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A review by digthewriter
David, Renewed by Diana Copland
3.0
2.5 rounded up. / This audiobook was over 9 hours long. Most that know me, know that I eat 9 hours audiobooks for second breakfast.
Still, this book was something – that felt like GOD, WILL THIS EVER END?! When I told my partner that I was still “reading” this book, she was like “seriously? Still?”
I wanted to like it. I mostly liked it. But…
I felt NOTHING for David.
Why did Jackson’s siblings need to be complete assholes? I have no idea. Can there be ANY characterization to why the asshole characters were actually assholes? – There was none.
Jackson’s older brother is running for office, and is a douche, with a wife he doesn’t deserve. And his sister is basically a rich, spoiled brat, and he’s the saviour who also just happens to be the gay son that no one liked? (Except for the mom).
I liked the storyline with Jackson taking care of his mom, and how he moved back home, but that was about it.
Even though this is an insta-love story – by the time we get to the sex and smut (which, I have to admit is the ONLY SAVING POINT of this book) – I am just so done with David and Trevor and Jackson that I couldn’t even appreciate it.
How many times is “goose flesh” mentioned in the story? I lost count after 10.
David – regardless of the fact has a strong mother, and a strong sister role model spends YEARS with Trevor and puts up w/ his shit – is COMPLETELY unrealistic. His dad was even chill after he’d come out to him. He had nothing but positive influences so for him to be with an ASS like Trevor – I didn’t buy it.
DID NOT BUY IT.
And I’m of the unpopular opinion here but the only character I felt that was truly well done was Trevor. He was a show-off that was seriously in debt, angry all the time with David because David was confident, and smart, and good with money. He bought the condo, he paid for everything, – Trevor was jealous of David. He wanted to control him b/c Trevor couldn’t control anything in his own damn life so he attacked the only good thing in his life. PERFECT CHARACTERIZATION of an asshole. Brilliant, really. Trevor was exactly like Jackson’s dad. The show off. In thousands of dollars in debt – the parallel was uncanny and really fantastic. I was actually impressed.
Now let’s get to the thing that COMPLETELY turned me off about this book. Even though I liked the author’s writing, she’s very very very talented, no doubt about it.
Right off the bat – I was turned off by the AMOUNT of domestic abuse. I felt like no warning was provided and all of sudden there’s so much domestic abuse. Trevor controls David. Manny’s ex-bf, beating the crap out of him. Then emotional abuse of Gil’s siblings not caring about their parents. Like, really…are all rich kids that spoiled and David is humble b/c his parents were just “middle class?”
Some of the other reviewers have said that there was tons of info-dump and in the beginning I didn’t mind it b/c no one wants to read about explicit domestic abuse, but after – when David’s making a cheese plate for a party and there’s this HUGE “hey it’s been 6 weeks – this is what happened” was annoying.
And David, oh my god, DAVID. Grow a fucking spine! He was with Trevor for over 5 years and did everything Trevor did – and then when he’s with Jackson, he gets a matching tattoo w/ only knowing him for 2 months? (If that?) OMG, I really did not like David. NOT AT ALL. All his snark with Michael was supposed to be funny, and comic relief, but it was just annoying.
And then one last thing. The tattoo. There was like no after-care. As someone who has several tattoos – and for an author that paid so much attention to the smallest details in the story (the house, the architecture, what Jackson works, his pale-blue eyes, his truck, David’s car, the neighbour's dog, the piping, the plumbing, the heat, the mom, the sister, the food…) Oh his tattoo has a plastic wrap. He got a tattoo at 2 pm and then later after the party – the plastic is still there? You are supposed to wash it with anti-bacterial and you cannot wear tight jeans if you get a tattoo on your hip – the first day – and the next morning when they wake up and rush to Jackson’s mom’s house – there’s no application of lotion or anything for the tattoo – esp when it’s all about David riding him the night before b/c the burn on his skin would be too much. OH, GET IT TOGETHER!
The story ends with David still scared that Trevor is out there somewhere and he has PTSD – and maybe the second book in the series might explore that – but given that David is such a dependent and needy motherfucker, he would have TOLD Jackson his fears. The whole point was that Jackson was different and comforting (than Trevor) and if David really trusted him, he would share his fears. Especially if Jackson makes him feel safe.
I was really turned off by David’s characterization, you guys. I can’t even.
Still, this book was something – that felt like GOD, WILL THIS EVER END?! When I told my partner that I was still “reading” this book, she was like “seriously? Still?”
I wanted to like it. I mostly liked it. But…
I felt NOTHING for David.
Why did Jackson’s siblings need to be complete assholes? I have no idea. Can there be ANY characterization to why the asshole characters were actually assholes? – There was none.
Jackson’s older brother is running for office, and is a douche, with a wife he doesn’t deserve. And his sister is basically a rich, spoiled brat, and he’s the saviour who also just happens to be the gay son that no one liked? (Except for the mom).
I liked the storyline with Jackson taking care of his mom, and how he moved back home, but that was about it.
Even though this is an insta-love story – by the time we get to the sex and smut (which, I have to admit is the ONLY SAVING POINT of this book) – I am just so done with David and Trevor and Jackson that I couldn’t even appreciate it.
How many times is “goose flesh” mentioned in the story? I lost count after 10.
David – regardless of the fact has a strong mother, and a strong sister role model spends YEARS with Trevor and puts up w/ his shit – is COMPLETELY unrealistic. His dad was even chill after he’d come out to him. He had nothing but positive influences so for him to be with an ASS like Trevor – I didn’t buy it.
DID NOT BUY IT.
And I’m of the unpopular opinion here but the only character I felt that was truly well done was Trevor. He was a show-off that was seriously in debt, angry all the time with David because David was confident, and smart, and good with money. He bought the condo, he paid for everything, – Trevor was jealous of David. He wanted to control him b/c Trevor couldn’t control anything in his own damn life so he attacked the only good thing in his life. PERFECT CHARACTERIZATION of an asshole. Brilliant, really. Trevor was exactly like Jackson’s dad. The show off. In thousands of dollars in debt – the parallel was uncanny and really fantastic. I was actually impressed.
Now let’s get to the thing that COMPLETELY turned me off about this book. Even though I liked the author’s writing, she’s very very very talented, no doubt about it.
Right off the bat – I was turned off by the AMOUNT of domestic abuse. I felt like no warning was provided and all of sudden there’s so much domestic abuse. Trevor controls David. Manny’s ex-bf, beating the crap out of him. Then emotional abuse of Gil’s siblings not caring about their parents. Like, really…are all rich kids that spoiled and David is humble b/c his parents were just “middle class?”
Some of the other reviewers have said that there was tons of info-dump and in the beginning I didn’t mind it b/c no one wants to read about explicit domestic abuse, but after – when David’s making a cheese plate for a party and there’s this HUGE “hey it’s been 6 weeks – this is what happened” was annoying.
And David, oh my god, DAVID. Grow a fucking spine! He was with Trevor for over 5 years and did everything Trevor did – and then when he’s with Jackson, he gets a matching tattoo w/ only knowing him for 2 months? (If that?) OMG, I really did not like David. NOT AT ALL. All his snark with Michael was supposed to be funny, and comic relief, but it was just annoying.
And then one last thing. The tattoo. There was like no after-care. As someone who has several tattoos – and for an author that paid so much attention to the smallest details in the story (the house, the architecture, what Jackson works, his pale-blue eyes, his truck, David’s car, the neighbour's dog, the piping, the plumbing, the heat, the mom, the sister, the food…) Oh his tattoo has a plastic wrap. He got a tattoo at 2 pm and then later after the party – the plastic is still there? You are supposed to wash it with anti-bacterial and you cannot wear tight jeans if you get a tattoo on your hip – the first day – and the next morning when they wake up and rush to Jackson’s mom’s house – there’s no application of lotion or anything for the tattoo – esp when it’s all about David riding him the night before b/c the burn on his skin would be too much. OH, GET IT TOGETHER!
The story ends with David still scared that Trevor is out there somewhere and he has PTSD – and maybe the second book in the series might explore that – but given that David is such a dependent and needy motherfucker, he would have TOLD Jackson his fears. The whole point was that Jackson was different and comforting (than Trevor) and if David really trusted him, he would share his fears. Especially if Jackson makes him feel safe.
I was really turned off by David’s characterization, you guys. I can’t even.