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garbage_mcsmutly's Reviews (1.74k)
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a solid why choose. I usually like this author's stuff and this was no exception. New adult, dark themes, moral grey areas, tortured MCs, heavy angst, plenty of kink. I love it.
🎧 There were separate narrators for all four MCs. I'ma be honest, two of the three male narrators kind of grated on me, but I made it through anyway.
🌶️ 5/5 many scenes and plenty of kinky stuff, although nothing really far out there. Blood play and dubcon are probably the most extreme kinks in the story.
🏳️🌈✊ One of the three male MCs is Latine but I think basically every other character in the book (other than that MC's family) is white. I didn't clock any queer or neurodiverse characters either.
🎧 There were separate narrators for all four MCs. I'ma be honest, two of the three male narrators kind of grated on me, but I made it through anyway.
🌶️ 5/5 many scenes and plenty of kinky stuff, although nothing really far out there. Blood play and dubcon are probably the most extreme kinks in the story.
🏳️🌈✊ One of the three male MCs is Latine but I think basically every other character in the book (other than that MC's family) is white. I didn't clock any queer or neurodiverse characters either.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Minor: Drug abuse, Classism
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a cute lil regency novella with some good spice and the right amount of conflict for a short work. Dual POV, although heavier on FMC's POV than MMC's, with a female narrator.
🌶️ 3.5/5
🌶️ 3.5/5
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
📚 This was a good conclusion to the series. Wrapping up lots of loose ends and bringing things to a finish. It matched the other books in terms of tone, adventure, plot twists, etc.
🎧 There are two narrators but the entire book is formatted as FMC's journal entries, so everything is in her voice. We only have the male narrator for the points where the MMC writes her some short letters. But the POV is pretty entirely from her side.
🌶️ 1/5 Fully closed door. There are a few hints/outright mentions that explicit things have occurred off page, but we never see more than a kiss.
🏳️🌈✊ The culture in the book seems queer normative? There are two same sex couples in the side characters (one FF, one MM) and there's never any mention that this is unusual. There are a couple POC side characters as well.
🎧 There are two narrators but the entire book is formatted as FMC's journal entries, so everything is in her voice. We only have the male narrator for the points where the MMC writes her some short letters. But the POV is pretty entirely from her side.
🌶️ 1/5 Fully closed door. There are a few hints/outright mentions that explicit things have occurred off page, but we never see more than a kiss.
🏳️🌈✊ The culture in the book seems queer normative? There are two same sex couples in the side characters (one FF, one MM) and there's never any mention that this is unusual. There are a couple POC side characters as well.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really enjoy this series so far but I'm hesitant to review much before reading book 3. Everything's sort of up in the air as book 2 comes to a close.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was in a bit of a reading slump and this pulled me out. KJC is always good for that. This book is in some ways a sequel to The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, as one of the MCs in this book is the nephew of an MC in the last book. I think the experience is improved by reading in order, but a chaos read wouldn't feel like it was missing much. The story has a bit of a gothic flair to it, which gets called out explicitly in multiple references to "reading too many gothic novels," reminding oneself not to be afraid because you're "not a character in a gothic novel," etc., so that was a fun, slight departure for KJC. There's a bit of mystery and a bit of (previous/off page) death, and a crumbling old estate, as befits the theme. But we also get all the KJC hallmarks of found family, unapologetically queer love, and good morals underpinning the characters' motivations.
🎧 This book was dual POV (MM) with a single male narrator. The voices were all distinct and I loved the Kentish accents. And the narrator did a fair job of differentiating what was an inside thought versus what was being spoken aloud, which is not always easy.
🌶️ KJC delivers MM spice! But not a wild amount of it. There are a few explicit scenes, but they are not the focus of the book, this is still a romance. But the scenes are well written.
🏳️🌈✊ This is an achillean love story, and it seems that one of the MCs might be bi/pan (the other is gay) but it's only hinted at briefly. One of the MCs is neurodivergent -- of course there's no formal diagnosis, being regency England, but he has difficulty reading, and it's heavily dependent on the type/script he has to read, so something like dyslexia maybe? There aren't really any characters of color in this story (the uncle, Joss, from book 1, is mentioned often but doesn't appear on page).
🎧 This book was dual POV (MM) with a single male narrator. The voices were all distinct and I loved the Kentish accents. And the narrator did a fair job of differentiating what was an inside thought versus what was being spoken aloud, which is not always easy.
🌶️ KJC delivers MM spice! But not a wild amount of it. There are a few explicit scenes, but they are not the focus of the book, this is still a romance. But the scenes are well written.
🏳️🌈✊ This is an achillean love story, and it seems that one of the MCs might be bi/pan (the other is gay) but it's only hinted at briefly. One of the MCs is neurodivergent -- of course there's no formal diagnosis, being regency England, but he has difficulty reading, and it's heavily dependent on the type/script he has to read, so something like dyslexia maybe? There aren't really any characters of color in this story (the uncle, Joss, from book 1, is mentioned often but doesn't appear on page).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Sexual content, Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Abandonment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Dementia, Murder, Pregnancy, War
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
📚 This was a fun book! The characters were interesting, there was lots of adventure, there were some laughs. The big twist was slightly predictable, but not obviously so.
🎧 Dual 3rd person POV, one (female) narrator. Nothing outstanding but nothing egregious either.
🌶️ 2.5/5 for a few explicit scenes that didn't feel super hot to me
✊🏳️🌈 This book is decently inclusive and progressive. Several of the crew on the journey are POC, iirc at least one is queer?, and the MMC is mixed (he had a white father and a Brazilian mother, which could mean anything really in terms of racial appearance, but does make him of Latine heritage).
🎧 Dual 3rd person POV, one (female) narrator. Nothing outstanding but nothing egregious either.
🌶️ 2.5/5 for a few explicit scenes that didn't feel super hot to me
✊🏳️🌈 This book is decently inclusive and progressive. Several of the crew on the journey are POC, iirc at least one is queer?, and the MMC is mixed (he had a white father and a Brazilian mother, which could mean anything really in terms of racial appearance, but does make him of Latine heritage).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
📚 This was a solid book. Not that you can really go wrong with Beverly Jenkins. The plot had enough twists in it to be interesting while still leaving the romantic relationship the focus of the book. I will say the pacing felt a little off to me near the end, like the denouement was kind of rushed. The FMC in this one is like, the definition of Strong Female Character. She owns her own ranch and business and seems to do everything herself on her land. This is technically #2 in a series but was perfectly fine to read out of order, they're all standalones.
🎧 This book was 3rd person dual POV but just one (female) narrator. There were a few points in the dialogue where I got confused about who was speaking which lines because the voices weren't all that different.
🌶️ 3/5 A couple explicit encounters. Birth control used every time, which I love to see in a historical! The FMC doesn't want kids and she acts accordingly.
✊🏳️🌈 This is a book of Black love. Both MCs are Black and the FMC also had one Indigenous grandparent. MMC was born into slavery, and FMC was born free in Wyoming (Territory). The immediate family members of both MCs are also Black. The FMC's business partner is Indigenous. The majority of the small town is white but they're definitely not the focus. Many of the POCs were formally educated. MMC was a lawyer, FMC's business partner is an engineer, and FMC's brother is a doctor. I didn't clock any gender or sexuality diversity in the book.
🎧 This book was 3rd person dual POV but just one (female) narrator. There were a few points in the dialogue where I got confused about who was speaking which lines because the voices weren't all that different.
🌶️ 3/5 A couple explicit encounters. Birth control used every time, which I love to see in a historical! The FMC doesn't want kids and she acts accordingly.
✊🏳️🌈 This is a book of Black love. Both MCs are Black and the FMC also had one Indigenous grandparent. MMC was born into slavery, and FMC was born free in Wyoming (Territory). The immediate family members of both MCs are also Black. The FMC's business partner is Indigenous. The majority of the small town is white but they're definitely not the focus. Many of the POCs were formally educated. MMC was a lawyer, FMC's business partner is an engineer, and FMC's brother is a doctor. I didn't clock any gender or sexuality diversity in the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Abandonment
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Blood, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Drug use, Genocide, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
📚 This was a perfect book. No surprise, since B K Borison has written great stuff before this. There was yearning and heat and angst and funny spots. It was an engaging story line and the emotional points hit correctly. Also it did something really hard: incorporated a miscommunication trope that I didn't hate! It actually made sense in context and was only a small part of the plot. Overall this book was just a very cozy (if at times slightly angsty) read. A warm cup of tea of a book. I highly recommend it!
💞 I really liked the emphasis on found families/different family structures. There are two non-conventional (but happy and well functioning) families depicted.
1. FMC's family consists of a bi/pan? (never explicitly defined) baby daddy, the baby daddy's male partner (who their kid also calls Dad), and a female longtime best friend. Both FMC and baby daddy were disowned by their parents when they got pregnant young and chose not to marry, so their family unit is small but mighty.
2. MMC's best friend is the guardian for his two young sisters. I'm looking forward to learning more about them in the next book!
MMC's family is more traditional but there are some road blocks there.
🎧 The dual narration (first person POV, from both MCs' POVs) was great! They both gave great performances and I loved that there were these amusing little interstitials where it was sometimes duet style.
🌶️ 3.5/5 There were only a couple explicit scenes but they were pretty hot! Also there's so much yearning and daydreaming about each other, I feel like that ups the spice factor a little too.
✊🏳️🌈 Non-conventional family structures, non-straight best friends, one POC in the secondary characters, one family member who has struggled with cancer for decades. Also, this is very much a working class story! The FMC is a mechanic and the MMC is a radio show host at a struggling station.
💞 I really liked the emphasis on found families/different family structures. There are two non-conventional (but happy and well functioning) families depicted.
1. FMC's family consists of a bi/pan? (never explicitly defined) baby daddy, the baby daddy's male partner (who their kid also calls Dad), and a female longtime best friend. Both FMC and baby daddy were disowned by their parents when they got pregnant young and chose not to marry, so their family unit is small but mighty.
2. MMC's best friend is the guardian for his two young sisters. I'm looking forward to learning more about them in the next book!
MMC's family is more traditional but there are some road blocks there.
🎧 The dual narration (first person POV, from both MCs' POVs) was great! They both gave great performances and I loved that there were these amusing little interstitials where it was sometimes duet style.
🌶️ 3.5/5 There were only a couple explicit scenes but they were pretty hot! Also there's so much yearning and daydreaming about each other, I feel like that ups the spice factor a little too.
✊🏳️🌈 Non-conventional family structures, non-straight best friends, one POC in the secondary characters, one family member who has struggled with cancer for decades. Also, this is very much a working class story! The FMC is a mechanic and the MMC is a radio show host at a struggling station.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Grief, Alcohol
Minor: Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Abandonment
lighthearted
fast-paced
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
IDK this was basically spicy fanfic except the official author wrote it. It was entertaining, and hot, which I think is really all it set out to do anyways. If you enjoy the Witch Walker series then this is a fun little add-on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was super meh? IDK, the fairy tale part felt forced and the denouement didn't satisfy. I did buy that the MCs were in love but the final obstacle honestly should've stopped them.