3.75 stars…
And it literally kills me to say it. Like, I feel sick right now, but I can’t lie.
I’m not sure what happened, but book three was.. uhh… pretty much not it.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved Tiago and Ferris. I really, REALLY did. BUT! There are some things that just weren’t a vibe and kind-of almost killed this one for me.
Like, to start, the editor was having a bad day. Or week. One of those things. And it detracted from the story in the sense that I had to keep rereading certain parts to make them make sense, and a couple of times there were things that didn’t match up from one page to another. Continuity errors KILL ME. I desperately wanted to edit half of the time I was reading, and that wasn’t conducive to enjoying the story. Then, I noticed how SHORT their story was, especially compared to book one. It felt more like a novella with a bonus scene attached than a book. I feel like with as much build up as their relationship got, they deserved MORE. More time, more detail, more experiences. I lacked the depth that I fell in love with during book one, and the loss of that was palpable in this installment. Also, family interaction is also something I feel like should’ve been (even briefly) present in book two and this one. I love seeing supportive and loving families rally behind MCs.
There was a lot to love in here, though, and I don’t want to take away from that because of editing misses and page counts. I adore how in tune they are with each other, Ferris being Ferris aside. I love how much Tiago adores Ferris, and how the author used Ferris to open up a line of communication that shed light onto the parts of sexual exploration that don’t get talked about. It’s refreshing to see a story where not everything is instant gratification and perfection. I also relate so much to Tiago and his string of bad luck with firsts (heavens only know how my first girlfriend doesn’t still try and tease me to this day, because she has more than enough reasons.) I love the support that the guys got, even when they were still just pining/in denial. I *do* hate that ALL of the guys seem to have to hide their relationships, but I get it. I’m not famous, but I know some people who have to try and keep their lives private, and the struggle is intense. I feel bad that our society pushes that onto people who just want to exist, but I can’t change it by myself. I love that this book was still no-angst, all sunshine and happiness and love, just like the others. It is still so refreshing to read a book that doesn’t lean on making people suffer, even a little bit, to find love and contentment.
All of that being said, while I had to point out that the editing, length, and sometimes lack of detail and depth wasn’t it, I still wholeheartedly recommend this book and the series, and cannot wait for book four! I just KNOW Sal is going to get one hell of a HEA!