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iam's reviews
1682 reviews
Beard Wanted by Piper Scott, Susi Hawke
3.0
I was initially excited to meet Monty, the face behind the Rent-a-Dom business, but to be honest, I was a bit disappointed.
Not for the reasons that Monty made up himself - the reason he doesn't want to show his face at all, to the point of hiring someone else to pretend to be him for the upcoming Rent-a-Dom anniversary party. He doesn't want anyone to know he's an omega, believing that to undermine his and his businesses success, nevermind how ridiculous that sounds even in the scope of the (spare) worldbuilding that the other books established. There really wasn't much if any "omega oppression" or whatver you want to call it, certainly not in the other books where all omega characters are in pretty strong positions that often even top the ones their alpha partners have.
I was more disappointed with how little of Rent-a-Dom we actually got to see - this was already a compaint I had with the rest of the series. I liked the concept of it, but it wasn't ever treated as more than a setup for the characters to meet, and then almost immediately forgotten about. And unfortunately, here it was the exact same. As soon as the first spark of attraction appeared, the plot was pretty much forgotten, until it appeared again at the end. I realize this is a romance, but I still wish the surrounding plot circumstances had not been so quickly forgotten. Even details about the characters, like Christian wanting to be an entertainer, where mentioned once and then never ever acknowledged.
I also got a bit tired of the surprise pregnancy plotline in each and every book of the series. In this case, it didn't even fit the characters.
Not a bad book or bad romance, and the ending was quite satisfyining, but it didn't feel earned.
Content warnings include: omegaverse, mpreg, surprise pregnancy, unprotected sex, BDSM.
Not for the reasons that Monty made up himself - the reason he doesn't want to show his face at all, to the point of hiring someone else to pretend to be him for the upcoming Rent-a-Dom anniversary party. He doesn't want anyone to know he's an omega, believing that to undermine his and his businesses success, nevermind how ridiculous that sounds even in the scope of the (spare) worldbuilding that the other books established. There really wasn't much if any "omega oppression" or whatver you want to call it, certainly not in the other books where all omega characters are in pretty strong positions that often even top the ones their alpha partners have.
I was more disappointed with how little of Rent-a-Dom we actually got to see - this was already a compaint I had with the rest of the series. I liked the concept of it, but it wasn't ever treated as more than a setup for the characters to meet, and then almost immediately forgotten about. And unfortunately, here it was the exact same. As soon as the first spark of attraction appeared, the plot was pretty much forgotten, until it appeared again at the end. I realize this is a romance, but I still wish the surrounding plot circumstances had not been so quickly forgotten. Even details about the characters, like Christian wanting to be an entertainer, where mentioned once and then never ever acknowledged.
I also got a bit tired of the surprise pregnancy plotline in each and every book of the series. In this case, it didn't even fit the characters.
Not a bad book or bad romance, and the ending was quite satisfyining, but it didn't feel earned.
Content warnings include: omegaverse, mpreg, surprise pregnancy, unprotected sex, BDSM.
Goal Lines & First Times by Eden Finley, Saxon James
5.0
This series is really growing on me.
This felt like far from a typical sports romance, or romance in general, as a lot of the development of the main relationship took place online. I also liked the added thrill of them not knowing each others' real life identities, yet constantly and unknowingly crossing each others' paths.
I also really liked all the questioning around sexuality going on. The term demi was thrown around very early, but that didn't mean Seth immediately settled on it or was sure where exactly (or even if) he is on the asexuality spectrum at all.
Both characters were lovely and felt different from others - I've read quite a few of the authors' books, but this one I think will hold a special place in my heart. Seth with his neediness, insecurity and jealousy, and Cohen with his... I'm not sure how to phrase it, but he is a pretty classic himbo, and incredibly sweet. The two of them were very well matched.
The final conflict and tension in the third act was not my favourite, and it was a bit obvious, but ultimately all worked out of course. Like with the other books in the series, there were some moments where I feared things would escalate, but they never did, and even when things went awry the tone was kept light hearted and fun.
Content warnings include: sex on-page, break up (not main couple), questioning sexuality, outing/coming out. Mentions of: death of parents.
This felt like far from a typical sports romance, or romance in general, as a lot of the development of the main relationship took place online. I also liked the added thrill of them not knowing each others' real life identities, yet constantly and unknowingly crossing each others' paths.
I also really liked all the questioning around sexuality going on. The term demi was thrown around very early, but that didn't mean Seth immediately settled on it or was sure where exactly (or even if) he is on the asexuality spectrum at all.
Both characters were lovely and felt different from others - I've read quite a few of the authors' books, but this one I think will hold a special place in my heart. Seth with his neediness, insecurity and jealousy, and Cohen with his... I'm not sure how to phrase it, but he is a pretty classic himbo, and incredibly sweet. The two of them were very well matched.
The final conflict and tension in the third act was not my favourite, and it was a bit obvious, but ultimately all worked out of course. Like with the other books in the series, there were some moments where I feared things would escalate, but they never did, and even when things went awry the tone was kept light hearted and fun.
Content warnings include: sex on-page, break up (not main couple), questioning sexuality, outing/coming out. Mentions of: death of parents.
Teacher Wanted by Piper Scott, Susi Hawke
3.5
This one was quite unconventional for a romance, which I found very enjoyable!
Content warnings include: omegaverse, mpreg, unplanned pregnancy, unprotected sex on-page, BDSM, spanking, D/s dynamics, car accident, pregnancy complications, miscommunication.
The story starts out with Dakota and Asher, and omega and a beta, realizing that while they are happy in their relationship, there is something missing - especially in the bedroom. So they hire a Dom to show them how to spice things up, and quickly realize that things outside of the bedroom are missing too.
It was quite curious to read about a couple that was mismatched on so many levels. Asher is a huge romantic who appreciates acts of service, devotion and swoonworthy romance, whereas Dakota is unrelentingly pragmatic and so tied to logical thinking it makes him utterly oblivious to whimsy. This leads to a lot of heartbreak and hurt, particuarly on Asher's end, and my god did I feel bad for him.
At the same time I related a lot to Dakota, even though it was uncomfortable at times, and while I maintain that the real issue was lack of communication, I was thrilled when there was a discussion about being aromantic in the book.
The plot of the book mainly focusses on introducing Guy into the couple's relationship, as a teacher of course, but the lines blurr quickly.
I did enjoy the three together, though Guy was almost too perfect in how he bridged the gaps between the two others. I would have loved to see them make it work without a third guy in the mix.
Still, a refreshing polyam romance with some unconventional choices. Some of them didn't fit as well together as, or were executed in a way, I would have liked, but it was still a very entertaining read.
Content warnings include: omegaverse, mpreg, unplanned pregnancy, unprotected sex on-page, BDSM, spanking, D/s dynamics, car accident, pregnancy complications, miscommunication.
The story starts out with Dakota and Asher, and omega and a beta, realizing that while they are happy in their relationship, there is something missing - especially in the bedroom. So they hire a Dom to show them how to spice things up, and quickly realize that things outside of the bedroom are missing too.
It was quite curious to read about a couple that was mismatched on so many levels. Asher is a huge romantic who appreciates acts of service, devotion and swoonworthy romance, whereas Dakota is unrelentingly pragmatic and so tied to logical thinking it makes him utterly oblivious to whimsy. This leads to a lot of heartbreak and hurt, particuarly on Asher's end, and my god did I feel bad for him.
At the same time I related a lot to Dakota, even though it was uncomfortable at times, and while I maintain that the real issue was lack of communication, I was thrilled when there was a discussion about being aromantic in the book.
The plot of the book mainly focusses on introducing Guy into the couple's relationship, as a teacher of course, but the lines blurr quickly.
I did enjoy the three together, though Guy was almost too perfect in how he bridged the gaps between the two others. I would have loved to see them make it work without a third guy in the mix.
Still, a refreshing polyam romance with some unconventional choices. Some of them didn't fit as well together as, or were executed in a way, I would have liked, but it was still a very entertaining read.
Master Wanted by Piper Scott, Susi Hawke
3.5
Like the first book in the series, this was a quick and easy read.
A fast paced romance with a bit of kink and an intriguing plot hook.
Content warnings include: omegaverse, mpreg, sex on-page, Dom-sub dynamics with the bottom being the dom, orgasm denial, sex toys, unprotected sex, unexpected pregnancy.
The omegaverse in this setting is mostly not noticable other to enable men to get pregnant, and subtle gender roles. Thus is made the dynamic of omega/bottom Dom and alpha/top sub a bit more interesting, though what really made the book for me was the characters' past together.
Because Robin is not only the online, faceless Dom who provides some much needed relief and "no"s for Casino owner Troy, but also the professional gambler kid who Troy not only kicked out of his casino, but also made an example of three years prior.
This added a fun dynamic to their already slightly uncoventional one.
The plot (and romance) moves forward quickly, and I quite enjoyed it, though it lost a lot of its kinkyness quite fast. I did not mind that, but be aware of that.
A fast paced romance with a bit of kink and an intriguing plot hook.
Content warnings include: omegaverse, mpreg, sex on-page, Dom-sub dynamics with the bottom being the dom, orgasm denial, sex toys, unprotected sex, unexpected pregnancy.
The omegaverse in this setting is mostly not noticable other to enable men to get pregnant, and subtle gender roles. Thus is made the dynamic of omega/bottom Dom and alpha/top sub a bit more interesting, though what really made the book for me was the characters' past together.
Because Robin is not only the online, faceless Dom who provides some much needed relief and "no"s for Casino owner Troy, but also the professional gambler kid who Troy not only kicked out of his casino, but also made an example of three years prior.
This added a fun dynamic to their already slightly uncoventional one.
The plot (and romance) moves forward quickly, and I quite enjoyed it, though it lost a lot of its kinkyness quite fast. I did not mind that, but be aware of that.
Daddy Wanted by Piper Scott, Susi Hawke
3.5
Quick romance read with some unexpected turns.
Content warnings include: omegaverse, mpreg, surprise pregnancy, unprotected sex, stalking, kidnapping.
I was intrigued by the concept of Rent-a-Dom, but to be honest, it took up barely any space in the book. That said, the idea of a playboy rockstart with ADHD needing someone to help get his life in order was appealing, and the romance addition to that was nice too.
The plot progresses extremely quickly, and some big events that felt pivotal happened off page. I did not mind that though, as it kept the things overall lighthearted and quick and easy to read, especially since there were some not too pleasant things as part of the plot, all centered around Toby being a rockstart, having overzealous fans or antagonistic bandmates.
The daddy kink parts were pretty tame, mostly centered around caretaking and getting structure to Toby's life, accompanied (eventually) by a romantic relationship.
It moved fast, but in a fun way, and some of the developments were quite unusal for a romance story, which I appreciated.
Content warnings include: omegaverse, mpreg, surprise pregnancy, unprotected sex, stalking, kidnapping.
I was intrigued by the concept of Rent-a-Dom, but to be honest, it took up barely any space in the book. That said, the idea of a playboy rockstart with ADHD needing someone to help get his life in order was appealing, and the romance addition to that was nice too.
The plot progresses extremely quickly, and some big events that felt pivotal happened off page. I did not mind that though, as it kept the things overall lighthearted and quick and easy to read, especially since there were some not too pleasant things as part of the plot, all centered around Toby being a rockstart, having overzealous fans or antagonistic bandmates.
The daddy kink parts were pretty tame, mostly centered around caretaking and getting structure to Toby's life, accompanied (eventually) by a romantic relationship.
It moved fast, but in a fun way, and some of the developments were quite unusal for a romance story, which I appreciated.
Crash-Landed in Love by Piper Scott, Renee Fox
3.5
Lightly-hearted, slightly silly and fun alien romance!
Content warnings include: surprise pregnancy, mpreg (it's an alien thing), egg laying, spaceship crash, (unprotected) sex on-page, emotional abuse, bullying.
I adore aliens, so I was very intrigued by this. I can also confidently say I never quite read an alien romance like this - with the alien crash landing on earth and having to hide.
I liked how light hearted this was, as well as how the stake seemed very low, despite the tense moments that would generaly be expected from an alien crashing on earth, and how government involvement in these things generally pans out in media.
That line of these stories was neatly avoided, and didn't veer into anything too complicated or serious.
Instead the focus was put on the romance between Al, the alien, and Jude, the guy who finds him.
A big part of their relationship was how they navigated each other's vastly different cultural backgrounds and natural interaction barrier. While that led to a lot of humorous moments, and maybe was the main source of sillyness in the book, I found myself a bit irked by how they seemed to be unable to emphasize with each other's situations. Al was unable to let go of commenting on anything that, to him as an alien, felt silly, and brought up the same arguments again and again, while Jude had very little patience for explaining customs or correcting misunderstandings, while also having very little sensibility for what may be confusing to someone who only just learned English by semi-magical means.
As such, miscommunication is also something the book relies on up to a point, though it's not a main plotpoint.
I could have done without the mpreg (wholly alien reasons for that) and I would have liked for Al to spend less time in his human disguise.
Still, overall a fun read, and I am already looking forward to more from this series!
Content warnings include: surprise pregnancy, mpreg (it's an alien thing), egg laying, spaceship crash, (unprotected) sex on-page, emotional abuse, bullying.
I adore aliens, so I was very intrigued by this. I can also confidently say I never quite read an alien romance like this - with the alien crash landing on earth and having to hide.
I liked how light hearted this was, as well as how the stake seemed very low, despite the tense moments that would generaly be expected from an alien crashing on earth, and how government involvement in these things generally pans out in media.
That line of these stories was neatly avoided, and didn't veer into anything too complicated or serious.
Instead the focus was put on the romance between Al, the alien, and Jude, the guy who finds him.
A big part of their relationship was how they navigated each other's vastly different cultural backgrounds and natural interaction barrier. While that led to a lot of humorous moments, and maybe was the main source of sillyness in the book, I found myself a bit irked by how they seemed to be unable to emphasize with each other's situations. Al was unable to let go of commenting on anything that, to him as an alien, felt silly, and brought up the same arguments again and again, while Jude had very little patience for explaining customs or correcting misunderstandings, while also having very little sensibility for what may be confusing to someone who only just learned English by semi-magical means.
As such, miscommunication is also something the book relies on up to a point, though it's not a main plotpoint.
I could have done without the mpreg (wholly alien reasons for that) and I would have liked for Al to spend less time in his human disguise.
Still, overall a fun read, and I am already looking forward to more from this series!
Raven: Part Two by Virginia Kelly, Piper Scott
4.0
This is the second and final part of Sorin and Bertram's story, and it seems to conclude the Drake's series of stories as now all brothers (plus their father) are partnered up.
It retells the events that involve Raven but this time from Sorin's point of view, as well as beyond them. I enjoyed reading the contex of why he was doing what he as doing, but... not all of it made sense. I do wonder how much of it was planned in advanced. Some things fit so perfectly it seems planned out meticiously, other parts... feel awkward and almost silly, which makes me think that none of it was planned and they (tried to) make it work in retrospect.
It also continues the super long passages spent in Sorin's broken mind, which were not fun to read for me. To be honest I started skipping them, as they were repetetive and miserable (which I guess is the point). Thankfully, Sorin's mental state does get addressed at some point.
Bertram and Sorin together, once they reunited, were lovely, and I do enjoy their dynamic. To be fair their dynamic doesn't really show anything new, other than them being enemies aat the start, but that of course doesn't matter at this point anymore.
The tension of the book still comes from them fighting for the abolishment of the Pedigree, and social injustice etc, as well as mild miscommunication.
Speaking of (mis-)communication: I always love the cameos of the other Drakes and their mates in this series. In this one it however felt very frustrating, because there is so little communication among them and between the protagonists. To a point that makes sense, but it also made me want to shake the characters.
The ending, as promised, was sweet and happy. It took a long way to get there, but it was worth it. I almost wish the epilogue would have been longer, as it wrapped up the whole series. I also wanted Sorin to get reunited with all his kids on page, but alas.
It retells the events that involve Raven but this time from Sorin's point of view, as well as beyond them. I enjoyed reading the contex of why he was doing what he as doing, but... not all of it made sense. I do wonder how much of it was planned in advanced. Some things fit so perfectly it seems planned out meticiously, other parts... feel awkward and almost silly, which makes me think that none of it was planned and they (tried to) make it work in retrospect.
It also continues the super long passages spent in Sorin's broken mind, which were not fun to read for me. To be honest I started skipping them, as they were repetetive and miserable (which I guess is the point). Thankfully, Sorin's mental state does get addressed at some point.
Bertram and Sorin together, once they reunited, were lovely, and I do enjoy their dynamic. To be fair their dynamic doesn't really show anything new, other than them being enemies aat the start, but that of course doesn't matter at this point anymore.
The tension of the book still comes from them fighting for the abolishment of the Pedigree, and social injustice etc, as well as mild miscommunication.
Speaking of (mis-)communication: I always love the cameos of the other Drakes and their mates in this series. In this one it however felt very frustrating, because there is so little communication among them and between the protagonists. To a point that makes sense, but it also made me want to shake the characters.
The ending, as promised, was sweet and happy. It took a long way to get there, but it was worth it. I almost wish the epilogue would have been longer, as it wrapped up the whole series. I also wanted Sorin to get reunited with all his kids on page, but alas.
Raven: Part One by Virginia Kelly, Piper Scott
3.5
This book threw me for a loop as I started. Because it's much, MUCH darker than any of the other books, and throws you right into the suffering.
Content warnings include: torture, forceful separation of parents and children, forced pregnancy, social injustice/systematic discrimination, powerlessness, suicidal ideation, PTSD, burning.
This is the story of Bertram and Raven, or rather, Sorin, and it's been a long time coming. Several of the seven previous books in the series mention or feature both of them - and Sorin almost exclusively in the role of the villain. This book gives the background story of the two of them.
As such, it plays entiely in the past - from half a millenium ago to the present. It therefore skips through a lot of years, though a lof ot if played in the years right after Bertram and Sorin first met.
While there is a lot of suffering, especially from Sorin and the effects of his particular trauma (which is absolutely horrific, makes me shuder and feel sick just thinking about it), here are a lot of lighthearted and domestic scenes as well.
The romance is quite enemies-to-lovers, and they really do start out on opposite sides. Once they get on the same wavelength, it's really lovely and drama-free between them though. The book's conflict is from the outside.
I remember when I first read the series I was upset by the lack of addressing of consent of the omegas and particularly the treatment of the Pedigree by the dragons. I even remember writing that it should better be addressed quickly.
Well, it all comes in this book. Better late than never I guess. And to be fair, it goes in deep. So much talk about organised and structured activism against social injustice against a vastly more powerful oppressor.
What bothered me about that was how a lot of the base issues just feel... really senseless and don't even really make sense in the lore? That made the already very frustrating struggle for justice and equality even more infuriating.
What wasn't quite my favourite either was the loooooong sections spent in Sorin's head. He is HEAVILY traumatized, the poor thing, and it shows. I don't dare to diagnose whats happening to him, and it may be magical, but it did get very repetetive after some point. There was so much darkness in the book already, and those endless passages made it so much worse. I guess it added to the atmosphere and therefore may be intentional, but it didn't make for the most enjoyable reading experience in my opinion.
The book ended right when I wanted it to pick up the most - when it reaches the present, but before it tells the story of what happened with the other Drakes and Raven, but from Sorin's point of view. Because it's clear that there is so much nuance to his actions.
Content warnings include: torture, forceful separation of parents and children, forced pregnancy, social injustice/systematic discrimination, powerlessness, suicidal ideation, PTSD, burning.
This is the story of Bertram and Raven, or rather, Sorin, and it's been a long time coming. Several of the seven previous books in the series mention or feature both of them - and Sorin almost exclusively in the role of the villain. This book gives the background story of the two of them.
As such, it plays entiely in the past - from half a millenium ago to the present. It therefore skips through a lot of years, though a lof ot if played in the years right after Bertram and Sorin first met.
While there is a lot of suffering, especially from Sorin and the effects of his particular trauma (which is absolutely horrific, makes me shuder and feel sick just thinking about it), here are a lot of lighthearted and domestic scenes as well.
The romance is quite enemies-to-lovers, and they really do start out on opposite sides. Once they get on the same wavelength, it's really lovely and drama-free between them though. The book's conflict is from the outside.
I remember when I first read the series I was upset by the lack of addressing of consent of the omegas and particularly the treatment of the Pedigree by the dragons. I even remember writing that it should better be addressed quickly.
Well, it all comes in this book. Better late than never I guess. And to be fair, it goes in deep. So much talk about organised and structured activism against social injustice against a vastly more powerful oppressor.
What bothered me about that was how a lot of the base issues just feel... really senseless and don't even really make sense in the lore? That made the already very frustrating struggle for justice and equality even more infuriating.
What wasn't quite my favourite either was the loooooong sections spent in Sorin's head. He is HEAVILY traumatized, the poor thing, and it shows. I don't dare to diagnose whats happening to him, and it may be magical, but it did get very repetetive after some point. There was so much darkness in the book already, and those endless passages made it so much worse. I guess it added to the atmosphere and therefore may be intentional, but it didn't make for the most enjoyable reading experience in my opinion.
The book ended right when I wanted it to pick up the most - when it reaches the present, but before it tells the story of what happened with the other Drakes and Raven, but from Sorin's point of view. Because it's clear that there is so much nuance to his actions.
Zeus by Eden Finley
adventurous
dark
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
This is by far the darkest books I've ever read from this author, and I've read quite a big chunk of her catalogue.
I'm not sure what it is, but I didn't quite vibe with the latest two books in the Mike Brave Ops series. Coincidentally, those two books also deal with much darker/controversial topics, namely sex work in Atlas, and now domestic abuse and debt/slavery in an organised crime context. The Mike Brave Ops series always had some darker themes in the background given that the series covers mecenary work, and as such, military operations against unsavory characters are constantly present.
What makes Zeus and before it Atlas so different is that this time the love interest isn't also involved in the military or law enforcement, but lives a much different life.
Callie has a lot of baggage from events in Atlas, and he manages to go from bad to worse. Due to his situation and trauma, I found the beginning of his romance with Zeus a bit questionable. The situation in which they grow close is already very delicate, but considering both Callie's trauma, as well as this being the one couple out of all of them to enjoy rough sex, was not a good combination in my opinion.
Despite all of these dark themes, the author typical humor is still very present, both in Zeus and the other side characters, bringing plenty of snark and sass. I also want to make it clear that this is far from a dark romance!
While domestic violence and trauma recovery area big topic, and Zeus is very caring and protective of Callie, it still felt sort of surface level and I couldn't entirely vibe with it for the first half of the book.
The second half of it I enjoyed much more.
I also particularly enjoyed how much more involved all the other Mike Bravo guys were in this book. As a tight knit team, they are of course featured in all books, but in this one it felt like there was the biggest involvement of the cast, with plenty of conversations between all characters, especially Callie and the rest of the team. I loved his conversations with Decaf, the jokes with Iris and Saint, Scout getting some attention, Atlas being kind as usual, Trav is always there of course, even Angel got some page time (albeit very little), and the new guy Haz, had decent setup for his own book (which I assume will be next). The only one I really missed was Ghost - he had a shining moment in Rogue but since then seemingly has been forgotten. I really hope he gets his own book eventually!
I'm not sure what it is, but I didn't quite vibe with the latest two books in the Mike Brave Ops series. Coincidentally, those two books also deal with much darker/controversial topics, namely sex work in Atlas, and now domestic abuse and debt/slavery in an organised crime context. The Mike Brave Ops series always had some darker themes in the background given that the series covers mecenary work, and as such, military operations against unsavory characters are constantly present.
What makes Zeus and before it Atlas so different is that this time the love interest isn't also involved in the military or law enforcement, but lives a much different life.
Callie has a lot of baggage from events in Atlas, and he manages to go from bad to worse. Due to his situation and trauma, I found the beginning of his romance with Zeus a bit questionable. The situation in which they grow close is already very delicate, but considering both Callie's trauma, as well as this being the one couple out of all of them to enjoy rough sex, was not a good combination in my opinion.
Despite all of these dark themes, the author typical humor is still very present, both in Zeus and the other side characters, bringing plenty of snark and sass. I also want to make it clear that this is far from a dark romance!
While domestic violence and trauma recovery area big topic, and Zeus is very caring and protective of Callie, it still felt sort of surface level and I couldn't entirely vibe with it for the first half of the book.
The second half of it I enjoyed much more.
I also particularly enjoyed how much more involved all the other Mike Bravo guys were in this book. As a tight knit team, they are of course featured in all books, but in this one it felt like there was the biggest involvement of the cast, with plenty of conversations between all characters, especially Callie and the rest of the team. I loved his conversations with Decaf, the jokes with Iris and Saint, Scout getting some attention, Atlas being kind as usual, Trav is always there of course, even Angel got some page time (albeit very little), and the new guy Haz, had decent setup for his own book (which I assume will be next). The only one I really missed was Ghost - he had a shining moment in Rogue but since then seemingly has been forgotten. I really hope he gets his own book eventually!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship
Minor: Trafficking
Atlas by Eden Finley
3.5
I was looking forward to this, both because I liked glimpses of Atlas we got in the rest of the Mike Bravo Ops series, and because it finally featured Lemon again, who first appeared in Rockstar Hearts and who I couldn't wait to see again and get his happy ending.
Unfortunately, this fell kinda flat for me in comparison. I'm not sure why. I enjoyed the setup of Atlas being sent to work undercover bartending at a strip clup, and how Lemon was involved in the op. I also don't think it was Atlas' preconceptions about sex work, as that was cleared up and addressed appropriately pretty quicky. I guess I wish there had been a bit more in depth discussion about it?
I guess something that stood out to me was how naive Lemon was, and how often the narrative jumped to calling it condescention when his naivete was called out. It both did address the dangers and reality of sex work, while at the same time skimming around the real life issues and not having a serious conversation about it. But a romance book also isn't really the right place for that conversation, so I'm not sure why I felt like it was missing.
Unfortunately, this fell kinda flat for me in comparison. I'm not sure why. I enjoyed the setup of Atlas being sent to work undercover bartending at a strip clup, and how Lemon was involved in the op. I also don't think it was Atlas' preconceptions about sex work, as that was cleared up and addressed appropriately pretty quicky. I guess I wish there had been a bit more in depth discussion about it?
I guess something that stood out to me was how naive Lemon was, and how often the narrative jumped to calling it condescention when his naivete was called out. It both did address the dangers and reality of sex work, while at the same time skimming around the real life issues and not having a serious conversation about it. But a romance book also isn't really the right place for that conversation, so I'm not sure why I felt like it was missing.