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hokona's review
3.0
Review of "Summer and Smoke"
Hero(es) = 3.5/5 ★★★★☆
---Gav = 5/5 ★★★★★
---Blaise = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
---Ryker = 2/5 ★★☆☆☆
---Callum = 4/5 ★★★★☆
Heroine = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Villain(s) = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Secondary Characters = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Plot = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Pacing = 1/5 ★☆☆☆☆
World building = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Beginning = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Ending = 5/5 ★★★★★
Character Development = 1/5 ★☆☆☆☆
Chemistry = 5/5 ★★★★★
Writing = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Mystery / Plot Twists = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Average = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Overall Enjoyment = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Final rating = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Hero(es) = 3.5/5 ★★★★☆
---Gav = 5/5 ★★★★★
---Blaise = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
---Ryker = 2/5 ★★☆☆☆
---Callum = 4/5 ★★★★☆
Heroine = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Villain(s) = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Secondary Characters = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Plot = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Pacing = 1/5 ★☆☆☆☆
World building = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Beginning = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Ending = 5/5 ★★★★★
Character Development = 1/5 ★☆☆☆☆
Chemistry = 5/5 ★★★★★
Writing = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Mystery / Plot Twists = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Average = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Overall Enjoyment = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Final rating = 3/5 ★★★☆☆
kfriend's review against another edition
5.0
I love this series so much. We've got interesting and high stakes actions, layers upon layers of character connections and backstories and secrets and unclear motivations, an incredibly well-rounded harem of men that I genuinely care about equally (like seriously, they are all awesome), and a kick-a herione that is both tough and vulnerable all at once.
This RH felt a bit atypical to me in a great way in that the RH wasn't a natural fit for a lot of them at first. Sunshine herself didn't understand her past feelings and perhaps felt connected romantically to one of them more than the others, the men all had complicated and at times conflicting relationships with each other, not all of them are always on equal footing in the relationship, and not all of them are equally comfortable- which feels far more interesting, realistic, and complex than other "super easy" RH configurations. The RH is as much relationally driven as situationally -even though all of them had feelings for Sunshine, it is the passage of time and dire situations that push them over the edge into the RH world. The path isn't easy, for each of them as characters and even more so for them as a group.
I also love how complex each character is- Coralee is a pro at creating characters who are rich in history, rich in emotion, and are nuanced and specific- each uniquely drawn. Everyone is flawed, but everyone is perfect for each other. While I definitely have a soft spot for Blaise, and Gavriel gets me the hottest, I like how each of them is created in such a way that there aren't favorites. Sure, there definitely is one who is a bit more in the drivers seat, but they each play their own roles, and I appreciate a RH where the characters are all complex enough to be interesting and magnetic- I love them all.
And i love Sunshine. I want to be here, I want to be her best friend. She's a wonderful heroine and center of this story.
Can't get enough of this series!
This RH felt a bit atypical to me in a great way in that the RH wasn't a natural fit for a lot of them at first. Sunshine herself didn't understand her past feelings and perhaps felt connected romantically to one of them more than the others, the men all had complicated and at times conflicting relationships with each other, not all of them are always on equal footing in the relationship, and not all of them are equally comfortable- which feels far more interesting, realistic, and complex than other "super easy" RH configurations. The RH is as much relationally driven as situationally -even though all of them had feelings for Sunshine, it is the passage of time and dire situations that push them over the edge into the RH world. The path isn't easy, for each of them as characters and even more so for them as a group.
I also love how complex each character is- Coralee is a pro at creating characters who are rich in history, rich in emotion, and are nuanced and specific- each uniquely drawn. Everyone is flawed, but everyone is perfect for each other. While I definitely have a soft spot for Blaise, and Gavriel gets me the hottest, I like how each of them is created in such a way that there aren't favorites. Sure, there definitely is one who is a bit more in the drivers seat, but they each play their own roles, and I appreciate a RH where the characters are all complex enough to be interesting and magnetic- I love them all.
And i love Sunshine. I want to be here, I want to be her best friend. She's a wonderful heroine and center of this story.
Can't get enough of this series!
readingmantis's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
theromancespace's review against another edition
3.0
Also another read where I feel kind of Eh.
I don’t happen to particularly love anyone in this harem. Perhaps we’ll get more insight into the characters in the next book but I’m already kind of bored with the storyline.
Tension in the harem isn’t sexy. Gabriel’s God complex is just a major turn off and I can’t understand why Summer just follows it blindly.
The bullets are the lost boys — Callum really doesn’t fit in at all to me and he’s the eldest as well.
It all just seems super messy and drawn out to me.
I don’t happen to particularly love anyone in this harem. Perhaps we’ll get more insight into the characters in the next book but I’m already kind of bored with the storyline.
Tension in the harem isn’t sexy. Gabriel’s God complex is just a major turn off and I can’t understand why Summer just follows it blindly.
The bullets are the lost boys — Callum really doesn’t fit in at all to me and he’s the eldest as well.
It all just seems super messy and drawn out to me.
diemerdarling's review
4.0
A solid sequel! This one explores Summer's relationship with the bullets individually and spotlights their individual personalities. The flashback chapters focus on how each of them met Summer and what their life was like before coming to their mutual foster home. Callum seems to have a bit more focus than the others because there is a lot of things from his and Summer's past that he has to process.
charlottee96's review against another edition
4.0
This ending killed me, ripped my soul from my chest only to somehow shove it back with so much force I fell over.
If you loved this first one, get ready cause this one it just as good if not better
If you loved this first one, get ready cause this one it just as good if not better
hotaling007's review against another edition
2.5
okay there were two things that made me like and hate the book at the same time
I loved how we were able to see how all the boys got to meet summer and get that first big connection, loved how we saw why she left
but even in the flash backs there was always the "I want her I'm not sharing" and it's also in the present day. reverse harem are supposed to be like "wow I'm actually okay with sharing this chick because I want her to get ALL the pleasure." and the boys even though they act like they are okay with it. it keeps seeming oike its going back to this "she will choose me" kind of thing. I'll finish out the series be uase it's only one more book, but come on man
also the smut is like a 1.5 out of 5
AND ITS A REVERSE HAREM THATS A RED FLAG
I loved how we were able to see how all the boys got to meet summer and get that first big connection, loved how we saw why she left
but even in the flash backs there was always the "I want her I'm not sharing" and it's also in the present day. reverse harem are supposed to be like "wow I'm actually okay with sharing this chick because I want her to get ALL the pleasure." and the boys even though they act like they are okay with it. it keeps seeming oike its going back to this "she will choose me" kind of thing. I'll finish out the series be uase it's only one more book, but come on man
also the smut is like a 1.5 out of 5
AND ITS A REVERSE HAREM THATS A RED FLAG
srharris's review against another edition
3.0
A 3.5 stars read.
I am conflicted about this one. I really enjoyed the first book in this series, it was interesting and different with a plot that I didn't see coming.
This book was just okay. I didn't love it and I didn't hate. Summer is a strange character. I don't know.
I will finish the series because I truly want to see how it ends.
I am conflicted about this one. I really enjoyed the first book in this series, it was interesting and different with a plot that I didn't see coming.
This book was just okay. I didn't love it and I didn't hate. Summer is a strange character. I don't know.
I will finish the series because I truly want to see how it ends.