JJ
I didn't love this book, but I didn't hate it either. I think it requires a certain taste, and it's just not my thing. The two main turn-offs for me were the writing style and the characterization of Darian. This book is saturated with similes and metaphors, to the point that they completely distracted me from the story and interrupted the flow of the writing. I like to become immersed and lose myself in what I'm reading, and I wasn't able to do that with this book.As for Darian, I just couldn't get into him. I know the author was trying to write his words in a way that helped the reader imagine the Essex dialect, but it just made him sound like a young child to me, which felt all kinds of wrong! He was also much too unintelligent for my tastes. I personally think Richard Rider wrote a much better romance between a working class, ridiculously dressed younger man and a reserved, posh, intelligent older man in [b:Stockholm Syndrome 9788080 Stockholm Syndrome (Stockholm Syndrome, #1) Richard Rider https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1291018502s/9788080.jpg 14678106]. Pip is similar to Darian, except he's got so much more depth of personality. Of course, his and Lindsay's relationship is completely twisted and deliciously wrong on so many levels, and I know that's not everyone's cup of tea. So if you love metaphors and find dense models adorable, you'll probably like this book. Otherwise, give Stockholm Syndrome a try :)
Let me start by saying this is a wonderful series, and has been an absolute pleasure to read the past few days. I have been eating these books up! However, Spook Squad was my least favorite (even though it's still good) for a couple of reasons. It was great until I figured out the big mystery less than halfway through the book and spent the rest of the time frustrated that everyone was still clueless. I also figured out the 2nd surprise ahead of time so there wasn't much to look forward to. The ending left me feeling disappointed as well, but I still love all the characters and love their adventures and will eagerly await the next book in the series.
This book is all about making tough choices and surviving the consequences. It makes you question your own ideas of right vs. wrong and good vs. evil.
There are several points where the story doesn't flow, like when it switches from a memory to the present from one sentence to the next without any indication that the memory is over. It could definitely benefit from an editor, but it's a really great story despite the technical weaknesses of the writing.
This one was just so sweet and mushy, and it did make me laugh, but it wasn't on the same level as [b:The Worst Thing I Ever Did 18281536 The Worst Thing I Ever Did RemainNameless /assets/nocover/60x80.png 25754475] or [b:Dating Backwards 18625562 Dating Backwards RemainNameless /assets/nocover/60x80.png 26414536] because it's told from Derek's POV and his thoughts just aren't as hilarious as Stiles'. I really miss being inside Stiles' head. It also lacked the steamy sex, which was kind of a bummer. Still a good story though!
While the writing is very simplistic with numerous spelling/grammar mistakes (since English is not the author's native language), it still manages to be quite a compelling story. It's dark, it's emotional, and it's got a shit ton of pain, but Jason keeps going and makes you want to push through his gut wrenching story in the hope that he will make it out okay in the end, and perhaps even find happiness.
Contains spoilers
2020 Reread:Even better the second time around! Upping my rating to 5 stars
Original Review (4 stars):Thankfully I was not disappointed by this sequel to Power Play Resistance. It was so good to see that Jonathan recognized his previous mistakes and made the effort to understand how Bran was feeling and help him learn to embrace the role of a submissive. I was relieved to see that Bran remained a smart-ass (cause that's why I love him so much) and especially that Jonathan recognized Bran's need to be productive and make use of his intellectual and physical talents. I was glad to see that in the end, Bran got that balance between independence in his professional career and submissiveness at home.I can't put my finger on why, but I failed to connect with Jonathan the way I did with Bran, which is odd because I typically go weak-kneed for Doms in books. Perhaps I feel like he broke my trust when he screwed up so spectacularly in the first book, which made me feel protective of Bran, and my trust is extremely difficult to earn once broken. I also was continually irritated at Jonathan's insistence on calling him Brandon despite Bran's desire to be referred to by his nickname, especially since he could only guess at Bran's reasons (which were irrelevant as far as Jonathan should have been concerned). I felt it was a huge sign of disrespect, and Bran deserved loads of respect for the sheer effort it took to change his life to such a degree. And as Bran pointed out, he respected Jonathan enough not to refer to him by his given name, and deserved the same courtesy in return.Also gotta say that at first glance, the cover looks ridiculous but upon closer inspection, it's actually pretty hot!
2020 Reread: This book has still stuck with me all these years later, and I enjoyed it just as much this time around as the first. I have a thing for seriously flawed characters with fucked up relationships.
UPDATE: As much as I find myself thinking back to this story, I realize it made more of an impact on me than I originally thought, so I'm upping my rating from 4 stars to 5.
Original Review:
I really like how very flawed the characters are in this book. Bran is stubborn and prideful to a fault, and jumps into a situation without fully understanding what the hell he has actually agreed to. It's Jonathan's responsibility as the experienced Dom to take control and help Bran understand and accept the role of a sub, but he fucks it up completely. This utter failure on Jonathan's part is evident every time the story switches to Bran's point of view. It was incredibly entertaining to read Bran's inner dialogue of snark against Jonathan, and so refreshing to finally see a sub with spirit and attitude, rather than one who is infantilized and clueless about normal behavioral cues like so many others I've read. I look forward to finding out from the next book whether Bran and Jonathan can make this relationship work and still allow Bran to retain his strong and witty personality.
Not sure what to think about this one yet, need to sleep on it
After sleeping on it:
I love a good mind fuck, but Miller was a little too creepy for me. I wanted to feel good or at least ok with how it ended, but couldn't because of Miller. Maybe the fact that I kept trying to like a sociopath despite who he was and what he was doing proves that my mind was well and truly fucked! I was left feeling unsettled because Miller never felt any remorse for torturing and raping Rho, and even in the end, Rho was not left with any real choice but to stay with Miller because he had been psychologically broken. Gotta hand it to Henry for writing such a thought provoking story!
While Close Protection has the familiar plot line of the bodyguard hooking up with the one they're protecting, it's very well done with unique, well-developed characters and a mystery to make things more interesting. I liked the slow build-up to Ryder and Luca's relationship because it made it all the more satisfying when it finally happened. The sexual dynamics were not what you'd typically expect, with Luca being a manipulative power bottom and Ryder a brawny submissive top. They are perfect for each other, and Luca is fucking hot in bed, though I wish Ryder hadn't started calling him Baby; pet names, particularly “baby,” almost always seem unnatural to me, especially with m/m. IMO, the only one who pulled off “baby” was Jake in the Adrien English series simply because of Adrien's physical fragility. It just didn't fit Luca AT ALL. Anyway, other than that, I really liked the book!
This is a sweet love story between two guys who are struggling to figure out what they want to do with their lives, and who find a connection through dance. I really liked both Laurie and Ed, and thought they complemented each other well. I was glad the story didn't follow the overused plot line of getting together, having a “Big Misunderstanding,” then making up in the end. The dance element was new for me, which also kept things interesting.
I could have done without Ed's multiple terms of endearment for Laurie, and some of his dirty talk just made me laugh. There were also a couple instances of TMI that were really a turn-off, and the hot tub scene creeped me out a bit.
I don't think Maggie's feelings were ever adequately explained, because I'm still trying to figure out WTF was her problem with Ed.
Overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend if you're looking for something sweet.
I felt this one got off to a pretty weak start with Merlin's impromptu MC Hammer dance in the train. I personally thought it was sad and uncomfortably awkward (and honestly not something I could imagine anyone doing) rather than funny and endearing. The story was entertaining enough, but I still found myself wishing I had picked something else to read. I did, however, think the ending was great! Overall, I enjoyed it, but since I started it with such high expectations, I was disappointed that I didn't love it like nearly everyone else. Part of the problem is possibly that I have never understood the fascination with the British royal family, nor do I particularly like stories about wizards, so maybe it really says something that I enjoyed it at all!
What can I say, I love how this girl writes, so much so that I didn't even care that Stiles is only 16 and that there is no plot. This story is all about sex (very hot sex) and feelings, and it had me laughing almost constantly. Stiles' mind is a wonderful place to hang out, and being there just makes me happy.
I wasn't too impressed with this latest book in the Elemental Assassin series. The dialogue, particularly that of the antagonists, was laughably cliché. The constant sound effects (crack! crack! crack! every time someone shot a gun) were distracting and annoying. Gin's strategy, especially at the end, didn't make any sense; actually, a lot about the final showdown defied logic.
I remember really liking this series, so either the earlier books didn't have these issues or I didn't notice them since I wasn't reading with the intent to rate and review. Or it could be that the series is too long running and like so many others, should have ended before reaching this point.
Overall, it was still enjoyable, but just barely, so I give it 2.5 stars.
I enjoyed the first 3 books in this series, but Lanyon really outdid himself with Death of a Pirate King. I think what made this mystery so much more interesting to me is that Jake had a connection to the situation on a personal level through his relationship with Kane. This led to more interaction between Jake and Adrien, which I thought was somewhat lacking in the first 3 books. It also causes Jake's inner conflict with who he is to come to a head. I had trouble putting this one down, and I find that the more I read, the more I love Adrien - everything about him, from his fragility to his smart-ass comments. I want the best for him; he deserves nothing less!
2020 reread:
I'm actually shocked I didn't give this 5 stars the first time. I love this story so much. It makes me so emotional. And the ending is just THE BEST.
2013 Review (4 stars):
Super sweet love story, pretty amazing that it was the first one she wrote! This girl is talented and I really hope she starts writing again!
Fade is best book I've ever read, hands down. No other book has emotionally affected me on such a deep level. Prior to this, I had been moved to tears by one other book (and even then it was just 1 or 2 tears), but this time I was sobbing, red-faced, and snotty. It takes true talent to make the reader care so deeply for the characters that they react as if those characters and their world are real. I have fallen in love with so many of the people in this series, including and especially Emilio, who I wasn't sure about when he first showed up. I can't wait to read more about him, and I am totally craving a Vega sandwich!
So to sum up, AMAZING - Best. Series. Ever.
Not quite sure how to rate this one. It had so much angst I felt like I was back in high school! I need books to have some angst but this took it too a whole new level. It just never let up so after a certain point I just got annoyed with everyone. I'm hoping that this is setting the groundwork for a much deeper and stronger relationship between Sin and Boyd. In any case, I'm moving right along to the next book to find out!
Random thoughts about this book:
- I'm glad Boyd is reaching out and making new friends, and I like the new characters, but it pisses me off that he supposedly loves Sin, yet spills his secrets to everyone, and is so self-absorbed that he doesn't even consider how his actions will affect the person who means the most to him. And he needs to quit being a hypocritical whore.- On the subject of spilling secrets, I for some reason did not sympathize as much with Boyd during his interrogation training as I did when he was sent to Shane in the first book. My issue was that while being forced to watch the video of Lou repeatedly on top of the other stuff was traumatic, should that not have made him focus on Sin, who helped heal him from that past, and as a result have more resolve not to betray Sin's secrets to the Agency, who he KNOWS will use it against him? I couldn't help but imagine if that I were in that position, I'd lie my ass off before giving up that kind of info in order to protect the one I love most. Besides, he knew it was part of training and that it wouldn't last forever, which is an advantage he had over someone who's tortured by an enemy.- I was confused about why techno music was so horrible for Boyd. I couldn't help but think it would have made the time alone easier to bear - then again, I love techno and can zone out and sleep to it, or get into it and dance; which is why when Jon said he liked it I laughed and thought I KNOW, right?!- I don't hate Ann, but I think she's a dumbass and completely unprofessional. She took advantage of the vulnerability a patient has with their therapist, then expected there to be no consequences. There are parallels between what she did and what her sister did to Sin and neither were ok.- I got really sick of everyone being so caught up in themselves that they weren't there for Sin. They all want him to reach out and trust people then when he tries, they either don't have time for him (Boyd), don't want to deal with his shit on top of their own (Carhart), or use him to deal with their own issues (Ann). I wanted to smack all of them and give Sin a hug!- I fail to see how taking away the one true friendship Sin has is going to help him learn to trust anyone else. I can understand taking it down a notch from a romantic relationship but abandoning him altogether isn't the answer. He needs support and help making new friends and he's too messed up to take that initiative by himself. So when Carhart demanded that, I wanted to bitch slap him.- Do I love Emilio or do I hate him? I can't decide! Speaking of Emilio, I was wondering if most others thought it was as obvious as I did in the first book that it was him - I'd been waiting and waiting for him to finally make his big appearance! Anyway, I'm a little unclear on whether Carhart knows that Emilio's the one who led the raid and killed Conners. I don't think it's been said that it was him, but it's just as obvious. I suppose I'll find out eventually!- Did the dude that trained Boyd originally (David or something?) die in the raid??- Did Sin keep his tattoos from his Jason persona?
WOW. I am blown away by this book. It sucked me in right from the beginning and kept me hooked, and now I'm chomping at the bit to start the next one! For me, a 5 star book is one that makes me fall in love with the main characters, one that takes me past being entertained and turns it into a truly emotional experience. Evenfall achieved that multiple times throughout the book, and on two occasions grabbed hold of my heart and squeezed for all it was worth! There were a few bits that were slightly boring, but I can easily forgive those in exchange for the intrigue, lust, heartache, love, fear, happiness, panic, and awe that I felt the rest of the time. This is my all-time favorite m/m fiction to date.
