4 Stars

"Godsbedamned!" This was good. Really good.

There's not much else to add to any of the great reviews already out there. I will be the first to admit that I'm scared of angst and this is freakin Amy Lane! You can't read m/m and not hear about her. But Rosa gently nudged me towards this lovely tale; she promised me it would be ok...

So I was expecting angst and I got it. It was my favorite kind - want, doubt, insecurity - and this had it in spades. What I didn't expect was the enjoyment I got out of it as well. The verbal sparring these two undertake was smart and fun and funny. In and amongst that were some extremely scorching UST and wonderful smex. These men fall hard for each other and through their forced time together, they learn about love, forgiveness, and acceptance. I appreciated the ending where Naef didn't magically and neatly remain beautiful and was so touched by the raw vulnerability of both Naef and Aerie-Smith. It was wonderful to witness and know that they healed each other and in the end, finally found their much deserved happiness.

Thank you Rosa! However, that doesn't mean I'm ready for something more hardcore from this author ;) Baby steps... ( )

this book about learning about one's self and that's exactly what 'naef' must learn to do. He's the kind of man that's hard to people b/c of how he's been treated but when he meets aerie smith, things change. Everything changes. It's almost like blunt force trauma to the head.

I couldn't quiet get them b/c they were different and unique. It's wasn't the hunk falls for another hunk story and I loved that. ( )

I'm not usually a fan of fairy tale type stories, but this one's perfect. Naef is beautifully written, sharp and twisted. And that's all I want to say here. ( )

It's no secret that I adore fairytale retellings and this was one of the best and most unique I've read. The writing is lush and beautiful. ( )

A brief, sweet tearjerker to read on a rainy afternoon! I normally prefer a lot more depth in my worldbuilding but this is just a quick romantic romp. ( )