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4.64 AVERAGE
4.64 AVERAGE
its a long read, but one I read straight through, still haven't slept. I couldn't put it down. I look forward to reading more books by this author
Did I enjoy this book? Yes!
Are there some things I didn’t like about it? Also, yes!
Here’s what I liked…
The story was entertaining, hella spicy, funny, fast paced, stressful and all of the things. I’d probably read it again eventually because I enjoyed the process of watching Demon turn into Damien. I really hope this isn’t the last we see of these characters. More please…
Okay, here’s what I didn’t like…
1. The story of Demon and Dream kept getting interrupted by the story of Smoke and Dayana and then suddenly their story fizzled out but I was equally invested.
2. How was Keith, a small time pimp so untouchable? How did people like Demon, Dante and Smoke have such a hard time finding him? Didn’t make sense.
3. Why was the threat of Keith a main plot line for majority of the book but got such a small amount of page time once shit finally hit the fan?
4. Going back to point number 1, Dayana’s dilemma got more time on the pages than Dream’s and she wasn’t the main character.
5. I was also disappointed with how the Darius conflict was as resolved. I wanted Smoke to handle that. Period!
6. To set a book in Houston and not be true to the vernacular or to know that Houston has BIG supporting character energy pissed me off. Don’t bother my girl if you’re not going to treat her right. Set the story somewhere else because it felt like it was located in Anywhere USA.
For the book to have been over 700 pages, I never found myself to be bored or uninterested. Solid 4.5⭐️.
Are there some things I didn’t like about it? Also, yes!
Here’s what I liked…
The story was entertaining, hella spicy, funny, fast paced, stressful and all of the things. I’d probably read it again eventually because I enjoyed the process of watching Demon turn into Damien. I really hope this isn’t the last we see of these characters. More please…
Okay, here’s what I didn’t like…
1. The story of Demon and Dream kept getting interrupted by the story of Smoke and Dayana and then suddenly their story fizzled out but I was equally invested.
2. How was Keith, a small time pimp so untouchable? How did people like Demon, Dante and Smoke have such a hard time finding him? Didn’t make sense.
3. Why was the threat of Keith a main plot line for majority of the book but got such a small amount of page time once shit finally hit the fan?
4. Going back to point number 1, Dayana’s dilemma got more time on the pages than Dream’s and she wasn’t the main character.
5. I was also disappointed with how the Darius conflict was as resolved. I wanted Smoke to handle that. Period!
6. To set a book in Houston and not be true to the vernacular or to know that Houston has BIG supporting character energy pissed me off. Don’t bother my girl if you’re not going to treat her right. Set the story somewhere else because it felt like it was located in Anywhere USA.
For the book to have been over 700 pages, I never found myself to be bored or uninterested. Solid 4.5⭐️.
dark
emotional
reflective
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
So I read all 700+ pages... and it wasn't enough, where is the rest?! I need more immediately!! I didn't have a clue what the storyline was prior to reading and I'm glad, I was just along for this wild ass ride. All imma say is when you sit down to read this get you some popcorn and a tall drink because it's literally a movie on paper and you won't want stop until it's finished. Tens across the board!! I need an extended bonus epilogue or a book #2 thats 800+ pages, something immediately!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
dark
emotional
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:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
No
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
I decided to read the book due to the hype on Bookstagram. I even overlooked the cover art and book length. The book is super long because it’s actually two books in one. Although Demon/Damien and Dream are the primary couple, I preferred Dayana and Smoke/Cartier more. The accidental pregnancy put me off because Dream was pressured to keep her pregnancy although she had valid reasons for wanting to terminate. Instead of Demon actually listening to Dream and validating/addressing her concerns, he made Dream’s pregnancy about him and his childhood trauma. It rubbed me the wrong way because Dream went from having a controlling father to having a controlling, emotionally unavailable partner. While I can empathize with Demon’s tragic past, he made it hard to root for him at times. It took Dream running away for Demon to see he messed up. And even then the character growth was still minimal. More than 90% into the book, Demon could barely bring himself to tell Dream he loved her until he was in front of his therapist. This novel would have worked better if it was interconnected standalone series focusing on each couple (I would prefer exploring Smoke and Yana’s relationship since it was less toxic in comparison)
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
dark
emotional
mysterious
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