That’s what Riley and Danny are. Just two commitment-phobes who sleep around (one-night stands only, please and thank Do you have a platonic soulmate?
That’s what Riley and Danny are. Just two commitment-phobes who sleep around (one-night stands only, please and thank you) and then spend almost all of their free time together. They have keys to each other’s places. They come and go as they please. They know one another better than anyone else on the planet. Riley’s even in the know about the supernatural world, despite being a human because he’s Matty’s best friend and Matty’s husband is a vampire…it’s all very complicated. But Riley wouldn’t have it any other way (except he hates his job). Danny certainly wouldn’t either (except he wishes he didn’t have the constant threat of his old pack hanging over his head). Yup, they’re just platonic soulmates.
Who had sex one time a few years ago before they became best friends. Unbelievable, mind-blowing, once-in-a-lifetime sex. Which they’ll never repeat. Nope.
I love Lark Taylor. Sometimes I forget I only heard of her and her books in January, because she’s now an auto–buy author and I can’t get enough of her books. They always feature captivating and endearing characters, are unspeakably hot, are well-plotted, and slot in well with her already-existing books. I love when an author’s books connect, even if it’s tangential, because it feels almost like an easter egg hunt when you start looking for the connections. (If you’re a Sadenverse reader then you know what I’m talking about.)
Danny’s story is the last in for the Damned Connections series, and it was a very loose thread that needed to be tied up from the second book in the series, Justice. Finally we get to see the pack Danny left behind, the reason he left, and learn what he needs to do to resolve that situation. I didn’t find this book as touching on an emotional level as Justice, but I did love the idiot x idiot trope. It’s another win for Lark Taylor and we’re off to visit the angels next!
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Finally! Finally we’re fully in Project Watchtower for The Watch series, the second Necessary Evils spin-off series by the genius Onley James (the firFinally! Finally we’re fully in Project Watchtower for The Watch series, the second Necessary Evils spin-off series by the genius Onley James (the first spin-off series being Jericho’s Boys). We’re starting off with The Bone Collector, which considering that’s the notorious name one of the project’s instructors, Park, went by when he was still active in the field (and the second book is going to be called The Sin Eater, which was the field operative name of the head of the project), it seems that all the books in The Watch series are going to be titled after field operative names. I’m down.
I’m not going to go over the whole synopsis with you. That’s just blase. Let’s go over the tropes you know, and then I’ll go over what I found of interest that doesn’t come across in the blurb, shall we?
*Age-Gap Romance (oh yeah, it’s a good gap, too!) *Teacher/Student (this one’s a little loosely interpreted, since Park, one of our MMCs, doesn’t teach much in this book because Gift, our other MMC, isn’t one of the students learning his speciality)
Tropes that the blurb doesn’t mention:
*Older brother/younger brother dynamic (they aren’t brothers, but Park insists on Gift using the honorifics for those roles) *Daddy k!nk (Ohhhhhh yes. Our Park is a Daddy Dom and our Gift is his sweet baby boy (no ageplay)) *Semi-public k!nk, virginity k!nk, slight degradation k!nk, edging, impact play, filthy talk *Touch him and you die *Gift is manipulative, secretive, touch-starved, and needy *Park is a possessive mofo *Park is essentially Gift’s legal guardian and full-time bodyguard
Besides the extremely high heat rating of this book (it is super dooper freaking hot, you guys) and how well-written that spice is (good lord, Onley is trying to kill us all, ffs), it needs to be known this book is FUN. It’s hilarious. It’s like “Necessary Evils: High School Edition”. Imagine if the Mulvaneys, Jericho’s Boys, The Feelings Faction (IYKYK), and Elite Protection Services ALL went to the same boarding school. Some are there on merit via scholarship and some are there because they have connections. Some are there because they have both money and merit. There’s all genders, all walks of life, neurotypicals, neuroatypicals, geniuses, people of average intelligence…you get the picture. The point of the place is for the neuroatypicals to be matched with an emotional support human to keep them tethered to their humanity. It’s brilliant. It’s volatile. It’s going to either be wildly successful or they’re going to burn the world down. Either way, I’m going to have a wild-ass and fun time reading to see what they do while they screw each other into every available surface and torture the bad guys along the way.
Please be mindful of your own mental health before attempting to read this book and read the list of CW/TWs before you start. I don’t ever need them but you might. Take care of you....more
(Please Note: This story is connected to Olivia Lewin’s other PoisonVerse novel, Pack of Lies, via that book’s character Marlowe. This book is about M(Please Note: This story is connected to Olivia Lewin’s other PoisonVerse novel, Pack of Lies, via that book’s character Marlowe. This book is about Marlowe’s older alpha sister, Leighton and the pack Marlowe left behind.)
First of all, y’all should know I’m a huge fan of all the PoisonVerse novels. I’ve read them all. They’re all on my wishlist to own as paperbacks. So I was happy to come across a post where Olivia Lewin had some copies of her ARCs up for grabs. I know I already have ARCs to review, but it turned out to be great timing, because I wasn’t feeling so good yesterday and when I’m not feeling good all I want to read is spicy books anyway. So I took the time to read this a couple of days ahead of schedule and finished it up just this morning. I have to say that I liked it better than I did Pack of Lies, and that’s all due to a little someone called Kiara.
Kiara is the desperate, almost-feral omega at the center of the conflict in Lonely Alpha. Kiara isn’t gold pack like most of the omegas at the center of the conflicts in the other PoisonVerse novels. No, Kiara is actually just about omega royalty: well-bred and raised in luxury to be the best omega she can be for whatever pack her father decides to marry her off to. Too bad she was raised by nannies, her father was cruel, and her beta brother was even worse. One night, on the advice of [spoiler] she gets away from her cruel brother by grabbing a jeweled dagger and attacking him and fleeing to the home of professional corporate fixer, Leighton Winston, and begging Leighton to dark bond her.
This is the first of the PoisonVerse novels I’ve ever read to employ a dark bond. Honestly, I was wondering if they (the collective authors who have written books in this universe) were ever going to deploy it as an actual bond device or if they were going to let it always simmer around the edges as a constant, looming threat to all omegas instead of trying to turn it on its head and try to show it being something an omega could actually want, need, or desire. I’m glad Olivia Lewin (who does tend to delve into the darker side of omegaverse) decided to be the one to finally approach the dark bond, because she did a wonderful job of showing not only why an omega might want or need one, but also how an omega could ultimately feel better protected and more comfortable in their skin having a dark bond after living a certain kind of traumatic life. It also showed how it takes a very certain type of alpha to both accept an omega’s desire to willingly be dark bonded, to tend to and nurture both the omega and the bond, and to treat both with the utmost respect, because ultimately what the dark bond equates to is a 24/7 M/s power dynamic in our world that’s then been turned into a paranormal link in their world. Just as in our world there are bad Masters, in their world there are bad Alphas. But not every Alpha needs to be bad. Ergo, not every dark bond needs to be bad. But, just as in real life, communication and instinct are key in such a relationship. In an omegaverse book, the bond takes up some of the slack of communication and instinct, but not all. That’s a shortcut.
I do truly love Kiara. I love how her dagger is her first friend and her “emotional support dagger”. I love myself a stabbity omega. I love how she’s a spitfire and will choose violence if she can. I actually love the whole pack. I even love some of the supporting cast like Liberty and Soren (I just can’t with him).
A problem I do have is how it seems that the men of the Loranger pack (Dash, Ambrose, Mercury) can’t seem to pull themselves together until Leighton and Kiara start making bridges for them. They’re all falling apart until two shiny female toys are placed in front of them and then all of a sudden it’s like, “Oh! We can all of a sudden start to heal all of our broken pieces now!” I’m not fond of men who can’t communicate with other men they’re supposed to be as close as brothers with (or lovers with). Women aren’t magical, fix-all cures. Women don’t put band-aids on men’s boo-boos. Men need to be emotionally intelligent all on their own. It’s a tired trope.
Otherwise, it’s a really great read, and I highly recommend it. The spice is right, it’s very propulsive, it’s a page-turner, and I got very invested in the characters. And, like I said: I love a stabbity omega.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I love it when Lynn hits all my sweet spots…in her writing, of course. What, did you think I meant it another way? You must have as dirty of a mind asI love it when Lynn hits all my sweet spots…in her writing, of course. What, did you think I meant it another way? You must have as dirty of a mind as I do!
One Night has all the best things I love about Lynn’s writing wrapped up into a lovely gay romance with a suspense subplot that could be potentially triggering (so be on the lookout for TW/CW if they’re in the final copy or make sure you look for them online).
I mean, I absolutely adore Daddy-looking bottoms and femme tops. I mean, I swoon! I don’t know what it is about it: I think it’s the visual combined with the subversion of the traditional roles? I just find it hot, hot, hot! Then Lynn went and added one of my biggest weaknesses in the world: dirty talk. So we’ve got an older, bigger, silver fox bottom with a younger, femme top that talks dirty. The spicy scenes are smoking hot. They can’t keep their hands off one another. What’s not to love?
Mason and Jasper (our MMCs) are just so easy to love, too. I recognize Mason’s childhood trauma in a way, having been raised by a narcissistic mother myself (even though narcissistic mothers raise their daughters differently than they raise their sons), and Jasper’s childhood abuse is sadly not an uncommon tale for gay males who long to express their feminine side from a young age. Mason’s anxiety is also something that resonated with me and made me feel for him.
It was terrific to see old friends from both Due Process and Unholy Yearning in this book, especially since I loved both of those books so much.
This was a great book to start off this spin-off series with. I’m looking forward to the next!
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Age Gap Romance/Book Series/Book Universe/Contemporary Romance/Gay Romance/LGBTQ Romance/MM Romance/Romance Series/Sex Worker/Spice Level 3/Suspense ...more
Anyone who is familiar with Saxon James’ Divorced Men’s Club series should be familiar with Molly, a supporting character in that series who acted outAnyone who is familiar with Saxon James’ Divorced Men’s Club series should be familiar with Molly, a supporting character in that series who acted out when his best friend started dating his dad and decided to set out for Seattle to try and get a fresh perspective on life and a fresh start. That’s not where this book begins, but that’s a good thing to know when one goes in to read this book. I would love to tell you that you could read this book without that knowledge, but I thought long and hard about how I would feel if I hadn’t read the DMC books, and I realized I’d feel very confused. I don’t know if that will be every reader’s experience, but it definitely contributed a touch to my rating of this book.
Normally, almost every Saxon James book gets five stars from me, but there was a second factor that lowered my rating to a 4 star: I just thought the beginning of the book was slow and a little messy (not in the good way). I just didn’t feel the chemistry between the characters for a bit and the dynamic felt a little forced. Everything smoothed out around the 20% point, but before that I felt like the characters were kind of floundering a bit. Then it clicked in and we were on our way.
Of course, when you’re on your way with a Saxon James book, you’re in for a good time and a good ride. Molly is cute as a button, with Xander being a neurotic sweetheart right behind him (and I swear, that better be chemistry between him and the guy at the pharmacy or I’m going to die). Rush made me snicker and snort every time he came on page, and the fact that nude yoga in the backyard is an everyday thing in their household for Madden is something I am totally on board for. Auntie Aggy is giving me life! Then there’s Seven. That boy kept breaking my heart and mending it. I call foul.
Did the plot feel a little loose? Yes. Did I enjoy the medium-burn? No. Did it feel a bit crowded? Yes. Did I wish it was spicier? Yes (but I’m me and I’m like that so don’t listen to me). Did I still enjoy the heck out of it? Yes I absolutely flippin’ did!
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
It’s a little bit non-royal Mia Thermopolis is mistakenly chosen to compete on The Bachelor (but make it three super hot men), and a whole lot of fun It’s a little bit non-royal Mia Thermopolis is mistakenly chosen to compete on The Bachelor (but make it three super hot men), and a whole lot of fun and spice. Welcome to the Royal Trials, where one omega is chosen from each country that chooses to participate in sending a representative to potentially become the mate of the Royal Pack and eventually becoming Queen or King Consort.
Can I just say that I’m currently loving the current trend I’m seeing in the reality show approach to some omegaverse romances? Because I really am. Omegaverse romances are already a huge source of escapism for me, but adding in these made-up reality shows to a paranormal and fantastical genre not only adds a satirical kick but also allows for more variety in plot and some added facets of angst, comedy, and anger.
I loved this installment of the Knot Their Omega series almost purely for the sheer fairy tale feel of the whole thing. Kaz, Wolf, and Tai were all clearly drawn, which I appreciated, since some authors don’t take the time to make sure their MMCs are as distinctive and unique in personality and interests as they are in looks. I have a definite soft spot for Wolf, that’s for sure. I loved the relationship shared by the three men, the respect they had for one another, and the way they felt so deeply for one another and expressed it so eagerly. I loved how Maddie managed to get her feet under her and made brave choices, even if she knew they would hurt. She was honest with the people around her and with herself.
The spice is not lacking, people. It’s here, it’s polyamorous, it’s spicy, it’s swords-crossing as much as it can get away with, and it’s hot. I am here for it. I will always be here for it.
The only bone I really have to pick is how quickly some minds were changed around at the end and how rushed it seemed. I may be the only one that feels that way, though. Otherwise, it was a great book. Smashed it.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
When I go to open up a new Eden Finley, Saxon James, or a book concocted by these two evil geniuses together like this installment of the Puckboys serWhen I go to open up a new Eden Finley, Saxon James, or a book concocted by these two evil geniuses together like this installment of the Puckboys series, I always rub my hands together briskly before starting and let out a silly little giggle because I know without a doubt I’m in for a really good time and a really good book. So I snuggled down into my bed with my puppies and settled in for my definition of literary comfort food.
I asked, and they delivered: GOAL. I still don’t understand anything about hockey (even after reading hella hockey romances), but the jokes! The chirping! The personalities! The ups and downs of competition and the pros and cons of celebrity! Let’s not forget Oskar, who (along with other members of the Queer Collective) make some hilarious cameos or appear here and there to help give the plot a gentle nudge along.
Oh Aleks, you sweet little baby pansexual. The world is your oyster and you have no idea what to do with it all. At the beginning of this book everything is brand-new for Aleks: new town, new house, new team, and a finalized divorce after he and his wife grew apart. He wants to explore everything the queer community has to offer, but has no idea where to start. Enter the Queer Collective, a bunch of alcohol and bad decisions (which honestly should be a warning sign Oskar wears around and all of us know it), and one small accident with fire that brings two firemen to Aleks’ backyard. It’s one hell of a meet cute. One of the best I’ve read in at least the last year. I was living for it.
Gabe is one of the firefighters that responds to this odd and ultimately hilarious call, and let’s talk about that insta-lust, okay? The insta-lust was real and I’m a big fan, being prone to it in real life myself. The sparks fly, the chemistry is explosive, and neither of these two can list patience as a strong suit. They want hands, mouths, and more all over one another as soon as possible. The sooner the better. Trying to take it slow just doesn’t work.
Eden and Saxon get me in one of my weakest spots with the dirty talk. I’m weak for it. And they write it so well.
This book isn’t on the long side. It’s less than 300 pages, and it’s a quick read. The burn is fast, the writing is hilarious, the romance is pure fluff sweetness, and the friendships are so pure. It’s another winner from Finley and James, keeping them at the top of their game.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, views, ideas, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I knew when I read the previous book in this universe (don’t worry, both books can be read as standalones and you won’t miss a single thing), We Are WI knew when I read the previous book in this universe (don’t worry, both books can be read as standalones and you won’t miss a single thing), We Are Worthy, that I would want to read any other book Alisha Williams wrote that was set in the same universe. So, when We Are Destiny was announced, I signed up to read, review, and promote that book right away.
This book hit two huge omegaverse sweet spots for me: omega on omega action, and alpha on alpha action. It’s all well and good to read your standard omegaverse novel where it’s all just alpha(s) on omega action, but to be honest, I’ve really gotten tired of them. They’ve started to bore me in the same way that about 75% of heterosexual contemporary romances have, which is why I don’t usually read m/f contemporary romance unless it’s highly recommended to me by people I trust to make good recommendations. With omegaverse, I now see the standard alpha(s) x omega and I’m already pretty bored. I end up returning them to KU usually before the 20% point because I just need more from my omegaverse novels now. And mixing things up or adding up the kink and/or spice factor is a spectacular way to grab my attention and keep me reading.
While I loved We Are Worthy because of its unconventional yet BAMF FMC who was more into who her potential pack members were inside rather than what muscles they had on the outside, I loved We Are Destiny because of the two omegas in the book: our MMC, Spencer, and the feisty little omega Everlee, who is barely-controlled chaos with devious plans in mind that are meant to make everyone happy. The two together are so sweet and cuter than a pair of kittens who have just discovered their toe beans.
Also, bravo to Williams for tackling the struggles that come with depression and anxiety and the unhealthy coping mechanisms one might use in the dark times when it seems you’ve lost everything and don’t know if you’re ever going to come out of the dark pit you’ve found yourself in. As someone who has a panic disorder and an anxiety disorder (let’s not talk about the bipolar), I felt those scenes were written rather well and handled with appropriate care instead of exploitatively. While Spencer’s anxiety and depression are intrinsic to the plot, Williams did take care to not make Spencer all about his depression and anxiety, instead opting as often as possible to show as many different facets of Spencer as possible.
Now, we all know we don’t read omegaverse for plot. We read it for fun and for spice. You don’t have anything to worry about on that front. There is a lot of spice in this book, and the pairings are in every formation possible. It’s all hot, and it’ll make you squirm real good. Not only that, but you get a lot of sweet and soft intimate moments, which is always nice.
All in all, it’s another winner from Alisha Williams in this omegaverse universe. It’s a great book available on Kindle Unlimited and you should definitely check it out if you like your omegaverse novels spicy, diverse, and versatile.
I was provided a copy of this book by the author. All opinions, thoughts, ideas, and views expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
For those of you who have never heard of Nghi Vo’s Singing Hills Cycle novellas (which I would rate E for Everyone, as they are essentially mythologicFor those of you who have never heard of Nghi Vo’s Singing Hills Cycle novellas (which I would rate E for Everyone, as they are essentially mythological tales worth reading for both the young and the old), know going in that each novella is a standalone story, but I do recommend you at least read the first novella in the series, “The Empress of Salt and Fortune”, so you can get a good grasp of who Chih and Almost Brilliant (the two characters who do carry over from one novella into the next) are, and also because it’s a brilliant introduction to what Vo is doing with this universe of mythological tales from Asia.
And, if you are already a fan of Chih and Almost Brilliant, welcome back, but I am going to tell you that while Nghi Vo is always a brilliant writer, I didn’t like this entry in the cycle as much as I utterly enjoyed the previous two entries.
“The Empress of Salt and Fortune” was revelatory to me: like watching a flower bloom in time lapse or an intricate piece of origami being folded directly in front of you, the hypnotic, captivating, and prosaic tale of revenge served cold (and fierce) lured me in and kept me hooked until the very last beautiful word. Nghi Vo is currently one of my favorite writers simply because of her way with atmosphere and how she can draw you into the worlds inside of her books with a unique magic not many authors possess, or maybe just not possess in the same manner. But the Singing Hills Cycle differs from her novels like “Siren Queen” in that the main characters of this series aren’t there to tell their own stories–they serve as the book’s receptacle to observe, record, and report the supporting characters’ stories. In a way, Chih is a cultural anthropologist, one who specializes in folklore and linguistics. The creed which anthropologists abide by is “observe and report”. Chih, along with Almost Brilliant, simply move about the world, gathering everyone else’s stories so they can be recorded for posterity. This mission is most sacred to Chih, as everyone’s stories are worth telling and hearing.
“Into the Riverlands” has a story to tell, of course. In all actuality, it has more than one; but maybe that’s the problem. I loved the silent, reverent way Chih sat with the Grandmother in “The Empress of Salt and Fortune”, because I could feel how much respect Chih had for the story and storyteller. In this novella, however, it seemed there was simply too much going on besides storytelling for the story to be given any respect or weight. It was simply bits and pieces told in between what I felt were scenes that could’ve been excised in favor of more story time.
Does this mean I didn’t like it? I didn’t say that. Any Nghi Vo is better than no Nghi Vo. And I love the Singing Hills Cycle for what it offers readers of all ages. So I will always recommend it, for the young or old.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tordotcom for granting me access to this title in exchange for fair and honest review.
File Under: Fairy Tale and Folklore/LGBTQ Friendly Reads/Novellas/Standalone Fantasy ...more
While not a series, per se, this book follows Fiona Cole’s titles “Blame it on the Tequila” and “Blame it on the Champagne”. But this book can easily While not a series, per se, this book follows Fiona Cole’s titles “Blame it on the Tequila” and “Blame it on the Champagne”. But this book can easily be read as a standalone without any issues whatsoever.
One of my favorite movie quotes from my absolute favorite romcom, “When Harry Met Sally”, came to mind several times while I was reading this witty, sweet, and touching best friends to lovers romance: “...when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible”.
While reading this book I felt like the main male character, Austin, somehow had become the epitome of this quote. He knows just who he wants to spend the rest of his life with, and while it takes setting the primary point of conflict for the entire book for him to be put in a position of possibly making the rest of his life start as soon as possible, once he gets there all Austin wants is to ensure he keeps his somebody and starts their life together as soon as possible.
The issue is that the person he wants to spend the rest of his life with (our main female character, Raelynn) might as well be a commitment-phobe with a ton of baggage when it comes to the idea of marriage. Don’t get me wrong: she has a whole lot of sound reasons for her outlook on marriage to be the way it is, but that doesn’t help the fact that Raelynn never wanted to be married and now doesn’t know what to do when she finds herself unexpectedly married to Austin, who has been her best friend since college.
I usually don’t do a plot recap in my reviews, because I feel like all of you can get what you need from the book blurb, but here I’m recapping it because I loved both Raelynn and Austin, with all their preconceptions, misconceptions, emotional baggage, and fierce commitment to their friendship no matter how tumultuous the world around them gets.
From the witty and engaging beginning scenes of this book that serve to draw us readers immediately into Raelynn and Austin’s world to the excellent spice scenes with an absolutely delicious dose of dirty talk and the very real fears and hopes one can feel when it comes to marriage, Fiona Cole’s newest is a fun, hot, and touching ride. ...more
Confession time: Even though I own the Cursebreakers Trilogy in ebook format, I haven’t had a chance to read it yet (I know, I know), so I went into tConfession time: Even though I own the Cursebreakers Trilogy in ebook format, I haven’t had a chance to read it yet (I know, I know), so I went into this book knowing it was a spinoff of that universe and it would help if I read that series first. I simply didn’t have time but felt confident I could probably pick up the threads pretty quickly like I did with Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology. Thankfully, I was right. It was pretty easy to pick up the threads and I’m so glad. I’d have hated to have had to wait to sit down and read Cursebreakers (I still plan on reading it! I’m just short on time right now!) before I read this book.
It’s such a good book! Easily one of the best fantasy reads I’ve come across this year. It doesn’t come quite as close to the level of enjoyment I found in reading Laura Sebastian’s “Castles in Their Bones”, but it’s not that far behind (Don’t hit me with SJM’s latest release–I have it but haven’t had the time to touch that behemoth either!). I love the LGBTQ and disabled representation up front and center. I love the found family aspect (frankly, I’m loving this wave of found family in YA fiction overall that we’ve been seeing over the past few years, which I could probably write a whole essay on).
From the start I was really digging the none-too-subtle parallels between the set-up for this book and the events of the January 6th attempted insurrection here in the US. The notion of the “Truthbringers” taking advantage of poor and rural communities and their ignorance to plant and sow seeds of mistrust and doubt in order to grow a population ready and willing to commit treason? Taking advantage of their desperation in order to gain favor and garner a twisted form of trust and obligation in order to trap them into feeling like they needed to stay quiet and do what they’re told in order to stay in your good graces? Kemmerer pulled no punches with the allegory, and I’m glad for it. It was a slick move for a plot line. It drew me into the story with little effort and helped me to identify with the characters in a way nothing else would.
I love the way Kemmerer does her narrative prose and the way her characters recall things that are said. It’s not done in the typical narrative manner and it really stands out. I also love how a lot of the symbolism in her books is double-sided and much of the morality is gray. It’s messy, but it’s true. I like my books that way.
Thanks to NetGalley, Bloomsbury Children’s, and Bloomsbury YA for granting me early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review. ...more
Before I went and reviewed this title, I went back and read my review for the previous book, “Triple Threat”, to see what I said and to see if anythinBefore I went and reviewed this title, I went back and read my review for the previous book, “Triple Threat”, to see what I said and to see if anything I disliked in the first book had been redeemed in this extremely satisfying duet conclusion.
Lo and behold, something had!
In my review for “Triple Threat” I said, “Am I loving the triplets? Yes I am. I’m also absolutely living for Della, our FMC’s (Landry) little sister. I have the appropriate amount of rage and hate for Alexander, Landry’s father. Who am I not loving? Sadly, it’s Landry.” I went on to say that Landry had promise and I wanted to see if the second book would redeem her in my eyes.
Let’s update!
Do I still love Scout, Sparrow, and Sully? Heck yes I do! If anything, I grew to love them even more in this book. By the end I was enamored with them. Especially Scout, which I should’ve predicted because I always end up liking the psychotic ones best. Am I still living for Della? ABSOLUTELY. I love that brat. My rage and hate for Alexander grew by leaps and bounds, which is apropos. HOO BOY do I hate Winston. Last of all, I really grew to love Ty.
And Landry? Our damsel in distress? Was she redeemed in my eyes? Yes! Absolutely. She was the source of my frustration and ire in the first book, but I came around to not only like her a whole lot, but to appreciate her character a great deal. I still think she’s the weak link in the chain of characters in this duet (which keeps the duet from being perfect), but I am no longer frustrated by her or mad at her.
This whole duet is a wild, hot, fun ride. I highly recommend you read the two books back-to-back or else you might be a little lost when you eventually pick up the second book, but otherwise it’s a worthwhile investment in your reading time. And writing muses bless multiple birth heroes. ...more
My love of this book series never stops. Maybe it’s my dirty mind or my love of flipping off organized religion… maybe it’s both. Combine that with myMy love of this book series never stops. Maybe it’s my dirty mind or my love of flipping off organized religion… maybe it’s both. Combine that with my love of gay romance and I’m just all in. Lynn writes these stories of men coming to terms with their sexuality, their love for one another, and how their religion has let them down so well I can’t help but be utterly sucked in every time.
This is the third story, and I find with every book in this series I love each book in a different way. With this one, I was deeply struck with sadness for both main characters and fully invested with what they were going through and what would become of them. This book isn’t light and fluffy. It’s deep, thoughtful, sad, and angst-heavy. There’s no levity to it, and for once I think that’s the correct tone to take. I usually strike out at books that don’t attempt at least some levity, because not all days are cloudy and grey and lonely, but considering the subject matters dealt with in this book and the events that happen both during and before this book there is very good reason for there to be so much anger and sadness. Of course, there is a HEA. That’s the payoff. That, and all the spicy scenes (once you get there).
This is a little slower of a burn than the previous two books, but for good reasons. A little slower than I like, but some appreciate that slow burn. I think I would’ve loved this book even better had it leaned into a Daddy dynamic of some type, but I can understand why Lynn made the choices she did with her characters, because their motivations were coming from different places than my gutter brain does (gutter brain loves a good Daddy).
Overall, it was another superb entry in this series. I’m looking forward to #4! ...more
“Juniper & Thorn” is a very loose retelling of a German fairy tale originally called “The Juniper Tree” (it’s also sometimes known as “The Almond Tree“Juniper & Thorn” is a very loose retelling of a German fairy tale originally called “The Juniper Tree” (it’s also sometimes known as “The Almond Tree”). It was sanitized somewhat by those pesky Grimm Brothers once they picked it up and put it in their collection, but the very loose roots of this wonderful new adult (NOT young adult) dark fantasy (at times it verges close to horror fantasy but doesn’t quite get there in whole) Ava Reid has written come from a much simpler but no less horrific story involving a vengeful parent, a juniper tree, a dead child, a bird transformation, and a girl named Marlinchen. Ava Reid took the seeds (pardon the nature pun) of that story and crafted a gaslamp fantasy set in the same world of her book “The Wolf and the Woodsman” (AKA - Eastern Europe, the Caucasus Region, and Russia) that hooked me immediately, reeled me in effortlessly, and kept me on the line for the whole ride with no complaints. I was happy to read page after page of this beautifully, lovingly crafted story that brings me the beauty of a person’s first trip to the ballet (I’m a huge fan), mentions the fairy tale of “The Swan Princess”, which is the basis for my favorite ballet, “Swan Lake”, and doesn’t shy away from the darkest parts of fairy tales for the sake of wider audience appeal.
Fairy tales were initially not meant to serve as stories to entertain small children to the tune of “... and they lived happily ever after”. After all, fairies themselves weren’t considered to be good or evil. They just were. And they possessed an extreme amount of power. Fairy tales were stories meant to serve as warnings to small children about the evils and trials the world outside might put them through. They were cautionary tales. Tolkien once argued that if you were going to keep the dark parts of fairy tales from children then you shouldn’t tell them the tale at all. Do I think my 7 year-old nephew needs to hear about ritualistic cannibalism? Nope. Do I think he’d think it’s wicked cool? Right now, yeah. He’s at that age. But my niece at 7? She would’ve been terrified. That’s why I love these fairy tale and folklore retellings by authors like Ava Reid and Hannah Whitten (among others): they do their research into those original tales and the permutations of them over time, collate and matrix the tales to find out where they differ and where they’re the same, find out what works and what doesn’t so they can sort the wheat from the chaff, and then they put their own spin on the distillation of the tale. It’s the fruits of literary phylogeny.
Throughout all this meticulous storycraft, Reid’s wonderful prose shines like a diamond. She has a fantastic eye for setting a scene without lapsing into being overly descriptive. She gives us just enough of a visual outline that we can fill the rest in easily with our minds. She keeps our senses engaged: smells, tastes, colors, textures, awareness of how the body looks and moves are all kept in mind and used as part of the story in a way that reminds me a bit of Erin Morgenstern. Best of all, Reid uses her plot devices to deliver the exposition instead of using the characters themselves. This accomplishes my favorite thing: showing and not telling us what’s going on. That’s true literary magic right there.
I highly recommend it. It’s dark, violent, fantastical, romantic, tragic, whimsical, crude, and may even trigger some readers. But it’s also magical in word and deed.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for granting me early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review. ...more
This book was okay, and okay isn’t what I’m used to getting from a Willow Winters book. I think it just wasn’t the book for me because I didn’t like tThis book was okay, and okay isn’t what I’m used to getting from a Willow Winters book. I think it just wasn’t the book for me because I didn’t like the FMC, Kat. I liked Cill and Reed just fine (I actually liked Reed more than Cill), but I just couldn’t identify with Kat, and as the FMC she’s the character I’m supposed to identify with, as a reader. But I couldn’t connect with her in any way. She didn’t feel fully-formed. Her voice didn’t feel consistent to me.
The plot was cohesive and well-formed, there’s no doubt about that. And it was a good plot. I actually tend to enjoy the interplay between mafia and MCs more than books about MCs alone (although I’ll take mafia only over either of those choices). I know these books are meant to be shorter, so I wish this could’ve been its own book so the plot, characters, and relationships could have more room to breathe and develop. The stunted length of the book made every aspect of the book feel stunted by proxy.
Winters, as usual, does manage to write great dialogue and great chemistry. She’s great at suspense and great at the right kind of exposition. But I just really think I’m not the right reader to appreciate this work for what it is....more
Loading...
