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Being(s) in Love #8
His Mossy Boy
A Being(s) in Love Story
Years ago, a very intoxicated Martin nearly died in the woods outside Everlasting, and a beautiful creature saved him, although Martin’s done his best to forget it. He spends his time in a haze of weed as he avoids his emotionally abusive mother—and the way he feels about men. Martin is already a weirdo in his isolated small town; he doesn’t need a sexuality crisis too. He’s a mess, but someone—or something—always seems to take care of him, usually a tall, sarcastic deputy by the name of Ian Forrester.
No one knows much about Ian, which is how he and his family prefer it. Ian has resigned himself to a lonely life keeping his secrets and guarding his forest. It’s safe to dream of Martin, because Martin never remembers Ian helping him. Besides, Martin barely speaks to Ian, so nothing can ever grow between them. Right?
But with the dragons—and the magic—back in Everlasting, suddenly anything seems possible, even a happily ever after for two men who never expected one....
Years ago, a very intoxicated Martin nearly died in the woods outside Everlasting, and a beautiful creature saved him, although Martin’s done his best to forget it. He spends his time in a haze of weed as he avoids his emotionally abusive mother—and the way he feels about men. Martin is already a weirdo in his isolated small town; he doesn’t need a sexuality crisis too. He’s a mess, but someone—or something—always seems to take care of him, usually a tall, sarcastic deputy by the name of Ian Forrester.
No one knows much about Ian, which is how he and his family prefer it. Ian has resigned himself to a lonely life keeping his secrets and guarding his forest. It’s safe to dream of Martin, because Martin never remembers Ian helping him. Besides, Martin barely speaks to Ian, so nothing can ever grow between them. Right?
But with the dragons—and the magic—back in Everlasting, suddenly anything seems possible, even a happily ever after for two men who never expected one....
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 11, 2017
32 people are currently reading
306 people want to read
About the author
R. Cooper
81 books996 followersI'm R. Cooper, a somewhat absentminded, often distracted, writer of queer romance. I'm probably most known for the Being(s) in Love series and The Suitable 'Verse stories. Also the occasional story about witches or firefighters in love.
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You can visit my website for updates or sign up for my newsletter . My newsletter is free! And comes out once a month or once every two months or so.
Otherwise... have some social media links if you want updates and whatever the hell else I am talking about.
Tumblr
BlueSky
**With Meta's current policies, I do not use FB or Insta or Threads for anything but the bare minimum.**
Instagram and Threads
You can also support me on Patreon if you like
If you just want book release updates, I have a BookBub profile.
Also, I now have a Storygraph where I will try to track my reading in an organized fashion.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
January 7, 2020
Another book, another bad cover. Let me start by saying that there is no green character in this book. I know the cover gives you the impression that some hot green guy with abs of steel is going to fall for one of the Weasley brothers, but that isn't the deal. Two normal guys. Well, not exactly normal considering I spent most of the book thinking that one of the guys was a tree-shifter. Like, why haven't we gotten plant-shifters going yet? It needs to be a thing. If I met a guy who told me he could shift into a rutabaga, I would be intrigued. I mean, I'm not even that sure of what a rutabaga is.
Oh snap. You know how they say never google something unless you're willing to find out what you didn't want to know? Well, apparently a rutabaga originated as a cross between a cabbage and a turnip. Fuck me! Who took two terrible vegetables and decided we needed a third one that was a combination of the them? This was like the anti-Reese's situation.
This was a real commercial, and I'm old enough to remember it. Okay, I was young. Young enough not to question why some dumbass is walking around eating an open jar of peanut butter and had no utensils of any kind.
Still - chocolate and peanut butter. Groundbreaking. Cabbage and Turnip? I'm calling the police.
Okay, I got a lot off-track there.
Anyway.
So this book is about a not-a-tree-shifter cop and a total stoner barista who fall in love. It takes quite a while because stoner barista has no idea that he's bisexual. And, he keeps getting wasted to try and not think about it. To make it all worse, he is one of those drunk-dialer kind of people. You know, the kind who say shit that should never be said. Overshare. Call their ex's. Cry. It's that secondhand cringey embarrassment stuff.
So, counting the cover, and the title because "His Mossy Boy"? Come on. You're not even trying anymore... this book has a lot of cringe. But still....
It's good. There are a lot of serious issues dealt with in all of the craziness. There is coming out, homophobia, transphobia, verbal abuse, self-medicating. Stuff like that. And, it's all done very well. The book never comes across as preachy, but navigates through all of these serious issues while also feeling like a sweet love story.
Oh snap. You know how they say never google something unless you're willing to find out what you didn't want to know? Well, apparently a rutabaga originated as a cross between a cabbage and a turnip. Fuck me! Who took two terrible vegetables and decided we needed a third one that was a combination of the them? This was like the anti-Reese's situation.
This was a real commercial, and I'm old enough to remember it. Okay, I was young. Young enough not to question why some dumbass is walking around eating an open jar of peanut butter and had no utensils of any kind.
Still - chocolate and peanut butter. Groundbreaking. Cabbage and Turnip? I'm calling the police.
Okay, I got a lot off-track there.
Anyway.
So this book is about a not-a-tree-shifter cop and a total stoner barista who fall in love. It takes quite a while because stoner barista has no idea that he's bisexual. And, he keeps getting wasted to try and not think about it. To make it all worse, he is one of those drunk-dialer kind of people. You know, the kind who say shit that should never be said. Overshare. Call their ex's. Cry. It's that secondhand cringey embarrassment stuff.
So, counting the cover, and the title because "His Mossy Boy"? Come on. You're not even trying anymore... this book has a lot of cringe. But still....
It's good. There are a lot of serious issues dealt with in all of the craziness. There is coming out, homophobia, transphobia, verbal abuse, self-medicating. Stuff like that. And, it's all done very well. The book never comes across as preachy, but navigates through all of these serious issues while also feeling like a sweet love story.
September 18, 2017
His Mossy Boy, the latest in R. Cooper’s Beings Series takes place not long after the ending of Treasure for Treasure. While Zarrin and Joe (MCs of Treasure) are finally starting to settle into their lives together, that doesn’t mean everyone else in Everlasting is doing just as well. Specifically the main characters of this story, Martin–who works at the cafe with Joe–and Ian–who is a sheriff’s deputy (and something a bit more).
Martin, plagued by an verbally abusive mother and a lifetime of self-doubt/hatred, is barely coping with life. Whenever he isn’t working, and sometimes when he is, he is high or drunk or both. Mostly just so he can forget that he will probably never be the man anyone wants him to be. But even if he doesn’t want to admit it, there are people in Everlasting who love him and want to protect him. And at the front of that line is always going to Ian Forrester.
Ian has lived his life trying to not be noticed. It was drilled into him by his father–who probably learned it from his–that to be noticed can cost him his life. Because Ian is not all that he would like others to think he is–if they must think of him at all. Beings like him–those who are not Dragons, or Weres, or Faries–tended to be overlooked by humans; but they were never spared humanities hatred in the past either. So he has lived a life of solitude and watchfulness, determined to be no more of interest than his trees. Which works right up until the day he finds a drunk, shoe-less, freezing cold Martin under his favorite tree. After that…well let’s just say Ian would break a whole world full of rules to protect Martin. Even if Martin can never do the same for him.
I don’t think I will ever get tired of the books in this series. If R. Cooper, for some reason, decided to write another hundred stories set in this world, I wouldn’t complain one bit. Except maybe that series rereads would take like a solid month of reading. Other than that…bring it on.
Because there is just something about the way Cooper is able to mix our-world issues with being-world motivations and reactions. Yet also doing it in a way that seem completely relevant to the story and the characters. Dealing with race, gender, sexuality, and other sticky topics in this alternate reality is a nice way to keep things relevant but also new and interesting.
I loved how this book took on Martin’s sexuality. And not just because it didn’t sweep the “bi” under the rug and then shove the rug into a closet. Mostly I liked how it showed Martin’s struggle. Not only with himself, but with other people. He didn’t know what he was exactly–and the label to him wasn’t the important part anyways–but attempts at trying to be anything but what his mother wanted (or, really, demanded) of him were fraught with a mountain of baggage in the way. His trek over all baggage was a bit of slow crawl, but watching it happen was just damn good reading. I tend to be in favor of slow, emotionally laden stories over the ones with high-dramatics, so this book worked for me.
However, I will admit, that unlike some of the other books in this series, you could really feel every single one of the 350 pages here. When I say it was a “slow crawl” I do mean it. Did I enjoy the story despite that? Yeah. But I wasn’t so sucked into this story, like some of the others, that I couldn’t feel it either. If these kinds of slow-build stories are not usually for you, I can easily see this book being a bit of a hard time.
If you can push through that though, I really think it has some great characters worth reading about. Not to mention you get more of Zarrin and Joe (and a kind of wrap up of their whole situation) in this story as well.
This isn’t my favorite of the series, but it was good solid 4-star, would absolutely recommend, book. The slow pace can be a bit daunting, but sweet emotional heart-fuck that comes with it makes it more than worth it.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
Martin, plagued by an verbally abusive mother and a lifetime of self-doubt/hatred, is barely coping with life. Whenever he isn’t working, and sometimes when he is, he is high or drunk or both. Mostly just so he can forget that he will probably never be the man anyone wants him to be. But even if he doesn’t want to admit it, there are people in Everlasting who love him and want to protect him. And at the front of that line is always going to Ian Forrester.
Ian has lived his life trying to not be noticed. It was drilled into him by his father–who probably learned it from his–that to be noticed can cost him his life. Because Ian is not all that he would like others to think he is–if they must think of him at all. Beings like him–those who are not Dragons, or Weres, or Faries–tended to be overlooked by humans; but they were never spared humanities hatred in the past either. So he has lived a life of solitude and watchfulness, determined to be no more of interest than his trees. Which works right up until the day he finds a drunk, shoe-less, freezing cold Martin under his favorite tree. After that…well let’s just say Ian would break a whole world full of rules to protect Martin. Even if Martin can never do the same for him.
I don’t think I will ever get tired of the books in this series. If R. Cooper, for some reason, decided to write another hundred stories set in this world, I wouldn’t complain one bit. Except maybe that series rereads would take like a solid month of reading. Other than that…bring it on.
Because there is just something about the way Cooper is able to mix our-world issues with being-world motivations and reactions. Yet also doing it in a way that seem completely relevant to the story and the characters. Dealing with race, gender, sexuality, and other sticky topics in this alternate reality is a nice way to keep things relevant but also new and interesting.
I loved how this book took on Martin’s sexuality. And not just because it didn’t sweep the “bi” under the rug and then shove the rug into a closet. Mostly I liked how it showed Martin’s struggle. Not only with himself, but with other people. He didn’t know what he was exactly–and the label to him wasn’t the important part anyways–but attempts at trying to be anything but what his mother wanted (or, really, demanded) of him were fraught with a mountain of baggage in the way. His trek over all baggage was a bit of slow crawl, but watching it happen was just damn good reading. I tend to be in favor of slow, emotionally laden stories over the ones with high-dramatics, so this book worked for me.
However, I will admit, that unlike some of the other books in this series, you could really feel every single one of the 350 pages here. When I say it was a “slow crawl” I do mean it. Did I enjoy the story despite that? Yeah. But I wasn’t so sucked into this story, like some of the others, that I couldn’t feel it either. If these kinds of slow-build stories are not usually for you, I can easily see this book being a bit of a hard time.
If you can push through that though, I really think it has some great characters worth reading about. Not to mention you get more of Zarrin and Joe (and a kind of wrap up of their whole situation) in this story as well.
This isn’t my favorite of the series, but it was good solid 4-star, would absolutely recommend, book. The slow pace can be a bit daunting, but sweet emotional heart-fuck that comes with it makes it more than worth it.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
October 6, 2017
Fits slots 21. A book from a nonhuman perspective of my book challenge
November 28, 2017
3.75
I do love R. Cooper's books. They are my comfort reads. The writing is effortless and imaginative. I like the characters and the dialogue.
I did enjoy this one as well, even though I thought it could do with a bit of tightening. In parts, it felt slightly repetitive, but overall it was a great read.
The first book in the series remains my favourite. #fairy #RayRay
I do love R. Cooper's books. They are my comfort reads. The writing is effortless and imaginative. I like the characters and the dialogue.
I did enjoy this one as well, even though I thought it could do with a bit of tightening. In parts, it felt slightly repetitive, but overall it was a great read.
The first book in the series remains my favourite. #fairy #RayRay
September 11, 2021
Found this a struggle, I liked the later half more but a good editor would have cut it by half.
For a start it's not really a standalone, while I picked up the idea it clearly continues on from the previous Beings book which I've not read. The previous couple took over to the point the plot was all about them and the actual main characters were often secondary. In fact I was surprised after the plot showdown that there was yet more book to read, the main couple's conclusion just didn't seem important.
Ian as a Being is indistinct, not important enough for us to really get to know him or of him. He's one of the main characters! Martin has issues, self esteem, drink/drugs he reads a lot younger than his given age due to his dependency. He has friends yet noone really supports him it's 'due what you're like if you're happy' from his supposed best friend when he very clearly isn't happy and needs help. Therapy kinda help.
There's a good bit of attention to Martin deciding he's gay or demi or pan or... with references to 'being a fairy' this is a magical Being verse with Fairies - the magical winged types, it got confusing. The attitudes in a world were Beings are known of but being gay is a huge issue isn't explained, I'm assuming the previous book explains the time-warp? I really didn't get it and it didn't seem to fit the book, in fact reading this directly after the the second Scotty/firefighter book made me wonder if the author was working through their own identity. Personally while I think it's important to have this content in books I do feel it needs to fit the characters/book. Here it seemed the least of Martin's issues with larger concerns ignored.
Martin creates, upcycles - why couldn't we see that? It's a passing fact. Martin is presented as a cute bundle of issues that needs a protector, when it would have been nice to him as someone capable, creative, cute and clever - more rounded.
It's disappointing. I LOVE the Woods, I live by one and it's my happy re-boot life place to visit. Ian is a tree spirit/guardian/caretaker, I got zero feel from it - this should have, could have been more.
For a start it's not really a standalone, while I picked up the idea it clearly continues on from the previous Beings book which I've not read. The previous couple took over to the point the plot was all about them and the actual main characters were often secondary. In fact I was surprised after the plot showdown that there was yet more book to read, the main couple's conclusion just didn't seem important.
Ian as a Being is indistinct, not important enough for us to really get to know him or of him. He's one of the main characters! Martin has issues, self esteem, drink/drugs he reads a lot younger than his given age due to his dependency. He has friends yet noone really supports him it's 'due what you're like if you're happy' from his supposed best friend when he very clearly isn't happy and needs help. Therapy kinda help.
There's a good bit of attention to Martin deciding he's gay or demi or pan or... with references to 'being a fairy' this is a magical Being verse with Fairies - the magical winged types, it got confusing. The attitudes in a world were Beings are known of but being gay is a huge issue isn't explained, I'm assuming the previous book explains the time-warp? I really didn't get it and it didn't seem to fit the book, in fact reading this directly after the the second Scotty/firefighter book made me wonder if the author was working through their own identity. Personally while I think it's important to have this content in books I do feel it needs to fit the characters/book. Here it seemed the least of Martin's issues with larger concerns ignored.
Martin creates, upcycles - why couldn't we see that? It's a passing fact. Martin is presented as a cute bundle of issues that needs a protector, when it would have been nice to him as someone capable, creative, cute and clever - more rounded.
It's disappointing. I LOVE the Woods, I live by one and it's my happy re-boot life place to visit. Ian is a tree spirit/guardian/caretaker, I got zero feel from it - this should have, could have been more.
May 14, 2020
None of the couples in the magical, supernatural world of R. Cooper’s ‘Being(s) In Love’ series have had an easy time of it, and none of them were of the insta-love type – at least in terms of any of the prospective partners doing something about their feelings. However, ‘His Mossy Boy’ is the slowest of the slow-burn romances I have encountered so far. The angst, doubts, special considerations, and hang-ups of both men truly reach epic proportions in this book. For me, at times this made it almost painful to read its over three hundred pages of anguish and doubting. And more than once, the only thing that kept me going was the pretty unshakable faith that the author was going to stick with the series tradition and make the characters’ (and my) suffering all worthwhile in the end. A promise R. Cooper kept in spades!
Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
September 21, 2017
4.5 stars rounded up
A warm and fuzzy, emotional "Yes!" from this happy reader.
I loved it for being long and unhurried and immersive in the way that reminded me of some of the best fics I've read.
I loved seeing Ren and Joe again - seriously, R. Cooper characters are my crack!
A warm and fuzzy, emotional "Yes!" from this happy reader.
I loved it for being long and unhurried and immersive in the way that reminded me of some of the best fics I've read.
I loved seeing Ren and Joe again - seriously, R. Cooper characters are my crack!
June 5, 2020
*Obligatory R. Cooper disclaimer about how you should ignore the terrible cover and title*
This is one of the most downer of Cooper's books that I've read. You have one MC who is extremely depressed, has an emotionally abusive parents, internalized homophobia, and is self-medicating with booze and drugs to prevent anxiety attacks. You have another MC who is stoically lonely and has been for his entire life. You have a small town full of opinionated busybodies making them both feel worse, whether intentionally or not.
Oh, and there are dragons. Dragons are mostly jerks.
Not because of burning things and eating people, though; they're mostly jerks in the same way people are jerks. They're selfish and petty and make their kids feel inadequate. Even Zarrin, who is supposed to be likable, was often pretty annoying with his tactlessness and nosiness and bossiness and putting people on the spot with questions or disclosures about their personal affairs that they didn't want brought up in public. (In case you can't tell, this is a personality type that really grates on me. Mind your own business!)
Depression and small towns are both things I try to avoid, so it's kind of remarkable that I quite liked this book. Cooper is great at personality studies, especially how people fail to understand one another even when they try to communicate. I thought she did an excellent job here in her depiction of mental health issues. It's especially interesting if you've read the previous book (it's not necessary to read the Beings books in order) where Martin is a secondary character, because you can look back and see both that in hindsight he clearly was having problems and how his friends missed them (nobody in this town is great at being a friend, except ironically maybe Ian).
This is one of the most downer of Cooper's books that I've read. You have one MC who is extremely depressed, has an emotionally abusive parents, internalized homophobia, and is self-medicating with booze and drugs to prevent anxiety attacks. You have another MC who is stoically lonely and has been for his entire life. You have a small town full of opinionated busybodies making them both feel worse, whether intentionally or not.
Oh, and there are dragons. Dragons are mostly jerks.
Not because of burning things and eating people, though; they're mostly jerks in the same way people are jerks. They're selfish and petty and make their kids feel inadequate. Even Zarrin, who is supposed to be likable, was often pretty annoying with his tactlessness and nosiness and bossiness and putting people on the spot with questions or disclosures about their personal affairs that they didn't want brought up in public. (In case you can't tell, this is a personality type that really grates on me. Mind your own business!)
Depression and small towns are both things I try to avoid, so it's kind of remarkable that I quite liked this book. Cooper is great at personality studies, especially how people fail to understand one another even when they try to communicate. I thought she did an excellent job here in her depiction of mental health issues. It's especially interesting if you've read the previous book (it's not necessary to read the Beings books in order) where Martin is a secondary character, because you can look back and see both that in hindsight he clearly was having problems and how his friends missed them (nobody in this town is great at being a friend, except ironically maybe Ian).
November 11, 2018
Ahhhhhh, mushy feels all over the place~~
Trigger warnings for a lot of verbal and emotional abuse perpetrated by one of the the main character’s mother.
These two~~!!! I have so many feelings for this pairing. My hurt so many times reading this story because Martin and Ian are flawed and imperfect and /beautiful/. I love the development of their relationship and the bravery, different types of bravery, that they both show and develop.
I also absolutely /adore/ they mythology and world development of this universe. The Beings world is stunning and so well developed, bringing a lot of familiar issues to light while still allowing the reader to immerse themselves in a fantastic world. I love how imperfect everyone and everything is. I think it’s so important how Cooper points out how much history has been lost for so many beings, how some have even lost their “names,” how elf is really just a catch-all term. It’s, the world is so well developed and beautifully articulated and so /wonderful/.
I also loved seeing Albert again! Ugh, but what is he doing in Everlasting instead of Wolf’s Paw?? Hoping he’ll get his own story in the near future. And what’s happening with Graham??? *grabby hands* I want all the stories and happy endings!! I’m still anxiously awaiting the day Clematis gets his story~
11/10/18 reread: Ugh, I adore Martin; he’s such a freakin’ disaster! I just wanna hug him~ so excited for more~~~~ 😝😝 Can’t wait for Albert’s story to exist!!!
Trigger warnings for a lot of verbal and emotional abuse perpetrated by one of the the main character’s mother.
These two~~!!! I have so many feelings for this pairing. My hurt so many times reading this story because Martin and Ian are flawed and imperfect and /beautiful/. I love the development of their relationship and the bravery, different types of bravery, that they both show and develop.
I also absolutely /adore/ they mythology and world development of this universe. The Beings world is stunning and so well developed, bringing a lot of familiar issues to light while still allowing the reader to immerse themselves in a fantastic world. I love how imperfect everyone and everything is. I think it’s so important how Cooper points out how much history has been lost for so many beings, how some have even lost their “names,” how elf is really just a catch-all term. It’s, the world is so well developed and beautifully articulated and so /wonderful/.
I also loved seeing Albert again! Ugh, but what is he doing in Everlasting instead of Wolf’s Paw?? Hoping he’ll get his own story in the near future. And what’s happening with Graham??? *grabby hands* I want all the stories and happy endings!! I’m still anxiously awaiting the day Clematis gets his story~
11/10/18 reread: Ugh, I adore Martin; he’s such a freakin’ disaster! I just wanna hug him~ so excited for more~~~~ 😝😝 Can’t wait for Albert’s story to exist!!!
September 17, 2017
The MC said it himself:
“Useless and afraid,” Martin filled in. “High all the time. Working a dead-end job in which I wear an apron.” He lowered his voice. “Scared to call my mother back, to let her find out I did something as innocent as letting Ian take me home..."
And I had to read about this guy, who, IMO, was in dire need of therapy, in like 150K words!!! Many times I really really wanted to bitch slap him. All his friends were useless, they coddled him instead of getting him some professional help, because apparently him getting high and drunk all the time was fine with them. It's also no problem with the friends if he broke Ian's heart, because Ian wasn't their friend, right? Who cared about him? The most precious thing was their special snowflake friend, Martin, who could do no wrong.
Btw, Martin was useless and afraid, but he's not when it's time for sexy time. He sexted, he sent nude pics, he jerked off in the cafe's bathroom, recorded it, and sent it to Ian, and he also fucked and run.
The final 29K words (yes, the book is 179K long!) dealt with the dragons and the couple getting back together.
“Useless and afraid,” Martin filled in. “High all the time. Working a dead-end job in which I wear an apron.” He lowered his voice. “Scared to call my mother back, to let her find out I did something as innocent as letting Ian take me home..."
And I had to read about this guy, who, IMO, was in dire need of therapy, in like 150K words!!! Many times I really really wanted to bitch slap him. All his friends were useless, they coddled him instead of getting him some professional help, because apparently him getting high and drunk all the time was fine with them. It's also no problem with the friends if he broke Ian's heart, because Ian wasn't their friend, right? Who cared about him? The most precious thing was their special snowflake friend, Martin, who could do no wrong.
Btw, Martin was useless and afraid, but he's not when it's time for sexy time. He sexted, he sent nude pics, he jerked off in the cafe's bathroom, recorded it, and sent it to Ian, and he also fucked and run.
The final 29K words (yes, the book is 179K long!) dealt with the dragons and the couple getting back together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2017
R. Cooper does it again. his Mossy boy is officially my new favorite by her! Martin is so precious and confused and wanting to be brave while terrified to take chances. As always, Cooper know how to pack the feelings in and this book does not disappoint. Add in a character I'm dying to know about from Book 4 in the series and I just SQUEED all the way through this read.
If you're looking for a sweet, somewhat sad book full of mutual pining, love, and eventual happiness (with a touch of the paranormal, too), then this book is not to be missed.
If you're looking for a sweet, somewhat sad book full of mutual pining, love, and eventual happiness (with a touch of the paranormal, too), then this book is not to be missed.
October 1, 2017
01/10:
While adorably cute also angsty to the max. As in Amy Lane can learn something from this angsty.
___
13/09
HOW WAS I NOT AWARE THIS HAPPENED?! Obviously I need to read this immediately.
While adorably cute also angsty to the max. As in Amy Lane can learn something from this angsty.
___
13/09
HOW WAS I NOT AWARE THIS HAPPENED?! Obviously I need to read this immediately.
January 28, 2019
His Mossy Boy (Beings in Love series)
By R. Cooper
Dreamspinner Press, 2017
Four stars
Even more than in the preceding book in this series, Treasure for Treasure, there is angst fairly dripping off the page. Martin Ryder is possibly the most pitifully self-loathing character ever to flow from Ms. Cooper’s pen, and while I came to adore him, I often wanted to just smack him.
As with all of Cooper’s books, a little patience for her particularly intense style of emotional romanticism. This is a world where humans and beings (non-human, often magical) fall in love, and that is one road to romance that is not paved smoothly.
Now that the Xu family dragons have apparently returned to their mansion in the wood in Everlasting (which is clearly Oregon or Washington state), the story of the denizens of Everlasting Cuppa moves forward. Change is in the air, and nobody is quite sure what that change will mean. Particularly, Officer Ian Forrester finds himself caught up in the potential change, and it terrifies him. Having watched Zarrin Xu claim the beautiful mixed-race Joseph Andres for his treasure, Ian now has to confront his lifelong connection to Everlasting, and his family’s discreet but essential role in its protection. Indoctrinated into a pattern of “don’t do this” and the ancient power of rules laid down by his parents, Ian is scared to do anything but observe.
Martin Ryder, however, made Ian break one of the rules long ago, when his own self-destructive loneliness put him in such danger that Ian had to step in and save him. Ever since then, he has watched Martin grapple unsuccessfully with his own sexuality, his neuroses rooted in his hateful mother’s passive-aggressive emotional abuse.
So that’s what this book really is: a young dragon, a mysterious policeman, and a bisexual boy all have to come to grips with their parents, and the inhibiting damage they have caused. Stay hidden, stay weak, deny your true self – these are the messages our three romantic heroes have received all their lives. Ian’s parents did not mean to be hurtful, but caution has isolated him and made him sad. Ultimately, it is Zarrin’s newfound strength in his treasure Joe that inspires both Martin and Ian to confront their truth. All together, they will face the new future of Everlasting.
Ach, I so enjoyed this, as frustrating as Cooper’s modus operandi can be. Martin is the most broken of them all, but Zarrin sees him for what he is, just as he sees that Ian is something more than what he pretends to be. Self-acceptance breeds strength, and strength makes love possible. Love and forgiveness – even self-forgiveness – leads to redemption.
I think I’d move to Everlasting if it really existed. The weather might suck, but boy it would be fun to get coffee every day.
By R. Cooper
Dreamspinner Press, 2017
Four stars
Even more than in the preceding book in this series, Treasure for Treasure, there is angst fairly dripping off the page. Martin Ryder is possibly the most pitifully self-loathing character ever to flow from Ms. Cooper’s pen, and while I came to adore him, I often wanted to just smack him.
As with all of Cooper’s books, a little patience for her particularly intense style of emotional romanticism. This is a world where humans and beings (non-human, often magical) fall in love, and that is one road to romance that is not paved smoothly.
Now that the Xu family dragons have apparently returned to their mansion in the wood in Everlasting (which is clearly Oregon or Washington state), the story of the denizens of Everlasting Cuppa moves forward. Change is in the air, and nobody is quite sure what that change will mean. Particularly, Officer Ian Forrester finds himself caught up in the potential change, and it terrifies him. Having watched Zarrin Xu claim the beautiful mixed-race Joseph Andres for his treasure, Ian now has to confront his lifelong connection to Everlasting, and his family’s discreet but essential role in its protection. Indoctrinated into a pattern of “don’t do this” and the ancient power of rules laid down by his parents, Ian is scared to do anything but observe.
Martin Ryder, however, made Ian break one of the rules long ago, when his own self-destructive loneliness put him in such danger that Ian had to step in and save him. Ever since then, he has watched Martin grapple unsuccessfully with his own sexuality, his neuroses rooted in his hateful mother’s passive-aggressive emotional abuse.
So that’s what this book really is: a young dragon, a mysterious policeman, and a bisexual boy all have to come to grips with their parents, and the inhibiting damage they have caused. Stay hidden, stay weak, deny your true self – these are the messages our three romantic heroes have received all their lives. Ian’s parents did not mean to be hurtful, but caution has isolated him and made him sad. Ultimately, it is Zarrin’s newfound strength in his treasure Joe that inspires both Martin and Ian to confront their truth. All together, they will face the new future of Everlasting.
Ach, I so enjoyed this, as frustrating as Cooper’s modus operandi can be. Martin is the most broken of them all, but Zarrin sees him for what he is, just as he sees that Ian is something more than what he pretends to be. Self-acceptance breeds strength, and strength makes love possible. Love and forgiveness – even self-forgiveness – leads to redemption.
I think I’d move to Everlasting if it really existed. The weather might suck, but boy it would be fun to get coffee every day.
December 7, 2018
4.5 Stars
So while this series jumps around into different areas and has a whole bunch of relatively unrelated stories (other than they exist in the same world) this one is a direct sequel to the last one which I just finished. Albeit with a different duo of main characters. Thus why I couldn't put off reading it and had to jump in right away.
I really love this little town and the cast of characters we are getting to know. I kinda hope we stay here for awhile and get more beings coming into town so we can hear more about how Zarrin and Joe and Ian & Martin are getting on. The premise is wonderful and the town is changing as Zarrin and Ian are really coming into their own.
I didn't love this book quite as much as the last one, really only because I wanted a bit more growth in the characters of Ian and Martin. While they are wonderful together and Martin's bumbles are just so cute, I wanted to see them start to be more and more comfortable with each other and it really only happened right at the end. I wanted Martin to really start to own who he was. It's part of why I really hope we come back to this town. I want to see more of his character. I wouldn't hate a direct sequel with these two at all. :)
So while this series jumps around into different areas and has a whole bunch of relatively unrelated stories (other than they exist in the same world) this one is a direct sequel to the last one which I just finished. Albeit with a different duo of main characters. Thus why I couldn't put off reading it and had to jump in right away.
I really love this little town and the cast of characters we are getting to know. I kinda hope we stay here for awhile and get more beings coming into town so we can hear more about how Zarrin and Joe and Ian & Martin are getting on. The premise is wonderful and the town is changing as Zarrin and Ian are really coming into their own.
I didn't love this book quite as much as the last one, really only because I wanted a bit more growth in the characters of Ian and Martin. While they are wonderful together and Martin's bumbles are just so cute, I wanted to see them start to be more and more comfortable with each other and it really only happened right at the end. I wanted Martin to really start to own who he was. It's part of why I really hope we come back to this town. I want to see more of his character. I wouldn't hate a direct sequel with these two at all. :)
September 29, 2017
Good addition
3.75 stars
I liked this one, it was a very long book and occasionally was a little bit of a hard slog, but Martin and Ian worked their magic and I enjoyed their story. I felt for Martin trying to work out who he was and liked the way Ian dealt with him, I also liked watching Ian open up the idea that he wasn't as alone as he thought he was.
Good addition to the series
Looking forward to seeing more from this town, especially Albert
3.75 stars
I liked this one, it was a very long book and occasionally was a little bit of a hard slog, but Martin and Ian worked their magic and I enjoyed their story. I felt for Martin trying to work out who he was and liked the way Ian dealt with him, I also liked watching Ian open up the idea that he wasn't as alone as he thought he was.
Good addition to the series
Looking forward to seeing more from this town, especially Albert
October 1, 2017
I loved this book. It was sweet in places and oh so frustrating in others. Sometimes they needed to communicate better. Loved that it happen right after Treasure for Treasure.
March 2, 2018
The narration here was soooo good! Christopher Patton was awesome. His voice performance for Martin especially was so relatable and exactly what I thought should be! I think he pushed this book to a 5-star status for me.
However, this rating does not depend solely on the voice performance , the story rocked my world. I loved everything about this book.
Martin was a bumbling, awkward, clumsy, anxiety-ridden mess prone to perpetual low self-esteem and bouts of self-loathing. However, he was such a funny, endearing sweetheart with equally ridiculous inner monologues. He had very valid reasons for his anxiety(years of verbal abuse from his evil witch of a mother who needs to be ended) and as such he was my favourite character.
Ian was more reserved(sarcastic as hell too🤣) but I still loved him nonetheless. He had rules he had to live by which shaped his every waking moment but he still managed to take care of, and be there for Martin whenever needed. That, and his total unconditional acceptance of Martin and his eccentricities made me love him more.
Although I wished things moved a bit quicker for Martin and Ian, overall, I thought the pacing for them was great especially given the type of individuals they were.
They had fantastic chemistry. It was slow burn for about 69% of the book and then BAM! The dirty talk these two got up to in their initial sexting and then phone calls was HOT. And when they finally got physical (as Martin would say eloquently say)..."Ugh". Lol! I absolutely gobbled those scenes up. You can bet your ass I rewinded them again and again(audiobook here).
This was my first book by R.Cooper and if you can believe it, it's the 8th book in the series! I didn't get too lost and was able to follow the world fairly easily. I must note that the book was a bit on the lengthy side but it read very smoothly without any boring spots. It also evoked a lot of emotional responses from me (I think at a point I even teared up) which is always a plus for me. If a book gets a reaction from me, it gets a plus.Simple.
With how great this book went, I will definitely be picking up other books in the series in the near future. If nothing at all, I WILL be getting Joe and Zarrin's book. Those two were just "treasure' together and I can't wait to read all about them! :D
***Free Copy Provided By Publisher In Exchange For An Honest, Unbiased Review***
However, this rating does not depend solely on the voice performance , the story rocked my world. I loved everything about this book.
Martin was a bumbling, awkward, clumsy, anxiety-ridden mess prone to perpetual low self-esteem and bouts of self-loathing. However, he was such a funny, endearing sweetheart with equally ridiculous inner monologues. He had very valid reasons for his anxiety(years of verbal abuse from his evil witch of a mother who needs to be ended) and as such he was my favourite character.
Ian was more reserved(sarcastic as hell too🤣) but I still loved him nonetheless. He had rules he had to live by which shaped his every waking moment but he still managed to take care of, and be there for Martin whenever needed. That, and his total unconditional acceptance of Martin and his eccentricities made me love him more.
Although I wished things moved a bit quicker for Martin and Ian, overall, I thought the pacing for them was great especially given the type of individuals they were.
They had fantastic chemistry. It was slow burn for about 69% of the book and then BAM! The dirty talk these two got up to in their initial sexting and then phone calls was HOT. And when they finally got physical (as Martin would say eloquently say)..."Ugh". Lol! I absolutely gobbled those scenes up. You can bet your ass I rewinded them again and again(audiobook here).
This was my first book by R.Cooper and if you can believe it, it's the 8th book in the series! I didn't get too lost and was able to follow the world fairly easily. I must note that the book was a bit on the lengthy side but it read very smoothly without any boring spots. It also evoked a lot of emotional responses from me (I think at a point I even teared up) which is always a plus for me. If a book gets a reaction from me, it gets a plus.Simple.
With how great this book went, I will definitely be picking up other books in the series in the near future. If nothing at all, I WILL be getting Joe and Zarrin's book. Those two were just "treasure' together and I can't wait to read all about them! :D
***Free Copy Provided By Publisher In Exchange For An Honest, Unbiased Review***
May 31, 2020
I can understand how some people may not be able to deal with the length of this book. It had a tendency to be repetitive, but after reading it for a while I really understood the sort of melancholy that persisted throughout this book.
Martin had a beautiful, loving soul that was seemingly irreparably damaged by his horrible and mentally abusive mother. She completely emasculated him and then mocked him for not being a man among other things.
His friends wanted to help him and cherish him but he didn't feel deserving, so he remained aloof but still felt protective of them.
Then came along Ian Forrester who was was sarcastic and tried to blend in order for his secrets not get out. He wanted friends but also knew that he couldn't get too close to them yet he was also protective of those he cared about and he felt were worthy of protecting.
Martin and Ian had history were Ian would always be helping Martin when Martin was too high or drunk to get home safely. Martin was so lonely and used alcohol or weed to escape.
It took those two forever to get together and some point I was surprised they could even though I knew there would be an HEA. With the issues that both had it seemed at odds to how they felt about each other. Ian couldn't be with someone and Martin was battling with his sexuality for most of the book because of his mother.
They were both so timid with each other and that was the theme for most of the book as well.
There was other stuff going on with Zarrin and Joe trying to figure out how to get the land and the town to mesh with Zarrin so he could be it's caretaker. Ian is intrinsic in this but no one knows.
For me it was well done and I felt like understood the flow although it felt like it was dragging at points but it tended to showcase the whole feel of the book.
The ending was sweet but I would really love to revisit Azar and Bernard to see if they work themselves out at some point.
Martin had a beautiful, loving soul that was seemingly irreparably damaged by his horrible and mentally abusive mother. She completely emasculated him and then mocked him for not being a man among other things.
His friends wanted to help him and cherish him but he didn't feel deserving, so he remained aloof but still felt protective of them.
Then came along Ian Forrester who was was sarcastic and tried to blend in order for his secrets not get out. He wanted friends but also knew that he couldn't get too close to them yet he was also protective of those he cared about and he felt were worthy of protecting.
Martin and Ian had history were Ian would always be helping Martin when Martin was too high or drunk to get home safely. Martin was so lonely and used alcohol or weed to escape.
It took those two forever to get together and some point I was surprised they could even though I knew there would be an HEA. With the issues that both had it seemed at odds to how they felt about each other. Ian couldn't be with someone and Martin was battling with his sexuality for most of the book because of his mother.
They were both so timid with each other and that was the theme for most of the book as well.
There was other stuff going on with Zarrin and Joe trying to figure out how to get the land and the town to mesh with Zarrin so he could be it's caretaker. Ian is intrinsic in this but no one knows.
For me it was well done and I felt like understood the flow although it felt like it was dragging at points but it tended to showcase the whole feel of the book.
The ending was sweet but I would really love to revisit Azar and Bernard to see if they work themselves out at some point.
March 9, 2022
Personally, I think this is the weakest book in the series.
For starters, while all other books up to this point could easily be read as a standalone, I think if I hadn’t read Treasure for Treasure beforehand, I’d be clueless about half of the things in this one. There is such a large focus on Zarrin, Joe, the history of Everlastinf and Zarrin’s conflict with his family in this book that there is no way I can see it making sense as a standalone.
In fact Joe and Zarrin take up a pretty sizeable amount of page time. The largest conflict in this book doesn’t seem to be Martin and Ian’s relationship, or Martin’s hateful mother, or Ian’s conflict with the sheriff and co-workers…. It’s Ian coming out as a being to Zarrin and Zarrin having a face off with his parents.
I haven’t enjoyed the dual POV in the past two books, but particularly in this one.
The big reveal of Ian being whatever kind of being he is seemed like the biggest cop out of the series. Even he isn’t sure what he is, so I don’t know how the readers are supposed to grasp what he is.
I honestly considered DNFing this at about the 60% mark. It was so unbelievably dragged out. There was so much focus on side characters… Joe, Zarrin, Helene, Holly, Alice, Addison, Schmidt, Jessie, Albert, Azar… and when it did focus back on the main pairing, so much of it was just meh. They hardly talk for half of the book, another good chunk is through text and sext (and I hate reading extensive texting convos in books).
I’m glad the next book doesn’t focus on Everlasting, but I think I need a break from this series regardless. I don’t know if I’d be willing to revisit Everlasting, should it be featured later on in the series.
For starters, while all other books up to this point could easily be read as a standalone, I think if I hadn’t read Treasure for Treasure beforehand, I’d be clueless about half of the things in this one. There is such a large focus on Zarrin, Joe, the history of Everlastinf and Zarrin’s conflict with his family in this book that there is no way I can see it making sense as a standalone.
In fact Joe and Zarrin take up a pretty sizeable amount of page time. The largest conflict in this book doesn’t seem to be Martin and Ian’s relationship, or Martin’s hateful mother, or Ian’s conflict with the sheriff and co-workers…. It’s Ian coming out as a being to Zarrin and Zarrin having a face off with his parents.
I haven’t enjoyed the dual POV in the past two books, but particularly in this one.
The big reveal of Ian being whatever kind of being he is seemed like the biggest cop out of the series. Even he isn’t sure what he is, so I don’t know how the readers are supposed to grasp what he is.
I honestly considered DNFing this at about the 60% mark. It was so unbelievably dragged out. There was so much focus on side characters… Joe, Zarrin, Helene, Holly, Alice, Addison, Schmidt, Jessie, Albert, Azar… and when it did focus back on the main pairing, so much of it was just meh. They hardly talk for half of the book, another good chunk is through text and sext (and I hate reading extensive texting convos in books).
I’m glad the next book doesn’t focus on Everlasting, but I think I need a break from this series regardless. I don’t know if I’d be willing to revisit Everlasting, should it be featured later on in the series.
November 10, 2024
4-⭐
Even though the book is too long once again, and this one doesn't even work as a standalone being a direct continuation to Treasure for Treasure, I still ended up enjoying most of it. Both of these MCs have strong reasons to believe themselves unwanted, so I don't really mind the slow progress in the start. But like the predecessor, this one should be resolved faster towards the end.
Martin definitely is a mess, with a father who abandoned him and an insufferable mother always ready to extinguish every scrap of joy he might find in life. He's medicating his anxiety with weed and alcohol, and being self-destructive through recklessness. He really should have more support from others, but most of these characters are very young, so I can sort of understand them being a bit crappy at interfering.
Ian obviously tries to take care of him. And I like this pair of lonely and hurt men. Their relationship happens surprisingly mostly online, so be ready for some sexting.
Even though the book is too long once again, and this one doesn't even work as a standalone being a direct continuation to Treasure for Treasure, I still ended up enjoying most of it. Both of these MCs have strong reasons to believe themselves unwanted, so I don't really mind the slow progress in the start. But like the predecessor, this one should be resolved faster towards the end.
Martin definitely is a mess, with a father who abandoned him and an insufferable mother always ready to extinguish every scrap of joy he might find in life. He's medicating his anxiety with weed and alcohol, and being self-destructive through recklessness. He really should have more support from others, but most of these characters are very young, so I can sort of understand them being a bit crappy at interfering.
Ian obviously tries to take care of him. And I like this pair of lonely and hurt men. Their relationship happens surprisingly mostly online, so be ready for some sexting.
August 7, 2019
So I'm gonna be honest: I bought this book 1000% because Amazon kept recommending it to me and the title made me hyena-laugh every time I saw it. The McElroy brothers' verbal tics have infested my household, so we call everything 'boys,' and "His Mossy Boy" took on mythic status in our house. I had to read it.
My biggest issue with the book, by far, was that I didn't feel that Martin's substance abuse was treated appropriately. He's clearly an alcoholic and is very reliant on weed, and it felt like his addiction came and went as it was convenient for story/angst purposes and wasn't fully dealt with. He kind of just ... stops drinking toward the end of the book, with no fanfare, and that's that. It felt glossed over.
In general, the book felt very slow, especially at the start. It often took a long time for it to get from Point A to Point B, and sometimes I started to lose patience with it. I found Martin's arc particularly slow and frustrating at times. I felt for him and appreciated seeing him wrestle with his anxiety and the trauma of his relationship with his mother, but there was also a certain point where I eventually lost patience with all the back-and-forthing on his feelings for Ian.
My last major problem was that I started with the eighth book in a series with absolutely no idea of what happened previously, which is on me. Cooper doesn't ease you in, presumably assuming that you've read previous books (which is 1000% fair), so I didn't have a great sense of what the town was like or what the other characters looked like, and I was particularly bewildered by Plot and by the dragons. And speaking of the plot,
But I rated this book at three stars, and it's because I really loved the characters and the character work that was done. For a book set in a world with dragons, forest spirits, elves, fairies, and magic, a lot of the dialogue ("my Mossy Boy" aside; certainly memorable but possibly one of my least favorite romance-novel epithets) felt natural and true to life in a way that I love and that isn't always characteristic of random romance novels that I find on Amazon. Shit can be clunky and fake. This wasn't.
Forrester and Martin were really interesting too -- especially Forrester. I loved Forrester. I felt like I hadn't seen a character like him in romance before, and that's setting aside the caretaker/forest spirit part. He's sarcastic and rude to people, but with a dry sense of humor that had me in stitches; he's reliable and good-hearted and mushy on the inside but also kind of a dick, but not in the alpha-male, dick-measuring awful way that I've become resigned to in romance novels.
Forrester's also such an incredible softy for Martin, and I loved that he doesn't try to hide that and loved their dynamic in moments when Martin was beginning to pull his shit together. They were very funny, and I loved them ribbing each other. I also appreciated how thoughtful and careful the romance was. As someone who usually rolls their eyes and skips sex scenes, I read them all in this book, because they were lovely and organic, and I felt like they were actually furthering the relationship. They didn't feel rote or forced or formulaic. And the consent!!! There's a moment where Martin starts to say "Stop saving me" but Forrester hears "Stop" and immediately comes to a screeching halt, which is always, like, the sexiest thing to me. "Ian wanted, but he could wait" was a narrative line during one scene, and it just sums up a lot of the book so well.
As for Martin, I loved that his talent was homemaking and making people comfortable. I honestly wanted even more of it -- I felt a little cheated that we didn't get to see him making over Ian's cabin. I wanted more macrame and knitting and cooking! I also really appreciated that the book remembered that he's bi and didn't take the opportunity to dump on women now that Martin's with a man; that he still thought about the way that a woman's hipbones curved.
I really enjoyed the whole supporting cast. I hate reading romance novels where the only significant person in each character's life is the love interest, and that's so not the case here! Joe, Jessie, and Schmitty were especially lovely friends, and I appreciated everything the whole supporting cast brought to the table. It really felt like there was a whole community in the background. I love stories where two lonely people come together and then realize that maybe they weren't so alone all along, or that they don't have to be going forward; sure, Forrester and Martin found each other, but they also ended the book with a bunch of really meaningful friendships, and that made me super happy.
Also, in general, the book made me laugh a lot, which I wasn't expecting at all. Forrester's dry, bland comments and faces cracked me up, and Martin was hilarious when he wasn't spiraling, and I found Zarrin wildly confusing for a long time, as someone who hadn't read earlier books, but he was making me laugh by the end; there's a moment where he does finger guns at Forrester, but clearly doesn't understand the context of when to actually use them, that had me howling.
It was a long read, and though it started off very slow and I didn't feel fully satisfied by the ending or the treatment of Martin's addiction, by the end, I have to admit I was a little sad to finish it.
My biggest issue with the book, by far, was that I didn't feel that Martin's substance abuse was treated appropriately. He's clearly an alcoholic and is very reliant on weed, and it felt like his addiction came and went as it was convenient for story/angst purposes and wasn't fully dealt with. He kind of just ... stops drinking toward the end of the book, with no fanfare, and that's that. It felt glossed over.
In general, the book felt very slow, especially at the start. It often took a long time for it to get from Point A to Point B, and sometimes I started to lose patience with it. I found Martin's arc particularly slow and frustrating at times. I felt for him and appreciated seeing him wrestle with his anxiety and the trauma of his relationship with his mother, but there was also a certain point where I eventually lost patience with all the back-and-forthing on his feelings for Ian.
My last major problem was that I started with the eighth book in a series with absolutely no idea of what happened previously, which is on me. Cooper doesn't ease you in, presumably assuming that you've read previous books (which is 1000% fair), so I didn't have a great sense of what the town was like or what the other characters looked like, and I was particularly bewildered by Plot and by the dragons. And speaking of the plot,
But I rated this book at three stars, and it's because I really loved the characters and the character work that was done. For a book set in a world with dragons, forest spirits, elves, fairies, and magic, a lot of the dialogue ("my Mossy Boy" aside; certainly memorable but possibly one of my least favorite romance-novel epithets) felt natural and true to life in a way that I love and that isn't always characteristic of random romance novels that I find on Amazon. Shit can be clunky and fake. This wasn't.
Forrester and Martin were really interesting too -- especially Forrester. I loved Forrester. I felt like I hadn't seen a character like him in romance before, and that's setting aside the caretaker/forest spirit part. He's sarcastic and rude to people, but with a dry sense of humor that had me in stitches; he's reliable and good-hearted and mushy on the inside but also kind of a dick, but not in the alpha-male, dick-measuring awful way that I've become resigned to in romance novels.
Forrester's also such an incredible softy for Martin, and I loved that he doesn't try to hide that and loved their dynamic in moments when Martin was beginning to pull his shit together. They were very funny, and I loved them ribbing each other. I also appreciated how thoughtful and careful the romance was. As someone who usually rolls their eyes and skips sex scenes, I read them all in this book, because they were lovely and organic, and I felt like they were actually furthering the relationship. They didn't feel rote or forced or formulaic. And the consent!!! There's a moment where Martin starts to say "Stop saving me" but Forrester hears "Stop" and immediately comes to a screeching halt, which is always, like, the sexiest thing to me. "Ian wanted, but he could wait" was a narrative line during one scene, and it just sums up a lot of the book so well.
As for Martin, I loved that his talent was homemaking and making people comfortable. I honestly wanted even more of it -- I felt a little cheated that we didn't get to see him making over Ian's cabin. I wanted more macrame and knitting and cooking! I also really appreciated that the book remembered that he's bi and didn't take the opportunity to dump on women now that Martin's with a man; that he still thought about the way that a woman's hipbones curved.
I really enjoyed the whole supporting cast. I hate reading romance novels where the only significant person in each character's life is the love interest, and that's so not the case here! Joe, Jessie, and Schmitty were especially lovely friends, and I appreciated everything the whole supporting cast brought to the table. It really felt like there was a whole community in the background. I love stories where two lonely people come together and then realize that maybe they weren't so alone all along, or that they don't have to be going forward; sure, Forrester and Martin found each other, but they also ended the book with a bunch of really meaningful friendships, and that made me super happy.
Also, in general, the book made me laugh a lot, which I wasn't expecting at all. Forrester's dry, bland comments and faces cracked me up, and Martin was hilarious when he wasn't spiraling, and I found Zarrin wildly confusing for a long time, as someone who hadn't read earlier books, but he was making me laugh by the end; there's a moment where he does finger guns at Forrester, but clearly doesn't understand the context of when to actually use them, that had me howling.
It was a long read, and though it started off very slow and I didn't feel fully satisfied by the ending or the treatment of Martin's addiction, by the end, I have to admit I was a little sad to finish it.
July 8, 2020
Felt like it took me forever to finish it. Not as captivating as others I have read in these series .
September 18, 2017
I simply loved this. I really enjoy this author's writing, but sometimes they get caught up in the 'Big Misunderstanding' or the 'No Communication' trope. Glad to see that didn't drag on in this one. Really just loved the characters and looking forward to reading more Being stories!
December 2, 2022
Book – His Mossy Boy (Being(s) in Love #8)
Author – R. Cooper
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 350
Cover – Very nice
POV – 3rd, dual character
Would I read it again – Yes!
Genre – LGBT, Paranormal, Series, Shifter, Magic
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
The previous novel, Treasure for Treasure, really reignited my passion for this series, so I loved that this book continued that storyline, like a Part 2. Seeing Joe and Zarrin have such a big part of this story, the same way that Martin and Forrester had a big part of theirs, was perfect. They're a really close-nit community, so it was right for them to maintain that.
I loved the little mentions of other characters from other books, such as Arthur and Bertie (from A Boy and His Dragon), Rennet and John (from A Firebird and Other Stories) and Albert (from Little Wolf, but also mentioned as Theo's cousin from A Beginner's Guide to Wooing Your Mate')
The Prologue really set the scene, for me; it was soft, a little lonely, and it showed us who Ian and Martin were, in such detail, without being overly done. It also kept that nice continuity link with the previous book in the series. It packed an emotional punch that never really let up for the entire book.
We knew in book 7, when we first met Martin, that he was pretty much a stoner, alcoholic with a clutzy tendency and very little self-worth, self-belief and positivity. Considering his mother and her behaviour, it isn't all that surprising that he feels the need to drown out his thoughts with alcohol and drugs. He stays that sad, unsure, self-depreciating character until about the halfway mark, when he finds a little courage and realises that his 'solution' of drowning out his problems isn't helping anymore. He's the character that made me want to cry the most, because he was so clearly lost and alone, so lonely and afraid to follow his heart.
The sad part is that Martin feels so awful about himself because of his mother and her belief that his hobbies – making a home and taking care of it, knitting, baking, DIY and antiquing – are all sissy, womanly things to do that make him somehow less than. She even finds fault with his wearing an apron at work, just because she deems it womanly and beneath a man. Yet, there's a common thread all throughout that she already knows or at least suspects his deepest darkest secret and that she's trying everything possible to push him in the other direction. But, as Martin finds out, there's no way to force someone not to be gay anymore. And I love the journey he goes on, even while doubting himself and what he loves, while disbelieving the support and encouragement from his friends, as he finds out who he really is and that he's okay just the way he is. No one should change him and no one needs to.
In a way, Martin and Ian are the same. They're lonely, closeted and afraid of letting someone else in, because of their secrets. Despite Ian being the older, more mature and adult of the two, he has all the same characteristics as Martin, except his solution is to wander the woods and help people. His job as a Deputy in the police department keeps him well known in town, but he insists on closing himself off emotionally and not having friends or a social life. The reason why isn't just that he's gay, but something much more intriguing. And the way that's revealed, with constant hints from Zarrin and Ian himself, is brilliantly done. There's a constant uncertainty about what he might be, because he's something new to the series.
Right from the start, Ian and Martin are a perfect match for each other, which I commented on in my review of the previous book. But it's really much sweeter here than I expected. I loved their chemistry and the awkwardness of them trying to be together. The sexting was hilariously hot, both awkward and yet allowing them to be more open and honest, more adventurous with each other. Then came the phone sex, which ramped it up a notch, before they finally accepted that they should be doing this stuff in person. Which was where they couldn't hide their insecurities any longer.
Everything about their relationship – from the sexting, phone calls, physical meetings and their past meetings with each other – is awkward. There's no other word for it. But it also makes it real, relatable and normal. They go through the same kind of things that ordinary, real life, couples go through.
I'm not going to say too much about them, because it would spoil the story, but I loved the crows and Schmitty. They were both funny and very nosy, using their influence to make sure Ian and Martin didn't completely mess up. Honestly, I'm kind of hoping the next book is Schmitty and Albert. That troublemaker needs a good guy to settle down with, but I'm also a little unsure, because Albert has to be the same Albert from Little Wolf, who already had a mate. It would be interesting to see Graham again, but I'd also like to see Schmitty get some happiness, too. And, eventually, Bernard needs to get his act together. He can't be Mister Grumpy all the time, though he softened quite a bit in this one.
Overall, it was an engrossing read, from start to finish. I would say that you couldn't read this without reading book 7, Treasure for Treasure, first, however. The stories are too intricately linked not to read that first, because you won't understand any of the stuff about Zarrin and Joe, otherwise.
But, beyond that, it was brilliant; well written, well plotted and without the communication issues that were prevalent in previous books in the series. It was hot and funny in equal measure, while keeping old characters in the loop and introducing new ones. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
~
Favourite Quotes
“I'm a freak, you know,” he confessed, carding his fingers through chest hair. Martin was a fairy but not a fairy. The odd man out, always. “I can jus' pretend. That I'm not. That I'm normal. Just tonight, I can be yours.”
“My duck has feelings about you too.”
“He was a freaked-out, sexually confused stoner who should be in therapy, a fairy-type who wanted to bake bread for Forrester and throw himself on Forrester's bed but wouldn't.”
Author – R. Cooper
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 350
Cover – Very nice
POV – 3rd, dual character
Would I read it again – Yes!
Genre – LGBT, Paranormal, Series, Shifter, Magic
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
The previous novel, Treasure for Treasure, really reignited my passion for this series, so I loved that this book continued that storyline, like a Part 2. Seeing Joe and Zarrin have such a big part of this story, the same way that Martin and Forrester had a big part of theirs, was perfect. They're a really close-nit community, so it was right for them to maintain that.
I loved the little mentions of other characters from other books, such as Arthur and Bertie (from A Boy and His Dragon), Rennet and John (from A Firebird and Other Stories) and Albert (from Little Wolf, but also mentioned as Theo's cousin from A Beginner's Guide to Wooing Your Mate')
The Prologue really set the scene, for me; it was soft, a little lonely, and it showed us who Ian and Martin were, in such detail, without being overly done. It also kept that nice continuity link with the previous book in the series. It packed an emotional punch that never really let up for the entire book.
We knew in book 7, when we first met Martin, that he was pretty much a stoner, alcoholic with a clutzy tendency and very little self-worth, self-belief and positivity. Considering his mother and her behaviour, it isn't all that surprising that he feels the need to drown out his thoughts with alcohol and drugs. He stays that sad, unsure, self-depreciating character until about the halfway mark, when he finds a little courage and realises that his 'solution' of drowning out his problems isn't helping anymore. He's the character that made me want to cry the most, because he was so clearly lost and alone, so lonely and afraid to follow his heart.
The sad part is that Martin feels so awful about himself because of his mother and her belief that his hobbies – making a home and taking care of it, knitting, baking, DIY and antiquing – are all sissy, womanly things to do that make him somehow less than. She even finds fault with his wearing an apron at work, just because she deems it womanly and beneath a man. Yet, there's a common thread all throughout that she already knows or at least suspects his deepest darkest secret and that she's trying everything possible to push him in the other direction. But, as Martin finds out, there's no way to force someone not to be gay anymore. And I love the journey he goes on, even while doubting himself and what he loves, while disbelieving the support and encouragement from his friends, as he finds out who he really is and that he's okay just the way he is. No one should change him and no one needs to.
In a way, Martin and Ian are the same. They're lonely, closeted and afraid of letting someone else in, because of their secrets. Despite Ian being the older, more mature and adult of the two, he has all the same characteristics as Martin, except his solution is to wander the woods and help people. His job as a Deputy in the police department keeps him well known in town, but he insists on closing himself off emotionally and not having friends or a social life. The reason why isn't just that he's gay, but something much more intriguing. And the way that's revealed, with constant hints from Zarrin and Ian himself, is brilliantly done. There's a constant uncertainty about what he might be, because he's something new to the series.
Right from the start, Ian and Martin are a perfect match for each other, which I commented on in my review of the previous book. But it's really much sweeter here than I expected. I loved their chemistry and the awkwardness of them trying to be together. The sexting was hilariously hot, both awkward and yet allowing them to be more open and honest, more adventurous with each other. Then came the phone sex, which ramped it up a notch, before they finally accepted that they should be doing this stuff in person. Which was where they couldn't hide their insecurities any longer.
Everything about their relationship – from the sexting, phone calls, physical meetings and their past meetings with each other – is awkward. There's no other word for it. But it also makes it real, relatable and normal. They go through the same kind of things that ordinary, real life, couples go through.
I'm not going to say too much about them, because it would spoil the story, but I loved the crows and Schmitty. They were both funny and very nosy, using their influence to make sure Ian and Martin didn't completely mess up. Honestly, I'm kind of hoping the next book is Schmitty and Albert. That troublemaker needs a good guy to settle down with, but I'm also a little unsure, because Albert has to be the same Albert from Little Wolf, who already had a mate. It would be interesting to see Graham again, but I'd also like to see Schmitty get some happiness, too. And, eventually, Bernard needs to get his act together. He can't be Mister Grumpy all the time, though he softened quite a bit in this one.
Overall, it was an engrossing read, from start to finish. I would say that you couldn't read this without reading book 7, Treasure for Treasure, first, however. The stories are too intricately linked not to read that first, because you won't understand any of the stuff about Zarrin and Joe, otherwise.
But, beyond that, it was brilliant; well written, well plotted and without the communication issues that were prevalent in previous books in the series. It was hot and funny in equal measure, while keeping old characters in the loop and introducing new ones. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
~
Favourite Quotes
“I'm a freak, you know,” he confessed, carding his fingers through chest hair. Martin was a fairy but not a fairy. The odd man out, always. “I can jus' pretend. That I'm not. That I'm normal. Just tonight, I can be yours.”
“My duck has feelings about you too.”
“He was a freaked-out, sexually confused stoner who should be in therapy, a fairy-type who wanted to bake bread for Forrester and throw himself on Forrester's bed but wouldn't.”
December 11, 2018
Book – His Mossy Boy (Being(s) in Love #8)
Author – R. Cooper
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 350
Cover – Very nice
POV – 3rd, dual character
Would I read it again – Yes!
Genre – LGBT, Paranormal, Series, Shifter, Magic
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
The previous novel, Treasure for Treasure, really reignited my passion for this series, so I loved that this book continued that storyline, like a Part 2. Seeing Joe and Zarrin have such a big part of this story, the same way that Martin and Forrester had a big part of theirs, was perfect. They're a really close-nit community, so it was right for them to maintain that.
I loved the little mentions of other characters from other books, such as Arthur and Bertie (from A Boy and His Dragon), Rennet and John (from A Firebird and Other Stories) and Albert (from Little Wolf, but also mentioned as Theo's cousin from A Beginner's Guide to Wooing Your Mate')
The Prologue really set the scene, for me; it was soft, a little lonely, and it showed us who Ian and Martin were, in such detail, without being overly done. It also kept that nice continuity link with the previous book in the series. It packed an emotional punch that never really let up for the entire book.
We knew in book 7, when we first met Martin, that he was pretty much a stoner, alcoholic with a clutzy tendency and very little self-worth, self-belief and positivity. Considering his mother and her behaviour, it isn't all that surprising that he feels the need to drown out his thoughts with alcohol and drugs. He stays that sad, unsure, self-depreciating character until about the halfway mark, when he finds a little courage and realises that his 'solution' of drowning out his problems isn't helping anymore. He's the character that made me want to cry the most, because he was so clearly lost and alone, so lonely and afraid to follow his heart.
The sad part is that Martin feels so awful about himself because of his mother and her belief that his hobbies – making a home and taking care of it, knitting, baking, DIY and antiquing – are all sissy, womanly things to do that make him somehow less than. She even finds fault with his wearing an apron at work, just because she deems it womanly and beneath a man. Yet, there's a common thread all throughout that she already knows or at least suspects his deepest darkest secret and that she's trying everything possible to push him in the other direction. But, as Martin finds out, there's no way to force someone not to be gay anymore. And I love the journey he goes on, even while doubting himself and what he loves, while disbelieving the support and encouragement from his friends, as he finds out who he really is and that he's okay just the way he is. No one should change him and no one needs to.
In a way, Martin and Ian are the same. They're lonely, closeted and afraid of letting someone else in, because of their secrets. Despite Ian being the older, more mature and adult of the two, he has all the same characteristics as Martin, except his solution is to wander the woods and help people. His job as a Deputy in the police department keeps him well known in town, but he insists on closing himself off emotionally and not having friends or a social life. The reason why isn't just that he's gay, but something much more intriguing. And the way that's revealed, with constant hints from Zarrin and Ian himself, is brilliantly done. There's a constant uncertainty about what he might be, because he's something new to the series.
Right from the start, Ian and Martin are a perfect match for each other, which I commented on in my review of the previous book. But it's really much sweeter here than I expected. I loved their chemistry and the awkwardness of them trying to be together. The sexting was hilariously hot, both awkward and yet allowing them to be more open and honest, more adventurous with each other. Then came the phone sex, which ramped it up a notch, before they finally accepted that they should be doing this stuff in person. Which was where they couldn't hide their insecurities any longer.
Everything about their relationship – from the sexting, phone calls, physical meetings and their past meetings with each other – is awkward. There's no other word for it. But it also makes it real, relatable and normal. They go through the same kind of things that ordinary, real life, couples go through.
I'm not going to say too much about them, because it would spoil the story, but I loved the crows and Schmitty. They were both funny and very nosy, using their influence to make sure Ian and Martin didn't completely mess up. Honestly, I'm kind of hoping the next book is Schmitty and Albert. That troublemaker needs a good guy to settle down with, but I'm also a little unsure, because Albert has to be the same Albert from Little Wolf, who already had a mate. It would be interesting to see Graham again, but I'd also like to see Schmitty get some happiness, too. And, eventually, Bernard needs to get his act together. He can't be Mister Grumpy all the time, though he softened quite a bit in this one.
Overall, it was an engrossing read, from start to finish. I would say that you couldn't read this without reading book 7, Treasure for Treasure, first, however. The stories are too intricately linked not to read that first, because you won't understand any of the stuff about Zarrin and Joe, otherwise.
But, beyond that, it was brilliant; well written, well plotted and without the communication issues that were prevalent in previous books in the series. It was hot and funny in equal measure, while keeping old characters in the loop and introducing new ones. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
~
Favourite Quotes
“I'm a freak, you know,” he confessed, carding his fingers through chest hair. Martin was a fairy but not a fairy. The odd man out, always. “I can jus' pretend. That I'm not. That I'm normal. Just tonight, I can be yours.”
“My duck has feelings about you too.”
“He was a freaked-out, sexually confused stoner who should be in therapy, a fairy-type who wanted to bake bread for Forrester and throw himself on Forrester's bed but wouldn't.”
Author – R. Cooper
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 350
Cover – Very nice
POV – 3rd, dual character
Would I read it again – Yes!
Genre – LGBT, Paranormal, Series, Shifter, Magic
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
The previous novel, Treasure for Treasure, really reignited my passion for this series, so I loved that this book continued that storyline, like a Part 2. Seeing Joe and Zarrin have such a big part of this story, the same way that Martin and Forrester had a big part of theirs, was perfect. They're a really close-nit community, so it was right for them to maintain that.
I loved the little mentions of other characters from other books, such as Arthur and Bertie (from A Boy and His Dragon), Rennet and John (from A Firebird and Other Stories) and Albert (from Little Wolf, but also mentioned as Theo's cousin from A Beginner's Guide to Wooing Your Mate')
The Prologue really set the scene, for me; it was soft, a little lonely, and it showed us who Ian and Martin were, in such detail, without being overly done. It also kept that nice continuity link with the previous book in the series. It packed an emotional punch that never really let up for the entire book.
We knew in book 7, when we first met Martin, that he was pretty much a stoner, alcoholic with a clutzy tendency and very little self-worth, self-belief and positivity. Considering his mother and her behaviour, it isn't all that surprising that he feels the need to drown out his thoughts with alcohol and drugs. He stays that sad, unsure, self-depreciating character until about the halfway mark, when he finds a little courage and realises that his 'solution' of drowning out his problems isn't helping anymore. He's the character that made me want to cry the most, because he was so clearly lost and alone, so lonely and afraid to follow his heart.
The sad part is that Martin feels so awful about himself because of his mother and her belief that his hobbies – making a home and taking care of it, knitting, baking, DIY and antiquing – are all sissy, womanly things to do that make him somehow less than. She even finds fault with his wearing an apron at work, just because she deems it womanly and beneath a man. Yet, there's a common thread all throughout that she already knows or at least suspects his deepest darkest secret and that she's trying everything possible to push him in the other direction. But, as Martin finds out, there's no way to force someone not to be gay anymore. And I love the journey he goes on, even while doubting himself and what he loves, while disbelieving the support and encouragement from his friends, as he finds out who he really is and that he's okay just the way he is. No one should change him and no one needs to.
In a way, Martin and Ian are the same. They're lonely, closeted and afraid of letting someone else in, because of their secrets. Despite Ian being the older, more mature and adult of the two, he has all the same characteristics as Martin, except his solution is to wander the woods and help people. His job as a Deputy in the police department keeps him well known in town, but he insists on closing himself off emotionally and not having friends or a social life. The reason why isn't just that he's gay, but something much more intriguing. And the way that's revealed, with constant hints from Zarrin and Ian himself, is brilliantly done. There's a constant uncertainty about what he might be, because he's something new to the series.
Right from the start, Ian and Martin are a perfect match for each other, which I commented on in my review of the previous book. But it's really much sweeter here than I expected. I loved their chemistry and the awkwardness of them trying to be together. The sexting was hilariously hot, both awkward and yet allowing them to be more open and honest, more adventurous with each other. Then came the phone sex, which ramped it up a notch, before they finally accepted that they should be doing this stuff in person. Which was where they couldn't hide their insecurities any longer.
Everything about their relationship – from the sexting, phone calls, physical meetings and their past meetings with each other – is awkward. There's no other word for it. But it also makes it real, relatable and normal. They go through the same kind of things that ordinary, real life, couples go through.
I'm not going to say too much about them, because it would spoil the story, but I loved the crows and Schmitty. They were both funny and very nosy, using their influence to make sure Ian and Martin didn't completely mess up. Honestly, I'm kind of hoping the next book is Schmitty and Albert. That troublemaker needs a good guy to settle down with, but I'm also a little unsure, because Albert has to be the same Albert from Little Wolf, who already had a mate. It would be interesting to see Graham again, but I'd also like to see Schmitty get some happiness, too. And, eventually, Bernard needs to get his act together. He can't be Mister Grumpy all the time, though he softened quite a bit in this one.
Overall, it was an engrossing read, from start to finish. I would say that you couldn't read this without reading book 7, Treasure for Treasure, first, however. The stories are too intricately linked not to read that first, because you won't understand any of the stuff about Zarrin and Joe, otherwise.
But, beyond that, it was brilliant; well written, well plotted and without the communication issues that were prevalent in previous books in the series. It was hot and funny in equal measure, while keeping old characters in the loop and introducing new ones. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
~
Favourite Quotes
“I'm a freak, you know,” he confessed, carding his fingers through chest hair. Martin was a fairy but not a fairy. The odd man out, always. “I can jus' pretend. That I'm not. That I'm normal. Just tonight, I can be yours.”
“My duck has feelings about you too.”
“He was a freaked-out, sexually confused stoner who should be in therapy, a fairy-type who wanted to bake bread for Forrester and throw himself on Forrester's bed but wouldn't.”
May 12, 2020
Jeez, this story was terrible! Personally way to long and developed so badly it was boring. I disliked Martin, sure he was shy and barely spoke if he wasn't drunk or high, but come on, his behavior was to much. His mental state was omg, sure I could pity his ass, but the way he was portraited was horrible. Sure Ian was a "Being", but he could have been way more developed and presented than he was. So no this story wasn't good, just bearable.
November 27, 2017
A wonderful love story, although the beginning is deliberately vague about certain things. It seems as if everyone but the reader knows something, but no one is talking about it directly. Also, part of this story is intertwined with wrapping up the dragon story from the previous book.
Typos: "easier" should be "more easily" when used as an adverb, missing word ("going ask for more info")
Typos: "easier" should be "more easily" when used as an adverb, missing word ("going ask for more info")
Read
September 16, 2017too depressing at the moment, will try again at another time
November 30, 2017
Not my thing
I liked the story to begin with but about 75% or so it just got to drawn out and to corny for me.
I liked the story to begin with but about 75% or so it just got to drawn out and to corny for me.
July 26, 2018
DNF This is where I leave this series. It needs editing, but instead of getting better the problem seems to be getting worse by the book.
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