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honey1382's review
3.0
I read book one of this series, and then skipped to this. In general I find this story came together faster than book 1. I had a hard time with Silver-Tongued Devil. I very quickly pieced together what was happening between Dyma and Owen and it's nice that the story was totally focused on them from start to finish.
Dyma being only 19 and the smartest intellectual in her class, thinks college is going to be a breeze. When real life hits, she has multiple panic moments and Owen, while away for football or at his ranch, is always there for her. I know it was her character, but I didn't appreciate how Dyma was always running her mouth. None of the people that were harassing her were good, but she also aggravated the situations by being the aggressor. That also makes her come off as a smarty pants, know-it-all and that's what I hated most. She has no filter and that's fine until she becomes so aggressive about it that it's annoying to read about.
I know the age difference is meant to be shocking or taboo, and if you think about when they're both in their 30's, would it really matter? No. And most people would say they've changed since they were 19 themselves. Some people know they aren't going to change, and that is the biggest hurdle when talking about the difference in age. In this case, Owen grounds Dyma and she can be a little more free. She brings some chaos to his life and gets him out and about.
Owen is amazing and the ultimate fantasy boyfriend with his understanding and kindness. And his emotional shutdowns make it easy to figure out what's wrong, and Dyma understanding that gets her out of her own mostly selfish head.
Dyma being only 19 and the smartest intellectual in her class, thinks college is going to be a breeze. When real life hits, she has multiple panic moments and Owen, while away for football or at his ranch, is always there for her. I know it was her character, but I didn't appreciate how Dyma was always running her mouth. None of the people that were harassing her were good, but she also aggravated the situations by being the aggressor. That also makes her come off as a smarty pants, know-it-all and that's what I hated most. She has no filter and that's fine until she becomes so aggressive about it that it's annoying to read about.
I know the age difference is meant to be shocking or taboo, and if you think about when they're both in their 30's, would it really matter? No. And most people would say they've changed since they were 19 themselves. Some people know they aren't going to change, and that is the biggest hurdle when talking about the difference in age. In this case, Owen grounds Dyma and she can be a little more free. She brings some chaos to his life and gets him out and about.
Owen is amazing and the ultimate fantasy boyfriend with his understanding and kindness. And his emotional shutdowns make it easy to figure out what's wrong, and Dyma understanding that gets her out of her own mostly selfish head.
shanae80's review against another edition
4.0
I would normally skip a book with a teenager main, but I really enjoyed the last book so figured I'd give it a shot. I'm so happy I did. I love Owen & Dyma & catching up with the rest of the family. Loved that the drama came from outside sources for the most part. Solid read in a year where I feel like most books have been meh.
bananatricky's review against another edition
4.0
Three and a half stars.
I guess this was always going to be a hard book to get across the line and I just felt there was one too many plot lines to sit comfortably. Dyma is nineteen years old, her mother, who got pregnant when she was just a teenager herself, is engaged to NFL quarterback Harlan Kristiansen and the two of them have gone from dirt poor, town pariahs to living in a fancy house in Portland. Harlan's best friend, NFL centre Owen Johnson is besotted with Dyma but the age difference between twenty-five and nineteen, particularly when he's a divorced football player and she's still in high school is a bit icky. So the two of them have been conducting a chaste romance for months.
Dyma is a diminutive vegetarian astrophysics studying, pierced and tattooed ball of fire and fury. She used to defend herself and her mother with her fists, now she just cuts people with her barbed words. But nothing can prepare her for the mean girls at college, or the disapproval of Owen's brother, or the prying journalists, and there's a lot in her family's background to make a juicy scoop, especially for someone who won't hesitate to twist the truth.
Owen is a cattle rancher as well as an NFL player. He's already been divorced after his model wife couldn't bear the idea of living in the middle of nowhere and while Dyma might be the opposite of his ex-wife he can't see an astrophysicist living on a ranch either, especially not a vegetarian one. He also knows the six year gap between them encompasses a huge chunk of experiences, things he wants Dyma to have the chance to enjoy.
This just felt like a crossover book with one too many storylines and curiously I found it difficult to get the energy to finish the book, despite reading it in a single day - go figure!
I guess this was always going to be a hard book to get across the line and I just felt there was one too many plot lines to sit comfortably. Dyma is nineteen years old, her mother, who got pregnant when she was just a teenager herself, is engaged to NFL quarterback Harlan Kristiansen and the two of them have gone from dirt poor, town pariahs to living in a fancy house in Portland. Harlan's best friend, NFL centre Owen Johnson is besotted with Dyma but the age difference between twenty-five and nineteen, particularly when he's a divorced football player and she's still in high school is a bit icky. So the two of them have been conducting a chaste romance for months.
Dyma is a diminutive vegetarian astrophysics studying, pierced and tattooed ball of fire and fury. She used to defend herself and her mother with her fists, now she just cuts people with her barbed words. But nothing can prepare her for the mean girls at college, or the disapproval of Owen's brother, or the prying journalists, and there's a lot in her family's background to make a juicy scoop, especially for someone who won't hesitate to twist the truth.
Owen is a cattle rancher as well as an NFL player. He's already been divorced after his model wife couldn't bear the idea of living in the middle of nowhere and while Dyma might be the opposite of his ex-wife he can't see an astrophysicist living on a ranch either, especially not a vegetarian one. He also knows the six year gap between them encompasses a huge chunk of experiences, things he wants Dyma to have the chance to enjoy.
This just felt like a crossover book with one too many storylines and curiously I found it difficult to get the energy to finish the book, despite reading it in a single day - go figure!
allenfarm's review against another edition
4.0
Rosalind always has the most interesting characters and engaging storylines. This book was no different. This story gets its start in Shame the Devil when Owen and Dyma first meet. In this book, Dyma is in college for astronautical engineering. The last thing she has time for is an NFL football player, a teammate of her new stepfather at that. They have nothing in common. The story of how they work through that was told well. The best part of a Rosalind James book is that they are realistic, rich in detail and strong in character development. I always look forward to a book by this author.
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