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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
What can I say? An end to the Bertha boys. This was a hard read and quite emotional. I couldn’t decide how I felt about Derik. I was very back and forth on him till about 70% and then I saw the magic. I understood the time and the rules and the distance Xander needed to be a better Xander. I absolutely loved the last 10%. Seeing how everyone merges and came together, the large family, and dear Agatha that sneaky woman. I hope they foster and build on all the amazing things they have. It would have been nice to have another epilogue pulling on that. Helping establish the lost and lonely kids like Agatha and Bertha did for them. That would have made it a 5 star for me.
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
All the stars. Please and thank you.
Did I choose Xander over sleep? Yes yes I did. Was it worth it? 100%
I just knew I was going to love him and I read this in one sitting. I cried sad and happy tears, and I got all the feels while reading this.
Did I choose Xander over sleep? Yes yes I did. Was it worth it? 100%
I just knew I was going to love him and I read this in one sitting. I cried sad and happy tears, and I got all the feels while reading this.
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
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
❤️ M/M
❤️ Nurse X Artist
❤️ Hurt/Comfort
❤️ Slow Burn
❤️ Found Family
We finally get Xander’s story, and let me tell you, it was worth the wait. As the last of the Big Bertha found family to get his HEA, I was both excited and a little nervous going in. Xander has always been the most fragile of the group, an anxious artist, fiercely codependent on Seven, and someone who, in previous books, seemed almost stuck in place. But this book? It’s his breakthrough.
Enter Derek, the sweet, bug-loving nurse who’s been quietly supporting Xander through his medical anxiety for years. Their connection has always been tender, and though it leans into the “forbidden” trope (Derek ethically steps back from being Xander’s nurse before anything romantic happens), it never feels icky, it feels right. Derek doesn’t just fall for Xander; he sees him, in all his anxious, complicated, beautiful glory.
What really got me was how this story didn’t erase Xander’s mental health struggles, it honored them. Derek isn’t a magical fix, but he is the steady presence who encourages Xander to start helping himself. Watching Xander take those steps, however small, made me tear up more than once. And the book never undermines the bond between Xander and Seven, it’s treated with the care and nuance it deserves.
Also, can we talk about the scenes at the nursing home? They are pure serotonin. Sweet, gentle, and quietly powerful just like this book.
This was the soft, healing, slow burn romance I didn’t know I needed. A beautiful wrap-up to a found family that stole my heart.
❤️ Nurse X Artist
❤️ Hurt/Comfort
❤️ Slow Burn
❤️ Found Family
We finally get Xander’s story, and let me tell you, it was worth the wait. As the last of the Big Bertha found family to get his HEA, I was both excited and a little nervous going in. Xander has always been the most fragile of the group, an anxious artist, fiercely codependent on Seven, and someone who, in previous books, seemed almost stuck in place. But this book? It’s his breakthrough.
Enter Derek, the sweet, bug-loving nurse who’s been quietly supporting Xander through his medical anxiety for years. Their connection has always been tender, and though it leans into the “forbidden” trope (Derek ethically steps back from being Xander’s nurse before anything romantic happens), it never feels icky, it feels right. Derek doesn’t just fall for Xander; he sees him, in all his anxious, complicated, beautiful glory.
What really got me was how this story didn’t erase Xander’s mental health struggles, it honored them. Derek isn’t a magical fix, but he is the steady presence who encourages Xander to start helping himself. Watching Xander take those steps, however small, made me tear up more than once. And the book never undermines the bond between Xander and Seven, it’s treated with the care and nuance it deserves.
Also, can we talk about the scenes at the nursing home? They are pure serotonin. Sweet, gentle, and quietly powerful just like this book.
This was the soft, healing, slow burn romance I didn’t know I needed. A beautiful wrap-up to a found family that stole my heart.