy this too!
God knows I did, at least.
****
And once more, before signing off�
Keywords to figure out if this book might be for you:
Stepcest. A down on his luck Uncle figuring out his lot in life and the commanding Nephew who shows him the way. BDSM lite. Humiliation kink (the uncle gets off on being uncomfortable, and the nephew just loves to have him at his mercy). Enough dirty talk to require almost constant eyebrow wiggling. Yet more than enough tender and domestic moments for those starving for some gentleness. Wholesome family dynamics, plus toxic ones that slowly get healed. Kid characters that are not annoying. Sexuality Discovery or GFY/OFY (The uncle). Shamelessly owning who you are (The nephew). The mandatory jealousy scene at a club setting. And, last but not least, enough Peeping Tom moments to amply justify this book’s title.
� 2.5 “this book almost had me in the first half, not gonna lie� stars�
Now that I’ve finished it, I can say this story turned into a very peculiar one� 2.5 “this book almost had me in the first half, not gonna lie� stars�
Now that I’ve finished it, I can say this story turned into a very peculiar one for me. Peculiarly disappointing, that is. It started out so strong, with a delectable touch of taboo and dark romance that had me hooked (plus some VERY hot smut to boot), but then the 80 percent mark hit and�
[image] My reaction to the book went from “I’m actually having fun� to this pretty damn fast.
****
First off, A QUICK WORD BEFORE WE START:
Since the writer has been pleading with everyone not to spoil the story, I’ll separate this review in a non-spoilery general thoughts section (that will be pretty vague) and a more in-depth one at the bottom (including the specifics of my issues). Below a warning, of course. That way, anyone who is still considering this one can make their own informed decision on whether to venture into Spoilerland or not.
Personally, I wished I had known what I was walking into. But I digress.
****
With that little intro out of the way�
[image] Almost my entire takeaway from this.
To be completely honest, all of it felt absolutely meaningless in the end. Any kind of build up the story worked towards, appreciation for the characters earned, the dynamics they shared or a climax to their struggles. All of it turned into a big ol� pile of �AND FOR WHAT?� by the time I was done flipping (or scrolling) through the pages.
And listen here, going in I already knew that things wouldn’t be as they seemed (this is marketed and referenced by a lot of people as a mindfuck type of story), but what I did not expect was for those “surprise twists� to be the most predictable, cliched, saw-that-from-a-mile-away conflict resolutions imaginable. Instead of being in awe, I was just left scratching my head and wondering how something I had considered an option from chapter two, yet discounted because it sounded way too dumb, ended up turning into the actual big twist.
Like sure, that was technically a mindfuck I guess. But a disappointing one that proceeded to veil all the rest of the story in bitterness and left me feeling wholly unfulfilled. If this is what the author considered a mindfuck, I’ll be keeping my mind celibate going forward, thank you very much.
Never mind the fact that I had previously promised to leave my suspension of disbelief at the door, knowing how OTT and logic-defying prison romances can generally get. Because this book did not just ask me to suspend my disbelief, but to downright assassinate it, deface it, and later discard it in an anonymous dumping ground.
So even after saying I would just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride, the truth was that I just couldn’t.
[image] More footage of me past the 80 percent mark.
Yet, for anyone still curious about this one, I’d still say to give it a chance if that’s what you’re craving! Don’t let my rant dissuade you, and just make sure you equip yourself with tempered expectations, LOTS of suspension of disbelief, and perhaps even a stress ball or two.
Besides, if the story had ended before the 80 percent mark, this would’ve probably been a 3/3.5 kind of read for me! So not all of it was bad, per se.
Too bad the book kept going for a hundred plus more pages after that.
****
Moving ahead�
WARNING: YOU HAVE REACHED SPOILERLAND
So step away unless you have either read the book already or just don’t mind me covering some of the major(ly disappointing) twists.
� 3.3 "this might've been free on Kindle Unlimited, but the box of tissues it required WAS NOT" stars �
Sooo, you know how I implied before that the an� 3.3 "this might've been free on Kindle Unlimited, but the box of tissues it required WAS NOT" stars �
Sooo, you know how I implied before that the angst in Sloane Kennedy's books was starting to lose its spark for me?
±�.
[image] This one had me weeping like a week-old baby!!
**
Something about the way family played such a pivotal role in this really got to me. You know that deep, sinking feeling in your chest that has you googling possible heart attack symptoms? Yes, that kind.
Yet having most of the angst contained only to one of the MCs helped. While it still felt gratuitous to a certain degree, the fact that one of the leads was the stereotypical tortured soul while the other exhibited a lot more emotional stability was a big relief. It provided some much-needed balance and, in turn, made it easier to root for them. There’s only so much grief the main couple can have before I start cheering for them to go to therapy instead of getting together, after all.
As usual with the series, this featured a dual POV. The Baretti brother this second installment focused on was Rafe, the youngest sibling and someone who got tossed into hell on earth as a kid, left alone to survive horrible circumstances that ultimately drove him to become a rather bitter and enraged adult. He was a remarkably flawed individual, to say the very least, and quite the major jerk at times� so of course that means he was my favorite.
(Plus not to go on a mini tangent, but I actually appreciated how his toxic coping was depicted. Victims don't only come in a one-size-fits-all package, and Rafe was the perfect example of how ugly bottled-up grief and trauma can start turning your insides. In a strange sort of way, I found his deeply defective ways of coping that much more realistic and therefore relatable.)
Not gonna lie, however, some of what was uncovered of his past suffering was bordering on incredible� as in actually unbelievable that is. In truth Sloane Kennedy's fashion, Rafe had the sob story to end all sob stories.
[image] How Rafe ended up sounding a lot of times.
Now� opposite him, the other MC Cade wasn't a paragon of virtue either (because big alpha ex-mercenary was exactly what we were promised and what we got). For most of the book, both men were reluctantly circling the other while alternating between growing closer and further apart.
And speaking of said circling, the way this started off as an enemies-to-lovers kind of thing?Another delicious point (which led to some pretty hot steam early on, because hate sex is the name of the game). If anything, I would’ve wished that had stayed the case for longer� instead of doing a blink and you’ll miss it transition into love. Truly, seeing them try to justify their need to be closer while denying the attraction was probably my highlight while I read.
[image] The kind of dynamic these two had in the beginning, and so much more interesting than the regular lovey dovey neediness from the second half of the book, if you ask me.
All in all, still definitely a step up from book one for me. Not quite “there� in terms of pacing or what I wished the chemistry between MCs had stayed as, but still a mighty easy read and pretty perfect for all of your “does crying with books count as therapy?� needs.
**
Keywords to figure out if this one might work for you:
Tortured souls. OTT to the nth degree. Short and breezy. Codependency. Overcoming trauma. Big loving family. Hospital scenes. Need-you-now sex scenes. Lots of steam. Versatile couples. Dominance/Submission (but make it lite). Believable character development? What’s dat? And finally, the angstiest of angst, of course.
** Barretti Security series by Sloane Kennedy (part of the Sloane Kennedy Literary Universe of SKLU for short, full reading order here
My love for taboo books is well documented (hence my forbidden love shelf). So considering this one f�4 "daddy kink but make it biological" stars�
My love for taboo books is well documented (hence my forbidden love shelf). So considering this one features the most taboo dynamic of them all, I'm surprised I haven't read this earlier.
(And since this is still banned by the puritans at Amazon, I will be updating this review as soon as the Smashword release is announced)
Ultimately, my take after finishing this was:
[image] Hear me out... I'm shameless. That's it, that's the reasoning behind my verdict.
To start things off, let me come out and say� you really need to be willing to embrace a special kind of depravity in order to appreciate this one. Luckily for me, that’s a subject I excel at!...more
� 4 "Short and promising, but left me starved for more" stars �
[image] Because excuse my french but damn, Kasia Bacon.
*
The story is quite brief, � 4 "Short and promising, but left me starved for more" stars �
[image] Because excuse my french but damn, Kasia Bacon.
*
The story is quite brief, yet it managed to immensely pique my interest for the rest of the series. With personality, wit and succinctly vivid descriptions, these 30+ pages left an impression. More than a regular short story, this felt like a meaningful snippet of a larger whole.
Through the two equally intriguing MCs, Dark Elf archer Ervyn in one hand (whose 1st person POV is the one narrating) and half-breed assassin Lochan in the other, author Kasia Bacon manages to enthrall me with her ability to pepper in so many intriguing world-building details and lore, yet without foregoing the blossoming development in dynamics between the two leads.
While the lust and attraction are very much of the insta variety in this one (because, hello, 30 pages after all), I wasn't really bothered by it much (these two had more chemistry in their few scenes here than a lot of couples do in full novels lol). If anything, it made me even more interested to see the depths their connection will reach in future installments.
Plus I also personally can't wait to get inside the head of Lochan soon, who came across as the silent and stoic type, but who shielded so beautifully when it came to Ervyn.
Now excuse me while I go add everything else related to this series to my TBR lol.
*
The Order series by Kasia Bacon
The Mutt � 4 � The Highlander � TBR. Blessing and Light � TBR. Twenty-One Arrow Salute � TBR. The Scouts � TBR....more
� 3.5 "but if I was only rating this solely based on the main couple, this would be getting a 5+++" stars �
[image] Too bad the whole racing side plot � 3.5 "but if I was only rating this solely based on the main couple, this would be getting a 5+++" stars �
[image] Too bad the whole racing side plot had me becoming reacquainted with the inside of my eyelids. But let’s not go there just yet.
Trent and Drew aka the main pair are still going straight into my favorite couples shelf. Theirs is an epic tale of (b)romance and one of my new preferred examples of best friends to lovers done exquisitely right.
***
But to provide some extra context before the review truly starts, let's allow Oscar� nominated actor Steven Yeun to sum up the relationship development between Trent and Drew in all its glory:
[image] [image] [image] Well said, Steven!
***
Now, onto a more serious note (but not that serious)... Holy Mother of Slowburns, Batman!! And I mean that as the highest of compliments.
With this leading pair, Miss Hebert accomplished one of the most organic transitions from friends to lovers I've ever read. From the slow tentative touches and stolen glances, accompanied by the doubt and denial, and even down to the inclusion of seemingly innocuous rituals that betrayed just how much they cared for the other (like how they arranged their plates just so the other could easily have a bite, for example). Featuring a believable sentimental backdrop, the progression of Trent and Drew's romance was well worth patiently waiting for.
And god if it didn’t pay off in a major way too. Without spoiling the conclusion, the fireworks between them were INTENSE. Scorching, smoking, heatstroke-inducing, you name it.
Which was almost enough to forgive the hellish cliffhanger (that will luckily be wrapped up in future installments, according to my exhaustive research aka other reviews I’ve read for the rest of the series lol).
[image] Doesn’t mean the ending didn’t still have me prematurely aging at least a decade though.
Truthfully, I went through the whole spectrum of emotions with this one. Laughter at Trent and Drew’s banter and dudebro antics early on, then anger at certain chosen side characters (and beware one-dimensional villain was, in fact, one dimensional), and lastly enough salty tears to rival the Dead Sea. Really, this had my heart shifting gears as quickly as If I was the one joining the races described.
Right from the very beginning, there was a sense of trepidation whenever the two best friends interacted (and we see their own apprehension deeply reflected at first), with the lingering shadow of feelings they were both too busy denying lurking just underneath. This is very much a double sexual discovery story, even if both Trent and Drew had different approaches when it came to self-enlightenment, and I had a blast seeing them both slowly gain enough confidence to finally accept to themselves what was clearly evident to everyone else.
Even if, I’ll also admit, at times the denial between them became a bit far-fetched�
Because It was overkill to see Trent still questioning whether Drew was even attracted to him right after they first got hot and heavy (seriously, Trent, the man was basically three seconds away from soiling his underpants!). Or all the "damn, he has a nice ass� for a friend that is!" moments previous to Drew admitting he reciprocated his BFF's attraction.
But let's...
[image] And focus on the glorious romance instead! Suspension of disbelief is the name of the game.
***
Now, onto the Final Thoughts section (Ft. the discussion of some actual issues I had with the book):
First and foremost, this was mostly a very enjoyable read for me. I absolutely adored the main couple and even found all their stumbling kind of endearing in a slightly eye-rolling way. And the fact that the friendship was just as ingrained as the romance was a major plus for me.
What’s keeping this book from getting a higher rating, however, were a few setbacks I encountered along the way.
For once, whenever the characters would start talking shop, racing, or all kinds of technicalities my uncultured brain could not grasp, the soporific effect all of that had on me was immediate.
[image] Someone would mention a V8 (whatever that is) or any other highly specific car terms, and I'd be drifting just a little step closer to the embrace of eternal slumber.
And then I had other problems as well, such as the repetition and lack of subtlety of the narration at times (which didn’t hamper my enjoyment that much), and then the bizarrely long descriptions of characters I couldn’t even begin to care for (which, on the other hand, did in fact lead to me skimming the hell out of those parts).
And when I say "bizarrely long", I mean quite literally an entire page of it. And a whole ass paragraph talking about how glorious this female character's tits were, because one of the MCs salivating for her was apparently a necessity for some reason *facepalm*
Listen, I get wanting to set up future MCs for the series (Joey, the main recipient of those overly lengthy descriptions, will be one of the protagonists of the third book in the series, #Swag) but�
If you need to drop a Old Testament-sized long introduction to get the job done?
[image]
Although with those niggles out of the way, the good still managed to outweigh the bad for me where this book was concerned. And Trent and Drew are such a fantastic couple that I ended up being able to overlook most of it, since when the story was, in fact, focusing on their budding romance...
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