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amanda_reads13's reviews
414 reviews
Next to Never by Penelope Douglas
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Quinn has grown up with an over protective dad and brothers. Now that she is 17, can she finally figure out what she wants?
I feel deceived. I thought this was going to be Quinn and Lucas' book... But it wasn't. This was basically her parents story.
This was presented in a weird and interesting way. Quinn gets a mystery package containing a book. She quickly realizes it is her parents story. Turns out that her mother wrote this book to share her story and lessons with Quinn. Super awkward for her to include the sex scenes for her daughter to read.
That said, her parents relationship was super toxic. Her father controlled her mother's life and when things didn't go as she expected it to, her mother became an alcoholic. They both spent years angry, depressed, and missing each other. Eventually, they found their way back to each other.
I really enjoyed getting know Quinn and the 2nd generation of kids. I am intrigued about their books!
Tropes: second chance
I feel deceived. I thought this was going to be Quinn and Lucas' book... But it wasn't. This was basically her parents story.
This was presented in a weird and interesting way. Quinn gets a mystery package containing a book. She quickly realizes it is her parents story. Turns out that her mother wrote this book to share her story and lessons with Quinn. Super awkward for her to include the sex scenes for her daughter to read.
That said, her parents relationship was super toxic. Her father controlled her mother's life and when things didn't go as she expected it to, her mother became an alcoholic. They both spent years angry, depressed, and missing each other. Eventually, they found their way back to each other.
I really enjoyed getting know Quinn and the 2nd generation of kids. I am intrigued about their books!
Tropes: second chance
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Aflame by Penelope Douglas
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Two years after leaving to find himself, Jared returned home for the birth of his sister and finally faces Tate after breaking her heart.
I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book. I was pissed that Douglas took away their happy ending from the first book, but after reading it, I get that I was kind of necessary. Both of these characters grew and matured so much during he time they were apart.
Tate grew into her own skin and became such a strong and determined woman. I love that she pushed back and didn't just allow Jared to walk back into her life without earning it.
Jared was lost, just following along with what he thought Tate wanted. He left her to find himself, but never really left her behind. She was always at the forefront of his mind. He has always been very cocky, but now he seems to be more comfortable in his skin. He doesn't try to control Tate like he used to and he is able to understand and empathize with what she went through when he left.
Their relationship really seems stronger after they reunited.
I liked that we got a dual POV plus some flashbacks. I would have liked to see a bit more of Jared journey during those two years.
I always love that the other characters are so intertwined in these books. I enjoyed seeing how their relationships have evolved and developed. I especially loved seeing how Madoc chose to support Tate knowing that she needed him more. He is still the goofy guy we love, but he is such a incredibly supportive and caring friend. Also, I like that we get more of a connection between Jared and his mom, this baby seems to have given him a reason to reconnect with his family.
Tropes: second chance
I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book. I was pissed that Douglas took away their happy ending from the first book, but after reading it, I get that I was kind of necessary. Both of these characters grew and matured so much during he time they were apart.
Tate grew into her own skin and became such a strong and determined woman. I love that she pushed back and didn't just allow Jared to walk back into her life without earning it.
Jared was lost, just following along with what he thought Tate wanted. He left her to find himself, but never really left her behind. She was always at the forefront of his mind. He has always been very cocky, but now he seems to be more comfortable in his skin. He doesn't try to control Tate like he used to and he is able to understand and empathize with what she went through when he left.
Their relationship really seems stronger after they reunited.
I liked that we got a dual POV plus some flashbacks. I would have liked to see a bit more of Jared journey during those two years.
I always love that the other characters are so intertwined in these books. I enjoyed seeing how their relationships have evolved and developed. I especially loved seeing how Madoc chose to support Tate knowing that she needed him more. He is still the goofy guy we love, but he is such a incredibly supportive and caring friend. Also, I like that we get more of a connection between Jared and his mom, this baby seems to have given him a reason to reconnect with his family.
Tropes: second chance
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Falling Away by Penelope Douglas
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
KC is headed back home after an embarrassing breakup with her ex. She ended up moving into Tate's house while serving her community service. Jax, the boy who used to flirt with her, is now her very grown up neighbour.
There is a lot of trauma in this book. These characters have severe PTSD and need therapy. Jax was abused by his father and friends as a child and KC (Juliet) basically became her dead sister. How do you become a functioning adult without proper support and therapy?
I think that the beginning of this relationship is super toxic because they are both suffering and take it out on one another. Eventually it's becomes less toxic, but they never deal with their PTSD.
Jax doesn't feel worthy of love, so he pushes KC away and keeps her at arm's length. He suffered severe abuse as a child and as an adult needs to be in constant control of his environment and life. Yes, I realize that he is traumatized, but he gave me whiplash with his mood swings and his poor treatment of KC. She tried so hard to be patient and help him, but she was his punching bag.
KC has severe trust issues. Her boyfriend cheated on her twice and she suffered from constant emotional abuse, manipulation and gaslighting as a child.Before she was born, her father killed her sister thinking she was an intruder in the house. He suffered severe mental health issues after. To help him cope Juliet took on the "role and personality" of her dead sister KC. Along the way her true self, Juliet, died and she just became KC. So traumatic.
The storyline with his dad kind of took a back seat. When he finally showed up to follow through with his threats, it was over pretty quick. It was barely a blip in the story.
Tropes: boy next door, opposites attract
There is a lot of trauma in this book. These characters have severe PTSD and need therapy. Jax was abused by his father and friends as a child and KC
I think that the beginning of this relationship is super toxic because they are both suffering and take it out on one another. Eventually it's becomes less toxic, but they never deal with their PTSD.
Jax doesn't feel worthy of love, so he pushes KC away and keeps her at arm's length. He suffered severe abuse as a child and as an adult needs to be in constant control of his environment and life. Yes, I realize that he is traumatized, but he gave me whiplash with his mood swings and his poor treatment of KC. She tried so hard to be patient and help him, but she was his punching bag.
KC has severe trust issues. Her boyfriend cheated on her twice and she suffered from constant emotional abuse, manipulation and gaslighting as a child.
The storyline with his dad kind of took a back seat. When he finally showed up to follow through with his threats, it was over pretty quick. It was barely a blip in the story.
Tropes: boy next door, opposites attract
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Rival by Penelope Douglas
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Fallon comes homes after she disappeared from Madoc's life. Everything is thrown into disarray.
I have to say that I appreciate that they are not in HS, even if barely. I really liked Madoc in the first two books so I really enjoyed develing deeper into his story.
From the outside, Madoc has a perfect life. He is the rich kid with everything he ever wants. But the one thing he has wanted was torn from him: Fallon.
Fallon has a golddigging bitch for a mother and a criminal for a father, needless to say her childhood wasn't the best. She and Madoc love to hate each other and hate to love each other, but they can't stay away.
Their relationship is based on hate sex. They started at a young age and were torn apart when their parents found out. But they never forgot about each other. Madoc thought she told their parents that he made her uncomfortable, but really her mom sent her to private school andforced her to have an aborywhen she found out she was pregnant.
There is so much drama that could have been avoided had they communicated, but their relationship was so based on a sexual connection that they mostly avoided important conversations. Instead of just having a conversation with their parents, they make the "mature" decision to just get married. I do think that they have a lot of chemistry and work well together, I just wish that their communicated more.
I love the chemistry between this group of friends and Fallon fits in seamlessly.
Tropes: step siblings, forbidden, second chance, opposites
I have to say that I appreciate that they are not in HS, even if barely. I really liked Madoc in the first two books so I really enjoyed develing deeper into his story.
From the outside, Madoc has a perfect life. He is the rich kid with everything he ever wants. But the one thing he has wanted was torn from him: Fallon.
Fallon has a golddigging bitch for a mother and a criminal for a father, needless to say her childhood wasn't the best. She and Madoc love to hate each other and hate to love each other, but they can't stay away.
Their relationship is based on hate sex. They started at a young age and were torn apart when their parents found out. But they never forgot about each other. Madoc thought she told their parents that he made her uncomfortable, but really her mom sent her to private school and
There is so much drama that could have been avoided had they communicated, but their relationship was so based on a sexual connection that they mostly avoided important conversations. Instead of just having a conversation with their parents, they make the "mature" decision to just get married. I do think that they have a lot of chemistry and work well together, I just wish that their communicated more.
I love the chemistry between this group of friends and Fallon fits in seamlessly.
Tropes: step siblings, forbidden, second chance, opposites
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Until You by Penelope Douglas
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book Jared's POV which parallels Bully.
I appreciated that this was not just a retelling of Bully. We get many extra scenes and I like that we get to delve into Jared's minset. I felt like Jared's POV was a key element missing from Bully.
In this book, we get many scenes from Bully told from Jared's perspective, but we also get his flashbacks and interactions with his family which gives us valuable insight into his emotional state. We get to see the moment that changes everything from his perspective and how seeing Tate with her dad and his mom unleashed so much anger and jealousy. He couldn't fight back against his father, he couldn't protect Jax, he couldn't make his mother care, but he could make Tate, his one safe person, a target of his anger.
This gives such an interesting insight into the mind of a bully and what it takes to turn a sweet, kind boy into a mean and hurtful bully. It's pain. When you are in pain, you want everyone to hurt too. He saw Tate with her happy and perfect life and wanted to tear it apart like his had been.
Again, I have the same issue with this one as the first. I wish they weren't in HS....
To be honest, I didn't love the ending. Yes, it was cute and sweet that he was making such a grand gesture, but it was a bit cringy.
I enjoyed getting to know Madoc and Jax more in this book and am looking forward to their books.
Tropes: childhood best friends, enemies to lovers, bullying.
I appreciated that this was not just a retelling of Bully. We get many extra scenes and I like that we get to delve into Jared's minset. I felt like Jared's POV was a key element missing from Bully.
In this book, we get many scenes from Bully told from Jared's perspective, but we also get his flashbacks and interactions with his family which gives us valuable insight into his emotional state. We get to see the moment that changes everything from his perspective and how seeing Tate with her dad and his mom unleashed so much anger and jealousy. He couldn't fight back against his father, he couldn't protect Jax, he couldn't make his mother care, but he could make Tate, his one safe person, a target of his anger.
This gives such an interesting insight into the mind of a bully and what it takes to turn a sweet, kind boy into a mean and hurtful bully. It's pain. When you are in pain, you want everyone to hurt too. He saw Tate with her happy and perfect life and wanted to tear it apart like his had been.
Again, I have the same issue with this one as the first. I wish they weren't in HS....
To be honest, I didn't love the ending. Yes, it was cute and sweet that he was making such a grand gesture, but it was a bit cringy.
I enjoyed getting to know Madoc and Jax more in this book and am looking forward to their books.
Tropes: childhood best friends, enemies to lovers, bullying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Grief, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Bully by Penelope Douglas
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Jared and Tate were joined by the hip as kids, but all that changed after the summer they turned 14.
I am torn. I literally tore through this book. BUT I really wish this hadn't been set in high school, for obvious reasons. Though the age of them could explain some of the dumb and ridiculous decisions they made.
You can't help but feel for Jared. Hesuffered horrific abused from his father. That said, it doesn't justify what he did to Tate. Yes, he was a kid and yes his reaction to be jealous of her "perfect" family was understandable, but you would think he would see the error of his ways as he grew up. Some simple communication would have mended their relationship years ago. Instead he allowed his jealousy to justify bullying her for years.
I do really like Jared. HE NEEDS THERAPY and has some growing up to do, but I think he truly loves Tate. He has not always shown it, but she has always been the constant in his life.
Tate has returned from a year in France and has finally grew a backbone. She has decided not ignore Jared's antics, but turns to retaliation instead. Her actions really demonstrated how young and immature she is. She makes so many dumb and unsafe choices that could jeopardize her future.
Why are all these parents so absent?! How are there zero consequences for these kids actions? How does a student release a sex tape of classmates and just get away with it? Wtf?! How does an entire school population basically gaslight Tate into thinking she is crazy for being angry with Jared?!
Can we talk about KC for a minute? She is a terrible friend! Who dates a guy who has been torturing your best friend. Nope. Drop her like a rock. She is the worst. Not only does she hook up with Jared but she then gaslights Tate. Nope. Bye.
Tropes: childhood best friends, enemies to lovers, bully
I am torn. I literally tore through this book. BUT I really wish this hadn't been set in high school, for obvious reasons. Though the age of them could explain some of the dumb and ridiculous decisions they made.
You can't help but feel for Jared. He
I do really like Jared. HE NEEDS THERAPY and has some growing up to do, but I think he truly loves Tate. He has not always shown it, but she has always been the constant in his life.
Tate has returned from a year in France and has finally grew a backbone. She has decided not ignore Jared's antics, but turns to retaliation instead. Her actions really demonstrated how young and immature she is. She makes so many dumb and unsafe choices that could jeopardize her future.
Why are all these parents so absent?! How are there zero consequences for these kids actions? How does a student release a sex tape of classmates and just get away with it? Wtf?! How does an entire school population basically gaslight Tate into thinking she is crazy for being angry with Jared?!
Can we talk about KC for a minute? She is a terrible friend! Who dates a guy who has been torturing your best friend. Nope. Drop her like a rock. She is the worst. Not only does she hook up with Jared but she then gaslights Tate. Nope. Bye.
Tropes: childhood best friends, enemies to lovers, bully
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
Leather and Lark by Brynne Weaver
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
After finding out her family wants to kill her best friends husband and his brothers, Lark marries his brother to try to save them.
Weaver does it again, she manages to write an absolutely hilarious book about serial killers. The banter and sass of these characters is top notch!
Lark is a singer, crafter, dog mom, and secret 'multiple deleter', she even turns a victim's "casket" into a coffee table! Lachlan is a leather worker and a killer for hire, working of his and his brothers debt.
I love all the little things Lachlan does to earn back Lark's trust after putting her in the trunk of a car when they first meet. There are so many little things, and creepy things (ie. The heart!), that he does to show her that he cares. I really enjoyed the development of their relationship. They were obviously attracted to each other, but Lachlan worked to earn her respect before allowing the relationship to progress.
Even though we didn't get a ton of background about the characters, I felt like they were pretty dynamic and well developed. I would have liked a bit more background.
I enjoyed all of side characters and revisiting Sloan and Rowan. Her aunt was a fantastic addition to the book. The spiked muffins were so spiteful, I loved it.
Tropes: enemies to lovers, marriage arrangement, serial killers
Weaver does it again, she manages to write an absolutely hilarious book about serial killers. The banter and sass of these characters is top notch!
Lark is a singer, crafter, dog mom, and secret 'multiple deleter', she even turns a victim's "casket" into a coffee table! Lachlan is a leather worker and a killer for hire, working of his and his brothers debt.
I love all the little things Lachlan does to earn back Lark's trust after putting her in the trunk of a car when they first meet. There are so many little things, and creepy things (ie. The heart!), that he does to show her that he cares. I really enjoyed the development of their relationship. They were obviously attracted to each other, but Lachlan worked to earn her respect before allowing the relationship to progress.
Even though we didn't get a ton of background about the characters, I felt like they were pretty dynamic and well developed. I would have liked a bit more background.
I enjoyed all of side characters and revisiting Sloan and Rowan. Her aunt was a fantastic addition to the book. The spiked muffins were so spiteful, I loved it.
Tropes: enemies to lovers, marriage arrangement, serial killers
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
So This Is War by Meghan Quinn
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
One year ago Levi met a woman at a bar, to this day he cannot get her out of his head. Imagine his surprise when he finds out that she is his coaches daughter and he has to hire her as his assistant.
As with all Meghan Quinn books, I laughed throughout the entire book. That said, I felt like there were just some things I couldn't see past.
Wylie is in her early 20s and is basically controlled by her father. She doesn't want to disappoint him, but wants to pursue her own dreams instead of what he has dictated. Her dad is a manipulative asshole, his reasoning doesn't matter.Her mother left him to pursue art, so he didn't want Wylie going into an artistic job. He treats her like his possession. I hate it. I am glad that she grew a backbone and stood up to him about what she wants and who she loves.
Levi has been manipulated and blackmailed by his coach to hire Wylie as his assistant (talk about unprofessional). He is told to basically treat her like crap so that she will go back to business school instead of following her dreams. He feels guilty, but goes along with it. Ya, he is pretty immature and should have said no.
I really do like Wylie and Levi together, but this whole "war" between them was so inappropriate. She was his employee, I don't care if it was bullshit or not, he was paying her. Why can't you just talk and say you like each other, why try to make each other "break", very immature. I think that there was just so much focus on the sexual chemistry, that it ended up lacking in the emotional chemistry. We began to feel a bit of that emotional connection near the end, but we needed more.
I love the friendships in this book and getting to revisit some of my favourite couples. I love how everyone supports each other and is always there for one another. The text messages are some of my favourite parts of these books!
Tropes: boss/employee, hockey player/coaches daughter
As with all Meghan Quinn books, I laughed throughout the entire book. That said, I felt like there were just some things I couldn't see past.
Wylie is in her early 20s and is basically controlled by her father. She doesn't want to disappoint him, but wants to pursue her own dreams instead of what he has dictated. Her dad is a manipulative asshole, his reasoning doesn't matter.
Levi has been manipulated and blackmailed by his coach to hire Wylie as his assistant (talk about unprofessional). He is told to basically treat her like crap so that she will go back to business school instead of following her dreams. He feels guilty, but goes along with it. Ya, he is pretty immature and should have said no.
I really do like Wylie and Levi together, but this whole "war" between them was so inappropriate. She was his employee, I don't care if it was bullshit or not, he was paying her. Why can't you just talk and say you like each other, why try to make each other "break", very immature. I think that there was just so much focus on the sexual chemistry, that it ended up lacking in the emotional chemistry. We began to feel a bit of that emotional connection near the end, but we needed more.
I love the friendships in this book and getting to revisit some of my favourite couples. I love how everyone supports each other and is always there for one another. The text messages are some of my favourite parts of these books!
Tropes: boss/employee, hockey player/coaches daughter
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
God of War by Rina Kent
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Ava wakes up in the hospital only to find out she has forgotten the last two years, including her marriage to Eli, the man she despises.
This was not what I was expecting at all, but in a good way. This was a lot less dark than the other books in the series. Though Eli is the definition of a psychopath, he also has a tenderness to him and that is reflected throughout the book. That said there are still a lot of TWs.
Ava suffers from psychosis and because of it, she struggles with reality. Her parents have never really taken an aggressive approach with her treatment and vices, so she has never had control over her psychosis. After being turned down my Eli, she shifted her energy into her hatred for him. Never would she imagine marrying the man, she despised him.
Eli is a psychopath. He is unfeeling and uncaring... Except when it comes to Ava. Throughout the years he has developed an obsession with her. He took the opportunity to force her hand in marriage afterhe killed a man who was attempting to rape her. He threatened to kill her if she ever told anyone.
After getting married and taking control of her care, hedistanced himself from her because the doctors felt like his face was triggering her episodes. Yet, he was always there for her even when she hated him and though him uncaring. This distance is what triggers an episode where she stabbed Eli and then fell down the stairs, causing her amnesia.
I really loved their relationship. Eli protected and cared for her, while she opened him up to the possibility of love.
The ending did feel rushed. I could have done without the weirdepilogue where she has triplets. But still a cute ending.
I'm sad that we aren't getting an Ari and Remi book!
Tropes: forced marriage, enemies to lovers, opposites attract
This was not what I was expecting at all, but in a good way. This was a lot less dark than the other books in the series. Though Eli is the definition of a psychopath, he also has a tenderness to him and that is reflected throughout the book. That said there are still a lot of TWs.
Ava suffers from psychosis and because of it, she struggles with reality. Her parents have never really taken an aggressive approach with her treatment and vices, so she has never had control over her psychosis. After being turned down my Eli, she shifted her energy into her hatred for him. Never would she imagine marrying the man, she despised him.
Eli is a psychopath. He is unfeeling and uncaring... Except when it comes to Ava. Throughout the years he has developed an obsession with her. He took the opportunity to force her hand in marriage after
After getting married and taking control of her care, he
I really loved their relationship. Eli protected and cared for her, while she opened him up to the possibility of love.
The ending did feel rushed. I could have done without the weird
I'm sad that we aren't getting an Ari and Remi book!
Tropes: forced marriage, enemies to lovers, opposites attract
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Losers: Part II by Harley Laroux
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
We continue to follow Jessica and the men as they navigate their new relationship and deal with outside pressures.
I felt like he overall story and conflict took a backseat in this book and was almost an afterthought. We got the occasional issue with Manson's dad or Jessica's Ex, but not enough to build the tension needed for the reader to care.
I do appreciate that we get more backstory on the men which allows us to see more of their personalities and their motivations. I think they are all interesting characters, but with 5 different POVs (+1 in this book), it is really hard for the reader to form a solid connection with each of them.
That said, you can feel the love between them. They are fiercely protective of one another and would do anything to keep one another safe. Unfortunately, they have always been a target from the community, but this has lead to such a strong and emotional bond between the men.
We definitely saw the most character growth from Lucas. As he accepted the love and care of his partners, we saw him relax into the relationship more and become more confident in himself. He held onto so much anger and resentment, that when he let go and began to heal, he allowed himself to really feel that love and support.
I hate to say it, but many of the spicy scenes felt like they were just thrown in there to get a reaction. Not many of these scenes progressed the plot or added to our understanding of the characters. This duet could have been edited down to one book. This would have allowed the author to place more focus on scenes that gave us solid character development or advanced the plot. It would felt less repetitive and would have allowed for us to connect to the characters more.
I really appreciate the openness of their relationship. They all have amazing communication and are so supportive of one another. They aren't afraid to talk about everything and anything. I love how open they are about mental health struggles and the conversations around therapy and medication. I wish we had delved a bit deeper into the mental health side.
Tropes: found family, poly, enemies to lovers
I felt like he overall story and conflict took a backseat in this book and was almost an afterthought. We got the occasional issue with Manson's dad or Jessica's Ex, but not enough to build the tension needed for the reader to care.
I do appreciate that we get more backstory on the men which allows us to see more of their personalities and their motivations. I think they are all interesting characters, but with 5 different POVs (+1 in this book), it is really hard for the reader to form a solid connection with each of them.
That said, you can feel the love between them. They are fiercely protective of one another and would do anything to keep one another safe. Unfortunately, they have always been a target from the community, but this has lead to such a strong and emotional bond between the men.
We definitely saw the most character growth from Lucas. As he accepted the love and care of his partners, we saw him relax into the relationship more and become more confident in himself. He held onto so much anger and resentment, that when he let go and began to heal, he allowed himself to really feel that love and support.
I hate to say it, but many of the spicy scenes felt like they were just thrown in there to get a reaction. Not many of these scenes progressed the plot or added to our understanding of the characters. This duet could have been edited down to one book. This would have allowed the author to place more focus on scenes that gave us solid character development or advanced the plot. It would felt less repetitive and would have allowed for us to connect to the characters more.
I really appreciate the openness of their relationship. They all have amazing communication and are so supportive of one another. They aren't afraid to talk about everything and anything. I love how open they are about mental health struggles and the conversations around therapy and medication. I wish we had delved a bit deeper into the mental health side.
Tropes: found family, poly, enemies to lovers
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment