Scan barcode
layla87's review against another edition
DNF... at 50%
It hurt my heart to do this to a Neve book.. but I just can't get into this book. I tried picking it multiple times, but no dice.
And given that I skimmed through these 50%... it wasn't a good sign.
Reasons:
1. There was a certain shallowness to the book: from the characters to the plot and the connection between the MCs.
2.Tobais... I didn't like him AT ALL.
Tobias who has been working with criminals and dissect their psyche..decided to turn into one practically over night. Not only that, but we didn't actually get into his own Psyche of how and why he wants to kill his clients. For someone with this job, I was expecting someone more logical, rational and smart. I didn't get that here. He was a surface deep character, who was plain annoying for me.
3. The connection...
I didn't buy it. What made them attracted to each other?
4. The sex... the sex scenes read weird for me. I also skimmed them. Me!
I wanted to love this book so bad. Book 2 was one of my faves, Az and Madigan were amazing but these characters, and their book, fell flat for me. High expectations suck.
Sorry!
It hurt my heart to do this to a Neve book.. but I just can't get into this book. I tried picking it multiple times, but no dice.
And given that I skimmed through these 50%... it wasn't a good sign.
Reasons:
1. There was a certain shallowness to the book: from the characters to the plot and the connection between the MCs.
2.Tobais... I didn't like him AT ALL.
Tobias who has been working with criminals and dissect their psyche..decided to turn into one practically over night. Not only that, but we didn't actually get into his own Psyche of how and why he wants to kill his clients. For someone with this job, I was expecting someone more logical, rational and smart. I didn't get that here. He was a surface deep character, who was plain annoying for me.
3. The connection...
I didn't buy it. What made them attracted to each other?
4. The sex... the sex scenes read weird for me. I also skimmed them. Me!
I wanted to love this book so bad. Book 2 was one of my faves, Az and Madigan were amazing but these characters, and their book, fell flat for me. High expectations suck.
Sorry!
bronwynheeley's review against another edition
4.0
i really enjoyed this book.
i liked both MC's, that they were very different and because of that it worked, hell, might have been the only reason it did, one being so ridged while the other going where life took him. I did feel however, or maybe I wanted something a little more from Toby, a realisation from him even if it didn't change the outcome of the whole book.
i don't believe you need to read the series in order to read this book, but it would def help know who at least Tobias is and who the handful of other characters that came into the book, and how they played into the world, as it isn't explained but I also don't think it's necessary to know.
I'm really looking forward to more, if or when they decide to write them (the end note says they are)
i liked both MC's, that they were very different and because of that it worked, hell, might have been the only reason it did, one being so ridged while the other going where life took him. I did feel however, or maybe I wanted something a little more from Toby, a realisation from him even if it didn't change the outcome of the whole book.
i don't believe you need to read the series in order to read this book, but it would def help know who at least Tobias is and who the handful of other characters that came into the book, and how they played into the world, as it isn't explained but I also don't think it's necessary to know.
I'm really looking forward to more, if or when they decide to write them (the end note says they are)
kaitlin_durante's review against another edition
4.0
This opposites attract duo had me from page one.
I loved how weird Toby was and how laid back Soren was.
These two make a great pair even as they do some highly questionable thing.
Add in getting my fix of the other two couples from the first book and this all adds up to something very enjoyable.
I loved how weird Toby was and how laid back Soren was.
These two make a great pair even as they do some highly questionable thing.
Add in getting my fix of the other two couples from the first book and this all adds up to something very enjoyable.
joanag's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
kristinafh's review against another edition
3.0
Best of the series so far.
This reminded me of Moonstruck.
3.5
This reminded me of Moonstruck.
3.5
haletostilinski1's review against another edition
4.0
I think...that this was my least favorite installment of the series so far.
That's not to say I didn't like it. I actually quite enjoyed it most of the time. I thought Tobias and Soren's chemistry was pretty good and I liked their connection, for the most part.
But I just didn't quite feel it as much as I felt it between the first two couples. Maybe it was because of Tobias was written - he was interesting, but I don't think the "psychopath or sociopath" angle quite worked in this one, or just wasn't written quite write. It's interesting because with Onley James in another of her books, there was a sociopath character and the romance, the character, it worked really well in that installment.
In this one...not quite as much. It was hard for me to connect with Tobias for awhile because of how unfeeling he was. He just didn't quite...feel human, I think? And if I'm reading romance, there had to be some human connection, ya know?
Eventually we get that, we get Tobias feelings all the feelings for Soren and not knowing what to do with it, but still, at first, before he start to feel those things, it was hard to connect with him as a character.
I also wish we had gotten more on Soren. He still felt like a little bit of a mystery, even by the end of this. I really liked and enjoyed his character, but still, I wanted to know more about him. Was Soren his real name? How old was he? How long had he been an assassin, how long had be been retired? What was his childhood like that made him become a killer?
I just wish we had gotten to know him more, so I left feeling like I didn't quite 100% know his character, when I wanted to.
I felt like this story was very Tobias oriented. Which is fine, because I actually really grew to like Tobias as a character, and to see him fall in love with someone for the first time in his life, to let his walls down. But I wish it had been more even, that we could have gotten more of a balance between the focus between the two.
It felt like, at first, that Soren was there for Tobias more than he was there with Tobias, if that makes any sense?
That changed as these two become more of a unit, but that doesn't change how at first it felt like Tobias was the MC and Soren was almost secondary. I wanted him, for a good portion of this, to feel like an equal player. He did, eventually, but not at first.
Also I dunno what it is, but for some reason I'm cool reading with assassin characters most of the time, but characters who actually want to kill, desire to do it, is harder for me to deal with. Don't get me wrong, Tobias was certainly Dexter-esque, and only ever killed or wanted to kill very bad people. But he still had a certain bloodlust that made me uncomfy sometimes. Assassins are usually just assassins for money, it's very quick, impersonal, 'doing what I have to' type feel, that I guess in fiction I can disassociate that. But when someone *wants* to kill badly, it's just...yeah, uncomfortable.
But, Tobias being Dexter-esque really saved his character for me. He was capable of love. He was capable of lust, attraction, fear. He could feel things, even if it's just for one person, and he never wanted to kill innocent people. He wasn't a psychopath. Maybbeee a sociopath, idk. Either way, once we got more into his character and he become more than just an unfeeling guy who thought he himself was a psychopath, he became a more interesting character, and one I liked.
The plot didn't feel like a whole lot other than Soren teaching Tobias to kill properly, but these two, once they came into their own as characters and got together, really sold this book for me.
So overall, not my favorite of the series, but still pretty solid overall with a fun main couple who had great chemistry.
Still good enough that I recommend it, but for sure a weaker installment in this series, in my opinion.
Still give it two thumbs up, though!
That's not to say I didn't like it. I actually quite enjoyed it most of the time. I thought Tobias and Soren's chemistry was pretty good and I liked their connection, for the most part.
But I just didn't quite feel it as much as I felt it between the first two couples. Maybe it was because of Tobias was written - he was interesting, but I don't think the "psychopath or sociopath" angle quite worked in this one, or just wasn't written quite write. It's interesting because with Onley James in another of her books, there was a sociopath character and the romance, the character, it worked really well in that installment.
In this one...not quite as much. It was hard for me to connect with Tobias for awhile because of how unfeeling he was. He just didn't quite...feel human, I think? And if I'm reading romance, there had to be some human connection, ya know?
Eventually we get that, we get Tobias feelings all the feelings for Soren and not knowing what to do with it, but still, at first, before he start to feel those things, it was hard to connect with him as a character.
I also wish we had gotten more on Soren. He still felt like a little bit of a mystery, even by the end of this. I really liked and enjoyed his character, but still, I wanted to know more about him. Was Soren his real name? How old was he? How long had he been an assassin, how long had be been retired? What was his childhood like that made him become a killer?
I just wish we had gotten to know him more, so I left feeling like I didn't quite 100% know his character, when I wanted to.
I felt like this story was very Tobias oriented. Which is fine, because I actually really grew to like Tobias as a character, and to see him fall in love with someone for the first time in his life, to let his walls down. But I wish it had been more even, that we could have gotten more of a balance between the focus between the two.
It felt like, at first, that Soren was there for Tobias more than he was there with Tobias, if that makes any sense?
That changed as these two become more of a unit, but that doesn't change how at first it felt like Tobias was the MC and Soren was almost secondary. I wanted him, for a good portion of this, to feel like an equal player. He did, eventually, but not at first.
Also I dunno what it is, but for some reason I'm cool reading with assassin characters most of the time, but characters who actually want to kill, desire to do it, is harder for me to deal with. Don't get me wrong, Tobias was certainly Dexter-esque, and only ever killed or wanted to kill very bad people. But he still had a certain bloodlust that made me uncomfy sometimes. Assassins are usually just assassins for money, it's very quick, impersonal, 'doing what I have to' type feel, that I guess in fiction I can disassociate that. But when someone *wants* to kill badly, it's just...yeah, uncomfortable.
But, Tobias being Dexter-esque really saved his character for me. He was capable of love. He was capable of lust, attraction, fear. He could feel things, even if it's just for one person, and he never wanted to kill innocent people. He wasn't a psychopath. Maybbeee a sociopath, idk. Either way, once we got more into his character and he become more than just an unfeeling guy who thought he himself was a psychopath, he became a more interesting character, and one I liked.
The plot didn't feel like a whole lot other than Soren teaching Tobias to kill properly, but these two, once they came into their own as characters and got together, really sold this book for me.
So overall, not my favorite of the series, but still pretty solid overall with a fun main couple who had great chemistry.
Still good enough that I recommend it, but for sure a weaker installment in this series, in my opinion.
Still give it two thumbs up, though!
virgo_reader's review
4.0
This cover does not do JUSTICE to Dr. Eastman. He reminds me of Tyler Oakley. ACK.
Anyway, I am shedding a tiny tear because this is my last Onley James book (besides 1 standalone that’s not available on KU). And it totally holds up!
We met Dr. Tobias Eastman in book 2 of this series - he’s the psychologist to psychopaths, but we learn there’s more than meets the eye to his bland, doctor persona. Something Soren, an assassin, picks up on immediately.
Again, this book felt very different from Onley’s usual books because there wasn’t insta-love or “you’re mine”. They were unwillingly attracted to one another.
And you know I love when there’s a pet side character. MANTIS!!
Anyway, I am shedding a tiny tear because this is my last Onley James book (besides 1 standalone that’s not available on KU). And it totally holds up!
We met Dr. Tobias Eastman in book 2 of this series - he’s the psychologist to psychopaths, but we learn there’s more than meets the eye to his bland, doctor persona. Something Soren, an assassin, picks up on immediately.
Again, this book felt very different from Onley’s usual books because there wasn’t insta-love or “you’re mine”. They were unwillingly attracted to one another.
And you know I love when there’s a pet side character. MANTIS!!
manda24176's review
5.0
Head Games
Toby and Soren
These two were something. Totally wasn't expecting the doctors history and his personality to be the way it was. It was super intriguing. I loved Sorens confidence and the way he knew he wanted Toby. Loved having all the guys and Sadie together helping each other and just being "family". Wish there was more books to come. Sadie needs her story told!!
Toby and Soren
These two were something. Totally wasn't expecting the doctors history and his personality to be the way it was. It was super intriguing. I loved Sorens confidence and the way he knew he wanted Toby. Loved having all the guys and Sadie together helping each other and just being "family". Wish there was more books to come. Sadie needs her story told!!