Not what I was expecting :(

I read the first book in this series, (Cutie and the Beast) and I really, really enjoyed it, so I was waiting for the second with a lot of expectations.

Sadly, I really found this story very disturbing. The whole consent issue was troublesome and it was never resolved; add to that the forced D/s relationship, justified with 'it's a psychological thing!' and... well... seriously, not my thing.

And Mal!!! He is nothing like we see in book one.

A sad disappointment :(

11 people found this helpful

Not what I was expecting

First of all let me say Joel’s performance as always was wonderful, if it hadn’t been for him I would not have made it as far in this story as I did. I was really saddened by this story line. I couldn’t get behind Mals character he was nothing like we see on book one and I was so looking forward to this book too! Poor Bryce keeps being picked on lied to and attacked one way or another by Mal and I had just couldn't feel that this was a romantic story. I am sorry since I really loved the first book.

5 people found this helpful

So funny 🤣 😆 😄

This book so funny, it was like me and my husband we argue and fight but we love each other and come together when needed. Can't wait for book 3

1 person found this helpful

where it all started

This is the second in the trio of books that created such a fun world that it less to myriad spin offs. Just this past weekend I listened again to the first book in this series and wished this one was released. imagine my happiness when it had been by the time I was done listening.

Joel Leslie wields his incredible range of accents well, and the story is an original twist on fae meets human.

I am looking forward to seeing the rest of E.J. Russell's books make it to audio. Her books are a perfect antidote to the reality of a 2020s world.

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Highly Entertaining

This was a very enjoyable story as Mal (Allen's brother) and his next-door neighbor, Bryce, a druid, go to battle--first with each other as bickering neighbors and then with the Seelies and Unseelies of the Fae underworld. On one level it's a push/pull, love/hate, sexual attraction/denial romp to romance. But on the other hand it's a highly complex visit to a different world filled with amazing creatures who live by completely different standards.

Mal and David are charged with certain tasks which Mal hopes will restore his hand (lost in a battle in book one) and David hopes will help him restore the deteriorating environment in their neighborhood. Along the way their bond is strengthened and ultimately they fall in love and have their HEA. This is, of course, much more complex than my simple sentences indicate. EJ Russell has built a well-thought out world here and I can't wait to revisit. Gareth's story is next. Yay.

Oh, and PS: Joel Leslie was outstanding as usual. In fact, he exceeded my expectations by being able to pronounce all the accents, male and female voices, and those tongue-twisters. :-)

Very fun series!!

I am loving this series of books! This book is Mal and Bryce's story. I love that Bryce has no idea the power he has and figures it out as he goes. I really like seeing characters from the first book in the series as well. I think this book is best enjoyed as part of the series as there are storylines that continue in this book. So far it's a very fun series, and I am eager to start the next book!

Getting better

Mal's back and this time Bryce joins him. This series is still not worth 3 credits, more relationship, more world building, more holes showing in. Not a ton of sex, but more is certainly implied.

Since you were introduced to Mal in the last one, you're allowed to get to know him and Bryce in this one. There's more story, and Mal and Bryce have character development to go through. You get to know more about the world, and get to less of a conclusion than the last one. You also spend a TON of time wanting to strangle Mal and a bit on Bryce - the story isn't moving fast enough for the amount of time they don't spend talking to one another or asking questions of anyone.

There's a lot of - I need an answer to this extremely important question! I can't tell you that now, we'll talking about it later. Why, well... cause the plot said so? Extremely important question still hasn't been answered 6 chapters later. Don't worry, everything gets wrapped up nicely with a bow in time for the finale.

You get to know David better and you still won't learn anything more about Alan, other than he spent a lot of time stuck in the past. You also learn more about the Faerie world - which other than the inhabitants seems rather interesting. You also get the impression that the world was created to keep all of the moronic seelie/unseelie inhabitants away from humans.

a fun next romp into faery...but not a perfect one

this picks up not long after the first book, and is centered around Mal the middle fae Kendrick brother and his neighbor Bryce, the unknowingly-a-druid ecoactivist professor. Mal doesn't like or trust druids as a whole, since there is always a catch with their spells... and Bryce cares a lot about his wetland project and ends up apprenticed to David's aunt Cassy. and bound to Mal with a 10 foot barbed energy tether (yeah it's weird) so Mal has to teach him all about supernaturals.

Enter a weird plague in the swamp that reaches into faery, and the mysterious Steve who implies he can break Mal's useless cursed hand if he helps with three tasks. So Mal has to drag Bryce along on the adventure.
there are more than a few consent questions brought up in this relationship, which was concerning, but they Eventually work themselves out. it causes them both pain to find out their relationship was not what it first appeared, and it got a little old to hear the same thing thrown at each other even when they had gotten past it, but they prove that relationships sometimes look different inside them than out.

the consent questions and power dynamic arguments (where they dont argue fair... like the dynamic is fine. one partner submitting to the other? hawt. but the anger and "magic made us" fighting was meh after a point) are what tipped this from 5 stars to 4 for me.
nonetheless it was a fun and enjoyable read, and I love this series.

Even better than the first. And that's saying alot

Near Perfection in its wit and creativity of plot. it should be a bloody HBO series!

Love love love this series

This is a love story to the earth we inhabit, and the understanding that when we disregard it we are slowly killing ourselves like the blight that invaded the One Tree. It’s book 2 of 3 in the Fae out of water series and continues with the story of the 2nd Kendrick sibling. I love the fantasy, Celtic mythology and fairy tale influences and especially the shout out to Star Wars. I Look forward to reading about Gareth in book 3 as this author continues to deconstruct the human psyche and what it means to love and be loved.
Finally Joe Leslie is the master 😊