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After years of abuse for being different, Isa finally escaped his family by going to college. Or at least he thought he had until he realized even moving to another state wasn’t enough to leave them behind.
Ultra-conservative, harsh, and extremely controlling, they were determined to force him to conform to their ideals. Even in public, he couldn’t escape their fundamentalist views, and they sought to end his private life. So, who was the silent giant who swept in and rescued Isa from being attacked by his sister? And why did he like to carry Isa around like his own, personal stuffed toy?
Briar’s fascination with Isa was unusual, but so was the way their very souls seemed to communicate. The connection between them is so consuming, the pair are caught unaware when a meddling fairy decides to release a previously unknown spell binding Briar - causing unforeseeable -but fascinating - consequences.
For a moment, Isa thought he had it all. Those few days of peace inspired the kind of hope he’d never allowed himself to hold on to, but with the return of his family, they could very well cost him the rest of his life.
This standalone, 18+, MM romance contains:
-Size difference
-Obsessive/possessive MC
-Hesitant but super into it MC
-Positive representation of autism!
-Manhandling
-Public claiming
Ultra-conservative, harsh, and extremely controlling, they were determined to force him to conform to their ideals. Even in public, he couldn’t escape their fundamentalist views, and they sought to end his private life. So, who was the silent giant who swept in and rescued Isa from being attacked by his sister? And why did he like to carry Isa around like his own, personal stuffed toy?
Briar’s fascination with Isa was unusual, but so was the way their very souls seemed to communicate. The connection between them is so consuming, the pair are caught unaware when a meddling fairy decides to release a previously unknown spell binding Briar - causing unforeseeable -but fascinating - consequences.
For a moment, Isa thought he had it all. Those few days of peace inspired the kind of hope he’d never allowed himself to hold on to, but with the return of his family, they could very well cost him the rest of his life.
This standalone, 18+, MM romance contains:
-Size difference
-Obsessive/possessive MC
-Hesitant but super into it MC
-Positive representation of autism!
-Manhandling
-Public claiming
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 26, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
May 27, 2024
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
“You love . . . me?” Briar’s eyes blazed. “I think I do. If this is what love feels like. Wanting you safe. Happy. Here.” Briar’s hands tightened on Isa’s arms. “Always here. Never hurt. Never scared.”
I have now read/listened to this book four times and I thought for sure I had already reviewed it, but apparently not. I really, really love this book so much. There’s something really magical about it. It’s hot, the MCs have great chemistry, it’s got some past and present trauma, autism rep, hot spicy scenes, you name it. This was also my first ever Zile Elliven book, and his writing is just thoroughly enjoyable. I’m never bored while reading a Zile book, and the characters are the most lovable lil dudes.
“Um. Are you kidnapping me? Because I have a test tomorrow.” “Not kidnapping,” Briar started the engine and pulled away from the curb. “Relocating.”
I definitely recommend it if the tropes sound fun and you’re good with the content warnings. More people should read it. Oh, and Zachary Zaba did a great job with the audiobook.
Briar reached for the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head, and Isa could have sworn a choir of naughty angels burst into song.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
College
Past trauma
Autistic MC
Selective mutism
Size difference
Possessive and protective
Artist MC
Paranormal elements
Virgin MC
Love bites
Public claiming
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Religious trauma
Verbally and physically abusive family members (on and off page, past and present)
Explicit sexual content
MC held captive by family (on page)
MC beaten and injured by family (on page)
PTSD symptoms from abuse
Homophobic family
On-page situation of sensory overload (synaesthesia)
Use of homophobic slur
Penetration with minimal prep and no lube
MC threatened with psychiatric hospitalization (past)
MC blackmailed
Controlled and gaslit by family
Mild exhibitionism
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance w/PNR elements
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 18/19 and 20
Series: Interconnectd standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 308
Happy ending: Yes
By the time the sun came up, Briar was lying on the floor with a notepad on his face, listening to birds greeting each other. Cheerful little bastards.
If Isa had been a popsicle, he would have melted into a puddle on the floor. As it was, he was finding it very difficult to not sway forward and burrow into Briar like he was Isa’s personal teddy bear. He needed to get a handle on himself ASAP.
He'd tried to talk to Briar about it, tried to explain that he really wasn’t available for dating, but there was a problem with that. Every time Isa talked to Briar, Briar would talk back. And every time Isa heard Briar’s deep, sultry voice, his brain cut off and his libido kicked into overdrive.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
“You love . . . me?” Briar’s eyes blazed. “I think I do. If this is what love feels like. Wanting you safe. Happy. Here.” Briar’s hands tightened on Isa’s arms. “Always here. Never hurt. Never scared.”
I have now read/listened to this book four times and I thought for sure I had already reviewed it, but apparently not. I really, really love this book so much. There’s something really magical about it. It’s hot, the MCs have great chemistry, it’s got some past and present trauma, autism rep, hot spicy scenes, you name it. This was also my first ever Zile Elliven book, and his writing is just thoroughly enjoyable. I’m never bored while reading a Zile book, and the characters are the most lovable lil dudes.
“Um. Are you kidnapping me? Because I have a test tomorrow.” “Not kidnapping,” Briar started the engine and pulled away from the curb. “Relocating.”
I definitely recommend it if the tropes sound fun and you’re good with the content warnings. More people should read it. Oh, and Zachary Zaba did a great job with the audiobook.
Briar reached for the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head, and Isa could have sworn a choir of naughty angels burst into song.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
College
Past trauma
Autistic MC
Selective mutism
Size difference
Possessive and protective
Artist MC
Paranormal elements
Virgin MC
Love bites
Public claiming
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Religious trauma
Verbally and physically abusive family members (on and off page, past and present)
Explicit sexual content
MC held captive by family (on page)
MC beaten and injured by family (on page)
PTSD symptoms from abuse
Homophobic family
On-page situation of sensory overload (synaesthesia)
Use of homophobic slur
Penetration with minimal prep and no lube
MC threatened with psychiatric hospitalization (past)
MC blackmailed
Controlled and gaslit by family
Mild exhibitionism
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance w/PNR elements
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 18/19 and 20
Series: Interconnectd standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 308
Happy ending: Yes
By the time the sun came up, Briar was lying on the floor with a notepad on his face, listening to birds greeting each other. Cheerful little bastards.
If Isa had been a popsicle, he would have melted into a puddle on the floor. As it was, he was finding it very difficult to not sway forward and burrow into Briar like he was Isa’s personal teddy bear. He needed to get a handle on himself ASAP.
He'd tried to talk to Briar about it, tried to explain that he really wasn’t available for dating, but there was a problem with that. Every time Isa talked to Briar, Briar would talk back. And every time Isa heard Briar’s deep, sultry voice, his brain cut off and his libido kicked into overdrive.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
February 8, 2023
This series is so frustrating! The descriptions of each story sound really intriguing, but then you read them and nothing is explained so nothing makes sense.
There's now a new magical element to explain the bonded minds, but again there's no world building or explanation given to the magic apart from a couple of vague sentences. Tell me about the Fae, how their magic works etc. 😤
It's hard to be invested in the characters or their story when there's no real information for what enchantment they have, why they have it, or even how it works.
Isa's family and the whole behaviour and plot surrounding them at the end was just odd. It was just more trauma and drama for the sake of it and just made me dislike Isa for what he decided to do, knowing how distressing that would be for Briar.
I just didn't buy the connection between them when Isa was doing so much to push him away - this time it really felt like the relationship was only in existence on Isa's part because of the magic, and without that binding they never would have been together, but Briar was in it regardless.
Disappointing and frustrating!
There's now a new magical element to explain the bonded minds, but again there's no world building or explanation given to the magic apart from a couple of vague sentences. Tell me about the Fae, how their magic works etc. 😤
It's hard to be invested in the characters or their story when there's no real information for what enchantment they have, why they have it, or even how it works.
Isa's family and the whole behaviour and plot surrounding them at the end was just odd. It was just more trauma and drama for the sake of it and just made me dislike Isa for what he decided to do, knowing how distressing that would be for Briar.
I just didn't buy the connection between them when Isa was doing so much to push him away - this time it really felt like the relationship was only in existence on Isa's part because of the magic, and without that binding they never would have been together, but Briar was in it regardless.
Disappointing and frustrating!
June 14, 2026
Reread December 2024
Perfect as usual!
Reread June 2023
I still love this series so much. I love the relationships.
Reread June 2022
I enjoyed this so much more this time for some reason so I'm bumping up my rating. I love Isa and Briar almost as much as Eli and Haruka.
Originally read December 2021
I was so excited when I realized Zile was writing another book. Psync was one of my top reads for 2021.
While I enjoyed Quiet, there was just a little something that was missing for me. I can't put my finger on it. I loved both Isa and Briar a lot, and I loved them together. Briar was the possessive, obsessive MC I absolutely adore. I can't get enough of books like that. But just something about the story as a whole didn't keep me enthralled the way Psync did.
Don't let my review stop anyone from reading it, though. It was still very, very good and I can't wait for the next one.
Perfect as usual!
Reread June 2023
I still love this series so much. I love the relationships.
Reread June 2022
I enjoyed this so much more this time for some reason so I'm bumping up my rating. I love Isa and Briar almost as much as Eli and Haruka.
Originally read December 2021
I was so excited when I realized Zile was writing another book. Psync was one of my top reads for 2021.
While I enjoyed Quiet, there was just a little something that was missing for me. I can't put my finger on it. I loved both Isa and Briar a lot, and I loved them together. Briar was the possessive, obsessive MC I absolutely adore. I can't get enough of books like that. But just something about the story as a whole didn't keep me enthralled the way Psync did.
Don't let my review stop anyone from reading it, though. It was still very, very good and I can't wait for the next one.
February 17, 2022
3.75/5.
Quiet by Zile Elliven was a long-awaited second book in the Enchanted University series, this time featuring two soulmates drawn together through the magic of fae, and despite difficulties along the way, overcome the barriers keeping them apart to find their happily ever after.
For one, this is an OwnVoices book in which Briar is autistic, and so is the author. I, too, am an autistic reader and I did enjoy the depiction of Briar's autism. For one, we often do not see autistic characters are dominant or the ones to instigate their sexual or romantic desires, as there is a media infantilization of autistic people. However, Briar is clear in his want for Isa and that does not change. The descriptions of his synthesia and overstimulation were well-handled, and I enjoy how small parts of being autistic (good and bad, depending how the world accommodates for you) were mentioned casually as just part of the story. A big part of his autism is that he is often nonverbal, and while this changes with some people (including Isa), it is still shown that he will struggle with words. I do understand why Elliven chose to make it that he could talk to Isa , but I do struggle a bit with how I feel about that outcome. On the one hand it leans into the paranormal, soulmate aspect of it, and on another it is almost like a 'fix' to make their relationship smoother.
Isa's struggles have to do with PTSD and the trauma of his religious, conservative family. His father is a Reverend and there is the looming threat of the physical and mental abuse he had to endure and does endure within the book. Elliven often writes in a rather dramatic, OTT way - and I don't dislike it at all. I know that is the tone to expect in their writing, but if you aren't expecting it, it might catch you off guard. For example, the . If you're looking for some of that content to be held in realism and in-depth complexity, this is not the book for it.
Another issue that came up in the book for me is while the way fae magic was described and the poetic passages around it was awesome, I had a lot of confusion of how it actually worked and what all was occurring. This also did not continue the paranormal thread within Psync, which had more to do with soul-halves and ancient gods. I know that Haruka and Eli will be getting a sequel so I imagine it will be explained more, but I honestly expected this to continue that paranormal thread instead of going in a different direction completely. I think Elliven has really interesting paranormal ideas but struggles to manifest them. Here there was more on-page time with it, so I have hope in that the author will continue to improve on that aspect.
Writing wise, Elliven pulls in a lot of my favorite tropes: gentle giant, possessive, soulmates, size difference, swoony writing. There were no big editing errors as far as I could tell, and the pacing was well done. If you liked Psync then I definitely think you will like this book! I can't wait to read more in this series.
"When Isa’s mouth touched Briar’s lips, it was magic. It was the sweetest song, the hottest fire, the brightest star pouring from Isa to Briar. It was all he could do to not get swept away. He was only vaguely aware of the ground under his knees, his hand on Briar’s jaw, a faint gasp of wonder from one of them—or both. The only thing that mattered was their connection."
Quiet by Zile Elliven was a long-awaited second book in the Enchanted University series, this time featuring two soulmates drawn together through the magic of fae, and despite difficulties along the way, overcome the barriers keeping them apart to find their happily ever after.
For one, this is an OwnVoices book in which Briar is autistic, and so is the author. I, too, am an autistic reader and I did enjoy the depiction of Briar's autism. For one, we often do not see autistic characters are dominant or the ones to instigate their sexual or romantic desires, as there is a media infantilization of autistic people. However, Briar is clear in his want for Isa and that does not change. The descriptions of his synthesia and overstimulation were well-handled, and I enjoy how small parts of being autistic (good and bad, depending how the world accommodates for you) were mentioned casually as just part of the story. A big part of his autism is that he is often nonverbal, and while this changes with some people (including Isa), it is still shown that he will struggle with words. I do understand why Elliven chose to make it that he could talk to Isa , but I do struggle a bit with how I feel about that outcome. On the one hand it leans into the paranormal, soulmate aspect of it, and on another it is almost like a 'fix' to make their relationship smoother.
Isa's struggles have to do with PTSD and the trauma of his religious, conservative family. His father is a Reverend and there is the looming threat of the physical and mental abuse he had to endure and does endure within the book. Elliven often writes in a rather dramatic, OTT way - and I don't dislike it at all. I know that is the tone to expect in their writing, but if you aren't expecting it, it might catch you off guard. For example, the . If you're looking for some of that content to be held in realism and in-depth complexity, this is not the book for it.
Another issue that came up in the book for me is while the way fae magic was described and the poetic passages around it was awesome, I had a lot of confusion of how it actually worked and what all was occurring. This also did not continue the paranormal thread within Psync, which had more to do with soul-halves and ancient gods. I know that Haruka and Eli will be getting a sequel so I imagine it will be explained more, but I honestly expected this to continue that paranormal thread instead of going in a different direction completely. I think Elliven has really interesting paranormal ideas but struggles to manifest them. Here there was more on-page time with it, so I have hope in that the author will continue to improve on that aspect.
Writing wise, Elliven pulls in a lot of my favorite tropes: gentle giant, possessive, soulmates, size difference, swoony writing. There were no big editing errors as far as I could tell, and the pacing was well done. If you liked Psync then I definitely think you will like this book! I can't wait to read more in this series.
May 31, 2022
*clears throat*
what the fuck.
this is one of the most wonderful romances i’ve ever read trapped in of the worst books.
romance wise, this is amazing. isa and briar are perfect together, their love story is beautiful and their characters are perfect, both together and alone.
this is a five star book up until the 50% mark.
after that this becomes an example of what a romance novel should NOT be.
first of all, in the blurb is not said, in any way, that this is a paranormal book. and it starts normal so you have no way to understand that there is magic here. when that fae showed up i honestly thought it was just a guy on drugs.
the magic sistem is ridiculous, not explained and so bland it made my head hurt.
it was terrible to read. it didn’t make any sense and it’s only purpose was to ruin a perfect book.
i honestly had trouble to rate this. if i think about the romance this is a five stars book. if i think about the paranormal thing this is a ZERO star book, so one star because that’s the minimum.
unfortunately, i can’t ignore the total disaster of this magic thing, so one star it is.
then i gave one extra star for the wonderful romance that was so brutally destroyed by that nonsense.
what the fuck.
this is one of the most wonderful romances i’ve ever read trapped in of the worst books.
romance wise, this is amazing. isa and briar are perfect together, their love story is beautiful and their characters are perfect, both together and alone.
this is a five star book up until the 50% mark.
after that this becomes an example of what a romance novel should NOT be.
first of all, in the blurb is not said, in any way, that this is a paranormal book. and it starts normal so you have no way to understand that there is magic here. when that fae showed up i honestly thought it was just a guy on drugs.
the magic sistem is ridiculous, not explained and so bland it made my head hurt.
it was terrible to read. it didn’t make any sense and it’s only purpose was to ruin a perfect book.
i honestly had trouble to rate this. if i think about the romance this is a five stars book. if i think about the paranormal thing this is a ZERO star book, so one star because that’s the minimum.
unfortunately, i can’t ignore the total disaster of this magic thing, so one star it is.
then i gave one extra star for the wonderful romance that was so brutally destroyed by that nonsense.
May 6, 2022
3.5-4 stars
I enjoyed this way more than book one. And this to me can be read as a standalone, yes Eli and Haruka make an appearance but you don’t need to know them to read this book.
I hope Cedar has a book 😉
I enjoyed this way more than book one. And this to me can be read as a standalone, yes Eli and Haruka make an appearance but you don’t need to know them to read this book.
I hope Cedar has a book 😉
March 23, 2022
3.5/5 ⭐️
2/5 🌶
Guh Isa was so damn cute. Eli and Haruka are still at the top of couples for me, but Briar and Isa were so adorable together. I mean, give me size difference, possessive MC's any day and I will love it. But beyond that, I love seeing where this series is going. I need more NOW.
2/5 🌶
Guh Isa was so damn cute. Eli and Haruka are still at the top of couples for me, but Briar and Isa were so adorable together. I mean, give me size difference, possessive MC's any day and I will love it. But beyond that, I love seeing where this series is going. I need more NOW.
November 17, 2025
Fantastic
I loved this even more than the first one. If you love big possessive guys taking care of tiny hurt ones, this is the book for you. The side characters are fantastic, too! This will be a reread for sure.
I loved this even more than the first one. If you love big possessive guys taking care of tiny hurt ones, this is the book for you. The side characters are fantastic, too! This will be a reread for sure.
January 15, 2022
I read this primarily because it features an autistic MC and is written by an autistic author, and I go out of my way to read those. I really liked how autism was portrayed here, especially his difficulty with spoken communication and reliance on ASL, as well as the positives and negatives of his tendency to hyperfocus. I had trouble connecting either MC, though; the story was more instalove than I usually care for, and the plot felt very teen-soap-opera at times. I skimmed the last 40% because the story was meandering and it wasn’t clear what the conflict or stakes were at times. Not a bad book, but it just wasn’t for me.
March 18, 2023
The first part of the book was all kinds of sweet and cute with a very good depiction of autistic MC. Then something happened and the second part of the book turned into an absolute circus. Why do authors put so much irrelevant humor into situations that do not need it. *sigh* I had to skip read the last 25% of the book because it was becoming absolutely ridiculous. It was like two different people wrote parts of this story. I am on the fence about reading more from this author.
January 1, 2022
3.5/5 ⭐️
May 20, 2022
Just as fun as the first one, and a bit tighter if a read, too. I did like the first book a bit better though.
These books are silly and a complete blast to read. Sometimes I’m a bit confused but still loving it. Isa is painfully cute and Briar is so possessive, it’s a great read.
I really enjoy the way the author writes, but I do feel bad for poor little virgin buttholes in this book. Spit is not lube 😳
Lastly, the supernatural/paranormal vibes are very mild, but I’m not sure they’re intended to be. It’s like there are great ideas in the author’s mind but they struggle to get them out on paper.
These books are silly and a complete blast to read. Sometimes I’m a bit confused but still loving it. Isa is painfully cute and Briar is so possessive, it’s a great read.
I really enjoy the way the author writes, but I do feel bad for poor little virgin buttholes in this book. Spit is not lube 😳
Lastly, the supernatural/paranormal vibes are very mild, but I’m not sure they’re intended to be. It’s like there are great ideas in the author’s mind but they struggle to get them out on paper.
February 23, 2022
So, the duck was cute.
Obsession? Fated mates? Love
spells? Not my genre.
Obsession? Fated mates? Love
spells? Not my genre.
April 3, 2024
Dnf 80%. Die erste Hälfte des Buches war vielversprechend und wirklich gut geschrieben. Im Gegensatz zu anderen Rezensenten hatte ich aufgrund der Tags und Bewertungen mitbekommen, dass es wie ein Contemporary-Buch anfängt und später Fantasy dazukommt. Das wäre für mich kein Problem gewesen, weil ich auch gerne Fantasy lese.
Aber nach den ersten 50% war plötzlich der rote Faden einfach weg. Es wurde unglaublich viel angerissen, aber wenig davon konsequent verfolgt. Es war irgendwie...wie nicht zu Ende gedacht. Außerdem haben sich die Charaktere im späteren Handlungsverlauf teilweise merkwürdig und inkonsistent verhalten.
Sehr schade, weil mir der Anfang wirklich gut gefallen hat. Vermutlich wäre es besser gewesen, wenn die Autorin nicht so viele Probleme auf einmal in einer Story hätte unterbringen wollen.
Aber nach den ersten 50% war plötzlich der rote Faden einfach weg. Es wurde unglaublich viel angerissen, aber wenig davon konsequent verfolgt. Es war irgendwie...wie nicht zu Ende gedacht. Außerdem haben sich die Charaktere im späteren Handlungsverlauf teilweise merkwürdig und inkonsistent verhalten.
Sehr schade, weil mir der Anfang wirklich gut gefallen hat. Vermutlich wäre es besser gewesen, wenn die Autorin nicht so viele Probleme auf einmal in einer Story hätte unterbringen wollen.
January 22, 2022
I am so in love with this world and I'm living for the big protective brutes and the boys they adore. I can't wait to see more!
February 18, 2022
Tags: paranormal, homophobic religious family, autistic MC, college, theater and art
I’m really torn how I feel about the book! On one hand I loved some parts - the caretaking, the “relocating”, Isa and Briar both exploring their sexuality together.
I also felt like the plot was a bit scattered. There were a lot of things going on, and also a lot of side characters that (other than Will) didn’t get fleshed out much. The paranormal parts felt like side plot.
Overall I enjoyed the book and would read more in the series, but didn’t like this one quite as much as Psync.
I’m really torn how I feel about the book! On one hand I loved some parts - the caretaking, the “relocating”, Isa and Briar both exploring their sexuality together.
I also felt like the plot was a bit scattered. There were a lot of things going on, and also a lot of side characters that (other than Will) didn’t get fleshed out much. The paranormal parts felt like side plot.
Overall I enjoyed the book and would read more in the series, but didn’t like this one quite as much as Psync.
January 6, 2022
If it's not on your TBR, it needs to be!!
Isa and Briar are stunning characters. Briar has autism and it was represented perfectly. Isa is struggling to get away from his abusive family & the hurt and trauma is there and not glossed over. The slow burn & Briar's struggle not to go too obsessive was 100% believable and such a valid struggle for his type of character. Both men were possible and protective in the best possible way.
The writing here is....prose. It's beautiful. It's poetry. Not often does a single book give me goosebumps, make me sob, and make me laugh out loud. Quiet did it.
Favorite line:
"What he meant to say was, I don’t want to pretend it didn’t happen. I want this. What he actually said was, 'Briar, I want you to bang me like a screen door in a hurricane.' "
Y'all I SNORTED and almost got busted for reading at work. I may or may not be planning to use that line on my husband tonight.
Overall: 5 stars and the perfect birthday read.
Add it to your TBR right flipping now, y'all! I'm off to read the first in the series.
Isa and Briar are stunning characters. Briar has autism and it was represented perfectly. Isa is struggling to get away from his abusive family & the hurt and trauma is there and not glossed over. The slow burn & Briar's struggle not to go too obsessive was 100% believable and such a valid struggle for his type of character. Both men were possible and protective in the best possible way.
The writing here is....prose. It's beautiful. It's poetry. Not often does a single book give me goosebumps, make me sob, and make me laugh out loud. Quiet did it.
Favorite line:
"What he meant to say was, I don’t want to pretend it didn’t happen. I want this. What he actually said was, 'Briar, I want you to bang me like a screen door in a hurricane.' "
Y'all I SNORTED and almost got busted for reading at work. I may or may not be planning to use that line on my husband tonight.
Overall: 5 stars and the perfect birthday read.
Add it to your TBR right flipping now, y'all! I'm off to read the first in the series.
December 28, 2021
I really wanted to like this more. It was going smoothly for the first 50%. It held my attention even though I thought it was strange that they didn't really question their mental link. I mean they did but not strongly. I would've if I was them. But I pushed that aside and continued on expecting it to be explained. Then suddenly some strange fae pops into the story and it seemed so out of place. It did start the ball rolling on that explanation but still it was awkward. After that a lot happened fast then the story was over. I feel like there were missed opportunities of some directions certain parts could've gone in. Or characters that could've been used more but weren't like the strange fae dude.
January 30, 2022
A great character development for the mc and a possessive cute boyfriend it couldn't get any better..oh yeah and I love how Isa handle briar autism and Brian's mom and aunt so supportive of him and Fuck Isa's family except his uncle
Also I love the message from Isa's Pov and even tho the plot was all over the place for my brain to comprehend it was still good, some questions still left unanswered probably a set up for the next book on this series yeah it Is a set, overall it's a cute story between the two mc.
Also I love the message from Isa's Pov and even tho the plot was all over the place for my brain to comprehend it was still good, some questions still left unanswered probably a set up for the next book on this series yeah it Is a set, overall it's a cute story between the two mc.
January 4, 2024
4.5/5 stars ⭐️
Briar is autistic and with that comes complications but Isa never tries to change/“fix” him just wants to comfort him. Isa is Briar’s muse, he’s absolutely obsessed with him
Isa is a more complicated character bc of his home life and past trauma. But that doesn’t stop him from being an absolute sweetheart and loving MC.
They have a magical connection with each other that gets explained through the book.
Steam-2.8-3/5
Tw-threats of hospitalization, religious trauma, abuse.
Briar is autistic and with that comes complications but Isa never tries to change/“fix” him just wants to comfort him. Isa is Briar’s muse, he’s absolutely obsessed with him
Isa is a more complicated character bc of his home life and past trauma. But that doesn’t stop him from being an absolute sweetheart and loving MC.
They have a magical connection with each other that gets explained through the book.
Steam-2.8-3/5
Tw-threats of hospitalization, religious trauma, abuse.
December 18, 2022
No soy muy fan de este tipo de tropes, que uno sea tan posesivo y encima de alguien que apenas conoce no me agrada demasiado. Tampoco sentí que se conocieran, fue instant love y nunca hablaban entre ellos como para conocerse mejor. La magia también estuvo muy poco explicada, puede que eso sea culpa mía por leer el segundo libro sin leer el primero pero bueno... lo que más me gustó del libro fueron las amistades, aunque un poco raras me gustaron bastante.
January 6, 2022
I'd love to have a Briar of my own 😏.
April 17, 2023
I wanted a big, quiet, deep-feeling hero in MM romance. Was that too much to ask??
BORING!
DNF 10%
BORING!
DNF 10%
February 25, 2025
It was good. But not great.
But it's four cutey caveman Briar stars
But it's four cutey caveman Briar stars
June 30, 2025
I really liked the MCs and their dynamic but I started to get annoyed with everyone wanting and lusting over them and then lusting over Briar's brother 🙈
June 2, 2026
《3rd reread, 2nd listen: Jun 2026》
🌟 4/5
🌶 4/5
💘 Briar + Isa
Okay, babes...
I am so sad my reading preferences have changed. Because while I DO love this story and have no issues rereading/relistening to it, it's just not a 5 star read anymore.
Isa is TOO SELF-SACRIFICING. He coyld have been amazing if he wasn't self-sacrificing. Stupid, STUPID boy.
I adore Briar.
Just...not enough explained. I know this is normal with this author BUT it also takes this author forever to follow up with another story.
Regardless. It's a comfort read and I will always recommend it.
🎧 Zachary Zaba
I really liked him in this one. I felt it was much easier to follow which character was who then in the first book.
𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Quiet by Zile Elliven
𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥: 98/150
𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: audiobook - Audible
𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
- mm fantasy romance
- size difference
- autism rep
- found family
- fantasy elements
- childhood trauma
- family abuse
- vibes: emotional, sweet as fuck, ugh, swoon
- 🚫 ow/om drama: some jealousy
- 🚫 third act breakup: just lots of push/pull
- ending: epilogue with HFN
- series: interconnected standalone
——————
Another third person POV I fell deeply into and never wanted to leave. A wonderful depiction of Autism and inclusivity while carefully navigating a horrible homophobic blood family and a preciously overprotective found family. Add in a bit of obsessive boy love, a sweet af plot, some amazing steamy scenes, and some cameos from Eli and Haruka and I have to say I almost loved this story more than the first.
I LOVED Briar. His quiet personality was endearing and his intensity was swoon-worthy. There is something about an MM romance that gets me going when one MMC can pick up the other and maneuver them around with ease. The way Briar carried Isa around and dressed him and cared for him was SO FREAKING ROMANTIC. And hot af.
|| “𝙸 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝙶𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚑 . . . 𝚏𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚞𝚙, 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚛. 𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎!” ||
I LOVED Isa and how he immediately was drawn to the quiet, broody Briar. He could understand the broody man’s thoughts and never once looked at him like a burden. His self-sacrificing personality wore on me a bit, but the found family that fought for him more than made up for it.
Such a unique plot, a beautiful romance, a passionate love, and an uplifting story about acceptance and patience. And the prose was mesmerizing!
|| 𝚁𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚠, 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚘𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸𝚜𝚊 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚟𝚊𝚜. 𝙾𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕. ||
🌟 4/5
🌶 4/5
💘 Briar + Isa
Okay, babes...
I am so sad my reading preferences have changed. Because while I DO love this story and have no issues rereading/relistening to it, it's just not a 5 star read anymore.
Isa is TOO SELF-SACRIFICING. He coyld have been amazing if he wasn't self-sacrificing. Stupid, STUPID boy.
I adore Briar.
Just...not enough explained. I know this is normal with this author BUT it also takes this author forever to follow up with another story.
Regardless. It's a comfort read and I will always recommend it.
🎧 Zachary Zaba
I really liked him in this one. I felt it was much easier to follow which character was who then in the first book.
𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Quiet by Zile Elliven
𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥: 98/150
𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: audiobook - Audible
𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
- mm fantasy romance
- size difference
- autism rep
- found family
- fantasy elements
- childhood trauma
- family abuse
- vibes: emotional, sweet as fuck, ugh, swoon
- 🚫 ow/om drama: some jealousy
- 🚫 third act breakup: just lots of push/pull
- ending: epilogue with HFN
- series: interconnected standalone
——————
Another third person POV I fell deeply into and never wanted to leave. A wonderful depiction of Autism and inclusivity while carefully navigating a horrible homophobic blood family and a preciously overprotective found family. Add in a bit of obsessive boy love, a sweet af plot, some amazing steamy scenes, and some cameos from Eli and Haruka and I have to say I almost loved this story more than the first.
I LOVED Briar. His quiet personality was endearing and his intensity was swoon-worthy. There is something about an MM romance that gets me going when one MMC can pick up the other and maneuver them around with ease. The way Briar carried Isa around and dressed him and cared for him was SO FREAKING ROMANTIC. And hot af.
|| “𝙸 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝙶𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚑 . . . 𝚏𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚞𝚙, 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚛. 𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎!” ||
I LOVED Isa and how he immediately was drawn to the quiet, broody Briar. He could understand the broody man’s thoughts and never once looked at him like a burden. His self-sacrificing personality wore on me a bit, but the found family that fought for him more than made up for it.
Such a unique plot, a beautiful romance, a passionate love, and an uplifting story about acceptance and patience. And the prose was mesmerizing!
|| 𝚁𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚠, 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚘𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸𝚜𝚊 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚟𝚊𝚜. 𝙾𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕. ||
April 4, 2022
Another fantastic book in the Enchanted University series.
I love this setting and I loved Isa and Briar. Both of these men had troubles and struggles throughout their lives, but in each other they found someone who could understand them.
Isa comes from a very religious family who treat him horribly. He’s always been too soft, not manly enough, and he has a secret that would put him in terrible danger with his family. He just wants to enjoy his time at college and experience a little life. Then he meets Briar…
Briar is a sexy, mysterious stranger who keeps running into Isa. Every time they’re near each other, they both feel connected, but Isa struggles with his family “lessons” and Briar doesn’t know how to navigate his attraction. He struggles to communicate, but somehow, Isa gets him.
This story is very emotional, at times sad but also at times hilarious. Isa and Briar are incredibly sweet together, especially as they both try to figure out how to make their first relationship work. There’s many twists and turns, and it’s fun and exciting.
I love this setting and I loved Isa and Briar. Both of these men had troubles and struggles throughout their lives, but in each other they found someone who could understand them.
Isa comes from a very religious family who treat him horribly. He’s always been too soft, not manly enough, and he has a secret that would put him in terrible danger with his family. He just wants to enjoy his time at college and experience a little life. Then he meets Briar…
Briar is a sexy, mysterious stranger who keeps running into Isa. Every time they’re near each other, they both feel connected, but Isa struggles with his family “lessons” and Briar doesn’t know how to navigate his attraction. He struggles to communicate, but somehow, Isa gets him.
This story is very emotional, at times sad but also at times hilarious. Isa and Briar are incredibly sweet together, especially as they both try to figure out how to make their first relationship work. There’s many twists and turns, and it’s fun and exciting.
February 1, 2022
Eh, it wasn't terrible, but for me it was too much like the first book with less of a mindlink (but still a bit of one). Big tough guy instantly getting protective of a small guy who just happens to be so beautiful that everyone around him is like tripping over themselves to hit on him like... this is just the same dynamic from the first book. Maybe some people like that, but it gets a little tiring to me. I was kind of hoping for this one to go more into the whole supernatural thing, and there were hints of it and that one fae guy seemed interesting, but he disappeared and that was it, and it didn't have the bizarre twist at the end like the first one that I enjoyed so much. I'm both interested to see what the next book will be like, but if the relationship is just the same again I might just drop it.
March 17, 2025
I loved Briar and Isa's tale. It was interesting to see what the 'enchanted' twist was for this couple, and Isa's situation is truly heartbreaking.
Briar and Isa were so good together, and the story was well paced to keep me engaged on every page.
Although reading book one will give the best experience, Quiet could be read as a standalone, although I really suggest reading Psync first.
Briar and Isa were so good together, and the story was well paced to keep me engaged on every page.
Although reading book one will give the best experience, Quiet could be read as a standalone, although I really suggest reading Psync first.
May 22, 2026
2.5/5 … The characters and the story were interesting, but this one also had the issue of abruptly thrusting magic into what was otherwise a good non-magic story with relatable human struggles. Even though you expect it given it occurred in the first book, it was still jarring. It honestly ends up making the books in this “Enchanted University” series feel like two different storylines glued together… like the first half of each book is seen from one reality and the second half is the plot seen through the “what if gods and fae and magic existed” reality/lens just out of the blue. If magic and the such was better integrated into the entire book, maybe the second half of these books wouldn’t read as though we stepped out of a heartfelt drama/romance and into an alternate reality.. although I for one much preferred the first halves of both books and would have liked to see how it could have turned out without it taking a sudden turn into the fantastical.
And while there were some cameos from Eli and Haruka if you squint or look at it sideways, other than Alice getting a minor part eventually in this one, there really didn’t seem to be much linking this book to the first one. I thought after book one that there’d be a bit more world building to better set the stage for this mysterious university that apparently attracts god/fae and the people they’ve “touched,” but it looks like it’s just not being developed. Honestly, in book one, at best the setting started to seem a bit strange because it seemed everyone was fawning over or sexually harassing or assaulting Eli.. and with the showing of the hickeys/love bites to fend suitors off.. well, it eventually had me wondering if maybe the author was trying to build up to a reveal that the whole campus was filled with alphas and betas (werewolves or omega-verse style) and Eli was the rare, coveted“latent unaware human omega” they all wanted to get with. In the end it turned out there weren’t any real hints for the readers to pick up on to point them towards what turned out to be the author’s explanation for thing though… so it basically made the whole story just take a sudden turn.
So I don’t know, overall the books are entertaining, but I can’t help but feel like the magic reversals seem to take away from the struggles these characters go through.. making the struggles less based in reality in a sense I suppose.. But if it were clear that these stories were meant to be fantasy beyond mind-links, then maybe it wouldn’t have as big of an impact on the world and the relationship as the stories progress.
I also can’t help but find that some parts could have been more clear when it comes to representation… like, honestly, I had no idea that the one eyebrow wiggle from Alice back in book one about trans women was meant to be her saying she was a trans woman. Also can’t help but feel like there might have been opportunities for asexual representation in both these books, but here too ace rep kind of ends up being more semi implied/suspected instead of overtly addressed. While the books didn’t go into things enough to clearly/confidently be able to say whether or not either Eli or Briar or both might identify as on the asexual spectrum (and knowing that having no interest or not being sexually attracted to others due to various circumstances, conditions, or issues doesn’t mean one’s necessarily on the asexual spectrum), the little we got to know from Eli and Brair’s accounts of their past could certainly have led to there being ace representation such as demisexual representation, etc. I find unfortunately it’s something I see often with LGBTQIA+ stories (kind of like a missing link); when characters who never felt or rarely feel any sexual attraction towards anyone suddenly find themselves attracted to someone, they’ll suddenly be like “I’m gay!” and leave it at that if the person they’re now sexually attracted to happens to be of the same sex.. So it just too often completely side-steps the more complex reality of characters/individuals who may otherwise identify with a sexual orientation on the ace spectrum if they knew more about them, e.g., if they knew, perhaps they might have realized they were actually demisexual or graysexual, etc. So in the end, it’s just often the sort of thing that results in missed opportunities to increase awareness and representation of sexual orientations that too often end up remaining invisible and misunderstood. But I digress XD … Tangent aside, I think what I’m trying to say is it would have been nice to maybe have a bit of ace representation given the broad strokes that already seemed to set the stage for it in these books.
And while there were some cameos from Eli and Haruka if you squint or look at it sideways, other than Alice getting a minor part eventually in this one, there really didn’t seem to be much linking this book to the first one. I thought after book one that there’d be a bit more world building to better set the stage for this mysterious university that apparently attracts god/fae and the people they’ve “touched,” but it looks like it’s just not being developed. Honestly, in book one, at best the setting started to seem a bit strange because it seemed everyone was fawning over or sexually harassing or assaulting Eli.. and with the showing of the hickeys/love bites to fend suitors off.. well, it eventually had me wondering if maybe the author was trying to build up to a reveal that the whole campus was filled with alphas and betas (werewolves or omega-verse style) and Eli was the rare, coveted“latent unaware human omega” they all wanted to get with. In the end it turned out there weren’t any real hints for the readers to pick up on to point them towards what turned out to be the author’s explanation for thing though… so it basically made the whole story just take a sudden turn.
So I don’t know, overall the books are entertaining, but I can’t help but feel like the magic reversals seem to take away from the struggles these characters go through.. making the struggles less based in reality in a sense I suppose.. But if it were clear that these stories were meant to be fantasy beyond mind-links, then maybe it wouldn’t have as big of an impact on the world and the relationship as the stories progress.
I also can’t help but find that some parts could have been more clear when it comes to representation… like, honestly, I had no idea that the one eyebrow wiggle from Alice back in book one about trans women was meant to be her saying she was a trans woman. Also can’t help but feel like there might have been opportunities for asexual representation in both these books, but here too ace rep kind of ends up being more semi implied/suspected instead of overtly addressed. While the books didn’t go into things enough to clearly/confidently be able to say whether or not either Eli or Briar or both might identify as on the asexual spectrum (and knowing that having no interest or not being sexually attracted to others due to various circumstances, conditions, or issues doesn’t mean one’s necessarily on the asexual spectrum), the little we got to know from Eli and Brair’s accounts of their past could certainly have led to there being ace representation such as demisexual representation, etc. I find unfortunately it’s something I see often with LGBTQIA+ stories (kind of like a missing link); when characters who never felt or rarely feel any sexual attraction towards anyone suddenly find themselves attracted to someone, they’ll suddenly be like “I’m gay!” and leave it at that if the person they’re now sexually attracted to happens to be of the same sex.. So it just too often completely side-steps the more complex reality of characters/individuals who may otherwise identify with a sexual orientation on the ace spectrum if they knew more about them, e.g., if they knew, perhaps they might have realized they were actually demisexual or graysexual, etc. So in the end, it’s just often the sort of thing that results in missed opportunities to increase awareness and representation of sexual orientations that too often end up remaining invisible and misunderstood. But I digress XD … Tangent aside, I think what I’m trying to say is it would have been nice to maybe have a bit of ace representation given the broad strokes that already seemed to set the stage for it in these books.
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