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imme_van_gorp's Reviews (778)
I remember from the previous book that I found Oskar absolutely unbearable, and unfortunately my opinion of him has not changed. Oskar is dreadfully annoying, selfish, whiny, childish, silly, dramatic and he just genuinely sucks. He thinks nobody can see the real him, but the truth is that he’s just really not that deep.
Lane, in turn, was an idiot for being so obsessed with Oskar: it was kind of one-sided too, which made it even more pathetic. Lane seems to think Oskar’s whole annoying persona is fake and takes this delusion so far that he even falls in love with him without even knowing him. Like.. um, okay.. weird.
Also, this whole thing was pretty goddamn boring. There’s a lot of hockey and PR talk, and I honestly couldn’t be bothered. It’s super repetitive and not romantic at all. I didn’t like it.
Honestly, this entire relationship was completely ridiculous. Their feelings were based on absolutely nothing, and their love (if you can even call it that) was super bland and dry.
Also, the sex talk was extremely cringe.
This was pretty much awful. I hate to say it, but I fear [a:Eden Finley|15036279|Eden Finley|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1520859183p2/15036279.jpg] might be losing her touch. She used to be one of my favourite authors, but a lot of her latest books have been majorly disappointing.
The only thing I enjoyed here was seeing Ezra and Anton, and Dex and Tripp, and Beck and Jacobs again. Even if it was only for like 5 seconds...
Lane, in turn, was an idiot for being so obsessed with Oskar: it was kind of one-sided too, which made it even more pathetic. Lane seems to think Oskar’s whole annoying persona is fake and takes this delusion so far that he even falls in love with him without even knowing him. Like.. um, okay.. weird.
Also, this whole thing was pretty goddamn boring. There’s a lot of hockey and PR talk, and I honestly couldn’t be bothered. It’s super repetitive and not romantic at all. I didn’t like it.
Honestly, this entire relationship was completely ridiculous. Their feelings were based on absolutely nothing, and their love (if you can even call it that) was super bland and dry.
Also, the sex talk was extremely cringe.
This was pretty much awful. I hate to say it, but I fear [a:Eden Finley|15036279|Eden Finley|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1520859183p2/15036279.jpg] might be losing her touch. She used to be one of my favourite authors, but a lot of her latest books have been majorly disappointing.
The only thing I enjoyed here was seeing Ezra and Anton, and Dex and Tripp, and Beck and Jacobs again. Even if it was only for like 5 seconds...
This was all that’s sweet and cute: high school friends-to-lovers with an endearing opposites attract trope.
Logan is the Golden Boy; the captain of the rugby team, gorgeous, the son of the local Pastor, and popular amongst everyone.
Jake had moved to their town about a year ago, and this sweet and nerdy guy captured Logan’s attention immediately.
Unfortunately though, Logan feels very pressured to hide his sexuality, even from himself, and thus, when Logan needs help with chemistry and finds a tutor in Jake, they develop an incredibly strong and supportive friendship that only turns into a romance after quite some time.
This really was a wholesome and sweet read. The relationship between these two guys is packed with a lot of chemistry and loving gestures. They orbit around each other constantly and always have something to talk about. Whenever they walk into a room, the first thing they’ll look for is the other person; they cannot keep their eyes off of each other and text whenever they can’t actually talk. It was such a caring relationship; I couldn’t help but love it.
I mean, would I have loved a bit more angst here? Probably. But we did get a little of it, and maybe too much would have ruined the wholesome vibe we got now.
Overall, I just thought this was a super entertaining read with loveable characters and a pure relationship.
Logan is the Golden Boy; the captain of the rugby team, gorgeous, the son of the local Pastor, and popular amongst everyone.
Jake had moved to their town about a year ago, and this sweet and nerdy guy captured Logan’s attention immediately.
Unfortunately though, Logan feels very pressured to hide his sexuality, even from himself, and thus, when Logan needs help with chemistry and finds a tutor in Jake, they develop an incredibly strong and supportive friendship that only turns into a romance after quite some time.
This really was a wholesome and sweet read. The relationship between these two guys is packed with a lot of chemistry and loving gestures. They orbit around each other constantly and always have something to talk about. Whenever they walk into a room, the first thing they’ll look for is the other person; they cannot keep their eyes off of each other and text whenever they can’t actually talk. It was such a caring relationship; I couldn’t help but love it.
I mean, would I have loved a bit more angst here? Probably. But we did get a little of it, and maybe too much would have ruined the wholesome vibe we got now.
Overall, I just thought this was a super entertaining read with loveable characters and a pure relationship.
Well, then. This was quite a pleasant surprise: I liked it more than I thought I would!
This is a love story with the brother’s best friend trope, and I thought it was done mostly well.
I liked how Chase and Kellan’s dynamic played out: at first, I loved how Chase was protective of him, almost like a brother but not quite, while later, I loved how Chase realised Kellan gave him more joy, warmth and security than anyone else; even more so than his best friend ever could.
I appreciated that Chase always cared about Kellan, and that he never only saw him as his best friend’s little brother; he always took notice of Kellan’s feelings and treated him gently. He wasn’t an arsehole or acted indifferent; he was sweet and nurturing from beginning to end.
This is a love story with the brother’s best friend trope, and I thought it was done mostly well.
I liked how Chase and Kellan’s dynamic played out: at first, I loved how Chase was protective of him, almost like a brother but not quite, while later, I loved how Chase realised Kellan gave him more joy, warmth and security than anyone else; even more so than his best friend ever could.
I appreciated that Chase always cared about Kellan, and that he never only saw him as his best friend’s little brother; he always took notice of Kellan’s feelings and treated him gently. He wasn’t an arsehole or acted indifferent; he was sweet and nurturing from beginning to end.
There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for Kellan. Never had been.
Kellan, of course, had been in love with Chase ever since he was a young teen, and I quite liked how his love never wavered. He was pretty devoted, but not to the point where he would beg for attention. He was confident and self-assured, even if he did love Chase before Chase felt the same way. Or, at least, long before Chase realised he felt the same.
“I’m in love with you. I’ve been in love with you since I was fourteen years old. I don’t remember what it’s like not to love you, and I don’t know how to stop.”
This was also a second-chance romance and it was handled nicely and carefully; I felt like them making amends wasn’t rushed, but it also wasn’t drawn out. Kellan did not hold much of a grudge for wasted time, and Chase’s side was easy to understand too. You can’t fault the guy too much for not wanting to fuck over his best friend like that, so I got it. And the reunion and re-getting to know each other was entertaining to watch.
Honestly, I liked this part more than I did when they actually got together. It’s probably why the first part of the story was better for me than the second: The book almost got a little bit boring at that point. Although, I did genuinely like these two together as a couple, so that still kept me plenty invested throughout.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Loving me. I’m gonna do everything in my power to deserve it.”
“Chase… you already do. Don’t you know that?”
Overall, I thought this was a sweet story with well-developed emotions and good chemistry.
This story is about a divorced ‘straight’ father, Knox, who falls in love with the caring and sweet gay man, Callum, who manages to develop an instant connection with Knox’s son, Logan.
Knox is a caring father, but his son seems to be struggling and he doesn’t know how to get his son to open up about his issues. However, when Callum and Logan meet they seem to share a kindred spirit, and where Knox was unable to connect with his son in some ways, Callum seems to know exactly what to do or say. Logan becomes more confident and happier the more Callum becomes a permanent fixture in their lives. But of course it is not just Logan who feels a connection with Callum. Knox starts to appreciate and adore him as well, and they slowly start to form their own little family.
I thought this was a very sweet book. Callum was a true darling, and Knox was an absolutely great guy as well. Both were super likeable characters and their relationship felt genuine. They didn’t rush into things, and I appreciated the slower pace of them getting closer and of them having any kind of physical relationship. Their chemistry was apparent and I definitely liked them together.
I also liked Logan a lot. I thought his connection with Callum was very endearing, and I liked his relationship with Knox too. He was a big part of this story, so if you don’t like kids in your romance books, then this one will not be for you. Nonetheless, despite me loving Logan, I hated the other kid in this book. Knox also had a daughter, Charlie, and she pissed me the hell off. She was an entitled little brat who tried to make Callum’s life miserable, and she annoyed me a lot. Luckily she was only present in the book near the end, since she lives with her mom, but it still ruined the vibe a little for me.
All in all, I really liked this couple, since I thought their feelings were very sweet, well-developed and loving. However, I do have to say that I wasn’t completely over the moon with this book as a whole. Something about it was just a little mweh, but I can’t really put my finger on what that was. Maybe it was a bit repetitive? Or maybe there was something else about this story that did not grip me entirely? I’m not sure, but it is what it is.
Knox is a caring father, but his son seems to be struggling and he doesn’t know how to get his son to open up about his issues. However, when Callum and Logan meet they seem to share a kindred spirit, and where Knox was unable to connect with his son in some ways, Callum seems to know exactly what to do or say. Logan becomes more confident and happier the more Callum becomes a permanent fixture in their lives. But of course it is not just Logan who feels a connection with Callum. Knox starts to appreciate and adore him as well, and they slowly start to form their own little family.
I thought this was a very sweet book. Callum was a true darling, and Knox was an absolutely great guy as well. Both were super likeable characters and their relationship felt genuine. They didn’t rush into things, and I appreciated the slower pace of them getting closer and of them having any kind of physical relationship. Their chemistry was apparent and I definitely liked them together.
I also liked Logan a lot. I thought his connection with Callum was very endearing, and I liked his relationship with Knox too. He was a big part of this story, so if you don’t like kids in your romance books, then this one will not be for you. Nonetheless, despite me loving Logan, I hated the other kid in this book. Knox also had a daughter, Charlie, and she pissed me the hell off. She was an entitled little brat who tried to make Callum’s life miserable, and she annoyed me a lot. Luckily she was only present in the book near the end, since she lives with her mom, but it still ruined the vibe a little for me.
All in all, I really liked this couple, since I thought their feelings were very sweet, well-developed and loving. However, I do have to say that I wasn’t completely over the moon with this book as a whole. Something about it was just a little mweh, but I can’t really put my finger on what that was. Maybe it was a bit repetitive? Or maybe there was something else about this story that did not grip me entirely? I’m not sure, but it is what it is.
I’m pretty disappointed. I was honestly looking forward to reading this one quite a lot, and it did not live up to my expectations. Maybe it’s partly my fault for having hyped it up in my head so much, but I think that even regardless of that, I would not have enjoyed this book all that much.
First of all, I want to point out that I really did like the idea and premise of this story. It’s a second-chance romance about two boys who fell in love when they were 18, but because one of them was unable to come out and constantly wanted to be in hiding, they broke up after a few years of being together. The pain and misery became too much, but they never stopped loving each other.
Now, it’s six years later, and Remy and Lawson reunite again. There are hurt feelings there, but also a lot of unresolved feelings and everlasting love. After dancing around each other for a bit, they eventually get together again, try to work through their issues and become happy once more.
I think one of my main issues with this story was that it all felt a lot like telling rather than showing. Remy and Lawson constantly talk about how much they love each other and how deep their bond is, but in reality I didn’t really see it. Even before their break-up I saw a lot of resentment and bitterness in their relationship, and after they reunited they were kind of just awkward together. There was a constant string of love declarations, but aside from that, they didn’t really do anything together. I have no idea how they truly interact with one another or what makes them feel like they are so perfect for each other. I mean, Lawson only ever talked about Remy’s creativity and stuff like that, while Remy just seemed to be happy to have someone who wanted him deeply for the “real” him. I honestly didn’t really see what made them work well together; it seemed that all that tied them together was the sex and the idea of how much they loved each other.
Anyway, maybe I’m being a bit negative about their situation, because I do believe they both truly loved each other, but I just personally didn’t really get to see that and thus, I wasn’t a big fan of them as a couple. I wasn’t as sympathetic towards their situation and hardships as I could have been had I felt more connected to them or their relationship. It just all fell a bit flat for me. And, in all honesty, I was often bored with it all. I was especially bored with all the sex scenes.
Regardless, my favourite part about this book was when Remy came out publicly. It was absolutely beautiful: I was honestly moved by his words, his strength and his underserved misery. I wish I would have felt more emotions like this throughout the rest of the book, but this was really the only time it hit me.
First of all, I want to point out that I really did like the idea and premise of this story. It’s a second-chance romance about two boys who fell in love when they were 18, but because one of them was unable to come out and constantly wanted to be in hiding, they broke up after a few years of being together. The pain and misery became too much, but they never stopped loving each other.
Now, it’s six years later, and Remy and Lawson reunite again. There are hurt feelings there, but also a lot of unresolved feelings and everlasting love. After dancing around each other for a bit, they eventually get together again, try to work through their issues and become happy once more.
I think one of my main issues with this story was that it all felt a lot like telling rather than showing. Remy and Lawson constantly talk about how much they love each other and how deep their bond is, but in reality I didn’t really see it. Even before their break-up I saw a lot of resentment and bitterness in their relationship, and after they reunited they were kind of just awkward together. There was a constant string of love declarations, but aside from that, they didn’t really do anything together. I have no idea how they truly interact with one another or what makes them feel like they are so perfect for each other. I mean, Lawson only ever talked about Remy’s creativity and stuff like that, while Remy just seemed to be happy to have someone who wanted him deeply for the “real” him. I honestly didn’t really see what made them work well together; it seemed that all that tied them together was the sex and the idea of how much they loved each other.
Anyway, maybe I’m being a bit negative about their situation, because I do believe they both truly loved each other, but I just personally didn’t really get to see that and thus, I wasn’t a big fan of them as a couple. I wasn’t as sympathetic towards their situation and hardships as I could have been had I felt more connected to them or their relationship. It just all fell a bit flat for me. And, in all honesty, I was often bored with it all. I was especially bored with all the sex scenes.
Regardless, my favourite part about this book was when Remy came out publicly. It was absolutely beautiful: I was honestly moved by his words, his strength and his underserved misery. I wish I would have felt more emotions like this throughout the rest of the book, but this was really the only time it hit me.
This is the final book in the series and it’s about Kellan’s brother, Griffin, and his best friend, Josh. So, once again, it has the brother’s best friend trope, but I definitely didn’t like it as much here as I did in “Giving Chase”. It honestly felt more like a friends-to-lovers trope.
I thought this book was pretty uneventful and repetitive, but I also struggled to truly love the romance here. Griffin is demisexual, so there surely wasn’t any lack of a deeper connection between them, but I somehow still wasn’t over the moon about their relationship. Their banter became boring after a while, and I also got a little sick of the ‘friends with benefits’ thing. Especially since they were being super sappy with it. It was clear from the beginning that they both cared deeply about the other, and their love was staring them right in the face, but they just kept ignoring and denying it. I understand why, of course. Josh had a very intense past that I’m sure will leave you feeling unsure and reluctant about future relationships, but still. I just got a little impatient, and eventually I stopped caring.
I thought this book was pretty uneventful and repetitive, but I also struggled to truly love the romance here. Griffin is demisexual, so there surely wasn’t any lack of a deeper connection between them, but I somehow still wasn’t over the moon about their relationship. Their banter became boring after a while, and I also got a little sick of the ‘friends with benefits’ thing. Especially since they were being super sappy with it. It was clear from the beginning that they both cared deeply about the other, and their love was staring them right in the face, but they just kept ignoring and denying it. I understand why, of course. Josh had a very intense past that I’m sure will leave you feeling unsure and reluctant about future relationships, but still. I just got a little impatient, and eventually I stopped caring.
“I know I wasn’t supposed to fall for you, but I did. There’s no changing that, and the truth is, I don’t want to. I love you, and I want you to love me. I deserve for you to love. You told me if I wasn’t getting what I needed, even if it’s from you, not to settle. I don’t want to lose you, but I… I need more. Eventually I’m gonna need more. I deserve more.”
The thing with this series in general is that I like most of the ideas of the romances and storylines here, but something about the execution often leaves me either feeling a little bored or unfulfilled. Something about it just doesn’t manage to hit on a truly deeper level and it is unable to keep me completely invested. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy these books, because I did. I liked the characters and I liked the couples; I just didn’t love any of it.
Oh my god. I am actually surprised at how dreadfully boring I found this. Absolutely nothing interesting happens, everything is terribly repetitive and monotone, and there was just no progression in this story whatsoever.
The plot was extremely silly. It’s super cliché and offers nothing new to the table, but it was also just incredibly dense and eye-roll worthy. I definitely let out more than one sigh of exasperation.
It was unfortunately all executed in a way that did not manage to capture my interest or investment in any way: It left me feeling cold towards the characters as well as the romance. It’s not that I disliked them, it’s just that I didn’t care.
The characters seemed like cardboard cut-outs to me, and the chemistry between them felt wooden and stilted. This over-the-top, simple and smooth-sailing kind of insta-love wasn't for me.
I mean, sure, there were a few scenes I enjoyed here. Sometimes the protectiveness or possessiveness would tickle my fancy, but eventually I even got bored with those things, and I just ended up wanting to skim over everything.
The plot was extremely silly. It’s super cliché and offers nothing new to the table, but it was also just incredibly dense and eye-roll worthy. I definitely let out more than one sigh of exasperation.
It was unfortunately all executed in a way that did not manage to capture my interest or investment in any way: It left me feeling cold towards the characters as well as the romance. It’s not that I disliked them, it’s just that I didn’t care.
The characters seemed like cardboard cut-outs to me, and the chemistry between them felt wooden and stilted. This over-the-top, simple and smooth-sailing kind of insta-love wasn't for me.
I mean, sure, there were a few scenes I enjoyed here. Sometimes the protectiveness or possessiveness would tickle my fancy, but eventually I even got bored with those things, and I just ended up wanting to skim over everything.
“I would never hurt you. You could carve out my own heart and crush it beneath your boot, and I would still thank you for your time and attention.”
I’m disappointed, but maybe it was stupid of me to assume this would be any good. I could, and maybe even should, have seen it coming, but somehow I just didn’t.
Call me stupid, but I’m even still debating on if I want to read any other books that might come out in this series. Some of the couples do seem like they could be much more interesting.. Especially Dimitri and Dagon. *sigh* I just don’t know. I’m almost sure I am setting myself up for another disappointment, but I might not be able to stop myself from giving it a chance. I’m nothing if not a masochist, apparently.
I’m not sure what to say. Even though I loved Zach and Henry’s original story, I unfortunately wasn’t very entertained by this novella. It was very over-the-top, the romance wasn’t as cute as it was before, there was way too much smut, and even Zach was a little annoying to me here. The Joseph drama made me role my eyes, the Mattie drama made me frown, and the general drama made me sigh.
I am ashamed to admit I skimmed a lot of this story… I was honestly just kind of bored. I don’t know how to explain it, but the spark was missing for me here. Where I loved every bit of writing in the original book, it all felt a bit forced with this novella and it just didn’t have the wholesome, sweet and funny vibes I was hoping for.
Perhaps the problem was with me, though, because plenty of other people did not seem to have these issues. Maybe I just didn’t read it at the right time.
I am ashamed to admit I skimmed a lot of this story… I was honestly just kind of bored. I don’t know how to explain it, but the spark was missing for me here. Where I loved every bit of writing in the original book, it all felt a bit forced with this novella and it just didn’t have the wholesome, sweet and funny vibes I was hoping for.
Perhaps the problem was with me, though, because plenty of other people did not seem to have these issues. Maybe I just didn’t read it at the right time.
Urgh. This one really managed to piss me off on multiple occasions.
First of all, I really disliked Liam and North’s relationship in general. The way Liam treated him definitely rubbed me the wrong way. He was just so incredibly derogatory with the way he kept casually insulting North. He constantly talked about how helpless he was, how incredibly stupid, and how he pretty much needed Liam to function as a remotely normal human being. He straight up admitted to having a “hero complex” and explained that that’s why he was so into North’s bright-eyed, caught in the headlights, bumbling deer act.
I mean, this right here was just one of the many questionable thoughts Liam had about North:
First of all, I really disliked Liam and North’s relationship in general. The way Liam treated him definitely rubbed me the wrong way. He was just so incredibly derogatory with the way he kept casually insulting North. He constantly talked about how helpless he was, how incredibly stupid, and how he pretty much needed Liam to function as a remotely normal human being. He straight up admitted to having a “hero complex” and explained that that’s why he was so into North’s bright-eyed, caught in the headlights, bumbling deer act.
I mean, this right here was just one of the many questionable thoughts Liam had about North:
I had enough right about the time Deacon called North an idiot. Which, bless his beautiful face and angelic heart, he absolutely was—but he was my idiot.
Like, I’m sorry, what? Do you want a medal for not wanting other people to call your boyfriend an idiot, while simultaneously thinking the exact same thing about him? How freaking condescending can you be!
North deserved better than that; my heart broke for how everyone treated him. He wasn’t ever taken seriously and was constantly being insulted. It really got on my nerves. The amount of times North was called stupid or dumb in this book was just unnecessary. And it was all the worse that it was his boyfriend who thought of him as stupid too. Like, you can just fuck right off at that point.
Aside from having all these issues, I also thought this book was boring as hell. Absolutely nothing happened and there was no angst whatsoever. Sure, North is whining about something the entire book, but the romance was completely angst-free.
I honestly think this story could have been a lot more interesting if it had taken place three years prior when Liam was still North’s bodyguard and they couldn’t be together. Now, there was nothing stopping them, so they kind of just existed, had sex, exchanged sappy love-declarations and that’s it. They didn’t even need any time re-getting to know each other after all these years apart: It was just immediate love between them, and of course there is simply nothing interesting about that.
This is an angsty Christmas story with forced proximity, opposites attract, hurt/comfort, fake dating, and an office romance. As you can see; it has plenty of tropes and they all work together surprisingly well.
The story follows Ashton and Walker. They are business partners and couldn’t be more different. Ashton is beautiful and shiny, but with some hidden demons that haunt his ability to trust and feel loved. Meanwhile, Walker is practical and nurturing, but lives quite a simple and empty life. Walker also has a secret past and if the truth were to come out about it, it would definitely drive a wedge between him and Ashton. Which is something Walker desperately wants to avoid, because Ashton has become the world to him.
The story follows Ashton and Walker. They are business partners and couldn’t be more different. Ashton is beautiful and shiny, but with some hidden demons that haunt his ability to trust and feel loved. Meanwhile, Walker is practical and nurturing, but lives quite a simple and empty life. Walker also has a secret past and if the truth were to come out about it, it would definitely drive a wedge between him and Ashton. Which is something Walker desperately wants to avoid, because Ashton has become the world to him.
Walker’s stomach tightened at the thought that Ashton might have given him all that to just turn around and walk away.
I honestly just loved the way Walker was in utter awe of Ashton. He was completely enamoured and adored every bit about him. It was awesome.
This was quite a slow-burn romance, which I appreciated. It has a lot of pining, longing and insecurities. Their love story is not an easy or quick road, but it was always sweet and caring. I never doubted their devotion, and I was also never annoyed with any of the drama that ensued, because I honestly understood where Ashton’s hang-ups came from. His past was well-explained, and it was easy to empathise with him as a person. My heart felt honestly full, simply by knowing that he got a man like Walker, who not only accepted him completely, but also thought the sun shone right out of his arse. Ashton desperately wants to be wanted, and I don’t think anyone could have possibly wanted him any more than Walker did.
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
I do have to say that I personally think this story was a bit too long. Sometimes it felt a little dragged-out, and maybe even repetitive. It didn’t bother me too much, but I think the story could have been tighter and shorter.