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emilylovesbooks94's review
5.0
Grayson and Rob went on such a journey over the course of this book, and I enjoyed every second of their push and pull towards love. There may have been a brief moment at the very beginning when I assumed Grayson and Rob's cat-and-mouse game was just a prelude to a steamy night, but it didn't take long for me to see that these men were different around each other. Neither was willing to fully cede control in the bedroom, but something kept drawing them back together in a captivating, complex dance of flirting and shying away from each other. Their first time together felt almost angry, an outburst of "why can't I get you out of my head" that set off a domino chain of self-discovery for both men. Grayson in particular struggled to come to terms with the things he wanted from Rob and his identity as a Dom, and I was incredibly invested in seeing him evolve and grow. Though Rob made a few small concessions in his dominant approach to relationships, it was really Grayson who had some of his core foundation upended and had to find a new normal for himself, and it was Grayson who had the hardest time believing he was worthy of the kind of love he wanted. As he and Rob explored the wild passion of their physical relationship, I could feel Grayson's brain whirring endlessly about what it all meant. It didn't help that he and his best friend were going through a rough patch just when he needed support more than ever, and boy did I feel like I was drowning in the emotional turmoil for a long while. In the end, Grayson and Rob had to take some time and space to gain clarity and figure out if they could love each other exactly as they were, and though it hurt in the moment I'm really glad they did. It's not that either of them erased their tumultuous start, but going back to their relationship with love as the foundation made their bond so much stronger and helped them find the balance they were sorely lacking.
**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.
**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.
bookish_bonzsu's review against another edition
4.0
For some reason I didn't anticipate the depth of emotions I found in this book..and I don't only mean between Rob and Grayson but the suffering friendship between Gray and Miles as well.
galleytrot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
READ: Jun 2024
FORMAT: Digital
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 4 / 5⭐
TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: 3.5 / 5⭐
FINAL – OVERALL: 3.75 / 5 ⭐
FINAL – OVERALL: 3.75 / 5 ⭐
booksbyec's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was something abit diffrent from the previous romance books in the kink univers that I have read. This book was a bit slower and in the beginning I didn't really get where Kate was taking the story. But when it clicked and I realised that this isn't necessarily a kinky romance, but rather a book about the struggles in realising that the view you have about yourself and who you are is not as black and white as you thought. And that when meeting someone that challenges your perception, life gets messy and what once was true, now have evolved to something different.
The push and pull between Greyson and Rob felt real and honest. Because let's face it, both of them are set in their ways and they neede eachother to loosen up. And to see that you can find joy and pleasure in other things then your set boundaries. Life is about learning and evolving and this also come to sex and sexual preferences.
It will be interesting to follow the rest of The Trophy Dims Social Club members.
The push and pull between Greyson and Rob felt real and honest. Because let's face it, both of them are set in their ways and they neede eachother to loosen up. And to see that you can find joy and pleasure in other things then your set boundaries. Life is about learning and evolving and this also come to sex and sexual preferences.
It will be interesting to follow the rest of The Trophy Dims Social Club members.
cindaren's review against another edition
3.25
I haven't read Miles' book yet but he and his bf are like opposite of D/s in this one so that was strange. Also there are strange wording choices and misused words. But overall I liked this story and the characters.
hyunjiram's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
maelled's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Rob is definitely one of the most unlikeable MCs out there.
notthecar's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
emilyexmas's review against another edition
4.0
plot, what plot?
This was all about the dynamics between the characters. And it worked. Sometimes you just want angsty tension and moody characters.
This was all about the dynamics between the characters. And it worked. Sometimes you just want angsty tension and moody characters.
petra_reviews_mm's review
2.0
I wanted to love this but there are so many frustrating things that I'm giving up at 84%.
The series is a spin off and I think it should be in the blurb.
If I knew, I would not start it. For the simple reason: the beginning is full of info dumping. There are so many characters introduced along with what they mean to whom (I immediately forgot everything lol). But I did not care much, and I was just confused - why do I need to know all this? And why do we skip the flirting phase between the MCs and dive straight to the conflict?
The push and pull was fun, but at 70%, it got old pretty quickly.
Grayson was so frustrating, and sounded so immature for his age. I just wanted to slap him. Poor Rob. Yeah, it is true the relationship is not balanced, but they are old enough to just talk. There were also some contraditions: Grayson being unavailable (physically and emotionally), but Rob was supposed to be the one to open up to him? And since we skip to the conflict (and do not witness much flirting, courting, or just trying to woo the other person), the intimacy fell flat.
The safe word was so OTT and... kinda dumb (even Wesley says it so the author is ware).
The conflict with it is apparent miles away.
The first intimate scenes were really mild (even vanilla), but Grayson said it was the best sex ever?
The more time we spend with them, the more chemistry appears but it took quite a lot of time to feel anything profound between the two of them. And when it finally comes... drum rolls... we get a third act break up. Yep. That was the end of it for me. And the whole conflict with Miles? If you read the series connected (I still have no idea which series that is), I think it would make sense. Here I just did not care. Miles is an asshole and I have no idea why Grayson needs to resolve the issue with him and his BF.
I wanted to love this but the angst was really frustrating since nothing really happens until 70% of the book - any progress the MCs have is immediately snuffed out and Grayson withdraws.
The series is a spin off and I think it should be in the blurb.
If I knew, I would not start it. For the simple reason: the beginning is full of info dumping. There are so many characters introduced along with what they mean to whom (I immediately forgot everything lol). But I did not care much, and I was just confused - why do I need to know all this? And why do we skip the flirting phase between the MCs and dive straight to the conflict?
The push and pull was fun, but at 70%, it got old pretty quickly.
Grayson was so frustrating, and sounded so immature for his age. I just wanted to slap him. Poor Rob. Yeah, it is true the relationship is not balanced, but they are old enough to just talk. There were also some contraditions: Grayson being unavailable (physically and emotionally), but Rob was supposed to be the one to open up to him? And since we skip to the conflict (and do not witness much flirting, courting, or just trying to woo the other person), the intimacy fell flat.
The safe word was so OTT and... kinda dumb (even Wesley says it so the author is ware).
The conflict with it is apparent miles away.
The first intimate scenes were really mild (even vanilla), but Grayson said it was the best sex ever?
The more time we spend with them, the more chemistry appears but it took quite a lot of time to feel anything profound between the two of them. And when it finally comes... drum rolls... we get a third act break up. Yep. That was the end of it for me. And the whole conflict with Miles? If you read the series connected (I still have no idea which series that is), I think it would make sense. Here I just did not care. Miles is an asshole and I have no idea why Grayson needs to resolve the issue with him and his BF.
I wanted to love this but the angst was really frustrating since nothing really happens until 70% of the book - any progress the MCs have is immediately snuffed out and Grayson withdraws.