I want it understood from the start that the rating for this book isn’t for the quality of the writing, the subject matter, Real Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
I want it understood from the start that the rating for this book isn’t for the quality of the writing, the subject matter, or how the subject matter was handled. This was all handled impeccably (see below). My rating simply comes from my own accessibility issues with the book: I couldn’t engage with the book very well and felt detached from the storyline and the characters far too often to really click with it on an emotional level.
The characters and plot on their own are fabulous, but that’s like saying a theory looks good on paper. If I can’t put them together inside my mind and create that internal picture I need to immerse myself in a book, then a book doesn’t become an experience for me–it becomes a dry read I end up struggling through. While I can see the brilliance and quality of said book, I can’t engage with it enough to appreciate it like other readers seem to be able to.
Fell has a fantastic and touching way of writing all the characters, especially taking care to write Arlo as a DeafBlind and to try and translate Tactile ASL into the written word for all us laypeople. The care with which the disabled are written about in this book is touching without being condescending, which is refreshing. And, in general, Blair Fell is simply a very good fiction writer who found a subject to write about that was fresh and ripe with promise.
I’m just sad I couldn’t appreciate it more.
Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review. ...more
This book is the type of romcom that’s absolute catnip to a reader like me: quick, witty, clever, bright, peppy, an often sardonic sense of humor, andThis book is the type of romcom that’s absolute catnip to a reader like me: quick, witty, clever, bright, peppy, an often sardonic sense of humor, and a sly dash of snark peppered in at all the right times. I’ve read a few different 5 star romcoms this year already, and this one has more heart and more outright chuckle-worthy moments than them all.
Usually I’d go through the whole spiel about plot arcs and characterizations and setting… But here, with this novel, I just want to talk about the dialogue.
Sosa writes the type of fast and sharp dialogue that reminds me of if Aaron Sorkin wrote romcoms. The kind of humor that’s so witty and clever you need to travel along with it, only pausing when the punchlines and laugh-out-loud moments punch you lightly in the jaw or make your shoulders shake in complete amusement. I found myself sometimes just stopping and basking in the way a joke or line landed just so perfectly.
Shortly: You won’t be let down with any of the spice or tension in this book, either. It’s realistic, hot, and dirtier than I expected. Which is such a good thing.
This isn’t an atmospheric book or a book strong on prose. It’s not exactly a character-driven novel either. It’s a plot-driven romantic comedy that piled a diverse, adorable, and highly amusing cast of characters into a clown car and then drove it merrily down the street while the rest of us are left wishing we were half as brilliant as these people and also being reminded of why we love romantic comedies so much.
So roll around in this book. Soak up its brilliance and savvy. Read it more than once. It’s more than worth it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review. ...more
There’s a reason New York makes such a great setting for romantic comedies and romance in general, and almost everything about this book reminded me oThere’s a reason New York makes such a great setting for romantic comedies and romance in general, and almost everything about this book reminded me of that. Whether it be a Nora Ephron movie (the infamous screenwriter and novelist is definitely mentioned), quintessential movies set in New York (like the also-mentioned “Moonstruck”), the subway, or the consistent presence of bagels and pizza, this book made me remember why I love New York so much as a concept (even though I’ve only been there once myself).
There is so much to love about this book, and the cast of characters is one of them. Hayes, our male protagonist, who is so awkward in social situations but can hold his own in any business office; and Franny, our female protagonist, who is terrifically vibrant but suffers from horrible Impostor Syndrome. They make a match made in neurotic, New York heaven.
The supporting cast of characters is almost entirely female-centric, and I love that for this book. Normally I’d wish for the male protagonist to have at least one male friend, but I loved that Hayes had deep and long-lasting friendships with both his female cousin and the woman he co-founded a extremely-successful business with. Their friendships were both unique and genuine, making me smile a great deal. I’ve known men who didn’t have a great deal of male friends, and Hayes matched that same energy those men I’ve known had. Cleo and Lola, Franny’s long-time best friends, also played a significant part in the novel, and their warmth and humor shored up the foundations of Franny’s character. A large part of the plot relied on the friendships that kept both Hayes and Franny afloat, and had they felt disingenuous it would’ve thrown the entire book for a loop.
Now, what I didn’t like was the 75-80% mark of the book, when things have to hit the nadir before they can rally for emotional satisfaction only a terrific HEA can happen. Honestly, it was the single huge disappointment I had in this book because in a sea of honest, genuine character development and plot points the low point felt the most ingenuine in both origin and execution. It didn’t feel organic: it felt forced.
The descriptions and mental pictures of everything New York absolutely made for part of the charm of the whole book, and the meet-cute was both cringe-inducing and hilarious. There’s a whole universe of meet-cutes, and this one was a definite keeper.
Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for providing me with early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review. ...more
I find myself thanking Sara Cate yet again for writing such an impeccable BDSM romance novel, and for also taking on this book and its dynamic. The woI find myself thanking Sara Cate yet again for writing such an impeccable BDSM romance novel, and for also taking on this book and its dynamic. The world of romance novels, especially when it comes to BDSM, has always heavily been skewed toward the male being the dominant partner within the dynamic so this book feels like inhaling a huge breath of fresh air. I also enjoy how this book came last in the series because it not only feels like the last link in a chain of kinks that grows progressively more intense throughout the series but also because it brings the cast of characters from the series full circle and closes the loop. Everything fully rounds out after having explored several kinks and dynamics over four books, and that’s something rare and special in the romance novel world.
I somehow knew Maggie’s book was going to involve being about her being a Domme and having kept everything about herself quiet and private, but I didn’t anticipate they whys and hows of who Maggie really was, and I found myself truly enjoying getting to know the previous enigma that was SPC’s quietest owner. I also really appreciated Maggie’s struggles with trying to fit in with her fellow co-owners of SPC and their significant others and how she found her way to stand up for herself at the same time as she found her strength and confidence in the bedroom.
I really and truly appreciated how much research, care, and sensitivity Sara Cate has put into these books, and that’s especially true in the case of this book where some humiliation, degradation, and sadism is put into play. A character actually uses their safe word in this book, and the issue is handled properly and with great care (yes, I would know from both the bottom and the top). This whole series could be used as a prime example of “How to Write Proper BDSM Romance and Everyone Should Throw 50 Shades in the Trash”.
As a side note: I’m glad they opened their new location in Phoenix, because every BDSM club that’s ever opened in Sacramento has eventually been shut down by either high rent prices or by the city. I should know. ...more
And Sara Cate hits it out of the ballpark yet again with the third installment in her Salacious Players Club series, a best friends-to-lovers polyamorAnd Sara Cate hits it out of the ballpark yet again with the third installment in her Salacious Players Club series, a best friends-to-lovers polyamorous romance between a married couple and their lothario best friend. Part of the book takes place during a road trip across the US, touring different clubs like the SPC, and then the rest takes place back in the city where the SPC books call home. This book features some of my favorite safety word-worthy things and is absolutely, positively sizzling hot. Believe me, there was some serious lip biting and wiggling going on.
As per usual with this series, Sara has done a great job at showing us the vulnerable and sometimes outright damaged side to the founding members of the SPC, writing these characters with a sense of compassion and understanding that some readers might be tempted to take for granted. I certainly don’t, though, because while not everyone who participates in the same lifestyle as the characters in these books do is vulnerable or damaged by their lives or upbringing, the fact remains there are some people who do find respite in the scene. And that’s okay.
Also, as with the other two books in the series, Sara has certainly done her due diligence when it comes to writing her safety word-worthy scenes. Her research is impeccable, but we all know that research is nothing if you can’t take that research and put it into prose people will want to read. Sara does that better than most romance writers out there. It’s hot and it’s accurate. I love it. And I love her for making that possible.
This book may be my favorite out of the series so far. That’s saying something, considering how much I’ve loved each entry before it.
Thanks to the author for the advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. ...more
My review is solely for Sara Cate's novella "Sweet Blasphemy" that's included in this anthology.
Why does Sara Cate seem to know all my weak spots? I dMy review is solely for Sara Cate's novella "Sweet Blasphemy" that's included in this anthology.
Why does Sara Cate seem to know all my weak spots? I don’t know. All I know is that she’s brilliant at it.
This novella was a whole lot wrong, a whole lot right, and a whole lot of yes please and thank you. To see these two characters absolutely split apart at the seams in the presence of one another, their desire and devotion to one another eclipsing their faith after being reunited after some years apart is both romantic and a pressure cooker full of steam. A great read. ...more
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