I enjoying this story very much when reading it immediately after it was released
I'm leaving this review as a sort of guide for readers that are fans of this author and the group of authors that those of us who love this genre can associate her with as in general "guaranteed gonna read eventually" when they put out a book ( Loni Ree shows up along side Amazon listed authors such as M.C. Moore , ChaChari(sp?) M., Hope Ford, Frankie Love Shaw Heart etc.)
I recommend that if you were wait for the second book to come out like I was, go back and read this one again first, the read the sequel that just came out like yesterday ( it's 5/18/21 today)
I say this because I was that right away because I was excited it finely came out, only to re read this after, and realized two things.
1. I would have enjoyed the second much more if I'd read it shortly after this one, before I'd forgotten what is love about this story staring Marcus and Olivia ( with a loaded set up for his brother Thomas and Ellas' story to follow...
I read that and then came back to this book and realized I wish I'd had the desire to re-read this be for diving into the second because I waited so long for it id forgotten that sometimes books in a series are better when you haven't different the first be for reading next ( sometimes thes e authors series are better at a whole then their counterparts as standalones)
And 2. After reading something another author left as an end of story note to her readers( not loni ree but in that grouping she falls in).. Was how her book/story's that she'd just published had been affected in many ways due to the quarantine.. Something I hindered knowing a little about the bus end of being an artist ( as one myself who despite begin accepted into 2 of the top Art schools of this country with scholarship and all, decided not to go, because I saw how turning my craft into my means of income negativity affected my work, giving me the perspective that I hope intense respect for those who can have their craft be consistent as a career , also adding to this I'd also 'worked with arts in the indie music business world( music not being where my creative form of art that I'm seem to be skilled with, but understanding the business and to an extent that benefited the arts I worked with, as being a creator myself, but not me, cause the buz end ppl kinda can't be so sympathetic to the artist end if THEY stand a chance at making money .. It's weird cause your think since they both equally need the other to achieve success they wouldn't be so dismissive of the importance the other is in playing g a part in the work of takes to put it out there for us to consume, and have their work not suck as a result of working together instead of against each other in however the system that combines the biz and art worlds together ... I haven't been on the biz side of writing, but I can only imagine the head ache as is been on both seats in different mediums... Ironically my perspective helped out the arts end, but screwed me on the making Money for me end as the biz person..)
POINT BEING us readers show be aware going in and not be as harsh if the finished products went as up To par with what an author we love usually puts out, it's not their fault, they are still talented, we need to cut the entertainment industry some slack somehow..
End rant
Book was good second was good too but better if read directly after this, and understand maybe the delay in it coming out so far after this one and it maybe not being on the level we come to expect from this author of already familiar and fans of her, it's not cause she's is slipping ,and
... but maybe it's due to the same issues that other author mentioned being hindered by not having access to the same publishing end tools that she had before quarantine...