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A review by _isabel_
For Real by Alexis Hall
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
< He’s got good hands. Because, frankly, he’s got good everything. They’re strong and blunt and very, very steady. Except, sometimes, when they’re really not. And that’s a wild thrill all by itself. I know so little about this man, but I know he unravels hands first. >
What a quote eh? Alexis Hall has a way with words.
This was the quote that made me think "yep, I'm going to adore this book."
I spoke too soon.
I am genuinely shocked I didn't love this as much as I hoped.
I'm also absolutely devastated too.
I can't believe I didn't love this: I don't know what went wrong, but I didn't.
I was so certain this book was going to be my favourite out of the Spires novels: BDSM, older, jaded sub finding himself again at the hands of a younger, unexperienced, Dom, age gap, a bit of an opposites attract, AND the Spires's universe brand of angst and emotional gut-punches? I was so certain I was going to adore it.
I'm still not sure what I'm supposed to say in this review. I keep thinking about how to word this, but it seems like I'm one of the few readers that couldn't manage to connect with this novel.
Mind you, I did enjoy it, and I even loved bits of it.
For one, I adored Laurie: give me all the jaded, afraid, lost men who hide their vulnerable hearts behind a cold façade. ALSO, subs at that? I love that kind of juxtaposition: I swear I could read hundreds of BDSM novels with this premise and I'd never tire. I adored bits of Laurie and Toby's dynamic too: most (most!) of their BDSM scenes together were wonderful, and I enjoyed the hell out of slowly witnissing their kinky relationship flourish. Those last few chapters, where everything comes to a heed? I loved that.
I also loved all the side characters to bits: from Grace and the mysterious Jasper (is there a novel about him?) to Dom-the-Dom; the small glimpses we get of the previous MCs gave me so much joy.
Apart from that, I wasn't feeling much of anything. I skimmed quite a lot, mainly Toby's POVs (@Toby enthusiasts, please don't hate me!!!!); the writing in those left me feeling lukewarm.
I really liked the kink dynamic between Laurie and Toby (like I said, younger Dom/older sub is my jam), but I wasn't feeling their romance, like at all? Outside the kink, I didn't buy the affection and love between them, I think. I'm so sad to be saying this, because I know LOTS of people adore this novel, but there was something not credible about their relationship that made me quite suddenly "leave" the novel, and I just could not, for the life of me, get back inside it. Maybe it was the fact that Toby isn't very Dom-like most of the time, and on the one hand, it's refreshing to see (you can be a Dom, and you can cry and be insecure, and whatnot) but on the other, it just added to the "I don't buy this" factor. I kind of feel cheated on that aspect? I don't know. Like I said, I loved most of the kink scenes, but even there, there was something at times that kept pulling me out of the novel. Plus, I wasn't the biggest Toby fan.
I think maybe I was expecting something different, or maybe it was the fact that "For Real" didn't feel like a Spires novel to me. It didn't make me feel much of anything, unlike "Glitterland" and "Waiting for the Flood" (two of my favourite novels of the past few months, and my favourite Alexis Hall romances to date). Something was off. Maybe it was me, who knows? But I'm still so damned devastated. I jumped into this book with giddy enthusiasm, and now I don't know what to do with this disappointment.
But oh well, better luck next time?
I still enjoyed bits of this, and I'm still looking forward to the rest of the Spires novels.
Long time fans of "For Real" will absolutely ADORE Alexis Hall's footnotes at the end of the book, I'm sure. It offered special insight into this book, its characters, and the whole of the Spires universe, so I'd totally recommend getting your hands on it.
As for the rest, I'd still recommend this book because it's part of a wonderful series (seriously, "Glitterland" and "Waiting for the Flood" OWN my heart), and who knows, you might, hopefully, love it more than me.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
What a quote eh? Alexis Hall has a way with words.
This was the quote that made me think "yep, I'm going to adore this book."
I spoke too soon.
I am genuinely shocked I didn't love this as much as I hoped.
I'm also absolutely devastated too.
I can't believe I didn't love this: I don't know what went wrong, but I didn't.
I was so certain this book was going to be my favourite out of the Spires novels: BDSM, older, jaded sub finding himself again at the hands of a younger, unexperienced, Dom, age gap, a bit of an opposites attract, AND the Spires's universe brand of angst and emotional gut-punches? I was so certain I was going to adore it.
I'm still not sure what I'm supposed to say in this review. I keep thinking about how to word this, but it seems like I'm one of the few readers that couldn't manage to connect with this novel.
Mind you, I did enjoy it, and I even loved bits of it.
For one, I adored Laurie: give me all the jaded, afraid, lost men who hide their vulnerable hearts behind a cold façade. ALSO, subs at that? I love that kind of juxtaposition: I swear I could read hundreds of BDSM novels with this premise and I'd never tire. I adored bits of Laurie and Toby's dynamic too: most (most!) of their BDSM scenes together were wonderful, and I enjoyed the hell out of slowly witnissing their kinky relationship flourish. Those last few chapters, where everything comes to a heed? I loved that.
I also loved all the side characters to bits: from Grace and the mysterious Jasper (is there a novel about him?) to Dom-the-Dom; the small glimpses we get of the previous MCs gave me so much joy.
Apart from that, I wasn't feeling much of anything. I skimmed quite a lot, mainly Toby's POVs (@Toby enthusiasts, please don't hate me!!!!); the writing in those left me feeling lukewarm.
I really liked the kink dynamic between Laurie and Toby (like I said, younger Dom/older sub is my jam), but I wasn't feeling their romance, like at all? Outside the kink, I didn't buy the affection and love between them, I think. I'm so sad to be saying this, because I know LOTS of people adore this novel, but there was something not credible about their relationship that made me quite suddenly "leave" the novel, and I just could not, for the life of me, get back inside it. Maybe it was the fact that Toby isn't very Dom-like most of the time, and on the one hand, it's refreshing to see (you can be a Dom, and you can cry and be insecure, and whatnot) but on the other, it just added to the "I don't buy this" factor. I kind of feel cheated on that aspect? I don't know. Like I said, I loved most of the kink scenes, but even there, there was something at times that kept pulling me out of the novel. Plus, I wasn't the biggest Toby fan.
I think maybe I was expecting something different, or maybe it was the fact that "For Real" didn't feel like a Spires novel to me. It didn't make me feel much of anything, unlike "Glitterland" and "Waiting for the Flood" (two of my favourite novels of the past few months, and my favourite Alexis Hall romances to date). Something was off. Maybe it was me, who knows? But I'm still so damned devastated. I jumped into this book with giddy enthusiasm, and now I don't know what to do with this disappointment.
But oh well, better luck next time?
I still enjoyed bits of this, and I'm still looking forward to the rest of the Spires novels.
Long time fans of "For Real" will absolutely ADORE Alexis Hall's footnotes at the end of the book, I'm sure. It offered special insight into this book, its characters, and the whole of the Spires universe, so I'd totally recommend getting your hands on it.
As for the rest, I'd still recommend this book because it's part of a wonderful series (seriously, "Glitterland" and "Waiting for the Flood" OWN my heart), and who knows, you might, hopefully, love it more than me.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.