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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Abandonment
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The perfect end to The Bertha Boys.
Xander has had a tough life and his mental health has taken a huge toll on his life my poor heart hurt so much for him.
He has his housemates who love him dearly and Seven and Molly who he depends on but he needs his own person and that’s where Derek comes in.
Derek as been the nurse to look after Xander but as lines get blurred and he crosses a boundary he can’t comeback from he has to decide what’s best for both of them.
Love love loved this audio and it’s gone on my listen to again list and I may just have found my favourite saying ever in slutty muppets 😂
Xander has had a tough life and his mental health has taken a huge toll on his life my poor heart hurt so much for him.
He has his housemates who love him dearly and Seven and Molly who he depends on but he needs his own person and that’s where Derek comes in.
Derek as been the nurse to look after Xander but as lines get blurred and he crosses a boundary he can’t comeback from he has to decide what’s best for both of them.
Love love loved this audio and it’s gone on my listen to again list and I may just have found my favourite saying ever in slutty muppets 😂
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
WHAT A FINALE! Derek and Xander’s story was worth the wait. It was so well done and the mental health rep was incredible. I really applaud Saxon James for how she went into new territory with this series. Loved getting the satisfying conclusion with the Bertha boys and Aggy. This series has a special place in my heart.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
This book broke me but I knew that it would from the beginning. I love our Bertha Boys so much and I really don’t want their journey to come to and end but here we are!
Xander, Xander, Xander, where to start. He is such a complex character with many faults but his infectious love for life and optimism even with the challenges he faces in his own mind, we love him regardless.
Xander’s growth in this book is incredible.
Xander struggles with Medical Anxiety and Saxon’s portrayal of mental health is so real—it’s messy, painful, and not romanticised at all like I’ve seen a few other authors do (however unintentionally). His struggle with his own mind is brutal, and at times can be hard to read. He’s not perfect—far from it. He can be selfish and doesn’t always appreciate what people do for him, but this book forces him to confront himself and realise that sometimes, he actually is the problem. It’s rough but it’s worth it in the end.
Then there’s Derek. No one grounds Xander like he does—not even Seven. He has the patience of a saint and I just want to give him a hug because nobody seems to realise just how much he is struggling with Xander himself.
His struggle with loving Xander but also feeling trapped as well as the ethics surrounding their relationship adds another heartbreaking layer to the story. You can really feel how much he loves Xander, but you also feel how much it pains him. I loved that he set boundaries and took the time away to make sure that they were going into the relationship for the right reasons.
Derek was also such an important character for the rest of the Bertha Boys too. He was the glue that held them all together - not afraid to call them out on their enabling behaviour when needed but also as a comfort to them when they were overwhelmed with Xander. His acceptance that Z, Seven and Molly come as a package deal was amazing and I loved that at no point did he ever try to come between them all. He inserted himself to make them a four way package deal.
As it was the last book in the series, I loved Saxon’s epilogue and seeing all our Bertha Boys moving on while still being the same big family.
This book gets a full 5 ⭐️ from me!
Thanks to Saxon James and Foreword PR for the advanced copy of the book. ❤️
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
The feels got me on this one, and I will admit that it made me feel anxious a time or two while I was reading it. The dynamic and growth between Derek and Xander is elemental to this story and draws you in. It's not simple, but it is so much and has all the feels. I loved how everything developed and wasn't rushed. The characters and the story itself. Great job. 4 stars and I highly recommend everyone read it for themselves.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
Such a bittersweet end to an amazing series. A long awaited book and Saxon handled it so well. I loved that things weren't magically fixed by love but improved with time. Both Xander and Derek were perfection.