This edition is from the Thawing the Ice Rainbow After Dark book box from @rainbowcrate. As always, you can find more of my reviews @ edgybutfemme on Storygraph.
This book was an insightful exploration of healing from PTSD and trauma as well as a high drama contemporary sapphic romance set in Hollywood. Even though this book fell slightly lower on my rating scale because it wasn't necessarily the type of narrative I look for, I think it is an incredible book that achieves what it sets out to do. The vibes are very what if Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada ran a movie studio instead of a fashion magazine, with the addition that instead of trying to carve her plucky young employee into a version of herself, the two of them instead fell deeply in love and she instantly tries to push her employee away with cruelty to protect herself.
Full Review, Content Warnings, & Spice Level Info Under the Cut
What I Liked
They said they were delivering an ice queen with a slow burn and by god they delivered. Also, despite being an absolute witch and downright cruel at times, I appreciated that Neve Blackthorne did have good standards. She is actually passionate about making good movies, she cares about delivering good representation, and she champions union work and making movies the right way.
I like that she actually gets to be cruel, but redeemable. Plus, scary competent older woman who will destroy you if you cross her is so many people's exact type.
That being said, my favorite character was Helena Moore, Neve's therapist. I thought the framing every chapter of starting with a therapy session was clever and well used. Helena is compassionate, funny, relatable, and, most importantly, doesn't take any of Neve's shit. Truly I don't know if I would have made through the whole book without these scenes slowly making Neve change and grow.
This book is an excellent exploration of a person finally being forced to deal with their trauma and PTSD so they stop hurting themselves and everyone around them.
Audrey Avens is great! I love that she gets to go and make her own career after Neve pushes her away. I love that she goes and dates other people and still lives her life.
What I Struggled With
Okay, so first and foremost this just turned out to not be as much my speed. If the above appeals to you, this book really achieves exactly what it set out to do. That being said, here's what didn't work as well for me in particular:
Listen, this is a midlife crisis novel. I think it's important for these books to exist, and historically this sort of book has been written only about heterosexual cisgendered white men. So, I think this is an important book that should exist, especially because it deals really well with mental health and trauma. That being said, I don't like coming of age novels, and a midlife crisis novel is the same sort of narrative but for adults.
I can tolerate a lot of mistreatment between love interests. I love enemies to lovers. However, this is very one sided cruelty with no extenuating circumstances. It's hard to watch how aggressively Neve drives Audrey away with needless cruelty. It's an important part of their arc, but I struggled with it.
This is a very messy and high drama sort of romance, which can be fun! However, I just wanted any sort of communication between them any amount earlier in the book. They finally get together very late in the game.
Anyway, if these things won't bother you, please go support this sapphic romance! The payoff at the end is absolutely worth it, and I did enjoy this book despite it being outside my normal taste! I think, for me, the best thing about getting book boxes is it helping me stretch outside my comfort zone and try new things.
The Spice Level
🌶️🌶️🌶️/ 5 - The smut in this novel uses explicit language and lots of detail. We have a good balance of plot and romance. There are several sex scenes throughout the book, at least 2 or 3 but likely more. (In this case, more. This book was right on that 3-4 spice border, but the book leans more plot heavy and isn't kinky so I left it at 3)
Audrey and Neve get to be SO HORNY and so messy and so passionate. So many sapphic romances are only allowed to be so chaste and sweet and I love getting to see a high smut passionate sapphic romance.
Content Warnings From Storygraph
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Abandonment
Content Warnings Directly From the Book
Child emotional abuse and neglect
Domestic violence (mentioned, off page)
Internalized homophobia
Cheating
Please feel free to ask me if you have any questions! I'm always happy to provide more context <3
This edition is from the Thawing the Ice Rainbow After Dark book box from @rainbowcrate. As always, you can find more of Gabe's reviews @ wordswritinstarlight on Storygraph. You can find Meghan's very long (also 5 star!) review @ edgybutfemme on Storygraph as well. Find all our links from our website: Polycraftory.com
I expected to have a good time reading this book, but honestly I was surprised by how genuinely excellent it was. X is my favorite flavor of fucked up, and Tate is smart, which is frankly rare in plots revolving heavily around an escort mission. I spent this whole book braced for Tate to storm off and almost die or something stupid in that style, and instead he consistently makes what I would say is the smartest decisions available to him, even when the situation sucks.
Also, this is a really well executed dystopia. The DTP is somewhere between American police and Stormtroopers, and their willingness to kill just to make a point is driven home with onscreen actions rather than just hearing a report of it. This book really speaks to the part of me that is often frustrated with how dystopian media usually falls into either "we're going to kill the Big Bad and everything is fine now" or "this is how it's going to be forever and there's nothing to be done about it". It perfectly nails a middle ground between the two.
Recommended for anyone whose favorite action movie is Fury Road, or for anyone who likes the romcom Mr. Right.
Content Warnings & Spoilers Under The Cut!
Content Warnings From The Book
Graphic violence
Stalking
Knife play (consensual)
Breath play (consensual)
Mentions of domestic abuse
Police violence
Gun violence
Murder
Death
Alcohol abuse
Sex work
Explicit sexual content
Death of a parent
Ending Spoilers
X and Tate actually get to leave! I love that, even after everything, X has hope for something better, and that Tate decides he'd rather die trying to find a place to be happy than live a miserable life forever.
Our favorite Rainbow Crate @rainbowcrate and RAD (Rainbow After Dark) sprayed edges! Do you think if I collect enough of them I could build a little fort to read in out of pretty books? Only time will tell!
You can find reviews for August's RAD books, A Whisper of Solace by Milena McKay and Exposed by H.L. Day, on our Tumblr and on Storygraph! Both Gabe and I particularly loved Exposed.
Don't know what to read next? Check out our Storygraphs:
Queer Romance reviews by Meghan (with often long, very thorough reviews broken down into sections)
Horror, Fantasy, & SciFi reviews by Gabe (with helpful "if you like x, you'll probably like y" notes)
Mood Reader & Manga reviews by Nic (short, sweet, and vibes based reviews for a wide variety of genres)
We also post a lot of book reviews on our TikTok, with a bunch of content queued to come out this week. <3
We are back with the Thawing the Ice box from Rainbow After Dark @rainbowcrate. I actually managed to read both of these books, so later tonight and tomorrow I will be posting some fun detail shots of each book and with a full book review!
My favorite thing about the RAD box is that both books are indie published, so they both get the full overhaul. This month's theme was ice kings and queens. Exposed by HL Day is a post-apocalyptic action romance with X using all the knife skills and tactics at his disposal to save Tate, an innocent man being hunted by the dystopian "Defenders of the Peace" police force. A Whisper of Solace by Milena McKay is a sapphic contemporary romance set in Hollywood between the CEO ice queen of a major movie studio and the one woman that has been able to melt through her defenses.
Stay tuned for reviews and detail shots of these books soon!
