booksfirst_sleeplater's review
5.0
Man oh man.. after reading Hannaford Prep and being introduced to Johnny Illium, aka The Butcher, I was praying he would get his own story. J Bree absolutely delivered!!! Getting to dive back into the world of Mounts Bay, pre-Hannaford, was amazing. I loved seeing a little bit of Lips’ origin story, but what I loved even more was learning all about Illi.
I’m a sucker for an anti-hero, someone who may be just a touch psychotic, but who is also extremely loyal, and a good sense of humor never hurt.. Illi has ALL of that in spades.
The Butcher is just what his name suggests, a ruthless killer for hire in the slums of Mounts Bay. He doesn’t get attached to people, he just does his job and makes his money. Little does he know that taking what he thinks is an ordinary job, will lead to him falling for a beautiful, but very broken, woman. Odette “Odie” Archambault has never had it easy, and has no idea how much her world is going to turn upside down after meeting Johnny Illium.
I wish I could give this book more than five stars! J Bree knocks it out of the park as always with her phenomenal world building, characters and a beautiful yet slightly violent love story. It’s a must read!!!
I’m a sucker for an anti-hero, someone who may be just a touch psychotic, but who is also extremely loyal, and a good sense of humor never hurt.. Illi has ALL of that in spades.
The Butcher is just what his name suggests, a ruthless killer for hire in the slums of Mounts Bay. He doesn’t get attached to people, he just does his job and makes his money. Little does he know that taking what he thinks is an ordinary job, will lead to him falling for a beautiful, but very broken, woman. Odette “Odie” Archambault has never had it easy, and has no idea how much her world is going to turn upside down after meeting Johnny Illium.
I wish I could give this book more than five stars! J Bree knocks it out of the park as always with her phenomenal world building, characters and a beautiful yet slightly violent love story. It’s a must read!!!
kfriend's review
5.0
Oh my bloody goodness- why have I been holding out on J Bree?! Truth be told- I have had the Hannaford Prep series on my kindle for more than a minute waiting to dig into, but this is my first J Bree reading experience- I love a good bloody cover. But, after digging into this duet- I’m definitely going to head back into her prior books to get all the stories about some of these beloved characters that I’m only getting to know here. That said, this can be read as a standalone- so I had no issue reading it and enjoying it without knowing the full history.
Johnny Illium, the Butcher of the Bay, Illi is the ultimate dark anti-hero. He’s intensely and mercilessly protective over those he cares about- especially Odie (Odette). I just ate him up- he’s alpha, foul mouthed, and deliciously funny. He’s a brutal- yet he has this big giant heart. A heart that beats for our poor tortured heroine- man, has she been through some stuff. But she’s fierce, she’s a survivor- she’s smart, resilient, and has such fortitude. Both of them just spoke to my soul- and I loved how their relationship, which is tender and sweet and restorative to both of them is juxtaposed to the dark brutality of the world around them. That contrasts makes their story even more special, more emotional, and makes it feel even more epic and intimate.
What impressed me most is the world building here- J Bree wields words to create a dynamic experience in the way an artist wields paint and brush. And this is a dark and captivating world she’s weaving. The characters that inhabit it are dynamic, flawed, and moral ambiguous in places- just so interesting, super intriguing, and damn original.
I love a book that incites emotional range- and I’m excited to see if J Bree’s other work does the same for me. I laughed, I hurt, and I swooned, sometimes all in the same page. The ending has me hung over in the worst way- so muchs I immediately one clicked the next book and am already neck deep back into this Bay world. Excited to fall deeper into the very addictive world that is J Bree and her Bay/Hannaford crew!
PS- LOADS Of triggers
Johnny Illium, the Butcher of the Bay, Illi is the ultimate dark anti-hero. He’s intensely and mercilessly protective over those he cares about- especially Odie (Odette). I just ate him up- he’s alpha, foul mouthed, and deliciously funny. He’s a brutal- yet he has this big giant heart. A heart that beats for our poor tortured heroine- man, has she been through some stuff. But she’s fierce, she’s a survivor- she’s smart, resilient, and has such fortitude. Both of them just spoke to my soul- and I loved how their relationship, which is tender and sweet and restorative to both of them is juxtaposed to the dark brutality of the world around them. That contrasts makes their story even more special, more emotional, and makes it feel even more epic and intimate.
What impressed me most is the world building here- J Bree wields words to create a dynamic experience in the way an artist wields paint and brush. And this is a dark and captivating world she’s weaving. The characters that inhabit it are dynamic, flawed, and moral ambiguous in places- just so interesting, super intriguing, and damn original.
I love a book that incites emotional range- and I’m excited to see if J Bree’s other work does the same for me. I laughed, I hurt, and I swooned, sometimes all in the same page. The ending has me hung over in the worst way- so muchs I immediately one clicked the next book and am already neck deep back into this Bay world. Excited to fall deeper into the very addictive world that is J Bree and her Bay/Hannaford crew!
PS- LOADS Of triggers
jessicawells5722's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rachlizabeth's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
hunterslibrary's review
3.0
3 / 5 stars
I was so excited going into this one, I absolutely loved The Butcher in the Hannaford Prep series, so I had such high hopes for this duet. I really enjoyed learning more about Illi and how he came to be The Butcher, and how his friendship with Lips formed. I liked Odie’s character. Even though she has been through so much, she is still able to let Illi in and I loved the bond which they shared. In saying that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. This book was kind of boring to me, it didn’t keep me fully engaged and I found I liked Illi much more in the Hannaford Prep series than in this one.
I was so excited going into this one, I absolutely loved The Butcher in the Hannaford Prep series, so I had such high hopes for this duet. I really enjoyed learning more about Illi and how he came to be The Butcher, and how his friendship with Lips formed. I liked Odie’s character. Even though she has been through so much, she is still able to let Illi in and I loved the bond which they shared. In saying that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. This book was kind of boring to me, it didn’t keep me fully engaged and I found I liked Illi much more in the Hannaford Prep series than in this one.
theoriginal_b00k_nerd's review against another edition
5.0
Butcher of the Bay Duet Part 1 -Mounts Bay Saga - Review
djacknurse's review against another edition
4.0
Surprisingly, good! It did have some editing issues but nothing that couldn't be figured out. I did feel the beginning needed a bit more explanation. It felt like It started in the middle and had to catch up. Nothing that diminished my enjoyment. There is lots of violence and possible triggers for abuse survivors. I loved Odie and Illi together. Illi really loves her and will kill for her.
eimsy7's review against another edition
3.0
I was expecting a lot from this duet but it was just meh for me.
annna_mariiie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
🔥
I absolutely loved Hannaford Prep so I loved getting back into amounts Bay. I also love reading about the Butcher as you can’t help but love him in Hannaford Prep.
I absolutely loved Hannaford Prep so I loved getting back into amounts Bay. I also love reading about the Butcher as you can’t help but love him in Hannaford Prep.