Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Don't Judge by A.E. Via

1 review

galleytrot's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

FIRST READ: Dec 2022
SECOND READ: Jan 2023
FORMAT: Audio 

SUMMARY: 
In this action/romance we leave the Atlanta PD for a bounty hunt. Michaels blames himself for letting a felon (and the drugs) get away during a narcotics bust, and when God calls in Judge to track the man down, Michaels volunteers to join to ensure a clean arrest. Judge doesn’t do partners, and Michaels just wants to get his man – neither expects for their infuriating company to develop into something more. 

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 4.5 / 5 ⭐
This is a pretty standard enemies-to-lovers trope where the two main characters are immediately attracted to one another and aren’t exactly happy about it. The sexual tension is high from the start, and I was very into the chemistry between the two. Their relationship develops over the course of the hunt, with Judge acting as a willing outlet for Michaels’ frustrations and Michaels showing Judge that he’s capable of connecting with someone again, despite his past. The spice level between the two is perfectly up my alley and I was here for all of it. 

I have to say about Michaels’ character – he is not the Michaels that we are introduced to in the previous book. He is depressed, he is anxious, he is alone, and he is chock full of pent-up emotions with only one way to get that cathartic release – through aggressive behaviour. I can see why some people may be turned off of his depiction in this book, but in my case... he is me. I can relate to Michaels in all the worst ways, and so I grabbed on to this story and its progression with an intensity that I can’t really describe. His despondence in both the first and third ‘acts’ of the book hit extremely close to home; I felt it deep in my soul. 

TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: 4 / 5⭐
This is the fourth installment of the “Nothing Special” series, the second series of Via’s that I have gone through. I don’t usually enjoy m/m romance series, because “Oops, All Gay!” takes me out of it in the worst way. This series is no exception – I simply can’t suspend my disbelief when everyone within a community just happens to be gay/bi/demi. If it’s established that they’re a community because of their orientations (e.g., they all previously connected to each other at a gay bar), then that’s one thing. This series is not that at all. 

Despite that, I have greatly enjoyed each installment of this series so far, both for the characters represented and the stories they each tell; even if I might wish they could feel a bit more standalone. This particular installment gets some breathing room by taking the story onto the road and away from the department. 

I listened to the “Nothing Special #1-5 box set” audiobook version of this, and it has introduced me to Aiden Snow as a narrator. I’m greatly taken by his performance, he does an excellent job with the spicier scenes, and his voices are versatile and distinct. Once I was done the whole box set, I immediately replayed “Don’t Judge” because I wanted to hear it again!

FINAL THOUGHTS - OVERALL: 4.25 / 5⭐ 
I recommend this book to anyone who might like their romance on the aggressive side between two Alpha Big Dogs with Something to Prove. If you like Via’s other works, there’s a good chance you’ll like this one, too. If you like canine sidekicks, this book does a (mostly) decent job of portraying the dog as a dog! That’s not praise I’m willing to give very often!

This book doesn’t offer much representation in diversity.

The following elaborates on my content warnings. These may be interpreted as spoilers, but I do not go into deep detail. 
This book contains: struggles with depression and anger management; chronic/terminal illness leading to a death; physical brutality (fighting, use of brass knuckles, struggling against an attacker); the use of alcohol to numb the feels; gun violence (a given, as the main character is a marksman/sniper); and, the use of additional force against someone already in custody.
 
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