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bee_thebibliophile 's review for:
The Monster
by L.J. Shen
The Monster was the book in the Boston Belles series that I was most looking forward to and I was not disappointed by Sam Brennan and Aisling Fitzpatrick. I love that all of the books in this series feel different from one another and The Monster’s dark, angsty feel was maybe my favorite so far.
Since reading Sparrow, I’ve been curious about Sam Brennan...his backstory is so unique, his upbringing with Troy and Sparrow was unconventional (to say the least) and his job as Boston’s most sought after fixer is intriguing. Everything about him is mysterious and he keeps so much of himself hidden, even with his family and friends. I was surprised by some of his more emotional decision making in the story - I know it made him finally seem human, but it seemed really out of character. But I really enjoyed this peek into his brain. The way he works, his motivations and his drive are so unique to him and finally getting an opportunity to see things from his POV was really interesting. Sam has always been a monster, but he’s human as well and finally getting to read about the experiences that made him both was a treat.
I was so curious about Aisling’s character - I knew there had to be more underneath the perfect facade she put up in public and even how she interacted with her friends and brothers. For the first half of the book, she’s that perfect princess of a girl who’s obsessed with the bad guy and really not all that interesting to me. But, once she finally snaps and grows a spine, I was here for Ash. She stops letting people walk all over her, speaks her mind, makes her opinions known and turns into a character I actually really enjoyed. I just wish we saw this side of Ash a long time ago.
One of the things I really enjoyed about this story was that Sam and Ash spent time together and peeled back the layers on each other, really getting to know who they truly are as people, not just who they appear to be on the outside. They learn things about each other that no one else understands and they grow to be better versions of themselves with the influence of the other. Their back and forth, push and pull, was unexpected since Ash was such a pushover in the first two books but I ended up really enjoying it. While I didn’t love how Sam treated Ash before she started standing up for herself, I feel like she let that be acceptable - she was such a lovesick child until then and was willing to take the scraps that Sam offered. Once Ash became confident in herself, their relationship really began to flourish and become something positive instead of questionable. Together they’re steamy, insatiable and are alright to let their monsters out. Their love story seemed to develop quickly, but they’ve been circling each other for 10 years, learning more from afar and preparing themselves for the day that they could finally be together.
Like in the other books in this series, I loved getting little bits of information about all of the past couples and their growing families, Emmabelle and Devon, Troy and Sparrow. I love all the little continuations and always get so excited for every little bit.
The Monster was a great addition to the Boston Belles series with an unexpected pairing but a sincere and deep connection. Really looking forward to what LJ Shen has in store for us with The Rake!
Since reading Sparrow, I’ve been curious about Sam Brennan...his backstory is so unique, his upbringing with Troy and Sparrow was unconventional (to say the least) and his job as Boston’s most sought after fixer is intriguing. Everything about him is mysterious and he keeps so much of himself hidden, even with his family and friends. I was surprised by some of his more emotional decision making in the story - I know it made him finally seem human, but it seemed really out of character. But I really enjoyed this peek into his brain. The way he works, his motivations and his drive are so unique to him and finally getting an opportunity to see things from his POV was really interesting. Sam has always been a monster, but he’s human as well and finally getting to read about the experiences that made him both was a treat.
I was so curious about Aisling’s character - I knew there had to be more underneath the perfect facade she put up in public and even how she interacted with her friends and brothers. For the first half of the book, she’s that perfect princess of a girl who’s obsessed with the bad guy and really not all that interesting to me. But, once she finally snaps and grows a spine, I was here for Ash. She stops letting people walk all over her, speaks her mind, makes her opinions known and turns into a character I actually really enjoyed. I just wish we saw this side of Ash a long time ago.
One of the things I really enjoyed about this story was that Sam and Ash spent time together and peeled back the layers on each other, really getting to know who they truly are as people, not just who they appear to be on the outside. They learn things about each other that no one else understands and they grow to be better versions of themselves with the influence of the other. Their back and forth, push and pull, was unexpected since Ash was such a pushover in the first two books but I ended up really enjoying it. While I didn’t love how Sam treated Ash before she started standing up for herself, I feel like she let that be acceptable - she was such a lovesick child until then and was willing to take the scraps that Sam offered. Once Ash became confident in herself, their relationship really began to flourish and become something positive instead of questionable. Together they’re steamy, insatiable and are alright to let their monsters out. Their love story seemed to develop quickly, but they’ve been circling each other for 10 years, learning more from afar and preparing themselves for the day that they could finally be together.
Like in the other books in this series, I loved getting little bits of information about all of the past couples and their growing families, Emmabelle and Devon, Troy and Sparrow. I love all the little continuations and always get so excited for every little bit.
The Monster was a great addition to the Boston Belles series with an unexpected pairing but a sincere and deep connection. Really looking forward to what LJ Shen has in store for us with The Rake!