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A review by caffeinatedcrystal
Notorious: A Contemporary M/M Romance by Leslie McAdam
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Wow, y'all. Wow.
NOTORIOUS by Leslie McAdam was 396 pages of wow.
I'm going to HEAVILY encourage you to check content and trigger warnings before reading this one. But wow. What a book. This was an amazing love story told with thoughtful attention to detail. If you're looking for a book heavy with mental health/illness rep, and past SA - you can't find a better story.
Kurt and Johnny meet in Vegas and have a very authentic Vegas experience. Meet cute turns Vegas wedding. *at this point, if I ever visit Vegas and DON'T get accidentally married, I will be very disappointed*
The morning after their "wedding" when the decision needs to be made : annulment or what? some of Johnny's secrets come out.
Deciding to go forward together, HONESTY becomes the word for most of the book.
We witness the cold, hard truth of mental illness & intrusive suicidal thoughts, we see treatment and what it's like to be "in recovery" while still fighting. We see two characters struggle with their own brains while falling in love.
When I tell you I loved this story, believe it.
I cried through most of it. Seeing something so horrible and familiar written in words - representation matters.
I loved Johnny and Kurt.
I loved how they love each other.
"I think about Kurt and my promise to him to stay alive. I think about my mama and my need to take care of her. I think about my sister and how she's sacrificed her dreams for Mama, too. I think about Christian saying that to decide is to cut off all other options. The only way out is through."
NOTORIOUS is out June 6th. Listen to your brain, and if reading this would be harmful, then don't do it. But this was one hell of a story. It's absolutely one of my favorites this year.
NOTORIOUS by Leslie McAdam was 396 pages of wow.
I'm going to HEAVILY encourage you to check content and trigger warnings before reading this one. But wow. What a book. This was an amazing love story told with thoughtful attention to detail. If you're looking for a book heavy with mental health/illness rep, and past SA - you can't find a better story.
Kurt and Johnny meet in Vegas and have a very authentic Vegas experience. Meet cute turns Vegas wedding. *at this point, if I ever visit Vegas and DON'T get accidentally married, I will be very disappointed*
The morning after their "wedding" when the decision needs to be made : annulment or what? some of Johnny's secrets come out.
Deciding to go forward together, HONESTY becomes the word for most of the book.
We witness the cold, hard truth of mental illness & intrusive suicidal thoughts, we see treatment and what it's like to be "in recovery" while still fighting. We see two characters struggle with their own brains while falling in love.
When I tell you I loved this story, believe it.
I cried through most of it. Seeing something so horrible and familiar written in words - representation matters.
I loved Johnny and Kurt.
I loved how they love each other.
"I think about Kurt and my promise to him to stay alive. I think about my mama and my need to take care of her. I think about my sister and how she's sacrificed her dreams for Mama, too. I think about Christian saying that to decide is to cut off all other options. The only way out is through."
NOTORIOUS is out June 6th. Listen to your brain, and if reading this would be harmful, then don't do it. But this was one hell of a story. It's absolutely one of my favorites this year.