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A review by booksafety
Pretty Dogs by Riley Nash
2.0
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
Not loving this book is kinda sad. Riley Nash can write like few others can, so this was very disappointing. The trans representation is fantastic, and I can only imagine the bravery needed to put so much of yourself in a character and share it with the world like this. Dallas is amazing. However, it felt like everything around Dallas was a bit of a mess. There were some worrying inconsistencies in the characters, which resulted in me not having a good grasp on Beck as character, even after finishing the book. The Beck-being-in-a-gang subplot was simultaneously all over the place as well as going nowhere. It felt unfinished and not fleshed out like it needed. The final quarter of the book springs a massive change in plot related to something that I had no idea was even on either of the MCs minds, and it didn’t work for me at all.
The most ‘upsetting’ thing (for lack of a better word), is that I don’t really buy into Dallas and Beck as a couple. I didn’t feel any chemistry between them in Bad Dogs, and I unfortunately didn’t feel much of it in this either. I think they are the most adorable friends, and whenever they were cuddling I smiled and swooned. The change from tactile friends to suddenly sexing each other up and being boyfriends felt unnatural though, as neither MC hinted at being interested in more prior to the moment it happened. At one point I started shipping Dallas with someone else entirely, and I was more invested in the stories of two newly introduced side characters.
I adored seeing Scout, Roman and Tubbs again. Roman is still adorable as ever, and I want to hug him whenever he’s in a scene.
Oh well. This one didn’t work for me, and that’s okay.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Best friends to lovers
Hurt/comfort
CNC
Primal play
Trans rep
Found family
Tactile MCs
Cuddling
Virgin MC
Size difference
Possessiveness
Opposites attract
Tattoos
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Physical violence between MC and stepparent (past, on page)
Food insecurity
Mentions of past child abuse
Financial problems (poverty)
Graphic violence
Gun violence
Injured MCs
Brief mentions of past stabbing (off page)
Transphobia
Misgendering
Primal kink
Mild consensual non-consent
Internalized transphobia
Medical injections
Mentions of homelessness
Mentions of sex work (not MCs)
Mentions of death of a parent (off page, past)
Brief mention of drug overdose (off page, no details)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
MCs age: 22 and 22
Pages: 279
I want him to know my truth–that I’m built of stories and scars, not chromosomes.
“I just don’t understand why some people are born with the soul of one person and the body of another, and then get punished for it their whole lives.”
I’ve quickly learned that ‘baby’ and ‘bitch’ are this man’s love language. If he speaks to you like a normal person, it means he doesn’t give a shit about you.
“Everyone is dirt, Beck,” he mumbles, mostly asleep. I smooth a hand over his hair, stroking it back, and kiss his forehead. “Not you, pretty boy. You’re space dust. All the colors in the universe.”
“Roman?” Scout hollers at the top of his lungs. “I have a present for you.” After a long pause, clunking footsteps give way to a sleepy-looking Rome, who must have just crawled out of a nap in his hoodie and boxers. As soon as his golden eyes land on the table, he gasps, “Oh shit.” “Do you know how to take care of…” I quit mid-sentence, because the man isn’t listening to me. He shoves past Scout, scoops up the kitten with no hesitation, and cradles it to his chest with a series of gentle crooning noises. Scout raises his eyebrows at me, like see? “What’s his name?” Roman asks, as if he thinks I adopted it from the local shelter. When I don’t answer, he glances up and finally notices my injuries. Instead of asking if I’m alright, he looks down at the kitten with solemn awe. “You got him good, didn’t you? You’re a fighter.”
Not loving this book is kinda sad. Riley Nash can write like few others can, so this was very disappointing. The trans representation is fantastic, and I can only imagine the bravery needed to put so much of yourself in a character and share it with the world like this. Dallas is amazing. However, it felt like everything around Dallas was a bit of a mess. There were some worrying inconsistencies in the characters, which resulted in me not having a good grasp on Beck as character, even after finishing the book. The Beck-being-in-a-gang subplot was simultaneously all over the place as well as going nowhere. It felt unfinished and not fleshed out like it needed. The final quarter of the book springs a massive change in plot related to something that I had no idea was even on either of the MCs minds, and it didn’t work for me at all.
The most ‘upsetting’ thing (for lack of a better word), is that I don’t really buy into Dallas and Beck as a couple. I didn’t feel any chemistry between them in Bad Dogs, and I unfortunately didn’t feel much of it in this either. I think they are the most adorable friends, and whenever they were cuddling I smiled and swooned. The change from tactile friends to suddenly sexing each other up and being boyfriends felt unnatural though, as neither MC hinted at being interested in more prior to the moment it happened. At one point I started shipping Dallas with someone else entirely, and I was more invested in the stories of two newly introduced side characters.
I adored seeing Scout, Roman and Tubbs again. Roman is still adorable as ever, and I want to hug him whenever he’s in a scene.
Oh well. This one didn’t work for me, and that’s okay.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Best friends to lovers
Hurt/comfort
CNC
Primal play
Trans rep
Found family
Tactile MCs
Cuddling
Virgin MC
Size difference
Possessiveness
Opposites attract
Tattoos
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Physical violence between MC and stepparent (past, on page)
Food insecurity
Mentions of past child abuse
Financial problems (poverty)
Graphic violence
Gun violence
Injured MCs
Brief mentions of past stabbing (off page)
Transphobia
Misgendering
Primal kink
Mild consensual non-consent
Internalized transphobia
Medical injections
Mentions of homelessness
Mentions of sex work (not MCs)
Mentions of death of a parent (off page, past)
Brief mention of drug overdose (off page, no details)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
MCs age: 22 and 22
Pages: 279
I want him to know my truth–that I’m built of stories and scars, not chromosomes.
“I just don’t understand why some people are born with the soul of one person and the body of another, and then get punished for it their whole lives.”
I’ve quickly learned that ‘baby’ and ‘bitch’ are this man’s love language. If he speaks to you like a normal person, it means he doesn’t give a shit about you.
“Everyone is dirt, Beck,” he mumbles, mostly asleep. I smooth a hand over his hair, stroking it back, and kiss his forehead. “Not you, pretty boy. You’re space dust. All the colors in the universe.”
“Roman?” Scout hollers at the top of his lungs. “I have a present for you.” After a long pause, clunking footsteps give way to a sleepy-looking Rome, who must have just crawled out of a nap in his hoodie and boxers. As soon as his golden eyes land on the table, he gasps, “Oh shit.” “Do you know how to take care of…” I quit mid-sentence, because the man isn’t listening to me. He shoves past Scout, scoops up the kitten with no hesitation, and cradles it to his chest with a series of gentle crooning noises. Scout raises his eyebrows at me, like see? “What’s his name?” Roman asks, as if he thinks I adopted it from the local shelter. When I don’t answer, he glances up and finally notices my injuries. Instead of asking if I’m alright, he looks down at the kitten with solemn awe. “You got him good, didn’t you? You’re a fighter.”