Reviews

"No. Please, no apologies. I can't bear you thinking that this is your fault. If you were free to choose, you'd never choose this, and isn't that what we are? Not what other people make us, but our choices when we are free to make them? Let's not apologise to each other about this. Let's just... as you say. Take care of each other."

It's a hurt-comfort story; lots of hurt in the past and lots of comfort in the present, which is definitely my cup of tea. The writing is absolutely beautiful and at the beginning I thought this was definitely gonna be one of my favorite comfort reads. It's very low angst and it follows the journey of Isak's healing from traumatic bond with his previous (deceased) husband.

I loved both characters and how it started: Isak, a wounded sould, and Emil who has no idea what's going on, but who is so respectful, caring and gentle towards his husband. But I have to admit that I didn't quite feel chemistry between them and the switch in Emil's approach at the very beginning was a bit abrupt (

He avoided Isak at first because he didn't want to get married, but then when he realized the wedding was gonna happen whether he liked it or not - which he told Isak as well - he just suddenly became mesmerized by Isak, showering him with love and compliments

). But I actually didn't even mind this so much; Emil did say he just wants to be a good husband, so I sort of saw it as him just trying to put effort into bonding with his husband, and I was looking forward to them falling in love with each other as they eventually get to know each other better. But Emil appears lovestruck in the same way from the beginning to the end, so it ended up feeling just like insta-love. But again, I did enjoy both characters so this personally wasn't a big deal for me.

I loved the South, the people, the food. And I absolutely loved the hurt-comfort moments.

But I don't know what happened. At around 77% or so my investment in the two of them and the story waned. I think it's maybe because at that point, it turned more into telling rather than showing? Like, days passed with them doing this and that, they became closer, this and that would happen from time to time... It felt like the end of the story, but it dragged out and, as short as this story is, I kinda found myself just wanting it to end.

The epilogue didn't help this at all:

It was from Michael's perspective (Emil and Isak's son) who is only seven years old and it's basically a set up for his book and his future love interest (the son of the characters from the 1st book, Honeythorn).

I really wasn't enthusiastic about reading the epilogue from his point of view, and we barely get to see Emil and Isak here.

And the last thing, a few female characters in this book that Isak interacted closely with all sort of had the same voice. It felt like one and the same personality to me, and in fact, it also reminded me of two characters from another one of Marina's books (Koko and another girl - forgot her name - from "In This Iron Ground").

I'm really torn, y'know. I enjoyed the first half of the story and was looking forward to more, but then it all fell so flat and I felt disappointed.

hellishlyawkward's review

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4.75

Lovely hurt/comfort story. Emil is like a Labrador and Isak is so sweet and kind. Love the setting, with the beach and citrus and the heat. Hope there’s more to come in this series.

bookscoffeeplantscarlee's review

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emotional hopeful tense

5.0

punkrockromance's review

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

nhixxie's review

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

storydarling's review

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emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

ellelainey's review

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emotional sad 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

2.75

This is really strange...I don't know what happened...

I just couldn't *connect* with the story or the MC's at all! It's actually frustrating, because Honeythorn was a favourite of mine, but Cherryvine just couldn't compare, sadly. And it's really frustrating that I still don't understand the titles, which is one of my favourite parts of a book. When you get to that part where the title suddenly makes sense is the best feeling, and neither of these books had that. They weren't even surname related or location related. I have absolutely no idea where the concept of the titles came from.

The plot is a reverse of book 1 - an omega sent from the North to the South for marriage. This time Isak is tender and timid, having been married to an abusive alpha for ten years, who has recently died and left him under the guardianship of their brother. The opposite of Book 1, his alpha is a supposed rogue, someone who needs tamed. Alpha Carillo is effusive, happy and charming, affectionate and the total opposite of what Isak is used to.

I had real trouble connecting to either Isak and Carillo at first. Isak was afraid of even his own thoughts and we were constantly being told about his abusive past, but it was all so distant and vague, only mentioned when it suited the moment, so that I never really got to immerse myself in feeling sympathy or pity for Isak. Similarly, we're *told* that Carillo is a wild rogue, but we *see* none of that. In fact, we see nothing of him for the first EIGHT DAYS that Isak is in his home. This just felt so wrong that I couldn't fathom it. I get that the distance was supposed to represent something, but it felt far too convenient, only there to drive the plot forward. It didn't feel natural to either character.

I think that's where my real problem was - because I couldn't connect to the characters, I never really understood them. Isak spent 80% of the book utterly terrified to even smile, worried that Carillo would be exactly like his old alpha, even though Carillo proved himself totally different. And Carillo was supposed to be a rogue, but was insta-love with Isak almost from the first moment he stopped hiding from him. None of it really felt natural or suited who we were *told* they were.

It took about 30% for me to even be interested in where the plot was going, by which point I was starting to notice that it was almost a carbon-copy of Book 1's concept, just reversing the roles. One was wounded and needed reassured, the other was bold and confident enough to be gentle and work at building trust.
Then there was the almost word-for-word conversation where the alpha realises the omega is afraid and asks to court them, the omega argues that they're already marriage and it's not necessary but the alpha insists. This *exact* conversation happened in Book 1.
There was also the theme of the omega being ignored or abandoned that was practically identical in both books, and the fact that the omegas get an apprenticeship in something they are utterly obsessed with, with a local woman in town, and they feel they can't have the job until the alpha offers to allow it.
Then there was the 70% misunderstanding between the MC's that's quickly resolved because they actually communicate. Which is great. Communication is a Yes Please, but if you're going to resolve it in just 1-2 pages then is it really necessary?

Strangely, both books were single character POV, but at nearly 70% we suddenly get Carillo's POV for about 1-2 chapters. All so that we could see how often he mooned over Isak and waxed rhapsodically about Isak to anyone and everyone and...really, was that needed? I'm pretty sure we knew from the moment they married that Carillo was in head over heels.

Then came the Epilogue - where we discover Carillo and Isak going to the North to visit friends. Who just happen to be the two MC's from Book 1, that Carillo knows. Which was *never* mentioned anywhere in the book, ever. In fact, Carillo made a point of mentioning that he'd never seen anyone "pale" like Isak before (aka white), so the how and why of his acquaintance with a man like Raphael is left entirely unknown.
But the point of the Epilogue is to hint at a future romance. Carillo and Isak, by this point, have 3 children and the eldest Michael is just 2 years younger than Raphael and Milan's son. It's hinted that they might end up together, but again I have to ask myself, is that necessary?

In the end, I don't know what happened. I just felt like the book was too...orchestrated? Too planned out as an exact opposite to Book 1, and it never really *felt* the same. The emotional connection was lost, the storyline was flat and didn't really go anywhere. After all the fuss that was made about Isak having not seen his family in 10 years, when we finally hear they're coming to visit...we don't even get to see it. Hmm.

As much as I liked Book 1, I just feel like Book 2 couldn't live up to the hype. It fell flat in a lot of ways, I felt disconnected, and the strong convenience of plot points and continuity issues were frustrating. Instinct says I should probably give it a 2 star rating, because I really didn't enjoy it - it was just Meh - but I did finish it and I rarely rate a book I could finish a 2 star, so...3, for now.

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