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levilore_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
As usual, the serious topics were dealt with so well and I really appreciated how
I loved that we actually saw so much of the love between Ilya and Shane which was not something we had seen a lot of before this book. The domestic scenes were so cute and seeing how mushy Ilya is was just amazing. I already believed that they were in love but this book gave actual evidence that they are perfect for each other.
This book just tied up the series perfectly and filled in all the questions I had about Shane and Ilya. A great ending to a great series.
Graphic: Outing, Homophobia, Cursing, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Death of parent, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Transphobia and Panic attacks/disorders
crystalmackey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Outing, Suicide, Grief, Sexual content, Homophobia, and Death of parent
haileeraye's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Homophobia, and Outing
Minor: Suicide and Death of parent
apolen's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, and Outing
Minor: Death of parent, Suicide, and Alcohol
lauraelovesbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I’ll admit that it did drag in spots but the emotional payoff was definitely worth it. I also loved the mental health representation and how things aren’t magically fixed by being in a relationship or when life is generally going well
For anyone wondering if they need to read the whole series before reading this book, I read only Heated Rivalry and the Long Game and did not feel lost at all. The universe, side characters, and hockey teams are all easy to follow. I’m sure it is even more rewarding to read the series in order, but I’m impatient and not sad that I could read Shane and Ilya’s full story all at once
Graphic: Sexual content, Mental illness, and Homophobia
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Outing
Minor: Death of parent
reniareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Sexual violence, Homophobia, and Death of parent
evaorange's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death of parent, Homophobia, Mental illness, Suicide, and Sexual content
jayreadsss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent and Homophobia
silver_lining_in_a_book's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Kiss me, Ilya wanted to say. Kiss me and hold me in front of all these people. Pull me onstage and do it. I don’t care anymore. Please. I’m dying. “Nothing,” Ilya said, and stepped away. “Nothing.”
This book cover, unfortunately, is not at all representative of how difficult some parts of this book were to read, particularly in the first half of the book. I was expecting to just have a tonne of fun as I did with the first part of Ilya and Shane's love story, but instead, I was greeted with depictions of untreated depression, undiagnosed (and not discussed) orthorexia, and Ilya's heartbreaking and under-appreciated sacrifices for Shane's sake. Many of the discussions in this book were so important, but I found them to be so mentally draining at times.
However, after slightly struggling through the first part of the book, I finally found myself sinking into the story and I couldn't stop reading it. Shane's behaviour in this sequel slightly disappointed me - he didn't quite feel like the same person at times and I thought he was really taking Ilya for granted - but he did get better throughout this novel. Ilya, on the other hand, has to be one of my favourite characters. I absolutely loved him because of how relatable he was to me. His emotions and actions felt very realistic and true to his character; I appreciated the depiction of his mental health struggles and how well he understood his own emotions, and my heart absolutely went out to him.
Overall, I think this was a really great book and it must be one of the best follow-ups to an enemies-to-lovers romance that I have ever read. It didn't feel like Reid was forcing any unnecessary conflict into the book, but there were still lots of high stakes and emotions throughout!
Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Eating disorder
Minor: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
cluckieduck's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
I loved how the story overlapped with some of the timeline in Role Model, especially surrounding a particular incident.
This go-round is very Ilya-centric and he does a lot of the heavy lifting plot-wise. A lot of the reviews shit on Shane, and yeah, he was a bit oblivious, but stress manifests differently in every one. Shane very obviously exhibited signs of disordered eating, but it was only brought up in a joking manner with an eye-roll at his expense. He also, IMO, showed signs of dissociation. Neither of these were really dealt/written about beyond the surface. Perhaps if he was given as much depth as Ilya was, maybe he could have been a bit more sympathetic of a character.
Before Ilya sought out his therapy, Shane directly asked him if he was ok, and that he would be there for him whether Ilya wanted to talk to him or not. Being in a relationship is hard enough (not even counting the fact that it's a secret one), but being in a relationship with a depressed partner presents it's own challenges. Especially when said partner keeps trying to push you away because they don't think they're good enough and deserving of happiness.
On a lighter note, there were so many cute moments in this one - I mean...Uncle Ilya & painting nails!?! Major swoon. And their talks about a future with children?? I just can't. I feel greedy in saying this, but I think they need another book (at least a novella) without any angst where they can just be settled, grounded, and happy in their relationship.
I have an idea about who the next book will be about (perhaps a certain Centaur rookie), so I look forward to seeing more of our past couples pop up in the future!
Graphic: Cursing, Outing, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Homophobia
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent and Suicide