scrow1022's review
4.0
So powerful. So believable. And also fraught - the reasons why they won't get together feel very real as well. So that much more satisfying when they do.
becka6131's review
4.0
This is a very complicated romance done very well. The attraction between the MCs is undeniable but there are a lot of complicating factors which are given due attention and never dismissed, namely that Easton is a moneyed white guy working as an ADA and Patrice is a black man with strongly held views about social justice in a relatively small town. The obstacles to their relationship feel realistic and keep the story grounded, but they just like each other SO MUCH that their desire to work through them also felt realistic, despite how difficult it was at times for them to overcome the various tensions introduced into the story. They are genuinely a very sweet couple with an engaging dynamic, each prone to keeping up barriers around other people but able to dismantle them for each other even very early on. I thought Patrice's awareness and caution of how vulnerable Easton is was particularly well done, as well as his growing acceptance that demanding moral perfection in all areas of his life won't lead to lasting happiness. It felt like they both grew a lot over the course of the story, and I think overall it's probably the best in the trilogy in that regard. The ending is incredibly sweet while still managing to progress them as a couple through some difficult conversations. Well done to this author, frankly.
Having said all that, it didn't quite hit the spot for me. My problem wasn't the overall conflict stated above, which I thought was handled very thoughtfully, but more in how Patrice responds to Easton in the first half of the book. He's so hot and cold that it really put me off - for their first couple of encounters, he encourages Easton and then makes him feel like crap about it immediately after, treating Easton as a mistake and something he shouldn't want, when Easton already has a history of being judged and discarded by people he loves. This is a bit of a hair trigger for me personally so when that kept happening, I found it hard to come back from. Patrice recognises that this is a big problem and comes back at Easton with a more considerate attitude in the second half of the book, doing his best to show Easton that he appreciates him for who he is, but he continues to pull away whenever they have conflict right up until the final resolution. As a matter of personal preference I found it difficult to get around that kind of behaviour, so it kind of soured my reading of the book. Just one of those things! It definitely won't put me off reading other books by this author, who injects so much life into her stories that they're always a joy to read.
Having said all that, it didn't quite hit the spot for me. My problem wasn't the overall conflict stated above, which I thought was handled very thoughtfully, but more in how Patrice responds to Easton in the first half of the book. He's so hot and cold that it really put me off - for their first couple of encounters, he encourages Easton and then makes him feel like crap about it immediately after, treating Easton as a mistake and something he shouldn't want, when Easton already has a history of being judged and discarded by people he loves. This is a bit of a hair trigger for me personally so when that kept happening, I found it hard to come back from. Patrice recognises that this is a big problem and comes back at Easton with a more considerate attitude in the second half of the book, doing his best to show Easton that he appreciates him for who he is, but he continues to pull away whenever they have conflict right up until the final resolution. As a matter of personal preference I found it difficult to get around that kind of behaviour, so it kind of soured my reading of the book. Just one of those things! It definitely won't put me off reading other books by this author, who injects so much life into her stories that they're always a joy to read.
jkoluch's review against another edition
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? Yes
5.0
jotropes's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
barefootsong's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- 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
3.75
iggyebab's review
4.0
I am loving this series so much.
Easton comes from money but he has made his own way. His am ADA and he works hard. Being a gay man in a smallish community hasn’t always been easy but he is making it work. When he meets Patrice through Nesto, he is immediately smitten.
Patrice is happy with casual relationships but Easton gets under his skin in a way he’s never experienced before.
These men are so amazing. They are not perfect. They are smart and sexy. They make mistakes and hurt one another. They have to talk through their issues and fond ways to support one another. I love how they both have the issues and they don’t run from that. I also really love that counseling is discussed.
Easton comes from money but he has made his own way. His am ADA and he works hard. Being a gay man in a smallish community hasn’t always been easy but he is making it work. When he meets Patrice through Nesto, he is immediately smitten.
Patrice is happy with casual relationships but Easton gets under his skin in a way he’s never experienced before.
These men are so amazing. They are not perfect. They are smart and sexy. They make mistakes and hurt one another. They have to talk through their issues and fond ways to support one another. I love how they both have the issues and they don’t run from that. I also really love that counseling is discussed.
_lc_'s review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Easton grew up with wealth and privilege that most dream about, but even becoming a successful lawyer with the DA office is seen as a frivolous way to intentionally disappoint his family. Patrice immigrated from Haiti to America with his mother as a child and, as a black man living in America, he knows first hand how quickly everything you’ve worked for can be taken away from you in an instant.
I don’t read a lot of MM romances but this book might just be the thing that makes me read them more often. Easton and Patrice were so gaddamn cute together and gosh do I love a guy who doesn’t have all that toxic masculinity BS going on. Easton was so open and vulnerable that it had me begging Patrice to be careful with his fragile little heart. He said what he was feeling, owned up to his shortcomings and worked to be a better person for himself and those around him. I loved how sure of himself Patrice was and how steadfast in his beliefs he was. He thought carefully about what he said and was working hard for his community while also just trying to survive right there with them.
I love Herrera’s writing and this was no different. She has a way of forcing you to fall in love with these character just so she can break your heart into pieces. This isn’t just a romance book, it’s a comment on our society and the issues black and brown people are facing not only in America but in many countries around the world. It encourages you to see these things that are happening around us not just as a distant issue, but to remember it is happening to real people. Real people who have people who love them and just want them to come home safe.
Genre: Romance M/M
POV: Dual
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5 /5
Age suggestion: 18+
yalomi's review against another edition
5.0
Patrice and Easton had a summer they both can’t seem to forget, if you know what I mean. Patrice is a very vocal racial justice activist who just moved to Ithaca and Easton is currently interim District Attorney while his boss recovers from heart surgery. They are trying to figure out their… “situationship”, where it’s gonna go will they get more serious. But after cops in the area are stopping Black and Latinx folks Patrice feels like having a relationship with Easton is compromising his ideals. The problem is, Easton is the only person he can truly be himself with.
-M/M
-Professor/ Assistant District Attorney
-Grump/Sunshine
-Neighbors
-Size difference
-Lust at first sight (if you’ve read the books of order).
-Angsty AF
-We don’t belong together but I can’t seem to stay away from you.
-“You’re so full of your self.” “No, that’ll be you in like a minute.”
-M/M
-Professor/ Assistant District Attorney
-Grump/Sunshine
-Neighbors
-Size difference
-Lust at first sight (if you’ve read the books of order).
-Angsty AF
-We don’t belong together but I can’t seem to stay away from you.
-“You’re so full of your self.” “No, that’ll be you in like a minute.”