Books: Rhodie, August
…and I freaking love them. They are exceptionally violent, but for all that (and there is a lot of that), they aren’t Dark. I happen to be a sick sonofabitch, so I find some of the torture scenes funny. Let me explain: the torture part is not funny. It’s graphic, excruciating, and, well, awe inspiring. Tuesday, the intrepid heroine of Rhodie is an absolute master when it comes to torture, like her grandfather and mentor Pops. It’s not for the faint of heart (or stomach). It’s the dichotomy of Rhodie’s perky charm and the diabolical nature of the torture that’s funny. It’s Pops being a Badass Grandpa. And it’s the black humor. The torture-free scenes are also funny. Like when Pops sees couples making out at the table and uses a water squirter on them like I do to my cats when they get up on the kitchen counter.
The Tombs family is at the heart of this ficton. They are weird. They are quirky. They are lovable. And they are real (I’m really getting mileage out of the italics this week). Because of this, they are relatable.
This universe has one of my all-time favorite heroines: Tuesday, who plays a major part in August as well as Rhodie, is neurodivergent. Or as the author puts it, neuro spicy. I fucking adore that term. The author is also neuro spicy and she writes Tuesday with authenticity and heart. And the affection the other characters have for her is a thing of beauty, and their unifying characteristic. It can safely be said that we all think that Tuesday hung the moon and sliced the bread.
As a person whose brain also works atypically (although in a much different way than Tuesday) I’m thrilled to read about a heroine who is on the Spectrum. Tuesday is brilliant and capable. Plus, she has a sex life, which is refreshing because differently abled people are often portrayed as being universally non sexual ( non sexual, not asexual. Being asexual is cool. It’s just not cool for anybody to be unjustly stereotyped).
I love the other characters too. It’s just that I love Tuesday SO MUCH that this series has kinda become The Tuesday Show for me. Anyway, here are my reviews.
Rhodie: Devil’s Rose MC Book One
Cat’s Stats
MMC/FMC- Rhodie and Tuesday
Genre- MC Romance
Length- 22 chapters and epilogue; about 250 pages
Heat- ☢️☢️☢️☢️☢️ everything but the kitchen sink
Series? Y
Safety? N, but no cheating
Triggers- graphic violence (including excruciating torture), S.A., graphic violence, language, graphic violence, explicit erotic content, graphic violence, kidnapping, and more graphic violence.
Tropes- Badsass Heroine, Badass Grandpa, Black Comedy, Instalove (He Falls First), Meet Cute, More Triggers Than An NRA Swap Meet, Neurodivergent Heroine, That Didn’t Come From Amazon.
Mewsings
I loved this book! Loved it! I loved the heroine and her quirks (and her extreme intelligence and talent). Loved the hero, who is on my list of Ultimate Book Boyfriends, even though I didn’t catch the story behind his road name. Loved the sidekicks and good guy side characters, especially Pops, whom I would not want to meet in a dark alley, but whom I would love to have as a dinner guest. This was a page turner that had me fascinated from page one. The plot was engaging (but violent). Added to the “Reasons I’m Probably Going to Hell” list is the fact that I found so much of this book to be hysterically funny (and I think that as more people read this book, I’ll have company there. We’ll form a club!). Even in the most violent parts (and this book was extremely, graphically violent) there was a lot of black humor. The ending was satisfying and opened the door for more books set in this universe. I’m about to go read August, Browne’s second book, and I don’t know how it can possibly compare to this one (but I’m hoping it will come close). I borrowed this book on KU and as soon as Double Points Day rolls around in Kindle Rewards, I’m buying it because I’m going to want to read it again and again. This is one of my forever favorites.
Can we talk about- the cover? Rhodie is described as having dirty blonde hair and that cover ain’t it. It really hacks me off when the cover designers don’t even read the physical descriptions.
August: A Tombs Security + Devil's Rose MC Crossover
Cat’s Stats
MMC/FMC- Gus and Ana
Genre- MC Romance/Rom Com
Length- 20 chapters plus epilogue
Heat- 🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋 With a little bit of BDSM
Series? Y
Safety? Y
Triggers- Language, Graphic Violence, Explicit Erotic Content, Hiking.
Tropes- Marriage of Convenience, Dysfunctional Family FTW, My Little Cabbage, Unhappy Camper
Mewsings
What I liked- This book gets added to my All Time Favorites list. Today. I love this book. So far, I’m loving all of the books she’s set in this ficton. I love all of the characters were. The Tombs family is absolutely nuts and absolutely delightful. Tuesday remains Tuesday-ish, complete with redecorating her torture cave. And Pops falls in lust and that’s not a mental picture I need. Because he is straight up crazy. Tav is described as having Golden Retriever energy, while the hero is more of a Boxer Dog: “protective of family, but sometimes not the brightest.” Ana is a fun, new addition to this world, running the Bratva single-handedly while insisting that she’s really the secretary.
I found this book to be in large part hilarious. It’s not as hardcore as the first book, but it’s still pretty violent. But there is something about Tuesday using torture methods to the background of The Backstreet Boys greatest hit.
I plan to beg Santa to send me more books like this to review.
What I didn’t- the next book is not published, so I don’t have it queued up on my Kindle. Man, I loved this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and I was not compensated for this review. (All of my reviews are free so I can share my honest opinion).
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