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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
Isaac sucks. He is a horrible person and everyone seems to just accept his behaviour no matter how much it impacts them.
My other issue is that both books in this series so far seem to center around a disabled person trying to be more independent and failing catastrophically.
Isaac is blind, not stupid. Yet he is somehow spectacularly manipulated to not only despise Carter for not understanding blindness, but also into having a dangerous procedure in a foreign country, alone.
It is possible to write a disabled character without infantalising them and having their independence questioned as the main plot.
My other issue is that both books in this series so far seem to center around a disabled person trying to be more independent and failing catastrophically.
Isaac is blind, not stupid. Yet he is somehow spectacularly manipulated to not only despise Carter for not understanding blindness, but also into having a dangerous procedure in a foreign country, alone.
It is possible to write a disabled character without infantalising them and having their independence questioned as the main plot.
I kept putting off reading this one, because I had a feeling that it was going to have the same issues that prevented me from loving the first, and sure enough, I was right. In fact, I think I might even have enjoyed this one less than the first, because I was a lot less forgiving of these issues in an established relationship.
The crux of the matter is, I have no idea why Carter is in love with Isaac. Isaac is a massive asshole who lashes out at people at the slightest provocation, and frankly, I don't care how shitty his life has been, it's not okay. I found everybody's continuous excusing of his behavior really freaking unhealthy, and while I appreciate showing well-rounded characters with flaws, it felt like Isaac was all flaws, and I legitimately didn't see what Carter got out of the relationship.
The crux of the matter is, I have no idea why Carter is in love with Isaac. Isaac is a massive asshole who lashes out at people at the slightest provocation, and frankly, I don't care how shitty his life has been, it's not okay. I found everybody's continuous excusing of his behavior really freaking unhealthy, and while I appreciate showing well-rounded characters with flaws, it felt like Isaac was all flaws, and I legitimately didn't see what Carter got out of the relationship.
This one was hard to rate for me because, while I am really loving NR Walker's writing and story, Isaac is a very hard character to like and support throughout most of the entire story. Yes, he was frustrating in the first book, and I disliked his treatment of Brady, but how he treated Carter through most of this book...very angsty, very well written, but man...if I was Carter I wouldn't have put up with it! Hehe so yes I do like this follow up and overall, I liked it...just it was hard to feel much sympathy towards Isaac.
Anyway! I will definitely read whatever NR Walker thinks up next, I really do love her writing!
Anyway! I will definitely read whatever NR Walker thinks up next, I really do love her writing!
[3.75] Ugh Isaac, stop treating the people who love you like trash :( You can be stubborn without being a complete a-hole. Honestly, Carter has the patience of a saint. I can understand the reasons Isaac gave for wanting to regain his sight, but the way he purposely lashes out, even crossing a major line during one big argument, without recognizing how much damage he inflicts frustrates me to no end. Fights are fine, to be expected, but I need more groveling on Isaac’s part to see him in a better light. Hopefully therapy helps Isaac on this front.
I do appreciate the book going into the topic of fraud with our main antagonist Joshua. Thinking of all the human scum in the world who prey on the vulnerable makes me feel so sick inside...
Loved Hannah, Carlos, and Mark as always. I'm excited to read Mark's story next!
I do appreciate the book going into the topic of fraud with our main antagonist Joshua. Thinking of all the human scum in the world who prey on the vulnerable makes me feel so sick inside...
Loved Hannah, Carlos, and Mark as always. I'm excited to read Mark's story next!
More like 4.5 stars!
Wow. I did not expect this to get better. And i definitely did not expect all that heartbreak. But I definitely loved this one more than book one. I'm excited to see what book 3 holds!
Wow. I did not expect this to get better. And i definitely did not expect all that heartbreak. But I definitely loved this one more than book one. I'm excited to see what book 3 holds!
Sigh. I wanted to like this one more than the first one, but I still don't think Isaac and Carter are very good for each other.
I'll start with some positives:
🥰 they got along better this time
😂 Mark is hilarious - he and Isaac were so much fun!
🥹 Isaac and Carter's sweet moments were super cute
💕 they were a lot more comfortable with each other
🐶 happy doggies
🍼 baby Ava
And just like that, when I needed him most, he chose me.
Now these are the things that didn't work for me:
👎 Isaac fought dirty over and over again - Carter didn't deserve it
👎 Isaac never trusted Carter about Joshua (this infuriated me!!!)
👎 Isaac claims that therapy is a crock and is only doing it to make Carter happy
👎 Carter never feels comfortable in their house but doesn't say anything about it
I will never claim to know what it's like being blind, so maybe someone who deals with that would better understand where Isaac is coming from, but I just feel like he is intolerable. His blindness isn't something new or sudden - he has been blind for almost 20 years, so I feel like he would have been able to have a better attitude about it. Not to say that he shouldn't miss being able to see, but it affects him so strongly that he cannot grasp what he has in front of him so he ends up treating the people in his life like shit.
Anyway, the whole book was kind of exhausting if I'm being honest. I absolutely adore Mark, and I usually love this author, so I'm going to move on to book 3 and hope for some nicer MC's.
I'll start with some positives:
🥰 they got along better this time
😂 Mark is hilarious - he and Isaac were so much fun!
🥹 Isaac and Carter's sweet moments were super cute
💕 they were a lot more comfortable with each other
🐶 happy doggies
🍼 baby Ava
And just like that, when I needed him most, he chose me.
Now these are the things that didn't work for me:
👎 Isaac fought dirty over and over again - Carter didn't deserve it
👎 Isaac never trusted Carter about Joshua (this infuriated me!!!)
👎 Isaac claims that therapy is a crock and is only doing it to make Carter happy
👎 Carter never feels comfortable in their house but doesn't say anything about it
I will never claim to know what it's like being blind, so maybe someone who deals with that would better understand where Isaac is coming from, but I just feel like he is intolerable. His blindness isn't something new or sudden - he has been blind for almost 20 years, so I feel like he would have been able to have a better attitude about it. Not to say that he shouldn't miss being able to see, but it affects him so strongly that he cannot grasp what he has in front of him so he ends up treating the people in his life like shit.
Anyway, the whole book was kind of exhausting if I'm being honest. I absolutely adore Mark, and I usually love this author, so I'm going to move on to book 3 and hope for some nicer MC's.
4.5 Stars
First off, N.R. Walker just has a way of writing such sweet love between her characters that I just honestly cannot get enough. These two are no exception.
Issac in this second book of the series is just stubborn and so internally broken that it hurts my heart. As a blind man who wants nothing more than to see the man he loves, he is quickly caught up in the hope brought forth by another man, Joseph. Damn this character. I wanted him gone from the first moment he appeared on the page. Not that I ever doubted that Issac would stray but in that I knew something was untrustworthy and so did our dear Carter.
This one has more angst in it than the first but nothing overwhelming and the tender moments between these two for me are just...whew! Because Issac cannot see, his other senses are just heightened and this is portrayed so beautifully between them in the bedroom.
Of course there is a HEA and Issac, while he still wants desperately to see, comes to understand that Carter loves him and that no one else could ever see him the way Issac does. Truly lovely.
"Of all the things I want to see the most, in all of my life, is you. I wanted my sight back so I could see you."
I cannot recommend this series enough. Next up...more with Mark, the witty best friend.
First off, N.R. Walker just has a way of writing such sweet love between her characters that I just honestly cannot get enough. These two are no exception.
Issac in this second book of the series is just stubborn and so internally broken that it hurts my heart. As a blind man who wants nothing more than to see the man he loves, he is quickly caught up in the hope brought forth by another man, Joseph. Damn this character. I wanted him gone from the first moment he appeared on the page. Not that I ever doubted that Issac would stray but in that I knew something was untrustworthy and so did our dear Carter.
This one has more angst in it than the first but nothing overwhelming and the tender moments between these two for me are just...whew! Because Issac cannot see, his other senses are just heightened and this is portrayed so beautifully between them in the bedroom.
Of course there is a HEA and Issac, while he still wants desperately to see, comes to understand that Carter loves him and that no one else could ever see him the way Issac does. Truly lovely.
"Of all the things I want to see the most, in all of my life, is you. I wanted my sight back so I could see you."
"You do see me."
He shook his head and spoke to his hands in his lap. "I'll never be able to see you."
"You do see me. No one has ever seen me like you do." I lifted his hands to my face. "You know me, you see me, like no one else."
"Not through these eyes."
"No," I agreed quietly. "You see me with your heart."
I cannot recommend this series enough. Next up...more with Mark, the witty best friend.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow. This trilogy isn’t the first I’ve read that has a blind MC & while Issac is very good at playing that he’s great most of the time, he’s also an a-hole to the tenth degree with Carter & his sister Hannah (Hanna?). Anyway, by the end I’m really glad the author wrote Carter’s vehemence about therapy for Issac & for their relationship. I’m sorry if that’s a spoiler but the more I read of gay fiction in any genre & subgenre this isn’t the case. I haven’t (to my knowledge) had the pleasure of meeting a blind person, but as an empathetic person I can definitely imagine the struggles I’m sure many go through including a circumstance like what was depicted in this book. It makes my heart hurt. Anyway, on to book 3 with these two & who knows what might lurk between the pages 😂 listening via Hoopla Sac
Re-read Feb 28 2016
This book left me unsatisfied. Carter was a bit too perfect and Isaac was too much of a douche. They fought and after all the shit we went through in this book, I expected a story about the resolution, not just be told about it.
This book left me unsatisfied. Carter was a bit too perfect and Isaac was too much of a douche. They fought and after all the shit we went through in this book, I expected a story about the resolution, not just be told about it.