Killer Queen: Crazy Little Thing Book 2, Serene Franklin

Amusing, difficult, sexy, detestable.  I'm having a hard time with this review.  I did get through the whole story, read right until the end and through the epilogue.  If I went with my first instinct to DNF about halfway through I would have stayed sour on this book.  But since I read to the end and found sweetness, honesty, and feelings, I'm a little less sour even though I really, really don't want to be.

Fidelity is something that I must have in real life, books, movies, anime, manga...doesn't matter.  If there's cheating or even a hint of cheating, I'm done, physically ill, bothered for days.  It doesn't work for me and it never makes me want to keep learning about the characters fooling around whether on purpose or by accident.  In Mac and Dubhlainn's case, they're clear and upfront about non-exclusivity and we get details about Mac's encounters sometimes that turn my stomach because I'm wondering when they'll ever get on the same page and if Mac will ever become serious about Dove.  When they do, I believe it but I don't like it.

When Mac first blurts out his newfound curiosity/obsession I found it kind of cute because it fit his character so well.  I was expecting more of that as the story went on, but instead we get so much bottling, denial, ignoring, and sleeping around because he couldn't commit.  And for Dove to find someone else because he's jealous and petty and both of them going through the night "competing" because of those same things...ugh, no respect.

I just...I'm just sick thinking about how little care, how little emotion, how little monogamous thought went on for so damn long in this story.  I hated that.  Were they sweet to one another once hearts were shared?  Yeah.  Did we get a lot of that?  No.  The story was really about sex.  Sex with others, sex with one another...so very little depth for the characters and their relationship that I wasn't invested.  I finished for the sake of finishing, hoping that it wasn't just my colored view because of my own experiences.  I don't think it is.  I'm not wowed by the men, their love, or the story overall.

There were some high points and that was the seriously sexy steam, Mac's grandmother, and Maxim.  When g-ma's are cool and loving I'm a fan.  I think if Maxim gets his own story I'll definitely jump on reading it because there's something incredibly intriguing about him.  Aside from that, I just am not convinced by the story and can't honestly recommend it to anyone with my kind of sensibilities.  Was it a bad story?  Probably not, if you're not me, but since I can only be me, I'll leave it here and simply say, the book wasn't for me.

*$3.99 on Amazon

Mac

I’m the kind of guy you can always count on. When my best friend and former roommate—who up and ditched me in favor of his boyfriend—needs a favor, I don’t hesitate to help any way I can. This most recent favor landed me with a moody Irish university student for a roommate. With his long copper-red hair and blue eyes, he’s too damn cute for his own good—which is saying a lot considering I’m straight.

Thing is, he kinda hates me. Crazy, right? I shouldn’t care as much as I do, and I definitely shouldn’t let it bother me. Alas, here I am, caring and letting it bother me. I want him to like me, although I’m not quite sure why.

Dubhlainn

Insufferable. My new flatmate is insufferable. Between his loud, cheesy music, stupid assumptions, and flippant attitude, he annoys me. He also has this ridiculous aversion to wearing clothes around the flat, which wouldn’t be so bad if he weren’t so bloody attractive. It’s hard to remember to hate him when his perfect arse is within view.

Going after straight guys is nothing but trouble, and I’m smart enough to avoid that. Besides, I’d rather not mess up another living arrangement, and sex always makes things complicated—not that I’m thinking about sex.