A review by deereadstoo
Restore Me by J.L. Seegars
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
2 for 2! First I get Canon, my favorite grump, and now I get Dominic, my favorite possessive man?! Call me spoiled.
J L Seegars knows how to write a possessive man without making him verbally abusive that's for sure. As soon as the club scene happened, Dominic had me (and Sloane) wrapped around his finger like a bandaid. We follow this second chance romance through both Sloane and Dominic's lenses and even travel back to the past from time to time to get a glimpse of what exactly went on during those years when Dominic didn't have Sloane. Dominic took such great care of Sloane from beginning to end (minus the third act conflict *boooooo*). I loved watching their relationship develop and I loved that Sloane could hold her own with him but also swoon at all the sweet things he said to her (there were a lot and I swooned right along with her). I also appreciated his respect for her life with Eric and what that meant to her. That literally made me want to pull him from the pages and love him myself.
Now, I don't think I'm a fan of flashbacks (even if they are necessary to the movement of the plot which most of the time I feel they aren't); however, I feel like some of them were necessary to get an idea of why what happened happened. Others I felt we could've definitely been left without. Also, that third conflict...I was going to throw my iPad at the wall because why? Why must authors cause us frustration and angst and anxiety when this happens. It's always some form of miscommunication that can be easily avoided and I'm so over it. It was even weirder because the ending itself felt rushed. So many big steps immediately after such an intense conflict. Also, I wasn't super clear on Sloane's appearance (this is why we do self-inserts). I felt it was kind of vague when the author used the descriptor "bronze skin" because what even is that? If they are both Black, I wouldn't think the phrase "bronze skin" would be an accurate descriptor. This definitely had me a little confused but overall I loved the characters. Lauren Carson can go to the deepest parts of hell.
J L Seegars knows how to write a possessive man without making him verbally abusive that's for sure. As soon as the club scene happened, Dominic had me (and Sloane) wrapped around his finger like a bandaid. We follow this second chance romance through both Sloane and Dominic's lenses and even travel back to the past from time to time to get a glimpse of what exactly went on during those years when Dominic didn't have Sloane. Dominic took such great care of Sloane from beginning to end (minus the third act conflict *boooooo*). I loved watching their relationship develop and I loved that Sloane could hold her own with him but also swoon at all the sweet things he said to her (there were a lot and I swooned right along with her). I also appreciated his respect for her life with Eric and what that meant to her. That literally made me want to pull him from the pages and love him myself.
Now, I don't think I'm a fan of flashbacks (even if they are necessary to the movement of the plot which most of the time I feel they aren't); however, I feel like some of them were necessary to get an idea of why what happened happened. Others I felt we could've definitely been left without. Also, that third conflict...I was going to throw my iPad at the wall because why? Why must authors cause us frustration and angst and anxiety when this happens. It's always some form of miscommunication that can be easily avoided and I'm so over it. It was even weirder because the ending itself felt rushed. So many big steps immediately after such an intense conflict. Also, I wasn't super clear on Sloane's appearance (this is why we do self-inserts). I felt it was kind of vague when the author used the descriptor "bronze skin" because what even is that? If they are both Black, I wouldn't think the phrase "bronze skin" would be an accurate descriptor. This definitely had me a little confused but overall I loved the characters. Lauren Carson can go to the deepest parts of hell.
Content Warnings
Minor: Grief, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Miscarriage