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wildatheart1339's review
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Biphobia, Infidelity, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, and Toxic relationship
shaykay's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.5
My first Christmas book of 2023, and it wasn’t bad. It was very steamy, and I needed more plot, but I needed a lot of story to enjoy the book. I read this one in the middle of November, right before everyone started posting and raving about it. I kind of like that I jumped in before the craze hit it, but I still think I'd feel the same way I do now; it just had a lot of steam, and the plot was just on the back burner, and I needed more time with the plot. I do love the play on the title, though. In this one, we have a mistaken identity and some emotional scars that the characters talk about, but since it is a novella, we don’t dive too deep into working on it. In the end, when she learns the truth, she just leaves, and the guys eventually go after her, but I wish they had to grovel more before they get back together. Plus, I wish we had a scene where they met the hockey twin! We never meet Liam in the book, even after the time jump at the end, but we meet her sister. I also liked the ending because it does jump a year, and we get a solid ending and see where they all end up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia and Biphobia
Minor: Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Body shaming, and Infidelity
tguccione's review
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Infidelity, Body shaming, and Fatphobia
spicycronereads's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.5
I thought I knew what I was getting with this book (a quick little holiday read with a lot of spice and some light plot to hold it together), but it surprised me in the way the relationship develops between the two MMC, Leo and Jace. There is some self-reflection and growth that happens after they invite Riley, the FMC, to turn their not-couple into a throuple. The Riley addition is definitely insta-love, but the characters at least seem aware of that.
There isn’t very much plot and what there is is pretty predictable but that is okay because the spice is really why you are there. And the spice is spicy! Seriously. The pansexual MM pairing is already established so we skip right past the angsty buildup to any MM seggs that seems to be typical in the why choose books I have read. And the addition of Riley to become a MMF grouping is simultaneously sweet and hot. There is some k!nk so be sure to check the content warnings. For me it was a nice blend of characters exploring desires and boundaries without being degrading. There is some degradation play but nothing that felt actually degrading, if it is possible to make that distinction. I think it is but I could be deluding myself 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 🫠
Reading this book while out at dinner with my partner was the first time I felt so self-conscious that I had to switch to something else. It didn’t help that we were at a seafood boil restaurant and the guys at the table next to us were loudly sucking the meat out of shellfish. The sounds alongside the spicy reading was *too much* 😂😂😂
In terms of diversity, this book hits a few points. We have plus size representation with Riley, as well as Jace. With Riley, Leo notes she is plump at the beginning of the book and obliquely references her size a few times (sweaty from moving through the airport, the size of barstools, etc). I can’t decide if I like how it was done or if I would have preferred it be more direct. Jace is also thicc and is often described as having a yummy softness that contrasts Leo’s lean muscular build. There is additionally some racial diversity as Jace is Polynesian, from Hawaii.
The book lightly touches on family ostracism and homophobia in professional athletics though both happen off-page. The former is balanced with an emphasis on found family. And the latter with a zero 🦊 attitude. 😂
Overall this book was all I had hoped it would be plus a tiny bit more. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
There isn’t very much plot and what there is is pretty predictable but that is okay because the spice is really why you are there. And the spice is spicy! Seriously. The pansexual MM pairing is already established so we skip right past the angsty buildup to any MM seggs that seems to be typical in the why choose books I have read. And the addition of Riley to become a MMF grouping is simultaneously sweet and hot. There is some k!nk so be sure to check the content warnings. For me it was a nice blend of characters exploring desires and boundaries without being degrading.
Reading this book while out at dinner with my partner was the first time I felt so self-conscious that I had to switch to something else. It didn’t help that we were at a seafood boil restaurant and the guys at the table next to us were loudly sucking the meat out of shellfish. The sounds alongside the spicy reading was *too much* 😂😂😂
In terms of diversity, this book hits a few points. We have plus size representation with Riley, as well as Jace. With Riley, Leo notes she is plump at the beginning of the book and obliquely references her size a few times (sweaty from moving through the airport, the size of barstools, etc). I can’t decide if I like how it was done or if I would have preferred it be more direct. Jace is also thicc and is often described as having a yummy softness that contrasts Leo’s lean muscular build. There is additionally some racial diversity as Jace is Polynesian, from Hawaii.
The book lightly touches on family ostracism and homophobia in professional athletics though both happen off-page. The former is balanced with an emphasis on found family. And the latter with a zero 🦊 attitude. 😂
Overall this book was all I had hoped it would be plus a tiny bit more. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, and Homophobia
k_cardinal05's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Sexual content
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