A review by kfriend
The Butcher of the Bay: Part I by J. Bree
5.0
Oh my bloody goodness- why have I been holding out on J Bree?! Truth be told- I have had the Hannaford Prep series on my kindle for more than a minute waiting to dig into, but this is my first J Bree reading experience- I love a good bloody cover. But, after digging into this duet- I’m definitely going to head back into her prior books to get all the stories about some of these beloved characters that I’m only getting to know here. That said, this can be read as a standalone- so I had no issue reading it and enjoying it without knowing the full history.
Johnny Illium, the Butcher of the Bay, Illi is the ultimate dark anti-hero. He’s intensely and mercilessly protective over those he cares about- especially Odie (Odette). I just ate him up- he’s alpha, foul mouthed, and deliciously funny. He’s a brutal- yet he has this big giant heart. A heart that beats for our poor tortured heroine- man, has she been through some stuff. But she’s fierce, she’s a survivor- she’s smart, resilient, and has such fortitude. Both of them just spoke to my soul- and I loved how their relationship, which is tender and sweet and restorative to both of them is juxtaposed to the dark brutality of the world around them. That contrasts makes their story even more special, more emotional, and makes it feel even more epic and intimate.
What impressed me most is the world building here- J Bree wields words to create a dynamic experience in the way an artist wields paint and brush. And this is a dark and captivating world she’s weaving. The characters that inhabit it are dynamic, flawed, and moral ambiguous in places- just so interesting, super intriguing, and damn original.
I love a book that incites emotional range- and I’m excited to see if J Bree’s other work does the same for me. I laughed, I hurt, and I swooned, sometimes all in the same page. The ending has me hung over in the worst way- so muchs I immediately one clicked the next book and am already neck deep back into this Bay world. Excited to fall deeper into the very addictive world that is J Bree and her Bay/Hannaford crew!
PS- LOADS Of triggers
Johnny Illium, the Butcher of the Bay, Illi is the ultimate dark anti-hero. He’s intensely and mercilessly protective over those he cares about- especially Odie (Odette). I just ate him up- he’s alpha, foul mouthed, and deliciously funny. He’s a brutal- yet he has this big giant heart. A heart that beats for our poor tortured heroine- man, has she been through some stuff. But she’s fierce, she’s a survivor- she’s smart, resilient, and has such fortitude. Both of them just spoke to my soul- and I loved how their relationship, which is tender and sweet and restorative to both of them is juxtaposed to the dark brutality of the world around them. That contrasts makes their story even more special, more emotional, and makes it feel even more epic and intimate.
What impressed me most is the world building here- J Bree wields words to create a dynamic experience in the way an artist wields paint and brush. And this is a dark and captivating world she’s weaving. The characters that inhabit it are dynamic, flawed, and moral ambiguous in places- just so interesting, super intriguing, and damn original.
I love a book that incites emotional range- and I’m excited to see if J Bree’s other work does the same for me. I laughed, I hurt, and I swooned, sometimes all in the same page. The ending has me hung over in the worst way- so muchs I immediately one clicked the next book and am already neck deep back into this Bay world. Excited to fall deeper into the very addictive world that is J Bree and her Bay/Hannaford crew!
PS- LOADS Of triggers