pvbobrien's review
emotional
hopeful
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
suflet's review
5.0
This was an excellent series with a wonderful slow-burn relationship between the main characters. There's a lot of emotional complexity here but none of it felt gratuitous or overdone, both the characters were well-motivated and well-intentioned and their difficulties made sense to me. And of course the author provides the requisite emotional follow-through. I would highly, highly recommend this series!
itsumodream's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Death
myreadingdream13's review
slow-paced
4.0
The ending was perfect and brought the rating up from 3.75 to 4 stars
loishojmark's review against another edition
5.0
It was easy enough for a man—a normal man—to say Yes, there is more to life than work when the more he yearns for is marriage to a woman, his own hearth, his own children. But when a man’s more is something entirely forbidden? When his more means embracing a life made up of long, solitary waiting broken up with bright moments of stolen happiness?
4.5 stars. The third book was my favourite of the three, but the whole series is well worth the time. The MCs are interesting and lovable. You'll feel invested in their story and their hard won efforts to have a future together.
sofiam97's review
3.5
A bit of a slow start, but the second half picked up, had a few unexpected turns and, overall, the ending was just lovely.
becka6131's review against another edition
5.0
MY HEART IS FULL.
God. Okay, I want to write a real review to try and do this series justice but it's hard because I finished it 12 hours ago and I still feel overwhelmed. This series is full-on hand kissing, eyes meeting from across a crowded room, love of your life level romance. You will not find better. The sheer STRUGGLE David goes through just to accept that he should be allowed to love a man at all is Herculean, and so his happy ending with Murdo feels all the more satisfying because it's so hard-won. Watching David's perceptions of what he should be allowed to have evolve from book to book until he's unapologetic about what he wants was IMMENSELY fulfilling, and while I occasionally regretted the lack of any Murdo point of view, I understood why the series had to be written from David's perspective. Both Murdo and David are changed drastically and for the better by meeting each other, but it's David who puts the brakes on their relationship every time out of fear and internalised homophobia, and the reader needs to be able to track that changing. Watching him break that habit in the last book was so touching, especially when we already knew how Murdo felt about him - because really, it would be obvious to anyone with eyes.
Hats off to Joanna Chambers, she's a credit to her profession. READ THESE BOOKS.
God. Okay, I want to write a real review to try and do this series justice but it's hard because I finished it 12 hours ago and I still feel overwhelmed. This series is full-on hand kissing, eyes meeting from across a crowded room, love of your life level romance. You will not find better. The sheer STRUGGLE David goes through just to accept that he should be allowed to love a man at all is Herculean, and so his happy ending with Murdo feels all the more satisfying because it's so hard-won. Watching David's perceptions of what he should be allowed to have evolve from book to book until he's unapologetic about what he wants was IMMENSELY fulfilling, and while I occasionally regretted the lack of any Murdo point of view, I understood why the series had to be written from David's perspective. Both Murdo and David are changed drastically and for the better by meeting each other, but it's David who puts the brakes on their relationship every time out of fear and internalised homophobia, and the reader needs to be able to track that changing. Watching him break that habit in the last book was so touching, especially when we already knew how Murdo felt about him - because really, it would be obvious to anyone with eyes.
Hats off to Joanna Chambers, she's a credit to her profession. READ THESE BOOKS.
potion96's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
daniellesalwaysreading's review against another edition
5.0
Fast read, great series. Will definitely read more by this author.