Review: Red by Cambria Hebert
SYNOPSIS:
Once upon a time…
An orphaned boy runs away, knowing he is better off in solitude
than in the company of those with whom he does not belong.
However, Little Red is not meant to be alone,
his crimson halo a calling card to those far and wide.
And so off he goes… into the woods to attract the eye of a wicked wolf.
Better to see you with.
Better to hear you with.
Better to taste you with.
Astoundingly, the woods are not a frightening place,
and Little Red flourishes among the weeds and thorns until he isn’t so little anymore.
And the wicked wolf he’s gone to catch?
Well, this forest has more than one, and perversely,
their snapping teeth and sharp claws make him feel at home.
Years after walking into the woods, Red is expected to walk back out,
carrying with him the head of the most dangerous predator.
But those who sent him into the forest failed to take into
account that not everyone fears the bite of the big bad wolf.
Some crave it…
REVIEW:
I had high, high hopes for the book after reading Merry Misfits. The tension between Beau and Daeshim was palpable and I was excited to see it reach a breaking point. And for the first quarter of the story, I couldn’t get enough. But somewhere along the way, things broke down and I was left feeling disappointed.
I think a lot of this stems from the character Beau is ‘portraying’ himself to be versus who he actual is. For the last five books, we have seen Beau as aloof, strong, and floating in the background. But this story made Beau seem like such a fragile, vulnerable character. He is constantly on the verge of a mental breakdown and there were just some serious gaps in his character arch progression. There was no flow to him, he was suddenly crippled with anxiety after spending years being this care-free bad-*ss.
I think the lack of fluidity in Beau as a character bled into a lack of fluidity in his relationship with Daeshim. I mean yes, there was sexual tension and they have been watching each other but things went from zero to 100 real fast sexually with absolutely no communication. I was actually concerned for Beau who went from being a virgin to having sex 4-5 times within a 24 hour period. Oh and let’s add in a confession of love too; it was just too much, there was no pacing and the solution to Beau’s anxiety was Daeshim’s d*ck. Which, I had no problems with but I really wanted these two develop emotionally along with their physical relationship. And that is where the story was lacking severely for me.
In terms of Beau and Daeshim’s individual storylines, I liked them. It is definitely a raunchy, raw, and dark version of Little Red Riding Hood. Beau is drowning in his secrets and Daeshim’s past is quickly catching up with him, making for endless danger and page-turning action. The cameos from the previous books in the series, as well as the epilogue provided closure all around. I just wish there was some finessing to Beau as a character and him and Daeshim as a relationship.
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