Fucking hell, I can't do it anymore. This book is terrible, absolutely terrible and I cannot finish. The author is all over the place with where they want to go and the story doesn't FOCUS. If it was only about Angelea I'd be more interested, but Terry has to jump to other side stories and I'm bored.
He repeats himself CONSTANTLY. We do not have the memory span of a guppy, I promise you don't have to say the same thing 400 times. This book reads like a high school student trying to bulk up an essay with more words to meet the minimum.
The ending saved this book. Once you find out what's going on the rest of the story makes sense and is actually pretty good, but I have to admit it was a struggle to get there. I almost stopped reading it a dozen times because I was frustrated with the characters from the very start, especially the “romance”.
If the bulk of the book was more like the ending this would've been a 4 star, but as is I struggle giving it a 2.
I loved this book from the very first chapter. It was definitely a different format from most thrillers, which I thoroughly appreciate! It was haunting and disturbing and totally kept me on the edge of my seat.
But then...(spoilers)
THERE WAS NO TWIST, or rather it came too late. The bad person is exactly who they portrayed the whole book and the ending left you feeling no different than you would have without the letter. The letter itself was such a bore to read and frankly didn't change anybody's mind. Good book but bad ending.
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I downloaded this book on a whim to listen to on a plane without looking at the description. I was looking for a thriller...I did NOT expect erotica. I DEFINITELY didn't expect gay erotica lmao. Not really my thing, but after a few sex scenes I skipped through them and enjoyed the suspense part of the book. Not bad, kind of generic for a detective/cop novel. But yeah. It's gay erotica, so be aware of that.
I've never been so disappointed in a book. I LOVED The Butterfly Garden because it was unique, thrilling, and absolutely fucked up. But Roses of May is just like every other detective novel that I was trying to avoid. SNOOOOZE. The characters aren't likeable or relatable, the plot is predictable, the climax is boring, and the string connected the The Butterfly Garden is as thin as can be.
The first book is still one of my favorite books of the 2010s, but Roses of May was simply awful. I started The Summer Children with hopes it will be better, but so far looking like more of the same lame cliches and boring plot lines. Dot should really have quit while ahead.