kharlan3's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity
Moderate: Cursing, Outing, Homophobia, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Alcohol and Medical content
There’s a lot of discussion of clean eatingcluckieduck's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Definitely my least favourite of the series so far, which is a shame because there was a lot of potential here with the age-gap & setup with Kyle’s family abandonment issues. It just…never went anywhere meaningful.
It was nice to revisit the Admirals & all the NY side characters, including Scott, Kip, & Maria (plus a couple delightful cameos by one Ilya Rozanov), but the relationship between Eric & Kyle was so frustrating to read - so much could have been solved with a simple conversation! Instead we’re treated to frequent self-loathing and pages upon pages of internal dialogue by both mains. The lack of character development meant that I didn’t connect with, or care for, either lead, unfortunately.
It was nice to revisit the Admirals & all the NY side characters, including Scott, Kip, & Maria (plus a couple delightful cameos by one Ilya Rozanov), but the relationship between Eric & Kyle was so frustrating to read - so much could have been solved with a simple conversation! Instead we’re treated to frequent self-loathing and pages upon pages of internal dialogue by both mains. The lack of character development meant that I didn’t connect with, or care for, either lead, unfortunately.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol and Homophobia
Minor: Injury/injury detail, Toxic relationship, Outing, and Infidelity
allingoodtime's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.5
Okay, I know this is not his book and he already got his HEA in Heated Rivalry, but I have to say how much I love Ilya. He cracks me up! And, better yet, keeps everyone around him guessing. The scenes with him are like being in the joke since we know his secret and he just loves messing with those around him. While I hate that it’s a secret, I also appreciate the author showing different realities for different people. That your HEA may look different than mine, but the important thing is the people in the relationship are happy with where they are. Ilya is a very astute person and really loves to shake people up. It’s a lot of fun.
There is such a sweet vulnerability with Eric. The perfect person to help with that is Kyle. These two are perfect together. It’s really telling that their friends thought to get them together as friends because they thought they’d get along, not knowing that Eric is bisexual. But they were right! They have so many of the same interests, but they are plenty different enough to have a lot to learn from one another. For Eric, that’s learning how to navigate the LGBTQ scene in his area. After being in a long marriage to a woman and never telling anyone his sexual feelings, then spending a couple of years alone after the divorce, Eric is ready to explore the side of his sexuality he’s kept hidden. Kyle is the perfect tour guide.
Kyle is out, proud, smart, savvy, and giving. Maybe too giving. Although he’s young, Kyle has had more sexual experiences than Eric, but he’s just as vulnerable. He’s been taken advantage of more than once so he’s not thinking it’s a good idea to open his heart to yet another older man who is hiding. The thing Kyle soon learns is Eric is really not hiding. He’s blossoming.
These two are both so unsure and so reticent to put pressure on the other that there is plenty of miscommunication. When things start heating up in any emotional sort of way, Kyle makes a joke or light comment so Eric won’t think he’s clinging. Or Eric will shut down because he believes he wouldn’t be good for Kyle and wants to protect him. It’s true that Eric was quite adamant about not dating a younger man at first. But then it gets to the point where he doesn’t think Kyle would or should want him anyway.
It was quite touching, to me, to see how well Kyle takes care of Eric throughout this story. Just as Eric would almost forget the age gap when they were together in the same space, so would I. But when they were apart Eric would spiral into his own doubts and let them get the best of him.
As much as I love the story and journey of Kyle and Eric, I also loved being back in New York where it all started. Revisiting Kip and Scott as they were quite prominent in the story and having Scott be a sounding board for Eric is an appreciated step in this series. It’s always fun to revisit the couples from previous stories, especially when it’s in such a way to progress the current story and not take away from the new couple.
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia
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