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booksafety's Reviews (586)
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
If I’ve lost him here, maybe I can see him again in a world where you don’t have to be dreaming to be happy.
How do you even review a book with tropes and situations you normally wouldn’t enjoy, but it’s written so damn well that you just have to love it anyway? It’s pretty much a brilliant piece of literature, and I don’t know how to tell you why.
“It hurts too much,” he whispers. “I need to quit you slow, or it’s going to kill me.”
This book and the relationship between Ethan and Victor is so complicated that I don’t quite know how to talk about it. I struggled with the first half of the book. Not because it was bad in any way, but because it’s hard to read about broken people hurting each other because that’s all they’ve ever known. It hurts, and it’s written so well that you can’t help but keep going, even when it’s crushing you. I just wanted Victor to be okay. I wanted Ethan to understand him, and to just fix everything, but that’s not how it works. Victor had more demons than Ethan could realistically fight, but my god, he really tried. I laughed with them, cried with them, wanted to yell at them both, and I ended up absolutely loving them by the end. I thought ‘oh, this is sad’ several times while reading, but it turns out I hadnt reached the sad parts at all yet, because I ended up practically sobbing. If you want to read something akin to an emotional rollercoaster about a broken boy who says one thing while silently, maybe even unknowingly, wishing someone would listen to what he’s not saying, all while reading something that is written so beautifully that you might have to stop and take a second to reread and absorb it, this is the one for you. I’m sure I’ll keep thinking about Ethan and Victor and their story for a long time.
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Enemies to lovers, swimmer, athlete, past doping scandal, hurt/comfort, slow burn, bratty bottom, inexperienced top, mental health, fake relationship
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Drug abuse
Disordered eating
Suicidal ideation
Sexual abuse (off-page)
Mental illness
Homophobic language
Grief
Death of a family member (in the past, few details)
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM drama: Yes, ‘fade to black’ sexual situation with other people. All before MCs get together
Third-act breakup: Not technically
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
I don’t know how to even pick favorite quotes from this, so here, have a bunch of them:
You tore me open and put me back together but you kept something for yourself. You won’t give it back, and now I belong to you.
I contemplate if forcibly dragging someone to safety whether they want to or not really counts as saving them.
We give each other every possible last kiss, so that our dreams have plenty to choose from.
The way he always seems to be able to pull me in just enough to hurt when he lashes out again.
As long as he’s here, nothing bad can come near me because there’s no room for anything but him and me and the ways we hurt each other.
Love has borders, limitations. A million movies and a billion books have charted its course. We chase it because we already know how it makes us feel, and once you’re in love, your only choice is to fall back out of it again.
If I’ve lost him here, maybe I can see him again in a world where you don’t have to be dreaming to be happy.
How do you even review a book with tropes and situations you normally wouldn’t enjoy, but it’s written so damn well that you just have to love it anyway? It’s pretty much a brilliant piece of literature, and I don’t know how to tell you why.
“It hurts too much,” he whispers. “I need to quit you slow, or it’s going to kill me.”
This book and the relationship between Ethan and Victor is so complicated that I don’t quite know how to talk about it. I struggled with the first half of the book. Not because it was bad in any way, but because it’s hard to read about broken people hurting each other because that’s all they’ve ever known. It hurts, and it’s written so well that you can’t help but keep going, even when it’s crushing you. I just wanted Victor to be okay. I wanted Ethan to understand him, and to just fix everything, but that’s not how it works. Victor had more demons than Ethan could realistically fight, but my god, he really tried. I laughed with them, cried with them, wanted to yell at them both, and I ended up absolutely loving them by the end. I thought ‘oh, this is sad’ several times while reading, but it turns out I hadnt reached the sad parts at all yet, because I ended up practically sobbing. If you want to read something akin to an emotional rollercoaster about a broken boy who says one thing while silently, maybe even unknowingly, wishing someone would listen to what he’s not saying, all while reading something that is written so beautifully that you might have to stop and take a second to reread and absorb it, this is the one for you. I’m sure I’ll keep thinking about Ethan and Victor and their story for a long time.
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Enemies to lovers, swimmer, athlete, past doping scandal, hurt/comfort, slow burn, bratty bottom, inexperienced top, mental health, fake relationship
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Drug abuse
Disordered eating
Suicidal ideation
Sexual abuse (off-page)
Mental illness
Homophobic language
Grief
Death of a family member (in the past, few details)
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM drama: Yes, ‘fade to black’ sexual situation with other people. All before MCs get together
Third-act breakup: Not technically
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
I don’t know how to even pick favorite quotes from this, so here, have a bunch of them:
You tore me open and put me back together but you kept something for yourself. You won’t give it back, and now I belong to you.
I contemplate if forcibly dragging someone to safety whether they want to or not really counts as saving them.
We give each other every possible last kiss, so that our dreams have plenty to choose from.
The way he always seems to be able to pull me in just enough to hurt when he lashes out again.
As long as he’s here, nothing bad can come near me because there’s no room for anything but him and me and the ways we hurt each other.
Love has borders, limitations. A million movies and a billion books have charted its course. We chase it because we already know how it makes us feel, and once you’re in love, your only choice is to fall back out of it again.
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
This book deals with quite a few heavy subjects, but without it being crushingly depressing. Well, it wasn’t to me, anyway. It’s about two men finding their way to each other and making a life together through grief, a couple of bouts of insecurities related to their age difference, and external challenges.
I enjoyed reading a book where the age gap is acknowledged and discussed a bit. I read a ton of age gap, and mostly it’s not a thing that is brought up a whole lot. It didn’t take up too much plot, but I think I would’ve noticed it missing if the MCs didn’t talk about it. Raising an infant when you’re 50 isn’t straight forward, and I’m glad it was treated realistically. Well, I don’t know how realistic a ‘Will’ is, but a girl can dream lol. I’m pretty sure a silver fox firefighter is a universal wet dream, no matter your gender or sexual orientation lol.
This book deals with quite a few heavy subjects, but without it being crushingly depressing. Well, it wasn’t to me, anyway. It’s about two men finding their way to each other and making a life together through grief, a couple of bouts of insecurities related to their age difference, and external challenges.
I enjoyed reading a book where the age gap is acknowledged and discussed a bit. I read a ton of age gap, and mostly it’s not a thing that is brought up a whole lot. It didn’t take up too much plot, but I think I would’ve noticed it missing if the MCs didn’t talk about it. Raising an infant when you’re 50 isn’t straight forward, and I’m glad it was treated realistically. Well, I don’t know how realistic a ‘Will’ is, but a girl can dream lol. I’m pretty sure a silver fox firefighter is a universal wet dream, no matter your gender or sexual orientation lol.
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
I watched as this ridiculously stacked, awkward bundle of villainous sweetness adjusted his hard-on before spinning on his heel and fleeing the scene of his bi-awakening.
I must have him.
Oh, Balty. He made me tear up so much. He’s a sweetheart villainous himbo who is often overlooked and only thought of as ‘dumb jock/muscle’, and it hurt my heart so much with how little he thought of himself. He needed someone to take the time to actually listen to him and realize he’s so much more than just a himbo, and Zion was perfect. Daisy certainly helped as well. She was an awesome side character and the funniest kid.
The overarching plot has really started drawing me in and I’m excited about continuing the series.
Big extra point for lizard skin grip tape, tutus and big men who want to feel small and be praised.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Single dad
Hero/villain
Forced proxmity
Fated mates
Hurt/comfort
Found family
Former sports rivals to lovers
Dirty talk
Sexual awakening
Himbo villain
Monster peen
Knotting
Size difference
Primal play
Biting (mating)
Cum play
Praise kink
Breeding kink
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Feminization (c*nt)
Mild humiliation
Explicit se*ual content
Feelings of low self-worth
Pain play: ‘knife’ play (sharp claws)
Minor injuries (MC)
Death of partner and mother of child (cancer, past, off page)
Violence between MCs (not in an abusive way)
Face-f*cking
Facials (not spa treatment)
Derogatory language
Licking bleeding cuts
Mentions of past parental abuse
Gunshot wound
MC briefly believes other MC is dead
MC medically experimented on without consent or knowledge (past and present)
Off-page torture of bad guy
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Zion gets his dong touched by stripper friend to make Balty jealous. He is not interested in her and she is not interested in him.
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Superhero romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: Not specified
Kid age: 9
Series: Interconnected series, overarching plot
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 460
Happy ending: Yes
“You’re the prettiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen, Suarez. From the moment I first saw you, I wanted this. Wanted you.”
“JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!”
I howled, gripping my dick with both hands in a desperate attempt not to pressure wash the interior of his car.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
I watched as this ridiculously stacked, awkward bundle of villainous sweetness adjusted his hard-on before spinning on his heel and fleeing the scene of his bi-awakening.
I must have him.
Oh, Balty. He made me tear up so much. He’s a sweetheart villainous himbo who is often overlooked and only thought of as ‘dumb jock/muscle’, and it hurt my heart so much with how little he thought of himself. He needed someone to take the time to actually listen to him and realize he’s so much more than just a himbo, and Zion was perfect. Daisy certainly helped as well. She was an awesome side character and the funniest kid.
The overarching plot has really started drawing me in and I’m excited about continuing the series.
Big extra point for lizard skin grip tape, tutus and big men who want to feel small and be praised.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Single dad
Hero/villain
Forced proxmity
Fated mates
Hurt/comfort
Found family
Former sports rivals to lovers
Dirty talk
Sexual awakening
Himbo villain
Monster peen
Knotting
Size difference
Primal play
Biting (mating)
Cum play
Praise kink
Breeding kink
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Feminization (c*nt)
Mild humiliation
Explicit se*ual content
Feelings of low self-worth
Pain play: ‘knife’ play (sharp claws)
Minor injuries (MC)
Death of partner and mother of child (cancer, past, off page)
Violence between MCs (not in an abusive way)
Face-f*cking
Facials (not spa treatment)
Derogatory language
Licking bleeding cuts
Mentions of past parental abuse
Gunshot wound
MC briefly believes other MC is dead
MC medically experimented on without consent or knowledge (past and present)
Off-page torture of bad guy
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Zion gets his dong touched by stripper friend to make Balty jealous. He is not interested in her and she is not interested in him.
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Superhero romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: Not specified
Kid age: 9
Series: Interconnected series, overarching plot
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 460
Happy ending: Yes
“You’re the prettiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen, Suarez. From the moment I first saw you, I wanted this. Wanted you.”
“JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!”
I howled, gripping my dick with both hands in a desperate attempt not to pressure wash the interior of his car.
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.
«“Most people play coy,” he spelled c-o-y slowly so Bodhi could follow. “Pretend to be shy. Make the other person guess.” Bodhi wrinkled his nose. “That sounds like a good way to not get what you want.”»
This book was really unique. I haven’t read any books where both MCs are Deaf before, and I could tell the author knows what they’re talking about, and the foreword mentions sensitivity readers, which is fantastic. One of the MC is also autistic, and I really appreciated that he had other traits than just his diagnosis.
«“Would it help if you could hire another person or two? To help with the crowds? My brother would probably be able to fit in some extra hours.” Caleb scoffed. He didn’t mean to, but he was just tired and where he’d been trying to cushion his Deaf bluntness with Bodhi while he learned the culture, he was losing his grip on self-control. “Thanks for the offer, but the last thing in the world I need right now is some ASL newbie who needs me to hold their hand through toddler signs.” Bodhi’s cheeks immediately darkened and hurt flashed over his features. He wasn’t normally very expressive, so seeing it so clearly was almost like a slap to the face. But Caleb couldn’t take it back. Not when it was the truth. One Bodhi was bad enough. “He’s not like me,” Bodhi signed, his hands shaking. “You’d like him. He’s perfect.” Then, without warning, he was on his feet and hurrying out of the shop like his heels were on fire.»
I cried quite a bit while reading this. It was just straight up sad at times, and Caleb didn’t treat Bodhi well at all in the beginning. Thankfully he redeems himself, and Bodhi is very forgiving. I am a big fan of clear and good communication between MCs in books, and I felt like this had plenty of it.
«Instead of seeing the familiar look of irritation on Caleb’s face, he saw patience. The same sort of patience Bodhi had watched Caleb giving everyone else around him. It felt…strange. It felt both good and bad, like getting something he’d wanted for so damn long, but still wondering why he wasn’t allowed to have it until now.»
Even if Caleb eventually got his shit together, it wasn’t automatically fixed for good. They had to work through it and their feelings, both apart and together.
«I wish I could take back the last several months.” Bodhi shook his head, and when Caleb frowned, he actually laughed. “You were with Cameron. And after that, you were hurt and angry. If you tried to say this to me before, I would have thought you were using me to feel better.”»
I read this book silly fast, and I would definitely read it again.
⚠️ Spoiler alert ⚠️
Book safety
Cheating: Caleb is cheated on by his ex (off page)
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
TW/CW
Mentions of child abuse
Filmed without consent (non-sexual)
Mentions of cheating (not between MCs)
Panic attacks
Mentions of bullying
Almost non-consensual kiss (not between MCs)
Vomiting
Ableism
Homophobia
Explicit sexual content
Sensory overload
Tropes & tags
Age gap
Boss/employee
Virgin MC
Hurt/comfort
Deaf MCs
Autistic MC
Neurodivergent
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
«“Most people play coy,” he spelled c-o-y slowly so Bodhi could follow. “Pretend to be shy. Make the other person guess.” Bodhi wrinkled his nose. “That sounds like a good way to not get what you want.”»
This book was really unique. I haven’t read any books where both MCs are Deaf before, and I could tell the author knows what they’re talking about, and the foreword mentions sensitivity readers, which is fantastic. One of the MC is also autistic, and I really appreciated that he had other traits than just his diagnosis.
«“Would it help if you could hire another person or two? To help with the crowds? My brother would probably be able to fit in some extra hours.” Caleb scoffed. He didn’t mean to, but he was just tired and where he’d been trying to cushion his Deaf bluntness with Bodhi while he learned the culture, he was losing his grip on self-control. “Thanks for the offer, but the last thing in the world I need right now is some ASL newbie who needs me to hold their hand through toddler signs.” Bodhi’s cheeks immediately darkened and hurt flashed over his features. He wasn’t normally very expressive, so seeing it so clearly was almost like a slap to the face. But Caleb couldn’t take it back. Not when it was the truth. One Bodhi was bad enough. “He’s not like me,” Bodhi signed, his hands shaking. “You’d like him. He’s perfect.” Then, without warning, he was on his feet and hurrying out of the shop like his heels were on fire.»
I cried quite a bit while reading this. It was just straight up sad at times, and Caleb didn’t treat Bodhi well at all in the beginning. Thankfully he redeems himself, and Bodhi is very forgiving. I am a big fan of clear and good communication between MCs in books, and I felt like this had plenty of it.
«Instead of seeing the familiar look of irritation on Caleb’s face, he saw patience. The same sort of patience Bodhi had watched Caleb giving everyone else around him. It felt…strange. It felt both good and bad, like getting something he’d wanted for so damn long, but still wondering why he wasn’t allowed to have it until now.»
Even if Caleb eventually got his shit together, it wasn’t automatically fixed for good. They had to work through it and their feelings, both apart and together.
«I wish I could take back the last several months.” Bodhi shook his head, and when Caleb frowned, he actually laughed. “You were with Cameron. And after that, you were hurt and angry. If you tried to say this to me before, I would have thought you were using me to feel better.”»
I read this book silly fast, and I would definitely read it again.
⚠️ Spoiler alert ⚠️
Book safety
Cheating: Caleb is cheated on by his ex (off page)
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
TW/CW
Mentions of child abuse
Filmed without consent (non-sexual)
Mentions of cheating (not between MCs)
Panic attacks
Mentions of bullying
Almost non-consensual kiss (not between MCs)
Vomiting
Ableism
Homophobia
Explicit sexual content
Sensory overload
Tropes & tags
Age gap
Boss/employee
Virgin MC
Hurt/comfort
Deaf MCs
Autistic MC
Neurodivergent
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Book safety, content warnings and tropes & tags down below.
God, I love possessiveness, protectiveness and an unhealthy amount of co-dependency. Throw in some trauma and mental illness as well, and you’ve got me hook, line and sinker. MC with touch aversion, and only the other MC can touch? Sign me up. I loved Eli and Haruka. Haruka probably isn’t what we would refer to as a stable and healthy partner in real life, but thankfully this is all pretend, lol. He was perfect for Eli. Eli is just so freaking adorable. He’s bipolar and suffers from anxiety and panic attacks on top of that, as well as being ridiculously smart. Definitely my kind of MC.
«Currently, he was face to face with the idiot in question, and the kid was clearly not stupid. He may have watched the boy tie his own shoe to his backpack strap, but Eli had managed to stumble into an advanced math class he’d been expecting to be a 101 course and then not only followed along, but was actually able to keep up with Haruka, who was always at the top of every class he was in.»
«He was trying to maintain some semblance of personal space between the two of them, but any time he stopped paying attention he found himself acting like Haruka’s own personal human scarf.»
I didn’t know there was a second book for these guys tho, so now I’m hella worried. If I find out it’s an angsty one with lots of stuff happening between MCs I’ll probably just skip it and pretend they got their HEA in this one, lol.
«Eli hadn’t worried much about the looks he’d been getting until someone came up and asked him out while Haruka was walking him to class this morning. It hadn’t gone well for anyone. The guy was upset because his shoes were ruined. Eli was mad at Haruka for throwing the guy in the pond, and it seemed like Haruka was mad at Eli for daring to exist in front of other people.»
I read the second book in the series, Quiet, a while back, and I really enjoy the mystical/paranormal aspect of these books. It just gives it something extra that you don’t really find anywhere else (well, I haven’t found anywhere else), with lore, fairytales, gods and cultural history. It’s really neat. I need to reread Quiet.
Book safety
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No. People hit on the MCs, but they only have eyes for each other.
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance with paranormal elements, M/M
Strict top/bottom or vers: Strict roles
MC age: college freshman and junior (18/20)
TW/CW
Mentions of kidnapping and abuse, mental health issues, panic attacks, medicated bipolar disorder, attempted sexual assault, physical assault, injuries, vomiting, explicit sexual content, rough sex
Tropes & tags
College, japanese MC, language majors, archery, paranormal, bipolar disorder, mental health, mind reading, fated mates, mild bondage, touch aversion, mind link
God, I love possessiveness, protectiveness and an unhealthy amount of co-dependency. Throw in some trauma and mental illness as well, and you’ve got me hook, line and sinker. MC with touch aversion, and only the other MC can touch? Sign me up. I loved Eli and Haruka. Haruka probably isn’t what we would refer to as a stable and healthy partner in real life, but thankfully this is all pretend, lol. He was perfect for Eli. Eli is just so freaking adorable. He’s bipolar and suffers from anxiety and panic attacks on top of that, as well as being ridiculously smart. Definitely my kind of MC.
«Currently, he was face to face with the idiot in question, and the kid was clearly not stupid. He may have watched the boy tie his own shoe to his backpack strap, but Eli had managed to stumble into an advanced math class he’d been expecting to be a 101 course and then not only followed along, but was actually able to keep up with Haruka, who was always at the top of every class he was in.»
«He was trying to maintain some semblance of personal space between the two of them, but any time he stopped paying attention he found himself acting like Haruka’s own personal human scarf.»
I didn’t know there was a second book for these guys tho, so now I’m hella worried. If I find out it’s an angsty one with lots of stuff happening between MCs I’ll probably just skip it and pretend they got their HEA in this one, lol.
«Eli hadn’t worried much about the looks he’d been getting until someone came up and asked him out while Haruka was walking him to class this morning. It hadn’t gone well for anyone. The guy was upset because his shoes were ruined. Eli was mad at Haruka for throwing the guy in the pond, and it seemed like Haruka was mad at Eli for daring to exist in front of other people.»
I read the second book in the series, Quiet, a while back, and I really enjoy the mystical/paranormal aspect of these books. It just gives it something extra that you don’t really find anywhere else (well, I haven’t found anywhere else), with lore, fairytales, gods and cultural history. It’s really neat. I need to reread Quiet.
Book safety
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No. People hit on the MCs, but they only have eyes for each other.
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance with paranormal elements, M/M
Strict top/bottom or vers: Strict roles
MC age: college freshman and junior (18/20)
TW/CW
Mentions of kidnapping and abuse, mental health issues, panic attacks, medicated bipolar disorder, attempted sexual assault, physical assault, injuries, vomiting, explicit sexual content, rough sex
Tropes & tags
College, japanese MC, language majors, archery, paranormal, bipolar disorder, mental health, mind reading, fated mates, mild bondage, touch aversion, mind link
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Book safety, content warnings and tropes & tags down below.
Something about Nicky triggered a Pavlovian response in Cy. The need to protect him came as easy to Cy as breathing. It always had. Maybe it always would. Protecting Nicky was in his DNA.
Reread (audio this time, Liam did a fab job as per usual) and gonna edit my original review a little and add more detailed safety info and content warnings.
I feel like I didn’t know Webster that well sometimes, even after meeting him several times in the Elite Protection series. It was like he was a different person. They do explain that Cyrus makes it possible for Webster to be vulnerable and that he likes being taken care of, so that could 100% be the reason why. I suppose if you go through your entire life expecting abuse and have tons of trauma, you put up walls that might change how you act when you suddenly feel safe.
If Webster had thought county lockup was bad, prison was a never-ending overstimulation of his senses. Lights flickering, alarms blaring, doors buzzing, metal doors slamming, men hollering and banging things against the bars.
Webster is neurodivergent and easily feels overstimulated, which I wish was expanded on a little, as it kinda fell away after a certain point and seemed to be a non issue.
This book is a pretty extreme case of instalove. Thankfully I adore instalove when it’s done well, and I think it is with this one. Nicky and Cy had a strong connection and a bond made through trauma when they were children/teenagers, and this quickly fell back into place when they meet 20 years later.
I think my one ‘issue’ with the book is that Cyrus honestly seems pretty unaffected by being wrongfully imprisoned for 20 years. Like, you’re not even a little bitter? I suppose people are different, but I would think that affected a person pretty strongly in one way or another.
Even after twenty years, Nicky still fit perfectly in Cy’s arms, though his body’s reaction to that fact was a much different one now.
The boys are very cute together, and if you’re looking for protective men, look no further. I enjoyed the suspense/mystery part of this which heavily touches on systemic racism, modern slavery, and much more. It doesn’t get super heavy even with these topics, but they’re there and it’s real.
I of course loved seeing cameos of Linc and Wyatt from Intoxicating. Those two are the best.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Prison romance
Step brothers
Past trauma
Tech genius
Age gap
Neurodivergent MC
Tattooed MC
Fast burn
Marking/bruises
Throat-bulging
Mild pain kink
Fast feelings
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Death of a parent (violent, prologue, some details)
Child abuse - psychological, physical, (past, some details)
Themes of systemic racism
Violence between MCs (punch to keep up appearances)
MCs simulating rape (acting in front of prison guards)
Wrongfully imprisoned MC
Throat-fucking
Erotic spanking
Inmates threatening rape against MC (not carried out)
Exhibitionism (blowjob in front of bad guy)
Rough sex (marking/bruises/some pain - all consensual)
Physical assault and attempted sexual assault (beating, trying to remove clothes - stopped)
Graphic violence
Themes of systemically framing POC
MC sexually assaulted as a child (few details)
Brief moment of animal neglect/abuse
Drinking (MC drunk on page)
Abuse of power
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 27 and 38
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: No
Pages: 224
Cy needed to be needed, and Nicky always needed him, even when he didn’t. Maybe that was toxic, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Something about Nicky triggered a Pavlovian response in Cy. The need to protect him came as easy to Cy as breathing. It always had. Maybe it always would. Protecting Nicky was in his DNA.
Reread (audio this time, Liam did a fab job as per usual) and gonna edit my original review a little and add more detailed safety info and content warnings.
I feel like I didn’t know Webster that well sometimes, even after meeting him several times in the Elite Protection series. It was like he was a different person. They do explain that Cyrus makes it possible for Webster to be vulnerable and that he likes being taken care of, so that could 100% be the reason why. I suppose if you go through your entire life expecting abuse and have tons of trauma, you put up walls that might change how you act when you suddenly feel safe.
If Webster had thought county lockup was bad, prison was a never-ending overstimulation of his senses. Lights flickering, alarms blaring, doors buzzing, metal doors slamming, men hollering and banging things against the bars.
Webster is neurodivergent and easily feels overstimulated, which I wish was expanded on a little, as it kinda fell away after a certain point and seemed to be a non issue.
This book is a pretty extreme case of instalove. Thankfully I adore instalove when it’s done well, and I think it is with this one. Nicky and Cy had a strong connection and a bond made through trauma when they were children/teenagers, and this quickly fell back into place when they meet 20 years later.
I think my one ‘issue’ with the book is that Cyrus honestly seems pretty unaffected by being wrongfully imprisoned for 20 years. Like, you’re not even a little bitter? I suppose people are different, but I would think that affected a person pretty strongly in one way or another.
Even after twenty years, Nicky still fit perfectly in Cy’s arms, though his body’s reaction to that fact was a much different one now.
The boys are very cute together, and if you’re looking for protective men, look no further. I enjoyed the suspense/mystery part of this which heavily touches on systemic racism, modern slavery, and much more. It doesn’t get super heavy even with these topics, but they’re there and it’s real.
I of course loved seeing cameos of Linc and Wyatt from Intoxicating. Those two are the best.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Prison romance
Step brothers
Past trauma
Tech genius
Age gap
Neurodivergent MC
Tattooed MC
Fast burn
Marking/bruises
Throat-bulging
Mild pain kink
Fast feelings
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Death of a parent (violent, prologue, some details)
Child abuse - psychological, physical, (past, some details)
Themes of systemic racism
Violence between MCs (punch to keep up appearances)
MCs simulating rape (acting in front of prison guards)
Wrongfully imprisoned MC
Throat-fucking
Erotic spanking
Inmates threatening rape against MC (not carried out)
Exhibitionism (blowjob in front of bad guy)
Rough sex (marking/bruises/some pain - all consensual)
Physical assault and attempted sexual assault (beating, trying to remove clothes - stopped)
Graphic violence
Themes of systemically framing POC
MC sexually assaulted as a child (few details)
Brief moment of animal neglect/abuse
Drinking (MC drunk on page)
Abuse of power
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 27 and 38
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: No
Pages: 224
Cy needed to be needed, and Nicky always needed him, even when he didn’t. Maybe that was toxic, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Reviewing books can be difficult on a good day, but reviewing what is quickly becoming some of your favorite books is so very difficult. I feel so much pressure to do it justice, and I just want to gush and make everyone love the thing I love, like a complete child.
«[…] “there are numerous reasons I can’t ‘test drive’ Caleb, not the least of which are the age difference and the power imbalance. I’m his boss. It’s an abuse of power.” “Bull-fucking-shit, my guy. It’s DC. We thrive on power imbalances.”»
That said, this book as well as book one, Whisper Into the Night, truly have become two of my favorite books. The political scene in DC isn’t unique, but the way the author has built the different connections between characters and how the multiple POVs help drive the plot is unlike anything I’ve personally read before. We get to see each character interact differently with every person, just like real people do. We mirror others, change the way we talk, the way we look, etc., all depending on the relationship we have with that other person, and we get to see that through the different POVs.
«There was a ninety-five percent chance that he was overreacting, and he knew that, logically. Logic rarely held much weight with old wounds, though.»
This book is like watching a queer political thriller TV-show *with* spicy scenes in your mind. Somehow, among the domestic terrorism, White House intrigue and other subplots, there’s a really sweet and emotional romance. I was fully invested in Elias’ and Caleb’s story already after being introduced to them in book one, and I was so pleased with how their story turned out. They have really great chemistry. I’m sure we’ll get to see more of them in book three as well.
«All his life, he needed to be in control of everything, always dependable, always sturdy, always reliable. Finally, he’d found someone he was willing to give that control to.»
I am always impressed when authors write characters that make me legitimately angry. Where you actually feel your pulse quicken because of what they’re saying, thinking or doing. In these books you get to read the POV of one such character, and even though said person makes my blood boil at times, I enjoy it *so* much, lol.
“Do you want to talk or process?”
Imagine how much trouble we all could avoid if we asked each other this more often, lol. Refreshing to read some good communication.
I’m not actually sure I’ve said anything useful so far, BUT. If you enjoy political drama, men falling in love, single dad, suspense, an age gap, and really well written spice, I hope you give this book a shot. If nothing else, just so I can have someone to gush about it with, lol.
My review for book one, Whisper Into the Night, if you for some reason want to read what my thoughts were. Spoiler alert: more gushing lol.
“Just get your ass here and we’ll talk. And I swear on my entire Armani collection, if you ever offer me money for anything ever again, I will straight up cut you. Love you, bye.”
⬆️ If you were wondering about the ‘aggressive twink’ thing ⬇️
Tropes & tags
Workplace Romance
Age Gap
Single Dad
Silver Fox
Aggressive Twink
Size Difference
Political Thriller
Multiple POVs
Suspense
(Honestly not very surprising I love the books. This is my actual ideal list of tropes)
⚠️Spoiler alert ⚠️
Content warnings (from the author’s website)
Right-wing extremist rhetoric
False accusation/imprisonment
Threatening actions toward a child(ren)
Use of firearms
Arrest of antagonist(s)
Injury from a firearm
Abusive parental figure(s) (physical and emotional)
Financial insecurity/debt/poverty
Mentions of past hostage situation
Explicit consensual sexual content
Brief accidental house fire
Assumed death of an antagonist by motor vehicle accident
Subversive homophobia
Misogyny
Government coverups
Government sanctioned black ops pursuit and home invasion
Active protests against the president and other government figures
⚠️⚠️ Spoiler alert-ier ⚠️⚠️
Book safety
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, multiple POV
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile, but they have preferences and don’t switch on-page.
MCs age: 38 and 26
Kid’s age: 8
Pages: 400
«[…] “there are numerous reasons I can’t ‘test drive’ Caleb, not the least of which are the age difference and the power imbalance. I’m his boss. It’s an abuse of power.” “Bull-fucking-shit, my guy. It’s DC. We thrive on power imbalances.”»
That said, this book as well as book one, Whisper Into the Night, truly have become two of my favorite books. The political scene in DC isn’t unique, but the way the author has built the different connections between characters and how the multiple POVs help drive the plot is unlike anything I’ve personally read before. We get to see each character interact differently with every person, just like real people do. We mirror others, change the way we talk, the way we look, etc., all depending on the relationship we have with that other person, and we get to see that through the different POVs.
«There was a ninety-five percent chance that he was overreacting, and he knew that, logically. Logic rarely held much weight with old wounds, though.»
This book is like watching a queer political thriller TV-show *with* spicy scenes in your mind. Somehow, among the domestic terrorism, White House intrigue and other subplots, there’s a really sweet and emotional romance. I was fully invested in Elias’ and Caleb’s story already after being introduced to them in book one, and I was so pleased with how their story turned out. They have really great chemistry. I’m sure we’ll get to see more of them in book three as well.
«All his life, he needed to be in control of everything, always dependable, always sturdy, always reliable. Finally, he’d found someone he was willing to give that control to.»
I am always impressed when authors write characters that make me legitimately angry. Where you actually feel your pulse quicken because of what they’re saying, thinking or doing. In these books you get to read the POV of one such character, and even though said person makes my blood boil at times, I enjoy it *so* much, lol.
“Do you want to talk or process?”
Imagine how much trouble we all could avoid if we asked each other this more often, lol. Refreshing to read some good communication.
I’m not actually sure I’ve said anything useful so far, BUT. If you enjoy political drama, men falling in love, single dad, suspense, an age gap, and really well written spice, I hope you give this book a shot. If nothing else, just so I can have someone to gush about it with, lol.
My review for book one, Whisper Into the Night, if you for some reason want to read what my thoughts were. Spoiler alert: more gushing lol.
“Just get your ass here and we’ll talk. And I swear on my entire Armani collection, if you ever offer me money for anything ever again, I will straight up cut you. Love you, bye.”
⬆️ If you were wondering about the ‘aggressive twink’ thing ⬇️
Tropes & tags
Workplace Romance
Age Gap
Single Dad
Silver Fox
Aggressive Twink
Size Difference
Political Thriller
Multiple POVs
Suspense
(Honestly not very surprising I love the books. This is my actual ideal list of tropes)
⚠️Spoiler alert ⚠️
Content warnings (from the author’s website)
Right-wing extremist rhetoric
False accusation/imprisonment
Threatening actions toward a child(ren)
Use of firearms
Arrest of antagonist(s)
Injury from a firearm
Abusive parental figure(s) (physical and emotional)
Financial insecurity/debt/poverty
Mentions of past hostage situation
Explicit consensual sexual content
Brief accidental house fire
Assumed death of an antagonist by motor vehicle accident
Subversive homophobia
Misogyny
Government coverups
Government sanctioned black ops pursuit and home invasion
Active protests against the president and other government figures
⚠️⚠️ Spoiler alert-ier ⚠️⚠️
Book safety
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, multiple POV
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile, but they have preferences and don’t switch on-page.
MCs age: 38 and 26
Kid’s age: 8
Pages: 400
Book safety, content warnings and tags down below.
I have loved most of the books in this series, but this one might be my favorite. I really enjoy how these MCs fit together. They are both absolute sweethearts, but while Jackson is outwardly sweet and nice to mostly everyone, Day is the exact opposite. He is super prickly and goes on the offensive to avoid being vulnerable or seeming ‘weak’. I also think this one had the best suspense element out of the four books. There were some properly heartbreaking moments, but I tend to love that.
I thought Dayton and Jackson were a good match. Jackson is a romantic and has the patience of a saint, so he was able to deal with Dayton’s problems and insecurities, which led to him trying to push Jackson away. Jackson wasn’t having it, lol. Surprisingly enough, Dayton didn’t annoy me with his push and pull thingy. Probably because it didn’t lead to anything major happening. Just acceptance of issues and eventually good communication. Day really is a fantastic character. Flawed, but one you can’t help but fall in love with. If you’ve previously enjoyed any books by this author, I think you would like this one.
“Easy killer. You’ve made your point. She’s gone.” He dropped his hand from Day’s lips. “Fucking twat.” Day muttered before realizing the cashier and the woman both stared at him with wide eyes. “Sorry,” Day tacked on almost as an afterthought, not sounding sorry at all.
“So that’s your type?” Webster asked when they were alone. “That twinky ball of rage?”
“From bossy bottom to pillow princess in three days. That has to be some kind of new record […]”
“I don’t care that you yell at old ladies in grocery stores or you try to come out swinging even when nobody’s looking to fight you.”
“Jackson?” Day whispered in the darkness. “Yeah, baby?” “If you break my heart, I don’t think I’ll survive it.”
“Day is the sweetest, most selfless person I know. He’s also the prickliest and meanest person I know […]”
“I’m not sitting in that.” ”You’ll sit wherever I tell you, and you’ll smile and be the sweet and gracious boy I know you can be or your birthday spankings will have a slightly heavier hand than last year. Got it?” “Are you trying to talk me into being good or bad? I honestly can’t tell,” Day said without looking at him.
⚠️ Spoiler warning ⚠️
Book safety
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MCs age: 22 and 37
TW/CW
Abusive guardian (past, detailed)
Mentions of drug use (side character)
Mentions of child abandonment
Bullying (parental figure)
Child molestation (past, off page, some details)
Death of a friend (past, off page)
References to sexual assault and murder of children
Kidnapping
Attempted sexual assault (intent)
Graphic violence
Injured MC
Surgery
Sex work (camming)
Explicit sexual content
Spanking
Erotic spanking
Daddy kink (mostly in bed)
Tropes & tags
Age gap
Interracial relationship
Bratty MC
Learning disability
Illiterate MC
Virgin MC
Daddy kink in bed
Bodyguard
Murder witness
Sex worker
Camming
Lingerie and makeup
Brief cockwarming
I have loved most of the books in this series, but this one might be my favorite. I really enjoy how these MCs fit together. They are both absolute sweethearts, but while Jackson is outwardly sweet and nice to mostly everyone, Day is the exact opposite. He is super prickly and goes on the offensive to avoid being vulnerable or seeming ‘weak’. I also think this one had the best suspense element out of the four books. There were some properly heartbreaking moments, but I tend to love that.
I thought Dayton and Jackson were a good match. Jackson is a romantic and has the patience of a saint, so he was able to deal with Dayton’s problems and insecurities, which led to him trying to push Jackson away. Jackson wasn’t having it, lol. Surprisingly enough, Dayton didn’t annoy me with his push and pull thingy. Probably because it didn’t lead to anything major happening. Just acceptance of issues and eventually good communication. Day really is a fantastic character. Flawed, but one you can’t help but fall in love with. If you’ve previously enjoyed any books by this author, I think you would like this one.
“Easy killer. You’ve made your point. She’s gone.” He dropped his hand from Day’s lips. “Fucking twat.” Day muttered before realizing the cashier and the woman both stared at him with wide eyes. “Sorry,” Day tacked on almost as an afterthought, not sounding sorry at all.
“So that’s your type?” Webster asked when they were alone. “That twinky ball of rage?”
“From bossy bottom to pillow princess in three days. That has to be some kind of new record […]”
“I don’t care that you yell at old ladies in grocery stores or you try to come out swinging even when nobody’s looking to fight you.”
“Jackson?” Day whispered in the darkness. “Yeah, baby?” “If you break my heart, I don’t think I’ll survive it.”
“Day is the sweetest, most selfless person I know. He’s also the prickliest and meanest person I know […]”
“I’m not sitting in that.” ”You’ll sit wherever I tell you, and you’ll smile and be the sweet and gracious boy I know you can be or your birthday spankings will have a slightly heavier hand than last year. Got it?” “Are you trying to talk me into being good or bad? I honestly can’t tell,” Day said without looking at him.
⚠️ Spoiler warning ⚠️
Book safety
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MCs age: 22 and 37
TW/CW
Abusive guardian (past, detailed)
Mentions of drug use (side character)
Mentions of child abandonment
Bullying (parental figure)
Child molestation (past, off page, some details)
Death of a friend (past, off page)
References to sexual assault and murder of children
Kidnapping
Attempted sexual assault (intent)
Graphic violence
Injured MC
Surgery
Sex work (camming)
Explicit sexual content
Spanking
Erotic spanking
Daddy kink (mostly in bed)
Tropes & tags
Age gap
Interracial relationship
Bratty MC
Learning disability
Illiterate MC
Virgin MC
Daddy kink in bed
Bodyguard
Murder witness
Sex worker
Camming
Lingerie and makeup
Brief cockwarming
Book safety, tropes and tags down below.
I wasn’t really keen on reading this book because of Calder being such a massive manwhore (everyone else’s words, lol), but thankfully it wasn’t a huge part of the book other than a couple of mentions, and I ended up really loving it. He was really sweet with Robby. When it was mentioned, it was more funny than anything else, which helped a bunch.
«‘You fucked his wife…and his son.’ Yep. There it was. What could he say? ‘Not at the same time?’»
Oh, Robby. Sweet, slightly dramatic Robby who cries a lot. I didn’t know what to expect after his meltdown in the previous book, but I love him, lol. He has had a really rough time, and doesn’t feel like anyone notices or loves him. Definitely one of my favorite kinds of MC. Characters like Robby can definitely become annoying, but I think Onley James is really good at straddling the line. It helps that both Robby himself and Calder acknowledges that he’s quite emotional and dramatic. To be fair, he has good reasons for being both of those things, in my opinion. I am really enjoying this series.
I also love that drunk-Robby gets tattooed or pierced. A lot. He even has a smiley-piercing, which is the cutest ever. This innocent, virgin, Hollywood-star twink has a bunch of tats and piercings that go against everything he does or says while sober, lol.
I laughed out loud every time someone commented on Robby’s dog, Casanova. I’m gonna post a bunch of quotes below, because it’s too funny. And I mean all the quotes.
«It took him forever to find it, lurking like some mutant sewer rat just behind the toilet.»
«Calder stopped at the conference room door where Robby sat snuggling his demonic looking dog.»
«Casanova had made himself at home on the back of Calder’s sofa, his eyes somehow watching both sides of the room at the same time […].»
«‘I gotta ask. Where did you get that dog?’ The boy glanced over at Casanova and smiled the first genuine smile Calder had seen in a while. ‘The Glendale Humane Society.’ ‘Did you lose a bet?’»
«Linc jammed his finger down on a button. ‘Get the client in here, please,’ he growled into the intercom before releasing the button. After a moment, he jabbed it down again. ‘Keep the dog out there. It gives me the creeps.’»
Book safety
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Strict roles
TW/CW
Child abuse, child marriage, explicit sexual content, murder, blood, gunshot wound, mentions of human trafficking, death of family member
Tropes & tags
Age gap, virgin MC, Hollywood actor, demonic dog, bodyguard, forced proximity, religion, cult (and i mean drinking-all-the-koolaid-capital-c-cult), violence
I wasn’t really keen on reading this book because of Calder being such a massive manwhore (everyone else’s words, lol), but thankfully it wasn’t a huge part of the book other than a couple of mentions, and I ended up really loving it. He was really sweet with Robby. When it was mentioned, it was more funny than anything else, which helped a bunch.
«‘You fucked his wife…and his son.’ Yep. There it was. What could he say? ‘Not at the same time?’»
Oh, Robby. Sweet, slightly dramatic Robby who cries a lot. I didn’t know what to expect after his meltdown in the previous book, but I love him, lol. He has had a really rough time, and doesn’t feel like anyone notices or loves him. Definitely one of my favorite kinds of MC. Characters like Robby can definitely become annoying, but I think Onley James is really good at straddling the line. It helps that both Robby himself and Calder acknowledges that he’s quite emotional and dramatic. To be fair, he has good reasons for being both of those things, in my opinion. I am really enjoying this series.
I also love that drunk-Robby gets tattooed or pierced. A lot. He even has a smiley-piercing, which is the cutest ever. This innocent, virgin, Hollywood-star twink has a bunch of tats and piercings that go against everything he does or says while sober, lol.
I laughed out loud every time someone commented on Robby’s dog, Casanova. I’m gonna post a bunch of quotes below, because it’s too funny. And I mean all the quotes.
«It took him forever to find it, lurking like some mutant sewer rat just behind the toilet.»
«Calder stopped at the conference room door where Robby sat snuggling his demonic looking dog.»
«Casanova had made himself at home on the back of Calder’s sofa, his eyes somehow watching both sides of the room at the same time […].»
«‘I gotta ask. Where did you get that dog?’ The boy glanced over at Casanova and smiled the first genuine smile Calder had seen in a while. ‘The Glendale Humane Society.’ ‘Did you lose a bet?’»
«Linc jammed his finger down on a button. ‘Get the client in here, please,’ he growled into the intercom before releasing the button. After a moment, he jabbed it down again. ‘Keep the dog out there. It gives me the creeps.’»
Book safety
Spoiler
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Strict roles
TW/CW
Spoiler
Child abuse, child marriage, explicit sexual content, murder, blood, gunshot wound, mentions of human trafficking, death of family member
Tropes & tags
Spoiler
Age gap, virgin MC, Hollywood actor, demonic dog, bodyguard, forced proximity, religion, cult (and i mean drinking-all-the-koolaid-capital-c-cult), violence
Book safety, tropes and tags down below.
I’m new to this author’s work, but I would love to read more. The book did a good job of making me want to read the side character’s books, but without making me feel like I was missing half the story for not having read them. Both main character in this were very likable and seemed like lovely people. They were also very real, and struggle with things everyone else does, but without it leading to the dreaded ‘miscommunication trope’ or constant angst. It was just a really nice read.
Sam and Tyler might not partake in the Daddy/boy lifestyle, but Sam was a daddy at heart for sure, lol. I mean, he busted out the good boy mid-coitus and everything. If that isn’t a daddy thing to say, I don’t know what is. He was supportive of Tyler and wanted to protect him, and he did it all without being smothering or overbearing. I want a Sam for myself.
This quote at the end made me smile like a sappy fool.
«Maybe our lives won’t be written about in history books hundreds of years from now, But in this ordinary life, Sam and I are building an extraordinary love, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.»
I mean, how cute are they
I’m new to this author’s work, but I would love to read more. The book did a good job of making me want to read the side character’s books, but without making me feel like I was missing half the story for not having read them. Both main character in this were very likable and seemed like lovely people. They were also very real, and struggle with things everyone else does, but without it leading to the dreaded ‘miscommunication trope’ or constant angst. It was just a really nice read.
Sam and Tyler might not partake in the Daddy/boy lifestyle, but Sam was a daddy at heart for sure, lol. I mean, he busted out the good boy mid-coitus and everything. If that isn’t a daddy thing to say, I don’t know what is. He was supportive of Tyler and wanted to protect him, and he did it all without being smothering or overbearing. I want a Sam for myself.
This quote at the end made me smile like a sappy fool.
«Maybe our lives won’t be written about in history books hundreds of years from now, But in this ordinary life, Sam and I are building an extraordinary love, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.»
I mean, how cute are they