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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
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:
Yes
OMG! Was I supposed to cry so much during this? My heart broke for Brute. I wanted to kick Darius or whatever his name was in the junk. Actually, I wanted to hurt every single person that hurt Brute.
Then there's Gray. Poor Gray. Locked up for a crime .
Brute and the dreams :( Brute with Itan :( Could my heart hurt anymore? I am not sure.
I would like to know
I do NOT read historical books. They just don't do it for me with the "Lord" this and the "Your Highness" that and the whole hierarchy of people. It pisses me off. But reading about Tellomer was interesting. The whole having to pay for baths. The use of an outhouse. Drinking ale at every meal. Currency differences. The handmade clothes/shoes/etc. It was interesting. I got over the pretentiousness of the whole thing towards the middle.
Then there's Gray. Poor Gray. Locked up for a crime
Spoiler
he didn't even really commitBrute and the dreams :( Brute with Itan :( Could my heart hurt anymore? I am not sure.
I would like to know
Spoiler
why Gray was losing his stutter around Aric once they got to know each other.I do NOT read historical books. They just don't do it for me with the "Lord" this and the "Your Highness" that and the whole hierarchy of people. It pisses me off. But reading about Tellomer was interesting. The whole having to pay for baths. The use of an outhouse. Drinking ale at every meal. Currency differences. The handmade clothes/shoes/etc. It was interesting. I got over the pretentiousness of the whole thing towards the middle.
Just wonderful
The evolution of Brute and his discovery of inner strength and love as he and Grey get to know each other is such a touching story. Lower spice but the characters and plot kept me very engaged. A lovely near-fairytale.
The evolution of Brute and his discovery of inner strength and love as he and Grey get to know each other is such a touching story. Lower spice but the characters and plot kept me very engaged. A lovely near-fairytale.
What a journey. I'd only heard positive things about this book, and I was not disappointed.
The pacing, writing, characters, world-building, and relationships throughout this book were lovely. And everything served a purpose to move Brute's story along.
And what a beautiful journey Brute had. It had soft love, inner healing, realizing one's worth, friendship, queer romance, disabilities, courage, magic, and heart.
I loved Brute and Grey, I loved he world, I loved how these two healed each other by loving each other.
I can't recommend this book enough. 5/5 stars.
The pacing, writing, characters, world-building, and relationships throughout this book were lovely. And everything served a purpose to move Brute's story along.
And what a beautiful journey Brute had. It had soft love, inner healing, realizing one's worth, friendship, queer romance, disabilities, courage, magic, and heart.
I loved Brute and Grey, I loved he world, I loved how these two healed each other by loving each other.
I can't recommend this book enough. 5/5 stars.
Fairy tale like, and Brute was of course the sweetest, most empathetic hero despite having nothing but poor treatment for most of it. Some choices I disagreed with, like the heavy description of pains but not of pleasures. The ending was quite abrupt as well. Well written tho!
This was a heartwarming sweet story.
Loved it start to finish ❤️
Loved it start to finish ❤️
4 Stars because.... despite the fact that I had some issues with this, I really couldn't put it down.
Brute is a sweet gentle giant. He is maybe a little too perfect and self-sacrificing? But I was okay with it because I'm a sucker for a tortured hero.
The plot was giving cozy fantasy vibes. It is maybe a little cliche and there were some subplots that felt a little... unfinished? But overall it was sweet, and it worked.
I really liked the love interest as well, and I liked the two as a couple, but as far as the relationship development, it just kind of felt like something was missing.
Brute is a sweet gentle giant. He is maybe a little too perfect and self-sacrificing? But I was okay with it because I'm a sucker for a tortured hero.
The plot was giving cozy fantasy vibes. It is maybe a little cliche and there were some subplots that felt a little... unfinished? But overall it was sweet, and it worked.
I really liked the love interest as well, and I liked the two as a couple, but as far as the relationship development, it just kind of felt like something was missing.
Brute is a different romance right from the moment. Brute isn’t suave or beautiful. Gray has disabilities. It knocks the genre on its side and I liked that. In fact, I really liked this book. Brute sounds like he suffers from acromegaly and giantism, being as the back cover says ‘seven and half feet of ugly.’ He’s a lonely man, paying for the occasionally whore and even they don’t really want to be with him.
Working as a manual laborer, Brute makes a split second decision when Prince Aldfrid goes over a cliff. He saves the prince but loses a hand in the process. Aldfrid repays Brute with a job at the castle, to guard one prisoner, a supposed traitor and witch, Gray. Gray is kept chained and half starved in the cell.
Brute quickly finds out why most guards leave this duty quickly. Blind and handicapped with a severe stutter, Gray can see perfectly and speak fluently in his dreams, all of them prophetic and each a dream of death. For a man like Brute, death holds little fear and he does something the other guards didn’t; he gets to know Gray.
And then they fall in love. Brute has two goals then, to free Gray and to help lift his curse, even if he doesn’t get a happily ever after with him. Brute sees his time with Gray as the best in his life. Gray gets to know the man, Aric, behind the brute and has his solace in what they have in his prison tower, so much so, he’s not sure Aric’s plans for flight.
In some ways, it’s hard to see a HEA ending for this (spoiler, have no fear there). Aric/Brute and Gray are very likeable characters and it’s easy to root for them. It’s a good read.
Working as a manual laborer, Brute makes a split second decision when Prince Aldfrid goes over a cliff. He saves the prince but loses a hand in the process. Aldfrid repays Brute with a job at the castle, to guard one prisoner, a supposed traitor and witch, Gray. Gray is kept chained and half starved in the cell.
Brute quickly finds out why most guards leave this duty quickly. Blind and handicapped with a severe stutter, Gray can see perfectly and speak fluently in his dreams, all of them prophetic and each a dream of death. For a man like Brute, death holds little fear and he does something the other guards didn’t; he gets to know Gray.
And then they fall in love. Brute has two goals then, to free Gray and to help lift his curse, even if he doesn’t get a happily ever after with him. Brute sees his time with Gray as the best in his life. Gray gets to know the man, Aric, behind the brute and has his solace in what they have in his prison tower, so much so, he’s not sure Aric’s plans for flight.
In some ways, it’s hard to see a HEA ending for this (spoiler, have no fear there). Aric/Brute and Gray are very likeable characters and it’s easy to root for them. It’s a good read.
3.5 rounded up
Overall, I quite enjoyed this one. I thought the story was really heartwarming and unique, and I loved reading a romance with main characters who aren't super hot or traditionally attractive. I really loved Brute, the background characters were well-rendered, and the overall story was interesting. There was just... something about the book that niggled at me and didn't quite turn this into a love, and I have a hard time placing my finger on it. Something about the transition of Grey and Brute's relationship from friends to lovers felt a bit sudden and rushed, maybe? And there were a few others things that didn't quite feel satisfying, like the mostly off-screen smut. IDK, it was still quite good, and I'd definitely recommend, if only for the uniqueness of the read.
Merged review:
3.5 rounded up
Overall, I quite enjoyed this one. I thought the story was really heartwarming and unique, and I loved reading a romance with main characters who aren't super hot or traditionally attractive. I really loved Brute, the background characters were well-rendered, and the overall story was interesting. There was just... something about the book that niggled at me and didn't quite turn this into a love, and I have a hard time placing my finger on it. Something about the transition of Grey and Brute's relationship from friends to lovers felt a bit sudden and rushed, maybe? And there were a few others things that didn't quite feel satisfying, like the mostly off-screen smut. IDK, it was still quite good, and I'd definitely recommend, if only for the uniqueness of the read.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this one. I thought the story was really heartwarming and unique, and I loved reading a romance with main characters who aren't super hot or traditionally attractive. I really loved Brute, the background characters were well-rendered, and the overall story was interesting. There was just... something about the book that niggled at me and didn't quite turn this into a love, and I have a hard time placing my finger on it. Something about the transition of Grey and Brute's relationship from friends to lovers felt a bit sudden and rushed, maybe? And there were a few others things that didn't quite feel satisfying, like the mostly off-screen smut. IDK, it was still quite good, and I'd definitely recommend, if only for the uniqueness of the read.
Merged review:
3.5 rounded up
Overall, I quite enjoyed this one. I thought the story was really heartwarming and unique, and I loved reading a romance with main characters who aren't super hot or traditionally attractive. I really loved Brute, the background characters were well-rendered, and the overall story was interesting. There was just... something about the book that niggled at me and didn't quite turn this into a love, and I have a hard time placing my finger on it. Something about the transition of Grey and Brute's relationship from friends to lovers felt a bit sudden and rushed, maybe? And there were a few others things that didn't quite feel satisfying, like the mostly off-screen smut. IDK, it was still quite good, and I'd definitely recommend, if only for the uniqueness of the read.