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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Yes, this series is still exciting and interesting for me.
slow-paced
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I feel like these reviews are getting less and less organized as I go through this series. Possibly because I find myself caring less and less about what's happening (because nothing fucking is until the last 2% of the stupid book).
So this time I'm just gonna leave you with a list of my thoughts a I read through this.
1. Interesting that in Chapter 1 of book 3 Laura admits that she has been neglecting Milo and Ollie--just like I said in my review of book 2. At least she (or perhaps the author?) is self-aware.
2. Apparently these families run by different rules than the rest of American society. A "legal adult" in this weird poli-power-cult is 16, not 18. I'd like to know how that works legally. Because despite them being in weird relationships they're still living in the United States. I'm assuming that means they still pay taxes, and have to abide by US laws. How has nobody figured out that Laura has just moved in with a house full of boys, only ONE of which is a legal adult? How does that dynamic work, seeing as the boys all have their own parents who don't live with them. Like what's the story they give their school? How have the police not been called for a wellness check or whatever?
And what about Laura's mobile home? The landlord has seemed more and more suspicious of her and her mother and the guys loitering around for the past 2 books, but in this one nobody's even thought twice about the trailer park or about the dude who runs it. Why hasn't he called the cops yet? There just seems like so much is missing from this story from a world building standpoint.
If you're going to make up arbitrary rules and put a 'family' together consisting of 80% minors, put them in a country where it makes sense legally.
3. We FINALLY see Laura begin to train with the power that arcs between her and the guys. I guess it's about time. Her abilities are still somewhat vague, and we don't really know why they have these powers or what they use them for, but at least we're not outright ignoring this aspect of the story anymore. Hooray progress.
4. The MM part of this MMFM scenario is back in play, finally. There was some speculation in book 1 that Milo and Ollie might be <i>together</i> together, but in book 2 there was NOTHING of the sort to suggest they were anything more than friends. Ollie's been heavily flirting with Laura. I guess the author finally remembered she'd intended to make a gay(ish) couple out of a pair of the boys. Nothing happens other than a couple make-out sessions, but still. Milo does confess to loving Ollie--and in the same breath, admits he DOESN'T love Laura. "That doesn't mean I don't care about <i>you</i>!" yeah, okay bud.
At this point I'm just wondering why Milo exists in this group. We're 3/4s the way through this whole series and he hasn't even gotten CLOSE to bonding with Laura yet.
5. The sex between Laura and Ares is so fucking awkward. I almost died of second-hand embarrassment. I've never hated virgin sex more. I hate that it took like 4 long-ass chapters of weird awkward blurted questions only for Laura to have the most painful first time I've ever read. I really don't wanna read about a girl being in so much pain she's crying and the dude just dribbling apologies as he fucks her. It's so goddamned uncomfortable.
And let's not forget that Ares is in his twenties and Laura's still a minor. There's at LEAST 6 years between them. I'm still having an awkward time controlling the ick I got seeing them together. And of course it figures that Ares is the clear front-runner and Laura's favorite of the 4 young men. More on this later.
6. It's wild that there's virtually NO searching for Laura's mom in this book. Sure Dante and Ares fly to Idaho to do some talking to Leon's family, but literally nothing comes of that. I wish we'd gotten a multi-POV book where we followed Dante/Ares in their negotiations or whatever. It would have helped us get a clearer view of this 'community' they exist in and the political and social machinations that go on. Instead, this trip was a convenient ploy by the author to get Laura's 2 favorite boys out of the way so she was forced to bond with Ollie and at least attempt to be friendly toward Milo, who she's still fucking neglecting.
And of course, the whole time the group's separated, all she does is fret and worry and want to call Dante/Ares. Fuck Ollie and Milo needing and craving her time and attention. 😒🙄
7. Laura ONLY tells Ares she loves him. He's also the only one she sleeps with. She's CONSTANTLY talking about how hot he is, constantly ogling his ass or his pecks or his abs. She doesn't do much of this with any of the others. The favoritism is strong with this one.
And this is what I hate most about RH stories. Inevitably, the girl has a favorite dude. I have yet to come across a book like this where the woman truly loves all her men equally. She always neglects one and favors another. And if there's any others in the mix, they fall somewhere in the middle, neither fawned over, nor ignored. It's stupid. I don't wanna feel bad for a dude because his soulmate clearly doesn't give a shit about him because she's already got so much dick to deal with she can't handle them all.
Authors need to pay more attention to this when they choose to write RH stories. It's pretty clear that the Shadow Daddy is Albany Walker's favorite (isn't he always????? SOOOO original).
8. Why does Laura have to wait until she's 18 to get a driver's license? She's American. They're in America. It's 16 here. Again, you need to understand the rules of the land you set your story in.
9. Honest to God, 40% of Laura's dialogue is just "Where's [one of the boys' names]?" It's usually Ares. She only fucking cares about Ares.
10. They spend a stupid amount of time searching for, buying, moving into, and redesigning their new house. Like, 10 chapters at least revolve around this subject alone. I've never been more bored as I was reading whole ass chapters of them buying paint and then painting a wall and then redesigning a kitchen.
11. At least the ending was interesting. Sort of sad Leon ran like a coward, though. I expected way more out of a supervillain than a "you'll be sorry!" before scurrying off. Any other book would have at least had him kidnap Laura. Maybe even leaving her mom behind to explain to the boys what happened. And again, ALL of the plot happens in the very last chapter--about 3-4 pages from the very end of the book.
Sigh. I wish I had more to say about this book, but honestly, it's the worst of the bunch yet. I'm miffed at the Ares-favoritism, miffed that there's ZERO plot, STILL, 3 books into a 4 book series, miffed that we wasted so much time on stupid boring shit like a fancy dinner and a home-reno.
But if I've gotten this far, I guess I might as well finish the series.
Although now that I'm 75% of the way through this whole story, I think I can confidently say that this is virtually the exact same story as the Broken Bonds (by J. Bree) series. The stories are <i>eerily</i> similar. Like if I were Walker, I'd consider a lawsuit similar. I'd say Walker copied Bree, but Walker DID get to this story-line first. By about 2 years. So perhaps Bree read this series and thought she could improve on it. And in some ways, she did--and I actually sort of hated that series too, lol.
So this time I'm just gonna leave you with a list of my thoughts a I read through this.
1. Interesting that in Chapter 1 of book 3 Laura admits that she has been neglecting Milo and Ollie--just like I said in my review of book 2. At least she (or perhaps the author?) is self-aware.
2. Apparently these families run by different rules than the rest of American society. A "legal adult" in this weird poli-power-cult is 16, not 18. I'd like to know how that works legally. Because despite them being in weird relationships they're still living in the United States. I'm assuming that means they still pay taxes, and have to abide by US laws. How has nobody figured out that Laura has just moved in with a house full of boys, only ONE of which is a legal adult? How does that dynamic work, seeing as the boys all have their own parents who don't live with them. Like what's the story they give their school? How have the police not been called for a wellness check or whatever?
And what about Laura's mobile home? The landlord has seemed more and more suspicious of her and her mother and the guys loitering around for the past 2 books, but in this one nobody's even thought twice about the trailer park or about the dude who runs it. Why hasn't he called the cops yet? There just seems like so much is missing from this story from a world building standpoint.
If you're going to make up arbitrary rules and put a 'family' together consisting of 80% minors, put them in a country where it makes sense legally.
3. We FINALLY see Laura begin to train with the power that arcs between her and the guys. I guess it's about time. Her abilities are still somewhat vague, and we don't really know why they have these powers or what they use them for, but at least we're not outright ignoring this aspect of the story anymore. Hooray progress.
4. The MM part of this MMFM scenario is back in play, finally. There was some speculation in book 1 that Milo and Ollie might be <i>together</i> together, but in book 2 there was NOTHING of the sort to suggest they were anything more than friends. Ollie's been heavily flirting with Laura. I guess the author finally remembered she'd intended to make a gay(ish) couple out of a pair of the boys. Nothing happens other than a couple make-out sessions, but still. Milo does confess to loving Ollie--and in the same breath, admits he DOESN'T love Laura. "That doesn't mean I don't care about <i>you</i>!" yeah, okay bud.
At this point I'm just wondering why Milo exists in this group. We're 3/4s the way through this whole series and he hasn't even gotten CLOSE to bonding with Laura yet.
5. The sex between Laura and Ares is so fucking awkward. I almost died of second-hand embarrassment. I've never hated virgin sex more. I hate that it took like 4 long-ass chapters of weird awkward blurted questions only for Laura to have the most painful first time I've ever read. I really don't wanna read about a girl being in so much pain she's crying and the dude just dribbling apologies as he fucks her. It's so goddamned uncomfortable.
And let's not forget that Ares is in his twenties and Laura's still a minor. There's at LEAST 6 years between them. I'm still having an awkward time controlling the ick I got seeing them together. And of course it figures that Ares is the clear front-runner and Laura's favorite of the 4 young men. More on this later.
6. It's wild that there's virtually NO searching for Laura's mom in this book. Sure Dante and Ares fly to Idaho to do some talking to Leon's family, but literally nothing comes of that. I wish we'd gotten a multi-POV book where we followed Dante/Ares in their negotiations or whatever. It would have helped us get a clearer view of this 'community' they exist in and the political and social machinations that go on. Instead, this trip was a convenient ploy by the author to get Laura's 2 favorite boys out of the way so she was forced to bond with Ollie and at least attempt to be friendly toward Milo, who she's still fucking neglecting.
And of course, the whole time the group's separated, all she does is fret and worry and want to call Dante/Ares. Fuck Ollie and Milo needing and craving her time and attention. 😒🙄
7. Laura ONLY tells Ares she loves him. He's also the only one she sleeps with. She's CONSTANTLY talking about how hot he is, constantly ogling his ass or his pecks or his abs. She doesn't do much of this with any of the others. The favoritism is strong with this one.
And this is what I hate most about RH stories. Inevitably, the girl has a favorite dude. I have yet to come across a book like this where the woman truly loves all her men equally. She always neglects one and favors another. And if there's any others in the mix, they fall somewhere in the middle, neither fawned over, nor ignored. It's stupid. I don't wanna feel bad for a dude because his soulmate clearly doesn't give a shit about him because she's already got so much dick to deal with she can't handle them all.
Authors need to pay more attention to this when they choose to write RH stories. It's pretty clear that the Shadow Daddy is Albany Walker's favorite (isn't he always????? SOOOO original).
8. Why does Laura have to wait until she's 18 to get a driver's license? She's American. They're in America. It's 16 here. Again, you need to understand the rules of the land you set your story in.
9. Honest to God, 40% of Laura's dialogue is just "Where's [one of the boys' names]?" It's usually Ares. She only fucking cares about Ares.
10. They spend a stupid amount of time searching for, buying, moving into, and redesigning their new house. Like, 10 chapters at least revolve around this subject alone. I've never been more bored as I was reading whole ass chapters of them buying paint and then painting a wall and then redesigning a kitchen.
11. At least the ending was interesting. Sort of sad Leon ran like a coward, though. I expected way more out of a supervillain than a "you'll be sorry!" before scurrying off. Any other book would have at least had him kidnap Laura. Maybe even leaving her mom behind to explain to the boys what happened. And again, ALL of the plot happens in the very last chapter--about 3-4 pages from the very end of the book.
Sigh. I wish I had more to say about this book, but honestly, it's the worst of the bunch yet. I'm miffed at the Ares-favoritism, miffed that there's ZERO plot, STILL, 3 books into a 4 book series, miffed that we wasted so much time on stupid boring shit like a fancy dinner and a home-reno.
But if I've gotten this far, I guess I might as well finish the series.
Although now that I'm 75% of the way through this whole story, I think I can confidently say that this is virtually the exact same story as the Broken Bonds (by J. Bree) series. The stories are <i>eerily</i> similar. Like if I were Walker, I'd consider a lawsuit similar. I'd say Walker copied Bree, but Walker DID get to this story-line first. By about 2 years. So perhaps Bree read this series and thought she could improve on it. And in some ways, she did--and I actually sort of hated that series too, lol.
Sleep, shower, eat, some sexy times, buy a dress, watch movies, eat, move to a house, eat, drink, more reaaaaally long and boring sexy times, eat, and then some actual action for the last ten pages or so.
And I am done. Do people actually want to read about what characters order at some Mexican restaurant? Or which pieces of furniture and paint colors they pick for their new house? What? Asking seriously here. Why would you want to read about any of that?
I'm so glad that Milo got tossed a tiny bone in this book, but even that moment had to be tainted by Laura's unnecessary anger towards Milo's and Ollie's previous relationship encounters. I get that Laura is/was this clueless virgin who has zero idea how human beings operate, but I'm done giving the character chances. Here's a tip: instead of approaching every situation with immediate anger, caution, fear, doubt, or whatever else Laura cooks up in her tiny mind, why not have her be open to new experiences, and perhaps actually talking to people before jumping to six different conclusions and arguments, or just running away because she can't even.
I'm not rating this book, because clearly it is just not for me. Apologies for my crappy tone - I'm honestly mostly just confused as to why anyone would care to read about someone like Laura.
And I am done. Do people actually want to read about what characters order at some Mexican restaurant? Or which pieces of furniture and paint colors they pick for their new house? What? Asking seriously here. Why would you want to read about any of that?
I'm so glad that Milo got tossed a tiny bone in this book, but even that moment had to be tainted by Laura's unnecessary anger towards Milo's and Ollie's previous relationship encounters. I get that Laura is/was this clueless virgin who has zero idea how human beings operate, but I'm done giving the character chances. Here's a tip: instead of approaching every situation with immediate anger, caution, fear, doubt, or whatever else Laura cooks up in her tiny mind, why not have her be open to new experiences, and perhaps actually talking to people before jumping to six different conclusions and arguments, or just running away because she can't even.
I'm not rating this book, because clearly it is just not for me. Apologies for my crappy tone - I'm honestly mostly just confused as to why anyone would care to read about someone like Laura.
This book begins with Laura mastering her new paranormal abilities. She is extraordinary, not getting just one ability but instead being able to use her partner's supernatural talents. Oh, we finally get some more steamy scenes, and I'm surprised by who bonds next and who seems to resist and why. I love the gentle way the author brought in the male-on-male action but still kept it very young adult. So far, all the steamy scenes are hot but very clean and not overly descriptive.
This book goes from steamy young adults to sizzling new adults very quickly. Things change quickly for them as they venture toward their newly found independence. We start to see a family structure Laura comes into her own finally. Milo is a bit more apprehensive than I expected, and I'm surprised by how the book goes and his fear of the infinity. This book seems like a dreamy paradise for this reverse harem group.
Laura has come a long way since book one, and I can't wait to see what happens next. I'm shocked by the end of the story and love that she became a heroine. This book ends on a cliffhanger.
This book goes from steamy young adults to sizzling new adults very quickly. Things change quickly for them as they venture toward their newly found independence. We start to see a family structure Laura comes into her own finally. Milo is a bit more apprehensive than I expected, and I'm surprised by how the book goes and his fear of the infinity. This book seems like a dreamy paradise for this reverse harem group.
Laura has come a long way since book one, and I can't wait to see what happens next. I'm shocked by the end of the story and love that she became a heroine. This book ends on a cliffhanger.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes