You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
nitzanschwarz 's review for:
One-Touch Pass
by J.J. Mulder
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.