Sometimes you want a nice chunky book to take you on an emotional, angsty journey. This is that book. This is my 1st book for this author, and boy oh Sometimes you want a nice chunky book to take you on an emotional, angsty journey. This is that book. This is my 1st book for this author, and boy oh boy, did it deliver. Professor/student/age gap tropes are my crack, and this gave me EVERYTHING AND MORE.
This book DESTROYED ME, in the best possible way. I happy-sobbed my eyes out at the end, and am now a zombie with the book hangover from hellF@*K. ME.
This book DESTROYED ME, in the best possible way. I happy-sobbed my eyes out at the end, and am now a zombie with the book hangover from hell, listening to all the mid-90s music I loved that was mentioned all thru the book.
You know those books where you finish it, and you just stare at the wall, happy tears slipping out, and you just want to sit with it and try to find tYou know those books where you finish it, and you just stare at the wall, happy tears slipping out, and you just want to sit with it and try to find the right words to pour praise on it? That you FEEL, feel SO MUCH from the power of the words you’ve just read? This is one of those books. I finished it a week ago, and it’s still living in my heart. I can count on one hand how many books have this impact on me. This is a book, I know, that I’ll read over & over again.
Just lemme stop crying and I’ll give it the review it deserves…
Ok. Deep breath. This book was INCREDIBLE. Breathtaking. Heart-aching. It’s the 2nd in Just lemme stop crying and I’ll give it the review it deserves…
Ok. Deep breath. This book was INCREDIBLE. Breathtaking. Heart-aching. It’s the 2nd in the “Lost Boys”, featuring long-lost friends Will & Waylon, with both books being almost 600pgs each. Not that I noticed.
Quaid and Aslan have rocketed up into my Top 5 of favourite book boyfriends.
Not often I give a book almost across-the-board 5s in mI. Am. Breathless.
Quaid and Aslan have rocketed up into my Top 5 of favourite book boyfriends.
Not often I give a book almost across-the-board 5s in my ratings, because usually the angst & LOLs have an inverse relationship. It wasn’t tearful-angst, but tense drama-angst, a tight suspenseful plot that made me drop everything & change plans so I could keep devouring this uninterrupted.
This book is everything, worthy of every star. Beautifully written, emotional storyline, rich & complex characters… massive book hangover. This will bThis book is everything, worthy of every star. Beautifully written, emotional storyline, rich & complex characters… massive book hangover. This will be read over & over ...more
5 (hundred) glorious stars for a perfect ending to a series I have loved SO MUCH, and a couple who will stick with me forever. Cue massive book hangov5 (hundred) glorious stars for a perfect ending to a series I have loved SO MUCH, and a couple who will stick with me forever. Cue massive book hangover..
The prologue kicks you in the guts from the outset. This has been used well in previous books, by giving you brief insight into an event then going back in time to slowly tease you until the resolution. And it’s pretty dramatic so I had tears in the first few pages.
This is structured & written beautifully, going backwards and forwards in time from present day, to when the boys first met, and significant events involving them both over the years. And while the initial books & the development of the relationship was written from the POV of Ben, this book is written from Nikolas/Aleksay’s POV. That closes the loop on both perspectives about their relationship, which is great to read. While we’ve wondered at times whether the depth of love was reciprocated, we see that they’ve been in sync most of the time over the years. While skipping backwards & forwards in time can sometimes be confusing, this is written clearly and done incredibly well.
Ben & Nikolas/Aleksay are the definition of couples goals. Over the 9 books in the series, both have gone through a roller coaster of experiences and emotions, falling deeper in love each time. “They were flawed individuals, chipped and dented by life, but together they made a perfect whole.” As much as this series has been about falling in love against the odds, and finding that special someone, I think the biggest human emotion that stands out is forgiveness. The ability to forgive someone, even when they’ve been at their absolute worst, because you love them with everything you have and that won’t change. Not many people have that capacity.
“More of my life has been spent without you than with—that long stretch of time when I thought nothing could fundamentally change who I was. And now I have been given these years of loving you.” He quirked a rueful smile. “Being in love with you. So, I do not intend to waste another day allowing fear to unbalance the complex skein that is my life with you. Do I tempt fate? Fuck fate, Ben. Fuck it, and live each day defying it.”
I’ve highlighted SO MANY paragraphs in this book. The intensity of emotions between the boys is deep and lyrical. The last 15% had me flooding tears, uncertain if there was going to be a happy ending.
For a last book of a series, it was utter perfection. The only other authors I can compare this level of exact rightness are Tal Bauer & Jessie Walker. This series will be a definite frequent re-read, because Ben & Nik/Aleksay are in my heart permanently....more
Loading...
