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A review by _isabel_
Taste of Fear by Shelby Rhodes
challenging
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
I loved this second installment! Two books in, and I'm wholly obsessed with Foxx and Harlow: their dynamic? Now, that is what I live for.
I thiiiiink I might have loved book one a smidge more (but it could have easily been my brain's fault; it's been Sanremo week here in Italy, and if you know any Italians or a bit of Italian culture, you'll know it's literally our holy week, our collective brains are hijacked by music and trashy meme culture, everything else be damned), but I still adored "Taste of Fear".
I was looking forward to discovering more of Foxx's past, and let me tell you, my heart broke into a million pieces witnessing all the trauma, past and present, he's been put through. Poor baby! I love that literal ball of sunshine (*with a sadistic streak to boot though!) to death: he deserves all the happiness, and all the safety and affection in the universe. Thankfully, he's got Harlow to protect him: I'm a SUCKER for hurt/comfort and the big, badass, cold grump going all protector mode on their love interest is always going to make my heart soar and swoon.
< “Shit, Foxx,” he heard Harlow swear. He flinched, whimpering as the human got onto the bed and pulled him into his arms. Foxx clung to Harlow, his tears breaking free again.
“Ah, fuck.” Harlow ran his hand down Foxx’s back. “I’m not really good at this shit, you know? Comforting is not really… in my vocabulary. I’m more of a ‘shoot the problem’ type of person,” Harlow mumbled, sounding out of sorts. “All I can say is I won’t let them hurt you.” >
I adored the slow-burn pace Shelby Rhodes has decided to set for this series: the steam and chemistry have been there from the start (and the steam is *chef's kiss* absolutely delicious), but seeing their relationship slowly deepen into something more has been a delight and I CANNOT WAIT to see what book three will bring.
CWs/TWs: religion motivated torture, abuse and SA (in the past, described), kidnapping, violence, torture, death.
I thiiiiink I might have loved book one a smidge more (but it could have easily been my brain's fault; it's been Sanremo week here in Italy, and if you know any Italians or a bit of Italian culture, you'll know it's literally our holy week, our collective brains are hijacked by music and trashy meme culture, everything else be damned), but I still adored "Taste of Fear".
I was looking forward to discovering more of Foxx's past, and let me tell you, my heart broke into a million pieces witnessing all the trauma, past and present, he's been put through. Poor baby! I love that literal ball of sunshine (*with a sadistic streak to boot though!) to death: he deserves all the happiness, and all the safety and affection in the universe. Thankfully, he's got Harlow to protect him: I'm a SUCKER for hurt/comfort and the big, badass, cold grump going all protector mode on their love interest is always going to make my heart soar and swoon.
< “Shit, Foxx,” he heard Harlow swear. He flinched, whimpering as the human got onto the bed and pulled him into his arms. Foxx clung to Harlow, his tears breaking free again.
“Ah, fuck.” Harlow ran his hand down Foxx’s back. “I’m not really good at this shit, you know? Comforting is not really… in my vocabulary. I’m more of a ‘shoot the problem’ type of person,” Harlow mumbled, sounding out of sorts. “All I can say is I won’t let them hurt you.” >
I adored the slow-burn pace Shelby Rhodes has decided to set for this series: the steam and chemistry have been there from the start (and the steam is *chef's kiss* absolutely delicious), but seeing their relationship slowly deepen into something more has been a delight and I CANNOT WAIT to see what book three will bring.
CWs/TWs: religion motivated torture, abuse and SA (in the past, described), kidnapping, violence, torture, death.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Torture