Hero
Fong Brothers, Book #2
Heat Factor: Lotsa handjobs and blowjobs, but we’re not without a penetration scene, too
Character Chemistry: My insides kept flip-flopping all over the place with these two
Plot: Cedric might be the one person who actually sees Brian. Brian finally finds some personal direction as he supports Cedric in achieving his goals.
Overall: I’m really hungry, but also I’m a heart eyes emoji
Heat Factor: I was expecting chick-lit level steam (so not much), and I was wrong
Character Chemistry: When it’s good, it’s good. When they’re struggling, I wanted to SCREAM.
Plot: She’s having a quarter life crisis. He’s a tortured soul. They’re both writers and neighbors on the lake in Michigan.
Overall: I am seriously not on board with January assuring Gus that she’ll stick through the messiness when Gus is scared to try a relationship and then immediately bailing in a meltdown when things get messy. Seriously. Not.
Heat Factor: I can neither confirm nor deny any on-page sex
Character Chemistry: So far, our heroine has spent pretty much all her time with her mother and sister, so there’s not really any chemistry to speak of.
Plot: Everyone decides to SHUN THIS FAMILY
Overall: DNF because the premise strained all credulity
Spoiler Alert: We all loved this book. So this is more of a long discussion post than a duel.
Spires, Book #1
Holly:
Heat Factor: Sex first, emotions later
Character Chemistry: I’m not entirely sure why Darian puts up with Ash, but I’m glad he does
Plot: One-night stand becomes something more
Overall: I finished this book and immediately made Erin and Ingrid agree to read it because I needed to talk to someone
Erin:
Heat Factor: There’s a lot of sex, and the sex does a lot of work, but it’s poetically rather than graphically written
Character Chemistry: “It doesn’t make any sense, but something in you speaks to something in me.”
Plot: Ash puts himself way outside his comfort zone and challenges himself to embrace the happiness he finds there
Overall: This has been on my TBR for a while, and I had a couple false starts because Chapter 1 was really uncomfortable, but the rest of the book was really beautiful
Ingrid:
Heat Factor: It’s kind of like eating dessert first, and then getting a little uncomfortable, so when you get the real food you’re kind of relieved/grateful and also just deeply satisfied?
Character Chemistry: This is probably a healthy dose of sexual healing mixed with a serious case of the ole grumpy + sunshine
Plot: Ash meets this glitter pirate, Darian, who just oozes joy at a stag party and tries really hard to pretend this man isn’t leading him into a life where he can find his own happiness and it DOES NOT WORK.
Overall: This book is absolutely like that song you hear on the radio and you’re like, oh god I’m not going to be able to stop humming this later, and that’s exactly what happens but you really love it…
Heat Factor: There is a long and detailed sex scene in the first 20%
Character Chemistry: He is extremely patronizing
Plot: Author with writers’ block starts banging his publisher slash muse
Overall: DNF
