September 20, 2017
*4.5 stars*
An absolutely perfect ending to a series that got better and better as it went along! K.J. Charles did these characters justice!
I'll admit, I was nervous to read this book.
I've read over 30 books with trans and/or genderqueer main characters, but my average rating of these books is almost exactly 3-stars, with a lot of 1 and 2 star ratings thrown in. I've found that it is difficult for many authors, for some reason, to write trans or gender non-binary characters without giving the other characters a cis-hero complex or having everyone else pat themselves on the back for being decent people. I always say that I want to read a romance with a trans/genderqueer character who is interesting, not just a placeholder for a generic person who fits into the required slot.
K.J. Charles really accomplished something with Pen. Pen (I'm going to use "he" because "he" is used throughout the story, though in current times Pen would probably pick a different pronoun) was a full character. He was flawed, dynamic, strong, stubborn, feminine, masculine, and everything in between. Pen was sexy and confident, which is something I always wish for more of in my trans or non-binary characters. I really just adored everything about how Pen was written, and I could picture him so vividly in my mind.
Mark was actually a stronger, more well-developed character than I was expecting. Mark wasn't just interesting because he had one arm, but the one arm aspect added another dimension to him that enhanced the storyline. Mark was a loyal, honest person who was much more than his "plain" appearance. I think he was a perfect match for Pen, and their dynamic was lovely to watch. I actually could have used an additional sex scene or two with them together because I just couldn't get enough of their chemistry!
But what I really, really loved was how Mark's lack of an arm and Pen's gender identity were aspects of the story, but not the whole story. There was a full plot with mystery, fighting, romance, interesting secondary characters (we see all of the characters from previous books) and just a lot of excitement.
I'm not a mystery reader because I hate suspense, but the ending of this book really does bring everything together. I promise, fellow readers, you won't be disappointed. K.J. Charles managed to make everything work without forcing readers to stretch their imagination to make things fit. Oh, and this book shouldn't be read as a stand-alone.
I rarely light up the 5th star, but I was tempted to do it here. It was just a masterful story to cap off a memorable trilogy.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
An absolutely perfect ending to a series that got better and better as it went along! K.J. Charles did these characters justice!
I'll admit, I was nervous to read this book.
I've read over 30 books with trans and/or genderqueer main characters, but my average rating of these books is almost exactly 3-stars, with a lot of 1 and 2 star ratings thrown in. I've found that it is difficult for many authors, for some reason, to write trans or gender non-binary characters without giving the other characters a cis-hero complex or having everyone else pat themselves on the back for being decent people. I always say that I want to read a romance with a trans/genderqueer character who is interesting, not just a placeholder for a generic person who fits into the required slot.
K.J. Charles really accomplished something with Pen. Pen (I'm going to use "he" because "he" is used throughout the story, though in current times Pen would probably pick a different pronoun) was a full character. He was flawed, dynamic, strong, stubborn, feminine, masculine, and everything in between. Pen was sexy and confident, which is something I always wish for more of in my trans or non-binary characters. I really just adored everything about how Pen was written, and I could picture him so vividly in my mind.
Mark was actually a stronger, more well-developed character than I was expecting. Mark wasn't just interesting because he had one arm, but the one arm aspect added another dimension to him that enhanced the storyline. Mark was a loyal, honest person who was much more than his "plain" appearance. I think he was a perfect match for Pen, and their dynamic was lovely to watch. I actually could have used an additional sex scene or two with them together because I just couldn't get enough of their chemistry!
But what I really, really loved was how Mark's lack of an arm and Pen's gender identity were aspects of the story, but not the whole story. There was a full plot with mystery, fighting, romance, interesting secondary characters (we see all of the characters from previous books) and just a lot of excitement.
I'm not a mystery reader because I hate suspense, but the ending of this book really does bring everything together. I promise, fellow readers, you won't be disappointed. K.J. Charles managed to make everything work without forcing readers to stretch their imagination to make things fit. Oh, and this book shouldn't be read as a stand-alone.
I rarely light up the 5th star, but I was tempted to do it here. It was just a masterful story to cap off a memorable trilogy.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*