Scan barcode
piperclover's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.25
I really really wish this had at least one prolonged scene of Everett and Silas having a lengthy discussion about Adrian and about how they were going to move forward as a couple knowing that Everett will forever hold this grief. I don't think the author's intention was to make the reader feel like Adrian was being replaced but that's what I feel like happened. The ending doesn't really mention Adrian at all and since we never did get a discussion scene about Adrian that was heartfelt and genuine, I feel like Everett just got over his grief and his guilt and Adrian wasn't even really important in the end. We learned more about Silas's brother than we did about Adrian even though the entire book is supposed to be about how Everett has this grief from losing Adrian and he doesn't know how to get through it in order to love somebody else.
Actually, Everett just seems to get over everything. Adrian, the kidnapping at gunpoint, how he thought for his whole life that his grandfather was disappointed in him and homophobic too, that Silas says really mean things about him and their hook up to a friend. He shows no lasting effects of literally anything that happened to him beyond his guilt for forgetting Adrian. Once he and Silas get together nothing matters anymore and suddenly he's invincible and trauma and grief don't exist to him.
Silas complains numerous times throughout this book that the rumor mill in this tiny town is outrageous and that everything is a game of telephone so nobody knows the true facts of a situation and everyone knows your business so privacy isn't a thing. And then he goes and discusses an highly private matter of Everett's- that his husband died just over a year ago- in the middle of a public crowded bar to his best friend who Everett isn't friends with. It was so annoying and then it was followed up with Everett pretty much getting over it. He acknowledges, I think twice, that he is hurt and sad but then also says that he can't blame Silas so he's not actually mad about it even though I think that is a highly correct thing to be mad about. The climax of the book is ever it being kidnapped incognito by a the character that is supposed to be crazy because grief has addled his mind or something and Everett just doesn't care. He cries and at 1 point he says that he is terrified dying but he just gets over it and it's never brought up again and he has no PTSD or nightmares for anything. That is so unbelievably ridiculous.
On top of all of this I desperately wish that we had got in more of their relationship. It's pretty insta love And I wish that if it was going to be this immediate that we could have at least gotten an epilogue that was set more than a week in the future so that I could actually see how their relationship was working and how permanent they were.
I appreciate that this was not your standard small town romance book because I'm not a huge fan of small time romance to begin with so the major plot twist was entertaining. The mystery plot really helped me stay invested.
Actually, Everett just seems to get over everything. Adrian,
Silas complains numerous times throughout this book that the rumor mill in this tiny town is outrageous and that everything is a game of telephone so nobody knows the true facts of a situation and everyone knows your business so privacy isn't a thing. And then he goes and discusses an highly private matter of Everett's- that his husband died just over a year ago- in the middle of a public crowded bar to his best friend who Everett isn't friends with. It was so annoying and then it was followed up with Everett pretty much getting over it. He acknowledges, I think twice, that he is hurt and sad but then also says that he can't blame Silas so he's not actually mad about it even though I think that is a highly correct thing to be mad about. The climax of the book is ever it being kidnapped incognito by a the character that is supposed to be crazy because grief has addled his mind or something and Everett just doesn't care. He cries and at 1 point he says that he is terrified dying but he just gets over it and it's never brought up again and he has no PTSD or nightmares for anything. That is so unbelievably ridiculous.
On top of all of this I desperately wish that we had got in more of their relationship. It's pretty insta love And I wish that if it was going to be this immediate that we could have at least gotten an epilogue that was set more than a week in the future so that I could actually see how their relationship was working and how permanent they were.
I appreciate that this was not your standard small town romance book because I'm not a huge fan of small time romance to begin with so the major plot twist was entertaining. The mystery plot really helped me stay invested.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Stalking, and Blood
fuzzywilson's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Cancer, Car accident, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Blood and Deadnaming
galleytrot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
READ: Feb 2023
FORMAT: Audio
FORMAT: Audio
BRIEF SUMMARY:
In this contemporary romance set in fictional O’Leary, New York, Everett has to begrudgingly pick up from his life in Boston to help take care of his ornery grandfather as he heals from a broken leg. Recovering from the loss of his husband, the last thing Everett expects to find in the small town where everyone knows what everyone else ate for dinner is a reason to actually want to stay – but the night he arrives, he is assisted by Silas, an attractive cop doing his best to keep the small town from panicking in the face of some suspicious disappearances.
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 3.5 / 5⭐
This book is largely about grief and loss and how different people cope in different ways. While it certainly does highlight multiple aspects of the hurt and the healing that can come after the loss of a loved one, I’m not sure I ever felt impacted by any character’s particular arc.
Everett lost his husband the year before the events of this book, and has since led a risk-averse life. He’s never so much as felt interest in another man until meeting Silas, and he’s having doubts and guilt over what it might mean to move on from the late Adrian.
Silas has experienced loss of his own in the death of his brother many years prior. He lives these days among the ever-watchful eyes of O’Leary’s population, coasting on easy, commitment-free hookups from out of town in order to keep his personal life safe from the gossip mill. Living in a town that manufactures happily-ever-afters as a pastime can be exhausting when you’ve never wanted (or had) a relationship before.
TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: 3 / 5⭐
This book suffers from two issues that took my enjoyment down a notch. First, it introduces far too many characters to care about and keep track of. More than one time there were conversations or entire scenes focusing on side characters who I couldn’t identify, forgetting when they were first introduced, why they were important, or what relationship they had with our main characters (if any at all). I get that Archer is establishing a rich world that can be explored in the following books in the series, but there’s no reason these characters can’t be contained within their own books and allow Everett and Silas their own breathing room.
Second, this book’s attempt at a plot involved a crime/suspense arc that had effectively no reason to exist. Truly, it could have been completely cut out and the book would not have changed at all. The culprit and their motive were shockingly easy to identify, and I can be awfully dense sometimes. I think it existed to shoehorn in an additional character’s experience with grief, but I think we had enough to learn from between Everett, his grandfather, Silas, and his mother.
I love Iggy Toma and Alexander Cendese both, but I’m wondering if the characters would have benefited from swapping the narrators. I felt like the wrong energies were attached to the wrong personalities. Nothing that harmed the book for me in any way, just an interesting and unexpected sort of casting decision.
FINAL THOUGHTS - OVERALL: 3.25 / 5⭐
This book was a nice enough read without accomplishing anything incredible. It’s got comfy cozy autumn vibes, while also dealing with some heavy subject matter in a fairly light way.
This book has representation for many gay pairings. There is a non-binary side character as well. There was otherwise not much representation in the way of diversity.
The following elaborates on my content warnings. These may be interpreted as spoilers, but I do not go into deep detail.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Car accident, Grief, Murder, Mental illness, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Cancer, Chronic illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Homophobia
cherryblossomreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
I expected fluffy romance, but was hit hard by how this story delays with loss, grieving and moving on.
I absolutely loved it. And I loved that it wasn't just "love will get you through everything" but also a bit of fear and introspection. And I loved that the focus was split between a missing persons-mystery and the romantic struggles of the main characters.
I absolutely loved it. And I loved that it wasn't just "love will get you through everything" but also a bit of fear and introspection. And I loved that the focus was split between a missing persons-mystery and the romantic struggles of the main characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence
More...