kayla_llbr's review against another edition
5.0
Review:
Oh, Karina....what have you done to me?
***If you have not read through to Into The Hollow do not go further****
After the infamous 'bow-chicka-wow-wow" moment in Lying Season I didn't think my heart could hurt any worse than it already did....
...but I was SOOO wrong.
With 'And With Madness Comes The Light' we are getting Dex's side of the story. And it is pure agony.
"All I could see was this darkness, this black oblivion that sucked me dry until I was nothing but a husk of my former self. There was no light in all this madness. My tattoo was a lie."
I know for many of us we were wondering what the hell Dex was thinking after he took a wrecking ball to Perry's heart. Did I want Dex to suffer for that unspeakable action?
But our once passionate, strong, funny (well he's still funny) Dex was drowning in his own sorrow. I know I wanted him to grovel and suffer after he hurt our poor Perry, but I didn't realize how heartbreaking it could be.
“I fucked up. More than I have ever fucked up before. I had the love of my life in my hands for one beautiful, exquisite moment before I ripped her apart and my heart bore the paper cuts.”
His heartbreak and loneliness are what fuels his transformation from his drunk, unkempt, addicted-to-doritos self into the buff, sexy, suave charmer we all know Dex is. With the help of his friends Rebecca and Dean, Dex starts to change and mature all while biding his time for his love, Perry.
“Shit. Dean and I had gone from workout buddies to acting like a bunch of overanalysing pussies. Next thing you knew, we’d start having our periods at the same time.”
There is a notable appearance by his ex-girlfriend (THANK GOD!) the devil-in-disguise known as Jenn, who is moving out with her new bang-buddy Bradley.
And thankful while Dex is cloaked in darkness, well he still manages to put a smile on my face.
"Jenn," Bradley yelled from the living room, "maybe we should come back after we call the hazmat team." "Great idea," I yelled back. "They can spray you both down for your crotch rot while they're at it."
There are a couple close calls during Dex's romantic recovery. One notable example in the form a skank Dex encounters at a bar.
“Nailing someone in the bathroom of a grungy metal bar was a probably one of the grossest, dirtiest things you could do. But I felt like bathing in dirt after being so clean for the last month”
HELL NO! We like you clean Dex, well at least clean of STD'S. but Dex isn't the same man anymore. And finally Dex has the opportunity to prove what kind of man he has become. After a frantic call from Perry's sister Ada, Dex is on a mission to save Perry from the evil that is surrounding her.
"I didn't want to be that guy anymore, the one that hurt her. I wanted to be me. Perhaps the same me she had seen underneath all this time."
While Dex hatches a plan with Bird (from Red Fox) to exorcize the evil from Perry, he also didn't plan on his other obstacle standing in his way---Max. Yes that redheaded twattwaffle, douchecanoe has been taking liberties from a possessed Perry, and when this discretion come to light, well Dex sees red.
"Wildcat in the sack. He liked it rough.
Perry had scratched him during sex.
Perry had slept with Maximus.
He stuck his dick in her.
I was going to be sick.
I was going to cry.
Oh, wait. No, I was going to BEAT THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF HIM!"
Dex and Maximus finally come to blows. Dex was a crazed, violent, beast of a man....and I was totally turned on.....
After some family interference, Ada logic, and a quick getaway, Dex finally has Perry with him. After a stressful night driving, Dex, Ada and Perry make there way to Lapwai. After some exorcism preparation, Dex finally learns the truth of what really happened to Perry in his absence.
"She'd lost it. What was ours. What was love. What was life. There was pain and then there was agony. Hello, agony. I'd been waiting for you. Finish me off. Please."
If that moment does not leave you in miserable gut-wrenching sobs as it did me, well you must be the tin-man. So after some cray-cray exorcism business, Dex goes all romantic-self-sacrificing-amazeballs man we know who he is and he pulls Perry from the darkness for good.
"It all fades away when I'm with you. Everything fades until it's just you and it's just me. I'm Dex and you're Perry and I love you. I won't stop loving you, even when you won't love me. I love you more than I can ever really tell you. I love you until the end."
'And With Madness Comes The Light' is heartbreaking-ly beautiful. To finally get into Dex's head and heart is the greatest experience as a fan of the series. He is by no means perfect, but he is real and honest and passionate. What more could you want? If you want to spend a good hour or two crying, swooning, laughing and falling in love with Dex all over again, 'And With Madness Comes The Light' is a novella you HAVE to read. And to quote Dex just one more time:
"A world without Perry Palomino is just too fucking boring. I wouldn't wish it upon anyone."
Touche.
5 stars*
My Playlist:
Doves-Sea Song (During Dex's agony)
Florence + The Machine- Seven Devils (During Perry's possession/exorcism)
The Rolling Stones- She's A Rainbow (after Dex saves Perry)
Favorite Quotes:
“I love her, more than anyone should love anything. The kind of love that either fills you up or eats away at you. I love her at my own risk. I love her…dangerously.”
***
"A movement at Perry's window caught my eye- the silhouette of he-who-shall-not-be-named-except-in-insults-I-found-fitting."
***
"Maximus-THAT-DOUCHEFUCKER
***
"...I said to the dog as he took a leak on the railing. He was judging my parenting skills again, I could tell. Well, let him. At the moment, he was eons more evolved than I was."
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purpl3_vix3n's review against another edition
5.0
...I've been sitting at my desk speechless since I finished this. I wanna cry in joy and also in sorrow. SPOILER ALERT!!
The part that made me speechless is at the end when he kisses Perry's belly and says "I would have loved the baby too, more than you'll ever know." My heart became whole again once he said that. I was very proud of him but I just wish he really told her when she was awake. I'm actually in love with Dex! There were parts where I felt bad for him. I've been there just sitting in the dark not knowing what to do with your self. Giving up on just living b/c you lost everything. My favorite part where i just laughed so hard was this line "Uh oh, Hulk alert. NOT MY CHIPS!" Ha love it!
The part that made me speechless is at the end when he kisses Perry's belly and says "I would have loved the baby too, more than you'll ever know." My heart became whole again once he said that. I was very proud of him but I just wish he really told her when she was awake. I'm actually in love with Dex! There were parts where I felt bad for him. I've been there just sitting in the dark not knowing what to do with your self. Giving up on just living b/c you lost everything. My favorite part where i just laughed so hard was this line "Uh oh, Hulk alert. NOT MY CHIPS!" Ha love it!
frogglodite's review
5.0
Oh, Dex... My heart is completely wide open for you, broken in half. What a painful story to read!
readwithchey's review
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this but I wish I had been a combo with Dex Files because there were literally pages of this just copied directly from that book 😂
mayris88's review
5.0
Every single little thing that it's in Dex Foray's POV deserves a million stars rating, but I can only give 5 so, there you have it.
anabelsbrother's review against another edition
4.0
Dex frickin' Foray! I never thought it's possible to love him even more than I already did, but yea that's what happened.
bafahl's review against another edition
5.0
"I love her, more than anyone should love anything. The kind of love that either fills you up or eats away at you. I love her at my own risk. I love her…dangerously” - this describes how I feel about this damn series. Quite the little obsession of mine right now. Doesn't matter what I am reading at the time - I drop everything as soon as Ms. Halle comes out with another installment. Might need an intervention soon. Don't quite know how I will survive the long wait until June. <3 <3 <3
v_nerdbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Oh Dex, Dex, Dex, you complicated gorgeous man!
This book is entirely in Dex's pov and explains what happened to him after Perry walked out on him.
It was great that Rebecca was in this and we got to see more of her, and also showed what a great friend she is to Dex.
I really loved being in Dex's head in this book, loved all of his one liners and have highlighted a few to keep for a rainy day (I can't wait till I can call someone Twatwaffle or Metro Von Dickfucker )
This book is entirely in Dex's pov and explains what happened to him after Perry walked out on him.
It was great that Rebecca was in this and we got to see more of her, and also showed what a great friend she is to Dex.
I really loved being in Dex's head in this book, loved all of his one liners and have highlighted a few to keep for a rainy day (I can't wait till I can call someone Twatwaffle or Metro Von Dickfucker )
theromancedove's review
5.0
so I thought that I understood Dex before..having read the dex files and all...oh boy was I fucking wrong! 
FUCK SHIT DAMMIT I BARELY HAVE WORDS
the road to dex 2.0 was a struggle poor baby.
but shit if my heart wasnt thumping like a jackrabbit in the last 2 chapters
because that moment was just so fucking real and honest . that was ALL OF DEX IN THAT MOMENT AND IT TOOK MY BREATH AWAY
FUCK SHIT DAMMIT I BARELY HAVE WORDS
the road to dex 2.0 was a struggle poor baby.
but shit if my heart wasnt thumping like a jackrabbit in the last 2 chapters
Spoiler
I really wanted to know what he actually felt when Ada told him that Perry was pregnant and that she lost the baby..his internal reaction was more than I hoped for and fucking shit ..the moment when it was all over and she was sleeping and said those beautiful things and kissed her middle and said that he would have loved that baby more than she would have ever known I fucking choked up..I was crying big ugly sobs I didn’t know what to do with myself because that moment was just so fucking real and honest . that was ALL OF DEX IN THAT MOMENT AND IT TOOK MY BREATH AWAY