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notbeforebreakfast's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.25
The pacing of this book is quite strange - the murder mystery wraps up much sooner than expected and leaves us with more drama elements than I liked. The writing is also clunky, some things don’t flow so well and it just feels dated even though this wasn’t published that long ago.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Child abuse and Homophobia
Minor: Addiction and Drug abuse
crissimarie's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It was one of those books that I discovered randomly scrolling through the Kindle store while trying to find something a little different to read. I was in the mood for a change of genre since I've been reading so many fantasy books this year, and this fit the bill perfectly. I liked that while this book is a romance book, it's not just a romance book. It had a bit of a romantic suspense and mystery plotline. Tyler is a homicide detective, and Ian's friend was the victim of a presumed serial killer, so a good portion of the story resolves around solving the murder of Ian's friend. I do wish that the murder plotline wasn't resolved so quickly because it was solved by the middle of the book, so I kind of wish it was stretched out a bit. The second half of the book was more character driven, with Tyler coming to terms with his feelings for Ian (another man) and the two of them navigating a relationship. I was not familiar at all with this author before reading this book, but I could tell that it was set in a preexisting world based on how some of the characters and events were presented. I did check afterwards and this author has a whole bunch of books set in the same universe, so I would guess that your reading experience of this book might be enhanced by having read her other books but I feel like it works well enough as a standalone series and while I didn't get all the character references, I didn't feel confused at all. I also have to admit that I'm not the hugest fan of large age gaps in romance books, but I will give a book a try if the synopsis entices me. I think in this case I could get pass the age gap because I liked the other aspects of the story and considering the younger of the two characters was close to thirty, it didn't come across as inappropriate or uncomfortable. Now, Sam and Cooper's age difference was a bit much for me (over 20 years apart), and I don't think I could bring myself to read their story. All in all, I thought this was a really fun and fast read, and I'm happy I tried something a bit different from my usual reads.
booksarebetter's review
3.0
I had high hopes for this book but it wasn't meant to be. An m/m romance between detective and witness with a serial killer? Yes please!
But...
The mystery was solved at 46% percent of the way into the book, the serial killer wasn't that impressive (nor was the mystery for that matter) and the only redeeming quality of the book was the painfully closeted Tyler whose romance with Ian in this book was sooooo slowwwwww.
Normally that wouldn't bother me, but there was nothing going on to interest me in the book. The writing was great. I enjoyed the characters.
But
But...
The mystery was solved at 46% percent of the way into the book, the serial killer wasn't that impressive (nor was the mystery for that matter) and the only redeeming quality of the book was the painfully closeted Tyler whose romance with Ian in this book was sooooo slowwwwww.
Normally that wouldn't bother me, but there was nothing going on to interest me in the book. The writing was great. I enjoyed the characters.
But
kerithesmutslut's review against another edition
3.0
This was ok, but it had a pretty abrupt ending with some major plot lines unfinished.
lmb50's review
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
hope8ask's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tammywaggs's review
5.0
Accepting Who You Are
I loved Tyler and Ian's story. It was painful and beautiful. They both needed each other and are able to explore new together.
I loved Tyler and Ian's story. It was painful and beautiful. They both needed each other and are able to explore new together.