Scan barcode
nhixxie's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
theheroichydrangea's review
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
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? It's complicated
4.0
So if you’ve ever picked up a fanfic with a similar premise this book is exactly what you’d expect. Just a nice fluffy h/c read that goes down easy
n0s4a2's review
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.75
ashlikes's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Medical content, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Gore, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
petra_reviews_mm's review
5.0
after reading Out of the Wild Night I'm increasing the rating to 5*!
The hurt/comfort is done to perfection. Absolutely loved it.
The dual POV kept the tension when needed, or explained the character's actions when necessary.
I also liked the Dom/sub dynamic but this is where the book was lacking: world-building.
There was barely any world-building and showing of how the world works. There were just words and terms thrown around without any explanation, which often came at late parts in the book. So half the time, I had no idea what was going on.
I was also quite confused about the setting. Is it a different world altogether? Nope, USA. Is it a contemporary setting or the past? It was tough to say as, for the most part, we read about horses and gardening, and then we had smartphones, planes, and cars being used.
The book is a slow burn which (for me) makes sense for the hurt/comfort trope. We get a bit of spice, but only at like 90 % of the book. Still, the cuddles, touches, and such were woven through the book well.
The hurt/comfort is done to perfection. Absolutely loved it.
The dual POV kept the tension when needed, or explained the character's actions when necessary.
I also liked the Dom/sub dynamic but this is where the book was lacking: world-building.
There was barely any world-building and showing of how the world works. There were just words and terms thrown around without any explanation, which often came at late parts in the book. So half the time, I had no idea what was going on.
I was also quite confused about the setting. Is it a different world altogether? Nope, USA. Is it a contemporary setting or the past? It was tough to say as, for the most part, we read about horses and gardening, and then we had smartphones, planes, and cars being used.
The book is a slow burn which (for me) makes sense for the hurt/comfort trope. We get a bit of spice, but only at like 90 % of the book. Still, the cuddles, touches, and such were woven through the book well.
asteroula_t's review
5.0
Marina Vivancos and hurt/comfort go hand in hand.
I cried my eyes out and I could not put this book down. My coworkers can attest to that when I turned up with swollen eyes and sleep-deprived!
An interesting new world, with witches, magic, and everyone being either Dom or Sub.
Tyler and Roman are the first couples in this new series and their story is beautiful. Their interactions, especially in the beginning, are heartbreaking and a bit sad. We immediately realize that Roman has been abused but unfortunately, Tyler takes his time.
When he finally does, it is so precious to see him trying to make Roman feel comfortable, no matter what. Their relationship is based on trust and they will both work really hard to make it succeed.
I hope the next story explores the in and outs of this world a bit more, because it is really intriguing.
Thank you @gay.romance.reviews for the copy!
I cried my eyes out and I could not put this book down. My coworkers can attest to that when I turned up with swollen eyes and sleep-deprived!
An interesting new world, with witches, magic, and everyone being either Dom or Sub.
Tyler and Roman are the first couples in this new series and their story is beautiful. Their interactions, especially in the beginning, are heartbreaking and a bit sad. We immediately realize that Roman has been abused but unfortunately, Tyler takes his time.
When he finally does, it is so precious to see him trying to make Roman feel comfortable, no matter what. Their relationship is based on trust and they will both work really hard to make it succeed.
I hope the next story explores the in and outs of this world a bit more, because it is really intriguing.
Thank you @gay.romance.reviews for the copy!
wildfaeriecaps's review
4.0
That was really interesting. On the one hand, it wasn't so different from the concept of alpha/omega. On the other, the whole 'everyone is either a dom or a sub' was unique in a way that could have been cheesy but somehow just worked. That's not to say there weren't awkward parts of the story (awkward for me? I dunno), but they were endearing somehow. I'm fascinated by the direction this series could take and definitely look forward to reading the next book.
writtenechoes's review
4.0
Sheesh, Marina really knows how to write hurt/comfort. This hurt soooo good. Almost too much at times. But I loved every moment.
This is a world where everyone is born either a dom or sub and ALSO everyone has magic. The magic isn’t delved into much here. Very loosely explained. Probably so that Marina could put more focus on the super slow burn relationship between Tyler and Roman. But that’s one of the reasons why it’s four stars for me. A few times I was confused and scratching my head which means the world building wasn’t quite working.
But the slow burn relationship was to die for. Roman was horribly abused in his coven that was shut down by the government for practicing what’s essentially dark magic in this world. They used animals and humans as sacrifices. Roman was abused so horribly, for so long, that he doesn’t know how to act when he reaches his temporary coven that’s taken him in. This spurs on many miscommunications between him and Tyler who was appointed Roman’s guide during his probation. But thankfully Tyler wasn’t stupid and kind of figured out what was going on with Roman when he witnessed Roman experience a Drop.
After that it’s a slow burn sweet friendship. Roman learning to trust for the first time that a Dom (Tyler) won’t hurt him. I’d say in this world Tyler is essentially a soft Dom. Exactly what Roman needs after his trauma. I really appreciated how Roman wasn’t ~fixed by Tyler. There was lots of therapy and communication that showed his healing over many months. And Tyler stayed steadfast beside Roman, always afraid to misstep or set him back by doing the wrong thing. It was very sweet to watch.
What would they get out of it? Roman spent sleepless nights thinking about it, but he just couldn’t figure it out. Still, as the weeks passed, Tyler didn’t hit him, or humiliate him, or lock him away somewhere. Didn’t insult or belittle him. He just put Roman on his knees and stroked his hair and made Roman feel better than he’d ever thought possible.
Another reason this is four stars for me was the third act drama. I get why it happened but it didn’t exactly feel necessary to me. Just more drama and trauma for the sake of it all. And then FINALLY the romance hit and we didn’t get much of them together before the story ended. Granted it was sweet and cozy and syrupy but it didn’t feel like enough after everything they’d gone through together.
I digress. I loved them together and their dynamic. The romance was really beautiful despite it being slow burn / very low spice imo. Patience would probably be the word to describe their relationship. I especially loved the sweet things they did for one another to show their love even before they admitted their feelings. Gift giving and words of affirmation are definitely their love languages lol. There’s lots of cooking in this so it’s very domestic, something I love in my romance novels. I love to see characters cozy in their homes cooking or doing mundane relationship things like watching television together and cuddling on the couch. That happened a lot in this novel
This is a world where everyone is born either a dom or sub and ALSO everyone has magic. The magic isn’t delved into much here. Very loosely explained. Probably so that Marina could put more focus on the super slow burn relationship between Tyler and Roman. But that’s one of the reasons why it’s four stars for me. A few times I was confused and scratching my head which means the world building wasn’t quite working.
But the slow burn relationship was to die for. Roman was horribly abused in his coven that was shut down by the government for practicing what’s essentially dark magic in this world. They used animals and humans as sacrifices. Roman was abused so horribly, for so long, that he doesn’t know how to act when he reaches his temporary coven that’s taken him in. This spurs on many miscommunications between him and Tyler who was appointed Roman’s guide during his probation. But thankfully Tyler wasn’t stupid and kind of figured out what was going on with Roman when he witnessed Roman experience a Drop.
After that it’s a slow burn sweet friendship. Roman learning to trust for the first time that a Dom (Tyler) won’t hurt him. I’d say in this world Tyler is essentially a soft Dom. Exactly what Roman needs after his trauma. I really appreciated how Roman wasn’t ~fixed by Tyler. There was lots of therapy and communication that showed his healing over many months. And Tyler stayed steadfast beside Roman, always afraid to misstep or set him back by doing the wrong thing. It was very sweet to watch.
What would they get out of it? Roman spent sleepless nights thinking about it, but he just couldn’t figure it out. Still, as the weeks passed, Tyler didn’t hit him, or humiliate him, or lock him away somewhere. Didn’t insult or belittle him. He just put Roman on his knees and stroked his hair and made Roman feel better than he’d ever thought possible.
Another reason this is four stars for me was the third act drama. I get why it happened but it didn’t exactly feel necessary to me. Just more drama and trauma for the sake of it all. And then FINALLY the romance hit and we didn’t get much of them together before the story ended. Granted it was sweet and cozy and syrupy but it didn’t feel like enough after everything they’d gone through together.
I digress. I loved them together and their dynamic. The romance was really beautiful despite it being slow burn / very low spice imo. Patience would probably be the word to describe their relationship. I especially loved the sweet things they did for one another to show their love even before they admitted their feelings. Gift giving and words of affirmation are definitely their love languages lol. There’s lots of cooking in this so it’s very domestic, something I love in my romance novels. I love to see characters cozy in their homes cooking or doing mundane relationship things like watching television together and cuddling on the couch. That happened a lot in this novel