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jugglingpup's review against another edition
3.0
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
The first book in this duology might just be the best thing I had read all year. This one was meh. This book picks up seconds after the last one ended. If I had read them back to back then I would probably like this one so much more than I did.
My main issue came down to this book was pretty much all about sex. I was bored. I didn’t care about Dex and Nick anymore because pretty much every time they had a chapter there was a sex scene. I can get where those scenes were important buy 100% didn’t care after the first two. It just felt excessive and annoying. If I had read this directly after the other one then I probably would have made it through a few more sex scenes before I was annoyed, because the emotions would have been heightened and it wouldn’t have felt like I was reading an erotica featuring mild plot of another character.
Izzy’s plot was annoying too. So in the last book Izzy comes out as bisexual after having a one night stand with a woman. Cool. I can get behind that and I was loving that she was discovering more about herself, but the issue wasn’t that she was bisexual since she was cool with it. The fact that she was bisexual was a non-issue and it was so damn refreshing. And then, spoiler, she ends up with a man anyway. Some of the other characters ever commented that they expected her to at least be around more women after she came out, instead she got with the guy that had been around the whole time, but had so very little character development in the first book. I was annoyed. I wanted Izzy’s plot to have more women. I wanted there to be more emotions. I wanted anything, but straight sex with inconsistent condom usage.
So another issue I had was the condom usage. I know, I know. This is always an issue for me. There were no condoms at all for oral sex and there was even a scene were one character fed the other his cum. There was oral sex on a woman without a barrier. So constant fluid exchanges. Yet, for any form of anal or vaginal penetration condoms were there. It just annoys me to no end. In the straight sex scene there was even a moment where Izzy goes “well I am on birth control but better safe than sorry”. So the ONLY reason for condom usage is pregnancy in her mind, which doesn’t seem like what she would be thinking or doing. I am just so tired of reading boring sex scenes that are dangerous.
So the moral of this is: if you are going to read the series read the books back to back. It will keep the emotions ramped up and make the second book so much better.
The first book in this duology might just be the best thing I had read all year. This one was meh. This book picks up seconds after the last one ended. If I had read them back to back then I would probably like this one so much more than I did.
My main issue came down to this book was pretty much all about sex. I was bored. I didn’t care about Dex and Nick anymore because pretty much every time they had a chapter there was a sex scene. I can get where those scenes were important buy 100% didn’t care after the first two. It just felt excessive and annoying. If I had read this directly after the other one then I probably would have made it through a few more sex scenes before I was annoyed, because the emotions would have been heightened and it wouldn’t have felt like I was reading an erotica featuring mild plot of another character.
Izzy’s plot was annoying too. So in the last book Izzy comes out as bisexual after having a one night stand with a woman. Cool. I can get behind that and I was loving that she was discovering more about herself, but the issue wasn’t that she was bisexual since she was cool with it. The fact that she was bisexual was a non-issue and it was so damn refreshing. And then, spoiler, she ends up with a man anyway. Some of the other characters ever commented that they expected her to at least be around more women after she came out, instead she got with the guy that had been around the whole time, but had so very little character development in the first book. I was annoyed. I wanted Izzy’s plot to have more women. I wanted there to be more emotions. I wanted anything, but straight sex with inconsistent condom usage.
So another issue I had was the condom usage. I know, I know. This is always an issue for me. There were no condoms at all for oral sex and there was even a scene were one character fed the other his cum. There was oral sex on a woman without a barrier. So constant fluid exchanges. Yet, for any form of anal or vaginal penetration condoms were there. It just annoys me to no end. In the straight sex scene there was even a moment where Izzy goes “well I am on birth control but better safe than sorry”. So the ONLY reason for condom usage is pregnancy in her mind, which doesn’t seem like what she would be thinking or doing. I am just so tired of reading boring sex scenes that are dangerous.
So the moral of this is: if you are going to read the series read the books back to back. It will keep the emotions ramped up and make the second book so much better.
elm's review against another edition
5.0
ALL BOOKS SHOULD BE THIS DIVERSE!!!! no, really! this book integrates complex themes such as sexuality, race, mental health, identity, family, friendship, and belonging so flawlessly, I am OVERWHELMED! why can't all books be like this? it's not that hard!!! anyway, as with the first book this story is very character driven and what a bunch of diverse, relatable, and complex characters they are! I truly felt like I could see a bit of myself in each and every one of them.
the book also doesn't shy away from 'tough' issues. indeed, the way in which the book boldly address the intersectionality of sexuality and race is masterfully done. then there's the way the book talks about identity, belonging and trying to juggle those while also being true to yourself. there's this really memorable line:
"He could cling to his Jewish roots, he could cling to Russia, but nowhere could he see himself reflected as a scared queer boy, because Russia had erased him from history."
I mean.. GOD this line hit me so hard. this is why we need representation!! why we need more books just like this one!! look.. all I'm saying is just ALL AUTHORS NEED TO GET ON LIZ JACOBS' LEVEL. also, everyone should read this series. it's a good one!
the book also doesn't shy away from 'tough' issues. indeed, the way in which the book boldly address the intersectionality of sexuality and race is masterfully done. then there's the way the book talks about identity, belonging and trying to juggle those while also being true to yourself. there's this really memorable line:
"He could cling to his Jewish roots, he could cling to Russia, but nowhere could he see himself reflected as a scared queer boy, because Russia had erased him from history."
I mean.. GOD this line hit me so hard. this is why we need representation!! why we need more books just like this one!! look.. all I'm saying is just ALL AUTHORS NEED TO GET ON LIZ JACOBS' LEVEL. also, everyone should read this series. it's a good one!
brokenrecord's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I liked this, but not as much as the first book. My biggest issue was just that
And it's not that I don't get where Dex is coming from, because I do, especially after his issues with his ex-boyfriend and after just having had a conversation with his mother. But I felt like I was 80% on Nick's side and 20% on Dex's side in the argument when the book expected that I should feel the opposite. And I just kept feeling no one was being fair to Nick. I also just really wanted someone to like… recommend Nick go see a therapist for his anxiety because he was having panic attacks like right and left in the first book, and here he has a panic attack just thinking about coming out to his mom (and I think that's part of why I was so on Nick's side, because I could see how emotionally devastating just the thought of coming out to his mom was). And like, it's great that she kind of came around in the end, but like…… those kinds of anxiety issues generally don't just disappear??? And he also seemed to have a good amount of social anxiety in the first book. I'm just saying, please go to a therapist, Nick (yes I know he's fictional). And I also just felt especially on Nick's side because Dex's reaction was basically just to shut down, refuse to talk about it any more, and abandon him, all the while complaining to people about Nick not wanting to come out when he was not out to LITERALLY one person in his life who lived in an entirely different country, or wondering why Nick wouldn't just say fuck it and come out and live life, when he literally WOULD NOT SIT DOWN IN THE SAME ROOM AS HIM AND ASK HIM THAT QUESTION. I just ended up being so completely frustrated by Dex. And, again, I could be biased, but I guess I just sympathized where Nick was coming from much more than Dex.
Anyways, beyond that, I also felt a bit mixed about the Izzy stuff.
There was still a lot I liked about this book, despite my complaints! I did really love all the family stuff otherwise, I still loved all the characters and friendships. I swear I did like this book, I think it's just that I loved the first one so much, so to have any issues with this one made me much more disappointed than if I'd have had no expectations coming into it.
Spoiler
I was so frustrated by the Dex/Nick semi-break up when Nick's mom and sister visited. I mean, look, I'm never going to be in Dex's position, so it's totally possible that I just don't get it and I'm not being sympathetic enough to his side. But the thing is, they had only been dating a few weeks (maybe a month? The timeline isn't 100% clear) and his mom was only going to be visiting for a few days, and Nick had literally not even been fully out to himself just a month prior. It would be one thing if they had been together a year, or if Nick didn't want to be out to anyone, but it just seemed to me like Dex was overreacting to Nick not wanting to come out to his mom just yet when he was still coming to terms with everything and had literally told everyone else who was at all important to him in his life. Like, he was out to their ENTIRE friend group and his sister, and it's not like his mom was going to be a constant presence that they would have to hide from for weeks — it was literally just a few days! And I also don't think it was unreasonable for Nick to not want to tell his mom just then. Like, is it worth potentially ruining his relationship with his mom before he's emotionally ready to (again, kissing a guy for the first time had sent him into an emotional panic just a couple months prior to this point!!! And Dex completely understood and was sympathetic after that incident!!!) for a relationship that's only a few weeks old and that essentially has an expiration date, which he and Dex hadn't even discussed at that point???And it's not that I don't get where Dex is coming from, because I do, especially after his issues with his ex-boyfriend and after just having had a conversation with his mother. But I felt like I was 80% on Nick's side and 20% on Dex's side in the argument when the book expected that I should feel the opposite. And I just kept feeling no one was being fair to Nick. I also just really wanted someone to like… recommend Nick go see a therapist for his anxiety because he was having panic attacks like right and left in the first book, and here he has a panic attack just thinking about coming out to his mom (and I think that's part of why I was so on Nick's side, because I could see how emotionally devastating just the thought of coming out to his mom was). And like, it's great that she kind of came around in the end, but like…… those kinds of anxiety issues generally don't just disappear??? And he also seemed to have a good amount of social anxiety in the first book. I'm just saying, please go to a therapist, Nick (yes I know he's fictional). And I also just felt especially on Nick's side because Dex's reaction was basically just to shut down, refuse to talk about it any more, and abandon him, all the while complaining to people about Nick not wanting to come out when he was not out to LITERALLY one person in his life who lived in an entirely different country, or wondering why Nick wouldn't just say fuck it and come out and live life, when he literally WOULD NOT SIT DOWN IN THE SAME ROOM AS HIM AND ASK HIM THAT QUESTION. I just ended up being so completely frustrated by Dex. And, again, I could be biased, but I guess I just sympathized where Nick was coming from much more than Dex.
Anyways, beyond that, I also felt a bit mixed about the Izzy stuff.
Spoiler
While we didn't get a lot about Izzy/Nat in the first book, I was into the idea of them, so I was hoping for something here, and then… it turned into nothing. Which is fine! But I was just a bit disappointed. I think I might've needed more of Nat's perspective because her being fine with Izzy/Alex and encouraging them to date or whatever seemed to come more as something that was necessary for plot reasons than because the character had really come to terms with things. And I'm not saying it's impossible for that to have happened, but I just needed more of her perspective for it to feel like a real character choice and not just a plot device. And Alex was definitely sweet, but I guess I wish we had gotten more hints of something between him and Izzy in the first book? I did like the feelings confession, though.There was still a lot I liked about this book, despite my complaints! I did really love all the family stuff otherwise,
Spoiler
both of them meeting and getting along with each other's sibling and meeting each other's family and all that.katherinel's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. It's definitely a part two of the story so you need to read the first installment. Also just a note that there are Russian-English translations at the very end of the book so you don't need to write everything into Google Translate as I did.
sonni89's review against another edition
5.0
Listen, this book is like, 75% sex and I am HERE FOR IT.
Nick and Dex continue to be PERFECT and I loved everything about them. Some disjointed, spoilery thoughts:
I LOVED that Nick and Dex's brother bonded when he visited Dex's family. I loved Zoya a lot and the way she reacted when Nick came out to her. His mom's reaction was heartbreaking and 100% expected, but I'm glad that by the end at least, she tried.
I FUCKING LOVED Nick and Dex at Pride. I definitely cried over the epilogue and Dex getting Nick the book about a gay Russian in the 1900s because Nick was always supposed to exist!! I'm so emotional.
Izzy's story was GREAT and EVERYONE IS IN LOVE WITH IZZY, and why wouldn't they be? She's the bomb.
Honestly, I just love everyone in this share house.
I just adored these two books so, so much, and I'm so glad they exist.
On a technical sidenote, there's a lot of Russian conversation in this and if you don't want to be me and awkwardly google translate the parts you feel you should be understanding - there are translations of the Russian dialogue at the end, but as I was reading this in ebook form, I had no idea.
Nick and Dex continue to be PERFECT and I loved everything about them. Some disjointed, spoilery thoughts:
Spoiler
Oh my god, I was so into every time Nick asked for what he wanted in bed, and how he got more confident as the time went on. I can't believe how many sex scenes there were, and that they were all fundamentally different, but all really hot in their own way.I LOVED that Nick and Dex's brother bonded when he visited Dex's family. I loved Zoya a lot and the way she reacted when Nick came out to her. His mom's reaction was heartbreaking and 100% expected, but I'm glad that by the end at least, she tried.
I FUCKING LOVED Nick and Dex at Pride. I definitely cried over the epilogue and Dex getting Nick the book about a gay Russian in the 1900s because Nick was always supposed to exist!! I'm so emotional.
Izzy's story was GREAT and
Spoiler
I loved how messy the whole Natali situation was, but that it got resolved in the end, but I was DISGUSTINGLY INTO Izzy and Alex. Like, they were so fucking great and such a mess too and I adore them beyond belief, and the moment where it comes out that Alex is into Izzy is EVERYTHING.Honestly, I just love everyone in this share house.
I just adored these two books so, so much, and I'm so glad they exist.
On a technical sidenote, there's a lot of Russian conversation in this and if you don't want to be me and awkwardly google translate the parts you feel you should be understanding - there are translations of the Russian dialogue at the end, but as I was reading this in ebook form, I had no idea.
frogy927's review against another edition
4.0
This was somewhere between three and four stars I guess. The parts of this book that were good were SO GOOD. Which just made the parts of it that didn't work all the more frustrating. Nick and Dex finally got good after the world's slowest start. And everything with Nick and his sister and his mom was amazing. But basically Izzy's entire arc/resolution didn't work for me. Alex was such a non-entity for the first book that when he showed up as the romantic resolution for Izzy I wasn't sure why I was supposed to care. And the second she got a romantic resolution, everything about her screenplay and her mother was dropped. The clearly solution for this book being too long was not to make it into two half-books, but to cut a lot of the slow beginning with Nick and Dex and remove all of Izzy's story to give Nick and Dex their own book. You could have made them junior year. Then give Izzy her own book during senior year which seeds Alex as a romantic interest earlier and gives her some sort of homecoming resolution where she lets her mom read her screenplay.
vae's review against another edition
4.0
Thoroughly enjoyed this - very satisfying follow-up to Abroad. It's very much a book two, though, and wouldn't make any sense if read alone.
I love Izzy so so much. Yay for explicit bisexual representation!
I love Izzy so so much. Yay for explicit bisexual representation!
golem's review against another edition
4.5
The important thing to know about this book is that it has one of the hottest f/f sex scenes AND one of the hottest m/f sex scenes ever written. Everyone take notes.
the_discworldian's review against another edition
5.0
Popsugar 2018 Reading Challenge: A book that’s published in 2018
Okay, same disclaimer as for [b: Abroad: Book One|34605048|Abroad Book One (Abroad, #1)|Liz Jacobs|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492755713s/34605048.jpg|55752493]: I know the author, she's awesome, I can't claim to be unbiased.
That said, if you read the first book, you should absolutely read this one. Same praise as before: the characters are all lovely human beings and the conflict arises naturally from the different personalities and situations rather than anyone actually being a bad person. There isn't an antagonist in this (well, except the two drunken assholes in that one scene, but they're not in it for very long). People who were left wanting more sex scenes after Book One will have plenty here, and instead of slow burn romance we get slow burn conflict. Everyone and everything in this book feels real, and the story itself is satisfying and hopeful. Just read it, k?
Okay, same disclaimer as for [b: Abroad: Book One|34605048|Abroad Book One (Abroad, #1)|Liz Jacobs|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492755713s/34605048.jpg|55752493]: I know the author, she's awesome, I can't claim to be unbiased.
That said, if you read the first book, you should absolutely read this one. Same praise as before: the characters are all lovely human beings and the conflict arises naturally from the different personalities and situations rather than anyone actually being a bad person. There isn't an antagonist in this (well, except the two drunken assholes in that one scene, but they're not in it for very long). People who were left wanting more sex scenes after Book One will have plenty here, and instead of slow burn romance we get slow burn conflict. Everyone and everything in this book feels real, and the story itself is satisfying and hopeful. Just read it, k?