Review by Sunshine and rain
Sep 5, 2016What happened here? I'm so confused. I have been in love with this author's series through book after book. After months of waiting for the next one here comes the spin off series featuring confused ass, immature acting Zac and boring Ben. Their relationship was like watching paint dry. The set up to the big misunderstanding was so unrealistic to me. Which 17/18 year old boy after his first taste of nookie with his very best friend starts to think, "I am going to leave so I don't come back to him in a body bag" it would have been better to put the fear engendered by his father front and center. The reunion was also very awkward. This 'I left my childhood love and came back' trope can be a goldmine if done properly.
The positives: getting an opportunity to revisit loved characters from the Rock Gods. Cons: pretty much everything else.
There were way too many issues going on in this book. injuries, PTSD, fire, adultery of non -main characters, simpleminded (selfish) parents, loosening of previously close fraternal bonds, the obligatory crowding in of the characters from the previous books and the 'am I straight or gay confusion' from the main character ( who laughably is trying to rekindle the flame with his obviously male love and yet still seemingly confused about his sexual orientation. Who cares? Love who you want and forget what to call it.) None of the multiple issues seemed fully developed but all thrown together to see what would stick. I got the sense the author was driving the book to enough pages to finally call it quits. In the final analysis, I can't list enough of the reasons that this book did NOT do it for me; suffice it to say, it didn't. I can't believe that I struggled through this book. From 17% to the conclusion, I simply put one foot (or rather page) in front of the other and kept moving. Ann has done, and likely will continue to do, muuuuuch better. I will wait for the next. 2 stars
What happened here? I'm so confused. I have been in love with this author's series through book after book. After months of waiting for the next one here comes the spin off series featuring confused ass, immature acting Zac and boring Ben. Their relationship was like watching paint dry. The set up to the big misunderstanding was so unrealistic to me. Which 17/18 year old boy after his first taste of nookie with his very best friend starts to think, "I am going to leave so I don't come back to him in a body bag" it would have been better to put the fear engendered by his father front and center. The reunion was also very awkward. This 'I left my childhood love and came back' trope can be a goldmine if done properly.
The positives: getting an opportunity to revisit loved characters from the Rock Gods. Cons: pretty much everything else.
There were way too many issues going on in this book. injuries, PTSD, fire, adultery of non -main characters, simpleminded (selfish) parents, loosening of previously close fraternal bonds, the obligatory crowding in of the characters from the previous books and the 'am I straight or gay confusion' from the main character ( who laughably is trying to rekindle the flame with his obviously male love and yet still seemingly confused about his sexual orientation. Who cares? Love who you want and forget what to call it.) None of the multiple issues seemed fully developed but all thrown together to see what would stick. I got the sense the author was driving the book to enough pages to finally call it quits. In the final analysis, I can't list enough of the reasons that this book did NOT do it for me; suffice it to say, it didn't. I can't believe that I struggled through this book. From 17% to the conclusion, I simply put one foot (or rather page) in front of the other and kept moving. Ann has done, and likely will continue to do, muuuuuch better. I will wait for the next. 2 stars
