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jacqueline1989's review
3.0
DOWN & DIRTY QUICKIE REVIEW!
One Sentence Summary:
An Indian-American Bollywood actress hides from the press at her co-star’s brother’s mansion; said bro is a partially scared but full on grumpy bear.
Name That Trope:
* Beauty/Beast Retelling
* Weak Romance, STRONG BOOK
* Dat Diversity, Tho!
* Secondary May/December M/M ship MAKING YA FEEL FEELS
* So Much Woke Shade Throwing
* Toto, I've A Feeling We're Not In Kansas Anymore Cause We In India!
What part made ya fangirl squeal?
The 23,182 times this book smacked me with word art. FO’ REAL, Y’ALL! There was quotetastic dialogue and so much A+ internal character musings that a bitch done ODed on good wordage.
Favorite Character:
Real talk? The hero’s brother. Dude rocked an intense subplot that becomes the main plot, and he slayed me with emotions. I swear, his sexual abuse survival will end ya and save ya. I WANNA SWADDLE HIM IN HUGS & LOVES, DAMMIT!
How smexy was the smex?
Suuuuuuper skimmed over. There is banging, and even a lil scarf bondage play, but it’s all pretty vanilla. The choreography is vague, but the passion is definitely there. If you dislike explicit romance sex, this puppy is all for you, doll!
Whose Line Is It Anyway:
Got any bitching to do?
Sadly, yes. Some readers complain our hero’s bro overtakes the book, and...yes/no? I enjoyed his role, I just wish more OTP scenes could’ve been added. As it stands, you don’t get much of a transition from our couple fighting to fucking to loving. As a result their overall romance fell flat for me.
Visually Depict Yo Book Feels:
Famous Last Words:
I don't think this book works well as a romance. That said, IT IS A PHENOMENAL FUCKING STORY!!! Its messages & themes are unbelievably powerful, plus its characters are vividly emotive. There's honest anguish in all the peeps and the writing says something. Had simply a few more scenes been added of our OTP reflecting on their emotions, rather than just their lust, then I'd have zero ass complaints!
-----------
For a more in depth, LOL-fest discussion on romance novels and romance Asian dramas, HERE BE MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL:
https://www.youtube.com/fangirlmusings
One Sentence Summary:
An Indian-American Bollywood actress hides from the press at her co-star’s brother’s mansion; said bro is a partially scared but full on grumpy bear.
Name That Trope:
* Beauty/Beast Retelling
* Weak Romance, STRONG BOOK
* Dat Diversity, Tho!
* Secondary May/December M/M ship MAKING YA FEEL FEELS
* So Much Woke Shade Throwing
* Toto, I've A Feeling We're Not In Kansas Anymore Cause We In India!
What part made ya fangirl squeal?
The 23,182 times this book smacked me with word art. FO’ REAL, Y’ALL! There was quotetastic dialogue and so much A+ internal character musings that a bitch done ODed on good wordage.
Favorite Character:
Real talk? The hero’s brother. Dude rocked an intense subplot that becomes the main plot, and he slayed me with emotions. I swear, his sexual abuse survival will end ya and save ya. I WANNA SWADDLE HIM IN HUGS & LOVES, DAMMIT!
How smexy was the smex?
Suuuuuuper skimmed over. There is banging, and even a lil scarf bondage play, but it’s all pretty vanilla. The choreography is vague, but the passion is definitely there. If you dislike explicit romance sex, this puppy is all for you, doll!
Whose Line Is It Anyway:
Hero’s Bro: Are you offended by a pretty girl?
Hero: Offense? She has committed no offense. I offend. My very life is an offense. Perfect people do not belong in this house. Beautiful people do not belong in this house. This is a tomb. Fit only for the dead.
*****
“To speak up, to say what no one else would dare put into words, was a privilege of only the most elite.”
*****
Hero: I live here.
Grandma: No. You stay here. You don't live here. You live with that girl. In her laughter. In her sadness. In her shadow and light.
Got any bitching to do?
Sadly, yes. Some readers complain our hero’s bro overtakes the book, and...yes/no? I enjoyed his role, I just wish more OTP scenes could’ve been added. As it stands, you don’t get much of a transition from our couple fighting to fucking to loving. As a result their overall romance fell flat for me.
Visually Depict Yo Book Feels:
Famous Last Words:
I don't think this book works well as a romance. That said, IT IS A PHENOMENAL FUCKING STORY!!! Its messages & themes are unbelievably powerful, plus its characters are vividly emotive. There's honest anguish in all the peeps and the writing says something. Had simply a few more scenes been added of our OTP reflecting on their emotions, rather than just their lust, then I'd have zero ass complaints!
-----------
For a more in depth, LOL-fest discussion on romance novels and romance Asian dramas, HERE BE MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL:
https://www.youtube.com/fangirlmusings
kiwicoral's review
3.0
*SBTB Quarterly Challenge - June 4. Juneteenth: Read a diverse romance.
Best Picture Challenge - Slumdog Millionaire: Read a contemporary romance set outside of the U.S*
3.5 stars. This was very soapy, but that worked for it, for the most part. I liked the gruff hero. He could teach Mr Darcy about brooding. But he did have a good heart. I liked the plucky heroine too. But again, other than a sexual connection I didn't really get their romance.
The secondary romance was a nice surprise. I could have used more of it.
It was generally well written and I liked the supporting characters. I could have used some more in depth settings though.
Best Picture Challenge - Slumdog Millionaire: Read a contemporary romance set outside of the U.S*
3.5 stars. This was very soapy, but that worked for it, for the most part. I liked the gruff hero. He could teach Mr Darcy about brooding. But he did have a good heart. I liked the plucky heroine too. But again, other than a sexual connection I didn't really get their romance.
The secondary romance was a nice surprise. I could have used more of it.
It was generally well written and I liked the supporting characters. I could have used some more in depth settings though.
heathergrace's review
2.0
This book was BONKERS and appears to be the last in this series... I have no interest in reading more of them. The secondary story here was more compelling and apparently does NOT get its own book later so.... pass.
bookishchloe's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
megbrod's review
4.0
Beauty and the beast with a Bollywood twist? Obviously I loved this one! It had a bit of a slow start, but those parts set up such a great subplot for Taj's brother Ashraf that I don't mind at all. Threads of that subplot definitely started in the previous book, but I think those pieces were very tangential, I picked up on what was needed for this book right away. Anyway, this was a really good balance of angst and common sense, as in no one was angsting unnecessarily or to a point where they were just being a drama queen, there was just a lot of emotions and tragic events to make all the angst very sympathetic, if that makes sense. The setting was great and I thought the characters were built up nicely and balanced each other out well. The ending was teensy bit rushed for my taste and I hope to see an Ashraf/Kamal (not sure if that's really a spoiler but it comes up late enough that I'll tag it that way just to be safe AND I just learned how to mark spoilers that aren't the whole review) sequel, or at least a short story, just because I really think they have more to work out and I need to get inside Kamal's head, stat. But, rushed ending aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
tiggerreads's review
4.0
This was a sweet take on the Beauty and the Beast trope. My first Bollywood book. I had some trouble with the Hindi and Urdu, but the author smoothly integrated the English translations. This was definitely worth another night of The Bad Decisions Book Club.
kjcharles's review
Interesting one. The structure is slightly odd, with a bit of a sense that a lot of things happen off page. I didn't quite feel the transition from Tal and Rocky's genuinely vicious and hostile sparring to falling in love, though I loved the subtle slow burn of the secondary romance, which was beautifully touched in. The author's other romances I've read are multistrand too and I generally really like the way she tells a story. It's unusual, and we can always use that in romance.
This is a Secret Garden story--the Frances Hodgson Burnett version, not the Nancy Friday--with a character whose physical disability turns out to be primarily psychological. Author makes it clear this isn't a 'love heals disabilities' story, and Tal has to fix himself, which is probably the best use to be made of a potentially problematic trope. Rocky's a strong, determined character and I liked the setting a lot--for once I can honestly say I'd have liked more description--but I think the first of this series remains my fave.
This is a Secret Garden story--the Frances Hodgson Burnett version, not the Nancy Friday--with a character whose physical disability turns out to be primarily psychological. Author makes it clear this isn't a 'love heals disabilities' story, and Tal has to fix himself, which is probably the best use to be made of a potentially problematic trope. Rocky's a strong, determined character and I liked the setting a lot--for once I can honestly say I'd have liked more description--but I think the first of this series remains my fave.
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