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greystory's review
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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? It's complicated
5.0
10/10 HIGHLY RECOMMEND
When Shots & Barbs was announced, I was excited but also anxious. I loved Berries and Greed SO MUCH that I was afraid anything else wouldn't compare. I also had some other concerns I'll address below but I needn't have been concerned because LILY MAYNE YOU FUCKING DID IT AGAIN YOU MAGICAL WRITING SORCERESS! I trusted in Lily and that was 100% the right decision. This book is FANTASTIC and I LOVED IT.
The premise of these characters written by most authors would have annoyed me too much. Arrogant, a bit conceited, seemingly self-centered and materialistic frat-bro Nuni. Competitive to a fault, driven, and a tad overbearing in the need to exert control Anita. I would have hated it. But Lily? I love it. I'm laughing, I'm having a good time, it's fun to read. How does she do it?
Well first off, some of that characterization is first impressions only and, as we dive into the story, the reader and characters Anita and Nuni realize the other is not all what they first thought. I loved that we get to learn about the characters as they learn about each other and see past some of those wrong assumptions about the other. We learn Nuni is deeply caring, not actually self-centered, and the reasons for why he works so hard and values material wealth. We learn that Anita's need for control stems from anxiety and her perfectionism is tied to a deep-seated concern over being liked or feeling like she's good enough. They realize they have overlap and come to an understanding about each other. They were a seriously good, well-balanced couple.
It's absolutely great and I loved seeing these two grow with each other. Nuni especially has a lot of character growth and we see more of the var Rorik demiurgus family, which I was super pleased with. One of my favorite parts of this book was Nuni working on his relationship with Greid. I laughed, I howled, I cried, I laughed some more, and then just couldn't stop smiling because I was so happy for them both!
Anita and Nuni's relationship has something of a rocky start given they cross a professional boundary and try to, well, not have a relationship at all at first. The development of the relationship felt well-paced with the character growth. Although they're arguably a bit insta-lust given some immediate physical attraction happens and they hook up early on, the romance is kind of a slow burn and I was HERE FOR IT. The whole romance was so sweet and I loved every bit of it. There were so many great details of little things they'd do or feel or think as their feelings for each other grew.
The whole professional boundary issue was also handled really well. I realllllly appreciated that Anita took it seriously and didn't just completely shrug and YOLO it like I've run into with other stories. She was arguably taking it TOO seriously in a way. Although they fumble their way back and forth across the professional boundary, they also set out clear boundaries (e.g., professional stuff while working, non-professional stuff is for when they're not working) and got their work done. They were still professionals and adults about it. I also really admired the way Anita ultimately handled the Big Scary Decision with Corva towards the end.
The spice scenes may not be for everyone but I had a pretty good time. I enjoyed some scenes more than others but that comes down to pure personal preference. I will say that I was happy to see some different exploration going on and I was pleased with how some of them were handled.
When Lily's warnings included mention of some exhibitionism stuff, I was a bit concerned. I have a hard time with most exhibitionism in romance books I've read because it feels like authors often completely forget about consent being a thing - as in CONSENT FROM ALL PARTIES. Consent doesn't disappear because y'all are horny and get off on being in public! From what I can tell, there's really 2 ways to handle it. 1) There is merely an illusion of being in public without actually being public, such as one-way mirror/glass, windows people can't really see in, you can hear or see them but they can't hear/see you, etc. 2) All parties know what's happening and have consented, such as in a club, group, or event organized with that purpose. Thankfully, Lily's scenes are mostly on the side of illusion of public rather than actually public so it was mostly a non-issue.
I could go on and on but I'm trying to not write a dissertation on my love for Lily's writing so I'm going to fall back on the old faithful: bullet points
MORE STUFF I HELLA ENJOYED AND YOU MIGHT, TOO, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:
* Both main characters in their 30s!
* Not one but TWO bisexual women! (Anita and Corva)
* Hustin, Anita's coworker bro
* Svyn, Nuni's masseuse
* Laki, Nuni's extra chill sibling who helps Nuni work through his shit
* Lipa, Nuni's sweet, hard-working personal assistant
* Frogs! Frog facts! FROGFLAME
* Beryl and Greid (still love them!)
* The random woman sitting next to Nuni at the nail salon
* Nuni thinking of almonds as a cheat snack while Anita treats herself to something sweet by adding half of a banana to her kale smoothie
* The random old demiurgus woman on the street overhearing a conversation about hot sex and encouraging Anita to "Go for it, honey!"
* Sorin being encouraged to open a bakery
* Intimate hand-holding (the ultimate, kinkiest of filth)
* The var Rorik family
* The true demiurgus form reveal
* Treadmill competitions
* AND SO MUCH MORE
When Shots & Barbs was announced, I was excited but also anxious. I loved Berries and Greed SO MUCH that I was afraid anything else wouldn't compare. I also had some other concerns I'll address below but I needn't have been concerned because LILY MAYNE YOU FUCKING DID IT AGAIN YOU MAGICAL WRITING SORCERESS! I trusted in Lily and that was 100% the right decision. This book is FANTASTIC and I LOVED IT.
The premise of these characters written by most authors would have annoyed me too much. Arrogant, a bit conceited, seemingly self-centered and materialistic frat-bro Nuni. Competitive to a fault, driven, and a tad overbearing in the need to exert control Anita. I would have hated it. But Lily? I love it. I'm laughing, I'm having a good time, it's fun to read. How does she do it?
Well first off, some of that characterization is first impressions only and, as we dive into the story, the reader and characters Anita and Nuni realize the other is not all what they first thought. I loved that we get to learn about the characters as they learn about each other and see past some of those wrong assumptions about the other. We learn Nuni is deeply caring, not actually self-centered, and the reasons for why he works so hard and values material wealth. We learn that Anita's need for control stems from anxiety and her perfectionism is tied to a deep-seated concern over being liked or feeling like she's good enough. They realize they have overlap and come to an understanding about each other. They were a seriously good, well-balanced couple.
It's absolutely great and I loved seeing these two grow with each other. Nuni especially has a lot of character growth and we see more of the var Rorik demiurgus family, which I was super pleased with. One of my favorite parts of this book was Nuni working on his relationship with Greid. I laughed, I howled, I cried, I laughed some more, and then just couldn't stop smiling because I was so happy for them both!
Anita and Nuni's relationship has something of a rocky start given they cross a professional boundary and try to, well, not have a relationship at all at first. The development of the relationship felt well-paced with the character growth. Although they're arguably a bit insta-lust given some immediate physical attraction happens and they hook up early on, the romance is kind of a slow burn and I was HERE FOR IT. The whole romance was so sweet and I loved every bit of it. There were so many great details of little things they'd do or feel or think as their feelings for each other grew.
The whole professional boundary issue was also handled really well. I realllllly appreciated that Anita took it seriously and didn't just completely shrug and YOLO it like I've run into with other stories. She was arguably taking it TOO seriously in a way. Although they fumble their way back and forth across the professional boundary, they also set out clear boundaries (e.g., professional stuff while working, non-professional stuff is for when they're not working) and got their work done. They were still professionals and adults about it. I also really admired the way Anita ultimately handled the Big Scary Decision with Corva towards the end.
The spice scenes may not be for everyone but I had a pretty good time. I enjoyed some scenes more than others but that comes down to pure personal preference. I will say that I was happy to see some different exploration going on and I was pleased with how some of them were handled.
When Lily's warnings included mention of some exhibitionism stuff, I was a bit concerned. I have a hard time with most exhibitionism in romance books I've read because it feels like authors often completely forget about consent being a thing - as in CONSENT FROM ALL PARTIES. Consent doesn't disappear because y'all are horny and get off on being in public! From what I can tell, there's really 2 ways to handle it. 1) There is merely an illusion of being in public without actually being public, such as one-way mirror/glass, windows people can't really see in, you can hear or see them but they can't hear/see you, etc. 2) All parties know what's happening and have consented, such as in a club, group, or event organized with that purpose. Thankfully, Lily's scenes are mostly on the side of illusion of public rather than actually public so it was mostly a non-issue.
I could go on and on but I'm trying to not write a dissertation on my love for Lily's writing so I'm going to fall back on the old faithful: bullet points
MORE STUFF I HELLA ENJOYED AND YOU MIGHT, TOO, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:
* Both main characters in their 30s!
* Not one but TWO bisexual women! (Anita and Corva)
* Hustin, Anita's coworker bro
* Svyn, Nuni's masseuse
* Laki, Nuni's extra chill sibling who helps Nuni work through his shit
* Lipa, Nuni's sweet, hard-working personal assistant
* Frogs! Frog facts! FROGFLAME
* Beryl and Greid (still love them!)
* The random woman sitting next to Nuni at the nail salon
* Nuni thinking of almonds as a cheat snack while Anita treats herself to something sweet by adding half of a banana to her kale smoothie
* The random old demiurgus woman on the street overhearing a conversation about hot sex and encouraging Anita to "Go for it, honey!"
* Sorin being encouraged to open a bakery
* Intimate hand-holding (the ultimate, kinkiest of filth)
* The var Rorik family
* The true demiurgus form reveal
* Treadmill competitions
* AND SO MUCH MORE
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Xenophobia and Bullying
More...