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jamieb_19's Reviews (277)
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked the story and the characters. The book dealt with some heavy topics but it was done with a light touch so the overall feel of the book wasn’t too heavy. I listened to it on audio and my only complaint is that the narrators should have switched characters. Stephen Dexter would have been perfect for Ben and I think Michael Dean was better suited for Colby. Missed opportunity there!
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
God, he’d never felt this way about a man before. Well, maybe Pedro Pascal, but he was pretty sure most human beings felt that way about him. This was different.
Ridge and Oz were the sweetest! I’ve had a soft spot for Oz ever since I saw what happened to him in Frey’s book, so I was excited to see him as one of the main characters in this book. And I thought Ridge was the perfect match for him. What Oz had to deal with growing up and even as an adult having to deal with his awful family broke my heart. He spent most of his life being trampled on. It warmed my heart to see him finally be someone’s priority and to find someone who accepted him exactly the way he was. Seeing Oz realize he was important to someone and that he mattered, too, was so sweet.
Ridge was a natural caregiver, and he never hesitated to show Oz kindness and prove to him time and again that he was Ridge’s priority. There was some great hurt/comfort in this one. There wasn’t a lot of angst between Ridge and Oz, but there were a lot of external factors that made things challenging for them. The way they communicated and dealt with everything together was lovely to see. This series is full of swoony love stories, and Ridge and Oz are no exception.
...the longer he spent in Ridge’s presence, the more he realized that his crush wasn’t going anywhere. The guy was the whole damn package.
Once again, the found family aspect of the series shone through in this book. The way the guys supported Ridge and welcomed Oz into the fold was perfect. I was especially glad to see Oz find a loving and accepting family with this group, considering how bad things were with his biological family. I also loved all the disability rep. This series (and all the E.M. Lindsey books I’ve read) has the best disability rep I’ve ever seen. It was informative and eye-opening to learn about the Deaf community through Oz’s experiences. I love the way everyone is loved and accepted within this group regardless of their differences, and I look forward to returning to this world in the next book!
Ridge took him exactly as he was—exactly how Oz chose to be.
No one had ever done that for him before.
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"I’ve never managed to get you out of my system.”
“You don’t have to get me out of your system then. Not ever.”
I thought this was a fun debut college hockey romance. The book centers around Xander and Nicko, star hockey players from rival colleges who were drafted to the same NHL team. Thanks to an incident at the end of their freshman year, they’ve been enemies on and off the ice. But they’re tied together by the fact that Xander is best friends and roommates with Nicko’s twin brother, Nate. When Nate needs Nicko to step in and switch places with him temporarily, Xander finds himself having confusing new feelings for the guy he thinks is his best friend. But when he discovers the truth, he’s not sure what’s worse - thinking he's growing feelings for his best friend or actually growing feelings for the guy he’s never liked.
I hope my summary isn’t too confusing, I promise the book itself isn’t confusing! I enjoyed the dynamic between Xander, Nicko, and Nate. Twin shenanigans are always a good time. I’m not sure I totally bought the fact that Xander wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference when Nicko steps in as Nate, but I just went with it. I liked how it all played out, and I especially liked Nicko’s POV during that time. I felt bad for all he was going through with the recovery from his injury and the worries that created about his future. But I enjoyed seeing him get his confidence back.
Xander and Nicko were cute together when they finally gave in to their feelings. And they had plenty of sexual chemistry, too! They never lost the competitive edge and banter, though; it was kind of their “thing” and I’m glad they still challenged each other.
I really enjoyed the first part of the story. The middle was maybe a touch slow, but then I liked what happened at the end and how it all came full circle in the epilogue. It seems like we may get more from these characters, and I’d be happy to see what the future has in store for these guys!
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“When we met, I was pretty untethered. And you were the softest possible place to land, taking care of me when I wasn’t even sure how to take care of myself.”
I thought this book was lovely. It was low angst and just so soft and cozy. Spencer and Ian were the sweetest (seriously, Ian was pretty perfect and very swoonworthy). Their relationship developed slowly and I loved how it unfolded. Despite clicking right away, they were a little tentative at first, with both men dealing with their own baggage. But ultimately they built a solid foundation of trust and caring which blossomed into a wonderful relationship. It left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.
There was one aspect of Spencer and Ian’s relationship that I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about. I’m hesitant to say what it was so I don’t spoil anything, but it was something I hadn’t really read about before. It’s not something I’d ever be comfortable with in my own life, but I actually loved how it worked out in the context of these characters. It showcased the level of trust and commitment they had between them, and yeah, it was very hot. But I also saw it as a way for Spencer to reclaim some agency over his sex life after what he experienced in a previous relationship. It was really great to see. I know this was a vague paragraph, but perhaps it’s intrigued you to read the book!
Outside of Spencer and Liam, I also loved all the home renovation, the dogs (so many dogs!), and the friendships in this book. Spencer had a diverse and fun group of friends, and I enjoyed getting to know them and would happily read future books about any of them. As a Western Mass native myself, it was also cool that the book takes place in the Berkshires!
If you’re in the mood for a sweet, cozy book that feels a lot like a warm hug, I would recommend checking this one out!
He wanted Spencer, however Spencer wanted to be, and that was maybe the most overwhelming thing in the world, but also maybe the best.
Content Warnings
Minor: Emotional abuse, Death of parent
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was quick and steamy. I’m not much into the Daddy/boy kink but I think if you are, you’ll probably enjoy this one. There was no shortage of that here.
The first part of the book felt like CliffsNotes for Benji (the first book of the series). If you read this without having read Benji, you might be a little confused. It rehashes the plot of that book without really getting into many details.
The book, in general, felt fairly surface level. The Daddy/boy dynamic was explored a bit but otherwise I felt like I didn’t really know Dom or Fitch very well outside of that dynamic.
I did enjoy the scenes between Fitch, Benji, and Ky. And I’m intrigued by what Ky’s deal is.
The first part of the book felt like CliffsNotes for Benji (the first book of the series). If you read this without having read Benji, you might be a little confused. It rehashes the plot of that book without really getting into many details.
The book, in general, felt fairly surface level. The Daddy/boy dynamic was explored a bit but otherwise I felt like I didn’t really know Dom or Fitch very well outside of that dynamic.
I did enjoy the scenes between Fitch, Benji, and Ky. And I’m intrigued by what Ky’s deal is.
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thought I had to pull away from him for my own sanity, but it didn’t work. It’s always been Rafe.
I've been curious about Rafe since his outburst near the end of the first book in this series. The guy clearly had some stuff going on, which was hinted at throughout the series. Cam and Rafe had been friends their entire life until Cam went away to a different high school, and they ended up growing apart. Now, Cam is back in Sunbury and living in the house next to Rafe. Cam would be happy to just rekindle their friendship, but in his ideal world, Rafe would end up loving him half as much as he's always loved Rafe.
I enjoyed Rafe and Cam together! I was glad that Rafe and Laura finally agreed to a mutual split. If you've read the other books in the series, you'd know they hadn't been happy in a long time. He may have jumped quickly into something with Cam after the split, but I think they were inevitable, no matter how long they waited.
I also liked Rafe's journey to discovering and accepting his asexuality. This part of the book really resonated with me, and I thought the way this aspect was explored was done well. Cam was understanding, and I liked that he never pressured Rafe for more than he was willing to give.
The epilogue was sweet and gave us a little update on all the couples. I thought this was a nice way to wrap up this series!
challenging
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was cute and very low angst. Auggie was funny. He was full of sass and could be a bit of a hot mess with his rambling and clumsiness. Leon probably would have been smart to run when Auggie came looking for an interview, but he was willing to take a chance on him - which meant a lot to Auggie. Despite Auggie not being Leon's usual type, Auggie grew on him, and it didn't take long for Leon to develop a soft spot for him. The romance was slow to develop, but they were sweet when they finally got together.
Perhaps not my favorite of the series, but it was still a cute, easy read. Honestly, the most unbelievable part was that Leon was so accomplished for only being 24yrs old. He came across as a much older character.
Perhaps not my favorite of the series, but it was still a cute, easy read. Honestly, the most unbelievable part was that Leon was so accomplished for only being 24yrs old. He came across as a much older character.