Reviews with content warning for Drug abuse - Jack of Thorns

I'm going to sound so harsh, but I found this read to be awful. Had I not gone into 2024 with the aim of DNFing so many books, I'd have dropped this one so damn fast. It's only saving grace was how well written and harrowing the prologue (AKA Bait, it's a trap, don't eat the cheese, 100% a hidden trapdoor) was. The rest? Cringe worthy.
Our MMC is meant to be irresistibly good looking - and he knows it. But the guys a total wet blanket.
I also get the ick by the fact that even though he KNOWS schmex and all that it entails is a sore point for the love interest, but he still thinks, dreams, and pushes all the fucking boundaries on the fact. It gave me pervy creep vibes, and not in the fun dark romance sort of way.

And then we have Quentin, the love interest in question. It baffles me how an English author can write and English character so poorly. I get he's meant to come from nobility and all that, but the guys such a fucking drip. Talking in third person constantly, and generally being HEAVILY stereotypically pompous. Add onto that that the guy has spent a significant amount of time traveling around modern day American society and can't even grasp what "you're hott" means? GTFO.

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booksthatburn's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Quentin is an over-the-top caricature of British aristocracy, due to a combination of his little-discussed father's eccentricities and the way his wealth has insulated him from plebian realities. Whether he might better handle British slang is unclear, but he completely misunderstands the many, many American euphemisms for anything to do with sex or sexuality in a way that gradually makes it obvious that something strange is going on with how he processes the concept. Laurence is a recovering heroin addict who is being stalked by an ex-boyfriend, a situation which gets even weirder when prayers to his god for help result in Jack showing up on his doorstep, complete with a demand that Laurence feed him sexual energy.

I appreciate the choice to have a main character (Quentin) who is sex-repulsed and asexual (but probably not aromantic). I think it's handled pretty well, especially with regards to the friendship/relationship between the main characters (Laurence is bisexual). It's important to note that the villains are antagonists partly due to their disrespect of personal autonomy and disregard for consent, especially but not only with regards to sex. This means that certain elements of the plot revolve around unwanted sexual contact and conversations aimed at both main characters. There's also a focus on addiction and recovery, of working through the destructive patterns in their lives and trying to make long-term changes.

I hope the sequels feature Quentin working through the mental blocks which are disrupting his life, but without treating it like he needed to be fixed with sex. Based on how this book went, I have high hopes that this will be handled well going forward, but I'll be keeping my eye on it.

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zirogods's review

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dark emotional lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this so fucking much. So fun and reads like a fanfiction (compliment). The characters are super fun, and id say the main intrigue of the book. Laurence and Quentin have such a good dynamic and they are - dare i say - very cute. The plot also kept my interest the whole time and even though there were sometimes long areas between main plot events, the character interaction and tension between the characters was just so good. I really liked how the mystery was still kept throughout the whole book and you slowly discover important information as you go. It felt perfectly paced, never a dull moment. I also really appeciated the subtle discussion of consent that i felt was a theme throughout the book. Definately a new one of my top favorite books. I am so excited to read the rest of the series.

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penguinsquack's review

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This book took me FOREVER to get into. It is really slow, the characters aren't particularly likeable, and I have no fucking idea what the author thought with their English character who reads like a parody despite the author being English?
That all said... I think I liked it? It's definitely not enjoyable until the second half, but if you're willing to persevere, it's alright.

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rebeckareads's review

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

It took me ages to get used to the narrators voice and I ended up listening to it at double speed cause unfortunately I still found it very grating... but apart from that, I had a genuinely good time listening to this! The slowburn, angst and structure has a fanfiction-y quality about it (I don't know how else to explain it) which actually felt refreshing to see in published work.

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