a_reader_obsessed's reviews
3099 reviews

If you like ABO dynamics then I don't think you'll find much fault with this. It starts off a bit rough, maybe a little over the top and a little less mature, but once Derek and Stiles connect and come to an understanding, things fall neatly into place. I felt this was like an overall montage of the big moments in their life together - starting with how they met, then fell in love, and ultimately became a family. So in between a ton of cuddles, there's the typical possessiveness/claiming of heat cycles, KNOTTING, and mpreg. Simple, with a dash of heat and plenty of fluff.

Again props and applause to Christina Lauren. Man, can they write one sexy mother f***er. I'm not joking.

Oliver is smart, thoughtful, witty, humble. He's got his shit together and he knows what he wants - and that's Lola. He's not afraid to look stupid, he's not afraid to be vulnerable, he's not afraid to say I love you first. He's seriously the entire package.

I obviously could go on and on about Oliver.

Which brings me back to Lola and why I rarely venture into M/F these days.

Again, like its predecessor Mia in [b:Sweet Filthy Boy|18775297|Sweet Filthy Boy (Wild Seasons, #1)|Christina Lauren|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395723782s/18775297.jpg|26751379], I have to remind myself that this is NA after all. This is about finding yourself and learning from one's mistakes and undergoing growth. Ugh. So it comes as no surprise whatsoever when that tried, true, and trite foil happens every stinking time - you know, the one where bad decisions are made and feelings are hurt. I knew it was coming, I was prepared for it, and I pushed through and endured.

This writing duo has never failed in creating fabulous males and depicting them in all their steamy, smexy glory. They're so good in fact, I'll continue to give them a pass and overlook that repetitive female annoyance.

Thus all 4 stars go to Oliver.

First off - if you liked the Beautiful series by this duo, then I think for many this will be a no brainer and I'm confident you'll enjoy this very much. However for me, my thoughts are going to be biased because this was the first hardcore M/F I've read after reading close to 200 various M/M fics and I have to be honest… I haven't really missed it much.

Don't get me wrong - this book had plenty of dirty, explicit, hot smex with a good amount of feels. There was some great dialogue and I enjoyed the setups/situations that these two got into. Ansel is an awesome fantasy. He is pretty much perfect and very swoon worthy. How can one not love a man who is gorgeous, kind, spontaneous, playful and sexy?? Seriously, he is definitely a work of fiction because I really don't think someone like this comes close to existing. Who wouldn't want to find themselves a French man who offers you a fantastic summer getaway in his home country?? Anyone??

However I'm not as invested in Mia. To me she was like many of the other female characters in novels like this. I can't be too harsh - this is New Adult and that means she has a lot of growing up to do to figure out what makes her happy. Unlike the Beautiful series, this was solely in her POV and I missed the alternating narration of both the female and male characters. I've always been more intrigued with the male POV - their emotions, vulnerabilities and pleasure. So while this was entertaining, I felt something was missing, something I can't quite pinpoint or articulate fully as to why this didn't hit my buttons as it used to.

Overall - Ansel 4.5 stars / Mia 2 stars = 3 stars total