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A review by emilylovesbooks94
Ornamental by E.M. Lindsey
5.0
I was thrilled when I heard that E. M. Lindsey was continuing the Irons and Works series, and Raf and Luke's story had all the same magic as the previous books. Both main characters drew me in right away, and the reappearance of several familiar faces was a welcome reminder of what an amazing community Fairfield had.
It grated on my nerves to see the way Raf's ex and his former employer treated him in the beginning of the book, and it's all the more frustrating to be faced with the reality that people are actually that callous and cruel to anyone they perceive as different. The only thing that gave me comfort was knowing that there was no way Tony would be anything less than welcoming, regardless of how many years they'd been out of touch. It warmed my heart to see Raf get at least one good thing out of his hectic relocation, and I knew the second Tony got involved Raf would always have a safe landing spot. It was wonderful to watch Raf get to know all the guys from the tattoo shop, and while he wasn't subtle at all in his attraction to Luke, I also enjoyed watching Raf get comfortable in his own skin again. I won't pretend to know what it's like to have TS, but I could relate to how frustrated and uncomfortable Raf was until he gained confidence that his newfoud family wouldn't abandon him. His and Luke's romance was slow to get off the ground--mostly because Raf was stressing about so many other things--but it was pretty adorable to see how melty they each were around each other. Even when they went on the real-est of fake dates and somehow remained oblivious to their feelings for each other, I couldn't get mad at them because their affection was so dang sweet. Luke's happiness around Raf was like a beacon, and I'm so glad they didn't let a silly misunderstanding sabotage their relationship before it got off the ground. Because the majority of the story focused on Luke and Raf's personal journies and the emotional connection they were building, there weren't a ton of steamy bits. That's never particularly bothered me, because I'm a sucker for a romance that gives me all the feels, and once again I was left fully satisfied by Raf and Luke's happy ending.
**I voluntarily read a free copy of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.
It grated on my nerves to see the way Raf's ex and his former employer treated him in the beginning of the book, and it's all the more frustrating to be faced with the reality that people are actually that callous and cruel to anyone they perceive as different. The only thing that gave me comfort was knowing that there was no way Tony would be anything less than welcoming, regardless of how many years they'd been out of touch. It warmed my heart to see Raf get at least one good thing out of his hectic relocation, and I knew the second Tony got involved Raf would always have a safe landing spot. It was wonderful to watch Raf get to know all the guys from the tattoo shop, and while he wasn't subtle at all in his attraction to Luke, I also enjoyed watching Raf get comfortable in his own skin again. I won't pretend to know what it's like to have TS, but I could relate to how frustrated and uncomfortable Raf was until he gained confidence that his newfoud family wouldn't abandon him. His and Luke's romance was slow to get off the ground--mostly because Raf was stressing about so many other things--but it was pretty adorable to see how melty they each were around each other. Even when they went on the real-est of fake dates and somehow remained oblivious to their feelings for each other, I couldn't get mad at them because their affection was so dang sweet. Luke's happiness around Raf was like a beacon, and I'm so glad they didn't let a silly misunderstanding sabotage their relationship before it got off the ground. Because the majority of the story focused on Luke and Raf's personal journies and the emotional connection they were building, there weren't a ton of steamy bits. That's never particularly bothered me, because I'm a sucker for a romance that gives me all the feels, and once again I was left fully satisfied by Raf and Luke's happy ending.
**I voluntarily read a free copy of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.