What do you think?
Rate this book
The Endless Road to Sunshine
Listening Length: 13 hours and 26 minutes
My name is Jason Atkinson, and I married a serial killer.
My world shattered on a cold April morning when they took my husband away in cuffs.
The life I knew, the man I loved, and the world I believed in was nothing but a lie. He stole my trust, my happiness, and my faith in humanity, and I’m not sure how to move on.
With my mental health hanging by a thread and a media circus following me everywhere I go, escape seems like the only answer.
Shedding my old life and starting fresh.
A new city. A new job. A new name.
Maybe everyone will leave me alone and let me wallow in peace.
But Skylar Dawson, a student almost twenty years my junior, has a different plan.
Everything about him is endless - his eyes, his smile, even his babbling mouth.
He shines with a blinding inner light I can’t ignore.
He’s a ray of sunshine in my dark world.
Skylar Dawson will not be ignored.
But will his energy and patience run out when he realizes I’m too tormented and broken to love him back?
This is a hurt/comfort, student/teacher, grumpy/sunshine, age gap (25/43) MM romance novel with a moderate amount of angst.
My name is Jason Atkinson, and I married a serial killer.
My world shattered on a cold April morning when they took my husband away in cuffs.
The life I knew, the man I loved, and the world I believed in was nothing but a lie. He stole my trust, my happiness, and my faith in humanity, and I’m not sure how to move on.
With my mental health hanging by a thread and a media circus following me everywhere I go, escape seems like the only answer.
Shedding my old life and starting fresh.
A new city. A new job. A new name.
Maybe everyone will leave me alone and let me wallow in peace.
But Skylar Dawson, a student almost twenty years my junior, has a different plan.
Everything about him is endless - his eyes, his smile, even his babbling mouth.
He shines with a blinding inner light I can’t ignore.
He’s a ray of sunshine in my dark world.
Skylar Dawson will not be ignored.
But will his energy and patience run out when he realizes I’m too tormented and broken to love him back?
This is a hurt/comfort, student/teacher, grumpy/sunshine, age gap (25/43) MM romance novel with a moderate amount of angst.
14 pages, Audible Audio
First published February 1, 2021
201 people are currently reading
1155 people want to read
About the author
Nicky James
76 books2,264 followersI live in the small town of Petrolia, Ontario, Canada and I am a mother to a wonderful teenage boy (didn't think those words could be typed together...surprise) and wife to a truly supportive and understanding husband, who thankfully doesn't think I'm crazy.
I have always had two profound dreams in life. To fall back hundreds of years in time and live in a simpler world, not bogged down by technology and to write novels. Since only one of these was a possibility I decided to make the other come alive on paper.
I write mm romance novels that take place in fantastical medieval type settings and love to use the challenges of the times to give my stories and characters life.
I have always had two profound dreams in life. To fall back hundreds of years in time and live in a simpler world, not bogged down by technology and to write novels. Since only one of these was a possibility I decided to make the other come alive on paper.
I write mm romance novels that take place in fantastical medieval type settings and love to use the challenges of the times to give my stories and characters life.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews
January 14, 2022
He would smile at me, and the sheer magnitude of it eclipsed my whole world. Like a defibrillator, his smile jolted my cold dead heart back to life.
I can see why and how The Endless Road to Sunshine isn’t for everyone, but it was exactly what I love from someone like Nicky James. Enough angst, emotions, and conflicting feelings in between, The Endless Road to Sunshine is exactly as the title implies. We follow Jaxon, who has moved out of his town to start a new life after finding out he has been married to a serial killer for 20 years. Struggling with his mental health, he becomes a History professor at another university to continue with his old job, where he meets a bubbly and carefree student, Skylar. Skylar is the complete opposite—carefree, happy, and no longer cares what people think about him, he works at a bar at nights and attends classes during the day. After struggling with a parental relationship, he’s now trying to figure out what to do with his independent life, and bringing a History professor into it wasn’t part of the plan.
Three books in, and Nicky James has become a favorite author of mine. There’s no denying she writes taboo subjects, and this isn’t taboo like her actual taboo novels, but she’s also noted to research what she writes, and I have to say that so far, it’s shown in the three novels I’ve read by her. I started this around 12 AM, and even though I had to wake up early in the morning, I could not put it down. James pulled me in right from the beginning, and I knew I was in for a ride the moment I realized I would read this until my eyes burned.
When he looked at me, it was like we were attached by a tether. Like I was his anchor, keeping him from floating away into the unknown.
Age gap is a superior trope for me. Give me 10+ years and we’ll be good, cause that’s what I consider an age gap. Skylar being 25 and Jaxon being 43 is a perfect difference for me. I simply adore it when one character is still in the process of figuring out their life and wondering what they’ll be doing soon while the other has already had years of experience in a professional field, has most likely had bad experiences with people, struggles financially, is having a midlife crisis, etc. The idea of opposites like that coming together is one of my favorite things to read about, and NJ delivered.
Skylar and Jaxon are opposites in every aspect. Skylar is the definition of sunshine. He's carefree, bubbly, open, and very social. He's finally come to accepting himself after hiding who he was from his stepdad for years, pretending to be someone he wasn't. After not having a good relationship with him, he’s moved out and decided to live his life for himself, and it’s noticeable in every action he takes. He blasts pop artists and songs in the car as well as in public without caring what others think. He’ll sway and dance around to bring joy into his own life, regardless of what others may think of him. He's also caring, understanding, and sympathetic when he needs to be. He’s bubbly and carefree, a typical college student trying to figure out what he needs to do. I loved how James wrote his character because of how drama-less it was, as opposed to Jaxon’s. He's the type of character to make me realize life is too short to be caring about what others think about you.
On the other hand, Jaxon (Jason is his real name), is the complete opposite. He’s grumpy, won’t accept he’s struggling with depression, carries guilt, uses alcohol as a coping mechanism, will run until his body gives out, and can’t sleep. He’s grouchy and projects his emotions into others. The guilt he carries, that being blaming himself for the eleven deaths his ex-husband committed, is eating him alive. Even while he's in prison, his ex-husband manipulates him, and it doesn’t end until he finally approaches him in jail. His ex-husband, Morgan, is able to manipulate Jaxon and make him continue giving himself to him.
Manipulation is an important theme in this, and it’s clear in Morgan’s possessive character. He’s jealous and claims to own Jaxon, which is why he killed the eleven gay men who “flirted” or “touched” Jaxon, even though Jaxon had nothing to do with them and was not interested. Not only that, but Jaxon continues looking at the pictures of them, which only causes the guilt to grow. He blames himself for Morgan’s actions because he wonders how he couldn’t see what was happening. He tries to psychologically piece Morgan, figure out when and how he was hiding behind his mask, but he can’t. I love how this was portrayed, from how Morgan was obsessive, possessive, and controlling, to the realization Jaxon had as time passed. It showed how little he really knew Morgan and how he was emotionally abusing him, not letting him out of his sight, not letting him get close to other men, and would do things he didn't like just so he can be with Jaxon.
From how I see it, Skylar’s character is not one everyone will like just because of how open and blunt he can be. He talks a lot, to the point where he always has something to say, but I loved that about him. Hearing about his travel stories was so fun because of how much detail the author adds. It’s as if one can imagine the places he traveled to. Jaxon’s character was also easily likable, even with his grumpiness taking over. It was easy to sympathize with him, especially as he was dealing with his guilt and is unsure about trusting and loving someone else.
How much did we really know anyone? Wasn’t life nothing more than smoke and mirrors?
When he meets Skylar, he’s grumpy all around. What causes their relationship to expand is that Skylar crushes on Jaxon at first sight and continuously makes conversations with him, annoying him front and back. While Jaxon does tell him to stop at first, he finds himself enjoying the company after a while. He loves hearing about his travel stories and how he always has one thing to talk about after another. Their relationship primarily starts sexual and really, continues that way. Jaxon and Skylar agree to have intercourse to let Jaxon let go of whatever it is he’s holding on to, which causes the two to sexually interact together a lot. This started off after Jaxon let Skylar know the truth about him, that being his ex-husband who is now in jail, how he moved away, changes his name, started using his birth last name again, and the reasoning behind everything. Skylar sees how much Jaxon is holding in and how he’s struggling putting himself together because of how much he drowns himself.
A primarily sexual relationship is something that would normally bother me, but I think because of Skylar’s constant talking and how the two started spending time together without sex involved every second, I found myself being able to see them together more and more. I could see how and why Jaxon started catching feelings for Skylar, while Skylar’s were already there due to his crush on him. There’s a small moment of miscommunication towards the end, but I felt it to be acceptable towards the plot. It felt like it belonged, and even though I’d accept anything else over miscommunication, I think the reasoning behind it was fair enough due to the circumstances presented before. Adding on to that, I think their relationship progressed nicely. Although what started off as sex used as a way to let go, I loved seeing the moments before or after, such as the spooning and cuddling, watching movies, working on assignments together, talking about each other’s lives to each other while the other carefully listens. It made me believe in their relationship more. Not only that, but I found it adorable how Jaxon didn't realize he was growing towards Skylar. It was clear not only in his inner thoughts, but in how he talked about Skylar to Levi, not realizing he noticed so much about him because he paid attention even if he didn't want to.
There was something about Skylar’s free spirit that just cut through all the bullshit in my life and made it easier to breathe.
The student x professor trope is one I absolutely adore and wish I would read more of. While it’s conflicting to some, I love seeing the approach and development of forbidden love and seeing how both characters deal with the fact that they are crossing boundaries. It definitely depends on how it’s written, as I do believe it can be a trope that’s easily failed, but NJ pulled it off for me. Considering Skylar has a crush on Jaxon and is 18 years younger than him, this can be something that readers may not like and find themselves uncomfortable with. Going back to the whole “one character is figuring out life while the other has had experience with real life careers,” The Endless Road to Sunshine has that. Skylar is trying to figure out what to do, which is why he’s taking different classes at college, while Jaxon had already graduated from college, was married for 20 years, has been a professor for thirteen years, and much more.
Nicky doesn’t fail to make me feel emotional towards her work. Three books in and I’ve felt emotional throughout them all. While I haven’t sobbed, I won’t lie and say that I’ve felt different emotions, ranging from sadness to happiness to anger to pity in between all. Her writing is captivating and engaging, and I think she does a really good job of peeling off layer after layer. The small mystery aspect in this wasn’t the most thrilling, as I knew something was going to be up with the character in charge of that (they were suspicious right from the start), I still appreciated the feelings behind it. It showed how obsessiveness takes over and consumes people, bringing them to the point where they feel like they are owner and indebted to the person they obsess over.
In conclusion, The Endless Road to Sunshine, although happy at the end, is dark and haunting, captivating and emotional, and I loved almost every second of it. One of my only quibbles is how quickly the ending was handled. I wish there had been more development to it or we, the readers, would have seen more of it actually happen. Other than that, I found myself smiling and grinning like a fool a lot of times, while frowning and anxiously waiting for the next scene during other times. So far, Nicky James has not disappointed. I’m a firm believer in saying that you can’t like every book by the same author, and that’s okay, but I don’t doubt I’ll end up enjoying most of her books.
Skylar wiped them away, smiling. “Don’t cry. There’s a light at the end of this tunnel, you know. This was like the epic journey to couplehood. We have a great story now. We started rocky. We got solid. We learned to fight. We battled the bad guy, and I got some nasty scars to show the grandkids. You got to play hero.”
December 28, 2023
This is an intensely dark, heavy, and depressing book. The relationship takes a backseat to Jason's despair. I don't blame Jason for his overwhelming grief and sadness. I'd feel like that too if my husband of twenty years turned out to be a serial killer who strangled eleven men who flirted with me because he was obsessively jealous.
Skylar, one of Jason's history students at the university where Jason is teaching under a pseudonym, is the light to Jason's darkness. He's always singing loudly (and badly) and swaying his hips to music only he can hear. He gets lost in his head, and music seems to focus him. I felt like Skylar exhibited signs of ADHD, but that wasn't mentioned in the story.
I actually liked Jason, even though he didn't have to be such a dick to everyone around him. I liked Skylar too, although he was just a little OTT with his motormouth, nonstop commentary, and crazy sleeping positions (hint: if you're constantly hitting your bed partners in your sleep, it's time to do a sleep study).
Jason doesn't want to get involved with Skylar because: A. Sky is his student; B. Sky is almost twenty years his junior; and C. Jason doesn't think he can trust anyone ever again, considering the last two decades of his life were a lie. There are a few sexy scenes, just enough to ramp up the passion, but the men don't really date, just hang out at Jason's dumpy flat.
The last few chapters are fast-paced (unlike the rest of the story) and veer into mystery/suspense territory. I did figure out the "bad guy," although I was second guessing myself because a couple other minor characters seemed suspicious too. The coffee shop scene sealed it for me though.
I didn't expect this to be an easy story, but I needed a pop of joy here and there to break up the somber atmosphere. I also wanted to know what clues Jason missed in his marriage that may have tipped him off that his husband was a psychopath (he eventually talks to Skylar about this, but it's off page).
Finally, a book like this NEEDS an epilogue, which we don't get here. At the end, the author includes a link to a very short bonus story that features Sky and Jason on holiday together. I firmly believe that should have been part of the book, not a separate thing.
Skylar, one of Jason's history students at the university where Jason is teaching under a pseudonym, is the light to Jason's darkness. He's always singing loudly (and badly) and swaying his hips to music only he can hear. He gets lost in his head, and music seems to focus him. I felt like Skylar exhibited signs of ADHD, but that wasn't mentioned in the story.
I actually liked Jason, even though he didn't have to be such a dick to everyone around him. I liked Skylar too, although he was just a little OTT with his motormouth, nonstop commentary, and crazy sleeping positions (hint: if you're constantly hitting your bed partners in your sleep, it's time to do a sleep study).
Jason doesn't want to get involved with Skylar because: A. Sky is his student; B. Sky is almost twenty years his junior; and C. Jason doesn't think he can trust anyone ever again, considering the last two decades of his life were a lie. There are a few sexy scenes, just enough to ramp up the passion, but the men don't really date, just hang out at Jason's dumpy flat.
The last few chapters are fast-paced (unlike the rest of the story) and veer into mystery/suspense territory. I did figure out the "bad guy," although I was second guessing myself because a couple other minor characters seemed suspicious too. The coffee shop scene sealed it for me though.
I didn't expect this to be an easy story, but I needed a pop of joy here and there to break up the somber atmosphere. I also wanted to know what clues Jason missed in his marriage that may have tipped him off that his husband was a psychopath (he eventually talks to Skylar about this, but it's off page).
Finally, a book like this NEEDS an epilogue, which we don't get here. At the end, the author includes a link to a very short bonus story that features Sky and Jason on holiday together. I firmly believe that should have been part of the book, not a separate thing.
February 3, 2021
Ummmm... So I DNF this one at 45.5%, it's enough to give it a rating? I think it is, but I'll try to explain why, sorry for the rant.
I was excited when this book came out so I grabbed it quickly, Nicky James hasn't disappointed me and I expected a hell of an emotional book. What I got was so weird, so fucking weird, like two stories in one? Like there was a guy married to a serial killer and then there is a 25 year old dude trying to get in his teacher pants, like the two POVS where so different it made me uncomfortable sometimes.
God I don't know how to explain it... In the first chapter we have heavy feelings with heavy situations, we see Jason going through with the aftermath of a life he shared with someone he loved, someone who turned out to be a monster, we also get complicated emotions and a lot pain. Then we get to Skyler and I felt like I was reading a total different book, the guy is bubbly, can't stop talking (wich I hate but it didn't had anything to do with my rating) and the first thing he does when he sees a photo of Jason? He starts singing about wanting to fuck him wich Jason hears at the end, like really Nicky? I mean what a whiplash, it felt insensitive and disrespectful.
Then Skyler keeps trying to flirt with him while Jason isn't even present of mind because of his issues, he's almost like a stalker and he doesn't takes hints wich made me uncomfortable and anxious as hell. I didn't see how a person wich recently came out from a sick relationship could feel attracted to such kid, so I thought something was gonna happen to make us see the serious side of him, something is gonna happen to make me see he's more than a kid and can handle the ache that Jason has, specially after Jason told him the truth. It didn't, but they did get it on... Still I hoped that maybe that happened later in the book so I kept going.
Then I read this, minimal spoiler ahead:
"Ohmigod, you’re totally gonna get boned by Dr. Palmer.”
“He invited me over.” I grinned facetiously, batting my lashes. “It’s my irresistible charm. He could only hold out so long.”
“Holy shit.” Hunter’s mouth opened and closed like a fish. “I didn’t really think it would happen.” His hands fell to his sides as he shook his head. “I mean, that drunken kiss was one thing, but this.”
I patted his cheek. “Perseverance, my friend. Perseverance.”
How? I mean... At this point Skyler knew who he really was so how can you take it less seriously? How can you talk like that?... Am I old? Is it me? It's my morals? Am I a party popper? *sighs* Well it didn’t stop there. Here goes another little spoiler:
All the terror vanished from Maverick’s face, and his eyes lit up as he darted his gaze from Hunter to me. “No way. Get the fuck out of town. For real?”
I beamed and tipped my chin high, pffting like his comment was the most ridiculous thing. “After all these years, you doubt my abilities to lure men into bed? Please. I’m way too cute to deny. I gotta run"
Say whut? SAY WHUT? It feels so fake, all of it, Skyler is a kid, he doesn't even seem like he's 25 and Jason is a mess wich is understandable but still he's making really bad choices that I can't respect because they have to do with Skyler.
So yeah the old woman in me couldn't keep going, I didn't want ot keep watching an immature kid getting involved with his broken teacher, it felt wrong.
So that's that, disappointed but what can you do? Sorry for the rant. 🤓❤
I was excited when this book came out so I grabbed it quickly, Nicky James hasn't disappointed me and I expected a hell of an emotional book. What I got was so weird, so fucking weird, like two stories in one? Like there was a guy married to a serial killer and then there is a 25 year old dude trying to get in his teacher pants, like the two POVS where so different it made me uncomfortable sometimes.
God I don't know how to explain it... In the first chapter we have heavy feelings with heavy situations, we see Jason going through with the aftermath of a life he shared with someone he loved, someone who turned out to be a monster, we also get complicated emotions and a lot pain. Then we get to Skyler and I felt like I was reading a total different book, the guy is bubbly, can't stop talking (wich I hate but it didn't had anything to do with my rating) and the first thing he does when he sees a photo of Jason? He starts singing about wanting to fuck him wich Jason hears at the end, like really Nicky? I mean what a whiplash, it felt insensitive and disrespectful.
Then Skyler keeps trying to flirt with him while Jason isn't even present of mind because of his issues, he's almost like a stalker and he doesn't takes hints wich made me uncomfortable and anxious as hell. I didn't see how a person wich recently came out from a sick relationship could feel attracted to such kid, so I thought something was gonna happen to make us see the serious side of him, something is gonna happen to make me see he's more than a kid and can handle the ache that Jason has, specially after Jason told him the truth. It didn't, but they did get it on... Still I hoped that maybe that happened later in the book so I kept going.
Then I read this, minimal spoiler ahead:
"Ohmigod, you’re totally gonna get boned by Dr. Palmer.”
“He invited me over.” I grinned facetiously, batting my lashes. “It’s my irresistible charm. He could only hold out so long.”
“Holy shit.” Hunter’s mouth opened and closed like a fish. “I didn’t really think it would happen.” His hands fell to his sides as he shook his head. “I mean, that drunken kiss was one thing, but this.”
I patted his cheek. “Perseverance, my friend. Perseverance.”
How? I mean... At this point Skyler knew who he really was so how can you take it less seriously? How can you talk like that?... Am I old? Is it me? It's my morals? Am I a party popper? *sighs* Well it didn’t stop there. Here goes another little spoiler:
All the terror vanished from Maverick’s face, and his eyes lit up as he darted his gaze from Hunter to me. “No way. Get the fuck out of town. For real?”
I beamed and tipped my chin high, pffting like his comment was the most ridiculous thing. “After all these years, you doubt my abilities to lure men into bed? Please. I’m way too cute to deny. I gotta run"
Say whut? SAY WHUT? It feels so fake, all of it, Skyler is a kid, he doesn't even seem like he's 25 and Jason is a mess wich is understandable but still he's making really bad choices that I can't respect because they have to do with Skyler.
So yeah the old woman in me couldn't keep going, I didn't want ot keep watching an immature kid getting involved with his broken teacher, it felt wrong.
So that's that, disappointed but what can you do? Sorry for the rant. 🤓❤
February 4, 2021
The Endless Road to Sunshine had a mix of my favourite tropes, age gap, illicit love, and opposites attract.
On the one hand, we have Dr Jason (43), tormented, bitter, grumpy and angry. And I'm always so here for this!
On the other hand, we have Skylar Dawson (25), bright, loud, talkative and popular.
The story is mostly focused on Jason's pain, thereby I appreciated the balance Skylar's bright personality brought to the plot. It helped tone down the heavy and dark atmosphere surrounding Dr Jason.
However, when it came to bond Jason and Skylar together as a couple, the author failed to realistically level the vast difference between the two personalities. There were things missing, like affinities, for instance, to support the relationship in my view.
Two other niggles 📌 the situation of Skylar taking anti depressives was downplayed and could have been better explored. But it was left open, and ended up as a flimsy excuse to establish a connection between them.📌 the stepdad ending was corny and cheesy as hell.
That being said, my heart went out to Jason. I was incredibly touched by what he was facing, which proves how well he was fleshed out.
On the one hand, we have Dr Jason (43), tormented, bitter, grumpy and angry. And I'm always so here for this!
On the other hand, we have Skylar Dawson (25), bright, loud, talkative and popular.
The story is mostly focused on Jason's pain, thereby I appreciated the balance Skylar's bright personality brought to the plot. It helped tone down the heavy and dark atmosphere surrounding Dr Jason.
However, when it came to bond Jason and Skylar together as a couple, the author failed to realistically level the vast difference between the two personalities. There were things missing, like affinities, for instance, to support the relationship in my view.
Two other niggles 📌 the situation of Skylar taking anti depressives was downplayed and could have been better explored. But it was left open, and ended up as a flimsy excuse to establish a connection between them.📌 the stepdad ending was corny and cheesy as hell.
That being said, my heart went out to Jason. I was incredibly touched by what he was facing, which proves how well he was fleshed out.
March 15, 2022
OMG. Absolutely LOVED this!!! Wow. I ~accidentally~ started this late last night and am spending today exhausted but it was so hard to tear myself away from this book. It flew by. There wasn’t a single second I was bored or a moment where I wanted to be doing anything besides reading this. NJ reminding me why she’s one of my favorite authors!!! Def a new all time favorite for me. 💙
Skylar was so adorable and I found him immediately endearing. 🥰 Jason’s anguish was so well written and I could feel it coming off the pages. I took a bit longer to warm up to him than Sky but once I did, I was all in on rooting for their love story and both of their happy endings. Levi! Hunter! Maverick! Loved these three side characters. They rooted their way into my heart just as much as Jason and Sky did. The plot was fascinating and heartbreaking. Fast paced and hard to look at, but in the end…impossible to turn away from. Opposite forces that worked so well together. Just like Jason and Sky.
Skylar was so adorable and I found him immediately endearing. 🥰 Jason’s anguish was so well written and I could feel it coming off the pages. I took a bit longer to warm up to him than Sky but once I did, I was all in on rooting for their love story and both of their happy endings. Levi! Hunter! Maverick! Loved these three side characters. They rooted their way into my heart just as much as Jason and Sky did. The plot was fascinating and heartbreaking. Fast paced and hard to look at, but in the end…impossible to turn away from. Opposite forces that worked so well together. Just like Jason and Sky.
September 19, 2021
Audio - 4.5 Star's. I really enjoyed NJR's performance in this one.
Story - 4.5 Stars
Story - 4.5 Stars
September 9, 2021
Skylar was a lot of things, but in this endless journey of trials and heartache and despair, he'd brought sunshine back into my life where there had been only shadows before. And together, we burned bright.
i don't really know how to write this review for the endless road to sunshine other than saying that i loved it. i wish i could say from start to finish like my usual spiel. but nope. this story was on a very rocky road for me. this is a story about jason/jaxon after his husband got convicted of 11 murder accounts. 11 murders mean 11 young men killed by morgan because these people flirted a bit with jason. clearly, morgan wasn't having any of it. jason after the trial moved into a new place where he can finally be at peace with the hell his ex-husband put him through. as the new teacher for introductory to ancient civilizations, he meets skylar dawson: a free-spirited young man who doesn't know when to stop talking. skylar is this sunshine kind of character and jason can't stand him.
"I'm home, but there is something wrong in my apartment."
"What's wrong with your aparment?"
"You're not in it."
the best thing that happened here for me here was how nicky james wrote jason's mentality towards everything. there were so much pain, betrayal, and loss of trust because he was bombarded everyday with what happened with morgan. it felt too real to me. enter skylar dawson: jason's sunshine of a student who got a massive crush on him. i can see why people wouldn't like this book and i think it's because of sky's character. for me i swooned but lets be real: sky's harassed the hell out of his teacher to get what he wanted. and jason bestfriend, levi, is urging him to be in a relationship with his student. what the hell right? with respect to the mcs' romantic set up, my mind is basically saying no but my heart is saying yes. i didn't care in short. my teacher-student fantasy was very much well fed.
There was something freeing about Skylar. His personality was a breath of fresh air in my gloomy world.
what sealed my high rating was definitely the last chapters especially after everything these mcs went through. their romance was one filled with uncertainty and unrest, with respect to jason's mentality, and reading the last chapters when finally all these puzzles clicked in its place. i was just so satisfied and took a dramatic sigh of relief. the only criticism that i have against this book was the length. i don't think it deserved the almost 400 pages worth of content. most of the time it was this never ending cycle of jason being gloomy and then sky barging in and then again jason being gloomy and questioniong everything. i wish this book got wrapped up way earlier. overall, i highly enjoyed this but it won't work for everyone. i'm just happy it did for me.
August 3, 2023
The book was definitely on the verge of killing me. The last 70 pages almost made my heart stop and I had to do a speed read to get through it. Even though you kind of saw the end coming, the way it played out was very gripping.
Wow, so this was probably one of the most exhausting books this year for me, but it was worth every page. Incredibly depressing and heartbreaking. The first half of the book I had trouble seeing anything at all because I was constantly crying.
Jason is so heavy in his head that it's hard to perceive anything else at all. Somehow you are completely taken in by him. Skylar as a complete opposite at least in his outward behavior felt spontaneously annoying, but pretty soon it was clear that the two were made for each other.
„I don’t like him.” Except maybe his uniquely colored eyes, a hue I still couldn’t name. And the endless way he could talk without ever coming up for air. And the ever-present smile that glowed from him like the sun. And the way he sang unencumbered in the middle of the hallway like he didn’t have a care in the world. 🥰🥰🥰
“Snuggle-fest?”
“Darn right. I’m gonna cuddle the fuck out of you until you feel better.” 🤩🤩🤩
Wow, so this was probably one of the most exhausting books this year for me, but it was worth every page. Incredibly depressing and heartbreaking. The first half of the book I had trouble seeing anything at all because I was constantly crying.
Jason is so heavy in his head that it's hard to perceive anything else at all. Somehow you are completely taken in by him. Skylar as a complete opposite at least in his outward behavior felt spontaneously annoying, but pretty soon it was clear that the two were made for each other.
„I don’t like him.” Except maybe his uniquely colored eyes, a hue I still couldn’t name. And the endless way he could talk without ever coming up for air. And the ever-present smile that glowed from him like the sun. And the way he sang unencumbered in the middle of the hallway like he didn’t have a care in the world. 🥰🥰🥰
“Snuggle-fest?”
“Darn right. I’m gonna cuddle the fuck out of you until you feel better.” 🤩🤩🤩
March 15, 2021
3.5 Stars
Jason (43 years old) loved his husband for almost 20 years and if the courts were to be believed for those years he was living with a monster. The consequence of what his husband did, made Jason short-tempered, angry, and bitter. He felt guilty and it was ruining him. He lost his trust in people…
Skylar (25 years old) was so alive, joyful and he talked too much! He wouldn’t take No for an answer. Sylar had his own demons but the author didn’t good a job on that part, she didn’t elaborate on it really well! After finishing the story, I still don’t understand the problem between him and his father! Another thing is I’d like to see Jason & Skylar more as a couple! The focus here was more on Jason and his pain. The twist was predictable and still, I enjoyed it! Told in dual POV, 1st person, it’s a standalone novel, slow burn, angsty, contains age gap and it was palpable. All in all, it was a good read and hope you like it as well!
Jason (43 years old) loved his husband for almost 20 years and if the courts were to be believed for those years he was living with a monster. The consequence of what his husband did, made Jason short-tempered, angry, and bitter. He felt guilty and it was ruining him. He lost his trust in people…
Skylar (25 years old) was so alive, joyful and he talked too much! He wouldn’t take No for an answer. Sylar had his own demons but the author didn’t good a job on that part, she didn’t elaborate on it really well! After finishing the story, I still don’t understand the problem between him and his father! Another thing is I’d like to see Jason & Skylar more as a couple! The focus here was more on Jason and his pain. The twist was predictable and still, I enjoyed it! Told in dual POV, 1st person, it’s a standalone novel, slow burn, angsty, contains age gap and it was palpable. All in all, it was a good read and hope you like it as well!
February 4, 2021
While the premise of this book was incredibly interesting, it was also veeeeeeeeeeeeeery depressing.
At 80% Jason still said he was so depressed he was thinking of killing himself and I almost wanted him to just do it.
Jason was a bit too hard to like for my tastes. I liked the idea of a guy not knowing he was married to a serial killer for 20 years, but I had a really hard time actually liking Jason.
I could totally understand his trauma and his guilt, but he really was a miserable guy for most of this book.
And I also saw the bad guy coming a mile away. As soon as he was introduced I guessed who he was and what his plan was. It wasn't too hard to figure that out....
At 80% Jason still said he was so depressed he was thinking of killing himself and I almost wanted him to just do it.
Jason was a bit too hard to like for my tastes. I liked the idea of a guy not knowing he was married to a serial killer for 20 years, but I had a really hard time actually liking Jason.
I could totally understand his trauma and his guilt, but he really was a miserable guy for most of this book.
And I also saw the bad guy coming a mile away. As soon as he was introduced I guessed who he was and what his plan was. It wasn't too hard to figure that out....
July 25, 2022
✅ Age gap (43 yo Professor, Jason / 25 yo Student, Skylar)
✅ Opposites attract
✅ Forbidden relationship
✅ Serial killer ex
I’ve wanted to try this for so long but was always deterred by the many polarising reviews amongst friends. I’ve even removed this from the tbr at one point. However, I’m so glad I gave it a chance as I’m one happy camper!
Every book by Nicky manages to reel me in, her writing style is so engaging but even though I love her stories, I always end up having the odd niggle with one or both of her MC’s and this was no exception.
Dr Jason Palmer is very hard to like. For the majority of the book, he’s clinging to the bottom rung. But, who wouldn’t be mentally unstable after discovering your husband of 20 years turned out to be a sociopathic serial killer (aka The Kingston Strangler), that your own family disowned you because they believed you were somehow complicit in the murders, that you’ve had to change your identity/relocate across country to escape the constant media intrusion and that ultimately, you feel indirectly responsible for the deaths of 11 men. He’s consumed with guilt, lonely, bitter, untrusting, quick to fly off the handle and prefers to self medicate rather than take his prescribed antidepressants. Ngl, there were a few times I wanted to slap him silly but ultimately I really appreciated his journey. He was a broken man and the fact he was still standing was admirable.
As for sweet snuggle bunny, Skylar Dawson, he’s the total opposite and I loved everything about him. A bundle of energy with a big heart and daddy issues (the literal kind). His stepfather was an asshole, his brother selfish and even though he had a lovely bond with his mother, she was quite weak in enabling her husband’s shitty behaviour (why she hadn’t divorced him is beyond me). Despite his insecurities, Sky was the life and soul of the party, always dancing and singing off-key, always smiling, had no filter, prone to verbal diarrhoea/oversharing, flirtatious and quite relentless in the pursuit of his new History Professor. He’s the breath of fresh air that Jason needs.
I loved the creepy interactions with Morgan (Jason’s ex) in prison and I liked the fact that all the way through you couldn’t help wonder if Morgan’s reach extended beyond the prison walls. I wish there had been more!! As for the supporting cast, Levi was the bestest friend (man, was he patient) and Skylar’s posse, aka Maverick and Hunter made me laugh. As for that dramatic, nail biting ending, YES gimme more!!!! I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish and was on the edge of my mattress. Even though it was easy to figure out the villain, and the ending wrapped up quite conveniently, I lapped it up … just my cup of tea 😋
This isn’t your average, run of the mill romance and the relationship itself is quite one sided, so don’t expect many hearts and flowers. Jason does a lot more taking but Skylar enjoys being wanted/needed. Their relationship is borne out of attraction/physical release, a hook up that turns into more. I enjoyed all their interactions, especially LOVED all the angsty scenes and wanted the best outcome for both MC’s.
More than anything, I really appreciated the unique storyline. I was engrossed for the entirety and will definitely re-read. One of my favourites by NJ so far!
✅ Opposites attract
✅ Forbidden relationship
✅ Serial killer ex
I’ve wanted to try this for so long but was always deterred by the many polarising reviews amongst friends. I’ve even removed this from the tbr at one point. However, I’m so glad I gave it a chance as I’m one happy camper!
Every book by Nicky manages to reel me in, her writing style is so engaging but even though I love her stories, I always end up having the odd niggle with one or both of her MC’s and this was no exception.
Dr Jason Palmer is very hard to like. For the majority of the book, he’s clinging to the bottom rung. But, who wouldn’t be mentally unstable after discovering your husband of 20 years turned out to be a sociopathic serial killer (aka The Kingston Strangler), that your own family disowned you because they believed you were somehow complicit in the murders, that you’ve had to change your identity/relocate across country to escape the constant media intrusion and that ultimately, you feel indirectly responsible for the deaths of 11 men. He’s consumed with guilt, lonely, bitter, untrusting, quick to fly off the handle and prefers to self medicate rather than take his prescribed antidepressants. Ngl, there were a few times I wanted to slap him silly but ultimately I really appreciated his journey. He was a broken man and the fact he was still standing was admirable.
As for sweet snuggle bunny, Skylar Dawson, he’s the total opposite and I loved everything about him. A bundle of energy with a big heart and daddy issues (the literal kind). His stepfather was an asshole, his brother selfish and even though he had a lovely bond with his mother, she was quite weak in enabling her husband’s shitty behaviour (why she hadn’t divorced him is beyond me). Despite his insecurities, Sky was the life and soul of the party, always dancing and singing off-key, always smiling, had no filter, prone to verbal diarrhoea/oversharing, flirtatious and quite relentless in the pursuit of his new History Professor. He’s the breath of fresh air that Jason needs.
I loved the creepy interactions with Morgan (Jason’s ex) in prison and I liked the fact that all the way through you couldn’t help wonder if Morgan’s reach extended beyond the prison walls. I wish there had been more!! As for the supporting cast, Levi was the bestest friend (man, was he patient) and Skylar’s posse, aka Maverick and Hunter made me laugh. As for that dramatic, nail biting ending, YES gimme more!!!! I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish and was on the edge of my mattress. Even though it was easy to figure out the villain, and the ending wrapped up quite conveniently, I lapped it up … just my cup of tea 😋
This isn’t your average, run of the mill romance and the relationship itself is quite one sided, so don’t expect many hearts and flowers. Jason does a lot more taking but Skylar enjoys being wanted/needed. Their relationship is borne out of attraction/physical release, a hook up that turns into more. I enjoyed all their interactions, especially LOVED all the angsty scenes and wanted the best outcome for both MC’s.
More than anything, I really appreciated the unique storyline. I was engrossed for the entirety and will definitely re-read. One of my favourites by NJ so far!
February 4, 2021
3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Age-gap ❤️
Hurt-comfort ❤️
Professor-student ❤️
I really liked this book but I sadly didn’t love it.
But I loved Skylar and Jason. So much. Jason’s life was despair and darkness and Skylar was literally the sunshine in his days. I loved seeing these two get together, it was awkward and clumsy and stupid and lovely.
Now the not so good:
- Skylar did something incredibly stupid and insensitive. It was ridiculous and also not very believable. I’m still mad.
- the Reggie story was too much and didn’t really add to the story. I would have preferred to skip all that and spend more time on relationship development. And maybe more time with Skylar’s family.
Age-gap ❤️
Hurt-comfort ❤️
Professor-student ❤️
I really liked this book but I sadly didn’t love it.
But I loved Skylar and Jason. So much. Jason’s life was despair and darkness and Skylar was literally the sunshine in his days. I loved seeing these two get together, it was awkward and clumsy and stupid and lovely.
Now the not so good:
- Skylar did something incredibly stupid and insensitive. It was ridiculous and also not very believable. I’m still mad.
- the Reggie story was too much and didn’t really add to the story. I would have preferred to skip all that and spend more time on relationship development. And maybe more time with Skylar’s family.
April 9, 2021
"My name is Jason Atkinson, and I married a serial killer."
That line and that line only was what sold it for me. And that's all I'm going to give you when it comes to what this book is about. I'm going to need days to work this book out of my system and I'm in no state to do better than that.
I really, really liked this book. It hit me hard. Really hard. My heart broke for Jason and everything he had to go through. I haven't been crying this much for a book in a long time and when I finally thought I was done crying, I cried a little more. Because Jason was finally free and happy. I can't say I cared a lot for some of the events towards the end but except that this was a great read.
That line and that line only was what sold it for me. And that's all I'm going to give you when it comes to what this book is about. I'm going to need days to work this book out of my system and I'm in no state to do better than that.
I really, really liked this book. It hit me hard. Really hard. My heart broke for Jason and everything he had to go through. I haven't been crying this much for a book in a long time and when I finally thought I was done crying, I cried a little more. Because Jason was finally free and happy. I can't say I cared a lot for some of the events towards the end but except that this was a great read.
February 5, 2021
I skimmed to the end
Sigh
RTC
Sigh
RTC
February 5, 2021
I'm sad. I didn't love this as I thought I would have.
Jason was the perfect sad. Depressinging so. But I understood where it was from. Skylar was his sunshine. He was a bit shinny for me though. A bit OTT. I'm usually a big fan of opposites attracts but the differences were too big for my taste. I for one surely would've put a sock in Sky's mouth!!
I could see the villain coming a miles off. I didn't think it was necessary for the story at all. More trauma...
And I really didn't like how it ended for Morgan.
Still 3 stars for me because it's Nicky James..
Jason was the perfect sad. Depressinging so. But I understood where it was from. Skylar was his sunshine. He was a bit shinny for me though. A bit OTT. I'm usually a big fan of opposites attracts but the differences were too big for my taste. I for one surely would've put a sock in Sky's mouth!!
I could see the villain coming a miles off. I didn't think it was necessary for the story at all. More trauma...
And I really didn't like how it ended for Morgan.
Still 3 stars for me because it's Nicky James..
October 12, 2021
I don’t know why I waited so long to read this. It’s one of my new favorite books.
Nicky James honestly has never disappointed me. End Scene is probably still my favorite so far, but goddamn I LOVED THIS. Skylar is just the brightest ray of sunshine on this planet and I loved everything about him.
And Levi is the best friend anyone could ever ask for. ♡
I’ll be buying this in paperback ASAP
Nicky James honestly has never disappointed me. End Scene is probably still my favorite so far, but goddamn I LOVED THIS. Skylar is just the brightest ray of sunshine on this planet and I loved everything about him.
And Levi is the best friend anyone could ever ask for. ♡
I’ll be buying this in paperback ASAP
May 14, 2021
Soooooo weird this book! I don't know how to rate it. Here's my pluses and minus, spoiler alerts!!!:
Plus: good writing. sympathetic characters (to a point)
Plus: intriguing enough with the weird plot to keep me reading until the end
Minus: the characters, esp. Skylar, are sometimes just plain STUPID!!
Like, Skylar basically sexually harassing his teach he's chasing Jason so hard. Crowding him, touching him, knowing he has sooooo many mental and emotional issues and just doesn't let up. It pissed me the f*ck off at times.
Also, the stunt Skylar pulled off in the end - like WHAT THE EFFINF F were you thinking????? You MORON!!!! Soooo STUPID!!!
And in the face of his "trial" in the end, his fear and sniveling anxiety, while understandable, didn't make me like him much as a fictional character.
Minus: Jason is just blind, soooo blind! And way too self-absorbed. I felt for him, I did. I totally get why he's neurotic. But the fact that he's TOTALLY oblivious to every man who comes onto him - and apparently it's every gay man alive - is INSANE.
Really? Is he THAT good looking? The novel can't expound enough about how "ridiculously handsome" quote, end quote, he is. On and on about it. And therefore everyone wants him. But he never seems to see it. EVER. Even tho he objectively knows he's an attractive man.
I just feel like the relationship is forced. By Skylar doing what every other man does with Jason, which is CHASE HIM DOWN until he gives in. Doesn't make me feel like it's love. Makes me feel like he simply caves and goes into oblivious mode again while he's with one man.
SO WEIRD!!
Minus:
The neat wrap up with Morgan dying in prison was sudden and anticlimatic. Like the author had a deadline and rushed to meet it.
The 2 stars is for the very predictable plot, but the twist of Jason being married to a serial killer kept me intrigued enough to read it thru.
Plus: good writing. sympathetic characters (to a point)
Plus: intriguing enough with the weird plot to keep me reading until the end
Minus: the characters, esp. Skylar, are sometimes just plain STUPID!!
Like, Skylar basically sexually harassing his teach he's chasing Jason so hard. Crowding him, touching him, knowing he has sooooo many mental and emotional issues and just doesn't let up. It pissed me the f*ck off at times.
Also, the stunt Skylar pulled off in the end - like WHAT THE EFFINF F were you thinking????? You MORON!!!! Soooo STUPID!!!
And in the face of his "trial" in the end, his fear and sniveling anxiety, while understandable, didn't make me like him much as a fictional character.
Minus: Jason is just blind, soooo blind! And way too self-absorbed. I felt for him, I did. I totally get why he's neurotic. But the fact that he's TOTALLY oblivious to every man who comes onto him - and apparently it's every gay man alive - is INSANE.
Really? Is he THAT good looking? The novel can't expound enough about how "ridiculously handsome" quote, end quote, he is. On and on about it. And therefore everyone wants him. But he never seems to see it. EVER. Even tho he objectively knows he's an attractive man.
I just feel like the relationship is forced. By Skylar doing what every other man does with Jason, which is CHASE HIM DOWN until he gives in. Doesn't make me feel like it's love. Makes me feel like he simply caves and goes into oblivious mode again while he's with one man.
SO WEIRD!!
Minus:
The neat wrap up with Morgan dying in prison was sudden and anticlimatic. Like the author had a deadline and rushed to meet it.
The 2 stars is for the very predictable plot, but the twist of Jason being married to a serial killer kept me intrigued enough to read it thru.
February 3, 2021
Skylar wiped them away, smiling. “Don’t cry. There’s a light at the end of this tunnel, you know. This was like the epic journey to couplehood. We have a great story now. We started rocky. We got solid. We learned to fight. We battled the bad guy, and I got some nasty scars to show the grandkids. You got to play hero..”
Imma take one star off because there’s no epilogue and that’s a deal breaker lol. Such a good book I love a student/teacher romance but this was different. The forbidden aspect was much deeper making the scenario way hotter. Skylar was a breathe of fresh air. The perfect grumpy hero - sunshine hero book. We got to see quite a development in the characters too as the begin opening up quite early in the books so no frustrations on how idiotic the characters were being. No unnecessary drama or jealousy either. So yeah. Pretty good.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Imma take one star off because there’s no epilogue and that’s a deal breaker lol. Such a good book I love a student/teacher romance but this was different. The forbidden aspect was much deeper making the scenario way hotter. Skylar was a breathe of fresh air. The perfect grumpy hero - sunshine hero book. We got to see quite a development in the characters too as the begin opening up quite early in the books so no frustrations on how idiotic the characters were being. No unnecessary drama or jealousy either. So yeah. Pretty good.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 30, 2022
[2.6] it pains me to say this but i couldn’t quite get into it 😔 there was just this disconnect with the story and the characters that never quite went away, but rounding up for Levi and Nick J. Russo’s stellar narrative performance, especially the scenes where Jason gets worked up by a certain someone—the sheer emotion!
while i’m neutral on teacher/student relationships, i loved the unique premise and the age gap, but i think there was still something missing between the mcs that i can’t quite put my finger on.
i could understand how Jason’s ability to trust was shattered to dust, why he suffered from relentless waves of self-inflicted guilt, and the harmful effects of being the center of crazed media circuses on his sanity—as always, Nicky James’s mental health depiction is on point—but why doesn’t he learn from his mistakes and instead continues to be blind to the glaringly obvious?
i actually liked Skylar for the most part, even with his overly pushy moments (similar to Abel in No Regrets), but ugh i wasn’t a fan of his choice to do what he did toward the end because it made so little sense to me. the fact that he went forward with the interview while Jason clearly needed him was unnecessarily contrived, set up to be a zero-brain-cell move with the sole purpose of spurring drama. also while i know the story’s focus is mainly on Jason, i wish Skylar’s step-dad issues were explored in more depth so the conclusion wasn’t as abrupt and unbelievable.
as for the suspenseful bits, i’m sorry but the psycho villain couldn’t have been more obvious even if you strapped some strobe lights around their torso 😩
adding on the anticlimactic dealing away with a specific character and the lack of a beloved epilogue after their hard-won freedom, say hello to an unsatisfying ending 🥲
but regardless, having read >50% of NJ’s backlist, i know this was a rare outlier so off to the next one i go!
while i’m neutral on teacher/student relationships, i loved the unique premise and the age gap, but i think there was still something missing between the mcs that i can’t quite put my finger on.
i could understand how Jason’s ability to trust was shattered to dust, why he suffered from relentless waves of self-inflicted guilt, and the harmful effects of being the center of crazed media circuses on his sanity—as always, Nicky James’s mental health depiction is on point—but why doesn’t he learn from his mistakes and instead continues to be blind to the glaringly obvious?
i actually liked Skylar for the most part, even with his overly pushy moments (similar to Abel in No Regrets), but ugh i wasn’t a fan of his choice to do what he did toward the end because it made so little sense to me. the fact that he went forward with the interview while Jason clearly needed him was unnecessarily contrived, set up to be a zero-brain-cell move with the sole purpose of spurring drama. also while i know the story’s focus is mainly on Jason, i wish Skylar’s step-dad issues were explored in more depth so the conclusion wasn’t as abrupt and unbelievable.
as for the suspenseful bits, i’m sorry but the psycho villain couldn’t have been more obvious even if you strapped some strobe lights around their torso 😩
adding on the anticlimactic dealing away with a specific character and the lack of a beloved epilogue after their hard-won freedom, say hello to an unsatisfying ending 🥲
but regardless, having read >50% of NJ’s backlist, i know this was a rare outlier so off to the next one i go!
February 8, 2024
I should have known that all I had to do was read one Nicky James book to get my first 4-star read of the year😮💨
February 7, 2021
I knew I had to have The Endless Road to Sunshine after reading a sentence or two of the blurb. Not only was the premise unique, it triggered my spidey senses. It gave me tingly flesh and a racing pulse. My instincts are never wrong about a book, but they woefully underestimated the awesomeness of this story. Listen, there are good books and there are rare gems like this one. The pacing in this hurt/comfort was so beautiful and organic. The scenes played in my mind like a movie I never wanted to end. These characters had such delicious depth to them, and I fell deeper in love each chapter. I’m so grateful Nicky wrote this book. All the stars! I highly recommend.
August 25, 2022
I loved this book so much, I'm jumping right into the audio (with Amy-bookworm247)
February 5, 2021
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
The idea of Jason finding out he was married to a serial killer intrigued me from the start and my interest was high in reading The Endless Road to Sunshine. As the book opens, we get thrown into Jason’s life, as it’s been 18 months since his husband was arrested and he has now been sentenced. Jason’s life is completely destroyed on every level and he has an intense sense of guilt as well regarding the victims, for reasons revealed in the story. He has his close friend, who is also his lawyer. And, while Jason probably shouldn’t have been teaching since he is completely unraveled, he doesn’t know what else to do with himself and is trying to carry on.
James did a great job with creating both Jason and Skylar. The emotional turmoil that Jason is in is well written and Skylar’s world, while not as harsh, is vividly felt as well.
Nicky James’ books are always written about intriguing topics and the depth of emotions she writes into her characters is always worth a look.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
4 stars
The idea of Jason finding out he was married to a serial killer intrigued me from the start and my interest was high in reading The Endless Road to Sunshine. As the book opens, we get thrown into Jason’s life, as it’s been 18 months since his husband was arrested and he has now been sentenced. Jason’s life is completely destroyed on every level and he has an intense sense of guilt as well regarding the victims, for reasons revealed in the story. He has his close friend, who is also his lawyer. And, while Jason probably shouldn’t have been teaching since he is completely unraveled, he doesn’t know what else to do with himself and is trying to carry on.
James did a great job with creating both Jason and Skylar. The emotional turmoil that Jason is in is well written and Skylar’s world, while not as harsh, is vividly felt as well.
Nicky James’ books are always written about intriguing topics and the depth of emotions she writes into her characters is always worth a look.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
February 6, 2021
3.5❣️
What can I say? I had problems connected with Jason? Yes. This man had a very screwed up situation. I was just thinking "man, you're not ready to have Skylar in your life or someone else"
I can't even imagine what it would be like to live in a situation like that, but it would be screwed, Jason has a lot of weight on him and that makes the story heavy from his point of view. On the other hand, did i enjoy reading Skylar? Shit, yeah. Skylar, YOU ARE MY BEST FRIEND IN REAL LIFE. So full of life. His relationship with his friends and his mother were what brought me joy.
As for the twist, well, I saw it coming, although I had trouble taking it seriously and the ending was like "Uh, well, nice..."
Not what I had expected, the story has a lot of anguish and weight, I would say that what makes it lighter was Skylar. Boy I love you.
What can I say? I had problems connected with Jason? Yes. This man had a very screwed up situation. I was just thinking "man, you're not ready to have Skylar in your life or someone else"
I can't even imagine what it would be like to live in a situation like that, but it would be screwed, Jason has a lot of weight on him and that makes the story heavy from his point of view. On the other hand, did i enjoy reading Skylar? Shit, yeah. Skylar, YOU ARE MY BEST FRIEND IN REAL LIFE. So full of life. His relationship with his friends and his mother were what brought me joy.
As for the twist, well, I saw it coming, although I had trouble taking it seriously and the ending was like "Uh, well, nice..."
Not what I had expected, the story has a lot of anguish and weight, I would say that what makes it lighter was Skylar. Boy I love you.
January 28, 2025
I loved this so much! I was hooked from the first page and I love it when that happens.
Jaxon/Jason is a tortured soul drowning under the weight of misplaced guilt and you could feel the stress he was under. I can't even imagine living his circumstances... I really enjoyed the way he started opening up to Skylar but nothing comes easy for him. I also found myself sharing his frustration at his best friends attempts to get him to move on - I could totally see Jason's POV on the matter and I felt like Levi was being way too pushy and didn't really have any understanding of what Jason was actually going through. It added another layer of tension and I actually loved their friendship by the end of the book.
Skylar's energy was the total opposite of Jason's and again, you could feel the cheery personality that he projects to everyone. His self-doubt and low self-esteem were heartbreaking though, and I definitely cried when they had their fight. I also empathised with him over his situation with his adopted dad treating him differently to his half-brother.
I think what was most gripping though was the portrayal of Morgan, Jason's serial killer husband. I honestly got chills every time we encountered him, especially when Sky met him... actual goosebumps! I could never.... although I am intrigued as to what Francis's role was in everything because he was super creepy but we don't get any answers.
I also loved how Jason was so focused on getting Skylar to pay attention to his surroundings because he was oblivious to danger, yet Jason couldn't see what was right in front of him! I wanted to reach into the book and shake him! There were definitely a few plot points that I could see coming a mile off, but it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the story at all.
I did really enjoy the way Jason and Sky reconciled and the drama around it, but I felt like the ending with Morgan was maybe a little bit too convenient? Still thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm curious to know if Maverick and Hunter have a story too.
Jaxon/Jason is a tortured soul drowning under the weight of misplaced guilt and you could feel the stress he was under. I can't even imagine living his circumstances... I really enjoyed the way he started opening up to Skylar but nothing comes easy for him. I also found myself sharing his frustration at his best friends attempts to get him to move on - I could totally see Jason's POV on the matter and I felt like Levi was being way too pushy and didn't really have any understanding of what Jason was actually going through. It added another layer of tension and I actually loved their friendship by the end of the book.
Skylar's energy was the total opposite of Jason's and again, you could feel the cheery personality that he projects to everyone. His self-doubt and low self-esteem were heartbreaking though, and I definitely cried when they had their fight. I also empathised with him over his situation with his adopted dad treating him differently to his half-brother.
I think what was most gripping though was the portrayal of Morgan, Jason's serial killer husband. I honestly got chills every time we encountered him, especially when Sky met him... actual goosebumps! I could never.... although I am intrigued as to what Francis's role was in everything because he was super creepy but we don't get any answers.
I also loved how Jason was so focused on getting Skylar to pay attention to his surroundings because he was oblivious to danger, yet Jason couldn't see what was right in front of him! I wanted to reach into the book and shake him! There were definitely a few plot points that I could see coming a mile off, but it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the story at all.
I did really enjoy the way Jason and Sky reconciled and the drama around it, but I felt like the ending with Morgan was maybe a little bit too convenient? Still thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm curious to know if Maverick and Hunter have a story too.
February 2, 2021
3.75 Stars
Grumpy jerk + ball of sunshine is one of my favorite couple combinations, and in that regard I really enjoyed this book. Skylar was charming and endearing. Jason brought the (understandable) heavy angst. Their relationship progression was slow enough to provide some UST; and once consummated sweet enough to lighten up the heavy tones throughout. I really don’t have complaints about the majority of the book. Both MCs were great, and I liked their friends too. (Hunter and Mav book plz). I don’t want to spoil too much, but let’s just say the drama at the end was (to me) predictable and unnecessary. I honestly wish we’d stayed focused on their relationship and Jason’s mental health journey versus bringing Morgan into the equation at all. Also wish we got an epilogue set further into the future. I wanted to see Jason fully recovered and happy.
If you’re looking for something angsty, steam-lite, sometimes humorous, with a little bit of suspense then this book might work out great for you.
Grumpy jerk + ball of sunshine is one of my favorite couple combinations, and in that regard I really enjoyed this book. Skylar was charming and endearing. Jason brought the (understandable) heavy angst. Their relationship progression was slow enough to provide some UST; and once consummated sweet enough to lighten up the heavy tones throughout. I really don’t have complaints about the majority of the book. Both MCs were great, and I liked their friends too. (Hunter and Mav book plz). I don’t want to spoil too much, but let’s just say the drama at the end was (to me) predictable and unnecessary. I honestly wish we’d stayed focused on their relationship and Jason’s mental health journey versus bringing Morgan into the equation at all. Also wish we got an epilogue set further into the future. I wanted to see Jason fully recovered and happy.
If you’re looking for something angsty, steam-lite, sometimes humorous, with a little bit of suspense then this book might work out great for you.
February 1, 2022
2.5 Stars
A great idea not executed very well.
You will either love or hate Skylar's personality (I found him annoying), Jason understandably doesn't trust anyone due to trauma but it was very OTT and repetitive, the whole bit at the end with Skylar was so poorly written that I could hardly stand to read it. It was so freaking obvious that .
Overall, the writing was really disappointing.
A great idea not executed very well.
You will either love or hate Skylar's personality (I found him annoying), Jason understandably doesn't trust anyone due to trauma but it was very OTT and repetitive, the whole bit at the end with Skylar was so poorly written that I could hardly stand to read it. It was so freaking obvious that .
Overall, the writing was really disappointing.
Read
March 10, 2024I gave it my best shot, but "The Endless Road to Sunshine" didn't quite hit the mark for me.
I'm generally a fan of Nicky James, so my anticipation was high after reading the blurb for this book. The premise seemed intriguing and right up my alley. However, the book didn't live up to my expectations, as it had several issues that relegated it to just an okay read.
In my view, a book needs to excel in three areas: character development, romance development, and quality of writing. Sadly, this book had shortcomings in all these aspects.
Starting with character development, both Jason and Skylar were initially presented as characters with potential for compelling arcs. However, as the story unfolded, their backgrounds remained superficial. We're told about Skylar's difficult adolescence and strained relationship with his "father," but we're never given the depth or context needed to truly understand his past. Similarly, Jason's character is overly defined by his relationship with his serial killer ex-husband, Morgan, missing an opportunity to delve deeper into who he was beyond that. His entire personality became his connection to the Kingston Strangler.
The romance between Jason and Skylar also fell flat. Their relationship seemed to progress too quickly, from strangers to lovers, without meaningful communication or deep connections forming between them. Conversations that could have explored their characters or built a foundation for their romance were instead focused on mundane topics or overshadowed by Jason's past with Morgan. This lack of depth made it hard to believe in their love story. Chemistry alone isn't sufficient; we shouldn't assume that readers will believe in the love between characters simply because the words "I love you" are written on the page. And on another note, to be honest, the spice was just ok, nothing to write home about...
The writing itself contributed to these issues. The story suffered from repetition, predictability, and an overuse of foreshadowing that removed any sense of mystery. Like, I knew exactly who the villain was the minute he was introduced. It was so obvious and lacked subtlety. Additionally, unnecessary descriptions, such as the extensive detailing of renovations to a side character's house, cluttered the story without adding value.
Additionally, the portrayal of Jason bothered me; his behavior did not align with that of a mature 43-year-old man, as he frequently threw tantrums and exhibited other childish behavior. Plus, he frequently expressed how untrusting and suspicious he was of others, yet this contradicted his actions, as he failed to perceive the obvious events unfolding before him.
Furthermore, the narrative relied heavily on cop-outs, with frequent instances of "something told me" being used as a substitute for thoughtful character actions or proper narrative development. The plot also used a contrived third act breakup to push the story forward without a genuine need for this to occur. It was basically a half-hearted argument that clearly didn't necessitate a breakup. However, it seemed the author was intent on steering the story in this direction, forcing the breakup to occur regardless of its implausibility.
Lastly, and most problematic, was the issue of telling rather than showing. We were repeatedly informed of Skylar's eccentricity and how he considered himself an "odd duck." However, simply stating these traits isn't sufficient. Demonstrating his eccentricity through actions that go beyond mere surface-level quirks—like his excessive talking, his love for music, or that he shakes his hips and shuffles his feet to the beat—was needed. It just read as very shallow.
Despite these criticisms, I continued reading, driven more by a desire to see how the story concluded rather than enjoyment. The ending, while neat, felt too convenient and anticlimactic. My hope was to be captivated by the story and not want it to end, but instead, I was bingeing so that I could get it over with.
With more nuanced writing and better plotting, this book could have been much more compelling. As it stands, it's a 3-star read for me.
I'm generally a fan of Nicky James, so my anticipation was high after reading the blurb for this book. The premise seemed intriguing and right up my alley. However, the book didn't live up to my expectations, as it had several issues that relegated it to just an okay read.
In my view, a book needs to excel in three areas: character development, romance development, and quality of writing. Sadly, this book had shortcomings in all these aspects.
Starting with character development, both Jason and Skylar were initially presented as characters with potential for compelling arcs. However, as the story unfolded, their backgrounds remained superficial. We're told about Skylar's difficult adolescence and strained relationship with his "father," but we're never given the depth or context needed to truly understand his past. Similarly, Jason's character is overly defined by his relationship with his serial killer ex-husband, Morgan, missing an opportunity to delve deeper into who he was beyond that. His entire personality became his connection to the Kingston Strangler.
The romance between Jason and Skylar also fell flat. Their relationship seemed to progress too quickly, from strangers to lovers, without meaningful communication or deep connections forming between them. Conversations that could have explored their characters or built a foundation for their romance were instead focused on mundane topics or overshadowed by Jason's past with Morgan. This lack of depth made it hard to believe in their love story. Chemistry alone isn't sufficient; we shouldn't assume that readers will believe in the love between characters simply because the words "I love you" are written on the page. And on another note, to be honest, the spice was just ok, nothing to write home about...
The writing itself contributed to these issues. The story suffered from repetition, predictability, and an overuse of foreshadowing that removed any sense of mystery. Like, I knew exactly who the villain was the minute he was introduced. It was so obvious and lacked subtlety. Additionally, unnecessary descriptions, such as the extensive detailing of renovations to a side character's house, cluttered the story without adding value.
Additionally, the portrayal of Jason bothered me; his behavior did not align with that of a mature 43-year-old man, as he frequently threw tantrums and exhibited other childish behavior. Plus, he frequently expressed how untrusting and suspicious he was of others, yet this contradicted his actions, as he failed to perceive the obvious events unfolding before him.
Furthermore, the narrative relied heavily on cop-outs, with frequent instances of "something told me" being used as a substitute for thoughtful character actions or proper narrative development. The plot also used a contrived third act breakup to push the story forward without a genuine need for this to occur. It was basically a half-hearted argument that clearly didn't necessitate a breakup. However, it seemed the author was intent on steering the story in this direction, forcing the breakup to occur regardless of its implausibility.
Lastly, and most problematic, was the issue of telling rather than showing. We were repeatedly informed of Skylar's eccentricity and how he considered himself an "odd duck." However, simply stating these traits isn't sufficient. Demonstrating his eccentricity through actions that go beyond mere surface-level quirks—like his excessive talking, his love for music, or that he shakes his hips and shuffles his feet to the beat—was needed. It just read as very shallow.
Despite these criticisms, I continued reading, driven more by a desire to see how the story concluded rather than enjoyment. The ending, while neat, felt too convenient and anticlimactic. My hope was to be captivated by the story and not want it to end, but instead, I was bingeing so that I could get it over with.
With more nuanced writing and better plotting, this book could have been much more compelling. As it stands, it's a 3-star read for me.
April 23, 2021
First I was hesitant to give this one a try because so many of my gr-friends did not rate it very high.
I thought the story was good. In the beginning I thought that I knew where this was heading, but I was surprised by some turning points.
The characters are not always coherent but sympathetic. Jason struggles through the trauma of his life being taken away. Skylar is fighting his own battles.
I thought the story was good. In the beginning I thought that I knew where this was heading, but I was surprised by some turning points.
The characters are not always coherent but sympathetic. Jason struggles through the trauma of his life being taken away. Skylar is fighting his own battles.
February 26, 2021
❤️
Eh bien, ce n'était pas ce à quoi je m'attendais en fait ^^
Dans ce roman, nous faisons la connaissance de Jason Atkinson. Dès le départ, et même grâce à la phrase d’accroche du résumé, nous savons que son mari a été arrêté pour meurtre. Depuis, il tente de se reconstruire, de s'éloigner de tout ça et de ne plus être juste le « mari du tueur en série ». Il débarque dans une nouvelle ville, démarre un nouveau job dans une autre université et change son nom. Sur place, il fait la connaissance d'un étudiant, Skylar Dawson, qui va changer son quotidien... mais encore faut-il que Jason le laisse faire...
J'aime bien les romances prof-étudiant, ce petit côté interdit et tout ce qui va avec. Ici, on est en plein dedans mais alors, je ne m'attendais pas à lire cette histoire.
Déjà, grâce à la première phrase du résumé, on sait dans quoi on met les pieds et j'ai envie de dire que ce petit détail n'est pas là que pour planter le décor.
Jason est un homme brisé, blessé, trahi par l'homme qu'il pensait être celui de sa vie. Morgan était son monde, son univers... Ce même univers s'est effondré lors de son arrestation et qu'il a découvert le véritable visage de Morgan. Pire que ça, il s'en veut aussi, de ne pas avoir su, de ne pas avoir repéré des signes... Il porte tout le poids de cette culpabilité sur ses épaules. On ressent ça en fait tout le long du récit. Je me suis tellement attachée à cet homme qui survit, ne dort plus et mange à peine.
Son monde va s'éclaircir grâce à une toute petite lumière au début, et cette lumière porte le nom de Skylar ! Mais j'ai tellement mais tellement aimé ce personnage ! Skylar est un feu d'artifice, c'est quelqu'un qui porte la joie de vivre sur son visage et pourtant...
La façon qu'il va avoir de parler, d'interagir avec son professeur sans le bousculer. Il va comprendre rapidement que le côté torturé et triste de Jason n'est pas qu'une façade et va vouloir être présent pour lui, peu importe comment. Le contraste entre les deux personnages est d'ailleurs bien réalisé, et j'ai aimé la façon dont justement Skylar explique à Jason ce par quoi il est passé, même si leurs expériences ne sont pas comparables, ce qui permet d'atténuer leurs différences aussi...
Skylar, c'est un peu monde petit coup de cœur pour cette histoire. J'ai juste adoré ce personnage, j'ai tout aimé de lui... Sa façon de rire, de parler, qui je pense, doit en agacer plus d'un.
Concernant l'intrigue de fond, je trouve tout de même qu'il y a pas mal de facilités.
Nicky James nous offre aussi des personnages secondaires plutôt bien travaillés aussi. Même s'il est détestable, Morgan apparaît comme un manipulateur sociopathe très dangereux, il faisait froid dans le dos. Mention spéciale aussi aux meilleurs amis de Skylar, Hunter et Maverick, très drôles mais aussi celui de Jason, Levi, toujours là pour lui, à n'importe quelle heure du jour et de la nuit ^^. D'ailleurs, Niky James nous offre une courte nouvelle sur Hunter et Maverick, ahlala ce que j'aimerais un roman sur ces deux-là ^^
J'ai vraiment bien aimé ce roman, j'ai craqué sur les personnages, en particulier Skylar ! D'ailleurs, j'aurais aimé un épilogue un peu plus long... ahlala...
Eh bien, ce n'était pas ce à quoi je m'attendais en fait ^^
Dans ce roman, nous faisons la connaissance de Jason Atkinson. Dès le départ, et même grâce à la phrase d’accroche du résumé, nous savons que son mari a été arrêté pour meurtre. Depuis, il tente de se reconstruire, de s'éloigner de tout ça et de ne plus être juste le « mari du tueur en série ». Il débarque dans une nouvelle ville, démarre un nouveau job dans une autre université et change son nom. Sur place, il fait la connaissance d'un étudiant, Skylar Dawson, qui va changer son quotidien... mais encore faut-il que Jason le laisse faire...
J'aime bien les romances prof-étudiant, ce petit côté interdit et tout ce qui va avec. Ici, on est en plein dedans mais alors, je ne m'attendais pas à lire cette histoire.
Déjà, grâce à la première phrase du résumé, on sait dans quoi on met les pieds et j'ai envie de dire que ce petit détail n'est pas là que pour planter le décor.
Jason est un homme brisé, blessé, trahi par l'homme qu'il pensait être celui de sa vie. Morgan était son monde, son univers... Ce même univers s'est effondré lors de son arrestation et qu'il a découvert le véritable visage de Morgan. Pire que ça, il s'en veut aussi, de ne pas avoir su, de ne pas avoir repéré des signes... Il porte tout le poids de cette culpabilité sur ses épaules. On ressent ça en fait tout le long du récit. Je me suis tellement attachée à cet homme qui survit, ne dort plus et mange à peine.
Son monde va s'éclaircir grâce à une toute petite lumière au début, et cette lumière porte le nom de Skylar ! Mais j'ai tellement mais tellement aimé ce personnage ! Skylar est un feu d'artifice, c'est quelqu'un qui porte la joie de vivre sur son visage et pourtant...
La façon qu'il va avoir de parler, d'interagir avec son professeur sans le bousculer. Il va comprendre rapidement que le côté torturé et triste de Jason n'est pas qu'une façade et va vouloir être présent pour lui, peu importe comment. Le contraste entre les deux personnages est d'ailleurs bien réalisé, et j'ai aimé la façon dont justement Skylar explique à Jason ce par quoi il est passé, même si leurs expériences ne sont pas comparables, ce qui permet d'atténuer leurs différences aussi...
Skylar, c'est un peu monde petit coup de cœur pour cette histoire. J'ai juste adoré ce personnage, j'ai tout aimé de lui... Sa façon de rire, de parler, qui je pense, doit en agacer plus d'un.
Concernant l'intrigue de fond, je trouve tout de même qu'il y a pas mal de facilités.
Nicky James nous offre aussi des personnages secondaires plutôt bien travaillés aussi. Même s'il est détestable, Morgan apparaît comme un manipulateur sociopathe très dangereux, il faisait froid dans le dos. Mention spéciale aussi aux meilleurs amis de Skylar, Hunter et Maverick, très drôles mais aussi celui de Jason, Levi, toujours là pour lui, à n'importe quelle heure du jour et de la nuit ^^. D'ailleurs, Niky James nous offre une courte nouvelle sur Hunter et Maverick, ahlala ce que j'aimerais un roman sur ces deux-là ^^
J'ai vraiment bien aimé ce roman, j'ai craqué sur les personnages, en particulier Skylar ! D'ailleurs, j'aurais aimé un épilogue un peu plus long... ahlala...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews