Hooked on Books discussion

Members Starting the BR: Quill Questers
Challenge: Book Quest Adventures
Book: Orientation by Gregory Ashe


Anyone is free to join in this Buddy Read! Happy Reading!

I'll probably start this towards the end of the week.

I’ve read it before so I think I’ll also start later. No need to worry about spoilers for me.

Just started. Pari is slightly less annoying, and so is Shaw and North’s banter. It really makes a difference that I know where they end up, 5 books later.

I do HATE Pari.

The pining is off the charts.

I cannot stand how madly they love each other and how unable they are to talk about it. I cannot stand how strong Shaw really is.

These boys!!!

When they’re in the BDSM club and Bruekman is literally yanking North’s chain…

Also, that club and Brueckmann are effed up.

No one writes PoS boyfriends like GA. Tucker is the absolute worst.

And Matty… Oy.

Shaw, my beloved, you deserve the sun and the stars.

Will probably start tomorrow ..do i need any background info ?

Do they actually get together in this book ..or is it futher in the series

Uh… way further in the series.

Also, this is pretty violent.

Kirsten wrote: "Uh… way further in the series.

Also, this is pretty violent."

Well that's not good news 😕

I've finished and will come back and join the discussion as it unfolds. I adore these boys!

I do love these guys.

That cage is hard to forget. Shaw's right. That is not a good representative of the bdsm lifestyle. As entertaining as it was, it's the one part that took me out of the story just a bit. Only because it's extra over the top. I especially liked the pen portion though.

I love Shaw's little talk with Tucker. One of my favorite moments.

Hm....I loved the pen part and Shaw's talk with Tucker. Sounds like I'm a little blood thirsty.

Started ( although been up most of night so may go for a nap soon 😴) .
I feel like ive missed a book somewhere.
Do these pop up anywhere else ?
Theres a lot of bringing out the named brands , which ive not come across ( Lululemons / red wings ) so ive spent time on google searching .

Its early days but not mad on North

The series does cross over some to the Hazard and Somerset series.
But I don't think it's ever enough that you'd need to read both series to enjoy it.

Enjoy is not the word im thi king of at the moment Skye .( but dont tell the others or they'll never talk to me again 😄😄).
Its ok i dont like either of MCs at moment

I started. So far not liking anyone much.

Im so glad you're on my side Jackie 😄

Lol, we’re in agreement, Janine.

Huh, I just went to write my review.
The first sentence of my previous review was
Loved it, but think I would have loved it more if I had read the series it spun off of.

So maybe since I've read so many of the Hazard and Somerset books this time, I've forgotten how much of a difference it makes. I can't put my finger on what difference it made though.

I didn’t like them until book 5 of 6; not really until 6 of 6. And now Shaw is my favourite.

So…

I think the mystery is good🤷🏼‍♀️

I think I always loved North.
Shaw is a little irritating at times, but he grew on me.
I don't remember what book I finally liked him. But since I've already read further into the series, it's already happened for me.

I prefer the Hazard series over this one.

I need one more friendship book for this weeks theme.
Is anyone interested in reading book 2 and adding a IBR?
idk, I usually need a little break from Shaw before starting a new one.

Or does anyone have a recommendation for friendship theme that has a buddy read set up?

Janine and I have a BR of Trusting Tanner setup. We are using for "Read a book about unrequited love.", but its a friends to lovers so could be "about Friendship" too, depending on the prompt.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

We also have Leo. Leo has a great group of friends. I have this for about self-love and acceptance.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I'm starting this tonight.

I'm only in chapter 2 and feel like I'm missing something, like why North has his license suspended. I feel like there is more to the story than the little blurb.

Skye Blue ☆*~ﾟლ(´ڡ`ლ)~*☆ wrote: "I think I always loved North.
Shaw is a little irritating at times, but he grew on me.
I don't remember what book I finally liked him. But since I've already read further into the series, it's alre..."

Only 3 chapters in and so far North is annoying to me. I mean Miralax in the coffee?

Im taking a break . Are other chacters in his books as childish as these 2

Shaw and North are like this all the way through the series.
I do like the series. But it's better in small doses.

The series with Hazard took me a while to warm up to also, but I ended up liking that one better.

I skipped around a bit and read the last 3 chapters =. Based on tht I do want to see what happend, but my opinion on Shaw vs North has still not changed. Shaw seems a bit out there, but North annoys me.

I'm a third of the way through. Reading other books at the same time so taking this one slowly. I still can't say I like any of the characters but Tucker seems especially horrible. The mystery seems to be developing slowly so maybe the characters will grow on me. I guess it's just really hard to believe these guys are as clueless as they are.

Amanda! Everyone hates it!

I absolutely recognize that N&S are pretty hard to love and that saying it took me 5 books to get into them isn't the most resounding recommendation.

N&S are my least favorite of Ashe's characters lol. I still love them though! But if I had read them first and didn't trust the process I might have felt differently.

Janine, they're definitely the most childish, but they're also the youngest couple so it fits them.

It is funny though because I always liked North better and Shaw had to grow on me which is NOT the consensus. But I also always liked Emery better and John had to grow on me which I think isn't how it usually goes either.

Finished !!!!, and wasnt that a hard slog 😄. I dont think there was one nice person in this book , even the secretary was a nightmare .

I dont really think I'll be continuing the series , but i would like to know who the West End Slasher is ( if anyone could tell me 🙏)

Ive read a few books he wrote with CS Poe and enjoyed them, so a bit dissappointed that i didnt like this as much

Janeylou wrote: "Finished !!!!, and wasnt that a hard slog 😄. I dont think there was one nice person in this book , even the secretary was a nightmare .

I dont really think I'll be continuing the series , but i w..."

THis is the answer so major spoiler:
(view spoiler)[ I don't remember the cops name, maybe Barr? Whoever Jadon's partner is is the West End Slasher. You would think I would remember since I just re-read Jadon's book, but my memory is such trash (hide spoiler)]

Well that explains a few things !!!. Thanks amanda

Amanda wrote: "Janeylou wrote: "Finished !!!!, and wasnt that a hard slog 😄. I dont think there was one nice person in this book , even the secretary was a nightmare .

I dont really think I'll be continuing the..."

You are right about the name

Amanda wrote: "N&S are my least favorite of Ashe's characters lol. I still love them though! But if I had read them first and didn't trust the process I might have felt differently.

Janine, they're definitely t..."

Same.
The first time I read it, I wasn't a big fan. But they grew on me.
I went back to it after getting into Hazard and Em.
I also think that if I had read it on page, instead of the audio it would have been harder.

I completely agree Skye, Ashe is very good at picking out specific narrators for his books that fit the characters very well.

Finished. The action at the end somewhat redeemed the book but I still couldn't really like any of the characters. I think the author did a pretty decent job with the mystery but I doubt I'd continue the series.

Skye Blue ☆*~ﾟლ(´ڡ`ლ)~*☆ wrote: "Huh, I just went to write my review.
The first sentence of my previous review was
Loved it, but think I would have loved it more if I had read the series it spun off of.

So maybe since I've read s..."

I'm starting now and catching up with the discussion. I don't think it really spins off of H&S (there's a later book that has a little more crossover once there's Billy around), but I there is a little prequel to this one in the North & Shaw Out of Office Shorts.

I think it's more that Ashe slowly reveals why things are the way they are and kinda starts in the middle with the couples that already know each other (like N&S and H&S). I think for Jem and Tean, Auggie and Theo, and the non interconnected couples there's a lot more of a lead-in, but for this one you get right into the thick of it and then it's revealed why everyone is the way they are.

...unless I'm forgetting a bigger early on tie-in lol

Kirsten wrote: "I didn’t like them until book 5 of 6; not really until 6 of 6. And now Shaw is my favourite.

So…

I think the mystery is good🤷🏼‍♀️"

I end up liking Shaw more way later on as you see more of his little sparks of intelligence and how he's hiding a lot of it behind the crazy, or trying to set North off.

I also love how he is with Emery, but I have a feeling it would not be for this crowd.

Looks like we have a 3 x 3 split.

Kirsten, Skye and I all like it (though we all like Hazard and Somerset better--and I think Kirsten likes Tean and Jem out of the interconnected couples best)

Jackie, Janine, and Lisa did not like it.

Shaw my beloved! I do love Tean and Jem a lot, but book 6 Shaw is pretty much everything.

It sounds like we might have liked it more if we read all the books in the "right" order.....?

I really don’t think there’s anything else you have to read first. It doesn’t really crossover with H&S too much yet, and the short doesn’t add a whole ton except how they meet Pari (and I dislike her just as much then lol).

Maybe the other two disagree though! But Lisa, I’m pretty sure where you’re at in Hazard and Somerset would be well past any inkling of crossover.

I really struggled to get through this book and it has taken me two weeks to get my thoughts in order about it.

I did not like how we jumped right into the middle of a story that needs sooooooo much context but we aren't given it. I was kind of mad that nothing was resolved between North and Shaw in the first book. The only reason I would read the second is to find out how they finally get together

Iliana wrote: "I really struggled to get through this book and it has taken me two weeks to get my thoughts in order about it.

I did not like how we jumped right into the middle of a story that needs sooooooo m..."

I will say, it takes more than the second book for them to be truly together!