I enjoyed this one more or less, but not nearly as much as the original trilogy. As several other reviewers have noted, there was something almost remI enjoyed this one more or less, but not nearly as much as the original trilogy. As several other reviewers have noted, there was something almost remote and distanced in the storytelling here, that prevented me from really feeling immersed in the story and engaged with the characters. Personally, I think a large part of this was due to the narrative style where the book was essentially told in two timelines, the present tense with Iain trying to reconnect with James, and the past that shows how they formed their friendship and how it fell apart. I don't generally enjoy heavy flashback use, partly because it often feels like almost a crutch for the writer to give us needed context. And while I don't deny that some of this context *was* needed, I don't think it was necessary to show us quite as many flashbacks as she did. I think the story would have felt stronger if there'd been more of a focus on the characters as they were in the present instead of the past. I still enjoyed this one, and I'm glad to have read it, but don't expect it to read like the first three books!
Merged review:
I enjoyed this one more or less, but not nearly as much as the original trilogy. As several other reviewers have noted, there was something almost remote and distanced in the storytelling here, that prevented me from really feeling immersed in the story and engaged with the characters. Personally, I think a large part of this was due to the narrative style where the book was essentially told in two timelines, the present tense with Iain trying to reconnect with James, and the past that shows how they formed their friendship and how it fell apart. I don't generally enjoy heavy flashback use, partly because it often feels like almost a crutch for the writer to give us needed context. And while I don't deny that some of this context *was* needed, I don't think it was necessary to show us quite as many flashbacks as she did. I think the story would have felt stronger if there'd been more of a focus on the characters as they were in the present instead of the past. I still enjoyed this one, and I'm glad to have read it, but don't expect it to read like the first three books!...more
Cute read, though unlike most of the books in this series, this one definitely requires that you've read the one right before, Sagittarius Saves LibraCute read, though unlike most of the books in this series, this one definitely requires that you've read the one right before, Sagittarius Saves Libra, as the two MCs are twins and there are a lot of references. Definitely some OTT banter and plotting, and stuff that just didn't quite make sense to me (I'm often left with the impression that the author is making leaps in her head that don't make it onto the page, leaving some actions/reactions feeling bizarre and out of nowhere), but overall I did have fun with this one. ...more
Standard Marina Vivancos; promising concept, meh execution. This one was shorter and definitely felt pretty rushed, particularly the l2.5 rounded down
Standard Marina Vivancos; promising concept, meh execution. This one was shorter and definitely felt pretty rushed, particularly the last half or so. I enjoyed it enough for what it was, but I went in expecting what I got....more
I enjoyed this one well enough, but I didn't love it.
As always, some great writing, and it felt very British with a great sense of setti2.5 rounded up
I enjoyed this one well enough, but I didn't love it.
As always, some great writing, and it felt very British with a great sense of setting, which I loved. I enjoyed both of the characters and their connection, and for the most part I like the build between them. My first issue is that I would say this barely works as a stand-alone. Though I did technically read Merrow's first book in this series, Wake Up Call, it was over three years ago and I didn't particularly enjoy it/remember much about it. This book assumes you've read that one, and includes a lot of characters and backstory from that book--I felt quite wrong-footed for much of the book, and the only reason I wasn't more lost was because I had at least a vague recollection of the first one.
My second biggest issue, was the frankly bizarre interlude between Mal and Jory's estranged wife. (view spoiler)[It was fucking weird for her to invite him over, and it bothered me from the start that Mal didn't think so. It was 100% clear what was happening, and it was just SO shitty on both Mal and the wife, Kristy's, part, and I really didn't feel like the emotional resolution there was in any way satisfying. I totally get Mal being in a fucked-up headspace, but I wanted a lot more groveling than we got, and it ended up souring the whole getting together for real bit (hide spoiler)]. The heat here is also relatively tame, and the smut we got at the end wasn't what I wanted after (what felt to me) like a big betrayal on Mal's part that's not addressed in any satisfying manner.
I generally enjoy this author's works, but so far her books in this series haven't done it for me and I'm honestly a bit nervous about the final one...
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2.5 rounded up
I enjoyed this one well enough, but I didn't love it.
As always, some great writing, and it felt very British with a great sense of setting, which I loved. I enjoyed both of the characters and their connection, and for the most part I like the build between them. My first issue is that I would say this barely works as a stand-alone. Though I did technically read Merrow's first book in this series, Wake Up Call, it was over three years ago and I didn't particularly enjoy it/remember much about it. This book assumes you've read that one, and includes a lot of characters and backstory from that book--I felt quite wrong-footed for much of the book, and the only reason I wasn't more lost was because I had at least a vague recollection of the first one.
My second biggest issue, was the frankly bizarre interlude between Mal and Jory's estranged wife. (view spoiler)[It was fucking weird for her to invite him over, and it bothered me from the start that Mal didn't think so. It was 100% clear what was happening, and it was just SO shitty on both Mal and the wife, Kristy's, part, and I really didn't feel like the emotional resolution there was in any way satisfying. I totally get Mal being in a fucked-up headspace, but I wanted a lot more groveling than we got, and it ended up souring the whole getting together for real bit (hide spoiler)]. The heat here is also relatively tame, and the smut we got at the end wasn't what I wanted after (what felt to me) like a big betrayal on Mal's part that's not addressed in any satisfying manner.
I generally enjoy this author's works, but so far her books in this series haven't done it for me and I'm honestly a bit nervous about the final one......more
What can I say, this series is surprisingly working for me! I enjoyed the characters and their connection, and I appreciated that the conflict felt beWhat can I say, this series is surprisingly working for me! I enjoyed the characters and their connection, and I appreciated that the conflict felt believable and had stakes. Way too many kids/teenagers/other characters to the point of confusion and clutter, but on the whole I had fun with this one....more
Another book by an author I generally enjoy that just didn't work for me. I really did try, but the plot was a bit convoluted, and I felt absoDNF ~48%
Another book by an author I generally enjoy that just didn't work for me. I really did try, but the plot was a bit convoluted, and I felt absolutely no connection between the main characters. I was just bored.
Merged review:
DNF ~48%
Another book by an author I generally enjoy that just didn't work for me. I really did try, but the plot was a bit convoluted, and I felt absolutely no connection between the main characters. I was just bored....more
It was okay. Enjoyable enough, but nothing all that special. 2.5 rounded down.
The characters were decently interesting, as was the plot, but I didn't It was okay. Enjoyable enough, but nothing all that special. 2.5 rounded down.
The characters were decently interesting, as was the plot, but I didn't super buy the chemistry and the sexual dynamic just didn't do it for me.
This is actually one of the first times that I wish the series followed different couples instead of the same one, as I don't care enough about this couple to continue reading more about them...
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It was okay. Enjoyable enough, but nothing all that special. 2.5 rounded down.
The characters were decently interesting, as was the plot, but I didn't super buy the chemistry and the sexual dynamic just didn't do it for me.
This is actually one of the first times that I wish the series followed different couples instead of the same one, as I don't care enough about this couple to continue reading more about them......more
I was almost able to get through this one and not totally hate it, but the twin plot stuff was so unbelievable and convoluted that it kept thrDnf ~50%
I was almost able to get through this one and not totally hate it, but the twin plot stuff was so unbelievable and convoluted that it kept throwing me out of the story, and the smut went from 0 to 100 in a way that felt pretty rushed. There were also approximately 8000 references to other books by this author, which I'm just very over....more
Thank you to Carina Press and Netgalley for providing me a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review! === 2.5 rounded up
I was super excited abouThank you to Carina Press and Netgalley for providing me a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review! === 2.5 rounded up
I was super excited about this one--I loved the first book I read by this author and the summary seemed really promising. I enjoyed it overall, but I can't say it quite lived up to my hopes for it.
I've read variations on the dad/teacher thing before, but I thought the twist of the dad being famous and the teacher having already been a fan was interesting, and I generally thought it played well--pretty easy for it to veer into creepy, but I didn't feel like that line was crossed. I'm not always a big fan of kids in books, and I actually didn't find the five-year-old to feel all that present in the book. On the one hand, I personally appreciated it, but on the other, it did feel a little weird for there not to be more of her considering she's pretty young, Spencer is a single dad, and Zeke is her teacher. There aren't even conversations at the end, when it's clear they're serious, about what it means for them to be in a relationship when one of them is raising a young kid and the other is (at least at the moment) her P.E. teacher... Felt like a very odd omission. There's also hardly any hockey for a hockey romance. I wasn't personally bothered--the POV character is the teacher, and we don't get Spencer's POV at all so it makes sense there isn't a ton of hockey, but I know that's a draw for some people.
The writing itself... there was something about the writing here that felt a little off for me, and I'm having a difficult time articulating it. I think that part of it was the fact that Zeke's character in particular felt a little all over the place. Despite being the POV character, I never really felt like I had a solid read on him, because his characterization never felt entirely consistent. It almost read as if the author's conception of him evolved as they wrote, but then there was no going back through to edit him into a coherent and consistent character. It was subtle and hard to place, but I had a difficult time connecting to him, in part because I never felt like I knew him. (As a smaller aside, I don't know that we ever really even got a good description of him, so I had no idea what to even picture, which I found a bit frustrating.)
The pacing here also wasn't quite right for me. The lead up to the relationship was excellent, but the sudden sexting pivot point felt like a really sudden and aggressive flip, and then the jump into a full relationship with absolutely no discussions about what they were doing was really confusing. The whole last 1/3 of the book I kept waiting for something to happen (3rd act breakup, some kind of DTR) but it just read like an extended epilogue in which not much happens and I was sort of scratching my head. I appreciated the maturity of the relationship (though it was jarring for me to realize these guys are in their mid-20s and not their mid-30s, as they mostly read as older to me) but I was a bit bored at the end, waiting for some kind of tension or climax or something, instead of just a slow descent into the ending, which felt fairly abrupt considering the lack of a climactic event to mark the coming end/resolution of the book, and no official epilogue.
There were some good bones here, but it felt like it could have used a stronger editor to work on the pacing and characterization/writing issues.
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Thank you to Carina Press and Netgalley for providing me a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review! === 2.5 rounded up
I was super excited about this one--I loved the first book I read by this author and the summary seemed really promising. I enjoyed it overall, but I can't say it quite lived up to my hopes for it.
I've read variations on the dad/teacher thing before, but I thought the twist of the dad being famous and the teacher having already been a fan was interesting, and I generally thought it played well--pretty easy for it to veer into creepy, but I didn't feel like that line was crossed. I'm not always a big fan of kids in books, and I actually didn't find the five-year-old to feel all that present in the book. On the one hand, I personally appreciated it, but on the other, it did feel a little weird for there not to be more of her considering she's pretty young, Spencer is a single dad, and Zeke is her teacher. There aren't even conversations at the end, when it's clear they're serious, about what it means for them to be in a relationship when one of them is raising a young kid and the other is (at least at the moment) her P.E. teacher... Felt like a very odd omission. There's also hardly any hockey for a hockey romance. I wasn't personally bothered--the POV character is the teacher, and we don't get Spencer's POV at all so it makes sense there isn't a ton of hockey, but I know that's a draw for some people.
The writing itself... there was something about the writing here that felt a little off for me, and I'm having a difficult time articulating it. I think that part of it was the fact that Zeke's character in particular felt a little all over the place. Despite being the POV character, I never really felt like I had a solid read on him, because his characterization never felt entirely consistent. It almost read as if the author's conception of him evolved as they wrote, but then there was no going back through to edit him into a coherent and consistent character. It was subtle and hard to place, but I had a difficult time connecting to him, in part because I never felt like I knew him. (As a smaller aside, I don't know that we ever really even got a good description of him, so I had no idea what to even picture, which I found a bit frustrating.)
The pacing here also wasn't quite right for me. The lead up to the relationship was excellent, but the sudden sexting pivot point felt like a really sudden and aggressive flip, and then the jump into a full relationship with absolutely no discussions about what they were doing was really confusing. The whole last 1/3 of the book I kept waiting for something to happen (3rd act breakup, some kind of DTR) but it just read like an extended epilogue in which not much happens and I was sort of scratching my head. I appreciated the maturity of the relationship (though it was jarring for me to realize these guys are in their mid-20s and not their mid-30s, as they mostly read as older to me) but I was a bit bored at the end, waiting for some kind of tension or climax or something, instead of just a slow descent into the ending, which felt fairly abrupt considering the lack of a climactic event to mark the coming end/resolution of the book, and no official epilogue.
There were some good bones here, but it felt like it could have used a stronger editor to work on the pacing and characterization/writing issues....more
It's been *years* since I read the first book, which I generally really enjoyed, but after seeing a lot of mixed reviews for this one,2.5 rounded down
It's been *years* since I read the first book, which I generally really enjoyed, but after seeing a lot of mixed reviews for this one, it sort of fell to the back burner. And, unfortunately, after giving it a read, I was pretty underwhelmed. Honestly I would have DNF'd this halfway through, but I had a headache through the first half and thought maybe that was affecting my feels so I decided to stick the rest of the book out, but no, I just didn't vibe with this one.
There's a *lot* of hockey in the one, significantly more than I remember from book 1, which isn't a problem for me at all, just something to mention. I really liked that both of the characters are POC, which is particularly rare in hockey, and something that's addressed decently well within the narrative. It's an enemies to lovers romance that actually delivers on the enemies bit if that's your jam, and it is for me, but I'm super picky, and I didn't totally love it here.
Honestly, I just didn't totally buy their chemistry. The sex was hot, but I didn't actually *feel* the attraction, and then when ~feelings~ happen, I didn't feel it either--lots of telling and not showing. I also generally thought some of the relationship pacing in general is off here. The move from fuck buddies to boyfriends happens pretty quick IMO, and then (view spoiler)[after the requisite breakup, one of the characters tells Emmitt some hard truths that basically say "go tell your man you want to talk about things after the Stanley Cup" and then Emmitt... doesn't do it? Instead he drops by for a "no strings attached" fuck, even though they are in love and know they are in love?? and there is no conversation, and then a month later they are back together, also with no conversation??? The entire ending from the break-up on was SO fucking odd with no actual communication and yet somehow they're both fine and happy and the things that broke them up in the first place aren't an issue anymore even though they've not talked about it at all? I was annoyed (hide spoiler)]
IDK, something about this never clicked for me. There were some good bones, but the characters and relationship never gelled, and the climactic relationship stuff was weird.
Merged review:
2.5 rounded down
It's been *years* since I read the first book, which I generally really enjoyed, but after seeing a lot of mixed reviews for this one, it sort of fell to the back burner. And, unfortunately, after giving it a read, I was pretty underwhelmed. Honestly I would have DNF'd this halfway through, but I had a headache through the first half and thought maybe that was affecting my feels so I decided to stick the rest of the book out, but no, I just didn't vibe with this one.
There's a *lot* of hockey in the one, significantly more than I remember from book 1, which isn't a problem for me at all, just something to mention. I really liked that both of the characters are POC, which is particularly rare in hockey, and something that's addressed decently well within the narrative. It's an enemies to lovers romance that actually delivers on the enemies bit if that's your jam, and it is for me, but I'm super picky, and I didn't totally love it here.
Honestly, I just didn't totally buy their chemistry. The sex was hot, but I didn't actually *feel* the attraction, and then when ~feelings~ happen, I didn't feel it either--lots of telling and not showing. I also generally thought some of the relationship pacing in general is off here. The move from fuck buddies to boyfriends happens pretty quick IMO, and then (view spoiler)[after the requisite breakup, one of the characters tells Emmitt some hard truths that basically say "go tell your man you want to talk about things after the Stanley Cup" and then Emmitt... doesn't do it? Instead he drops by for a "no strings attached" fuck, even though they are in love and know they are in love?? and there is no conversation, and then a month later they are back together, also with no conversation??? The entire ending from the break-up on was SO fucking odd with no actual communication and yet somehow they're both fine and happy and the things that broke them up in the first place aren't an issue anymore even though they've not talked about it at all? I was annoyed (hide spoiler)]
IDK, something about this never clicked for me. There were some good bones, but the characters and relationship never gelled, and the climactic relationship stuff was weird....more
I've read pretty much all of Butler's books and generally enjoyed them, so when I saw they were writing a trilogy I got very excited, and planDNF ~28%
I've read pretty much all of Butler's books and generally enjoyed them, so when I saw they were writing a trilogy I got very excited, and planned to hold off reading the first two until the 3rd was about to come out. Based on some of the reviews I'd seen about book 1, I was a little nervous it wouldn't be for me, and unfortunately, those fears proved justified. :/
The writing was fine, but from the beginning the setup just wasn't that appealing to me. The dynamic between the two main characters verges into the uncomfy territory with the weird power dynamics at play, and based on how things played out in the first quarter (and from other reviews) I don't have faith that the author is going to resolve them in a way that feels satisfying -- I think maybe the author went into territory that was a little too dark and complex for what they wanted (or perhaps are capable) to be writing. The intrigue and "secrets kept from the audience" writing tropes are in full force here and I often get annoyed by that device. The conversations also were incredibly repetitive even just in the first 25% -- how many times can they talk about needed to trust one another and be open and share information??
Suuuuper bummed about this, because I really did think I would like this one despite the foreboding reviews and had really been looking forward to have this trilogy to dive into, but alas, it was not meant to be. At least the author is (hopefully) moving on to a new project soon, and fingers crossed that concept resonates more with me! ...more
I tend to enjoy this author and her lighter takes on mm fantasy, but this didn't do it for me. I didn't think the characters had much chemistry, nor dI tend to enjoy this author and her lighter takes on mm fantasy, but this didn't do it for me. I didn't think the characters had much chemistry, nor did the build between them really feel natural. Folly's traumatic history wasn't really explored in any kind of depth, and Yarrow went from a playboy to committed in the blink of an eye. Meh and phoned-in....more
Frankly the only reason I didn't DNF this one was out of sheer laziness. The beginning in particular is pretty terrible, with super lazy info-dump wriFrankly the only reason I didn't DNF this one was out of sheer laziness. The beginning in particular is pretty terrible, with super lazy info-dump writing that was almost painful to get through. I liked the characters and the concept well enough, but the writing and plotting here was so damn phoned-in, and there is definitely an expectation that you've read Riley's book in the first series -- you won't be totally lost if you haven't, but a lot of stuff comes up from that one. There also wasn't really any tension here, so it just felt a little toothless....more
I keep telling myself that I won't read this author anymore, but each time I keep picking up her newest release, hoping this time will be diffDNF ~47%
I keep telling myself that I won't read this author anymore, but each time I keep picking up her newest release, hoping this time will be different...
To be fair, I was actually quite enjoying myself, right up until they finally started acting on all the pining between them. By the time they admitted their feelings to one another, it honestly felt like I was reading two entirely different characters. The personalities that were established in the first 1/3 or so of the book seemed to be entirely disregarded so that, I can only assume, the author could achieve a certain kind of dynamic she was looking for. But that could have absolutely been done without making the characters feel totally unrecognizable. Albie, despite being only one year older than Percy and just as inexperienced (one has to assume even less so, given he had far less exposure to people his own age) turns into a suave sex god, and Percy, who's been quite bold and confident throughout the book, suddenly turns into a shy, submissive flower--not sure why we couldn't have had the sweet, bumbling, first-time exploration from them both, which was what I'd been expecteing from the set-up. The shift in personality for me was jarring and I lost all interest in the characters that had previously been engaging. Possibly things get better as you read on, but the book wasn't good enough to make me persevere....more
Couldn't even make it 10% into this one.... I really expected to love it, but the writing was really clunky and try-hard, and the whole vibe instantlyCouldn't even make it 10% into this one.... I really expected to love it, but the writing was really clunky and try-hard, and the whole vibe instantly annoyed me....more
I was looking forward to Cross's book, but the whole thing lacked depth. Which isn't exactly new for this author, but there wA little disappointing :/
I was looking forward to Cross's book, but the whole thing lacked depth. Which isn't exactly new for this author, but there was so much exposition and the whole thing felt really shallow, even though I generally liked the characters. The concept was great, but the execution didn't deliver. Even the smut, which was kinkier than the previous books, felt kind of *yawn*...more
Intriguing premise, and I enjoyed the writing quality, but I wasn't sold on the pairing. Grif starts out as a real asshole with fucked2.5 rounded down
Intriguing premise, and I enjoyed the writing quality, but I wasn't sold on the pairing. Grif starts out as a real asshole with fucked-up and abusive tendencies, and I think if the author wanted to start him at such a low point, the book needed to be a hell of a lot longer with a much slower burn to work for me. Kiernan is essentially entirely dependent on him for survival, and the build of feelings on his part felt really rushed given how their relationship started and the super unequal power imbalance between the two, so it just felt a bit icky for me. I think if things had progressed more slowly and we'd seen Grif take any kind of accountability for his shitty behavior I may have felt differently, but alas, we did not get that. ...more
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