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Becs (244 KP) rated The Bipolar Addict in Books
Jun 4, 2019
Very informative!
Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5
Review:
I received a copy to read and review from Smith Publicity for my honest opinion.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Drug abuse, alcohol abuse, suicide attempts, bullying, sexual abuse.
The Bipolar Addict is broken up into three parts: Part 1 - Conor's Story, Part 2 - Interviews of others who battle with Manic Depression and Bipolar disorder, and Part 3 - Talking of Recovery, getting help, and that sober is the new cool.
Part 1 follows the hardships Conor endured growing up. Bullying which eventually lead to alcohol abuse and then later drug abuse as he grew older. During this time, he also attempted suicide a few times. Conor was then diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, manic depression, and anxiety. Mix all that with alcohol and drug abuse and his body was struggling.
As I read, I was enthralled in the world of what Bipolar disorder really is. I was also blown away with the writing style. The Bipolar Addict is a debut novel by Conor Bezane and he definitely has a way of grabbing your attention and holding it instantly. A first time author, Conor has taken his life and spun it into a tale of struggles, sacrifice, and recovery that will tear the readers heart out, rip it into pieces, and then piece it back together, little by little.
Part 2 was just as interesting as part 1. You learn about a few others who used and through some rough patches like Conor. Part 3 was more informative compared to parts 1 and 2, talking about sober being the new cool and that it's healthy. The book ends with links and information on different helpful groups in the chance that you need to seek help for yourself.
"We are punks. We are poets. Musicians and artists. Professionals and intellectuals. We are drunk. High. Manic. Depressed. We almost died. And now we are stable and sober."
Reasons why I rated it 4.5 stars:
1. The plot:
There really wasn't much of a plot as this was a memoir/ self-help book. But the way Conor wrote, captivated my attention through and through.
2. My enjoyment:
I surprisingly was really interested in the entirety of this book. I couldn't put it down as Conor captivated me, not only in his writing but also the way he was able to take his life and spin it into a tale that read like he was a friend having a conversation.
3. Character and story development:
Again, this was a memoir/ self-help book, so there wasn't much development as it wasn't needed.
4. Grammar and spelling:
I did notice a few grammatical and spelling errors but for this being a debut, I really didn't mind.
5. The overall story:
The way that Conor wrote, you could feel the pain, loss, and loneliness. The lows of depression and the highs of mania. It was all otherworldly and from someone who has balanced depression and anxiety the majority of my life, I felt the painful and roller coaster of a life that Conor lived. This was definitely worth the read and was highly informative.
"Keep coming back."
Review:
I received a copy to read and review from Smith Publicity for my honest opinion.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Drug abuse, alcohol abuse, suicide attempts, bullying, sexual abuse.
The Bipolar Addict is broken up into three parts: Part 1 - Conor's Story, Part 2 - Interviews of others who battle with Manic Depression and Bipolar disorder, and Part 3 - Talking of Recovery, getting help, and that sober is the new cool.
Part 1 follows the hardships Conor endured growing up. Bullying which eventually lead to alcohol abuse and then later drug abuse as he grew older. During this time, he also attempted suicide a few times. Conor was then diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, manic depression, and anxiety. Mix all that with alcohol and drug abuse and his body was struggling.
As I read, I was enthralled in the world of what Bipolar disorder really is. I was also blown away with the writing style. The Bipolar Addict is a debut novel by Conor Bezane and he definitely has a way of grabbing your attention and holding it instantly. A first time author, Conor has taken his life and spun it into a tale of struggles, sacrifice, and recovery that will tear the readers heart out, rip it into pieces, and then piece it back together, little by little.
Part 2 was just as interesting as part 1. You learn about a few others who used and through some rough patches like Conor. Part 3 was more informative compared to parts 1 and 2, talking about sober being the new cool and that it's healthy. The book ends with links and information on different helpful groups in the chance that you need to seek help for yourself.
"We are punks. We are poets. Musicians and artists. Professionals and intellectuals. We are drunk. High. Manic. Depressed. We almost died. And now we are stable and sober."
Reasons why I rated it 4.5 stars:
1. The plot:
There really wasn't much of a plot as this was a memoir/ self-help book. But the way Conor wrote, captivated my attention through and through.
2. My enjoyment:
I surprisingly was really interested in the entirety of this book. I couldn't put it down as Conor captivated me, not only in his writing but also the way he was able to take his life and spin it into a tale that read like he was a friend having a conversation.
3. Character and story development:
Again, this was a memoir/ self-help book, so there wasn't much development as it wasn't needed.
4. Grammar and spelling:
I did notice a few grammatical and spelling errors but for this being a debut, I really didn't mind.
5. The overall story:
The way that Conor wrote, you could feel the pain, loss, and loneliness. The lows of depression and the highs of mania. It was all otherworldly and from someone who has balanced depression and anxiety the majority of my life, I felt the painful and roller coaster of a life that Conor lived. This was definitely worth the read and was highly informative.
"Keep coming back."
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Lucid in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<i>Lucid</i> is really weird it's <b>not exactly a book with contents that I usually come across.</b> The last time I actually read a book that dealt with dreams was <i><a title="The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh M. O'Brien" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-the-vault-of-dreamers-by-caragh-m-obrien/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Vault of Dreamers</a></i>. <i>Lucid</i> kind of... <b>throws in dreams and nightmares together</b> when Lori Blaine's psychologist encourages her to finally go through a door reoccurring in her dreams for years. When Lori does, she is plunged into another world entirely where danger lurks around every corner.
<b>Bonansinga writes in a different style than what you might be used to.</b> As I read <i>Lucid</i>, <b>I felt like I was watching an episode of a TV series, or just merely an actress reading a script.</b> While Lori is our main character most of the time, <b>the author shifts outside of the character's thoughts every so often</b> and focuses on the dialogue and actions of the people around her. There's are a few moments where it's <b>almost as though there's a narrator observing everything going on but accidentally slips up and quickly tries to fix everything by repositioning the camera. Meanwhile, the characters, or "actors," pretend not to notice.</b>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">They swerved around the body, which lay in a heap near the shouldergiving it a wide berthand then roared off into the night.
They never saw the body behind them casually sit up, rise to its feet, and walk away.
I promise Ill tell you everything, Lori was saying, searching through the glove box, as the damaged Geo chugged down a hill.</blockquote>
I've also <b>never seen so many caps in a book before.</b> I don't mean the first letter in every sentence, I mean the I'M YELLING AT YOU THOUGH INTERMASPACE kind. (Or <a title="Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/dnf-review-daughter-of-deep-silence-by-carrie-ryan/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">my brain is raging at a book.</a> It's not necessarily one I didn't finish.)
<i>Lucid</i> is very <b>action-packed and vivid, but I don't really feel like this is a stand alone.</b> There's a pretty solid ending, but there may be a subtle loose end or two (I'll have to mull it over in my brain). <b>The dream world, however...</b>
I'm still very confused. I know there are five stages of sleep: brain activity slows down in the first, brain activity is everywhere in the second as the body transitions into the third stage, where brain activity is low. The fourth stage is similar to the third stage as the body prepares for the fifth stage, which is known as REM, or rapid eye movement, and dreams come alive.
I totally summarized that part. I probably came across this on a boring day and didn't remember anything but rapid eye movement is where dreams occur. REM is also a unit of measurement measuring the amount of radiation absorbed by human tissue. *drum rolls* I promise I'm not showing off.
Anyhoo, back to this whole dream world thing Bonansinga built <i>Lucid</i> on. According to the book, <b>there are three dimensions.</b> There's <b>WAKEworld</b>, which I assume is when all of us are awake and slouching in office/desk chairs (or curled up with a good book); <b>REMspace</b>, which I assume is the dream world and where you dream; and then there's <b>LIMBOspace/LIMBOworld</b>, which, knowing the word limbo, it's the middle world between dreams and wakefulness.
<b>I get the gist. But I don't <i>understand</i> how this whole LIMBOspace/LIMBOworld works.</b> I mean, <b>is it connected to that in-between where you're not living or dead,</b> because it's connected to comatose states? <b>What happens if Lori actually "ran out of time?"</b> She'll be a vegetable, most likely, but <b>if she runs out of time... is she a vegetable forever until her body is just a pile of bones and dust somewhere? But then what happens when you <i>are</i> a pile of bones and dust somewhere? Do you continue existing in this LIMBOspace, or do you just disappear?</b>
I could be over thinking this and taking it a curious step further than what is actually necessary (I would still wonder about that connection to comatose states though). <b><i>Lucid</i> has mind-boggling and creepy moments throughout the book, but it's really just similar to someone trying to stop demons entering the real world. Bonansinga just takes it from a dream level rather than an inferno one.</b> Points given for a unique take on an overused plot.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-lucid-by-jay-bonansinga/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<i>Lucid</i> is really weird it's <b>not exactly a book with contents that I usually come across.</b> The last time I actually read a book that dealt with dreams was <i><a title="The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh M. O'Brien" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-the-vault-of-dreamers-by-caragh-m-obrien/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Vault of Dreamers</a></i>. <i>Lucid</i> kind of... <b>throws in dreams and nightmares together</b> when Lori Blaine's psychologist encourages her to finally go through a door reoccurring in her dreams for years. When Lori does, she is plunged into another world entirely where danger lurks around every corner.
<b>Bonansinga writes in a different style than what you might be used to.</b> As I read <i>Lucid</i>, <b>I felt like I was watching an episode of a TV series, or just merely an actress reading a script.</b> While Lori is our main character most of the time, <b>the author shifts outside of the character's thoughts every so often</b> and focuses on the dialogue and actions of the people around her. There's are a few moments where it's <b>almost as though there's a narrator observing everything going on but accidentally slips up and quickly tries to fix everything by repositioning the camera. Meanwhile, the characters, or "actors," pretend not to notice.</b>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">They swerved around the body, which lay in a heap near the shouldergiving it a wide berthand then roared off into the night.
They never saw the body behind them casually sit up, rise to its feet, and walk away.
I promise Ill tell you everything, Lori was saying, searching through the glove box, as the damaged Geo chugged down a hill.</blockquote>
I've also <b>never seen so many caps in a book before.</b> I don't mean the first letter in every sentence, I mean the I'M YELLING AT YOU THOUGH INTERMASPACE kind. (Or <a title="Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/dnf-review-daughter-of-deep-silence-by-carrie-ryan/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">my brain is raging at a book.</a> It's not necessarily one I didn't finish.)
<i>Lucid</i> is very <b>action-packed and vivid, but I don't really feel like this is a stand alone.</b> There's a pretty solid ending, but there may be a subtle loose end or two (I'll have to mull it over in my brain). <b>The dream world, however...</b>
I'm still very confused. I know there are five stages of sleep: brain activity slows down in the first, brain activity is everywhere in the second as the body transitions into the third stage, where brain activity is low. The fourth stage is similar to the third stage as the body prepares for the fifth stage, which is known as REM, or rapid eye movement, and dreams come alive.
I totally summarized that part. I probably came across this on a boring day and didn't remember anything but rapid eye movement is where dreams occur. REM is also a unit of measurement measuring the amount of radiation absorbed by human tissue. *drum rolls* I promise I'm not showing off.
Anyhoo, back to this whole dream world thing Bonansinga built <i>Lucid</i> on. According to the book, <b>there are three dimensions.</b> There's <b>WAKEworld</b>, which I assume is when all of us are awake and slouching in office/desk chairs (or curled up with a good book); <b>REMspace</b>, which I assume is the dream world and where you dream; and then there's <b>LIMBOspace/LIMBOworld</b>, which, knowing the word limbo, it's the middle world between dreams and wakefulness.
<b>I get the gist. But I don't <i>understand</i> how this whole LIMBOspace/LIMBOworld works.</b> I mean, <b>is it connected to that in-between where you're not living or dead,</b> because it's connected to comatose states? <b>What happens if Lori actually "ran out of time?"</b> She'll be a vegetable, most likely, but <b>if she runs out of time... is she a vegetable forever until her body is just a pile of bones and dust somewhere? But then what happens when you <i>are</i> a pile of bones and dust somewhere? Do you continue existing in this LIMBOspace, or do you just disappear?</b>
I could be over thinking this and taking it a curious step further than what is actually necessary (I would still wonder about that connection to comatose states though). <b><i>Lucid</i> has mind-boggling and creepy moments throughout the book, but it's really just similar to someone trying to stop demons entering the real world. Bonansinga just takes it from a dream level rather than an inferno one.</b> Points given for a unique take on an overused plot.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-lucid-by-jay-bonansinga/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Debbiereadsbook (1694 KP) rated Dead In The Pond (Grasmere Trilogy #2) in Books
Oct 18, 2018
i love Bishan!
This is book two in the Grasmere Cottage Mystery Trilogy, and you MUST read book one, Dead In The Garden, before you read this one. They are NOT stand alones and they follow on.
Bishan, now out of jail, and Valor still have no idea who is killing, and why Bish and Valor have been singled out. Then another body is discovered, and Valor's worst nightmare comes true. Bish tries, he really does, but he just wants things to go back to the way they were, before.
Bishan has his say here, and just Bishan. He is Autistic, and his minds does go off at tangents all over the place, and he does take some following.
But I'm so bloody glad he gets his voice here!!
The guys are trying to piece together who might be doing this, and getting nowhere. Neither are the police. Things seem to calm down, then Bish and Valor are in a car accident that appears to be anything but. Didn't expect that particular person to stoop quite so low, but when HE turns up dead, and Valor is faced with having to deal with the family who disowned him so long ago. Bish struggles with that, but knows it's gotta be done.
Bish's mind wanders all over the place, but always seems to come back to the point at hand, he just goes the long way round. You have to concentrate, pat attention and keep up! For ME?? That's a really good thing! Being a speed reader at the best of times, if I've gotta slow down, it's the sign of a great book.
There is almost two plot lines going on here: the murders, and whatever is happening with Valor's family and just WHY they are so desperate to bring him back to London, away from Bish. But Valor won't go, not without Bishan. He LOVES Bishan, I loved the scene where they decide to definitely NOT get married! The love these two have for each other comes across every time Valor reaches for Bish and is rewarded with their joined hands, every time Bish makes tea for Valor, in every single thing they do for each other.
I fell in love with Bishan here, and his mum!
I'm still none the wiser as to whodunnit or why, but it's great that I'm being kept on my toes!
OH!!! Massive cliffhanger here! There was one for book one, but here's is far bigger!
Since Bishan has such an interesting voice
5 full stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Bishan, now out of jail, and Valor still have no idea who is killing, and why Bish and Valor have been singled out. Then another body is discovered, and Valor's worst nightmare comes true. Bish tries, he really does, but he just wants things to go back to the way they were, before.
Bishan has his say here, and just Bishan. He is Autistic, and his minds does go off at tangents all over the place, and he does take some following.
But I'm so bloody glad he gets his voice here!!
The guys are trying to piece together who might be doing this, and getting nowhere. Neither are the police. Things seem to calm down, then Bish and Valor are in a car accident that appears to be anything but. Didn't expect that particular person to stoop quite so low, but when HE turns up dead, and Valor is faced with having to deal with the family who disowned him so long ago. Bish struggles with that, but knows it's gotta be done.
Bish's mind wanders all over the place, but always seems to come back to the point at hand, he just goes the long way round. You have to concentrate, pat attention and keep up! For ME?? That's a really good thing! Being a speed reader at the best of times, if I've gotta slow down, it's the sign of a great book.
There is almost two plot lines going on here: the murders, and whatever is happening with Valor's family and just WHY they are so desperate to bring him back to London, away from Bish. But Valor won't go, not without Bishan. He LOVES Bishan, I loved the scene where they decide to definitely NOT get married! The love these two have for each other comes across every time Valor reaches for Bish and is rewarded with their joined hands, every time Bish makes tea for Valor, in every single thing they do for each other.
I fell in love with Bishan here, and his mum!
I'm still none the wiser as to whodunnit or why, but it's great that I'm being kept on my toes!
OH!!! Massive cliffhanger here! There was one for book one, but here's is far bigger!
Since Bishan has such an interesting voice
5 full stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Alan Wake in Video Games
Oct 31, 2019 (Updated Oct 31, 2019)
Flash The Darkness Demons
Contains spoilers, click to show
Alan Wake- is one of those games that is highly underrated. It is a great game. It mixs horror with suspense with thrills with adventure and action.
The Plot: The story follows best-selling thriller novelist Alan Wake as he tries to uncover the mystery behind his wife's disappearance during a vacation in the small fictional town of Bright Falls, Washington, all while experiencing events from the plot in his latest novel, which he cannot remember writing, coming to life.
In its pacing and structure, Alan Wake is similar to a thriller television series, with episodes that contain plot twists and cliffhangers. The game itself consists of six episodes, and the storyline is continued by two special episodes, titled "The Signal" and "The Writer", that were made available as downloadable content (DLC) within the same year of the game's release. Together, they make the first season of a possibly longer story. Additionally, a six-episode live-action web series called Bright Falls acts as a prequel to the game, and a number of related books also expand upon the Alan Wake story.
Lets talk about the game: Alan Wake is described by Remedy as "the mind of a psychological thriller" and "the body of a cinematic action game" put together. In interviews, the game's creators hold that the game does not belong squarely in the survival horror video game genre.
The player controls the eponymous protagonist Alan Wake. In the game, a "darkness" is taking over humans, animals and objects. These enemies, dubbed the "Taken", are murderous shadows that attack Wake, wielding weapons of their own, ranging from.
The Taken are protected by a shield of darkness, initially rendering them impervious to attack; they can only be injured with a firearm after exposure to light, which burns the darkness away. This puts significant emphasis on flashlights in conjunction with conventional weapons, such as a revolver or shotgun. Flashlight beams act as a reticle.
The player is often encouraged to take advantage of environmental light sources and placing, and to use other light-based weapons and accessories, such as flare guns, hand-held flares and flashbangs.
So this game mixs survival with fantasy with reality with horror with suspense and so much more.
I would highly reecordmend playing this game.
The Plot: The story follows best-selling thriller novelist Alan Wake as he tries to uncover the mystery behind his wife's disappearance during a vacation in the small fictional town of Bright Falls, Washington, all while experiencing events from the plot in his latest novel, which he cannot remember writing, coming to life.
In its pacing and structure, Alan Wake is similar to a thriller television series, with episodes that contain plot twists and cliffhangers. The game itself consists of six episodes, and the storyline is continued by two special episodes, titled "The Signal" and "The Writer", that were made available as downloadable content (DLC) within the same year of the game's release. Together, they make the first season of a possibly longer story. Additionally, a six-episode live-action web series called Bright Falls acts as a prequel to the game, and a number of related books also expand upon the Alan Wake story.
Lets talk about the game: Alan Wake is described by Remedy as "the mind of a psychological thriller" and "the body of a cinematic action game" put together. In interviews, the game's creators hold that the game does not belong squarely in the survival horror video game genre.
The player controls the eponymous protagonist Alan Wake. In the game, a "darkness" is taking over humans, animals and objects. These enemies, dubbed the "Taken", are murderous shadows that attack Wake, wielding weapons of their own, ranging from.
The Taken are protected by a shield of darkness, initially rendering them impervious to attack; they can only be injured with a firearm after exposure to light, which burns the darkness away. This puts significant emphasis on flashlights in conjunction with conventional weapons, such as a revolver or shotgun. Flashlight beams act as a reticle.
The player is often encouraged to take advantage of environmental light sources and placing, and to use other light-based weapons and accessories, such as flare guns, hand-held flares and flashbangs.
So this game mixs survival with fantasy with reality with horror with suspense and so much more.
I would highly reecordmend playing this game.
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Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Star Trek (2009) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
As Leonard Nimoy says on the “making of” featurette, few directors can successfully deliver both ‘action’ and ’emotion’ in the same film, but J.J. Abrams can do. You can tell that he loved the original series, and adds both energy and ‘fan-friendly’ easter eggs into the movie:
We saw Kirk’s death in “Generations” – here we see his birth, with a pre-Thor Chris Hemsworth as his heroic Dad!;
The nasty Ceti Eel creatures are back from “The Wrath of Khan”!;
We see the historic event of Kirk beating the Kobayashi Maru starfleet test;
And we see all of the key characters meeting for the first time.
There are some surprises though. The fact that Spock and Uhuru are ‘a thing’ adds a spice to the film that feels like it messes with existing Trek lore. And similarly the destruction of Vulcan – giving this the highest body count of any of the movies! – has to be explained away with the old ‘parallel timeline’ ploy.
The action scenes work well, reliving the ‘submarine warfare in space’ elements that worked so well in the original series and the “Wrath of Khan”. A ‘space drop’ onto Nero’s ‘drill’ is particularly thrilling.
The casting is just about bang on, with Chris Pine pitch perfect as Kirk and Karl Urban particularly impressive as ‘Bones’ McCoy (although the evolution of the nickname – shown here – feels overly forced). The one character that I don’t get on with here is Simon Pegg’s Scotty: might be controversial, but he just doesn’t work for me.
Finally, the music by Michael Giacchino is a favourite score of mine. Simply thrilling and brilliant. I was lucky enough to hear it played live at a showing in the Royal Albert Hall a few years back, where both Giacchino and Abrams appeared on stage – – a truly memorable evening.
It’s not perfect. The whole “transportation of Scotty into the water works” irritates me enormously for some reason. And it’s somewhat glossed over what Nero and his crew have been doing for the 25 years while Kirk grows up: (Nero: “Man, I’ve finished ALL of my Sodoku books… when is this lockdown EVER GONNA END??”). And the JJ ‘lens flare’ is used to a level here that is mind-blowingly distracting! But as a reboot, in the main, it works.
We saw Kirk’s death in “Generations” – here we see his birth, with a pre-Thor Chris Hemsworth as his heroic Dad!;
The nasty Ceti Eel creatures are back from “The Wrath of Khan”!;
We see the historic event of Kirk beating the Kobayashi Maru starfleet test;
And we see all of the key characters meeting for the first time.
There are some surprises though. The fact that Spock and Uhuru are ‘a thing’ adds a spice to the film that feels like it messes with existing Trek lore. And similarly the destruction of Vulcan – giving this the highest body count of any of the movies! – has to be explained away with the old ‘parallel timeline’ ploy.
The action scenes work well, reliving the ‘submarine warfare in space’ elements that worked so well in the original series and the “Wrath of Khan”. A ‘space drop’ onto Nero’s ‘drill’ is particularly thrilling.
The casting is just about bang on, with Chris Pine pitch perfect as Kirk and Karl Urban particularly impressive as ‘Bones’ McCoy (although the evolution of the nickname – shown here – feels overly forced). The one character that I don’t get on with here is Simon Pegg’s Scotty: might be controversial, but he just doesn’t work for me.
Finally, the music by Michael Giacchino is a favourite score of mine. Simply thrilling and brilliant. I was lucky enough to hear it played live at a showing in the Royal Albert Hall a few years back, where both Giacchino and Abrams appeared on stage – – a truly memorable evening.
It’s not perfect. The whole “transportation of Scotty into the water works” irritates me enormously for some reason. And it’s somewhat glossed over what Nero and his crew have been doing for the 25 years while Kirk grows up: (Nero: “Man, I’ve finished ALL of my Sodoku books… when is this lockdown EVER GONNA END??”). And the JJ ‘lens flare’ is used to a level here that is mind-blowingly distracting! But as a reboot, in the main, it works.
Merissa (13878 KP) rated It's Complicated (Reservations #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2021 (Updated Jul 9, 2023)
IT'S COMPLICATED is the second book in the Reservations series and is also how I feel about this book. This is Julian's story; his and the Marlborough Man, otherwise known as Beckett.
Julian has lived through hell and come out the other side. Beckett only knows that he wants to know him better, no matter what happened in his past. Thane, in the first book, looked at Levi and wanted him, prepared to do whatever it took to have him. In a way, Beckett is the same, except he doesn't try to steamroller Julian. Instead, he goes for the perfect gentleman, gently-gently approach. Julian responds to him but ultimately, has different goals than Beckett.
And that, right there, is why I struggled with this book. I just don't like Julian. Now, I'm not saying anything about his past. What he dealt with, nobody should ever have to deal with. I'm talking about the present and future Julian. In his professional life, he constantly flouts the rules that are there for the protection of others, not just him. He is rude and has a major attitude. Only once does he acknowledge that he caused trouble for others, but then immediately justifies it by saying he was doing it for the betterment of the club. And in his personal life, the whole time he was with Beckett, he only had in mind getting his body back in the game of being an Escort. (Yes, I do realise he has to do that to have his epiphany...) And Beckett was a bit too soft and gentle if you know what I mean. If Julian had done to me what he did to Beckett, we certainly wouldn't be looking at sunsets with his family, put it that way.
I liked the cameos of Thane and Levi; for me, they helped move this story along. It's a Kindle Alexander book, which means it's steamy and generally a good read. However, this one just didn't do it for me as others have done.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 17, 2021
Julian has lived through hell and come out the other side. Beckett only knows that he wants to know him better, no matter what happened in his past. Thane, in the first book, looked at Levi and wanted him, prepared to do whatever it took to have him. In a way, Beckett is the same, except he doesn't try to steamroller Julian. Instead, he goes for the perfect gentleman, gently-gently approach. Julian responds to him but ultimately, has different goals than Beckett.
And that, right there, is why I struggled with this book. I just don't like Julian. Now, I'm not saying anything about his past. What he dealt with, nobody should ever have to deal with. I'm talking about the present and future Julian. In his professional life, he constantly flouts the rules that are there for the protection of others, not just him. He is rude and has a major attitude. Only once does he acknowledge that he caused trouble for others, but then immediately justifies it by saying he was doing it for the betterment of the club. And in his personal life, the whole time he was with Beckett, he only had in mind getting his body back in the game of being an Escort. (Yes, I do realise he has to do that to have his epiphany...) And Beckett was a bit too soft and gentle if you know what I mean. If Julian had done to me what he did to Beckett, we certainly wouldn't be looking at sunsets with his family, put it that way.
I liked the cameos of Thane and Levi; for me, they helped move this story along. It's a Kindle Alexander book, which means it's steamy and generally a good read. However, this one just didn't do it for me as others have done.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 17, 2021