JR Maxwell > Recent Status Updates

Note to self: Straight women readers need to be reminded that they're kissing men by phrases like 'masculine lips' and 'his mouth looking fresh & male,' otherwise, apparently, according to this book, they... forget? Hate it? Idfk.

Oh heck I literally just teared up from the ACKNOWLEDGMENTS, this is going to be a wild ride

Jeepers, this is the most fictional non-fiction I've read in a while.

*TRIGGER WARNING FOR RAPE*

Why do authors still think it's okay to not warn for this? It's really not okay.

**trigger Warning for eating disorders**

Hmm, 'technology is ruining the world' kvetching in the forward and a typo on the first page of the story. Not what I expected. But this was one of the recs from my mother, so in the interest of familial harmony I will press on.

Pro-tip: Exchanging meaningful looks while holding someone down is not consent.

This is usually a deal-breaker, but I love the two MCs so much! And I'm honestly wanting to know what happens with their individual situations.

So I'm going to put the book in a drawer for a while and see how I feel later.

Ah, that special feeling when a male writer thinks he's being feminist by writing abusive male characters, when really he's just making all the female characters look like idiots for putting up with it. Sigh.

I'm going to try and finish, but we've reached the point where I'm laughing at basically everything. Also, CONTENT WARNING for abuse barely disguised as BDSM, and unprotected unlubricated unprepared anal sex. Ow.

These Hobbits have about as much of a sense of self-preservation as teenagers in a horror flick.

Trying this again... For about the fifteenth time... But this time I found an online character glossary for when I inevitably forget who everyone is.

The problem with becoming involved in a series with characters you love is that you become INVOLVED with characters you LOVE.

I'm not a parent, so the 'shocking family loss' spoken of in the blurb actually to me is 100% an reprehensible betrayal of my two fave lads, so it literally made me burst into tears while driving to the grocery store at 7 this morning.

Putting this in a drawer for a while.

Okay yikes. I'm guessing I'm not supposed to loathe the lady lead from page one, so I'm putting this one in a drawer for now.

The author introduces seven white male upper class characters in the first five minutes of chapter one. I guess from the reviews that this doesn't flummox anyone else? But I literally listened to it three times, and was still so confused I had to actually open a document and write everyone's name and scant descriptions down. That's...not great storytelling, tbh.

This book is going on time-out while I decide if possible come-uppance is worth sitting through this asinine, predictable and literally offensive leading man. Dude thinks a lady should say thank you after sex? Ahahahahaha hahaha no.

Okay listen, the book cover on Kindle is a gorgeous LADY, and vastly superior to this one. Harrumph.

TRIGGER WARNING FOR RAPE, good God.

I texted one of the authors this morning to tell her I had stayed up waaay too late reading her book. It was delightful to be able to compliment a good friend in that way. I'm trying not to read the whole thing in three days buuuuut I can't promise anything.

TRIGGER WARNING for diet, 'health', weight, excercise.

I'm on chapter 32 out of 39, and the secondary characters just made me so fucking ill I don't think I can finish it. It's definitely going into time out for a while.

Uh, I might have to take a break from this book. Or there's a large chance I'll end up throwing my phone against the wall at the lead character's outrageous selfishness. I get that he's in high school, but even in high school acting shitty has consequences.

Uh why is every villain a queer person and vice versa? Was that considered cutting edge for 2005?

27 minutes into the audiobook and there's already been one 'Indian' joke and one fat joke. It's like a car crash. I can't look away.

That feeling when suddenly none of the characters are at all credible, or pleasant, except for some tertiary deputies, and you realize you're only a third of the way through the book. Gross. No.

I have to wonder what perceived slights the FBI gave this author, because wow does she hate them a lot.

Y'all, this book just referred to a vagina as 'sugared walls'. I can't.

if you like the way romance novels were written in the 80s, you'll like this book. If you don't, and/or you like factually accuracy in your historical romance novels, don't read this book.

This is already far better than the first Leverage novel - There's still exposition for people unfamiliar with the characters, but it's through rotating third person narration, not big blocks of omniscient text.

2 leading characters with no self esteem and no ability to regulate their emotions in relation to reality... Yeah, no.