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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
slow-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
funny
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not Catching Love by Saxon James
š Nurse x Artist
š Forbidden Romance
š Nurse/Patient to Friends to Lovers
š Mental Health Themes
š Hurt/Comfort
š Mutual Pining
š Virgin MC
š Slow Burn
š Found Family
I've been excited for Xander and Derek's book since we first met them in The Husband Hoax and though this story wasn't what I had been originally expecting for the characters, I still really enjoyed it.
Both Xander and Derek had a lot of issues to sort through in this book and I really liked seeing them grow as individuals and eventually together as a couple.
The moments between Seven & Xander and Seven & Derek were so lovely and unsurprisingly, Seven continues to be my favourite character of the series!
Overall, this book was a really nice ending to the series and what has turned out to be a great collection of found family stories!
Overall: āāāā.5
Spice: š¶ļøš¶ļøš¶ļø
Humour: š¤š¤š¤.5
Intimacy: š«š«š«š«š«
Angst: š„ŗš„ŗš„ŗ
First person dual pov š
CW (from author): This book contains mentions of past traumas, including abandonment, neglect, and childhood abuse. There is trauma dumping and severe anxiety attacks. Xanderās opinions on mental health and psychologists are his own and donāt reflect reality or the authorās own opinions.
CW (extras): medication, therapy sessions, self loathing, self image issues, mentions of childhood bullying, emotional abuse, mentions of addiction (MCs parents, off page), medical trauma (off page, in the past).
š Nurse x Artist
š Forbidden Romance
š Nurse/Patient to Friends to Lovers
š Mental Health Themes
š Hurt/Comfort
š Mutual Pining
š Virgin MC
š Slow Burn
š Found Family
I've been excited for Xander and Derek's book since we first met them in The Husband Hoax and though this story wasn't what I had been originally expecting for the characters, I still really enjoyed it.
Both Xander and Derek had a lot of issues to sort through in this book and I really liked seeing them grow as individuals and eventually together as a couple.
The moments between Seven & Xander and Seven & Derek were so lovely and unsurprisingly, Seven continues to be my favourite character of the series!
Overall, this book was a really nice ending to the series and what has turned out to be a great collection of found family stories!
Overall: āāāā.5
Spice: š¶ļøš¶ļøš¶ļø
Humour: š¤š¤š¤.5
Intimacy: š«š«š«š«š«
Angst: š„ŗš„ŗš„ŗ
First person dual pov š
CW (extras): medication, therapy sessions, self loathing, self image issues, mentions of childhood bullying, emotional abuse, mentions of addiction (MCs parents, off page), medical trauma (off page, in the past).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse
Minor: Medical content, Medical trauma
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
I have been so excited to read this book and it didnāt disappoint! This entire series has been so much fun to read, and I hate to leave these characters behind.
I loved the way that things took time to resolve in the book, as so often it seems in romance that such serious issues between the characters resolve too quickly and make you feel that the couples will never last past the end of the book.
I loved the way that things took time to resolve in the book, as so often it seems in romance that such serious issues between the characters resolve too quickly and make you feel that the couples will never last past the end of the book.
challenging
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
These two looooooove each other so much! From the first chapter, theyāve both already got it bad. This book tells us the story of Derek and Xander, and how they navigate Xanderās mental health and a forbidden relationship!
This book, in regular Saxon James fashion, has great banter, lovely side characters, sweet moments, and so much love. The plot deals with pretty heavy topics of mental health, and some hard truths about compromising for a relationship. As someone who suffers from some of the same issues that Xander has, it was sometimes a little hard to read. I think the mental health representation was done fairly well, though.
This book has a lot of (necessary) time skipping, which isnāt my preference personally. However it made sense for this book.
Definitely a book for those who love good character development, found family, pure and sweet love stories, and healing journeys. ā¤ļø
This book, in regular Saxon James fashion, has great banter, lovely side characters, sweet moments, and so much love. The plot deals with pretty heavy topics of mental health, and some hard truths about compromising for a relationship. As someone who suffers from some of the same issues that Xander has, it was sometimes a little hard to read. I think the mental health representation was done fairly well, though.
This book has a lot of (necessary) time skipping, which isnāt my preference personally. However it made sense for this book.
Definitely a book for those who love good character development, found family, pure and sweet love stories, and healing journeys. ā¤ļø
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
Heās a real adult. Put together, stable, handsome, with a grown-up career and no demons in his closet.
But heās also seen me at my worst, and here he is, choosing to spend time with me anyway.
Because Derek is my real-life Prince Charming.
Now, if only heād do that part where he sweeps me off my feet.
This may have been my most anticipated book coming out in 2025. The Bertha Boys are one of my favorite found families ever, Iāve loved every single book and seeing this wonderful group of guys finding their people. And now itās finally time for sweet Xander to have his own happily ever after. If youāre familiar with the series at all, you know that Xander has been a fan favorite from the beginning. I had high expectations for this book and it surpassed every single one. I could not have asked for a more perfect story for Xander and Derek. It wasnāt an easy road but it was exactly what needed to happen to get these men to their HEA. And it was a great send-off for this series, a series that Iām going to miss a lot!
There arenāt a lot of people who make me feel safe, but Derek is one of them, and if it was up to me, Iād get to have him always. As mine. All mine.
Xander had a rough start in life and heās still dealing with the aftermath of the neglect and trauma. Throughout the series, weāve seen Xanderās trauma manifest through his health anxiety episodes. The only thing that seems to help is the calm, caring presence of Nurse Derek at the local pharmacy clinic. Derek has put the rest of his life on hold so heās always available whenever he gets the call that Xander is being brought in. He feels stuck but he canāt bring himself to abandon Xander.
When they find themselves both volunteering at the same retirement home, Derek sees a whole new side of Xander, and the feelings heās had to bury due to their nurse/patient relationship get harder and harder to fight. Even after he stops treating him, if Derek wants to keep his job he needs to put space and time between him and Xander as nurse/patient and him and Xander as friends. But the more Xander opens up to him, the more difficult he becomes to resist.
With every little inch he gives me, Iāll go after two more. Iām greedy when it comes to what I want, and Iāve never wanted anyone the way I want Derek.
I loved how Xanderās mental illness and his journey to addressing his mental health were handled. The way his anxieties were written, seeing all the big and small ways his brain played tricks on him, was so realistic. It wasnāt easy to read at times because Xander is the type of character you want to wrap up and protect at all costs. Thatās kind of what the other Bertha Boys did for him. For better or for worse, they did their best to shield him and take care of him when things got bad. Derek, as an outsider, had a different perspective and pushed hard to get Xander the professional help he needed. This was quite the push and pull but I loved how it all played out. It was exactly what needed to happen, there was no quick fix and these guys had to make the tough decisions and put in the hard work if they had any hope of creating a healthy relationship.
For obvious reasons, this book was a slow burn and it was perfect. I was giddy as Derek and Xanderās friendship grew. They were so adorable with their flirting and pining. I love in books when both characters are pining away but all parties are aware of it. Thatās exactly what happened here. Both of them wanted each other so badly but couldnāt be together in the way they wanted, for a variety of reasons. It created a delicious tension that you couldnāt wait to see snap (and it was so worth it when it finally did!).
āIāve been waiting my whole life for you. Just you. Iām not going anywhere.ā
Another aspect of this story that I loved so much was Xanderās relationship with Seven and Molly and how Derek now fits into that picture. Again, it was another bumpy road but there were a lot of great scenes and conversations between these characters and I loved where the four of them ended up. As sad as I am to have to say goodbye to the Bertha Boys, Iām happy to know that theyāre all happy and living their best lives. I canāt ask for much more than that!
āIām yours. Iāve always been yours. I canāt believe you finally caught up.ā
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
Okay so I loved this book!!! Weāve had a great understanding of how Zanderās mental health struggles affects all of the Bertha boys. Being in Zanderās mind showed how complex his issues were. Especially because a lot of what he does is intentional and heās self aware even if his toxic behavior stems from his mental health struggles heās still choosing not to do anything about it no matter how it impacts others. This book is almost a villain redemption ARC even if Zander is ultimately his own worst enemy the most.
My expectations were low because Maddenās book didnāt really connect with me. This book was so well done. Zander is a complicated character and his own issues can make him unlikable because he is manipulative even while being sweet. Watching him grow over the course of this book was so satisfying. Derek was his perfect match in every way.
My expectations were low because Maddenās book didnāt really connect with me. This book was so well done. Zander is a complicated character and his own issues can make him unlikable because he is manipulative even while being sweet. Watching him grow over the course of this book was so satisfying. Derek was his perfect match in every way.