Annery
4.5Normally when I have both versions of a book I'll combine the listening with the reading but in this case I soon realized there were some differences (they turned out not to be substantial) so I did the audio first, which is the newer version of the story and goes by [b:Deep Desire 45756215 Deep Desire Z.A. Maxfield https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558359772l/45756215.SY75.jpg 6757064] and then the original paperback (which I somehow had) and goes by [b:Notturno 6632587 Notturno (The Hours Trilogy #1) Z.A. Maxfield https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328333735l/6632587.SY75.jpg 6757064]. Verdict? Loved the story, the characters, the writing and [a:Caleb Dickinson 14015410 Caleb Dickinson https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s narration.I love the relationship that develops between Donte, a 500 year old vampire, and Adin, a scholar who specializes in historical erotic texts. Adin isn't a doormat but he also isn't a superman standing against powerful predators. When he's beat he's beat but he also maintains his moral ground and revises his opinion when new information comes. He's not a naif. I liked how Donte also took his time coming around. He wasn't turned around by one round of good sex and a pretty face. I loved the other characters in this world too. Boaz has me more than intrigued and I'm checking [a:Z.A. Maxfield 2738500 Z.A. Maxfield https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1314555801p2/2738500.jpg] back catalogue for Tuan & Edward's story. I'll be continuing with the rest of this series. Definitely.
This was a nice, sweet, and uncomplicated M/F which I did because it's “FREE” as an AB and [a:Aiden Snow 14257884 Aiden Snow https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] is the male narrator. I might not remember it by next week but I don't regret listening to it either.Levee is a pop megastar with a some issues which along with a grueling work schedule have led to exhaustion. Sam is has experienced some loses in his life but can't help be a natural caretaker. The two meet and an attraction sparks into more. The romance develops without much drama, which I appreciated, and these two make sense together. Win-win. A cast of likable supporting characters is a nice bonus.
A bit of candy to entertain my ears while I do other stuff. I don't read or know enough about ABO so I can't really comment but I didn't hate it. [a:Alexander Collins 14240711 Alexander Collins https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] does a serviceable, if a bit eccentric, narrating job. It grew on me. This is on the Escape program so ... free?
according to GR two stars means it was okay and it was okay
I really wanted to like this however it's just like the intro to a story which ends at about 60% and the rest is the intro to another story. The story itself is more like the rough draft to what should be a longer story. One of the MC, in particular, has gone through a pretty intense experience, and is clearly still living with trauma. That aspect alone would merit deeper probing by the author and IMO the story as a whole needs to perhaps be reworked, polished, and edited. However the writing style itself is pleasant and I liked the characters, their relationships to each other, their diversity etc. and I'd certainly give this author another go but I can't rate to story (as it is) higher. That would be condescending.
4.5This is the story of two people who've been ill-served by those meant to love & protect them and how they manage to make a place for themselves. Jaime deals with monstrous trauma from his childhood and his mother's indifference. Levi suffers from the reverse, a family that is overly involved in his life and what makes it worse, IMO, is that their love is conditional. Fate lets their paths cross and it's a beautiful thing.I'm surprised at how much I ended up liking this and I chalk that up to [a:Marie Sexton 3292500 Marie Sexton https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1263092521p2/3292500.jpg] excellent storytelling and [a:John Solo 7935034 John Solo https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s top-notch narration. I say this because the author seems to in some way validate Levi's family's attitude to his homosexuality. I know it's all predicated on their religion and it makes sense for them but it also read to me as if Levi too accepted their view point but was just unwilling to change his “lifestyle”. It was okay for the Binders (Levi's family) to continue to view homosexuality as a sin that they're going to tolerate in their son because it's serving a greater good. All is accepted because ultimately they love their son. It's utterly realistic of how interpersonal relationships work but I wanted at least one scene of someone calling them out on their BS. Religious beliefs as an excuse to condemn behavior doesn't hold water for me. However if you can ignore the above I can wholly recommend this. It's a beautiful story of hurt & comfort, emotional healing, and likely more authentic to how people actually live than the regular romances, M/M or M/F, with rosy HEA. I also liked how Jaime's situation was handled, nothing was swept under the rug, his gravitation to ALL that Levi represents clear and logical. Levi is literally the best boyfriend ever.
I tend to be super late to parties for hyped books just because ... I'm a curmudgeon. There. I said it. But I've read some of [a:Lauren Blakely 6860216 Lauren Blakely https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1553099513p2/6860216.jpg]'s M/F contemporaries and I've been okay with them so I decided to try this despite signs that it would probably not be for me. The signs were right.Firs off I did the AB, which thankfully is on Audible Escape. I know lately a lot of listeners are keen on multicast and duet narrations but they just make me think of radio soaps of yore. The duet is fine?, I guess, but not something I need or want. Frankly one good, appropriate for the story, narrator is all I want. For me an AB isn't a performed play or movie script. It's a novel narrated with intention but not necessarily “acted out”. I'm not sure if I'm expressing myself clearly but there it is. All of this is to say that while [a:Shane West 3389261 Shane West https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] and [a:Joe Arden 8285266 Joe Arden https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] are perfectly fine as Dean and Fitz the rest seemed like tinsel, bells, and whistles. IMO they added nothing to the story. THE STORY: my fears were realized. Not in a good way. Dean & Fitz meet at the aforementioned bar and all the MF cliches that make my skin burn were present. They're swept away by lust at first sight but of course both MC have some trite reason why he's not looking for love, absolutely cannot do relationships etc., while at the same time can't keep away from the other MC. They're 31 & 28? but to me read like they were 18. Besides the physical attraction I wasn't able to determine what else brought them together, which is fine, relationships are built on less ... I guess.Dean is prickly like a cactus and seemed to be F in an M/F where Fitz is always apologizing for some wrong doing, bending to Dean wishes or otherwise making up to him. The sex was fine. The usual mind-blowing, never-before experienced Os etc. and maybe you could say there was too much but I'll give it a pass since his kicks off as a vacation affair and those are all about the smex. So ... sure. Why not? My other issue is that this book/story seems to have been concocted without even a reference to OWN VOICES and more like from market research. The target audience surely isn't a gay one. The characters are gay but we only know it because the author told us so. They could be anyone. As for the rest, the AB at least, seemed to never end. Once the I-LOVE-YOUs were exchanged (super fast) they were repeated to the point of barf, there were was a wedding epilogue, a “some years later” epilogue, story about Dean's friends Maeve & Sam and their little love story, an interview with the main narrators, bloopers, and more! It was eternal. Or maybe it just felt that way because I don't think I'll remember the name of these two by tomorrow. For me this story was just surface and it's a pity because as I generally like this author. As usual YMMV
4.5City boy meets Country boy and the best thing happens: besides their attraction they get to know each other as people and realize that what separates them is surface and what they have in common runs deep. Isn't that true for most of us? I loved it.While this is part of the Roadmap to Your Heart series it's only nominally so and can absolutely be read as a standalone or out of order, but why would you want to? The first two [b:The Darkest Flame 25800383 The Darkest Flame (Roadmap to Your Heart #1) Christina Lee https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1437050652l/25800383.SY75.jpg 45653738] and [b:The Faintest Spark 34695749 The Faintest Spark (Roadmap to Your Heart, #1.5) Christina Lee https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490592581l/34695749.SY75.jpg 54157013] are excellent. Dean accompanies his roommate Cassie to a wedding at her family's hunting preserve and when he meets her brother Callum sparks fly. Outwardly they're opposites but not in the real ways that count. I love how [a:Christina Lee 7060187 Christina Lee https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1401547110p2/7060187.jpg] is able to show in a real way, without minimizing differences, how people are just people: we all breath air and bleed blood. Besides that once Dean & Callum sizzle together and I absolutely love where the story left them. Believable. The ensemble cast, Cassie's family, is wonderful especially Billie. I'm eager to read his story. [a:Iggy Toma 13543759 Iggy Toma https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and [a:Tristan James 14756687 Tristan James https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] deliver on an excellent AB
3.5Here comes a dissenting opinion and for reasons that are entirely my own. Overall I liked the story and I think it works pretty well in the Out of Uniform universe. [a:Greg Boudreaux 15087355 Greg Boudreaux https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] a.k.a. [a:Greg Tremblay 8108759 Greg Tremblay https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1484561919p2/8108759.jpg] does his usual fantastic job and was a good choice for these two men. Dustin is a sweet Thor and Wes is a prickly pear. They fit. Wes and Dustin are well matched as a couple and overall I liked their dynamics, how they flip the expected roles, however this is where my personal BS kicks in (but this is my review/opinion/or note to self about my reading experience). When it comes to the bedroom this couple has a BDSM relationship, a lite one for sure, some nipple play, a touch of restraints, talk of orgasm denial, and a bit of begging. That's fine. I have no problem with it at all. My issues are I read BDSM usually as a challenge to myself. While, intellectually, I understand the power exchanges, roles, and what each party gets out of it, my public defender self is always looking out for the s in a D/s relationship and here I wasn't fully convinced that Wes had earned the right to boss Dustin around, no matter how much that cranked Dustin up. Perhaps the problem was that the trust earning/getting to know you phase happened off-page. The book opens with these two meeting in person after a spell of having an on-line relationship via an app and maybe that would've assuaged my conscience. and probably the fact that almost every encounter, perhaps out of necessity, is sex related. Some out-of-the-bedroom breathing room would've been welcome. I hope the two ensuing shorts remedy that. I enjoyed the rest of the story, visiting briefly with previous couples, the bureaucracy of the Army etc. and as usual, at the heart of this series, are loving caring families. Btw are there really people as nosy as Curly? Damn.
Dustin & Wes are making a life for themselves away from the worlds they've always inhabited as adults. No army life no Oregon, no California, no North Carolina. They've moved to D.C. for work and it's also a neutral city where they can forge a life that's purely their own. Fur baby included. I had a good time and so did the guys.
This is my second book by this author and I can confidently say that if you're wanting an OwnVoices story, one that treads outside the beaten paths of mainstream M/M, and populated by diverse characters, [a:John Tristan 2738973 John Tristan https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1540990054p2/2738973.jpg] is your man. Nick Kurosawa was discharged from the army for medical reasons, mainly psychological ones attributable to devastating familial loss. Since then he's been flailing through life, from one meaningless job to another, seeking the guidance he needs through sexual relationships that never coalesce into anything true or lasting. A job offer from the mysterious Mr. Umber is about to change all that.Jacob Umber is a 40-something businessman in need of an all around dogsbody with potential for more. He's a bit cryptic about what his business is and what he needs. Nick is entranced and hooked. What develops, over time, is a D/s relationship, one that initially leans heavily toward servitude and which Nick hopes (it does) develops into one that includes physical discipline. I'm reluctant to call any of this “impact play” or any kind of play at all because what Nick wants or needs is more of a lifestyle thing and Mr. Umber is willing to provide it. The relationship between Nick & Mr. Umber is one that likely will be outside the comfort zone of the general M/M reader. Romance in its standard iterations isn't present, there's a pretty heavy caning scene, and the regular beats of “meet cute”, separation due to misunderstanding/airing of issues, final confessions of LOVE etc. are nowhere to be seen. Even so I loved Nick and understood his needs, while not always agreeing or hoping he could assuage his emotional needs in a different manner. It was clear to me that Nick's kinks were more than about sexual gratification. That's fine. We all do what we must. So why wasn't this a 5 star read for me? Jacob Umber.Throughout the book we get to know Nick pretty well, his history, his wants, his friends, his sense of humor etc but about Jacob Umber we know close to nothing. He remains an opaque presence whose personality & desires remain unstated or even hinted at. What he does for Nick, relationship-wise (and I use the term generously), is almost begrudging and mostly at Nick's request, almost begging. Does he get off on it? Did he feel anything for Nick beyond some affection and appreciation for services rendered? I wasn't sure. This made the denouement a bit unsatisfying. I wanted Nick to get a bit of his own and for Umber to deserve him. Regardless of my tiny gripes I'd wholeheartedly recommend this story between a young Japanese American man and an older trans man, where neither one of those things take center stage but aren't window dressing either. How novel.
Yep, I'm on a roll and I like it. This is what happens when I realize that somehow I have all the books in a series but haven't read it. Pretty awesome ABs are just the cherry on top.Here we have Apollo Floros, the SEAL lieutenant who was so helpful to our dear Zack in the previous book. It's been two year since his husband died, leaving Apollo with adorable twins, Chloe & Sophia, and a gaping hole in his life. Lucky for him Dylan, his best friend's baby brother, isn't a baby anymore and the teenage crush is a full blown torch. I loved these two. I loved how Dylan was infinitely patient with Apollo but also stood up to him. Stood up for himself. I loved the twins. They were adorable in a real way. There's a 10 year age difference between the MC but it wasn't really a thing. Apollo wanted it to be, to use it as a shield for his heart but ultimately he's powerless in the face of the rightness that is Dylan. I loved the quiet moments of affection and tenderness that contrasted with the fireworks when these two hit the sheets. I loved that the obstacles you would expect weren't a thing. I love how [a:Annabeth Albert 6477494 Annabeth Albert https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1497461817p2/6477494.jpg] peoples her books with people of all races, sizes, and genders in all walks of life without fanfare or neon lights. They just are. Like real life. Imagine that. Lastly but ABSOLUTELY not least I FREAKIN LOVED the AB by [a:Cooper North 13997076 Cooper North https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. He gives us gruff Apollo, Dylan with a smile in his voice or choking with emotion or sex, he gives us two 5 year old little girls, and you know exactly which one is speaking, not to mention the rest of friends and family. AMAZING. I'm off to book 3. Toodles.
If you read [b:At Attention 33280694 At Attention (Out of Uniform, #2) Annabeth Albert https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1481319941l/33280694.SY75.jpg 54004208] this is the epilogue you need. Apollo and Dylan are very much a work in progress, like any RL couple. I like that. And I may have teared up a smidge but I'll admit to nothing.
Lovely. Absolutely lovely. The AB by [a:Tyler Stevens 6519636 Tyler Stevens https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] was as usual a delight. This is one of those series I kept seeing on every list and bouncing around my feed. I've been pretty sure I'd like it because I've read [a:Annabeth Albert 6477494 Annabeth Albert https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1497461817p2/6477494.jpg] and I like her style. Gentle but not sappy, hopeful but not unrealistic, and beautiful humans who aren't perfect specimens. The first chapter starts off pretty funny but at the same time it gave me pause, Zack and Pike are young guys (I think Zack is 24 and Pike a bit older) which sometimes translates into narratives about dithering and bro behavior, which I'm not saying isn't true, but I'm just not up for it. But this isn't that story and I'm glad.Zack has just officially become a SEAL, a monumental achievement he should be proud of but instead he feels like he has Damocles Sword hanging over him: the worry that his fellow teammates or his religiously conservative family may find out he's gay. The salt on the wound is that he's never done anything about his sexual urges, NADA, thinking he can change who he is to please un-pleasable people. Poor baby. Pike is a math wiz with a PhD who somehow comes off as all jokes & flirtyness to his friends, but he has uncharted depths. He has a weakness for military men and muscles. Zach has both. Heaven.What did I like about this? Everything. A virgin who is commanding, vulnerable, and tender at once. A ginger who doesn't suffer fools, but can be the patient storm in port for his partner, and is a loving human to two cat babies, Gizmo & Nectarine, to boot. I loved how Zack and Pike never really stopped being honest with each other, they're young and human but also good people. I loved how their social/professional careers where fleshed out in a realistic way, and how they both understood and cared deeply about the other's career path. Of course I just realized that some of the people mentioned come from a previous series so I'll have to go back. Big chore. Not.
My favorite SEAL and his ginger mathematician are enjoying their life together and still getting to know each other. It's going to be a good life for these two.
The guys are visiting Pikes' mom in San Francisco during Pride. Zack's never been to Pride and never done .... a number of things. It's good to see him start checking things off that list.
What's the best thing about these two? Their goodness as human beings and how they genuinely care for each other. In a deep way.
This was a surprise and for a stretch a good one but then ... sigh I don't know. It went down an unexpected, but well known road, and I guess I was just disappointed at getting something other than what I hoped for in the first pages.
I knew ZERO about it, I think I picked it up in a Smashwords sale, probably solely based on the cover, and it has sat, along with many others, in my iBooks app. I don't visit it often and that's a mistake.
It started off with emails and I was tickled pink. I thought it was to be an epistolary novel, and it is to a certain point. James and Daniel reside in L.A. and Oxford respectively. Daniel, a Doctorate student in Forensic Pathology, contacts James, lieutenant in the LAPD Cold Case unit, to offer help in a case. Over the course of some correspondence they discover an affinity, which grows into a friendship, and I was enjoying it immensely. They progressed to IMs and some phone calls which is where, for me, the story petered into pedestrian and improbable. If the characters are going to forgo the "mystery" of only communicating by letters, or in this case email, and move to IMs and phone calls they would very likely exchange pics, facetime, etc. The sexting via IMs wholly implausible. If you're in the midst of orgasming from sexting you don't have the wherewithal to type much less annotate messages with *kisses top of head**pulling you into my arms* or *reaches over and cups cheeks, your beard scratching my hands* etc, you get the drift. A great many things about the MC past histories, their jobs/careers, are alluded to but never fleshed out, the I-Love-Yous come too easy, and I think that a HFN would've been more honest.
I did like the writing style and I might check out the writer's other book.
I somehow managed to delete my original review ... ugh &%#* ... anyway I'll probably come back with a cooler head and may jot down what I liked. For now lets just say I loved it. Period. [a:Marley Valentine 16022673 Marley Valentine https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1486945630p2/16022673.jpg] is a NTM author and I'm glad I found her. [a:Tim Paige 18862794 Tim Paige https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and [a:Teddy Hamilton 15007880 Teddy Hamilton https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] deliver performances that are all heart and well suited to a story about loss, love, and moving forward towards life.
2.75
Hmm ... I guess I l i k e d it? Yeah. It was fine. If you are up for some MEGA INSTA you'll be fine.
I wanted some fluff and I got it but I think this story really lended itself to explore deeper themes which were barely touched upon or not even addressed. I did like spending time with Charlie and Wyatt, but mostly Charlie. I would've liked to actually hear from Shepard & Elijah but you can't get everything. The religious aspect at the end is not for me and Calder basically subsumed in Robbie is more like wishful thinking and not a wish I'd have. I wanted to know/see more about him as an artist and being a guide to Robbie rather than just his shield and yes man. Also this rang too familiar to the rake tamed by the virgin ... I prefer the rake debauching the virgin, but that's just me. The whole thing with Rebecca, the church etc. was too pat and simplistic for what those situations truly are and adding child trafficking like a dash of salt? Nope.
Lastly this suffered from that tired but true cliche of the villain explaining E V E R Y T H I N G. AT. LENGTH. It happens in the movies and it happens in books. Pretty sure it doesn't in RL. shrug
3.5Psst ... this is my first [a:Jay Bell 3456705 Jay Bell https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1580843540p2/3456705.jpg]. I liked it. :)If you have an hour and forty minutes you'll be pleased with [a:Kevin R. Free 2119344 Kevin R. Free https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1370714677p2/2119344.jpg]'s narration of this bittersweet story. A story about the ‘perils' of believing the world of IG or YouTube over the tangible one we travel in everyday. I wouldn't call it a romance though there is the beginning of one. It's more of a wake-up call to look around at your here and now. Nice.
Re-read 9/20/21 – 9/23/21
I said everything I wanted the first time around and the love has only redoubled. This reread has just been a chance to really savor the details, like how the Orpheus & Eurydice tale parallels with H&S. I also highlighted whole pages. As a New Yorker I'm bemused by Hazard's ‘frugalness', complaining about pants that cost more than $30 and coffee more than $2.
On to the next ...
******
First Read 8/5/20 – 8/6/20**
What to say? Come off like a broken record? (dating myself), a besotted fan girl? some kind of [a:Gregory Ashe|1179529|Gregory Ashe|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1561907752p2/1179529.jpg] sycophant? I'll try not to. Try being the operative word.
[b:Police Brutality|48999647|Police Brutality (Hazard and Somerset A Union of Swords, #2)|Gregory Ashe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574894757l/48999647.SY75.jpg|74415994] continues the growing pains of an adult relationship. The adult part is probably the most important aspect. Emery and John-Henry are only ten (10) months into a relationship, living together, being homeowners, and sharing a daughter. Yes, they have a shared history, but they also have independent histories of past loves, successes, and failures. Did they really know each other in high school? They didn't. They had ideas, misconceived assumptions, preconceptions, and fantasies (more Emery than JH) about one another based on fragmentary and faulty information. Now they're adults. Actual adults. But also guys.
Emery, despite his controlled, put-together exterior, his championing of logic, is oft times tone deaf to the right thing to say and absolutely flummoxed by his love for John. He doesn't know how to act or react. What's too much? How to remain himself while utterly subsumed by reciprocated love? As a bonus he's still dealing with PTSD from the Haverford and a life-altering career change. It's not easy. John is on this journey with him, perhaps in the harder position of seeing his love struggle and having to let them figure it out on his own. How do our two lovebirds deal? Let Rebeca tell you:
“When you love someone, you know all the secret ways to hurt them. Sometimes you know without knowing you know, and then they come out in the heat of the moment and it's ... it's even more awful that way, I think.”
Emery and John get down, dirty, and almost nasty with each other. The growing pains are harsh but the making up is sooo good and I feel like they actually learn and try to do better with each step. Sometimes they fail, but that's human, and these two are utterly human. Hazard contending with his feelings of no longer being police, the events of [b:Criminal Past|41103639|Criminal Past (Hazard and Somerset #6)|Gregory Ashe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533944202l/41103639.SY75.jpg|64217590], feelings of having failed Mitchell, wanting, needing to keep Somers with him, in his life, happy but also safe ... all that tore me up inside. Luckily GA gave us some comic relief (I'm sure he'll have further purpose) in the form of Gray Dulac. I alternately wanted to smack him and had tears from laughing at his comments. He brought some much needed levity and I'm glad he got a prize/comeuppance Darnell Kirby in the end. Let's see how that plays out.
Yes, there was a case(s) which weren't particularly mysterious but serve to further develop characters in the town of Wahredua, ones I'm pretty sure will continue to play a significant part in the overarching case.
Perhaps what I like best about GA is that he doesn't do stock characters: I love Emery but he can be downright obtuse & hurtful, John has a drinking problem, some days I'd rather hang out with some of the less extreme members of the Ozark Volunteers than some of the ‘left wing' academics from Wroxall, and then he gives us Wesley. If ever there was a character who could be fitted with a holy nimbus it would be Wesley and yet ... utterly human down to being an adulterous pastor & ungrateful liar. I love it.
Lastly a BIG CHEER for Cora for saving Emery from himself and confiscating that list, being an awesome human, and the best ex ever.