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now_booking's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I didn’t love this as much as the other books in the series, but this author writes eminently readable books so I was of course hooked and won’t rate it poorly. My main issue was that unlike the rest of the Berotte books, where I cared about the characters, here it was a struggle. DJ was fine if a little immature for someone who talked a lot about his maturity from a young age. He loved Shavozz in a very specific way and perhaps pushed her too hard to be a version of herself she wasn’t yet ready to be and he wasn’t particularly constructive in suggesting how she could heal. I never felt like they were ready for the pace of their relationship and even in the end, I had my doubts. But it was doubtless that he was gone for Shavozz and that he loved her hard. As for Shavozz, she was kind of difficult- she said didn’t want a relationship but she made demands that made it seem she wanted a serious relationship. So, it was very much like 💩 or get off the pot, and stop wasting your time and DJ’s and stop gaslighting him asking him what he wants from the relationship and then using it against him and the relationship. In the end, it seemed that she was only there for the spice and to be looked after. I just didn’t buy their relationship.
What made this better was the secondary relationships. Especially catching up with the main Berottes from previous books. I was ready to knock Shy upside the head for putting Brittany through the emotional wringer and it says a lot that I was more interested in that side drama than I was on the main story. And I think to an extent, it’s that humanity that was missing from this book. Yes things were happening around DJ and Vozz but I don’t feel like we really got to know them well as people. What’s DJ’s dream- he is burned out by his job but what would he rather be doing? As for Vozz, what does she really want, what’s her goal, what makes her happy? The characters weren’t really interested to me and it felt like despite their drama, we only got to know them on the most surfacey level.
I still plan to continue with this series because I’m invested now but I’m not a huge fan of the upcoming honorary Berotte’s although I’m intrigued by what Ali’s and Seneca’s love stories will be. As for Jamel, Arrow, Rondo etc, I really am not sold on them. There doesn’t seem much to them apart from running through women and kind of being in violence… I don’t feel like there’s been as much story to them as there was for earlier Berottes but maybe that will change in their books. I’ll have to read them to find out.
What made this better was the secondary relationships. Especially catching up with the main Berottes from previous books. I was ready to knock Shy upside the head for putting Brittany through the emotional wringer and it says a lot that I was more interested in that side drama than I was on the main story. And I think to an extent, it’s that humanity that was missing from this book. Yes things were happening around DJ and Vozz but I don’t feel like we really got to know them well as people. What’s DJ’s dream- he is burned out by his job but what would he rather be doing? As for Vozz, what does she really want, what’s her goal, what makes her happy? The characters weren’t really interested to me and it felt like despite their drama, we only got to know them on the most surfacey level.
I still plan to continue with this series because I’m invested now but I’m not a huge fan of the upcoming honorary Berotte’s although I’m intrigued by what Ali’s and Seneca’s love stories will be. As for Jamel, Arrow, Rondo etc, I really am not sold on them. There doesn’t seem much to them apart from running through women and kind of being in violence… I don’t feel like there’s been as much story to them as there was for earlier Berottes but maybe that will change in their books. I’ll have to read them to find out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Misogyny