The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! đ
jwells's review against another edition
emotional
Definitely an unusual book. I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I felt like I was 30% driven to finish it and find out if it all made more sense in the end, and 70% disturbed and creeped out. I did finish it, but I think the 70% reaction wins out after all.
Our protagonist is a well-intentioned but incredibly overconfident guy who sees himself as some sort of, what, amateur therapist? Except one who has lots and lots of sex with his, what, client/lover/stalking target. And he feels totally free to lie to this person, emotionally manipulate him, trick him into doing things that make him miserable, or coax him into actually breaking the law. All the while Mr. Protagonist is steadfastly refusing to do any personal work on his own unexamined trauma.
I knew a guy sorta like this once - haven't we all? He was Too Strong to need any help on his own issues, but was more than happy to inform me with total confidence what I needed to work on, after a brief acquaintance. In real life, Mr. Protagonist is a nightmare, even if he does magically know that you like Diet Coke. If anyone meets him, at an art gallery or otherwise, RUN.
Our protagonist is a well-intentioned but incredibly overconfident guy who sees himself as some sort of, what, amateur therapist? Except one who has lots and lots of sex with his, what, client/lover/stalking target. And he feels totally free to lie to this person, emotionally manipulate him, trick him into doing things that make him miserable, or coax him into actually breaking the law. All the while Mr. Protagonist is steadfastly refusing to do any personal work on his own unexamined trauma.
I knew a guy sorta like this once - haven't we all? He was Too Strong to need any help on his own issues, but was more than happy to inform me with total confidence what I needed to work on, after a brief acquaintance. In real life, Mr. Protagonist is a nightmare, even if he does magically know that you like Diet Coke. If anyone meets him, at an art gallery or otherwise, RUN.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Abandonment
For me, the central relationship in this book is really unhealthy, but your opinion may vary. Most of the other tags I've added are for issues from the characters' pasts that come up in discussions, except for sexual content, which is in the story's present and described in detail.niakantorka's review against another edition
That was a crazy one. Itâs been a while so I canât recall it all. I was interesting for the first chapter or so but then - when they got to the island - it just got weird and weirder. I dnf at around 20% in the middle of a very uncomfortable sounding sex scene. Also, I never felt the urge to go back to it. So, letâs shelve it appropriately and move on.
dreamerfreak's review against another edition
5.0
Do not call me Ashley. My Alcatraz name is... Blackberry.
jerseygirl2912's review against another edition
5.0
This book is like a puzzle I can't figure out. But it wasn't frustrating. It doesn't matter. Because it's funny, it's smart, it's entertaining,
it's insightfull, it's moving.
Very well written story, great characters.
My favourite quote from the book: " Have you ever done anything so significantly outrageous, so beautiful and insane, that on days when your life feels dull, these shining moments leap out? Do you have an answer to the question 'Did I live? Did I touch the world?'"
it's insightfull, it's moving.
Very well written story, great characters.
My favourite quote from the book: " Have you ever done anything so significantly outrageous, so beautiful and insane, that on days when your life feels dull, these shining moments leap out? Do you have an answer to the question 'Did I live? Did I touch the world?'"
___tamara___'s review against another edition
5.0
I... I have no words for this book that haven't already been said more skillfully in other reviews.
shazov's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, but I truly struggled with it as well.... Confused? Yes, well that's what this book did to me as well!
This is definitely not a story that is a standard copy of so many that have gone before. No, it's very, very different. Very good, excellend even, but different. Especially in the beginning I struggled, but once I decided to just throw all my expectations out the door and just let the story happen, I got swept up in the current. It's an unusual story, quite confusing at times, yet it all pulls together to tell a tale that is fresh, different and catchy. [spoilers removed]
This is definitely not a story that is a standard copy of so many that have gone before. No, it's very, very different. Very good, excellend even, but different. Especially in the beginning I struggled, but once I decided to just throw all my expectations out the door and just let the story happen, I got swept up in the current. It's an unusual story, quite confusing at times, yet it all pulls together to tell a tale that is fresh, different and catchy. [spoilers removed]
regencyfan93's review against another edition
3.0
I had to put this down at least twice before I finished it. Vin is still a mystery. How does he decide to king someone? There is so much planning to goes into a King Weekend. I was glad to see that he has checklists and Plans B and C. It is annoying to me to read about things falling into place perfectly with no effort. Life isn't like that. Also, Vin's effort gives more value to the things he does with Perry.
kaje_harper's review against another edition
5.0
I realized about three pages into this book that I should just give up expecting and predicting and go with it. But like Perry, I had to learn that lesson over and over. This isn't a romance. I'm not sure what it is, other than brilliant and surprising and imaginative and unexpected. There is poignancy mixed with a lot of humor, often the kind of humor that sneaks up on you and delivers a wet raspberry on the back of your neck - affectionate, startling, silly and with love at its foundation.
The narrator tugs at your heart and then slips elusively out of your reach. There is sex, but it is not the driving force. The ending felt right. Neither of these men is in the right place for a HEA and the balance of power between them is wrong. I hope someday the narrator finds a good man to hold him while he reaches back for his own pain, but the end was satisfying with only a hint of bitterness in the sweet. I'm not sure I believed all of this book, but I know I adored it and was submerged in it. I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next.
ETA: Great fun the second time around too, and so well written. I can't wait for the upcoming sequel.
The narrator tugs at your heart and then slips elusively out of your reach. There is sex, but it is not the driving force. The ending felt right. Neither of these men is in the right place for a HEA and the balance of power between them is wrong. I hope someday the narrator finds a good man to hold him while he reaches back for his own pain, but the end was satisfying with only a hint of bitterness in the sweet. I'm not sure I believed all of this book, but I know I adored it and was submerged in it. I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next.
ETA: Great fun the second time around too, and so well written. I can't wait for the upcoming sequel.
sylvia_is_reading's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing adventure, LOL funny, Heartbreaking, Unusual, Don't try this at home, What will happen to Vin?, Wonderful wordplay, I want more!
O WOW
O WOW
iguana_mama's review against another edition
5.0
Cross-posted at Outlaw Reviews and at Shelf Inflicted
This story frustrated me initially, as I had no idea where it was going and I expect a certain kind of predictability in romance stories. I was afraid it was going to be a feel-good story, the kind that is anathema to my cynical heart. Though I was tempted to set it aside a few times, my curiosity got the better of me and I pressed on. Grudgingly, I opened my mind and my heart and embarked on an unforgettable journey that begins in a San Francisco art gallery.
Perry Mangin is an investment banker who lives relatively well in one of the most expensive cities on earth. Vin Vanbly, an auto mechanic from Minnesota, knows quite a bit about art and takes an interest in Perry. Though Perry seems not to want for anything, he has issues that prevent him from getting close to others.
This is not your average boy-meets-boy story, and Vin is not your average car mechanic. His job is to âKingâ Perry, get him to open up his heart, explore long-buried grief, shed tears, learn forgiveness, and ultimately find love.
I was on vacation in Montreal while reading this story and was only able to get through bits and pieces at a time. Though I wanted to devour it in one sitting, this way allowed me to integrate Perryâs experiences with my own, observing people more closely, finding common connections, and feeling a part of the fabric of the city rather than a mere explorer. Well, except for the cute duck and the wild sex, of course.
Vinâs mysterious nature, while bothersome at first, grew on me, as I realized that every single action he took, no matter how bizarre, was for Perryâs own good. His sexy charm, his humor, his way with words, and the way he seemingly knew more about Perry than Perry knew of himself endeared me to him.
King Perry is definitely not a romance in the traditional sense, but it is a story about love of the deepest kind. It made me laugh and made me cry, sometimes at the same time. It warmed my heart, dredged up some father issues and brought buried feelings to the surface. I was happy for Perry, but sad for Vin, who could not forgive.
Maybe one of these days I will forgive my own father, maybe not.
This story frustrated me initially, as I had no idea where it was going and I expect a certain kind of predictability in romance stories. I was afraid it was going to be a feel-good story, the kind that is anathema to my cynical heart. Though I was tempted to set it aside a few times, my curiosity got the better of me and I pressed on. Grudgingly, I opened my mind and my heart and embarked on an unforgettable journey that begins in a San Francisco art gallery.
Perry Mangin is an investment banker who lives relatively well in one of the most expensive cities on earth. Vin Vanbly, an auto mechanic from Minnesota, knows quite a bit about art and takes an interest in Perry. Though Perry seems not to want for anything, he has issues that prevent him from getting close to others.
This is not your average boy-meets-boy story, and Vin is not your average car mechanic. His job is to âKingâ Perry, get him to open up his heart, explore long-buried grief, shed tears, learn forgiveness, and ultimately find love.
I was on vacation in Montreal while reading this story and was only able to get through bits and pieces at a time. Though I wanted to devour it in one sitting, this way allowed me to integrate Perryâs experiences with my own, observing people more closely, finding common connections, and feeling a part of the fabric of the city rather than a mere explorer. Well, except for the cute duck and the wild sex, of course.
Vinâs mysterious nature, while bothersome at first, grew on me, as I realized that every single action he took, no matter how bizarre, was for Perryâs own good. His sexy charm, his humor, his way with words, and the way he seemingly knew more about Perry than Perry knew of himself endeared me to him.
King Perry is definitely not a romance in the traditional sense, but it is a story about love of the deepest kind. It made me laugh and made me cry, sometimes at the same time. It warmed my heart, dredged up some father issues and brought buried feelings to the surface. I was happy for Perry, but sad for Vin, who could not forgive.
Maybe one of these days I will forgive my own father, maybe not.