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booksafety's Reviews (586)
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
“Tell me you feel it.” His fingers tighten their grip. “Please.” His gaze is so intense I forget to breathe. “Tell me I’m not too late, elskling.”
The order I’ve been reading this series in is insane, even for me, lol. I think this one is my favorite so far. I’m always a little scared of books with pining, because they hurt so damn much. And even though this one hurt as well, it wasn’t as bad as I feared it would be. It got me in the feels a couple times, but my heart wasn’t ripped out of my chest. Win.
Jules is so incredibly sweet, and I wanted to give him a big hug. Thankfully, he has Erik to give him those now. It’s so nice when you really feel like two characters are meant to be together. I thought the anxiety representation was done well, and I’m extremely happy that it was therapy and hard work that helped Jules improve. Erik made him feel safe and was definitely able to help, but his dick didn’t ‘cure’ anything. Love to (not) see it!
It really was a wonderful book, and I’m glad I finally listened to it. Gary Furlong did an amazing job with it.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Brother’s best friend
Mutual pining
Social anxiety
Mental health rep
Size difference
Gentle giant
Cinnamon roll viking
Virgin MC
Protective MC
Social anxiety
Friends to lovers
Hurt/comfort
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Mention of parent death (past)
Anxiety attacks
Parent murdered during mugging (past, few details)
Ableism
Explicit sexual content
Underage drinking (prologue)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: 33 and 36/37
Pages: 231
“You can say anything to me. You can yell when you’re angry and cry when you’re sad. I’m a safe space for you. I won’t judge you or hold anything against you. Ever.” I slide my fingers along his jaw and carefully tilt his face up. “Because you’re that for me. You always have been. When I’m with you, I’m safe, and I can just be me.”
“Tell me you feel it.” His fingers tighten their grip. “Please.” His gaze is so intense I forget to breathe. “Tell me I’m not too late, elskling.”
The order I’ve been reading this series in is insane, even for me, lol. I think this one is my favorite so far. I’m always a little scared of books with pining, because they hurt so damn much. And even though this one hurt as well, it wasn’t as bad as I feared it would be. It got me in the feels a couple times, but my heart wasn’t ripped out of my chest. Win.
Jules is so incredibly sweet, and I wanted to give him a big hug. Thankfully, he has Erik to give him those now. It’s so nice when you really feel like two characters are meant to be together. I thought the anxiety representation was done well, and I’m extremely happy that it was therapy and hard work that helped Jules improve. Erik made him feel safe and was definitely able to help, but his dick didn’t ‘cure’ anything. Love to (not) see it!
It really was a wonderful book, and I’m glad I finally listened to it. Gary Furlong did an amazing job with it.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Brother’s best friend
Mutual pining
Social anxiety
Mental health rep
Size difference
Gentle giant
Cinnamon roll viking
Virgin MC
Protective MC
Social anxiety
Friends to lovers
Hurt/comfort
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Mention of parent death (past)
Anxiety attacks
Parent murdered during mugging (past, few details)
Ableism
Explicit sexual content
Underage drinking (prologue)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: 33 and 36/37
Pages: 231
“You can say anything to me. You can yell when you’re angry and cry when you’re sad. I’m a safe space for you. I won’t judge you or hold anything against you. Ever.” I slide my fingers along his jaw and carefully tilt his face up. “Because you’re that for me. You always have been. When I’m with you, I’m safe, and I can just be me.”
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
He’s such a tactile person. Grabbing my arm, tapping me on the shoulder, hugging me, high-fiving me, tugging on my sleeve to get my attention like a toddler, poking at my face when he’s bored, also like a hyperactive toddler.
If I didn’t know about it beforehand, I’m not sure I would’ve believed it when I found out this is the author’s debut. It is fan-freaking-tastic. I finished the entire thing really quickly and thoroughly enjoyed it. The themes are definitely heavy, but I liked that it somehow felt a little hopeful too.
One thing I mentioned to my friend was how I loved that the characters are pretty true to their age. They’re both 22 years old and certainly act like it sometimes. They’re a bit oblivious and stupid, but they’re also very self aware. They aren’t blind to the situations they’re in, and I’m certain both MCs had to grow up very quickly because of their families and lives. That doesn’t mean they aren’t young adults still. I’ve probably got my point across now, lol. I don’t know why that stuck out to me so much.
If I could hollow out the space inside my ribs and place him there for safekeeping, I would.
The mental health representation is phenomenal. Not everything is clearly spelled out in diagnoses and treatments. You experience it with the characters. That certainly increases the angst as well, but overall it wasn’t horribly stressful. I initially thought the ending was a bit abrupt and could’ve been more satisfying, but we’ll see more of them in a second book later on, it turns out. Can still be read as a standalone, though. Very highly recommend.
I can’t wait to read Tristan and Ford’s story.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Misunderstood enemies-to-lovers (brief)
Mental health rep
Virgin MC
Motorsports (motocross)
Trailer park
Small town
EMT
Double sexual awakening
Hands-free Os
Protective and possessive
Dirty talk
Hurt/comfort
Neurodivergent MC (undiagnosed)
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Themes of addiction (not MCs)
Drug addiction (parent)
Child neglect (past and present)
Alcoholism (parents)
Suicidal ideation
Poverty
Parent restricting the diet of a minor (past and present)
Anxiety attacks
Verbal abuse (parent)
Physical abuse (parent)
Drug use (MCs, marijuana)
Unsafe sex
Explicit sexual content
Minor injury to MCs
Breath play (not planned or discussed)
Self harm (hair pulling)
Facefucking
(Assumed) post-partum depression (past, few details)
Parent suicide (past, off page)
Mentions of attempted murder/suicide (past, off page)
Depression
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: MC1 tries to set up MC2 with a woman, but nothing happens between them. Over quickly.
Breakup: Yes
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles on page but hinting at future switching
Main characters’ age: 22 and 22
Pages: 347
Affectionate physical touch, without expecting anything in return, does everyone a world of good.
Honestly, I don’t know how someone who is built like an action figure can look so tough and so pathetic at the same time, but Silas manages it. Seriously. He’s better at the puppy-dog eyes thing than my little sisters, and that’s saying something.
And the more time I spend with Silas, the more I suspect that he’s not always awkward. It’s more that he doesn’t always have an appropriate frame of reference for things that most people consider normal. Like all the basic rules of friendship and platonic physical affection that we learned growing up are just a black hole of question marks in his brain.
[…] you know how impossible it can be to get away from someone who convinces you that their abuse is what you deserve.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
He’s such a tactile person. Grabbing my arm, tapping me on the shoulder, hugging me, high-fiving me, tugging on my sleeve to get my attention like a toddler, poking at my face when he’s bored, also like a hyperactive toddler.
If I didn’t know about it beforehand, I’m not sure I would’ve believed it when I found out this is the author’s debut. It is fan-freaking-tastic. I finished the entire thing really quickly and thoroughly enjoyed it. The themes are definitely heavy, but I liked that it somehow felt a little hopeful too.
One thing I mentioned to my friend was how I loved that the characters are pretty true to their age. They’re both 22 years old and certainly act like it sometimes. They’re a bit oblivious and stupid, but they’re also very self aware. They aren’t blind to the situations they’re in, and I’m certain both MCs had to grow up very quickly because of their families and lives. That doesn’t mean they aren’t young adults still. I’ve probably got my point across now, lol. I don’t know why that stuck out to me so much.
If I could hollow out the space inside my ribs and place him there for safekeeping, I would.
The mental health representation is phenomenal. Not everything is clearly spelled out in diagnoses and treatments. You experience it with the characters. That certainly increases the angst as well, but overall it wasn’t horribly stressful. I initially thought the ending was a bit abrupt and could’ve been more satisfying, but we’ll see more of them in a second book later on, it turns out. Can still be read as a standalone, though. Very highly recommend.
I can’t wait to read Tristan and Ford’s story.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Misunderstood enemies-to-lovers (brief)
Mental health rep
Virgin MC
Motorsports (motocross)
Trailer park
Small town
EMT
Double sexual awakening
Hands-free Os
Protective and possessive
Dirty talk
Hurt/comfort
Neurodivergent MC (undiagnosed)
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Themes of addiction (not MCs)
Drug addiction (parent)
Child neglect (past and present)
Alcoholism (parents)
Suicidal ideation
Poverty
Parent restricting the diet of a minor (past and present)
Anxiety attacks
Verbal abuse (parent)
Physical abuse (parent)
Drug use (MCs, marijuana)
Unsafe sex
Explicit sexual content
Minor injury to MCs
Breath play (not planned or discussed)
Self harm (hair pulling)
Facefucking
(Assumed) post-partum depression (past, few details)
Parent suicide (past, off page)
Mentions of attempted murder/suicide (past, off page)
Depression
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: MC1 tries to set up MC2 with a woman, but nothing happens between them. Over quickly.
Breakup: Yes
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles on page but hinting at future switching
Main characters’ age: 22 and 22
Pages: 347
Affectionate physical touch, without expecting anything in return, does everyone a world of good.
Honestly, I don’t know how someone who is built like an action figure can look so tough and so pathetic at the same time, but Silas manages it. Seriously. He’s better at the puppy-dog eyes thing than my little sisters, and that’s saying something.
And the more time I spend with Silas, the more I suspect that he’s not always awkward. It’s more that he doesn’t always have an appropriate frame of reference for things that most people consider normal. Like all the basic rules of friendship and platonic physical affection that we learned growing up are just a black hole of question marks in his brain.
[…] you know how impossible it can be to get away from someone who convinces you that their abuse is what you deserve.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
“You’ve never been in love?” “No. Well, I am with my job, I guess. That’s exciting and worrisome, and it tried to kill me. That’s like love.”
Huh, I feel weird about this one. I really love the entire premise and the characters were good, but considering the blurb and all of the trauma and tragedy, it should’ve been emotional and angsty. Instead it didn’t really make me feel anything at all, and the last 30-40% was a bit of a fluff fest and was so sweet it made me roll my eyes, lol. Legit 32 love declarations in a very low amount of pages. It just ended up feeling silly.
The first half was very entertaining tho and I was fully into the story. Just lacked that little extra something.
“I can’t guarantee I won’t be sad again tomorrow.” “I can promise you that if you are, I’ll let you be sad but will also try to make you happy.”
Still, the topics are heavy so check that out before reading, but it wasn’t emotional (to me).
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Rock star
Bodyguard MC
Size difference
Addict MC
Piercings (dick included)
Tattooed MC
Mental illness rep
Hurt/comfort
First times
Strangers to friends to lovers
Orgasm from nipple play
Multiple orgasms
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Mentions of past overdose
Addiction (no on-page use)
Self harm (cutting, on page)
Symptoms of depression
Suicidal ideation
Disordered eating (refusing to eat, malnourished)
Vomiting
Mentions of past injury and scarring (gunshot wound)
Side character with cancer
Injured main character (hospitalized)
Injured side character
Addict MC given drugs in hospital
Death of a side character (MC’s friend, off page)
Brief mention of overdose (side character, off page)
Explicit sexual content
Death of side character (cancer, off page)
Grief
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: Not specified
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: No
Pages: 232
Happy ending: Yes
He wanted to go back to rehab. He wanted to be safe.
“What else do you like?” Rye pulled out a cookie sheet and grabbed a bunch of tomatoes, a couple of peppers, and some onions and garlic. He cut them all up, sprinkled them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and then put them in the oven. “Eggs. Mashed potatoes…. What are you doing?” “I’m making tomato soup.” “Soup comes from a can.” Everyone knew that.
Jeff stared at himself in the long mirror, at his pale face, the way his hips pointed, his black eyes. “I hate you.”
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
“You’ve never been in love?” “No. Well, I am with my job, I guess. That’s exciting and worrisome, and it tried to kill me. That’s like love.”
Huh, I feel weird about this one. I really love the entire premise and the characters were good, but considering the blurb and all of the trauma and tragedy, it should’ve been emotional and angsty. Instead it didn’t really make me feel anything at all, and the last 30-40% was a bit of a fluff fest and was so sweet it made me roll my eyes, lol. Legit 32 love declarations in a very low amount of pages. It just ended up feeling silly.
The first half was very entertaining tho and I was fully into the story. Just lacked that little extra something.
“I can’t guarantee I won’t be sad again tomorrow.” “I can promise you that if you are, I’ll let you be sad but will also try to make you happy.”
Still, the topics are heavy so check that out before reading, but it wasn’t emotional (to me).
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Rock star
Bodyguard MC
Size difference
Addict MC
Piercings (dick included)
Tattooed MC
Mental illness rep
Hurt/comfort
First times
Strangers to friends to lovers
Orgasm from nipple play
Multiple orgasms
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Mentions of past overdose
Addiction (no on-page use)
Self harm (cutting, on page)
Symptoms of depression
Suicidal ideation
Disordered eating (refusing to eat, malnourished)
Vomiting
Mentions of past injury and scarring (gunshot wound)
Side character with cancer
Injured main character (hospitalized)
Injured side character
Addict MC given drugs in hospital
Death of a side character (MC’s friend, off page)
Brief mention of overdose (side character, off page)
Explicit sexual content
Death of side character (cancer, off page)
Grief
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: Not specified
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: No
Pages: 232
Happy ending: Yes
He wanted to go back to rehab. He wanted to be safe.
“What else do you like?” Rye pulled out a cookie sheet and grabbed a bunch of tomatoes, a couple of peppers, and some onions and garlic. He cut them all up, sprinkled them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and then put them in the oven. “Eggs. Mashed potatoes…. What are you doing?” “I’m making tomato soup.” “Soup comes from a can.” Everyone knew that.
Jeff stared at himself in the long mirror, at his pale face, the way his hips pointed, his black eyes. “I hate you.”
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
Jonah met me with bright eyes, light shining through his whole being. He was radiant. If I were a plant I wouldn’t need any more than the sunbeams that Jonah cast to thrive.
This was a cute book about two (brief) food-truck rivals. It is nearly pure sugar on the sweetness scale, and had good demisexual representation. I haven’t read the previous books so I had no connection with the side characters, but it wasn’t a problem. The book gave me a bit of a coming-of-age/YA vibe with the sweet characters and sometimes cliché dialogue, but it fit the book. And it’s not YA.
I’ve been in the mood for a bit more angst lately so it wasn’t the best time for it.
Jonah met me with bright eyes, light shining through his whole being. He was radiant. If I were a plant I wouldn’t need any more than the sunbeams that Jonah cast to thrive.
This was a cute book about two (brief) food-truck rivals. It is nearly pure sugar on the sweetness scale, and had good demisexual representation. I haven’t read the previous books so I had no connection with the side characters, but it wasn’t a problem. The book gave me a bit of a coming-of-age/YA vibe with the sweet characters and sometimes cliché dialogue, but it fit the book. And it’s not YA.
I’ve been in the mood for a bit more angst lately so it wasn’t the best time for it.
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
He wasn’t still mad about yesterday, was he? I’d stabbed him, and he’d fucked me within an inch of my life. I would think we were equal.
I think this might be the most toxic relationship I’ve ever read in a romance book, lol. It is definitely dark romance, and even though I’m not new to that genre, the ‘dark’ is more often than not external to the relationship in the books I tend to read. This was on a different level entirely, but it was like a car wreck I couldn’t look away from. I caught myself thinking something like ‘oh my god, that’s awful! And then what happened?’ probably no less than 50 times, lol.
“Do you think I’m crazy?” “I… think you’re a complicated person.” “But you love me anyway, right?” I kissed his temple. “I do.”
This book also somehow has a HEA. I must admit I struggled to see how we’d get there at one point, but it was honestly quite satisfactory, all things considered. These characters are absolutely obsessed with each other, to the detriment of *everything* else. It’s not the ‘mine’ and possessive kind of obsession you often see either, but something deeply toxic and dysfunctional, filled with jealousy and a good dose of violence in many forms. They should be running as far away from each other as possible.
“When I kiss you… when I’m inside you, I lose reason. I don’t know what the hell Virgil did to you to make you love that I hurt you, but whatever it is, it’s bad, Cosmo. It’s really bad, and I can feel that sickness creeping in me. I want to violate you, fuck you, and watch you cry while you struggle to take me inside you. I shouldn’t want it, but I fucking do, and I hate myself for it.”
It was a crazy ride (just take a peek at the content warnings and you’ll see why), but I had such a blast reading it. Definitely need a dose of something sweet and normal after, lol.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Dark romance
Daddy/boy
Assassin
Sexual awakening
Police detective
Size difference
Police/criminal
Virgin MC
Makeup
Dollification
Age regression/mild age play
Jealousy
Widower
Toxic relationship
Past abuse
Age gap
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Graphic violence
Explicit sexual content
Lashing with belt
Abuse
Grooming (not between MCs)
Manipulation
Dubious consent (MC and jail cellmate)
Dubious consent (between MCs)
Brief mentions of attempted sexual assault
Vomiting
Age regression
Mild age play
Mentions of past ABDL
Brief mentions of miscarriages (past)
A bit of stabbing (between MCs)
Slapping (between MCs)
Physical altercation between MCs
Child endangerment
Child abuse
Blackmail
Incarceration
Interrogation
Rough/aggressive sex
Infantilism
Penetration without lube or prep
Objectification
Murder of a spouse (past)
Intense jealousy
Knife play
Blood play
Disordered eating
Food/weight control (form of abuse, past)
Forced feminization (past)
MC buried alive
Death of side character
MC kidnapped as a child
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No (not to me, anyway)
OM/OW drama: Yes. Hunter kisses/is kissed by someone else both before and after the MCs get together. Cosmo gives a blowjob to his cellmate in jail (dubious consent). Both MCs are pursued by SCs.
Breakup: Sort of
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Dark contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: 20 and not specified
Pages: 410
When he came over, I leaned into him and wrapped my arms around him. “Pick me up.” “Are you forgetting the magic word?” “Now?” I bit my bottom lip.
He was just as out of his depth, trying to make sense of loving someone so much we stayed when we should have run.
You adorable little fool, how can I look at another man when all my heart sees is you?”
He wasn’t still mad about yesterday, was he? I’d stabbed him, and he’d fucked me within an inch of my life. I would think we were equal.
I think this might be the most toxic relationship I’ve ever read in a romance book, lol. It is definitely dark romance, and even though I’m not new to that genre, the ‘dark’ is more often than not external to the relationship in the books I tend to read. This was on a different level entirely, but it was like a car wreck I couldn’t look away from. I caught myself thinking something like ‘oh my god, that’s awful! And then what happened?’ probably no less than 50 times, lol.
“Do you think I’m crazy?” “I… think you’re a complicated person.” “But you love me anyway, right?” I kissed his temple. “I do.”
This book also somehow has a HEA. I must admit I struggled to see how we’d get there at one point, but it was honestly quite satisfactory, all things considered. These characters are absolutely obsessed with each other, to the detriment of *everything* else. It’s not the ‘mine’ and possessive kind of obsession you often see either, but something deeply toxic and dysfunctional, filled with jealousy and a good dose of violence in many forms. They should be running as far away from each other as possible.
“When I kiss you… when I’m inside you, I lose reason. I don’t know what the hell Virgil did to you to make you love that I hurt you, but whatever it is, it’s bad, Cosmo. It’s really bad, and I can feel that sickness creeping in me. I want to violate you, fuck you, and watch you cry while you struggle to take me inside you. I shouldn’t want it, but I fucking do, and I hate myself for it.”
It was a crazy ride (just take a peek at the content warnings and you’ll see why), but I had such a blast reading it. Definitely need a dose of something sweet and normal after, lol.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Dark romance
Daddy/boy
Assassin
Sexual awakening
Police detective
Size difference
Police/criminal
Virgin MC
Makeup
Dollification
Age regression/mild age play
Jealousy
Widower
Toxic relationship
Past abuse
Age gap
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Graphic violence
Explicit sexual content
Lashing with belt
Abuse
Grooming (not between MCs)
Manipulation
Dubious consent (MC and jail cellmate)
Dubious consent (between MCs)
Brief mentions of attempted sexual assault
Vomiting
Age regression
Mild age play
Mentions of past ABDL
Brief mentions of miscarriages (past)
A bit of stabbing (between MCs)
Slapping (between MCs)
Physical altercation between MCs
Child endangerment
Child abuse
Blackmail
Incarceration
Interrogation
Rough/aggressive sex
Infantilism
Penetration without lube or prep
Objectification
Murder of a spouse (past)
Intense jealousy
Knife play
Blood play
Disordered eating
Food/weight control (form of abuse, past)
Forced feminization (past)
MC buried alive
Death of side character
MC kidnapped as a child
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No (not to me, anyway)
OM/OW drama: Yes. Hunter kisses/is kissed by someone else both before and after the MCs get together. Cosmo gives a blowjob to his cellmate in jail (dubious consent). Both MCs are pursued by SCs.
Breakup: Sort of
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Dark contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: 20 and not specified
Pages: 410
When he came over, I leaned into him and wrapped my arms around him. “Pick me up.” “Are you forgetting the magic word?” “Now?” I bit my bottom lip.
He was just as out of his depth, trying to make sense of loving someone so much we stayed when we should have run.
You adorable little fool, how can I look at another man when all my heart sees is you?”
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
How did I ever think I could get by without Will in my life? My plan had been doomed from the start. Even if he’d never love me back the way I wanted, I’d take everything I could get. It would have to be enough.
This book has a lot of stuff I don’t normally go for (fake relationship, best friends to lovers, pining), BUT, if you’re not sick of christmas books yet, I very highly recommend this one. It was absolutely fabulous, and had just the right amount of pining and sweetness to make it amazing. The two MCs fell out of touch because one of them had been in love with the other for ages, and couldn’t take being close to him anymore. It sounds more angsty and sad than it was, which I’m thankful for. It wasn’t overly christmas-y either really, as a big chunk of it is set in a warmer climate.
Rarely do I care too much about what the spice is like in the books I read (as long as there is some), but my friend sent me a screenshot of their dynamic in bed, and I immediately wanted to read it. Think ‘I’ll-hold-you-down-and-make-you-feel-how-I’m-in-charge-while-I-also-call-you-sweet-names-so-you-know-I-love-you’ kinda deal. Fucking swoon. The whole book made me feel warm and fuzzy.
The truth was undeniable: I was happy. Joyfully, deliriously happy. I wished Will could keep driving all night. I wanted to escape with him and go… Anywhere. Everywhere.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Fake dating
(Former) best friends to lovers
Sexual awakening/realization
Pining
Christmas themed
Only one bed
Slow burn
Mild D/s dynamic (in bed)
Scottish MC
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Near-drowning experience
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary holiday romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: 30 and 30
Pages: 230
[…] “Goodness, what happened to your face?” I wished I could wear a sign around my neck that read: Life and a Christmas tree kicked my ass. I won’t be taking questions at this time.
I’d never loved anyone as much as I loved Will, and I couldn’t imagine how I ever would. Will would never be mine, but I’d always have our kiss under plastic mistletoe in the sunshine.
“Ohh, ‘lothario,’ huh? That’s a twenty-five-cent word.” I laughed. “More like a dollar at least with inflation these days. A pound-fifty in the UK.”
How did I ever think I could get by without Will in my life? My plan had been doomed from the start. Even if he’d never love me back the way I wanted, I’d take everything I could get. It would have to be enough.
This book has a lot of stuff I don’t normally go for (fake relationship, best friends to lovers, pining), BUT, if you’re not sick of christmas books yet, I very highly recommend this one. It was absolutely fabulous, and had just the right amount of pining and sweetness to make it amazing. The two MCs fell out of touch because one of them had been in love with the other for ages, and couldn’t take being close to him anymore. It sounds more angsty and sad than it was, which I’m thankful for. It wasn’t overly christmas-y either really, as a big chunk of it is set in a warmer climate.
Rarely do I care too much about what the spice is like in the books I read (as long as there is some), but my friend sent me a screenshot of their dynamic in bed, and I immediately wanted to read it. Think ‘I’ll-hold-you-down-and-make-you-feel-how-I’m-in-charge-while-I-also-call-you-sweet-names-so-you-know-I-love-you’ kinda deal. Fucking swoon. The whole book made me feel warm and fuzzy.
The truth was undeniable: I was happy. Joyfully, deliriously happy. I wished Will could keep driving all night. I wanted to escape with him and go… Anywhere. Everywhere.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Fake dating
(Former) best friends to lovers
Sexual awakening/realization
Pining
Christmas themed
Only one bed
Slow burn
Mild D/s dynamic (in bed)
Scottish MC
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Near-drowning experience
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary holiday romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: 30 and 30
Pages: 230
[…] “Goodness, what happened to your face?” I wished I could wear a sign around my neck that read: Life and a Christmas tree kicked my ass. I won’t be taking questions at this time.
I’d never loved anyone as much as I loved Will, and I couldn’t imagine how I ever would. Will would never be mine, but I’d always have our kiss under plastic mistletoe in the sunshine.
“Ohh, ‘lothario,’ huh? That’s a twenty-five-cent word.” I laughed. “More like a dollar at least with inflation these days. A pound-fifty in the UK.”
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
“What happens if I forget? Will there be a… um, punishment?” He pulled his lower lip between his teeth, remembering the time Xavier had smacked his butt. “God, you’re adorable,” Xavier said with a chuckle.
Ait. Life happened and I kinda forgot to review this, so I’m sorry if it feels short and light on the details. Thankfully I kept my safety and content notes.
What I *do* remember, is that I loved this book. I really enjoyed it and finished it fast. I am such a sucker for shy and slightly broken boys being taken care of by an older man, so this one really hit the jackpot. It was very sweet, got me in the feels a few times, and was just a really solid daddy kink book. The fact that I had forgotten a good chunk of a book called ‘Something Unforgettable’ is 100% my fault and I blame most of that on the two exams I’ve had since reading it. Thankfully most of it has come back to me now that I have finished this review and reread my highlights, lol.
I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy shy boys and that wholesome caretaking/comfort vibe that I live for.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Daddy kink
Virgin MC
Shy MC
Wealthy MC
Social anxiety
Size difference
Age gap
Long distance
Care & comfort
Hurt/comfort
Small town
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
injured MC
Hospitalized side character
Explicit sexual content
Emotional neglect (past)
Physical altercation with loved one (medical situation)
Fear of abandonment
Anxiety
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: 23 and 35
Pages: 267
“Go ahead, sweetheart.” Finn gulped, then started plucking them open, one by one. He fumbled a little at first, like he’d never seen a fucking button before […]”
“Finn, what do you think I mean when I say I’m a Daddy?” […] “It means I want to take care of my boy. I want to protect him. And it means I need a partner that will let me do that for them. Sweet boy, you don’t need to apologize for needing me. I need you just as much.”
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
“What happens if I forget? Will there be a… um, punishment?” He pulled his lower lip between his teeth, remembering the time Xavier had smacked his butt. “God, you’re adorable,” Xavier said with a chuckle.
Ait. Life happened and I kinda forgot to review this, so I’m sorry if it feels short and light on the details. Thankfully I kept my safety and content notes.
What I *do* remember, is that I loved this book. I really enjoyed it and finished it fast. I am such a sucker for shy and slightly broken boys being taken care of by an older man, so this one really hit the jackpot. It was very sweet, got me in the feels a few times, and was just a really solid daddy kink book. The fact that I had forgotten a good chunk of a book called ‘Something Unforgettable’ is 100% my fault and I blame most of that on the two exams I’ve had since reading it. Thankfully most of it has come back to me now that I have finished this review and reread my highlights, lol.
I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy shy boys and that wholesome caretaking/comfort vibe that I live for.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Daddy kink
Virgin MC
Shy MC
Wealthy MC
Social anxiety
Size difference
Age gap
Long distance
Care & comfort
Hurt/comfort
Small town
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
injured MC
Hospitalized side character
Explicit sexual content
Emotional neglect (past)
Physical altercation with loved one (medical situation)
Fear of abandonment
Anxiety
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: 23 and 35
Pages: 267
“Go ahead, sweetheart.” Finn gulped, then started plucking them open, one by one. He fumbled a little at first, like he’d never seen a fucking button before […]”
“Finn, what do you think I mean when I say I’m a Daddy?” […] “It means I want to take care of my boy. I want to protect him. And it means I need a partner that will let me do that for them. Sweet boy, you don’t need to apologize for needing me. I need you just as much.”
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
“God, why are you so tall? I can’t kiss you dramatically from down here!”
Audio review
This was short and entertaining, and really funny at times. I must admit I was a bit confused early on because there was a strange time jump early-ish in the book. I found out it was because of the first bit being a short story that was later expanded on. I didn’t find out until I downloaded the ebook to get the quotes for my review, so I was a bit puzzled by this until the end, lol. That doesn’t mean it was bad or anything, just had me scratching my head a bit. It resulted in the romance part feeling glossed over, as they were suddenly an established couple after the time jump. Oh well.
If you two cause the end of the world because you’re horny idiots, I’ll kill you.” Ethan was fairly sure they were doomed.
The good parts of this was really good, though. Maz Maddox knows how to write funny stuff, that’s for sure, and both the books I’ve read by them so far have been refreshingly original. Ethan and Jag were both awesome, but I think my favorite character was Jag’s familiar, Sammy. Too funny. I really liked the mystery-solving part, and had a lot of fun when listening to their amateur attempts at heists, lol.
Jag has an accent (british?), and Ethan is American. This wasn’t a problem during dialogue. The chapters from Jag’s POV had a british accent during the dialogue as well as the regular narration. Unfortunately, Ethan’s chapters *also* had the british accent during the regular narration. His american accent was only present during dialogue. This made it difficult to keep track of whos POV it was sometimes. The narration was good except for that tho!
“So.” Ethan stirred his stew absently. “What’s Hell like? Do you really have boiling lakes of fire and all that?” “Oh, yes. The fire lakes are truly beautiful. I spent my childhood there during the summer months, fishing for ember fish.”
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Paranormal
Demon/human
Fake relationship
Armageddon
Familiar
Accidental summoning
Truth or dare
Two dexterous tongues
Size difference
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Spiders and cockroaches
Graphic violence
Non-human anatomy
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Genre: Queer paranormal, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: Not specified
Pages: 190
“Did you plan another vacation to the beach so I can take my revenge against the seagulls?” “Nope.” Ethan hooked his arm around Jag’s. “How about I show you?” “I still wish to get my revenge, Ethan.” Jag followed as Ethan pulled him out of the kitchen. “They stole from me and insulted me with their cries and by shitting in my ice cream.”
“What’s your poison, new guy? We have all manner of adult beverages, but we also have really yummy virgin stuff if you’re driving.” Jag stared since nothing the witch said made any sense. How could a drink be of a certain age or lack sexual experience? Did he even want a drink that could potentially have sex? Satan below, what the hell would that even taste like?
“God, why are you so tall? I can’t kiss you dramatically from down here!”
Audio review
This was short and entertaining, and really funny at times. I must admit I was a bit confused early on because there was a strange time jump early-ish in the book. I found out it was because of the first bit being a short story that was later expanded on. I didn’t find out until I downloaded the ebook to get the quotes for my review, so I was a bit puzzled by this until the end, lol. That doesn’t mean it was bad or anything, just had me scratching my head a bit. It resulted in the romance part feeling glossed over, as they were suddenly an established couple after the time jump. Oh well.
If you two cause the end of the world because you’re horny idiots, I’ll kill you.” Ethan was fairly sure they were doomed.
The good parts of this was really good, though. Maz Maddox knows how to write funny stuff, that’s for sure, and both the books I’ve read by them so far have been refreshingly original. Ethan and Jag were both awesome, but I think my favorite character was Jag’s familiar, Sammy. Too funny. I really liked the mystery-solving part, and had a lot of fun when listening to their amateur attempts at heists, lol.
Jag has an accent (british?), and Ethan is American. This wasn’t a problem during dialogue. The chapters from Jag’s POV had a british accent during the dialogue as well as the regular narration. Unfortunately, Ethan’s chapters *also* had the british accent during the regular narration. His american accent was only present during dialogue. This made it difficult to keep track of whos POV it was sometimes. The narration was good except for that tho!
“So.” Ethan stirred his stew absently. “What’s Hell like? Do you really have boiling lakes of fire and all that?” “Oh, yes. The fire lakes are truly beautiful. I spent my childhood there during the summer months, fishing for ember fish.”
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Paranormal
Demon/human
Fake relationship
Armageddon
Familiar
Accidental summoning
Truth or dare
Two dexterous tongues
Size difference
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Spiders and cockroaches
Graphic violence
Non-human anatomy
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Genre: Queer paranormal, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: Not specified
Pages: 190
“Did you plan another vacation to the beach so I can take my revenge against the seagulls?” “Nope.” Ethan hooked his arm around Jag’s. “How about I show you?” “I still wish to get my revenge, Ethan.” Jag followed as Ethan pulled him out of the kitchen. “They stole from me and insulted me with their cries and by shitting in my ice cream.”
“What’s your poison, new guy? We have all manner of adult beverages, but we also have really yummy virgin stuff if you’re driving.” Jag stared since nothing the witch said made any sense. How could a drink be of a certain age or lack sexual experience? Did he even want a drink that could potentially have sex? Satan below, what the hell would that even taste like?
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
I suppose once you saw a guy naked and stuck your dick in them, it was a bit melodramatic to freak out because you find them cute.
I’m sad to see the author has used AI to make character art (on the book’s Amazon page) as well as the book cover. Definitely taking off a star because of it.
I got an audio ARC for this book, and I had a good time listening to it. I immediately took a liking to Felix. He’s an interesting and endearing MC. I feel like this was very close to being super freaking great. It’s still good, but there’s quite a bit of stuff and several situations where I wanted *more*. More details about Felix’s past, his medical/mental health problems, more about the story ‘villain’ and how that entire situation was resolved, etc. It was a bit like having your back scratched, but the scratcher kept missing the itchy spot. Still feels good, but leaves you frustrated.
Most of all that might just be a me-thing as well, because I really adore deep dives into characters with mental health disorders. I was also a little disappointed by the lack of any conversation about safe sex. They don’t use a condom ever, and when Felix realizes (mid-coitus), he doesn’t tell Luke, and it’s never brought up in the book other than Felix’s internal monologue when he notices. That sort of thing kinda fits with Felix’s personality, but didn’t seem like something Luke would do without discussing it.
Maybe one day, I would stop veering toward men I could never have, craving male attention and fearing it.
I realize this ended up sounding very negative. It’s difficult to discuss those things without it sounding 100% bad, but I really did enjoy large parts of the book.
My parents are the reason I want to believe in an afterlife because then they get to be rotisseried in hell for the rest of forever.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Mental health rep
Past trauma
Ex con
Bisexual awakening
Friends to lovers
Only one bed
Mild somnophilia
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Mixing medication and alcohol
Past sexual child abuse
Past child abuse
Drunk driving
Mentions of past drug use
Brief mentions of self harm (past)
Disassociation
Unsafe sex
Somnophilia
Accidental overdose
Medical emergency
Hospitalization
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: Luke’s past date and hookup is mentioned, but no drama or details.
Breakup: Yes
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: 28 and 34
Pages: 344
I figured out you were painfully heterosexual.” “Painfully?” “Horribly.” “Okay, I get it, you lamented my straightness.” “Mourned it, set up an altar, lit some candles, threw on a veil, and threw myself to the ground for six hours as I wept openly.”
Felix shared all those ‘private’ things because it gave the illusion of openness, of being vulnerable, all while keeping the genuinely fragile parts of himself locked deep inside, hidden not through stubbornness and walls, but through obfuscation and a bit of social trickery.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I suppose once you saw a guy naked and stuck your dick in them, it was a bit melodramatic to freak out because you find them cute.
I’m sad to see the author has used AI to make character art (on the book’s Amazon page) as well as the book cover. Definitely taking off a star because of it.
I got an audio ARC for this book, and I had a good time listening to it. I immediately took a liking to Felix. He’s an interesting and endearing MC. I feel like this was very close to being super freaking great. It’s still good, but there’s quite a bit of stuff and several situations where I wanted *more*. More details about Felix’s past, his medical/mental health problems, more about the story ‘villain’ and how that entire situation was resolved, etc. It was a bit like having your back scratched, but the scratcher kept missing the itchy spot. Still feels good, but leaves you frustrated.
Most of all that might just be a me-thing as well, because I really adore deep dives into characters with mental health disorders. I was also a little disappointed by the lack of any conversation about safe sex. They don’t use a condom ever, and when Felix realizes (mid-coitus), he doesn’t tell Luke, and it’s never brought up in the book other than Felix’s internal monologue when he notices. That sort of thing kinda fits with Felix’s personality, but didn’t seem like something Luke would do without discussing it.
Maybe one day, I would stop veering toward men I could never have, craving male attention and fearing it.
I realize this ended up sounding very negative. It’s difficult to discuss those things without it sounding 100% bad, but I really did enjoy large parts of the book.
My parents are the reason I want to believe in an afterlife because then they get to be rotisseried in hell for the rest of forever.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Mental health rep
Past trauma
Ex con
Bisexual awakening
Friends to lovers
Only one bed
Mild somnophilia
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Mixing medication and alcohol
Past sexual child abuse
Past child abuse
Drunk driving
Mentions of past drug use
Brief mentions of self harm (past)
Disassociation
Unsafe sex
Somnophilia
Accidental overdose
Medical emergency
Hospitalization
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: Luke’s past date and hookup is mentioned, but no drama or details.
Breakup: Yes
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: 28 and 34
Pages: 344
I figured out you were painfully heterosexual.” “Painfully?” “Horribly.” “Okay, I get it, you lamented my straightness.” “Mourned it, set up an altar, lit some candles, threw on a veil, and threw myself to the ground for six hours as I wept openly.”
Felix shared all those ‘private’ things because it gave the illusion of openness, of being vulnerable, all while keeping the genuinely fragile parts of himself locked deep inside, hidden not through stubbornness and walls, but through obfuscation and a bit of social trickery.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
Straight people, he thinks, probably don’t spend this much time convincing themselves they’re straight.
I definitely understand why this story became so popular. What a delightful book. I haven’t watched the movie (yet) but I’ve seen so many pictures and clips from it that I had the movie versions of Alex and Henry in my head while listening to the audiobook and I loved it.
The writing and dialogue especially just flows so fucking well in this book. It’s genuinely fun to read and it feels like proper conversations you’d have with your friends (if I were funnier). It spans quite a bit of time for a romance book but I never felt like it skipped anything important. Ignoring that the plot itself is pretty crazy, the development of their friendship and eventual romance felt believable and was just lovely.
I also think Henry’s mental health was handled really well. It’s quite understated but not romanticized or treated as if it doesn’t matter. Alex understands when he’s having a tough time and is just there for him, and I thought that was lovely.
I don’t know if people would classify it as spice, but the sex scenes were so full of intimacy and emotion and I loved it. I’m not a huge fan of spice in my audiobooks so this was perfect. Don’t get me wrong, it’s plenty hot, it’s just not explicit.
I’m no stranger to crying while reading (or in general, I’m a mess), but I honestly wasn’t prepared for this book to punch me right in the tear-balls. I nearly sobbed actually, which felt very out of proportion to the situation lol. But yeah, definitely a sign that I got very invested in these characters and the story.
“Oh my God, I thought you were getting into international relations or something.”
“I mean, technically—”
“If you finish that sentence, I’m gonna spend tonight in jail.”
(PS: there are Harry Potter references in the audiobook that have since been edited out of the other editions of the book, but is understandably difficult to remove from audio.)
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Royalty
Secret relationship
Enemies to lovers
Prince of Wales
President’s son
Snarky banter
Sexual awakening
Long distance
Political themes
Closeted MC
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Sexual content
Mentions of drug use (past, off page, adderall)
Mentions of SC abusing cocaine (past)
MC using (assumed) anti anxiety medication (on page)
Alcohol consumption (intoxicated on page)
Nonexplicit sexual content
Death of parent (past, cancer)
Grief and periods of depression
Anxiety and panic attacks
Drinking alcohol to deal with emotions (once)
Homophobic family
References to attempted sexual assault on side character (past)
References to past abuse of unnamed characters (no details)
Abuse of power (not the good guys)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Alex kisses his ex while drunk at NYE party. Means nothing, just something they do during new years. Henry photographed on date with a woman after the MCs kiss for the first time. The date is for appearances only. Both have fake relationships for a short time while they’re together.
Breakup: Sort of
POV: 3rd person, single
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Assumed strict roles
Main characters’ age: 21/22 and 22/23
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 443
Happy ending: Yes
Instead, he is in a prison of his own creation, sworn to babysit these turkeys until the pardoning ceremony, and is just now realizing his deep-seated fear of large birds. He considers finding a couch to sleep on, but what if these demons from hell break out of their cages and murder each other during the night when he’s supposed to be watching them? BREAKING: BOTH TURKEYS FOUND DEAD IN BEDROOM OF FSOTUS, TURKEY PARDON CANCELED IN DISGRACE, FSOTUS A SATANIC TURKEY RITUAL KILLER.
“I am the First Son of the United States, and I’m bisexual. History will remember us.”
“You are”, he says, “the absolute worst idea I’ve ever had.”
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Straight people, he thinks, probably don’t spend this much time convincing themselves they’re straight.
I definitely understand why this story became so popular. What a delightful book. I haven’t watched the movie (yet) but I’ve seen so many pictures and clips from it that I had the movie versions of Alex and Henry in my head while listening to the audiobook and I loved it.
The writing and dialogue especially just flows so fucking well in this book. It’s genuinely fun to read and it feels like proper conversations you’d have with your friends (if I were funnier). It spans quite a bit of time for a romance book but I never felt like it skipped anything important. Ignoring that the plot itself is pretty crazy, the development of their friendship and eventual romance felt believable and was just lovely.
Alex snatches a shirt and boxers at random from the floor, shoves them at Henry’s chest, and points him towards the closet. “Get in there.”
“Quite,” he observes.
“Yes, we can unpack the ironic symbolism later. GO.”
I also think Henry’s mental health was handled really well. It’s quite understated but not romanticized or treated as if it doesn’t matter. Alex understands when he’s having a tough time and is just there for him, and I thought that was lovely.
I don’t know if people would classify it as spice, but the sex scenes were so full of intimacy and emotion and I loved it. I’m not a huge fan of spice in my audiobooks so this was perfect. Don’t get me wrong, it’s plenty hot, it’s just not explicit.
I’m no stranger to crying while reading (or in general, I’m a mess), but I honestly wasn’t prepared for this book to punch me right in the tear-balls. I nearly sobbed actually, which felt very out of proportion to the situation lol. But yeah, definitely a sign that I got very invested in these characters and the story.
“Oh my God, I thought you were getting into international relations or something.”
“I mean, technically—”
“If you finish that sentence, I’m gonna spend tonight in jail.”
(PS: there are Harry Potter references in the audiobook that have since been edited out of the other editions of the book, but is understandably difficult to remove from audio.)
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Royalty
Secret relationship
Enemies to lovers
Prince of Wales
President’s son
Snarky banter
Sexual awakening
Long distance
Political themes
Closeted MC
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Sexual content
Mentions of drug use (past, off page, adderall)
Mentions of SC abusing cocaine (past)
MC using (assumed) anti anxiety medication (on page)
Alcohol consumption (intoxicated on page)
Nonexplicit sexual content
Death of parent (past, cancer)
Grief and periods of depression
Anxiety and panic attacks
Drinking alcohol to deal with emotions (once)
Homophobic family
References to attempted sexual assault on side character (past)
References to past abuse of unnamed characters (no details)
Abuse of power (not the good guys)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Alex kisses his ex while drunk at NYE party. Means nothing, just something they do during new years. Henry photographed on date with a woman after the MCs kiss for the first time. The date is for appearances only. Both have fake relationships for a short time while they’re together.
Breakup: Sort of
POV: 3rd person, single
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Assumed strict roles
Main characters’ age: 21/22 and 22/23
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 443
Happy ending: Yes
Instead, he is in a prison of his own creation, sworn to babysit these turkeys until the pardoning ceremony, and is just now realizing his deep-seated fear of large birds. He considers finding a couch to sleep on, but what if these demons from hell break out of their cages and murder each other during the night when he’s supposed to be watching them? BREAKING: BOTH TURKEYS FOUND DEAD IN BEDROOM OF FSOTUS, TURKEY PARDON CANCELED IN DISGRACE, FSOTUS A SATANIC TURKEY RITUAL KILLER.
“I am the First Son of the United States, and I’m bisexual. History will remember us.”
“You are”, he says, “the absolute worst idea I’ve ever had.”
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