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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a wonderful representation of mental illness (depression, disordered eating). I adore Bodhi and Jules is so sweet. I love how possessive Jules is and how he doesn't give up on Bodhi. Bodhi's trauma adds to the conflict in the book and breaks my heart. I loved how they met and how persistent Jules became. Their love story was heartbreaking and sweet. Bodhi's friends are gems, too. I am eager to read their stories. I would have liked seeing a little more of Bodhi wanting Jules since it felt a little one sided for a minute there, but overall I loved this book!
Notes: age gap, daddy-ish, ex-best friend's dad, hurt/comfort, mental illness
Notes: age gap, daddy-ish, ex-best friend's dad, hurt/comfort, mental illness
One star for the overall premise and one star for the angst, but wow this was a train wreck
I like Bohdi and Jules story even more than Vaugh and Cam story. Bodhi's story is so emotional. I was so angry at his family and at Ryan. I have never written a note on the highlights I made. But I was so shocked by Ryan's reaction the next day. I'm still not good about it! And then Bohdi apologized in a letter. Who stuck their d*ck in who? It may have been a mistake, but that's one you both made. He knew what kind of problems Bohdi was in. You wiped out his entire safety net with one discussion.
But that aside, it was such an emotional story. And Jules really wants to take care of Bohdi and help Bohdi grow.
But that aside, it was such an emotional story. And Jules really wants to take care of Bohdi and help Bohdi grow.
Wow
I’m not sure the blurb adequately prepares the reader for what they are about to dive into. I read this in one sitting. Should I have done that? Probably not. Could I have stopped myself. NO. I have said this before in reviews, especially in review for Ashley James, it’s the mark of an excellent author when they can make the reader feel what the character is feeling. And it’s not often that I feel those emotions, and there’s not many authors I have found who can do this. But Ashley can. I felt (nearly) every emotion Bohdi felt. I felt Jules’ desperation, heartbreak and rage. My husband asked me multiple times why I was reading a book if it was ‘rough’, but I had to see Bohdi and Jules get their happy ending, but we had to crawl through the trenches first to get there. I keep zoning out while I’m writing this review, and I know this book is going to stay with me for a long time. ABSOLUTELY MIND THE TRIGGER WARNINGS IF YOU HAVE ANY!!!!!! 5 hard won and tear filled stars!
One thing I will point out that made me furious that is spoilery, turn back now if you haven’t read yet
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Ryan absolutely DID NOT deserve any sort of redemption arc. He was a shitty friend, a shitty son, and a shitty person. He knew about the brother and the family the whole time and USED THAT AGAINST BOHDI! Not to mention everything else! I wanted to rage at that point oh my lawd.
I’m not sure the blurb adequately prepares the reader for what they are about to dive into. I read this in one sitting. Should I have done that? Probably not. Could I have stopped myself. NO. I have said this before in reviews, especially in review for Ashley James, it’s the mark of an excellent author when they can make the reader feel what the character is feeling. And it’s not often that I feel those emotions, and there’s not many authors I have found who can do this. But Ashley can. I felt (nearly) every emotion Bohdi felt. I felt Jules’ desperation, heartbreak and rage. My husband asked me multiple times why I was reading a book if it was ‘rough’, but I had to see Bohdi and Jules get their happy ending, but we had to crawl through the trenches first to get there. I keep zoning out while I’m writing this review, and I know this book is going to stay with me for a long time. ABSOLUTELY MIND THE TRIGGER WARNINGS IF YOU HAVE ANY!!!!!! 5 hard won and tear filled stars!
One thing I will point out that made me furious that is spoilery, turn back now if you haven’t read yet
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Ryan absolutely DID NOT deserve any sort of redemption arc. He was a shitty friend, a shitty son, and a shitty person. He knew about the brother and the family the whole time and USED THAT AGAINST BOHDI! Not to mention everything else! I wanted to rage at that point oh my lawd.
“ᴡʜʏ ᴅᴏ ʜɪꜱ ɪᴄʏ ʙʟᴜᴇ ᴇʏᴇꜱ ᴄᴀʀʀʏ ᴀ ʟᴇᴠᴇʟ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴀᴅɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜱʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴄʀɪᴘᴘʟɪɴɢ?”
The prologue had me an emotional mess & then it continued to wreck me. Bodhi is working as a male escort when his newest client turns his whole world upside down; Jules comes into his life like a hurricane & falls hard for Bodhi almost instantly.
Bodhi is struggling with his mental health & an eating disorder when Jules re-enters his life & makes him feel like just maybe he might be worthy of love. It’s never that easy though; he can’t escape his intrusive thoughts & traumatic past no matter how much he shuts himself off from the world. Jules’ life is nowhere near perfect either though; his relationship with his family is fractured & he just needs this one thing for himself. He needs Bodhi.
“ᴛʜᴇ ʙʀᴜɪꜱᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀʀᴋꜱ ʜᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇꜱ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ꜱᴋɪɴ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ᴀʟɪᴠᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰʀᴇᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴍʏ ᴏᴡɴ ᴅᴇᴍᴏɴꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇ ʟɪꜰᴇ. ᴡʜᴇɴ ʜɪꜱ ᴅᴀʀᴋ, ᴇɴᴅʟᴇꜱꜱ ᴇʏᴇꜱ ᴅʀɪɴᴋ ɪɴ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ɪɴᴄʜ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴇ, ɪ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ꜱᴇᴇɴ. ɪ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ᴡᴏʀᴛʜʏ.”
This book really hits you with all the feels. Bodhi’s struggle with self worth & depression felt so raw & Jules’ vulnerability made for some heartbreakingly, beautiful moments. The battle to their HEA both individually & together was well worth every tear.
“ɪ ᴘʀᴏᴍɪꜱᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ’ᴛ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴅʀᴏᴡɴɪɴɢ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴇxɪꜱᴛɪɴɢ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ’ᴛ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴅʏɪɴɢ.”
The prologue had me an emotional mess & then it continued to wreck me. Bodhi is working as a male escort when his newest client turns his whole world upside down; Jules comes into his life like a hurricane & falls hard for Bodhi almost instantly.
Bodhi is struggling with his mental health & an eating disorder when Jules re-enters his life & makes him feel like just maybe he might be worthy of love. It’s never that easy though; he can’t escape his intrusive thoughts & traumatic past no matter how much he shuts himself off from the world. Jules’ life is nowhere near perfect either though; his relationship with his family is fractured & he just needs this one thing for himself. He needs Bodhi.
“ᴛʜᴇ ʙʀᴜɪꜱᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀʀᴋꜱ ʜᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇꜱ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ꜱᴋɪɴ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ᴀʟɪᴠᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰʀᴇᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴍʏ ᴏᴡɴ ᴅᴇᴍᴏɴꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇ ʟɪꜰᴇ. ᴡʜᴇɴ ʜɪꜱ ᴅᴀʀᴋ, ᴇɴᴅʟᴇꜱꜱ ᴇʏᴇꜱ ᴅʀɪɴᴋ ɪɴ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ɪɴᴄʜ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴇ, ɪ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ꜱᴇᴇɴ. ɪ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ᴡᴏʀᴛʜʏ.”
This book really hits you with all the feels. Bodhi’s struggle with self worth & depression felt so raw & Jules’ vulnerability made for some heartbreakingly, beautiful moments. The battle to their HEA both individually & together was well worth every tear.
“ɪ ᴘʀᴏᴍɪꜱᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ’ᴛ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴅʀᴏᴡɴɪɴɢ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴇxɪꜱᴛɪɴɢ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ’ᴛ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴅʏɪɴɢ.”
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated