RobV
Pretty enjoyable, but sometimes it was hard to understand what was going on. It also felt like way too much happened in a very short time.
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.
DNF @ 40%. Can't really think of anything positive to say about this one. I suppose the concept isn't too bad, but the execution was sorely lacking. No chemistry between the characters, awkward dialogue, confusing and ineffective world building. The omega behaves, thinks and even physically is more like a young girl. Even the writing itself was poor and needed a lot more editing. Stay away!
Really enjoyed the main characters and the beginning of their relationship but the crime stuff was quite dull and most of the plot centered around it.
I was kind of bored by this one. The characters are all great but I wanted more to happen. It felt like a lot of the same.
I've now read this book three times and I seem to love it more every time. Yes, essentially it's about a man and a dog falling in love and having sex. Roman has only been human for two years. But somehow, it works? The magic in the story and the way it is written make it so easy to consider Roman a grown man. And the whole thing is just so, so emotional. Whenever I get to the first flashback (from Roman's dog years) I already start choking up. And so it continues through the story. I'm not kidding. Near the end I usually have tears running down my face.
I don't cry that easily. I'm not even a dog person. So yeah, I don't know what it is about this book. But it's truly special. The others in the series don't compare.
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.
Cute, quick read. Kind of disappointed by how easily they overcame their big problem in the end.
Really enjoyed the first half of the story. The characters are incredibly charming and the attraction feels genuine and realistic. It is a slow burn to when they finally get together and I was looking forward to them tackling the mountain of problems that their relationship would face, both having a fairly traumatic past that still affects them in the present, the fact they both teach/coach at the same high school, how and where they would build a life together, etc.
Unfortunately once they do finally get together, the narrative focuses more on the sex than anything else. Months fly by in an instant and you are left filling in the blanks. So much of the depth introduced in the beginning is never addressed again, or addressed insufficiently. It felt like the authors were in a rush to finish the story. All in all it is an enjoyable read, but it had way more potential.
Really fun read with great characters. There could've been more of a plot and at times the absurdity was a little over the top but you can't go wrong with this one if you're looking for some heartwarming entertainment.
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.
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.
Really enjoyed this one even though it was a little generic. I read it in one sitting so that's always a sign of a good story. Graham and Rikker are just the cutest. Solid writing, solid cast of characters. My only complaint is that the ending felt rushed.
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 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.
Not sure how I feel about this one. It took me a while to get through it. The chapters are very short, each scene is basically its own chapter. The character flaws in everyone are quite aggravating, though I suppose that makes it realistic. The romantic story was probably the least interesting part, since Jackson didn't have much personality and the love between them seemed a little superficial. It's definitely more of a love story between father and son, which the book admits. All in all I'm glad I read it, but I didn't get attached. I am curious about their futures though so I'll give the sequel a try.
The synopsis sounded too crazy to be true and I did end up suspending my disbelief a little. But it's so well written and such an intriguing story that I couldn't put it down. I'm kind of puzzled that I was able to sympathize with a Nazi so easily, and even wish him a happy ending. Despite killing multiple people in this book alone. Enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
About 3.5 stars for this one. Not as enjoyable as book one. The characters were in such a miserable place, I felt miserable with them. And while I enjoy a good horror, it felt a little cartoonish here.
I loved all of the previous books but struggled to finish this one. I can't believe they were written by the same person. The dip in quality was quite extreme. Most of the characters were barely recognizable, the emotions and reactions were off, the story was completely nonsensical (the whole series is, but again, this was a new extreme). Very disappointing. Hopefully the last book is better.
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.
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.
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.