Engrossed Reader > Recent Status Updates

Sometimes I forget that Achilles and Patroculus are technically teens because their world expects them to be men at this age, treats them as such and is disappointed in their inexperience

'Agamemnon spoke, with patience that had been hard won, hard practised: ‘Indeed, I have the finest army in the world. And I welcome you to it, young Prince of Phthia.’ His smile cut sharply. ‘It is a pity you were so slow to come.’

"Even there beneath the bright sun, I felt my skin go cold. He will not come home at all."

This is a very good read on many levels. For example, from the start it has made me consider the distinct difference between fate and destiny and their entwined nature.

Very easily the words would flow for a review on how the Gods' determine your role and as much as you rebel against prophesy, ultimately it must be fulfilled.

‘Your mother is gone, I do not know where.’ The king paused, as if awaiting a response. Achilles said nothing. ‘My daughter, your wife, is in her room crying. She hopes you will come to her.’ I felt the flinch of Achilles’ guilt. His words came out stiffly; it was not a feeling he was used to. ‘It is unfortunate that she hopes for this.’ ‘It is indeed,’ Lycomedes said.

A Greek tragedy: deception, love, the works!

‘There is no law that gods must be fair, Achilles,’ Chiron said. ‘And perhaps it is the greater grief, after all, to be left on earth, when another is gone. Do you think?’
‘Perhaps,’ Achilles admitted.'
This is foreshadowing, I can tell.

I am LOVING this book, even though I know what's going to happen. I love it for the writing, the storytelling, the way it humanise these characters.

So invested in their story.

I can tell there's going to be lots of highlights. I already have too many thoughts.

"My own father watches with envy. His wife is stupid and his son too slow to race in even the youngest group. He turns to me. ‘That is what a son should be." This type of parent.

"At her temple a starburst of white gleams like bone, the scar from the time her father hit her with the hilt of a sword." Another type of abusive parent

So apart from this book, which I'm reading as my August TBR Twin challenge, this month I'm only reading books I already own. This is my gift to my shelves which are a mess. Hopefully I'll reduce my TBR, get to some ARCs and write overdue reviews.

There will be no quick downloads from Kindle Unlimited or sneaky purchases after reading a great review.

I'm looking forward to a Greek tragedy of epic proportions

I am pleased to have been introduced to the word 'Apricity'. A rarely used noun that means the warmth of the sun in winter or on a cold day.

I'll try and pop that into conversation at some point this year

46 single parent, and didn't once think before the twins were born what she'd do for work once a mum?
"And she had no clue how she’d make it work once she went back. No idea how to carry on as normal or timetable a job around childcare. She was unlikely to find anywhere that opened in time for her to be at the studio by 6am. Ruth was facing the very real possibility that the career she’d fought for might be over."

"Sena and Noah. Two friends who, against the odds, fell wholly in love with each other in every way possible. Platonically, romantically, sexually, and eternally. Nothing is changing that."

Started off well and then just became something else. 3 stars for the relationship. The repetition, melodrama, Christian bashing and parents as poor role models killed the joy.

PLEASE can we stop with the aide-mémoires. Characters are familiar without having to reference the SAME thing every time they're on the page e.g Brendon, his bag and his bag strap. Is it like Clark Kent and his glasses? Is Brendon not recognisable without his bag? Without a bag just a regular student, part of the crowd. But with it he's the phenomenal TA and current obsession of the star quarterback.

Ok I don't get this muttering aloud to self in a public place, just looking for trouble IMO. Plus I get it Brendon, you've said and I retain information once conveyed. Dominic, your Daddy - he has accepted this responsibility - is a demi god of epic proportions. Beloved on the field and campus. 6ft 4 inches of cut muscle, buff in all the right place including tattoos. Now stop drooling and just watch the game FFS.

Dominic and Brendon's first full scene and I'm left thinking 'Jeez who is this guy?'
Dominic is mature, reflective and caring. How, why? Is he a natural Dom or made?
Brendon's submissive behaviour is almost instinctive.

Interesting

"I don’t play with my food—I consume it. Do you understand?”

People can and do wear more than one face.

Brendon on Dominic.
“I think you are a good person in ways that make no sense with the rest of you.”

Dominic has Brendon's measure. Insightful.
“I’m not chained to anything,” he bites out.

Sure. He can say that all he wants, but I don’t need a collar or a chain to know he’s leashed. He’s already tethered to this—to me—he just doesn’t realize how little slack there is in that chain yet.

It’s all in the way he tugged me back from the exit just now without knowing why. He can’t help it.

Good boys never can."

It almost felt like he was going to monologue someone to death. Thankfully that was my misunderstanding and regular killing commenced

"I’ve always believed that if I’m going to take something from someone, I owe them the respect of being present for it. I owe them that much honesty."

I almost wish the kindle version hadn't opened on the Author's foreword and then I hadn't read the triggers and content warnings because it's a lot. And gives away all the details that sometimes you prefer to pick up yourself.

However I can see why it was necessary because of the aforementioned a lot.

Let's get to it. I have 10 mins to kill before bedtime, will I stay up longer or snooze beforehand?

We shall see.

"Charlie notices and gasps. “Daddy, your thing is poking me in the tummy.”
Lord, have mercy."

...anyway, so age play is where I start looking at boundaries and permissions and whether it makes me squeamish. Any hint that it evokes child sexual abuse is where I'm out.

FYI Charlie is 25 years old with a birthday coming up. Nick, Daddy Nikolaus is in his happy place. Not put off by a baby with an undiagnosed illness.

Who would have thought being called Daddy would have turned Nick feral. A tad of dub con ensues.

"Daddy, it’s too much, no, Daddy, please—”
“You can take it,” he growls, voice deadly soft in my ear. “You were made for this. Daddy’s gonna ruin you.”

Delulu

“Niko,” he says, a broken syllable, and then, softer, “Daddy.” Time freezes. My body reacts so violently it’s a goddamn miracle I don’t finish in my pants, right then and there. I almost do. The word detonates inside my skull, echoing off the walls of old wounds and fantasies I’d never let out in daylight."

"There is a moment, hovering between sleep and waking, when all my wolfish instincts dissolve into something gentler, more bone-deep. I realize I’ve built a life for this boy without even knowing him—picked out the clothes, the toys, the bedtime rituals, the stories—and that it wasn’t madness at all, but a kind of instinctual preparation. Like I have always known I would find a pup in need, a boy in need. .."

I still don't get the allure of being a little. I'm here for the deranged kidnapper aka Daddy

"I end up eating my lunch while on Nikolaus’s lap as he and Constantine discuss work-related matters."

"Later, after dinner, when Nikolaus brings me back up to my room, I’m not feeling as little as I had been earlier in the day, so as Nikolaus is sitting in the big rocking chair, watching me paint a farm with watercolors"

So back to these straight guys. So much fun. No sleep for me

Cam's a little homophobic and still noticed how pretty and well dressed Scott was on first meeting.
"He pretended not to see the unimpressed look on Bianca’s face. Scott could follow. Or not. He did, his long legs helping him catch up to Cam quickly. They were about the same height—six feet tall—but Scott was all legs and walked like he was on a runway."

Classic Bateman maskin: preening, returning videos and killing.
"...head to the video store where I return two tapes I rented on Monday, She-Male Reformatory and Body Double, but I rerent Body Double because I want to watch it again tonight even though I know I won’t have enough time to masturbate over the scene where the woman is getting drilled to death by a power drill since I have a date with Courtney..."

So far I'm pretty chilled about the kidnapping, well managed, everyone knows their role

"I stare at the duck, my heart twisting. There’s a narrow silk ribbon tied around its neck, white with a faint cotton scent. I trace the ribbon with my fingertip, in awe of it. The duck should probably rile me, since I’m sure it was my captor who placed him in here with me. Nikolaus. The strange, big man who wants to be my Daddy

Took a break from reading and unfortunately returned to this scene which I'd concluded had jumped the shark.

Yep all kinds of wrong here. Wrong time to have sex in public knowing Logan was all up in their business. A scorned almost lover and employee is a dangerous mix. Wrong person to have to put your trust in. Let's just call it stupid.

Will it come to bite them on their asses. Who knows? But I doubt I will

Call me prudish or practical but why would you get a blow job at a work event in a public area (not an out of the way room) and not expect to be caught. Especially when you're the boss, you've just started dating your step bro and one of your employees is into you. What a clusterf@ck.

“Jesus, Addario. Am I really that bad? You’d rather rub one out by yourself instead of letting me get my mouth on what I’m sure is"

“Is that how being demisexual works? You find a person you connect with, and suddenly you want to do filthy shit you’ve never even entertained as a possibility before?” I ask.

I'd love the answer to this question too.

I'm very much enjoying the science behind avalanches. And this is one of the reasons why I like reading, new knowledge or even information I already know presented differently.

The tension between the guys is ok too albeit slow going.