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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I put off reading this for so long because I was worried there would be negative fallout from what happened that the end of the previous book. I WAS WRONG.
I adore both Malcolm and Seong-Jae's professional and personal relationships. I know, that given how long this series is, there will be some heartache, especially with whatever the fuck is going on in relation to Seong-Jae's past but I am fully onboard.
I've very much enjoyed every Cole McCade book I have read and this one is no different.
I adore both Malcolm and Seong-Jae's professional and personal relationships. I know, that given how long this series is, there will be some heartache, especially with whatever the fuck is going on in relation to Seong-Jae's past but I am fully onboard.
I've very much enjoyed every Cole McCade book I have read and this one is no different.
funny
hopeful
sad
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:
Complicated
Tension
Cole McCade is so good at writing tension. In the beginning it was stationary and he managed to build it, using only his skill with language, to an uncomfortable precipice. Now add the story and the tension accelerates he had found away to build while gaining momentum. It's beautiful.
Cole McCade is so good at writing tension. In the beginning it was stationary and he managed to build it, using only his skill with language, to an uncomfortable precipice. Now add the story and the tension accelerates he had found away to build while gaining momentum. It's beautiful.
Reread #1
Stay....
While the case in this one was ok.... I absolutely LOVED everything else about this book. And the rating is solely based on the relationship part of the book
SJ and M are talking, communicating! SJ is soilling secrets to M and it's heartbreakimg and heartwarmimg at the same time.
The cuddling....so sweet.
The kissing... these guys are ALWAYS kissing and they give no shit who sees them.
The PDA... Mal being a protective possesive boyfriend who will fuck up anyone who dares looks at SJ wrong. SWOON
The flirting... these guys are so in love it's nauseating....in a good way.
The sex...gawd the sex, though not overly descriptive but so emotional.
SJ is still salty and snappy and prickly and I ADORE him.
Mal is still the sweetest cinnamon roll and I Adore him too.
I STAN #MalJae
PS.... Sila you can fuck right off.
Stay....
While the case in this one was ok.... I absolutely LOVED everything else about this book. And the rating is solely based on the relationship part of the book
SJ and M are talking, communicating! SJ is soilling secrets to M and it's heartbreakimg and heartwarmimg at the same time.
The cuddling....so sweet.
The kissing... these guys are ALWAYS kissing and they give no shit who sees them.
The PDA... Mal being a protective possesive boyfriend who will fuck up anyone who dares looks at SJ wrong. SWOON
The flirting... these guys are so in love it's nauseating....in a good way.
The sex...gawd the sex, though not overly descriptive but so emotional.
SJ is still salty and snappy and prickly and I ADORE him.
Mal is still the sweetest cinnamon roll and I Adore him too.
I STAN #MalJae
PS.... Sila you can fuck right off.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
This series is quickly becoming a comfort binge for me. I love the development we get in Seong-Jae and Malcolm’s relationship and threads seem to be coming together related to Sila and Seong-Jae’s mysterious past and whatever is going on with Sade and Huang.
I also love that in the author’s note at the end of each book McCade talks about some of the reasoning behind the plot elements, and in this one talks about why and how this book and the previous have tried to tackle toxic masculinity.
I also love that in the author’s note at the end of each book McCade talks about some of the reasoning behind the plot elements, and in this one talks about why and how this book and the previous have tried to tackle toxic masculinity.
A young woman is pushed off a bridge, and Sila haunts Seong-Jae's footsteps, as the heat ramps up in more ways than one for Detectives Khalaji and Yoon.
Definitely plunging straight into Romance territory at this point in the series, and I'm unsure exactly how I feel about this development. On the one hand the relationship development feels like such a slow burn it's like these guys have known each other for years, yet only two weeks have passed since the series even began, so it feels like an enormous amount of projection has been going on, in all this beautiful internal narration. I get the whole 'live in the moment' attitude, but I can't deny I find the swing between murder investigations/graphic smut a bit... out of place? is the best way I can describe it.
I've noticed there's quite a lot of repetition in the Romance scenes, which makes me feel a bit bored sometimes, like the scenes are lacking originality because they sometimes feel like slightly altered copies of previous scenes. I think I prefer an emphasis on emotional intimacy over body parts so perhaps I'll enjoy the instalments more when the sex scenes are from Seong-Jae's perspective. I do feel like this is appropriate for Mal, but it's just a reader preference thing. I feel like with the way the instalments work, so much is going on, yet there's also a small page count, meaning limited depth and development, and I think after 7 instalments this is starting to wear on me. I don't know if at this point in the series the author was still publishing one book a month but there is a sense of rushing, where I think slowing things down a little to maximise the potential of these characters and their development would be hugely worthwhile.
With all that said, it's still an immensely enjoyable read. At this point, I want more from Sila, and more exploration of his backstory with Seong-Jae. It's really nice seeing Seong-Jae gradually defrosting towards Mal, and Mal's supportiveness as a boyfriend. They're lovely together. I'm just being picky because I think it could be even better.
absolutely nothing *~*researchy*~* to see here; an ongoing reading list
1. A Study in Scarlet 2.5/5
2. The Hound of the Baskervilles 5/5
3. The Adventure of the Final Problem 4/5
4. Bath Haus 4.5/5
5. The Forest of Stolen Girls 4/5
6. The Red Palace 2/5
7. The Silence of Bones 1/5
8. Lay Your Sleeping Head 4/5
9. Carved in Bone 5/5
10. Lies with Man 3/5
11. Howtown 2/5
12. The Hidden Law 2/5
13. The Death of Friends 3/5
14. The Burning Plain 3.5/5
15. Rag and Bone 4/5
16. Pretty Pretty Boys 2/5
17. Three Nick Nowak Mysteries 5/5
18. Three More Nick Nowak Mysteries 3/5
19. Two Nick Nowak Novellas 4/5
20. A Time For Secrets 5/5
21. Murder Book 5/5
22. From the Ashes 4/5
23. Bloodlines 4/5
24. Lucky Days 4/5
25. Gifts Given 5/5
26. Heart's Desire 1/5
27. Broken Cord 4/5
28. The Cardigans 4/5
29. Junk Shop Blues 4/5
30. Changing Faces 5/5
31. It's Witchcraft 5/5
32. Where There's Smoke 5/5
33. Cult of Personality 4/5
Definitely plunging straight into Romance territory at this point in the series, and I'm unsure exactly how I feel about this development. On the one hand the relationship development feels like such a slow burn it's like these guys have known each other for years, yet only two weeks have passed since the series even began, so it feels like an enormous amount of projection has been going on, in all this beautiful internal narration. I get the whole 'live in the moment' attitude, but I can't deny I find the swing between murder investigations/graphic smut a bit... out of place? is the best way I can describe it.
I've noticed there's quite a lot of repetition in the Romance scenes, which makes me feel a bit bored sometimes, like the scenes are lacking originality because they sometimes feel like slightly altered copies of previous scenes. I think I prefer an emphasis on emotional intimacy over body parts so perhaps I'll enjoy the instalments more when the sex scenes are from Seong-Jae's perspective. I do feel like this is appropriate for Mal, but it's just a reader preference thing. I feel like with the way the instalments work, so much is going on, yet there's also a small page count, meaning limited depth and development, and I think after 7 instalments this is starting to wear on me. I don't know if at this point in the series the author was still publishing one book a month but there is a sense of rushing, where I think slowing things down a little to maximise the potential of these characters and their development would be hugely worthwhile.
With all that said, it's still an immensely enjoyable read. At this point, I want more from Sila, and more exploration of his backstory with Seong-Jae. It's really nice seeing Seong-Jae gradually defrosting towards Mal, and Mal's supportiveness as a boyfriend. They're lovely together. I'm just being picky because I think it could be even better.
absolutely nothing *~*researchy*~* to see here; an ongoing reading list
1. A Study in Scarlet 2.5/5
2. The Hound of the Baskervilles 5/5
3. The Adventure of the Final Problem 4/5
4. Bath Haus 4.5/5
5. The Forest of Stolen Girls 4/5
6. The Red Palace 2/5
7. The Silence of Bones 1/5
8. Lay Your Sleeping Head 4/5
9. Carved in Bone 5/5
10. Lies with Man 3/5
11. Howtown 2/5
12. The Hidden Law 2/5
13. The Death of Friends 3/5
14. The Burning Plain 3.5/5
15. Rag and Bone 4/5
16. Pretty Pretty Boys 2/5
17. Three Nick Nowak Mysteries 5/5
18. Three More Nick Nowak Mysteries 3/5
19. Two Nick Nowak Novellas 4/5
20. A Time For Secrets 5/5
21. Murder Book 5/5
22. From the Ashes 4/5
23. Bloodlines 4/5
24. Lucky Days 4/5
25. Gifts Given 5/5
26. Heart's Desire 1/5
27. Broken Cord 4/5
28. The Cardigans 4/5
29. Junk Shop Blues 4/5
30. Changing Faces 5/5
31. It's Witchcraft 5/5
32. Where There's Smoke 5/5
33. Cult of Personality 4/5