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everemembered's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
5.0
purple676's review against another edition
5.0
“Some people just had a natural talent for being shitty.”
This sentence perfectly explains Sila.
This is one of my favorite volumes in the series. It was soooo cute. It was also sad and intense and hot but the cute part really got me. Mal meeting Seong Jae’s parents was adorable and so funny. I loved it.
Also mal and Seong Ja’s relations ship is the cutest i love it so freaking much. Seong Ja is precious ♥️
And the flashbacks with Sila were intresting. I enjoy learning more about that piece of shit
This sentence perfectly explains Sila.
This is one of my favorite volumes in the series. It was soooo cute. It was also sad and intense and hot but the cute part really got me. Mal meeting Seong Jae’s parents was adorable and so funny. I loved it.
Also mal and Seong Ja’s relations ship is the cutest i love it so freaking much. Seong Ja is precious ♥️
And the flashbacks with Sila were intresting. I enjoy learning more about that piece of shit
layla87's review
5.0
Reread #1
If you read only 1 book from this series, let it be this one.
"But in this kiss was everything that held him together.
A love so reverent it had to be whispered.
A need so desperate it couldn’t be ignored.
A rightness so true it would not be denied, and demanded an openness so terrifying it could only be wondrous."
...................
THIS EPISODE WAS LIFE!!!
AND MAL AND SJ WERE SO CUTE AND DOMESTIC I DIE.
This episode was like a break for the reader to take a breath before everything goes to shit I guess.
Mal is meeting SJ's Korean parents... BWHAHAHAH.
"Who didn’t wear a tie to meet their boyfriend’s parents?"
Gahhh
"You are my decision, Malcolm. You are my choice."
I mean...can we say SWOON?
"You are a gentleman masquerading as a rogue.”
Fuck yeah Mal is!! Gahhhh
“He annoyed me from day one. And I couldn’t figure out why he made me grind my teeth until they nearly cracked, but next thing I knew I wanted him like I’d die without him.”
I mean... how does Cole write like this? How? He has a spectacular way of writing... descriptive to an extent that it is so easy for me to see the scene in my mind, tangible and clear.
And FINALLY... SJ spills the beans! And that scene was EVERYTHING.
Malcolm and SJ are now my favorite couple ever. There is no competition.
If you read only 1 book from this series, let it be this one.
"But in this kiss was everything that held him together.
A love so reverent it had to be whispered.
A need so desperate it couldn’t be ignored.
A rightness so true it would not be denied, and demanded an openness so terrifying it could only be wondrous."
...................
THIS EPISODE WAS LIFE!!!
AND MAL AND SJ WERE SO CUTE AND DOMESTIC I DIE.
This episode was like a break for the reader to take a breath before everything goes to shit I guess.
Mal is meeting SJ's Korean parents... BWHAHAHAH.
"Who didn’t wear a tie to meet their boyfriend’s parents?"
Gahhh
"You are my decision, Malcolm. You are my choice."
I mean...can we say SWOON?
"You are a gentleman masquerading as a rogue.”
Fuck yeah Mal is!! Gahhhh
“He annoyed me from day one. And I couldn’t figure out why he made me grind my teeth until they nearly cracked, but next thing I knew I wanted him like I’d die without him.”
I mean... how does Cole write like this? How? He has a spectacular way of writing... descriptive to an extent that it is so easy for me to see the scene in my mind, tangible and clear.
And FINALLY... SJ spills the beans! And that scene was EVERYTHING.
Malcolm and SJ are now my favorite couple ever. There is no competition.
kaitlin_durante's review
4.0
4.5 stars
Well that book was a change of pace from this extremely dark and heavy season.
Not to say this book wasn't heavy or dark but it took a different route in breaking your heart.
Seong Jae brings Malcolm to meet his family and if that is not enough pressure on the couple, Seong Jae also decides it's time to write out his teenage experience with Sila (OUCH).
That being said there were also a lot more bright moments as well as sweet ones.
I'm all for the relationship growth that happens in this one and can't wait to see how this changes things.
Sorry Baltimore but I still don't care what's going on there. Maybe when the boys are back I will but for now you are the reason this book wasn't 5 stars for me.
Well that book was a change of pace from this extremely dark and heavy season.
Not to say this book wasn't heavy or dark but it took a different route in breaking your heart.
Seong Jae brings Malcolm to meet his family and if that is not enough pressure on the couple, Seong Jae also decides it's time to write out his teenage experience with Sila (OUCH).
That being said there were also a lot more bright moments as well as sweet ones.
I'm all for the relationship growth that happens in this one and can't wait to see how this changes things.
Sorry Baltimore but I still don't care what's going on there. Maybe when the boys are back I will but for now you are the reason this book wasn't 5 stars for me.
dobbsthedog's review against another edition
5.0
Despite almost nothing happening in this book, it was still SO good. Like, we get family stuff, we get background stuff, we get Malcolm and Seong-Jae just being themselves. Also, I am so going to attempt to make goguma mattang tomorrow, it sounds amazing.
oliviak_31's review against another edition
emotional
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? No
4.5
haletostilinski1's review
5.0
Oh how I have missed this wonderful series. But it just goes to show that I will wait however long it takes Mr. McCade to write every book planned in this series, and it will be worth it.
Because he gave us a wonderful installment in this 6th one and it was well worth the wait. That's not to say this is angst free, no sir. We're treated - or well, subjected more like - to flashbacks of Seong-Jae with Sila in the early days when he first new him as a teenager, so it isn't all fluff.
But we do get a lot of that too.
After the angst filled and tough to read 5th installment of the shooting in the theater, we open up this one with a brief look at Joshi after his seemingly real encounter with TGRK, and then we only get mainly Seong-Jae and Malcolm POVs with some Anjulie and Gabi interspersed throughout, and I have to say this is my favorite kind of book in this series. Not that I dislike more than multiple POVs, per se, but just that they have been a bit much in this second season and I know I much prefer less POVs and this only had about 4 - with the one short POV from Joshi as a 5th - and that made me love this one all the more.
And it was mainly focused on Mal and Seong-Jae...and Mal meeting the parents ;) and I absolutely loved and adored it. Also Seong-Ja was there and she was lovely and amazing and adorable and sweet and I can't wait for more of her. We also get to really officially meet Seong-Jae's parents in this one and it was great to get to know them too, especially Seong-Jae's mother.
It was great to get to check in with Anjulie and Gabi as well throughout this. Sade makes an appearance as well, who if you'll recall, killed the dirty cop trying to murder Huang, so....things are moving along in Baltimore a little bit as we take a bit of a pause in LA with Seong-Jae and Malcolm.
This is some of my favorite writing, when it focuses so much of characters and relationships. Not much happens in terms of the plot, but it's the deeper look at the characters, getting to know new ones and know the ones we know and love even more that I love the most. Unlike the last book I read, the lack of moving forward with the plot didn't bother me, as there is so much plot in this story that this is a nice pause, nice rest from it, and the character and relationship building in this was so good that I didn't care about the lack of plot.
Mal and Seong-Jae have the day off after everything that happened the day before, and plan to go out, but when Seong-Jae's parents invite them over, they go, and Malcolm is adorably nervous and the first meeting doesn't go quite as first hoped, but things quickly get better, and the first meeting is funny in it's own way.
I loved everything about this installment, even the angst-y parts, just to be able to get to know teenager Seong-Jae a little more and how everything with Sila even started.
Definitely need to read this if you've been reading this series. And I won't say what happens that made me super giddy reading this, only that I thought we'd have to wait for the end of the season for it. Mal and Seong-Jae are so in love and it makes my heart melt.
Two MASSIVE thumbs up. Can't wait for the next one, even if we have to wait 5 months for it (although hopefully not ;)).
Because he gave us a wonderful installment in this 6th one and it was well worth the wait. That's not to say this is angst free, no sir. We're treated - or well, subjected more like - to flashbacks of Seong-Jae with Sila in the early days when he first new him as a teenager, so it isn't all fluff.
But we do get a lot of that too.
After the angst filled and tough to read 5th installment of the shooting in the theater, we open up this one with a brief look at Joshi after his seemingly real encounter with TGRK, and then we only get mainly Seong-Jae and Malcolm POVs with some Anjulie and Gabi interspersed throughout, and I have to say this is my favorite kind of book in this series. Not that I dislike more than multiple POVs, per se, but just that they have been a bit much in this second season and I know I much prefer less POVs and this only had about 4 - with the one short POV from Joshi as a 5th - and that made me love this one all the more.
And it was mainly focused on Mal and Seong-Jae...and Mal meeting the parents ;) and I absolutely loved and adored it. Also Seong-Ja was there and she was lovely and amazing and adorable and sweet and I can't wait for more of her. We also get to really officially meet Seong-Jae's parents in this one and it was great to get to know them too, especially Seong-Jae's mother.
It was great to get to check in with Anjulie and Gabi as well throughout this. Sade makes an appearance as well, who if you'll recall, killed the dirty cop trying to murder Huang, so....things are moving along in Baltimore a little bit as we take a bit of a pause in LA with Seong-Jae and Malcolm.
This is some of my favorite writing, when it focuses so much of characters and relationships. Not much happens in terms of the plot, but it's the deeper look at the characters, getting to know new ones and know the ones we know and love even more that I love the most. Unlike the last book I read, the lack of moving forward with the plot didn't bother me, as there is so much plot in this story that this is a nice pause, nice rest from it, and the character and relationship building in this was so good that I didn't care about the lack of plot.
Mal and Seong-Jae have the day off after everything that happened the day before, and plan to go out, but when Seong-Jae's parents invite them over, they go, and Malcolm is adorably nervous and the first meeting doesn't go quite as first hoped, but things quickly get better, and the first meeting is funny in it's own way.
I loved everything about this installment, even the angst-y parts, just to be able to get to know teenager Seong-Jae a little more and how everything with Sila even started.
Definitely need to read this if you've been reading this series. And I won't say what happens that made me super giddy reading this, only that I thought we'd have to wait for the end of the season for it. Mal and Seong-Jae are so in love and it makes my heart melt.
Two MASSIVE thumbs up. Can't wait for the next one, even if we have to wait 5 months for it (although hopefully not ;)).
lostinliterature's review
5.0
This book… left me speechless but let me try to put my thoughts into words.
Right off- Visiting parents. Was done so perfectly I’m in awe. The awkwardness, the little missteps at first, slowly trusting their son’s boyfriend, the closest ok’ing, making amends, talks with lil sister…. DAMNNN
The next thing about this book? Had Silas and Seong-Jae relationship was a contemporary teenage romance… I would’ve ate it up. As my friends here very well KNOW I devour toxic relationships, that tug of push and pull, angst, persistence from one party. Admittedly the past was shown via Jae’s eyes. And he might’ve romanticise their relationship- if Sila wasn’t narcissistic, psychopath, pathological liar who was using a lonely boy for his entertainment….. I would’ve loved their relationship. The entire section of Jae’s memories was really sweet,their relationship could’ve blossomed into something good if only sila didn’t take advantage of Jae’s vulnerability and innocence like that. Making him isolated and eventually an addict was cruel and inhumane.
The romanticised part was from Jae’s perspective so at the end we can surely say that Sila was manipulative, vindictive, predator all along. He stalked him, made him angrier by the day and more dependable on narcotics by the night.
Because of this, I completely understand Jae being reserved and shielding Malcom from his past too. It was gut wrenching and horrific.
Sometimes even the bare minimum feels overwhelming to starved lonely people and Sila targeted that.
All in all I loved this book, it’s execution and writing style. Giving us more inside on Jae’s past and personality.
Right off- Visiting parents. Was done so perfectly I’m in awe. The awkwardness, the little missteps at first, slowly trusting their son’s boyfriend, the closest ok’ing, making amends, talks with lil sister…. DAMNNN
The next thing about this book? Had Silas and Seong-Jae relationship was a contemporary teenage romance… I would’ve ate it up. As my friends here very well KNOW I devour toxic relationships, that tug of push and pull, angst, persistence from one party. Admittedly the past was shown via Jae’s eyes. And he might’ve romanticise their relationship- if Sila wasn’t narcissistic, psychopath, pathological liar who was using a lonely boy for his entertainment….. I would’ve loved their relationship. The entire section of Jae’s memories was really sweet,their relationship could’ve blossomed into something good if only sila didn’t take advantage of Jae’s vulnerability and innocence like that. Making him isolated and eventually an addict was cruel and inhumane.
The romanticised part was from Jae’s perspective so at the end we can surely say that Sila was manipulative, vindictive, predator all along. He stalked him, made him angrier by the day and more dependable on narcotics by the night.
Because of this, I completely understand Jae being reserved and shielding Malcom from his past too. It was gut wrenching and horrific.
Sometimes even the bare minimum feels overwhelming to starved lonely people and Sila targeted that.
All in all I loved this book, it’s execution and writing style. Giving us more inside on Jae’s past and personality.
luana_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you, he wanted to say, but he did not quite know how. Not yet. Not when he was not even wholly certain what he was thanking Malcolm for, other than just…
Being here.
Being himself.
And being so damned easy to love.
I don't know how McCade does it... his writing of emotions is on another level. Just when you think they've reached the most intimate, McCade takes it even deeper. It's been 19 episodes, and it keeps happening over and over again. I'm in so deep I'll never come out of it, not that I want to anyway.
That scene in the gazebo? It shattered me into a thousand little pieces for all the possible reasons. I wasn't expecting it to happen now, and definitely not expecting it to happen like this. And yet, it made so much sense and was perfect in the pleasure-pain it gave me.
Now excuse me while I listen to "What is love" by Jaymes Young on repeat until the day I die.
A love so reverent it had to be whispered. A need so desperate it couldn’t be ignored.
A rightness so true it would not be denied, and demanded an openness so terrifying it could only be wondrous.
And, of course, everything else was perfect too. From the way McCade used the jumpscare in the prologue as the input to write a scene between Malcolm and Seong-Ja that was utter perfection, to Malcolm's interactions with Seong-Jae's family as a whole, from Seong-Jae finally letting go of everything he kept inside for such a long time, to that final line promising a terrible and even more personal turn of the case.
And Sila, who made me feel so many contrasting emotions throughout the episodes and keeps messing up with my emotions even now. The intrigue, the disgust, the twisted sense of pity, and everything in between. He's simply the best villain ever.