Oh, buckle up cuz this one was WILD.
I do not even know how to write this review if I am being honest because for this book I wrote notes about how I was feeling while reading, but as the book progressed I fell so in love with everything that was happening that it’s crazy to thing that I ever had anything bad to say about them in this one.
This book was definitely different from book 3 and the difference was made by Rowen.
While I understand the appeal of having a book for each couple forming, and the idea is interesting and refreshing, I realized what my two main issues with this are:
1. While this is about Fallon forming connection with the other guys in this poly relationship, Vail SHOULD have POVs in all the books. He is part of that relationship too by being the boyfriend of the guys. We should know what he thinks and how he feels with the new things happening directly from him, and in real time, not from the guys perspective, they are not reliable narrators in these situations.
2. How it seems like Aspen and Fallon are in a separate relationship than the others. Of course, each has his own personal relationship with any of the other guys, it's normal, but it feels sometimes like Aspen cares more about Fallon than Vail which doesn’t sit well with me, and it is just odd to see that in a poly relationship. I love all the pairings 1 on 1, except them. You would've expected this from Rowen and Vail, but no, once Rowen started things with Fallon he made sure he got them both attention in similar ways. Made sure no one was left feeling unimportant, or like an afterthought. Aspen should learn a thing or two because he definitely made Vail look as an afterthought in his book.
Some might disagree with me on this one, but I feel like everyone is focused too much on bending backwards for every whim and pout Fallon throws their way. Some might say the did the same with Vail in book 1&2 BUT there is a difference. The relationship between Vail and the guys started from a different point, total strangers. They were attracted to him and that's what got them in bed, then it was the way he slipped in their hearts with his beautiful mind, amazing and caring personality and love. They didn't fight too much for Vail because Vail was attention starved, touch starved... guess what? SAME AS FALLON, but with Fallon everyone goes out of their way to show him that he is worth it, that he is loved, important. Why do all this for Fallon but not for Vail too? They already knew Fallon, way before Vail, sure, they didn't like him, but once Vail wanted him all started to pay attention. That's the difference and that's why I don't find it fair. It's like Vail and the guys skipped the honeymoon phase and are now in the old married couple phase ( sure, they fuck 6 ways to Sunday, cuz Fallon is there too ) but otherwise there's not much to it. Fallon is wooed by everyone like he's the most important person, and he deserves that, but Vail does too. That's all I'm saying. In a poly relationship the attention should not be only on one person, no one should be left behind or treated as less.
While I love the flirty, easy going attitude Fallon has, I think the guys are letting him get away with too much sometimes. He doesn’t know when to shut up, doesn't understand when some things are NOT his business, and takes everything almost always like a joke and somehow transforms anything into something sexual. I DON'T want anyone to change that about him, it's part of who he is, but this attitude is tiring sometimes and it could end badly. He is reckless and this combined with his need for attention make a very dangerous combo. They live in a dangerous world and while he can protect himself, Vail doesn't, and that can end his life in a heartbeat.
I swear in book 3 and the beginning of this book Fallon was like a petulant toddler who gets jealous and is selfish beyond limits. He goes after these man with the excuse that Vail wants that, when in reality is him who wants everything that Vail has for himself. He gives the impression that he shares Vail's men with him, but the truth is that he always tries to find ways to have not only group time with them (where Vail is included)and he gets all the attention, but also more 1 on 1 time than Vail has with his men. Ofc, we don't know that for sure, cuz WE DON'T HAVE VAIL POV'S ANYMORE so we don't know. All we know is that he spends lots of time at work with Lor and the time we get to see him with the guys when Fallon is involved. It feels like he is "sent away" by the authors most of the time so Fallon can live his happy life with his new lovers... lovers that he would've never gotten if not for Vail. The reality is that neither one of them would've been together if not for our wee Doc. He brought them together, he keeps them together. If Vail leaves them the love these 4 share will stay, but the dynamic will not work in the slightest. They all need Vail to balance them, he is the glue that keeps them together. They all seem to forget that most times than not, and when they do remember that, they move on quickly.
It is unreasonable AF how Fallon, Aspen, Cillian and Rowen get jealous at some point in time, but Vail NEVER. How can he ALWAYS be ok with everything when it becomes clearer and clearer with each book that his needs are starting to get ignored, the time for him gets shorter, he doesn't really has 1 on 1 with anyone anymore, the dates are mostly designed for Fallon... Explain to me, please, how is this believable? Vail has a voyeuristic side, thats for sure, but stop using that to excuse his lack of jealousy, and make that sound like it's love. A kink is one thing, being human is another. Stop forgetting his human side and ignore his past worries and trauma. Acknowledging Fallon's trauma and trying to help him heal doesn't need to come at the expense of ignoring Vail's own issues.
The way he went after Rowen in the beginning was disrespectful, tbh. Rowen told him from the start how he is and how he feels about things, but he ignored that and did what he did with everyone else, flirted, used manipulation to guilt everyone into doing his bidding, and used sex as a weapon. Was it too much to actually listen to the man and try to approach him in a way that he felt comfortable and he liked?
The beginning of this book had me on edge, I did not know if I will end up straigh-up hate it or LOVE it. Fallon still had that behavior that bothered me, but I read this book in one sitting so… there’s also that.
This is why, ladies and gentlemen Rowen is the best of these four:
"You want meeee."
"Want was a strong word and me thing mostly of sex. There was a difference between want and need, and I didn't ever like to compare him and Vail. Comparison was a foolish man's error and while they were two different men in a lot of ways, I felt as though I needed Vail like I had a need to breathe. With Fallon, my feelings were new and intriguing, and I didn't intend to put a name on them yet. Fallon deserved better than to be second best to another man, and I wasn't going to give him any less than I would Vail.”
This right here is one of the reasons why I disliked book 3 so much. Fallon always compares Vail, but he is young and this is the first time he has the luxury to pick and choose, but what's Aspen's excuse? There isn't one. He always compared Vail to Fallon and somehow Fallon always turned out to be the best in his eyes. When you start comparing both of your BFs, can you really say you love both of them? Because in my eyes you aren't. None should be better than the other. Just sayin'
Rowen and Vail are the most emotionally stable people in this relationship. They understand the importance of communication. Fallon's flirting is not always the problem, the problem is that he doesn't understand that there is a time and place for that. In this particular scene Rowen told him he wants to go on dates and do this right, this is who he is after all, and Fallon mocked that and started doing what he does every time. How can you be so dismissive? How can you step on every boundary and think that is ok?
There were some instances when Rowen pointed to Fallon that he assumes things about him, but never asks anything, which is spot on. They do not communicate. They don't learn things about each other. Maybe that should make Fallon think about his relationships with the other guys for a bit, but ofc he doesn't.
The way I screamed when I saw Vail's POV... you have no idea 😭😭😭. I missed being in my wee bugs head 😭😭😭. My precious baby, my lovely lovely boy. This is what I'm talking about. This is how it should've been in book 3 too. 😭😭😭 it would've transformed it from meh to perfect.
See this is why I love Vail. He talked to Rowen about him and Fallon and he said he is ok with that. He communicated how he is worried about Fallon, how much he loves him, how he would protect him to the best of his abilities. That is love. This care, attention, consideration. This is why he is special and he deserves better. Being set aside in every scenario is NOT ok.
The scene at the sex shop was absolutely amazing. I loved how these three had a nice date, enjoyed each other's company.I loved the way those 3 were together in bed. It was the first time I did not mind reading about Fallon because you could tell he was invested in both men, not just one of them like it happened when Aspen was there. I think this night was the moment when Fallon from book 1&2 returned and made me fall in love with him again.
I loved Rowen, God I love him so much. He is THE ONLY ONE who actually truly pays attention to Vail. Even now when he has Fallon too. "There were times when he was almost childlike with his need for reassurance, but then I'd learned since being with him that it was part of his ADHD and the anxiety that came with it." This is why I don’t think even for a second that Vail will be ok with the way Aspen and Fallon act long term. Vail knows he is smart, competent, academically he is most probably a genius, he has a high IQ AND EQ, which makes him this sweet, amazing human being, but he is insecure. He gets frustrated. He doesn't think he is enough. He said that time and time again, and it annoys me that we moved on so fast from that. If Fallon receives reassurance all the time, extra attention and care in order to make him feel safe and loved, then the same should be happening with Vail. Both of them can have it. Both of them deserve it. Equally. Always.
"We could still take this slow, but I wasn't going to ruin this. I could love two men at once. Vail loves four at the same time and never made any of us feel left out."
AMEN.
Someone teach Aspen & Fallon that lesson too, PLS & TY! This is what I'm talking about, Vail never makes anyone feel left out. Is his ADHD mind going through all sorts of things at once and he can be easily distracted? Yes. Does this mean he will never see the way he is sometimes ignored by the others? No. I can't wait for him to see that, and dump these idiots. Not forever, I don't want them to split for ever, but for enough time so they can realise the way they are acting. It's one thing to want to share someone, to love watching them together, want to make your men feel special and the center of the univers and it is another thing to have one of your BF try to steal the other one's from you, get mad and jealous AND NEVER TALK ABOUT IT SO YOU CAN MAKE SURE HE NEVER FEELS THAT WAY AGAIN.
OMG, the 2nd Vail's POV's hit the nail in the head: "It was a treat when I had any of my guys alone because I wanted to be a good partner for each of them, and they were all different." See? Exactly what I said in my "harsh" reviews since book 3. He needs alone time with each and every one of them. Too bad Fallon always feels the need to interfere and make sure he is there too to steal the attention, especially with Aspen. People seem to forget that between the moment Vail and Aspen started their relationship until Aspen and Fallon did, not much time has passed. They didn't truly had time to form something that is just theirs, if you ask me. Even when they went away at the cabin, Fallon came crushing the party and a few days later is only made sense for the others to come too. Fallon decided that was the moment to start seducing Aspen. The timeline is so short between events I think that’s another reason why I dislike so much the relationship between Aspen and Fallon and book 3. It took away from that bonding period with V&A. Not fair. And... another thing that I did say in my previous reviews ( before reading this and having it confirmed again ), Fallon and Vail have the most 1 on 1 time. The way Vail loves Fal is so gentle, beautiful, playful. Fallon needs to start doing better, I swear he needs to take his head out of his ass and stop with this shit behaviour he has.
Cuz we have a Vail POV, we finally find out that he and Aspen do get some time alone sometimes. What a difference that makes, huh? Just one Vail POV and all is well in the world. Also, we get to hear how Fallon makes him feel, even now, when he has two other guys. I'm telling you, book 3 could've been absolutely spectacular, just like the first 2 and 4 IF Vail had some POV chapters to see everything through his eyes as well.
Fallon needs to start picking up how bad he is at dating Vail. Fallon has all his attention on V only when no one else is around, once there are more people there, especially Aspen, he tends to ignore Vail most of the time if it's not sex related stuff. Rowen arranged with Vail to take Fal on a 2nd date, and when Ro tells him the plans he asks why is Vail not there. The answer is BEAUTIFUL: “This is for us. I take Vail out alone and give him time and attention. If he asks me for something, I provide it. No matter if that’s a book or letting him go off to have a moment with Cillian, when I’d rather he was at my side.”[…] “I’ll do the same for ye. But I want to get to know ye alone. Know the Fallon who is maybe shy of the rest of the guys.” As I said BEAUTIFUL. THIS IS HOW YOU BUILD SOMETHING THAT LASTS.
You know how communication also looks like? Like this: “Plus, I’m not battling for time. I do that with Vail, wait and rearrange plans quite often. I enjoy this. Truth be told, it will be nice to be able to have ye because Vail also has Aspen and Cillian. I wouldn’t say I was lonely, but I was alone more than I would’ve liked.” Vail knows this, that's why he always tries to make extra time for Ro. Learn a thing or two Fallon and come to your senses, you can be better than the shit you've been since you snatched Aspen from Vail.
I feel like Rowen is teaching Fallon how to be in a relationship. That it is ok to have different type of relationships with each of your BFs, but always make sure that you give each partner enough time and attention that they don't feel left out. I love him for this, because as I said 100x already, this is what was missing from book 3.
“I like that ye’re putting some thought into us.”[…]“It’s fuckin’ weird to think about things I normally just do. So much of the last few months just sort of happened to me. I mean, I am really goddamned happy to have Vail and Aspen, but it’s all been fast.” “And this isn’t,” he said, kissing the corner of my mouth.
This showed Fallon that relationships need to be something you think about, work for, you can jump right into them, but sometimes slow and steady is also amazing. Rowen is building relationships to last a lifetime, take notes Aspen/Fallon.
I loved how Rowen always made Fallon feel things, think about them, analyze, not just jump head first and see what's happening later. Love is something that can start either which way, but what comes next is the hard work, and Fal didn't realise this yet. Ro is showing him that while sex is amazing, it's not the whole relationship. Strong connections are what matter the most, respect, love. Connection and being intentional in the way you treat your partner. The little rabbit needs this lesson bad, I hope he'll think long and hard about the others too and start making some changes once everyone is back together. With Rowen and Vail alone Fallon is a different person, the problem is when there's the 5 of them. I think Aspen sometimes is the one that messes the dynamic with the way he handles things between him and Vail/Fallon.
This review shows how I went from still being mad with Fallon from book three to really appreciating and loving him in this one. Even though this book is set as book 5 in the series, it happenes at the same time with book 4 and both of them start exactly where book 3 left, so this is why I was still mad with Fal.
Rowen humanised Fallon in a way no one else could’ve been able to. He showed us how young he is, and how he still has things to learn. I think Rowen not only gained my respect, but also my love. This book was so different because Fallon felt so much more real and loving. In this book we can see how he falls in love with Ro, sure, but we also see how he loves Vail with eveything that he has. Their relationship also progressed, blossomed. They got to be together more, and love each other more. How it should be.
Book 6 is not out yet, and tbh I do not know when that will happen, I am curious about it, because it’s gonna be about Fallon and Cillian, but I hope it will be more like this book instead of book three. We need POV’s from each partner’s perspective, and even if we follow one couple falling in love, I still want to follow the others existing around them. I am also curious how Aspen is going to act in Cillian’s and Fal’s book, because he is the one that ( as mentioned ) messes the dynamic. I also hope Cillian will not forget about Vail like Aspen did. My heart will not recover if that happens.
I ATE THIS BOOK UP. This review is the longest, and I want to thank you if you took the time to actually read all this, but I had a lot of things to say, a lot of feelings to unpack since I went from disliking Fallon to absolutely lovin' him again. He is not a bad character, I NEVER said that. He is young, something that I acknowledged, reckless, inexperienced, he needed Rowen to show him the way and I hope he learned something.
The things that are happening behind the scenes are absolutely fire. I can’t wait to see what will happen next in the mafia war that just started.
Ahhhh, and the epilogues? OMG, I did not like the epilogues in book 3 and 4, but in this one? THEY WERE ABSOLUTE PERFECTION. Everything was AS IT SHOULD BE. All of them loving everyone, no one left behind, no one on the sidelines.
Fallon, baby, I love you, you deserve the best, just like my sweet pie Vail.
5 stars, baby. 5.