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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
Oh!My!Gosh! 😭😭😭
I knew that I would love Xander but he and Derek together? I absolutely adored them 🥹
This was such a beautiful ending for this series 🥲.
I knew that I would love Xander but he and Derek together? I absolutely adored them 🥹
This was such a beautiful ending for this series 🥲.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
hopeful
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
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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
Omg this was so stinking cute! Definitely my fav of the Bertha boys.
Lots of slow burn and pining because poor Xander needed time to get sorted. I loved how he took the time to figure himself out even if he didn’t want to at first.
Derek was so perfect for him and was everything he needed. I loved how Derek treated Xander and how much respect he had for Xander’s family and friends.
Don’t even get me started on the happily ever after because it was perfect. For a min there I wasn’t sure but then when it all came together I cried like a baby.
Lots of slow burn and pining because poor Xander needed time to get sorted. I loved how he took the time to figure himself out even if he didn’t want to at first.
Derek was so perfect for him and was everything he needed. I loved how Derek treated Xander and how much respect he had for Xander’s family and friends.
Don’t even get me started on the happily ever after because it was perfect. For a min there I wasn’t sure but then when it all came together I cried like a baby.
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶🌶🌶
Audio:🔊🔊🔊🔊.5
🩵Nurse/Patient
🩵MMC w/ Medical Anxiety
🩵Hurt/Comfort
🩵Found Family
🩵Slow Burn
🩵Small Time Skips
Possible TW:
⚠️On page panic attacks and spiraling thoughts
⚠️Angst/Pining to the MAX
⚠️Discussions of Past ⚠️Abuse/Trama
⚠️Resistance to and Aversion to Therapy
⚠️Discussions of Poor Body/Self Image
⚠️Self deprecating dark humor
Our Bertha Boy Xander is finally getting his story told. Xander suffers from severe medical anxiety due to trauma and neglect in his foster homes. This anxiety presents in the form of debilitating panic attacks that trick his body into thinking it is dying. The only thing that can help these panic attacks once they start is heading to the local pharmacy to see Nurse Derek. Derek helps talking him through and down from these panic attacks and has become available at the Bertha Boy's beck and call.
The problem with this is, as much as Derek doesn't mind helping, his entire life has been put on hold for Xander's panic attacks. And what's worse, ever since his foster brother Seven started therapy after meeting his partner Molly, Xander has expressed his flat out refusal to entertain the idea of going to therapy to help himself. Between anxiously sitting around waiting for Xander's call and Xander not wanting to get the help he needs, Derek is exhausted.
Things change when they both start volunteering at the same nursing home and Derek begins seeing Xander in a whole new light outside of the treatment room. Feelings where already starting to form but now that Derek is seeing a different side to Xander, things get more complicated. How is he possibly suppose to keep his professionalism separate from his feelings when Xander is looking at him like he hung the moon? Especially when Xander STILL refuses to treat himself??
I was so excited for this book to arrive! Though this book is technically a standalone and can be enjoyed as such, this is one of those times that it's truly understood and enjoyed best when you have read the rest of the series. ESPECIALLY Not Dating Material because it explains Seven and Xander's brotherly relationship and Xander's past a bit more as well as showing a bit of Molly and Xander's friendship build as well.
I was expecting this book to hurt my heart and it definitely didn't disappoint. I love the taboo of this story but the fact that it was done so well and how much respect that Derek has for the ethicality of the situation. The fact that he cared so much about Xander's mental health and well being that he did everything in his power to do right by him. Even if that meant cutting Xander off cold turkey and, by extension, himself.
I also love that Xander's character development throughout the book as well and that the relationship between him and Derek didn't like "magically" cure him. Sometimes with contemporary romance, you get this like "oh all I had to do was find my person" or "you were the cure I needed" syndrome where everything is just all of a sudden perfect once they get together. I love that Xander is flawed, I love that Derek is so understanding and attentive but also gives tough love when needed. I love that Xander's relationship with therapy slowly changes over time and feels real and raw. Saxon James has such a beautiful way of writing flawed but lovable characters with amazing depth. It's always such a treat when Saxon announces that a new book is coming out.
The audiobook was amazing. Teddy Hamilton's portrayal of Xander but also the rest of the Bertha Boys across the series was so good, I always appreciate that the characters personalities come through across many books by the same narrator. Teddy will always be on the 'must listen' list. ESPECIALLY if it's a Saxon James title!
Spice:🌶🌶🌶
Audio:🔊🔊🔊🔊.5
🩵Nurse/Patient
🩵MMC w/ Medical Anxiety
🩵Hurt/Comfort
🩵Found Family
🩵Slow Burn
🩵Small Time Skips
Possible TW:
⚠️On page panic attacks and spiraling thoughts
⚠️Angst/Pining to the MAX
⚠️Discussions of Past ⚠️Abuse/Trama
⚠️Resistance to and Aversion to Therapy
⚠️Discussions of Poor Body/Self Image
⚠️Self deprecating dark humor
Our Bertha Boy Xander is finally getting his story told. Xander suffers from severe medical anxiety due to trauma and neglect in his foster homes. This anxiety presents in the form of debilitating panic attacks that trick his body into thinking it is dying. The only thing that can help these panic attacks once they start is heading to the local pharmacy to see Nurse Derek. Derek helps talking him through and down from these panic attacks and has become available at the Bertha Boy's beck and call.
The problem with this is, as much as Derek doesn't mind helping, his entire life has been put on hold for Xander's panic attacks. And what's worse, ever since his foster brother Seven started therapy after meeting his partner Molly, Xander has expressed his flat out refusal to entertain the idea of going to therapy to help himself. Between anxiously sitting around waiting for Xander's call and Xander not wanting to get the help he needs, Derek is exhausted.
Things change when they both start volunteering at the same nursing home and Derek begins seeing Xander in a whole new light outside of the treatment room. Feelings where already starting to form but now that Derek is seeing a different side to Xander, things get more complicated. How is he possibly suppose to keep his professionalism separate from his feelings when Xander is looking at him like he hung the moon? Especially when Xander STILL refuses to treat himself??
I was so excited for this book to arrive! Though this book is technically a standalone and can be enjoyed as such, this is one of those times that it's truly understood and enjoyed best when you have read the rest of the series. ESPECIALLY Not Dating Material because it explains Seven and Xander's brotherly relationship and Xander's past a bit more as well as showing a bit of Molly and Xander's friendship build as well.
I was expecting this book to hurt my heart and it definitely didn't disappoint. I love the taboo of this story but the fact that it was done so well and how much respect that Derek has for the ethicality of the situation. The fact that he cared so much about Xander's mental health and well being that he did everything in his power to do right by him. Even if that meant cutting Xander off cold turkey and, by extension, himself.
I also love that Xander's character development throughout the book as well and that the relationship between him and Derek didn't like "magically" cure him. Sometimes with contemporary romance, you get this like "oh all I had to do was find my person" or "you were the cure I needed" syndrome where everything is just all of a sudden perfect once they get together. I love that Xander is flawed, I love that Derek is so understanding and attentive but also gives tough love when needed. I love that Xander's relationship with therapy slowly changes over time and feels real and raw. Saxon James has such a beautiful way of writing flawed but lovable characters with amazing depth. It's always such a treat when Saxon announces that a new book is coming out.
The audiobook was amazing. Teddy Hamilton's portrayal of Xander but also the rest of the Bertha Boys across the series was so good, I always appreciate that the characters personalities come through across many books by the same narrator. Teddy will always be on the 'must listen' list. ESPECIALLY if it's a Saxon James title!
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Abandonment
emotional
hopeful
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
This was not my favorite. It was still good, but my hopes were pretty high. Maybe reading it on ebook rather than audio like all the rest changed my rating. Maybe the chunking and time jumps were too hard on me. Maybe I was too distracted by the patient/nurse angle. Living in Xaden’s brain was really difficult to read.
All of that said. The ending to this book was maybe one of the happiest, most perfect I have ever read. Are you kidding me, Saxon?? This is all I could have asked for.
All of that said. The ending to this book was maybe one of the happiest, most perfect I have ever read. Are you kidding me, Saxon?? This is all I could have asked for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Child abuse
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I truly wanted this to be my favorite of the series, but it’s hard to live up to the hype when the relationship in book 5 was set up in book 1 and developed over every subsequent one…
Either way, I love Xander and he deserved his Derek and their codependent connecting house with Molly and Seven…
Either way, I love Xander and he deserved his Derek and their codependent connecting house with Molly and Seven…
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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