Scan barcode
midnighteyesx's review
5.0
This book is so tender, intimate, complex, emotional, beautiful, and *realistic* even with all the werewolves and magic.
Genuinely I’m blown away by Damiens journey, his consistency, the utter sheer complete lack of melodrama that would’ve been so easy and instinctual for the author to fall into with a story like this.
I’m impressed by the amount of time this book spans, that months go by in sentences and I didn’t find myself missing or needing that time written further. Nothing was skipped over, nothing shortened for convenience.
I’m stunned by the entire necessity of the werewolf/shifter universe for this story to work as well as it does.
While I wouldn’t call this book a love story, the love between Damien and Hakan is not a slow burn, but an inevitability built from a connection deeper than a single event. It’s refreshing as fuck to see and it was a pleasure to read.
Genuinely I’m blown away by Damiens journey, his consistency, the utter sheer complete lack of melodrama that would’ve been so easy and instinctual for the author to fall into with a story like this.
I’m impressed by the amount of time this book spans, that months go by in sentences and I didn’t find myself missing or needing that time written further. Nothing was skipped over, nothing shortened for convenience.
I’m stunned by the entire necessity of the werewolf/shifter universe for this story to work as well as it does.
While I wouldn’t call this book a love story, the love between Damien and Hakan is not a slow burn, but an inevitability built from a connection deeper than a single event. It’s refreshing as fuck to see and it was a pleasure to read.
layla87's review
5.0
4.5 stars!!!!
I received an ARC from GRR in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! so I've seen this book all across the MM ether, and it is often compared to Wolfsong … (PS...It's nothing like it, but it was special in its own way)
This was hard read, intense and very difficult to get through at times. I think this book is a classic definition of a Hurt/Comfort book.
What I loved:
1. The Characters:
- Damien: This boy... this boy broke my heart. The shit he went through, the horrors he faced, and the aftermath of it all. He is truly an amazing character, a strong character who clawed and fought his way to a better life. He had help of course, and there were times where someone was in the right time to throw a safety net for him.
he was vulnerable from start to finish, but he felt lighter as the end of the book neared and I think that was such a relief for me as reader. #Unforgettable
- Hakan: he was pillar for Damien, from friend, to best friend to lover. he was always what Damien needed to anchor himself. their nonsexual intimacy was sweet, and genuine and poignant. #MyRock
2. The Plot:
Damien's life took a turn for worse to worst since he was a child. but meeting the Selgado family, connecting with them, bonding with them ultimately saved his life. They saved him from himself. the book is divided into two parts, and for me part one was the hardest to read. Part 2 is where Hakan and Damien come together after being friends for years. this part was easier, less intense and maybe not as affecting for readers. but together, they were amazing. #ItWasAJourney
3. The Romance...
The romance here takes a bit of a backseat to Damien finding himself, learning how to live and growing up. but even though the romance was minimal, once Damien and Hakan got together, you cant help the jolt of happiness you feel that F@CKING FINALLY YES PLEASE I WANT THEM TO KISS ALREADY! ...AHEM. #SometimesLessIsMore
4. The Heat...
The book isn't super steamy, and Damien certainly "plays the field' and embraces his sexuality. his couple of of scenes with Hakan were sweet and sexy because both of them loved the other, while the other didn't actually know. #FriendsWithBenefitsButNotReally
The Niggles I had:
- I felt like I needed to know Hakan more. I can understand that it was Damien's story, but i felt like Hakan was on the fringes and I needed more of him, so I could connect with him more and get invested in his relationship with Damien that much more.
- I didn't like the fact that Damien continued sleeping with others even after he and Hakan got together. For someone who was pining for years, and that person was basically his first and only love, I would've love to see him with Hakan nd Hakan alone, even if he convinced himself that it was a FWB situation.
- The HEA.. don't get me wrong... there is an HEA, but I felt a bit cheated. I wanted more of them together, I wanted to see them in the future, maybe with their parents and how they reacted to them being together ....
I received an ARC from GRR in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! so I've seen this book all across the MM ether, and it is often compared to Wolfsong … (PS...It's nothing like it, but it was special in its own way)
This was hard read, intense and very difficult to get through at times. I think this book is a classic definition of a Hurt/Comfort book.
What I loved:
1. The Characters:
- Damien: This boy... this boy broke my heart. The shit he went through, the horrors he faced, and the aftermath of it all. He is truly an amazing character, a strong character who clawed and fought his way to a better life. He had help of course, and there were times where someone was in the right time to throw a safety net for him.
he was vulnerable from start to finish, but he felt lighter as the end of the book neared and I think that was such a relief for me as reader. #Unforgettable
- Hakan: he was pillar for Damien, from friend, to best friend to lover. he was always what Damien needed to anchor himself. their nonsexual intimacy was sweet, and genuine and poignant. #MyRock
2. The Plot:
Damien's life took a turn for worse to worst since he was a child. but meeting the Selgado family, connecting with them, bonding with them ultimately saved his life. They saved him from himself. the book is divided into two parts, and for me part one was the hardest to read. Part 2 is where Hakan and Damien come together after being friends for years. this part was easier, less intense and maybe not as affecting for readers. but together, they were amazing. #ItWasAJourney
3. The Romance...
The romance here takes a bit of a backseat to Damien finding himself, learning how to live and growing up. but even though the romance was minimal, once Damien and Hakan got together, you cant help the jolt of happiness you feel that F@CKING FINALLY YES PLEASE I WANT THEM TO KISS ALREADY! ...AHEM. #SometimesLessIsMore
4. The Heat...
The book isn't super steamy, and Damien certainly "plays the field' and embraces his sexuality. his couple of of scenes with Hakan were sweet and sexy because both of them loved the other, while the other didn't actually know. #FriendsWithBenefitsButNotReally
The Niggles I had:
- I felt like I needed to know Hakan more. I can understand that it was Damien's story, but i felt like Hakan was on the fringes and I needed more of him, so I could connect with him more and get invested in his relationship with Damien that much more.
- I didn't like the fact that Damien continued sleeping with others even after he and Hakan got together. For someone who was pining for years, and that person was basically his first and only love, I would've love to see him with Hakan nd Hakan alone, even if he convinced himself that it was a FWB situation.
- The HEA.. don't get me wrong... there is an HEA, but I felt a bit cheated. I wanted more of them together, I wanted to see them in the future, maybe with their parents and how they reacted to them being together ....
she_is_2_fond_of_books's review
5.0
This book. Wow. All.the.feels. Beautifully written, sad, but wonderful. The found family aspect of this book is one of my all time favorite tropes. It just squeezes my heart.
bronwynheeley's review
4.0
It made me leak, for most of part 1, my face leaked, it wasn’t full on ugly cry, but I constantly leaked.
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
hjewels's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A true coming of age story. The focus and attention the author gave in creating the MC are flawless. You can feel the emotions and sorrows. One of the best books I've ever read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Self harm
writtenechoes's review
4.0
I think this takes the cake for the slowest burn I’ve ever read. Honestly I’m not even sure this can be called a romance. Really this is just Damien’s story of pain and suffering until one day there’s just less pain and no suffering. Don’t get me wrong it was a beautiful read and the hurt was hurting because it’s Marina but like damn …. this has a small percentage of relief.
The majority of this takes place when Damien is 13-15. His parents died when he was young leaving in the care of multiple foster homes. The most recent, the Mckenzie’s, are highly abusive. After attempting to run away one day he’s found by a werewolf family. They strangle take him under their wings. He spends time at their home after school. He becomes friends with Koko, the girl his age, and the son, Hakan, who is two years older. The teenage years are rough. The abusive is awful to read and there’s an attempted suicide that’s on page. Relief comes in the form of the Salgado’s again but Damien struggles against it. He struggles with believing himself worthy of love and family.
As teens do, Damien slowly, over a long time, comes to terms with feelings for Hakan. He thinks the feelings are returned so he attempts a kiss but it’s rebuffed. Ouch. Now Damien knows he will lose this family, this pack. Of course he doesn’t but the fear is real. Hakan goes away to college and Damien blooms. He goes from teenager to a young man. And he discovers himself even more when he finally goes away to the same college Hakan is at. The two don’t really see one another. Damien makes some friends and some friends with benefits. Literally this story is just Damien’s story. No romance. He hooks up with another werewolf and Hakan smells it on him. This kind of spurs … everything. They start hooking up but Damien knows it’s not love, knows it’s not pack. Damien isn’t stupid it’s just his trauma but it was kind of infuriating lol. Hakan obviously loves him but Damien refuses to see it. Like Hakan is scent marking him and wanting to spend so much time with him.
Damien didn’t want to hear whatever it was that Hakan wanted to say. He could already read it on Hakan’s face. The questions, the need to reassure Damien. But Damien was fine. For Hakan to be in love with Damien would be such an anomaly as to be impossible. This was the rightful order of the world. LIKE DAMN.
This was just a lot lol. Damien suffers a lot in the beginning so I expected more relief at the end but the romance is really only in the last 10% …….. it takes that long for feelings to be admitted. I loved this because I love this type of pain, Marina is great at it, but I finished it and felt tired. Exhausted. There wasn’t enough time spent with them as a couple.
I’m rating it 4 stars despite all that because it was moving and it made me feel a lot of things. And knowing Damien is happy now, with his mate, and his pack, well that is worth 4 stars too.
The majority of this takes place when Damien is 13-15. His parents died when he was young leaving in the care of multiple foster homes. The most recent, the Mckenzie’s, are highly abusive. After attempting to run away one day he’s found by a werewolf family. They strangle take him under their wings. He spends time at their home after school. He becomes friends with Koko, the girl his age, and the son, Hakan, who is two years older. The teenage years are rough. The abusive is awful to read and there’s an attempted suicide that’s on page. Relief comes in the form of the Salgado’s again but Damien struggles against it. He struggles with believing himself worthy of love and family.
As teens do, Damien slowly, over a long time, comes to terms with feelings for Hakan. He thinks the feelings are returned so he attempts a kiss but it’s rebuffed. Ouch. Now Damien knows he will lose this family, this pack. Of course he doesn’t but the fear is real. Hakan goes away to college and Damien blooms. He goes from teenager to a young man. And he discovers himself even more when he finally goes away to the same college Hakan is at. The two don’t really see one another. Damien makes some friends and some friends with benefits. Literally this story is just Damien’s story. No romance. He hooks up with another werewolf and Hakan smells it on him. This kind of spurs … everything. They start hooking up but Damien knows it’s not love, knows it’s not pack. Damien isn’t stupid it’s just his trauma but it was kind of infuriating lol. Hakan obviously loves him but Damien refuses to see it. Like Hakan is scent marking him and wanting to spend so much time with him.
Damien didn’t want to hear whatever it was that Hakan wanted to say. He could already read it on Hakan’s face. The questions, the need to reassure Damien. But Damien was fine. For Hakan to be in love with Damien would be such an anomaly as to be impossible. This was the rightful order of the world. LIKE DAMN.
This was just a lot lol. Damien suffers a lot in the beginning so I expected more relief at the end but the romance is really only in the last 10% …….. it takes that long for feelings to be admitted. I loved this because I love this type of pain, Marina is great at it, but I finished it and felt tired. Exhausted. There wasn’t enough time spent with them as a couple.
I’m rating it 4 stars despite all that because it was moving and it made me feel a lot of things. And knowing Damien is happy now, with his mate, and his pack, well that is worth 4 stars too.
januaryreads's review
4.0
4+ stars, because of how heavy my heart felt for Damien and how much I want him to feel happy and loved. I really wish the next book continued their story, it feels like it’s barely begun. Definitely mind the trigger warnings - especially the first part has some really painful scenes.
This story is very light on the werewolf lore. That didn’t bother me, per se, but I’m struggling to see why that element was added, since the plot didn’t seem to hinge on it in any profound way. Not that I minded, but I’m curious if this aspect will play a bigger role in book two.
Even though the story was somewhat different, a lot of the themes (and the setting, of course) reminded me very much of Wolfsong. This is definitely a mist-read if you loved that book.
This story is very light on the werewolf lore. That didn’t bother me, per se, but I’m struggling to see why that element was added, since the plot didn’t seem to hinge on it in any profound way. Not that I minded, but I’m curious if this aspect will play a bigger role in book two.
Even though the story was somewhat different, a lot of the themes (and the setting, of course) reminded me very much of Wolfsong. This is definitely a mist-read if you loved that book.
oliviak_31's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
e_1234's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75