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becksgoesbookish's review
3.0
This is my third LA Witt book and every time about half way in I remember that their writing style just isn’t for me. But I keep hoping the next book will be different so that’s on me.
The writing is just way too repetitive and the plots too sluggishly slow. Sentences will be repeated back to back with the word order changed, eg: “It’s been a few weeks since XYZ happened. Since XYZ happened a few weeks ago…”
It also almost felt like we spent way too much time being told about their time apart bc of hockey, and then they’d have planned meet ups, but we were just told about them in the past and not shown them on page. I get that it’s probably more realisticly aligned with the grueling nhl schedule, but also it’s fiction so I’m willing to bend reality a bit more so they can spend more time together on page.
Honestly Keith really deserved better all around. I guess it all works out in the end but also kinda not really. And that is the delicate balance that is required in poly books that just wasn’t fully realized for me in this one.
Also even though it’s a story told in 3 POV’s Nick J Russo narrates 2 characters, so it was sometimes difficult keeping track of who was who. I’d have preferred if one narrator did all 3 characters, as it seemed odd to have 2 narrators for 3 characters.
The writing is just way too repetitive and the plots too sluggishly slow. Sentences will be repeated back to back with the word order changed, eg: “It’s been a few weeks since XYZ happened. Since XYZ happened a few weeks ago…”
It also almost felt like we spent way too much time being told about their time apart bc of hockey, and then they’d have planned meet ups, but we were just told about them in the past and not shown them on page. I get that it’s probably more realisticly aligned with the grueling nhl schedule, but also it’s fiction so I’m willing to bend reality a bit more so they can spend more time together on page.
Honestly Keith really deserved better all around. I guess it all works out in the end but also kinda not really. And that is the delicate balance that is required in poly books that just wasn’t fully realized for me in this one.
Also even though it’s a story told in 3 POV’s Nick J Russo narrates 2 characters, so it was sometimes difficult keeping track of who was who. I’d have preferred if one narrator did all 3 characters, as it seemed odd to have 2 narrators for 3 characters.
mynameisprerna's review against another edition
3.0
Review:
Like the previous book, I felt like there were some weird issues with unnecessary repetitiveness throughout the book.
I also found the pacing of the first half of the book to be really slow. And not “oh I can’t wait to see how this unfolds” slow. More like “this is unbearable, please get to the fucking point” slow.It’s of course clear that the three MCs will end up together, but getting there was painfully dragging on.
That said, I did appreciate some of the ways the characters discussed being in a poly relationship, and some of the ways they struggled, despite what they wanted or what they believed to be true.
Not to compare this to another book, but I thought about Can’t Say Goodbye by Eden Finley a lot as I read this. In that book (spoiler for that book…) Brady, Kit, and Prescott are together, and there is a scene where Brady’s family is meeting them all for the first time. Brady’s brother is sitting with Prescott and they see Brady and Kit kiss…
“Doesn’t that ever make you jealous?” Peyton asks.
“Nope. They make each other happy. How could I deny two people I care about that kind of feeling?” I shrug. “One of them or both of them will show me affection later. We don’t keep score.”
Spoiler for this book: Anyway, I thought about that as I was reading this book, more than anyone else, Kith seemed to embody that philosophy, and I think Justin really wanted to but struggled the most with it because he perpetually saw himself as a third wheel, mostly because he had convinced himself he was anti-love. This was especially interesting because, in a lot of ways, the other two seemed to see Justin as the hinge in their collective relationship.
I also found the pacing of the first half of the book to be really slow. And not “oh I can’t wait to see how this unfolds” slow. More like “this is unbearable, please get to the fucking point” slow.
That said, I did appreciate some of the ways the characters discussed being in a poly relationship, and some of the ways they struggled, despite what they wanted or what they believed to be true.
Not to compare this to another book, but I thought about Can’t Say Goodbye by Eden Finley a lot as I read this. In that book (spoiler for that book…)
“Doesn’t that ever make you jealous?” Peyton asks.
“Nope. They make each other happy. How could I deny two people I care about that kind of feeling?” I shrug. “One of them or both of them will show me affection later. We don’t keep score.”
Spoiler for this book:
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3: Good, middle of the road. Redeeming qualities tip the scale past bad.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 4: Brown Girl Spicy (Multiple descriptive and detailed open door scenes; smut may be very prominent but it does not overtake plot)
Perspective: first
Tense: past
POV: multiple
Source: Library (Hoopla)
kaennomai's review
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.25
oddgreyhound's review
it jus never caught my attention. the polycule was uncomfortable to read, and the way the characters thought was too samey.. it felt like selfcest between 3 copies of the same person
too many sec scenes abd too little actual development
too many sec scenes abd too little actual development
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Homophobia
inkstndfngrs's review
2.0
Oof! This book was a *slog* to get through!!
I was hopeful and excited about the triad dynamic, but in all honesty: it really wasn’t done in what felt like a respectful way toward the actual polyamory community. I think the author dropped the ball on a lot of possibilities in showcasing how polyamory can (and does) work for many folks.
Once again, there was also a metric shit ton of drama for drama’s sake. And all of that drama was *constantly repeated* over and over and over… I don’t need to be beat over the head with each of these guy’s trauma!!
There was also just a lot of fucking nonsense! Like “most of the pictures of Justin are blurry because he’s so fast!” …If we can capture a still photo of a hummingbird, we can photograph Justin. Don’t be fucking stupid. And why on EARTH would you create a whole unique season structure just for the fucking hell of it?? Grab two actual NHL season schedules and figure it out! Also, correlate the teams to ACTUAL NHL cities. Don’t think I didn’t notice that too (Oakland previously was home to the Golden Seals, but that is a huuuuge throwback and you basically just tried to pretend like you know hockey history…).
And with 3 dueling perspectives, I had a hell of a time telling who was talking, until names were mentioned. There really wasn’t a lot separating these characters for me. Once again: they all struck me more as “women with penises”. Can men be sensitive and have emotional feelings?? Yes, of course. But they don’t *deal* with those feelings the same way women do, and all of the reactionary and avoidance happening in this book was very *female brain*.
My last complaint was how Keith’s coming out to his parents was handled. In that…it wasn’t. That could have been such a *good* dramatic inclusion and instead it was just boring. No growth anywhere. Massively disappointing.
I don’t like making assumptions about authors, but I am going to take a guess that LA Witt is not part of the polyamory community, nor does she seem to be any flavor or queer. That is generally ignored by other cishet folks who read queer fiction, but it’s hard to dismiss as someone who is in that demographic.
So, while I am apparently a masochist and will get around to reading the next in this series (it can’t be worse than this, right?? I shouldn’t jinx myself. I’ve been burned before), I am just really disappointed. Like I said before: if the author would do some research, stop saying complete fucking bullshit, talk to some actual gay & polyam people, and you know…just be better, this could have been an amazing story. Witt has enough experience under her belt at this point, she should be a good story teller. Instead, I get this… ugh.
Also, if the author HAD done the research, she would know that you shorten polyamorous to polyam (this seems to be the preference for many) or polya. Polynesian folks have been asking us to *not* shorten to “poly” since at least 2016. It’s a respect thing. Please update your language if you’re going to write a book representing a community and a relationship structure that relies on communication.
Just…do better, please?
I was hopeful and excited about the triad dynamic, but in all honesty: it really wasn’t done in what felt like a respectful way toward the actual polyamory community. I think the author dropped the ball on a lot of possibilities in showcasing how polyamory can (and does) work for many folks.
Once again, there was also a metric shit ton of drama for drama’s sake. And all of that drama was *constantly repeated* over and over and over… I don’t need to be beat over the head with each of these guy’s trauma!!
There was also just a lot of fucking nonsense! Like “most of the pictures of Justin are blurry because he’s so fast!” …If we can capture a still photo of a hummingbird, we can photograph Justin. Don’t be fucking stupid. And why on EARTH would you create a whole unique season structure just for the fucking hell of it?? Grab two actual NHL season schedules and figure it out! Also, correlate the teams to ACTUAL NHL cities. Don’t think I didn’t notice that too (Oakland previously was home to the Golden Seals, but that is a huuuuge throwback and you basically just tried to pretend like you know hockey history…).
And with 3 dueling perspectives, I had a hell of a time telling who was talking, until names were mentioned. There really wasn’t a lot separating these characters for me. Once again: they all struck me more as “women with penises”. Can men be sensitive and have emotional feelings?? Yes, of course. But they don’t *deal* with those feelings the same way women do, and all of the reactionary and avoidance happening in this book was very *female brain*.
My last complaint was how Keith’s coming out to his parents was handled. In that…it wasn’t. That could have been such a *good* dramatic inclusion and instead it was just boring. No growth anywhere. Massively disappointing.
I don’t like making assumptions about authors, but I am going to take a guess that LA Witt is not part of the polyamory community, nor does she seem to be any flavor or queer. That is generally ignored by other cishet folks who read queer fiction, but it’s hard to dismiss as someone who is in that demographic.
So, while I am apparently a masochist and will get around to reading the next in this series (it can’t be worse than this, right?? I shouldn’t jinx myself. I’ve been burned before), I am just really disappointed. Like I said before: if the author would do some research, stop saying complete fucking bullshit, talk to some actual gay & polyam people, and you know…just be better, this could have been an amazing story. Witt has enough experience under her belt at this point, she should be a good story teller. Instead, I get this… ugh.
Also, if the author HAD done the research, she would know that you shorten polyamorous to polyam (this seems to be the preference for many) or polya. Polynesian folks have been asking us to *not* shorten to “poly” since at least 2016. It’s a respect thing. Please update your language if you’re going to write a book representing a community and a relationship structure that relies on communication.
Just…do better, please?
juliekroberts's review
4.0
I might be being slightly generous with my rating here, it’s probably only a 3.5 star but I’ll round up, after all Nick J Russo is one of my favourite narrators and he voiced 2 of the MCs. I’m not usually a fan of poly romances, but I actually quite liked this one. It would have been awful for someone to have been left out.
yazaleea's review
3.0
This is like a 2.5 stars... I wanted to love this so badly but I didn't and it makes me sad and a lil angry. I think Witt's books just aren't for me. It was all so frustrating, and the writing so repetitive. The romance felt like it was not moving until it just leaped into I love yous, and I just like my love stories a bit more developed.
So yeah, kudos for the poly concept, but the execution was disappointing.
So yeah, kudos for the poly concept, but the execution was disappointing.
hmmm_ireadthatsomewhere's review
First DNF of the year.
DNF - 50%
Justin & Keith & Shawn
Just blah. Can even exactly explain why this book is bad. We're just friends. *Friend* gets with someone else. But I love him now. I want him. Rinse and repeat. They were all the same person, very thin characters.
DNF - 50%
Justin & Keith & Shawn
cliffordainia's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25