REVIEWED BY Isa Jones
Black Balled by
Andrea Smith
My rating:
5 of 5 stars
Ok before I start my review I would like to say Hi to all those who I know are reading this and are getting ready to criticise MY point of view.It still amazes me that people are so sensitive at each others opinions. We are all individuals, and we all have a different way to understand, assimilate and comprehend different things. We all admire art, or appreciate art in a different way. For some Picasso is an incomparable genius, for some he doesn't make sense. For some people A Clockwork orange is a cinematographic masterpiece, for others is a nonsensical pipe dream. Well people, for some Black Balled might be brilliant and for some it might NOT. That is ok, that is the whole point, speak up, give your opinion, tell it how you see it. BUT do not dare criticise those good or bad reviews. Learn to accept others and move on. You don't like the book, you thought it was a waste of your money, put it in writing. If that is what this book made you feel, GREAT, spell it out in SHOUTY CAPITALS.
I F*****G LOVED IT!!!!
And that is my opinion, nobody payed me, no body bribed me, nobody begged me to read this. I received this book as I have received many others in exchange of an honest review and that is what as a reviewer I intend to do.
Can I first say KUDOS to both writers. This book was a complete breath of fresh air. I loved every minute of this story, and I just could NOT put it down. This plot was so precise, so well put together it developed and flowed flawlessly.
When I first received the ARC, I was a bit taken by the title, I hadn't read the synopsis I only knew it was M/M (my review manager knows I have a soft spot for these books), anyway, as I began to read, I was taken aback by the storyline.
In a nut shell the book evolves around two MC's, Babu and L.Blackburn. One in turn a prominent reviewer, the other an Indie Author, (yes you already know where this is going). What happens when an upcoming Author is suddenly terribly criticised claiming he had broken a big "cardinal rule" within the writing world. When someone has such a strong influence with readers, do readers tend to believe everything its said forgetting to make their own minds? Sadly yes, this is what happens. The actual word is "schadenfreude", a bit of morose delectation. It is "the feeling of joy or pleasure when one sees another fail or suffer misfortune". That is how this story begins. Are you enthralled? Well that is just how these two authors began what I can only describe as a brilliantly crafted story. “That’s how stories happen — with a turning point, an unexpected twist. There’s only one kind of happiness, but misfortune comes in all shapes and sizes. It’s like Tolstoy said. Happiness is an allegory, unhappiness a story.”
We are gifted with not one but TWO alpha leads, each so different in personality and physique, but both so similar in character. Both are fighting for supremacy, and it was such a turn on to read and learn about each of their past. In one chapter you veer for one of them, in the next you are rooting for the other, its comical but before you realise you are totally engrossed and in love with both of them. You see, there is a reason for their own behaviour and once you start scratching the surface, you can see that there is more that meets the eye.
The mother of all plans is set in motion, and as the authors described it, in its own Machiavellian way, one goes for revenge with an intent to get back at the other. But you know this is a book, and as with all books you know things don't ever go to plan, and what we get is a clusterfuk of the most comical and steamiest of ways.
Oh I could go on and on but I rather leave it to you to decide what you think of this story. I loved the humour, the wittiness and sarcasm, the tender and often heartfelt moments and the love that often has the power to change people's hearts.
Thank you to both authors for entrusting me with your "cub". I would love to read your next project.
5 BIG BALLSY STARS ***** ISALOVESBOOKS
Reviewed for Jo&Isalovebooks Blog
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