Reviews

One Life to Lose by Kris Ripper

scrow1022's review against another edition

5.0

Not exactly spoilers but if you've picked this book up you have to know that there are hard times ahead for our heroes.

Finally got myself to read the tough bits properly instead of just skimming through b/c I CARED SO MUCH about them all I couldn't bear to see them hurt (initial trauma and then secondary). And have read and reread other parts of it multiple times. I think some of the writing in this series is the most lovely of anything I've by Kris, maybe b/c it's first-person? So less like reporting, more emotional. Lovely and heart-wrenching and beautiful - the writing, the story, the characters. Am continuing on in this series just b/c I want more of Cam and Josh and Keith (and well, everyone else too).

leahkarge's review

5.0

Rep: gay MC & LIs, Black LI, polyamory/triad, kinky MC & LIs, mentally ill MC, interracial relationship

Warnings: mental illness (anxiety, social anxiety, PTSD), ableism, suicide mention, hate crimes, assault, slurs, gendered slurs, transmisia/enbymisia, hate speech, abortion mention, child abuse mention

araleith's review

5.0

Goddamn this was a beautiful heart wrenching glorious book. My queer heart is just full of feelings now.

veethorn's review

4.0

This is an excellent series. This particular book has a pretty harrowing scene that deals with some ugly LGBT community issues head-on via a murder story, and it was fairly hard to get through. The book also has a really accurate and vivid portrayal of PTSD.

lottpoet's review against another edition

hopeful reflective 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? No

3.5

golem's review

This is dark but lovely, and it brings the disturbing mystery to a close. The kinky/poly romance is great (just ignore the fact that two of these people are supposed to be in their early 20s--what?), although I'm not sure why there is zero negotiating ahead of time and so much secrecy around what exactly the kinks are. But the book really succeeds at making the HEA/HFN gorgeous and hard-earned without any manufactured conflict--it's just fucking hard to have a poly relationship when everyone has issues/a past and there's homophobic and transphobic violence around you!
Also, the killer's motivations/targets made no sense but I think that was sort of the point? 

ladydewinter's review

5.0

I devoured this (there really is no other word for it) this morning, and I have no words for how much I loved this. Just imagine a whole lot of love, and then some more, and you're halfway there. This was fantastic.

aprillen's review

4.0

Rounded down. This made me cry. I'm not super into murder plots, but this was handled very well, not like a Murder Mystery trope at all, but about how something like that will impact people, both on a very personal level and in how it will affect a community. The kink in this book is definitely not my jam, but poly is, and Cameron may be the character that I relate to the most in this series so far, seeing as he appears to have some definite ASD traits. This also made it kind of excruciating for me. Still loved it, though.

craftyhilary's review

emotional mysterious medium-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

4.0

jce's review

emotional hopeful mysterious

4.0