RobV
Quite a nonsensical yet predictable story. The whole plot is in the blurb. The quality of the writing is subpar. But it was still easy to read and I liked the main characters, so I don't regret spending a few hours with this. It was nice.
I adored the first book in the series, and was eager to see Rick, Max and the kids build a life together and to see more of this crazy, wondrous universe. Unfortunately, this second book fell a little flat. There wasn't much of a story this time. Rather than diving deeper into this incredible alien society, I feel like more time was spent explaining humanity to aliens. It got a little boring. The setup for the next installment is quite promising, though.
The most bizarre “sports” romance I've read in a while. The story begins when the guys have already been living like a married couple (without the sex) for years. Their whole arrangement and the reasons they haven't acted on their feelings defy all logic and reason. We spend the entire book waiting for them to grab what's right in front of them. Sadly, the necessary confrontations to make it happen are either glossed over or never happen at all. When they're finally forced to face the situation, there's a six month jump to the epilogue. What?! Despite rolling my eyes every chapter, I wanted more. Because no matter the flaws of the story, the two guys are freaking adorable.
Struggled to finish this. This instalove thing between two older guys who had already been acquaintances for years was hard to get into. I'd have liked to see more of the years leading up to it when they were raising their kids and had this internal war going on.
Instead it's a very subpar crime story with the merging of their two families as the backdrop. There were some sweet moments and I really liked all of the kids but I just couldn't get invested at all.
The first half of this book was pretty incredible. The weeks in Paris falling in love, then reality setting in back home in Texas. Beautifully written, gorgeous prose, the emotions jumping off the page. I was expecting the story to take some devastating turns and really tackle the reality of being a closeted celebrity athlete.
I suppose in a way it delivered, but any semblance of “reality” evaporated a little too much for my taste. I needed more side characters (why does Justin have no friends?), I wanted the characters that were there to have more depth and nuance (the coach and the other players are all ridiculous), I didn't want all the drama to be resolved so quickly and easily. In the end it felt like the author was getting bored of the story himself and just rushing to finish it. It's a shame because there was so much potential.
That said, a lot of that potential could still be unlocked if there's a sequel, and I'm definitely invested in this couple's future.
Even though I'm European, I followed this year's Democratic primary with great interest and was very impressed by Pete Buttigieg, easily the most visionary and progressive in the race. This book seemed like a great opportunity to learn more about him and his husband Chasten, and get the most detailed behind-the-scenes look at the extraordinary campaign they ran.
Chasten did not disappoint. I was struck by how compelling his own story was, even before he met Pete. He writes beautifully and is very good at getting you to empathize with him. His life has not been easy, and the campaign wasn't easy, but he focuses on how the experiences shaped him or what he learned from them, rather than dwell on the negativity. It makes for a narrative that is both an emotional roller coaster yet also uplifting.
His story with Pete takes up about 60% of the book, so readers who don't care as much about Chasten's background still have plenty to get into. Those who were disappointed that Pete's excellent memoir Shortest Way Home was more about his relationship with his city than with his husband should find this a far more satisfying read. Chasten makes it very obvious how much he loves Pete, but also how much Pete loves him in return. They're one of those couples that just fit together perfectly.
While Buttigieg fans and LGBTQ people will no doubt get the most out of this memoir, I can easily recommend this to anyone.
This didn't work for me at all after the first couple of chapters. Of course it's very difficult to get in the mind of an autistic person and write their experience in first person, but we know it's possible to do it effectively. Unfortunately Cullinan imagines Emmet more like someone who is underdeveloped, almost like he's a child, and too often she attempts to explain behavioral patterns using the logic of a “normal” person.
Jeremey is written like he has severe social anxiety, even though we're told depressive disorder is his biggest problem. He has so much wrong with him that Cullinan doesn't know what to focus on from one sentence to the next. There's no personality beyond his condition. He doesn't feel like a real person.
The love story between these two develops way too easily given their challenges, and the quick focus on their sex life is both improbable and inappropriate.
Overall an exhausting read that I struggled to finish. I'm especially disappointed because the rating had given me such high expectations. I strongly disagree with the Goodreads community on this one.
Loved the first half or so. Great characters, good pacing, nice slow burn romance. But then it fell apart when Jed ended up in the hospital for the rest of the book. Everything halted and the whole thing became unbearably dull. It's a shame, there was so much potential.
The blurb was way more interesting than the actual book. The two main characters are basically in love with each other from the start, so there's not much of a story in terms of romance. The actual story is that they go on a ridiculous and brutal hike through the desert, even though they barely have any experience. To make matters worse, they take their dogs with them, don't even keep them on a leash, and just seem completely irresponsible and unprepared throughout their adventure. Their phones are already dead on the first day with no way to charge them. The characters have no redeeming features either. Tuck isn't so bad, but the first person MC, Ash, is a judgmental asshole.
The writing is good and I was curious enough about the “mystery” to keep reading, but I'm not gonna miss these two.
Really enjoyed this one, though I was hoping for more of an emotional impact. Adam going to jail didn't allow him and Dan to forge the connection that we later have to assume was there. I also didn't feel much between Dan and Sullivan, just not enough time on page together. It's a great story but overall it fell a little flat.
This isn't much of a romance. I didn't feel much of a connection between the main characters other than the insta-lust and both having to deal with being a closeted athlete in the MLB. They're either having sex or agonizing about hiding their “relationship”. I have no idea what kept Iggy so attached to Matt, especially when the sex was taken out of the equation. Still, it was a quick and easy read and I was reasonably entertained.
I suppose this was mildly entertaining. The main character Mackenzie is like a moody, bratty, annoying child. And somehow this is an ex-cop turned PI, well into adulthood. The first chapters alone had me scratching my head. The “romance” was far from satisfying. The whole thing reads like a weird fantasy, a surreal comedy.
Love heartwarming stories like this one. But I never really understood how Patrick got his reputation of being such an awful boss to work for. His demands were not unreasonable at all and the lack of manners wasn't that bad. He was such a sweet guy when they finally met. Would've liked it more if his heart had slowly melted, rather than this insta-thing they had going on.
I love reading m/m romance set in rural America (even though I'm European and far removed from it) and this is one of the best I've encountered so far. The prose was breathtaking at times, truly gorgeous. The author does such a wonderful job connecting you to the characters and making you empathize with them. The focus is very much on making this town and its people come alive on paper. This atmosphere adds so much suspense and anticipation despite the story being relatively bland at its core. I also loved the way Travis's deceased wife Shannon was remembered throughout the story, her presumed presence often adding a beautiful spiritual aspect despite none of the main characters being religious. It's something I really connected to as an agnostic person.
The pacing was very good, though I agree with some reviewers that the immediate time skip after they decide to give their relationship a go threw me off. I thought the explicit sex scenes were rightfully omitted, but those weeks definitely deserved another chapter. I also wanted to see more of Wesley becoming part of Travis's family rather than being told that it happened. There are enough bits here and there, but it was probably my favorite part of the story.
And while everyone felt very real, the John Wallace character was a bit of a caricature. The chapter from his PoV did not help in that regard. Actually, most of the villainous characters deserved a bit more depth.
All in all, the few nitpicks I had weren't enough to keep this from being a five star read. I look forward to reading more of this author's work.
Very sweet. Wish there was more of them building a life together. That would've been even more captivating than just them getting together.
Enjoyable read but not much to rave about. I wasn't feeling the insta-love, especially Jory's feelings for Mal. But the eagerness to learn more about Dev's family made it hard to put down. Looking forward to Bran's story next.
Awesome way to wrap up the series, I was thoroughly entertained. But I do have some mixed feelings. The chaos took on epic proportions in this book, so much so that it was no longer realistic or believable in any way. It took away from the serious, compelling and detailed work that went into developing the psyches of the lead characters and main villain. The mystery was also a little disappointing, as the identity of said villain was already quite clear to me four books ago. Perhaps more could have been done to not give them away, or to make some of the other suspects more viable.
All in all this was a fantastic series, aside from the third book which for me was a little too miserable. I look forward to reading this author's next work.
Cute, quick read. Kind of disappointed by how easily they overcame their big problem in the end.
Simply amazing. Much more emotional than the main series. I could not put it down and was both crying and smiling at the end. The despair was so intense, the rekindling relationship so powerful and real. I was right there with them. What a rollercoaster of feelings. Damn.
Couldn't get into it. Nothing about this story made sense to me. Didn't detect any chemistry between the lead characters, just weird instalove. Would've been much better if Miki slowly learned to trust Kane over the course of the investigation. Instead he clings to him right away and Kane becomes his pervy babysitter. His partner cop easily acknowledges and accepts that Kane has fallen in love with the victim/suspect/hugely successful pop star after one day. Miki's fame seems to come and go from one scene to the next. I dunno, this just wasn't for me.
One of those stories where you figure out the entire plot after the first couple of chapters, but you still end up a weeping mess at the end. Can't recommend this enough. A masterpiece of m/m romance.
There was a lot to like about this, Morris and Theo are a great couple. But I felt it was very lacking in terms of plot. A lot of time was spent on Morris's friends, but their lives were kind of boring and ultimately inconsequential to the main story. Morris and Theo needed more scenes together. The main conflict being their inability to make time for each other made for a frustrating read. Everything went so fast when they finally committed.
About 3.5 stars for me, rounding down because of how long it took me to finish. I enjoy the author's style, will try more of her work.
Definitely the weakest one in the series. The first half was hard to get through. The mystery started off boring, the usual humor was lacking, Tom and Phil seemed kinda off, the fun side characters were nowhere to be found, nor was there meaningful development of their relationship. Fortunately it picked up in the second half, but not enough to match the quality of the earlier books. The ending was great though. I hope this concludes their story, best to go out on a sort-of high.
Not much of a plot, too much sex. Sam needed way more character development. What's there beyond the insecurity and self-deprecation? It was hard to root for him.