Kindle Customer

3.5 stars

Revisado: 08-12-24

-Spoilers-





I'm not sure if I've read or listened to this author's books before, but I will say this book was very intriguing with all the twists and turns. The characters were interesting. I will admit that I prefer Miles over Cade as I felt that Cade was harder to understand or more like he was rather careless and volatile? He didn't trust easily and went back on his word at times even when he seemed willing to try and grow at certain times before falling back on whatever he was taught or conditioned to believe. I also felt at a few points that even though he seemed possessive of Miles, I felt like he could potentially get to the point of harming Miles purposefully with his magic with the intent of showing who is in charge after they've known each other for a while. But my preference might be influenced since the POV was only in Miles perspective. I liked Miles character because despite everything he has been through, he is still such a loyal and good person. I feel bad for both of them for losing their parents. But I believe that something different must have actually taken place than the tale that has been told. I don't think Miles parents were involved in the event 11 years ago and they were most likely framed, like Miles nearly was with poisoning Cade. Or they were drugged. Miles parents seemed too kind to be involved and with the fact that they were later captured. I feel like one of the current villains was involved with all four of them not being alive anymore, as the one villain is at least at fault for Miles parents not coming back. I am curious about the other family member of Miles that survived and why they aren't together right now.
I am glad that their intimate moments weren't like a transaction kind of thing with np emotions and was legitimate between them. I do feel bad for Miles though as he seemed to be pretty emotionally attached to Cade and Cade is harder to read on his attachment or anything he wants since he most often keeps it to himself and seems to think Miles should know the correct answer in every situation or on what he actually wants - still confused about the whole reason why he was so mad about the collar thing when that is what he seemed to want in the beginning. I was happy that Miles seemed to have some self preservation and self worth on certain aspects, like refusing the collar in the very beginning despite being thrown in a difficult situation.
I will say that I suspected who the villains were relatively quickly and was right in the end for at least 4 of the characters. I'm not sure exactly what their motives are though, especially the two that got away. I knew Miles shouldn't have left the one person in Cade's room unattended as usually the quiet person who appears weak is often involved from what I've seen in previous books. And there were little slips here and there, even though I wanted to believe the two out of the four I suspected weren't actually involved as they seemed like a cute couple. I believe the 3rd was probably forced into doing all those things just because of who his mage partner was.
At this point in time I probably won't continue with the series mainly due to how it left off with the lack of time.


*narration*
I really enjoyed the narration and it really enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

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4 stars for story moved up to 4.25 stars for audio

Revisado: 07-04-24

*spoilers*


This is my first time reading and listening to a book written by this author. I thought it was pretty good with some unexpected twists. I did have many guesses on who the perpetrator was throughout book and the author did throw some curveball's, but once the character who was at fault for the death of her sister I was pretty positive he'd done, just wasn't exactly sure as to why. The author did throw a few key words that made me kind of doubt my guess or think another person was involved in as well, which wasn't the case. This was very much a slow burn romance wise. I didn't exactly like and was kind of confused about why Matt was briefly jealous about Bree having a friend, when a lot of people have friends and it was a bit presumptuous of him as I suspected he thought the friend was a guy. Neither main character is perfect, even when I was kind of expecting something a bit different. I kind of wish we could have gotten more description type of dialogue about the main characters as I just had a hard time picturing them and I'm not sure I was able to get to know them. I thought the ending was pretty good and I couldn't help but get a bit excited that he was wanting to kiss her and he is totally going to try his best to win her over with not keeping things casual like he agreed to. But I can definitely understand Bree from her perspective because she has a lot going on right now. I think both main characters have a lot to deal with internally, like Matt's lack of confidence in his abilities and how he seems to be kind of ashamed of himself due to his injury. I hope he is able to find the purpose that I feel like he is lacking due to his long period of time recovering. Bree is recovering a lot from her grief of losing her sister and the trauma she received in her childhood, but I think this new life will be good for her. I was happy Dana decided to stay and help and enjoy her retirement in peace. I thought the mystery and emotions were portrayed very well, as I even cried during a few moments as well. I'm glad everything was solved in the end. I am curious why there is so much corruption within that police department in this town and I hope Matt will be given a little bit more justice for what he went through or a solid reason as to why they supposedly wanted him out of the picture. Was he that good of a deputy or was there something else in play? Why are drugs and corruption so rampant in such a small town out in the country? I have my doubts that things will end well for Justin in the end. I was really afraid that Matt was going to walk in with him gone from this earth. I hope he gets the help he needs but I think he's really going to have to figure that out himself. Other people can only do so much a d it didn't exactly work.

*narration*
The narrative was very good with portraying the emotion of the characters and really enhance my enjoyment of the

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4.5 stars

Revisado: 05-22-24

This is the first time doing a complete read of the audiobook and ebook. It was fantastic.

*Spoilers*


I really enjoyed this book. Parts of it I did remember from my earlier time reading/skimming through it, but a lot of it was new. I enjoyed reading the development between Kyrion and Leisa as ir was a natural progression of falling in love, not too fast and not too slow. I appreciated how respectful they were of each other and the genuine feelings they had for one another.

I honestly really admire Leisa's character as I stated in my previous review for the first book. I love her quick wit - oh the way she threw Danric's words right back at him was golden (and probably one of my favorite moments) and I loved it, especially with the fact that she essentially revealed that she was the one acting as the princess and if he stated anything about it, he would appear like he was crazy since he was in a room full of people. The look on his face was not described but I can only imagine that he was feel very shocked, dumbstruck, horrified, and potentially confused or maybe even a bit afraid since the realization would have connected the fact of what type of magic she has. He did seem to be drawn to her during that scene, like something from her mannerisms was familiar, but her appearance didn't match, which is why he finally asked who she was to try and figure it out on why she felt familiar.

I wasn't expecting Kyrion's character to have a joking/teasing side to him, so that was a pleasant surprise. I also feel bad for his family who were made to believe that he was dead for 10 years. I also feel bad for Kyrion and his siblings that he missed out on a good portion of their lives that they can't get back. I also have a sneaking suspicion that his father might have been murdered or set up to be killed by his brother. I just have a hard time believing that a strong swordsman and shifter would be kiiled by a wyvern. I mean, there is a possibility, but I got the impression that his father was pretty strong. But it could have been a fluke and it ended up with his father being killed. I'm not sure exactly I understand all the details of what exactly happened when Kyrion was captured, why he went to form a treaty by himself, and how Kyrion figured out what type of poison it was that had immobilzed him - unless human made poisons don't work on night elves. I am curious to see if Kyrion will hone the magic into weapon skill he used in his battle with his uncle, as that could be an unexpected and useful tool to have in the future. I am also not sure why he hid his shifted form from Leisa or if it was even intentional that he hid that form from her. I do wonder if the reason why he could call like a wyvern in book 1 was because he can shift into one or if it's something all night elves are taught to scare off threats. So, my thought that Kyrion didn't age throughout those 10 years was incorrect. Well, mentally he aged, but I'm not sure about physically if he looked any different or not. I'm still unsure how he was able to live without much or any sleep nor does it seem like he was able to eat or drink. He apparently doesn't need much food to surive with how he gave Leisa most of his portion of food when they got captured.

I honestly find Vaniell to be a funny and intriguing character, despite no one else exactly liking him in the book. His comment about the no one wanting to go against the King and wasn't sure why was hilarious to me. I do believe what he was trying to convey to Zander is the same thing that Leisa was stating in the book multiple times: that the kingdom is more than just who thier ruler is as the kingdom is built with many different individuals who might not share the same opinion as their ruler and aren't appart of what the ruler of the kingdom does. That they are as much victoms by their kingdom's king as anyone else. They are individuals who may not agree with how their kingdom is being ruled and to keep that in mind when helping the princess, as the king is just one single person among hundreds or thousands of people with their own opinions and needs.

I do have a theory. I had a sneaking suspicion when I recently read the first book that the prologue or first chapter played more importance than I had originally thought. With the reveal in the epolgue regarding the 2nd prince, I believe he was the one who had trapped Kyrion in the armor with magic, which was also how he was able to get that necklace to connect Leisa with the Raven in book 1 to mess with his father's plan. Originally, I thought there was some third party involved, but I don't think that is the case. I believe his father blackmailed the 2nd prince with the threat of harming his mother or potetially the character that he ends up with in the 5th and 6th book, which is why he was forced to cooperate with his father in making that armor. I would like to believe that Kyrion wasn't aware of who actually made the armor or was the one who put the spell on it, since he has a strong dislike for the king who had captured him, but he did have a dislike for the 2nd prince - especially with the fact that Kyrion called him a snake, but it could just be due to how the 2nd prince is which is why he disliked him since he harbored a way stronger dislike for the king. Kyrion didn't seem to indicate that he knew exactly who had made the armor or spelled it. Kind of a loose thread to back up my theory is that the 2nd prince specifically mentioned the timeline of 10 years to Leisa back in the first book while no one else mentioned it. Of course that knowledge of the king having the Raven is known to his family, but it just feels like an interesting coucidence that the 2nd prince would be the one to mention the 10 year timeline. I am also very intrigued by the 2nd prince and all of the secrets and plans he is keeping hidden. I do wonder if both princes truly do not get along or if that is potentially a front in some ways. In a way, I can see some of the differences between them that migh cause a rift between them, such as one having magic and the other doesn't.

I feel like Leisa is correct on her theory about Danric. I believe that he is an honest and noble man who strives to do the right thing. Is reliable. But I have a feeling - as Vaniell stated - that he has been twisted around to believe everything his father has told him and is basically his father's puppet. I am not sure why Danric doesn't have magic but Vaniell does. Kyrion had mentioned that the king had very little magic, so it kind of makes sense that Danric wouldn't have much or any since I am assuming the queen doesn't have any magic either. But than again, that doesn't explain Vaniell having magic nor does it explain why the king believes Vaniell to not be his child. I'm not sure how it all works with people being able to sense magic or not. Leisa doesn't seem to be able to sense magic in humans or else she'd probably have realized sooner about her kingdom's princess or with Vaniell. But she is able to sense Kyrion's magic, but that could also be due to her link with him. So, I'm not sure if that is due to night elves having more prominant/stronger magic that makes her more aware of it, or it's possible she's just not exactly looking to see if other humans have magic. Or as I stated, it could be due to her link with him, but I also don't exactly remember if she was able to sense other night elves magic.

In a way, I kind of feel bad for Danric as I also believe along with Leisa that he can change/that there is hope for him with figuring out that he has been led astray with what he should believe in. I am interested to learn more about his character - for some reason, I feel like I heard that the princess and Danric had met before or had been friends and that she already had a crush on him from that time before, which might have been why there were these moments that might have been odd if you didn't know who she was going to end up with. I'm not sure how they met or on if it was from attending balls, going to school doesn't seem to fit as there is too much of an age difference - I believe the princess is 20 or 21 according to what Leisa said since she is older than her at 23 (still not sure how old Kyrion is as the only mention of age was him stating he was in his 20s mooning over someone as he was older now, so my guess would be early 30s but I'm not sure what the life span of a night elf is) but from the sounds of it Vaniell might be in his late 20s to early 30s as he was a bit older than Leisa thought he would be, so that would make Danric probably in his early to mid 30s, so kind of a bit of an age gap between the princess and Danric for it to have been a school setting (also, they are from different kingdoms and I'm not even sure the princess attended school outside of her home). But I feel like I had also heard that Danric might have been aware of her magic from how they met, but I'm not exactly 100% sure about that.

*Narration*
I thought the narrative was fantastic. I love the way she voices Vaniell as it is 100% on point, along with how she voices the princess, Leisa, and Kyrion are very on point as well. I thought Danric sounded a bit like King Soren or his father for a little bit, but it was okay as I knew who was speaking.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to other people.

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4.5 stars

Revisado: 05-18-24

I have read and listened to this book a few times before, but for some reason I never wrote a review. I'm not sure if it's because I would start the book but not finish it due to life or the fact that I've struggled with paying attention to the ending in the past - which I'm not sure exactly why that is the case - or the book gave me anxiety. Who knows as it's been a long time since I last completely read this book. I don't think I've read past book 1 in a complete readthrough, probably due to the fact that the series wasn't complete. Now that it is completed and I have the time to focus on this series - and hopefully not get too stressed out or anxious as I feel like things are going to get pretty tense in the upcoming books - I can now finally continue past the 1st book, which I am really looking forwards to.

*Potential Spoilers*


During this listen/read through, the first chapter really had me wondering on if the person who made the armor and was being threatened plays an important part later on in the story. Who was the mage the king was threatening and then who was the person he was using as blackmail against the mage? Why did the king decide to capture the person who he calls the Raven? Was it on purpose or by chance or was the Raven doublecrossed/betrayed by someone he knew and wanted to get him out of the way? But I am under the impression or belief that there might be more significance to the first chapter than I originally thought, but this is just a guess.
My other question that has been plaguing my mind for a long time now is: How was the Raven able to survive physically in that armor? The Raven - which I will be refraining from calling him by his actual name in this review due to spoilers as I am trying to keep this as spoiler free as possible - was trapped in that armor for 10 years, but I am not sure how he hasn't aged, needed to eat, sleep, function as a living being, and do other things when it was mentioned that he sleeps very little or not at all and it doesn't appear as if he is able to eat or drink since he didn't actually drink the tea Leisa gave him due to his mask since he can't remove it - unless he uses a straw.... He also seemed to have been unable to physically speak along with his magic being tramped. I highly doubt he had a room or a place to stay as he wasn't even treated as a person by everyone else. Which, is honestly really sad, especially to have lived in this way with being forced to do things against his will for 10 years. And for Leisa to arrive and treat the Raven with kindness, concern, and as a person once she got over her fear? I loved it.
I honestly could relate to Leisa a lot throughout this read through and I really admire her strenght and dedication when forced into this situation. I enjoyed her sense of humor. And overall thought she was a really interesting character. I liked the ML as well, but we don't get to know him very well, but I definetly feel bad for him and hope he can at some point heal from the torture he has lived through and that he can find good in humanity.
I do think that the 2nd prince is faking a lot and is actually a lot smarter than he let's people know. I'm not sure exactly what his agenda is, but I do think he has something against his father the king and maybe something against his older brother in extension. I think the true moments of when he was possibly truly himself was when he was serious about letting Leisa know about the person in jail and during a few moments in that scene. And his scheming face and when Leisa caught him off gaurd and his mask slipped. When he is being flamboyent and during most of the book, I think he was acting or happy about Leisa getting under his father's skin/or his own plan working. I just believe that he isn't what he appears to be as I think there is a different side to him that he isn't showing. I kind of found him quite amusing and I kind of like him as well as he seems to be an interesting character.
The older brother, I am going to believe he is just really unhappy about his younger brother being betrothed to the princess when he might have feelings for her? At least that is what I have heard from the blurb. But I'm not sure why he was so hurtful when speaking about the princess. I am intrigued by his character.
The queen and both kings, I'm not sure what exactly their goals are. The queen might not have any goal, but she definelty seemed to want to hide something during the ball, I'm just not sure what - was the 2nd prince drunk, flirting with other women? Or did it have something to do with the king and his behavior? There did seem to be a noticable difference that was pointed out twice about the king: The queen mentioned something about the fact that he wasn't like this with being battle hungry and considering to blackmail his own son into an alliance before he had left on a trip. There is also the difference between the king's eyes in the portrait and who he is in the present, as Leisa mentioned they burned or something. King Soren...I believe he is just a king who unfortunately had to make a couple hard decisions to protect his kingdom and his daughter. The other king seems to be power hungry and delusional.

*Narration*

In the past when the audiobook first came out, I was a bit disappointed by the fact that it wasn't dual narrated or had two narrators. But with listening to it so many times, I honestly think that the narrator fit very well with Leisa and the Raven.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forwards to listen/reading the next book.

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- 3.5 stars round up to 4 stars -

Revisado: 02-26-24 El oyente recibió este título gratis

This is my second time listening to the audiobook, but for some reason I reviewed the book but not the audiobook.

*Spoilers*

From my past review of book, I had orginally gave this book 3 stars but was undecided between 3, 3.5, or 4 stars. The issues I had was that I felt like the romance went by really quickly to the point it felt like insta-love and that I kept forgetting who the characters were. I'm not exactly a fan of insta-love romances and it is true that Talon and Finn had worked with each other not very long before they ended up sleeping with each other and liking each other. I also had written about the fact that I was concerened about how Finn felt too young and green to be in the FBI, that he wasn't ready for such a commitment. But that feeling was probably due to him being surrounded by people who all had way more experience than him.

Now for an updated review.
I was interested in the story in the very beginning as it felt like it was something I was wanting to read. I didn't have any strong emotions towards any specific events because I kind of already knew what was going to happen. I remember one of the reasons I had stopped listening to this book was due to how heavy of topics this story has, especially with Finn's father. I do feel like Finn was put in a situation he was not prepared for and everyone knew it and admitted to it. He didn't have any formal training desipite how knowlegable he was about many different things. I would say he probably is around 21-23 since I don't recall if his age was actually mentioned, but he is in a way a bit niave and inexperienced, which makes it stand out how young he is and is why people started calling him a kid. He possibly might be younger, but he was drinking alchol so I'm not exactly sure. He just has a young appearance as well, especially with some of his more casual clothes that he wears. For some reason, one thought that came to mind is that I kept thinking about the things he left back at his mother and brother's house, because he hadn't packed everything he had with him. So I kept thinking how he was going to get his stuff and if his stuff would still be there with how mad his mother and brother were about him suddenly being on the news. His mother had shown in the passed that she didn't care about throwing things that were special to people away, so I wouldn't be surprised if his stuff isn't there anymore. Especially since Finn didn't have any intention of going back.
Towards the end, I didn't have much attachment to any of the characters. It could be because I have a lot going on right now, but it also could be that the book felt kind of short. It wasn't long enough for development for Finn and Talon's relationship, which there didn't feel like much to go on between them. They are constantly being put through the ringer and no one being forth coming about talking about themselves - which honestly isn't a surprise when they've barely known each other and were put into a partnership that part of the group didn't want - and so they just haven't had the time to really slow down and get to know each other from each other without hearing information from someone else. They are definitely attracted to each other physically and gradually become fond of each other, but in a sense, they barely know one another. There hasn't been time for them to get to know each other with all that is going on. The lack of time was a big issue with their relationship. There wasn't time for Talon to show Finn around the area, make sure Finn had everything he needed - like food and money - and with getting to know each other. I feel like it was a little unfair of Gael to get so mad at Talon for not making sure Finn had all of those things because Talon had a lot going on with being in the new situation, with a team to lead, a lot going through his head mentally and emotionally. And there was just a feeling that there was a lack of time with Talon being extremely busy to not have realized how unprepared Finn was with the whole situation. I think it should have been the person - Gregory - who had hired him to make sure Finn knew everything, got a tour of the place, and to make sure Talon was aware of the things he was supposed to do to make sure Finn was situated. One thing I would have liked to have seen was partner excerises. Where they had to learn to trust each other and work together. Or moments where they were spending time together when one of them wasn't injured.
I also felt like there wasn't much drive with figuring out who was behind the mystery of what was going on. The villian who was behind it kind of just revealed themselves as admitted to doing a lot of things without there being much "Who did it?" like in other books. They didn't really do much searching either on screen because it was mainly the side characters doing the work due to Finn being injured and both Talon and Finn taking time off from work. This could be an issue with the world building, but I'm not sure. Maybe this book wasn't meant to be written as a mystery? I will continue on with the series as I am interested in seeing where things go and learning about some of the side characters.

*Narration*
I thought the narrator did a wonderful job with this book. He gave all the characters distinct voices that fit with their character.

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4.25 stars

Revisado: 02-02-24

*Spoilers*

I believe this is the first time I've read and listened to this book. I enjoyed it a bit more than the 1st book for some reason. Jamie was an interesting character, and so was Mel. I still found there were a few "roll your eye" moments. I still ended up skipping over the intimate scenes, as I wasn't exactly interested or comfortable in reading how explicit they were. But I tried with the shower scene and when Mel was exploring Jamie's chest, but had to skip over it when it got to be a bit too much. It did get rather dark at times. I also didn't expect one of the people to be a villain. I really liked the cameo mention of Romeo from the Hashtag series, which kind of makes me hope there might be a short story between both series, but I mainly liked the fact that this hinted that three of this authors series are in the same universe - I love cameos like this. I am curious timeline wise on how old Romeo is during this series, but I was relieved to see the word "is" and not "was" when describing him as the best quarterback football player - pretty sure that's his position - which means he's still playing and is alive. Besides that, I thought Jamie was wonderful towards Mel with how understanding and protective he was towards her. I liked their banter and his jokes. I find it amusing how he isn't a morning person. I am curious on what exactly everyone's going to school for degree wise. Rory is in the photography program, no idea what Ryan is going towards as all I know he does is swim and work out - wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a swim coach or is aiming for the Olympics like Jaime is or is in business or marketing due to his Dad like Jamie is. Jamie is in business because of his Dad, I guess, even though that's not what he wants to do, but is going to try out for the Olympics. And Mel is in theater but is switching to something else. I thought it was mentioned that Jamie and Ryan met and became friends in college, but from what I gathered, they've known each other a lot longer, since their moms have known each other for years and own their own business together. So there are a few loose ends, but overall it was a good book.

*Narration*
I thought the narrators did a fantastic job and fit very well with the characters.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

- 3.5 stars -

Revisado: 01-19-24

*Spoilers *





When this book first came out, I was intrigued by the summary and the cover art and by the fact that I've read some of her books before. And I've also never read a book featuring people who swim, so the setting was interesting as well. But, I struggled a lot with reading it. I couldn't get into it during the first couple chapters or the first couple pages, I'm not exactly sure - I might have skimmed ahead. So, since I've been wanting to do a re-read since I pretty much skipped this book and book 2 to read book 3 and 4 - which even then I skimmed some parts and read bits and pieces - I decided to try and listen to the audiobook.


*Skip this part and go to the label "Important" to skip over spoilers and things that I didn't exactly like about this book*

At first, I was pretty okay with the story. It seemed interesting. But then I kind of got impatient/annoyed, started comparing a few things with the Hashtag series - which I know that isn't fair to compare a book to the author's previous series and I hate the fact that I had these thoughts, but there are a few similarities that I couldn't help but notice (both series are about sports, MMC always man-handling the FMC such as carrying them around, overprotectiveness to the point it can cross some lines, the same dynamic with size difference with the FMC being very petite and MMC being tall and muscular and playing a sport, green being somewhere on the MMC's vehicle of choice, having a best friend bromance with one specific guy, the MMC getting into everyone's business with the people he cares about and wanting to help solve their problems, someone having a stalker, the "word and the girl" type of nickname being dubbed by best friend of MMC to FMC, and probably a few other things) - and just thinking this book isn't for me. I'm not a fan of insta-love, so that caused their relationship to go from 0 to 100 really fast. Like, they met when she was drowning and it was pretty much instant attraction despite not knowing each other at all. Then after ignoring him for a few days, they have an intimate scene and declare unofficially dating, and within a day or so, they are in love, spouting their devotion or thinking about the fact that they are the one for each other or something. It was just too fast. They acted like they've known each other for a long time when it's literally been a few weeks or several days. It also was pretty clear that Ryan was a player or ladies man with constant flings and hookups. I've also realized I don't exactly care for praise kink as it sounds kind of strange - or at least in this book between an MF couple, or maybe it's how it's written? I don't recall reading a book with a specific praise kink labeled as a trope, but I have read books with that type of words being used as a way of praising the other person, but maybe it fit the situation better in those books or it wasn't all the time or maybe I found those situations weird as well, who knows. Another thing that bothered me is the fact the "R" word and the "M" word kept getting thrown around a lot, especially in a somewhat careless matter with no facts or proof to back up these claims in the beginning of the book. Ryan didn't even hear the entire story before he labeled it that way when she essentially wasn't actually touched in that way since she fought him off - she was touched against her will but she wasn't specific and admitted she wasn't "R" word. I also just had a bit of a hard time taking it seriously, as it wasn't until the theater scene that I was like "oh , okay, I can feel her fear now and understand being in her position a bit better now". I believe you should be very careful when using those words as they are very serious matters, and many people have been falsely accused and put into jail when the weren't in the wrong. Who knew what the villians purpose was with pushing her into the pool and closing the cover over her (I am not defending the villian in any way in this review as what he did was wrong) - which that is another matter, who in their right mind and what school would have a pool cover over an indoor college sized pool? I've never heard of that before and seems like a waste of money and dangerous as there should be an emergency switch somewhere by the stairs in several places just in case something like this happened or not waste a couple thousand dollars (guessing on the dollar amount) for an unnecessary pool cover when there isn't any debris or animals that could get in, but then again, I've only been to a couple indoor pools, so maybe some indoor pools have covers. The pool cover being mentioned was actually what confused me when figuring out the setting when I first read the book as I thought it was an outdoor pool originally. Was it to scare her? Was he planning on coming back or leaving it closed until she begged to get out and that he hadn't intended to leave her there? Or is he crazy enough that he'd do what Rory and Ryan believed that he was trying to do? I will say that the SA scene in the last chapter by the villian towards the FMC was disgusting, horrifying, and possibly unnecessary (but that is my opinion as I'm not the author and I don't really care for those types of scenes) - or at least as far as it went. I do wish it was a bit clearer how Rory is getting passed this string of events, such as stating she was seeking counseling and not just a possible implication of ger recovery from the info she mentioned about the article she wrote. I also didn't exactly like the intimate scenes between Rory and Ryan. They were pretty explicit and I just wasn't exactly interested or comfortable reading them. I pretty much skimmed or completely skipped over those parts. Not sure I cared for the bro nickname either.
I also don't understand how some people can be so dismissive towards women when they bring up a serious claim when, especially if this was the first time, and then later on with clear evidence that something was going on. I know there are people out there who have this way of thinking, but the clear divide between men and women kind of bothered me but also made sense. There was also the middle ground, showing that not all men are like that towards women, which I appreciated, but again, I'm not sure if that fact was to show that women can be strong and independent while having a man who cares about them or something more objective and possession like, because all these characters have this possessiveness towards the character they are in a relationship with. But maybe I'm thinking about this too deeply. But I am curious if the same issue would have been dismissed and pushed under the rug so easily if a man had said the same thing as Rory did with a woman or a man being the perpetrator - but then again, statistically speaking from what I remember, men aren't as willing to be open about this type of situation happening to them, which is honestly sad as both men and women should be respected and boundaries shouldn't be crossed in that manner. I don't think I will ever like the Dean as a character and I can see why the coach said what he did and made up for it in the end, but I wish the coach could have been a bit more open on why he wasn't able to believe Ryan's statement right off the bat besides needing proof - but the coach also made a point about requiring the proof to be able to take legal action. I also kind of wish that there was a bit more mystery to who was being paired up with who in the upcoming books.

So, onto some positive things about this book. I liked how respectful Ryan was towards Rory when he would sometimes ask for her permission to touch her to make sure she was comfortable with it. Jamie was a relatively interesting character as well. I was mainly interested in seeing Max and Wes. To an outsider and without knowing the situation, it is a bit odd or creepy that Max kept popping up where Wes was, looking for him all concerned and making sure he was alright. But their dynamic is interesting. I am mostly interested in the plot, which is another reason why I skipped over the intimate scenes as I just want to know how things are going to end. I also thought the author did quite a bit of research on swimming as some of the terms and knowledge brought up was something I had never heard of before, like swimmers being twitchy when they sleep - not sure why that is - the term wake for waves, and how shallow water makes harsher waves. And how the butterfly stroke tones and utilizes different muscles compared to freestyle. I'm not sure where this book lands, but it isn't my favorite. I will also say that the final appearance of the villian was pretty creepy when only listening to the audiobook, as you know the villian is going to appear, but you aren't sure how or when. So that was well done. Not sure how he knew where she was though.

*Important*
My review is not meant to discourage people from reading or listening to this book as I've read and heard multiple people state good things about this book, series, and couple - and I don't have anything against the author, her books, or her writing style. Honestly, I'd highly recommend someone reading my review before reading/listening to the book to discover if this book is meant for them or not. My review is my own opinion and unfortunately this book just wasn't for me, or this wasn't the best time for me to read it as I have a lot going on right now in RL - I don't always like books that have MF couples with explicit scenes, so that might factor into a few things with my review. But it could be an interesting book for someone else. I will continue on with the series as I want to be able to read about the couples in books 3 and 4 before they get their official HEA. I almost feel like I shouldn't even post a review for this book, but I figured maybe someone else might have the same thoughts or would want awareness about some of the things that goes on in the book, like brief on screen SA.

*narrative*
Originally, I had the MMCs narrative voice being the same narrater as Romeo from Hashtag series. But this narrator fit Ryan's character really well. I thought in the beginning the narrative was pretty good. But then I started preferring Ryan's POV narrated chapters over Rorys. But then I didn't exactly like how Max was voiced in Ryan's POV, but kind of the same with Rorys POV as well. I haven't yet figure out what it is about Rorys POV narrative that I don't like as much as Ryan's- I'm not saying she wasn't good, I just kind of prefer the other narrator a bit more. It might be her male voices that she does. But her voice fits Rorys character really well.

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- 4 stars -

Revisado: 01-15-24

*spoilers*


I believe this is my second time completely reading and listening to this book as I first read it several years ago when the audio book first came out for the second book. I think. It's been a long time. I've tried to read this book several times since then, but I couldn't get into it and when I first read this book, I was left with the impression that Lane and Felix's relationship went by really quickly - like they confessed their love for each other was abrupt and that it didn't feel genuine, like they weren't actually in love with each other and said it in the moment. The first intimate scene also kind of felt out of place and not genuine, like they were using each other to make ends meet with feeling good type of thing. Also, as a few other reviews have stated, how was Felix even hired to take care of Lane? Despite being considered expendable due to his lack of connections if something were to go wrong, Lane was really the one doing all the work with taking care of his injuries and so forth, while Felix basically made sure he didn't fall, made sure he had food, and a few other things. But maybe James and partially Lane really didn't care if the person that was hired had skills or not, who knows. There was some loose ends or things that came up that didn't really meet what someone would do in reality. And if they hired someone who was expendable, then they must have believed there was a possiblity of someone coming after Lane again.
I still kind of get the same impression during this read through as I did when I first read this book with their relationship being fast/insta-love like and lacking real connection. Kind of. I can tell that they care about each other - to an extent - and have been through a lot with all the action and shenanigans throughout the entire book. I don't think they necessarily know each other very well since their relationship is still very new. But I think they know each other enough to get a read on each other. They also like to constantly tease and make fun of each other, but I think they know that it doesn't come from a mean place - I think they would immediately apologize if it was taken too far or get back at each other in some way. I think another thing is that once again, this is new for both of them. They aren't in a place where they are 100% comfortable and willing to be completely open with each other, which might be why their confession of being in love felt abrupt and came out of no where - they were also coming off of a life or death situation as well. I think I would have understood it better if they had confessed to liking each other, it's just stating they are in love with each other didn't really come across very well in my opinion. It felt somewhat empty. Which this impression I've had of them was why I felt discouraged to reread this book or continue on with the series - despite the many positive reviews about their characters. In the past I did have issues with their teasing as I viewed it to be pretty hurtful and not exactly funny, especially with someone who is honestly struggling with a new, terrifying, and irreversable situation. But having read other books by this author, it's kind of just how she writes, except in the other series by this author, the character's banter isn't exactly like this and doesn't feel like it is demeaning towards the other person - except maybe a few moments between Marcus and Finn in the beginning of their relationship. I think in some ways I do feel like I still have an issue with the way they banter with each other, as a lot of it wasn't exactly funny. I think in some way, Felix's teasing did help lighten Lane's perspective and mood about his new disability, and get him out of feeling depressed about the situation. But a lot of it wasn't exactly okay, especially with Felix's character. Lane due to his injury can be excused at certain points, and he did go extremely out of his way to apologize to Felix when he said something that Felix found to be really hurtful. I feel like a lot happened in this book, some of it was pretty funny, but other parts not so much. I'm going to try and give this series another chance and maybe things will make more sense. That their relationship is possibly more of a slow burn compared to the author's other books. Overall, I'm not sure what to make of this book. I don't think this book is really my favorite out of this author's work. I feel like Felix's character could do with some improvement in some ways. I generally found Lane's character to be rather interesting, especially how he is so good with weapons and with his undercover work. I would have liked more description on what he looked like besides the constant topic on his muscles being brought up. Like does he have scaring around his eyes from the damage he took? Does he most often wear sunglasses or is he fine without wearing them? I will also say that this book over uses "I'm fine" and "Are you okay/alright?" way too much. This villian might have been a little to hyped up, especially with how things ended for the villian.

*narration*
I thought the narrative was very well done and it definitely enhanced my enjoyment of this book. Joel Leslie literally became the characters.

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4.5 stars

Revisado: 12-18-23

I'm not sure exactly what to say. I've tried reading/listening to this book before, but I don't recall why I didn't finish it. Maybe I got impatient or lost interest and skimmed ahead, I'm not sure.

*Spoilers*












I honestly thought that there was a possibility that Jack was somehow behind this - that he had discovered Quaid had lied that there wasn't something going on between him and Asland and was wanting to teach Quaid a lesson - and he somehow orchestrated the entire thing since he is an evil person, but no matter how much I thought about it, I didn't think it would be possible to beat yourself up to that extent or pay someone to do that to yourself. So the person behind it was surprising, even when I thought when looking back, the introduction to their character was a bit random or odd.
I still can't make sense as to why Jack was involved with Quaid and why he strung him along, lied, cheated, was involved in so much behind Quaid's back, and had a completely different persona when he was with him. Quaid wasn't even Jack's type according to everyone who knew him. And they also didn't actually seem to share the same interests in the bedroom. Did he like the power of emotionally and mentally abusing Quaid? Did he truly not have a hidden camera in Quaids house or filmed Quaid or both of them behind Quaids back? I honestly wouldn't mind an explanation as Quaid is pretty much wondering the same thing - except for the hidden camera part. I also agree with Quaid about not wanting to ever see him again, but then again he seems to believe a confrontation from Jack once he heals is unavoidable.
I am glad to see that both Quaid and Asland are now being a bit more honest with their feelings. I really hope Asland shows patience towards Quaid, as Quaid is a romantic at heart, and desperately wants someone to love and be loved; to have the family he never was able to have as a child, to have someone to come home to and fill the loneliness he lives with. I honestly feel for him as it saddens me. I kind of wish Quaid could speak to someone or a therapist about everything, as I think that might help - which I was proud of him that he opened up to Asland about Juniper and Jack, which will hopefully help Asland with understanding Quaid. I also hope Quaid is a bit self aware and takes things slow, as he's coming off of a rough and debilitating relationship that has destroyed his self esteem, self worth, and his ability to trust people he is in a relationship with, and to skip steps with wanting to settle down - but I kind of doubt he will since his deep need to settle down will probably win over. But this is new for both of them, it's a learning process, so it's inevitable that they'll hit a few rough patches - not that it won't be difficult to read. I am kind of curious what type of person Asland was when he wasn't sober, but from what he said, I don't think he was a pleasant person - maybe around Torin (or Torin worked with him long enough that he knew Asland was a good person deep down) he was for the most part at times, but he has stated that his alcoholism destroyed his relationships with most of his family and has deeply affected his work environment with his co-workers as not too many people like him at work. I kind of got the impression that he might have had more of a temper if he wasn't partying or less of a filter, and would possibly go pretty far for another drink. With the guy who covered him now under investigation, I wouldn't be surprised if that incident with his car comes to light, and he is reprimanded for it. I was also happy to see Asland defend Quaid along with the other moments that showed that they cared about each other, like Quaid concerned about Asland's health by ordering the orange juice instead of the Sunny D - to some people that could be seen as controlling or something negative, but in the end it was up to Asland to consent with Quaid or not, and I believe Quaid only does it to people he really cares about because he wants them to be healthy and alive, so it comes from good intentions. Their banter was pretty cute as well and I love how they make each other smile and happy - and they are so infatuated with each other. The thing I like about this series is the fact that the relationships shown are depicted so realistically. It wasn't instantaneous for Quaid and Asland to come to terms with their feelings and realize that they liked each other more than some casual thing. And they are taking their time to get to know each other when they are able to. And actually going on dates - which maybe that's just me, but I feel like I've not read many books recently that specifically mentions that.
Overall, this was an interesting book and I wasn't expecting how it would end. Quaid has sure been through the runner throughout this book, I'm just glad he now has Asland at his side to hopefully be there in support from what is to come that was hinted at the end of the book.

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4.5 stars

Revisado: 11-23-23

*Spoilers*



I had previously read the book when it first came out and really enjoyed it. I really liked Cuan, Aislan, Tal, and all of the other characters. I am interested to see where their story is headed next, but I am also curious to see what Rhone's story entails as he reminded me a bit of a pirate but on land and not at sea - or something like a robinhood type of character. I am hoping Tal and Aislan will someday meet the other characters from the main story, as I love crossovers between series where familiar characters - or character's we've previously been in their POV - meet each other. I thought Aislan was a very wise and insightful as a character. I had a sneaking suspicion after Tal mentioned what a moon stone was, so it was interesting to see the end result of her mission. I felt a bit bad for Sedric, but I am glad he is taking things into his own hands by the end and changing things for the better. I thought Cuan was very cute and I loved how loyal he was to Tal and Aislan. I was surprised that Tal and Aislan were suddenly married at the end of the book and I have no idea how much time had passed between the epilogue and the chapter before it. It seemed like it was several months, becuase if I recall correctly, she had went out on her mission in the summer or fall, and spring seemed to have just begun in the epilogue. In a way, I kind of wish there was more with the epilogue, as it did end before Tal and Aislan were apparently going to go on another journey to save her father - which I have a feeling Tal was about to ask that he would like to travel with her again at some point before he was cut off, as I can see him wanting a little bit of a break from being in one place for so long and wanting more alone time with Aislan (and Cuan), but I'm not 100% sure about that, as I am sure he'd be anywhere Aislan was and would be happy. So I wasn't exactly satisified with the epilogue and with how the book ended, but it did give way to the possibility of a sequel or they will appear again in another book.

*Narration*
I thought the narration was done very well and I enjoyed it immensly. It definitely heightened my enjoyment of the book even more. I thought both narrators fit the characters really well and they did a wonderful job. This was a first for me to hear a book narrated by Tim Campbell, and I thought he fit Tal's character really well. He did a nice job voicing Aislan as well.

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