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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
dark
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
I wanted to bang my head against the wall at almost all of the main character's inner dialogue and the "kinky consent/nonconsent sex" was terribly done in my opinion.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It didn't meet my expectations at all and it was very predictable and boring. I thought the characters would get better but they don't and there's no real plot. It's the worst erotica book I've read.
All thorns, no roses
Beware of minor spoilers
I feel much better now that RK is back to writing her NA/college/non mafia contemporary/dark stuff, coz that’s where she shines; and especially since I wanted Naomi and Sebastian’s story ever since we met them in the Truth and Lies duet.
It starts well and ends well, but the middle sags rather a lot, maybe because the connection between our leads feels lacking. I appreciate what the author was trying to do with spotlighting the consensual non con kink, but there’s just a lot of telling and not enough showing that it is in fact consensual. Or well it felt that way to me. Naomi constantly “says” she’s on board, but Sebastian never really asks, and then basically blackmails her against using her safe word. I mean, I’ve read and liked a lot of non con in books, but it just didn’t feel sexy here. Probably coz it comes off like Naomi is just getting more hurt than anything else after most encounters. And without any tender moments after for most of the book. I mean, where’s the aftercare Seb? Sebastian is supposed to be witty and charming in public, but I saw no sign of said wit in the entire book. What annoys me the most is that Naomi’s tough girl facade crumbles at the first sign of Sebastian’s D and she just reverts back to another easily manipulated, malleable girl. Which is worse because it’s all very high school and they’re in college.
Towards the end the pace picks up as secrets start coming to light and we see at least some emotional connection between the two. The pen pal plot line is left frustratingly hanging, and I’m sure it’ll come into play in book 2, but it makes little sense in this book. This book feels like if Cole and Teal from the RES books were a couple, and I can’t decide if that’s a good thing. I was most intrigued by Nate from the moment he appeared, and Reina again manages to be the most interesting part in a book she barely appears in.
Beware of minor spoilers
I feel much better now that RK is back to writing her NA/college/non mafia contemporary/dark stuff, coz that’s where she shines; and especially since I wanted Naomi and Sebastian’s story ever since we met them in the Truth and Lies duet.
It starts well and ends well, but the middle sags rather a lot, maybe because the connection between our leads feels lacking. I appreciate what the author was trying to do with spotlighting the consensual non con kink, but there’s just a lot of telling and not enough showing that it is in fact consensual. Or well it felt that way to me. Naomi constantly “says” she’s on board, but Sebastian never really asks, and then basically blackmails her against using her safe word. I mean, I’ve read and liked a lot of non con in books, but it just didn’t feel sexy here. Probably coz it comes off like Naomi is just getting more hurt than anything else after most encounters. And without any tender moments after for most of the book. I mean, where’s the aftercare Seb? Sebastian is supposed to be witty and charming in public, but I saw no sign of said wit in the entire book. What annoys me the most is that Naomi’s tough girl facade crumbles at the first sign of Sebastian’s D and she just reverts back to another easily manipulated, malleable girl. Which is worse because it’s all very high school and they’re in college.
Towards the end the pace picks up as secrets start coming to light and we see at least some emotional connection between the two. The pen pal plot line is left frustratingly hanging, and I’m sure it’ll come into play in book 2, but it makes little sense in this book. This book feels like if Cole and Teal from the RES books were a couple, and I can’t decide if that’s a good thing. I was most intrigued by Nate from the moment he appeared, and Reina again manages to be the most interesting part in a book she barely appears in.