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A review by rihoward
Black Light: Brave by Maren Smith
4.0
4.4 stars
Ever since the menagerie was first introduced I have been intrigued by their stories. The abuse that these characters went through was deplorable. As each of these characters gets their own story it is interesting to note how different their healing process is in wiping away the deep-rooted scars that came from this "relationship". Even though Kitty, Piggy, Puppy, and Pony all lived in the same house the way they were treated was far different. This came even more clear in this story with Puppy.
I enjoyed, not sure that is really a good word considering it means I derived pleasure from the circumstances that were Cynthia's former life, how she explained her feelings of not only what happened but how it truly affected her in in the grand scheme of things. The author did a great job showing where she was mentally and physically. This can be attributed to Grayson. That man had the patience of a saint. Puppy's story is heartbreaking. It hurt my heart to think of someone taking a relationship to this extreme especially as it goes against everything that this lifestyle stands for.
I, also, liked seeing Pony. This wasn't because there was anything positive about her in this book but did showcase how broken she was. It adds another dimension to the scars that these women endured. It also paved the way to what I hope was a hint that eventually there will be a book for Pony. I would love to see that journey, although to be honest, that will take a miracle because that girl is so broken.
Perhaps the biggest surprise in this wasn't the actual main characters but rather it was the surprise interactions with Spencer. I have a love-hate relationship with that guy but in this one, I definitely scored a few brownie points and showed he is more than just his cocky surly self. There were some areas that I wanted to be improved on especially towards the end and the conclusion of a HFN made it feel rushed and incomplete. I am guessing this is because oftentimes it is "incomplete" because these characters generally make a reappearance in other BL books or the Roulette anthologies.
I look forward to more from not only this author but this entire series.
Ever since the menagerie was first introduced I have been intrigued by their stories. The abuse that these characters went through was deplorable. As each of these characters gets their own story it is interesting to note how different their healing process is in wiping away the deep-rooted scars that came from this "relationship". Even though Kitty, Piggy, Puppy, and Pony all lived in the same house the way they were treated was far different. This came even more clear in this story with Puppy.
I enjoyed, not sure that is really a good word considering it means I derived pleasure from the circumstances that were Cynthia's former life, how she explained her feelings of not only what happened but how it truly affected her in in the grand scheme of things. The author did a great job showing where she was mentally and physically. This can be attributed to Grayson. That man had the patience of a saint. Puppy's story is heartbreaking. It hurt my heart to think of someone taking a relationship to this extreme especially as it goes against everything that this lifestyle stands for.
I, also, liked seeing Pony. This wasn't because there was anything positive about her in this book but did showcase how broken she was. It adds another dimension to the scars that these women endured. It also paved the way to what I hope was a hint that eventually there will be a book for Pony. I would love to see that journey, although to be honest, that will take a miracle because that girl is so broken.
Perhaps the biggest surprise in this wasn't the actual main characters but rather it was the surprise interactions with Spencer. I have a love-hate relationship with that guy but in this one, I definitely scored a few brownie points and showed he is more than just his cocky surly self. There were some areas that I wanted to be improved on especially towards the end and the conclusion of a HFN made it feel rushed and incomplete. I am guessing this is because oftentimes it is "incomplete" because these characters generally make a reappearance in other BL books or the Roulette anthologies.
I look forward to more from not only this author but this entire series.