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retrorodeo's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
3.75
amaldae's review against another edition
3.0
Lovely inclusive no-conflict novel with some very welcome polyamory and kink among the neurodivergents -rep. Everyone is perfectly considerate and benevolent and everything works out just fine, so this is absolutely a comfort read rather than reality. I wanted to know what happens and looked forward to the leads' scenes together, but the writing is clunky enough that I didn't actually want to read this, if that makes sense. The book also doesn't quite strike the balance between informative and entertaining - it's kink 101 but not enough to be useful, yet those scenes are drawn out too much to serve the novel. 3 mostly stars because I very much want soft books like this to exist, 2 for entertainment.
soupwitch86's review against another edition
5.0
I NEEDED THIS. It really warmed my heart and was so much more touching and wholesome and caring than I was expecting. I think at the core this was about caring for yourself and caring for others and moving through trauma. I loved it so much and felt so seen.
kathleenmcg's review against another edition
I could not seem to finish the book. It had great characters. Perhaps it seemed too close to real life. I could not see the two had a future beyond the eight nights. I’ve held on to the book for more than a month. There is a line of three people who have reserved it at the library. I’ll let it go.
jugglingpup's review against another edition
5.0
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
I got an ARC of this book.
If this were a book that I saw on display, I would have picked it up. Look at that cover. There are so many things on it that would draw me in. This is the sort of book I have been waiting my whole queer life to find. The book that is apologetically everything “other” and I am here for it. The characters are fat, Jewish, gender diverse, neurodiverse, kink positive, various sexualities from ace to bi to pan and more. There are submissives and dominants. There are poly families. There are marriages. There are play partners. There are best friends of thirty years.
This book was like coming home and it was exhilarating. I was living for these characters by the end. I am mad at West for creating a world I wish I was a part of as intensely as I wish I could be in this world. This is a world where being queer and fat is seen as attractive and not something to be ashamed of. It is a world where when that shame creeps in there is support. This is a world that encourages people to be happy and healthy in ways that work for them. This is a world that encourages setting boundaries and respecting others. It is a world that makes me miss having a sub of my very own.
There is just so many amazing things about this book that aren’t even the book itself. To start, West included a guide on pronouns and gender identities of the main characters. Gender identity was not used as a “aha gotcha” or as a surprise for titillation. All of the characters were allowed to just be themselves in a way that as a trans person, I can’t praise enough. I am so tired of part of my identity being used to be edgy or different. West’s characters were queer as queer could be, but they were queer because that was exactly who they were. It was not a gimmick, it wasn’t for a diversity checklist. At the end, West included some helpful tips for people writing reviews. Tips that pointed reviewers towards respecting the characters for who they were instead of trying to misgender them to be salacious. I just am over joyed at this level of detail and care. I promise I will get back to the book itself, but I am just so tired of having to be on guard all of the time around trans characters. I am so tired of being treated like a novelty and like someone who barely deserves basic respect, even by authors who are the rock stars and celebrities of my world. To see an author make multiple efforts to make the characters respected for who they were in a way that was very blunt was beyond refreshing and I am just so thankful. I did not fear for bad representation. I didn’t fear that I would be angry at just being a plot device. Not once was being trans a plot device. Not ONCE. My trans heart is so full of love and happiness right now.
Ok, the book. I had exactly one issue with the book. The dialogue is a bit stilted at first. Every character speaks in the same stilted way. There isn’t a lot of flow to it. If it was a character or two, it would have been a character trait, but it was every character. This didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story or the characters, it just made it take a few extra pages to be in love wit them. I actually really liked the way the characters talked to one another. I never questioned motives. I always felt like I was understanding what was being said. So maybe, I don’t have an issue at all. Maybe I am just so unused to being able to understand someone when they speak at this level that it took some getting used to.
Now that my sort of complaining is over, the good. SO MUCH GOOD. This book is kinky. That is not to say that there are whips and chains and sex everywhere. Most of the kink is not sexual. Most of the kink is submission, not pain. This is the sort of kink book I like. The kind that takes time out of the sexy parts to make sure consent is visible and enthusiastic. There are some parts that are clearly not perfect between the characters. There are hurt feelings, there are assumptions. They are people, but the fact that consent is always visible and always a huge part of it never made me fear for anyone’s safety. I was able to just enjoy the story instead of worrying about triggers. If you are concerned about triggers, West includes a list of some triggers at the beginning of the book and even lists what chapters they will be in so you can still enjoy the book. When West sent me the book there was even a link for more information about triggers (have I praised the author enough for the consent and communication yet? Because seriously, I have never seen a book or an author care this much about consent). If you can joke or seriously say that consent is your kink, then this book will have so much for you.
The plot is a slow burn, friends to lovers sort of romance. There were some emotional things that both MCs had to handle and learn from before a healthy relationship could happen. I am happy to find a healthy relationship in a romance. It is so rare. There were so many healthy relationships. I am just over the moon about this book.
Not only were there strong butches and confident femmes, there was room for others. There were trans characters, non-binary characters, and gender queer characters that were all given page time. There were monogamous and polyamorous relationships. There were casual relationships, friendships, and mentor-ships. If you are really into relationship dynamics like I am, then this is just perfection. There was no One True Way for anything. There was a lot of paving new paths and learning. There were so many emotions and so many hard conversations. There was just so much that I loved and I wanted this book to go on forever. I wanted to explore every single relationship that was mentioned. I need more about every single character. I want to know them as well as I know the two MCs. If I begged, maybe there will be a sequel or companion novel.
I could go on forever about why I love this book or you could read it. Please read it. It is queer perfection.
I got an ARC of this book.
If this were a book that I saw on display, I would have picked it up. Look at that cover. There are so many things on it that would draw me in. This is the sort of book I have been waiting my whole queer life to find. The book that is apologetically everything “other” and I am here for it. The characters are fat, Jewish, gender diverse, neurodiverse, kink positive, various sexualities from ace to bi to pan and more. There are submissives and dominants. There are poly families. There are marriages. There are play partners. There are best friends of thirty years.
This book was like coming home and it was exhilarating. I was living for these characters by the end. I am mad at West for creating a world I wish I was a part of as intensely as I wish I could be in this world. This is a world where being queer and fat is seen as attractive and not something to be ashamed of. It is a world where when that shame creeps in there is support. This is a world that encourages people to be happy and healthy in ways that work for them. This is a world that encourages setting boundaries and respecting others. It is a world that makes me miss having a sub of my very own.
There is just so many amazing things about this book that aren’t even the book itself. To start, West included a guide on pronouns and gender identities of the main characters. Gender identity was not used as a “aha gotcha” or as a surprise for titillation. All of the characters were allowed to just be themselves in a way that as a trans person, I can’t praise enough. I am so tired of part of my identity being used to be edgy or different. West’s characters were queer as queer could be, but they were queer because that was exactly who they were. It was not a gimmick, it wasn’t for a diversity checklist. At the end, West included some helpful tips for people writing reviews. Tips that pointed reviewers towards respecting the characters for who they were instead of trying to misgender them to be salacious. I just am over joyed at this level of detail and care. I promise I will get back to the book itself, but I am just so tired of having to be on guard all of the time around trans characters. I am so tired of being treated like a novelty and like someone who barely deserves basic respect, even by authors who are the rock stars and celebrities of my world. To see an author make multiple efforts to make the characters respected for who they were in a way that was very blunt was beyond refreshing and I am just so thankful. I did not fear for bad representation. I didn’t fear that I would be angry at just being a plot device. Not once was being trans a plot device. Not ONCE. My trans heart is so full of love and happiness right now.
Ok, the book. I had exactly one issue with the book. The dialogue is a bit stilted at first. Every character speaks in the same stilted way. There isn’t a lot of flow to it. If it was a character or two, it would have been a character trait, but it was every character. This didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story or the characters, it just made it take a few extra pages to be in love wit them. I actually really liked the way the characters talked to one another. I never questioned motives. I always felt like I was understanding what was being said. So maybe, I don’t have an issue at all. Maybe I am just so unused to being able to understand someone when they speak at this level that it took some getting used to.
Now that my sort of complaining is over, the good. SO MUCH GOOD. This book is kinky. That is not to say that there are whips and chains and sex everywhere. Most of the kink is not sexual. Most of the kink is submission, not pain. This is the sort of kink book I like. The kind that takes time out of the sexy parts to make sure consent is visible and enthusiastic. There are some parts that are clearly not perfect between the characters. There are hurt feelings, there are assumptions. They are people, but the fact that consent is always visible and always a huge part of it never made me fear for anyone’s safety. I was able to just enjoy the story instead of worrying about triggers. If you are concerned about triggers, West includes a list of some triggers at the beginning of the book and even lists what chapters they will be in so you can still enjoy the book. When West sent me the book there was even a link for more information about triggers (have I praised the author enough for the consent and communication yet? Because seriously, I have never seen a book or an author care this much about consent). If you can joke or seriously say that consent is your kink, then this book will have so much for you.
The plot is a slow burn, friends to lovers sort of romance. There were some emotional things that both MCs had to handle and learn from before a healthy relationship could happen. I am happy to find a healthy relationship in a romance. It is so rare. There were so many healthy relationships. I am just over the moon about this book.
Not only were there strong butches and confident femmes, there was room for others. There were trans characters, non-binary characters, and gender queer characters that were all given page time. There were monogamous and polyamorous relationships. There were casual relationships, friendships, and mentor-ships. If you are really into relationship dynamics like I am, then this is just perfection. There was no One True Way for anything. There was a lot of paving new paths and learning. There were so many emotions and so many hard conversations. There was just so much that I loved and I wanted this book to go on forever. I wanted to explore every single relationship that was mentioned. I need more about every single character. I want to know them as well as I know the two MCs. If I begged, maybe there will be a sequel or companion novel.
I could go on forever about why I love this book or you could read it. Please read it. It is queer perfection.
mefrost's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
woolfinbooks's review against another edition
3.5
As a fat queer enby Jew I LOVED the representation! But the sex scenes weren't for me.
romanthiccreader's review against another edition
3.0
The representation in this book is pretty impeccable. It's definitely the redeeming factor in this book. Along with the fully annotated content list. Not just a thorough content warning, but it gives chapter headers for where you can find the content you're look for or trying to stay away from.
There are a lot of pop culture references and allusions in this book. It is very clear that the author has a lot of love and respect for music and movies and books, etc. I love a good allusion. But there's allusion, and then there's just....including lyrics from multiple songs in your book. And they're definitely credited and sourced, they were used respectfully. But... they were over-used in my opinion.
I think the biggest thing for me with this book, is that my expectations were too high for a fun kinky romp through the eight nights of Chanukah. This was definitely a kinky journey during Chanukah. But I certainly wouldn't use the words fun or romp. This book is heavy. These characters that have so much love for one another are holding all of their trauma and insecurities. Their grief and their fears.
It's a lovely story. Leah and Jordan are wonderful main characters. Their friendship is really beautiful. But again, I wanted light hearted kink and that is just not what this book is. I can appreciate what this book is, and I wanted to meet it where it was at. The representation of therapy was beautiful. The communication was beautiful. But ultimately, it just wasn't what I wanted.
cleverusernamehere's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated