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alexluceli's review
ok sooooo i’m not going to rate this book because i respect christopher rice too much. his debut novel a density of souls is everything to me, i love that book so much. ofc one of my favorite parts of a density of souls was the queer romance so when i heard that rice was releasing a gay romance novel i was like, immediately on board and it’s been sitting on my kindle since it came out. overall i went in with high expectations, expecting rice to do something, idk, new, i guess, but this was just a fumbling amalgamation of romance tropes that never really struck an emotional chord with me. it very much felt like rice was just having fun writing a pure romance novel, almost like this was a challenge writing exercise since it’s so different from his usual work, and i mean i guess that’s cool but it didn’t really “work” for me. this was an over the top read, like a caricature of a MM romance novel, and again, i never felt particularly emotionally impacted by any of it. i still love and respect rice but maybe i’ll stick to his horror/thriller novels. it’s not even that this was out of my comfort zone; if you know me you know that my main favorite genres are horror and romance. so ofc i was on board when i learned that one of my favorite horror writers was releasing a pure romance novel! unfortunately it just was a miss for me instead of a hit. oh well!
janetted's review
4.0
This one started out a little rough for me; some parts of Connor & Logan’s early connection seemed overly dramatic and a little difficult for me to get into. I was pleasantly surprised with how the characters and story leveled out and developed into something truly riveting, complex and satisfying. Looking forward to Naser’s story in the next installment!
fsmeurinne's review
5.0
This is a second chance, MM suspense romance. Logan and Connor's story is one you need to read if you like this trope. This is the first in the new Saphire Cove series and it was so good. An ex-military and a college grad meet but life had something else planned so they meet again years later. The characters are well developed, I really liked them all, the setting was perfect for the story, their relationship was a strong slow build and that made a great difference. I read it all as I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to see what the author writes next for this series.
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Blog |BookBub | Amazon |Audible |Instagram |Twitter |Facebook |TikTok |YouTube |Pinterest |Tumblr |Bookstore
ladylaurenexplorer's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
4.5
This was thoroughly enjoyable.
I loved all of the characters even the evil uncle.
I also like how Connor and Logan weather the storm together. Their chemistry was just so organic feeling that I just couldn’t help but believe that they would be together.
Also my first military, or retired military romance and I liked it very much.
I also saw hints at other relationships forming or peeking into the chemistry other couples could have. I think I’m definitely gonna read the next book following Connor‘s best friend and I’m hoping Donnie!
I loved all of the characters even the evil uncle.
I also like how Connor and Logan weather the storm together. Their chemistry was just so organic feeling that I just couldn’t help but believe that they would be together.
Also my first military, or retired military romance and I liked it very much.
I also saw hints at other relationships forming or peeking into the chemistry other couples could have. I think I’m definitely gonna read the next book following Connor‘s best friend and I’m hoping Donnie!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
linnaemanne's review
5.0
4,5 estrelas ah, chegou tao pertinho d ser perfeito pra mim, td o drama e ousadia do começo e o humor tb e nao q tenha ficado ruim, so uma coisa e outra q nao funcionou, tragico
isalaur's review
fast-paced
5.0
I really loved this book and can’t wait to read the next one. The writing is great, the story clever and riveting, and the emotional rollercoaster hits all the notes.
This is an interesting and different story with MCs you really want to root for (even if at times you want to smack both of them on the back of the head!) Logan is a Marine who left the service in order to come home and care for his injured father and has taken a security job at a fancy California coastal resort. Connor is the grandson of the owner of the resort and nephew of the general manager who has just graduated from college and is set to start working at the resort as an event planner. When the two of them meet on Logan’s first night it is kismet. But then life interferes. When they finally get a second chance it’s in the midst of scandal and tragedy.
The writing here is so crisp and clever it is a pleasure to read. The character development is well done and the story arc moves well. There are lots of twists and turns to the story which holds the reader’s attention. There is a lot of humor and there is gut wrenching emotion. There are secondary characters that help propel the storyline. In short, it has everything you want in a good read.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and I am looking forward to book two in the series.
This is an interesting and different story with MCs you really want to root for (even if at times you want to smack both of them on the back of the head!) Logan is a Marine who left the service in order to come home and care for his injured father and has taken a security job at a fancy California coastal resort. Connor is the grandson of the owner of the resort and nephew of the general manager who has just graduated from college and is set to start working at the resort as an event planner. When the two of them meet on Logan’s first night it is kismet. But then life interferes. When they finally get a second chance it’s in the midst of scandal and tragedy.
The writing here is so crisp and clever it is a pleasure to read. The character development is well done and the story arc moves well. There are lots of twists and turns to the story which holds the reader’s attention. There is a lot of humor and there is gut wrenching emotion. There are secondary characters that help propel the storyline. In short, it has everything you want in a good read.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and I am looking forward to book two in the series.
starfish_lovestoread's review
emotional
lighthearted
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? No
4.25
terriaminute's review
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I've read many romances in the past six years or so, which is why the way this one's plot is structured kept me interested. This isn't your everyday romance story. There's the stupid misunderstanding and the fight, but there's a happy prologue, and a less delayed romance, and some really good humor. The cast of characters is fantastic. The setting is really good. I was less impressed by the sex scenes, but they're easy enough to skim if you want to just get to dialogue and move on. It's got a fair amount to say about family, obligation, self-destructiveness, gay culture, self-discovery, class differences, secrets, bigotry, and loyalty, but I'm left with a sense of happiness and progress, which I wish I could get more often from a romance.
It's really good. Unusual. A little gooey, but worth reading. I'll definitely be reading book 2.
It's really good. Unusual. A little gooey, but worth reading. I'll definitely be reading book 2.