[REVIEWS] Books I Read in July } mini-reviews

Hello, lovelies! 🍁  August is here and I wish it could be Autumn already. Autumn is the best season of the year (for me, at least 😉 ) the colors, the temperature, the trees, everything is better in Autumn.

How many books did you read in July?

I read 9 e-books, 1 audiobook, and read 3 comics! Below, is an attempt to provide a small review of all of these books, enjoy!

• Intoxicating by Onley James (m/m, age-gap, self-abuse, abuse by a parent, homophobia, PTSD): This was a fantastic read. We first meet Lincoln – he’s older, wiser, smart, and a non-sense type of man. He also suffers from untreated PTSD due to his time in the military where he lost his friends. Then we have Wyatt, son of a Senator who self-harms himself because he is hated by his dad, neglected by his mother, and has tried to kill himself multiple times. He was also sexually abused at a camp where he was placed to get the ‘gay out of him’ through the love of God. He is broken, needs love, and is dying inside every time his father hits him. When these two first see each other is like something clicks inside Wyatt who is starved to be touched, to be heard and loved. The themes in this one are very heavy and specific – but the love between Wyatt and Linc is unbeatable and the book a feast to read.
• Love Me Whole by Nicky James (m/m, physical abuse, dissociative identity disorder): Oryn is painfully shy, suffers a stutter when talking with people, is introverted to the max – and he also lives with 5 other people inside his head. Reed (the protector, straight to the bone), Theo (the older father-ish figure, level-head, and the cooker), Cohen (fun, young, gay, and flamboyant), Cove (the one with the painful memories, the abuse), and Rain (the 5 years old). Oryn meets Vaughn – who doesn’t run away, reads to educate himself, accepts Oryn for who he is, and doesn’t push (not on purpose, but by mistake). This is a beautiful story about acceptance, patience, and love, but mostly about falling in love with a man who somedays isn’t the one you fell in love with.
• Someday, Someday by Emma Scott (m/m, prostitution, Asperger syndrome, anti-gay camp, PTSD, coming-out) This book broke me and it also made me very mad at those parents who can’t accept their children. Max was thrown out of his house by his father when he was discovered to be gay, he lived in the street until he was saved. Silas is broken inside, filled with anger and self-loath. The angst is heavy, especially for Silas who suffers PTSD to a level that it was suffocating – even to read. I don’t know much about Asperger’s, drug addicts, addiction, or PTSD but I believe the author did an amazing job at portraying full characters, who were engaging and relatable. These people suffered, believed when others told them they were not good enough, and fell in love. Max was an incredibly strong character, Eddie was wonderful and Silas was beautiful.
• Hideaway by Nora Roberts (f/m, child kidnapping, killing): I love Nora and her suspense books, this was no exception. We have Cate and Dillon – both from different parts of the planet when it comes to social life yet connected by a night where Dillon saved Cate after at age 11 she was able to outsmart her kidnappers and escape. This story was all: romantic, family-centered, full of suspense, and mystery. Dillon is that type of man who needs to exist in real life or life is nothing. He and Cate were amazing, what I love is how the story is told in different life stages: when they are kids, at college, and then as adults.
• Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (m/m, coming out): For a full review, please click here.
• Powder & Pavlova by Jay Hogan (m/m, age-gap, grief): Oh this was wonderful. Ethan is the owner of a failing business who used to belong to his mother, the legal guardian of a brother who seems to have his gut and completely charmed by the much older Tanner. Tanner is successful, much older than Ethan, and who resists to fall in love with the much younger man. I loved Ethan’s personality, his friends – Adrian the most -, the way the author described his relationship with his late mother, and his brother – the anger, the guilt. Tanner was amazing, his personality was calm, honest, passionate – and the way he would look at Ethan, who is shy and witty and just perfect for Tanner. It was truly wonderful.
• Love Him Breathless & Love Him Wild by E.M. Lindsey (m/m, m/m/m, body trauma, Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis, verbal abuse): I decided to place these two together because they correlate. Love Him Breathless is book 2 in a series, it focuses on Fitz the Fire Chief of the small firefighter house in the town he was born and grew up. As a teenager, he suffered an accident where he was badly burned. He is grumpy but loves his family and town. Antoine our second MC wants to stop wandering, he arrives at the sleepy Cherry Creek with the intention to bring the town to this century – more or less. Of course, is hate at first sight and then love – and then separation because hello angst!
  • Love Him Wild is book 3 and focuses on Ronan and Parker – Fitz’ best friends from his childhood. Ronan suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, some days are extremely hard for him to get out of bed and function but Parker is always there with love and patience. He is also the doctor of the group and Ronan’s husband. Enters Jonas who was verbally abused by his step-father and has never been loved by his family. Jonas fit perfectly with Ronan and Parker and though their love is not easy, it was wonderful to see their easy acceptance and love for each other.
• Trust with a Chaser by Annabeth Albert (m/m, age-gasp): I enjoyed the age difference but I didn’t feel a connection with the characters. There wasn’t enough interaction to truly feel they cared and have fallen in love. Nash was so right in characterization as a kind of in-the-closet chief of police, always right and incredibly inside his own closet because of his father’s shadow and small-town mentality. Mason was great also but there was no backbone in this man, like, his family was despicable, and yet he would not really take things into hand until something bad happen for him to set priorities straight. Their relationship was very plain, Mason resenting Nash’s in the closet attitude knowing since the beginning what he was getting into and Nash being too afraid to be discovered – with a mother who knew he is gay yet not approving and preferring for him to end alone and sad than to be gay. I didn’t sense a good development, it was like stepping over eggshells all the time when they were together. No connection whatsoever in my opinion.
• Guardian by Claire Cullen (m/m, mpreg, shifters): Full review on this book here
• Royally Screwed by Lynn Van Dorn (m/m, sexual/physical abuse): My full rant here

Did you read any exciting book in July?