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particledamage's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Eh, I wanted to love this because this is a story that knows exactly what it is--gay erotica with a bit of mystery that exists solely to justify even more gay erotica. Cheers to that.
The gay erotica was pretty decent, though sometimes the author would throw in phrases or turns so unerotic it would totally destroy all tension. I do appreciate gay men's erotica from the perspective of an actual gay men (so much is written by women), as it truly felt visceral and truly about the manliness involved, but, again, some phrases were just so off-putting it destroyed all momentum and reminded me of how ridiculous the premise is.
Which would be fine, except sometimes the erotica would be abandoned mid-scene to continue following the mystery and the mystery was just so lazy it became frustrated. The weird feedback loop of the mystery being used to fuel to the erotica just for the erotica to be interrupted by the mystery was annoying. And it frustrates that the mystery involved so much sexual violence that was simultaneously treated like what it was--sexual violence--something to be winced at and is wrong but also like something that was also hot. I get it, it's just fiction, the author doesn't condone abuse like that, but the novel BOTH condemns it and finds it awful and finds it hot in a way that just leaves you feeling gross after reading it in explicit detail. That, coupled with a weird trans-character reveal added a level of real world grossness (to be clear, I am saying the reveal was done poorly, not that trans people are gross) that severely detracted from the levity I wanted from this book.
And then the mystery is solved so randomly it just made me feel a bit hollow. This book would've been better if it was just Mitch being a gossip columnist or something, looking to interview random men for information (like he does in this novel) and getting sex instead (or as well). The plot would function much the same way without being weighed down by so much awfulness. Could still involve some murder intrigue, just not a full on mystery that the author--and the main character--felt ill equipped to actually resolve.
Author should just stick to the erotica and lean in more to the kinks he left sprinkled in but did not indulge in enough. Perhaps he does later in the series but I am disinterested in finding out.
The gay erotica was pretty decent, though sometimes the author would throw in phrases or turns so unerotic it would totally destroy all tension. I do appreciate gay men's erotica from the perspective of an actual gay men (so much is written by women), as it truly felt visceral and truly about the manliness involved, but, again, some phrases were just so off-putting it destroyed all momentum and reminded me of how ridiculous the premise is.
Which would be fine, except sometimes the erotica would be abandoned mid-scene to continue following the mystery and the mystery was just so lazy it became frustrated. The weird feedback loop of the mystery being used to fuel to the erotica just for the erotica to be interrupted by the mystery was annoying. And it frustrates that the mystery involved so much sexual violence that was simultaneously treated like what it was--sexual violence--something to be winced at and is wrong but also like something that was also hot. I get it, it's just fiction, the author doesn't condone abuse like that, but the novel BOTH condemns it and finds it awful and finds it hot in a way that just leaves you feeling gross after reading it in explicit detail. That, coupled with a weird trans-character reveal added a level of real world grossness (to be clear, I am saying the reveal was done poorly, not that trans people are gross) that severely detracted from the levity I wanted from this book.
And then the mystery is solved so randomly it just made me feel a bit hollow. This book would've been better if it was just Mitch being a gossip columnist or something, looking to interview random men for information (like he does in this novel) and getting sex instead (or as well). The plot would function much the same way without being weighed down by so much awfulness. Could still involve some murder intrigue, just not a full on mystery that the author--and the main character--felt ill equipped to actually resolve.
Author should just stick to the erotica and lean in more to the kinks he left sprinkled in but did not indulge in enough. Perhaps he does later in the series but I am disinterested in finding out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Police brutality
Minor: Murder
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