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eesh25's review
3.0
Unlike the fourth book, which was fast-paced and interesting, this one just dragged on and on. And when it ended, I honest-to-god said, "Thank fuck," out loud.
The book started off great. It's about Jon and Brent. Jon is a recently divorced man with a ten-year-old son, who's still trying to adjust to being single after twenty years. Whereas Brent is a 29-year-old former NHL player who was severely injured in a car crash. He's still recovering from his injuries and coming to terms with the end of his career, and that he'll be in chronic pain for the rest of his life and will never gain the mobility that he had.
Both parts of the story were good, and they were done so well. We got to hear about both their struggles. I mean, a divorce after twenty years is bound to be a shock. And severe injuries like Brent's? I loved the care and attention the author devoted to the effects the injuries had on his life and his psyche. Both the characters were also very likable, and they had the sweetest relationship.
The problem arose about halfway through when it started to become more and more obvious how repetitive the book was getting. The characters understandably have doubts, and they think about them often. And a lot of the time, it's the same doubt that's come to haunt them again. We didn't need a long inner monologue reiterating the things we read just a couple of chapters ago. Instead of two pages of the same thing, you could've just alluded to the character's thoughts, that they were the same as before, in a single paragraph. Though really, the book was verbose in general, even when it wasn't repetitive.
You know what this book needed? An editor who could chop off 50 or more pages. And maybe change the conflict toward the end so it wouldn't be so generic.
Speaking of... it wasn't a conflict I haven't read before. And while it might bother me in any other book, here it bothered me a lot. The author had taken so much time to develop a good relationship between the protagonists, and the conflict cheapened that. Not to mention, the amount of time it took for them to realize they weren't just "fuck buddies" was ridiculous.
Overall, a book that would've been better had it not been so occupied with saying the same thing over and over. I was so tired of it by the end. And it'll be a while before I pick up another book by the author.
The book started off great. It's about Jon and Brent. Jon is a recently divorced man with a ten-year-old son, who's still trying to adjust to being single after twenty years. Whereas Brent is a 29-year-old former NHL player who was severely injured in a car crash. He's still recovering from his injuries and coming to terms with the end of his career, and that he'll be in chronic pain for the rest of his life and will never gain the mobility that he had.
Both parts of the story were good, and they were done so well. We got to hear about both their struggles. I mean, a divorce after twenty years is bound to be a shock. And severe injuries like Brent's? I loved the care and attention the author devoted to the effects the injuries had on his life and his psyche. Both the characters were also very likable, and they had the sweetest relationship.
The problem arose about halfway through when it started to become more and more obvious how repetitive the book was getting. The characters understandably have doubts, and they think about them often. And a lot of the time, it's the same doubt that's come to haunt them again. We didn't need a long inner monologue reiterating the things we read just a couple of chapters ago. Instead of two pages of the same thing, you could've just alluded to the character's thoughts, that they were the same as before, in a single paragraph. Though really, the book was verbose in general, even when it wasn't repetitive.
You know what this book needed? An editor who could chop off 50 or more pages. And maybe change the conflict toward the end so it wouldn't be so generic.
Speaking of... it wasn't a conflict I haven't read before. And while it might bother me in any other book, here it bothered me a lot. The author had taken so much time to develop a good relationship between the protagonists, and the conflict cheapened that. Not to mention, the amount of time it took for them to realize they weren't just "fuck buddies" was ridiculous.
Overall, a book that would've been better had it not been so occupied with saying the same thing over and over. I was so tired of it by the end. And it'll be a while before I pick up another book by the author.
jrv45's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This book was repetitive in some aspects as other reviews have said, but I love how that served its own purpose. How often does anyone constantly struggle with the same internal battle especially when it comes to something like chronic pain or imposter syndrome? It’s not a one and done, but frequent and triggered by multiple avenues. So I love that there is a book that speaks to how frequently the same struggles pop up, both with other people but also just within our own heads.
zaza_bdp's review
3.0
Hmmm que dire à propos de ce livre ? Assurément, L.A Witt offre une proposition différente et audacieuse, en mettant en scène un personnage tel que Brent. Aborder de manière aussi frontale et détaillée les conséquences d'un accident de voiture additionné à des années de blessures dues au hockey est assez rare pour être souligné. Brent vit constamment dans la douleur, avec plus ou moins d'intensité, sa mobilité est réduite, il a perdu une partie de son identité et doit se reconstruire, comme il peut. Face à lui, Jon est en pleine crise de la quarantaine post-divorce, lui aussi doit apprendre à vivre sous sa nouvelle "identité" après vingt ans de mariage (avec une femme) et un divorce douloureux.
Donc l'ambiance générale du roman est assez mélancolique, un poil déprimante même, tout tourne autour des douleurs de Brent et de leurs insécurités respectives. Il y a quelques jolis moments, notamment avec les chiens, et globalement, Brent et Jon ont une relation douce et très tranquille.
Je regrette la présence d'un personnage aussi toxique que le père de Brent, très classique dans les histoires avec des héros sportifs, mais ce genre de personnalité m'insupporte au plus haut point.
J'aurais aimé éviter le fameux moment fatidique des 80%, et là, même si c'est compréhensible, ça reste frustrant, d'autant plus qu'on y a droit 2 fois ! Sincèrement, je ne garderai pas un grand souvenir de ce livre, et la romance ne m'a pas fait vibrer du tout, mais je salue l'audace de l'autrice, qui nous fait clairement sortir des sentiers battus .
Donc l'ambiance générale du roman est assez mélancolique, un poil déprimante même, tout tourne autour des douleurs de Brent et de leurs insécurités respectives. Il y a quelques jolis moments, notamment avec les chiens, et globalement, Brent et Jon ont une relation douce et très tranquille.
Je regrette la présence d'un personnage aussi toxique que le père de Brent, très classique dans les histoires avec des héros sportifs, mais ce genre de personnalité m'insupporte au plus haut point.
J'aurais aimé éviter le fameux moment fatidique des 80%, et là, même si c'est compréhensible, ça reste frustrant, d'autant plus qu'on y a droit 2 fois ! Sincèrement, je ne garderai pas un grand souvenir de ce livre, et la romance ne m'a pas fait vibrer du tout, mais je salue l'audace de l'autrice, qui nous fait clairement sortir des sentiers battus .
hazelrayson's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.0
freadomlibrary's review
3.0
Trigger warnings: mentions of divorce, implied homophobia
Actual rating 3.5 stars
It's been a while since I read a book from this series, and since it's Pride Month, I figured it'd be a good time to come back to read more. I liked this one well enough. I think it had really interesting perspective, one of the main characters suffers from chronic pain because of an accident and the other is a single father fresh off a divorce. Their dynamic was really sweet and they had (mostly) well-established communication that I think is great within a story. However, I feel like the writing style was really dense. There was more internal monologue than dialogue which dragged the pacing in my opinion. I think the author could've balanced that out more. Overall though, it was a sweet story that brought me back into the setting of the series.
Actual rating 3.5 stars
It's been a while since I read a book from this series, and since it's Pride Month, I figured it'd be a good time to come back to read more. I liked this one well enough. I think it had really interesting perspective, one of the main characters suffers from chronic pain because of an accident and the other is a single father fresh off a divorce. Their dynamic was really sweet and they had (mostly) well-established communication that I think is great within a story. However, I feel like the writing style was really dense. There was more internal monologue than dialogue which dragged the pacing in my opinion. I think the author could've balanced that out more. Overall though, it was a sweet story that brought me back into the setting of the series.
evethingiread's review
4.0
I just finished book 5 of the Vino & Veritas series by L.A. Witt, titled "Aftermath." The story revolves around Brent and Jon, who meet during a chance encounter at the Vino bar. Brent, a hockey player recovering from a car accident, is grappling with chronic pain and family expectations. Jon, a divorced bisexual man in his 40s, offers comfort and understanding as a massage therapist.
This book stands out in the series as it's longer and delves into heavier themes, focusing on disability, expectations, and insecurities. Witt's exploration of hurt and comfort is evident, but at times, it leans a bit heavily on the hurt, making the push and pull frustrating. The characters decide on a friends-with-benefits arrangement, but soon realize they are way more than that.
Despite feeling a bit on edge and missing a sense of safety, the poignant and beautiful narrative earns it a four-star rating. The depth of the story, especially the scenes involving dog adoption, adds a unique layer to the series. It's the heaviest and most profound story in Vino & Veritas so far, and though it felt intense, I found myself unable to put it down, spending the whole day immersed in the journey of these two men figuring out their lives individually and together.
This book stands out in the series as it's longer and delves into heavier themes, focusing on disability, expectations, and insecurities. Witt's exploration of hurt and comfort is evident, but at times, it leans a bit heavily on the hurt, making the push and pull frustrating. The characters decide on a friends-with-benefits arrangement, but soon realize they are way more than that.
Despite feeling a bit on edge and missing a sense of safety, the poignant and beautiful narrative earns it a four-star rating. The depth of the story, especially the scenes involving dog adoption, adds a unique layer to the series. It's the heaviest and most profound story in Vino & Veritas so far, and though it felt intense, I found myself unable to put it down, spending the whole day immersed in the journey of these two men figuring out their lives individually and together.
becksgoesbookish's review
4.0
The representation of chronic pain and narration was 5 stars, but this book was the exact opposite of the last one in this series and was wayyy too long due to a lot of repetition which did make the pacing of it seem way too slow, and the romance/relationship portion of the plot definitely suffered a bit because of it. It had soooo much potential but just needed a bit of editing imo.
1bookobsessionconfessions's review against another edition
4.0
4.25 Stars
This was such a unique romance in a way I was not expecting.
Both main characters are dealing with past traumas.
They aren’t looking for a serious relationship, and then things just have a way of sneaking up.
That’s all “standard, enjoyable romance.” However, there’s much more happening!
-The physical pain and issues that is brought into the mix was really very refreshing to have in a romance, and handled with respect (my opinion.)
The long term affects of injury and chronic pain on sexuality is important and I really was so impressed with this storyline. (I really got teary-eyed and emotional both in sadness and happiness.)
I enjoyed the tenderness, the kindness and the romance.
That doesn’t mean it’s lacking in steam or heat! It’s not!
I love both of these guys! I was definitely rooting for them!
The deeper things are what shone through for me.
Really different MM romance, loved it!
This was such a unique romance in a way I was not expecting.
Both main characters are dealing with past traumas.
They aren’t looking for a serious relationship, and then things just have a way of sneaking up.
That’s all “standard, enjoyable romance.” However, there’s much more happening!
-The physical pain and issues that is brought into the mix was really very refreshing to have in a romance, and handled with respect (my opinion.)
The long term affects of injury and chronic pain on sexuality is important and I really was so impressed with this storyline. (I really got teary-eyed and emotional both in sadness and happiness.)
I enjoyed the tenderness, the kindness and the romance.
That doesn’t mean it’s lacking in steam or heat! It’s not!
I love both of these guys! I was definitely rooting for them!
The deeper things are what shone through for me.
Really different MM romance, loved it!