I bought this shortly before the Nashville tornado in March 2020. It’s taken me this long to even think about trying this one but since I teDNF at 41%
I bought this shortly before the Nashville tornado in March 2020. It’s taken me this long to even think about trying this one but since I tend to enjoy Erin McLellan, I figured it was worth a go and I could always DNF if the tornado content became too much. Well, color me surprised because the reason I’m DNFing is not tornado-related (they haven’t even encountered one yet) but due to bringing Guthrie’s estranged father back into the picture. I tried to search reviews and it’s not clear whether his dad does anything more than harass him by phone but even the threat of that is too much for me right now when in tandem with something else anxiety-producing.
Characters: Guthrie is a gay white TV news reporter. Luke is a bisexual white tornado chaser, fitness coach, and amateur nature photographer. This is set in Oklahoma.
Content notes: driver trapped in floodwater (rescued), anxiety, past child endangerment and emotional abuse by Guthrie’s dad (brought Guthrie storm-chasing with him as a child), parental estrangement, past tornados, past foster care, past death of Luke’s parents (car accident), gendered pejoratives, gender essentialist language, ableist language
Merged review:
DNF at 41%
I bought this shortly before the Nashville tornado in March 2020. It’s taken me this long to even think about trying this one but since I tend to enjoy Erin McLellan, I figured it was worth a go and I could always DNF if the tornado content became too much. Well, color me surprised because the reason I’m DNFing is not tornado-related (they haven’t even encountered one yet) but due to bringing Guthrie’s estranged father back into the picture. I tried to search reviews and it’s not clear whether his dad does anything more than harass him by phone but even the threat of that is too much for me right now when in tandem with something else anxiety-producing.
Characters: Guthrie is a gay white TV news reporter. Luke is a bisexual white tornado chaser, fitness coach, and amateur nature photographer. This is set in Oklahoma.
Content notes: driver trapped in floodwater (rescued), anxiety, past child endangerment and emotional abuse by Guthrie’s dad (brought Guthrie storm-chasing with him as a child), parental estrangement, past tornados, past foster care, past death of Luke’s parents (car accident), gendered pejoratives, gender essentialist language, ableist language...more
When I was looking for an audiobook for a long drive, I remembered how Haddish has always been a great storyteller when I’ve seen her on talDNF at 41%
When I was looking for an audiobook for a long drive, I remembered how Haddish has always been a great storyteller when I’ve seen her on talk shows. I enjoyed learning more about her family and upbringing, harrowing as it was. However, she seemed distant from the source material, perhaps because she tried to frame some of it as a joke when the stories were traumatic and especially when she was in the wrong. It doesn’t seem like she has often been aware of just how horribly she’s been treated or what normal behavior looks like in relationships.
Still, it was enjoyable enough until I got to some intense ableism. She used the R-word during an argument with her cheating boyfriend. The incident took place in 2001 or 2002 and people definitely knew better by then to use that ableist slur. I’m flabbergasted that it was published in 2017 without any acknowledgment that it’s a terrible word. Does she still not know not to say that?!
I’m guessing not since there’s a chapter titled “Roscoe the Handicapped Angel.” Let that sink in. (In case you don’t know, disabled should be used instead of handicapped.) Roscoe is a disabled baggage handler she used to work with. The way she describes and talks about him is upsettingly ableist. In fact, I’d say it's violently ableist. She also made the choice to imitate his voice in the audiobook; he possibly had a stroke or some other disability that caused slurred speech. That was a bad choice on her part. I got about halfway through the chapter and decided not to listen any further. I am shocked and disappointed. I can only hope Roscoe has no idea he appeared in this book or what Haddish really thought of him. I also hope she has since learned that the way she talked about him is not okay.
Update: I learned that Tucker Max was her ghostwriter and that honestly explains so much. It still never should have gotten past the editor though.
*I did not take content notes since I listened while driving but here’s an incomplete list of what I remember: child abuse (sexual, physical, mental, emotional), image-based sexual abuse (shared cheating ex’s porn video with his family), mom in near-fatal car accident (stepfather later claimed he cut the brake lines because he wanted to collect on the life insurance; the kids were supposed to be in the car with her that day), mentally ill mother (schizophrenia), institutionalized parent, ableism (not countered), ableist slur, sex work, infidelity (ex cheated), abortion, illiteracy, ableist language...more
I thought for sure a queer Robin Hood/Green Man retelling would be a slam dunk for me but I am so, so bored. I don’t know what type of fantaDNF at 21%
I thought for sure a queer Robin Hood/Green Man retelling would be a slam dunk for me but I am so, so bored. I don’t know what type of fantasy this is but it’s for sure the kind that does not work for me: too many pages on unimportant details and unnecessary descriptions.
Characters: Rob is a gay white forester’s son, archer, and druid. His sister Marion is a couple years older and trains as a healer. Gamelyn is a white nobleman’s son. This is set in 1185 CE Loxley Village, Hallamshire.
Content notes: physically abusive brother, nightmare, physical assault, soldier abuse of power, laceration, infected wound, poaching, animal death, animal injury, hunting, horse riding accident, sick father, sexism, classism, fasting for religious ritual, past death of Gamelyn’s mother in childbirth, Gamelyn’s father fought in the Second Crusade, alcohol, drug trip (religious ritual), gendered pejoratives, gender essentialism
*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Kindle) Purchased: 2020...more
Seasoned romance with MCs in their 70s! I’ve long believed assisted living facilities and nursing homes would make great settings for romancDNF at 81%
Seasoned romance with MCs in their 70s! I’ve long believed assisted living facilities and nursing homes would make great settings for romances, whether between residents or between staff (but never staff and residents; that would be an ethical violation). So many juicy things happen in those places!
Unfortunately, this is not all that juicy of a story. Ellie is only 71 but acts like a much older person. I was surprised by how isolated she was. It’s entirely possible for someone to be an introvert, never marry or have kids, and still have a full life beyond occasional visits from one’s nephew and great-niece. I wish this would have reflected that. Instead, she’s independent to a fault and equates emotions or asking for help to being weak. I didn’t entirely buy her connection with Dave, particularly not how quickly they went from antagonists to declaring love. It was, however, refreshing to see the normalization of lube and Viagra.
Mostly, I just got bored so even though I’m close to the end, I’m going to stop here. I still hope more romance authors will consider writing characters in this age range though.
Characters: Ellie is a 71 year old white retired college librarian. Dave is a white retired financial consultant in his 70s. He has adult stepchildren. This is set in Virginia.
Content notes: ageism, recent hip surgery, FMC uses a walker, arthritis, past and present death of residents (including heart condition), past death of MMC’s 13 year old daughter (leukemia), past death of FMC’s sister (cancer), past death of parents, past death of pet dogs, past death of MMC’s second wife, past divorce, STI or UTI (resident), viagra and lube use, on page sex, ableist language, mention of ex-boyfriend who had a heart attack (recovered)...more
I'm worried about the power dynamics with Vic paying Amani for sex and also skeptical that a 20 year old would be an accomplished Dom. ThereDNF at 46%
I'm worried about the power dynamics with Vic paying Amani for sex and also skeptical that a 20 year old would be an accomplished Dom. There’s so much that can go wrong on both fronts. The prose is tending toward purple as well; another round of edits would have helped dial it back.
Characters: Amani is a 20 year old gay Black Moroccan masseuse, college student, former cellist, non-practicing Muslim, and Dom. Vic is a 24 year old bisexual white British CEO-in-line to a textile empire, submissive, and virgin. This is set in NYC.
Content notes: bi awakening, sex work (Vic pays Amani to have sex with him and explore BDSM), employee fired after being accused of workplace sexual harassment, hypertension, past surgery for early on-set carpal tunnel, past death of Amani’s father (killed in First Sahrawi Intifada), past immigration to the US, unsafe sex practices (they don’t exchange STI test results before having unprotected sex; they just trust the other person is being honest when they barely know each other), on page sex, D/s, praise kink, mild pain play, breath play, orgasm control, gender essentialist language (countered)
*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Kindle) Purchased: 2018...more
I was so excited when I learned Turner’s historical romance series are connected to her contemporary romance series. I almost started AutumnDNF at 16%
I was so excited when I learned Turner’s historical romance series are connected to her contemporary romance series. I almost started Autumn Sage after I read Forever a Soldier because of the ancestral connection there but ultimately decided to finish the contemporary series before coming back around to the historicals. And while the content of this didn’t work for me, I’m still looking forward to Autumn Sage and the rest of this series.
You know, I’m sure this is ultimately a perfectly fine story. I just don’t have the patience for it right now. It’s hard for me to take Catarina and Jace seriously. She’s all femme fatale batting her eyelashes and mooning about how much she wants to have her own home and children. Meanwhile, he’s trying to be the loner ranchero but they’re terrible at staying away or hiding their feelings for each other. Her parents are caricatures in their strictness and their choice to keep her a spinster but marry off her younger sister makes no sense. Similarly, if Jace is so set on getting a wife before he’s even bought his farm, Catarina is right there! They both protest too much and I'm over it.
I also didn't like the author's choice to depict Jace thinking about the racism and racial slurs his bigoted grandfather spouted when he was growing up. He's not even there! Were there a lot of white people who believed the same thing? Yes, but none of them are on page (at least up to where I read) and I'm not sure how those recollections add to the story.
Characters: Jace is a 28 year old white ranchero. Catarina is a 26 year old Californio homemaker. This is set in 1898 Cabrillo, CA.
Content notes: past sexual assault (view spoiler)[man pinched FMC’s breast because she wouldn’t have sex on demand. She was able to get away before more could happen. (hide spoiler)], MMC recounts racist and anti-Indigenous slurs and sentiments MMC’s bigoted grandfather hold him, slut-shaming, past death of secondary character’s family (diptheria), past enslavement (secondary character), pregnant secondary character, vomit, MMC left home at 15, alcohol, inebriation, ableist language
*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Kindle) Purchased: 2021...more
I’ve enjoyed a couple of Lim’s books in the past. However, I already have a ton of questions about Sophie’s choices: renting a $3,000/month DNF at 12%
I’ve enjoyed a couple of Lim’s books in the past. However, I already have a ton of questions about Sophie’s choices: renting a $3,000/month apartment when she doesn’t even have her first matchmaking client yet and she isn’t even an accredited matchmaker?! It may be an opportunity for her to grow but that’s a level of bad judgment I’ll have trouble getting over. I don’t have the capacity for a toxic mother subplot right now either and scanning through reviews, it looks like that situation will not be handled the way I would want.
Content notes: toxic mother (possible emotional abuse), fatphobia, diet culture, past binge eating (mother), alcohol, hyperbolic language around addiction...more
There are way too many things that don’t make sense. I can't take it anymore. I’m also not comfortable with Wilson’s methods for taking careDNF at 79%
There are way too many things that don’t make sense. I can't take it anymore. I’m also not comfortable with Wilson’s methods for taking care of bad guys. This series has been a miss.
Characters: Wilson is a white hacker, crisis management firm founder, and former spy or special ops. Tabitha is a 25 year old bisexual white singer-songwriter. This is set in DC and Seattle, along with tour stops.
Content notes: emotionally and physically abusive manager (view spoiler)[who is also FMC’s husband; fidelity is not required between them so there is no cheating when she’s with MMC (hide spoiler)], past grooming and child sexual abuse (view spoiler)[FMC was 15 years old when 22 year old manager scouted, groomed her, and had sex with her (hide spoiler)], past teen pregnancy and miscarriage (view spoiler)[FMC became pregnant with manager’s child at 15. He gave her pills for “energy” at music industry events which impaired her judgment enough to do a line of cocaine. The combination caused a miscarriage. (hide spoiler)], infertility (FMC believes her bad C-section led to the inability to get pregnant), reproductive assault (FMC thought she’d been getting B-12 shots but really she was getting depo-provera shot without her knowledge, as arranged by manager), sexual misconduct (FMC strips naked in front of MMC and his partner while they’re conducting an interview), past forced marriage (manager’s parents insisted he marry FMC after she got pregnant and got a judge to sign off on an exception for the pregnancy as she was too young), underground fighting, physical assault, surveillance, blackmail, MMC breaks into FMC’s hotel suite as does secondary character, abuse of power (MMC sets up secondary character for gambling and other crimes he didn’t commit), MMC tracks pedophiles online, misogyny, slut-shaming, sex worker shaming, white supremacist secondary character, racism, secondary character was a 19 year old au pair while her eventual husband’s then-wife was dying of breast cancer (they married three months after she died), sex crime/human trafficking/abduction case, FMC ran away from home at 15, on page sex, role play, mirror sex, phone sex, voyeurism, exhibitionism, anal play, past orgies, past drug use, alcohol, inebriation, excessive drinking, toxic masculinity, casual ableism, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialist language, ableist language
*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Kindle) Purchased: 2020...more
Tenny deserved so much better than the scraps Dom gave her. I wanted her to want more for herself and stick to walking away from him. I don’DNF at 59%
Tenny deserved so much better than the scraps Dom gave her. I wanted her to want more for herself and stick to walking away from him. I don’t believe in a romance between them at all! I could not handle his hypocritical overbearing “she can’t date anyone but I can have all the hookups I want” shtick that segued into a hot and cold “I want to have sex with you but I can’t have a relationship” dance. Their friendship was codependent as hell and I could not understand why he was so shocked that she wanted a life outside of being his PA. She literally went to grad school? What did he think would happen?
There are also a bunch of continuity errors and logistical issues related to their ages, how long they’ve worked together, and Tenny’s schooling. Additionally, I really needed Tenny to go to therapy if she intended to work in child welfare as that did not feel like a healthy choice at all. Lastly, this is gender essentialist and casually misogynist, much of the “humor” punches down, and there was so much cattiness and slut-shaming by Tenny. Worst of all, the STD stigma that culminated in them having penetrative sex without a condom the first time they sleep together without any discussion of STI prevention because that’s “how much he trusts her,” even though he insists on condoms with other women Yikes.
Characters: Tenny is a 25 year old Black PA with her MSW. Dom is a 27 or 29 year old white quarterback. They’ve been friends for 14 years. This is set in Seattle and Kirkland, WA.
Content notes: past foster care (FMC removed from mother’s care at 11 years old; MMC placed after death of parents), past Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another by FMC’s mother (resulting in repeat hospitalizations and FMC’s fear of doctors/hospitals), sexism, slut-shaming, toxic masculinity, body commentary, fatphobia, internalized fatphobia, MMC falsely insinuates FMC has a drinking problem to her date, MMC’s adoptive mother had breast cancer (unclear whether she’s in remission or if she died), past adoption of MMC by his HS coach, past death of MMC’s parents (car accident), unsafe sex practices (no condom for penetrative sex without discussion of STI prevention which is revered as a sign of MMC’s trust in FMC as he insists on condoms with other women; FMC is on the Pill), on page sex, alcohol, inebriation, hangover, casual misogyny, casual ableism, STD stigma, small penis jokes, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialism, ableist language, mention of Kanye West’s past mental breakdown
*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Nook) Purchased: 2019...more
How did this go so wrong? It’s a great premise: a married couple hires a rentboy and they all wind up developing feelings and starting sometDNF at 75%
How did this go so wrong? It’s a great premise: a married couple hires a rentboy and they all wind up developing feelings and starting something for real. They each have their own secrets and insecurities so there’s a lot to work through but I was really enjoying how it was coming together.
However, this includes the casual use of the R-word not once but twice and it’s never countered. This makes me wonder if the author possibly didn’t know that’s an ableist slur?? This was published in 2014 so everyone involved in publishing this should have known better. Granted, the two people who say that awful word are awful people themselves. I wondered if the usage was to further illustrate their awfulness; that doesn’t excuse it in my book but it could be a reason. However, other bigoted statements by secondary characters were pushed back upon or at least registered as offensive, whereas this did not. It’s rare to encounter the R-word in fiction from the past 20 years, as most people know that’s not a word we say. It still pops up from time to time, like here, and it always takes me aback. One time I could overlook but a second time felt more egregious. I tried reading a little further but now the plot feels like it’s going off the rails. I’m bowing out.
Characters: Jay is a bisexual Mexican American aspiring medical social worker and vegetarian. Adriana is a chef and submissive. Paul is a white escort, architecure school student, and vegetarian. Jay and Adriana have been married for 2 years. This is set in LA.
Content notes: past attempted rape of FMC at gunpoint (she filed charges but guy told the cops it was just a lover’s spat so they did nothing; the guy threatened her with his gang but she stayed safe. He was later incarcerated after raping someone else.), intimate partner violence (secondary characters; Jay starts working at a DV shelter), workplace sexual harassment and abuse, heart attack (secondary character), past car accident and spine injury (hit by drunk kids, one of whom died at the scene), Jay has Incomplete Cauda Equina Syndrome, past depression and PTSD after accident, past incarceration (fraud), parole (Paul), parole violation (contacted by the woman involved in his crimes), ICE raid, undocumented secondary characters, racism, xenophobia, homophobic slur, ableist slurs (R-word; not countered), brief internalized fatphobia (countered), past biphobia, past bullying, Jay’s father uses a wheelchair (past stroke), relative told FMC she and Jay would died of AIDS (past), past parental divorce, toxic mother, past deployment (FMC’s dad), arthritis (Paul’s mom), trans sex worker secondary character, parental pressure for grandkids, condom used for penetrative sex but not oral (FMC and Jay feel this is an acceptable risk with Paul), on page sex, D/s, partner-sharing, MMF menage, praise kink, mild degradation play, electric stimulation, gag, bondage, impact play, deep throating, rimming, sex tape, discussion of gang rape fantasy, BDSM party, cuckolding (clients), sex toys, masturbation, pain medication, alcohol, inebriation, marijuana (secondary characters), cocaine (secondary character; past usage for Paul), past alcohol poisoning (guy at a bar), bi-erasure (Paul refers to FMC and Jay as a “straight” and “non-gay” couple even though he knows Jay is bi), gendered pejoratives, gender essentialist language, ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction...more
I’ve enjoyed Northcote’s books in the past but I’m struggling to get into this one between the unnecessary fatphobia and Jason’s internalizeDNF at 29%
I’ve enjoyed Northcote’s books in the past but I’m struggling to get into this one between the unnecessary fatphobia and Jason’s internalized homophobia and therefore need to keep things with Seb a secret. Obviously he doesn't have to come out if he's not ready but then (view spoiler)[why hook up with your client at the workplace?! (hide spoiler)]
Characters: Seb is a 36 year old gay white cafe/bar owner. Jason is a divorced closeted gay white builder. He has a 12 year old daughter Zoe. This is set in Porthladock, Cornwall, England.
Content notes: closeted MC, internalized homophobia, past divorce, fatphobia, diet culture, minor head wound, on page sex, alcohol, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialist language, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide and addiction
*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Kindle) Purchased: 2020...more
I’ve had reservations about reading this since hearing the author speak several years ago. However, after a friend told me all the reasons whDNF p. 82
I’ve had reservations about reading this since hearing the author speak several years ago. However, after a friend told me all the reasons why it’s his favorite novel, I decided to give it a go. Six months ago. The writing style wasn’t working for me and I didn’t care for the Fiona storyline so I set it aside for a while. It hasn’t fared any better in my subsequent attempts. Perhaps if it was only about Yale’s 1985 Chicago experience I could get past the dry writing but something about Fiona’s 2015 Paris chapters really rubs me the wrong way. I’m glad it worked so well for my friend but it’s not for me.
Content notes: AIDS, HIV, death of loved ones, ex-husband’s wife has breast cancer, daughter in a cult, homophobia, family rejection, past parental abandonment, fatphobia, diet culture, ageism, past divorce, alcohol, inebriation, cocaine (secondary character), ableist language...more
This feels too much like Taylor Swift fanfic. No thank you. I’m also aghast that the FMC tracks down the address and then shows up at the hoDNF at 20%
This feels too much like Taylor Swift fanfic. No thank you. I’m also aghast that the FMC tracks down the address and then shows up at the home of a guy she talked to one time seven years ago so she can ask him if she can stay there for a while. Like that’s a reasonable request. WHAT.
Characters: Evan is a 33 year old white art history professor and former painter. Emmy is a 26 year old white singer-songwriter. This is set in Dane, IA.
Content notes: MMC’s dad is incarcerated (art crimes), FMC’s parents kicked her out nine years ago, past parental divorce, past divorce of MMC’s friend who married FMC’s cousin, alcohol, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide and addiction
*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Kindle) Purchased: 2020...more
I DNFed the first book in this series but I found the worldbuilding to be intriguing enough that I wanted to give the next book a try. UnfortDNF p. 89
I DNFed the first book in this series but I found the worldbuilding to be intriguing enough that I wanted to give the next book a try. Unfortunately, this is just not a good fit.
Characters: Erin is a human farm border patroller, colonist, and former paramedic. (She’s not been described as mixed race so far but she’s sister to the FMC from book 1 so likely this is true of her as well.) Esteban is a Jekhan man. Headron is a Jekhan baker around 40 years old. This is set in 2037 Planet Jekh.
Content notes: missing person (Headron’s uncle), physical assault, attempted land theft, colonialism, classism, Jekhan males are infertile without a secondary male’s influence, past death of secondary character’s lovers (biological warfare), past death of Esteban’s parents (killed in their sleep), past abandonment by Esteban’s lover because he was sick, past blackouts from illness (Esteban), past institutionalization (Esteban), past death of FMC’s activist grandfather, Headron’s parents sent him to be raised by his uncle, discussion of baby’s gender, pregnant secondary character, on page sex, casual acephobia, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialism, ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction, mention of past weight loss...more
My recent Susanna Kearsley re-reads reminded me of how much I loved The Phantom Tree several years ago and that I still needed to try somethiDNF p. 76
My recent Susanna Kearsley re-reads reminded me of how much I loved The Phantom Tree several years ago and that I still needed to try something else by this author. Unfortunately, I’m struggling to get on board with a nefarious yellow dress as a conceit. Perhaps if the plot wasn’t focused on (view spoiler)[intimate partner violence (hide spoiler)] in both timelines I’d keep going but the execution isn’t working well enough for me.
Content notes: intimate partner violence (Eustace beats and rapes Isabella; Jake was abusive to Fenella), infidelity (Eustace has a mistress; Jake cheated on Fenella), recent death of grandmother, past parental infidelity (Fenella’s father left her mother for his PhD student), parental neglect (raised by grandmother; father is absent and mother working elsewhere), child neglect, alcoholism (grandmother), murder, past STI via spouse who cheated, kleptomania (theft and shoplifting), blackmail, divorce, victim-blaming, slut-shaming, past death of grandfather, alcohol, excessive drinking, gender essentialist language, ableist language...more
On the surface, this is the kind of book that should be very much up my alley—a long-time closeted gay man finally accepting himself and takDNF at 32%
On the surface, this is the kind of book that should be very much up my alley—a long-time closeted gay man finally accepting himself and taking back his life!—but the execution just wasn’t there. For one thing, the title and synopsis aren’t entirely accurate. I presumed we’d only be getting Albert’s perspective but a few chapters in, we started getting chapters from his neighbor Nicole, a young Black single mom. This was quite confusing and really took away from the momentum of what Albert was experiencing.
For another, the characterization isn’t adding up. People stay closeted for many, many reasons. Albert experienced some kind of traumatic ending to his first love as a teenager and his cop father was a homophobe so I can understand how that would make him scared at first. But why did he stay in this town all these years? His mom was emotionally abusive so I’m guessing she somehow conned him into never moving out and then becoming her caregiver once she got ill. But then why did he stay closeted after his mom died eighteen years ago? Has he been completely isolated ever since his relationship with George ended? Even then, I didn't understand why he would stay in a place that made him so miserable. Perhaps this would be answered if I read further but I have my doubts.
The main reason I’m stopping here is because Albert has decided he’s finally going to seize the day and live his life. Hurray! And that means tracking down George whom he hasn’t seen or heard from in 50 years. BOOOOO. Why on earth would that be his first step to embracing his life?! It’s reminding me too much of The Flatshare, which I hated. It might be Albert’s idea in this instance but tracking down lost loves decades later is not my cup of tea, not when Albert could focus on befriending his coworkers and other people in town and actually talk to the other queer people who live there first.
Other things that weren’t working for me: the death of his cat Gracie (extremely rude since I used to have a cat named Gracie! It was giving emotional manipulation), overuse of flashbacks, LGBTQ+ stereotypes, and the usual qualms I feel when a white author writes a Black MC.
Characters: Albert is a 64 year old white closeted gay postman. He has an 18 year old cat named Gracie. Nicole is an 18 year old Black nail tech student and single mother. Her daughter Reenie is 2. This is set in Toddington, England.
Content notes: death of pet cat (diagnosed with cancer and euthanized), closeted MC, homophobia, internalized homophobia, past emotional abuse by MMC’s mother, gay stereotypes by secondary characters, past bullying (secondary character), racism, misogyny, slut-shaming, classism, poverty, past street sexual harassment, MMC’s father was a homophobic cop who arrested gay men at the public toilets, social anxiety, secondary character’s grandson has cancer, past miscarriages (MMC’s mother), past teen pregnancy and abandonment by baby’s father, past parental abandonment and unstable childhood, past death of MMC’s parents (including cancer), past death of FMC’s grandmother, vomit (secondary character), alcohol, inebriation, hangover, cigarettes (secondary character), past underage drinking, anti-fat bias, gendered pejoratives, ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction...more
Several friends recommended this author and described this series as angsty way back when this box set went on sale several years ago. That wDNF at 3%
Several friends recommended this author and described this series as angsty way back when this box set went on sale several years ago. That was good enough for me. Unfortunately, I’m having trouble getting into it. The author overly relies on passive voice and it’s preventing me from connecting to the characters. On top of that, this is New Adult, which is already not my favorite, and these college students don’t engender confidence. It’s possible the story could eventually grip me but I don’t feel like risking it.
Characters: Eric is a stage manager and college business major. Daisy is a dancer and college student. This is set in Lancaster, PA.
Content notes: misogyny, past paternal abandonment, MMC’s brother is deaf, Romani slur, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialist language, ableist language, non-Native use of “totem pole”
*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Kindle) Purchased: 2018...more
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