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Gods & Monsters
He was an artist. She was his muse.
To everyone in town, Abel Adams was the devil's spawn, a boy who never should have been born. A monster.
To twelve year-old Evie Hart, he was just a boy with golden hair, soft t-shirts and a camera. A boy who loved taking her picture and sneaking her chocolates before dinner. A boy who made her feel special.
Despite her family's warnings, she loved him in secret for six years. They met in empty classrooms and kissed in darkened church closets. Until they couldn't.
Until the time came to choose between love and family, and Evie chose Abel.
Because their love was worth the risk. Their love was the stuff of legend.
But the thing about legends is that they are cautionary tales. They are made of choices and mistakes. And for Abel and Evie, the artist and the muse, those mistakes come in the form of lights, camera, sex.
NOTE: This is NOT a paranormal or a priest romance.
To everyone in town, Abel Adams was the devil's spawn, a boy who never should have been born. A monster.
To twelve year-old Evie Hart, he was just a boy with golden hair, soft t-shirts and a camera. A boy who loved taking her picture and sneaking her chocolates before dinner. A boy who made her feel special.
Despite her family's warnings, she loved him in secret for six years. They met in empty classrooms and kissed in darkened church closets. Until they couldn't.
Until the time came to choose between love and family, and Evie chose Abel.
Because their love was worth the risk. Their love was the stuff of legend.
But the thing about legends is that they are cautionary tales. They are made of choices and mistakes. And for Abel and Evie, the artist and the muse, those mistakes come in the form of lights, camera, sex.
NOTE: This is NOT a paranormal or a priest romance.
417 pages, ebook
First published February 18, 2018
About the author
Saffron A. Kent
33 books5,920 followersSaffron A. Kent is a USA Today Bestselling Author of Contemporary and New Adult romance.
She has an MFA in Creative Writing and she lives in New York City with her nerdy and supportive husband, along with a million and one books.
She has an MFA in Creative Writing and she lives in New York City with her nerdy and supportive husband, along with a million and one books.
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July 12, 2018
"Every day I fucking drown in you and I don’t wanna come up for air."
Don't read this review.
Especially don't read this review if you plan on picking up this book in the future.
However, if you do plan on reading this review - I will hide the spoilers, but that will not take away from the fact that I am going to be addressing a very important issue in today's reader society. Specifically, that which occurs in the New Adult / Romance genre.
→ Some of you will agree.
→ Some of you will choose to ignore it.
→ Most of you will be fucking furious.
______________
Recognition
I'm going to start this off with some facts.
A survey done in 2014 (out of 815 participants) showed that 98% of the reader-based audience that reads romance novels are female.
It's human nature to learn from external stimuli, so everytime a person picks up a book. Without a single doubt, we take away something from it. Even if it's a new word we don't understand or a scenario that we know now can be solved a certain way in life.
We are social beings. A lot of the time, what we do also affects others.
Here's something that (and I can explain this in no other way) literally makes me want to cry and throw up at the same time:
I imagine a girl, or any influential person picking up books like this one. Reading till the bitter end, and taking away that no matter how fucking toxic and unhealthy a relationship can be. It's okay to get back together with that source of toxicity in your life.
Corruption
I have experienced the toxicity that a relationship can come with and I've grown stronger from it. It can destroy every single thing, and love is a fickle thing that can make or break you as a person.
Enter our characters.
Evie Hart and Abel Adams.
We get the dichotomous retelling of Adam and Eve, as the towns princess falls for the local outcast. Leaving aside all the cliche tropes and the cringey lines, we also get their story from start to present. The time jumps can get confusing, but it's cute so we'll stick with it..right?
I started seeing the signs at about the 20% mark, folks.
It was like a chill that very eerily ran down my spine and I couldn't stop reading because for the life of me, I was hoping that this would be a story that showed how wrong love can get.
There's this quote that comes to mind now that I've read till the end page.
"You made flowers grow in my lungs, and that was beautiful... except I couldn't breathe."
I thought that this story was going to end telling the readers that it's not okay to let yourself go through an unhealthy and mentally abusive relationship because "she/he loves me and I can't live without them." However, it ended with both characters getting back together. Right there for that "Happily Ever After".
A Timeline
SPOILERS AHEAD!! PLEASE DON'T READ IF YOU PLAN ON READING THIS BOOK.
1) This may come as a surprise, but I actually started this book thinking this was going to be the best damn thing. The writing was good, the young love trope was going well, and the narration was spot on for the visual image of the characters in my head.
2) Then I saw it. Not through the characters words. Through the words from the characters father.
3) Then it became this uncomfortable feeling because I hoped this book wouldn't be exactly what it was to me.
4) Here's the argument that I told myself, Evie gets it. She sees that this is a toxic relationship. The author is indirectly showing the audience how wrong somethings can get with unhealthy and obsessive love. So I told myself that this story would end unconventionally, that even though this is their love story. It's not one that shows how beautiful love can make a person, but shows how heartbreakingly ugly it can get. Truly, it would have gotten all the stars in the galaxy if it had done that.
5) Now we see how the heroine is weak. It dragged with how tedious it was. I wanted to scream at my kindle because even after our Evie starts to understand how wrong their type of love is, she is too weak to make a stand.
6) It got near the end and we finally got Abel's point of view.
"You don’t have bad parents and do porn to get revenge. Risking as well getting pregnant. Not in a book where the writer can control the content and we’ve seen enough documentaries to know the truth. " - A Note from Tia's Amazon Review.
A Note
I really don't have any ill intent towards the author or the people who loved this book. I love that every single person in the world can read a book and perceive it in a different manner. This is my opinion. Iwanted needed to share it because that's what writing reviews is all about. I wanted to love this book. I really did.
Don't read this review.
Especially don't read this review if you plan on picking up this book in the future.
However, if you do plan on reading this review - I will hide the spoilers, but that will not take away from the fact that I am going to be addressing a very important issue in today's reader society. Specifically, that which occurs in the New Adult / Romance genre.
→ Some of you will agree.
→ Some of you will choose to ignore it.
→ Most of you will be fucking furious.
______________
Recognition
I'm going to start this off with some facts.
A survey done in 2014 (out of 815 participants) showed that 98% of the reader-based audience that reads romance novels are female.
It's human nature to learn from external stimuli, so everytime a person picks up a book. Without a single doubt, we take away something from it. Even if it's a new word we don't understand or a scenario that we know now can be solved a certain way in life.
We are social beings. A lot of the time, what we do also affects others.
Here's something that (and I can explain this in no other way) literally makes me want to cry and throw up at the same time:
I imagine a girl, or any influential person picking up books like this one. Reading till the bitter end, and taking away that no matter how fucking toxic and unhealthy a relationship can be. It's okay to get back together with that source of toxicity in your life.
Corruption
I have experienced the toxicity that a relationship can come with and I've grown stronger from it. It can destroy every single thing, and love is a fickle thing that can make or break you as a person.
Enter our characters.
Evie Hart and Abel Adams.
We get the dichotomous retelling of Adam and Eve, as the towns princess falls for the local outcast. Leaving aside all the cliche tropes and the cringey lines, we also get their story from start to present. The time jumps can get confusing, but it's cute so we'll stick with it..right?
I started seeing the signs at about the 20% mark, folks.
It was like a chill that very eerily ran down my spine and I couldn't stop reading because for the life of me, I was hoping that this would be a story that showed how wrong love can get.
There's this quote that comes to mind now that I've read till the end page.
"You made flowers grow in my lungs, and that was beautiful... except I couldn't breathe."
I thought that this story was going to end telling the readers that it's not okay to let yourself go through an unhealthy and mentally abusive relationship because "she/he loves me and I can't live without them." However, it ended with both characters getting back together. Right there for that "Happily Ever After".
A Timeline
SPOILERS AHEAD!! PLEASE DON'T READ IF YOU PLAN ON READING THIS BOOK.
1) This may come as a surprise, but I actually started this book thinking this was going to be the best damn thing. The writing was good, the young love trope was going well, and the narration was spot on for the visual image of the characters in my head.
"Abel’s watching me in a new way. I’ve never been watched like that. Like if he moved his eyes, I’d disappear and he’d never see me again."
2) Then I saw it. Not through the characters words. Through the words from the characters father.
"He used to say, don’t ever take no for an answer from the woman you love, Abel. Keep at it. She’s gonna give in eventually. She’s gonna see how much you love her.”
3) Then it became this uncomfortable feeling because I hoped this book wouldn't be exactly what it was to me.
“No, I don’t. If this is how you want sex, it’s not going to work.”
“Oh, I’m gonna wear you down, Pixie. You’ll see.”
I think he loves it when I say no.
4) Here's the argument that I told myself, Evie gets it. She sees that this is a toxic relationship. The author is indirectly showing the audience how wrong somethings can get with unhealthy and obsessive love. So I told myself that this story would end unconventionally, that even though this is their love story. It's not one that shows how beautiful love can make a person, but shows how heartbreakingly ugly it can get. Truly, it would have gotten all the stars in the galaxy if it had done that.
"In fact, even our arguments end up in sex. Especially, when I scream at him to pick up his clothes because he’s a slob, or demand that he close the door while taking a piss, as he calls it. “Boundaries, Abel!”
He laughs, finishes up his business in the bathroom and fucks me against the wall of the hallway."
5) Now we see how the heroine is weak. It dragged with how tedious it was. I wanted to scream at my kindle because even after our Evie starts to understand how wrong their type of love is, she is too weak to make a stand.
"As he opens the flap and gets it going, I realize I don’t want the camera. I don’t want Abel to tape our sex. I want him to look at me, be with me in the moment. In the next second, he thrusts inside me once again and my back arches, making my protests dissolve on my tongue."
6) It got near the end and we finally got Abel's point of view.
"I will tie her to the bed and fuck her and fuck her until she forgets everything else but me. Or until I put a baby in her and can’t run from me again."
"You don’t have bad parents and do porn to get revenge. Risking as well getting pregnant. Not in a book where the writer can control the content and we’ve seen enough documentaries to know the truth. " - A Note from Tia's Amazon Review.
A Note
I really don't have any ill intent towards the author or the people who loved this book. I love that every single person in the world can read a book and perceive it in a different manner. This is my opinion. I
February 28, 2018
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2! Gods & Monsters (stand-alone). A secret friendship & forbidden love as two star crossed lovers grow up in a small religious town with no room for extra-ordinary!
“Or maybe he’s always been a monster who looks like a god. Because only monsters love this way, crazily, insanely, madly.”
Gods & Monsters (stand-alone) is a coming of age-tale following a god-fearing girl & a boy they refer to as a monster.
Evangeline Elizabeth Hart, Evie aka Pixie met her town’s outcast, Abel David Adams aka Monster when she was only twelve years old. An unlikely friendship, a secret budding romance, a forbidden and doomed love.
Their tightknit community held many ugly secrets and offered no tolerance nor salvation for a lost boy and the girl who wanted to love him. Soon their world spirals out of control into rebellion, anger, sex and excess.
This is Abel and Evie’s journey facing fears, prejudices and painful pasts. It’s about the monsters we create, harbor and protect, which can only be conquered from within.
“This is how boys with golden hair and angry expressions crash into your life. This is how stars collide and worlds are made. This is how all the love stories start.”
Eight words to describe Abel David Adams: Protective, broken, lonely, loyal, noble, resilient, patient and unforgettable.
Seven words to describe Evangeline Elizabeth Hart, Evie aka Pixie: Compassionate, loyal, private, trusting, naïve, resilient and stubborn.
Gods & Monsters, told from dual POVs, is a beautiful and heart-felt star-crossed lovers tale about two lonely souls finding solace in each other only to be torn apart by scandal. Together they must learn survival and find purpose amidst injustice and bigotry before they can feel the healing power of love and forgiveness.
“Loving Abel Adams might be the purest and truest thing I’ll ever do.”
***
Hero: ★★★★1/2
Heroine: ★★★★1/2
Plot: ★★★★★
Storytelling: ★★★★★
Sexual tension: ★★★★★
Sex scenes: ★★★★★
Story ending: ★★★★
******************************************
OVERALL RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Angst: | HIGH FOCUS |
Darkness: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Humor: | LOW FOCUS |
Kink: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Romance: | HIGH FOCUS |
Sex frequency: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Suspense: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
ARC provided to me by author Saffron A. Kent in exchange for an honest review.
February 22, 2018
EPIC.
TRUE LOVE.
POETIC.
LOVE CONQUERS ALL.
LYRICAL.
THE STUFF OF LEGENDS.
Those are just SOME of the words that come to mind when I think of Abel and Evie's love journey. WARNING: If you are looking for a "hearts and flowers" love story that's safe, this story is NOT for you..
Gods & Monsters is about love in all of it's stages. It's not all happy and it's not all perfect. It might just bring you out of your comfort zone, it might not. But what it will do is bring you on a journey of imperfect love with Abel and Evie. I've never met characters quite like these two. And THAT is what I enjoy most about Saffron Kent's writing. I never know what to expect, and I am often left speechless. This is why I read romance. I don't want perfect and predictable. I want to experience something for the first time. I want to be taken on a ride. I want my imagination to soar. I want to feel everything the characters feel. I want to become invested in their lives. THAT is why I read romance.
Poetically written in only a style that Saffron can achieve, Gods & Monsters has taken me on a journey that I will remember for a long time. Abel and Evie's story is not for the faint of heart. Because their love is the stuff of legend.
BLURB
He was an artist. She was his muse.
To everyone in town, Abel Adams was the devil's spawn, a boy who never should have been born. A monster.
To twelve year-old Evie Hart, he was just a boy with golden hair, soft t-shirts and a camera. A boy who loved taking her picture and sneaking her chocolates before dinner. A boy who made her feel special.
Despite her family's warnings, she loved him in secret for six years. They met in empty classrooms and kissed in darkened church closets. Until they couldn't.
Until the time came to choose between love and family, and Evie chose Abel.
Because their love was worth the risk. Their love was the stuff of legend.
But the thing about legends is that they are cautionary tales. They are made of choices and mistakes. And for Abel and Evie, the artist and the muse, those mistakes come in the form of lights, camera, sex.
NOTE: This is NOT a paranormal or a priest romance.
GODS & MONSTERS IS LIVE 99C and #Free in KU!
AMAZON: http://amzn.to/2ojHSTV
TRUE LOVE.
POETIC.
LOVE CONQUERS ALL.
LYRICAL.
THE STUFF OF LEGENDS.
Those are just SOME of the words that come to mind when I think of Abel and Evie's love journey. WARNING: If you are looking for a "hearts and flowers" love story that's safe, this story is NOT for you..
Gods & Monsters is about love in all of it's stages. It's not all happy and it's not all perfect. It might just bring you out of your comfort zone, it might not. But what it will do is bring you on a journey of imperfect love with Abel and Evie. I've never met characters quite like these two. And THAT is what I enjoy most about Saffron Kent's writing. I never know what to expect, and I am often left speechless. This is why I read romance. I don't want perfect and predictable. I want to experience something for the first time. I want to be taken on a ride. I want my imagination to soar. I want to feel everything the characters feel. I want to become invested in their lives. THAT is why I read romance.
Poetically written in only a style that Saffron can achieve, Gods & Monsters has taken me on a journey that I will remember for a long time. Abel and Evie's story is not for the faint of heart. Because their love is the stuff of legend.
BLURB
He was an artist. She was his muse.
To everyone in town, Abel Adams was the devil's spawn, a boy who never should have been born. A monster.
To twelve year-old Evie Hart, he was just a boy with golden hair, soft t-shirts and a camera. A boy who loved taking her picture and sneaking her chocolates before dinner. A boy who made her feel special.
Despite her family's warnings, she loved him in secret for six years. They met in empty classrooms and kissed in darkened church closets. Until they couldn't.
Until the time came to choose between love and family, and Evie chose Abel.
Because their love was worth the risk. Their love was the stuff of legend.
But the thing about legends is that they are cautionary tales. They are made of choices and mistakes. And for Abel and Evie, the artist and the muse, those mistakes come in the form of lights, camera, sex.
NOTE: This is NOT a paranormal or a priest romance.
GODS & MONSTERS IS LIVE 99C and #Free in KU!
AMAZON: http://amzn.to/2ojHSTV
May 15, 2020
3.75
This is one of the hardest reviews I've ever had to write. I thought about Gods & Monsters for days after reading it. Never have I had this much difficulty deciding how I felt about a book. I'm still not sure I know. I've been desperately trying to figure out how to articulate my feelings about it, so that maybe you guys could get some sense of them in my review without winding up as confused as I am. Lol Here goes nothing!
Abel Adams' parents are a local legend in their hometown. His parents are first cousins that grew up together like siblings in the same household. To the horror of everyone who knew them, they fell in love with each other. Abel is the product of their love, so when he is forced to move back to the place where everyone knows about their incestuous romance after their death, people are less than welcoming. Adults and children alike treat him as if he is the devil incarnate...everyone except Evie Hart.
"As I look down at him and his intense expression, I realize this is the big bang. This is how boys with golden hair and angry expressions crash into your life. This is how stars collide and worlds are made. This is how love stories start."
Evie is a twelve year old girl that lives next door to Abel's new guardian. From the moment she lays eyes on Abel, she feels inexplicably drawn to him. He has similiar feelings, but Evie's mother forbid her from even speaking to him. Eventually, they find a way to be friends in secret, and later, something more. The love that develops between them is electric and all consuming. It's like torture not to be able to be together at school and to have to hide their feelings from everyone.
Abel is 2 years older than Evie, so he leaves high school at the end of her sophmore year. Not only that, he moves across town leaving them with little opportunity to connect save a cell phone he bought her to keep in contact with him. This obviously isn't ideal, and you can't keep that kind of love hidden forever. It's bound to come out eventually, and one day, it does. That's when all hell breaks loose.
Gods & Monsters is a tale of forbidden love unlike anything I've ever read. It's originality is one thing nobody can dispute. You may think you know the kind of story it's going to be in the beginning, but I promise you, you're wrong.
This story goes in a direction I don't think anyone will see coming, and that is one of the biggest issues I think people might have with it. At times, it seems like it's almost another book. I actually would have preferred it that way. I wish my Abel and Evie had a different story. I hated what they did in the name of revenge and rebellion. I felt it cheapened their love and made everyone they were trying to prove wrong...right. It also seemed incredibly immature. Evie looked like a naive child being manipulated by a Abel, and Abel appeared to be a different person then we were lead to believe he was.
Don't get me wrong, if these were other character's we were talking about, I probably would have been down with the second half of the book, but it's not. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean it doesn't make any sense. Trying not to spoil this book is insanely hard right now, so bear with me! Lol I know people in my personal life that grew up and did things I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams. They turned into completely different people. Things that happened to them in their childhood were sometimes partially responsible and sometimes, I couldn't fathom the reason for their behavior.
The people Evie and Abel encounter doing the same thing they are all have stories. Why would anyone decide to do these things? I'm sure some of them have crazy stories like Abel and Evie. Fucked up family life, abuse, repression, being young, immature, confused, and not knowing how to deal with it all when you're set free into the world as an adult is probably the reason for many of them. They are people just like you and I. Everyone has a beginning.
Before I finish my review, I want to address another issue people might have with the book. The relationship between Evie and Abel can be viewed as extremely unhealthy. The love they share is so passionate that they can barely breathe without the other. They live for one another. Abel is very manipulative like I said before though I don't even think he means to be. He is almost obsessed with Evie, and she is with him. That being said, there are people out there in this world with similiar relationships. Some people end them which most would think is the smart thing to do, but some don't. It's the simple truth.
"In my wake, my husband shouts my name over and over. It's loud, tortured. It's a howl. It's the big bang. And I can't help but think that maybe this is how hearts die and all love stories come to an end."
Does this book send a good message to young girls or women in similiar situations? Not really, but I don't think every work of fiction has to. I also think only adults should be reading this book. That's just my opinion. People don't read dark romance, and then say, well, that doesn't set a good example. Of course it doesn't. That's not to say that I think people that hold an opposing point of view are wrong. I don't. We are all entitled to an opinion. This just happens to be mine.
This is a story I'll likely never forget. The writing itself is phenomenal. I fell in love with Saffron's writing style so much that I'll probably be reading whatever else she decides to publish. I stayed up all night long until 5 in the morning trying to read this book straight through, because I just couldn't put it down. I didn't care that I would be a zombie the next day. I needed to know what was going to happen to Evie and Abel in the end. That's great writing, folks! I didn't like all the talk about God etc. when sex was involved, but I know some people like that. I just want to add that in, because it was one aspect of the story I hated.
I applaud Saffron for being brave enough to write a story like this one. She had to know reader reception could go either way, but she wrote it anyway. I respect that. If you're at all curious about this book, you should read it! Nobody can tell you how you're going to feel about a book without question. Be your own judge! Happy reading!
ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is one of the hardest reviews I've ever had to write. I thought about Gods & Monsters for days after reading it. Never have I had this much difficulty deciding how I felt about a book. I'm still not sure I know. I've been desperately trying to figure out how to articulate my feelings about it, so that maybe you guys could get some sense of them in my review without winding up as confused as I am. Lol Here goes nothing!
Abel Adams' parents are a local legend in their hometown. His parents are first cousins that grew up together like siblings in the same household. To the horror of everyone who knew them, they fell in love with each other. Abel is the product of their love, so when he is forced to move back to the place where everyone knows about their incestuous romance after their death, people are less than welcoming. Adults and children alike treat him as if he is the devil incarnate...everyone except Evie Hart.
"As I look down at him and his intense expression, I realize this is the big bang. This is how boys with golden hair and angry expressions crash into your life. This is how stars collide and worlds are made. This is how love stories start."
Evie is a twelve year old girl that lives next door to Abel's new guardian. From the moment she lays eyes on Abel, she feels inexplicably drawn to him. He has similiar feelings, but Evie's mother forbid her from even speaking to him. Eventually, they find a way to be friends in secret, and later, something more. The love that develops between them is electric and all consuming. It's like torture not to be able to be together at school and to have to hide their feelings from everyone.
Abel is 2 years older than Evie, so he leaves high school at the end of her sophmore year. Not only that, he moves across town leaving them with little opportunity to connect save a cell phone he bought her to keep in contact with him. This obviously isn't ideal, and you can't keep that kind of love hidden forever. It's bound to come out eventually, and one day, it does. That's when all hell breaks loose.
Gods & Monsters is a tale of forbidden love unlike anything I've ever read. It's originality is one thing nobody can dispute. You may think you know the kind of story it's going to be in the beginning, but I promise you, you're wrong.
This story goes in a direction I don't think anyone will see coming, and that is one of the biggest issues I think people might have with it. At times, it seems like it's almost another book. I actually would have preferred it that way. I wish my Abel and Evie had a different story. I hated what they did in the name of revenge and rebellion. I felt it cheapened their love and made everyone they were trying to prove wrong...right. It also seemed incredibly immature. Evie looked like a naive child being manipulated by a Abel, and Abel appeared to be a different person then we were lead to believe he was.
Don't get me wrong, if these were other character's we were talking about, I probably would have been down with the second half of the book, but it's not. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean it doesn't make any sense. Trying not to spoil this book is insanely hard right now, so bear with me! Lol I know people in my personal life that grew up and did things I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams. They turned into completely different people. Things that happened to them in their childhood were sometimes partially responsible and sometimes, I couldn't fathom the reason for their behavior.
The people Evie and Abel encounter doing the same thing they are all have stories. Why would anyone decide to do these things? I'm sure some of them have crazy stories like Abel and Evie. Fucked up family life, abuse, repression, being young, immature, confused, and not knowing how to deal with it all when you're set free into the world as an adult is probably the reason for many of them. They are people just like you and I. Everyone has a beginning.
Before I finish my review, I want to address another issue people might have with the book. The relationship between Evie and Abel can be viewed as extremely unhealthy. The love they share is so passionate that they can barely breathe without the other. They live for one another. Abel is very manipulative like I said before though I don't even think he means to be. He is almost obsessed with Evie, and she is with him. That being said, there are people out there in this world with similiar relationships. Some people end them which most would think is the smart thing to do, but some don't. It's the simple truth.
"In my wake, my husband shouts my name over and over. It's loud, tortured. It's a howl. It's the big bang. And I can't help but think that maybe this is how hearts die and all love stories come to an end."
Does this book send a good message to young girls or women in similiar situations? Not really, but I don't think every work of fiction has to. I also think only adults should be reading this book. That's just my opinion. People don't read dark romance, and then say, well, that doesn't set a good example. Of course it doesn't. That's not to say that I think people that hold an opposing point of view are wrong. I don't. We are all entitled to an opinion. This just happens to be mine.
This is a story I'll likely never forget. The writing itself is phenomenal. I fell in love with Saffron's writing style so much that I'll probably be reading whatever else she decides to publish. I stayed up all night long until 5 in the morning trying to read this book straight through, because I just couldn't put it down. I didn't care that I would be a zombie the next day. I needed to know what was going to happen to Evie and Abel in the end. That's great writing, folks! I didn't like all the talk about God etc. when sex was involved, but I know some people like that. I just want to add that in, because it was one aspect of the story I hated.
I applaud Saffron for being brave enough to write a story like this one. She had to know reader reception could go either way, but she wrote it anyway. I respect that. If you're at all curious about this book, you should read it! Nobody can tell you how you're going to feel about a book without question. Be your own judge! Happy reading!
ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
February 16, 2018
GODS & MONSTERS: is a standalone, full length, New Adult romance novel by Saffron A. Kent. In this we meet Evangeline aka Evie Hart & Abel Adams.
I’m not afraid of monsters. Not even when I was little and my mom used to say that if I ate chocolate before dinner, the monster under my bed would come get me. So, when I was five decided that if I ever met a monster, I’d give him a piece of my choral ate and tell him to stop trying to be scary.
This starts off with twelve year old Evie, the town princess, a tomboy growing up with a strict mother, she aspires of becoming a writer one day, whilst sitting in her tree house she writes about her day and other things that took her fancy that day. She lives in a small town called Prophetstown in Iowa, where everyone knows everyone. Until a young broody, angry boy moves in with the towns outcast, he’s the the devils spawn and his name is Abel Adams.
There are two things that defines this small town, their church and the legend of David Adams and Delilah Evans. As legend goes these two shared a secret love, Delilah fell pregnant and was locked away, they were gong to put David away too but they both ran away together, but due to this townsfolk have hated them since, but the true scandal was Delilah was David and Peters first cousin, she came to live with them when both her parents died so she grew up with these two boys. Everyone treated them like siblings not cousins. so when Delilah and David fell in love it was a huge scandal.
And that baby? People called it an abomination. The devil’s spawn. They said only monsters could be created from a love like David and Delilah’s.
Hidden under a cloak of deceit from the township and her parents an unlikely friendship ensues, they meet up in her treehouse and form such an unlikely bond, this goes on for years until their secret is out and it all comes crashing down around their ears.
What happens when history repeats itself? Like thieves in the night just like Delilah and David, Evie and Abel take off heading for New York.
Once we hit that second part of the story that's where things turn a wee bit crazy, takes you down a path I didn't see coming, I personally didn't think it fitted in with the book, where I'd grown to like Abels character in the beginning I found I was leaning towards a hard dislike for his manipulative, destructive ways where he'd overpower Evie in every decision.
This book here was one of my most highly anticipated books, I needed, wanted this in my life, and couldn't wait to get my hands on it, so when it came to rating this book I was in turmoil, and because of that this review has been playing on repeat in my mind (like groundhog day), simmering away in the background, I originally gave this 3 stars, but bouncing off my thoughts to a blogger who had read this also I found that I had more dislikes for this than likes and have decided to rate it accordingly. I really really loved the beginning of this, the middle yeah I don't know what to say about that, the ending also left me a wee bit deflated which is explained in more detail below.
Within the darkness of a closed minded town, a town so shrouded in hatred towards the Adam's family an innocent child suffers the brunt of their hatred. But through the darkness an unlikely friendship occurs. This is where all the feels came rushing at me.
If you've not read the book DO NOT GO ANY FURTHER!!
Don't take my review as gospel because so many others loved this, there were aspects of this book that I truly loved but others where I didn't.. Will this be the last I read by this author? HELL NO!!
February 12, 2018
I had previously read THE UNREQUITED by this author a while back and LOVED it. So when I saw she had a new book being released I pretty much broke my finger hitting the request button. And again history has repeated itself. I LOVED this one as well. Did it blow me away as much as THE UNREQUITED did? Well not QUITE as much, no. But it was still a fantastic read.
The writing was phenomenal. The pace (for the most part) was perfect. The plot was engaging. It was well developed. It was multi-layered. It was heartbreaking. It was sweet. It was sexy. It was angsty. It had anger. It had pain. It had a ton of feels. It had redemption. The story is divided into three parts THE SIN that comprises the first 38% of the book and spans the ages of 12-18 (for the heroine) and 14-20 (for the hero). I loved this part. Watching these two kids fall in love. The discrimination aimed at Abel broke my heart. I hated that town with a passion. But even among the weeds, we got glimpses of some good caring people. Part two is THE FALL and it covers 38% - 81%. I found this part a bit slow. Nothing too bad as I was still thoroughly enthralled with the story. This is where the sexy times start. The characters grow more complex. My heart broke for each of them because the writing was on the wall and like the title implied they were headed for a fall. The last part is THE LEGAND and this was my favorite part of the book. It was super emotional. Heartbreaking. Abel's pain as he realized what he had done was agonizing. It dripped from the pages. It broke my heart. But out of that pain rose two stronger young people. A stronger couple. And the ending for me was simply perfect.
~HERO~
ABEL...I ADORED him. He was pretty much perfect book boyfriend material. He was sweet. He was sexy. The way he was treated by the people of this town broke my heart. I wanted to hug him. I wanted to be his friend. He adored his "PIXIE" right from the start. His love for her was epic. But also obsessive. He was a very complex character. He had demons and resentment. He had this anger that at times I thought maybe the author was going in the direction of making him abusive. I struggled a bit with his character in part two. His decisions. His behavior. At times I wanted to shake him and yell "What are you doing??!!" He killed me in the last 20%. Like I said above his pain and realization at what he had done oozed off the pages. He was an amazing hero.
~HEROINE~
PIXIE (EVIE)...I ADORED Pixie as well. She was feisty. She was sweet. She wore her heart on her sleeve. She had her own demons in the form of her mother. She loved Abel with everything she had. She never wavered in that love. But she wasn't a doormat and when a tough decision needed to be made, she acted even if it was tearing her heart to pieces. She was mature beyond her years.
~SECONDARY CHARACTERS~
There were quite a few secondary characters. Although none really play a HUGE part in the book, they all added a good layer of depth to the story. I LOATHED Evie's parents. Especially her Mom, but her Dad was NO better in my opinion. I loved Evie's friend Skylar and call me crazy but I kind of liked Duke as well. I feel like maybe there is a story needing to be told for Duke and Sky!
~HEAT LEVEL~
Medium. The sex scenes were hot and there were a good number of them through the second part of the book. Both were virgins so there was never any condoms used. I did feel at times that Abel sounded like someone with a lot more sexual experience. The dirty talking, etc. But OK, he watched a lot of porn I guess (lol).
~ANGST LEVEL~
High. This was a fairly angsty book. Most of it coming from outside sources (the town and parents) in part one. In part two and three the angst comes from the couple themselves. Their behavior and decisions. There was never any OW or OM drama.
~IN THE END~
I loved it. It was an amazing read. Fantastic well developed plot. Intriguing multi-layered characters. Heartbreak. Pain. Feels. Redemption. An epic coming of age love story that I can't recommend highly enough. This author has earned herself a firm place on my "must read" list. I can't wait to see what she has up her sleeve for is next. Yours truly is giving this one two HUGE thumbs up.
February 22, 2018
4 stars!!!
Gods & Monsters is my first Saffron Kent book, and she wow’d me with her writing. Seriously, this woman can write! I am so impressed. I absolutely loved the writing style, and I want to go back and read her other books asap!
This is the story of first love. Able Adams and Evie Hart first meet when they are just kids. They become friends, and with time, fall in love. Because of Abel’s parents, he is the town’s ‘monster’. Their town is very traditional and that’s just the way it is.
Evie and Abel are both complicated characters, Abel especially. Anytime I got frustrated with choices he made, I remembered why he was the way he was. All that he went thorough growing up. And always, always, always- I felt that his heart was in the right place. He loved his Pixie wholly. Evie was a character I adored. She has the biggest heart and I loved that she loved with her entire heart.
I love that passionate, all consuming, I’d die without you, kind of love in books. Gods & Monsters had that in spades. It was also angsty and my heart was in my throat a good part of the book, especially towards the end. Evie and Abel loved each other in a way that wasn’t always healthy- and I think that it’s important to point that out. But I felt like the author handled it in a good way, and I liked the way she ended the story. I like that both of the main characters changed. Love changes people. People who fall in love and grow up together, it’s a different kind of love then meeting and falling in love when you’re older and more mature, and this story reflects that.
I’m going to reiterate for just a second how fabulous I thought Saffron’s writing was. I was addicted to the way she told the story. Her writing kept me engaged, even when the story wasn’t 100% working for me. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again- I love this woman’s writing style!
Phenomenal writing and a story full of angst, heart ache, loss, love, and finding yourself, Gods & Monsters was a great read for me. Recommended for all lovers of angsty reads and first loves!
Gods & Monsters is my first Saffron Kent book, and she wow’d me with her writing. Seriously, this woman can write! I am so impressed. I absolutely loved the writing style, and I want to go back and read her other books asap!
This is the story of first love. Able Adams and Evie Hart first meet when they are just kids. They become friends, and with time, fall in love. Because of Abel’s parents, he is the town’s ‘monster’. Their town is very traditional and that’s just the way it is.
There are two things that define this town: our church, the tallest and oldest building, and the legend. The legend of David Adams and Delilah Evans.Evie doesn’t care that being with Abel is forbidden, she loves him desperately, and he loves her back the same way. I loved that they loved each other so strongly, and it seemed that nothing could tear them apart. Even though Evie’s family and the entire town would go against Evie if she were to openly be with Abel, she didn’t care. She loved him that much. Their love was strong enough to get through anything… or so they thought.
Evie and Abel are both complicated characters, Abel especially. Anytime I got frustrated with choices he made, I remembered why he was the way he was. All that he went thorough growing up. And always, always, always- I felt that his heart was in the right place. He loved his Pixie wholly. Evie was a character I adored. She has the biggest heart and I loved that she loved with her entire heart.
“Look at us… that’s our love. It’s so huge, so big you can’t contain it. It’s all-consuming. It fucking hurts to love this much but you want that hurt to crawl in. Because the love feels so good. You and me, we’ve got no choice but to ache, Pixie.”
I love that passionate, all consuming, I’d die without you, kind of love in books. Gods & Monsters had that in spades. It was also angsty and my heart was in my throat a good part of the book, especially towards the end. Evie and Abel loved each other in a way that wasn’t always healthy- and I think that it’s important to point that out. But I felt like the author handled it in a good way, and I liked the way she ended the story. I like that both of the main characters changed. Love changes people. People who fall in love and grow up together, it’s a different kind of love then meeting and falling in love when you’re older and more mature, and this story reflects that.
I’m going to reiterate for just a second how fabulous I thought Saffron’s writing was. I was addicted to the way she told the story. Her writing kept me engaged, even when the story wasn’t 100% working for me. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again- I love this woman’s writing style!
Phenomenal writing and a story full of angst, heart ache, loss, love, and finding yourself, Gods & Monsters was a great read for me. Recommended for all lovers of angsty reads and first loves!
August 10, 2020
Rating
4.5 ‘a princess for a monster’ 🌟
Song Recommendation
Kalank with English translation provided in the linked video!
These lyrics when they are talking about love always plays with my heartstrings! And it connects me to Abel and Pixie’s story is an indescribable way since their love story was doomed from the start by the people in their town who didn’t understand the passion and purity of their love.
Duniya ki nazron mein yeh rog hai
In the eyes of the world, it is like a disease
Ho jinko who jaane ye jog hai
The ones who fall in it understand that it is like yoga/meditation
Ik tarfa shayad ho dil ka bharam
If it is one-sided, then it might be the illusion of one’s heart
Do tarfa hai toh yeh sanjog hai
But if it is on both sides, then it’s destiny
Huye re khud se paraaye
We have become unknown to our own selves
Hum kisi se naina jod ke
After striking a gaze with someone else
Review
**This review might contain mild spoilers.**
Just like every book from this author, this book also has the angsty romance, swoon-worthy chemistry, and the toe-curling passion! But unlike other SAK books that I’ve read so far (and I have read all except A War Like Ours), this book had more character development while the MCs are in a relationship. Abel and Pixie have known since their adolescence that they are it for each other and have fought very hard to save their love from the world. We see them grow as a couple more than any other SAK couple because Abel and Pixie are in a relationship from very early on in the book.
But that’s not why I love this book so much. I love this book as much as I do because of the message it delivers and I only hope it touches every reader in the way it touched me. But before we get to the message, you need to know the plot.
The plot of this book revolves around Abel Adams and Evangeline 'Pixie' Hart and their all-consuming and intense love story that starts when they first lay eyes on each other while Abel is 14 years old and Pixie is 12 years old. But their town is not supportive of their connection because a princess doesn’t end up with a monster.
Pixie is considered the princess because of her popular and strict parents who are very involved in their community and Pixie is asked to behave like a polite and docile daughter to uphold her family’s reputation in the community. While Abel is unfairly known as the monster in the town when he moves there at the tender age of 14. All because of who his parents were. His parents, David and Delilah, were cousins who married each other because they loved each other. So when Abel has to move to this town after his parents died, the people in the town are not accepting of him. And so Abel and Pixie’s story is doomed from the start.
So now we get to the message! Because my words are shit, I will just let SAK do the work to express the message.
No one is either good or bad, not until they come in contact with other people. Only then, a man takes shape and becomes something, a monster or a god. Often times, both.
That’s the beauty of being a human. You can be whatever you want to be. You can be touched by things: anger, hate, envy, love, lust. You can forgive, forget, hold on, let go. You can do anything; there are endless possibilities.
And I hate that the community of their town took away those possibilities from Abel and made him a monster in their eyes. I hate how young Abel’s innocence and soul had to be burdened by the sins, according to the town, of his parents when his parents only wanted to cherish the rarity of their love.
Why is it so easy for people to hate but not to understand? Why is it so easy to judge and conclude but not to take a second to listen? Probably because they are afraid of realizing how similar they are to the things they hate. How similar they are to the monsters they are so fucking afraid of.
These spoke to my soul in volumes and the words resonate in me because SAK’s writing gives words to my feelings on how I conceive people’s judgements. And I keep asking myself, too, that why is it so easy for people to hate but not to understand?
The next reason why I loved this book so much were the characters.
Abel Adams. This man. This 'angry at the world, loud in his actions, passionate in his dedication towards Pixie, scorching filthy in his love confessions, and all-consuming in his loyalty to Pixie' man won my heart at the end. I can’t put into words his unwavering love for Pixie so I will let SAK’s words do the work for me again.
HOW? HOW DO I FALL IN LOVE WITH A MAN IN REAL LIFE WHEN SOMEONE LIKE ABEL ADAMS EXISTS IN THE FICTIONAL REALM?
Gushing aside, I’m glad he has his Pixie to love him like he deserves and so he can love her like she deserves. She is such an amazingly layered character. She is the soft to his hard. She is the soothing to his wounds delivered by the critical world. She is the patience to his loud actions and anger. She completes him. And again, I employ SAK’s words to show her unwavering love for Abel.
In conclusion about their love story, yes, it is obsessive and all-consuming and intense, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Moving on to the most controversial part about this book, the development of plot!
**Rest of the review contains major spoilers.**
I have to admit, I loved their intense connection from the beginning and their efforts to save their love from their harsh community, but I wasn’t really connecting with the characters. And then they eloped and married each other, and I wasn’t quite fazed by it.
And then, the sex tapes happened. I was losing hope for this book because this was unexpected. They give life to their fantasy of saying fuck you to anyone who stopped their love from blossoming in their community by creating sex tapes to be posted online on a porn site. I’m okay with this, but just a little taken aback at the direction this was going.
But then a miracle happened and it clicked with me!
I understood their need to take this step in their relationship. Their love and connection has always been oppressed in their community when it was the only thing that mattered to them. They wanted to give voice to their love, they wanted to express it in broad daylight and not just in dark places, and I get that. When you have something so special, you want to showcase it and be proud of it and be loud about it. But Abel and Pixie don’t get this privilege in their community.
So as a revenge, they create these sex tapes after eloping to New York City to showcase their love and I didn’t have a problem with it. Their reasons resonated with me, but I still appreciated that Pixie had the moment of realization that they don’t need to create sex tapes anymore to get back at the world and instead should focus on forgiveness to dissolve the cloud of revenge and darkness that always follows them.
And it led to some major character development that honestly made this book what it is for me. Initially, I thought Pixie was strong because of her unwavering love and loyalty for Abel and I liked Abel’s possessive of their love and wanting to be always be there for Pixie. They were dependent on each other and have been joined at the hip ever since they were young so I loved the separation!
I applaud Pixie for having that strength to separate herself from Abel to make him understand the importance of forgiveness for their child. For wanting to stop the history’s cycle from repeating itself. For being brave enough to take that step for their child and become independent so their child isn’t burdened by their actions like how they were burdened by their parent’s actions.
This review is getting out of hand so let me wrap up. If you are fazed by the actions of the characters and the direction the plot takes, hang in there because IMO it gets better and it leads to amazing and much needed character development. The writing is fabulous as always, the whirlwind romance is heart touching, and the message this book delivers through Abel and Pixie will stay with me for a long time to come.
If you made it this far in the review, here is a glimpse of how swoon-worthy Abel is.
4.5 ‘a princess for a monster’ 🌟
Song Recommendation
Kalank with English translation provided in the linked video!
These lyrics when they are talking about love always plays with my heartstrings! And it connects me to Abel and Pixie’s story is an indescribable way since their love story was doomed from the start by the people in their town who didn’t understand the passion and purity of their love.
Duniya ki nazron mein yeh rog hai
In the eyes of the world, it is like a disease
Ho jinko who jaane ye jog hai
The ones who fall in it understand that it is like yoga/meditation
Ik tarfa shayad ho dil ka bharam
If it is one-sided, then it might be the illusion of one’s heart
Do tarfa hai toh yeh sanjog hai
But if it is on both sides, then it’s destiny
Huye re khud se paraaye
We have become unknown to our own selves
Hum kisi se naina jod ke
After striking a gaze with someone else
Review
**This review might contain mild spoilers.**
Just like every book from this author, this book also has the angsty romance, swoon-worthy chemistry, and the toe-curling passion! But unlike other SAK books that I’ve read so far (and I have read all except A War Like Ours), this book had more character development while the MCs are in a relationship. Abel and Pixie have known since their adolescence that they are it for each other and have fought very hard to save their love from the world. We see them grow as a couple more than any other SAK couple because Abel and Pixie are in a relationship from very early on in the book.
But that’s not why I love this book so much. I love this book as much as I do because of the message it delivers and I only hope it touches every reader in the way it touched me. But before we get to the message, you need to know the plot.
The plot of this book revolves around Abel Adams and Evangeline 'Pixie' Hart and their all-consuming and intense love story that starts when they first lay eyes on each other while Abel is 14 years old and Pixie is 12 years old. But their town is not supportive of their connection because a princess doesn’t end up with a monster.
Pixie is considered the princess because of her popular and strict parents who are very involved in their community and Pixie is asked to behave like a polite and docile daughter to uphold her family’s reputation in the community. While Abel is unfairly known as the monster in the town when he moves there at the tender age of 14. All because of who his parents were. His parents, David and Delilah, were cousins who married each other because they loved each other. So when Abel has to move to this town after his parents died, the people in the town are not accepting of him. And so Abel and Pixie’s story is doomed from the start.
So now we get to the message! Because my words are shit, I will just let SAK do the work to express the message.
No one is either good or bad, not until they come in contact with other people. Only then, a man takes shape and becomes something, a monster or a god. Often times, both.
That’s the beauty of being a human. You can be whatever you want to be. You can be touched by things: anger, hate, envy, love, lust. You can forgive, forget, hold on, let go. You can do anything; there are endless possibilities.
And I hate that the community of their town took away those possibilities from Abel and made him a monster in their eyes. I hate how young Abel’s innocence and soul had to be burdened by the sins, according to the town, of his parents when his parents only wanted to cherish the rarity of their love.
Why is it so easy for people to hate but not to understand? Why is it so easy to judge and conclude but not to take a second to listen? Probably because they are afraid of realizing how similar they are to the things they hate. How similar they are to the monsters they are so fucking afraid of.
These spoke to my soul in volumes and the words resonate in me because SAK’s writing gives words to my feelings on how I conceive people’s judgements. And I keep asking myself, too, that why is it so easy for people to hate but not to understand?
The next reason why I loved this book so much were the characters.
Abel Adams. This man. This 'angry at the world, loud in his actions, passionate in his dedication towards Pixie, scorching filthy in his love confessions, and all-consuming in his loyalty to Pixie' man won my heart at the end. I can’t put into words his unwavering love for Pixie so I will let SAK’s words do the work for me again.
They don’t know, you see. They don’t understand my Abel. They don’t understand that when a boy with enough heat to burn the sun falls in love with a girl, he torches the whole world.
I’m gonna take care of you, you know that, right? I’ll always take care of you. You’re mine now, okay? Mine. My reason. My life. My purpose.”
“That’s our love. It’s so huge, so big you can’t contain it. It’s all-consuming. It fucking hurts to love this much but you want that hurt to crawl in. Because the love feels so good. You and me, we’ve got no choice but to ache, Pixie.”
“If you want a different world, Pixie, I’ll build it with my own hands. I’ll build the ground, the sky, the fucking stars. I’ll build you an entire universe.”
HOW? HOW DO I FALL IN LOVE WITH A MAN IN REAL LIFE WHEN SOMEONE LIKE ABEL ADAMS EXISTS IN THE FICTIONAL REALM?
Gushing aside, I’m glad he has his Pixie to love him like he deserves and so he can love her like she deserves. She is such an amazingly layered character. She is the soft to his hard. She is the soothing to his wounds delivered by the critical world. She is the patience to his loud actions and anger. She completes him. And again, I employ SAK’s words to show her unwavering love for Abel.
Purpose. Yeah, that’s the word. That’s what I feel for him. He’s my purpose. My purpose to live, to love, to cherish. To give.
I want to nurture him, soothe away his pain, clutch him to my body and never leave. I want to give him everything. I want to obey him because it gives me pleasure. I was designed that way. For him.
That the way we love, crazily, madly, without limitations, is okay. Loving Abel like this is not a sin. Loving Abel Adams might be the purest and truest thing I’ll ever do.
Now, it’s time to tell the man I love, the man I trust with my heart and soul, that I want to be his forever. In this life and the next, and the one after that. In all my lives, I want to be Abel’s Pixie.
In conclusion about their love story, yes, it is obsessive and all-consuming and intense, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Moving on to the most controversial part about this book, the development of plot!
**Rest of the review contains major spoilers.**
I have to admit, I loved their intense connection from the beginning and their efforts to save their love from their harsh community, but I wasn’t really connecting with the characters. And then they eloped and married each other, and I wasn’t quite fazed by it.
And then, the sex tapes happened. I was losing hope for this book because this was unexpected. They give life to their fantasy of saying fuck you to anyone who stopped their love from blossoming in their community by creating sex tapes to be posted online on a porn site. I’m okay with this, but just a little taken aback at the direction this was going.
But then a miracle happened and it clicked with me!
In this room, we take back what we lost. Our power. The time we spent apart.
I understood their need to take this step in their relationship. Their love and connection has always been oppressed in their community when it was the only thing that mattered to them. They wanted to give voice to their love, they wanted to express it in broad daylight and not just in dark places, and I get that. When you have something so special, you want to showcase it and be proud of it and be loud about it. But Abel and Pixie don’t get this privilege in their community.
So as a revenge, they create these sex tapes after eloping to New York City to showcase their love and I didn’t have a problem with it. Their reasons resonated with me, but I still appreciated that Pixie had the moment of realization that they don’t need to create sex tapes anymore to get back at the world and instead should focus on forgiveness to dissolve the cloud of revenge and darkness that always follows them.
And it led to some major character development that honestly made this book what it is for me. Initially, I thought Pixie was strong because of her unwavering love and loyalty for Abel and I liked Abel’s possessive of their love and wanting to be always be there for Pixie. They were dependent on each other and have been joined at the hip ever since they were young so I loved the separation!
I applaud Pixie for having that strength to separate herself from Abel to make him understand the importance of forgiveness for their child. For wanting to stop the history’s cycle from repeating itself. For being brave enough to take that step for their child and become independent so their child isn’t burdened by their actions like how they were burdened by their parent’s actions.
This review is getting out of hand so let me wrap up. If you are fazed by the actions of the characters and the direction the plot takes, hang in there because IMO it gets better and it leads to amazing and much needed character development. The writing is fabulous as always, the whirlwind romance is heart touching, and the message this book delivers through Abel and Pixie will stay with me for a long time to come.
If you made it this far in the review, here is a glimpse of how swoon-worthy Abel is.
Is there anything godlier than this? Is there anything more peaceful, more terrifying, more humbling than kneeling in front of the mother of your child?
February 23, 2018
First of all, that cover tho…
I’m gonna say that it was a great representation of Abel. He was absolutely yummy and that cover was just the cherry on top of his delicious sundae.
I haven’t read anything from Saffron A. Kent before and while I ponder why this is a fact, I realize that I’ll definitely be reading more of her in the future. Why? Because I can tell that this book is going to strike up much debate and controversy in the romance reader community.
I don’t read reviews of a book until I’ve read it. Usually. If I’m reading a book, I typically wait until after I’ve posted my review before reading others. But something drew my attention early and I’m seeing a definite mix of opinions. So I think I’m right in predicting the tenor of many conversations about this book upon its release.
As for me, I enjoyed the heck out of this story. It’s divided into three parts and includes some time jumps to help move it along. At first, we’re introduced to Evie and the dynamic of her family. She’s a tomboy whose mother would prefer a little lady. Every indiscretion is paid for fiercely by her mother’s punishments while her father stands idly by. Abel is introduced as the boy who moves in next door. His family is seen as the product of evil and he’s the spawn of satan himself. Evie is ordered to not even look upon him, but Abel is impossible to resist. Soon enough, these two are sneaking around to be friends and then their beautiful story finally begins.
It’s sometimes hard to find the beauty within the pain, but this young couple seemed to have a lot of experience doing exactly that. When things come to a head, Evie has a choice to make - toe the line as her parents demand or create a new life with Abel. Of course she chose sweet Abel. Part II starts and that’s where the story got a bit wonky. Read the book to find out what I’m talking about here.
To sum it up:
Part I - I fell in love with these characters. The dynamic of the small town of ignorant people and these two kids that desperately wanted to break free of the judgment was enough to snag my attention. Factor in their evolving feelings, their coming-of-age development, and their hopes and dreams, and it seemed like this story was magic in the making.
Part II - I had no clue what this was really about. I get injecting some other form of life in a story but this came out of left field for me. I started having doubts about the characters and about my own understanding of what this book was about. Abel became a different person, more aggressive and dominant, and Evie was stuck in a juvenile vortex of immature indecision and non-verbal communication.
Part III - I needed more. After the upheaval of emotions caused by the previous part, I needed a better resolution. This book had so many characteristics to make it a five-star read, but the idiosyncrasy of the last two parts threw me off and I was hoping for an epilogue. I think these characters and their story needed more closure than the abrupt ending provided.
What I have concluded after reading this story is that Saffron A. Kent can freaking write. I regret not reading her earlier works, which is something I’ll be fixing as soon as I possibly can. While this story tackled issues and beliefs that you would hope wouldn’t still stand true in today’s climate, but unfortunately do, it was about two young kids falling in love despite the odds and finding themselves in the process.
Release: Feb. 22, 2018 | Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance | POV: Primarily the heroine - 1st person | Heat: 4 out of 5 | Standalone
Check out the Release Blitz! http://bit.ly/2EKT1rP
I’m gonna say that it was a great representation of Abel. He was absolutely yummy and that cover was just the cherry on top of his delicious sundae.
I haven’t read anything from Saffron A. Kent before and while I ponder why this is a fact, I realize that I’ll definitely be reading more of her in the future. Why? Because I can tell that this book is going to strike up much debate and controversy in the romance reader community.
I don’t read reviews of a book until I’ve read it. Usually. If I’m reading a book, I typically wait until after I’ve posted my review before reading others. But something drew my attention early and I’m seeing a definite mix of opinions. So I think I’m right in predicting the tenor of many conversations about this book upon its release.
As for me, I enjoyed the heck out of this story. It’s divided into three parts and includes some time jumps to help move it along. At first, we’re introduced to Evie and the dynamic of her family. She’s a tomboy whose mother would prefer a little lady. Every indiscretion is paid for fiercely by her mother’s punishments while her father stands idly by. Abel is introduced as the boy who moves in next door. His family is seen as the product of evil and he’s the spawn of satan himself. Evie is ordered to not even look upon him, but Abel is impossible to resist. Soon enough, these two are sneaking around to be friends and then their beautiful story finally begins.
"W-we’re not just friends, are we?"
He shakes his head. “No.”
It’s sometimes hard to find the beauty within the pain, but this young couple seemed to have a lot of experience doing exactly that. When things come to a head, Evie has a choice to make - toe the line as her parents demand or create a new life with Abel. Of course she chose sweet Abel. Part II starts and that’s where the story got a bit wonky. Read the book to find out what I’m talking about here.
To sum it up:
Part I - I fell in love with these characters. The dynamic of the small town of ignorant people and these two kids that desperately wanted to break free of the judgment was enough to snag my attention. Factor in their evolving feelings, their coming-of-age development, and their hopes and dreams, and it seemed like this story was magic in the making.
Part II - I had no clue what this was really about. I get injecting some other form of life in a story but this came out of left field for me. I started having doubts about the characters and about my own understanding of what this book was about. Abel became a different person, more aggressive and dominant, and Evie was stuck in a juvenile vortex of immature indecision and non-verbal communication.
Part III - I needed more. After the upheaval of emotions caused by the previous part, I needed a better resolution. This book had so many characteristics to make it a five-star read, but the idiosyncrasy of the last two parts threw me off and I was hoping for an epilogue. I think these characters and their story needed more closure than the abrupt ending provided.
What I have concluded after reading this story is that Saffron A. Kent can freaking write. I regret not reading her earlier works, which is something I’ll be fixing as soon as I possibly can. While this story tackled issues and beliefs that you would hope wouldn’t still stand true in today’s climate, but unfortunately do, it was about two young kids falling in love despite the odds and finding themselves in the process.
Release: Feb. 22, 2018 | Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance | POV: Primarily the heroine - 1st person | Heat: 4 out of 5 | Standalone
Check out the Release Blitz! http://bit.ly/2EKT1rP
February 24, 2018
*2.5 stars*
This is the story of Abel and Evie. They meet when he’s 14 and she’s 12. She’s the town princess and he’s the monster child of two people that shouldn’t have been together.
The first half of this book was great! I loved seeing their relationship and them grow. They go from childhood friends to lovers. They fought so hard for their love, hiding their feelings from the people that wouldn’t understand. I was so connected to them during this portion of the book, I couldn’t stop reading.
But when the second half hit everything went downhill. Abel started acting so different from the young man we met before. He was manipulative and so intense (and not in a sexy way) Also some of Evie and Able’s actions were so out of character they threw me off. I felt I couldn’t recognize them anymore. It was like reading a completely different book. Its such a shame cause as I said before the first half was so good!
This book was a tough one for me to rate, cause I loved the first part but the second one ruined it for me. I loved Saffron A. Kent’s writing though, so I plan on reading Sky and Duke’s story when it comes out.
This is the story of Abel and Evie. They meet when he’s 14 and she’s 12. She’s the town princess and he’s the monster child of two people that shouldn’t have been together.
The first half of this book was great! I loved seeing their relationship and them grow. They go from childhood friends to lovers. They fought so hard for their love, hiding their feelings from the people that wouldn’t understand. I was so connected to them during this portion of the book, I couldn’t stop reading.
But when the second half hit everything went downhill. Abel started acting so different from the young man we met before. He was manipulative and so intense (and not in a sexy way) Also some of Evie and Able’s actions were so out of character they threw me off. I felt I couldn’t recognize them anymore. It was like reading a completely different book. Its such a shame cause as I said before the first half was so good!
This book was a tough one for me to rate, cause I loved the first part but the second one ruined it for me. I loved Saffron A. Kent’s writing though, so I plan on reading Sky and Duke’s story when it comes out.
June 3, 2023
❛They don't know, you see. They don't understand my Abel. They don't understand that when a boy with enough heat to burn the sun falls in love with a girl, he torches the whole world.❜
songs : gods & monsters + religion ⋆ lana del rey
February 18, 2018
*Sighs
Before I begin this review, let me just say that when I read a story, I go by on HOW the book made me feel through it all. Did I feel anger, joy or just plain ol happiness because I loved everything about it? Did my heart skip a beat because one of the characters did something that was so swoon worthy , it ultimately set the bar for future book boyfriends? Or did my heart shatter in the process between the halfway mark and there was no turning back because the plot twist left you a broken mess. This story,…made me feel A LOT of things.
There is so much that I would love to say about the plot but I think the only the you need to know right now, is how these two characters met and formed an undeniable bond. Raised in a small town where gossip is everything and your faith comes second, Evie knows that having a flawless reputation is everything. Being the good girl and staying out of trouble will be better for everyone in the long run and she’s ok with that. She’s content with keeping her place as a dutiful daughter. But when the town gets their version as what they perceive as an evil spawn, becoming friends with the new kid will go against everything.
I absolutely LOVED everything about the first part of the book. I was on such a high because I felt their emotions and vulnerability bleeding through the pages and I wanted nothing more than to just stay in their element and bask in their love. It was beautiful, forbidden , and scary at the same time and that’s what I loved. Then we got to part 2 and I was like…..
I don’t know whether to call that part a plot twist or what but I was seriously confused! I understood what it meant to have it done and what it symbolized and everything, but it was not necessary in my opinion and it took away everything that I felt for these characters. And if that wasn’t enough, I just couldn’t get on board with a certain character and the way they acted. I wanted to give up on them because I felt like there was no hope when it came to changing their ways.
I honestly felt like I was reading a different book because this came out of nowhere! What happened? Abel became waaaaaaaaay too much for me and it all went downhill from there. By the time part 3 was shown, I honestly did not care. I was over everything and everyone and just needed a drink.
Even though most of this book didn’t work for me, I’m sure others will love it so if you’re looking for a really different type of read, this one is for you.
August 20, 2023
**ARC provided by Saffron A. Kent in exchange for my honest review.**
This is the story of Edie, a sweet loving girl who sees good everywhere. This is also the story of Abel, a lonely boy trying not to be the monster people think he is. When they fall in love people aren't happy but they choose each other over everyone else.
“One day I’m gonna kiss you in front of the whole world and if they don’t like it then fuck them.”
The Unrequited was one of my top five books I read last year so when I saw Gods & Monsters was going to be released I quickly signed up for an arc. Saffron Kent is an amazing writer. She has a way of making her words sound almost lyrical. There is so much beauty in what she has to say. And you feel everything with this one. The love, sadness, the beauty and the strength. And the angst...the angst was strong but I love that. If a book can make me practically sob then it deserves five stars!
My Abel,
"Their fists didn’t hurt me as much as the mere thought of never seeing you. It burnt, Pixie. It fucking burnt.”
Pixie,
I love this book! I wanted to protect Pixie (Evie) from her overbearing and mean mother. I wished I could hold Abel and take away all his pain. It was them against the world and I was rooting for them the entire way!
You do not want to miss reading this book. There aren't many authors that can take rough subjects and turn them into beautiful stories. And if you haven't read a book by Mrs. Kent then hurry up! You have no idea what you are missing! Personally, I plan on reading every single thing she ever writes.
He was a boy who loved, with everything that he was.
This is the story of Edie, a sweet loving girl who sees good everywhere. This is also the story of Abel, a lonely boy trying not to be the monster people think he is. When they fall in love people aren't happy but they choose each other over everyone else.
“One day I’m gonna kiss you in front of the whole world and if they don’t like it then fuck them.”
The Unrequited was one of my top five books I read last year so when I saw Gods & Monsters was going to be released I quickly signed up for an arc. Saffron Kent is an amazing writer. She has a way of making her words sound almost lyrical. There is so much beauty in what she has to say. And you feel everything with this one. The love, sadness, the beauty and the strength. And the angst...the angst was strong but I love that. If a book can make me practically sob then it deserves five stars!
My Abel,
"Their fists didn’t hurt me as much as the mere thought of never seeing you. It burnt, Pixie. It fucking burnt.”
Pixie,
I love this book! I wanted to protect Pixie (Evie) from her overbearing and mean mother. I wished I could hold Abel and take away all his pain. It was them against the world and I was rooting for them the entire way!
You do not want to miss reading this book. There aren't many authors that can take rough subjects and turn them into beautiful stories. And if you haven't read a book by Mrs. Kent then hurry up! You have no idea what you are missing! Personally, I plan on reading every single thing she ever writes.
He was a boy who loved, with everything that he was.
February 23, 2018
Oh man, what a book! Lol! I don’t even know what to say regarding this one! From the beginning I was hooked and then the story went in a direction I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue. The thing is... this couple dragged me into their anger, their passion, and their toxic love! ( believe me their love is toxic; but it’s also all consuming with them against the world!)
I think this is one of those stories that you either love or hate! I’m a total sucker for the possessive, co-dependent kind of love.... IN MY READS!!! Not real life of course!!! But this is romance land and I love it when the couple go against everyone because to them their love is right!!! In this story the whole town was against our hero and I hated them for it. They were unjust and I was so glad he had Evie’s unconditional love! He deserved it!!
There isn’t more that I can say as I don’t want to ruin the book for anyone. I would have rated this book five stars; but when the unconventional stuff happens... I can’t say I loved it. However, the book as a whole when I look back on it all comes together beautifully!!!
I think this is one of those stories that you either love or hate! I’m a total sucker for the possessive, co-dependent kind of love.... IN MY READS!!! Not real life of course!!! But this is romance land and I love it when the couple go against everyone because to them their love is right!!! In this story the whole town was against our hero and I hated them for it. They were unjust and I was so glad he had Evie’s unconditional love! He deserved it!!
There isn’t more that I can say as I don’t want to ruin the book for anyone. I would have rated this book five stars; but when the unconventional stuff happens... I can’t say I loved it. However, the book as a whole when I look back on it all comes together beautifully!!!
Want to read
November 20, 2017This one's gonna be good, I got a tad excited when I saw the sign up..........
February 5, 2018
4.5 big bang stars
Go to my blog Readin' Under Street-Lamps for the whole review because honestly it got a little longer than I'd anticipated lol
I have always said this, and I’ll always say this every time someone asks me why I choose to read over everything else- it’s because books change my perspective on the world. How I see it, how I perceive it, how it affects me- books have been the biggest influence. And every once in a while, you come across that one book that really does so. You look at it, and it changes the way you look at everything else outside of it. And to find books like those are so rare, that when you find them, you don’t wanna let go of them.
Gods & Monsters was one such story.
On the surface, this was a coming to age story about two people desperately in love with one another despite the society they lived in, despite their families and their sins. And on the surface, it’s a a very touching tale of a childhood romance, finding its way to survive despite the cold realities of life.
But what’s the point of being a reader if you’re simply gonna look at the surface?
Let’s dig deeper, shall we?
Saffron makes a very bold statement in this book, that was so different from the books she’s written before. There were of course many themes in the book- from the freedom to love, to religious bias, and social stigmatization, but at the heart of it, G&M centered around the idea of how you were what your circumstances make you.
12-year-old Evie Hart meets or rather sees Abel Adams the first time when he moves in with his uncle after his parents’s death. But she’s known about him for forever, because when you were the town’s monster, everyone knew about you. Even if they never knew you.
After his parents’s deaths, Abel seems to enter a nightmare he remains trapped in for the next 6 years. The town his uncle takes him to hates him just for being conceived, and never gives him a chance to prove them otherwise. In midst of that social darkness, the only source of color in his life is Evie, who never judges him or looks at him with anything other than love.
You know when I say that I loved Evie and Abel’s relationship, that was mostly because of how unusual it was. And crazy. We can’t forget crazy. Hell, Saffron thinks they were crazy as well, but I’ll be nice and add that they were the best kind of crazy. The kind of crazy legends were made of♥
I don’t think I need to say anything about Saffron’s writing at this point. She’s perfect in a way very few writers are, and I think with this book, she just cemented her place on my favorite authors wall.
Go to my blog Readin' Under Street-Lamps for the whole review because honestly it got a little longer than I'd anticipated lol
I have always said this, and I’ll always say this every time someone asks me why I choose to read over everything else- it’s because books change my perspective on the world. How I see it, how I perceive it, how it affects me- books have been the biggest influence. And every once in a while, you come across that one book that really does so. You look at it, and it changes the way you look at everything else outside of it. And to find books like those are so rare, that when you find them, you don’t wanna let go of them.
Gods & Monsters was one such story.
On the surface, this was a coming to age story about two people desperately in love with one another despite the society they lived in, despite their families and their sins. And on the surface, it’s a a very touching tale of a childhood romance, finding its way to survive despite the cold realities of life.
But what’s the point of being a reader if you’re simply gonna look at the surface?
Let’s dig deeper, shall we?
He won’t consciously hurt me. So I’ll hurt myself. I’ll suffer the pain until it gets good. It’s nothing new, anyway. It’s our love story.
Saffron makes a very bold statement in this book, that was so different from the books she’s written before. There were of course many themes in the book- from the freedom to love, to religious bias, and social stigmatization, but at the heart of it, G&M centered around the idea of how you were what your circumstances make you.
12-year-old Evie Hart meets or rather sees Abel Adams the first time when he moves in with his uncle after his parents’s death. But she’s known about him for forever, because when you were the town’s monster, everyone knew about you. Even if they never knew you.
After his parents’s deaths, Abel seems to enter a nightmare he remains trapped in for the next 6 years. The town his uncle takes him to hates him just for being conceived, and never gives him a chance to prove them otherwise. In midst of that social darkness, the only source of color in his life is Evie, who never judges him or looks at him with anything other than love.
You know when I say that I loved Evie and Abel’s relationship, that was mostly because of how unusual it was. And crazy. We can’t forget crazy. Hell, Saffron thinks they were crazy as well, but I’ll be nice and add that they were the best kind of crazy. The kind of crazy legends were made of♥
I don’t think I need to say anything about Saffron’s writing at this point. She’s perfect in a way very few writers are, and I think with this book, she just cemented her place on my favorite authors wall.
As I look down at him and his intense expression, I realize this is the big bang. This is how boys with golden hair and angry expressions crash into your life. This is how stars collide and worlds are made. This is how all the love stories start.
April 25, 2018
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Here's another overdue book review for your viewingdispleasure. I just realized I read this on Valentine's Day. Ha! No wonder my husband didn't get any play!!!
I wanted to read Gods and Monsters immediately. First, dat cover . . . .
He makes me want to bend it like Beckham!!!!
Second, dat title which noted below had me all like . . . .
And third,dat - okay, that’s just not me I can’t do it anymore - THAT synopsis which was so very . . . . .
But since this was a dirty book it would have 100% more penetration than ol’ Romeo & Juliet ever had. I was sure I was going to love it. And then?????
Dude and dudette did run away together à la Romes and Jules, but things went off the rails completely when they decided revenge on the Montagues and Capulets . . . I mean their parents should come in the form of engaging in copious amounts of sex without protection despite being broke as a joke and completely incapable of taking care of themselves, yet alone a tiny human, and when that wasn’t enough starring in a porno together. In the immortal words of Sir Charles Barkley, there’s only one thing to say about this book. It’s . . . . .
I actually highlighted a bunch of stuff and made a bevy of notes about what a horrible experience I was having, but I think this one sums everything up . . . .
“Good lord, this thing is like a 14-year old’s wet dream.”
Oh, and all the sex????? Too bad it made me picture this . . . .
Blergh. I hope they called one of those crime scene types of cleaning crews in to remove all the snail trails from their roommate’s apartment for him!
Thanks again to my Book Fairy for gifting me this one. Sorry I hated it!
ORIGINAL "REVIEW:"
This book has been showing up all over my feed for the past couple of weeks (even though only one friend has read it). NA is most definitely not usually a hit for me, but I knew I would eventually have to give in on this one if for no other reason than to get THIS from playing on a loop in my head . . . .
This morning I woke up to an Amazon email notifying me a friend had bought it for me. On her own, without me begging, heck without it even being on my TBR. Don't let the haters tell you otherwise. Goodreads is home to some amazing humans.
Thank you again Book Fairy!!!! I was supposed to be finishing God-Shaped Hole today, but I think I'm going to bump "Porny Saturday" up a day instead ; )
Here's another overdue book review for your viewing
I wanted to read Gods and Monsters immediately. First, dat cover . . . .
He makes me want to bend it like Beckham!!!!
Second, dat title which noted below had me all like . . . .
And third,
But since this was a dirty book it would have 100% more penetration than ol’ Romeo & Juliet ever had. I was sure I was going to love it. And then?????
Dude and dudette did run away together à la Romes and Jules, but things went off the rails completely when they decided revenge on the Montagues and Capulets . . . I mean their parents should come in the form of engaging in copious amounts of sex without protection despite being broke as a joke and completely incapable of taking care of themselves, yet alone a tiny human, and when that wasn’t enough starring in a porno together. In the immortal words of Sir Charles Barkley, there’s only one thing to say about this book. It’s . . . . .
I actually highlighted a bunch of stuff and made a bevy of notes about what a horrible experience I was having, but I think this one sums everything up . . . .
“Good lord, this thing is like a 14-year old’s wet dream.”
Oh, and all the sex????? Too bad it made me picture this . . . .
Blergh. I hope they called one of those crime scene types of cleaning crews in to remove all the snail trails from their roommate’s apartment for him!
Thanks again to my Book Fairy for gifting me this one. Sorry I hated it!
ORIGINAL "REVIEW:"
This book has been showing up all over my feed for the past couple of weeks (even though only one friend has read it). NA is most definitely not usually a hit for me, but I knew I would eventually have to give in on this one if for no other reason than to get THIS from playing on a loop in my head . . . .
This morning I woke up to an Amazon email notifying me a friend had bought it for me. On her own, without me begging, heck without it even being on my TBR. Don't let the haters tell you otherwise. Goodreads is home to some amazing humans.
Thank you again Book Fairy!!!! I was supposed to be finishing God-Shaped Hole today, but I think I'm going to bump "Porny Saturday" up a day instead ; )
February 10, 2018
I was blown away and hooked from the beginning!! I just loved this book!! Without giving too much away, the chemistry between Abel and Evie sizzles, but this is more than just a smut-fest. Seeing their relationship develop and unfold over time was simply a joy to read. These two are some of the most compelling characters that I've read. Abel comes storming into her life and gives her no choice but to become friends with him. He does some of the sweetest, most thoughtful things that totally had me melting all over the place. The writing here is strong and clear, and the story flows with a natural feel that allows both main characters to veer dangerously close to disasters that make the reading that much more exciting.
This book is full of the erotica we expect from this author. You will not be disappointed. Also, she has a keen ability to develop her main characters so vividly that by the end of the novel you feel like you really got to know them and that makes it so much easier to appreciate their decisions and accept their mistakes.
Meanwhile, I would like to explain why I deducted one star from a book I enjoyed so much. I think I would've enjoyed this book so much more if it was written in dual POV from the beginning. I would've felt so much closer to Abel, walking alongside him during his moments of soul-searching. Also, I felt that in the third part of the book suddenly every problem is met with some kind of crazy solution, for instance the behavior of Evie’s parents and Abel’s new job.
Overall, I found this to be a great read. I was entranced while reading. It sucked me in pretty quickly, and I had to see what was going to happen next. I loved the "forbidden" love aspect the author put into the story. The emotional ups and downs the main characters have to face pull you into the story.
In short:
Hero 5/5 | Heroine 5/5 | Plot (Point, Originality) 4/5 | Writing Style 5/5 | Steam 4/5 | Romance 5/5 | Angst-Suspense 4/5 | Darkness 2/5 | Humor 2/5 | Secondary Characters 3/5 | Drama-Conflict 5/5 | Mystery 0/5 | Twists 5/5 | Pace Steady | Action 3/5
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
This book is full of the erotica we expect from this author. You will not be disappointed. Also, she has a keen ability to develop her main characters so vividly that by the end of the novel you feel like you really got to know them and that makes it so much easier to appreciate their decisions and accept their mistakes.
Meanwhile, I would like to explain why I deducted one star from a book I enjoyed so much. I think I would've enjoyed this book so much more if it was written in dual POV from the beginning. I would've felt so much closer to Abel, walking alongside him during his moments of soul-searching. Also, I felt that in the third part of the book suddenly every problem is met with some kind of crazy solution, for instance the behavior of Evie’s parents and Abel’s new job.
Overall, I found this to be a great read. I was entranced while reading. It sucked me in pretty quickly, and I had to see what was going to happen next. I loved the "forbidden" love aspect the author put into the story. The emotional ups and downs the main characters have to face pull you into the story.
In short:
Hero 5/5 | Heroine 5/5 | Plot (Point, Originality) 4/5 | Writing Style 5/5 | Steam 4/5 | Romance 5/5 | Angst-Suspense 4/5 | Darkness 2/5 | Humor 2/5 | Secondary Characters 3/5 | Drama-Conflict 5/5 | Mystery 0/5 | Twists 5/5 | Pace Steady | Action 3/5
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
March 29, 2022
Saffron’s writing style and his regret/grovel helped this book
I honestly don’t know how to rate this book. It was TOUGH for me to read. I had TWO great friends, holding my hand, and one read the last 1/4 of it with me. But I needed to finish it and trust that it could maybe be redeemed.
I was loving the book… until about 40% in… when I started to notice some red flags (well, I noticed it before, but I didn’t wanna trust my gut yet)… but I kept reading because this is SAK and I’ve always loved her books.
The book starts off rough. Abel moves back after being gone all his life. He’s lived in New York because his parents moved away after they fell in love. Why did they move away? Because his parents were related and, in this town, they were ostracized, bullied, and judged constantly. So, he moves back because his parents died in a car accident and he’s forced to move in with his only relative, his uncle.
Evie/Pixie comes from a highly religious family, and her mom is abusive-physically and emotionally. She notices Abel and knows of his story; her mom immediately bans her from having any contact with him because his mere existence is a sin, an abomination, evil incarnate. But of course, Evie has a kind heart and feels bad for Abel.
Abel is shunned by everybody, and he feels alone. They all whisper about them, they all don’t want to have contact with him, and it broke my heart. This poor boy has lost both his parents and people are not feeling sympathetic towards him. Except for Evie. She offers him friendship, and he takes it like it’s his salvation- and in many ways, it was.
Time passes and their friendship gets stronger, eventually it morphs into a relationship. Abel is patient and decides to wait until she turns 18 to not only finish their intimate relationship, but also to marry her. He wants to do things the correct way and waiting until she’s an adult would be it. However, things don’t go as planned and they’re forced to leave.
Now here is where my stomach started churning more…
SPOILERS AHEAD…
…
…
THEYRE COMING
…
…
Okay, you were warned 🤷🏻♀️.
Evie is trusting Abel and all of their decisions, and everything they do. They love each other, so, of course, she’s going to trust him. He’s always been into photography and drawing (the nude photos/drawings had already irked me enough-especially when he told her he watches p@rn of women that look like her), so when he gets a job pretty quickly once they move to New York, she doesn’t question anything. Well, she needed to, because he was completely lying to her by omission. This is where the hand holding by my friends started happening.
I was close to DNF this book- and I don’t DNF books. I will grind my molars into dust until I finish… but I’ll finish!
He doesn’t tell Evie that his job entails filming p@rn for WEEKS!!! For WEEKS, he avoids the topic and closes himself off. WEEKS!! She turns 18 and they get married. The DAY AFTER, yup… THE DAY AFTER, he finally tells her what his job is. SCRATCH THAT- he takes her to his job and she sees it first hand 🤢🤢🤢🤢. THATS how he decides to tell her 🙄🙄🙄. ARE. YOU. FREAKING. KIDDING. ME?!?!?
I mean- she realizes something is wrong when he’s extremely horny every time he gets home from work. Well, duh, he’s watching naked women/people all f*cking day🤢🤢🤢f&cking !!!!! Then he comes home and f$cks her 🤮. My shudders began as soon as I suspected this was happening.
Sure- she wasn’t exactly opposed to PDA… but to take this extremely sheltered girl, who comes from a HIGHLY religious family, and force her to be in this situation is just 🥴. She tries to be understanding, and for the most part, she is, and then she surmises that he would wanna film them- and he agrees- and she eventually does as well. Well.. BIG MISTAKE because this is what causes their downfall.
He reminds her that he loves her- that he’ll do anything for her and she feels the same, so she trusts him, but he changes once they start filming. She realizes it too late, in my opinion, and stands her ground- causing them to separate. The way he changes was just 🤮🤢. She leaves him 👏🏻 (um… she should’ve done that WAY BEFORE) because of how different they’ve become. There’s a lot of internal/emotional stuff that comes with this and he realizes he f$cked up. Ya think?! 🙄🤦🏻♀️. Just reliving it is making my stomach hurt.
Does he “grovel”? Sure. He grovels 🙄. Because Evie won’t talk to him or answer his phone calls 👏🏻, he doesn’t know the extent of his f up. He replays it over and over again, and then, he starts watching their adult videos. That’s when he realizes how much he changed- how much his obsession with getting back at her parents and all the judgy people by making these films changed him. And his anger was too much for Evie to handle.
I’m so glad Evie gives him the cold shoulder for months. And guess what- he gets an HONEST JOB during their separation 🙄 couldn’t he have done that sooner😩?!? 🤷🏻♀️their relationship would’ve been so much better.
SAK is an amazing writer. She always gets me to FEEL. I felt it all- their insecurities, their struggles, their happiness, their anger, I mean- I felt it… but reading about this topic was tough FOR ME- especially when there were lies involved- that’s what gutted me! The way he changed was not only cringy but heartbreaking.
I WILL say- Abel loves his Pixie- but so many things could’ve been fixed had he made other decisions. I don’t think I could reread this book.
⚠️ safety squad ⚠️
-H doesn’t PHYSICALLY cheat 😐
-H gets turned on watching p@rn- taking pictures of it- some would say this is emotional cheating (the H being extremely horny after working all day and f&cking the h means he’s been thinking of OW or at least seeing them naked all day and now he’s home with his fiancé/wife 🤢🤮- H tells h he only sees her when he’s working 🙄- sorry- this doesn’t make me feel better 🥴)
-h is still 17 when H takes nude pictures of her (H is two years older- she’s 4 weeks away from turning 18)
-H draws nudes of the H using his imagination before he ever sees her naked (she’s 17 when she discovers them)
-H is in the p@rn industry- he films it
-being in the industry might mean flirting by OW or touches/etc. We don’t know since we don’t get his perspective until the H and h separate
-Both MCs remain celibate during their separation
-child abuse (h's parents) before the leaves with H
I honestly don’t know how to rate this book. It was TOUGH for me to read. I had TWO great friends, holding my hand, and one read the last 1/4 of it with me. But I needed to finish it and trust that it could maybe be redeemed.
I was loving the book… until about 40% in… when I started to notice some red flags (well, I noticed it before, but I didn’t wanna trust my gut yet)… but I kept reading because this is SAK and I’ve always loved her books.
The book starts off rough. Abel moves back after being gone all his life. He’s lived in New York because his parents moved away after they fell in love. Why did they move away? Because his parents were related and, in this town, they were ostracized, bullied, and judged constantly. So, he moves back because his parents died in a car accident and he’s forced to move in with his only relative, his uncle.
Evie/Pixie comes from a highly religious family, and her mom is abusive-physically and emotionally. She notices Abel and knows of his story; her mom immediately bans her from having any contact with him because his mere existence is a sin, an abomination, evil incarnate. But of course, Evie has a kind heart and feels bad for Abel.
Abel is shunned by everybody, and he feels alone. They all whisper about them, they all don’t want to have contact with him, and it broke my heart. This poor boy has lost both his parents and people are not feeling sympathetic towards him. Except for Evie. She offers him friendship, and he takes it like it’s his salvation- and in many ways, it was.
Time passes and their friendship gets stronger, eventually it morphs into a relationship. Abel is patient and decides to wait until she turns 18 to not only finish their intimate relationship, but also to marry her. He wants to do things the correct way and waiting until she’s an adult would be it. However, things don’t go as planned and they’re forced to leave.
Now here is where my stomach started churning more…
SPOILERS AHEAD…
…
…
THEYRE COMING
…
…
Okay, you were warned 🤷🏻♀️.
Evie is trusting Abel and all of their decisions, and everything they do. They love each other, so, of course, she’s going to trust him. He’s always been into photography and drawing (the nude photos/drawings had already irked me enough-especially when he told her he watches p@rn of women that look like her), so when he gets a job pretty quickly once they move to New York, she doesn’t question anything. Well, she needed to, because he was completely lying to her by omission. This is where the hand holding by my friends started happening.
I was close to DNF this book- and I don’t DNF books. I will grind my molars into dust until I finish… but I’ll finish!
He doesn’t tell Evie that his job entails filming p@rn for WEEKS!!! For WEEKS, he avoids the topic and closes himself off. WEEKS!! She turns 18 and they get married. The DAY AFTER, yup… THE DAY AFTER, he finally tells her what his job is. SCRATCH THAT- he takes her to his job and she sees it first hand 🤢🤢🤢🤢. THATS how he decides to tell her 🙄🙄🙄. ARE. YOU. FREAKING. KIDDING. ME?!?!?
I mean- she realizes something is wrong when he’s extremely horny every time he gets home from work. Well, duh, he’s watching naked women/people all f*cking day🤢🤢🤢f&cking !!!!! Then he comes home and f$cks her 🤮. My shudders began as soon as I suspected this was happening.
Sure- she wasn’t exactly opposed to PDA… but to take this extremely sheltered girl, who comes from a HIGHLY religious family, and force her to be in this situation is just 🥴. She tries to be understanding, and for the most part, she is, and then she surmises that he would wanna film them- and he agrees- and she eventually does as well. Well.. BIG MISTAKE because this is what causes their downfall.
He reminds her that he loves her- that he’ll do anything for her and she feels the same, so she trusts him, but he changes once they start filming. She realizes it too late, in my opinion, and stands her ground- causing them to separate. The way he changes was just 🤮🤢. She leaves him 👏🏻 (um… she should’ve done that WAY BEFORE) because of how different they’ve become. There’s a lot of internal/emotional stuff that comes with this and he realizes he f$cked up. Ya think?! 🙄🤦🏻♀️. Just reliving it is making my stomach hurt.
Does he “grovel”? Sure. He grovels 🙄. Because Evie won’t talk to him or answer his phone calls 👏🏻, he doesn’t know the extent of his f up. He replays it over and over again, and then, he starts watching their adult videos. That’s when he realizes how much he changed- how much his obsession with getting back at her parents and all the judgy people by making these films changed him. And his anger was too much for Evie to handle.
I’m so glad Evie gives him the cold shoulder for months. And guess what- he gets an HONEST JOB during their separation 🙄 couldn’t he have done that sooner😩?!? 🤷🏻♀️their relationship would’ve been so much better.
SAK is an amazing writer. She always gets me to FEEL. I felt it all- their insecurities, their struggles, their happiness, their anger, I mean- I felt it… but reading about this topic was tough FOR ME- especially when there were lies involved- that’s what gutted me! The way he changed was not only cringy but heartbreaking.
I WILL say- Abel loves his Pixie- but so many things could’ve been fixed had he made other decisions. I don’t think I could reread this book.
⚠️ safety squad ⚠️
-H doesn’t PHYSICALLY cheat 😐
-H gets turned on watching p@rn- taking pictures of it- some would say this is emotional cheating (the H being extremely horny after working all day and f&cking the h means he’s been thinking of OW or at least seeing them naked all day and now he’s home with his fiancé/wife 🤢🤮- H tells h he only sees her when he’s working 🙄- sorry- this doesn’t make me feel better 🥴)
-h is still 17 when H takes nude pictures of her (H is two years older- she’s 4 weeks away from turning 18)
-H draws nudes of the H using his imagination before he ever sees her naked (she’s 17 when she discovers them)
-H is in the p@rn industry- he films it
-being in the industry might mean flirting by OW or touches/etc. We don’t know since we don’t get his perspective until the H and h separate
-Both MCs remain celibate during their separation
-child abuse (h's parents) before the leaves with H
October 2, 2021
4.25 stars
“He looks like a god with a million monsters trapped inside him. Or maybe he’s always been a monster who looks like a god. Because only monsters love this way: crazily, insanely, madly. Like there’s no tomorrow. Like the world is ending. Like their heart would burst with all the painful love they feel inside that tiny organ.”
If you want a totally devoted hero who worships the heroine, look no further, Abel is your guy.
Dude kinda reminds me of my boxer dog tho... clingy as fuck, has no concept of personal boundaries, needs to be near you 24/7, and wants nothing more than to please you?? Some people might consider their relationship to be toxic but hey what’s romance without a bit of toxicity?? 😋 if they’re not toxic they don’t love you. Don’t settle for less 💯💪
Oh and this also has the beloved ‘dual virgins’ trope 😉😉
“He looks like a god with a million monsters trapped inside him. Or maybe he’s always been a monster who looks like a god. Because only monsters love this way: crazily, insanely, madly. Like there’s no tomorrow. Like the world is ending. Like their heart would burst with all the painful love they feel inside that tiny organ.”
If you want a totally devoted hero who worships the heroine, look no further, Abel is your guy.
Dude kinda reminds me of my boxer dog tho... clingy as fuck, has no concept of personal boundaries, needs to be near you 24/7, and wants nothing more than to please you?? Some people might consider their relationship to be toxic but hey what’s romance without a bit of toxicity?? 😋 if they’re not toxic they don’t love you. Don’t settle for less 💯💪
Oh and this also has the beloved ‘dual virgins’ trope 😉😉
February 23, 2018
RATING: 2 'Pixie & Abel' Hearts!
When a boy with enough heat to burn the sun falls in love with a girl, he torches the whole world.
Gods & Monsters in one of those stories that consistently holds us captivated as events unfold, before it takes an unexpected turn and we’re left slightly confused and wondering “what happened”.
This is the big bang. This is how boys with golden hair and angry expressions crash into your life. This is how stars collide and worlds are made. This is how all the love stories start.
The beginning of Abel and Evie’s story is, in one word, powerful. Ms. Kent’s beautiful prose paints a devastating and heartbreaking picture of the struggles of finding oneself in a society that is judgmental, brutal, and unforgiving of differences. Amidst the suffocating darkness however, small slivers of comfort are presented in the form of a delicate friendship that blossoms into a young, passionate love between two children who’ve had to grow up too fast. Abel and Evie’s love is innocent in a lot of ways, born from the naiveté of children in need of companionship and understanding, but most importantly a desperate hope that their love will truly conquer all, blind to the fact that prejudice and discrimination rarely have a reason, but rather are tools weak people wield to feel a smidgen of power.
I skip over to him, and then the entire world shrinks to fit just the two of us. I get up on his feet, making him my ground. His shoulders become my mountain and the sweet breath from his mouth becomes my air.
Evie is a young girl that sees the best in people, loves unconditionally and always hopes for the best. Abel is a troubled young boy, harboring anger towards all those who have not so much as given him a chance to show them that he isn’t a reflection of his parents mistakes, but rather his own person. As time passes however, Evie and Abel learn that real love stories are seldom without turbulence, deciding to leave the hate of their small town behind and starting anew in New York. While Abel and Evie’s childhood keeps us invested in the story, the parts following leave a lot to be desired. Abel’s previous protectiveness turns obsessive and the romance a caricature of the previous genuineness of their love, and though we more than understand Abel’s fixation on revenge, the lightening-fast change in behaviour and direction of story have us raising our brows in question. Evie seems to always have her rose-tinted glasses on when it comes to Abel, making it difficult for us to admire and be proud of that selfless, courageous little girl from a few pages ago, much less believe that the love between them now isn’t just an empty shell that leaves us feeling hollow.
No one should be made yo hide their love. No one. It’s too pure, too beautiful to ever keep hidden.
Despite our reservations as to the authenticity of the characters’ affections romantically in the latter half of the story, Gods & Monsters is a shining example of Ms. Kent’s brilliant ability to write stories that are unconventional, emotional and always just a touch dark, leaving us craving for the next story she will bring to life in all its complex and unique glory.
~Arc generously provided by author in exchange for an honest review~
Posted: February 23, 2018
February 10, 2018
4.5 Stars
This third book from Saffron A. Kent is nothing like her previous books and I love that. I had no idea what to expect from Gods & Monsters and I’m certain that’s why it was such a wonderful surprise and I really enjoyed it.
This coming of age story has everything. Especially a plot that resonates with people, strong and flawed characters. Both equally well developed and just kept unfolding as the story progressed.
Abel and Evie aka Pixie. I loved everything about them. How their story began when Evie was twelve , Abel fourteen and how they formed a friendship and an alliance. Not only against her parents but also their town who tried to keep them apart. Their friendship slowly turned into a powerful love that was an unstoppable force. The odds were against Abel and Evie from the beginning but nothing could keep them from one another. All that hate and objection towards their love led to them feeling so much anger and ultimately running away together.
Abel and Evie had to deal with their anger and their solution was unconventional but I totally got it. Their love and connection was intoxicating and incredible. Abel was Evie’s God and she worshipped him but it was also the other way around. Evie was everything to Abel. He was such a hot alpha who needed Evie to breathe. Their love oozed off the pages. I was waiting for the conflict to happen and when it did it was emotional. It was so important for the characters growth and I appreciate the way Saffron A. Kent chose to go about it.
I love the message/theme of the book. People and their opinions are everywhere. How they view us and how we view ourselves but it’s important to listen to oneself. Abel and his Pixie had to learn that the hard way but it only made them stronger. Survivors.
4.5 BadAssDirtyLegendStars
I voluntarily reviewed an arc
This third book from Saffron A. Kent is nothing like her previous books and I love that. I had no idea what to expect from Gods & Monsters and I’m certain that’s why it was such a wonderful surprise and I really enjoyed it.
This coming of age story has everything. Especially a plot that resonates with people, strong and flawed characters. Both equally well developed and just kept unfolding as the story progressed.
Abel and Evie aka Pixie. I loved everything about them. How their story began when Evie was twelve , Abel fourteen and how they formed a friendship and an alliance. Not only against her parents but also their town who tried to keep them apart. Their friendship slowly turned into a powerful love that was an unstoppable force. The odds were against Abel and Evie from the beginning but nothing could keep them from one another. All that hate and objection towards their love led to them feeling so much anger and ultimately running away together.
Abel and Evie had to deal with their anger and their solution was unconventional but I totally got it. Their love and connection was intoxicating and incredible. Abel was Evie’s God and she worshipped him but it was also the other way around. Evie was everything to Abel. He was such a hot alpha who needed Evie to breathe. Their love oozed off the pages. I was waiting for the conflict to happen and when it did it was emotional. It was so important for the characters growth and I appreciate the way Saffron A. Kent chose to go about it.
I love the message/theme of the book. People and their opinions are everywhere. How they view us and how we view ourselves but it’s important to listen to oneself. Abel and his Pixie had to learn that the hard way but it only made them stronger. Survivors.
4.5 BadAssDirtyLegendStars
I voluntarily reviewed an arc
September 30, 2020
Friends to lovers.
They met when she is 12 and he is 14, there is absolutely no one for them other than each other. It’s my favorite trope so I overlooked many things and was able to enjoy it and even give it four stars
I read the reviews talking about their relationship being toxic and they are not untrue, but what can I say? I’m a hypocrite and I liked this book.
This is gonna be a strange review because I’m writing it mostly to remind myself of this book.
She thinks too much and it pissed me off at the beginning because I wanted to read about their story, I want the dialogues between them and I feel like it could show more of them together when they were teenagers hiding and I was bothered by the fact he watched porn when they were teenagers, he told her about it and she wasn’t bothered, I was because he is doing it but she isn’t. She doesn’t get aroused watching girls, he watch couples and his favorite video is one with a blond girl like the heroine and the man holding her hair to masturbate. This pissed me off because mostly because she isn’t watching it too.
“There’s this video I like. The girl is a blonde like you and she’s got long hair like yours.” He squeezes his eyes shut. “The guy pulls her hair and wraps it around his dick. Fuck. I come every time I see that. Every fucking time.”
“Porn. Yeah. I’m so gone over you that I look for girls who have your hair. I watch and I jerk off but I don’t get relief. Because no one is like you. No one.” He swallows. “Do you hate me? Do you think I’m a goddamn jackass for watching porn and thinking about you?”
“I spent a lot of my time glued to my computer back in that town, back when I couldn’t be where I wanted to be: with Pixie. I imagined a lot as well, watching couples on screen. I’m not proud of it and neither am I ashamed. It was something I did, like a million other people.”
When they move to NY he started working filming porn and he lied to her for weeks (25 days) about his job, he hide it and it pissed me the fuck off. He gets aroused filming the porn shots and when he comes home he is crazy to fuck her. He lied to her about his job and I didn’t think his apology was enough, I wanted my grovel!!! She wasn’t bothered about his arouse because when she went to his job she too was aroused seeing people fucking. I didn’t like it even though they watch it and it’s said clearly they think about themselves doing it, I believe then because they are literally crazy about each other but this shit still bugged me. Before they recorded their first scene she did some researches for one week which means she watched all kinds of porn, she even had one favorite couple and she got so hot watching them when Abel arrived home she was ready to be fucked.
She knew something was off when he was lying to her but didn’t know what it was and when he told her the truth it was implied she asked if he was cheating
“And then one night you asked me if there was…” He sighs, tugs on his messy hair. “There’s no one else for me, Pixie. There can never be. Every day I fucking drown in you and I don’t wanna come up for air. How can there be someone else? I don’t want someone else.”
“What about you? I’m not like these girls here. My body isn’t all toned and muscular, you know.”
“Are we doing this again, Pixie?” He lowers his face until his nose is grazing mine.
“You wanna know what I think about when I look at them?” I nod.
“You. I think about you. I know this place is fucking seedy. I know it’s fake and ugly and you don’t talk about it in polite company. Hell, people don’t admit to watching porn, let alone making it. There’s lust and sin at every corner.” He kisses my forehead.
“But even then, you manage to break through. I hear a fake moan and I think about your real ones. I see a girl biting her lip to look coy, I think about my girl and how she bites her lip because it’s so good for her. Don’t you get it? You make everything good and pure. You make everything an adventure. When I’m with you, I’m not afraid of anything. I’m not afraid to be a sinner. I’m not afraid to go to hell. Because my heaven is with me.”
“My eyes go to Abel. He’s standing up straight, his camera lowered. He’s watching the couple not through the thick lens that he uses to make everything immortal, but with his own eyes. His lips are parted and even from the sidelines, I can see the dark flush on his cheeks. I can read the tightness in his frame. He’s aroused; I am, too. And I know he’s thinking about me, just as I’m thinking about him. I’m not surprised when his eyes find me and latch on. I know my husband inside out; I can read those dark orbs.”
I like how she left him for two months and during that time he really did things to be better. He looked for another job, he moved to their own house, he watched their tapes, he truly recognized his mistakes. He also called her everyday, first to ask her to come back and then to tell her he was changing so she would come home. After he watched their sex taped he was so disgusted with himself he stoped calling and was literally physically sick with his behavior, two days later she called him to met and talk about told him about the surprise pregnant that wasn’t a surprise because they fucked without condom, there was one time he finished inside her (she got her period after that) but then she also forgot some pills and already felt the baby the night she left him. He didn’t try to get back together with her when they meet again because he doesn’t think he deserves her, but he still apologizes, he truly changed and he cared a lot about her.
After their talk, they decided to take things slow and I liked that a lot, they dated for two months living in separated houses. Her pregnancy become a risky one and she needed rest so she moved in with him and they spent two months healing and they dealt with their past and they got back together. He stoped being a slob, he cooked for her, he read pregnancy books, he improved and so did she by recognizing him as a human being not a greater creature. They weren’t a couple during these four months but they are still married and it’s obviously they don’t even think about anyone else. It’s like they are together but they aren’t having sex or kissing and are sleeping at separated beds, they were taking baby steps.
I know people disliked this book but I like how crazy bosses they are for each other, of course I only like it because it’s fiction. I think the author did a nice job having them realizing their mistakes and truly changing, they did grow up a lot. He was a very devoted man and so was she, even with the getting aroused watching other people fucking bullshit I liked this book. I wanted more. The epilogue was not enough.
Also, her father is a piece of shit and so is her mother. Fuck that shit town!
A strange love story but I believe in their love, they are both all about each other and I love it. I really liked this book. I love a book without any ow/om drama, they are each other first and only everything.
“Jesus Christ, she’s beautiful. Nah, not beautiful. She’s stunning. Ethereal. An angel. A goddess.”
“Then, I can’t stop myself and I don’t want to. I slide down to my knees, cement hitting my bones, my palm still connected to where my daughter lies, inside my wife. Is there anything godlier than this? Is there anything more peaceful, more terrifying, more humbling than kneeling in front of the mother of your child?”
They met when she is 12 and he is 14, there is absolutely no one for them other than each other. It’s my favorite trope so I overlooked many things and was able to enjoy it and even give it four stars
I read the reviews talking about their relationship being toxic and they are not untrue, but what can I say? I’m a hypocrite and I liked this book.
This is gonna be a strange review because I’m writing it mostly to remind myself of this book.
She thinks too much and it pissed me off at the beginning because I wanted to read about their story, I want the dialogues between them and I feel like it could show more of them together when they were teenagers hiding and I was bothered by the fact he watched porn when they were teenagers, he told her about it and she wasn’t bothered, I was because he is doing it but she isn’t. She doesn’t get aroused watching girls, he watch couples and his favorite video is one with a blond girl like the heroine and the man holding her hair to masturbate. This pissed me off because mostly because she isn’t watching it too.
“There’s this video I like. The girl is a blonde like you and she’s got long hair like yours.” He squeezes his eyes shut. “The guy pulls her hair and wraps it around his dick. Fuck. I come every time I see that. Every fucking time.”
“Porn. Yeah. I’m so gone over you that I look for girls who have your hair. I watch and I jerk off but I don’t get relief. Because no one is like you. No one.” He swallows. “Do you hate me? Do you think I’m a goddamn jackass for watching porn and thinking about you?”
“I spent a lot of my time glued to my computer back in that town, back when I couldn’t be where I wanted to be: with Pixie. I imagined a lot as well, watching couples on screen. I’m not proud of it and neither am I ashamed. It was something I did, like a million other people.”
When they move to NY he started working filming porn and he lied to her for weeks (25 days) about his job, he hide it and it pissed me the fuck off. He gets aroused filming the porn shots and when he comes home he is crazy to fuck her. He lied to her about his job and I didn’t think his apology was enough, I wanted my grovel!!! She wasn’t bothered about his arouse because when she went to his job she too was aroused seeing people fucking. I didn’t like it even though they watch it and it’s said clearly they think about themselves doing it, I believe then because they are literally crazy about each other but this shit still bugged me. Before they recorded their first scene she did some researches for one week which means she watched all kinds of porn, she even had one favorite couple and she got so hot watching them when Abel arrived home she was ready to be fucked.
She knew something was off when he was lying to her but didn’t know what it was and when he told her the truth it was implied she asked if he was cheating
“And then one night you asked me if there was…” He sighs, tugs on his messy hair. “There’s no one else for me, Pixie. There can never be. Every day I fucking drown in you and I don’t wanna come up for air. How can there be someone else? I don’t want someone else.”
“What about you? I’m not like these girls here. My body isn’t all toned and muscular, you know.”
“Are we doing this again, Pixie?” He lowers his face until his nose is grazing mine.
“You wanna know what I think about when I look at them?” I nod.
“You. I think about you. I know this place is fucking seedy. I know it’s fake and ugly and you don’t talk about it in polite company. Hell, people don’t admit to watching porn, let alone making it. There’s lust and sin at every corner.” He kisses my forehead.
“But even then, you manage to break through. I hear a fake moan and I think about your real ones. I see a girl biting her lip to look coy, I think about my girl and how she bites her lip because it’s so good for her. Don’t you get it? You make everything good and pure. You make everything an adventure. When I’m with you, I’m not afraid of anything. I’m not afraid to be a sinner. I’m not afraid to go to hell. Because my heaven is with me.”
“My eyes go to Abel. He’s standing up straight, his camera lowered. He’s watching the couple not through the thick lens that he uses to make everything immortal, but with his own eyes. His lips are parted and even from the sidelines, I can see the dark flush on his cheeks. I can read the tightness in his frame. He’s aroused; I am, too. And I know he’s thinking about me, just as I’m thinking about him. I’m not surprised when his eyes find me and latch on. I know my husband inside out; I can read those dark orbs.”
I like how she left him for two months and during that time he really did things to be better. He looked for another job, he moved to their own house, he watched their tapes, he truly recognized his mistakes. He also called her everyday, first to ask her to come back and then to tell her he was changing so she would come home. After he watched their sex taped he was so disgusted with himself he stoped calling and was literally physically sick with his behavior, two days later she called him to met and talk about told him about the surprise pregnant that wasn’t a surprise because they fucked without condom, there was one time he finished inside her (she got her period after that) but then she also forgot some pills and already felt the baby the night she left him. He didn’t try to get back together with her when they meet again because he doesn’t think he deserves her, but he still apologizes, he truly changed and he cared a lot about her.
After their talk, they decided to take things slow and I liked that a lot, they dated for two months living in separated houses. Her pregnancy become a risky one and she needed rest so she moved in with him and they spent two months healing and they dealt with their past and they got back together. He stoped being a slob, he cooked for her, he read pregnancy books, he improved and so did she by recognizing him as a human being not a greater creature. They weren’t a couple during these four months but they are still married and it’s obviously they don’t even think about anyone else. It’s like they are together but they aren’t having sex or kissing and are sleeping at separated beds, they were taking baby steps.
I know people disliked this book but I like how crazy bosses they are for each other, of course I only like it because it’s fiction. I think the author did a nice job having them realizing their mistakes and truly changing, they did grow up a lot. He was a very devoted man and so was she, even with the getting aroused watching other people fucking bullshit I liked this book. I wanted more. The epilogue was not enough.
Also, her father is a piece of shit and so is her mother. Fuck that shit town!
A strange love story but I believe in their love, they are both all about each other and I love it. I really liked this book. I love a book without any ow/om drama, they are each other first and only everything.
“Jesus Christ, she’s beautiful. Nah, not beautiful. She’s stunning. Ethereal. An angel. A goddess.”
“Then, I can’t stop myself and I don’t want to. I slide down to my knees, cement hitting my bones, my palm still connected to where my daughter lies, inside my wife. Is there anything godlier than this? Is there anything more peaceful, more terrifying, more humbling than kneeling in front of the mother of your child?”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2018
Let me say that at first I was very excited to read this book. The cover, the blurb everything sounded good.
But then I came across Alex's review. And I became cautious.
Still I wanted to see how bad this book is. Blame my curiosity. But damn man, the book is ..just...vile. It's some kind of teenage porn.
The hero works as a photographer for filming porn videos. He HIDES this from the heroine. Only after they are married does he tells her.
Even though it is said that he loves her intensely. I felt ZERO connection between them. Such books are so disgusting, depressing & dirty. It makes me feel like the world is such a bad place to live. Ugh.
Kudos to Alex's review. Just read her review and skip the book.
But then I came across Alex's review. And I became cautious.
Still I wanted to see how bad this book is. Blame my curiosity. But damn man, the book is ..just...vile. It's some kind of teenage porn.
The hero works as a photographer for filming porn videos. He HIDES this from the heroine. Only after they are married does he tells her.
Even though it is said that he loves her intensely. I felt ZERO connection between them. Such books are so disgusting, depressing & dirty. It makes me feel like the world is such a bad place to live. Ugh.
Kudos to Alex's review. Just read her review and skip the book.
February 24, 2018
4 SOLID stars!
When Evie is 12 years old, Abel moves in next door with his uncle. Her mother warns her to stay away from him; he's an abomination, the product of a union between first cousins. Evie, in all her wisdom, can't comprehend why a 14 year old orphan should pay for the 'sins' of his parents.
After reading a bunch of reviews for Gods and Monsters, I'm not sure what I was expecting. Would this be a misogyny-laced DNF or a 5 star love-in? Of course, it's not that simple. It rarely is with me, especially because I have a fondness for imperfect characters...and I certainly got that with this one - I thought both of the MC's were very well done.
Evie is what I would call a people-pleaser; first with her parents and then with Abel.
Having said that, there was NOTHING boring about Gods and Monsters. It was unique and thought-provoking and I high-lighted the heck out of it. Its messages about forgiveness, acceptance, hate, love, self-realization and control were all right up my alley.
It's not the judgment of others we should be worried about.First, I have to say that if you like your romance served up in a pretty parfait cup with whip cream and sprinkles on top, you won't like this book. If you are interested in tragically flawed characters, unconventional plots, and an author who has something to say, you might just like this one as much as I did.
When Evie is 12 years old, Abel moves in next door with his uncle. Her mother warns her to stay away from him; he's an abomination, the product of a union between first cousins. Evie, in all her wisdom, can't comprehend why a 14 year old orphan should pay for the 'sins' of his parents.
Why is it so easy for people to hate but not to understand?Evie and Abel become secret friends, and as they get older, they fall in love.
I feel his breath before I feel anything else. On my lips, like a feather. Like a warm feather. It grazes the seam of my mouth and traces the shape of it, making me feel . . . cherished.And so begins a co-dependent relationship of epic proportions, set against the backdrop of an uber-religious, close-minded small town in Iowa. Obviously, things eventually come to a head.
After reading a bunch of reviews for Gods and Monsters, I'm not sure what I was expecting. Would this be a misogyny-laced DNF or a 5 star love-in? Of course, it's not that simple. It rarely is with me, especially because I have a fondness for imperfect characters...and I certainly got that with this one - I thought both of the MC's were very well done.
Evie is what I would call a people-pleaser; first with her parents and then with Abel.
So maybe he's not a romantic. Like his kisses, he's a dirty romantic but I'll take it, and my answer is always yes. To whatever he says.With all the enthusiasm and fervency that goes along with youth, Evie falls hard for a boy who's possessive, insecure, and needy.
"I'll always take care of you. You're mine now, okay? Mine. My reason. My life. My purpose."But for all his faults, I never felt that Abel stepped over the line into abusive, because abusive would imply some kind of victimization. And to my mind, Evie was never Abel's victim. She remained self-aware of both Abel's shortcomings and her own throughout the story; they were EQUALLY flawed.
"If you're a fiend for me, then I'm your little monster. I have sharp nails like you have sharp teeth. If you're sick, then I've got a little fever of my own." ~EvieBy no stretch of the imagination was theirs a 'healthy' relationship, but their love for each other could never be denied.
"That's our love. It's so huge, so big you can't contain it. It's all-consuming. It fucking hurts to love this much, but you want that hurt to crawl in. Because the love feels so good. You and me we've got no choice but to ache, Pixie." ~AbelWhere I thought the story stumbled a bit was in the progression of the plot. As they got older, many of Evie and Abel's actions/reactions/ideas seemed to come out of nowhere. The plot took some very unexpected turns, and while I didn't object to them per se, they lacked the development that would have made them believable enough for me to give this one 5 stars.
Having said that, there was NOTHING boring about Gods and Monsters. It was unique and thought-provoking and I high-lighted the heck out of it. Its messages about forgiveness, acceptance, hate, love, self-realization and control were all right up my alley.
"Fuck God, Pixie. Fuck the world. We'll be our own gods. You be mine and I'll be yours."Here are a few more of my favorite quotes:
"I love you," I breathe, hoping that somehow my words get dissolved in his bloodstream and he never has to think about being alone or powerless or afraid.
Loving Abel Adams is hard work.
Maybe our lust is brusing, life-threatening. Maybe we're both dying of too much love.
I love being his center of attention, something that consumes him like crazy.
February 19, 2018
Saffron's writing is MAGIC.
Could NOT STOP READING!!!
What I love:
~Unpredictable story. I read a lot. The last thing I want is a predictable story with cliche characters. Saffron keeps me on the edge of my seat.
~Characters. #AbelIsMyGod. Seriously. I LOVE Abellllll!!! He was mistreated by everyone for the sins of his parents, and I wanted to crawl into the book to hug him and protect him from the world. I love how he loved Pixie.
~Writing. Saffron Kent's writing is MAGIC. She sucks me in with her flawless prose and keeps me turning the pages waaay past my bedtime. I will read anything she writes forever and forever.
~Forbidden. There's something about forbidden romance that just makes my heart race, my stomach drop, my eyes bulge and my panties disintegrate!!
I don't want to spoil anything, but this love story is EPIC.
My favorite line: "We'll be our own gods. You be mine and I'll be yours."
Bottom line: one click now!! Must read romance.
Could NOT STOP READING!!!
What I love:
~Unpredictable story. I read a lot. The last thing I want is a predictable story with cliche characters. Saffron keeps me on the edge of my seat.
~Characters. #AbelIsMyGod. Seriously. I LOVE Abellllll!!! He was mistreated by everyone for the sins of his parents, and I wanted to crawl into the book to hug him and protect him from the world. I love how he loved Pixie.
~Writing. Saffron Kent's writing is MAGIC. She sucks me in with her flawless prose and keeps me turning the pages waaay past my bedtime. I will read anything she writes forever and forever.
~Forbidden. There's something about forbidden romance that just makes my heart race, my stomach drop, my eyes bulge and my panties disintegrate!!
I don't want to spoil anything, but this love story is EPIC.
My favorite line: "We'll be our own gods. You be mine and I'll be yours."
Bottom line: one click now!! Must read romance.
February 23, 2018
Saffron A Kent is bold.
Saffron A Kent will push her readers out of their comfort zones.
Saffron A Kent doesn't write to please, she conveys what she really has in her heart without any filter.
And these qualities are what make her standout. These are the qualities that will make you love her even though she writes the most unconventional love stories, EVER!
Gods & Monsters, like Kent's other works, is a literary win. Though I have to be honest, reading this was not easy. "Not easy" because Abel and Evie's road to their HEA was rough and tough. Their love story is unconventional and not the hearts + flowers kind. It's something that not everyone might find maybe, acceptable? If you're brave and ready to dive into reading a love portrayed differently just like me, you should experience Abel and Evie.
February 15, 2018
Gods and Monsters
By: Saffron Kent
5 Outstanding Stars!!!
I’ve read Saffron Kent’s previous 2 books and watched her grow in her writing from A War like Ours to The Unrequited. She bloomed in The Unrequited and fully blossomed in Gods and Monsters! I can honestly say that with her writing as beautiful as it is in Gods and Monsters, this author has found her groove. Stay on this path because only good things can come from it!!!
Evie Hart has always been different, never wearing shoes, always in her treehouse, reading, writing and doing her best not to upset her mother. It was going as well as to be expected in her life.
The day came when a truck pulled into the driveway across the street. A home that never got visitors. A home you never went to. Nothing good has come out of that home. The townspeople prayed for the monsters who once lived there. Chased them right out of town.
Abel Adams is a monster. One that should have never been born. Forced to go back to the town that chased his parents away. At 15 years old, he is battling a war. A war against the townspeople and himself.
This story of love that starts from a young age by two innocent kids who only know of the stories they have overheard, gossip told by those who don’t know. A story that shows how children are innocent until they are formed into what and who their parents want them to be.
Abel and Evie are willing to take a risk because they believe in each other. They have spent countless hours in the treehouse, they have met in church each week, they have formed a bond that is stronger than the rumors. They are willing to take the risk, all in the name of Love <3
They knew it wouldn’t be easy. They were willing to beat the odds and tame the monster. But when it all comes to pot that is boiling over, were the odds truly not stacked for them? Is the camera too much that the artist has to give up his art to have true happiness?
What a RIDE!!! Saffron hit a homerun with this story.
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By: Saffron Kent
5 Outstanding Stars!!!
I’ve read Saffron Kent’s previous 2 books and watched her grow in her writing from A War like Ours to The Unrequited. She bloomed in The Unrequited and fully blossomed in Gods and Monsters! I can honestly say that with her writing as beautiful as it is in Gods and Monsters, this author has found her groove. Stay on this path because only good things can come from it!!!
Evie Hart has always been different, never wearing shoes, always in her treehouse, reading, writing and doing her best not to upset her mother. It was going as well as to be expected in her life.
The day came when a truck pulled into the driveway across the street. A home that never got visitors. A home you never went to. Nothing good has come out of that home. The townspeople prayed for the monsters who once lived there. Chased them right out of town.
Abel Adams is a monster. One that should have never been born. Forced to go back to the town that chased his parents away. At 15 years old, he is battling a war. A war against the townspeople and himself.
This story of love that starts from a young age by two innocent kids who only know of the stories they have overheard, gossip told by those who don’t know. A story that shows how children are innocent until they are formed into what and who their parents want them to be.
Abel and Evie are willing to take a risk because they believe in each other. They have spent countless hours in the treehouse, they have met in church each week, they have formed a bond that is stronger than the rumors. They are willing to take the risk, all in the name of Love <3
They knew it wouldn’t be easy. They were willing to beat the odds and tame the monster. But when it all comes to pot that is boiling over, were the odds truly not stacked for them? Is the camera too much that the artist has to give up his art to have true happiness?
What a RIDE!!! Saffron hit a homerun with this story.
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March 29, 2018
2.5 ★'s
Straight up, I wasn't going to read this book...but I was too curious. So, I did something I rarely do and read some friend's reviews and all it took was seeing the work "angst" and I was in! However, I wasn't exactly excited because some the reviews weren't that good and had me a bit worried.
I do have to say that Saffron A. Kent has a way with words even if sometimes it's a bit awkward, she knows how to make the story flow.
Evie and Abel see each other when he moves to her small town after his parents were killed in a car crash...his infamous parents that is. Infamous for being two cousins living together as brother and sister who ran off and got married. In this small, very religious town, it's the ultimate sin and Abel is the ultimate monster. He's treated horribly by almost everyone, however, Evie is entranced.
She doesn't see a monster at all and soon they are spending lots of stolen moments together in her tree house in the woods. At this point of the story, Evie is twelve and Abel is fourteen and still able to fit inside the tree house. Unfortunately, that doesn't last very long.
They're able to make things work, somehow, and the years pass by and Evie is almost eighteen. That's when all hell breaks loose and it's not pretty, not pretty at all.
The only other book I've read of the author's is Unrequited and like that one, this one is also about forbidden things. However, this one takes a left turn to the very dark side. I was surprised I didn't catch a whiff of it from any reviews I read so, bravo! I still wouldn't have been prepared. I've read that Abel and Evie (yes, think Adam and Eve) were like two different people and I agree a little and I disagree a little.
Abel is a lot to take. Having to live in that environment, to feel isolated, to feel like a monster and to not be with the person you love especially during your teenage years has taken a toll. Add into the mix, that he is quite the caveman and well, his behavior is not surprising.
What was surprising is Evie. She went from this very shelter girl to this, well, extremely not sheltered woman...putting everything out there. It just was bizarro and a bit over the top.
The book is broken up into four parts, Parts 1-3 and then a "sort of" epilogue chapter. I was just a little disappointed in that we didn't get more of them after all that.
There is going to be a book about Evie's best friend, Sky, and her nemesis, Duke, called God Amongst Men, coming out Fall 2018. It would be amazing if we get some updates on Evie and Abel.
Straight up, I wasn't going to read this book...but I was too curious. So, I did something I rarely do and read some friend's reviews and all it took was seeing the work "angst" and I was in! However, I wasn't exactly excited because some the reviews weren't that good and had me a bit worried.
I do have to say that Saffron A. Kent has a way with words even if sometimes it's a bit awkward, she knows how to make the story flow.
Evie and Abel see each other when he moves to her small town after his parents were killed in a car crash...his infamous parents that is. Infamous for being two cousins living together as brother and sister who ran off and got married. In this small, very religious town, it's the ultimate sin and Abel is the ultimate monster. He's treated horribly by almost everyone, however, Evie is entranced.
She doesn't see a monster at all and soon they are spending lots of stolen moments together in her tree house in the woods. At this point of the story, Evie is twelve and Abel is fourteen and still able to fit inside the tree house. Unfortunately, that doesn't last very long.
They're able to make things work, somehow, and the years pass by and Evie is almost eighteen. That's when all hell breaks loose and it's not pretty, not pretty at all.
The only other book I've read of the author's is Unrequited and like that one, this one is also about forbidden things. However, this one takes a left turn to the very dark side. I was surprised I didn't catch a whiff of it from any reviews I read so, bravo! I still wouldn't have been prepared. I've read that Abel and Evie (yes, think Adam and Eve) were like two different people and I agree a little and I disagree a little.
Abel is a lot to take. Having to live in that environment, to feel isolated, to feel like a monster and to not be with the person you love especially during your teenage years has taken a toll. Add into the mix, that he is quite the caveman and well, his behavior is not surprising.
What was surprising is Evie. She went from this very shelter girl to this, well, extremely not sheltered woman...putting everything out there. It just was bizarro and a bit over the top.
The book is broken up into four parts, Parts 1-3 and then a "sort of" epilogue chapter. I was just a little disappointed in that we didn't get more of them after all that.
There is going to be a book about Evie's best friend, Sky, and her nemesis, Duke, called God Amongst Men, coming out Fall 2018. It would be amazing if we get some updates on Evie and Abel.
February 19, 2018
"When a boy with enough heat to burn the sun falls in love with a girl, he torches the whole world."
Sexy, sweet, smoldering, heart breaking, true love... this book has it all!
Evie/Pixie's strong voice immediately drew me in. She's such a perfectly conceived young character. I loved her innocence, her addiction to Toblerone, her open heart. And I hated her evil, pinching mother--grrr!
Able is a great romantic hero. Branded by society as a "monster," he's damaged and wounded and sexy and so protective of Evie. They're just perfect together. She sees his pure heart beneath the scars and loves him, and he loves her fiercely in return.
And then her parents and the ignorant, hateful small-town minds of Prophetstown, IA, do everything in their power to destroy their love.
I swear, every time I picked up my Kindle, hours would disappear as I got lost this amazing story. Its so, so good. It reminded me of WUTHERING HEIGHTS with how it went from Evie and Abel as children falling into a forbidden love to young adults fiercely committed to each other with no care for the consequences, to being discovered/torn apart and then things sort of taking a darker turn into obsession...
Part II is grittier than Part I (it's the dark/rebellion part) but stay with it. Part III really brings this powerful story full circle. It's truly FIVE STARS!!!
Sexy, sweet, smoldering, heart breaking, true love... this book has it all!
Evie/Pixie's strong voice immediately drew me in. She's such a perfectly conceived young character. I loved her innocence, her addiction to Toblerone, her open heart. And I hated her evil, pinching mother--grrr!
Able is a great romantic hero. Branded by society as a "monster," he's damaged and wounded and sexy and so protective of Evie. They're just perfect together. She sees his pure heart beneath the scars and loves him, and he loves her fiercely in return.
And then her parents and the ignorant, hateful small-town minds of Prophetstown, IA, do everything in their power to destroy their love.
I swear, every time I picked up my Kindle, hours would disappear as I got lost this amazing story. Its so, so good. It reminded me of WUTHERING HEIGHTS with how it went from Evie and Abel as children falling into a forbidden love to young adults fiercely committed to each other with no care for the consequences, to being discovered/torn apart and then things sort of taking a darker turn into obsession...
Part II is grittier than Part I (it's the dark/rebellion part) but stay with it. Part III really brings this powerful story full circle. It's truly FIVE STARS!!!
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