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Out of the Blues
Whoever said you can't go home again should change that to should not go home again. As in EVER!
Mason Foxworth swore on his grandmother's bible never to return to the small Georgia town he sort of grew up in. And for eight years he'd succeeded in keeping that promise. Until his twin sister decided she needed to get married...back home...and she'd invited their parents. Wasn't this going to be a just a fabulous weekend?
Since leaving the Marines, Kilby Adams rarely ever left his farm and now here he was in Georgia, as best man at his stepbrother's wedding. Out of his comfort zone and with too many people that he doesn't know Kilby has nothing to keep his mind off the past except the gorgeous brother of the bride.
And wouldn't you just know it, there was only one room left at the Inn and Kilby would have to share it, with Mason, who was straight and....yeah, this was going to be one hell of a weekend.
Mason Foxworth swore on his grandmother's bible never to return to the small Georgia town he sort of grew up in. And for eight years he'd succeeded in keeping that promise. Until his twin sister decided she needed to get married...back home...and she'd invited their parents. Wasn't this going to be a just a fabulous weekend?
Since leaving the Marines, Kilby Adams rarely ever left his farm and now here he was in Georgia, as best man at his stepbrother's wedding. Out of his comfort zone and with too many people that he doesn't know Kilby has nothing to keep his mind off the past except the gorgeous brother of the bride.
And wouldn't you just know it, there was only one room left at the Inn and Kilby would have to share it, with Mason, who was straight and....yeah, this was going to be one hell of a weekend.
328 pages, ebook
First published November 9, 2015
65 people are currently reading
1270 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 306 reviews
November 24, 2015
New Mercy Celeste! I am unashamed to tell you that I let out a little squeal when I saw this book on Amazon for pre-order. I love Ms. Celeste's work and four of her books (now five) are on my GoodReads "absolute favorites" shelf. Let it Go, Six Ways from Sunday, In From the Cold and Need You Now.
This is the story of Mason and Kilby, both men equally fucked-up because of past pain, heartbreak and humiliation. They meet at the wedding of Mason's twin sister to Kilby's stepbrother. Both are estranged from their families. So estranged that the family didn't expect them to show up and the men have to share a hotel room since there weren't reservations for them.
To explain the angst in these men's lives, here's the tip of the iceberg:
Mason and his sister were shipped from stepfather to stepfather as his mom fell in and out of love. Mason was happiest with musician stepfather Cody and felt he was the closest thing to a father he's ever had. Cody commits suicide and Mason is the one to find his body. As for his sexual orientation, he is "straight" and never been with a man before, even with the strong sexual attraction he feels towards men.
Kilby is an ex-Marine working his grandfather's farm. He was in love with Jon, a fellow soldier, and while not "out and proud" to the world, he made no secret to his family and friends that he was gay. Jon kills himself over his shame of being gay and Kilby finds his body and a suicide note addressed to him.
Pretty fucked up, huh? And that is just the iceberg tip!
At 27% I got super, duper excited to read that both men were into rough sex, a particular favorite of mine.
I lay on the sofa under him. Legs sprawled on the floor, arms on the back of the seat where he'd put them. I felt my dick throb in my jeans. I let him see me like this. I wanted him to know I wouldn't hurt him, and I wanted him to hurt me.
But I quickly realized that it wasn't the fun kind of rough sex. It was the punishing kind, where both men were ashamed of themselves for various reasons and felt they deserved to be hurt and humiliated.
“I want to hold you down,” he said, there was uncertainty in his eyes. “I want to…take you hard.” I trembled. Fuck me. He didn't seem the type. “Hurt me. Fuck me hard. Make me feel you.” I gave him my permission. God, it had been so long since I'd let another man use me. Mason needed to use me, I needed to be used. I was twisted."
“Yes, fuck, yes.” I dug my hands into the sofa cushions and under him so that I could squeeze his ass. He fucked me back. We had a rhythm that made me sweat, bodies slapping together and I fucked him hard. I wanted to see the pain in his eyes, I wanted to see what I did to him. I wanted to fuck him until I broke him."
While there was a big, heaping dose of angst in this book, I didn't feel it overwhelmed my emotions and pulled me into the sad, depressed mood extreme book angst can do to me. These men actually share their pain and emotions and it was sweet and affectionate and hot as all get-out.
I can HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend Out of the Blues to all M/M romance-with-angst junkies. Mercy does what she does best, putting her emotionally damaged characters in each others paths and letting nature take its course.
Galley copy of Out of the Blues provided by MJC Press in exchange of an honest review.
This review is also posted at Gay Book Reviews
November 19, 2015
"I think I found him broken and his broken called out to my broken and that's why I fell for him."
Mercy Celeste fans. This was like old school MC.
But better in a way.
The emotions, the characters, the plot...it flowed.
Because--I think I might end up gushing in this review. Forgive me. Or don't. Whatever. Fuck it.
Okay, real talk. I adore Mercy Celeste's words. But I'm not one to blow smoke up an author's ass just because I like their words. And sometimes an author can have the right characters, the right setting, but something just throws it off, yeah? Maybe the pacing or they try too hard with trying to pull out the tricks and ruin the effect.
Not the case for me in "Out of the Blues".
Perfect? Nope. But it's perfect for Kilby and Mason. And I could read about Kilby and Mason alllllllllllllllllll day.
Are there typos? Yep. But if I worried about the typos more than the story...I'm not feeling the magic. And I was swept in the magic. I still am and feel I will be in book hangover something fierce. *pouts*
Have I mentioned I already added it to my 2015 faves midway in? I already fucking knew.
There are things that I might nitpick in another story - the pacing of how Kilby & Mason fell for one another but the level of their broken and how much they shared for those handful of days. It felt like months, damnit. Yes, it can be claimed as insta-love but it didn't read like it. Mercy Celeste can weave a tale, it's her talent.
And this wasn't as heavy in the angst and drama department as say...Beyond Complicated or Let It Go because, holy shit, those were a doozy and a half. They were the Sasha Fierce to Out of the Blues's Beyonce singing "Halo". If you don't know the difference well...I can't help you.
"Out of the Blues" is about poor little rich boy Mason Foxworth. He's young, not really sure of his place in the world other than being straight and having a dysfunctional family. His mother is an ex-model (and doesn't deserve the title mother), his sister and twin, Harper is getting married in the only place their nomadic childhood remained for a period of years: Georgia.
He's running from his demons and finally has to own up to them back at home. But what he doesn't expect to find is gay and sort of in the closet, older, tattooed & muscled, ex-Marine farm boy Kilby Adams...
The two spark from the moment they interact and through a mishap have to share a hotel room.
This is a Mercy Celste novel so you know how this is going to end up:
Bed Pounding, 'I'm Not Gay, But Maybe My Dick Is' Kind Of Bareback Action!'
It's all about that connection. Damn, was it good. I'm still purring.
The cast of characters were great support. I enjoyed them all, even the the one who loomed like a specter of Christmas Past, Cody. And the plot twists because again, this is MC, so the last 25-30% are going to grab you by the short hairs. I was surprised at some of the twists and it might have touched that suspension bridge to reality once or twice in the last 10% before the last chapter.
Alright, alright, alright.
I can't say it was added for dramatics sake. It worked. It truly all worked for me. Trigger warnings: past child abuse/domestic abuse/ neglect mention
I adored Mason with his snark, man bun, pretty face and damaged soul. And I loved Kilby. Because he saw everything. He saw Mason most importantly as a man. I think they'll last forever and ever.
One of Celeste's best in my opinion.
So I'm rounding up and just giving it the rating I think it deserves.
September 17, 2021
Re-Read yet again and...still 4,5 stars !!!
This book was a bit over the top ridiculous, but I loved every single page...
Mason (pretty straight rich boy) and Kilby (gay ex-marine), meet at the wedding of Mason's twin sister to Kilby's stepbrother. They are forced to room together in the hotel because their sister and brother were not too sure, they would actually show up for the wedding. This because both are kind of estranged from their family.
They both have some heavy baggage, from their past. Especially Mason. The shit that happened in his past was way beyond fucked up.
The attraction between the two of them is pretty instant and they also react to it quite fast. This one was pretty heavy on the insta lust/love. They are only together for a couple of days, but Kilby has Mason naked and begging in a flash...
Which is very impressive because Mason...he is not gay. Or so he keeps saying...
It started to annoy me at some point, but on the other hand...I did understand him. Coming from such a fucked up family. His dad and the rest of the family really did a number on him.
I do have to warn, that this book is full of all sorts of drama....at times it read like a soap opera, but I loved every second of it :)) I LOVE DRAMA !!
There were also times when things got a tad emotional and my heart broke a bit...especially for Mason. That's one of the reasons I can't give it a full 5 stars.
The things with his dad were forgiven so easily in the end, I hold a mean grudge and I just wanted some more groveling. And his mom....damn what a piece of work. I really wanted her to suffer...but I'm a vengeful bitch..so...
It was pretty heavy on the steam..which I really liked...but it became less towards the end and I didn't quite get that. I wanted to see the intimacy between them after they worked their things out. I was a bit disappointed about that.
But still, an awesome read and I'm sure there will be many re-reads in the future :))
This book was a bit over the top ridiculous, but I loved every single page...
Mason (pretty straight rich boy) and Kilby (gay ex-marine), meet at the wedding of Mason's twin sister to Kilby's stepbrother. They are forced to room together in the hotel because their sister and brother were not too sure, they would actually show up for the wedding. This because both are kind of estranged from their family.
They both have some heavy baggage, from their past. Especially Mason. The shit that happened in his past was way beyond fucked up.
The attraction between the two of them is pretty instant and they also react to it quite fast. This one was pretty heavy on the insta lust/love. They are only together for a couple of days, but Kilby has Mason naked and begging in a flash...
Which is very impressive because Mason...he is not gay. Or so he keeps saying...
It started to annoy me at some point, but on the other hand...I did understand him. Coming from such a fucked up family. His dad and the rest of the family really did a number on him.
I do have to warn, that this book is full of all sorts of drama....at times it read like a soap opera, but I loved every second of it :)) I LOVE DRAMA !!
There were also times when things got a tad emotional and my heart broke a bit...especially for Mason. That's one of the reasons I can't give it a full 5 stars.
The things with his dad were forgiven so easily in the end, I hold a mean grudge and I just wanted some more groveling. And his mom....damn what a piece of work. I really wanted her to suffer...but I'm a vengeful bitch..so...
It was pretty heavy on the steam..which I really liked...but it became less towards the end and I didn't quite get that. I wanted to see the intimacy between them after they worked their things out. I was a bit disappointed about that.
But still, an awesome read and I'm sure there will be many re-reads in the future :))
November 20, 2015
4.5 Stars!
I really wish I had the time to review this one properly. Because man, this one just came out and grabbed me.
The writing sucked me in from the get-go.
This one had angst people. And some heavier undertones. But the lighter, funny moments thrown in really offset the heavy and the angst.
I loved some of the side-characters. I hated some of the side- characters.
The sex was off-the-charts HOT!
This one just worked for me. It worked really, really well for me.
I really wish I had the time to review this one properly. Because man, this one just came out and grabbed me.
The writing sucked me in from the get-go.
This one had angst people. And some heavier undertones. But the lighter, funny moments thrown in really offset the heavy and the angst.
I loved some of the side-characters. I hated some of the side- characters.
The sex was off-the-charts HOT!
This one just worked for me. It worked really, really well for me.
November 24, 2015
~BR with my Greek goddess Ele & Southern belle Renée~
Final verdict: ~2.5~
In a nutshell: some incredibly sexy moments between two broken men but too much angst and melodrama by far.
Read the full (and fabulous) JOINT REVIEW, as well as our running commentary thread, HERE.
Final verdict: ~2.5~
In a nutshell: some incredibly sexy moments between two broken men but too much angst and melodrama by far.
Read the full (and fabulous) JOINT REVIEW, as well as our running commentary thread, HERE.
November 19, 2015
Enjoyed this one. Bit of angst, drama, family dynamics, bit unbelievable at times. Who cares? Well, sometimes I do care and find it hard to suspend the disbelief but not with this one.
Mason
Kilby
Mason
Kilby
My music is my words, my heart, my truth ...
I looked at the sky, the moon was not yet covered by the storm cloud moving. Somehow that felt ominous.
June 5, 2019
4 Out of The Blue Like Lightning Stars
Two broken men! Mason was 25, came from a rich and famous family but he’d grown up the disappointment, he felt inferior, unwanted, unloved and ashamed because of the way his parents treated him among other things… but still he was outspoken, opinionated and good-natured.
Kilby was 32, he spent eight years in the Marines but something happened that caused him leaving and going to work in his family farm, that was four years ago. He was like someone who was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders with sad eyes…
Well, these two were going to room with each other for the weekends in their siblings’ wedding… Just perfect!
Told in dual POV, 1st person, it’s a standalone novel. my first read by this author and won’t be my last! It was an enjoyable read! Liked both MCs and the secondary characters. Liked their sense of humor. It’s angsty and an intense read, makes you exhausted emotionally. It’s well-written with well-developed characters. Despite its subject matter, it made me smile at some scenes. It was a bit insta-love/lust but it worked for me and it's a gfy story. Overall, it was a good read and hope you enjoy it as well!
Two broken men! Mason was 25, came from a rich and famous family but he’d grown up the disappointment, he felt inferior, unwanted, unloved and ashamed because of the way his parents treated him among other things… but still he was outspoken, opinionated and good-natured.
Kilby was 32, he spent eight years in the Marines but something happened that caused him leaving and going to work in his family farm, that was four years ago. He was like someone who was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders with sad eyes…
Well, these two were going to room with each other for the weekends in their siblings’ wedding… Just perfect!
Told in dual POV, 1st person, it’s a standalone novel. my first read by this author and won’t be my last! It was an enjoyable read! Liked both MCs and the secondary characters. Liked their sense of humor. It’s angsty and an intense read, makes you exhausted emotionally. It’s well-written with well-developed characters. Despite its subject matter, it made me smile at some scenes. It was a bit insta-love/lust but it worked for me and it's a gfy story. Overall, it was a good read and hope you enjoy it as well!
November 24, 2015
BR with the fabulous Dani and Ele! And because it's FUN, we decided to do a JOINT REVIEW!
~2.5~ stars
(With Dani and Renee rounding DOWN to 2, and Ele rounding UP to 3 cause she’s generous like that.)
We wanted to give Mercy Celeste another go. This book has so many rave reviews, we dove right in.
We don’t mind some angst in our books, but this was like a three-ring circus with a crazy clown on the loose.
In no particular order, we got: divorce, abuse, drug addiction, cancer, rape, suicide, and alcoholism. And if THAT isn't enough, let’s throw in some unnecessary drama to boot!
Let’s have multiple family members fucking anything with legs, machismo, homophobia, and … well, that would be too spoilery for this review.
Seriously—this author took every storyline from modern-day soap operas and vomited them all into one book. It was exhausting!
Kilby is like the walking wounded. For four years, he’s been mourning the loss of his partner Jon, when really he should have been angry AT him, FOR him. We wanted more momentum from Kilby. Even so, he was our favorite MC by far.
Mason, dear god, he is such a fucking mess, 25 going on 13. Yes, he and his twin sister, Harper, had a shitty childhood, but all those secrets, all that DRAMA.
Talk about a dysfunctional family! It’s a WEDDING, and everyone is anxious, angry, or in the throes of depression. I mean, COME ON, people; get it together!
Mason is also prone to some seriously RANDOM and fucked up thoughts:
Um, thanks for asking, Mace.
At one point, as Mason’s staring at Kilby sleeping, he thinks: I could so easily … what? So easily spread his ass and shove myself inside him? I was contemplating rape. Jesus. Didn’t that do absolutely nothing to decrease the blood in my dick.
Mason needs therapy ASAP!
We couldn’t like Mason. He was self-centered, selfish, and whiney, poor little rich boy. Even in the epilogue he can’t admit he’s gay! His constant denial was really annoying and unfair to Kilby.
We also thought Mason's characterization was inconsistent. At the beginning, we’re told he’s not sleeping with his girlfriend, and he comes across as a little naïve. Later, he tells us he used to party and fuck groupies.
As Mason narrates (the story is told from a dual first-person POV), he tells the readers he doesn’t drink anymore because he doesn’t want to be like his mother. But multiple times before that, he’s had beers in his hand. Well, which is it?
The editing in this book is non-existent. Since the book was self-published, we looked in the foreword to see if any betas or editors were mentioned. (They weren't.)
We were cringing throughout the book because of the rampant misplaced or missing commas and semicolons, as well as misspelled words. The editing was piss poor. No excuses there.
The only thing that saved this book from a one star rating was the sex.
It was HAWT. And plentiful. And CREATIVE. Fuck, so much passion between these two, so many feelings communicated just with the placement of hands on faces.
But even the sex was tinged with melodrama. (One of us may have mentioned that she skimmed the sex scenes because they got repetitive. *gasps* That never happens!)
We liked the final chapter, particularly the closure between Mason and Doug (his biological father), Mason's sweet reunion with Kilby, and Mason moving on with his life while finally pursuing the dream he buried long ago.
The epilogue was a downer though. I mean, we were glad to see these two together a year later, but then Mason has to wonder, Were we even a couple?
You’re living with the man and fucking him daily, Mason. We’re pretty sure the answer is YES.
To wrap up: some incredibly sexy moments between two broken men but too much angst and melodrama by far.
~2.5~ stars
(With Dani and Renee rounding DOWN to 2, and Ele rounding UP to 3 cause she’s generous like that.)
We wanted to give Mercy Celeste another go. This book has so many rave reviews, we dove right in.
We don’t mind some angst in our books, but this was like a three-ring circus with a crazy clown on the loose.
In no particular order, we got: divorce, abuse, drug addiction, cancer, rape, suicide, and alcoholism. And if THAT isn't enough, let’s throw in some unnecessary drama to boot!
Let’s have multiple family members fucking anything with legs, machismo, homophobia, and … well, that would be too spoilery for this review.
Seriously—this author took every storyline from modern-day soap operas and vomited them all into one book. It was exhausting!
Kilby is like the walking wounded. For four years, he’s been mourning the loss of his partner Jon, when really he should have been angry AT him, FOR him. We wanted more momentum from Kilby. Even so, he was our favorite MC by far.
Mason, dear god, he is such a fucking mess, 25 going on 13. Yes, he and his twin sister, Harper, had a shitty childhood, but all those secrets, all that DRAMA.
Talk about a dysfunctional family! It’s a WEDDING, and everyone is anxious, angry, or in the throes of depression. I mean, COME ON, people; get it together!
Mason is also prone to some seriously RANDOM and fucked up thoughts:
I have never seen either of my parents naked. Or my sister. I saw a cousin naked once.
"You ever had someone piss on you?" I asked for no goddamned reason than I was out of my fucking mind.
Um, thanks for asking, Mace.
At one point, as Mason’s staring at Kilby sleeping, he thinks: I could so easily … what? So easily spread his ass and shove myself inside him? I was contemplating rape. Jesus. Didn’t that do absolutely nothing to decrease the blood in my dick.
Mason needs therapy ASAP!
We couldn’t like Mason. He was self-centered, selfish, and whiney, poor little rich boy. Even in the epilogue he can’t admit he’s gay! His constant denial was really annoying and unfair to Kilby.
We also thought Mason's characterization was inconsistent. At the beginning, we’re told he’s not sleeping with his girlfriend, and he comes across as a little naïve. Later, he tells us he used to party and fuck groupies.
As Mason narrates (the story is told from a dual first-person POV), he tells the readers he doesn’t drink anymore because he doesn’t want to be like his mother. But multiple times before that, he’s had beers in his hand. Well, which is it?
The editing in this book is non-existent. Since the book was self-published, we looked in the foreword to see if any betas or editors were mentioned. (They weren't.)
We were cringing throughout the book because of the rampant misplaced or missing commas and semicolons, as well as misspelled words. The editing was piss poor. No excuses there.
Maybe. No, maybe about it.
Made my blood proudful, and shit, until I realized that Kilby was probably right, Harper really did have bigger balls than me.
The only thing that saved this book from a one star rating was the sex.
It was HAWT. And plentiful. And CREATIVE. Fuck, so much passion between these two, so many feelings communicated just with the placement of hands on faces.
But even the sex was tinged with melodrama. (One of us may have mentioned that she skimmed the sex scenes because they got repetitive. *gasps* That never happens!)
He nuzzled my neck and kissed my lips, and I whimpered and died, right there in his arms while he did the same.
We liked the final chapter, particularly the closure between Mason and Doug (his biological father), Mason's sweet reunion with Kilby, and Mason moving on with his life while finally pursuing the dream he buried long ago.
The epilogue was a downer though. I mean, we were glad to see these two together a year later, but then Mason has to wonder, Were we even a couple?
You’re living with the man and fucking him daily, Mason. We’re pretty sure the answer is YES.
To wrap up: some incredibly sexy moments between two broken men but too much angst and melodrama by far.
November 18, 2015
The best book I've read in awhile. All the stars and then some.
November 24, 2015
*2.5 rounded up because Dani thinks I'm generous*
But in reality I just didn't notice the editing fuckfest.
I just couldn't take Kilby,Mason and their love seriously. And all the family soap opera drama....
And guess who skimmed the sex scenes...
Same old, same old...
But I had fun with my girls and that was the best part of it. Go to Renee's thread to see our joint review.
But in reality I just didn't notice the editing fuckfest.
I just couldn't take Kilby,Mason and their love seriously. And all the family soap opera drama....
And guess who skimmed the sex scenes...
Same old, same old...
But I had fun with my girls and that was the best part of it. Go to Renee's thread to see our joint review.
May 4, 2017
***4 Stars***
"Well, yeah, you are fucked up. I'm fucked up. I don't tend to judge fucked up. Figure we're all somewhere on that spectrum, you know."
And there you have it. That pretty much sums up the whole book.
This books was filled with confusion, grief, sadness, heartbreak, guilt, self-doubt, trauma and an odd sense of hope and love. It was a jumbled up mess that somehow worked.
Mason and Kilby frustrated me, confused me and made me all hot and bothered. They were filled with all kinds of sexually and romantically confused angst.
Were there times where I just shook my head at the absurdity of what was going on? Yes. Were there times where you had to completely suspend belief? Yes. But somehow it worked. Don't ask me how or why. I haven't a clue.
What I do know is that I was engaged in the story, invested in the characters and completely absorbed in their utter fucked-up-ness. Everyone had issues...even their issues had issues. But somehow the book didn't feel too heavy. There were enough lighter moments to balance everything out.
The writing style definitely took me a while to get used to. It lacks finesse and reads like rambling and babbling. Since this is my first Mercy Celeste book I'm not sure if that's the author's style or if it's just this book...but whatever the case may be, it worked for these characters...and by the end, it worked for me.
December 12, 2015
Wow one of the best books I've read this year. It was everything. Their family is dysfunction junction. There's just too much going on in here for me to be able to write a decent review but I can tell you how it made me feel. I loved Mason, Kilby, Mason's twin sister Harper and Kilby's brother Hunter. As much dysfunction as there was in the family it didn't drag the book down, it just was, but damn talking about smoking hot, when Mason and Kilby got in the same room and when they finally touched OMG! Damn Mercy can write a love scene. There was some things that happened that had me going wow I didn't see that coming? It had a little bit of everything, it had me laughing, crying, and a little ticked. Very good and glad it lived up to the hype.
November 6, 2016
***** Deeply moving M/M romance drama that I loved. ***** I was hard to put down, so I kept reading. Well written, interesting tale, with super hot sex, and thought-filled characters, all making this a worthwhile book. It confused me a bit in the beginning, but I stuck with it, and realized it was a complicated group of people and screwed up family situations that I needed to engage. We learn a lot about our characters backgrounds, crappy childhoods, their losses and events that shaped them all. To begin, Harper is marrying Hunter. Her brother is Mason, and his brother is Kilby. Harper and Mason have famous parents, a bed hopping mom, absent Football dad, and a different Rock Star dad, Cody, that died from cancer.
Kilby: "He's gone, but he left you a legacy to be proud of and that's what you should focus on....Your sister needs family, and from what I see you are it for her."
For this week long gathering many conversations take place. Not only that, but gay, tattooed, badass Marine, Kilby wants Mason, straight, tall, slim, feminine, Mason. Kilby is his brother's best man, and Mason will be singing for his sister. He inherited his dad Cody's musicsl talent. Those two really sizzle up their surroundings, be it, a couch, wall, bed, or the old homestead's floor, wow, and double wow !! These are firsts for Mason, but he's liking the action.
Kilby : "Something about him. Something about what I could do to him. Something primal. I'd never known it could be like this."
The sex scenes are magnificent, fantastic, thorough, explosive, and leaves them both speechless, stunned, with a magnitude of emotions, and wanting more.
"His body shook from the force of our lovemaking. I shoved my arms beneath him. Mouth to mouth, I swallowed his cries as he filled me with heat." " Mason in treble. I had him on my skin. I could smell him; I could feel him"
"...and took five steps across the room, without asking permission...pulled the shirt completely off and pushed him up against the door... Kissed him, going up on my toes to reach his mouth and I held him to the door while I claimed him."
They talk about attitudes, beliefs, tragedies, good times, and hopes. We get plenty of revealing thoughts, and internal musings, to show us their inner feelings, frank talks and honesty.
"Just be you, baby, that's the man I love...the one who can sing a song about losing everything and rising from the blues that built him ... I'll be here..."
Loved these guys, the doubts and fears, the new feelings and new fears, and Kilby dealing with his sadness of his ex lover's suicide four years earlier. Mason finally coming to terms with his past. I highly recommend this amazing love story. It is well a done M/M romance and the experience of finding self identity, acceptance, and true love.
Beautiful. ENJOY !!! :)
Kilby: "He's gone, but he left you a legacy to be proud of and that's what you should focus on....Your sister needs family, and from what I see you are it for her."
For this week long gathering many conversations take place. Not only that, but gay, tattooed, badass Marine, Kilby wants Mason, straight, tall, slim, feminine, Mason. Kilby is his brother's best man, and Mason will be singing for his sister. He inherited his dad Cody's musicsl talent. Those two really sizzle up their surroundings, be it, a couch, wall, bed, or the old homestead's floor, wow, and double wow !! These are firsts for Mason, but he's liking the action.
Kilby : "Something about him. Something about what I could do to him. Something primal. I'd never known it could be like this."
The sex scenes are magnificent, fantastic, thorough, explosive, and leaves them both speechless, stunned, with a magnitude of emotions, and wanting more.
"His body shook from the force of our lovemaking. I shoved my arms beneath him. Mouth to mouth, I swallowed his cries as he filled me with heat." " Mason in treble. I had him on my skin. I could smell him; I could feel him"
"...and took five steps across the room, without asking permission...pulled the shirt completely off and pushed him up against the door... Kissed him, going up on my toes to reach his mouth and I held him to the door while I claimed him."
They talk about attitudes, beliefs, tragedies, good times, and hopes. We get plenty of revealing thoughts, and internal musings, to show us their inner feelings, frank talks and honesty.
"Just be you, baby, that's the man I love...the one who can sing a song about losing everything and rising from the blues that built him ... I'll be here..."
Loved these guys, the doubts and fears, the new feelings and new fears, and Kilby dealing with his sadness of his ex lover's suicide four years earlier. Mason finally coming to terms with his past. I highly recommend this amazing love story. It is well a done M/M romance and the experience of finding self identity, acceptance, and true love.
Beautiful. ENJOY !!! :)
December 6, 2015
Really enjoyed with friends here
May 24, 2018
4.5 stars
This reminded me so much of my introduction to Mercy Celeste, Beyond Complicated but more polished. There are so many issues, especially with Mason who is broken in ways he doesn't even realize. Discovering that everyone thought he was gay before he could even admit it to himself for fear of what his seemingly homophobic football star father would think, having a mother who really only cares about herself and how those around her reflect on her life, struggling to find his place in life. Falling for Kilby, brother to his twin-sister's fiancee, is really the least of his problems.
Thrown together as roommates at a wedding that takes most of the fun out of dysfunction (but gives plenty of drama for the reader) Mason and Kilby are on fire when they are together, no doubt about that. It's painful to see Mason coming face-to-face with his father's other family, the family he seems to love the way he never loved Mason's, remembering the man who raised him and was taken too soon and just trying to power through being back in a place that holds so many memories good and bad. Mason's issues take center stage, but Kilby is fighting his own demons as well. When Mason finally snaps and hits rock bottom though, he's amazed by who reaches out and the secrets that are finally revealed.
Another great Mercy Celeste angst-fest with plenty of hot sex, and true emotion that had me rooting for Mason and Kilby to pull it together.
This reminded me so much of my introduction to Mercy Celeste, Beyond Complicated but more polished. There are so many issues, especially with Mason who is broken in ways he doesn't even realize. Discovering that everyone thought he was gay before he could even admit it to himself for fear of what his seemingly homophobic football star father would think, having a mother who really only cares about herself and how those around her reflect on her life, struggling to find his place in life. Falling for Kilby, brother to his twin-sister's fiancee, is really the least of his problems.
Thrown together as roommates at a wedding that takes most of the fun out of dysfunction (but gives plenty of drama for the reader) Mason and Kilby are on fire when they are together, no doubt about that. It's painful to see Mason coming face-to-face with his father's other family, the family he seems to love the way he never loved Mason's, remembering the man who raised him and was taken too soon and just trying to power through being back in a place that holds so many memories good and bad. Mason's issues take center stage, but Kilby is fighting his own demons as well. When Mason finally snaps and hits rock bottom though, he's amazed by who reaches out and the secrets that are finally revealed.
Another great Mercy Celeste angst-fest with plenty of hot sex, and true emotion that had me rooting for Mason and Kilby to pull it together.
November 14, 2015
This book was all kind of wonderful!
It had witty characters (main ones and supporting ones) MCs with interesting/fucked-up pasts, chemistry and sexual tension you can bite into and one twist I did not see coming!
Kilby's past was sad and he was a somewhat broken man, but Mason's past?? Wow, it was filled with every soap opera story line you can ever imagine.
You find out about Mason's fucked up history bit by bit, and this is where the fifth star it had through most of the story flew out of the window: it just got too much towards the end.
If you are not turned off by soap opera elements in your books, this will
Be perfect for you.
All in all It was a great read.
It had witty characters (main ones and supporting ones) MCs with interesting/fucked-up pasts, chemistry and sexual tension you can bite into and one twist I did not see coming!
Kilby's past was sad and he was a somewhat broken man, but Mason's past?? Wow, it was filled with every soap opera story line you can ever imagine.
You find out about Mason's fucked up history bit by bit, and this is where the fifth star it had through most of the story flew out of the window: it just got too much towards the end.
If you are not turned off by soap opera elements in your books, this will
Be perfect for you.
All in all It was a great read.
June 30, 2016
Mercy Celeste is really good at writing about dysfunctional characters and families. It's always a hot mess of a lot of emotions that in the end turn out to be a great love story. I love it.
Mason and his twin sister Harper had one of the most messed up childhoods I've read. I hated their mother from start to finish. Their father grew on me by the end but only because of him spilling his truth.
Mason coming back home has his past demons coming forth and has him struggling with memories from his traumatic childhood. And while dealing with that he is also struggling with his attraction to a man. A very hot marine in fact named Kilby.
Kilby is a farm boy dealing with his own demons. His past relationship didn't end well at all. Even though it's been four years he is still struggling with how it ended and having a hard time moving past it.
Kilby and Mason frustrated me one moment and had me all hot and bothered the next. These boys were hot together. They were also very broken and I think that brokenness is what drew them together besides being physically attracted to each other. Eventually their broken pieces fitted together making a beautiful love story. You just have to meddle through the hot mess to get there.
Loved the story and would have been a five, but the writing took awhile to get use to and sometimes I had to go back and re-read a passage to make sure I read things right. Hated that. But still a great story and I would love to see these boys in another book.
Mason and his twin sister Harper had one of the most messed up childhoods I've read. I hated their mother from start to finish. Their father grew on me by the end but only because of him spilling his truth.
Mason coming back home has his past demons coming forth and has him struggling with memories from his traumatic childhood. And while dealing with that he is also struggling with his attraction to a man. A very hot marine in fact named Kilby.
Kilby is a farm boy dealing with his own demons. His past relationship didn't end well at all. Even though it's been four years he is still struggling with how it ended and having a hard time moving past it.
Kilby and Mason frustrated me one moment and had me all hot and bothered the next. These boys were hot together. They were also very broken and I think that brokenness is what drew them together besides being physically attracted to each other. Eventually their broken pieces fitted together making a beautiful love story. You just have to meddle through the hot mess to get there.
Loved the story and would have been a five, but the writing took awhile to get use to and sometimes I had to go back and re-read a passage to make sure I read things right. Hated that. But still a great story and I would love to see these boys in another book.
April 3, 2018
Completely ridiculous but I really enjoyed it.
For someone who is adamantly 'not gay' Mason seemed open and eager for hot gay sex with a hot Marine, not one teeny tiny protest just ' determinedly straight' guy sprawled naked on the bed cumming his brains out with another man. Getting hard at the sound of his voice. Wanting to lick his tattoos.
And it was hot.
Forced room sharing - trope-y fun! Family gathering with tensions and everything coming out of the woodwork - long as it's not my family YAY!
I really liked the characters, fucked in the head though they all were. Didn't get Mason's refusal to admit he might be Bi at the very least. Then there's the angst - a lot of it. Made certain things make sense but OMG they're ALL so fucked up! Day-time tv on crack people! It was all a bit much.
There was a smear to the story that made me uncomfortable a play around non-con, for example getting turned on by the fear in the other's eyes is NOT hot even if it's accompanied by making sure of consent. Mentions of Marines having sex consent optional. A few things that meant I couldn't give this full stars.
Would have liked a bit more from taciturn Kilby and some gentle healing sex after everything.
Liked how Mason's dad came through in the end, though his mother proved a piece of work.
The end when they get together is nice, still some insecurities in the epilogue which was a shame but it's a cute scene and they're getting there. Don't think I've read any Mercy Celeste before, going to go browse what's available.
For someone who is adamantly 'not gay' Mason seemed open and eager for hot gay sex with a hot Marine, not one teeny tiny protest just ' determinedly straight' guy sprawled naked on the bed cumming his brains out with another man. Getting hard at the sound of his voice. Wanting to lick his tattoos.
And it was hot.
Forced room sharing - trope-y fun! Family gathering with tensions and everything coming out of the woodwork - long as it's not my family YAY!
I really liked the characters, fucked in the head though they all were. Didn't get Mason's refusal to admit he might be Bi at the very least. Then there's the angst - a lot of it. Made certain things make sense but OMG they're ALL so fucked up! Day-time tv on crack people! It was all a bit much.
There was a smear to the story that made me uncomfortable a play around non-con, for example getting turned on by the fear in the other's eyes is NOT hot even if it's accompanied by making sure of consent. Mentions of Marines having sex consent optional. A few things that meant I couldn't give this full stars.
Would have liked a bit more from taciturn Kilby and some gentle healing sex after everything.
Liked how Mason's dad came through in the end, though his mother proved a piece of work.
The end when they get together is nice, still some insecurities in the epilogue which was a shame but it's a cute scene and they're getting there. Don't think I've read any Mercy Celeste before, going to go browse what's available.
November 19, 2015
DNF @80%
I simply didn't have the amount of disbelief required to go with this book. It's full of cliches, like our main character repeating "IM NOT GAY" while balls deep in a guy's ass or bouncing on his dick. I honestly couldn't stand Mace! What a fucking loser!
And Kilby...I don't even know what to say about this dude. I definitely can't say I liked him, but at the same time I didn't hate him either. To be accurate, I didn't give a fuck about him.
Like the past 2 Mercy Celeste books I've read, this one was full of drama. And stilted, weird, awkward dialog. And more drama. Topped with an even bigger amount of disbelief. I seriously couldn't stop rolling my eyes. I should've never picked this book up, but I used to like this author's books a long time ago. And I read some pretty good reviews with astronomical ratings from other reviewers, so I figured it's worth a try. Now I know better!
I simply didn't have the amount of disbelief required to go with this book. It's full of cliches, like our main character repeating "IM NOT GAY" while balls deep in a guy's ass or bouncing on his dick. I honestly couldn't stand Mace! What a fucking loser!
And Kilby...I don't even know what to say about this dude. I definitely can't say I liked him, but at the same time I didn't hate him either. To be accurate, I didn't give a fuck about him.
Like the past 2 Mercy Celeste books I've read, this one was full of drama. And stilted, weird, awkward dialog. And more drama. Topped with an even bigger amount of disbelief. I seriously couldn't stop rolling my eyes. I should've never picked this book up, but I used to like this author's books a long time ago. And I read some pretty good reviews with astronomical ratings from other reviewers, so I figured it's worth a try. Now I know better!
November 11, 2015
The main problem with this book was I couldn't put it down. I should have been doing a heap of other stuff, but instead I was drawn into this story about two broken men. Emotions. Hot sex. Good secondary characters. Some little twists. A great GFY story.
December 6, 2015
Good heavens! I love GFY and I love Mercy Celeste so put both together and I am in ecstasy.
Mason Foxworth comes home for his twin’s wedding. He’s avoided returning to Georgia for years because that’s where he found his stepfather, the only man he ever felt deserved to be called Dad, dead in his easy chair when he came home from school one day.
He and his sister, Harper, had a screwy upbringing, since their mother, an actress, seemed to specialize in jumping from one man to another, sometimes marrying them, sometimes not, and their father, a famous pro football player didn’t have much contact with them as they were growing up.
He meets Kilby Adams, the brother of the groom when he arrives at the boarding house inn his sister and her fiancé are starting up, and is shocked to find that he’s the guy Mason nearly ran off the road a while back, and was told off by that man when they both stopped for coffee at the same time. But still, there’s something attractive about the muscular, tattooed ex-Marine, and for some reason it’s causing a reaction that Mason’s never felt before.
He can’t be attracted to a man. Impossible. He’s straight. Ask his former girlfriends. But man, the scenes when these two get together in the room they have to share are hot, hot, hawt! I loved the chemistry between the two as Mason struggled throughout most of the story to come to terms with his attraction to Kilby, and Kilby struggled equally as hard to avoid getting involved with a straight man. Add to that a glimpse, and then a full-fledged view of their family history and the current dynamics between Mason and his biologic father, and you have a highly interesting, entertaining, often heartbreaking story.
If you love GFY, or even OFY, this is for you. And if you’re a fan of Mercy Celeste, this is a no-brainer. It’s a must read. Caution: have your person fans ready to go!
Mason Foxworth comes home for his twin’s wedding. He’s avoided returning to Georgia for years because that’s where he found his stepfather, the only man he ever felt deserved to be called Dad, dead in his easy chair when he came home from school one day.
He and his sister, Harper, had a screwy upbringing, since their mother, an actress, seemed to specialize in jumping from one man to another, sometimes marrying them, sometimes not, and their father, a famous pro football player didn’t have much contact with them as they were growing up.
He meets Kilby Adams, the brother of the groom when he arrives at the boarding house inn his sister and her fiancé are starting up, and is shocked to find that he’s the guy Mason nearly ran off the road a while back, and was told off by that man when they both stopped for coffee at the same time. But still, there’s something attractive about the muscular, tattooed ex-Marine, and for some reason it’s causing a reaction that Mason’s never felt before.
He can’t be attracted to a man. Impossible. He’s straight. Ask his former girlfriends. But man, the scenes when these two get together in the room they have to share are hot, hot, hawt! I loved the chemistry between the two as Mason struggled throughout most of the story to come to terms with his attraction to Kilby, and Kilby struggled equally as hard to avoid getting involved with a straight man. Add to that a glimpse, and then a full-fledged view of their family history and the current dynamics between Mason and his biologic father, and you have a highly interesting, entertaining, often heartbreaking story.
If you love GFY, or even OFY, this is for you. And if you’re a fan of Mercy Celeste, this is a no-brainer. It’s a must read. Caution: have your person fans ready to go!
September 26, 2016
Out of the Blues brought out some unexpected feelings in me. The book had some hilarious comedy thrown in but for the most part dealt with some pretty serious themes. Suicide, child abuse and rape to name a few.
I love when authors decide to hit touchy subjects, but this just seemed like there were too many ingredients in the melting pot. We never really hit one subject fully and got to experience the ups and downs of that subject, rather we simply got introduced to them all and then hurredly got to the conclusion.
That being said it was a lovely story about a connection between two broken souls. There is angst, anger, confusion and passion from the conception of their relationship and it stayed that way until the end (that is until Mason finally got into therapy to talk out his feelings). In my opinion Kilby was more understanding than I would have been in a few situations, but hey...love is love I guess.
The only reason I didn't give this 4 stars is because Mason repeatedly denies that he is gay and almost eludes that it would be a bad thing? I couldn't quite understand that seeing as he plowed Kilby at any moment he could. Not even that, but he had legit love for Kilby and yet he still denied it? His whole family knew and accepted him the way he was but he had trouble coming to terms with himself.
On to the next!
November 21, 2015
Not a bad book, really. But I just didn’t feel it.
The dialogue was strange, the characters were inconsistent, the story line was a bit boring, and the GFY aspect was really unrealistic.
Just not the book for me.
The dialogue was strange, the characters were inconsistent, the story line was a bit boring, and the GFY aspect was really unrealistic.
Just not the book for me.
December 29, 2015
This is a hurt-comfort setup, except the guys are so messed up that they kind of fail on the comfort part for a long time. It moves through a lot of painful revelations to an eventual sweet ending, though.
Mason has come home, to a place he's been running from for years, to see his twin sister get married. What he doesn't expect is to fall for the brother of the groom. Particularly since Mason has insisted he's not gay since forever, and has only slept with girls.
In point of fact, Mason's been saying "I'm not gay" for so long it has almost lost its meaning - it's become a mantra he can repeat moments after having sex with a man. It would be irritating to read, especially if you really think he believes it, except that there is something very lost about Mason. He seems to be cobbled together from superficial bits and pieces, with a stunningly gorgeous appearance, a boatload of talent, and no real idea who the man inside actually is.
Kilby is gay. In fact he left the military over an affair with a closeted officer, and the repercussions of that have left him seriously gun-shy. But, after a couple of celibate years licking his wounds, he's finally feeling intense attraction to a new man. A pity it's his messed-up, straight-boy, future brother-in-law.
Two damaged guys, although Mason wins the hurtful backstory prize. The author does a good job of giving us Mason's past in bits and pieces, so it doesn't crush the reader. Both men have a long way to go to admit the depth of their interest in each other (although the sex is nuclear from the start.) And Mason's family, gathered for the wedding, have enough antagonisms and skeletons to make any moment fraught with tension.
I love angsty, hurting characters redeemed by love, and this might have been a 5-star book for me. The main problem I had was with the similarity of the character voices in the alternating first-person narrative. I loved being in both the guys' heads, but they both used short sentences, short paragraphs, both got tangled up and lost in their thoughts and didn't finish them. The narrative style was distinctive, occasionally a little tough to follow, which would have given character to one man, but seemed similar for both. Despite being clearly marked for each section, there were times I lost track of whose POV I was in. If there had been a bit more separation of voice, so that keeping track was effortless, it would have smoothed out the read. As it was, this is still a good book for anyone who likes broken men, family drama, painful histories, very (did I say very?) nicely heated sex scenes, and a sweet ending.
Mason has come home, to a place he's been running from for years, to see his twin sister get married. What he doesn't expect is to fall for the brother of the groom. Particularly since Mason has insisted he's not gay since forever, and has only slept with girls.
In point of fact, Mason's been saying "I'm not gay" for so long it has almost lost its meaning - it's become a mantra he can repeat moments after having sex with a man. It would be irritating to read, especially if you really think he believes it, except that there is something very lost about Mason. He seems to be cobbled together from superficial bits and pieces, with a stunningly gorgeous appearance, a boatload of talent, and no real idea who the man inside actually is.
Kilby is gay. In fact he left the military over an affair with a closeted officer, and the repercussions of that have left him seriously gun-shy. But, after a couple of celibate years licking his wounds, he's finally feeling intense attraction to a new man. A pity it's his messed-up, straight-boy, future brother-in-law.
Two damaged guys, although Mason wins the hurtful backstory prize. The author does a good job of giving us Mason's past in bits and pieces, so it doesn't crush the reader. Both men have a long way to go to admit the depth of their interest in each other (although the sex is nuclear from the start.) And Mason's family, gathered for the wedding, have enough antagonisms and skeletons to make any moment fraught with tension.
I love angsty, hurting characters redeemed by love, and this might have been a 5-star book for me. The main problem I had was with the similarity of the character voices in the alternating first-person narrative. I loved being in both the guys' heads, but they both used short sentences, short paragraphs, both got tangled up and lost in their thoughts and didn't finish them. The narrative style was distinctive, occasionally a little tough to follow, which would have given character to one man, but seemed similar for both. Despite being clearly marked for each section, there were times I lost track of whose POV I was in. If there had been a bit more separation of voice, so that keeping track was effortless, it would have smoothed out the read. As it was, this is still a good book for anyone who likes broken men, family drama, painful histories, very (did I say very?) nicely heated sex scenes, and a sweet ending.
December 14, 2015
4.5 stars
What did I think? I think I loved every freaking word.
So here's the deal, this book is hokey, cliched, far fetched and just a hot mess of family drama with smoking hot sex disbursed throughout. LET.ME.REPEAT, there's lots of SMOKING.HOT.SEX! There is bat shit craziness on every other page. And yep, you guessed it.....I sopped that shit up like a starving animal feasting on prime rib. This is Mercy Celeste at her finest and I couldn't get enough of it. Gahhh!
Some will love this and some will hate it. If you're a MC fan you gotta give it a go.
Recommended!
Favorite lines:
What did I think? I think I loved every freaking word.
So here's the deal, this book is hokey, cliched, far fetched and just a hot mess of family drama with smoking hot sex disbursed throughout. LET.ME.REPEAT, there's lots of SMOKING.HOT.SEX! There is bat shit craziness on every other page. And yep, you guessed it.....I sopped that shit up like a starving animal feasting on prime rib. This is Mercy Celeste at her finest and I couldn't get enough of it. Gahhh!
Some will love this and some will hate it. If you're a MC fan you gotta give it a go.
Recommended!
Favorite lines:
Don’t sweat it, man, we’re good. But if you see anything you like…pull over, and I’ll see about making you holler, how’s that sound.
And tell me what your colors are…and so help me if Steel Magnolias comes out of your mouth I will climb through this phone and beat you with the bouquet.
But, no. He’s not my type. He’s too toppy.”
I didn’t know if I’d broken Mason. I think I found him broken and his broken called out to my broken and that’s why I fell for him.
January 4, 2016
4,5 stars
Lovely hurt/comfort story.
---------
“Just be you, baby, that’s the man I love. The one who can sing a kid’s song to his sister and have me in tears, the one who can sing a song about losing everything and rising from the blues that built him, that’s who you are. You keep feeling everything in here and be true to what you feel. I’ll be here, however you need me to be. We’ll figure this out.”
If you're a fan of Mrs Celeste's writing style, you're going to enjoy this one.
Thx to the wonderful Helle who gifted this book to me. :)
September 28, 2022
The setting of the story is a small Georgia town that had a lot of bad memories for Mason. He swore he would NEVER go back, but that's where his twin sister had decided to get married, so here he was, for better or for worse and right off the bat ...he found the worse staring him in the face in the form of Kirby, a retired Marine...out of the closet, out of the universe, gay as an Easter parade man that he was sharing the last vacant room in town with. I won't go into the unbelievable plot twists that take place almost immediately upon the two guys meeting and sizing one another up. Lets' just leave it at "unbelievable"...unless I misread it and Mason and Kirby are actually not human but two dogs in heat. Overall, in a little over 350 pages you have possible incest, crazy love triangles, suicide, child molestation, rape, disregarded homophobia, and possibly the worst negligent parents on Earth. I had to keep reading to see what crazy, off the wall thing, was going to take place next. The last 25% is nothing but one big angst fest with numerous participants. You now have this wacky story in a nutshell. I'm still trying to figure out if it was supposed to be a comedy. I'm glad I didn't buy this book, but it got 3 stars for the most twisted, unbelievable plot I think I have ever read.
November 25, 2015
I loved this book so hard..
I want to read it again.
And again.
And maybe try 69...but only if I can grow a dick first and do it with another man.
I just loved every second!
I want to read it again.
And again.
And maybe try 69...but only if I can grow a dick first and do it with another man.
I just loved every second!
November 23, 2015
Well that was fun. It was just what I was looking for in a Mercy Celeste book. True to form, this book was dramatic to soap opera extremes. At one point, Mason even compares his family to Dynasty, which made me laugh. If you want your contemporary romances to be realistic, this book might not be for you. But if you're willing to part with logic and jump on the crazy train, you just might love it. The plot was dramatic, the characters were dramatic, and the Big Reveal was dramatic. It's also worth mentioning that Ms. Celeste can write the hell out of a sex scene. Mother of God.
The things that kept me from absolutely loving this book instead of just really liking it were mostly technicalities. The first person perspective switching got on my nerves a bit. It happened every chapter, and the narratives were pretty much the same. For this to really work for me, I need some distinct voices. I had some issues with the clarity of the writing. There were a few times I finished a paragraph and thought, "Wait, who's doing/saying what?" Sometimes the dialogue felt a little weird- mostly when a character gave a response that didn't really fit with what the previous character said. And a pet peeve of mine: Punctuation issues. I'm certainly no writer or editor, but it still stands out to me like a sore thumb when it's in a published novel. There were a lot of commas where there shouldn't be commas (and several missing ones). There's a big difference between "Don't call me, Mace" and "Don't call me Mace." There were question marks at the end of sentences that didn't feel like they should read as questions. Perhaps I'm nit picking, but little things like this can interrupt the flow of a good story for me.
This book though.. As usual, this author's characters gave me butterflies when they were falling in love. They made me teary eyed on more than one occasion. If you're a fan of Mercy Celeste's style, you will probably enjoy this one.
The things that kept me from absolutely loving this book instead of just really liking it were mostly technicalities. The first person perspective switching got on my nerves a bit. It happened every chapter, and the narratives were pretty much the same. For this to really work for me, I need some distinct voices. I had some issues with the clarity of the writing. There were a few times I finished a paragraph and thought, "Wait, who's doing/saying what?" Sometimes the dialogue felt a little weird- mostly when a character gave a response that didn't really fit with what the previous character said. And a pet peeve of mine: Punctuation issues. I'm certainly no writer or editor, but it still stands out to me like a sore thumb when it's in a published novel. There were a lot of commas where there shouldn't be commas (and several missing ones). There's a big difference between "Don't call me, Mace" and "Don't call me Mace." There were question marks at the end of sentences that didn't feel like they should read as questions. Perhaps I'm nit picking, but little things like this can interrupt the flow of a good story for me.
This book though.. As usual, this author's characters gave me butterflies when they were falling in love. They made me teary eyed on more than one occasion. If you're a fan of Mercy Celeste's style, you will probably enjoy this one.
February 7, 2016
DNF! Seriously?!!
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