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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The sweetest set of people, Marcos and Nate are pretty different but the opposite attract works. They were quite reminiscent of Max and Luke in this series.
Nate was the epitome of a golden retriever, he was extroverted, kind and absolutely obsessed with Marcos from the second he saw him. I liked how patient he was with Marcos and how he was obvious on what he wanted but didn't push Marcos or persue it in a way that could make him uncomfortable. He felt genuine.
Marcos was more complicated but still so very caring, to the point where it was to his own detriment. He was grumpy and anxious but for a good reason and it was lovely to see him begin to try to put work into helping himself because he deserved to feel comfortable in his own skin. I enjoyed his personality as well. His touch aversion added a new level to him and was really helpful to showcase other people's qualities in their reactions and respect towards this.
I liked their relationship and the way this developed, the uncertainty and hopefullness was lovely. There were some memorable scenes throughout as well.
Nate was the epitome of a golden retriever, he was extroverted, kind and absolutely obsessed with Marcos from the second he saw him. I liked how patient he was with Marcos and how he was obvious on what he wanted but didn't push Marcos or persue it in a way that could make him uncomfortable. He felt genuine.
Marcos was more complicated but still so very caring, to the point where it was to his own detriment. He was grumpy and anxious but for a good reason and it was lovely to see him begin to try to put work into helping himself because he deserved to feel comfortable in his own skin. I enjoyed his personality as well. His touch aversion added a new level to him and was really helpful to showcase other people's qualities in their reactions and respect towards this.
I liked their relationship and the way this developed, the uncertainty and hopefullness was lovely. There were some memorable scenes throughout as well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
The lengths JJ goes through to make me a mess for these characters is cruel 🥹🥹🥹 more please
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
emotional
funny
hopeful
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:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I loved Marcos and Nate’s story. Poor Marcos had so much going on under his grumpy exterior.
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault
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
Okay, I loved this one!
It was pretty much everything I hoped Max's novel would be like, honestly.
I liked Nate instantly. I liked him a lot in On the Edge (I was pretty sold on him after the identity crisis convo with Atlas, to be honest), but nowhere near as much as I loved him in his own novel. Honestly, he is a hard character to dislike - he's so honest, straightforward, and infectiously happy. He was also unwavering in his attraction and desire for Marcos. I swear this could've been an omegaverse novel, the way Natescented laid eyes on his mate for three seconds and that was it for him, LOL. But I loved it for him. Loved it for Marcos, too. My guy truly needs someone like Nate by his side.
Marcos has not been okay for a long while. It was clear he wasn't well in Max's novel, but now we get to see how unwell he is. It's easy to forget, sometimes, that what happened to Max didn't happen just to Max, and Marcos's guilt and self-loathing trump most anything else. Still, while he was grouchy and scowly, Marcos was never mean or rude (I'm looking at you, Atlas!). His flagellation was mainly aimed internally. Marcos's journey is also not a one-and-done--in fact, it's never entirely over, and I genuinely appreciate how these books tackle tough subjects but never promise a "magical cure."
For as much as Nate was sure of Marcos from the get-go, their love story takes the longest to come to fruition because Marcos has to do a lot of self-care (and therapy) before he can put himself in a relationship. They move slow, but they never stand still. This is one of those things I wanted for Max, in his book, and I'm glad Marcos got it.
Still, I do wish there was a bit more therapy (how did we resolve the money issues?) and more of Marcus coming clean to Nate, both at the root cause of his haphephobia and about how insecure and self-loathing he felt. I understand why he didn't for the first, as it's not only his story to share, but damn that is important, and I kind of hoped we'd get a "by-the-way" mention of it in the end, affirming they've talked about it. As for his self-loathing, that felt glaringly important for the smooth sailing of their relationship, especially as it seemed like he was starting to spiral at the end there, but then it never developed into anything. Nate is wonderful and accommodating and devoted, but even so, communication can go a long way, you know?
As always, we have a very contained cast. Small enough that I am fairly sure the next story (or the one after) is about Micky, considering he was suddenly such a big character in this novel. Another hockey player has been named, which also seems important, because in this series, you either get faceless characters, plot-progression-characters, or main-characters-to-be, which is something that always slightly bothers me (hence I keep mentioning it in every book). It always feels like we're living in a bubble.
It was pretty much everything I hoped Max's novel would be like, honestly.
I liked Nate instantly. I liked him a lot in On the Edge (I was pretty sold on him after the identity crisis convo with Atlas, to be honest), but nowhere near as much as I loved him in his own novel. Honestly, he is a hard character to dislike - he's so honest, straightforward, and infectiously happy. He was also unwavering in his attraction and desire for Marcos. I swear this could've been an omegaverse novel, the way Nate
Marcos has not been okay for a long while. It was clear he wasn't well in Max's novel, but now we get to see how unwell he is. It's easy to forget, sometimes, that what happened to Max didn't happen just to Max, and Marcos's guilt and self-loathing trump most anything else. Still, while he was grouchy and scowly, Marcos was never mean or rude (I'm looking at you, Atlas!). His flagellation was mainly aimed internally. Marcos's journey is also not a one-and-done--in fact, it's never entirely over, and I genuinely appreciate how these books tackle tough subjects but never promise a "magical cure."
For as much as Nate was sure of Marcos from the get-go, their love story takes the longest to come to fruition because Marcos has to do a lot of self-care (and therapy) before he can put himself in a relationship. They move slow, but they never stand still. This is one of those things I wanted for Max, in his book, and I'm glad Marcos got it.
Still, I do wish there was a bit more therapy (how did we resolve the money issues?) and more of Marcus coming clean to Nate, both at the root cause of his haphephobia and about how insecure and self-loathing he felt. I understand why he didn't for the first, as it's not only his story to share, but damn that is important, and I kind of hoped we'd get a "by-the-way" mention of it in the end, affirming they've talked about it. As for his self-loathing, that felt glaringly important for the smooth sailing of their relationship, especially as it seemed like he was starting to spiral at the end there, but then it never developed into anything. Nate is wonderful and accommodating and devoted, but even so, communication can go a long way, you know?
As always, we have a very contained cast. Small enough that I am fairly sure the next story (or the one after) is about Micky, considering he was suddenly such a big character in this novel. Another hockey player has been named, which also seems important, because in this series, you either get faceless characters, plot-progression-characters, or main-characters-to-be, which is something that always slightly bothers me (hence I keep mentioning it in every book). It always feels like we're living in a bubble.