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B01MQIX7MD
| 3.99
| 1,774
| Nov 23, 2016
| Nov 23, 2016
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it was ok
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A Christmassy story! [image] It was a decent light book, if only a lacking one. It’s well written, and the moral is positive and warm. The characters ar A Christmassy story! [image] It was a decent light book, if only a lacking one. It’s well written, and the moral is positive and warm. The characters are nice, the plot is nice, the development is nice. Super nice. Mr. Miggles is such a good person. Toby is also the best. Everybody in town is good and the bad guys are easy to find. Very black-and-white. If you are looking for a trouble-free love story, this is the one for you. Unfortunately, it didn’t fill me with the myriad of emotions I was expecting. Something was missing for me here. More passion, more love. More feelings coming out of this. It’s very decaf, very dull. Very flat. My reasons: 1. Toby already has a boyfriend. And surprise, suprise, he’s an asshole. So fitting. 2. The plot focuses too much on the major obstacle: a legal one. 3. That means there is not much to see in terms of romance. A few sex scenes, a few “I’ve always been in love with you”, a short epilogue to say, “Yes, it worked out in the end, so no worries”. 4. It’s extremely sappy. Both characters, yes, but more importantly, the people surrounding them. I mean, I know Christmas is a sappy time in general, but there is so much sugar I can take. And here, damn, here I OD’d. So I’m sad to say this time Eli Easton wasn’t a win. Not bad. Just average. There were times when I had to do a conscious effort in order to pay attention to the story. It didn’t call me. Not my cuppa. [image] ***** Group review! [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Dec 16, 2016
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Dec 23, 2016
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Nov 27, 2016
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Kindle Edition
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B0DM1HD6PJ
| 4.07
| 474
| Oct 17, 2016
| Oct 17, 2016
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did not like it
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***DNF 24%*** [image] I started this one day and it took me WEEKS to reach to this point. Unfortunately, this book and I are terribly incompatible. I tr ***DNF 24%*** [image] I started this one day and it took me WEEKS to reach to this point. Unfortunately, this book and I are terribly incompatible. I tried, I really did. But when the first 18% is done and you still cannot see how/where/when the two guys are ever gonna meet, the situation can be discouraging at least. When you finally got to see them together… I couldn’t feel the spark. So now I have no reason to go on. To be honest, I’m not exactly a Private Investigator book fan exactly. Well, I have no idea which my tastes are in a concrete way (it just clicks or it doesn’t) but I’ve come to terms with the fact suspense/thriller is usually not my cuppa when reading, and here it definitely isn’t. From what I was able to gather, this story has a very grey atmosphere that soakes everything. For the life of my I cannot fathom how Gethin’s and Kell’s paths are even related apart from that random party. Maybe both their plots are intertwined eventually. Who knows. So, all in all, it’s not a bad book. Not at all. I’m just not feeling it, I’m getting bored, and it’s raw torture deciding to invest my time in this in between more satisfying readings. So I’m calling it a day. ...more |
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1
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Oct 31, 2016
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Nov 15, 2016
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Oct 31, 2016
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ebook
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B01KCB8UX0
| 3.82
| 366
| Sep 01, 2016
| Sep 01, 2016
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did not like it
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***DNF 14%*** [image] I had a problem with this book since the very beginning. I wasn’t horrified right away but the writing style doesn’t agree with me ***DNF 14%*** [image] I had a problem with this book since the very beginning. I wasn’t horrified right away but the writing style doesn’t agree with me, and it made it complicated for me to focus on the story, because it was damn distracting and formulaic. What do I mean with this? The author tells things. Facts. Info. Then she tells more things. Facts. Info. Then some more. And more. I’m reading a chain of events, but with no real meat beneath. It’s like: I wake up, I brush my teeth, I go to work, I come back home, I sleep. Maybe I eat 5 times a day. But no soul, no emotion. Jason is in love with his BFF, Matt. Matt rejects him. Jason goes into the Army. 10 years later, he survives an explosion. He is kicked out of the Army. He meets Chris Bacon in Matt’s wedding (oh, my heart, that hurts!), who is a reflection of Matt. We are told several times how alike they are. It sounds so sad and pathetic: Matt doesn’t want Jason, but no problem, because Chris is there to replace him. 10 years younger. Such a coincidence! Such good luck! Win-win! Needless to say, I was wary ever since. Chris is sick. Chris is poor. Chris is awesome. Suddenly, everybody wants to have him in his house. The envy of every abandoned dog. He needs to go to the doctor, to Matt’s exgirlfriend, Sarah, who is a GP. I’d have paid to see that doctor interview. The medical stuff sounded so weird to my ears. Maybe it’s because of the language barrier, maybe it’s because the health system is different from the one in the place I live in. But things are not clear for me in this matter. It seems Chris only spends a little while in the consultation but then he has to have been for a longer while, because, he is given prescriptions for two antibiotics, vitamins, iron, and sleep pills. As simple as that. The space-time sphere is so surreal in this book. We are never told how Chris feels. Dizzy? Feverish? Does he cough anyhow? Does he suffers from fatigue? Malaise? Does breathing takes him a huge effort? Does he have any pain, in the chest, in the stomach, wherever? Questions, questions, questions! Matt gets him and takes him to the doctor. Out of the blue. I mean, I had no hint Chris was sick until they go to the pharmacy, because we are never explained how Chris feels. [image] Describing how a MC feels in a romantic novel is so basic I have no idea why the narrator didn’t mention any of this. I’m not even talking about the feelings for another person but about the most elemental of sensations. Yourself, your body, your inner voice. We only get to see how he runs super fast and gets into the nursering home to see Matt’s father. BAM. And how fierce and snarky he is. BAM. And how pitiful he is. BAM. Just because. The character development was superficial at least. Then they mention the blood transfusion. “How he keeps up the pace when he’s still so anaemic I don’t know. Sarah said that when she first saw him, if she’d thought he would stay in hospital, she would have admitted him, stuck him on an antibiotic drip and given him a blood transfusion.” That’s serious, it means the hemoglobin is very low, less than 8g/dl (in some cases, they are recommended with less than 10g/dl). If he needs to be admitted, then admit him. Period. And if he needs the transfusion, you give him the damn transfusion, you don’t dance around complaining to your exboyfriend about doing it or not because oh-so-poor Chris suffers so much and he is so pitiful and oh-my-god, how the hell did he do this all alone! He ended up giving his own address, and the name ‘Chris Bacon’ but the lack of a date of birth and previous doctor details were a problem for the receptionist. I don’t understand this. Why has Matt to talk with the receptionist? Wouldn’t it be more logical to be Chris the one who gives his own data (I take for granted that in the UK in the 21st century, people have a tendency to know)? When Chris goes out of the consultation, he gets out immediately, instead of going to reception in order go give such information. Oh no, he doesn’t. Let’s keep the doctors (and the administration) in the dark. We are ninjas, hey! Mmm. Everything is so DRAMA-DRAMA-DRAMA. I needed all of this to be proved, not to be magnified simply for a dramatic feel. The scene that made me realize I wasn’t sure if I was reading romance or a children book was the vomit scene after the wedding celebration. “Fucking wonderful. Consider my previous offer of a blowjob rescinded.” [image] 1. I don’t get which is the topic of the conversation here. 2. It’s ridiculous how puerile jokes are still present in adult romances. 3. Why is Chris Bacon considered so cool by them all? He’s such a stupid arrogant brat. I just that I have the feeling the author doesn’t read his own words twice. Doesn’t consider them first. I get the impression she just writes without stopping for a short while in order to wonder: “Does it make sense at all? Maybe this one sentence is distracting for the reader? Does this paragraph sound absurd anyhow in the big scheme of things? Do I really want to portray the characters this way? Can it be I’m taking it all too fast, or maybe too far away in the dramatic sense? Should I write this or that with more depth so that it doesn’t strike as too rushed and nonsensical?”. IDK, certain details give me red flags constantly and distract me from the main story. We can’t like them all… ***** Review with Chelsea! [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 28, 2016
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Sep 30, 2016
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Sep 28, 2016
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Kindle Edition
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1634862287
| 9781634862288
| B01N5M8UNM
| 3.99
| 666
| Aug 20, 2016
| Aug 20, 2016
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it was amazing
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One of my favorite reads of this year. This book is awesome. Period. [image] My first reaction when reading the first pages of this book was feeling the One of my favorite reads of this year. This book is awesome. Period. [image] My first reaction when reading the first pages of this book was feeling the irresistible temptation of hitting myself in the head with a rock. Hard. Yes, I’ve always been a little extreme. See, Metzger is not a new author for me. I read one of his books a long time ago, Vivaldi in the Dark, and fell in love with his style. But, for some stupid reason, I didn’t stay true to my promise, and I kept letting him pass. Again and again. When I finally decided to give him a chance, it was because of the cover and the blurb, which sounded kind of fun and sarcastic and the prospect of lots of sexy scenes seemed to be quaranteed. Those were stupid motives, I do know that now. This book is of the special kind. Not of the shallow laugh-and-forget kind. [image] I can’t begin to describe how perfect this is. It reminds me of my dear Stockholm Syndrome, by Richard Rider, and that sounds the opposite of reassuring, I know. Only this is a much more balanced (and healthier) relationship. Shocking as it is, the characters really do play the part, they are really good for each other, make each other feel safe and cherished and loved and valued. [image] It was painfully obvious, this constant ache and yearning. And still it was so funny and it only complied me to keep reading and reading. I think that’s the best thing you can say about a book. That you are so into the characters’ skin, into the narrator’s voice, that your life stops existing for those hours in which everything is just… perfect. No, it’s not yoga. Something funny happened to me here. I’d never read a transgender story before. It’s not that I have a tendency to avoid them (but I do), but I never dared to make the big step. I supposed it wasn’t my cuppa, for the same reason mystery or cross-dressing are not my cuppa. Here I didn’t expect the topic to arise (yes, I know, I should read the blurbs more closely, but in the end I focus on what the story makes me feel rather than what it’s really about, once the doubts are silenced) so when Eli speaks the truth I was as stupefied as the next man. But everything began to make sense. The author subtly led me to the idea that something was not entirely “average” about Eli, but no explanation was provided until very far into the story. When that “little” fact was uncovered, it was a surprise, but it was not a shock. [image] So my cherry popped in the sweetest of ways, without me looking for it, and without forcing the situation in the least. A few months ago I met a little boy with gender dysphoria. It was one of the most precious and profound interviews I have ever seen, I could barely breathe with what I was hearing and seeing, and it made me aware how amazing being a child psychiatrist is. It’s an art, you have to avoid all kind of explicit questions, you apparently go around in circles “guiding” the kid so to make him speak his mind by his own accord. That is the way it’s done with abuse cases, too. Inserting ideas in a child can lead to the creation of untrue facts and that can be proof enough to dismiss the whole denunciation. Anyway, in this occasion it was the other way around. She felt like a girl. She wanted to be a Frozen princess, like half the girls her age. She wanted to have long hair in order to get it braided. All her friends in pre-school were girls. Her bedroom was pink. She said her boyish name was ok, but she would prefer a Disney girl name. She was too young to really gasp the reality of what she was experiencing but she already knew something was not entirely alright with herself. I do know the conflict is much more meaningful than that, but the signals were there already, at such an early age. There was little doubt about it, after a whole year of appointments. Her mother was very understanding and wanted to make all the process of growing up the most natural and the least traumatic possible for the kid. She was scared but determined. The father was not that accepting. They were in divorce proceedings. She was beautiful, and I only wanted to hug her. Not just because of some sort of maternal instinct or whatever (although I must admit there are very cute kids out there), but because immediately afterwards, I was sad. I just remembered the news of a 17-year-old trans who commited suicide a few months before because she couldn’t bear all the bullying at school. She had had the complete support of her mother and had already gone through the breast surgery, but she never managed to complete her transition. So I felt hope that this time, this time everything would be alright. That the 17 teenager died, but that Frozen princess would come to the other side safe and sound. Maybe I’m an over-sentimental fool, but that’s how I felt. So this little gem was a gift in other senses of the word, too. Harsh reality indeed, and this book doesn’t beat around the bush, which I appreciate. Eli suffered isolation if not rejection at school, and the situation at home is not ideal, either, as Eli’s parents still struggle with the fact their daughter is in fact a son. All of this takes a toll on Eli. Rob is just the total opposite. Ro bis freedom and exhilaration and acceptance. [image] This book is also challenging in another aspect. Eli and Rob have been together for 6 months already. I don’t usually like books with relationships that are already stable. It’s not something I hate per se, it’s just that I usually don’t feel the connection, the “je ne sais quoi” that makes it believable and vital for me. This time I didn’t need any push nor explanation, I just let myself being carried by the words, by the dynamics of this unusual pair. I was struck by Eli’s authencity. His serenity and his self-possession, his loyalty and his fierceness, his naughtier side and his sweet words. But also his wild façace and his claws when they need to be shown, to protect what is his, and to fight everything that comes between himself and Rob, even Rob himself. He's a voice to behold. His perspective was insightful and enlightening. I particulary loved his way of being kind towards Rob but with the necessary steel beneath to dominate the situation when it goes emotionally out of hand. Because Rob is more vulnerable than it seems. It was one of the reasons why I loved him so much. [image] If I adored Eli, I was even more dumbfounded by this tattooed ex-con with a cause, rough around the edges, who has not led an easy life. Bad attitude, bad education, and bad vibes rolling off him, he’s not exactly the best choice to introduce to your parents, above all when they are both on the most righteous side of the law, chief policeman and forensic specialist, to be precise. Rob won my heart with his real self, the one hidden from the world. The one Eli sees and fell in love with. Still, that was nothing to compare with Rob’s endless devotion and surrender when I finally got to know what Eli’s ‘weirdness’ is about. Even when the mystery is unfolded, there was still so much more space and time for surprise. Nothing is what it looks like. [image] [image] These two characters are joined together with super-glue and I couldn't see the extent of that, the botton of that. Because it floods and soakes everything they touch. They loved and lived for each other and there were no limits for that. The BDSM aspect blowed my mind. It’s pretty hot the idea of the bad guy being the submissive, whereas the skinny trans guy mandhandles him when the mood strikes. But it was even better seeing how Rob worshippes Eli with all his might. He doesn’t understand the first thing about dysphoria, why Eli is so sick of his own body beyond not liking wearing high-heeled shoes. He just knows Eli feels like that, and, as he loves Eli, that’s just reason enough to believe in him, to comply and make his dreams come true, to support him no matter what, and to bend and protect him from whoever hurts him. To cherish him even though Eli doesn’t consider himself ‘himself’ yet. [image] Do not expect a sappy reading here, although there are loads of gentle moments and cuddling, and I’m a sweet-cuddling junkie. I was surprised by the amount of “fucks” and “fuck you” and “fuckings” I found. If you can’t stand word repetitions, this may fed you up. It seemed a Tarantino movie or a Guy Ritchie comedy. Rob is a bad-ass from a bad-ass background, and he is not shy in demonstrating this fact, he doesn’t precisely have a mouth filter or a non-impulsive mind. The same goes to his brother Danny, an interesting character I would have liked to know more about. I didn’t mind the “fucks” as much as the mobile phone messages, which sometimes gave me headaches trying to decipher them. I’m not trained enough to read hieroglyphs, mind you. All in all, Rob prefers rubbing his bad-guy vibes in Eli’s parents’ faces rather than behaving as a polite boyfriend would in a family dinner. But Eli doesn’t let him cross certain limits. Not exactly a tight leash to make him act as someone he’s not, but he’s not scared of keeping him in line and deal with the consequences if Rob doesn’t obey. And sometimes Rob doesn’t behave very well. [image] But he always has Eli’s interests at heart. IDK if I was clear with my little speech but I do recommend this book. [image] (PS: paella packets are a sacrilege. I have never crossed myself but here I felt like doing so at the mention of such.) ***** (view spoiler)[ [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] (hide spoiler)] ***** Full review to come. Meanwhile... [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 2016
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Sep 02, 2016
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Sep 01, 2016
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Kindle Edition
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4.03
| 639
| Sep 09, 2016
| Sep 09, 2016
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really liked it
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This was a delight. Jay Northcote is a hit or miss for me and this time it’s one of those stories she nailed for me. Imaginative and adorable. Colourfu This was a delight. Jay Northcote is a hit or miss for me and this time it’s one of those stories she nailed for me. Imaginative and adorable. Colourful and positive. [image] It was cute, it was fun and it made me feel good. I seriously recommend this one! [image] Olly and Scott were BFF for most of their lives. But 4 years ago, it all ended after a kiss. Now they are 18 and the rift between them gets bigger and bigger with each passing day. Until there is this argument. The last straw. The next morning, they are in each other’s body. After the initial shock, they decide to act as the other one in the most natural way they can manage, to try not to wreck each other’s existence, as to make everything seem as normal as possible. But that means being together most of the time. Just after reading the blurb I was thinking about Freaky Friday. [image] Only that this was a romance, and a great one at that. Olly is out of the closet and Scott is struggling to look keen for the sake of his girlfriends. Olly is supported by his parents, whereas Scott feels crushed under his father’s homophobia. Olly plays Romeo in the school play, and Scott is successful in football (European football). They are as different as day and night, but somehow they were so good together. Once upon a time. Until that kiss happened and everything crashed and burnt. Of course, there are hilarious times, when they feel weird at seeing themselves from the outside, when they kiss each other and in fact are kissing themselves, when they have entirely at their service a foreign body they have longed for a long time, when they wake up with a morning or they find something similar at night which doesn’t let them sleep. They have to go to each other’s classes. They have to answer to their “real” names and deal with friends with whom they are not familiar at all… And there are serious matters, too. How to deal with true feelings which never stopped existing. How to deal with parents that are so different to their own. How to deal with not being ashamed of who you are, or how to learn to be free in order to have what you yearn for. [image] They get to be under each other’s skin. And to face feelings that never had a chance to die. They can’t wait to be in their own body again. [image] Even though that also means there will be no reason to be together once that happens. They cannot ever consider the chance that the other one feels the same, right? Right? [image] I loved the story, but I loved the fact that I couldn’t put he book down even more. These characters are adorable (even the secondary ones are balanced and easy to like). Even when what drove them apart gets in the middle, they comply and make an effort to reach each other’s hand. They are not obtuse for the sake of it. They feel hurt and sad at their situation, and both of them would love something different. Both of them would love to get back what they used to have together. Their interactions are awkward at first. They don’t know how to behave when being together. At first they are too angry at each other, but also frustrated and lonely. Then it becomes friendship again. Something they had missed for a way too long. And finally there is this “maybe” and this “hope” that turns into this “love”. When the future is so scary and uncertain, it’s heart-warming that beautiful and powerful things can survive. I wish I found more optimistic and fairy-like tales like this one without being sappy and sugary. It makes you believe in second chances, in the best destiny ever being within reach. You just have to believe in it to make it possible. You just have to grab it with both hands and make it real. BTW, I sort of imagine Mrs Wychwood like this: [image] ***** [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 29, 2016
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Aug 30, 2016
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Aug 29, 2016
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ebook
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9781682521595
| B01HDQF7JC
| 4.00
| 1,226
| Jun 21, 2016
| Jun 21, 2016
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did not like it
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***DNF 42%*** [image] This book is not what I expected it to be, and that’s partly why I left it unfinished. Yes, I guess it’s my fault, I expected a ro ***DNF 42%*** [image] This book is not what I expected it to be, and that’s partly why I left it unfinished. Yes, I guess it’s my fault, I expected a romance, a love story. What I found instead is a magic rulebook. Not my cuppa. It was not a pleasant surprise. I wanted to read something different from Lyn Gala. I love her Claimings series with a rabid passion. She writes in a way that keeps me interested… but the contents of this book couldn’t hold my attention for long. For starters, the novel begins when the conflict has already started. I expected to see the story since the very beginning, when Darren and Kavon meet and develop a relationship that goes further than it’s allowed in their magic and not-magic situation. They are part of a FBI Magic unit of sorts. Kind of a Suicide Squad, each one in the team with their strengths and roles. Kavon is a shaman, whereas Darren is a mundane, and it’s a dangerous situation for a shaman to bond with someone “magicless”. So Kaven withdraws, and that hurts Darren. Enters Ben, an adept whose task is to “anchor” Kavon when he goes to the spirit plane. Darren sees Ben as a threat to their relationship, but also for the team as a whole, and for the serial killer of magic people case itself. That’s when the book starts, when all of the above is explained in retrospective. I felt I was missing something essential, although I understand exposing all of this in the current thread of the story would make it longer, and none of it would have had any romantic meaning anyway. I’m not sure if I would have appreciated that or not. Because I’ve read 42% of the story, and still no progress. No glances, no kisses, no nothing. However, loads of magic and world explanations. Everytime I glimpsed the hope of something happening for real, I told myself, “This is it, now it comes!”. [image] But then the next magic paragraph came just in time to shatter all my ilusions. [image] It was driving me mad and I was growing impatient. Very much so. [image] It was a miss for me. ***** [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 15, 2016
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Aug 15, 2016
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Aug 15, 2016
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Kindle Edition
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1626494673
| 9781626494671
| B01LXST0P6
| 3.69
| 177
| Sep 10, 2016
| Sep 12, 2016
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liked it
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This is so sweet! [image] Aidan Wayne really knows how to write feel-good books. Reading a story of these is a promise of a smile threatening to split m This is so sweet! [image] Aidan Wayne really knows how to write feel-good books. Reading a story of these is a promise of a smile threatening to split my face in two. They are kind of theatre plays. Basically they are about two characters with flaws, but this kind of flaws that are not really defects, but an aspect of their lives that prevents them from really looking for happiness because of the fear of how they willl be viewed and judged by society. The problem is, this view and judgment they are scared of focuses only on the superficial aspects rather than the real person beneath. The characters grow thanks to the other one, they get free of their chains and embrace and cherish what’s truly important of themselves. Or at least, they find the way to go there. John’s surname in the Cirque is Phantom. It’s no wonder why that is, as half his face is scarred, like part of his body. People try not to get close to him if they can help it. [image] Until Bao. [image] Bao is the new Chinese acrobat. He is cheerful and doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. He loves talking to everybody. And, apparently, he seems to like to be close to John more than to anybody else. John doesn’t know what to make of it. At first, he has no clue why someone like Bao would want to do anything with something like him. At first, he tells himself Bao is nice to everybody, and for once, he doesn’t make an exception with him. At first, he tells himself Bao just want him as a friend. However, John begins to wish for something more, things that he gave up ages ago: a connection with someone. Love. He tries to lower his expectations, to extinguish hope before it ever has the chance to sparkle. He can be described as deliberately obtuse, but you also understand his reasons to be so blind, even when reality is so painfully obvious. Because he knows it’s not possible. For someone to love him. For Bao to love him. Is it? Bao is adorbs. John is too cute for words. Their interactions made me hop on my seat. The action goes smoothly and their closeness happens naturally, without forcing the situation, which, by the length of the book, is impressive. Bao can be considered too bright, too perfect, too selfless. But hey, John is the epitome of a generous heart, too. This may feel more like a fairy tale than the real world. But in the Cirque magic happens, right? All in all, I can see this relationship being developed beyond that open ending, resulting in a great novel. In fact, I’m curious enough to know how this author is when writing a full story. [image] ***** [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 02, 2016
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Aug 03, 2016
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Aug 02, 2016
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Kindle Edition
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1634775953
| 9781634775953
| B01ILPT7LI
| 3.80
| 738
| Aug 25, 2013
| Aug 05, 2016
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did not like it
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***DNF 27%*** Dissenting opinion ahead! [image] Well, this is painful. This book is a re-edition and the previous version was flooded with shining review ***DNF 27%*** Dissenting opinion ahead! [image] Well, this is painful. This book is a re-edition and the previous version was flooded with shining reviews and lots of swooning. I expected lots of swooning from my part, too. I was ready for it. But that didn’t happen. In fact, the book required a big effort from me to keep reading. I was bored to tears. It’s not that I have something definite to blame for the fail. There is no pet peeve exactly, not a tangible reason I can point to. It’s just this tedious writing that can’t even move me. Not even with the dead partner drama. Not even with the alcohol drama. Not with anything. Indiference is not a good companion. It can’t hold my interest for long. [image] This time the cover is much more attractive. I grant that. But not even the plot was original. It reminded me of: -Chase the Storm: the mature guy who had been matched up with the love of his life, who died. Some time passes, and the younger guy gets into scene and puts everything upside-down. They are in a ranch. They train horses. This book works since the very beginning. -After Ben: the mature guy who had been matched up with the love of his life, who was older than him, and now that some time has passed, he still hasn’t overcome his death, and he meets a much younger guy for whom he falls without a chance to prevent it. We are in Seattle instead of in the South. We are in an Internet forum instead of in a ranch. But more or less, the parallelism is there. This book took a little longer to grab my attention for real but it never wandered. [image] Still, I wanted to give this a chance. However, this didn’t work for me. Now that I’m writing about it, yes, there was something that upset me here. An emphatic person never says he’s emphatic. It’s arrogant and pretentious. I’ve dealt with a bunch of doctors and psychologists myself and those who say they are emphatic are preciselly the ones whose face I wanted to scratch to pieces. [image] I speak the truth, those who don’t talk about themselves but focus on the patient are the ones I really like. Seriously, there is this untold rule that says that it’s haughty to talk so highly about yourself for no good reason, but so far, TJ hasn’t heard about that statement. We are repeteadly told how emphatic he is, how good he is at reading expressions, how he has a gift to understand people’s pain and put himself in their shoes. But you know what? I never believed him as this other-worldly emphatic creature. In fact, TJ sounds so paternalistic in and out of his head he fails miserably at the humbling part. [image] That’s why he abandoned Medicine and got into Psychology. Why? Because Medicine (or Surgery, as he implies) is not empathic at all. WTF? Have you heard about Psychiatry? Or Pediatrics? Or Oncology? How can you make a person with a descompensated schizophrenia trust you if he’s hearing voices who command him to suspect of everyone? How do you order a 5-year-old kid to stop crying and let himself be put the stickers on his chest for the ECG? How do you tell someone she has breast cancer and the options she has to erase it? Delicate specialities, those, but most are that way. Surgery, not empathic? Uhm… how can make the person trust you to put his life in your hands? Being a bastard, maybe that works? I’ll tell you this: I’ve met Neurosurgeons and Pediatric Surgeons and Cardiologists with more empathy than you would be led to believe. I even met Plastic Surgeons I adored. People who reconstruct faces or give new skin to burnt people or even provide breasts after their total removal. Have you heard about those? No empathy? Really? There is more than meets the eye. Choosing a “prestigious” career doesn’t mean you are an insensitive asshole. Of course, I’ve also met lots of insensitive assholes. There are sharks everywhere. And it’s funny because his teachers tell him he’s not made for Medicine/Psychology, that he gets invested too much himself. Forgetting that part (OMG, he’s so empathic he’s making himself sick), I’m sorry, but it’s hard for me to believe that situation: a medical/psychologist student being psychoanalyzed and adviced to see if he’s fit for this career and being told he’s not. Really, I’ve never heard of this before. Well, whatever, he says he’s not made for being doctor nor a psychologist. That’s why he’s travelling so far from home. Uhm. [image] I prefer Brett’s POV, by a long shot. Still, the love story is a slow burning one. So slow I never got to see a sparkle. Apparently, none of this guys is the other’s one type, but they are immediately attracted to each other. It wasn’t believable to me. Not at all. So yes, I’m moving on. ***** [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 24, 2016
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Jul 25, 2016
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Jul 24, 2016
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Kindle Edition
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1634773837
| 9781634773836
| B01IGQOGMM
| 3.48
| 599
| Apr 09, 2013
| Aug 03, 2016
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it was ok
| “So in other words, I may be a freak, but you like it?” [image] There is little t “So in other words, I may be a freak, but you like it?” [image] There is little to none connection with the first book in the series. It’s not only that the author is a different one but that there is just a mention or two of the Wrench Wars TV program. That’s all about it. So if you expect the characters from the previous story to appear, you’ll be disappointed. Once you come to terms with that, there is no reason not to enjoy this story. It’s entertaining, there are lots of hot scenes considering the few pages, and the MCs are endearing enough. I admit I thought this book would be a forgettable story, but then there was this little fact that made it stand out from the rest: certain muscle cars turn Kasey on. And Brandon has a “fetish of fetishes”. I think that’s the strong asset of this book. Characters that are in close of the limits of the “normal” range who find in each other the acceptance they fear they can’t find anywhere else, at leas ton Kasey’s case. Brandon is more confident in what he wants and, unabashedly, he seeks it. Not very extreme at all. There is no “car sexualization” but it was odd enough to awake and maintain my curiousity for the short while the novel lasted. Maybe sometimes it’s forced. When Brandon numbers all the boyfriends he has had in his life (he’s not that old, and apparently, he has a busy job and lots of money, but he certainly found the time to meet interesting people out there), each one of them with a certain fetish, I had to suspend disbelief. Also, I didn’t welcome the prospect of imagining Brandon getting tired of Kasey after a short while, which is the same thing that comes up to Kasey’s mind at this stage of their relationship. Then of course comes the resolution of things and Brandon soothing Kasey’s fears. I wasn’t convinced enough of his explanation and assurance that he plans to be with Kasey for a very long time. The reason is that the book is very short for that and the author didn’t manage to give a deep feeling to the situation, so I couldn’t feel this statement to be really true, or truly real. It needed more time in the oven to make this a properly cooked meal. The family issue was a little lost on me. It was well done but I don’t exactly know what purpose it serves for the main story. It felt like a parellel storyline rather than a complement of the romantic one. What I really loved here: the sex scene via Skype in the car. And the full-contact sex scene in the car (a different one). The story finishes at 84%. ***** [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 14, 2016
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Jul 14, 2016
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Jul 14, 2016
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Kindle Edition
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3.52
| 258
| Jul 18, 2016
| Jul 18, 2016
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it was ok
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Blasphemy that would leave my grandma open-mouthed and open-eyed in horror and my other grandma saying “Eh?”. [image] Well, it’s not that extreme, by if Blasphemy that would leave my grandma open-mouthed and open-eyed in horror and my other grandma saying “Eh?”. [image] Well, it’s not that extreme, by if you are a little sensitive, this book is not for you. I have read nothing of Neil Gaiman, so I have no way to compare. This is the first book I’ve read by Leta Blake. I think her style is solid and the acid sense of humor kept me going until the very end. But, honestly, there is little to be happy about. The love story is off-off-off. And I’d like to say the fantasy/angelic theme was something innovative and great, but it wasn’t. [image] See, Michael, the Archangel, is given missions to save people on Earth. His task now is to save 40-year-old Jewish Asher, who has lived all his existence in the closet and is close to make a big mistake that would only push him deeper into his misery. Michael has to make him see light, and well, Asher does see light, in more than one sense. [image] I’ve heard this blurb before. It’s a well-worn topic. I don’t know exactly where and when I heard or read it, but Lucifer being a surf boy didn’t sound as something new to my ears. I expected the badass angel to be something of the sort. Not surprised. God being an asshole who gets amused mandhandling humans at his will was very typical, too. The Christian part was broadly made fun of, but the Jewish part was a little wasted, in my opinion. Islam is only mentioned with their profet Muhammad. I don’t expect Family Guy or South Park here, but I think those little jokes could have gone further. Maybe the author has more respect towards these religions, maybe she decided the Christian religion was enough, or maybe she just didn’t dare with the other two big monotheisms. Whatever the reason, I was a little let down. Michael has spent thousands of years in utter submission and obedience towards his Father. But this time, he’s compelled to initiate a rebellion, as his brother Lucifer did a long time ago. The reason is this human with his Father’s imprint on him that calls him like a siren that he simply cannot resist. [image] I saw no other reason for Michael’s desire to be with Asher. Yes, they have very hot sex scenes together, but their interactions are of the physical sphere rather than really falling in love, and their dialogues were so vague and cryptic I was growing a little frustrated myself, because they are obviously not enough to form a real bond. Insta-love? Probably. Insta-lust? Clearly so. I couldn’t believe the love story. And much less, I couldn’t believe why Michael decides to give up the divine favor just because of him. I can understand he was tired of serving, or not fulfilling his own needs, of not having his own life. But I can’t understand Asher being the cause and end of all of that. All in all, I’m really disappointed in this novella. I expected much more, more originality, a more daring scheme of things, and of course, a love story that would make me lose my breath. Unfortunately, my expectations were not met. [image] [image] ***** [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 05, 2016
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Jul 06, 2016
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Jul 06, 2016
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ebook
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1634774558
| 9781634774550
| B01M4G9L6V
| 4.23
| 2,054
| Oct 28, 2016
| Oct 28, 2016
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really liked it
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Beware of yourself. Beware of the horse. Beware of the birds. Beware of everybody. And everything else. But beware of yourself first. You can never know. Beware of yourself. Beware of the horse. Beware of the birds. Beware of everybody. And everything else. But beware of yourself first. You can never know. The psyche works in mysterious ways. Right? [image] Well, that was all sorts of spectacular. There are moments like these in which I realize Klune is not just a good M/M romance writer. But he is a good writer. His stories show off a utter complexity formed with a layer and a layer, and a layer beneath, that they become a solid and bullet-proof cloth with apparently no effort. It just flows. They become something tangible, something real. [image] The book is marvelous. I was hooked and couldn’t let go. Mike’s voice is compelling and inquisitive. There are questions, questions, questions, and wrong, wrong, WRONG signs. From all directions: up and down, right and left, from the inside, from the outside. I felt chills during most of the time. It definitely put me on edge. It surely drove me crazy. [image] [image] Unfortunately, I don’t think this is the most romantic story written by Klune. Moreover, what dazzled me was everything that was not love. Everything else. Like… everything in the end? I know it doesn’t speak high of the book, because chances are people wanna know whether or not this is a good romance. Well, the romance is sweet, friends becoming lovers so very slowly, trust and friendship taking an eternal meaning. Yes, I enjoyed it pretty much. But it’s eclipsed by the utter magneficience of everything else. Which is like, the most important part of the book. For me, the romance was a secondary plot, even though the MC’s motivations are truly led by this strong emotion. His decisions are driven by love at its purest sense. So I guess that’s why Klune said this was his most romantic novel. However, I also have to admit I got more love feelz in other novels of his. [image] I have no way to classify this story. There is no corseted genre in the M/M romance with whom I could compare this book. The blurb leads you to believe this is historical, but I dare to say that’s not it, not exactly. I’d say it’s more fantastical than historical. No, not unicorns to be seen, but believe me, very weird things happen here. You can never let your mind rest in peace, because you never know when and how the next blow will come. And I promise you this, it will come, in a way or the other, but it will. One after the other. KO after KO. Sends shivers down my spine, body’s aching all the time... [image] [image] Although you get hints and clues, you cannot entirely grasp what’s going on, and that was a powerful incentive to go on by itself. But what a hell of a trip! This maelstrom in Mike’s head surely sucks you in. No escape. Everything was spot-on. Every question unveiled. Every mystery unfolded. Everything was ok. More than ok. Superb. Spectacular. Mindfuck. And reaching the climax, reaching the climax, reaching the CLIMAX… puff. I mean, that ending? I admit I had issues with that last 5%. I rebelled against the idea. It didn’t sit right with me. It didn’t agree with me. So I let some time pass. I let myself ponder it. Chew on it. Sleep on it. And you know what? I like that ending more and more with each passing day. Funny that. [image] Visions. Voices. Hallucinations. Memories. Memories lapses. Reminiscences of a past which doesn’t begin to be understandable. Dreams that sound like experiences. Experiences which seem taken out of a dream. Surrealism. Hyper-realism. [image] [image] And when the inquisitive man finally gets out of the cave… is he the wise man or is he the mad man? Will he ever be able to get back to was it used to be, to erase everything that came after that exact momento in which he began realizing there was something else, something more, something not quite right? Everything that used to be a major truth is losing its reliability. Every reference point is upside down. What to believe? What to trust? And the most important question: What is real here? What is an illusion? [image] [image] Kind of creepy. Amorea. I think it sounds like amor. Not only because of Mike and because of Sean. Sean and Mike. But because everything was lovely here. Most of the time, so much so. So much so to be true. To be real. [image] [image] ***** (view spoiler)[ [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] (hide spoiler)] ***** Group review! [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 12, 2016
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Oct 20, 2016
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Jun 21, 2016
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Kindle Edition
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B01FIFE3Q8
| 3.70
| 143
| Jun 06, 2016
| Jun 15, 2016
|
did not like it
|
***DNF 8%*** [image] Yes, I’m aware the amount of pages I’ve read is ridiculous but this is a disaster of a book. In the dedication section the author m ***DNF 8%*** [image] Yes, I’m aware the amount of pages I’ve read is ridiculous but this is a disaster of a book. In the dedication section the author mentions 15 beta readers. I have no idea if that’s usual but the number only made me ponder this fact for a while. And yet I couldn’t stand this book. Unless you count the multiple times I had to put the kindle on my face and laugh… and laugh and laugh, and keep laughing… so as not to cry. [image] I was ready to DNF this in just the first scene. But who does that unless it’s a sample? Well, let me tell you that, were this a sample, I would not have bought the book. I’d have thrown it as far as I could and forget about it forever. But I told myself I had to keep going, I had to give it a chance. Who knows, one scene is just one scene, things can get better. Right? Well, the problem was not the scene. I wish. The problem was the whole book and, yes, I’m daring enough to say that only after reading 8% of it, but that’s more than enough to know I won’t be wasting my time in this. I don’t make decisions casually. I have a long list of reasons. [image] Let’s begin with the narrator voice. It’s so judgmental, so know-it-all. Instead of driving you subtly into forming your own opinion, the narrator immediately condemns one character or another. Leaving to one side these characters are indeed cruel/ignorant/abusive, these opinionated statements only manage to irritate me and grate on my nerves. Assuming that, no matter what, I will always agree with them. No fuck*** way. Daniel was unable to free himself from his cruel employer. The “enemies” of this story are so absurd they look like cartoons. They are cruel/ignorant/abusive, they have “potbellies” and similar negative qualities. This leads to the assumption that bad people are terribly ugly, and that’s why you have to mistrust them, whereas good people are all beautiful and attractive. I don’t hate many things in life, but this, these prejudices drive me totally mad. This upsets me endlessly. This description about the potential “rivals” of Daniel for Ronan’s qualities as a Dom(These two subs are cousins and they smack each other’s butts. I’m aware there are family-related people who have sex together but the idea of imagining them like that in this book is simply wrong to me): He (Ronan) knew both Kevin and Jack wanted him to Dom them together, but he wasn’t interested in them on a sexual level. Jack shaved his head, had too many piercings and tats for Ronan’s liking. Kevin was too perfect and not much of a challenge. He also had a few too many tats, but not as many piercings as Jack. The boys have small pot bellies from drinking too much beer and they were both a bit on the lazy side. There wasn’t any magic going on between his legs when he was around them, not like he felt with Daniel. See? The narrator doesn’t give me a choice to either like/dislike them because she has already made that decision for me, treating me like an idiot who needs guidance in coming to her own conclusions. There is no way I will ever be able to like them, simply because of this single paragraph. I feel stupid reading this. I feel like a sheep, baaaaaaaaaaaaaa. [image] The story begins with Daniel beginning his workday in a dancing club. He is the son of a gypsy leader and only dreams about escaping this world by earning enough money to flee. During the day he paints walls, during the night he swirls around a pole. But he’s not lucky, his father is a shady powerful personality, whereas his boss is an abusive bastard that, as soon as he learns he’s a gypsy and that his father has stolen money, he kicks him out (literally speaking) giving him no choice but to disappear once and for all from the area. Because, else, he will be forced to marry and live the life his father imposes him to. He’s read in a newspaper/magazine about a man who saves abandoned/mistreated horses and trains them and finds them a home (awwww, surely he has to be a good person!) that’s where he is headed. Close to his destiny, he finds a pub and goes into it to have a drink. He doesn’t realize his is a gay BDSM club. Not even when he notices everybody is male. Not even when he sees everybody is wearing leather. Not even when he sees he’s the weird one there. [image] There, this huge Dom notices him and approaches him. Ronan, the Dom, suddenly has this idea of giving him a lesson. Out of the blue. Just because he’s convinced Daniel needs to be taught respect. So he grabs him and smacks him and he doesn’t stop until Daniel calls him “Sir”. At this point I was so shocked I couldn’t even blink. I mean, the idea of a so-called Dom (and a stranger) manhandling someone like that in a public place and nobody intervening to stop it is so outrageous and ridiculous it’s driving me nuts just picturing it. [image] And if that wasn’t enough, Daniel is so excited he has a hard-on and is leaking pre-cum in his jeans. I mean… What? Seriously… What? But that doesn’t stop here because Ronan doesn’t seem content with jumping all over Daniel like he owns him but he also forbids Daniel to drink beer. I mean… What? Seriously… WHAT? “You don’t need to drink alcohol. I don’t want you making any more bad decisions this evening.” [image] Sorry? Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to behave that way? What gives you the right to give orders like that to a person you have just met? Touching him without permission, hitting him on the butt, demanding him to call you a certain way, forcing him to confess why he’s there and what he’s escaping from, and denying that person the rightfully chance to have the drink he fancies unmolested. Ronan is not a Dom, he’s an abusive asshole. If I ever met him, I’d be ringing the police and running in the opposite direction. [image] And he has issues. I mean, real issues. Like, he’s a control freak. But I’m not referring to the kinky aspect. He decides to pay the two cousin subs to follow Daniel. “I want you to follow him when he leaves. Text me where he settles in for the evening.” How do these subs react? The expressions on their faces turned to disappointment. He knew why, but he couldn’t help that he wasn’t attracted to them. [image] OMFG, he’s not only a controlling bastard, but he is also an arrogant and insufferable bully. Like, taking for granted everybody will giving their kidneys for free in order to be spend one single night with him and thank him afterwards. I. Can. Not. Stand. Him. [image] But wait, there is more. He looks for Daniel in the Internet. I mean, he’s not a stalker, not at all. (Damn, this book is like the guidelines of “How to recognize you are dating an abusive bastard” *facepalm*.) And shockingly, he finds Daniel’s father on Facebook. As easy as that. IDK about you, but this gives me the creeps. Ronan knows nothing of Daniel but he’s already “his boy”. “Make sure that mean Scot doesn’t go near my boy.” He talks about Daniel as if he were talking about a piece of meat. Like, “Don’t eat my meat, dude.” Fuck this shit. [image] He needed to prove to himself he could Dom a boy like Daniel and make him submit. He wanted to protect him better than he had Finney. So it’s not for Daniel’s sake, but for himself, “he needed to prove to himself he could Dom”. I can’t even! Are you using Daniel for entirely selfish reasons! To stroke your ego. I didn’t know I could hate you even more. “Bessie, I think I found myself a new boy. He’s a bad boy and needs a strong hand to guide him. He has long brown hair, but I never saw his eyes. He wore these damn sunglasses in the bar. I think he was hiding a whopper of a shiner. I wonder what he’s been through. I think he needs me, and I need him.” On what basis can you say that he needs you and that you need him? How do you know he’s a bad boy? Just because he refused to call you “Sir” and tell you his problems and that he protested when you forbid him to drink alcohol? Who do you think you are? [image] How can this be romantic by any means? However, he didn’t believe he could force Daniel to go home with him. Thank God you realize that! *sarcastic* [image] See why I was all this while laughing my ass off? Ronan’s dialogue with his brother is totally nuts: “Why did you whip his ass on your first meeting? Is that normal?” [image] Forgetting about the incestuous relationship (I mean, WTF?, spanking your own brother in a sexual sense? And you treat that theme so casually?) is the author trying to demonstrate Ronan’s “Domanship” is innate? That it’s just his nature and that’s why he instinctively began spanking his brother? WHAT THE HELL??? I’m freaking out. Seriously, this book freaks me out. [image] I think he not only spanked his brother’s butt but he also smacked him in the head when he was little. Listen to this: “I was easy on him, just took him over my knee and spanked him until he called me Sir.” INCEST, PEOPLE, INCEST!!!! It’s not the sexual hint among relatives I have a problem with. It’s this frivolousness in which it’s written and displayed. I’ve read books about this topic that are so masterly written I can only say I’m in awe. But this… This is supposed to be a jokey dialogue but I can’t indulge them, I can’t carry on with his charade. This is too surreal!!! [image] “What do you know about him?” For God’s sake, you only got to see him once and you spent those five minutes spanking him and you already know he’s the love of your life? I. CAN’T. EVEN. [image] Ronan has had lots of practice in his bully record. When Finney got sick, he had controlled every inch of his sub’s life, but that wasn’t enough, because in the end, Ronan couldn’t save him. His thoughts circled with every possible combination of what ifs. Nothing had mattered. Finney was gone. Ronan couldn’t protect him from death. He blamed himself for not being strict enough with him before he’d gotten ill. Have I just read an apology of domestic violence? Maybe not physical violence per se but this controlling hint is not reassuring at all. How can this be called “romantic”? [image] But do not worry, because Ronan was so heartbroken and so sad. Deep inside, he’s a teddy bear! He hadn’t had a sub in over a year, not since his last one, Finney, had passed away. Ronan’s heart ached and he had shed many tears for the gorgeous, loving lad. Awwwwww, I’m so touched. I’ve forgiven him after reading this. Not at all. [image] In my dictionary, these relationships are abusive, nothing related to D/s. I've read books with D/s and domestic discipline in them and I can see the trust and the devotion towards each other. But this? This is an atrocity of a D/s relationship. They never speak for real, never form a bond, never are in their shared-little-world where only both of them exist. Here the Dom has already made up his mind, without putting Daniel's needs first, without knowing him first. I don't see instinct nor devotion nor love here, not even lust! Not that I'm an expert but... it sounds so wrong to me. It’s time to turn the page. Now we’ll talk about stereotypes. Gypsies stereotypes. The narrator and the characters are clearly full of prejudices. Gypsies are these dirty untrustworthy trash criminals whose only goal in life is marrying and having 10 kids before the age of 20 and while they do that they steal everything they can put their hands on whenever they can. I’m so disgusted and uncomfortable by all these assumptions that I can simply not overlook them. I’m not going to say it’s racism but I have to admit reading these hints makes me so uncomfortable I don’t care if the author is really crossing an invisible line or not. For me, it’s insulting and humiliating enough to consider a serious DNF. The general book is so judgmental it’s offensive. These unfortunate comments were totally out of place. I’ve read other books with gypsies and prejudices but none of them were so obvious as to show in such a categorical statement that ALL the people in a certain group are a certain way, a VERY NEGATIVE way, no alternative available. “Do you know what they say about gypsies?” I beg your pardon? What has anything to do with buying him a soda and him refusing that? I’m sorry, I failed my last intelligence test. [image] No, it’s not only the opinion of one character, but this perspective of things is inherent in the narrator’s voice, in the recounting of events, in the tale of Daniel’s past. Everywhere. And it drags you to have the same opinion. Because, as I said, the narrator is like that. “I guess you’re going to have to teach him who’s the big boss.” What’s going on with that soda? For real? Also, this is so calculated, so forced. He wanted to paint all the stables green, but there weren’t enough hours in a day to do everything. He’d planned on hiring someone to help him, but hadn’t found anyone he wanted to work closely with. Oh, Daniel used to work painting walls! He’s heading to Ronan’s exact ranch. This is all such a big coincidence! It’s destiny! They are meant to be together! (I don’t know if you noticed but this is a sarcastic comment) [image] There is also a little of American patronizing. I mean, the characters are supposed to be Irish or at least European. So it’s only logical the narrator and the characters think in an Irish, European way. It’s so inappropriate to say a horse is 14hh tall or that “he must be of drinking age, which is eighteen in Ireland.” The narrator has to have a consequent perspective of things, have a voice adapted to circumstances of place and time. So please, speak in “cm” and don’t say “which is eighteen in Ireland” because it’s totally obvious this is an American POV and it sounds as if the narrator is explaining things to kids in a museum. As if Europe was a museum and people living there were animals in a zoo with these exotic lifestyles. It’s exasperating. [image] For all these reasons, I’m unable to keep reading: the stereotyped and offensive version of gypsies, the bidimensional characters, the confusion of the D/s dynamics with an abusive relationship, the ridiculous insta-lust and insta-love, the judgmental and condescending narrator, the hurried and clumsy storyline. FUBAR! [image] Sorry not sorry. ***** [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jun 21, 2016
|
Jun 21, 2016
|
Jun 20, 2016
|
Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||||
1634773128
| 9781634773126
| B01HDMFXWM
| 3.95
| 295
| Jul 11, 2016
| Jul 11, 2016
|
liked it
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This is my first Brandon Witt book and it’s like nothing I expected it to be. But I loved it nonetheless. [image] It wasn’t the typical love story. Suffi This is my first Brandon Witt book and it’s like nothing I expected it to be. But I loved it nonetheless. [image] It wasn’t the typical love story. Suffice it to say, the romance is “solved” during the first 40% (or less). No, it’s not that the following 60% is there for nothing, just to reach the length of an average novel. The reason why is that Noah and Randall knew each other when they were teens. They had their first kiss at 13 and have never forgotten each other ever since. “It’s just that it’s you, you know?” He shrugged, and I thought he was going to look away, but he didn’t. “I’ve always known you were the one. I wasn’t sure if you’d ever come back into my life or not, but that didn’t change anything. And then you did. Out of the blue. With no forcing the situation on either of our parts.” Randall decides to buy a dog. Not because he longs for some canine company, but to satisfy his niece’s wishes. She’s not allowed to have a dog at home, so Randall decides to make her happy adopting it himself. And so he goes to the animal refuge his mother is holding a benefit for. And there he meets Noah. A grown-up Noah. Was there an application to take him home? He comes home with a rather ugly dog called Harper. I fell in love with the dog, too. I must say Randall sense of humor amused me since the very beginning. He’s a witty man indeed. Promise me to call him if I had problems? Call Noah Carroll. Yeah. I had no issue with that. Hell, sign me up for ten dogs – that would guarantee a problem and a phone call. “Sure. I promise”. So, as I mentioned above, the romance develops very quickly. Insta-love? For some reason, I didn’t really care here. It’s not just the “old” flame of love they experienced in their early youth, but I really could feel their attraction and their chemistry. I could feel them complementing each other and that “destiny” awaiting them. And I was enchanted with Noah since the very first page he enters the scene. “You ask that after you kiss me.” Noah and Randall don’t waste the time with big misunderstandings or with holding their feelings back just because. They are honest with themselves and with the other one, naked emotions on the surface. There is no sense in hiding when they both know what they are looking for. It was that way the whole while and I really appreciate the author didn’t beat around the bush just for the sake of it. “Sorry, I’ll cut it out. I’m just nervous and really happy. Did I mention nervous?” [image] One thing is true: there are not many sex scenes, or at least, explicit sex scenes. I must say I was a little disappointed with this because there clearly are sparks between them two and I really wanted to see more than a glimpse of this. What a pity. Still, there is no time to get bored so I didn’t miss it too much. I liked the photographer’s aura in the book. How the sessions are. How casual photos can be exactly what oneself is looking for. How that person feels something in the air and foresees a life-changing moment close to come for his camera to capture. How the following process is displayed in order to emphasize the best aspects of the photo. And Randall himself in that role. [image] Noah drives his proverbial ark: an animal refuge. It can be kind of forced but I could really picture him taking care of abandoned dogs and finding them a home. I really liked the method to find the perfect match for every person. Or, better said, the perfect match for every dog. Religion takes an important place here. It’s not that we find bigoted people left and right, but it was what drove Noah and Randall apart when they were teens. Noah’s family is devoted to charity and helps people from socially disavantaged environments, which leads them to travel very far away when their sabbatical year ends. I liked this aspect of the story and how it shapes Noah’s character throughout the years. Noah’s gaze sharpened, seeing me again. “And God took you. I couldn’t have you.” [image] So, which is the real “conflict” there? A myriad of things that are indeed the same: crappy people. Randall is a professional photographer but to make ends meet he combines his dream job with massage and erotic photograph sessions. Randall loves sex, so he had no problem in indulging himself if the occasion arises and he was attracted enough to the men who paid for his services. That earns him a “slutty” reputation when one of his clients decides to cause a big scene out of it, just out of spite. And Randall’s family is not supporting at all. In fact it’s one of those with whom you wish not to find enemies in your life because you already have your family for that. The Morgans are portrayed as a disgustingly rich and powerful family with a few skeletons in the closet. Translation: they were truly fucked up. [image] The father is a manipulating bastard who manhandles his other son Dustin at his will. The mother was a social climber who is all the time looking down her nose at anyone who doesn’t meet her standards. She doesn’t exactly make an effort to include Dustin’s wife, Kayla, in the family. Kayla is the so-called “trophy wife” but she still struggles with that definition and with giving her daughter Bailey some kind of good example, but can’t avoid Bailey from being expected to behave as an adult in this constrained environment. Her uncle Randall is the only one who lets her be a child. So when the shit really hits the fan, lots of conflicts appear and Noah and Randall have to find it in themselves to overcome all these obstacles and difficulties in order to build a new life together. I liked seeing how their relationship is put to test and how they manage to solve things and go on with their life. Noah puts lots on faith on them, whereas Randall is a bit more insecure. Despite reading his feelings well, he’s scared of “fucking up what’s meant to me”. This is my first experience with Brandon Witt and I must say it was a good beginning. ***** More pics... (view spoiler)[ [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] (hide spoiler)] ***** [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 27, 2016
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Jun 30, 2016
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Jun 16, 2016
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Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||
1634769988
| 9781634769983
| B0749954VF
| 3.64
| 285
| Jul 28, 2016
| Jul 28, 2016
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it was ok
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[image] I wanted to read this because I hadn’t read anything of this author before. And for the first 25%, everything was fine. More than fine, really. [image] I wanted to read this because I hadn’t read anything of this author before. And for the first 25%, everything was fine. More than fine, really. But then all hell broke loose. The blurb is quite revealing. In fact, it seems everything is told there. In truth, all of that happens during the first 25%. From then on, the book seems to go nowhere. I mean, there wasn’t a definited plot-line in which the story was developed. It was a chain of events with no evident purpose. The first quarter of the novel was very agile and compelling. I grant that. It grabbed my attention and didn’t let me go. Cal runs from the place where he had been kidnapped and tortured and gets into a store, Jake’s Uncle’s store. They welcome him home and the police finds the criminal and kills him when he attempts to resist. This loving marriage formed by Gary and Luce, who receive him with open arms, finds no legal obstacles to “adopt” him, and they do it very quickly at that. I had to suspend disbelief at this stage of things. They know nothing of Cal but they love him as a son as soon as he crosses the door. The only one who seems reluctant is Jake, their nephew, who also lives with them. But it only last a short while. There is no real character development. It’s hard for me to come to terms with stories like this: the teenager who lives a traumatic experience and suddenly he gets to meet this perfect prince in shining armor who is so patient and handsome and upright. Usually, this situation gives me a sense of implausibility. And this is no exception. From Cal’s part, his abduction and trauma are forgotten very easily, he overcomes it and has a normal life. Oh, yeah, he lost his voice and can’t speak for a few weeks, but then he finds it, and he looks like a normal person again. Oh, yeah, he goes to therapy once or twice, but then he cancells the appointments and none is the wiser. He’s not scared of people, he’s not scared of being touched, he trust everybody and has no problem doing it, no inner conflicts, and no inherent fears. There is a few seconds in which there could be a reminiscence of his experience, but it’s forgotten in the next scene. [image] From Jake’s part, he soons declares his love for Cal, and he even asks him to marry him. Things were happening so fast and with no depth at all, so I couldn’t find anything of this believable at all. Jake is so perfect, he is the ideal boyfriend who promises to protect Cal from everything and he doesn’t care what anybody says about him. He had metal skin in order to ignore the outside world and all its challenges. He’s so hot, he’s not in any sports team, but he’s a math genious who somehow managed to develop a bulging biceps even when resting. He even ends up with a full 5-o’clock at the end of the day, for God’s sake. Yes, I’m aware there are people in high school who has an impressive full beard already. Yes, it’s quite possible, I don’t deny it. But this description fits a 20-something guy rather than a 18-year-old one. This only added to an already incredible situation. [image] They don’t feel like adults. They are supposed to be 17-18 years old, but they felt they were 10 years older each. So mature attitudes, so confident behaviours, so hot bodies. After a few days being together (I mean, being official boyfriends), they already know the other one is their everything and that they want to spend their whole life together. [image] Just no. I couldn’t buy it, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t. And what happens next is hard to accept, too. Misfortunes, one after the other. Spoilerish: There is the prom dance date scene, the health issues with Jake’s uncle and aunt, the bigotry of the town, Jake’s decision to flee with Cal and live together elsewhere (whoa, stop there, Jake! Take is easy!), Jake’s jealous ex incident, the marriage episode (life is short but your love story is not that profound, guys!), and if that wasn’t enough, the kidnapper appears at the very end of the book, when he was supposed to be dead. [image] It’s too much. Too many things in such a short notice, and all of them are so dramatic and unusual that it sounded like a Greek tragedy rather than a story about two teens being together and growing up together. [image] The aspect I liked the most were Jake’s friends. I could feel Mallory and Keith and Blake behaving like normal youths, and follow their adventures with a real interest. They were more believable than the main characters, and that is very sad. I also liked Gary a lot, and Luce, despite all. They were very well defined, very well developed. But everything else? It got out of hand fast. It was a miss for me. ***** [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 21, 2016
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Jul 24, 2016
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Jun 16, 2016
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Kindle Edition
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1634773802
| 9781634773805
| 1634773802
| 3.42
| 491
| Jul 06, 2016
| Jul 06, 2016
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liked it
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For some reason I expected The Hunger Games in car version. It’s nothing of the sort. [image] Chandler is the best mechanic in Jim’s garage and when the For some reason I expected The Hunger Games in car version. It’s nothing of the sort. [image] Chandler is the best mechanic in Jim’s garage and when the Wrench Wars TV program shows a mobid interest in them signing to participate in their garage competitition reality show, Chandler wants to refuse. He’s well aware the only motivation for Chandler being an essential requirement in the contract is that he crashes with his boss more often than not, which would lead to OTT drama and the maximization of the audience ratings. If it depended on him, Chandler would have quitted a thousand times already. But something, or rather someone, stops him from leaving once and for all. That’s Mark, Jim’s son. Mark drags a heavy college debt and he has no prospects and no hope in returning the money by his own. That’s why he lives under his father’s roof and is still in the closet, due to Jim’s homophobic attitude. Mark and Chandler have been friends since forever, but it had been recently when they began their friends-with-benefits relationship, no strings attached. Chandler has known for a while that Mark means much more to him, but he has never revealed himself to Mark. He doesn’t really care, we will take anything that Mark is willing to give him, and he’s also willing to protect Mark at all costs. [image] This is the first book I’ve read by the author, and I must say I was quite satisfied with this novella. I could quite believe Chandler and Mark’s feelings to each other and their long relationship despite the few pages available. There are also enough interactions and glances and a few sex scenes that made me feel the chemistry between them. [image] The ending was promising and beautiful at the same time. I wonder what the future awaits. The book finishes at 90%. ***** [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 14, 2016
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Jun 14, 2016
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Jun 14, 2016
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ebook
| |||||||||||||||
B01G7I876W
| 3.87
| 122
| unknown
| Jun 24, 2016
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liked it
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This was a clean-romance and feel-good read. Yes, with fade-to-black scenes. Strangely enough, I didn’t care. The love story is cute and adorable. The This was a clean-romance and feel-good read. Yes, with fade-to-black scenes. Strangely enough, I didn’t care. The love story is cute and adorable. The kind of “May I kiss you?” before daring with further actions. [image] What I liked the most, however, is the country life. Or, better said, Clement’s change of lifestyle when his employer’s older brother decides it’s no longer acceptable to be them all living under the same roof in the house in London, as he has just secured his male heir with his newborn. That’s how Clement’s masters are “exiled” to a cottage close to the Welsh border, with all that it implies. Clement is a conscientious valet, but full of ambitions. He hopes to become the butler of an important house one day. The prospect of moving to the country shatters his plans. He sees how his goals escape through his fingers, and he ponders resigning in order to come back to London to achieve them. But once they reach their destiny, there is always something that has to be done. Let’s see to the employers to get settled. Let’s see to Hildebert Devereux, his master, to find a new hobby. Let’s see to his master make acquantainces worthy of his social class. Let’s see to the maintainance of the household with an apathetic butler and to reach its self-sufficiency after the new acquisitions in people and expenses. Let’s see to that stable groom with the nicest smile he had ever seen. [image] Hugo is the (only) stable groom, but he also trains dogs and has some notions of herding. Since the very beginning, Clement feels a pull towards him and is anxious in his presence, wanting to become his friend and not let him down. But that’s easier said than done, as his innumerable duties and his poor abilities to lead a conversation keep him from forming a strong bond with him. The longer he stays, the harder is to leave. Clement simply can’t stand the idea of his master getting hurt/killed in his varied attempts not to get bored. His master is rather eccentric and with a plain lack of self-preservation. Every time Hildebert sets his mind into doing something, Clement is there trying to give sense to (or to fix or distract from) his scandalous ideas, which gave me plenty of occasions to laugh out loud and pity poor Clement and his anxiety at Hildebert’s wardrobe to get stained or his reputation of a gentleman being called into question. Whether Hildebert performs his silly actions or not, Clement’s voice of reason is always there discouraging in the kindest of ways, or negotiating for a safer option when there is no way around it. Hildebert’s wife, Jane, is more sensible and mature, but that doesn’t mean she’s not able of mischief. In the company of her maid (and also Clement’s friend), Letty, she tests Clement’s patience more than once. Clement’s decisions lead him to take more and more responsibilities, and soon he is so overwhelmed he neglects Hugo’s interest. And he can’t have that. The first aspect that drew my attention was Clement’s appearance. He’s described with “dark brown hands” and “a blush that cannot be seen with this skin color”. I don’t remember the last time I read a proper historical British book with a character of African descent, if ever. I was really curious about his origins and his family history, but we were only been told they are from Wales. I was surprised to know his mother was an actress, for once. I got the feeling the homophobic sense was erased from this book. It’s not that the MCs are obvious about it in front of everybody. In fact they try to control themselves and not show any public display of affection. But when Clement talks with Letty about his feelings, there is no rejection. I guess this alternative reality is every cuter because of that. Anyway, the book was subtle in every sense of the word. Nothing was strikingly noticable. There was a certain balance in it all, written in a very good taste and with a great sense of humor. This is an amusing M/M Regency tale. In the rigid English society, there are indeed multiple chances to lose the stiff and find outlandish and memorable tales to tell. At least in this book. ***** [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 12, 2016
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Jun 13, 2016
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Jun 13, 2016
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Kindle Edition
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1634768221
| 9781634768221
| B01E9XZ6SO
| 3.00
| 16
| unknown
| Apr 18, 2016
|
did not like it
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This was a boat wreck and I’m not talking about the Titanic. [image] I haven’t seen the Titanic movie. Ever. I can’t explain why, I guess because all th This was a boat wreck and I’m not talking about the Titanic. [image] I haven’t seen the Titanic movie. Ever. I can’t explain why, I guess because all that swooning and crying of my friends at school didn’t exactly invite me join to the gang. I guess because it’s so long that every time it was on TV I never arrived soon enough to watch it since the very beginning and simply gave up. I guess because I had more interesting movies to see. So I don’t know if this is the gay version of Titanic. I’m sorry I cannot help here. I’ve been to Southampton, though, and I was at the Titanic exhibition (where I of course played with the kids’ devices and touched every button available). I walked along the docks and ate fish&chips. So it’s not as if I were an ignorant. I’m talking about the fish&chips. Obviously. [image] If I have to begin with something, I’d say insta-love is not my thing. But still, the problem here was more profound than that. The characters are bidimensional and their evolution is in fits and starts, if not totally absent. They both had affairs in the near past, then suddenly they leave or are forced to leave them, and they turn the page very easily at that! Ugh? Why? Weren’t they so comfortable, so invested, so in love? They overcome it with no effort and no second thoughts. Bombproof emotions, maybe? Or none at all? There is no real depth in them, one second they are thinking about their future and the next they see a pair of green eyes and fall in love without even speaking with each other. And they basically don’t speak with each other, only daydream about how handsome that guy is and how is it possible that such a handsome man had looked at me twice! I’m so flattered! But there is no chemistry, no thrill. I can compare them with bad actors who have forgotten the script. There is a HEA but I wouldn’t have minded if there wasn’t one. Because I simply didn’t care for the characters. That is self-explanatory. [image] The MCs are apparently so different. Andrew in first class with his fiancée and her brother, Matthew working in third class in order to pay his trip towards his dream of becoming a Texan cowboy. Still, they are so full of emptiness they are automatic robots. There is no real life in them. No fire. Nada. The chain of scenes is confusing. Their separate paths are a series of unfortunate events, some of them really serious, and still they seem unaffected. WTH? When they meet it keeps being that way. Andrew slips into the third class deck to be with Matthew, then he comes back to the first class quarters, then he changes his mind in the process before reaching his destination and talks to Matthew again, then he leaves until dinner, then he returns, then he goes to sleep, then he decides to go for a walk again. Every trip is so similar to the one before, and all the encounters are so alike I was never sure if Andrew ever left and did something apart from walking mindlessly back and forth. He was a yo-yo, no brain involved. Sometimes he reminded me of a stalker. He spends so much time with his changes of heart and walking that it was getting on my nerves. Above all because every conversation in between is so meaningless and nonsensical they don’t serve to develop their relationship further. [image] But what relationship, you moron? They are infatuated with each other even before the relationship begins. They see each other casually, and they think, “you are so handsome I love you, I won’t leave you here because I love you, I only know you for 4 days but I want to be with you forever. Blablabla”. The baddies are embarrassing. I have no idea how many “elbowings” and “grabbing arms” and “rubbing hands” there were but it’s irritating seeing how childish and obvious these characters were. It would take no effort to shrug them off, above all when everybody gets to see through them, their shady intentions and blatant lies. Yet they call the shots here. Bullshit! Claire, the fiancée, needs to be slapped on the face more than once. I volunteer. And William is the typical resentful man who wants the MC (Andrew) all for himself but when he refuses, he tries to hurt the MC’s loved one (Matthew) with his words or with his acts. It’s all so cartoonish I won’t even comment what I think of all of this. [image] The author even got confused with himself. In the beginning Andrew/Matthew think they haven’t had the chance to said to the other one they love him, but they indeed did! They said their words and then they forget they have said them. WTF? You only have to look for “love” in the kindle to find it. Also, we are talking about 1912. The society has changed but not that much. Andrew says several times they are in the second decade of the twentieth century, as if that meant people are so open-minded they wouldn’t make him harm because of his homosexuality. WTH? Have you heard about what had happened to Oscar Wilde barely 10 years before? And maybe this is too soon for you, but Alan Turing in the 50s wasn’t so lucky, you know? It’s ridiculous how all the MCs who get in their paths are so respectful and accepting. There are only two characters that don’t accept this reality, and that’s Andrew’s father and uncle. The rest of the family is ok with it. All the celebrities and important personalities in the Titanic (the author demonstrated he had indeed made a great research showing off name after name after name) who discover the truth are ok with it. Their saviors are ok with it. Really! Everybody is so perfect and happy with it. It’s absurd! Everybody in the Titanic is so gay-friendly, I expected some mention of the rainbow flag dancing in the wind next to the Union Jack and the American one. I can’t even! [image] There are only a few things I consider positive from this book. One of them is the cover. Not the best, but it’s what drew my attention at first. The second one is that I learnt about the Titanic disaster in real motion, every chapter displaying the date and hour. The third aspect is that it’s easy to read. I guess. Or maybe having a 8-hour drive car round trip kind of helped for me to concentrate. I’m not sure anymore. [image] ***** [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
|
Jun 05, 2016
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Jun 06, 2016
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Jun 05, 2016
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Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||
1634772369
| 9781634772365
| B01GIZNHDC
| 3.73
| 366
| Jun 20, 2016
| Jun 20, 2016
|
really liked it
|
Move along, move along. Nothing to see here. [image] Really, move along! One of the first things you realize about the book I’ve just read is that my kin Move along, move along. Nothing to see here. [image] Really, move along! One of the first things you realize about the book I’ve just read is that my kindle is totally hightlighed. And if you begin reading all those quotes I decided to emphasize, you notice very few are emotive sentences or poetic paragraphs. They are not at all wise nor epic. No, what I underlined here were thoughts, dialogues, actions… that really made it for me. Because they were clever, spot-on, neat and they followed my train of thought. They put into words exactly what I was thinking at the same pace I was forming them. It’s as if the author was a step ahead of my mind and noting down exactly what I was going to say. Every remark that threatened to come out of my mouth was suddently silenced with ink. [image] (I meant kindle ink, of course) It may sound creepy but in truth I love it when an author doesn’t treat me like an idiot. When he doesn’t expect me to buy the story blindly and be content with accepting what’s being thrown at me for me to pick it up and say “Well, if you say so…”. No, he kept giving me reasons, here and there, about WHY I should go on. He kept giving reasons, not hoping for me to overlook the corniness or the idyllic life in Pleasantville or the gradual change of a twice reo and oportunistic scammer and the development of that closeted boy-next-door local policeman. This was damn good stuff indeed. [image] Yes, I admit the book got me curious due to the cover. Nobody can blame me, right? It’s the first I’ve read of this author and that’s always risky, but the pull was strong nonetheless. When I began the reading, I instantly noticed one thing: the quality. It was quite obvious since the very beginning this wouldn’t another clumsy try of a novel. This was indeed a solid novel. It’s like being given a piece of bread to dip it in the yellow liquid on the dish and recognizing virgin extra olive oil instantly, with no doubt whatsoever. I don’t consider myself an expert taste-tester, and surely my taste buds are different from everyone else’s, but I could easily foresee this would be something big. That’s when Jason really got my attention and I’m pleased to say it didn’t fade ever since. Jason is like the voice that spoke directly to me, no bullshit and no excuses getting in the middle, just brutal honesty and neat smartness. That’s the word, this book is smart, in every sense that matters. It may be shocking to say I laughed a lot here. But, oh my God, I really laughed. Constantly. I was so delighted and happy as a clam, you wouldn’t believe. It’s not a humorous book, if that’s what you are thinking. In truth there is nothing hilarious per se here. Just the opposite, serious matters are at stake for the most part of the novel. No. It’s just that I felt so in sync with the characters that every thought of theirs hit the exact target within me and I couldn’t hold my joy and exhilaration for too long. I was a total fan of them, I was in the first row in the threatre, cheering them up and fangirling in an embarrassing way. I even feigned a faint. Yes, I know, I have no dignity. Shut up. [image] And then we have to talk about the chemistry… and the I-hate-you-on-sight banter. Best aphrodisiac ever, it promised that when this animosity between them “solved”, there would be a long delicious catch-up and THAT’S when I would of course grab my tons of bread I had been preparing awhile in order to dip it into all that mouth-watering olive oil served on a silver platter for my enjoyment only. And I don’t mean the sex. Well, that’s not the only reason, at least. [image] Ñam ñam (Why the “ñ” here, girl? Was it really necessary? Shut up.) I loved the characters. They were real, they were clearly defined and totally believable and with depth. Jackson is fantastic. The ideolised golden boy everybody adores but whose life is not as perfect as everybody is lead to believe. He’s scared of coming out and he doesn’t exactly have it in his agenda to be honest about it publicly. Oh no, that’s the last thing on his list. [image] (The Spanish flag? Seriously? What the fuck is wrong with you, girl? *whistles*) However, I have to admit Cam was the one for me. He is this distrustful shady guy who believes the world’s only goal is to make him harm. His attitude, his tattoos, his do-not-fuck-with-me expression don’t exactly invite people to confide in him, but, surprisingly, everybody trusts him (above all when he’s willing to be charming and seductive, and at this stake nobody can resist him) which shocks and frustrates him to no end. When he comes to [image] So here we are, a policeman that takes no bullshit from Cam and watches every step Cam makes waiting for the smallest of mistakes or any slip-up he can find, and an exreo who knows exactly what Jackson is doing and tries to push every button of his and find every reason to drive Jackson mad. When the shit finally hits the fan and an unexpected turn of events drives the plot to a different direction, things are put in their place and everything begins to fit between them. I liked how natural their relationship is, no forced nor rushed conclusion whatsoever, but a nicely done ending I found more than satisfying. I could perfectly picture them both happily together in the following years. I even loved the secondary ones, even when they are going to be sappy, they were not. When someone was going to fit into a certain stereotype, they demonstrated they weren’t going to. When I thought the rhythm of the story would get stuck there was yet another surprise that kept the action going. When I believed the scene was going to be overstretched, more material was given, so it never got drained. So, all in all, this was a winner. “You are a lot different than I thought you would be. A pleasant surprise.” I agree wholeheartedly. [image] ***** More yummy pics... (view spoiler)[ [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] [image] (hide spoiler)] ***** BR with Ann! [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
|
Jun 02, 2016
|
Jun 04, 2016
|
Jun 03, 2016
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Kindle Edition
| |||||||||||||||
1911153331
| 9781911153337
| B01BT4A01E
| 4.20
| 7,724
| Feb 14, 2016
| Feb 15, 2016
|
did not like it
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In order to read this book, you have to suspend disbelief. [image] Indefinitely. [image] And then more. [image] I had three major problems with this book ( In order to read this book, you have to suspend disbelief. [image] Indefinitely. [image] And then more. [image] I had three major problems with this book (Whaaaaaat? Only three?). Firstly, this is unrealistic. Not a little, or much. Just I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E. I spent the first 25% rolling my eyes six ways to Sunday (and the rest 75% I managed to combine the eye-rolling with some kind of grumpy acceptance). I was sinking in despair seeing how ridiculous it all was, seeing two grown-up men behaving like teens. Their infatuation lead them to make great mistakes and missteps because they can’t simply control themselves, even when the situation they are in requires a composure none of these guys happen to have a hint about. How is it possible Jack Spiers became President of the USA? How is it possible Ethan Reichenbach is the detail lead of the POTUS, not only once but also three times before Jack? [image] Really, I appreciate fiction in my books, but this one goes too far. I was close to taking my eyes out with a spoon to see if they were working correctly. Because I was reading nonsense after nonsense. There was no bottom. [image] They both have important positions, important jobs, important tasks. Still, they seem to be a pair of totally irresponsible hotheads, drooling over each other when they are supposed to keep a professional distance, a distance they are both masters at, because they’ve spent years of their lives acting that way. Dealing with people. Having professional relationships. It’s not as if they don’t have any practice. However, they struck me as immature kids playing a game together, instead of fulfilling their duties, which are not few. [image] (Let’s play the President!) Yes, I’m aware public personalities are not as perfect as they want to make us believe, but for some reason I couldn’t picture Jack nor Ethan, in the roles they were meant to fit into. I couldn’t picture Jack as the winner of the general elections, I couldn’t picture him as someone with connections, charisma, poise and that astuteness you would expect from a wannabe President of an important country. How did he survive all the sharks in the path towards the White House’s seat? He’s too candid and too trusting for this. He is simply not able to achieve it. [image] (Come on, you can do this, you are the President!) And then Ethan… his job seems like a child’s play. I expected his job to be something of utter complexity, but he seemed decaffeinated in his duty, as if it wasn’t challenging at all. As if it required just a little effort, but not much beyond that. I tried to imagine him as a hardened Army guy with lots of experience in his field, but failed. He just doesn’t have that aura. He just seemed too vulnerable, too out of place. He falls for the President and he can’t avoid it nor keep a professional stance. He’s a big boy. Supposedly. [image] I was beginning to tell a friend everything about the book (I do it very often, above all when I’m so WTF I need to give a way to out all my stupefaction) and the first thing he asked was “Do they masturbate themselves while crying?” (Damn, he’s good), and I said, “Almost”. Because, seriously, they both cry and sob multiple times in the story. For God’s sake, they are forty years old (or more) each! They have onion paper skin, everything hurts them and makes them cry! [image] I’m aware Presidents (and Secret Service people) can cry, too. They are human beings, after all. But please, they are public personalities, they have an image to maintain. They represent a country, after all. It was pathetic. The Russian President had more spine. Even the Chinese guy and the Saudi prince were made of tougher material. It’s amazing they each got so far in their respective careers, that they could handle all the obstacles and difficulties they surely had to overcome. I don’t mean they can’t be good people or feel affected by the events but their roles are too big for them both. They don’t live up to their reputations. [image] [image] (Pretend, you fool, pretend you are someone) I was driven to despair for most of the book. I’m serious. I was pulling my hair, rolling my eyes, crying in disappointment. This is so unrealistic I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I pushed and pushed, making a great effort to finish this book, but with each passing page I was more and more traumatized. [image] I’ve not read many political books (but I do watch movies) because I’m not into thrillers but this was so perfect, so idealistic: the bad guy is very bad, the friends are all so good and supportive, the conclusion is so fairy-tale. Everything is so neat, so ideal, so black-and-white. When the big secret comes out, there is a scandal for a short while. They are so honest and morally strong and brave. Then everybody is happy with it all. Only a grumpy guy or two. Ugh? A pink ribbon or something similar would have been the icing on the cake in this madness. [image] This felt like a movie but not a serious one. I expected Q to appear all of a sudden to show off the new devices he has invented since the last mission and saying “Please, return the car in one piece”. With the difference that his movie doesn’t have the same charm Roger Moore’s films had. Secondly, this major problem is only mine to blame for, but it didn’t help. My mind makes funny things sometimes. I plead guilty! I’m going to regret explaining it here and you are definitely going to hate me, but here it goes: I began comparing it with real life. For real. I began thinking about George W. Bush in this role. No kidding, I couldn’t erase that pic from my head. I began imagining Bush having a gay affair and now and then this thought came out in the most unexpected moments and I began giggling stupidly. Then I imagined Reagan. Or Donald Trump. [image] It’s not that a President can’t be gay, it’s just that the prospect of imagining the sexual life of certain people is bizarre at least. I prefer not thinking about their private lives at all. But I can only speak about myself, maybe some people do. Then I did something worse, I imagined this situation in my own country. There are shipping stories with wannabe Presidents in my country (no joking here, and please, don’t ask how did that ever happen). What, you don’t believe it? [image] [image] In this book, I find I’m ruined for future Presidential books. My bad. [image] (This is the only pic I’m going to post about this, I’m trying to control myself, dammit! And only a cartoon, reality is too creepy to tell) I will draw a veil over this. [image] My third issue is this premise, or better said, the absence of this premise: you not only have to tell me you are good, you have to demonstrate you are good. Replace “good” with every word you can come up with: “clever”, “cool”, “strong”, “powerful”, etc. Well, the characters and the narrator are talking all the time about how wonderful, awesome and effective USA is in every field you can think of. If that’s true, then how is it possible they had so much shit in their politics and government and everything under the sun? How is it possible they ended up making a fool of themselves in front of everyone, with so many corrupted and powerful personalities manipulating so many people for so long… everything behind the President’s back, behind many important people’s backs! For years! And nobody suspects a thing! Only the Chinese guy and the Saudi prince and even the Russian President suspect something is off! Really! It’s worrisome! [image] The President is the best one in years, the Secret Service is infallible, the counselors are the most prepared people on Earth… Yet they are deceived very easily. Yet they fail in their purpose. Yet they are ridiculous. [image] Is that the impression you want to give the readers about how awesome they all are? Because you are proving the opposite with these actions! Words are words, nothing. Actions are the ones that count. And here actions were crappy, at least. However, the worst thing is that bad people are laughable. How did these idiots maintain the secret from everybody? It’s absurd. I knew for ages who the traitors were, who the moles were. And I suck at mysteries, everybody knows who the assassin is before I do. But here, I knew it before everybody else. They are supposed to be experts! I was never impressed. The nemesis is ridiculous. [image] I was thinking “This can't be happening” all the time. I was in a constant state of facepalm. This was a comedy, not a thriller. This was a caricature of itself. Now, about the love story. It was a gay-for-you. Jack Spiers is a widower, and he didn’t feel attraction to men. Until he meets Ethan. Well, that’s not true, after Ethan makes the move. Before that, Jack considers Ethan his best friend. That’s it. I admit there were moments in which I smiled but still, the chemistry was off to me. I couldn’t believe the gay-for-you thing. Their relationship is more about “telling” than about “showing”. The sex scenes were cold and forced. I didn’t get the vibes I’d like to get. Yes, I kept reading because of them, because they kept me interested, but I was never entirely captivated. To sum it up, it was a total miss for me. [image] ***** [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 29, 2016
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Jun 2016
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May 30, 2016
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Kindle Edition
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B01G2NA92M
| 4.15
| 214
| May 22, 2016
| May 22, 2016
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really liked it
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Sometimes I wish had a future-me traveling to the past in order to slap me on the back of the neck and tell me: “Keep reading this one, you moron!” You Sometimes I wish had a future-me traveling to the past in order to slap me on the back of the neck and tell me: “Keep reading this one, you moron!” You know, for matters of life or death. Because I was more than ready to DNF this one and I can’t believe I was so close to let this beauty pass me by. [image] Future-me would never have forgiven me for it. So, if I loved this so fucking much, then why did I almost give up? Good question. I don’t like to make summaries about the books I read. I prefer to focus on how the book inspired me, on the emotions they awake in me. So, I will try not to make an exception here, but I also have to answer the question above. Just fair warning: the book is divided in three parts, each story clearly different from each other, so in truth, it’s as if we have three stories here. The final one being my favorite. By a long shot. The first part felt more like narrative than a romance. And that confused and annoyed me to no end. I’m not going to beat around the bush, I was looking forward to finishing it so I could get into the “meat” of the story. I’m an impatient reader, so I was getting more and more restless when I saw there was no end to an apparently mindless display of events happening around Jamie. This was the part that was truly challenging for me, as it took a great effort for me to overcome it. The second part was the one that awoke my curiosity. The one that waved at my face and encouraged me to begin enjoying the novel. And then the third part was the beauty. Good things come for those who wait. However, to be honest, I’d have liked for those good things to come much earlier. It’s a long book, so it’s not as if I felt the romance was short or rushed. In fact, it’s a sweet slow burning and I could hear the pieces in my head all coming together to form a magical picture. This was the story that slapped me in the face and made me sigh all the wows in the universe, to the moon and back. To the moon and back. And again. And again. I have to mention the version I received needs lots of editing, not only in typos but the flowery vocabulary distracted me several times. This all made me re-read certain paragraphs several times or look at the ceiling for a while, because it all sounded too wrong or too sappy to my ears. I hope this will be corrected in the final version. To sum it up, the book is not perfect. At all. But you know what? It was worth it. There is no way to deny it. [image] Part 1. Jamie’s life (0-30%) [image] This one was the story I had more trouble with. Jamie comes from a “dynasty” of military men. He’s grown under his father’s hard discipline and he’s always known he’d be prepared to be a soldier. In such a suffocating environment, he’s not exactly eager to confess he’s gay. So going to university and having an open relationship with his roommate, Derrick, and his best friend, Shannon, is exhilarating. I’m not fond of M/M/F, but Jamie clearly doesn’t consider this situation anything serious. Unlike Derrick, who indeed falls in love with Jamie and follows him everywhere around the country when his training begins. Here I was terribly frustrated with Jamie. It’s obvious Derrick comes second, as his goal is to become Special Forces and then be part of the Delta. I was growing so upset with Jamie’s lack of commitment, I couldn’t wait for the moment for them to break up once and for all. Derrick is devoted to Jamie, supporting him no matter what, but I found Jamie detached and not invested in them. It’s not that he doesn’t feel any affection towards Derrick, but I always believed Derrick deserved much more than a guy who doesn’t hide the fact he thinks what they have is casual, even after years and years together. I couldn’t bring myself to like Jamie. He doesn’t give me enough reasons to love him. I got to know a man who takes a long time to acknowledge his own emotions. He’s not quite really invested in the relationship until much later into the story, and when that finally happens, the ending comes violently. Destiny steals his future and happiness from him in the cruelest of ways. Part 2. Chris’s life (30-47%) [image] This was the one that made me focus on this book and change my mind about it all. Here is when I really realized I liked this book, that I had to keep reading. Chris has grown up in a ranch with loving parents who have always supported him. He’s famous in the local scene, as a successful bull rider. His addiction to this daily dose of adrenaline doesn’t stop him from pursuing his dreams of being an architect, so he moves to New York in order to follow his own path. And that’s where he meets Ben. Seriously, Chris and Ben are so cute together! Their story is adorable, they are so good for each other I was really anxious at the prospect of a closure. It eventually comes, and it’s indeed a painful goodbye, for them, but for me too. I seriously didn’t want it to end. In fact, I just couldn’t stand the thought of an end. When I finished it I admit I was left with such a huge feeling of impotence, I got a little angry at the world. Part 3. Jamie and Chris together (47-100%) This was the part that clearly made it for me. [image] This is the part that slapped me in the face and shouted at me for ever thinking this book was a real mistake. Oh, there was a big mistake indeed, which was that stupid belief that I wouldn’t be moved by this. Nothing could be further from the truth. I learnt it’s impossible not to love Jamie. I learnt I wanted Jamie to be with Chris ASAP and never be apart more than a few minutes, or none at all. I learnt they are perfect for each other. I learnt my face could smile forever and then my heart would be filled with utter happiness or consuming angst. I learnt their chemistry is intoxicating. I learnt soul mates exists for real. [image] I wanted more of them together, because when they have sex, when they talk, when they kiss each other, when they save each other in their lowest moments, it made perfectly sense to me. There is no way around it, suddenly everything made sense, every obstacle on the road, every scar in their soul and body, everything… made sense to me. Just like that. When they meet, they are both broken, and they recognize each other’s longings and their desire to fulfill the empty space left inside themselves by fulfilling each other’s. They instantly find what they are looking for. It’s not the end of the road, but the beginning. I can’t exactly explain how but suddenly I just knew they were exactly what the other one needed. I saw that, ever since they lay their eyes upon each other, there would be no coming back. [image] It’s not that their story is a bed of roses and glitter everywhere. It’s not a fairy tale of prince meets prince, and HEA in their cute pink castle with a sugary moat around. In fact, they both have issues and they are not easy to deal with. Jamie’s baggage is more evident, as he has never got to cope with PTSD and TBI and that sense of guilt that he survived when too many good men, mates, friends, brothers, didn’t. He loses his temper at the most unexpected moments, or physical or phantom pain takes over and refuses to leave, or memory seems like a far away concept. Depression and surrender dominates and clouds his understanding. He is flooded with such fear and panic, he believes there is no way out, no light in the world. The prospect of drugs and alcohol makes the only sense to him. He is crawling, trying to take one step after the other, but even that seems pointless. Why should he fight and go on with life, when everything is fucked up in his head. Until Chris. Chris, on the other side, has survived his husband after almost 20 years together. He doesn’t remember the last time he felt alive. He’s also crawling. He’s mentally stable in comparison to Jamie, but his lonely and grey existence is far from being the one he really deserves. This selfless man deserves to love and to be loved in return. And when that handsome stranger comes to town, something deep inside him knows he would never feel lost again. When the fire sparkles, all I could ever think about was taking this pure emotion in my hands and wrap it carefully in order to hide it under lock and key, so not to let it be lost in the wind. The best kind of love is this one. The one that makes you feel like your feet aren’t touching the floor. The one that makes you keep your faith in life and love. No, this book was not perfect, but in some ways, it was. You know? [image] ***** Explanation of the rating: If I had to rate each part individually, it would be like this: Part 1: 2 stars (being generous) Part 2: 3 stars Part 3: 4.5 stars Part 3 is the important one for me, the part that will stay in my memory if I ever think about this book. If I ever decided to re-read this book, I would only read part 3. Although I’d like to give more, part 1 was too long and discouraging for my taste. So, overall, I’ve decided 3.5 stars is a proper general rating. ***** [image] ***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 27, 2016
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May 29, 2016
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May 27, 2016
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Kindle Edition
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my rating |
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3.99
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it was ok
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Dec 23, 2016
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Nov 27, 2016
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4.07
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did not like it
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Nov 15, 2016
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Oct 31, 2016
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3.82
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did not like it
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Sep 30, 2016
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Sep 28, 2016
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3.99
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it was amazing
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Sep 02, 2016
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Sep 01, 2016
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4.03
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really liked it
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Aug 30, 2016
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Aug 29, 2016
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4.00
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did not like it
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Aug 15, 2016
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Aug 15, 2016
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3.69
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liked it
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Aug 03, 2016
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Aug 02, 2016
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3.80
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did not like it
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Jul 25, 2016
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Jul 24, 2016
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3.48
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it was ok
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Jul 14, 2016
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Jul 14, 2016
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3.52
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it was ok
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Jul 06, 2016
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Jul 06, 2016
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4.23
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really liked it
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Oct 20, 2016
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Jun 21, 2016
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3.70
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did not like it
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Jun 21, 2016
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Jun 20, 2016
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3.95
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liked it
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Jun 30, 2016
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Jun 16, 2016
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3.64
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it was ok
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Jul 24, 2016
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Jun 16, 2016
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3.42
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liked it
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Jun 14, 2016
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Jun 14, 2016
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3.87
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liked it
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Jun 13, 2016
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Jun 13, 2016
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3.00
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did not like it
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Jun 06, 2016
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Jun 05, 2016
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3.73
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really liked it
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Jun 04, 2016
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Jun 03, 2016
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4.20
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did not like it
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Jun 2016
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May 30, 2016
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4.15
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really liked it
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May 29, 2016
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May 27, 2016
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