I want to preface that I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. The book captivated me from the moment I read the title. I mean, a dark romance with a stepmom—sign me up. That isn’t something that I see every day; I was getting tired of all the stepbrothers and stepfathers. The stepmother needs some love too. Alas, through reading, I felt like the title and description didn’t live up to my expectations. I expected something a bit more like romantic intrigue and a whole lot of chasing; however, there wasn’t that. The whole “forbidden” stepson was nowhere to be found in the story; yes, he technically is the stepson, but at the same time, there is no “legal” claim.
Let’s break down the characters because a lot could have been done. Carrie, in my opinion, is a weak-willed woman, and I despised the way that she attempts to rationalize every abusive action that her equally abusive men that she is with take. From the beginning, she was so smitten with Jackson that I was like, where was the essence? I understand that she wanted a better life for herself and her daughter, and I can sympathize with her to that degree. Jackson is another anomaly; he claims that he’s taking revenge on his father by stealing Carrie, but I got the feeling he lost sight of that revenge from the moment, he and Carrie started their business (insert crying laughing emoji). Y’all ever get the feeling of a time mishap? I got the sense that the story took place all within a week—a month at most. Everything was fast-paced, which is why I would like the book to be longer and more plot-filled. Bringing back the stepson plot, it is not until the end that Carrie finds out that Jackson is her “stepson.” She confronted him, 3 pages left, he argued his point, 2 pages left, he said he loves her, 1 page left, and she answered she loves him too, the end. I’m sorry, what?! That couldn’t be it, but indeed it was. This is how I also felt with the “revenge.” Carrie left Malcolm, and that was it. Please show us a snippet of him in despair and helplessness. However, I guess it was too much to ask for.
Despite these shortcomings, I must commend the author’s writing style, which kept me engaged throughout. The adept use of language and the portrayal of interpersonal dynamics demonstrated a skillful command of storytelling. Additionally, the interactions among the Brew Crew added depth to the narrative, although I would have appreciated further exploration of their characters.
Regarding the more intimate aspects of the book, I know y’all want to know the nitty-gritty and ask the question, what was the smut like? The smut was okay; it didn’t overshadow the story, which is why, to keep the balance, I wanted more plot to center it. Jackson was a devoted worshipper of Carrie’s needs, which is exactly what she needed. He put her interest first but made it a good time for the both of them (insert primal play).
In conclusion, while this book falls short of its potential in terms of character development and plot execution, it nonetheless showcases the author’s talent for crafting engaging prose. With further refinement and attention to storytelling elements, future works from this author hold promise for delivering more fulfilling reading experiences. Please let me know your thoughts. On that note, Babs out!
