ARC REVIEW: Pretty Little Monster by Z.S. Storm
Book Review
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice: 🔥🔥🔥
Tropes: Age gap, MM, dad's best friend, forbidden, dark romance
Triggers: Download a sample on Amazon for detailed content warning
*Please check triggers before reading*
This was my first read by Z.S. Storm and overall I ended up enjoying the book. When I first started it, I was a bit confused between Ollie and Oliver. It took me a minute to realize they were not the same person (I thought Ollie was Oliver's nickname), but that's more on me for not putting it together. I will say the beginning of the book took some time for me to get into and I debated if I wanted to put it on pause for awhile. However, once the book started to get more into the relationship dynamic, I was hooked on the story. The open ending will leave me wondering forever if my interpretation is right.
I enjoyed that this was a MM focused book because I often read MF, MFM, MMF, or MMMF, and have wanted to read more stories solely about gay/bisexual men in relationships. I enjoy reading about bisexual men in reverse harems, but I like that this couple didn't have the added dynamics of a woman in their relationship. I thought the spice was pretty good with this couple and I could feel their chemistry.
Ollie was complicated for me. I was so annoyed by him at times, but he ended up growing on me a lot and he was actually pretty funny. I liked the different layers he had to his personality and the way he could be sarcastic in a charming and funny way. He definitely struggles with his mental health, but I liked that he was able to acknowledge that. Despite some of his actions, he was my favorite part of this book. I hope my interpretation of the ending is wrong because I was rooting for Ollie and I don't want to be right about what I think is going on.
Leo was my least favorite person in this story. I love age gaps mostly because of the dynamic between the two characters, specifically how the older person takes control in the relationship. Leo did not fulfill that part of the dynamic for me. Ollie was definitely more of that person, but he was the younger person in the dynamic. My heart did break for Leo in the beginning (I don't want to spoil it), but at some point he needed to move on. I wanted him to have more control of the relationship, but also I can see how that would've been hard with Ollie.
I did struggle a little with the pacing of the story and the writing style. I don't really like to criticize writing style because I'm not an expert by any means. It didn't always work for me in this book, but it wasn't a huge barrier for me. The way Ollie was written really showcased Storm's ability as a writer. I definitely would read more by this author.
Thank you to Z.S. Storm and Peachy Keen for the opportunity to read Pretty Little Monster in exchange for an honest review!
Book Information
Release date: February 26th, 2022
Description:
*The description comes directly from Amazon's website*
Ollie
It started with a curiosity. I watched him, followed him around, wondered why he did the things he did. He just looked so heartbroken all the time.
Then he moved away, and I distracted myself with other stuff. Because why would my dad's best friend notice me? The boy he used to babysit and who wasn't even allowed to buy his own drink yet.
But one crazy day, things changed between us. He did look at me differently. And my desire for him turned into an obsession. That was when I decided that Leo was mine, and he wasn't allowed to tell me otherwise. It was incredible, the way he calmed the storm inside me without even knowing it. His love was addictive, and I became a junkie.
But the monster messed it all up. It made me do something really bad. Everything turned into a fucking nightmare and Leo thought it was all my fault.
I didn't know how to make him understand that it wasn't. And I couldn't handle the pain anymore. It was too hard...fighting the monster all the time.
Letting it destroy me was easier.
Note: This is a dark, age gap MM romance and contains heavy themes and triggers. Read at your own risk. See author's note within sample for a full and detailed content warning.
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