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A review by yazaleea
Ball & Chain by Abigail Roux
3.0
Did I enjoy this book? Maybe more than I should’ve. Do I think it’s a good book for the Cut & Run series? Hell, no.
One thing to know about me - I ADORE side ships/secondary romances. This is probably why I actually didn’t hate this book as much as I thought I would. I even really liked the character focused scenes. My brain needs reassurance so it’s hard for me to read a book before spoiling myself some (which i usually quickly regret), and the reviews mostly seemed to agree that this book was a mess.
And LMFAO yes it is. Deuce, Ty’s brother, is getting married in Scotland, on his rich fiancée’s ancestral home on a private island. Only close friends and family are invited one week before the ceremony to spend some time together. Then murders happen and communications are closed off, and it’s up to Ty, Zane, Nick & Kelly to figure out what’s going on. I loved the Agatha Christie vibes, but from experience I knew the mystery was going to let me down. And it did. The whole thing was messy and convoluted, the culprits were so random and made no sense. The resolution and « plot twist » utterly disappointing and rushed.
Now, the characters. I do love my romances and side ships, but here, Ty and Zane felt like secondary characters to their own series. Nick was without a doubt the heart of this story. And nothing wrong with that in theory, I like him as a character. But for fuck’s sake, he and Kelly have their own series, why hijack Cut & Run and attempt to steal the show (impossible when the lead is motherfucking Ty Grady, loml) when all of this could’ve been explored in his own books? I wouldn’t have minded to see some of him and Kelly here, I think they’re cute and I especially find Kelly hilarious, despite him not playing any important role here compared to the other 3. But the balance in this book was just off.
Loved Ty and Zane as always, and I loved the whole thing where Ty proposed to Zane multiple times and Zane saying no (so brave of him to say no to mister Ty Grady, I know). I understood where Zane came from and I loved them together. And speaking of proposing, I looked up reading order guides to know when to read what book on the combined Cut & Run / Sidewinder series to make sure I had it right and it was even more confusing. Kelly and Nick felt too new to have been so serious and when their emotional scene where Nick proposed and Kelly said yes happened right before Ty’s perfect proposal, I wasn’t so much as pissed as just… confused. That’s sure is a choice. Why have them do it in this book when they have. Their own. Series. One thing I love about Ty and Zane is how it took BOOKS for us to see their relationship grow into what it is, and I know Nick and Kelly have been friends for years before starting dating, but it’s all going so quick I can’t enjoy it. I saw a reviewer say it feels like the author lost interest in Ty and Zane since they’ve found their new favourite in Nick and Kelly and I do have to agree. It makes me fucking sad because I love my babies sm I got ATTACHED OKAY.
Anyway, this is without mentioning the repeated words and similar phrases throughout the book, the convoluted explanations and nonsensical plotholes : people mentioned the whole Nick being unofficially adopted by the Gradys but him not being even invited to Deuce’s wedding in the first place, why was Dick here, Ty coming back « changed » but the whole 4 of them spent the book joking around so huh what… nothing made sense, lots of the events and elements felt forced and again - the reveal that everything had to do with the Cartel was just boring and so out of left field.
Anyway, another day another disappointment but I still love love love Ty Grady, I love him and Zane and I wish they got more from this book. I still like Nick and Kelly, but I would have loved them more if their story could’ve been told in their own series instead of taking so much space here. I am a loyal bitch, resentment is in my DNA, lol. I am so close to the end so I will finish this goddamn series if it kills me, but it makes me sad to see characters I love (even if the series itself I haven’t been enjoying that much lol) get such treatment and being purposefully left to the sideline of their own books.
One thing to know about me - I ADORE side ships/secondary romances. This is probably why I actually didn’t hate this book as much as I thought I would. I even really liked the character focused scenes. My brain needs reassurance so it’s hard for me to read a book before spoiling myself some (which i usually quickly regret), and the reviews mostly seemed to agree that this book was a mess.
And LMFAO yes it is. Deuce, Ty’s brother, is getting married in Scotland, on his rich fiancée’s ancestral home on a private island. Only close friends and family are invited one week before the ceremony to spend some time together. Then murders happen and communications are closed off, and it’s up to Ty, Zane, Nick & Kelly to figure out what’s going on. I loved the Agatha Christie vibes, but from experience I knew the mystery was going to let me down. And it did. The whole thing was messy and convoluted, the culprits were so random and made no sense. The resolution and « plot twist » utterly disappointing and rushed.
Now, the characters. I do love my romances and side ships, but here, Ty and Zane felt like secondary characters to their own series. Nick was without a doubt the heart of this story. And nothing wrong with that in theory, I like him as a character. But for fuck’s sake, he and Kelly have their own series, why hijack Cut & Run and attempt to steal the show (impossible when the lead is motherfucking Ty Grady, loml) when all of this could’ve been explored in his own books? I wouldn’t have minded to see some of him and Kelly here, I think they’re cute and I especially find Kelly hilarious, despite him not playing any important role here compared to the other 3. But the balance in this book was just off.
Loved Ty and Zane as always, and I loved the whole thing where Ty proposed to Zane multiple times and Zane saying no (so brave of him to say no to mister Ty Grady, I know). I understood where Zane came from and I loved them together. And speaking of proposing, I looked up reading order guides to know when to read what book on the combined Cut & Run / Sidewinder series to make sure I had it right and it was even more confusing. Kelly and Nick felt too new to have been so serious and when their emotional scene where Nick proposed and Kelly said yes happened right before Ty’s perfect proposal, I wasn’t so much as pissed as just… confused. That’s sure is a choice. Why have them do it in this book when they have. Their own. Series. One thing I love about Ty and Zane is how it took BOOKS for us to see their relationship grow into what it is, and I know Nick and Kelly have been friends for years before starting dating, but it’s all going so quick I can’t enjoy it. I saw a reviewer say it feels like the author lost interest in Ty and Zane since they’ve found their new favourite in Nick and Kelly and I do have to agree. It makes me fucking sad because I love my babies sm I got ATTACHED OKAY.
Anyway, this is without mentioning the repeated words and similar phrases throughout the book, the convoluted explanations and nonsensical plotholes : people mentioned the whole Nick being unofficially adopted by the Gradys but him not being even invited to Deuce’s wedding in the first place, why was Dick here, Ty coming back « changed » but the whole 4 of them spent the book joking around so huh what… nothing made sense, lots of the events and elements felt forced and again - the reveal that everything had to do with the Cartel was just boring and so out of left field.
Anyway, another day another disappointment but I still love love love Ty Grady, I love him and Zane and I wish they got more from this book. I still like Nick and Kelly, but I would have loved them more if their story could’ve been told in their own series instead of taking so much space here. I am a loyal bitch, resentment is in my DNA, lol. I am so close to the end so I will finish this goddamn series if it kills me, but it makes me sad to see characters I love (even if the series itself I haven’t been enjoying that much lol) get such treatment and being purposefully left to the sideline of their own books.