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A review by inmydreams
Rerouting River by D. Dove
4.0
I'm between a 4 or 4.5 rating, but overall I loved this a lot and it definitely deserves a more elaborated review so I hope I can give it justice.
The plot is about River, a guy who's lived in debt for a long time, never financially stable, so he has to go around and pick up random jobs no matter if they're dangerous for himself. His life is awful, he has a lanlord who abuses and harrasses him constantly, and he can barely make it to the end of the moth with something to eat. That's how he meets Ben, someone he met when he was much younger and who is glad to see him again. They start a friendship and then the second ML appears, Emile, who is Ben's rival (not really) and becomes interested in River as well.
This did a really great job in the hurt/comfort aspect, I usually look for books where there is actual hurt/pain that can make me feel as bad as MC, and I think this one is a good example. It is horrifying, but thankfully there's a ton of comfort equally. I would even say the comfort was a bit too much for my tastes, but I don't mind a lot because the MC deserves it.
One of the few reasons why this wasn't so perfect to me is because of how I felt after the painful side of the story ended, and the comfort started. I was still engaged, but somehow I felt like I could stop and give it a few days, instead of being as obsessed with this as I was during the beginning. I guess it's because I'm someone who enjoys whump and the angstiest it is, the better. Not really into something too sweet, which isn't a flaw in itself but a preference for me, and that's how I felt about the second half. Ben and Emile are amazing supportive partners, but I wish the development wasn't as slow. I understand why it is as it came out, but I think some things could've been omitted and it would've worked still.
Besides that, I thought some of the dialogue felt a bit too unrealistic, especially when it came to Emile, at least River actually thinks no one talks like that, but I still wanted him to talk like a normal person lol. There was also too much stuttering from River, especifically the "O-Oh" thing he always did, I get the sentiment, but I wish it was replaced or omitted and the dialogue would flow better.
This one is a very solid book though, I enjoyed the trauma recovery journey, and seeing River go through so much to finally get his HEA is worth it. I wished this had a bit more rivalry between Ben and Emile at the beginning because it'd be much more interesting to see their progress, but I'm fine with the result anyway. I adored how they pampered River at any chance they were given, and how they actually took, it's cathartic. I have a thing for guys who provide for their lovers, so this was really great.
Tags: (can miss some, heads up that I don't tag everything)
-POV: third person
-Content warnings:
-Elements:
-Kinks:
-Sexual act(s):
-Dynamic:
The plot is about River, a guy who's lived in debt for a long time, never financially stable, so he has to go around and pick up random jobs no matter if they're dangerous for himself. His life is awful, he has a lanlord who abuses and harrasses him constantly, and he can barely make it to the end of the moth with something to eat. That's how he meets Ben, someone he met when he was much younger and who is glad to see him again. They start a friendship and then the second ML appears, Emile, who is Ben's rival (not really) and becomes interested in River as well.
This did a really great job in the hurt/comfort aspect, I usually look for books where there is actual hurt/pain that can make me feel as bad as MC, and I think this one is a good example. It is horrifying, but thankfully there's a ton of comfort equally. I would even say the comfort was a bit too much for my tastes, but I don't mind a lot because the MC deserves it.
One of the few reasons why this wasn't so perfect to me is because of how I felt after the painful side of the story ended, and the comfort started. I was still engaged, but somehow I felt like I could stop and give it a few days, instead of being as obsessed with this as I was during the beginning. I guess it's because I'm someone who enjoys whump and the angstiest it is, the better. Not really into something too sweet, which isn't a flaw in itself but a preference for me, and that's how I felt about the second half. Ben and Emile are amazing supportive partners, but I wish the development wasn't as slow. I understand why it is as it came out, but I think some things could've been omitted and it would've worked still.
Besides that, I thought some of the dialogue felt a bit too unrealistic, especially when it came to Emile, at least River actually thinks no one talks like that, but I still wanted him to talk like a normal person lol. There was also too much stuttering from River, especifically the "O-Oh" thing he always did, I get the sentiment, but I wish it was replaced or omitted and the dialogue would flow better.
This one is a very solid book though, I enjoyed the trauma recovery journey, and seeing River go through so much to finally get his HEA is worth it. I wished this had a bit more rivalry between Ben and Emile at the beginning because it'd be much more interesting to see their progress, but I'm fine with the result anyway. I adored how they pampered River at any chance they were given, and how they actually took
Spoiler
revenge on the bad guysTags: (can miss some, heads up that I don't tag everything)
-POV: third person
-Content warnings:
Spoiler
graphic sexual assault on page (not between mcs), gang rape, abuse-Elements:
Spoiler
hurt/comfort, size difference, age gap-Kinks:
Spoiler
praise kink-Sexual act(s):
Spoiler
barebacking, creampie, blowjobs, fingering, humping-grinding-Dynamic: