I received a free copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
4 Warm & Fuzzy yet Agonizing Stars
Loved is the 8th installment of the Breaking Free series by A.M. Arthur. I suggest against reading this as a standalone or out of order, since this installment reads more like a continuation from the previous book. As someone who has read all the books, I still suffer with confusion, as I try to place whose novel goes with whom, as 20+ characters are name-dropped throughout the pages, each book adding more and more characters. This has been an issue for me since book 5 or so, especially as they all have multiple children to remember. I just roll with it- if I remember who belongs with whom and what their story is, great. If I don't, I try not to get frustrated by it. In a nutshell, don't read out of order.
By the 8th installment, the books follow a familiar pattern. This isn't a bad thing per se. If you want a dose of the warm and fuzzies, the fuzziest of fuzzies, with a ton of manufactured angst and putting the characters though their emotional paces with a traumatizing event, Arthur is the author for you. By now, I know what to expect, and that's the comfort in knowing the books will follow said pattern, as I can decide when to read based on my emotional mindset, and find immense enjoyment in the familiarity.
Loved was read in two sittings for me, annoyed that I got pulled away to do everyday chores, when I wanted to just read until The End. What I enjoyed the most is that this novel explored what was left up in the air from Claimed.
More of a continuation, Demir is a favorite of mine. The beta is struggling to figure out how he fits in with Oliver and Brandt, while trying to overcome the mindset of an alpha and an omega in a mated relationship, with the betas unable to mate and create children adding another layer of angst. Not to mention the age-gap, when his boyfriends are his father's age.
As I said, Demir is my favorite character, loving his family, especially his brothers, willing to do anything to protect, meanwhile feeling insecure in what his place is within everyone's lives. He's just one of many sons of his father and stepfather, and the boyfriend to a mated pair. He tugged the heartstrings something fierce, making me feel things I didn't with the other narrators. He came off as realistic, while Brandt and Oliver were so loving, supportive, and compassionate, they came off too much as preachy or inspirational speakers to feel real to me. Flaws make the characters feel human, and what Demir suffered made that human side reveal itself.
I look forward to more in the series, hoping to see all those kids aged to adult and find love to call their own (whose names I can't remember since there are so many of them, other than Eriq, because he's fresh in my head after 2 books. Hahahaha...)
Highly recommend this series and the others by A.M. Arthur, especially when the reader is looking for the comfort of formulaic writing.