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hex_meghead's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, and Death of parent
ptaradactyl's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
At the same time, I really wished we had Jerry’s perspective more clearly, especially once the big twist happens.
Graphic: Child abuse and Death
Moderate: Homophobia
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Violence, Medical trauma, and Classism
language_loving_amateur's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Suicide, Violence, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Murder, and Alcohol
pvbobrien's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Sexual content and Murder
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia, Infertility, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Grief
unwise_samwise's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, and Suicide
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Chronic illness, Homophobia, Violence, and Alcohol
wardenred's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
You understand that I’m not a good man, don’t you?
This book, for a big part of the story, kind of zigzagged between my "ooh, give me more" territory and my "get away from me" territory. So I was feeling pretty conflicted. I was also low-key frustrated that there was only one POV throughout. I kept wanting a chance to get in Jerry's head, too.
But I really like K.J. Charles's writing style, and I loved how this book was written, with all the theater and literature references and small Shakespeare quotes injected here and there. Besides, I was getting invested in the whole heist part of the plot—I happen to love heists. So I kept reading despite my reservations, and my, I'm so glad I did!
As the book got closer to the finish line, plot twists began to pile up. There was that one twist—you must know which one if you've read it—that literally made me gasp out loud. Those reveals in the late part of the story completely recontextualized so many details from the earlier parts and made me completely fall in love with this complicated romance. I'm also now convinced that keeping solely to Alec's POV is the best decision the author could have made for this story. I didn't need, after all, to get a glimpse into Jerry's mind to see his arc play out and to be half-a-step ahead of Alec when it came to the changes Jerry was facing—and I loved that arc, and those challenges. I loved so many characters here, really, and there are so many scenes that are stuck vividly in my mind, like the one where Alec draws the duchess's portrait and gets her, and the two big honest conversations Alec and Jerry have.
Also, big extra points for the crossover with Sins of the Cities. I now want to reread those books!
Graphic: Sexual content and Outing
Moderate: Suicide and Murder
Minor: Homophobia
orchidd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Grief, and Pregnancy