⭐︎
2.25 Stars Rounded Down
⭐︎
My first and potentially last read of this author, unfortunately 😬
Part of me feels bad to give this such a low rating, because I was aware what it was going into it. I knew it was supposed to have no plot and be straight up erotica.
But there were several problems with how that was executed.
Does an erotica novel need to be 175 pages? Almost 200 pages of mostly sex? No. If it had legitimate plot to add to a lot of sex, then I think it would be fine. But it didn't, so it was just almost 200 pages of sex. And that got to be way too much.
I definitely skimmed here and there. I just couldn't be bothered with a lot of this. Sometimes I went back to what I'd skimmed and read it, and then realized I hadn't really missed anything by skimming/skipping.
But also, at the same time, it kind of did try to have a plot? Which muddies the waters for me, because while I appreciated the flashbacks here and there to give us an idea of their relationship, the flashbacks got to be too much, and in random places, short or long, and soon enough I didn't care about those either. I was feeling...why is this giving me plot in the middle of all this sex?
Not a ton, but giving more to these two than just sex, giving them a meaningful relationship, showing them doing stuff outside of sex in the flashbacks, is plot. It's a break from the sex and actually adds romance to this, but...that romance wasn't utilized in the present day sex fest these two had.
Instead in the present it's basically all sex with little snippets here or there of them with their friends or at work or Rome getting super jealous of a random nerd tutoring Sebastian, etc.
It led to a lack of chemistry for me. First, there's no development before they start having sex, so I wasn't invested in them - and the sex, unfortunately, wasn't done well enough for me to be so into the sex that I didn't care at the lack of romance/character development. - and then it tries to give them a bit of development in all these flashbacks, but I still didn't feel like an amazing connection in present day.
Maybe because I was already a bit checked out by the time we got more and more flashbacks of these two. Or maybe because in present we barely got anything resembling romance. Barely any, honestly. Maybe a scene or two of Rome taking care of Sebastian when he's sick, I guess. But even then they're mostly just bummed they couldn't have sex the days that Sebastian was sick more than anything and were like...going through sex-with-each-other withdrawals practically.
So my big problem with that is this claims to mainly be erotica with no plot, but it still tries to sneak in some romance and plot.
So am I to take this as an erotica or a book with plot? Which one? It just ended up making me feel a little confused.
Also, again, what's the point of the stepbrother angle? They could have easily been besties who go to the same college, who are overly affectionate and then a kiss changes it all, and nothing about this would have changed. Their dynamic wouldn't have changed at all.
And I know this was trying to be easy and light, but again, just make them best friends. There was literally no difference. No one gave a shit about them being stepbrothers. In fact their friends even bet on them being together. Their parents did not give a shit.
There's no point in the stepbrother trope being used if no one gives a shit, if it's not even the slightest bit taboo.
Like...these two reacted more negatively towards being together than anyone else, and they barely put up a fight! Well, it was mostly Rome, tbh. But they both kept it a secret for months and for what, apparently 🤷♀️
I gave this a boost of .25 stars because it included cock warming, which I love. BUT, it didn't use it enough, so that's all the boost I gave it. I was like "yes! Cock warming!" and then we get like...one or two legit scenes with it. I was bummed. I probably could have raised this to 3 stars, no joke, if we'd had some really good use of cock warming in this. But *sigh* there wasn't.
Also I don't know why, but it felt a tad off that Rome was so super jealous and possessive of the nerd guy who was tutoring Sebastian that he went all cave man on Sebastian and fucked him in the stacks not far from the guy, and then when they were done he threatens the guy if he ever touches Sebastian again, but then at the end he's cool with others watching him and Sebastian have sex? The over possessiveness and then the less over possessiveness at the end didn't quite compute for me. Like to me, someone that possessive wouldn't want anyone to see his man? Does that make sense?
If he was less possessive, it would make more sense. A "you can look but can't touch" thing. But he literally lost it at the tutor just touching Sebastian's arm and fucked him right there in the library to like...mark what's his or whatever. Just felt a little off to me.
Which, I don't mind if a couple is into voyeurism, but the attitudes didn't line up for me, so that was my main problem with that.
So, while the inclusion of the flashbacks was nice, and gave more to these two than if they hadn't been there, and the cock warming was nice for a scene or two, and a sex scene here or there was done well enough that I felt something while reading, hence my 2.25 stars, there was just too much I had a problem with to give it anything more.
Was this a stepbrother romance? No but kinda. Was this erotica? No but kinda. Did this have plot? No but kinda. Were they super possessive of each other? No but kinda.
It all just didn't quite add up. And it was way too long for an erotica book. But also it tried to have some plot which just muddied the waters. This could have been....80 to 100 pages, maybe less, even. Take out the stepbrother trope. And it wouldn't have been half bad, maybe.
Although the lack of chemistry and well written sex scenes would have still lowered my rating. But I could have maybe given it a 3 star rating instead, for the few fun and somewhat hot sex scenes we did get. And for the fun possessive scenes we did get.
Take away a lot of context and trying to add plot and this would have been alright.
As it is, I just couldn't get into this. An erotica book shouldn't have taken me 2 days to read, truly.
Ah, well. You win some, you lose some.
I honestly don't know if I'll give this author a chance in the future, but this book really might not have been the best to try out this new-to-me author with.
Better luck next time 🤷♀️