I am so TORN about this series. So let's start with the positive. The author(s) have a vision. They know where the story is going, and the plot has been pretty consistent. There's no real glaring plotholes as far as I can tell, and everything seems to come back full circle. The plot itself is interesting enough. though fairly generic. But that's about where the positives end.
Getting right to the point, the writing is repetitive. Not just a little, but a LOT. Words. Phrases. Descriptors. Actions. It's the same series of actions done again and again in different settings. It makes it feel as though the writer is desperately trying to pad their word count. as though they're trying to fill a quota, and for me that just brings me straight out of the story.
On that same note, the writing is juvenile overall. The author is clearly trying to set a certain tone with their writing style, which is great, but this often leads them to using words that just don't fit. They're jarring, and unexpected. It makes me feel like they're trying to appear older than they really are by using fancier words. For example. The EXCESSIVE use of "embrace." As a reader, that word screams much deeper intimacy than a hug, or simply bringing someone into their arms. It's not a word to be used in abundance. The author drops it every chance they get and it just stilts the flow of the story.
Then there's the constant mention of their appearances. "Handsome man." "Beautiful boy." It makes it seem as though those are the only characteristics of there's that we should care about. Also their age gap. I'm over it. They're different races, so I justify it, but I do not need constant reminders that Luo Xiao is but 16 while Jiang Yao is 100(0?) years old. I understand it's a determining factor in their lack of sex, but it's not necessary to bring it up every single time they kiss, or snuggle. Their relationship is also on the verge of codependency, and I question the health of it.
I'm not sure how many books this author has written, but from my perspective there's a lot of room for improvement. While the story is interesting enough for me to keep coming back, the execution is severely lacking. I think they would benefit from having an editor come through and help them polish it up some. The foundations really are good, but it feels like every building block added is just as crooked and wobbly as the first. I've seen little improvement after listening to all three books. While I dislike to be harsh, as someone with an extremely similar writing style to this author, I feel like I have a good perspective. I hope that they read the reviews and do their best to implement changes where they can so we the readers can continue to enjoy their stories.