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A review by oceaneanagonye
Stix & Stone by Courtney W. Dixon
5.0
Stix and Stone is the first full-length novel in Courtney W. Dixon's Alpha's Rejects series. Our MCs are Nico "Stix" Jamieson, a perpetual ray of sunshine, and Damien "Stone" Sloan, thundercloud extraordinaire. These characters have both had insanely rough upbringings and are just trying to survive.
The tension starts on page one and is intense. We don't know why Stone hates Stix at first, and we don't find out for quite some time. We just know that Stone has a major chip on his shoulder and Stix loves poking at it. As time goes on though, we (along with Stone) start to figure out that maybe it isn't hate he's feeling after all.
I loved how incredibly patient Stix was with Stone as he slowly began to understand his feelings and some of the motives behind his actions. And some actions in this book will have you a little frustrated or perplexed. But make no mistake, Stix was never a doormat. He didn't just take all the abuse lying down and never speaking up for himself. He is brave, resilient, and saucy and we love him for that. Stone's character growth was beautiful to watch unfold, especially considering the torture he had endured at the hands of his parents.
Please heed the trigger warnings. Prostitution is always hard to read about for me. Stix doesn't enjoy it, and it's more of a survival sex thing. I found that part heartbreaking and felt uncomfortable after every job, but it definitely adds to the story. There are also instances of on-page child abuse and a hate crime. If you aren't in a place to read about that, I would recommend skipping this book for now.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an angsty enemies-to-lovers skater romance with a hard-earned HEA.
The tension starts on page one and is intense. We don't know why Stone hates Stix at first, and we don't find out for quite some time. We just know that Stone has a major chip on his shoulder and Stix loves poking at it. As time goes on though, we (along with Stone) start to figure out that maybe it isn't hate he's feeling after all.
I loved how incredibly patient Stix was with Stone as he slowly began to understand his feelings and some of the motives behind his actions. And some actions in this book will have you a little frustrated or perplexed. But make no mistake, Stix was never a doormat. He didn't just take all the abuse lying down and never speaking up for himself. He is brave, resilient, and saucy and we love him for that. Stone's character growth was beautiful to watch unfold, especially considering the torture he had endured at the hands of his parents.
Please heed the trigger warnings. Prostitution is always hard to read about for me. Stix doesn't enjoy it, and it's more of a survival sex thing. I found that part heartbreaking and felt uncomfortable after every job, but it definitely adds to the story. There are also instances of on-page child abuse and a hate crime. If you aren't in a place to read about that, I would recommend skipping this book for now.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an angsty enemies-to-lovers skater romance with a hard-earned HEA.