Annery
I didn't particularly enjoy this. Partly because this was tagged or marketed as an MM romance and it's not that. A romance of any sort. Usually I can get over dashed expectations but the story ... underwhelmed? me.
Nik is some sort of rock star with delirious & worshipful fans. After all he is, or claims to be, Dionysius so it sort or kind of makes sense. To function in a modern world he's had caretakers to handle the necessities of his earthly existence. This time it fall into the hands of one Anthony Brooks, who recently got a Doctorate in Musicology. He's perhaps one of the least sympathetic MC I've read.
We're treated to Anthony's endless pity party of woe is me & how insulting it is for his exalted self (with the only valid tastes in music) to be toiling away like a lowly serf just because of all his student debt.
Nik's motivations are never clear or perhaps they are as mundane as a God wanting worshipers. I didn't care either way.
There's a lot of talk about music (mostly classical) and perhaps readers who are more knowledgeable about that subject will get more out of this read. I'm not and didn't.
As usual YMMV
4.5
I'm tired. Drained. Emotionally sucker-punched. I feel good about it and I'll be going back for thirds.
There are a slew of reviews that have already said everything there is to say about this series and this particular chapter of it and done it very well so I'll just jot down some thoughts for myself.
Like the previous installment this volume is loooong so buckle up. I imagine part of the reason is that the story was/is originally on AO3 and meant to be read as weekly(?) installments. On the upside regardless of the the publication schedule there is very little to no recapping of what came before for the benefit of the reader who might've just been dropping in. Brava Anna!
Though the length can be daunting for those who don't crave Big Books (not me) the cumulative time spent in Ryan's head (the story is narrated from his POV), privy to his thoughts about ... everything, his evolving love for Brendon, his coming to terms with himself as a bisexual man is quite an experience. We the readers are meant to identify or at least empathize with a guy who embodies most of the stereotypical cliches of rock stars - screwed up childhood, talent, egotism, drug use etc. -and this one, Ryan Ross, is also the snake in the garden luring his former lover with promises and scorching sex. He succeeds to a point and the author succeeded with me swaying my allegiance to Ryan. The other man.
I'll be going on to volume 3 hoping that the author delivers on promise brilliantly laid out in the first two parts of this story. It feels epic.
After all my praise and clear admiration for this series you might wonder why not 5 stars? Because I'm perplexed as to why all of the characters are named after members of Panic! at the Disco and others of their milieu including the main MC. It brings nothing to the story which is set in the 1970's and is best informed by the mores and historical detail of that era. Creditably so. Keeping the names keeps the story in the realm of fan fiction which is off putting to many, particularly when real (live) people, addressed by their real names & lore surrounding them is used for fiction. That's regrettable. The writing and story deserve better.
2.5
It was fine but likely just not for me. The characters are tiresome & infantile particularly as they were all or for the most part higher ed students or grads. Portions are written in an attempt at some sort of gender neutral pronouns which just had me rereading for clarity and eventually translating them for myself.
The story is told in a la di da fashion and things that do merit further consideration, mainly that two heterosexual men are in love but not in a sexual way, what that means, etc gets the Lifetime movie of the week treatment. The baddies exit stage left and the goodies join the cheer squad.
As always YMMV.
ps. In what I hope will become a regular feature for me I'll be reading (trying to read) a slew of things I somehow find on my bookshelves or reader. spoiler alert I bought them.
A good intro to a series centering on the standard ‘gruff but with a heart of gold' detective & the seemingly babe in the woods who comes under his unwitting tutelage. I enjoyed it and the narration by [a:Gildart Jackson 4413114 Gildart Jackson https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] is top notch. I'll be continuing on this journey.
I read/listened to this as it was the selection from my work book club. Color me surprised. I liked it and even teared up towards the end.
I knew and still know nothing about this author but this book/story made me think about early John Irving or Anne Tyler but lite. I mean that as compliment. To be sure being a modern fiction reader after the first few chapters I could surmise where the story was going and the beats but I still found myself feeling my feelings and gladly going along for the ride. Even if by the end you don't get to the same conclusion(s) as Sam you have to agree that they're right for him.
As an unexpected plus the narration by the author himself was exactly what the book needed.
Recommend
SHORT STORY I liked it. Kind of surprising as ... ⬇️⬇️⬇️
* I'm not a fan of the multi-cast audio book but in this case, given how this story is told, I see that this was an almost necessary choice. And it works.
* I don't have huge love for rock star/celebrity stories when they focus on that aspect of their lives and this is the story of a band and it's members from inception to demise. IMO the author keeps it pretty authentic to personalities & types.
* As one would expect of a story that takes place in the rock ‘n' roll world, particularly in the ‘70, there's a lot of drug & alcohol use, addicts, and their behavior. Not my favorite thing to read about.
* Daisy Jones is ostensibly the main character. The one front & center. The one everyone in the narrative oohs & aahs about. I. Did. Not. Like. Her.
Even if you share some of my manias I would still recommend this as an enjoyable story and very well produced audio.
*** Shout out to my girl Camila. The true heroine of the story and she wasn't even a member of the band.
I've had this forever and though I obviously bought it for the cover I clearly didn't look at it too closely. I didn't realize it's an M/M/M of a sort. Overall I liked it.
Jack & Peter Mason are twins who physically are pretty identical but temperamentally very different. Outwardly Peter is a pretty strait-laced and staid attorney complete with long term girlfriend while Jack is a graphic artist with a laissez faire attitude towards romantic relationships or as he sees it people he has sex with. He doesn't do boyfriends or exclusivity.
Jack starts a friends with benefits arrangement with Colin who's just gotten out of a five year relationship and is only too happy to not have anything heavy or emotionally taxing.
As we all know well laid plans rarely turn out as expected. Peter and Colin meet, become friends, and other feelings crop up too. Meanwhile Jack has inexplicably & unexpectedly developed a romantic & possessive attachment to Colin.
The development of the relationships from two different one-on-one to a triad is sensitively and smartly done. There isn't familial bad-wrong and the expectations the three men have for their lives beyond the bedroom is realistic. To me this meant that the ending (including the epilogue) read more like a HFN, that the relationship might even have an expiry date. Nothing wrong with that, just an observation.
Speaking of carnality the smex scenes are smoldering and really do a lot to externalize the emotional development of the characters as relates to themselves and the other MC. Win. Win.
Recommend.
4.5
I thought this was going to be some porny mindless fun but I was surprised (good surprise) with a fairly serious exploration of an intense taboo relationship.
“Raven hid to be found. He ran to be caught.”
When Raven is nine (9) Clint comes into his life rescuing him from a miserable existence and eventually bringing him into the home he shares with his son Joey. In time these three become a family but also in time Raven's feelings become more than familial towards Clint. It goes without saying (it's the reason for being of the book) that Clint develops more than paternal feelings for Raven too. The attendant reasons for why they can't/shouldn't be together are explored but the crux of the story is the all consuming, obsessive nature of their love. It manifest in different aspects but primarily in an explicitly raw & carnal way.
Dan put this in my radar (thank you) and I wholeheartedly agree with his review here. Most MM is written by women and generally the sex scenes suffer for it. The sex here is far from lovey-dovey or sanitized for Hallmark readers. At times I felt like it was too much. Too much sex but mostly the type of sex primarily described on page seemed more painful than pleasurable but ... to each their own. In the end it did serve to tell Clint & Raven's story. They communicated (perhaps unhealthily) through sex or tried to use it as a way of knitting themselves together, for different reasons and different purposes. I could empathize with them and their motives.
Their HEA was satisfying, well deserved, and plausible. What more can you ask for?
The author does indulge in a bit of purple prose and some intriguing word choices but if you're in the mood for some high octane passion you won't be left wanting if you read this.
I'm not a sweets lover, yes, I'm that person, yet I loved this lovely concoction. Everything about it.
The setting in Bath was inspired. The story taking place in January, that vaguely depressing time right after the holidays was/is a balm to the soul. The perfect pairing of Scott & Theo who complement each other perfectly, was just yummy. There were no unnecessary misunderstandings or protracted “will they or won't they” scenarios. What a relief.
Do yourself a favor and enjoy this with your favorite pastry.
Due to RL situations it took me waaay too long to read this and that perhaps marred my enjoyment so going with the story itself, the evolving relationship between Gray & Darius, Gray dealing with the aftereffects of his ordeal, and the ever growing interlocking stories of Camassia and its denizens I liked it. Really liked it.
This part of the Gray & Darius story requires patience as Gray is learning to cope with what happened to him and likely (realistically so) will be doing so for life. Due to experience with others or his own Darius knows what Gray is going through and tries to help him navigate the pitfalls.
I like that their coming together, the realization that the feelings between them are more than sexual, that they are good together and good for each other isn't something that's belabored or hindered by inane misunderstandings.
I enjoyed Cara's signature centering of family and though things on that front may seem pat or too soon, especially as pertains to Gray, I liked it. Life can be good & sweet and it's to enjoy those moments too and just wallow in the woe. Some villains get their comeuppance, more vengeance is in the pipes and our MC get some well deserved bliss. Easy peasy.
3.5If like myself you're following the author's suggested reading order of the CCU this novella serves as a buffer to break up the high intensity of the AUCTIONED books. Chronologically it takes place right after [b:Stranded 43811646 Stranded (Auctioned, #2) Cara Dee https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549091997l/43811646.SY75.jpg 67930201] and we get a chance to visit with some folks we've met in & around Camassia. We also get to watch Adam & Alessia (the owners of Coho Bar & Grill) get their heads out of their a***s and behave like the adults they are (43 & 31 respectively). I know adolescence has been extended indefinitely but I have minimal patience for protracted immaturity. In spite of that I enjoyed myself.This sweet romp is best enjoyed on a full stomach as the food descriptions are mouth watering. I liked the way Adam & Alessia were with each other, affectionate in a pretty tactile way, which made it a bit hard to believe that neither knew the other harbored more than familial feelings. I guess we're blind to what's right in front of us but once they're out to each other they diligently make up for lost time.As usual in Cara's stories family was front and center and was nice to see people who love each other being lovely.
This is a book/series that definitely needs to be read sequentially. Any perspicacious reader can figure out in very broad strokes what's happened to the characters but without reading the first book appreciation for the development of the romance/relationship that the author is laying out for the MC is much diminished and why would you do that to yourself?
This part of the story is narrated from Darius' POV and it was good to be in his head. We get tantalizing glimpses behind the armor, an armor which Gray unwittingly and without trying has chinked more than once.
One could say that in and of itself this volume isn't a romance but being as it is not meant to be a standalone but rather part of a greater whole I think it works. We get the realities of the kidnaped once they are first returned to the bosom of their families, the emotional rollercoasters. Of particular interest to us are Gray and Darius.
Darius' usual coping mechanisms after missions like these aren't working and Gray despite the tight embrace of family & friends (folks from the CCU) needs something else/more. They seek solace in each other but no declarations are exchanged (smart choice by the author) and no promises made. However the seeds of something that was planted in bk.1 are growing and I'll be happy to give them time and watch them flourish in the next books.
This a sweet novella for the Camassia completists. Liss, William's wife from [b:When Forever Ended 32998588 When Forever Ended (Camassia Cove, #2) Cara Dee https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1479341314l/32998588.SY75.jpg 53606556] gets her own. Two years after the divorce she is finding his legs in the single life and a navigating a way to deal with William & Kelly. She didn't plan for Mason, William's brother, coming back to town. For her. (If I'm not mistaken this development might've been teased at at the end of WFE)As usual we get to hear and hang out with other denizens of Camassia. ❤️❤️
3.5 It was fineI've read and liked this author before but I can't lie, a big incentive for getting this book was the cover. Look at it. It's gorgeous ❤️❤️❤️Likely I'm not the target audience for this type of story by which I mean that the MC and their coterie are people in their late twenties (the current late teens) feeling intense emotions but somehow managing to not talk to each other about them for Y E A R S. Arlo & Frankie came up together in foster care and along with others formed a family. Arlo & Frankie became a couple, living through all the teenage/young adult ups & downs including drug use. Casual/social on Frankie's part but Arlo goes off the deep end becoming an addict (not a spoiler). Frankie can't cope with watching him self destruct, flees and doesn't return until four years later when circumstances compel him. Cantankerous gripes The story is all about how & when Frankie and Arlo will come together after Frankie's return, overcoming their perceived slights and grievances. The thing is that there is no doubt that this will happen, no ifs and or buts about it that they still love each other. Never stopped. So the reader (myself) just wades through a narrative well versed in speak of ‘vulnerability', ‘personal space', ‘recovery' etc. I have nothing against these laudable tenets but ... I dunno. I had the feeling that these were characters created to speak correctly albeit superficially about these subjects. I don't think I'll remember any of them by next week. Additionally I'm pretty done with the token single female best friend of gay men (who don't always read like actual gay men) whose only function is to act as the pushy & nosy mother hen.End of cantankerous gripe For the bigger hearted, less fussy, in the mood for (on the surface) intense love story this could work perfectly well. Everyone says and does the right thing which is sweet and heartwarming and the guys do have chemistry. I did the audio by [a:Jacob Morgan 3145556 Jacob Morgan https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1581822052p2/3145556.jpg] and [a:Zachary Johnson 2055967 Zachary Johnson https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1442493484p2/2055967.jpg]. The were good and conveyed the high emotionality of the story and the characters. As always YMMV
Re-read 1/7/23 - 1/9/23This might be my 4th or 5th word for word re-read (random perusing doesn't count). I wanted something classic to start the New Year on a good foot. I chose correctly. This is one the first romance novels I ever read and I must say that [a:Judith McNaught 9885 Judith McNaught https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1670890212p2/9885.jpg] was on to something when she wrote [b:Whitney, My Love 1404766 Whitney, My Love Judith McNaught https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327870166l/1404766.SY75.jpg 340933]. She certainly departed from what was being published at the time in terms of content and length and landed on something good.I clearly see the ‘problems' that have been pointed out, i.e. Clayton is most surely guilty of rape, he's possessive, irrational, overbearing etc. Whitney can be super annoying, jumps to conclusions, and like most young women her age is ruled by unchecked & unwise emotions. Yet I come back to this story because it IS the LOVE story of two complicated people, romantic parts, ups & downs, and the ugly warts too. To my eyes it's fairly authentic to the mores of the time. We all like what we like at different times and for different reasons. I love this.As usual YMMV
Lessons learned while/after reading this book:
A) Don't join book clubs.
B) There's good reason not to read selections from the bestseller list.
In an effort to boost morale & esprit de corps at work the administration started a book club. I joined because reading, right? To be honest I had my doubts and as soon as I saw the selection I knew it would be an uphill battle but in an effort to not be a Debbie-downer I dove in. The fact that it took me this long to finish speaks for itself.
I grew up watching telenovelas. They did/do these themes far better and they're honest in their aims.
The story revolves around Astrid, a widow of a certain age, and her three grown children who grew up and live (except one) in a picturesque town/village along the Hudson Valley. The choices they make, the roads not taken, and where they're headed along with rumination on their inner lives fill the pages. It's all a grab bag of au courant themes that preoccupy the bien pensant but everything remains on the surface. No deep consideration or thought really goes into any of the situations that arise.
Perhaps there will be an HBO miniseries but I won't be watching. I was bored to tears.
As always YMMV
2.5 because perversely I might go on with the series
I can't remember last time I read something so unintentionally funny and (not offense to those who liked it) kind of bad.
I thought it was going to be one of those cray cray but ‘oh so good' tales like KAGE. I'd dig that but those hopes were dashed. I would've settled for just porny, mindless fun but that didn't pan out either.
One problem is that there isn't even a cursory attempt at character development. The MC meet and even before more than two words are exchanged there are assertions of ‘mine'.
Some of the inanity would've been more tolerable/understandable if this were a shifter/ABO story but it wasn't. That's doubly bad as the attitude/treatment of the claimers to their claims leaves a lot to be desired and if this were an m/f people's hair would be on fire.
Another issue is that clearly this is a series and so the author introduces ALL of the future couples.
There's an epilogue ten (10) years into the future. Not for me.
There's only one woman in the whole book and she's always cooing & cooking for these ‘special' men.
One of the MC is speaks Spanish and drops little sweet nothings to his beloved in Spanish. Each. One. Is immediately translated.
Some of my favorite things done very well
* Epistolary
* Novellas (it runs an hour & a bit)
* Historical (it takes place in the '70s)
* Unfaithfulness & it's discontents.
* Great audio
The story was poignant, the characters had the expected views & attitudes so we were spared anachronisms, and though I'm curious about their future after the book ends I think it was a perfect stopping point.
I ended up waiting to pair my read with the release of the audio by [a:Charlie David 2895612 Charlie David https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1461856493p2/2895612.jpg], life got busy, other reads came and went and I just got back to North & Shaw and their super bumpy relationship road. I'm glad I took the respite because these two don't know how to do easy & sweet.Can you just jump into this series here? I wouldn't recommend it. The relationship between them and their individual histories has been teased out in the previous books and we are now getting to the part where the truly thorny things are being addressed. This book belongs to North. His still unresolved relationship with his soon to be ex-husband Tucker, the why & how he ended up with Tucker, his fraught relationship with his father, a bit about his own identity as a gay man, and most importantly his helplessness when it comes to his attachment & attraction to Shaw. There is of course a case and a victim I couldn't have cared less about save as it serves as a mirror (a horror funhouse one) to who they are or could have been given the time, place, and society they came up in. I enjoyed it way more than expected. I confess to sometimes being annoyed by the infamous N&S banter, which is charming to most readers, but I like to imbibe in small doses. Additionally the way they deal with serious issues affecting their relationship strikes me as a tad childish but then I remember that they are men, gay men, and that (much to my chagrin) the 20's are now the teens when it comes to people's development. Despite all of it I loved this entry in the series and it was in no small part because the author has never shied away from going into situations & places that perhaps many romance readers might recoil from, and he doesn't do it here either. He presents the nitty gritty of the lives of modern day gay men, the hookup culture, the casual sex that's just that, sex, the drug use, the self doubt, the acceptance, partial or completely denied by society and/or loved ones. How it affects the way they see themselves & others. It gets deep. My other cause for relief & joy was that Pari & Truck are barely in it