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Irish Knights Hockey #1
Voices
Charlie
I’m tired.
My life has been filled with disappointments, sadness, and pain.
I’m hated by everyone besides my best friend. Until the captain of the hockey team falls on top of me. His eyes are as blue as the ice he plays on, and his smile fills me with warmth I’ve never felt before.
Shane Hawkins.
The man everyone’s friends with, now has me in his sights and he’s not showing any signs of letting me go. Even through my anxiety and messed up mind, he’s still there.
And I don’t understand why.
But it doesn’t matter. Everyone leaves me when the monsters in my head become too loud.
Shane
When I started at Gannon University, my main goal was to focus on hockey and be drafted into the NHL.
But that all changed the day I collided with the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. His golden-brown eyes held such sadness and pain that I couldn’t rest until I saw him again.
Charlie Alexander.
The gifted artist with a mind full of demons and a secret I want to uncover.
He tries to hide them from me, but I see him. His struggle ignites my instinct to protect him.
When he returns from a trip home, broken and bloody, I do everything I can to show him the goodness in life.
But sometimes that’s not enough.
I’m tired.
My life has been filled with disappointments, sadness, and pain.
I’m hated by everyone besides my best friend. Until the captain of the hockey team falls on top of me. His eyes are as blue as the ice he plays on, and his smile fills me with warmth I’ve never felt before.
Shane Hawkins.
The man everyone’s friends with, now has me in his sights and he’s not showing any signs of letting me go. Even through my anxiety and messed up mind, he’s still there.
And I don’t understand why.
But it doesn’t matter. Everyone leaves me when the monsters in my head become too loud.
Shane
When I started at Gannon University, my main goal was to focus on hockey and be drafted into the NHL.
But that all changed the day I collided with the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. His golden-brown eyes held such sadness and pain that I couldn’t rest until I saw him again.
Charlie Alexander.
The gifted artist with a mind full of demons and a secret I want to uncover.
He tries to hide them from me, but I see him. His struggle ignites my instinct to protect him.
When he returns from a trip home, broken and bloody, I do everything I can to show him the goodness in life.
But sometimes that’s not enough.
375 pages, Hardcover
Published April 28, 2025
470 people are currently reading
2143 people want to read
About the author
Joey Parker
2 books158 followersI live in the Midwest with my husband and our four gremlins. If I'm not reading an MM romance, you can find me rocking out to the latest hard rock songs!
Introverted AF, Mountain Dew Baja Blast Zero addict, Proud Pansexual, the lone Millennial the technology gene skipped, MM romance book lover, and loves broken boys and their protectors are my book kryptonite!
Introverted AF, Mountain Dew Baja Blast Zero addict, Proud Pansexual, the lone Millennial the technology gene skipped, MM romance book lover, and loves broken boys and their protectors are my book kryptonite!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 580 reviews
April 23, 2025
"Ready to go watch some grown men chase a rubber disk on knife boots?" 🏒⛸️
Apologies in advance, but this is my honest take on Joey Parker's debut novel, Voices. As someone who devours MM romance, particularly when ice hockey is involved, I had genuinely high hopes for this one. Sadly, those hopes took a rather significant tumble.
Clocking in at what felt like an eternity, Voices presented a masterclass in drawn-out nothingness for the vast majority of its pages. I found myself wading through chapter after chapter where the central character, Charlie, seemed to exist in a perpetual state of either depression induced slumber, wearing Shane's hoodie, or re-watching Avatar. Now, I enjoy a bit of comfort and domesticity in a romance as much as the next person, but this bordered on the monotonous. Shane's repeated trips carrying Charlie to and from the bath / shower became less of a tender act and more of a recurring motif in a very slow-moving painting. For what felt like 85 to 90 per cent of the book, that was essentially it. The initial premise, hinted at in the blurb, takes an incredibly long time to actually surface. It's as if the story is deliberately holding its breath, and by the time it finally exhales, a significant portion of the audience has likely already lost interest.
Then, in what felt like a sudden flurry in the final 10 to 15 per cent, the reason is finally revealed. While I appreciate a build-up, this felt less like a slow burn and more like a complete standstill followed by a sprint to the finish line. The emotional impact of the reveal, which should have been significant, was somewhat diluted by the sheer effort it took to get there. It felt as though the author had a compelling story to tell, but it was buried under an excessive amount of padding.
Having received an ARC, I felt a responsibility to see Voices through to the end. However, I must confess it was a genuine struggle. I kept waiting for the moment where the story would truly take off, where the plot would thicken, where something – anything – of substance would happen. Sadly, that moment arrived far too late in the game to salvage my overall reading experience.
It pains me to write a less than glowing review, especially for a debut novel. I truly believe every author pours their heart and soul into their work. However, honesty compels me to say that Voices, while perhaps having a kernel of a good story within it, ultimately suffered from pacing issues and a significant lack of plot progression for the vast majority of its length and I'm afraid I can't wholeheartedly recommend this one.
Apologies in advance, but this is my honest take on Joey Parker's debut novel, Voices. As someone who devours MM romance, particularly when ice hockey is involved, I had genuinely high hopes for this one. Sadly, those hopes took a rather significant tumble.
Clocking in at what felt like an eternity, Voices presented a masterclass in drawn-out nothingness for the vast majority of its pages. I found myself wading through chapter after chapter where the central character, Charlie, seemed to exist in a perpetual state of either depression induced slumber, wearing Shane's hoodie, or re-watching Avatar. Now, I enjoy a bit of comfort and domesticity in a romance as much as the next person, but this bordered on the monotonous. Shane's repeated trips carrying Charlie to and from the bath / shower became less of a tender act and more of a recurring motif in a very slow-moving painting. For what felt like 85 to 90 per cent of the book, that was essentially it. The initial premise, hinted at in the blurb, takes an incredibly long time to actually surface. It's as if the story is deliberately holding its breath, and by the time it finally exhales, a significant portion of the audience has likely already lost interest.
Then, in what felt like a sudden flurry in the final 10 to 15 per cent, the reason is finally revealed. While I appreciate a build-up, this felt less like a slow burn and more like a complete standstill followed by a sprint to the finish line. The emotional impact of the reveal, which should have been significant, was somewhat diluted by the sheer effort it took to get there. It felt as though the author had a compelling story to tell, but it was buried under an excessive amount of padding.
Having received an ARC, I felt a responsibility to see Voices through to the end. However, I must confess it was a genuine struggle. I kept waiting for the moment where the story would truly take off, where the plot would thicken, where something – anything – of substance would happen. Sadly, that moment arrived far too late in the game to salvage my overall reading experience.
It pains me to write a less than glowing review, especially for a debut novel. I truly believe every author pours their heart and soul into their work. However, honesty compels me to say that Voices, while perhaps having a kernel of a good story within it, ultimately suffered from pacing issues and a significant lack of plot progression for the vast majority of its length and I'm afraid I can't wholeheartedly recommend this one.
April 10, 2025
This is a tough review to write, especially because this is a debut. I want nothing more than to be supportive of a new author. This story had so much potential, and I wanted to love it, but it fell way short for me. It was just so problematic.
The pacing was off, a lot of repetitive scenes - adding nothing of value to the story. It had lost my interest by 40% because the plot was just not moving forward. There were a lot of plot holes and inconsistencies - things I just couldn't understand what the point was because it didn't tie back to anything. Then in the last 15% or so we are hit with SO MUCH that it felt ridiculous.
The idea of this story was great, the execution not so much.
The pacing was off, a lot of repetitive scenes - adding nothing of value to the story. It had lost my interest by 40% because the plot was just not moving forward. There were a lot of plot holes and inconsistencies - things I just couldn't understand what the point was because it didn't tie back to anything. Then in the last 15% or so we are hit with SO MUCH that it felt ridiculous.
The idea of this story was great, the execution not so much.
September 27, 2025
Rating: 1.5⭐️
Emotion: 2🥹
Spice: 2🌶️
I will admit it took me longer than usual to finish Voices. When a book really pulls me in I will read non-stop until the last page and sadly this wasn’t one of those books that really captivated me. I did find myself zoning out on occasion.
There is so much to unpack with Voices and I’ll probably come back to this review once I’ve had time for my thoughts to settle. It’s a heavy read and please check the trigger warnings before diving in.
First, Shane was a saint. Kind, patient, generous, caring, compassionate and the biggest walking green flag if I ever saw one. Shane was in a way too good, he had no flaws and let’s be honest no depth. He was just walking around bathing and feeding Charlie and never once thought this isn’t right, Charlie is seriously unwell and he needs medical help.
Charlie… he had some seriously dark demons and the reasons behind them were utterly heartbreaking. For the majority of the story Charlie was almost catatonic, always sleeping, high or in a severe depressive episode.
Benji… I’m not sure he is redeemable. Time will tell. I feel like there was a missed opportunity here. Yes Benji was an absolute d*ckwad but I was kinda hoping we’d get some sort of reconciliation or at least some closure where he realises he was wrong, finally seeing everything Charlie went through and apologising for his part in Charlie’s pain. The more I think about Benji I am actually so confused by his actions towards Charlie.
Chapter 1 starts when they are 18 and it seems like Benji is supportive of Charlie, he is excited that Charlie got so many university acceptance letters. Benji even chooses the university he is going to based on that one having the best fine arts program for Charlie. So we can assume at 18 they seemed to get along. Nothing here pointed to any animosity between them. This seemed to start once they were at university and that was what was implied.
Now let’s cue to chapter 40 and we supposedly get the reason Benji hates Charlie which started when they were 15… it just doesn’t add up. If he despises him so much for what happened at age 15 why are they close at age 18. Is Benji so blind to see what his brother had endured and been suffering through for years.
I’d like to see a redemption arc, but honestly I’m not sure I’d read it. I don’t think the author can redeem Benji after the path she took him down.
Not sure how I feel about Lily, she’s Charlie’s best friend but some (okay a lot) of her actions had me raising my eyebrows. One that comes to mind is the scene where Charlie, Noah and Lily are having lunch and all of a sudden Lily and Noah just walk away with another group of friends without saying goodbye, leaving Charlie alone - like she does things like this knowing Charlie isn’t comfortable in crowds by himself. And do not get me started on Noah… the things he said to Charlie. He wasn’t a good friend.
Ryder, Matt & Ash - more green flags and I loved the found family element to the story. Though I feel like we were not teased enough with who the future couples might be. Usually in series the reader has some idea of what’s coming next and that only leads to more hype for future books. Not sure how I feel about this.
There were some plot holes and things that played on my mind while reading. Charlie’s sexual assault being one and the ease at which he was able to be intimate with Shane. This was mainly evident when Charlie wasn’t comfortable with Shane behind him in one scene but in another Shane flipped him facedown and plowed into him and Charlie was fine with this. I was waiting for the freak out but it never came. Even after Conrad came back that first time and while it’s not confirmed it is implied Charlie was sexually assaulted again but this didn’t impact the intimacy between Shane and Charlie. And don’t get me started on if SA did happen about the implications of Conrad not using a condom which seemed to be the case. Either way it wasn’t addressed and I think it should have been.
For a 500+ page book the ending felt rushed, 90% of this book was pain, hurt and heartbreak. Charlie was in a really bad place for the majority of the story and his mental health, drug addiction and trauma were almost glossed over in the ending. We got a final chapter with a snippet of him seeing a therapist and then everyone was happy. I just feel like there could have been more time spent on his recovery, dealing with his trauma from not only his fathers beatings but the sexual assault he endured for years, self-harm and his drug addiction (I mean throwing away all his meds even if they were not correctly prescribed and going cold turkey is dangerous.. Charlie probably should have gone to rehab.. especially after the drug overdose).
Speaking of Charlie’s overdose the timeline didn’t add up. From the time he took the drugs with copious amounts of alcohol, left a message with Shane to when he was actually found hours had passed. Charlie had no pulse. Coming out of that perfectly fine without some sort of brain injury from lack of oxygen wasn’t at all realistic.
The dream sequence was kind of weird. It felt out of place and what was the point in confirming Franklin murdered the uncle and childhood best friend when nothing came from it. There were so many things like this throughout the story, like we were being set up for something big and then poof… nothing.
I don’t think Franklin got what he deserved, and it again felt rushed. 5 years in prison for tax evasion… what about the murders, assault of his son and don’t get me started on the fact he knew what Conrad was doing all along.
Voices had so much potential and for a debut it was good, but it could have been great.
Emotion: 2🥹
Spice: 2🌶️
I will admit it took me longer than usual to finish Voices. When a book really pulls me in I will read non-stop until the last page and sadly this wasn’t one of those books that really captivated me. I did find myself zoning out on occasion.
There is so much to unpack with Voices and I’ll probably come back to this review once I’ve had time for my thoughts to settle. It’s a heavy read and please check the trigger warnings before diving in.
First, Shane was a saint. Kind, patient, generous, caring, compassionate and the biggest walking green flag if I ever saw one. Shane was in a way too good, he had no flaws and let’s be honest no depth. He was just walking around bathing and feeding Charlie and never once thought this isn’t right, Charlie is seriously unwell and he needs medical help.
Charlie… he had some seriously dark demons and the reasons behind them were utterly heartbreaking. For the majority of the story Charlie was almost catatonic, always sleeping, high or in a severe depressive episode.
Benji… I’m not sure he is redeemable. Time will tell. I feel like there was a missed opportunity here. Yes Benji was an absolute d*ckwad but I was kinda hoping we’d get some sort of reconciliation or at least some closure where he realises he was wrong, finally seeing everything Charlie went through and apologising for his part in Charlie’s pain. The more I think about Benji I am actually so confused by his actions towards Charlie.
Chapter 1 starts when they are 18 and it seems like Benji is supportive of Charlie, he is excited that Charlie got so many university acceptance letters. Benji even chooses the university he is going to based on that one having the best fine arts program for Charlie. So we can assume at 18 they seemed to get along. Nothing here pointed to any animosity between them. This seemed to start once they were at university and that was what was implied.
Now let’s cue to chapter 40 and we supposedly get the reason Benji hates Charlie which started when they were 15… it just doesn’t add up. If he despises him so much for what happened at age 15 why are they close at age 18. Is Benji so blind to see what his brother had endured and been suffering through for years.
I’d like to see a redemption arc, but honestly I’m not sure I’d read it. I don’t think the author can redeem Benji after the path she took him down.
Not sure how I feel about Lily, she’s Charlie’s best friend but some (okay a lot) of her actions had me raising my eyebrows. One that comes to mind is the scene where Charlie, Noah and Lily are having lunch and all of a sudden Lily and Noah just walk away with another group of friends without saying goodbye, leaving Charlie alone - like she does things like this knowing Charlie isn’t comfortable in crowds by himself. And do not get me started on Noah… the things he said to Charlie. He wasn’t a good friend.
Ryder, Matt & Ash - more green flags and I loved the found family element to the story. Though I feel like we were not teased enough with who the future couples might be. Usually in series the reader has some idea of what’s coming next and that only leads to more hype for future books. Not sure how I feel about this.
There were some plot holes and things that played on my mind while reading. Charlie’s sexual assault being one and the ease at which he was able to be intimate with Shane. This was mainly evident when Charlie wasn’t comfortable with Shane behind him in one scene but in another Shane flipped him facedown and plowed into him and Charlie was fine with this. I was waiting for the freak out but it never came. Even after Conrad came back that first time and while it’s not confirmed it is implied Charlie was sexually assaulted again but this didn’t impact the intimacy between Shane and Charlie. And don’t get me started on if SA did happen about the implications of Conrad not using a condom which seemed to be the case. Either way it wasn’t addressed and I think it should have been.
For a 500+ page book the ending felt rushed, 90% of this book was pain, hurt and heartbreak. Charlie was in a really bad place for the majority of the story and his mental health, drug addiction and trauma were almost glossed over in the ending. We got a final chapter with a snippet of him seeing a therapist and then everyone was happy. I just feel like there could have been more time spent on his recovery, dealing with his trauma from not only his fathers beatings but the sexual assault he endured for years, self-harm and his drug addiction (I mean throwing away all his meds even if they were not correctly prescribed and going cold turkey is dangerous.. Charlie probably should have gone to rehab.. especially after the drug overdose).
Speaking of Charlie’s overdose the timeline didn’t add up. From the time he took the drugs with copious amounts of alcohol, left a message with Shane to when he was actually found hours had passed. Charlie had no pulse. Coming out of that perfectly fine without some sort of brain injury from lack of oxygen wasn’t at all realistic.
The dream sequence was kind of weird. It felt out of place and what was the point in confirming Franklin murdered the uncle and childhood best friend when nothing came from it. There were so many things like this throughout the story, like we were being set up for something big and then poof… nothing.
I don’t think Franklin got what he deserved, and it again felt rushed. 5 years in prison for tax evasion… what about the murders, assault of his son and don’t get me started on the fact he knew what Conrad was doing all along.
Voices had so much potential and for a debut it was good, but it could have been great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2025
I was so excited when I saw the blurb for Voices and couldn't wait to dive in. The potential was so high for me: MM hockey romance with a broken MMC. Sign me up. I think if this had gone through alpha, beta, and serious editing, there could have been a solid story. The premise was intriguing.
Detailed thoughts:
I struggled with Shane - he was too perfect to be realistic. I love a walking green flag, but Shane fell flat. Charlie's mental health issues weren't addressed appropriately in my opinion and it took away from the storyline. Mental health rep in books is important - but so is showing appropriate diagnosis, healing and recovery; especially when a parent has been medicating their child with a long list of prescription drugs.
The dialogue in this book was unrealistic and kept taking me out of the story. The consistent HP references were excessive and in the current state of the world, giving recognition to that author, especially in a queer book, didn't make sense.
There were also massive plot holes throughout the book - I wanted more information on what happened between Charlie and Benji. The beginning of the book has Benji saying that he chose the college he did because of the art program for Charlie. Later in the book, Benji has nothing positive to say about his brother.
There was unresolved drama with Noah - why did he give Charlie drugs and say mean things but nothing was ever addressed?
Why did Charlie's parents have a large group of people living in a house on their property to work for them and none of them did anything to protect Charlie as a child? Later we find out that they had burner phones hidden in the floorboards. This felt random and inexplicable.
Why did Charlie's mom show up at his apartment and have it cleaned but left his room a mess at the house?
Charlie's father read like a comic book villain. There was no substance to his character or explanation for why he was the way he was. And certainly not why he allowed his "right hand man" to r*** his fifteen year old son. The r*** scene was graphic and didn't serve a purpose in moving the story forward.
The book was long and ended up rushing through the end. When Charlie ODs, the dream sequence with his uncle and old best friend seemed like an odd way to wrap up. His uncle telling him that he didn't save him because he lived in the forest and Charlie's dad had threatened to set his house on fire was absurd and the most unrealistic part of the book. There was also mention of Charlie's best friend from childhood and how he was killed by Charlie's dad but there had never been mention of him earlier in the book.
I generally don't rate books if I would give less than 3 stars, but as I see a ton of five star reviews rolling in on this book, I don't feel like it's at all an accurate representation of what's contained in Voices.
Detailed thoughts:
I struggled with Shane - he was too perfect to be realistic. I love a walking green flag, but Shane fell flat. Charlie's mental health issues weren't addressed appropriately in my opinion and it took away from the storyline. Mental health rep in books is important - but so is showing appropriate diagnosis, healing and recovery; especially when a parent has been medicating their child with a long list of prescription drugs.
The dialogue in this book was unrealistic and kept taking me out of the story. The consistent HP references were excessive and in the current state of the world, giving recognition to that author, especially in a queer book, didn't make sense.
There were also massive plot holes throughout the book - I wanted more information on what happened between Charlie and Benji. The beginning of the book has Benji saying that he chose the college he did because of the art program for Charlie. Later in the book, Benji has nothing positive to say about his brother.
There was unresolved drama with Noah - why did he give Charlie drugs and say mean things but nothing was ever addressed?
Why did Charlie's parents have a large group of people living in a house on their property to work for them and none of them did anything to protect Charlie as a child? Later we find out that they had burner phones hidden in the floorboards. This felt random and inexplicable.
Why did Charlie's mom show up at his apartment and have it cleaned but left his room a mess at the house?
Charlie's father read like a comic book villain. There was no substance to his character or explanation for why he was the way he was. And certainly not why he allowed his "right hand man" to r*** his fifteen year old son. The r*** scene was graphic and didn't serve a purpose in moving the story forward.
The book was long and ended up rushing through the end. When Charlie ODs, the dream sequence with his uncle and old best friend seemed like an odd way to wrap up. His uncle telling him that he didn't save him because he lived in the forest and Charlie's dad had threatened to set his house on fire was absurd and the most unrealistic part of the book. There was also mention of Charlie's best friend from childhood and how he was killed by Charlie's dad but there had never been mention of him earlier in the book.
I generally don't rate books if I would give less than 3 stars, but as I see a ton of five star reviews rolling in on this book, I don't feel like it's at all an accurate representation of what's contained in Voices.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Did not finish
April 17, 2025Unfortunately, this read like a poorly written Wattpad story. I tried so hard to persevere for the hurt/comfort, but alas I could not.
Did not finish
January 19, 2026dnf @ 20%
the book is trash anyways but i was trying to push through due to the hype. but what do you actually mean you have a harry potter reference in a queer book that came out less than a year ago?
BOO 🍅🍅🍅
the book is trash anyways but i was trying to push through due to the hype. but what do you actually mean you have a harry potter reference in a queer book that came out less than a year ago?
BOO 🍅🍅🍅
April 18, 2025
one of the easiest 5 star reads!
this hurt but in the best way?
the way that shane took care of charlie was everything - i just wanted to give charlie a big ole hug the whole time. they definitely made it to the top of my favorite couples list, they were just the sweetest. shane is one MAJOR green flag. 🥹
definitely read the triggers for this book - while i don’t have any triggers myself some parts of this book were hard to read because of how raw they were. this author did an amazing job with the delivery of the hard stuff, along with giving us closure and that hard earned hea.
i just love these boys so much - the found family in this was EVERYTHING!
I’m literally so excited to see what else this authors has in store.
this hurt but in the best way?
the way that shane took care of charlie was everything - i just wanted to give charlie a big ole hug the whole time. they definitely made it to the top of my favorite couples list, they were just the sweetest. shane is one MAJOR green flag. 🥹
definitely read the triggers for this book - while i don’t have any triggers myself some parts of this book were hard to read because of how raw they were. this author did an amazing job with the delivery of the hard stuff, along with giving us closure and that hard earned hea.
i just love these boys so much - the found family in this was EVERYTHING!
I’m literally so excited to see what else this authors has in store.
April 21, 2025
I think this is more 2.5 ⭐️ but I’m going to round up to 3.
First I’ll start off by saying the playlist and the songs mentioned throughout the book were fire! Breaking Benjamin is one of my favorite bands. This author has great taste in music. Probably the best playlist in a book I’ve ever seen.
Now on to the book itself…I loved Shane and his friends! Shane is one of the best MCs I’ve ever read. But, he does baby Charlie a bit too much.
Charlie…I feel bad for him I do! But fuck, enough is enough! I was so sick of the woe is me bullshit! Like get actual fucking mental health help or shut the fuck up. You can only do so much for a person before this shit gets old.
The book was so repetitive. I wanted to DNF so many times because the story was just not going anywhere. By 50% I was just ready to be done but kept on going. By 75% I was ready to throw my damn Kindle. I was so sick of Charlie’s shit. Like fuck, let’s get going to the fucking point of this damn book.
All Charlie did through this whole thing was sleep and cry, sometimes did art. Fucking Shane had to physically feed him just so he would eat! Like dude, come on! Grow the fuck up! Like I said, Shane babies him way too much.
Also, I didn’t like the step by step shit. Such as…”I open my truck door, get inside, start the truck, and back out of my spot”. Or “I watch as Shane pulls his jeans over his ass, then he pulls on a long sleeved black shirt, then puts a hoodie on over it, then walks out of his room”. Like fuck! Just say…”I watch Shane get dressed and leave.” We don’t need a fucking play by play and it was so much through the book!
Benji is a piece of fucking shit as well as Noah and Charlie’s parents! They can all fuck right off. If Benji (fucking dogs name honestly) gets his own book I will not be reading it.
This book was just too long and could have used better editing. I agree with other reviews that there were just way too many plot holes.
Like, what was the point of Charlie overhearing Benji and Katie in the woods when Benji said he was going to bring Shane down?! Nothing was ever done with that.
That shit at the end DID NOT need to happen! It was just added for shock value in my opinion!
The more I write about this book the more I hate it and want to give it a 1 ⭐️.
So with that being said, I’m done!
First I’ll start off by saying the playlist and the songs mentioned throughout the book were fire! Breaking Benjamin is one of my favorite bands. This author has great taste in music. Probably the best playlist in a book I’ve ever seen.
Now on to the book itself…I loved Shane and his friends! Shane is one of the best MCs I’ve ever read. But, he does baby Charlie a bit too much.
Charlie…I feel bad for him I do! But fuck, enough is enough! I was so sick of the woe is me bullshit! Like get actual fucking mental health help or shut the fuck up. You can only do so much for a person before this shit gets old.
The book was so repetitive. I wanted to DNF so many times because the story was just not going anywhere. By 50% I was just ready to be done but kept on going. By 75% I was ready to throw my damn Kindle. I was so sick of Charlie’s shit. Like fuck, let’s get going to the fucking point of this damn book.
All Charlie did through this whole thing was sleep and cry, sometimes did art. Fucking Shane had to physically feed him just so he would eat! Like dude, come on! Grow the fuck up! Like I said, Shane babies him way too much.
Also, I didn’t like the step by step shit. Such as…”I open my truck door, get inside, start the truck, and back out of my spot”. Or “I watch as Shane pulls his jeans over his ass, then he pulls on a long sleeved black shirt, then puts a hoodie on over it, then walks out of his room”. Like fuck! Just say…”I watch Shane get dressed and leave.” We don’t need a fucking play by play and it was so much through the book!
Benji is a piece of fucking shit as well as Noah and Charlie’s parents! They can all fuck right off. If Benji (fucking dogs name honestly) gets his own book I will not be reading it.
This book was just too long and could have used better editing. I agree with other reviews that there were just way too many plot holes.
Like, what was the point of Charlie overhearing Benji and Katie in the woods when Benji said he was going to bring Shane down?! Nothing was ever done with that.
That shit at the end DID NOT need to happen! It was just added for shock value in my opinion!
The more I write about this book the more I hate it and want to give it a 1 ⭐️.
So with that being said, I’m done!
April 23, 2025
3.75⭐️/5
Якщо ви спитайте чи сподобалась мені ця книжка, то я не зможу нічого сказати. Бо об'єктивно таке не може нікому подобатися. Більшу частини книжки (80% не менше) це було жахливо: депресивно, тривожно, похмуро, якийсь тотальний морок без жодного натяку на щасливий фінал.
Я зазвичай читаю попередження на початку книжки і плюс мінус розумію з чим буду мати справу. І не завжди все так погано як про це попереджають. Але тут все було саме так, як не гірше 😭.
Я цю книжку назвала б "Врятуй Чарлі". Ну бо чесно, дитя так страждало все життя, що його янгол-охоронець просто кинув йому в обличчя (в буквальному сенсі) Шейна, бо не міг вже витримувати всі ті муки.
Чарлі, то депресія, тривожні розлади, панічні атаки, нарко/алкозалежність та постійні сльози. Щоб ви розуміли, це все не безпідставно. Але 2/3 книжки було дуже важко витримувати то все.
Шейн, то мрія всіх дівчат та хлопців. Без перебільшення. Він гарний, розумний, терплячий, цілеспрямований, турботливий, веселий, дуже емпатичний, вміє готувати, прекрасний друг та багато іншого. І тут з ним стається Чарлі...
Я звичайно рада за Чарлі, від щирого серця, чесно. Він заслужив хоч щось прекрасне у своєму житті. Але Шейн... За що йому все це?
Не зрозумійте мене неправильно. Мені Чарлі подобається. Цей тендітний, неймовірно талановитий хлопчик, з веснянками та золотаво-карими очима і прекрасним музичним смаком... Мабуть і я не встояла б 😂 Але але...
Це важкі стосунки і легкими вони ніколи не будуть.
З усіх 400+ сторінок, було максимум 20, де панувало світло та радість.
Це початок. Перша зустріч хлопців. То було класно та багатообіцяюче.
В середині книжки, момент коли хлопці поїхали до батьків Шейна.
Ну і фінал (просто як розуміння, що має бути щось хороше у майбутньому).
Але епілог, на мою власну думку, мав бути 5-10 років потому, а не 3 місяці. В книзі було стільки поганого, що 3 місяці цього не виправлять. Але я хочу бачити хлопців щасливими. Мені потрібно знати, що з ними буде через 10 років. Жорстоко було мені цього не дати 😭
Отже, читати чи ні, вирішувати вам. Але знайте, що ця книжка якесь тотальне зло і вона зробить вам боляче. І взагалі, зі сторони авторки, дуже жорстоко було створювати такого персонажа, який так багато страждає. Тьфу на це все. Тепер мені треба полікувати свою менталку чимось хорошим і милим.
Якщо ви спитайте чи сподобалась мені ця книжка, то я не зможу нічого сказати. Бо об'єктивно таке не може нікому подобатися. Більшу частини книжки (80% не менше) це було жахливо: депресивно, тривожно, похмуро, якийсь тотальний морок без жодного натяку на щасливий фінал.
Я зазвичай читаю попередження на початку книжки і плюс мінус розумію з чим буду мати справу. І не завжди все так погано як про це попереджають. Але тут все було саме так, як не гірше 😭.
Я цю книжку назвала б "Врятуй Чарлі". Ну бо чесно, дитя так страждало все життя, що його янгол-охоронець просто кинув йому в обличчя (в буквальному сенсі) Шейна, бо не міг вже витримувати всі ті муки.
Чарлі, то депресія, тривожні розлади, панічні атаки, нарко/алкозалежність та постійні сльози. Щоб ви розуміли, це все не безпідставно. Але 2/3 книжки було дуже важко витримувати то все.
Шейн, то мрія всіх дівчат та хлопців. Без перебільшення. Він гарний, розумний, терплячий, цілеспрямований, турботливий, веселий, дуже емпатичний, вміє готувати, прекрасний друг та багато іншого. І тут з ним стається Чарлі...
Я звичайно рада за Чарлі, від щирого серця, чесно. Він заслужив хоч щось прекрасне у своєму житті. Але Шейн... За що йому все це?
Не зрозумійте мене неправильно. Мені Чарлі подобається. Цей тендітний, неймовірно талановитий хлопчик, з веснянками та золотаво-карими очима і прекрасним музичним смаком... Мабуть і я не встояла б 😂 Але але...
Це важкі стосунки і легкими вони ніколи не будуть.
З усіх 400+ сторінок, було максимум 20, де панувало світло та радість.
Це початок. Перша зустріч хлопців. То було класно та багатообіцяюче.
В середині книжки, момент коли хлопці поїхали до батьків Шейна.
Ну і фінал (просто як розуміння, що має бути щось хороше у майбутньому).
Але епілог, на мою власну думку, мав бути 5-10 років потому, а не 3 місяці. В книзі було стільки поганого, що 3 місяці цього не виправлять. Але я хочу бачити хлопців щасливими. Мені потрібно знати, що з ними буде через 10 років. Жорстоко було мені цього не дати 😭
Отже, читати чи ні, вирішувати вам. Але знайте, що ця книжка якесь тотальне зло і вона зробить вам боляче. І взагалі, зі сторони авторки, дуже жорстоко було створювати такого персонажа, який так багато страждає. Тьфу на це все. Тепер мені треба полікувати свою менталку чимось хорошим і милим.
January 13, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 rounded up to 4
🌶️🌶️
▸“My beautiful broken boy. You are the brightest star in the sky of a million stars and I promise to do everything I can to keep your light shining. Always.”
Tropes:
✨MM
✨Emo artist boy x Hockey Player
✨Size Difference
✨Grumpy x Sunshine
✨Found Family
✨Mental Health Rep, Anxiety/Depression and more
✨Touched starved MC
✨Walking green flag
✨Hurt/Comfort
✨College setting
✨Insta love
🔞
✨Strict Top/Bottom
✨Frotting / Dry humping
✨Cum play, Felching
✨Cumming hands-free
✨Soft and emotional
⚠️Read TWs⚠️
My review:
▸He pauses as he reaches the scars. I start to pull away, but he surprises me by kissing each one. My heart is beating loudly in my ears but it’s not from panic this time. No, it’s because I’m trying not to cry and ruin this moment. He’s so gentle as he brushes his lips over each scar. Why is he kissing them instead of asking a million questions?
This book hurt in the quiet, lingering kind of way and then wrapped everything up with warmth and care. Shane immediately stood out to me as an incredible MC, He is kind, patient, protective, and genuinely good, the kind of person who makes you feel safe just by being there. While he does tend to baby Charlie a little too much at times, it always comes from a place of love rather than control, which made it easier to forgive.
▸“W-will you b-be my boyfriend?” I stutter the words but keep my eyes locked with his. Blue and gold. Gold and blue. “Baby, you’ve been mine since the moment we fell in the quad.”
Charlie’s story is heavy, and I really cannot stress enough how important it is to read the trigger warnings. What he has endured at the hands of his family and his abuser is heartbreaking, and the way that trauma lingers in his everyday life feels painfully real. Watching Shane slowly earn his trust and become a safe place for him was emotional in the best way. Shane never tries to rush Charlie or “fix” him. He simply shows up, over and over, with patience and unconditional care.
▸He can have all the puck bunnies because I have a cute, shy boy I need to find and make mine.
The found family aspect of this book completely stole my heart. Shane’s friends and family felt like such a stark contrast to Charlie’s past, and seeing Charlie experience genuine love and belonging for the first time was incredibly moving. The Christmas trip to Florida was a standout moment for me. Charlie finally gets to feel what it means to be wanted, included, and cherished, and those scenes were pure comfort after so much pain.
▸Getting up, he skates over to the bench, stops, and mouths, ‘You came’. His smile gets even bigger as I shyly wave at him.
That said, the pacing was not perfect. Some scenes felt repetitive and dragged on longer than necessary, which slightly negated the emotional aspect, or simply didn't hold my attention enough to care again.. The story could have been shorter or we could have gotten more growth from Charlie.
Still, the rawness of the difficult moments, paired with the tenderness of Shane and Charlie’s relationship, made this a deeply affecting read. It handled trauma with care, gave its characters a hard-earned happiness, and delivered a love story built on safety, patience, and chosen family. Despite its flaws, I think it's a good read, but it definitely feels like a debut novel or a story that wasn't edited enough.
🌶️🌶️
▸“My beautiful broken boy. You are the brightest star in the sky of a million stars and I promise to do everything I can to keep your light shining. Always.”
Tropes:
✨MM
✨Emo artist boy x Hockey Player
✨Size Difference
✨Grumpy x Sunshine
✨Found Family
✨Mental Health Rep, Anxiety/Depression and more
✨Touched starved MC
✨Walking green flag
✨Hurt/Comfort
✨College setting
✨Insta love
🔞
✨Strict Top/Bottom
✨Frotting / Dry humping
✨Cum play, Felching
✨Cumming hands-free
✨Soft and emotional
⚠️Read TWs⚠️
My review:
▸He pauses as he reaches the scars. I start to pull away, but he surprises me by kissing each one. My heart is beating loudly in my ears but it’s not from panic this time. No, it’s because I’m trying not to cry and ruin this moment. He’s so gentle as he brushes his lips over each scar. Why is he kissing them instead of asking a million questions?
This book hurt in the quiet, lingering kind of way and then wrapped everything up with warmth and care. Shane immediately stood out to me as an incredible MC, He is kind, patient, protective, and genuinely good, the kind of person who makes you feel safe just by being there. While he does tend to baby Charlie a little too much at times, it always comes from a place of love rather than control, which made it easier to forgive.
▸“W-will you b-be my boyfriend?” I stutter the words but keep my eyes locked with his. Blue and gold. Gold and blue. “Baby, you’ve been mine since the moment we fell in the quad.”
Charlie’s story is heavy, and I really cannot stress enough how important it is to read the trigger warnings. What he has endured at the hands of his family and his abuser is heartbreaking, and the way that trauma lingers in his everyday life feels painfully real. Watching Shane slowly earn his trust and become a safe place for him was emotional in the best way. Shane never tries to rush Charlie or “fix” him. He simply shows up, over and over, with patience and unconditional care.
▸He can have all the puck bunnies because I have a cute, shy boy I need to find and make mine.
The found family aspect of this book completely stole my heart. Shane’s friends and family felt like such a stark contrast to Charlie’s past, and seeing Charlie experience genuine love and belonging for the first time was incredibly moving. The Christmas trip to Florida was a standout moment for me. Charlie finally gets to feel what it means to be wanted, included, and cherished, and those scenes were pure comfort after so much pain.
▸Getting up, he skates over to the bench, stops, and mouths, ‘You came’. His smile gets even bigger as I shyly wave at him.
That said, the pacing was not perfect. Some scenes felt repetitive and dragged on longer than necessary, which slightly negated the emotional aspect, or simply didn't hold my attention enough to care again.. The story could have been shorter or we could have gotten more growth from Charlie.
Still, the rawness of the difficult moments, paired with the tenderness of Shane and Charlie’s relationship, made this a deeply affecting read. It handled trauma with care, gave its characters a hard-earned happiness, and delivered a love story built on safety, patience, and chosen family. Despite its flaws, I think it's a good read, but it definitely feels like a debut novel or a story that wasn't edited enough.
May 12, 2025
I don’t usually post negative reviews. Most of the time, if a book doesn’t work for me, I chalk it up to personal taste. But with Voices, I feel compelled to weigh in, especially given how it handles deeply sensitive topics.
The story centers on Charlie, a character who struggles with self-harm, substance abuse, and disordered eating, but these issues are never explored in a meaningful or responsible way. Instead of developing a layered, complex character, it felt like the author simply stacked trauma for impact. Charlie’s pain becomes the entire plot, with no real emotional arc or growth to balance it.
There’s an on-page suicide attempt that occurs immediately after a graphic rape scene, which includes a flashback to another assault that happened when Charlie was 15. These scenes felt gratuitous, not purposeful. If trauma is included in a story, especially to this degree, it should be handled with care, not shock value. Here, it just didn’t serve the narrative.
Charlie is also portrayed in a way that borders on infantilization. During a depressive episode, Shane (the second MC) physically carries him around. This may have been intended as nurturing, but it ultimately stripped Charlie of agency in a way that felt uncomfortable. Worse, his mental illness becomes his only defining characteristic. As someone who believes characters, like people, are more than their diagnoses, I found this one-dimensional portrayal troubling.
Therapy is mentioned briefly in the epilogue, but it comes far too late. For a book so immersed in mental health struggles, the absence of meaningful healing, coping, or reflection felt like a missed opportunity and, at times, even harmful.
Voices had the potential to be a raw, emotional exploration of survival and growth. Instead, it reads like a checklist of trauma without the character development to support it. I truly hope the author continues writing, but with greater care and responsibility when approaching such heavy themes. This story would have benefited greatly from a sensitivity reader, and I hope that if similar subject matter is explored in future work, that step is not skipped.
The story centers on Charlie, a character who struggles with self-harm, substance abuse, and disordered eating, but these issues are never explored in a meaningful or responsible way. Instead of developing a layered, complex character, it felt like the author simply stacked trauma for impact. Charlie’s pain becomes the entire plot, with no real emotional arc or growth to balance it.
There’s an on-page suicide attempt that occurs immediately after a graphic rape scene, which includes a flashback to another assault that happened when Charlie was 15. These scenes felt gratuitous, not purposeful. If trauma is included in a story, especially to this degree, it should be handled with care, not shock value. Here, it just didn’t serve the narrative.
Charlie is also portrayed in a way that borders on infantilization. During a depressive episode, Shane (the second MC) physically carries him around. This may have been intended as nurturing, but it ultimately stripped Charlie of agency in a way that felt uncomfortable. Worse, his mental illness becomes his only defining characteristic. As someone who believes characters, like people, are more than their diagnoses, I found this one-dimensional portrayal troubling.
Therapy is mentioned briefly in the epilogue, but it comes far too late. For a book so immersed in mental health struggles, the absence of meaningful healing, coping, or reflection felt like a missed opportunity and, at times, even harmful.
Voices had the potential to be a raw, emotional exploration of survival and growth. Instead, it reads like a checklist of trauma without the character development to support it. I truly hope the author continues writing, but with greater care and responsibility when approaching such heavy themes. This story would have benefited greatly from a sensitivity reader, and I hope that if similar subject matter is explored in future work, that step is not skipped.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2025
3.5/5 stars 3/5 spice
This book had some heavy stuff in it, I highly recommend reading the trigger warnings. Charlie is a broken boy who has suffered at the hands of the his family and abuser. With only Lily, his best friend, remaining at his side he has no one else. That is until Shane bumps into his life quite literally. Shane is instantly enamoured by Charlie and is set on getting to know him.
Shane is an absolute sweetheart who takes care of Charlie, loves him unconditionally, and makes him feel beautiful. The two become inseparable once Charlie lets Shane in. Little by little we’re shown the true horrors of what Charlie has endured and continues to endure.
My absolute favourite part was when Charlie spent Christmas break with Shane’s family in Florida. He was truly happy and got to feel what it’s like to be a part of a loving family. The gifts they gave Charlie were so thoughtful, it was truly a heartwarming scene.
I think this book was longer than it needed to be because some parts, I feel dragged on longer than necessary. I did appreciate the author showing us rather than telling us certain parts so they were more impactful.
Congratulations to the author for an emotional debut novel that will definitely stay with me.
- Hurt/comfort
- Size difference
- Hockey captain X artist
- College students
- Caretaker MMC
- Broken MMC
This book had some heavy stuff in it, I highly recommend reading the trigger warnings. Charlie is a broken boy who has suffered at the hands of the his family and abuser. With only Lily, his best friend, remaining at his side he has no one else. That is until Shane bumps into his life quite literally. Shane is instantly enamoured by Charlie and is set on getting to know him.
Shane is an absolute sweetheart who takes care of Charlie, loves him unconditionally, and makes him feel beautiful. The two become inseparable once Charlie lets Shane in. Little by little we’re shown the true horrors of what Charlie has endured and continues to endure.
My absolute favourite part was when Charlie spent Christmas break with Shane’s family in Florida. He was truly happy and got to feel what it’s like to be a part of a loving family. The gifts they gave Charlie were so thoughtful, it was truly a heartwarming scene.
I think this book was longer than it needed to be because some parts, I feel dragged on longer than necessary. I did appreciate the author showing us rather than telling us certain parts so they were more impactful.
Congratulations to the author for an emotional debut novel that will definitely stay with me.
- Hurt/comfort
- Size difference
- Hockey captain X artist
- College students
- Caretaker MMC
- Broken MMC
November 18, 2025
4⭐️
3🌶️
Y’all, This Book Was REALLY Good. For A Debut Novel, I’m SO Impressed. Charlie And Shane Are Just So Meant Go Be Together And I Loved Them So Much And There Ending Was SO Worth It. Can I Have A Shane In My Life Please And Thank You. And The Side Characters Really Made This Book For Me. Asher, Matt And Ryder And Lily I ABSOLUTELY Loved Them All So Much. Noah And Benji, HATE! They Are Just Awful And J Hope We Never See Them Again Or If Benji Gets A Book, He Better Get A GOOD Ass Redemption. But HIGHLY Recommend This Book Y’all If You Love Emotional Books And Hockey Romances And Amazing Found Family Vibes Because This Book Brings It. I Cannot Wait To See Where This Series Goes Cause I’m SO Curious💕🫶
Thank You So Much Joey For Giving Me A Copy Early I Really Appreciate It So Much💕
3🌶️
Y’all, This Book Was REALLY Good. For A Debut Novel, I’m SO Impressed. Charlie And Shane Are Just So Meant Go Be Together And I Loved Them So Much And There Ending Was SO Worth It. Can I Have A Shane In My Life Please And Thank You. And The Side Characters Really Made This Book For Me. Asher, Matt And Ryder And Lily I ABSOLUTELY Loved Them All So Much. Noah And Benji, HATE! They Are Just Awful And J Hope We Never See Them Again Or If Benji Gets A Book, He Better Get A GOOD Ass Redemption. But HIGHLY Recommend This Book Y’all If You Love Emotional Books And Hockey Romances And Amazing Found Family Vibes Because This Book Brings It. I Cannot Wait To See Where This Series Goes Cause I’m SO Curious💕🫶
Thank You So Much Joey For Giving Me A Copy Early I Really Appreciate It So Much💕
April 30, 2025
DNF at 23% and that was generous.
I know this is a debut novel & author and I’m sorry but Charlie’s entire personality was anxiety & Shane was so perfect and all of these things are happening b/t them and I actually don’t think they had a real conversation. And for someone who is super anxious, I don’t understand how that happened so suddenly??
I know this is a debut novel & author and I’m sorry but Charlie’s entire personality was anxiety & Shane was so perfect and all of these things are happening b/t them and I actually don’t think they had a real conversation. And for someone who is super anxious, I don’t understand how that happened so suddenly??
October 24, 2025
Charlie needs mental health support more than he needs romance in his life right now, which sucks, because the voices in his head were the most entertaining part of this for me.
Did not find much romance in what felt like Shane being a caretaker for Charlie, not that I blame either of them, but I wanted some lighthearted moments and they didn't get to have those.
*to clarify, I don't consider sex a lighthearted moment. They had that.
They're in college but majority of this is Shane having to care for his boyfriend who's on a cocktail of unprescribed medication, has been and is still being abused by his parents in some way or the other, finds relief in self-harm.
All while juggling being captain of the hockey team, in his final year, being scouted by NHL teams and trying to get good grades in his Kinesiology degree as a backup.
Just seems like A LOT.
I failed to form an attachment to these characters as romance MCs. Mostly it was just sad.
DNF 11 hours in because I simply could not imagine having to listen to another THREE hours of this.
Did not find much romance in what felt like Shane being a caretaker for Charlie, not that I blame either of them, but I wanted some lighthearted moments and they didn't get to have those.
*to clarify, I don't consider sex a lighthearted moment. They had that.
They're in college but majority of this is Shane having to care for his boyfriend who's on a cocktail of unprescribed medication, has been and is still being abused by his parents in some way or the other, finds relief in self-harm.
All while juggling being captain of the hockey team, in his final year, being scouted by NHL teams and trying to get good grades in his Kinesiology degree as a backup.
Just seems like A LOT.
I failed to form an attachment to these characters as romance MCs. Mostly it was just sad.
DNF 11 hours in because I simply could not imagine having to listen to another THREE hours of this.
June 8, 2025
Blue and gold. Gold and blue.
“Baby, you’ve been mine since the moment we fell in the quad.”
This was rough! What a PAINFUL but wonderful book, it really made me feel, and I have no words to describe the pain and sadness this book just throws at you.
This book has the best and worst characters. It was like the author was representing evil and good through the characters. We got the most horrible, sick, cruel, heartless, and soulless characters I have ever had the displeasure of reading and I can keep going with the name-calling. I mean what the hell! I don't understand how these type of people exist, and I know that they do not only in books but in really life. I have read a lot of books in which there are horrible and bad characters but in this one it's like the list doesn't end. But we also got the good ones, which help balance the story. We got the kindhearted, nice, caring, warm and loving characters. I appreciate that balance because most of this book was painful like really, really painful and those little moments of light and happiness helped me get through it.
“This world is full of ignorance. Don’t let them dull your light, sweetness.”
It is a really raw and hard representation of mental health and especially depression. There was a moment where I realized that the book had a lot of Charlie sleeping, and them being in bed which is a really raw and true visual of how it feels to be in that mind set. Obviously it is different for everyone but the hopelessness from Shane and low energy from Charlie shows both sides of the same coin. How someone that's going directly through it feels and how someone that's going indirectly through it feels.
“Through every trembling breath and every tear I couldn’t hold back, Shane stayed. He held me like he was trying to shield me from the world, his voice steady as he reminded me that I was safe, and that I was loved. When the clouds cleared and the voices were finally quiet, Shane sat patiently with my hands in his as I struggled to tell him what was going on in my head.”
Charlie truly broke my heart. This beautiful, kind, sweet and complex soul. The things he went through, the constant battle with his mind, and the struggle to just wake up, oh how it hurt! He just wanted to be loved, and I am so happy that he got that from not only Shane but also, Shane's family and friends. Charlie's story really bring home that there are some people that really shouldn't be parents, I don't understand why they treated him like that I really don't want to, but he deserved so much better, and I am happy that at the end he got it.
“I might be starting to sense what it’s like to be loved. Or at least I think I am. Shane has done more for me over the last month than anyone in my family has ever done.”
“He wipes the tears from my cheeks, rubbing under my sore eyes. “You have the most beautiful golden eyes.” He kisses each of my eyelids slowly. Pulling away, he looks at me with a softness I’m not used to getting from anyone.”
And sweet, caring Shane. I just love that he somehow knew how special Charlie was from the moment they met. I don't know if he truly ever knew how much he did for him, how he saved him. It is important to highlight what he went through because we could see how he felt Charlie's pain like if it was his own. Shane is one of those characters that I will forever admire. I love how humble and down to earth he is, the love he has for his friends and family, I like how obsessed he is with Charlie's eyes, he is truly so kind and good!
he traces over my eyelids, “these stunningly beautiful eyes,” over my cheeks,“these adorable freckles,” he rubs his thumbs in the center of my cheeks, “and these sexy as hell dimples. Everything about you is perfect.” He kisses the tears that are now falling down my cheeks. “You were made for me to love and cherish. I love you, beautiful.”
“My beautiful broken boy. You are the brightest star in the sky of a million stars and I promise to do everything I can to keep your light shining. Always.”
I think this books is only the beginning of their story, I need more from them, I need to see more of their happiness and love. Not only that, but I require Charlie to be happy! I do love that he got justice, but I also wish that we could have seen those horrible men suffer, maybe Charlie didn't need it, but I wish we could have seen him put his sorry excuse of a father in his place.
“My heart reaches out for you, and it doesn’t calm down until you’re in my arms. I’ve never felt this way for anyone before, but it feels right being with you.”
“I feel it too. I can’t tell you the last time I felt safe enough to sleep somewhere that wasn’t my bed or under the stars. But with you, I’ve never felt safer.” I hold the sides of his neck as he holds my face.”
This book hurt so much, but it was worth it. I love when a book is able to make me feel the characters emotions and this book did just that, which is why it is an easy 4.7 stars for me. It made me cry so much, I wanted to hug Charlie, tell Shane that everything was going to be okay and beat the hell out of so many of the characters (especially but not limited to Benji, nasty Conrad, the “mother” and good for nothing Franklin). Amazing debut story! Can't wait to read more from this author and I really hope we get more from this group of friends. I get the sense that we will, and I am so excited for more.
“Let me take care of you, beautiful. No more hiding. No more secrets. Be mine,” he says breathlessly against my lips. “I’m yours, Shane. All yours.”
Quotes worth mentioning:
I stroke the side of his face. He blinks a few times and slowly lifts his eyes from my neck up to my eyes. I want to cry seeing both of those golden-brown orbs. The gold flecks are brighter than they’ve been since before he left. “Beautiful,” I whisper tracing under his eyes.”
“The most beautiful golden-brown irises are looking up at me. Fuck me, he’s the most attractive man I’ve ever seen.”
“Looking up at me still in my seat, he smiles the brightest I have yet to see. And I’m frozen. Completely awestruck by this beautiful man. He’s let his guard down and is smiling freely. This, this is the real Charlie that’s been hidden this whole time. And I’m going to do everything in my power to bring him out as often as possible.”
This was rough! What a PAINFUL but wonderful book, it really made me feel, and I have no words to describe the pain and sadness this book just throws at you.
This book has the best and worst characters. It was like the author was representing evil and good through the characters. We got the most horrible, sick, cruel, heartless, and soulless characters I have ever had the displeasure of reading and I can keep going with the name-calling. I mean what the hell! I don't understand how these type of people exist, and I know that they do not only in books but in really life. I have read a lot of books in which there are horrible and bad characters but in this one it's like the list doesn't end. But we also got the good ones, which help balance the story. We got the kindhearted, nice, caring, warm and loving characters. I appreciate that balance because most of this book was painful like really, really painful and those little moments of light and happiness helped me get through it.
“This world is full of ignorance. Don’t let them dull your light, sweetness.”
It is a really raw and hard representation of mental health and especially depression. There was a moment where I realized that the book had a lot of Charlie sleeping, and them being in bed which is a really raw and true visual of how it feels to be in that mind set. Obviously it is different for everyone but the hopelessness from Shane and low energy from Charlie shows both sides of the same coin. How someone that's going directly through it feels and how someone that's going indirectly through it feels.
“Through every trembling breath and every tear I couldn’t hold back, Shane stayed. He held me like he was trying to shield me from the world, his voice steady as he reminded me that I was safe, and that I was loved. When the clouds cleared and the voices were finally quiet, Shane sat patiently with my hands in his as I struggled to tell him what was going on in my head.”
Charlie truly broke my heart. This beautiful, kind, sweet and complex soul. The things he went through, the constant battle with his mind, and the struggle to just wake up, oh how it hurt! He just wanted to be loved, and I am so happy that he got that from not only Shane but also, Shane's family and friends. Charlie's story really bring home that there are some people that really shouldn't be parents, I don't understand why they treated him like that I really don't want to, but he deserved so much better, and I am happy that at the end he got it.
“I might be starting to sense what it’s like to be loved. Or at least I think I am. Shane has done more for me over the last month than anyone in my family has ever done.”
“He wipes the tears from my cheeks, rubbing under my sore eyes. “You have the most beautiful golden eyes.” He kisses each of my eyelids slowly. Pulling away, he looks at me with a softness I’m not used to getting from anyone.”
And sweet, caring Shane. I just love that he somehow knew how special Charlie was from the moment they met. I don't know if he truly ever knew how much he did for him, how he saved him. It is important to highlight what he went through because we could see how he felt Charlie's pain like if it was his own. Shane is one of those characters that I will forever admire. I love how humble and down to earth he is, the love he has for his friends and family, I like how obsessed he is with Charlie's eyes, he is truly so kind and good!
he traces over my eyelids, “these stunningly beautiful eyes,” over my cheeks,“these adorable freckles,” he rubs his thumbs in the center of my cheeks, “and these sexy as hell dimples. Everything about you is perfect.” He kisses the tears that are now falling down my cheeks. “You were made for me to love and cherish. I love you, beautiful.”
“My beautiful broken boy. You are the brightest star in the sky of a million stars and I promise to do everything I can to keep your light shining. Always.”
I think this books is only the beginning of their story, I need more from them, I need to see more of their happiness and love. Not only that, but I require Charlie to be happy! I do love that he got justice, but I also wish that we could have seen those horrible men suffer, maybe Charlie didn't need it, but I wish we could have seen him put his sorry excuse of a father in his place.
“My heart reaches out for you, and it doesn’t calm down until you’re in my arms. I’ve never felt this way for anyone before, but it feels right being with you.”
“I feel it too. I can’t tell you the last time I felt safe enough to sleep somewhere that wasn’t my bed or under the stars. But with you, I’ve never felt safer.” I hold the sides of his neck as he holds my face.”
This book hurt so much, but it was worth it. I love when a book is able to make me feel the characters emotions and this book did just that, which is why it is an easy 4.7 stars for me. It made me cry so much, I wanted to hug Charlie, tell Shane that everything was going to be okay and beat the hell out of so many of the characters (especially but not limited to Benji, nasty Conrad, the “mother” and good for nothing Franklin). Amazing debut story! Can't wait to read more from this author and I really hope we get more from this group of friends. I get the sense that we will, and I am so excited for more.
“Let me take care of you, beautiful. No more hiding. No more secrets. Be mine,” he says breathlessly against my lips. “I’m yours, Shane. All yours.”
Quotes worth mentioning:
I stroke the side of his face. He blinks a few times and slowly lifts his eyes from my neck up to my eyes. I want to cry seeing both of those golden-brown orbs. The gold flecks are brighter than they’ve been since before he left. “Beautiful,” I whisper tracing under his eyes.”
“The most beautiful golden-brown irises are looking up at me. Fuck me, he’s the most attractive man I’ve ever seen.”
“Looking up at me still in my seat, he smiles the brightest I have yet to see. And I’m frozen. Completely awestruck by this beautiful man. He’s let his guard down and is smiling freely. This, this is the real Charlie that’s been hidden this whole time. And I’m going to do everything in my power to bring him out as often as possible.”
Read
September 15, 2025dnf
April 28, 2025
There was so much potential in this one. I did read it in a weekend, I enjoyed the story concept and a lot of the characters. There were just some issues I had with the pacing and consistency.
Firstly, I loved Shane - he's such a caregiver and so patient, all while being a hot, hockey captain. My favorite kind of MC. :) Not sure I'd be as patient as he was, and he seemed to have 0 flaws, but I wanted to love him.
I also enjoyed his friend group - Ryder, Matt, and Ash are all great and provided some laughs along the way. I do look forward to their books, as there were a few issues with them that came up that were never addressed again.
Charlie - ah, the sad, broken boy. I wanted to love him so much - the broken boy is usually my favorite. It's just that at some points, he slept so much and like never ate, it made me wonder how he was still alive and passing his college classes.
The hockey was great and the evolution of Shane and Charlie's relationship felt organic and I enjoyed watching Shane break down Charlie's walls and force himself in. As well as Charlie finally allowing himself something good.
The issues I had along the way were that so much seemed to come way out of left field - I was left wondering where the heck that came from, and then there were other things that were mentioned briefly and never again. Certain scenes felt like they were building up to something, but then nothing ever happened. I feel like a content editor might have helped with the consistency here and made this much more cohesive. (also some of the spelling errors and tense shifts)
A lot of things felt like a tad over the top or an overreaction and we really don't get much explanation as to why the "villains" are SO mean. :)
I still am unsure as to why his parents are so terrible to him and why his twin, of all people, simply writes him off at some point, even though they start out being friendly. And then the twin just turns into a complete a-hole. She teases that he might get a book, but I don't see how he is redeemable in any way.
All in all, a solid debut with a ton of potential - there were just too many issues for me to give it more stars. I will probably think hard about reading the next book if it's Matt & Ash, because I think they have something and I'm here for it. :)
Firstly, I loved Shane - he's such a caregiver and so patient, all while being a hot, hockey captain. My favorite kind of MC. :) Not sure I'd be as patient as he was, and he seemed to have 0 flaws, but I wanted to love him.
I also enjoyed his friend group - Ryder, Matt, and Ash are all great and provided some laughs along the way. I do look forward to their books, as there were a few issues with them that came up that were never addressed again.
Charlie - ah, the sad, broken boy. I wanted to love him so much - the broken boy is usually my favorite. It's just that at some points, he slept so much and like never ate, it made me wonder how he was still alive and passing his college classes.
The hockey was great and the evolution of Shane and Charlie's relationship felt organic and I enjoyed watching Shane break down Charlie's walls and force himself in. As well as Charlie finally allowing himself something good.
The issues I had along the way were that so much seemed to come way out of left field - I was left wondering where the heck that came from, and then there were other things that were mentioned briefly and never again. Certain scenes felt like they were building up to something, but then nothing ever happened. I feel like a content editor might have helped with the consistency here and made this much more cohesive. (also some of the spelling errors and tense shifts)
A lot of things felt like a tad over the top or an overreaction and we really don't get much explanation as to why the "villains" are SO mean. :)
I still am unsure as to why his parents are so terrible to him and why his twin, of all people, simply writes him off at some point, even though they start out being friendly. And then the twin just turns into a complete a-hole. She teases that he might get a book, but I don't see how he is redeemable in any way.
All in all, a solid debut with a ton of potential - there were just too many issues for me to give it more stars. I will probably think hard about reading the next book if it's Matt & Ash, because I think they have something and I'm here for it. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2025
cried from the prolouge and didn't stop.
fuck shithead Benji, he doesn't deserve shit.
fuck shithead Benji, he doesn't deserve shit.
Did not finish
September 23, 2025DNF @ 53%.
May 10, 2025
4,5 ⭐️!
Oh boy, I knew this book was going to hurt when I started it and hurt I was 🤧🥺
BUT, it becomes so much more when you keep going though the toughness of it. I cannot stop thinking about this story 🥹
Charlie is just the sweetest soul. Let’s just say that life threated him roughly and he has a lot of struggles because of it. Shane really is the best. The way he acted around Charlie made me swoon big time. I think everyone needs a Shane in his life, for real 🌼
The hatred I felt towards some characters in this book surely was serious, let me tell you 🤣
Oh boy, I knew this book was going to hurt when I started it and hurt I was 🤧🥺
BUT, it becomes so much more when you keep going though the toughness of it. I cannot stop thinking about this story 🥹
Charlie is just the sweetest soul. Let’s just say that life threated him roughly and he has a lot of struggles because of it. Shane really is the best. The way he acted around Charlie made me swoon big time. I think everyone needs a Shane in his life, for real 🌼
The hatred I felt towards some characters in this book surely was serious, let me tell you 🤣
April 27, 2025
This just didn’t work. Couldn’t connect with the characters. I don’t understand how these two even got together. Why Shane fell in love when Charlie was always sleeping, high/drunk or having panic attacks. Shane had to take care of him from the start. That does not sound like a healthy relationship.
So many plot holes and things that didn’t make any sense. So many things that weren’t realistic such as the drug abuse & SA. The way Charlie would have acted once he started having sex and how he should have died with the way he hardly ate/drank except for drugs and alcohol.
The ending was so rushed and unsatisfying. All of a sudden Charlie’s off drugs and doing better with therapy after 3 months? And Charlie’s dad only receiving 5 yrs in prison for tax evasion? Smh. There was no closure with Benji. I can go on and on nit picking each character flaw and how things just didn’t add up but, after reading this book I’m exhausted.
The concept had promise, but the execution fell short.
So many plot holes and things that didn’t make any sense. So many things that weren’t realistic such as the drug abuse & SA. The way Charlie would have acted once he started having sex and how he should have died with the way he hardly ate/drank except for drugs and alcohol.
The ending was so rushed and unsatisfying. All of a sudden Charlie’s off drugs and doing better with therapy after 3 months? And Charlie’s dad only receiving 5 yrs in prison for tax evasion? Smh. There was no closure with Benji. I can go on and on nit picking each character flaw and how things just didn’t add up but, after reading this book I’m exhausted.
The concept had promise, but the execution fell short.
September 13, 2025
Daaaamn….😶
Це саме те шо я хотіла почитати уже давно!
Ця книжка це скляне скло заправлене склом🌚 Чарлі відправляється в компанію побитих життям до Джуда з Маленького життя! Дуже жаль, шо нема якоїсь історії про життя Чарлі через багато років… тобто нам вкидають трошки про те шо з ним через 3 місяці після років жаху і ВСЬО🥲 Мені треба знати шо з ним через років 5 хоча б😭
Це саме те шо я хотіла почитати уже давно!
Ця книжка це скляне скло заправлене склом🌚 Чарлі відправляється в компанію побитих життям до Джуда з Маленького життя! Дуже жаль, шо нема якоїсь історії про життя Чарлі через багато років… тобто нам вкидають трошки про те шо з ним через 3 місяці після років жаху і ВСЬО🥲 Мені треба знати шо з ним через років 5 хоча б😭
Read
May 22, 2025It’s a very dark and gloomy book so I will not be rating.
Shane and Charlie relationship is so cute even though at times it could be repetitive.
The side characters are some of the best side characters in a book I read they have alot of dimension compared to other side characters I’ve read.
Shane and Charlie relationship is so cute even though at times it could be repetitive.
The side characters are some of the best side characters in a book I read they have alot of dimension compared to other side characters I’ve read.
April 22, 2025
Edited review.
In my ARC the author had Charlie obsessed with HP.
The author changed that in the published version.
Still can't say that I liked it (3 stars), but it was okay (2 stars).
The book… was a lot. I highly recommend to read the trigger warnings!
Charlie has so many ups and downs and it changed so suddenly and frequently it was exhausting. Whenever something good happened it was clear that a page later he hated himself. He constantly belittles himself and pulls himself down. It was quite hard to read.
I know it’s the truth for many people but it took so long for him to even feel an ounce of happiness I thought it would never happen.
He had a really shitty life so far. Uncaring, abusive parents and a brother who basically abandoned him.
So having Shane in his life was so good and I was really glad that Shane pulled him off the edge and helped him heal.
Shane is a great person and a great boyfriend for Charlie. He couldn’t be better! He was tender and caring and really listened to everything Charlie said, and more importantly didn’t say!
And the parts where Charlie meets Shane’s parents and sees how that relationship should be and how normal, but amazing they are… It was heartbreaking and wholesome at the same time.
I think their romantic relationship was sometimes a bit fast considering Charlie's past. But we also get many moments where they get to know each other and slowly explore. Simple everyday stuff was mixed with many struggles Charlie, and later Shane, had to face.
There was also a lot of foreshadowing bad past events, so prepare yourself if you haven’t read the TW at the beginning.
The ending and conclusion regarding the bad guys felt a bit rushed but on the other hand I was glad that nothing got dragged out and Charlie could be in peace. But a lot of things just also kind of... got sweeped under a rug.
In my ARC the author had Charlie obsessed with HP.
The author changed that in the published version.
Still can't say that I liked it (3 stars), but it was okay (2 stars).
The book… was a lot. I highly recommend to read the trigger warnings!
Charlie has so many ups and downs and it changed so suddenly and frequently it was exhausting. Whenever something good happened it was clear that a page later he hated himself. He constantly belittles himself and pulls himself down. It was quite hard to read.
I know it’s the truth for many people but it took so long for him to even feel an ounce of happiness I thought it would never happen.
He had a really shitty life so far. Uncaring, abusive parents and a brother who basically abandoned him.
So having Shane in his life was so good and I was really glad that Shane pulled him off the edge and helped him heal.
Shane is a great person and a great boyfriend for Charlie. He couldn’t be better! He was tender and caring and really listened to everything Charlie said, and more importantly didn’t say!
And the parts where Charlie meets Shane’s parents and sees how that relationship should be and how normal, but amazing they are… It was heartbreaking and wholesome at the same time.
I think their romantic relationship was sometimes a bit fast considering Charlie's past. But we also get many moments where they get to know each other and slowly explore. Simple everyday stuff was mixed with many struggles Charlie, and later Shane, had to face.
There was also a lot of foreshadowing bad past events, so prepare yourself if you haven’t read the TW at the beginning.
The ending and conclusion regarding the bad guys felt a bit rushed but on the other hand I was glad that nothing got dragged out and Charlie could be in peace. But a lot of things just also kind of... got sweeped under a rug.
August 30, 2025
the book is heavy and check trigger warnings for sure but there were a lot of sweet moments and the found family is really great
just perhaps a tad too much for me I had to skip over a lot of scenes
just perhaps a tad too much for me I had to skip over a lot of scenes
May 7, 2025
I got to about half way before I stopped and even that was a struggle.
I felt like Charlie's entire personality was being depressed or sleeping. Even to almost 50% this was what he did almost the entire time. Honestly I got really bored of how everyone in his life abused him horrifically. It felt like, lets dump all the trauma we possibly can on a single character. I know it's supposed to be hurt/comfort but when one MC is sleeping all the time and barely existing, where does the comfort kick in?
Then we have his absolute polar opposite who is just perfect in every way, Shane. And I just don't see how these two are even a thing, or thinking about becoming one as, again, one of the characters is sleeping the entire time?
I felt like Charlie's entire personality was being depressed or sleeping. Even to almost 50% this was what he did almost the entire time. Honestly I got really bored of how everyone in his life abused him horrifically. It felt like, lets dump all the trauma we possibly can on a single character. I know it's supposed to be hurt/comfort but when one MC is sleeping all the time and barely existing, where does the comfort kick in?
Then we have his absolute polar opposite who is just perfect in every way, Shane. And I just don't see how these two are even a thing, or thinking about becoming one as, again, one of the characters is sleeping the entire time?
July 7, 2025
3.75 ⭐️
Once I reached like 60% into this book my emotions would not quit haha this was a lot my poor Charlie 😭
Everyone deserves a Shane in their corner ♥️
Once I reached like 60% into this book my emotions would not quit haha this was a lot my poor Charlie 😭
Everyone deserves a Shane in their corner ♥️
April 20, 2025
2.5 ⭐️
When I read the blurb, I immediately thought yes, this is right up my alley. I was looking for a book that would make me cry. The beginning drew me in right away. But as I kept reading, it started to feel like the story was trying to cover every possible traumatic event: parental abuse, sexual assault, drug use, a car accident, the death of a child, the sudden passing of an uncle… it was a lot. So much was packed in that it created plot holes and left the story feeling overwhelming and, honestly, unrealistic.
By the end, I found myself detached. I kept thinking, what else could possibly happen? A plane crash? A hospital explosion? It became so over-the-top that it took away from the emotional impact. I wanted to connect with the characters, but everything felt too extreme to feel real. Then suddenly, we’re fast-forwarded three months and told that therapy fixed everything. It didn’t sit right, especially after everything the characters had been through.
I was also left with a lot of unanswered questions:
• Why did Benji hate him so much? What happened between them?
• Was Conrad implied to have raped him in the studio? It was vaguely suggested, but never confirmed—which felt strange considering how explicit other scenes were.
• If that did happen, the lack of any trauma response or concern about STDs in a later scene felt oddly glossed over.
• Why were all the adults in his life so hostile toward him? The “you’re not as great as your brother” reasoning just didn’t justify the level of cruelty he experienced.
I know this was a debut novel, and I can see the potential in the premise. It’s not the worst book I’ve read, but it definitely missed the mark for me. With a more focused plot and deeper character development, it could’ve been a much more powerful story.
I would give another book written by this author another chance.
When I read the blurb, I immediately thought yes, this is right up my alley. I was looking for a book that would make me cry. The beginning drew me in right away. But as I kept reading, it started to feel like the story was trying to cover every possible traumatic event: parental abuse, sexual assault, drug use, a car accident, the death of a child, the sudden passing of an uncle… it was a lot. So much was packed in that it created plot holes and left the story feeling overwhelming and, honestly, unrealistic.
By the end, I found myself detached. I kept thinking, what else could possibly happen? A plane crash? A hospital explosion? It became so over-the-top that it took away from the emotional impact. I wanted to connect with the characters, but everything felt too extreme to feel real. Then suddenly, we’re fast-forwarded three months and told that therapy fixed everything. It didn’t sit right, especially after everything the characters had been through.
I was also left with a lot of unanswered questions:
• Why did Benji hate him so much? What happened between them?
• Was Conrad implied to have raped him in the studio? It was vaguely suggested, but never confirmed—which felt strange considering how explicit other scenes were.
• If that did happen, the lack of any trauma response or concern about STDs in a later scene felt oddly glossed over.
• Why were all the adults in his life so hostile toward him? The “you’re not as great as your brother” reasoning just didn’t justify the level of cruelty he experienced.
I know this was a debut novel, and I can see the potential in the premise. It’s not the worst book I’ve read, but it definitely missed the mark for me. With a more focused plot and deeper character development, it could’ve been a much more powerful story.
I would give another book written by this author another chance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2025
This book is really well written but took forever to tell the story. The relationship was kinda rushed and at times didn’t feel believable. I got super impatient with it and ended up skimming the last half of the book.
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