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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
I loved how well the couple communicated with each other. They both made their insecurities and their feelings well known to the other person and it made for a very enjoyable book. I loved their chemistry and it was clear that it was more than just an obsession for Raphael. They resolved all of their issues within a reasonable time frame and I thought that made for a very good ending. I do think that the 3rd act conflict was slightly unnecessary and the way the MC handled it was silly, hence the 4 stars. But I have no notes on Jaehyun. I don’t know anything about Kpop but I imagine that his reservations and concerns and the way he handled them were very realistic for someone in his position.
story of Raphael and Jaehyun
This is a rockstar x k-pop star romance, featuring Raphael and Jaehyun, and is a standalone book.
Raphael and Jaehyun have a chance meeting in Paris, that doesn’t go so well. But Raphael is completely enthralled with the K-pop star from the moment they met and can’t stop thinking about him. Raphael gets a second chance at a first impression two years later and doesn’t waste it.
Wow, this book felt like it was going to be a slow burn at the beginning but it quickly picked up. It also felt a little angsty because Raphael was cheating on his girlfriend with Jae. I didn’t like Camille at the beginning but she was a great character and Raphael was lucky she put their friendship ahead of their relationship breakdown.
Jae and Rapha were a steamy couple. Rapha definitely had insta-lust for Jae, he was all consumed by his crush and didn’t even hesitate to jump into his bi-awakening. Jae was a lot more reserved with his feelings, understandably with his record label’s rules, but he had such a witty humour and together they had great chemistry and shared some beautiful moments.
I feel like I am left wanting more, I want to know more about Mason, I know the epilogue wrapped it up but I would totally read a book about him.
I really enjoy Scarlett Drake’s writing style, she completely captures my attention.
Things to expect in this book are:
Standalone book
MM romance
Rockstar x K-Pop star
Insta-lust
Obsessed / Crush
Bi-awakening
Cheating with each other
Pining
Long distance dating
Spicy times & dirty talk
Phone s*x
MC in lingerie
A tiny 3rd act break up
Coming out
Calls him baby
All in
HEA
This is a rockstar x k-pop star romance, featuring Raphael and Jaehyun, and is a standalone book.
Raphael and Jaehyun have a chance meeting in Paris, that doesn’t go so well. But Raphael is completely enthralled with the K-pop star from the moment they met and can’t stop thinking about him. Raphael gets a second chance at a first impression two years later and doesn’t waste it.
Wow, this book felt like it was going to be a slow burn at the beginning but it quickly picked up. It also felt a little angsty because Raphael was cheating on his girlfriend with Jae. I didn’t like Camille at the beginning but she was a great character and Raphael was lucky she put their friendship ahead of their relationship breakdown.
Jae and Rapha were a steamy couple. Rapha definitely had insta-lust for Jae, he was all consumed by his crush and didn’t even hesitate to jump into his bi-awakening. Jae was a lot more reserved with his feelings, understandably with his record label’s rules, but he had such a witty humour and together they had great chemistry and shared some beautiful moments.
I feel like I am left wanting more, I want to know more about Mason, I know the epilogue wrapped it up but I would totally read a book about him.
I really enjoy Scarlett Drake’s writing style, she completely captures my attention.
Things to expect in this book are:
Standalone book
MM romance
Rockstar x K-Pop star
Insta-lust
Obsessed / Crush
Bi-awakening
Cheating with each other
Pining
Long distance dating
Spicy times & dirty talk
Phone s*x
MC in lingerie
A tiny 3rd act break up
Coming out
Calls him baby
All in
HEA
Raphael (24) / Jae (~24?)
Deutsch:
Das Buch war richtig gut – bis auf die letzten 15 %.
DieSchwangerschaft war der unnötigste Plot-Twist überhaupt. Genau dieses Szenario gibt es schon in unzähligen anderen Büchern 😩 Nicht jede Geschichte braucht ein Kind im Epilog. Und vor allem: Hört auf, eine unerwartete Schwangerschaft zu romantisieren und so zu tun, als wäre Abtreibung keine echte Option. Es wird dargestellt, als sei es etwas Beschämendes, und dass man "kein schlechter Mensch" sein will – das ist eine sehr problematische Botschaft.
Besonders diese Stelle war einfach daneben:
Deutsch:
Das Buch war richtig gut – bis auf die letzten 15 %.
Die
Besonders diese Stelle war einfach daneben:
“I thought about it, yes. But I cannot do that—I am not that person.”
Als wäre man ein schlechterer Mensch, wenn man sich für einen
Ich hätte mir so etwas gewünscht: Keine Schwangerschaft, Camille ist abgehakt (kann trotzdem noch als Nebenfigur auftauchen), das Video wird geleakt, Jae bekommt Panik, Raphael steht zu ihm, begleitet ihn zum Meeting mit dem Label, die beiden erwarten das Schlimmste – und bekommen überraschend Unterstützung.
Die Schwangerschaft plus das Video gleichzeitig war einfach zu viel und wirkte konstruiert.
Ganz ehrlich: Das Buch hätte von mir mindestens 4,5 Sterne bekommen, wenn diese Schwangerschaft nicht gewesen wäre.
Was ich auch schade fand: Die Rollen beim Sex wurden nie getauscht. Es wurde zwar erwähnt, dass Raphael offen dafür wäre – aber dann wurde es einfach ignoriert. Warum es ansprechen, wenn es dann komplett weggelassen wird?
English:
The book was really good — up until the last 15%.
Thepregnancy was the most unnecessary plot twist ever. We’ve seen this exact scenario in countless books 😩 Not every story needs a baby in the epilogue.
More importantly: stop romanticizing unexpected pregnancies and acting like abortion isn’t a real option. The book treats it like it’s something shameful, like choosing it would make you a "bad person" — and that’s a deeply problematic message.
This line especially bothered me:
Was ich auch schade fand: Die Rollen beim Sex wurden nie getauscht. Es wurde zwar erwähnt, dass Raphael offen dafür wäre – aber dann wurde es einfach ignoriert. Warum es ansprechen, wenn es dann komplett weggelassen wird?
English:
The book was really good — up until the last 15%.
The
More importantly: stop romanticizing unexpected pregnancies and acting like abortion isn’t a real option.
This line especially bothered me:
“I thought about it, yes. But I cannot do that—I am not that person.”
As if you'd be somehow less if you made that decision.
The story would’ve been much stronger without the
I would’ve loved a version where there’s no pregnancy, Camille is clearly in the past (but can stay a side character), the video leaks, Jae panics, Raphael supports him, and they go to the label meeting expecting disaster — but instead they get unexpected support.
Having both the pregnancy and the video was just too much.
Honestly: This could’ve been a solid 4.5 stars from me — if it weren’t for the pregnancy.
Also, I was a bit disappointed that they never switched roles in bed. It was mentioned that Raphael would be open to it — but then it never happened. Why bring it up just to ignore it?
Also, I was a bit disappointed that they never switched roles in bed. It was mentioned that Raphael would be open to it — but then it never happened. Why bring it up just to ignore it?
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:
Complicated
It's complicated. I loved the concept of this book so so much, and I liked it enough to finish it, but it just felt like all of the main plot points could have been BIGGER. Jae's struggles with the label and his sexuality, Raphael's relationship with his dad. I feel like we got a tiny taste of things but that's it. Also it ended with my least favorite trope in romance books, so there's that. A wonderful concept, not executed fabulously.
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A very entertaining achilliean romance between an edgy American rockstar and a beautiful kpop idol.
Although this book is mildly tarnished with uncool behavior from the main character and a few tropes (e.g. gay-for-you) it so effectively and believably captures the spiraling fantasizing of a crush that feels unattainable.
The sex scenes are spicy!
Although this book is mildly tarnished with uncool behavior from the main character and a few tropes (e.g. gay-for-you) it so effectively and believably captures the spiraling fantasizing of a crush that feels unattainable.
The sex scenes are spicy!
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well. Didn't expect that it was erotica. 🫣😳 My bad!
To be fair; the sex was really creatively written. I think - for the right audience - this is a good romance/LGBTQIA+ erotica book.
I.... Am not the target audience. I read it more for the k-pop idol pitch. But that is on me.
Rating reflects my objective view on the book. It is good.
Subjectively not my jam.
To be fair; the sex was really creatively written. I think - for the right audience - this is a good romance/LGBTQIA+ erotica book.
I.... Am not the target audience. I read it more for the k-pop idol pitch. But that is on me.
Rating reflects my objective view on the book. It is good.
Subjectively not my jam.
°˖✧✿✧˖° hamartia by scarlett drake °˖✧✿✧˖°
rating : ★
status : dnf-ed (397 pages/47%)
“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. ”
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
a rockstar and a kpop artist. attraction, love, lust and wrongness is what describes raphael and jaehyun relationship.
raphael, a rockstar who saw a kpop idol, jaehyun during one of his sets and talks shit about him with his friends. the same jaehyun comes out of the bathroom door, acting like he heard nothing. since then, raphael had grown to become obsessed with him. it was all lust and something more that refused to leave him.
"but him…well, he was my inevitability.”
"i realize then that his moves don’t just match the beat, like a dancer’s should, but they match the lyrics too. it’s like i get it then. dance. the concept of it. a fucking epiphany.”
jaehyun, a kpop artist under an entertainment company in korea, who meets this american rockstar who looks at him in way that speaks of something. he gives in to that lust that he and raphael both feels.
“dangsin-eun na-ege neomu keun sangcheoleul jul geos-ibnida. an geulae?”
raphael and jaehyun, well they felt like a disaster waiting to happen, at least for jaehyun. being a kpop idol and all.
i cannot say a lot about jaehyun because his character just, like i did not understand what he was thinking about anything. his feelings for raphael felt non existent. there was lust, yes. but love? as far as i have read, i could not feel it.
raphael, well, i loved him at first, like him thinking about jaehyun i was enjoying at first but then the cheating, camilla, leaving her hanging and lying to her it became to much to ignore. he had talked in length that he like and lusted for jaehyun a lot. the smut was hot and all but as i have read more and more after i did not continue the book, i just could not ignore it anymore.
i did love how raphael and jaehyun went over their language and culture barriers. also loved how the story narration started. but that was about it. oh no wait, i loved the cover so much. it was just so enticing, ughh another reason i hate that i did not like this.
the idea was there, a brilliant one, if i must add. but the execution was disappointing. i wanted to like it so much, ignoring the cheating plot but then i read some spoilers and i was like hell no. i could not read that. so yes, here we are.
if you can digest these tropes and look past the cheating and all, you might end up loving it.
rating : ★
status : dnf-ed (397 pages/47%)
“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. ”
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
a rockstar and a kpop artist. attraction, love, lust and wrongness is what describes raphael and jaehyun relationship.
raphael, a rockstar who saw a kpop idol, jaehyun during one of his sets and talks shit about him with his friends. the same jaehyun comes out of the bathroom door, acting like he heard nothing. since then, raphael had grown to become obsessed with him. it was all lust and something more that refused to leave him.
"but him…well, he was my inevitability.”
"i realize then that his moves don’t just match the beat, like a dancer’s should, but they match the lyrics too. it’s like i get it then. dance. the concept of it. a fucking epiphany.”
jaehyun, a kpop artist under an entertainment company in korea, who meets this american rockstar who looks at him in way that speaks of something. he gives in to that lust that he and raphael both feels.
“dangsin-eun na-ege neomu keun sangcheoleul jul geos-ibnida. an geulae?”
raphael and jaehyun, well they felt like a disaster waiting to happen, at least for jaehyun. being a kpop idol and all.
i cannot say a lot about jaehyun because his character just, like i did not understand what he was thinking about anything. his feelings for raphael felt non existent. there was lust, yes. but love? as far as i have read, i could not feel it.
raphael, well, i loved him at first, like him thinking about jaehyun i was enjoying at first but then the cheating, camilla, leaving her hanging and lying to her it became to much to ignore. he had talked in length that he like and lusted for jaehyun a lot. the smut was hot and all but as i have read more and more after i did not continue the book, i just could not ignore it anymore.
i did love how raphael and jaehyun went over their language and culture barriers. also loved how the story narration started. but that was about it. oh no wait, i loved the cover so much. it was just so enticing, ughh another reason i hate that i did not like this.
the idea was there, a brilliant one, if i must add. but the execution was disappointing. i wanted to like it so much, ignoring the cheating plot but then i read some spoilers and i was like hell no. i could not read that. so yes, here we are.
if you can digest these tropes and look past the cheating and all, you might end up loving it.
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
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
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
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