Reviews

The Heart of Smoke by K Webster

lady_h_reads's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

I’m growing dizzy with the need to obliterate him with pleasure. I want so much more than I’ll ever deserve or receive.

 

The Park family is back in this third interconnected standalone in the Shameful Secrets series. It is now the emotionally withdrawn son’s turn for a HEA. While not a particularly dark romance, some darker themes are explored, so check TW if necessary.

 

This book has a slow start. The Park family is extensive with MANY issues (just read the first two books to get a taste), so there are a lot of initial name-droppings and character/plot recaps. Once we get established in the story, especially once the outsider Tate has been introduced to everyone, the plot progresses quickly. 

 

I love a tortured hero! Both MMCs are broken. Jude with the crippling self-hatred from his mother’s death in a fire. Tate, who is running from an abusive and controlling ex. While their relationship starts off in a bit of a captor/captive situation, they end on a sweet note. 

 

This is medium burn and moderately spicy. There are MM bi-awakening moments and a burgeoning dom/sub relationship between the MCs. 

 

It is not necessary to read the first two books in the series – I read this as a total standalone – I would recommend reading them in order. 

 

Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance

Tropes/Features: captor/captive, light enemies to lovers vibes, forbidden romance, forced proximity, therapist/patient, age gap, tortured hero, hurt/comfort, MM bi-awakening, size difference

Narrator: Dual 1st Person POV

Relationship Type: MM, medium burn, moderate spice

Book Type/Ending: Interconnected standalone with HEA

TW/CW: Available in book

thaliaohh's review

4.0

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Spice:

kodom251999's review

dark emotional hopeful sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

This book is filled with angst, darkness, mystery, and of course, romance. Jude is heartbreaking. His thoughts about himself and the tragedy of his mother dying had me in tears. When Tate arrives, Jude is determined to send him packing. 

Tate is naturally submissive, and Jude overwhelms him. I loved this book. Their first kiss was HOT! The twist shocked me. I did not see that coming. This family rallied around them, and yes we get to visit with the family of characters we already love! This book is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! 

judgingbooksandcovers's review

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

laurenloveslit81's review

emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

lilibetbombshell's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

The Heart of Smoke is the third book in K. Webster’s Shameful Secrets book series, which are interconnected standalones following members of the rich and somewhat eccentric Park family: this family doesn’t do conventional love and they sure do protect the hell out of one another. 

The Heart of Smoke has us turning our attention to Jude Park, a reclusive member of the Park family who spends the majority of his time hiding away in a shared house with his grandfather behind a mask due to extensive burns from attempting to rescue his mother from a house fire when he was a teenager. Now it’s twenty years later and the Park family patriarch, Nathan, is bringing in a therapist named Tate Prince to help everyone in the family–especially Jude. 

I was drawn to this book because I’m almost always drawn to forbidden romances where the forbidden aspect is a violated therapist/patient dynamic and because I enjoyed the first book in this series (The Teacher of Nothing). This book looks and sounds a lot hotter and more forbidden than it actually read as, in my opinion. 

It’s a slow burn. I didn’t expect that and I didn’t enjoy it. I don’t enjoy slow burn romances at all, especially when it comes to forbidden romance. There has to be a very interesting story at hand to convince me to enjoy a book when slow burn is at work, and the story here wasn’t interesting enough to distract me from that. The writing wasn’t so terrific, the characters weren’t so interesting, the setting wasn’t distracting enough. All I could keep thinking about was, “I’ve read so many books in a similar vein and this isn’t offering me anything much different”. 

What this book did end up offering me that felt like this book was above average was the interfamilial relationships. I greatly enjoyed the different Park family members and how they interacted with one another and with Tate behind closed doors in their therapy sessions. 

Otherwise, the book was just a little above average. I’m sure if you love K. Webster it’ll totally slake your thirst for her work. 

I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. No compensation was offered or accepted in exchange for this review. Thank you.

caldreads's review

emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

K. Webster has done it again! I adored this MM romance between Jude and Tate. 🖤

Tate is offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a ton of money as the personal therapist to the wealthy Park family. He’s looking for a fresh start away from a vindictive, abusive ex who keeps destroying his chance at happiness.

Jude only cares about two things: Pie 🥧 and the safety of his family. He lost his mother in his teens and has been blaming and punishing himself for her death for decades. He can’t face the trauma that stems from his mother’s death and, since her death, has been a recluse who always wears a mask.

Jude is fascinated with Tate and he can’t quite figure out why…

THOUGHTS 💭 
🥧 I loved Jude’s quirks/oddities: always wearing a mask, his love of pie, his gruff exterior/soft interior. He’s the perfect, broken, protective, cinnamon roll MMC.
🥧 I equally loved Tate’s character! He was sweet, funny, capable, adorable, and has a cute cat who is his sidekick.
🥧 The Park family fell in love with Tate and accepted him for who he was. They appreciated and learned from him as a therapist, and were happy to have him in their lives. 
🥧 This book can be read as a stand-alone, but is even better knowing the Park family dynamics.

K. writes books that grip you until the very end and I just can’t get enough!

Thanks so much to K. Webster for the ARC of this book!

bookaddictreviews's review

emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

5.0

reiziger1962's review

emotional funny mysterious medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

Jude Park, having suffered severe trauma as a teen, now almost two decades later has become an enigmatic persona, a monster hiding behind his white latex mask. 

Tate Prince, therapist hired by Park Sr., is tasked with assisting all the Park's in navigating their issues, with a primary focus on Jude. <i>'Dad wants him to fix everyone apparently, starting with you”</i>
Fleeing his own complicated and violent background, Tate brings comfort and warmth to this rather flawed but loyal family. 

Since the whole Park's family does not mind talking to Tate, I loved reading about <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5047429327"target="_blank">Callum's</a> feelings about his father & Jamie and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5248849053"target="_blank">Hugo, Aubrey & Spencer</a> negotiating with Tate on how to tell the family.

As each member of the Park family engages in conversations with Tate, revisiting past memories and addressing their issues, Jude comes to the realisation that Tate is genuinely there to offer support and Jude gradually begins to open up to him. 
Additionally, long-buried emotions start to resurface, and Jude finds pleasure in spending time with Tate and cherishing their connection.
However, the haunting shadows from Tate's past have returned with a vengeance, contributing an apt sense of intrigue and an unexpected plot twist that took me by surprise.

I loved the humour and intense passion between Jude & Tate, but more the blooming of their relationship to one filled with deep love and a blend of trust, chemistry, and respect.

mmromanceread's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.75