Annery
Beggars can't be choosers and this was free but ... some breathing room to develop the characters and their backstories would've done wonders for this little tale. As it is you can just read it as PWP and ignore all of my comments (nothing wrong with that) or you can read it and hope the author develops the story in a future novella, or you can feel a wee bit icky. YMMV.If you're looking for any kind of tenderness look elsewhere. This is about raw, immediate, sometimes actually painful domination. I don't mind that. To each their own, whatever gets your ya-ya going, and all that. It just seemed like Mr. Andrews more than rushed Logan into a Daddy/boy relationship with very little talk and it's not like they met at a play party where everyone knows what they're there for. In a way he's almost abusing a trust. I don't mean to be a party-pooper but I always ask myself how I'd react to a story if it were M/F and this one would be tricky. Also Trevor's reaction, and the story in general reminded me of [b:Mine 27517044 Mine M. Caspian https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1446871692l/27517044.SY75.jpg 46629831] which ... didn't work out so well for me.Anyway you can ignore all of my blather and enjoy 20-odd pages of good smut.
This was sweet and hopeful. Not everything came up roses but ... close enough. Jed Jones is a farmer. He loves to grow things. It also keeps him from having to talk to people and reveal his crippling stutter. He's a bout to have the rug pulled out from under him.Connor Graham has come back to the small New England town he grew up in to settle his inheritance, the blueberry farm Jed leases. The town he fled from as soon as he was able to. He ran from the loneliness & harassment of being the only out gay boy, from being raised by and uncle who didn't quite know what to do with him, from an older brother who seemed to hate him, from the memory of his deceased mother, and has become a successful fashion photographer. Jed & Connor meet and their puzzle pieces click. I liked them together. Very much. Maybe I would've preferred a reverse migration but given the circumstances the choices made were the more realistic ones. I liked that they were normal mid 30's guys. Not an Adonis is sight. I liked that Jed's disability doesn't bleed into his personality. He's steadfast, forthright, and stands his ground. I liked Connor too but Jed is my guy. I think another fifty pages or so could've really made this story perfect. I was happy to see that the couple from [b:The Dark Collector 19182373 The Dark Collector Vanessa North https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386182551l/19182373.SX50.jpg 25986030] is going strong. It's one of my favorite novellas.I did this via audio and [a:Tobias Silversmith 15113203 Tobias Silversmith https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] does an admirable job particularly with Jed.
Lovely, bittersweet portrait of an established couple dealing with what comes down the road after the usual romancelandia HEA. In this case empty nesters, young ones (34 & almost 40) dealing with life after their kid is off to college. How do you go back to spontaneous sex on the kitchen counter when you just spotted gray hairs in your nether regions or when the sobriquet of twink no longer applies to you? A good portion of this is the MCs in their heads, what they're thinking about their aging selves and how they think the other sees them now. Yes, I know, a lot that can be solved by talking but we humans are complicated primitive creatures who like to get to things the hard way or no way at all. However [a:K.C. Burn 3413044 K.C. Burn https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1428335742p2/3413044.jpg] doesn't protract the miscommunication and we leave our couple in a much stronger place, with their sex life restored to pre-kid times, their faith in their love for each other restored and probably stronger than before. I enjoyed this little nugget in [a:Charlie Belmont 6432818 Charlie Belmont https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s excellent narration. Recommend.
3.5Confession: I've been trying to clock in as many of the AB that are in the Escape program as I can before it shutters down. I chose this because I never say no to [a:Michael Ferraiuolo 13467952 Michael Ferraiuolo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1498214961p2/13467952.jpg] (though this he's not on his A game) and it's a perfect length for a quickie. This is a NTM author and though I'm not sure she's a regular MM author she did a nice job.Senator Beau Beckett is getting death threats. Judd Wolfe, a member of the Federal Security Protection, and something of a lone wolf, is assigned to protect Beau and his daughter, Angel. The two had crossed paths years ago during Beau's stint as a JAG Officer and though nothing happened back then, when they meet again the embers spark to life and a flame ignites. This is a short story and everything is very INSTA but I didn't mind. I liked these guys together, I like how they were at a point in their lives where their sexuality isn't an issue, and they don't vacillate to go after what they want. An expanded version of this story is one I'd happily read.
My main incentive to read this was [a:Philip Alces 9831282 Philip Alces https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s narration and sweet reviews from GR friends. It seemed like a detour from my usual reads, but it turns out that it's more like a throwback to my former reads. The story takes place in an AU where dragons have forged a connection with humans, bringing order and balance. It's reminiscent of the better regencies of yore, complete with court intrigues that parallel the marriage mart of the ton, a debutant (in this case aspirant consort) who is “different”, feisty, and blindingly beautiful. Despite all his ‘deficiencies' Jasen has a heart of gold, isn't coy about sex or his affections. I liked that. Also Jasen has long red hair. I'm a sucker for reds. I liked this story in general and was glad of a respite from all the doom and gloom. The cover alone is uplifting.
Well there's no two ways about it, these guys don't do easy. Their love lives are messy, messy, messy. It's a good thing? Dunno. It feels real. This is Charlie's story, the last bachelor in the group, but it also provided a kind of coda or wrap up to the other couples and the group. Moving on. Maturing. Some six years ago some bad decisions were made. Charlie and the other party have lived with guilt over their actions and the people they betrayed. The past comes back knocking on Charlie's front door and won't be ignored. Since the blurb is vague I won't say more about the who, what, and why. I will say that this is my favorite relationship of all the Doms in the group. It's based on two people actually liking each of other for who they are without the transactional element. They enjoy a level of kink but it isn't the thing that makes them a couple. It made them real, relatable, and bodes well for their future longevity. There's some sweet Daddy action, an organic one, some sounding, which is intense, and an orgy which wasn't. Overall I liked it and the AB by [a:John Solo 7935034 John Solo https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] is a big part of my enjoyment.The rest of the book, including two alternate P.O.V.s from River and Avery, about events in this and the prior book only served to confirm thoughts I've had about these guys from the beginning. *Taylor's relationship to the group, with Warren serving as his full time minder, is at best a bandaid on the gaping wound that is his psyche and at worst an exhausting and dangerous dance for all involved.*It's not for me to say, to each their own, and all that but I'm still flabbergasted by River's devotion to not only kneeling for Phil, but his acquiescence to not even look him in the eye. Phil is a nice guy and good to River in his own way but IMO his Domdom (yes, I'm coining the word) is a way of masking a host of emotional issues. I'm not sure that as a sub I'd be super confident entrusting my wellbeing to someone who isn't at home in his own skin. I can only surmise that River REALLY loves Phil. Enough to humor him but ready to take care of himself at any moment. I guess we all do extreme things for the ones we love. *Gray is a self centered a**hole who, after prodding, comes through for his friends. He's that guy in the group we love though we know all his failings. He's been crushing on Taylor since he came into Warren's life and claimed to be in love with Phil for years until the reality of their humanity reveals itself. Avery turns out to be his happy place but, and again this is just my opinion, it seems to be more about what Avery does or doesn't give him and not necessarily for who Avery is. Avery is fairly self sufficient, drama free, and a willing repository for Gray's sadism, though for my liking, and in a show of what imagine to be unsanctioned BDSM practices, Gray uses Avery as a figurative, though physical, punching bag for his rage. I'm not sure Avery's gratification from these encounters is foremost on Gray's mind. He's not evil but, judging by his previous relationships, Gray is always #1 in his own book. I'm glad that he was knocked down a peg or two and stroke of luck has come to save him. His hotness looks better humbled. *In each book there's a poker game in which the newest addition is initiated via group sex. To my mind these were some of the unsexiest sex scenes ever. Joyless. Maybe they were meant to be that way. They mostly seemed centered on letting the newest sub know their place in the hierarchy of the group, like a dog pack or a sorority, not about pleasure, at least not for the newest sub. It gave me icks. As a side effect it let me to think of things like how much these guys lust after their friends's partners, what are the odds of these over 35 men always being ready, as it were? I mean they're ready to go the moment they walk in the door. The poker games always take place after, like they want to get the sex out of the way, as if it were a necessary chore. Have they partaken of some chemical help on the way? They claim to enjoy it. I didn't believe it. Lastly there's a short story about Robert, Avery's piano partner from the Tap House, which I absolutely adored and would pay good money to read in an expanded version. In spite of all my blathering I enjoyed this series. It made me think, it's people are messy, and the kink colors outside the lines, like Real Life. Imagine that.
James has come to nowheresville Brooks, OR., trying to drown tragic loss in booze and distance from home. It's not really a random destination but more to do with an inheritance left by his mother. While stumbling around drunk, he's saved from near death by Hunter, a local contractor, and all around good guy. Hunter has had his share of heartbreak too but he's made a new life for himself. He's loyal, generous, and caring. All the things James needs. James is also a great guy who's been brought low by tragedy. Hunter & James together are scorching but they never lose their individuality which I loved. I really liked this. The setting is atmospheric and the writing evocative. No wheels were reinvented but the author does have a voice that, at least to my ears, distinguishes itself from the crowded field of current MM romance. James and Hunter are both under 30 guys who don't conform to current central casting and that was refreshing. No super alphas, mysterious millionaire Doms, abused boys who've ended up as sex workers etc, they're just recognizable people living in America now. There's a bit of a mystery at the outset which wasn't all that mysterious to me and I don't think it was meant to be. It's fairly obvious. I think this story runs more in the vein of tales that purport to be about one thing on the surface but are really about something else, like M. Night Shyamalan's “Signs” which tells a story about mourning, a test of faith, and reconnecting between a parent & his children under the umbrella of a supernatural tale about aliens on earth. [b:In Strange Woods 54839102 In Strange Woods Claire Cray https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1596766085l/54839102.SY75.jpg 85557925] similarly takes a tale of loss, relearning your place in the world, and finding love all couched by questions about a nebulous past, danger in the woods, and a mysterious doppelganger. None of it was quite a mystery to me but I enjoyed the ride. I liked the author's way of not ‘telling' but showing, I liked all the townspeople, how the villains were not the expected bunch, and I very much liked how the MC related to each other. There was no coyness or false pretense. Enthusiastically recommended.I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.MORE ON THE BLOG
After letting the dust settle in my brain ... This book straddles two worlds or genres. One is a BDSM romance between a sadist & a masochist and the other is a tract on our current, toxic, sociopolitical climate, particularly as pertains to the echo chamber of Social Media. The balance is 30/70 romance to social commentary which ended up working for me but I can see how it'd be unsatisfactory to the pure romance reader. Lastly reading this series in order is definitely a plus/must.I went into this story with some trepidation because, though I don't ever intentionally hate read, Doms, particularly sadists, are hard for me to love and going by the previous books, I knew Gray was going to test me. In the end he turned out to be exactly who I thought he'd be which was satisfying and annoying at once. Avery is your average, rudderless twenty-five year old, flitting from one thing to another. When his parents won't put up with him anymore Gray ends up taking him in. Gray does so as a favor to his mother's colleague but he's also getting a live-in masochist on who to rain down his sadism. Win. Win. Right? Hmmm ... Avery is who he is, one of the millions on one side or another of the latest Twitter drama, militantly sure of being in the right, deaf & blind to other points of view, and sometimes an active participant in trolling/canceling/harassing those considered to be wrong. Gray grew up in a family where arguing every side of an issue is done for sport. Another name for this book could be The Education of Avery Barron. Generally I liked it but there's an imbalance in the romance that bugged me along with the continued dynamics of Doms & subs from the previous books. At first Gray is thrilled to have a willing sub to use however he pleases and Avery is happy to have a place to live, get all the attention (sexual) he seeks, play videos, and fight for social justice from the comfort of his sofa. Inevitably cohabitation reveals the roommates to each other, the sex stops, and Avery's residency at Gray's is hanging by a thread. Things come to a head and Avery turns a corner. Avery does a fair amount self examination, makes new friends, loses others, revisits old joys and in short changes himself. His transformation isn't easy, he's forced to lay himself bare not just to others but to himself, which can oft times be harder. I'm happy for him. Maturing and evolving is something to aspire to. That he does so seeking the approval of Gray Andino just proves that good things can come from the most unexpected corners. Gray isn't a bad guy but I'm not sure we'd ever be friends. What does he bring to the table besides sadism? Does he deserve Avery? He's still coveting Taylor, fondling him whenever he gets a chance. This is excused/condoned as being gay men in the BDSM lifestyle and just generally not adhering heteronormative relationship strictures. I'm fine with that and very much appreciate that the author doesn't sugarcoat them to appease romancelandia. My problem, as far as Taylor, is that it's been established that Taylor uses sex to mask or put a band-aid on the gaping hole of his mental/emotional problems. Secondly Gray's been secretly pining for one of best friends. Whaaat? While Avery turns himself inside out to appeal to him Gray only notices when his friends point it out. Other than questioning EVERYTHING, which I can applaud, it's never clear WHAT Gray stands for. Next there's the group poker parties in one of which Avery has to atone for past sins & pass an initiation. It sat heavy with me. For one I felt that Avery was with this group because they were the friends of the guy who took him in, not friends he would've chosen for himself. The random use of each others subs always feels a bit icky: Warren stays apart clearly no longer comfortable with it; Taylor confessed to River that he never considered them friends (the Doms in the group) because of the expectations of sex (this was in the previous book). How sad is that? River tries to explain things to Avery, how choosing to obey and following orders is different because the sub retains the power and it's a gift from the sub to allow the Dom to believe himself in control “It's not just choosing to obey. It's chosing him, above all else.” This led my brain down a maze of thoughts too long to ponder here. Finally there's Gray the sadist who supposedly comes to love Avery. Perhaps he does, after discarding or being disappointed in other expectations, after Avery transforms himself and is accepted by the sisterhood, after a few bad turns in his own life. To me it seemed a conditional love, the opposite of Warren's love for Taylor, contingent on Avery thinking like Gray and his friends, and being his willing victim. Examples:“His restless, raging brain was quiet, finally silenced by the thrill of having this small, helpless person at his mercy.”“Gray's stil-damp hair was stiff and frozen by the time he stepped through his front door. He wanted to grab a beer and spend half an hour venting about how unfair it felt. Or maybe he'd just grab a crop and take it all out on Avery's back.Anyway, despite this long ass gripe I liked this. I like it because of the flawed and complicated MC. Because they reflect RL. My inner sadist likes that Gray got his comeuppance, though I suspect that's what brought him to Jesus or rather realizing what he had in Avery. Maybe the author could've gone another route, making the social commentary aspect shorter but still getting her point across. Maybe one day I'll love Doms. Miracles happen. Meanwhile [a:John Solo 7935034 John Solo https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] continues to deliver in spades.
House cleaning first: * I'd definitely recommend reading this series in order as much of the back story between the two MC is hashed out in first book particularly and all these folks are work colleagues, friends, band mates etc. Always in each other's business. In a good way.* Crank up your favorite Zeppelin and enjoy. Though this is tagged as an enemies to lovers/fake boyfriend thing to me it read more as a slow burn, getting-to-know-you again & really liking you of former childhood friends, separated by time, distance, misunderstandings, stubbornness, and that big favorite NOT TALKING. I liked it. In her usual smooth but warm style [a:Lane Hayes 7125719 Lane Hayes https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1601401159p2/7125719.jpg] delivers two decent and charming guys who're clearly perfect for each other. I liked that once they decide to start talking again and do the smex too (though not necessarily in that order) they didn't lie to themselves about how/what they felt and that the Xena drama was external and more related to band PR issues but not something that affected them as a couple. Tegan is that adorable big guy who looks stern but has a heart of gold. He even decals all his stuff! Declan is the most charming and easy going frontman ever. He puts Justin to shame. They're clearly each other's Yin and Yang which had me scratching my head as to how they let a seeming non-issues, and to my reading, Justin's unresolved drama keep them in this fake enemies territory. I also wasn't too clear as to what happened in their early twenties? Mostly I'm thinking of sending Gray a letter suggesting he have a long talk with his boyfriend about not transferring personal drama onto others and more importantly to resolve it between the pertinent parties (Justin and Xena) and not drag in two bystanders like Tegan and Declan, casting them as friend to shield and enemy to hate. His animosity, especially after so much time has passed, makes no sense, smacks of poor character, and then it went poof in like a day. SMH. Plus friends are not around to approve of our relationships, they're there to hold our hair back when we barf after a long night of debauchery or crying over a bad boyfriend. I know these guys are artists and fittingly temperamental [ insert any rock & roll guy ever ] but I still wanted to give Justin a good shake. Anyway ... enjoy T & Dec for their wonderful selves and shut down the other noise.
I'm sad to write this review. 2.5[a:C.F. White 16087667 C.F. White https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1535888410p2/16087667.jpg] is a NTM author and I came to this series with high hopes. Even after my less than stellar experience with [b:Fade to Blank 54319398 Fade to Blank (London Lies, #1) C.F. White https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1593437020l/54319398.SY75.jpg 84765437], book 1 in the series (which you should definitely read first), I thought the author could turn it around. I was still feeling optimistic at about 40% in and then all dreams were dashed. After the events in book 1 Fletcher and Jax fled to Ireland, specifically to Fletcher's family farm in Donegal. The idea is to hide out there and write Jax's tell-all which will clear his name of any wrongdoing and expose nefarious characters and deeds within the world of British celebrities. The descriptions of the natural beauty of the land, life on the farm, Fletcher's family, and the animals were beautiful and evocative and gave me hope, but alas this isn't a pastoral. The story is about Jax and Fletcher and sadly they're the most uninteresting people on the planet and maybe a bit dimwitted to boot.The same improbabilities from book 1 continue, Jax and Fletcher are still incapable of having a regular conversation, much less one where a journalist asks pertinent questions from a source or does any kind of research. Woodward and Bernstein they are not. Towards the end of this book, which also ends in a cliffhanger, some preposterous revelations are made meant to recast Jax & Fletcher's relationship as other than insta. It would have been best if that was omitted. As for the villains? I don't believe or understand them. They seem cartoonish at best and their plots bare more than a whiff of current conspiracy theories. I won't belabor this any longer. I can say this was not for me and that YMMV and leave it at that. My favorite character was Maggie and she's a black lab. More on The Blog
The fact that [a:Marie Sexton 3292500 Marie Sexton https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1263092521p2/3292500.jpg] made me care for ‘fictional' characters whose decisions, more often than not, had me pulling my hair is a testament to her talent as a writer. I veered from wanting to shake the MC until their teeth rattled to wanting to hug them. [a:John Solo 7935034 John Solo https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s AB delivers the goods. If you're a fan of angst filled, emotionally raw stories this can work very well. Is it romantic? Not in a traditional sense, but one that felt right for the MC, gay men of a certain age. I had ‘issues' but they're entirely my own. Below are my ramblings to myself. I'll try not to spoil anything, though this isn't really a mystery or suspense tale. Feel free to skip it entirely. I would also recommend you read this series in order as the stories are somewhat interconnected and characters recur throughout. *****River and his husband Terrence, both doctors, moved to Denver to give their ailing marriage a shot at resuscitation. The main problem with their marriage was Terrence's serial cheating. A tiger doesn't change stripes and true to type Terrence left River for his latest fling, a fellow doctor at he hospital they both work at. It's been four months and to avoid seeing the new happy couple River, who chose Emergency Medicine as his specialty, has put himself on nights. During one shift he meets Phil, the nighttime pharmacist. One thing leads to another and the two enter into an arrangement. Phil is one of Warren's friends from [b:One Man's Trash 36205038 One Man's Trash (The Heretic Doms Club, #1) Marie Sexton https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507869811l/36205038.SX50.jpg 57835557], the one who ‘gave' him Taylor. Phil's particular brand of domination is Domestic Servitude and it's unequivocally the only kind of relationship he does. River, though he has no formal experience with any kind of BDSM lifestyle, takes to it like a fish to water. So what were my issues? I'll try to untangle my skein.I wasn't entirely sure of why Phil and River were attracted to each other, why they ultimately fell in love. Obviously it wasn't the romantic love of hearts & flowers, and I wouldn't have wanted that. They're both past the bloom of youth and it's more surface transactions. Phil is thirty-six (36) and River is forty-two (42) and they've had their share of life experiences. That's fine. Realistic. However IMO it felt like River was willing to accept anything in exchange for crumbs of affection. His sudden embrace of DS seems ... I don't know
2.5 Rounding up to 3 because it seems GR users equate 2 stars with a horror show and, though I had lots of complaints, that's not the case with this book. Actually 2 stands for Okay on GR but it doesn't translate to that. So 3 it is and as always YMMV
There's a story here, not the one I thought I'd be reading, but I'll never dock a story because of what I wanted or expected it to be as opposed to what the author wrote. My problem with tis is that the story is buried in way too much padding. Wading through it became exhausting.
For reasons that are still unclear to me the story opens in 1999. Fletcher Doherty, a Donegal farm boy, came to London for university and has stayed trying to climb the ladder of serious journalism. At 24, barely on the gossip beat for an on-line magazine and fleeing an ill-advised uni crush, Fletcher is living with his boyfriend, Heston Monaghan, an actor 23 years his senior, a bit of a diva, with a wandering eye, and a known preference for sharing & sleeping around. Fletcher is not down or, if you prefer, up for that, and truth be told he more wants to be in love with Heston than he actually is. Fletcher is the proverbial fish out of water in London life and in Heston's circle.
Jackson “Jax” Young was trotted into public life by his parents almost since he was in nappies. Of late he was one half of Jax & Kris, tv presenters and all around celebrities adored by the British public. That all ended six months ago when Jax was arrested and incarcerated for the brutal murder of his live in girlfriend, fellow celebrity Tallulah Payne. Jax has maintained his innocence or more accurately that he doesn't remember what happened. That he merely woke up from a drunken stupor and found her dead in their home. When the book opens Jax is being released from prison due to lack of evidence for the prosecution to present an indictment. And my problems began.
Jax is sure he didn't murder Tallulah and decides that the way to prove that to the world is hiring a journalist who wrote a scathing review of his performance in a musical. You guessed it, Fletcher. Fine. Sure. Why not? What made me crazy was that the author is clearly going for a deeper conspiracy of who and why the murder was committed, but to tease this story into a series Jax and Fletcher NEVER have an actual conversation. Jax tells Fletcher that he's going to have Fletcher write his biography and thereby prove his innocence. Of course. He'll let Fletcher keep all the profits, which will apparently be astronomical and it will also cement Fletcher as bona fide investigative journalist. I'm not sure these celebrity biographies or any kind of book work that way, to my mind you might need a contract with a publisher, perhaps an agent etc. but the real kicker would be having someone who can actually ask questions and do investigative work. So far that hasn't been Fletcher.
While it's true that the time covered in the book is just a couple of days, Fletcher seems incredibly naive, going on whim & gut instinct rather than any kind of research. Next up is the fact that EVERY TIME Jax and Fletcher get together to talk about their bombshell book Jax just whines about Fletcher not needing to ask anyone else about anything and just believe him and then proceeds to say NOTHING. Whenever they might be getting close to any kind of Q & A the phone rings and Fletch must leave. It happens a number of times. Towards the end he alludes to some nebulous, all powerful, all knowing THEY/THEM, who manipulate everyone who graces the celebrity carpet, and I guess we'll get a clearer picture in the next books. I'm pretty sure I, and anyone who reads this knows the who, if not yet the why.
My other problem is how we have paragraphs just being in the characters heads, rehashing what just happened, what does it mean, what they wish for ad nauseam. I was bored and my mind wondered about other stuff like can a person be legally held for six months without an indictment? A celebrity? I don't think so. Would a management company whose made millions off of a client utterly wash their hands of them before anything has been resolved one way or another? Unlikely. Can Jax really have had zero people stand by him in his time of need, friends? parents? If our collective experience with proven killers like O.J. Simpson are anything to go by I find this hard to believe. Someone will hang on for any number of reasons. How is it possible that in 6 short months Jax is destitute, been declared bankrupt when he hasn't even been formally charged, much less tried and found guilty, and who did the declaring? How quickly does Jax expect this exonerating biography to be published? It's 1999 and publishing is slow even now in 2020. If his enemies are as omniscient and powerful as Jax believes, and the author intimates at, what makes him think he can even get it published?
Many, many, many questions and a dearth of veracity only highlighted that I didn't really feel any romantic connection between the MC. I know it's a slow burn. I love those. There's barely a couple of kisses here and quite frankly I could've done with none given what the characters were going through. I just don't see them as anything other than two people who can help each other out in their different objectives. Maybe that will change. I'm going on to BK.2 not so much because I care about this story but because I committed to it. I hope to be pleasantly surprised. That the characters morph into people I might like, might root for, might believe in. I'm accepting all hopes & prayers.
ps.
A) This is marketed as an enemy to lovers but the enmity just comes from Jax being a celebrity, Fletcher writing a gossip column, and Fletcher once having written a bad review of Jax's theatrical performance.
B) This ends in a major cliff hanger which doesn't bother me. Just stating the facts.
If you're looking for a lighthearted, easy breezy romance keep going. This isn't it. What [a:Marie Sexton 3292500 Marie Sexton https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1263092521p2/3292500.jpg] gives us is the story two long time residents of Misery City navigating a Season in Hell, and finally glimpsing the Dawn of the Horizon or what is commonly known in romancelandia as a HEA. A hard won one. [a:John Solo 7935034 John Solo https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] delivers ALL the delicious pain. Taylor self-medicates with meaningless sex and self abasement. Warren feels the need to save the world to atone for the mother & friends he couldn't. Their meeting seems both fortuitous and preordained. I liked so much of this but I was also in a state of dread for much of the book. It happens. WHAT I LOVED:The age difference. The size difference. Everything Warren. His protective streak. His views on BDSM. His reasons for not being active in the community when he meets Taylor. How he refuses to let Taylor push him into being another in the list of abusers. I loved Warren. I felt for Taylor and all he'd gone through, and admired how he tried to help himself, even though misguidedly.THE NIGGLES: I have a HUGE problem using sex, and particularly BDSM, which can be physically dangerous, as a “cure” or “treatment” for profound emotional problems. We all do what we must, any port in a storm and all that, but it still makes my skin burn, and not in a good way. Thankfully it's pretty clear that the author, and Warren, don't advocate magic D or its derivatives as salve. In fact there's a gang bang scene which is probably one the unsexiest things I've ever read and I believe the author wrote it that way by design. There's nothing wrong with an orgy, if that's your scene, and you're doing it for sexual gratification. It wasn't the case. I was a little unclear as to why Taylor was so opposed to seeking help, professional help. I would've liked a bit more on that. While I understood the introduction of Riley and his issues, I also felt there was maybe too much time dedicated to it and the comparison perhaps a bit facile. I felt some kind of way about Warren's friends Gray & Phil. They were fine and turned-on at the prospect of having sex with Taylor who they knew was in emotional pain. It speaks of callousness and probably chemical aid (they're on the other side of 30). It made me question the quality of their friendship for Warren, who they knew felt more than simple affection for Taylor. Liking their subsequent books in the series might be an uphill battle but I'm up for a challenge. Recommended.
4.5Who says there aren't pockets of joy amid all our terrestrial woes? Don't tell anyone but this is my first [a:Garrett Leigh 5893561 Garrett Leigh https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1514037053p2/5893561.jpg] (shame on me) and [a:Dan Calley 19271091 Dan Calley https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] is also a NTM narrator. I was delighted on both counts. If you're in need of an emotional, and authentic feeling hurt/comfort story look no further. The fact that this intimate story takes place among actual working class people is a gratifying bonus.Luis Pope lived his whole life on the wrong side of the law. Now, at the ripe old age of twenty seven (27) he's getting out of prison with minimal life skills, no friends or family to speak of, and virtually a stranger to the world. His inadvertent savior is Paolo Cilberto who runs a local chip shop/cafe on his own and desperately needs help. Paolo reluctantly and cautiously takes him on. Luis will have to prove that he's no longer the muscle for or associated with his brother Dante, the local drug lord. I really loved everything about this story. The keen insight into people reentering society after prison. The burden and joys of family. Luis and Paolo are both pan, or as Luis calls it “extra-sexual” and that was kind of perfect for these guys, none of the oft trod angst over sexual orientation or coming out. Instead we get to witness Luis, like a newborn horse, take trembling steps into ‘civilian' life, learn that he has value, explore what he actually likes. He more than likes Paolo. Paolo who has a reserved spot in the lovable grump shelf:“Paolo Cilberto was a moody motherfucker. All day long he growled and swore, muttered under his breath, and kicked anything that got in his way.”and Luis can't get enough of him. Luckily Paolo has had a thing for Luis since high school and once he gets to know Luis the person, once he becomes the keeper Luis's innermost secrets & fears, that like quickly morphs into more. I love how protective they were of each other, willing to face true danger, how though Paolo has more of an education than Luis it isn't something he wields like a cudgel, quite the contrary. I loved how vulnerable Luis allowed himself to be with Paolo, how he trusted his person to Paolo, how Paolo jealously guards that trust. I loved that there was no miracle come to save them, that after all was said and done they continue to be two ordinary people living by the sweat of their brow. Working class people also get love stories too. Enthusiastically recommended and [a:Dan Calley 19271091 Dan Calley https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s narration will put you over the moon.
Once again I went in blind and I liked the first 50% very much. I was pleasantly surprised, very surprised by one plot element there's some taboo love between Danny and his father, first time gay for both. The book takes place in NYC and the author, [a:Alejandro Marquez 8064074 Alejandro Marquez https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], clearly knows his geography well. He also populates the story with a diverse cast of characters, just like RL. Imagine that! Danny Vazquez, 18, is starting his senior year of high school. The child of divorced parents, he splits his time between his mom's apartment in Brooklyn and weekends at his father's house on the Jersey shore. He's always been shy, maybe even prudish, about his body, always admiring his father's physique and feeling like he doesn't measure up. To his surprise senior year brings about unexpected admiration from all quarters. My disappointment or rather diminished enjoyment came from the fact that, though the story is otherwise firmly cemented in reality, the relationship between Danny and his father is treated a bit too cavalierly to be taken seriously. I could be wrong but it seems to me that the author is going for the ancient Greek ideal of love between father/son, older/younger man, not a romantic love. I can accept that but IMO he needed to elaborate that theme more clearly. There's also a lack of tension throughout, everyone is super accepting of everything. A whole cast of progressive angels. I'd love to live in that world. It probably could use with some editing, we don't need to know every street, train or bus Danny takes to go to The City, but I'd still recommend this and I'd read more from this author. Also it's in KU.
2.5If you've read/listened the the previous books this is more of the same. I really shouldn't complain as I've listened to these voluntarily. [a:Alexander Collins 14240711 Alexander Collins https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] has grown on me even when the stories kind of all blend in to the same thing: poor Omegas are helpless in their need/lust for their true Alpha's touch, particularly when they're in heat, some miscommunication ensues, and then all the other shifters join in to bring about a HEA. This all led to me being distracted while listening and realizing how, at least in this series (I'm not super well versed in ABO dynamics) the Alpha/Omega relationships mirror the H/h relationships in traditional MF, with the female/Omega subservient to the male/Alpha, who of course has their best interest at heart. In MF we'd be critical of this type of relationship as antiquated or sexist but in an Omegaverse it's perfectly okay. Sure. Why not. Anyway ... ignore my ramblings. I you're reading this series you'll like the visit with all the characters from previous books. Here we get Drey's story, the attorney who helped Kenny out in his time of distress. He takes on Thane, one of the rescued Omegas, as a paralegal. After months of getting to know each other in a working relationship, and Thane secretly pining for an Alpha he feels is beyond his reach. Things come to a crisis point when Thane's former, no-goodnik, a**hole Alpha tries to reclaim him. Shenanigans ensue.
What I actually read was the 1st part of this memoir, What's In A Name, which for some reason isn't listed in GR. This was a case of me buying sales in Smashwords and being lured by a cover. I knew zero about this going but I'm glad I found it.This first volume recounts the early years, from birth to college, of Harken Darringer, as recounted by whom I assume will become his alter ego, [a:DoctorBuckles 14682387 DoctorBuckles https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1492870631p2/14682387.jpg]. To say that Harken had a difficult upbringing would be an understatement. He was raised in the '60s & '70s in St. Louis. His parents were a lesbian and a gay man who decided to marry in an effort to “blend in” with societal norms. Needless to say the results are disastrous and Harken, in particular, bears the brunt of their colossal failures as human beings. Harken's mother Carlotta is a monstrous human being and IMO his father isn't much better. His passivity allows for the cruel abuse of his son and he does virtually nothing to help him. Harken is basically left to his own devices, having to practically raise himself, and overcome all the obstacles Carlotta sets up for him. His lack of knowledge and having no-one to confide in or ask questions of leads to some harrowing first experiences and I can only hope that things changed for much better in the subsequent installments, [b:Nom de Guerre: California 55269837 Nom de Guerre California DoctorBuckles https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1599531935l/55269837.SY75.jpg 86183842] and [b:Appellations 55269866 Appellations (Harken Darringer, #3) DoctorBuckles https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1599532130l/55269866.SY75.jpg 86183943]. I'll be reading them soon.
3.5
So ... you know when you lose whole afternoons watching Lifetime or Hallmark or something equally inane but you can't bring yourself to care? That's been me with this series. Something that happened like a crime of opportunity: these first 5 books are on Audible Escape, they're relatively brief (4 hrs. +), and I didn't feel like anything heavy. No matter how things kick off everything will end well in this Omegaverse. #notsorry
Here we have dragons. I was charmed.
Be ready to have ALL the characters from the other books playing a part, for the Alphas to sometimes be a**holes or bumbling idiots, and for the omegas to be baby crazy. It's their nature. Everybody's pregnant.
I accidentally skipped Bk.4 so I'll do that next but after that I'm in the dilemma of continuing or not. There are no more audios! I'd have to read them. I'll see.
2.5The drama-llamas were released and I was underwhelmed. The audio by [a:Alexander Collins 14240711 Alexander Collins https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] is fine, if a bit eccentric at times, but it got me through it. One thing is clear, it's advisable to do this series in order as characters from previous books are recurring in all stories. Colby is an anomaly for an Omega: large and not overly submissive. Luckily Rafe is looking for someone less fragile to join his pack. The story is ... fine? but I was wholly unimpressed with Rafe as an Alpha the way he initially handles Colby's brutal rape left lots to be desired. Also I know these are shifters, but besides some physical consequences, Colby seems to carry no trauma post the rape. I guess that would be fine as these beings are other than human but then the author shouldn't make them act wholly & conventionally human otherwise, those are my two cents. In any case I'll continue to listen as they are "free" i.e. in Audible Escape & are easily digestible 4+ hours that entertain and annoy me as I do other things.