Ironbound Kisses (Jessica Walsh)
3.75 stars rounded up
I need to admit one thing – I am a book peeker. Yes, I am. I like to read the last few pages. I’m exactly like Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally in terms that I need to know how the story ends (what if I die before I finish a book and I don’t know how it ends?!? I will be haunting the world forever!!). But sometimes, when a story is really good, that it is able to build up the intrigue and mystery, I will be able to stop myself from checking for answers.
This is one of them.
There is always something magical and mysterious about the circus – one of the reasons why I requested for this book when I first read the blurb – and I thought Walsh did a really good job in luring me in as a reader. Written in third person solely from Thomas’ perspective, I was as curious as Thomas about the strange young man inside the manager’s trailer. I found myself guessing – was he the manager’s child, was he the manager’s lover, was he being abused inside that trailer, was it some sort of D/s situation – my mind went all over the place, for sure!
I don’t want to spoil the answer for everyone – although those who have read enough fantasy stories might draw their own conclusion from the title and the tags at the publisher’s website. I certainly did, and I thought it fit very well with the rather bewitching nature of the circus. Walsh has also written the circus acts very well, especially the knife-throwing act.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t 100% certain of the romance between Thomas and Isle. I guess it was the disadvantage of the story’s ‘magical’ territory. I would have loved to read more of the relationship building part when Thomas finally got his answers about Isle, and I didn’t feel like I got that.
However, my uncertainty about the romance aside, overall, I thought this had an alluring aspect to it. I have read this genre for years now, my read-number has gone past three thousand (in addition to slash fan-fiction), so in order for a story to be memorable, it has to have a stand-out element. This one definitely does. It had an enigma to solve with suspenseful and thrilling situations. I am sure in the future when someone asks me about it, I will still remember the circus and the twist of Isle’s identity.
This is my first experience with Jessica Walsh’s writing. I look forward to another story by her in the future.
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
I need to admit one thing – I am a book peeker. Yes, I am. I like to read the last few pages. I’m exactly like Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally in terms that I need to know how the story ends (what if I die before I finish a book and I don’t know how it ends?!? I will be haunting the world forever!!). But sometimes, when a story is really good, that it is able to build up the intrigue and mystery, I will be able to stop myself from checking for answers.
This is one of them.
There is always something magical and mysterious about the circus – one of the reasons why I requested for this book when I first read the blurb – and I thought Walsh did a really good job in luring me in as a reader. Written in third person solely from Thomas’ perspective, I was as curious as Thomas about the strange young man inside the manager’s trailer. I found myself guessing – was he the manager’s child, was he the manager’s lover, was he being abused inside that trailer, was it some sort of D/s situation – my mind went all over the place, for sure!
I don’t want to spoil the answer for everyone – although those who have read enough fantasy stories might draw their own conclusion from the title and the tags at the publisher’s website. I certainly did, and I thought it fit very well with the rather bewitching nature of the circus. Walsh has also written the circus acts very well, especially the knife-throwing act.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t 100% certain of the romance between Thomas and Isle. I guess it was the disadvantage of the story’s ‘magical’ territory. I would have loved to read more of the relationship building part when Thomas finally got his answers about Isle, and I didn’t feel like I got that.
However, my uncertainty about the romance aside, overall, I thought this had an alluring aspect to it. I have read this genre for years now, my read-number has gone past three thousand (in addition to slash fan-fiction), so in order for a story to be memorable, it has to have a stand-out element. This one definitely does. It had an enigma to solve with suspenseful and thrilling situations. I am sure in the future when someone asks me about it, I will still remember the circus and the twist of Isle’s identity.
This is my first experience with Jessica Walsh’s writing. I look forward to another story by her in the future.
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
4
4