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myendlessshelf's review
5.0
Anyta Sunday does it again. I read this book in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down. These clueless characters had me wearing a huge grin from start to finish and I absolutely loved that it was a queer ‘Emma’ re-telling. It came through perfectly and was lots of fun to read.
Full review on My Endless Shelf
Full review on My Endless Shelf
doseofromance's review
4.0
I'm not often a fan of big age gaps especially when the parent of a friend is involved but here it was done so well and in a healthy way. Knight and Lake met when Lake was already an adult and there is power imbalance.
Lake has to be one of the most chaotic heroes I've met and I was totally here for it. He's just so charmingly clueless and sometimes thoughtless, but it's always obvious that he means well and does see when he's in the wrong. Knight just balances him out so well and I live them together
Lake has to be one of the most chaotic heroes I've met and I was totally here for it. He's just so charmingly clueless and sometimes thoughtless, but it's always obvious that he means well and does see when he's in the wrong. Knight just balances him out so well and I live them together
inkedstoryteller's review
4.0
This is the first volume in a series that is currently 6 books long. It’s the story of a group of gay male friends, and this novel focuses on a young man falling in love with his best friend’s gay father. There is a lot of emotional analysis and clever conversation. It’s a fun romantic story, and rare in that while there is a bit of adult content, it is not M/M erotica. I found that refreshing. I look forward to reading the next volume.
listette's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I probably wouldn’t have given this such high rating if I hadn’t waited a bit before reviewing it. I was surprised to notice how the story stuck with me. I still notice myself thinking about the characters and the wholesome story months after finishing the book.
I really enjoyed the age-gap romance and how sweetly and without a fuss everything turned out. Really wholesome and not as much second-hand embarrassment as I had expected.
Definitely recommend this for all the Austen and Emma fans out there!
I really enjoyed the age-gap romance and how sweetly and without a fuss everything turned out. Really wholesome and not as much second-hand embarrassment as I had expected.
Definitely recommend this for all the Austen and Emma fans out there!
jmross10's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I am not a big Emma fan so this book was already fighting an uphill battle for me, but in the interest of reading the series from the start I gave it a shot.
I thought that there were way too many characters for what was trying to be accomplished and it made hard to keep track of who was who. I understand that the author was trying to set the scene for the future books but I think it could have been done much more effectively. Or at least, more slowly than it was.
A big part of this story is the romance aspect, and while I enjoyed some of the characters involved, the relationships didn't do much for me.I think that using best friend/best friend's dad as the main trope was wasted. You would expect a degree of conflict to arise from that which you never happens. The betrayal or shock that would make sense in that situation is basically a shrug and a thumbs up. It's very anticlimatic.
Emma's obliviousness in the original novel is in part attributed to the fact she's 21 and very sheltered. Emerett doesn't have that same excuse. He's just irritatingly obtuse. If not for Knight, I probably wouldn't have cared about that pairing at all.
Lastly, and the thing that annoyed me the most, was the relationship between Harry and Martin (cousins/love interests). Yes - you read that correctly. Now I'm not directly objecting to the fact that they're cousins. We see a similar relationship in Austen's novel Mansfield Park, so I understand the inspiration. My issue with it, is that is does nothing to serve this particular story. It exists solely so that Emerett has something to object to. That's the best Sunday could do?
This further bothered me because in Finley Embraces Heart & Home (Love Austen #4), the Mansfield Park retelling, the main characters are step brothers. So why cousins in this story but not in the one where it's actually part of the original plot? It just feels pointless.
I thought that there were way too many characters for what was trying to be accomplished and it made hard to keep track of who was who. I understand that the author was trying to set the scene for the future books but I think it could have been done much more effectively. Or at least, more slowly than it was.
A big part of this story is the romance aspect, and while I enjoyed some of the characters involved, the relationships didn't do much for me.
Emma's obliviousness in the original novel is in part attributed to the fact she's 21 and very sheltered. Emerett doesn't have that same excuse. He's just irritatingly obtuse. If not for Knight, I probably wouldn't have cared about that pairing at all.
Lastly, and the thing that annoyed me the most, was the relationship between Harry and Martin (cousins/love interests). Yes - you read that correctly. Now I'm not directly objecting to the fact that they're cousins. We see a similar relationship in Austen's novel Mansfield Park, so I understand the inspiration. My issue with it, is that is does nothing to serve this particular story. It exists solely so that Emerett has something to object to. That's the best Sunday could do?
This further bothered me because in Finley Embraces Heart & Home (Love Austen #4), the Mansfield Park retelling, the main characters are step brothers. So why cousins in this story but not in the one where it's actually part of the original plot? It just feels pointless.
Content Warnings
Minor: Incest
tabithaanne8's review
5.0
This shot straight into my top 5 books of 2021 so far. An excellent read from Anyta Sunday.
Anyta excels in the slow burn trope. In fact, I don’t know any other author in the genre who can do it as well as she can without boring me or making me feel as if the book is too long, even when it’s under 200 pages.
What I loved about this is the amount of humor that was woven in WITHOUT it dragging down the dialogue and cheapening it to a bunch of one-liners. The sass and snark and sarcasm was natural to the characters, and each character was truly unique and their own. It had a large cast, but I never felt lost at trying to figure out who everyone was.
We start seeing early on the feelings developing between Knight and Lake, but Nothing is rushed, and the pacing is truly perfect. This was such a delightful read - genuinely.
I am someone who likes to keep to e-books for sake of clutter and preventing waste, but every now and then a book just beckons me to purchase it in physical form - and this is one of them! The cover art is to die for, and there were several sweet illustrations peppered throughout. Such an incredible touch.
Anyta excels in the slow burn trope. In fact, I don’t know any other author in the genre who can do it as well as she can without boring me or making me feel as if the book is too long, even when it’s under 200 pages.
What I loved about this is the amount of humor that was woven in WITHOUT it dragging down the dialogue and cheapening it to a bunch of one-liners. The sass and snark and sarcasm was natural to the characters, and each character was truly unique and their own. It had a large cast, but I never felt lost at trying to figure out who everyone was.
We start seeing early on the feelings developing between Knight and Lake, but Nothing is rushed, and the pacing is truly perfect. This was such a delightful read - genuinely.
I am someone who likes to keep to e-books for sake of clutter and preventing waste, but every now and then a book just beckons me to purchase it in physical form - and this is one of them! The cover art is to die for, and there were several sweet illustrations peppered throughout. Such an incredible touch.