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steviiee's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
painfully slow burn but so worth it. my heart is destroyed and I just love nix and maxim
Content Warnings
Minor: Grief
readingwithrylanne's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
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? No
4.0
I don't tend to read the synopses of books before diving into them; I usually pick up a book based on the author, reviews, tropes, or morbid curiosity. This book was not what I was expecting at all, especially in terms of the cliffhanger. I absolutely loved Lennix and Maxim both together and as individuals. They are both strong characters, always fighting for their beliefs and driven to do what is right for their communities. The spice was off the charts in this book as well, but I think it worked so well because the two characters had such strong chemistry from the first time they met. This book spans almost fifteen years, which I thought might feel choppy but actually flowed nicely. A couple of times, my attention started to wane, but the plot or characters always pulled me back in. I'm almost scared to see what happens in book 2, but I'm also very excited about it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Grief
rosie_valadez's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexual content, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, and Colonisation
Minor: Hate crime, Misogyny, and Murder
lisacanteven's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
fast-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
4.5
This book was amazing. I loved every single thing about it except the virgin trope which, bc of religious trauma and purity culture, I now hate. However if anyone can do a virginity trope it is Kennedy Ryan. Of course the reason behind the the FMC's virginity was because of connections she made to her Native culture. Kennedy did this so respectfully, so that is my reasoning for giving it a 4.5 rounded up to a 5.
I loved the rawness of this relationship while still showing and mentioning the important things like therapy, politics, and realistic goals. I am so happy to read a heathy political/activism romance that the characters are on the same side of issues that I am. This book was a breath of fresh air after getting stuck in a romance rut from all the rom-coms I've been reading lately. I needed grit for a cause.
I loved the rawness of this relationship while still showing and mentioning the important things like therapy, politics, and realistic goals. I am so happy to read a heathy political/activism romance that the characters are on the same side of issues that I am. This book was a breath of fresh air after getting stuck in a romance rut from all the rom-coms I've been reading lately. I needed grit for a cause.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Colonisation
ashleycmms's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Colonisation
Minor: Gun violence, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
koistyfishy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
2 Amsterdam Stars ⭐
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5
I am not the right reader for this book. I know that might sound like an excuse but every single problem I have with this book is because it does exactly the opposite of what I am looking for in a romance. It felt like pulling teeth as I progressed through the pages. The only thing that made me see the light at the end of the tunnel was that this was a relatively quick read and that I was doing this as a buddy read. Which meant I could bitch and moan the whole time about every single aspect that frustrated and irritated me to be four corners of the Earth.
This book is a second-chance romance that follows Lennix and Maxim. It starts with Lennix as a 17-year-old leading a protest to boycott a new oil pipe being laid on native American land. However, the protest becomes heated and the police are called in, bringing in attack dogs and tear gas. On the sidelines of this protest, we find the owner of the pipeline Mr Cade, who brought his son to discuss his future. Maxim notices Lennix, is moved by her profound speech and decides to run into the protest to protect her from being bitten by a dog. They share a brief connection and then part ways. A couple of years later they coincidentally reunite in Amsterdam, where they have a ridiculously romantic week filled with passion, romance and everything sweet that you could imagine. The only problem is, throughout all of this, Maxim has not told her that he is the son of the man she hates most. So when situations happen and she finds out about it, she cannot forgive Maxim for lying.
Now the reason I was not the right reader for this book is I prefer reading books where I can escape reality. There are a lot of issues in this world. A lot of things need visibility, need support, need volunteers and voices to highlight those causes and make a difference. However, I don't want to read a book and be reminded about those situations. I am reading a romance book to escape that life.
Unfortunately, this book has three main aspects that are very prevalent in today's society. It felt like I was reading the news, instead of reading the romance. The first aspect was the Native American plight and the loss of their heritage. Now, while Kennedy Ryan did a very clinical and detailed approach on how she broached the subject of Lennix coming of age and the lack of awareness of missing Native American women, it felt too clinical and detached. It was bordering on an info dump and while trying to ensure that no aspect was missed, in being so careful it was lacking emotion and I battled to connect to it.
The second aspect is the plot is heavily influenced by climate change and the war against natural fossil fuels versus green energy, and this is already a big social debate in today's society... But I don't want to read about those global issues in a romance. I'd rather pick up a newspaper or a scientific journal. I don't want them littered in the pages of a romance and causing conflicts in the book.
The Third Aspect is POLITICS! I am not American...I don't follow American politics or how their presidential campaigns work. Again - I AM NOT THE RIGHT READER FOR THIS BOOK...as this HEAVILY INFLUENCES THE PLOT AND I COULDN'T CARE LESS!
The only thing that made this book good was Maxim. He was the biggest green flag I have ever seen. If he was waving one, you would see it from space! He is perfect and sweet and thoughtful, and I adore him. He was an excellent character and carried the book.
Lennix was a frustration in human form. She was so hypocritical, so too minded and frankly, borderline childish and immature. I wanted to climb into the pages and physically slap some sense into her. I called the main conflict ages before it happened and could feel my anger bubbling to the surface BEFORE it transpired on the page. In the juxtaposition of all the ACTUAL world issues, this book tries to HIGHLIGHT it was such a small and insignificant issue.
The weight of issues just didn't pan out. Somebody who is that passionate about doing the right thing should very easily be able to realize that a person is not their family and actions speak louder than words or bloodlines. And the fact that it took so long for her to realize that she forgave him and when she finally did realize this, brushed it off as an excuse instead of apologizing for the complete and utter child she was.
So overall, I will not be picking up the second book. I did not enjoy this and it wasn't the type of book for me.
Trope Summary:
▶ Second Chance Romance
▶ Virgin FMC
▶ Age Gap
▶ Dual POV
▶ Dual Timeline
▶ Instalove to Enemies to Lovers
▶ Social Issue Representation (Native American Issues, Climate Change and Politics)
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5
I am not the right reader for this book. I know that might sound like an excuse but every single problem I have with this book is because it does exactly the opposite of what I am looking for in a romance. It felt like pulling teeth as I progressed through the pages. The only thing that made me see the light at the end of the tunnel was that this was a relatively quick read and that I was doing this as a buddy read. Which meant I could bitch and moan the whole time about every single aspect that frustrated and irritated me to be four corners of the Earth.
This book is a second-chance romance that follows Lennix and Maxim. It starts with Lennix as a 17-year-old leading a protest to boycott a new oil pipe being laid on native American land. However, the protest becomes heated and the police are called in, bringing in attack dogs and tear gas. On the sidelines of this protest, we find the owner of the pipeline Mr Cade, who brought his son to discuss his future. Maxim notices Lennix, is moved by her profound speech and decides to run into the protest to protect her from being bitten by a dog. They share a brief connection and then part ways. A couple of years later they coincidentally reunite in Amsterdam, where they have a ridiculously romantic week filled with passion, romance and everything sweet that you could imagine. The only problem is, throughout all of this, Maxim has not told her that he is the son of the man she hates most. So when situations happen and she finds out about it, she cannot forgive Maxim for lying.
Now the reason I was not the right reader for this book is I prefer reading books where I can escape reality. There are a lot of issues in this world. A lot of things need visibility, need support, need volunteers and voices to highlight those causes and make a difference. However, I don't want to read a book and be reminded about those situations. I am reading a romance book to escape that life.
Unfortunately, this book has three main aspects that are very prevalent in today's society. It felt like I was reading the news, instead of reading the romance. The first aspect was the Native American plight and the loss of their heritage. Now, while Kennedy Ryan did a very clinical and detailed approach on how she broached the subject of Lennix coming of age and the lack of awareness of missing Native American women, it felt too clinical and detached. It was bordering on an info dump and while trying to ensure that no aspect was missed, in being so careful it was lacking emotion and I battled to connect to it.
The second aspect is the plot is heavily influenced by climate change and the war against natural fossil fuels versus green energy, and this is already a big social debate in today's society... But I don't want to read about those global issues in a romance. I'd rather pick up a newspaper or a scientific journal. I don't want them littered in the pages of a romance and causing conflicts in the book.
The Third Aspect is POLITICS! I am not American...I don't follow American politics or how their presidential campaigns work. Again - I AM NOT THE RIGHT READER FOR THIS BOOK...as this HEAVILY INFLUENCES THE PLOT AND I COULDN'T CARE LESS!
The only thing that made this book good was Maxim. He was the biggest green flag I have ever seen. If he was waving one, you would see it from space! He is perfect and sweet and thoughtful, and I adore him. He was an excellent character and carried the book.
Lennix was a frustration in human form. She was so hypocritical, so too minded and frankly, borderline childish and immature. I wanted to climb into the pages and physically slap some sense into her. I called the main conflict ages before it happened and could feel my anger bubbling to the surface BEFORE it transpired on the page. In the juxtaposition of all the ACTUAL world issues, this book tries to HIGHLIGHT it was such a small and insignificant issue.
The weight of issues just didn't pan out. Somebody who is that passionate about doing the right thing should very easily be able to realize that a person is not their family and actions speak louder than words or bloodlines. And the fact that it took so long for her to realize that she forgave him and when she finally did realize this, brushed it off as an excuse instead of apologizing for the complete and utter child she was.
So overall, I will not be picking up the second book. I did not enjoy this and it wasn't the type of book for me.
Trope Summary:
▶ Second Chance Romance
▶ Virgin FMC
▶ Age Gap
▶ Dual POV
▶ Dual Timeline
▶ Instalove to Enemies to Lovers
▶ Social Issue Representation (Native American Issues, Climate Change and Politics)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexual content, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Police brutality, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Misogyny
what_karla_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
4.5/ stars
3/5 spice
Fair warning... it ends on a cliffhanger. I had no idea and wasn't prepared. Besides that, OMG, this book was emotionally charged and had a great plot. The cliffhanger sets up the next book for some serious drama.
Tropes:
Insta lust
Soulmates
Political intrigue
Social justice
Secret identity
Friends to Lovers to Enemies to Lovers
Indigenous heroine
Non-toxic alpha MMC
Dual POV
Lennix and Maxim are true soulmates but have to go through so much before finally embracing their love. They both are ambitious in their pursuit of their goals and are the epitome of "right person, wrong time." Their story spans 14 years. Which, in my opinion, works well. Allowing them to grow as individuals and achieve their goals. Other than their romance, the political and social issues discussed were integrated very well. There are so many important topics that even if there wasn't romance and spice, I would recommend this book.
Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
Trigger/Content warnings:
Mentions violence against Indigenous women (MMIW), death of a parent, sexual content
3/5 spice
Fair warning... it ends on a cliffhanger. I had no idea and wasn't prepared. Besides that, OMG, this book was emotionally charged and had a great plot. The cliffhanger sets up the next book for some serious drama.
Tropes:
Insta lust
Soulmates
Political intrigue
Social justice
Secret identity
Friends to Lovers to Enemies to Lovers
Indigenous heroine
Non-toxic alpha MMC
Dual POV
Lennix and Maxim are true soulmates but have to go through so much before finally embracing their love. They both are ambitious in their pursuit of their goals and are the epitome of "right person, wrong time." Their story spans 14 years. Which, in my opinion, works well. Allowing them to grow as individuals and achieve their goals. Other than their romance, the political and social issues discussed were integrated very well. There are so many important topics that even if there wasn't romance and spice, I would recommend this book.
Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
Trigger/Content warnings:
Mentions violence against Indigenous women (MMIW), death of a parent, sexual content
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Grief and Death of parent
casserole_cg's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Colonisation
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Rating: 3/5 stars
I read the All the King’s Men duology as a buddy read with some close friends in December, and the buddy read commentary was EXCELLENT. Unfortunately, it was also much better than the books for me.
Lennix and Maxim come from very different worlds, but a chance encounter puts them on a collision course that spans decades.
I didn’t like the time jumps and the initial age gap was super creepy, but I did appreciate the Native American representation. The ending was bonkers, and not in a good way.
If you don’t mind heavy political overtones (and can ignore factual errors) and want something with tons of drama, you may enjoy these more. I know I do have friends who love them!
CW: Violence; kidnapping; trauma; grief
I read the All the King’s Men duology as a buddy read with some close friends in December, and the buddy read commentary was EXCELLENT. Unfortunately, it was also much better than the books for me.
Lennix and Maxim come from very different worlds, but a chance encounter puts them on a collision course that spans decades.
I didn’t like the time jumps and the initial age gap was super creepy, but I did appreciate the Native American representation. The ending was bonkers, and not in a good way.
If you don’t mind heavy political overtones (and can ignore factual errors) and want something with tons of drama, you may enjoy these more. I know I do have friends who love them!
CW: Violence; kidnapping; trauma; grief
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief and Injury/Injury detail
michelle_my_belle's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying and Cursing
Minor: Trafficking, Stalking, and Murder