Shortest review ever alert (still studying for midterms *sigh*), but someone needed to point out this resemblance and that person might as well be me.Shortest review ever alert (still studying for midterms *sigh*), but someone needed to point out this resemblance and that person might as well be me.
⭐ 2 “All the stars for Castien, but the rest? *crickets*” stars ⭐
I didn’t exactly hate this, but I also didn’t particularly enjoy it. Which was a letd⭐ 2 “All the stars for Castien, but the rest? *crickets*” stars ⭐
I didn’t exactly hate this, but I also didn’t particularly enjoy it. Which was a letdown in and of itself, since this was the story I was the most hyped for in the entire series.
Truthfully, if I were to describe the experience in a single word:
[image] Some were good. Most others… questionable at best.
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Right off the bat, I just couldn’t get behind the main character in this one, so my irritation for a good chunk of the book was guaranteed. However, I also think my hype for it ended up playing to my disadvantage—proving once more that building up too many expectations can be a sure path to disappointment.
Or paralyzing boredom. Whichever descriptor you feel is more fitting, really.
⭐2 “started from the bottom and now we [have reached the pits of despair]” stars⭐
I read this a while ago, yet I wanted to wait and settle my thoughts ⭐2 “started from the bottom and now we [have reached the pits of despair]” stars⭐
I read this a while ago, yet I wanted to wait and settle my thoughts before reviewing it. Which was the wrong move, because guess what?
My initial issues only GREW.
[image] This book started out quite nicely, but after the sixty percent mark… Well, pardon my crassness but it was a bit of a shitshow.
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The question that applies here is quite simple: how can something that started oh so right… end up being oh so wrong? Disastrous, truly. Nonsensical and gratuitous. Tethering the edge of logic before diving into the purest of oblivions, by which I mean plot holes and a bizarre parade of events.
In fact, the tally of those things became so extended by the last page, I decided to structure my review by compiling separate lists devoted to them. Tackling the inconsistencies, bizarre twists, and an overall brief summary of the most head-scratching, eyebrow-quirking, what-the-hell-is-happening moments that transpired.
So skipping anymore introductions...
[image] See y'all on the other side of this madness.
First off:
THE SWISS CHEESE OF PLOT HOLES
⟾ 1) From the very first chapter, we are told that Gideon, the Daddy MC of this tale, has a physical resemblance to Superman à la Henry Cavill. Dark hair, blue eyes, incredibly handsome, buff and put together. You get the picture.
Yet, about sixty percent in, the narration casually informs us that the man happens to be forty-five, compares him to George Clooney (who by the way is sixty, so damn Gideon, those forty-five are looking ROUGH) and starts making every character remark on his advanced age. Which had also never happened before that point.
[image] Loki ain’t got nothing on this shapeshifting granddaddy.
⟾ 2) Cal, the other lead and a student at Gideon’s school (and who spent a night having sex with him for money, but that’s neither here nor there), starts detailing his childhood in Hong Kong. He specifies how he attended a boarding school where he didn’t speak the language, felt out of place and friendless *cue tiniest violin music*, etcetera etcetera. Yet seventy percent in, the school is suddenly located in Japan, and no mention of Cal’s Chinese education is ever brought up again.
That absolutely checks out. [Sounds of IQ plummeting]
⟾ 3) A remark is made of Cal’s sole possession that he kept after his family’s belongings were confiscated, all following his rich father’s incarceration. Considering he is a type one diabetic, you would think it’s probably something related to that, right? A way to check his insulin levels? Perhaps a few doses of his medication?
Well…
[image]
He kept his Xbox instead. And not even that managed to remain unscathed, because past the sixty-five percent mark, the console magically turned into a PS4. That’s right, not even inanimate objects were safe from this mess.
⟾ 4) When Gideon’s best friend, Dev, is first introduced, we get a brief interaction discussing their shared upbringing, with Dev making a point of mentioning how they both “came from the hood.” Yet the next time the bff appears on-page, suddenly there’s talk about the small rural town Gideon and him supposedly grew up in. Only to have Gideon just a few chapters later AGAIN referencing the “hood” and trying to claim some kind of misguided “street cred.”
Meanwhile...
[image] Me trying to figure out where the hell this so-called rural hood was located. Geographically, I’m guessing Narnia.
But with that out of the way (and keeping in mind those are just the more glaring plot holes in a laundry list of them), let’s move onto the second list:
THE BIZARRE HAPPENINGS
⟾ 1) Cal being able to secure a spot in Harvard and several other Ivy League schools despite missing several days of class, not doing homework once, and spending most of his time either playing Mortal Combat (not a typo, that’s just how Onley wrote it ...more
⭐ 2.6 "Even [believable relationship development] was under arrest in this prisonmance!" stars ⭐
After much delay and dread, I decided to give the spin⭐ 2.6 "Even [believable relationship development] was under arrest in this prisonmance!" stars ⭐
After much delay and dread, I decided to give the spin-off for Elite Protection Services a go. This featured one of the previous side characters as an MC, so considering I liked him in the other books, expectations were mild to high going in.
Now that I've finished, however, I can look back at my anticipation and proclaim…
[image] While this wasn’t a wholly negative experience, going in expecting nothing would’ve made it significantly better.
********************************
For anyone who has read an Onley James book before, I’m able to tell you that you can let out that breath you didn’t know you were holding, because this first installment of her spin-off definitely sticks to her formula. Unlike with most of her other works, however, this time it didn’t entirely jive with me.
Yet there were still both Positives and Negatives overall, so that’s how the review will be structured.
Without further ado, let’s jump into the chaos…
POSITIVES
— The Dynamic Between MCs (Step-brothers gone wild… ly loving and caring for each other)
First of all, we all know the age-old proverb…
[image] (What do you mean The Office isn’t made out of verifiable life advice?)
But if a brief stint behind bars secures you a significant other like Cyrus, I am willing to do the time and engage in some canine roleplay myself. Because boy was he a devoted man. As is usually the pattern with Onley’s couples, Cyrus simply worshipped the ground Webster walked on.
No matter what Webster did, his big burly cellmate was all over it, and don’t we love to see it. If prison stan accounts were a thing, I just know the man would be running several for his beau.
I do wish there had been more pining and at least an emotional slowburn to make the relationship more rewarding, but at the end of the day…
[image] They’re not even close to being one of my favorite Onley couples, but they still had their moments (even if those happened to mostly be in the smut)
...Which takes me to my next incredibly crucial, important, and impossible to gloss over point...
— Suggestive Physical Displays Of Affection.
Or as I like to call them…
[image] Subtlety is not part of my dossier.
Let me be explicit: This book was earth’s core levels of scorching, delivering on all that I wanted and expected from a prisonmance —when it came to steam, at least. You had the sense of perpetual voyeurism (with even an instance of exhibitionism), then intense tension brought by the dangerous setting, and finally, all of that emphasized by a pronounced theme of possessiveness and ownership.
Think bruises, hickeys, scratching, biting. If it’s rough, Webster was begging for it and Cyrus was gladly delivering.
Which is of course how romance works in this fantasyland, and I’m not complaining at all.
(What do you mean meeting your step-brother in jail does NOT qualify as a meet-cute? Are you implying porn has been lying to me all these years???)
Moving on...
— Introduction Of Future MCs.
So yeah, Cyrus and Webster were fine. They were cute. And had hot sex.
I was still more invested in the side characters showing up though. Older guy Preacher, who wore a crucifix despite not being religious and called himself the Switzerland of prison. Mysterious Lawson, who presented himself as a hillbilly, yet hid the genius of a man with the mental prowess to scam millions out of casinos. And, last but not least, badass Javier, in charge of Webster not offing himself accidentally Webster’s security while inside, with mysterious ties to the Mexican mafia and who looked like he could beat everyone up with his hands tied behind his back (also tattoos? and written representation of a Latin man who didn’t use gratuitous Spanish every 0.3 seconds? I swooned...more
⭐ 3.7 “The dirty uncle stereotype… but make it actually appealing” stars ⭐
I haven’t had the best fortune when it comes to Cara Dee, so after my last d⭐ 3.7 “The dirty uncle stereotype… but make it actually appealing” stars ⭐
I haven’t had the best fortune when it comes to Cara Dee, so after my last dud by her I decided to cave in and ask my much wiser pals for some recs. Now consider my surprise when one of those ended up being for a little less than 200 pages of an uncle and his nephew getting down and dirty, and all of it neatly packed in a some voyeuristic wrapping of its own…
Well, of course I had to read it.
Did I enjoy it, however?
[image] I’m finally getting the Cara Dee hype, and I’m decidedly NOT looking back.
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Now, let me first address this, considering it was a bit of a disappointment for me at the start: this is not actual incest, but rather stepcest, since Adam was adopted by Everett’s older brother when he was a very young child. Yet while this might make the premise a little less appealing for some (if you are a twisted puppy like me), rest assured that Mrs. Dee does not pull any punches when it comes to the taboo or taboo adjacent angle.
If anything, both Everett and Adam get off on the family connection here, instead of trying to overcome it as yet another hurdle in their blossoming liaison. They refer to each other as Uncle and Nephew (which absolutely does include those steamy scenes), and in fact barely ever acknowledge the fact that there’s no actual blood relation linking them. So if taboo generally rocks your boat? I can promise your proverbial watercraft WILL be swayed.
(You’re gonna be able to fill up a couple of saunas with that steam, to put it mildly).
For me personally, this sort of exploration of boundaries and kinks is a large part of what made the story so exquisite. You get two ends of the spectrum with Everett, an older and recently divorced architect who is only just now beginning to grapple with some of his less conventional desires, and then Adam, considerably younger yet seemingly so much more assertive and secure in his own identity.
After these two reconnect under the guise of forming some kind of familial bond (they were estranged family members, after all), the lines quickly get blurred to the point where affection and attraction become indistinguishable. And for Everett in particular, this is at first hard to accept since he was never before able to fully admit his desires for other men. So not only recognizing he feels an allure towards his same sex, but also his much younger nephew? Let’s just say the man was using all sorts of excuses to justify himself, in true GFY/OFY fashion.
But who doesn’t end up accidentally pulling a Peeping Tom on their estranged relative, watching them engage in an impromptu jerk sesh across the street while thinking oh how neat would it be to draw them juuuust like that?
Don’t worry, though, it’s only artistic curiosity.
Luckily for him, his nephew was just as obsessed (what kind of taboo adjacent story would this be otherwise?). Indeed, the stalking here was fully reciprocated. And as a reader, you just get a kick out of watching these two grown men mutually pining for each other, circling the object of their desires without fully daring yet to engage, and, on top of that, doing the title of this story justice by engaging in a voyeuristic dance of faraway admiration.
Because windows do absolutely play a big role in this, of that I can assure you.
[image] Adam and Everett’s dynamic summed up in a single gif, pretty much.
And then, when finally all of that delicious forbidden crushing and UST reached its crescendo… boy, how Cara Dee delivered. Adam and his Unc (no joke, that’s his pet name for Everett) don’t only cross into forbidden territory, but embark on an entire odyssey past it. Of the decidedly kinky variety.
Yet even past the gloriously written smut, you get a nice degree of emotional attachment going on for this couple as well. Their romantic connection, at least for me, went well beyond just some (considerably spicy) steam. So while I’m guessing a lot of people will end up reading this simply for that taboo twist, the truth was that I found myself looking forward to those small moments of domesticity shared between them just as much.
Both Everett and Adam were parents with daughters of their own (although Everett’s was in college, while Adam’s was just a kid), so actually getting to watch the men bond over that and even teach each other a thing or two about parenting was quite an unexpected pleasure. It fleshed out their characters better in a way, gave them a motivation beyond just being a centerpiece in a romance story, and in return provided a new kind of believable intricacy to their relationship.
(Basically, I went in for the smut and did not expect to actually get an interesting character/relationship arc along the way)
Not everything was perfect, however, and I could point out some issues with the pacing as an example. How most of the last few pages seemed to be rushing to tie up all loose ends… only to end up welcoming the kind of lackluster epilogue that left me famished for some real closure. It was still very firmly in the HEA territory, but I wished we could’ve seen the main couple actually interacting instead of just narrating how the past few months had been.
I could point all of that, and perhaps a few things more, such as Cara Dee’s bizarre insistence of painting wives/ex-wives as gold-digging caricatures without any sort of redeeming qualities. Besides Aftermath, this has been the unfortunate second time I’ve noticed that happening, and I’m afraid of it turning into a pattern.
Yes, certainly I could elaborate more on all of those niggles… but being completely honest?
[image] Because the author managed to deliver on all of what I was ultimately craving and then some more. So for that alone, I can’t find it in myself to be too critical.
All in all, a definitive recommendation from me to anyone who considers themselves a fan of blurred lines, a side of taboo lite and some wholesome family times (sans comically evil ex-wife). Believe me, chances are you will enjoy this too!
God knows I did, at least.
**********************************
And once more, before signing off…
Keywords to figure out if this book might be for you:
Stepcest. A down on his luck Uncle figuring out his lot in life and the commanding Nephew who shows him the way. BDSM lite. Humiliation kink (the uncle gets off on being uncomfortable, and the nephew just loves to have him at his mercy). Enough dirty talk to require almost constant eyebrow wiggling. Yet more than enough tender and domestic moments for those starving for some gentleness. Wholesome family dynamics, plus toxic ones that slowly get healed. Kid characters that are not annoying. Sexuality Discovery or GFY/OFY (The uncle). Shamelessly owning who you are (The nephew). The mandatory jealousy scene at a club setting. And, last but not least, enough Peeping Tom moments to amply justify this book’s title.
⭐ 2.5 “this book almost had me in the first half, not gonna lie” stars⭐
Now that I’ve finished it, I can say this story turned into a very peculiar one⭐ 2.5 “this book almost had me in the first half, not gonna lie” stars⭐
Now that I’ve finished it, I can say this story turned into a very peculiar one for me. Peculiarly disappointing, that is. It started out so strong, with a delectable touch of taboo and dark romance that had me hooked (plus some VERY hot smut to boot), but then the 80 percent mark hit and…
[image] My reaction to the book went from “I’m actually having fun” to this pretty damn fast.
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First off, A QUICK WORD BEFORE WE START:
Since the writer has been pleading with everyone not to spoil the story, I’ll separate this review in a non-spoilery general thoughts section (that will be pretty vague) and a more in-depth one at the bottom (including the specifics of my issues). Below a warning, of course. That way, anyone who is still considering this one can make their own informed decision on whether to venture into Spoilerland or not.
Personally, I wished I had known what I was walking into. But I digress.
*****************************
With that little intro out of the way…
[image] Almost my entire takeaway from this.
To be completely honest, all of it felt absolutely meaningless in the end. Any kind of build up the story worked towards, appreciation for the characters earned, the dynamics they shared or a climax to their struggles. All of it turned into a big ol’ pile of “AND FOR WHAT?” by the time I was done flipping (or scrolling) through the pages.
And listen here, going in I already knew that things wouldn’t be as they seemed (this is marketed and referenced by a lot of people as a mindfuck type of story), but what I did not expect was for those “surprise twists” to be the most predictable, cliched, saw-that-from-a-mile-away conflict resolutions imaginable. Instead of being in awe, I was just left scratching my head and wondering how something I had considered an option from chapter two, yet discounted because it sounded way too dumb, ended up turning into the actual big twist.
Like sure, that was technically a mindfuck I guess. But a disappointing one that proceeded to veil all the rest of the story in bitterness and left me feeling wholly unfulfilled. If this is what the author considered a mindfuck, I’ll be keeping my mind celibate going forward, thank you very much.
Never mind the fact that I had previously promised to leave my suspension of disbelief at the door, knowing how OTT and logic-defying prison romances can generally get. Because this book did not just ask me to suspend my disbelief, but to downright assassinate it, deface it, and later discard it in an anonymous dumping ground.
So even after saying I would just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride, the truth was that I just couldn’t.
[image] More footage of me past the 80 percent mark.
Yet, for anyone still curious about this one, I’d still say to give it a chance if that’s what you’re craving! Don’t let my rant dissuade you, and just make sure you equip yourself with tempered expectations, LOTS of suspension of disbelief, and perhaps even a stress ball or two.
Besides, if the story had ended before the 80 percent mark, this would’ve probably been a 3/3.5 kind of read for me! So not all of it was bad, per se.
Too bad the book kept going for a hundred plus more pages after that.
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Moving ahead…
WARNING: YOU HAVE REACHED SPOILERLAND
So step away unless you have either read the book already or just don’t mind me covering some of the major(ly disappointing) twists.
My love for taboo books is well documented (hence my forbidden love shelf). So considering this one f⭐4 "daddy kink but make it biological" stars⭐
My love for taboo books is well documented (hence my forbidden love shelf). So considering this one features the most taboo dynamic of them all, I'm surprised I haven't read this earlier.
(And since this is still banned by the puritans at Amazon, I will be updating this review as soon as the Smashword release is announced)
Ultimately, my take after finishing this was:
[image] Hear me out... I'm shameless. That's it, that's the reasoning behind my verdict.
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To start things off, let me come out and say… you really need to be willing to embrace a special kind of depravity in order to appreciate this one. Luckily for me, that’s a subject I excel at!...more
⭐ 5 "Yes, I might be dehydrated from all the tears, but it was WORTH IT" stars ⭐
[image] In summary, what this book did to my feelings.
But don’t go thin⭐ 5 "Yes, I might be dehydrated from all the tears, but it was WORTH IT" stars ⭐
[image] In summary, what this book did to my feelings.
But don’t go thinking that is necessarily a bad thing just yet.
First of all, objectively speaking, I knew this book was one of T.J. Klune’s first published works, and therefore this knowledge meant I went into it expecting considerably less polish and finesse than in his later releases. What I got, however, was an emotional dropkick straight to the heart.
Because what the story might've sometimes lacked in a technical sense (With the poor structure of some flashbacks, to name an example, or some typos that were still left unfixed after all these years), it more than made up for in sentiment. Truthfully, you could even say this was the "sobbing while slowly scrolling" type of read. The "let me wipe my eyes because these words keep getting suspiciously blurry" kind of experience. Of the "I might need to buy stock in Kleenex real soon" variety.
But also...
[image] And you can't prove otherwise in court! *hides away empty boxes of tissues*
Nonetheless, the bizarre part of this for me was not all of the aforementioned tearing up, but the fact that half of those tears weren't even due to proper angst. No, there was an abundance of happy tears as well.
You know, like when a tender moment touches your little cold heart, makes shivers creep up your spine, and your heart then sings a million tunes befitting a choir of 6-pack carrying renaissance era cherubs? And excuse me if that's too specific...
BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THIS BOOK DID TO ME. It made me feel alive while my fingers clutched at the screen of my phone. Made me scrunch up my brows and make funny faces in the middle of the grocery store line-up, because of course I was dumb enough to think reading this one in public was a smart decision (and spoilers: it was not!!)
From the near devastating adoration Otter had for Bear (which broke my heart, then put it back together and then continued to mend it until the very last page), to the love Bear had for his brother (who was a little too smart for any 9-year-old to be, but hey, this is fiction after all), and finally even the appreciation Bear's friends had for him and vice versa, I kept being struck time and time again by the overwhelmingly genuine love present in the story. This felt like an ode to attachments of all kinds, to a found family that had made its home solely around each other's hearts.
[image] At this point, my eye makeup was already making me look like a not-so-slightly unhinged raccoon.
Even the anger I sometimes experienced on the trip that was this book felt strangely cathartic. And admittedly, I had a MAJOR case of rage reading in certain parts. Because you see, neglectful families and especially parents are something that always breaks my heart to read. So to witness how Bear and Ty’s mom behaved? I was aghast, I was fuming, I was seething, and definitely wishing I could self-insert myself into this story just to beat some sense and empathy into that woman.
...Yet despite all the heartbreak dealt by their mother, neither Bear nor his brother Ty (The Kid) ever felt underappreciated or alone in their struggle. It made it all so much easier to stomach. Because they had Otter (aka one of the best and most caring love interests I've read in a while), Creed (Otter's younger brother and Bear's best friend), Anna (Bear's ex girlfriend and other bestie) and even their neighbour and sometimes-nanny Mrs. Paquinn.
Which meant these two were never truly alone after being "left behind". Even if the world erupted around them, if the storm of despair raged and the sea of their quaint coastal town threatened to swallow them whole, Bear and his Kid were never forgotten, uncared for, or unloved. If anything, it was after being devastatingly left behind that they had the opportunity to truly find their home.
In themselves, in the people around them, and last but not least in each other.
[image] And goddammit, why is my keyboard getting all blurry again?! T.J Klune, I BLAME YOU.
In the meantime, allow me to continue not crying while I contemplate my life post this wonderfully heartfelt book. And thank you to everyone who recommended it to me, because to absolutely nobody’s surprise, YOU WERE RIGHT to do so.
***** The Seafare Chronicles series by T.J Klune
Bear, Otter and the Kid — 5 ⭐ Who We Are — TBR. The Art of Breathing — TBR. The Long and Winding Road — TBR....more
⭐ 4.5 “move over Sam Kage, there’s a new growling alpha in town and this time he’s a COWBOY” stars ⭐
I got into this one after several people recommend⭐ 4.5 “move over Sam Kage, there’s a new growling alpha in town and this time he’s a COWBOY” stars ⭐
I got into this one after several people recommended it to me, and was it exactly what I expected even before setting my eyes on the first page?
[image]
Was that a bad thing? HELL NO.
If you haven’t read this but you’ve read any other Mary Calmes book, then you know the formula by now. Protagonist with Gary Stu tendencies (in this case Stef, the city slicker who accompanies his longtime BFF to her wedding by the countryside), and the grumpier, considerably more emotionally stunted love interest (aka the BFF's older rancher brother, Rand). Despite this not being anything new under the sun, however, I’m not afraid to say I’m the kind of basic bitch who falls for it every time.
The romance was front and center here, as it should, yet even when some of the drama ended up being a bit silly towards the end, I was way too busy swooning over the cowboy deliciousness that was Rand to give a crap.
My thoughts on him summed up in a single quote:
“I would have said something else, but he was walking away too fast, whistling for his dogs, all of which came charging across the paddock to reach him. Watching him kneel and pet them, seeing their absolute joy at his attention, I realized that if I had a tail, I would have wagged it every time the man got near me too.”
[image]
Because same, Stef. Sameeee.
The man was every romance fantasy of a stoic yet caring cowboy made reality. And he was surprisingly willing to communicate with Stef on several occasions where situations were primed for miscommunication, admitting wrongdoings and proving he was willing to do whatever it took to get his HEA with his man. For him, Stef was “the one that got away”, and while reading I definitely got the impression that these two were written in the stars from the start. As obvious as the title is, it really was truly all about timing for them.
And lastly, when these two came together, boy was it magic for me. The steam was off the charts, as well as the chemistry that just poured off from them whenever they interacted. They couldn’t keep their hands off once the hesitant first steps were taken.
Plus…
(Warning for explicit smutty goodness.)
“I could feel the muscles in my ass clenching and unclenching, ready for him, wanting him, needing him. “Fuck me.” “Yessir.” He exhaled as he thrust inside, sheathing himself in me, the burn white-hot for seconds before the pleasure twisted quickly into bliss.”
The use of “yessir” in this really did it for me, so I rest my case y’all.
[image]
****** Timing series by Mary Calmes.
Timing — 4.5 ⭐ After the Sunset — TBR. When the Dust Settles — TBR....more
⭐4 "I can't believe it took me this long to read a Mary Calmes shifter book" stars⭐
And just in case anyone didn't already know what type of book this ⭐4 "I can't believe it took me this long to read a Mary Calmes shifter book" stars⭐
And just in case anyone didn't already know what type of book this was, past the midway point this was very much a case of...
[image]
Which I was not mad at ALL about lol.
Plus the whole "we've worked together for a decade and have been secretly pining for the other for almost as long" angle REALLY worked for me. Sometimes when a story features a would-be couple who has known each other for such extensive time before the story starts, the end result can lack depth and give me the impression that the author has "cheated" their readers out of most of the set up for the romance...
It was definitely not the case here, though. At least for me, Roman's attraction was believable and Quade's protectiveness turned love felt like a natural progression of a decade-long build-up. And their chemistry too! God, I was here for every second of it. Besides the "feral" moments peppered into the steam being, pardon my french, just *chef's kiss*. Add to that the possessiveness we all expect from shifter romances and the entertaining "old bickering couple" vibe these two had at times and I was a goner lol.
I did, however, detract a star based solely on how dissatisfied I was in the way some plot points were handled (mainly Quade's cheating ex and his homophobic father). I just wanted to punch those two in the face whenever they showed up and felt like they should've gotten some type of comeuppance beyond the suggestion of karma being delivered. But that's just me and my need for a good verbal smackdown (or a physical one, because c'mon! those two deserved it).
Will definitely continue with the series! And I can't wait for the inevitable relationship angst book two will have, considering how Linus and Arman's situation is looking so far.
*********
L'Ange series by Mary Calmes Old Loyalty, New Love — 4 ⭐ Fighting Instict — TBR. Chosen Pride — TBR. Winter's Knight (3.5 novella) — TBR....more
⭐ 3.4 “A bit nonsensical, but still fairly enjoyable” stars ⭐
To be completely upfront, I’ve been dreading picking this one up for a while now. After s⭐ 3.4 “A bit nonsensical, but still fairly enjoyable” stars ⭐
To be completely upfront, I’ve been dreading picking this one up for a while now. After some specific spoilers I spotted while researching (aka reading other’s reviews), my plans for grabbing this any time soon were scrapped… until all the hype for the spin-off series got to me, that is.
Once that happened, it was only a matter of time until I caved.
The verdict, now that I’m done?
[image] Plus, the plot might’ve been Sloane Kennedy’s levels of OTT, but the smut was HOT! And I’m nothing if not a woman of simple tastes.
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In this final installment of the Elite Protection Services series, we are reintroduced to Jackson, the boss of the security/bodyguard company and another badass ex-military guy… as is the case with half of the MCs in these books lol. Jackson was someone who I was glad to see stepping into the spotlight, particularly because despite his title of “boss” he’d been majorly sidelined by the author in previous entries. Here, we finally get a taste of the kind of man he is, and while he won’t be winning any awards for “biggest personality”... at least the man knew how to use his other attributes, if you catch my drift.
(And I’m obviously talking about his loyal and considerate nature as a partner over here, you dirty-minded people!)
Then, opposite him and playing the other half of the main couple, we have Dayton, a camboy who gets assigned to Jackson as a pro-bono case after becoming a witness to a horrible incident. Dayton was someone who I felt for, considering his tragic backstory and struggles with severe dyslexia, yet… I didn’t entirely find myself liking him. He earned my pity as a reader, but not exactly my earnest appreciation.
All in all, these two were okay MCs for me, following the usual “hurt boy and the big strong man who safe keeps him” dynamic that is a staple of the series. And which I adore, but has, in my humble opinion, been done way better by the same author in previous entries.
Here, the attempts at setting up an actual romantic connection between Jackson and Day fell kind of flat for me. We were told these two were in love and each other's soulmates a lot, but I didn't personally feel it. I did enjoy their tender moments, however, like when Day was opening up about his struggles and then when Jackson introduced him to his family early on, but I wished there had been a bit more emotional meat to the story. Other than the proverbial meat everyone was peeling out of their pants every two pages or so… but you won’t hear me complaining about that.
[image] Accurate scientific depiction of the reading process. Because this has some of the best smut I've read by this author, and that's no exaggeration.
The bottom line, though, is that If you have read and liked any of Onley James’ books before, then chances are you’ll also find enjoyment here. It’s an easy read, with some great steam, and an also easy to root for (if not a bit shallow) relationship. In spite of the fact that this did end up being my least favorite book of the series, I have no regrets finishing it.
⭐ 3.8 "I'm finally getting the hype of threeway pairings" stars ⭐
When I first read that this one featured ranchers, a three way relationship and some ⭐ 3.8 "I'm finally getting the hype of threeway pairings" stars ⭐
When I first read that this one featured ranchers, a three way relationship and some sweet sweet angst?
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Despite some nitpicks, I was not disappointed.
Following the pattern I'm already used to after reading Miss Kennedy's Escort series, this book also features a good dosage of angsty backstories, characters coming together to finally open up about their grievances and slowly healing their wounds.
...Plus a lot of steamy action peppered into it, which was hot but also had a nice emotional charge to it, making it come across like actual progress for the characters instead of just gratuitous smut (not that there's anything bad with that lol). The romance had believable chemistry and dynamic above it all for me, and somewhat sold me on the idea that these three were all needed parts of a whole.
As for the MCs, this story features Rhys, an ex-con who is trying to lay low by starting work on a ranch until he finishes his parole (and admittedly my favorite of the bunch), plus Finn and Cal, a worker and the foreman of said ranch respectively. If you are picturing hunky cowboys wearing ass-accentuating chaps while coyly tipping their hats… then your mental image would be ACCURATE.
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The book didn't delve as deep as I would've liked into some of the backstories, which is the reason why my rating isn't as high as it could've been. It resulted in some elements feeling a bit "gratuitous" or like they were brushed aside too quickly for my taste. Because if you're gonna give such traumatic baggage to some of the MCs, then I'll be expecting a bit more healing than just a magical threesome to solve it all lol.
With that out of the way, though, I found the focus on the relationship was nevertheless delicious. As someone who rarely finds herself invested in polyamorous pairings (can't help but feel like someone is always either left out or gets the short end of the stick), I was surprised at how invested I was in these three men getting their HEA.
Definitely excited to continue with the series! The first book I read by her left a lot to be desired for me personally, but Sloane Kennedy is quickly getting me addicted to her stories.
****** Finding series by Sloane Kennedy (Which is a continuation of the world started in her Escort Series).