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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
funny
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
As a bit of a k-pop nerd, I was too excited to read this!
I really enjoyed the dynamic of western rockstar and k-pop idol a lot. Jae is such a wonderful character. I can see how he was inspired by many different idols and i definitely saw a bit of some my faves in there. Overall he was just such a beautiful character and I kind of wish more of the story was from his pov.
I’m not sure why, but I never really warmed to Rafa. Even though he does try hard to make up for his mistakes, he still kind of comes off quite selfish and a bit oblivious to other people’s feelings and concerns.
In complete contrast to pretty much all my other reviews, I actually think this might have a smidge too much spice… I mean I loved the way it was all written and the dynamic between the two mcs but some of it felt a bit forced and it took over a bit. There were not quite enough tender and loving moments that weren’t then steamrollered by lust that didn’t always seem like a natural progression.
Overall I did really enjoy the book. The narrator was amazing and the plot is really interesting.
I really enjoyed the dynamic of western rockstar and k-pop idol a lot. Jae is such a wonderful character. I can see how he was inspired by many different idols and i definitely saw a bit of some my faves in there. Overall he was just such a beautiful character and I kind of wish more of the story was from his pov.
I’m not sure why, but I never really warmed to Rafa. Even though he does try hard to make up for his mistakes, he still kind of comes off quite selfish and a bit oblivious to other people’s feelings and concerns.
In complete contrast to pretty much all my other reviews, I actually think this might have a smidge too much spice… I mean I loved the way it was all written and the dynamic between the two mcs but some of it felt a bit forced and it took over a bit. There were not quite enough tender and loving moments that weren’t then steamrollered by lust that didn’t always seem like a natural progression.
Overall I did really enjoy the book. The narrator was amazing and the plot is really interesting.
I overall enjoyed this book. I knocked it down some for the cheating part. Not one of the tropes I enjoying read for the most part. And this is one, just because you are confused about your sexual orientation doesn’t give you the right to cheat and drag the person on. Other than that big part I enjoyed this. I like the relationship between Jaehyun and Raphael. Was an instant obsession really on Raphael’s end after seeing Jae. Seeing how they both navigate through the issues they faced to be together was both nice and annoying.
♥ Rapha and Jae ♥
Genre: M/M Romance
Format: E-Book (Kindle Unlimited)
Character Development: 4/5 • Raphael and Jae were so dynamic. They each struggled with their relationship but in different ways. Their struggles were real and raw. The emotional depth of each of them just captured you from the beginning.
Plot: 4/5 • The plot was engaging and well written. The cultural differences between characters felt real and not just exploited for the stories sake. All the characters in this book felt real, like they could be real characters in the real world.
Writing Style: 4.5/5 • The book was well written, with no grammatical or spelling errors. The author's use of metaphors and analogies added to the story.
Spice Level: 4/5 • The chemistry and passion between Rapha and Jae was so delicious. When these two got together, it was electric. The spice was not overkill and didn't take away from the plot.
Overall Rating: 5/5 • I loved these two so much. Even when my least favorite trope popped up towards the end of the book, I still loved it. Their emotions were raw and real. I appreciated the angst they went through. It wasn't just to torment the reader but to develop the plot and character relationships.
Tropes:
• Rockstars (American Rock & K-Pop)
• Bi-awakening
• K-Pop
• Opposites Attract
• Cheating (Not between MCs)
• HEA
• Dual POV (First Person POV)
♥ Favorite Quotes ♥
"He’d given me a look. A look that shifted something inside me in a way that all those separate parts that made up the whole changed imperceptibly. So that they didn’t fit back the way they were supposed to. Like I no longer fit inside myself. That’s how I’d come to describe it. That was the power of that shift. The power of him. I was like a stranger to my own fucking soul."
"A blowjob and a hand job and I’m ready to change citizenship."
"I need air. I need to walk and think and then maybe speak to a priest or an exorcist or something because this guy is simmering in my veins like demonic possession."
Genre: M/M Romance
Format: E-Book (Kindle Unlimited)
Character Development: 4/5 • Raphael and Jae were so dynamic. They each struggled with their relationship but in different ways. Their struggles were real and raw. The emotional depth of each of them just captured you from the beginning.
Plot: 4/5 • The plot was engaging and well written. The cultural differences between characters felt real and not just exploited for the stories sake. All the characters in this book felt real, like they could be real characters in the real world.
Writing Style: 4.5/5 • The book was well written, with no grammatical or spelling errors. The author's use of metaphors and analogies added to the story.
Spice Level: 4/5 • The chemistry and passion between Rapha and Jae was so delicious. When these two got together, it was electric. The spice was not overkill and didn't take away from the plot.
Overall Rating: 5/5 • I loved these two so much. Even when my least favorite trope popped up towards the end of the book, I still loved it. Their emotions were raw and real. I appreciated the angst they went through. It wasn't just to torment the reader but to develop the plot and character relationships.
Tropes:
• Rockstars (American Rock & K-Pop)
• Bi-awakening
• K-Pop
• Opposites Attract
• Cheating (Not between MCs)
• HEA
• Dual POV (First Person POV)
♥ Favorite Quotes ♥
"He’d given me a look. A look that shifted something inside me in a way that all those separate parts that made up the whole changed imperceptibly. So that they didn’t fit back the way they were supposed to. Like I no longer fit inside myself. That’s how I’d come to describe it. That was the power of that shift. The power of him. I was like a stranger to my own fucking soul."
"A blowjob and a hand job and I’m ready to change citizenship."
"I need air. I need to walk and think and then maybe speak to a priest or an exorcist or something because this guy is simmering in my veins like demonic possession."
emotional
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:
Complicated
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
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
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
Raphael is the frontman of a rock band, Jae is a K-Pop idol. They “meet” during a chance encounter when Raphael and his bandmates are mocking Jae and his K-Pop group under the assumption that Jae doesn’t speak English. Raphael feels guilty for laughing along with his bandmate’s homophobic jokes, but beneath that guilt he feels something much stronger: lust. At first I was put off by the cheating aspect of the story (Raphael is engaged to an actress, Camille) and I could tell this book was going to be a bit broodier than some of the stories I usually prefer but once Raphael compared Jae’s skin to a line of cocaine (after admitting to the reader he’s been enjoying fantasies of Jae in fishnets and white silk panties) there was absolutely no turning back, honey (even if I had to deal with the cringe of reading Rapha being called “puppy” by Camille — puppy!?)
This book has plenty of angst and plenty of steam. I seriously wish, however, that the Camille portion of the plot had been wrapped up sooner. To some degree it marred the story for me, but it also pushed me towards the realization that I wished the actual relationship between Raphael and Jae had played out over a slightly longer period of time. That leads me to my second issue with the story! spoiler:
It also would have greatly reduced the cringe factor of Raphael pleading with Jae, citing all of the things he’s willing to offer directly after revealing the news of Camille’s pregnancy. Girl, bye! What!? It definitely didn’t sink the book for me, it just felt slightly too messy. If pregnancy were going to be a part of the storyline, make Camille pregnant the whole time, give me some really morally dubious romance. I want the Mary Louise Parker-Claire Danes-Billy Crudup messiness.
This book has plenty of angst and plenty of steam. I seriously wish, however, that the Camille portion of the plot had been wrapped up sooner. To some degree it marred the story for me, but it also pushed me towards the realization that I wished the actual relationship between Raphael and Jae had played out over a slightly longer period of time. That leads me to my second issue with the story! spoiler:
Spoiler
Why on earth did Camille need to be pregnant? Lol I get that it presents a crisis for Raphael not wanting to be like his father, but adding that element to the plot right at the end felt unnecessary, especially if the character's relationship is being outed by a leaked video. That could have been the issue that pulled the couple apart and also brought them back together once Jae realized he could have fame AND happiness.It also would have greatly reduced the cringe factor of Raphael pleading with Jae, citing all of the things he’s willing to offer directly after revealing the news of Camille’s pregnancy. Girl, bye! What!? It definitely didn’t sink the book for me, it just felt slightly too messy. If pregnancy were going to be a part of the storyline, make Camille pregnant the whole time, give me some really morally dubious romance. I want the Mary Louise Parker-Claire Danes-Billy Crudup messiness.
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
emotional
hopeful
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:
No