I wouldn't really characterize this as an overly-exciting read, but what it lacked in thrills and drama, it more than made up for with an extremely to I wouldn't really characterize this as an overly-exciting read, but what it lacked in thrills and drama, it more than made up for with an extremely touching story about how finding one person, the right person, can also help you discover your true self as well.
At around 350 pages, since the pace was often pretty slow, this felt like a really long read to me, especially toward the beginning, where the moods of both MC's were what Bash referred to as "cansado."
In other words, not sad exactly, but tired, weary, exhausted, drained, just over the way things were currently going in both of their unsatisfying lives.
And although neither MC was actively looking for a change, their plans of skirting by until the end of high school were put on a fairly indefinitely hold as soon as the unlikely pair met and began hanging out, finding the other person who truly got them, allowing them to open up and unburden themselves of some of their woes for the first time in a very long time.
The story had an (over?) abundance of internal monologuing, since both of the MC's tended to live in their own heads, so don't go into this one expecting normal levels of actual dialogue or you're likely to be sorely disappointed.
Don't get me wrong, when Bash and Sandro did actually talk, it was typically because they had something substantive to say. But the book still felt like there may have been slightly more telling going on than actual showing.
Although both of the MC's were initially 17, then 18, with the deep levels of emotion found on the page, I often forgot that this was a Young Adult (YA) story, because they generally felt like much more mature characters. Then they'd let their emotions get the better of them and do something juvenile, which was an easy reminder, but still...
I'm not going to be That Spoilery Bitch who just recites a plot outline, however, I will say that the second half of the story was my favorite, where the guys not only found much-needed support from each other, but also with a small number of people in their life that they found they could both trust and lean on.
And that I absolutely hated the months that came after the ill-fated family dinner and the (view spoiler)[ breakup / separation (hide spoiler)] that followed. I hate that shit with the heat of 10,000 suns, so I wasn't happy to see it here. At least those chapters blessedly weren't dragged out longer than absolutely necessary, so small reliefs on that front.
I guess I'd say that the story did end with hopes of an HEA. I mean, they were only 18 and (view spoiler)[ headed off to *different* colleges (hide spoiler)], so fingers crossed and I would kill for the author to release a shorter follow-up story or novella to show us where the guys are post-college and out in the real world -- still happily together. I'm greedy that way. ...more
Picture Alice Winters' "Hitman" series' level of craziness, but with much more liberal use of the brakes -- *before* things go so nonsensical that they're completely off the rails.
Romily was hilarious as the disadvantaged, mute, young man that happened to keep crossing paths with an assassin charged to keep Evil Forces™ in check for a council of powerful supernatural beings.
I also loved that, although Fox was a stoic Weapon of Vengeance™ for the good guys, he was also quick to soften in Romily's presence.
Kudos for Fox's boss and his parents, along with the other team's assassin, who Romily "claimed" as his own. No take backs! ...more
Much like Lukens' earlier cryptid series, "The Rules", this new book was fun and quirky, and let's face it, a little weird, too. In other words, it wa Much like Lukens' earlier cryptid series, "The Rules", this new book was fun and quirky, and let's face it, a little weird, too. In other words, it was right up my alley. ...more
Yaaaaaaay! I had nothing but love, love, LOVE for this next book in the "CU Hockey" series. : )
In the previous story, freshman hockey player Asher def Yaaaaaaay! I had nothing but love, love, LOVE for this next book in the "CU Hockey" series. : )
In the previous story, freshman hockey player Asher definitely seemed like he was going to be a handful. And an asshole with a bad attitude. But he'd already started growing on me, after he put in the effort to make friends with a few guys on the team.
But as this one began, all of those friends had graduated and moved away, so Asher was back to being an insufferable dickhead again -- at least on the surface.
Then we met pre-med student Kole, who'd lost a bet with his hockey coach dad, forcing him into filling the role of the team's "bag bitch" for the season, which he didn't really mind doing, even though he himself hated hockey.
Where book 2 was enemies to lovers, this was more of a "troubled, bad boy jock tempted by forbidden, out-of-bounds, brainy fruit" trope and I was soooooo there for it.
But with Kole simultaneously being asked to keep an eye on Asher and also told in no uncertain terms to steer completely clear of him, I'm sure we all have a pretty good idea of where things eventually headed.
“Like I said. Jocks aren’t my type.”
“What about emotionally unavailable guys who treat people like shit? Because I’m that too. Don’t pigeonhole me, dude.”
“Sorry, that doesn’t really do it for me either.”
“Shame. I’m really good at sex.”
From Kole openly allowing himself to look, but not touch, to snarky, flirty study sessions, to much more info retention once a a very hands-on "rewards" system was added, this story pulled me in right from the very beginning.
Yet while the snark, banter, and steam grabbed my attention, it was the deeply heartfelt scenes, like the lost brother and the near-accident on the bus, that really tugged at my emotions. When Asher finally let Kole behind his fortress-like walls, just... wow. I'd read this story for those alone.
To avoid being too spoilery, I'll just say that most of the conflict in this one was derived from the guys trying to hide their relationship from Asher's family and Kole's dad, but when everything finally came out, the fireworks were pretty manageable.
One aspect of the book that I felt was kind of odd was that, unlike the previous books, where they ended with the end of the hockey season, this one ended before the Frozen Four national tournament had even begun, so that plot point was left waaaaay deep in the "still dangling" department in regards to will they or won't they take home the title this year.
I absolutely loved pretty much every single thing about this story, which is super rare for me, and I'd rate it at around 4.5 stars, rounding up to 5 here on Goodreads.
If I had to pick a tippy-top favorite book in this series, gun to my head, I'd still have to say that book 2 wins out, but by the thinnest of margins over this latest story, as they were both insanely good and get all the thumbs up as far as recommendations from me go. : )
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My ARC copy of the book was provided by the authors in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
Also, this book is *FREE* with Kindle Unlimited membership.
After winning the Frozen Four last year, serious and hard-working Jacobs was on track to become new team captain, but was furious to discover that TJ Beck, the squad's resident joker, was also in the running for the coveted captain's jersey.
Jacobs had busted his ass for three years to keep his grades up to keep his scholarship, while uber-wealthy Beck did the bare minimum, knowing that his money could buy his way out of whatever hot water he might have skated his way into. And that pissed Jacobs off, big time, so he'd had an intense "hate on" for Beck ever since they'd met Freshman year.
Then it was decided that the team members got to select their new captain, which included a series of five immature and ridiculous challenges, with the winner earning the lead position.
But it was the third challenge that proved to be the most challenging. And confusing. And scary. And *HOT*.
Gay Chicken.
Now I’m fully hard, and what the actual fuck?
I pull away. “Nope, nope, nope. I’m out.”
“Whoa,” Cohen says. I didn’t even hear him come back in.
“What?” I snap at him.
“I think we’re all a little gay after that. That was hot.”
Rossi slaps Cohen’s shoulder. “Still only you, dude.”
For decades, gay men across the planet have been titillated by the idea of two straight guys diving into unexplored territory with one another, and I most definitely am *not* an exception to that rule. As far as taboos go, I'm all over that one, so I pulled up a chair, grabbed a bag of popcorn, and sat my happy, queer ass down for a front row seat to *that* show. ;- )
As I fully expected, since this is a romance, hello, the kissing challenge led to some soul (and sexuality) searching, then to the all-but-inevitable "more" for which I was hoping.
I adored how Jacobs' most furious scowls only served as fuel under the fire in Beck's snarky, playful comebacks, like they were his catnip. He totally had an appetite for someone finally not giving him a pass simply because he was attractive and rich.
Other than the usual pondering of their mutual attractions, the main angst in the story was the iron-willed expectation of Beck's father for him to grow up and take over the family's billion-dollar business empire after graduation -- whether he wanted to or not.
But the Daddy Drama was wrapped up nicely, and in an unexpected way that made me happy, so I eventually enjoyed how that played out.
In regards to steam, there was a LOT of it, but not so much that I ever really considered skipping any of those scenes, as I felt that they were actually needed for the guys to strengthen their growing relationship.
The humor and overall tone of the story completely won me over, so I'd rate it at 4.5 stars and recommend this book to fans of enemies to lovers or jocks falling in love.
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My ARC copy of the book was provided by Eden for a fair, unbiased review.
Yes, it was a complete over-the-top RomCom, with a lot of super-sappy, overly-sweet, wacky-assed situations; however, it somehow all just worked -- without making me crazy or causing me to eye-roll my ass into another dimension.
I loved both Brooks and Mal, how their chemistry was immediate, but the romance was full-on slow burn. They were insanely cute together, without it feeling forced or trying too hard.
I loved Ava and Paul and the entire odd-ball cast of Licking Thicket yokels, who were endearing from the first few chapters.
I loved how the older parental figures imparted their own fucked-up stories of past romantic missteps on their younger counterparts.
I loved how the town itself really came to life and leapt off the page, reminding me a lot of my own small-town, rural upbringing. Just with waaaaaaay less Jeeeeeesus and religion, which was sadly not an optional activity in East Bumblefuck, TN, where I was raised.
And I *tolerated* all of the "licking" puns, because Holy Mother of God, they were *EVERYWHERE*.
There isn't anything that I can think of that I would've changed in the book, which is ridiculously rare for me, let me tell you, so I'd rate it at around 4.5 stars and I'm immediately adding it to my GR Favorites shelf. : )
Highly recommended and I'm hopping straight away into book 2, Parrish and Diesel's book, praying it works out as well for me as this one did.
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This little gem completely snuck up on me, but I totally fell in love with both the story and every single one of the characters -- especially the six This little gem completely snuck up on me, but I totally fell in love with both the story and every single one of the characters -- especially the six supernatural kids.
For the first ten percent (ish) of the book, we were introduced to Linus, who led a boring existence, simply going thru the motions, with no real life or friends to speak of.
These parts had a teeny tiny bit of humor, but honestly, if I hadn't already known that Klune wrote it, there wasn't anything to really indicate that fact for me. Mainly because I was kind of... bored?
The cure for that boredom was administered and immediately took effect the moment that Linus stepped off the train on his way to the island.
As a case worker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY), Linus' initial reception by the residents of the island couldn't be called a warm one, but then again, their fates were all tied to his investigation, so you couldn't exactly blame them?
As the story proceeded, and the fact that Linus genuinely cared for both their mental and physical well-being, one by one, everyone on the island not only came to trust him, but also genuinely care for him in return.
And Linus' previously boring and predictable life changed very much for the better, which was damned awesome to witness.
This was truly a book best approached knowing very little about the island's inhabitants ahead of time, so I'll just say that they were a pleasant mixture of shy, devious, morbid, inquisitive, adventurous, and funny, which really worked well in pulling the reader in and getting them completely invested.
The drama in the story was divided between the threat of Linus' investigation allowing the DICOMY to close down the orphanage and the backwards views (and threats) from some of the townsfolk in the village close to the island, but both resulted in manageable levels of angst.
The level of feels in the story was relatively high, with both the "record money" and "buttons" parts seriously pulling at my heart strings. I never cried, but it was a close thing a couple of times, let me tell you.
Aside from the humor, my favorite parts of the book were when both of the MC's became fiercely protective of the children, going to any lengths required to ensure their safety and happiness.
If Klune's usual readers find any fault with this story, I strongly suspect it would be in regard to the love story.
Was there a romance? Yes. But is this predominantly a romance? No, not a very in-depth one, even if the story didn't demand one to feel complete.
Overall, I'd rate this book at around 4.75 "Don’t you wish you were here?" stars and strongly recommend it to both fans of TJ and also readers looking for something slightly different.
This story had it all, but did manage to keep the penis parade to manageable levels, focusing much more on moving the plot forward, which was all kinds of amazing.
The trip into the fae realm and the additional world building done there was a total blast, and now I'm *dying* to read the next book.
4.5 stars.
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I was really curious how this book, where 6 kidnapped supernatural kids were rescued by a fierce human and an alpha werewolf, was going to tie into the series and was pleasantly surprised by how it actually did.
As the story began, the story focused a lot on not only the budding romance between human Sam and alpha wolf Vaugh, but also on 6 y.o. wolf cub Ollie and 14 y.o. bear shifter Ben.
And OMMFG, I freaking LOVED Ollie to pieces. He totally made this kid-centric story for me.
However, as the book progressed, the focus shifted over to Ollie's 11 y.o. "brother" and young mage, Henry, who was also too huggable for words.
As it turned out, this prequel to the series was actually an "origin story" of sorts for Henry, who turned out to be one of the Guardians of the Chosen One.
The romance wasn't exactly what I'd call slow burn, more of a Fated Mates tale, but it was done well and didn't come across as too much of an insta-love, since Sam had been crushing on the slightly-older Vaughn since high school.
There was 'some' magic and shifting, but the heart of the story mostly centered around the romance and the kids, which was more than okay with me.
The pacing was consistent, other than a short period right before the last bit of excitement happened, but that slow part was fine in the overall arc of the story.
The angst was kept to manageable levels, and the feels with what the kids had gone through kept tugging at my heart strings pretty hard, but the steamy bits were more of a lack-luster after-thought, for me at least.
So if you like mates stories with a whole passel of cute kids, I'd highly recommend this one and rate it at around 4.25 stars.
I'm dying to jump straight into the Chosen One series, now that I've gotten a taste of this author's writing style. : )
SIDE NOTE: The follow-up to this prequel book, "The Trouble with Love (The Chosen One 0.75)" is *FREE* to claim at the following link:
I'd initially feared that in order to keep up the high levels of comedy, the author might need to resort to lowering the quality of the jokes, getting corny, and trying too hard, but that amazingly never happened. At least not for me.
“I haven’t called [the police] yet. I’m giving you one last day of freedom to do anything you want.”
My only complaint about the book would be the very long 343-page length.
There were a few times in the book that *felt* like a good stopping point, but the story was only getting started, hence me feeling that it was too long, with 100 or so pages (like the dog parts) that might've been edited down for a more focused book.
I'd definitely recommend this story for fans of snark and banter, but prepare to settle in for a while.
4.5 *totally-memorable* stars.
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The humor in the story was spot on, without ever coming across as being corny or trying to hard. In a word, both the story and Jace were charming.
After wallowing in despair for 2 years, Merrick had more than his share of issues to work through, but whenever it started to get too much, Jace was always there, ready and willing to help prop him up, until he was able to pull himself back up again.
The middle of the night "Please. Save me." text nearly killed me, but turned out to be such an amazing scene, one of the best that I've read in quite a while.
He stretches before reaching out and wrapping his arms around me so he can drag me against him. I sink into him, loving the feeling of arms pulling me close. This is what I’ve stayed here for two hours needing and wanting.
Just this.
I could lie like this all day if he would hold me that long. He kisses the top of my head, and I’m convinced he’d definitely hold me that long.
Then Jace's grandpa keeping an eye on Merrick during the sister's wedding, Christ, that was both funny and touching, the way they connected, giving Merrick a glimpse at what Jace might be like, should they be fortunate enough to grow old together.
“[W]hile you two were twiddling with your tadpoles in the bathroom, I was the first in line,” he says, clearly proud of himself.
“Oh my god. We were not,” Jace says, looking mortified.
He ignores Jace’s outcry. “I beat those bitches out of my path. I’m old, you see, they think I did it on accident. Between you and me… it was on purpose.”
Overall, there wasn't a single thing that I would've changed about the story, other than maybe shortening down the speech at the very end, which felt slightly more formal than either character had been previously.
Either way, this one gets my full 5 stars and the strongest of recommendations.
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When the story began, Luca was sitting in his house waiting for leukemia to claim his young life, only to have a very large, very naked man enter his home and kidnap him.
Well, more like save him from gigantic wolf-like creatures hell-bent on murdering him. But potato po-tah-toe, right?
Over the course of the story, we found out how a group of scientists had found a bizarre substance capable of resurrecting the dead, bestowing on them the gift (and curse) of changing into terrifying, blood-thirsty creatures.
And scientists being scientists, took their experiments too far, unleashing their creations out into the world due to an unhealthy mixture of greed and stupidity.
The sudden death of Luca's older brother, Koda, who'd been resurrected by the scientists 5 years ago, set off a chain of events that placed Luca at the top of the evildoers "Must Have Item for Christmas" list, hence Big Naked showing up to rescue Luca from the Big, Evil Anubis Monsters.
The majority of the story was Luca and his would-be savior, Nox, fleeing from the monsters, and the military, while trying to get answers and find somewhere safe to stop running and settle down.
The book was told not only from Luca and Nox's points of view, but also by a kind, conscienced, retired scientist from the Anubis project, Dr. Reese Dante, and it was through his accounting that we learned most the history of "What The Hell Is Going On?" and why.
Nox had lost a lot of his memory, but as it returned in fits and starts, we found out even more, especially details concerning Luca's brother, Koda, the previous Alpha of Nox's Anubis pack.
While this story was built on the bones of previous werewolf shifter-themed books, it was distinct enough, with brand new magic and Egyptian lore, to read as something sufficiently new and enthralling that I was drawn in from page one, and my interest never waned.
Sometimes the specifics of how certain things happened left me slightly confused, but not enough to really complain very much.
What actually worked my last queer nerve was the frequency of the sex. Once it finally started, Sweet Baby Jesus, best keep the lube bottle refilled!
Eat... fuck.
Sleep... fuck.
Shower... fuck.
Almost die... fuck.
BREATHE... FUCK.
Steam is fine in my books, but at a certain point, I truly get pushed over a line and want to scream, "OMMFG, GET OFF OF HIM ALL DAMN READY, YOU AGGRESSIVE, DICK-CENTRIC MAN-BEAST!!!"
This story did approach that screaming point for me.
The book ended with the guys 'maybe' settling down and 'maybe' having said "I love you", so I'd say it was an HFN, with the potential for more danger around the corner.
The last few paragraphs of the story did divulge "more" unresolved story line, so if the book does well, I do anticipate it becoming a series.
However, if the story were to end here, I felt that it did end at a good stopping point -- even if I'm praying pretty damn hard that there will be more books in this series.
4.5 stars, rounding up.
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However, I've got to admit that if you're looking for tons and tons of forward movement in the overall plot arc, this might not be a favorite story for you.
This was Robbie's book and when I first began reading, I admit to feeling completely lost. Kind of spun around a bunch of times, then set loose while wobbling around disoriented.
I suspect that TJ probably did that intentionally, but you could definitely have colored me confused for quite a few initial chapters.
I *personally* wish that I had known that the story started (view spoiler)[ in *present* time(hide spoiler)] and was not some sort of (view spoiler)[ flashback to an earlier time in Robbie's life (hide spoiler)]. I would've still been confused, but much less so.
After the conclusion of "Ravensong", a major event happened to Robbie, leaving his bonds to his Bennett pack mates in tatters, including those with his favorite Bennett, Kelly.
Without getting all spoilery, this was mainly the story of Robbie fighting his way back to being happy and whole again, while coming to terms with the fact that a huge portion of his recent life may have been nothing more than one huge betrayal by those that he'd most trusted.
#VagueParagraphIsIntentionallyVague
I've always liked Kelly, and seeing what he had to go through in this story was heart-wrenching, as it was for Robbie, himself. To have your entire life upended like that, just... gah!
“You have this void. This hole in your head and heart where you know something should be but isn’t. It’s the same for all of us. We were taken from you, yes, but you were also taken from us.”
When the final shoe dropped, Robbie and Kelly's situation had gotten better, but there was another pretty major setback (or two), leaving the Bennett pack reeling and unsettled again.
So yeah, one step forward, two steps back in regards to moving closer to the final goal post.
As serious and painful as this story was, there was also quite a bit of humor, especially from Rico, Tanner, Chris, and Gordo, along with a serious amount of bad-assery from Jessie thrown in for good measure.
He pulled out a pair of glasses and handed them over to me. “Put those on.”
“I can see without them.”
“Good. Then I’ll just break them.”
I yelped as he started to do just that, snatched them out of his hands, and put them on. Something soft crossed his face before he rolled his eyes.
“You look stupid with those on. You’re a terrible werewolf.”
I'd rate the story at around 4.5 stars, rounded up because it's GREEN CREEK, folks!
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My ARC copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
Yaaaay! I got my merman fix and the story completely pulled me in. : )
I mean, how could it not, when the very first few paragraphs had parolee Leigh H Yaaaay! I got my merman fix and the story completely pulled me in. : )
I mean, how could it not, when the very first few paragraphs had parolee Leigh Hurley plunging to the depths of the river, with concrete cinder blocks shacked to his feet.
Then, as his last breath of air was running out, in addition to seeing his life flash before his eyes, he also saw something else. A beautiful man floating toward him, then bestowing upon him the gentlest of kisses.
Tolomeo, aka "Tolly", was a member of a savage, brutal, and cruel race of merfolk, but fortunately for Tolly, his parents ran away with him and nurtured his more kind and caring ways, although lonely, after losing them because "they couldn't swim fast enough". : (
Both men were lonely, but after a very naked Tolly grew legs and went in search of Leigh, they fell into an easy friendship, with Tolly wanting more and Leigh firmly applying the breaks.
The main drama of the story was the repeated attempts of Leigh's mobster boss' competition to put him back in the river again, but this time for good.
However, with Tolly as his willing bodyguard, they were a formidable pair, because although Tolly may have looked meek and mild, under his smaller, twink'ish figure... there be monsters. Literally.
The one thing that concerned me when getting this book was the gangster aspect, not a genre I usually care for at all. As in AT ALL, folks.
But the story did have plenty of action and intrigue. And even a little bit of shape-shifty, healing, siren song magic, which were all huge selling points that kept me completely invested.
The plot was also well-paced, in part due to the persistence of the murdery thugs, but also because Tolly only had until the new moon for Leigh to confess his love, or Tolly would be put to death at the merciless hands of his fellow merfolk.
I absolutely loved the cast of side characters, too, who were loving, funny, and loyal. They were also Leigh's chosen family, although he'd never thought of them as such until closer toward the end of the book, when they unquestionably had his back over and over again.
The steam was moderate, but present, it just didn't really go on for page after page, the way that sexier stories tend to do. It was nice, though -- except for description of the freaky mer pene. 'Cause I coulda done without that, TBH. heh
The book ended much as I'd suspected it would, but I honestly didn't care one single bit. Once the main Big Bads were defeated, I don't know, the last bits seemed a teeny bit flat, but I think that was just me being used to the previously-quick pace.
The story was well-written and I enjoyed the hell out of it, so I'd rate this one at around 4.5 stars, rounding up because Tolly was too adorable for words.
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My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
I know, I know, you read the blurb and think hot, dirty porn, but that would be the furthest thing from the truth here.
As I'd expected, yes, there was some mild attraction, though not even immediately. But once the genuine caring for the two wayward boys got page time, the extremely slow-burn attraction did follow.
But that's the thing, it was nothing more than a mild attraction, kept very much in check by the relatively dire circumstances of Liam being badly beaten and Noah suffering from panic attacks from a past horrific event.
So no, This. Was. NOT. Whores. On. Ice.
I swear.
You had ex-cop Killian and nurse Zak, a couple in their early 30's and together for 7 years, with their relationship in ruin due to the fallout after a tragic event at work, but the deep love never faltered for either man.
You also had 19 y.o. Noah and 21 y.o. Liam, step-brothers and homeless for the last 6 months, after Liam took steps to save the guy he loved, only to be seriously injured while protecting Noah.
Just like with the strays that Zak and Killian were in the habit of taking in, it became apparent pretty quickly that, once Noah and Liam were safely under the older couple's roof, it was very likely that they'd never want to or be asked to leave. I loved that so hard.
Then as soon as a mini-horse named Nana and an injured toucan named Waldo started helping a mute Noah begin his process of healing, dudes and lady-dudes, I was DONE FOR emotionally.
Do not pass go, do not collect $200, take my goddamn money! Take it, take it, take it!!!
I was truly blown away by the level of feels that the author evoked here, without resorting to even a single ounce of fuckery or unneeded plot acrobatics, which I have to say, doesn't happen to this seasoned (*cough-semi-jaded-cough*) reader very often these days.
And in regards to steam, as I'd said, this story never felt dirty or exploitative, not for a single minute. However, once all four of the MC's got on the same page, with feelings firmly involved...
HOLY HELL. This story had some of the steamiest steam to have ever been steamed.
Even though I'd seen Sloane Kennedy's books floating around the Goodreads ether for several years now, somehow, this was my first book by her, but will most definitely not be my last.
All 5 stars and this book will probably make my "Top 10 of 2019" list.
And if it doesn't make the list? I'll have been one lucky asshole to have found 10 other books this year that were at least as good.
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I'd initially held off on requesting this book until early reviews hit Goodreads because:
1.) Royal*anything* usually bores me to tears.
2.) So do books involving politics of any shape or form.
But this story was a delicious mix of drama, angst, excitement and, most importantly, hope.
I loved both First Son Alex and HRH Prince Henry right from the get go, as they first snarked their way into my heart, then as feelings began to develop, gave me enough banter to keep me laughing every few pages.
I also found the side characters to be a delight, from First Daughter June to Second Daughter Nora to Princess Beatrice to Alex's parents and friends. They were all worthy of their places in the story, only adding to my level of interest.
As the story began, Alex's intense dislike for "HRH Prince Dickhead" wasn't really addressed in-depth; however, once their first meeting was detailed out, I have to admit that I didn't care much for Henry, either.
Then after they were forced to spend time together as pretend BFF's, trying to undo damage to international relations at a Royal wedding, Henry's staunch façade began to slip and we got to see glimpses of the boy behind the unfeeling, arrogant mask. And I *loved* him from there on out.
This was basically your "boy is enamored of boy, finally meets boy, get slighted by boy, hates boy, then they work through their shit, eventually falling madly in love" story and it totally worked for me.
Yes, there was lots of political speak, with Alex's mother being POTUS, and Henry's grandmother being the Queen of England, but it never got to be too much, as humor, feelings, and just... *realness* permeated the pages.
There was also a ton of political intrigue, with an unexpected act of betrayal, which I felt made the book more than less interesting for me. That was a big ole' shock and a departure from my norm, let me tell you.
For all of you Steam Queens out there, while the sex scenes were not entirely fade to black, they were definitely more *emotive* than descriptive or explicit. If I'm remembering correctly, I don't think the book even contained the words 'penis' or 'dick', other than when Alex would adoringly call Henry a dickhead. I was actually fine with the lack of traditional heat, though.
I did have a few niggles, Firstly, at 432 (reported) pages, the story felt suuuuuper long, although I never found myself bored. At times, the pacing felt a bit on the slow side, but the humor did its job in keeping me engaged.
Lastly, OMMFG, Henry's propensity to imitate Carl Lewis, pulling a runner and ghosting Alex on more than one occasion, nearly drove me to goddamn drink. True story.
But Alex wasn't one to be ignored, fortunately, so if a bitch needed read, he was the right man for the job, always pulling these two adorable dumbasses back onto The Road to True Love, capitalized, because it's 'a thing' .
I'm extremely happy that I stepped out of my usual comfort zone and gave this book a chance, and would rate it at around 4.75 stars for the humor and feels.
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My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
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