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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What an absolutely phenomenal book! I am still reeling and was completely hooked to the way the author lays out the love story of these beautifully imperfect men spanning years.
Things I loved:
* Leelee bear and Franky are the definition of a simmering slow burn with this chemistry thrumming under the surface which when they do come together is explosive, raw and so primal.. some of the hottest scenes I’ve read.
* The way Franklin and Leland instinctively connect & see so much of each other
* The deeply meaningful conversations parsing out all the hugely difficult, messy emotions and grey choices and their impact this story touches on.
* The writing is tactile and viscerally impactful and stunning, threaded through with almost this edge .. like a ticking clock to build and release that rich tension though out the phases of the book.
* The pining in the story is gut wrenchingly sublime
* The subliminal “made for you” theme that runs across the telling of the tale
* The sensitivity with which the themes of loss of loved ones, loss of self and lost love are handled
* The healing and repairs on their journey to a hard won HEA
* Cole and Leland’s friendship
* Jasper’s moment with Franklin towards the end
This book was so heartbreaking in parts and I loved these characters: Leland, bereft and barely anchored, protecting his vulnerabilities, such an insulated and isolated place to be. And Franklin buckling under the weight of being ideal, the guilt of never meeting that standard and a bit lost to himself. I’m awed with how the author builds this intimacy with the characters and their discovery of self and their evolution allowing us to be completely immersed in the story. I rarely cry when reading but I did and their story is still on my mind.
Expect:
* Age gap
* Forbidden themes
* Possesive MC
* Cheating
* Found family
* CNC
* Bi-awakening
* Hurt comfort
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Swoon: ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Steam:
Things I loved:
* Leelee bear and Franky are the definition of a simmering slow burn with this chemistry thrumming under the surface which when they do come together is explosive, raw and so primal.. some of the hottest scenes I’ve read.
* The way Franklin and Leland instinctively connect & see so much of each other
* The deeply meaningful conversations parsing out all the hugely difficult, messy emotions and grey choices and their impact this story touches on.
* The writing is tactile and viscerally impactful and stunning, threaded through with almost this edge .. like a ticking clock to build and release that rich tension though out the phases of the book.
* The pining in the story is gut wrenchingly sublime
* The subliminal “made for you” theme that runs across the telling of the tale
* The sensitivity with which the themes of loss of loved ones, loss of self and lost love are handled
* The healing and repairs on their journey to a hard won HEA
* Cole and Leland’s friendship
* Jasper’s moment with Franklin towards the end
This book was so heartbreaking in parts and I loved these characters: Leland, bereft and barely anchored, protecting his vulnerabilities, such an insulated and isolated place to be. And Franklin buckling under the weight of being ideal, the guilt of never meeting that standard and a bit lost to himself. I’m awed with how the author builds this intimacy with the characters and their discovery of self and their evolution allowing us to be completely immersed in the story. I rarely cry when reading but I did and their story is still on my mind.
Expect:
* Age gap
* Forbidden themes
* Possesive MC
* Cheating
* Found family
* CNC
* Bi-awakening
* Hurt comfort
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Swoon: ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Steam:
This is a good book but just not for me! I love age gap and forbidden romances so thought the cheating I could overlook. Honestly, it was done well and watching Leland and Franky become friends to lovers at the summer house was magical. Middle of the book when there was just so much drama, man I hated Franklin. He did pine and grovel but really years?! It was hard for me to deal with that betrayal. I loved the inclusion of Cole and Jasper and finally seeing all their issues aired.
As an avid spice reader, this brand of spice is not for me. And that's okay! It could be someone else's cup of tea...or frosting...
As an avid spice reader, this brand of spice is not for me. And that's okay! It could be someone else's cup of tea...or frosting...
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
No... just no...
After finishing The Good Liar, I was sooooo excited to read Leland and Franklin's story! Then I was apprehensive when I read a teaser and the passage on it was JUST.NOT.MY.TEA. Like so much not my tea!! So there I was starting this already skeptical about how much I was going to enjoy it.
I never understood why Leland was so fixated in the beginning with Franklin (I mean when he was a waiter in that catering thing). What draw him to him? Why follow him up the staircase? The reasons were flimsy at best, so that was another notch into the "yeah I'm not sure about this story" going round and round in my head.
I never knew what to think about Leland's art... was he good or not? Was he an untrained artistic genious? I DO NOT KNOW!! It was a mess throughout the story!
Then it was the sex between them... hot at times but 70%, for me, it was... icky...? I love, Love, LOVE me some good, kinky, rough sex filled with dirty talk but I'm not sure I got that here. It felt that I got some cheesy, OTT p0rn style, rough sex and weird, cringey dirty talk...
And then we were endlessly told about things.... their feelings, their days, their musings... it was LoooooooOOOOONG. So, so long! There was no ending the first part. Then the second part was the angst. They hurt themselves, they hurt each other, they hurt others... round and round it went with their remorse, their anger, their possessiveness, their revenge, their guilt, their lies... and nothing, no steps taken, no gestures made to actually fix themselves and oh how Franklin frustrated me when it came to Cole!
At some point Franklin wears his big boy pants and starts with fixing himself, something that Leland left till the freaking end and that was summed up in the epilogue.
Ugghh do I want to go into the whole martyr thing and Leland testing Franklin? Nuuuhhh.... Because this review will never end.
Both of them DO NOT deserve Cole! I mean couldn't Leland tell him about his mother? What exactly he would have revealed that had to do with his father?
Finally I want to address something when it comes to C.P. Harris's writing style.... maybe it's a personal preference, for me, maybe it's because english is my 2nd language and I'm not familiar 100% with the rules.... so when you are talking about the "crotch" or the groin, do you really need to add the word "area"??? Isn't it implied? So yeah reading "crotch area" and "groin area" through me off completely.
So anyways... the story felt endless and frustrated me and I'm questioning things...
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
After finishing The Good Liar, I was sooooo excited to read Leland and Franklin's story! Then I was apprehensive when I read a teaser and the passage on it was JUST.NOT.MY.TEA. Like so much not my tea!! So there I was starting this already skeptical about how much I was going to enjoy it.
I never understood why Leland was so fixated in the beginning with Franklin (I mean when he was a waiter in that catering thing). What draw him to him? Why follow him up the staircase? The reasons were flimsy at best, so that was another notch into the "yeah I'm not sure about this story" going round and round in my head.
I never knew what to think about Leland's art... was he good or not? Was he an untrained artistic genious? I DO NOT KNOW!! It was a mess throughout the story!
Then it was the sex between them... hot at times but 70%, for me, it was... icky...? I love, Love, LOVE me some good, kinky, rough sex filled with dirty talk but I'm not sure I got that here. It felt that I got some cheesy, OTT p0rn style, rough sex and weird, cringey dirty talk...
And then we were endlessly told about things.... their feelings, their days, their musings... it was LoooooooOOOOONG. So, so long! There was no ending the first part. Then the second part was the angst. They hurt themselves, they hurt each other, they hurt others... round and round it went with their remorse, their anger, their possessiveness, their revenge, their guilt, their lies... and nothing, no steps taken, no gestures made to actually fix themselves and oh how Franklin frustrated me when it came to Cole!
At some point Franklin wears his big boy pants and starts with fixing himself, something that Leland left till the freaking end and that was summed up in the epilogue.
Ugghh do I want to go into the whole martyr thing and Leland testing Franklin? Nuuuhhh.... Because this review will never end.
Both of them DO NOT deserve Cole! I mean couldn't Leland tell him about his mother? What exactly he would have revealed that had to do with his father?
Finally I want to address something when it comes to C.P. Harris's writing style.... maybe it's a personal preference, for me, maybe it's because english is my 2nd language and I'm not familiar 100% with the rules.... so when you are talking about the "crotch" or the groin, do you really need to add the word "area"??? Isn't it implied? So yeah reading "crotch area" and "groin area" through me off completely.
So anyways... the story felt endless and frustrated me and I'm questioning things...
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Yes
This was intense, had me weeping, angry and so many other things.
I loved the first 50% but then started to feel like it was getting repetitive and certain points weren’t getting very developed such as Leland starting his business, it felt very brushed over. Then the ending was good but i wanted more angst and tension once Cole and Jasper found out about their relationship, there was so much build up and it was resolved in the next chapter.
I loved the first 50% but then started to feel like it was getting repetitive and certain points weren’t getting very developed such as Leland starting his business, it felt very brushed over. Then the ending was good but i wanted more angst and tension once Cole and Jasper found out about their relationship, there was so much build up and it was resolved in the next chapter.
I almost dnf'ed it at 35% but I'm so glad I didn't. It gets better and better the more you read. It's got all the feels, all the angst. I even sobbed which I don't usually do. It was a really great read <3
I love Leland :") multiple times I went back to The Good Liar where Cole described him as a womanizer (LOL) and with this book you just realise how much pain was hidden behind his mask...
I love Leland :") multiple times I went back to The Good Liar where Cole described him as a womanizer (LOL) and with this book you just realise how much pain was hidden behind his mask...
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
Yes