What the fuck did I just read?
I’m rating this book five stars because it was a masterpiece.
I also want to rate it one star because what the fuck did I just read?
Every chapter had something happening. Every point of view added more chaos. Every twist and turn made my anxiety spike. There was never a moment to breathe. Not once. And the ending? The ending gutted me. It hurt me. It ripped something out of my chest and left me staring at the wall trying to process why an author would do something like that.
I genuinely need a palate cleanser before I even think about starting book two because I don’t know how to emotionally process book one.
First of all, I hated the cheating. Everybody was cheating. Constantly. No loyalty to their partners. No loyalty to the women who loved them. The only loyalty that existed was between the brothers and even that wasn’t fully intact by the end. I’m not spoiling anything, but one of them absolutely lost the plot when it came to loyalty and it pissed me off.
Like, aren’t y’all grown? Maybe not fully grown, but grown enough. Y’all out here making money, living reckless, playing big dog in the streets, but emotionally you move like children when it comes to relationships. Every strip club visit, every DM, every opportunity, they were hooking up with someone. No hesitation. No restraint.
And listen, I love a good reformed playboy story. I really do. But these men? I don’t see it for them. I don’t see a believable happily ever after. Even if the author gives them one, I don’t buy it. The trust issues alone are enough to sink every single one of these relationships. Add the constant infidelity and emotional immaturity and it’s just not convincing.
This book stressed me out. Bad.
Every time the characters were happy or celebrating or having a good moment, I felt dread instead of joy because I knew something horrible was coming. Their happiness was always a setup. A warning sign. A calm before the storm. And the storm always came. Always.
This was not good for my anxiety. At all.
And maybe that’s why it hit so hard. Because it felt real. Too real. Men playing games because they’re scared of their feelings. Men not knowing how to commit. Men choosing convenience and ego over women who genuinely love them. That shit felt real life real. And I read to escape real life, not relive it.
Still, despite all of that, I can’t deny how good this book was. The writing was gripping. The emotions were intense. The drama was executed perfectly. It hurt, but it hurt well.
I just need something soft, gentle, and easy after this because Jessica N. Watkins put me through it.