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Bitter Legacy #2
Object of Desire
Tom Gray is one of the world's top models–an effortless object of desire. Self-contained, elusive and always in control, he's accustomed to living life entirely on his own terms. But when Tom comes under suspicion in the gory death of his employer, his world spirals into chaos.
Someone's framing him. Someone's stalking him. And as old secrets come to light, Tom finds his adversary always one step ahead.
Will Foster is the only man Tom trusts to help. But Tom brutally burned all bridges between them two years before, and Will paid a bitter price. If he wants to survive, Tom must prove his innocence to Will–and to the world.
Someone's framing him. Someone's stalking him. And as old secrets come to light, Tom finds his adversary always one step ahead.
Will Foster is the only man Tom trusts to help. But Tom brutally burned all bridges between them two years before, and Will paid a bitter price. If he wants to survive, Tom must prove his innocence to Will–and to the world.
453 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 22, 2018
39 people are currently reading
631 people want to read
About the author
Dal Maclean
6 books355 followersDal Maclean comes from Scotland. Her background is in journalism, and she has an undying passion for history, the more gossipy and scandalous the better. Dal has lived in Asia and worked all over the world, but home is now the UK. She dislikes the Tragic Gay trope, but loves imperfect characters, unreliable narrators and genuine emotional conflict in romantic fiction. As an author, and a reader, she believes it’s worth a bit of work to reach a happy ending. Agatha Christie, English gardens and ill-advised cocktails are three fatal weaknesses, though not usually all at the same time.
Her first book, "Bitter Legacy", was a 2017 Lambda Literary Award Finalist for best Gay Mystery, and was chosen by the American Libraries Association for their 2018 Over The Rainbow Recommended Books List.
Her first book, "Bitter Legacy", was a 2017 Lambda Literary Award Finalist for best Gay Mystery, and was chosen by the American Libraries Association for their 2018 Over The Rainbow Recommended Books List.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 227 reviews
February 1, 2022
This book is the author’s second shot at the mystery genre. Her first attempt, Bitter Legacy, had the most ambiguous blurb leading me to delay reading it for months. However, due to her Christie-like delivery of one of the best mysteries I have read this year, I had to automatically buy her second book.
First of all, fuck Tommy and everything he stands for. He is one of the most annoying protagonists ever written. Ever.
After that fuck Pez, fuck Nick, fuck Jena- fuck everybody in this book except former DI Will. Will isn’t annoying- at first.
This book may be difficult to swallow since the protagonist comes off as a whining, self-pitying piece of shit who needs a kick up his ass to dislodge his head.
However, Tommy upcoming supermodel of the Self Pity Brigade has a stalker. Not only that, he is the chief suspect in the death of his lover Nick’s wife. I promise you aren’t reading a Days of Our Lives rip off.
Since everyone is an asshole, it makes it hard to wonder who to root for. In most instances, relatability with the MC leads you to want to give a shit about them and thus you keep reading until you solve the mystery for/with them.
Unfortunately, Tommy doesn’t make you want to root for him. Or cheer for him. To be honest, at some point I wanted the stalker to succeed and whoever was trying to frame him for murder to succeed. I hated him that much. He wasn’t even an airhead. He wasn’t a stereotypical vapid cardboard cut-out of the beauty industry. He was actually smart. And occasionally glimpses of his humanity would shine through his annoying gorgeous head.
He is a lot similar to the MC in Bitter Legacy called Ben. But in that one, the author decided to make the hapless DCI James the narrator. In this instance, the victim- who is a vaudevillian victim of self-imposed circumstances- is the narrator. You may not give a shit about him, but Maclean weaves the story in such a way that you give a shit about what happens to him and the assholes around him.
As for the mystery, if you’re a fan of well executed plot twists, I highly recommend this book. If you’re a fan of gorgeously depicted men having gratuitous sex, I really highly recommend this book. If you’re a fan of redeemable assholes, I’m not sure I recommend this book- but if you could forgive, Jake Riordan you can sure as hell stand Tommy.
First of all, fuck Tommy and everything he stands for. He is one of the most annoying protagonists ever written. Ever.
After that fuck Pez, fuck Nick, fuck Jena- fuck everybody in this book except former DI Will. Will isn’t annoying- at first.
This book may be difficult to swallow since the protagonist comes off as a whining, self-pitying piece of shit who needs a kick up his ass to dislodge his head.
However, Tommy upcoming supermodel of the Self Pity Brigade has a stalker. Not only that, he is the chief suspect in the death of his lover Nick’s wife. I promise you aren’t reading a Days of Our Lives rip off.
Since everyone is an asshole, it makes it hard to wonder who to root for. In most instances, relatability with the MC leads you to want to give a shit about them and thus you keep reading until you solve the mystery for/with them.
Unfortunately, Tommy doesn’t make you want to root for him. Or cheer for him. To be honest, at some point I wanted the stalker to succeed and whoever was trying to frame him for murder to succeed. I hated him that much. He wasn’t even an airhead. He wasn’t a stereotypical vapid cardboard cut-out of the beauty industry. He was actually smart. And occasionally glimpses of his humanity would shine through his annoying gorgeous head.
He is a lot similar to the MC in Bitter Legacy called Ben. But in that one, the author decided to make the hapless DCI James the narrator. In this instance, the victim- who is a vaudevillian victim of self-imposed circumstances- is the narrator. You may not give a shit about him, but Maclean weaves the story in such a way that you give a shit about what happens to him and the assholes around him.
As for the mystery, if you’re a fan of well executed plot twists, I highly recommend this book. If you’re a fan of gorgeously depicted men having gratuitous sex, I really highly recommend this book. If you’re a fan of redeemable assholes, I’m not sure I recommend this book- but if you could forgive, Jake Riordan you can sure as hell stand Tommy.
April 6, 2018
4.25
Dal MacLean,once again,delivers a riveting story-full of mystery,and intrigue that had me second guessing just,about everyone at some point.
Tom Gray is at the top of his game.It might not have been the career he envisaged for himself but he's a highly successful model.His stunning looks have made him an Object of Desire for a lot of people.Disillusioned by his parents relationship he's put all his energy into modelling and walked away from the only relationship he had two years ago with a then Police Officer, Will Foster
But when one of his employers dies in suspicious circumstances he's forced to face his past when Will enters his life again...
The murder/mystery element is an absolute winner here as Tom and those close to him fall under suspicion and certain pasts are revealed.Did I guess correctly?...yes and no.Dal MacLean weaves a clever plot here with many twists and turns.
The relationship between Tom and Will definitely isn't straight forward and was hard to read at times but I really don't want to give anything away,apart from saying Tom infuriated me at times.But you don't always have to love every character to enjoy a good story,right? and Will more than compensated...I just adored him.
Another great read by this talented Author and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
A recommended read.
An Arc of Object of Desire was kindly provided to DirtyBooksObsession in exchange for an honest review.
Dal MacLean,once again,delivers a riveting story-full of mystery,and intrigue that had me second guessing just,about everyone at some point.
Tom Gray is at the top of his game.It might not have been the career he envisaged for himself but he's a highly successful model.His stunning looks have made him an Object of Desire for a lot of people.Disillusioned by his parents relationship he's put all his energy into modelling and walked away from the only relationship he had two years ago with a then Police Officer, Will Foster
But when one of his employers dies in suspicious circumstances he's forced to face his past when Will enters his life again...
The murder/mystery element is an absolute winner here as Tom and those close to him fall under suspicion and certain pasts are revealed.Did I guess correctly?...yes and no.Dal MacLean weaves a clever plot here with many twists and turns.
The relationship between Tom and Will definitely isn't straight forward and was hard to read at times but I really don't want to give anything away,apart from saying Tom infuriated me at times.But you don't always have to love every character to enjoy a good story,right? and Will more than compensated...I just adored him.
Another great read by this talented Author and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
A recommended read.
An Arc of Object of Desire was kindly provided to DirtyBooksObsession in exchange for an honest review.
My reviews are posted on DirtyBooksObsession
February 19, 2020
Audiobook – 5+++++++ stars
Story – 2.75 stars
Odd peanut here!!
This one picked up for me around 55% , the first part was boring.
I thought this was going to be another Bitter Legacy book 1 success story. After so many false starts, I finally managed to commit to the audiobook but the story ended up being disappointing.
I felt like I was reading book 1 written in reverse. I.e Ben narrating the story instead of Jamie. It didn’t help that Tom is a model and Will is a Detective Inspector. The only difference is, Ben and Jamie are well developed characters.
The Good!
The writing is good, the story flowed. The scenarios were laid out so well and it was easy to follow. The mystery was ok too, though I felt the twists and turns were unnecessary sometimes. Good thing is I still get to keep my Detective badge. The investigation process was questionable, but I didn’t mind that much.
Seeing Jamie and Ben! Squeee!! Aye, mi love them.
John the Cat. Duh!
The sex was hot! The MCs had that sexual chemistry that I really like. They lit up the sheets.
The rest
The story is told from Tom’s POV, a handsome, busy on the go super model with issues. So! here’s the thing, I expected Tom to be a jerk, one that I would love to hate, instead what I got was one boring person. I am wondering what all those people who fell in love with him, saw in him. I must be blind. By the end of the book, I didn’t really know Tom. His character was just bland. I am told he is afraid of relationships, but I was not convinced.
Will, Tom’s love interest, is another character that I didn’t get to know. Even if we don’t get his POV, I would love to know him through Tom’s eyes. After all, he is the love interest. There were so many side characters who fell short too.
We are told that Tom and Will were in a relationship before Tom walked away, so I guess this was a second chance thingy, the problem is, we don’t get to see that time together. It was hard to feel their connection outside the bedroom.
I felt that this book concentrated more on the mystery and forgot about the characters. The two go hand in hand. That is why Bitter Legacy book 1 worked so well for me.
Overall it was just eeh, the audiobook pulled me through.
Story – 2.75 stars
Odd peanut here!!
This one picked up for me around 55% , the first part was boring.
I thought this was going to be another Bitter Legacy book 1 success story. After so many false starts, I finally managed to commit to the audiobook but the story ended up being disappointing.
I felt like I was reading book 1 written in reverse. I.e Ben narrating the story instead of Jamie. It didn’t help that Tom is a model and Will is a Detective Inspector. The only difference is, Ben and Jamie are well developed characters.
The Good!
The writing is good, the story flowed. The scenarios were laid out so well and it was easy to follow. The mystery was ok too, though I felt the twists and turns were unnecessary sometimes. Good thing is I still get to keep my Detective badge. The investigation process was questionable, but I didn’t mind that much.
Seeing Jamie and Ben! Squeee!! Aye, mi love them.
John the Cat. Duh!
The sex was hot! The MCs had that sexual chemistry that I really like. They lit up the sheets.
The rest
The story is told from Tom’s POV, a handsome, busy on the go super model with issues. So! here’s the thing, I expected Tom to be a jerk, one that I would love to hate, instead what I got was one boring person. I am wondering what all those people who fell in love with him, saw in him. I must be blind. By the end of the book, I didn’t really know Tom. His character was just bland. I am told he is afraid of relationships, but I was not convinced.
Will, Tom’s love interest, is another character that I didn’t get to know. Even if we don’t get his POV, I would love to know him through Tom’s eyes. After all, he is the love interest. There were so many side characters who fell short too.
We are told that Tom and Will were in a relationship before Tom walked away, so I guess this was a second chance thingy, the problem is, we don’t get to see that time together. It was hard to feel their connection outside the bedroom.
I felt that this book concentrated more on the mystery and forgot about the characters. The two go hand in hand. That is why Bitter Legacy book 1 worked so well for me.
Overall it was just eeh, the audiobook pulled me through.
June 13, 2018
Object of Desire felt extremely unbalanced to me. The mystery was great, in fact it was the only thing that kept me going as the romance failed big time.
I kamikazed in a relationship that happened in the past for a period of 7 months and didn’t end well. Two years later, and here it's where the story starts, they need to face one another again, Tom drowned in guilt for the way he ended it and Will in resentment.
What didn’t work for me was that, romance wise, nothing really happened. It was mainly sex and Will trying to save Tom’s sorry ass from a stalker for the whole story.
It also didn’t help that too little was given about their time together in the past. Therefore, I didn’t feel any connection between these two guys. They had chemistry alright, but so did Tom with all the other guys he slept with, which emphasizes that chemistry alone is not enough to make a story a winner.
I needed an extra something in terms of relationship development, to add more depth. It would make Will stand out from the other guys and solidify Tom and him as a couple.
There are tons of good reviews, so just ignore my meh rate and go for it!
Apologies for going wild with the pics but I couldn't help it ;-)
I kamikazed in a relationship that happened in the past for a period of 7 months and didn’t end well. Two years later, and here it's where the story starts, they need to face one another again, Tom drowned in guilt for the way he ended it and Will in resentment.
What didn’t work for me was that, romance wise, nothing really happened. It was mainly sex and Will trying to save Tom’s sorry ass from a stalker for the whole story.
It also didn’t help that too little was given about their time together in the past. Therefore, I didn’t feel any connection between these two guys. They had chemistry alright, but so did Tom with all the other guys he slept with, which emphasizes that chemistry alone is not enough to make a story a winner.
I needed an extra something in terms of relationship development, to add more depth. It would make Will stand out from the other guys and solidify Tom and him as a couple.
There are tons of good reviews, so just ignore my meh rate and go for it!
Apologies for going wild with the pics but I couldn't help it ;-)
March 28, 2020
Still loved it! Now onto book 3.
-------- Original Review 28 May 2018 ---------
Dal Maclean has done it again. I read this all day, yesterday, and stayed up way too late last night, too. I did not want to put this book down. I was riveted.
I loved the suspense and the complicated MC's and the second chances trope and the total, honest to goodness -- MIND FUCK of a suspense plot. Like this author's previous book, this one has romance, suspense, at least one MC that isn't entirely likable (or entirely unlikable), a plot that keeps you guessing, and a hard fought HEA.
Tom Gray was an aloof, comitment-phobic fashion model. He shies away from anything resembling an actual relationship and insists that he's just not cut out for love and romance. In truth, Tom has some serious abandonment issues, so he always leaves first. That way, he is able to exert some control in a situation where he is afraid to be powerless.
Will Foster is the only man that Tom almost let himself care for. Like all the others, at the first hint of Will getting too attached, Tom was outta there. But Will wasn't like the other men in Tom's life and Tom never stopped caring. Will was a detective and very steadfast. Gorgeous, but not shallow. And when he fell, he fell hard. Losing Tom gutted him and sent into motion a series of events that altered his life.
After two years apart, and a whole lot of hurt, Tom and Will are thrown together again because Will is very good at solving mysteries and finding information. Their second chance does not come easily, and there is a fair amount of hurt to overcome before they can go on. This was a second chance story done right, IMO.
What to say about the suspense, though? Dayum, I can tell you that at 20% I thought it was and at 35%, I thought and by 80% I thought . In the end, though, it wasn't anything like I hypothesized. NOT A THING. The last 10% I was changing my hypothesis nearly page by page, and I was having a blast!
Holy fuck, Dal, thank you for this. Just -- thank you!
----------------------
My dearest Christelle gifted me this book for my birthday! Thank you, love!!! ❤❤❤
-------- Original Review 28 May 2018 ---------
Dal Maclean has done it again. I read this all day, yesterday, and stayed up way too late last night, too. I did not want to put this book down. I was riveted.
I loved the suspense and the complicated MC's and the second chances trope and the total, honest to goodness -- MIND FUCK of a suspense plot. Like this author's previous book, this one has romance, suspense, at least one MC that isn't entirely likable (or entirely unlikable), a plot that keeps you guessing, and a hard fought HEA.
Tom Gray was an aloof, comitment-phobic fashion model. He shies away from anything resembling an actual relationship and insists that he's just not cut out for love and romance. In truth, Tom has some serious abandonment issues, so he always leaves first. That way, he is able to exert some control in a situation where he is afraid to be powerless.
Will Foster is the only man that Tom almost let himself care for. Like all the others, at the first hint of Will getting too attached, Tom was outta there. But Will wasn't like the other men in Tom's life and Tom never stopped caring. Will was a detective and very steadfast. Gorgeous, but not shallow. And when he fell, he fell hard. Losing Tom gutted him and sent into motion a series of events that altered his life.
After two years apart, and a whole lot of hurt, Tom and Will are thrown together again because Will is very good at solving mysteries and finding information. Their second chance does not come easily, and there is a fair amount of hurt to overcome before they can go on. This was a second chance story done right, IMO.
What to say about the suspense, though? Dayum, I can tell you that at 20% I thought it was and at 35%, I thought and by 80% I thought . In the end, though, it wasn't anything like I hypothesized. NOT A THING. The last 10% I was changing my hypothesis nearly page by page, and I was having a blast!
Holy fuck, Dal, thank you for this. Just -- thank you!
----------------------
My dearest Christelle gifted me this book for my birthday! Thank you, love!!! ❤❤❤
March 22, 2020
I love a good story. And as the second book from this author, her storytelling ability is proven once again. I couldn't put this book down. The tale that she weaves, with all of its twists and turns, was so compelling.
Those who read Bitter Legacy will know exactly what I mean.
Tom Gray is a supermodel. And most relationships with the people in his life are unhealthy. We are in his head exclusively, and I can say that he was......interesting.
He always winds up hurting the people in his life. Because if he hurts first, he can avoid the hurt?
But the one he hurt most is back in the picture. Tom is being framed for murder. And that's the thing with Tom. The list of people who could be bitter and "gunning for" Tom is extensive.
The mystery in this book is excellent. Everyone has a creep factor. Everyone could be the bad guy. I couldn't put the book down for this exact point. 5++++ stars for that.
The romance though.......
Will and Tom have a dysfunctional relationship. All because of Tom. Daddy issues.
And while I am happy to report a HFN with an epilogue a few months down the line showing more of an HEA, I'm not sure I bought it.
Groveling aside, I didn't really believe Tom's change of heart about relationships.
Will was all the things. Love him and, frankly, thought he could do a lot better than Tom.
Overall, this was a win. And bonus - we got cameos of Jamie and Ben from Bitter Legacy!
Dal is now an autobuy for me. I get completely engrossed in her stories. Recommended!
Those who read Bitter Legacy will know exactly what I mean.
He felt as if he'd been doing that since he became a model, more or less. Standing by. Letting events and other people carry him along. Not paying attention. Self-absorption had got him here.
Tom Gray is a supermodel. And most relationships with the people in his life are unhealthy. We are in his head exclusively, and I can say that he was......interesting.
He always winds up hurting the people in his life. Because if he hurts first, he can avoid the hurt?
But the one he hurt most is back in the picture. Tom is being framed for murder. And that's the thing with Tom. The list of people who could be bitter and "gunning for" Tom is extensive.
The mystery in this book is excellent. Everyone has a creep factor. Everyone could be the bad guy. I couldn't put the book down for this exact point. 5++++ stars for that.
The romance though.......
Will and Tom have a dysfunctional relationship. All because of Tom. Daddy issues.
And while I am happy to report a HFN with an epilogue a few months down the line showing more of an HEA, I'm not sure I bought it.
Groveling aside, I didn't really believe Tom's change of heart about relationships.
Will was all the things. Love him and, frankly, thought he could do a lot better than Tom.
Overall, this was a win. And bonus - we got cameos of Jamie and Ben from Bitter Legacy!
Dal is now an autobuy for me. I get completely engrossed in her stories. Recommended!
Read
May 29, 2018
DNF @32% and no rating
Sorry and it really pains me to say this, but it took me three days to get to 32% and I'm calling it quits...
As much as I loved Bitter Legacy, this one is not able to hold my attention - I'm actually bored - and I'm looking for excuses to get sidetracked. It is probably just my mood and I thought about putting it on hold, but then I skimmed to the end, only to find out that my suspicion who is behind the whole thing was right and now I have even less motivation to get back to it.
And on top of it all, it seems like I have a lucky streak. Not. This is the third book I've read/listened to recently where I disliked one of the characters - in this case it's Tom - and that doesn't make it any better. And the overuse of acronyms really did my head in. I would have liked to get an explanation, at least the first time they were used.
Lots of people do love this book and I think it's just another typical case of 'It's not the book, just me', so read it and I hope you will enjoy it more than I did.
Sorry and it really pains me to say this, but it took me three days to get to 32% and I'm calling it quits...
As much as I loved Bitter Legacy, this one is not able to hold my attention - I'm actually bored - and I'm looking for excuses to get sidetracked. It is probably just my mood and I thought about putting it on hold, but then I skimmed to the end, only to find out that my suspicion who is behind the whole thing was right and now I have even less motivation to get back to it.
And on top of it all, it seems like I have a lucky streak. Not. This is the third book I've read/listened to recently where I disliked one of the characters - in this case it's Tom - and that doesn't make it any better. And the overuse of acronyms really did my head in. I would have liked to get an explanation, at least the first time they were used.
Lots of people do love this book and I think it's just another typical case of 'It's not the book, just me', so read it and I hope you will enjoy it more than I did.
April 6, 2019
"“A truly successful model is…an object of desire, Tom,”[...]
"You have to create someone that people can’t help but want.”
This book! This book totally owned me from start to finish. When I read Bitter Legacy I knew that Dal Maclean is a new force to be reckoned. Object of Desire established her as an auto-read for me.
I 've come to realise that Maclean's books are not just romance or just mystery. It's the perfect blend. I don't usually go for romantic suspense but here I never felt that the romance took a backseat.
The main reason I liked this was the second chance trope. I'm such a sucker for that. Tom and Will don't meet each other for the first time. A few years back, they used to be lovers, right until the moment Tom dumped Will in a not so ubtle way. As you can imagine, lots of bad blood, animosity and awkwardness. The more, the better.
Will was easy to like. He is the wronged party, the one who got left behind. He is the one who loved Tom and wanted him forever and, despite Tom's actions, he's willing to help him now.
I can see why someone might not like Tom (I felt exactly the same about Ben in Bitter Legacy). I did want to smack him too at some point. Not because he dumped Will in the first place or because of his unwillingness to commit to him. God knows I understand how much avoiding the sins of the father can shape someones's life choices. But because he kept giving mixed signals to others out of guilt. Poor Tom carried the guilt of the world on his shoulders, although he really shouldn't. And instead of making things better, he ended up hurting others.
“You’re just afraid. So you always do the hurting first."
For me, Tom's claim that he didn't have any feelings for Will, not now and not ever, was complete and utter bullshit. He knew it, other people who saw him interact with Will knew it. Hell, even Will knew it. Tom felt safe when Will was there. Jealous when other people came close to Will. Gutpunched every time Will was disappointed in him. Tom never felt much for others. But for Will, he felt ALL the feelings.
"He could barely believe the strength of his desire, as if he’d been sexually asleep for two long years. This was always what it had been between them. Like being in love might be."
The mystery is a top notch experience! It kept me on the edge of my seat, full of surprises and plot twists right until the end.
The whole story is told exclusively from Tom's POV, but every character (Will and secondary cast) are perfectly sketched.
The ending (grovelling included) was perfect, and we get an epilogue as well. But I'm very happy to hear that the next book in this universe is about Tom and Will again, told from Will's POV this time.
Definitely a must read, especially for fans of romantic suspense. Highly recommended!
January 30, 2021
Reread January 2021
One of the best rereads ever!
I’d forgotten so many details (although I did remember one of the perpetrators), quite a lot of the plot felt completely new. While the intricate mystery made me gasp all over again, I paid a lot more attention to Tom this time.
He is such a disputed, contradictory character. And while highlighting the heck out of Tom’s thoughts, I discovered how clever and complex Dal Maclean’s characterization is.
His self-loathing is deeply ingrained, the revulsion at the way he behaves is evident all the way and his inability to let himself love acutely painful. However, what I missed the first time round, are all the small hints that deep down, Tom is not as bad as he makes us believe he is. He shows kindness in little gestures to all the people round him and saving a kitten out of a rubbish dump is surely not the act of a true villain!
I felt a lot more FOR Tom, even if some of his problems are self-inflicted. I was in awe how the author layers all those delicate nuances of a truly conflicted man.
Hence the upgrade to → 5 stars!
Original review:
*4,5 stars*
I loved Bitter Legacy (and if you haven’t read it I would nudge you – impatiently - to try it!)
As for Object of Desire:
This author can certainly write a proper and gripping whodunnit.
No one is safe. Everybody comes under suspicion. We get a roller coaster of twists and turns.
I had a suspicion early on which proofed to be partly right, but certainly NOwhere near the eventual truth.
So why does this book get mixed reviews?
Certainly not for the masterfully done detective plot.
It is all down to Tom., from whose POV the story is told.
And why? Well…
• Tom is solely focused on his career as a model. Nothing else matters.
• He doesn’t do feelings and commitment.
• He sleeps around, throwing guys away like tissue paper.
• He has sex with two men he is friends with, leading both on by behaving emotionally irresponsible.
• OR to put it in Will’s words:
The subject is charming and manipulative. Capable of targeted, deliberate cruelty to achieve a desired result. Either an emotional coward or emotionally unavailable …. unable to connect with feelings which aren’t centered on self. He’s in touch with his conscience, to some degree, and capable of empathy, but motivated exclusively by goals which don’t demand an emotional return. Fame, adulation, money.
• In short – he is incapable of love and being loved.
A right a**hole then?
Well, he is and he isn’t.
Tom is extremely complex. Being in his head is frustrating and, tbh, infinitely sad. We can see that he KNOWS he should be a ‘better’ man, emotionally responsive and open for a real relationship, but ultimately he is a victim of his upbringing and he simply CAN’T because …
"When a person loved too much, they became the victim eventually, the corpse left behind. He’d known that all his life."
Not loving, not trusting someone are his survival instincts And they are stronger than anything else. Stronger than any guilt, any reason or any stronger emotions. Although Tom resents himself deeply for it("He should have warning sign round his neck”), he finds it impossible to break through that barrier he’s built around himself.
But then his boss is killed and Tom’s life is turned completely upside down. People around him turn out not to be who he thinks they are. He starts looking at his job differently. His concept of who he thinks he wants to be is challenged, and most of all he meets Will again, the guy he had such “uncontrolled feelings” for, he had to break up with him two years earlier.
It is clear from the beginning that Will still has feelings for Tom. The author does a fabulous job getting this across (considering we are in Tom’s head!). I could feel Will’s heartache. I could see how he desperately tries to protect his heart from getting hurt further. His whole behaviour felt like a silent scream for most of the book.
I wanted to shake Will. Advise him to tell Tom to f*** off. I could hardly stand his quiet acceptance of Tom’s hurtful behaviour and his willingness to take anything that Tom throws at him, particularly when it is obvious to us (and quite of few of the characters) that Tom is clearly in love with him. Just Tom does not want to acknowledge it.
So yes, I suffered for Will, but also for Tom, who simply can’t let himself love. It takes FOREVER for him to see the light (too long imo, that’s why I knocked half a point off). The procedure is extremely slow and I would have liked more on how and why he changed his mind in the end.
As for second chance novels – this is a prime example.
As for the detective plot – it is brilliantly written.
As for the love story – it is complex and anguished.
All in all: Highly recommended.
One of the best rereads ever!
I’d forgotten so many details (although I did remember one of the perpetrators), quite a lot of the plot felt completely new. While the intricate mystery made me gasp all over again, I paid a lot more attention to Tom this time.
He is such a disputed, contradictory character. And while highlighting the heck out of Tom’s thoughts, I discovered how clever and complex Dal Maclean’s characterization is.
His self-loathing is deeply ingrained, the revulsion at the way he behaves is evident all the way and his inability to let himself love acutely painful. However, what I missed the first time round, are all the small hints that deep down, Tom is not as bad as he makes us believe he is. He shows kindness in little gestures to all the people round him and saving a kitten out of a rubbish dump is surely not the act of a true villain!
I felt a lot more FOR Tom, even if some of his problems are self-inflicted. I was in awe how the author layers all those delicate nuances of a truly conflicted man.
Hence the upgrade to → 5 stars!
Original review:
*4,5 stars*
I loved Bitter Legacy (and if you haven’t read it I would nudge you – impatiently - to try it!)
As for Object of Desire:
This author can certainly write a proper and gripping whodunnit.
No one is safe. Everybody comes under suspicion. We get a roller coaster of twists and turns.
I had a suspicion early on which proofed to be partly right, but certainly NOwhere near the eventual truth.
So why does this book get mixed reviews?
Certainly not for the masterfully done detective plot.
It is all down to Tom., from whose POV the story is told.
And why? Well…
• Tom is solely focused on his career as a model. Nothing else matters.
• He doesn’t do feelings and commitment.
• He sleeps around, throwing guys away like tissue paper.
• He has sex with two men he is friends with, leading both on by behaving emotionally irresponsible.
• OR to put it in Will’s words:
The subject is charming and manipulative. Capable of targeted, deliberate cruelty to achieve a desired result. Either an emotional coward or emotionally unavailable …. unable to connect with feelings which aren’t centered on self. He’s in touch with his conscience, to some degree, and capable of empathy, but motivated exclusively by goals which don’t demand an emotional return. Fame, adulation, money.
• In short – he is incapable of love and being loved.
A right a**hole then?
Well, he is and he isn’t.
Tom is extremely complex. Being in his head is frustrating and, tbh, infinitely sad. We can see that he KNOWS he should be a ‘better’ man, emotionally responsive and open for a real relationship, but ultimately he is a victim of his upbringing and he simply CAN’T because …
"When a person loved too much, they became the victim eventually, the corpse left behind. He’d known that all his life."
Not loving, not trusting someone are his survival instincts And they are stronger than anything else. Stronger than any guilt, any reason or any stronger emotions. Although Tom resents himself deeply for it("He should have warning sign round his neck”), he finds it impossible to break through that barrier he’s built around himself.
But then his boss is killed and Tom’s life is turned completely upside down. People around him turn out not to be who he thinks they are. He starts looking at his job differently. His concept of who he thinks he wants to be is challenged, and most of all he meets Will again, the guy he had such “uncontrolled feelings” for, he had to break up with him two years earlier.
It is clear from the beginning that Will still has feelings for Tom. The author does a fabulous job getting this across (considering we are in Tom’s head!). I could feel Will’s heartache. I could see how he desperately tries to protect his heart from getting hurt further. His whole behaviour felt like a silent scream for most of the book.
I wanted to shake Will. Advise him to tell Tom to f*** off. I could hardly stand his quiet acceptance of Tom’s hurtful behaviour and his willingness to take anything that Tom throws at him, particularly when it is obvious to us (and quite of few of the characters) that Tom is clearly in love with him. Just Tom does not want to acknowledge it.
So yes, I suffered for Will, but also for Tom, who simply can’t let himself love. It takes FOREVER for him to see the light (too long imo, that’s why I knocked half a point off). The procedure is extremely slow and I would have liked more on how and why he changed his mind in the end.
As for second chance novels – this is a prime example.
As for the detective plot – it is brilliantly written.
As for the love story – it is complex and anguished.
All in all: Highly recommended.
January 18, 2020
Audio 5 Stars
Story 4 Stars
It's a good thing I'm a mystery lover, otherwise I would have been so disappointed with the lack of romance in this story. Sure there's a lot of pining, a couple of stingy sex scenes, a fair amount of who is sleeping with who drama, but the mystery is what held my interest. Dal Maclean's brand of mystery is definitely for me.
I'm guessing there will be more romance in book 3 along with another excellent mystery? I hope so! Can't wait.
Story 4 Stars
It's a good thing I'm a mystery lover, otherwise I would have been so disappointed with the lack of romance in this story. Sure there's a lot of pining, a couple of stingy sex scenes, a fair amount of who is sleeping with who drama, but the mystery is what held my interest. Dal Maclean's brand of mystery is definitely for me.
I'm guessing there will be more romance in book 3 along with another excellent mystery? I hope so! Can't wait.
May 28, 2018
**4.5 stars**
2nd book from Dal McLean : a riveting second-chance romance nicely intertwined with a mystery involving murders and stalking.
Tom, a model becoming famous, sees his world crumbling down : he’s suspected of killing his boss, and has an admirer fast becoming real creepy. To make things even more awkward, he’s involved with his boss’s ex-husband and needs the help of his former boyfriend, Will, now a private investigator.
Tom has to face some disturbing challenges, revelations and realities about his fear of commitment and his attitude, less than perfect, and to open his eyes : nobody is who he thought was. But most of all, he has to analyse his relationship, whatever it is, with Will.
The plot about the murders and stalking is gripping, full of suspicion, creating doubts and uncertainty. And the possibility of a strong relationship between Tom and Will seems hopeless. Add a stellar writing, a great sense of place, an appearance from James and Ben from "bitter legacy", and of course a HEA that seemed unachievable and I got a winner in my hands.
2nd book from Dal McLean : a riveting second-chance romance nicely intertwined with a mystery involving murders and stalking.
Tom, a model becoming famous, sees his world crumbling down : he’s suspected of killing his boss, and has an admirer fast becoming real creepy. To make things even more awkward, he’s involved with his boss’s ex-husband and needs the help of his former boyfriend, Will, now a private investigator.
Tom has to face some disturbing challenges, revelations and realities about his fear of commitment and his attitude, less than perfect, and to open his eyes : nobody is who he thought was. But most of all, he has to analyse his relationship, whatever it is, with Will.
The plot about the murders and stalking is gripping, full of suspicion, creating doubts and uncertainty. And the possibility of a strong relationship between Tom and Will seems hopeless. Add a stellar writing, a great sense of place, an appearance from James and Ben from "bitter legacy", and of course a HEA that seemed unachievable and I got a winner in my hands.
Read
February 23, 20202.5 stars
November 14, 2021
3.5 🌟 Well written, fast paced, intense and sexy!
I really enjoyed this, although it followed the same formula as the first book, a little too closely IMO. I guessed early on what was going on, and while it kept trying to throw us in different directions, it didn’t really work.
I really liked Tom and Will, mostly because I am a huge fan of second chance romances. We only get Tom’s POV, and Tom was a complete self absorbed jerk through most of the book, but I still enjoyed him and Will together. And the sex was 🔥🔥🔥. But if I was Will, I wouldn’t have touched him with a six foot pole. 🤷♀️
I’m not sure if I’ll read book 3, as I’m weary of series with the same couple, but I’ll definitely keep my eye open for more from this author!
I really enjoyed this, although it followed the same formula as the first book, a little too closely IMO. I guessed early on what was going on, and while it kept trying to throw us in different directions, it didn’t really work.
I really liked Tom and Will, mostly because I am a huge fan of second chance romances. We only get Tom’s POV, and Tom was a complete self absorbed jerk through most of the book, but I still enjoyed him and Will together. And the sex was 🔥🔥🔥. But if I was Will, I wouldn’t have touched him with a six foot pole. 🤷♀️
I’m not sure if I’ll read book 3, as I’m weary of series with the same couple, but I’ll definitely keep my eye open for more from this author!
May 4, 2018
If you LOVES Bitter Legacy, the debut novel by Dal Maclean, as much as I do then you can understand what I felt when I started her second book: I was both, excited and VERY nervous. And my expectations were VERY high – I knew what I COULD get, and I WANTED it.
For me EVERYTHING, really EVERYTHING in Bitter Legacy was not simply right but just perfect. Can Dal Maclean do it again?
Yes, no doubts, she can. She knows well how to create an intriguing mystery, how to write an emotional roller coaster thick with sexual tension and complex multilayered captivating characters.
And with her new book she has proved it again.
Object of Desire is different, comparing to Bitter Legacy, though…at the same time there are MANY parallels between these two books. It is why, I could not help but make comparisons between them:
Mystery vs. Mystery
As in Bitter Legacy the background and the past events of the characters with their dark family secrets play a very important role in the mystery here. Be prepared: you won’t get an easy whodidit-case: the mystery in Object of Desire IMO is even in a way MORE COMPLICATED, with many persons involved and many potential suspects. If you’re looking for thrilling twists and turns and WTF-moments, you won’t fall short of expectations.
Romance vs. Romance
To talk about the differences between the two romance stories in these books, I should start with the differences between the MCs.
Tom vs. Ben
They both are artists. While Ben works as freelance photograph, Tom is a top male model and if they would ever meet at one of the fashion shoots, they would stay on the opposite sides of the camera. Tom IS THE Object of Desire, he is simply and out of the question stunningly beautiful. It looks like many people not simply adore him for his beauty, but have a serious crash on him. That is both for him: a blessing and a curse. Like Ben Tom isn’t a faithful type (or at least he thinks he isn’t), he devotes himself entirely to his career and let people admire him. Like Ben Tom has his personal issues with being in relationship, but after you’ll get to know him better, you’ll understood his reason (of course later in the book).
Detective Sergeant James Henderson vs. PI and an ex-cop Will Foster
Will Forster is Tom’s ex and the best male character for me here, but he is not a main protagonist, the story is told from Tom’s point of view. The title Object of Desire is reserved for Tom, but could be equally meant for Will – he is an eye catcher himself, big, muscular and EXTREMELY attractive, but if he knows it, he doesn’t pay much attention to this fact, he is a reasonable type, sensible but right-minded, loyal and fair, he knows what he wants and WHOM he wants. Comparing to James (I just HAVE to, sorry!) Will is older and more experienced in many ways, among others also sexually.
Let us return to ROMANCE:
As Tom gave Will cowardly the brush off 2 years ago, he hoped their paths would never cross again. He still has a pangs of conscience after breaking up his longest relationship in such a wimp manner, but when suddenly he becomes a main suspect in a murder case, he is compelled to use the professional services of the best PI, and it means of an ex-cop Will Foster. When they meet, 2 years after their break, because of the case, Tom realizes that his feeling for Will hasn’t grown weaker, just the opposite.
What these two books have in common:
A good and COMPLICATED mystery, in both novels the past and the background of the characters play a key role. Fears, hate, love, thrilling twists- you won’t complain. However the romance part – that was no doubt intense – didn’t affect me as deeply as the one in Object of Desire.
It took me several weeks to think about my rating, and I must tell you, I’m still undecided. But I think that Tom was a main factor for my long considerations. I didn’t get really warm with him. And the fact that the story is told from his view, didn’t help to connect better to him either.
I like how this book ended, and I really enjoyed it, but bring a lot of patience with you – Tom will drive you mad. Not JOHN.
***ARC provided kindly by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.***
For me EVERYTHING, really EVERYTHING in Bitter Legacy was not simply right but just perfect. Can Dal Maclean do it again?
Yes, no doubts, she can. She knows well how to create an intriguing mystery, how to write an emotional roller coaster thick with sexual tension and complex multilayered captivating characters.
And with her new book she has proved it again.
Object of Desire is different, comparing to Bitter Legacy, though…at the same time there are MANY parallels between these two books. It is why, I could not help but make comparisons between them:
Mystery vs. Mystery
As in Bitter Legacy the background and the past events of the characters with their dark family secrets play a very important role in the mystery here. Be prepared: you won’t get an easy whodidit-case: the mystery in Object of Desire IMO is even in a way MORE COMPLICATED, with many persons involved and many potential suspects. If you’re looking for thrilling twists and turns and WTF-moments, you won’t fall short of expectations.
Romance vs. Romance
To talk about the differences between the two romance stories in these books, I should start with the differences between the MCs.
Tom vs. Ben
They both are artists. While Ben works as freelance photograph, Tom is a top male model and if they would ever meet at one of the fashion shoots, they would stay on the opposite sides of the camera. Tom IS THE Object of Desire, he is simply and out of the question stunningly beautiful. It looks like many people not simply adore him for his beauty, but have a serious crash on him. That is both for him: a blessing and a curse. Like Ben Tom isn’t a faithful type (or at least he thinks he isn’t), he devotes himself entirely to his career and let people admire him. Like Ben Tom has his personal issues with being in relationship, but after you’ll get to know him better, you’ll understood his reason (of course later in the book).
Detective Sergeant James Henderson vs. PI and an ex-cop Will Foster
Will Forster is Tom’s ex and the best male character for me here, but he is not a main protagonist, the story is told from Tom’s point of view. The title Object of Desire is reserved for Tom, but could be equally meant for Will – he is an eye catcher himself, big, muscular and EXTREMELY attractive, but if he knows it, he doesn’t pay much attention to this fact, he is a reasonable type, sensible but right-minded, loyal and fair, he knows what he wants and WHOM he wants. Comparing to James (I just HAVE to, sorry!) Will is older and more experienced in many ways, among others also sexually.
Let us return to ROMANCE:
As Tom gave Will cowardly the brush off 2 years ago, he hoped their paths would never cross again. He still has a pangs of conscience after breaking up his longest relationship in such a wimp manner, but when suddenly he becomes a main suspect in a murder case, he is compelled to use the professional services of the best PI, and it means of an ex-cop Will Foster. When they meet, 2 years after their break, because of the case, Tom realizes that his feeling for Will hasn’t grown weaker, just the opposite.
What these two books have in common:
A good and COMPLICATED mystery, in both novels the past and the background of the characters play a key role. Fears, hate, love, thrilling twists- you won’t complain. However the romance part – that was no doubt intense – didn’t affect me as deeply as the one in Object of Desire.
It took me several weeks to think about my rating, and I must tell you, I’m still undecided. But I think that Tom was a main factor for my long considerations. I didn’t get really warm with him. And the fact that the story is told from his view, didn’t help to connect better to him either.
I like how this book ended, and I really enjoyed it, but bring a lot of patience with you – Tom will drive you mad. Not JOHN.
***ARC provided kindly by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.***
June 4, 2018
This book blends a complex mystery with a second chances slow burn romance in a complex but ultimately satisfying story. There are a lot of secondary characters, and emotional tensions, and red herrings, as the story winds it way to the conclusion. Tom, the main character, is a smart guy who was studying to become a forensic scientist when he was "discovered" and given the chance to become a top male model. He has a great career and is near the top of his profession, although it doesn't engage his brain the way science did. Still, he's very good at what he does, has men who want him, fans of all genders, plenty of money, and a few friends. He sometimes uses sex with guys as a kind of barrier, giving himself physically when it seems appropriate, but not connecting emotionally.
Once, Tom loved Will, but he had seen an example at home between his parents of how devastating obsessive love can be, and he's determined to keep it out of his life. So when he had to choose his path forward, years ago, letting go of Will seemed like the smart move.
Now a beautiful woman is dead, and Will, off the police force and acting as a private investigator, may be Tom's best hope of coming out of the investigation unscathed. But they have to decide if they can work together, with the past they share.
This one had a cooler tone than the author's first book. Tom is a man very deliberately shut off from his emotions, and that affect carries much of the way through the book. There are a lot of obsessive people, and some coincidences in the plot, although the intricate structure does hold together. A few times I questioned Tom's right to be where he went and have the information he got. He made some bad choices, some sympathetic, some not. I loved Will, but only liked Tom and some bits of his backstory that might have been deeply affecting were muted by how he let himself react, or not react, to them.
Still, an intriguing ride through a mystery that I did not figure out until the reveal. I'm always pleased when a mystery plot manages to be a challenge. And the ending moved into warmer emotional territory. I'll read another story from this author.
Once, Tom loved Will, but he had seen an example at home between his parents of how devastating obsessive love can be, and he's determined to keep it out of his life. So when he had to choose his path forward, years ago, letting go of Will seemed like the smart move.
Now a beautiful woman is dead, and Will, off the police force and acting as a private investigator, may be Tom's best hope of coming out of the investigation unscathed. But they have to decide if they can work together, with the past they share.
This one had a cooler tone than the author's first book. Tom is a man very deliberately shut off from his emotions, and that affect carries much of the way through the book. There are a lot of obsessive people, and some coincidences in the plot, although the intricate structure does hold together. A few times I questioned Tom's right to be where he went and have the information he got. He made some bad choices, some sympathetic, some not. I loved Will, but only liked Tom and some bits of his backstory that might have been deeply affecting were muted by how he let himself react, or not react, to them.
Still, an intriguing ride through a mystery that I did not figure out until the reveal. I'm always pleased when a mystery plot manages to be a challenge. And the ending moved into warmer emotional territory. I'll read another story from this author.
June 18, 2018
2.5 stars rounded up
This is a fantastic piece of fiction. Everything about this book is interesting and engaging and well written. This is truly great psychological thriller.
It is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a Romance.
There is not a single thing about this book that could be called romantic.
I feel like I could wax poetic both about the things I loved about this book and the things I disliked. But my predominant feeling upon finishing this is how disappointed I was in yet another book that's promoted and launched off the MM Romance platform and has not a thing in it that resembles a Romance. Yes, there's pairings in it. Yes, some people get together by the actual literal ending chapter (not even close to it happening before) and yes, it's two guys that end up in said relationship. None of that comes close to being the main plot, not even the secondary plot. It's not even a fucking tangent on the plot.
I'm just not here for that. It's deceiving and it's idiotic. Specially when you have such a good book in your hands. And I've got no patience left for it.
This is NOT a Romance. And no matter how well written it is, it is still NOT a Romance. I read somewhere that the author calls it a "Romantic Mystery". And still NOPE. It is not that.
It also reads, in feelings, very similar to the last book. It very much read like Ben's and Jamie's story but in reverse. We now got the POV of the immature twat that's too much of a chicken shit to own up to his own feelings, instead of having the POV of the reliable, grounded and open MC.
This is a fantastic piece of fiction. Everything about this book is interesting and engaging and well written. This is truly great psychological thriller.
It is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a Romance.
There is not a single thing about this book that could be called romantic.
I feel like I could wax poetic both about the things I loved about this book and the things I disliked. But my predominant feeling upon finishing this is how disappointed I was in yet another book that's promoted and launched off the MM Romance platform and has not a thing in it that resembles a Romance. Yes, there's pairings in it. Yes, some people get together by the actual literal ending chapter (not even close to it happening before) and yes, it's two guys that end up in said relationship. None of that comes close to being the main plot, not even the secondary plot. It's not even a fucking tangent on the plot.
I'm just not here for that. It's deceiving and it's idiotic. Specially when you have such a good book in your hands. And I've got no patience left for it.
This is NOT a Romance. And no matter how well written it is, it is still NOT a Romance. I read somewhere that the author calls it a "Romantic Mystery". And still NOPE. It is not that.
It also reads, in feelings, very similar to the last book. It very much read like Ben's and Jamie's story but in reverse. We now got the POV of the immature twat that's too much of a chicken shit to own up to his own feelings, instead of having the POV of the reliable, grounded and open MC.
December 10, 2018
~ 4.5 stars ~
Well, this was a really great book! Like Bitter Legacy, it sucked me in and kept me entertained from beginning to end.
I enjoyed the murder mystery very much and even though all my early guesses turned out to be partly right, I couldn't be sure of any of them until the very end.
The romance was an unconventional one but I loved both MCs - especially totally messed up Tom - and although the ending is 'only' a strong HFN, I have no doubt that both guys are in it for the long haul even though their relationship got off to a rocky start.
I'm looking forward to reading more from Dal Maclean!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am in book heaven!!! Elf Hazmerso undercover avenger visited me and gifted this book to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm speechless and very happy!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Guys! I need help with this cover!! What is this supposed to be?
Well, this was a really great book! Like Bitter Legacy, it sucked me in and kept me entertained from beginning to end.
I enjoyed the murder mystery very much and even though all my early guesses turned out to be partly right, I couldn't be sure of any of them until the very end.
The romance was an unconventional one but I loved both MCs - especially totally messed up Tom - and although the ending is 'only' a strong HFN, I have no doubt that both guys are in it for the long haul even though their relationship got off to a rocky start.
I'm looking forward to reading more from Dal Maclean!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am in book heaven!!! Elf Hazmerso undercover avenger visited me and gifted this book to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm speechless and very happy!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Guys! I need help with this cover!! What is this supposed to be?
April 16, 2020
A pesar de ser muy fan del primer libro de la serie, tuve este esperando en el kindle durante más de un año. He de confesar, que en gran parte fue debido a la malísima prensa que tiene su personaje principal y el único POV de la historia, Tom.
Pues ha sido toda una sorpresa. Tal vez sería más exacto decir que ha sido una sorpresa en parte. Lo ha sido el hecho de que al contrario que muchos lectoras, a mí sí me ha gustado Tom, le he entendido, no justificado, pero sí entendido, francamente, me ha enternecido, y pues... me cae bien. Además, creo que la autora tiene una habilidad especial para transmitir las debilidades del ser humano, desgraciadamente no somos perfectos, y esas imperfecciones a veces acarrean el dañar a los demás, en nosotros está qué hacer después con el dolor que infligimos. Lo que ya no ha sido nada sorprendente es lo bien que está llevada la trama de misterio, más protagonista que el romance en sí, maravillosa la trama y maravilloso el análisis sicológico de todos los personajes.
Me ha tenido en vilo toda la lectura, muy recomendable. Mejor no decir más.
Pues ha sido toda una sorpresa. Tal vez sería más exacto decir que ha sido una sorpresa en parte. Lo ha sido el hecho de que al contrario que muchos lectoras, a mí sí me ha gustado Tom, le he entendido, no justificado, pero sí entendido, francamente, me ha enternecido, y pues... me cae bien. Además, creo que la autora tiene una habilidad especial para transmitir las debilidades del ser humano, desgraciadamente no somos perfectos, y esas imperfecciones a veces acarrean el dañar a los demás, en nosotros está qué hacer después con el dolor que infligimos. Lo que ya no ha sido nada sorprendente es lo bien que está llevada la trama de misterio, más protagonista que el romance en sí, maravillosa la trama y maravilloso el análisis sicológico de todos los personajes.
Me ha tenido en vilo toda la lectura, muy recomendable. Mejor no decir más.
May 31, 2018
I'm finished and I'm missing the book.
My second Maclean read confirms that I like her style, her writing, her mix of mystery and love. Setting aside the 'beauty' of her main characters, she does not write the conventional, in that her 'heros' are more flawed and fallible then is what is romancelandia's norm. Being outside the norms she works much more harder to still make the book work and I find her totally successful in this.
She convoluted and turned the mystery, juggling with clues and suspects like a proper mystery writer should and this was greatly appreciated. I like that thing that happens between a crime writer and the reader, when the writer plays with the reader's suspicions, making us feel like, nah we know what is going to happen, but then doubt creeps in, and then we are sure again and again and again ........
Recommended to British mystery fans.
July 4, 2018
Crime mystery is not a genre I usually turn to. But a good author can make any genre, fiction or non-fiction, into a great story.
I did not realize until the very end of the book that this is the same author that wrote Bitter Legacy. I book I read and loved last year.
Dal Maclean is super talented. In Object of Desire she takes us on a twisted, macabre path to find a serial killer.
For those of you looking for the M/M Romance genre, don't worry, this story has plenty of steam and sexy scenes along with a second chance romance.
I wish there was a separate sub-category in the romance genre for good stories that incorporate romance to distinguish them from the romance stories. I like reading romance, but I love reading a good story.
This is a good story!
Unfortunately, I have to take off half a star because the book needs one last good copyedit. There were more than a few typos.
4.5 stars (rounded up because it's really that great)
Awesome Buddy Read with friends on Turning Pages at Midnight
I did not realize until the very end of the book that this is the same author that wrote Bitter Legacy. I book I read and loved last year.
Dal Maclean is super talented. In Object of Desire she takes us on a twisted, macabre path to find a serial killer.
For those of you looking for the M/M Romance genre, don't worry, this story has plenty of steam and sexy scenes along with a second chance romance.
I wish there was a separate sub-category in the romance genre for good stories that incorporate romance to distinguish them from the romance stories. I like reading romance, but I love reading a good story.
This is a good story!
Unfortunately, I have to take off half a star because the book needs one last good copyedit. There were more than a few typos.
4.5 stars (rounded up because it's really that great)
Awesome Buddy Read with friends on Turning Pages at Midnight
April 19, 2018
I loved Dal's first book, and was really excited to get an Arc of this one, imagine my disappointment when I started reading it, and thought 'this is really similar to Bitter Legacy'. There is an emotionally distant and beautiful MC and a policey MC plus a mystery which surrounds people involved in the beautiful and distant one's life.
One chapter later, and yes there are similarities, but this is a very different book.
The events unfold over a short span of time, as Tom (distant) and Will (policey) were involved before. Tom's boss (and lover)'s wife is murdered. Will is called in to solve it. Tom and Will have history and chemistry - that's the bare bones of it.
The mystery/ thriller element is so well plotted and massively twisty, there are nods to the classic whodunnits (I was convinced I knew what was going on from about 50%) but I was wrong ! It's really exciting and tightly plotted.
Again the romance element is so believable, Tom is emotionally distant, so his relationships are a challenge, but again the clues are there, and the redemption/ work for it, arc is rather lovely.
Second book to make it to my best of 2018 list, and I cannot wait for Book 3.
One chapter later, and yes there are similarities, but this is a very different book.
The events unfold over a short span of time, as Tom (distant) and Will (policey) were involved before. Tom's boss (and lover)'s wife is murdered. Will is called in to solve it. Tom and Will have history and chemistry - that's the bare bones of it.
The mystery/ thriller element is so well plotted and massively twisty, there are nods to the classic whodunnits (I was convinced I knew what was going on from about 50%) but I was wrong ! It's really exciting and tightly plotted.
Again the romance element is so believable, Tom is emotionally distant, so his relationships are a challenge, but again the clues are there, and the redemption/ work for it, arc is rather lovely.
Second book to make it to my best of 2018 list, and I cannot wait for Book 3.
May 2, 2020
Re-read May 2020.
Original review July 2018:
The only bad thing about this book was that it ended.
☹️
I want more!!
I hope Dal Maclean is well on her way to *finish* another book, because I’m an impatient fan!
I was a little bit scared to read this one because:
1. The authors first book was so good, that I was afraid she wouldn’t be able to follow her wonderful debut with another amazing one.
I shouldn’t have worry!
2. Going over some reviews, I was a afraid I wouldn’t like Tom, like some of them mentioned, and I’m not big on books with unlikeable main character.
I shouldn’t have worry!
Just like in Bitter Legacy I saw right through his facade.
I actually loved Tom best in the book (that is a lot!! Because Will is absolutely to die for!).
Yes, it *was* a bit similar to Bitter Legacy, in more ways than one.
Did I care?
NO!
It was brilliant.
The plot/mystery was perfectly done, everyone was a suspect.
The characters were multilayered and, like I said, I adored them and pined for them. STRONGLY.
Unforgettable and highly highly recommended book and author.
Bravo!
(When is the next book due? 🙏🏼)
Original review July 2018:
The only bad thing about this book was that it ended.
☹️
I want more!!
I hope Dal Maclean is well on her way to *finish* another book, because I’m an impatient fan!
I was a little bit scared to read this one because:
1. The authors first book was so good, that I was afraid she wouldn’t be able to follow her wonderful debut with another amazing one.
I shouldn’t have worry!
2. Going over some reviews, I was a afraid I wouldn’t like Tom, like some of them mentioned, and I’m not big on books with unlikeable main character.
I shouldn’t have worry!
Just like in Bitter Legacy I saw right through his facade.
I actually loved Tom best in the book (that is a lot!! Because Will is absolutely to die for!).
Yes, it *was* a bit similar to Bitter Legacy, in more ways than one.
Did I care?
NO!
It was brilliant.
The plot/mystery was perfectly done, everyone was a suspect.
The characters were multilayered and, like I said, I adored them and pined for them. STRONGLY.
Unforgettable and highly highly recommended book and author.
Bravo!
(When is the next book due? 🙏🏼)
May 26, 2018
Okay, if you want to go into this for the m/m Romance (with a capital R) - don't. I adore the author but she is not one to write you some cuddly, wholesome characters. This is her second book and I don't know that she has the ability to (or more likely - wants to) write really likeable characters. Quite frankly, Tom, the narrator, is an ass. There are very few redeeming qualities in him (as far a romance characters go). Sure, he is damaged by his family history but my pity and empathy for him go only so far. As for the rest of the ensemble... Eh.
But actually, I don't have to like them to be fascinated by them.
And, boy, does the author ever spin a good yarn! So, IMHO this is a bona fide, terribly well written thriller. And for once, this author (unlike many authors I could name) managed not to put up too many rifles on the wall. There are twists to the turns and turns to the twists and I reluctantly even learned to like the narrator.
So, highly recommended (this is m/m but not m/m Romance with a capital R).
But actually, I don't have to like them to be fascinated by them.
And, boy, does the author ever spin a good yarn! So, IMHO this is a bona fide, terribly well written thriller. And for once, this author (unlike many authors I could name) managed not to put up too many rifles on the wall. There are twists to the turns and turns to the twists and I reluctantly even learned to like the narrator.
So, highly recommended (this is m/m but not m/m Romance with a capital R).
March 27, 2020
I’m not sure why I loved it quite so much the first time. Tom is an unlikable character and the mystery plot did have some holes. Still, pretty riveting.
Best mystery I’ve read in ages
Like I said about book one, I still get a sense of P.D. James from Dal Maclean and that’s high praise. I think it’s something about the introspection and self-analysis although here, the author only gives us Tom’s POV. It’s so impressive that such strong characterizations for everyone develop so completely from only his perspective. Will was pitch perfect as he and Tom navigate between the past and their resurfacing emotions.
The mystery was balanced perfectly with the romantic elements. The suspense waiting to discover the outcome of Tom and Will’s relationship was as riveting as the hunt for the murderer. It was a pretty epic mystery plot too. I was convinced I knew who it was but then side-eyeing another character I thought was equally likely. There were suspects everywhere and suspects becoming victims, twists and turns galore. I love it when the killer is a complete surprise!
My only reservation was Tom becoming able to change the thought processes he’d clung to for so long by himself. The man needed therapy! Minor reservation obviously because it deserves the five stars. Beautifully done suspense with a strong British flavor that I would suggest is comparable to classic mystery writers. Recommended!
Best mystery I’ve read in ages
Like I said about book one, I still get a sense of P.D. James from Dal Maclean and that’s high praise. I think it’s something about the introspection and self-analysis although here, the author only gives us Tom’s POV. It’s so impressive that such strong characterizations for everyone develop so completely from only his perspective. Will was pitch perfect as he and Tom navigate between the past and their resurfacing emotions.
The mystery was balanced perfectly with the romantic elements. The suspense waiting to discover the outcome of Tom and Will’s relationship was as riveting as the hunt for the murderer. It was a pretty epic mystery plot too. I was convinced I knew who it was but then side-eyeing another character I thought was equally likely. There were suspects everywhere and suspects becoming victims, twists and turns galore. I love it when the killer is a complete surprise!
My only reservation was Tom becoming able to change the thought processes he’d clung to for so long by himself. The man needed therapy! Minor reservation obviously because it deserves the five stars. Beautifully done suspense with a strong British flavor that I would suggest is comparable to classic mystery writers. Recommended!
November 7, 2021
I didn't really like Tom throughout most of the book and I didn't connect to the characters in the same way that I did the first book. Still better than other books out there but not a 5 star read for me"
September 6, 2023
Re-read Sept 2023 and I liked it even better this time around. The mystery was just as wtf'y (I remembered nothing, yay no short-term memory!) and Tom's agonizing didn't jar me as much this time (although, the typos. THE TYPOS!!). Major suspension of disbelief required, but who cares when a book is this heart-pounding and this good?
First off, I should say that I really enjoyed this. If "enjoyed" is the right word for a book that stressed me and wrung me out and left me so exhilarated that I could barely concentrate on anything else. This was twisty and claustrophobic, the mystery was compelling (if erring a bit on the over-complicated side), and Tom's fear and confusion and anger and exhaustion and whiplash as the stalking and the cat-and-mouse game and the violence escalated was so well articulated. This book worked me over hard.
That said, I didn't love it as obsessively as I loved Bitter Legacy. This is partly a book thing and partly a me thing.
On the "book thing" front, as other reviewers have pointed out, the romance between Will and Tom takes something of a back seat to the mystery. I felt like the romance and suspense were more neatly balanced in Bitter Legacy: while Jamie and Ben's relationship in Bitter Legacy was that of flatmates/ friends/ lovers -- after their initial meeting, Ben had virtually no involvement in Jamie's work life other than fretting over his grueling schedule, but because they were living in the same flat we got a ton of interaction between them -- here the fact that Tom and Will were essentially working together meant that their time together was very case- and problem-driven. I LOVE a second-chance romance, and I thought we got a pretty good picture of Tom and Will's earlier all-consuming relationship and the wreckage it left behind. And I also felt that there was a genuine connection between them that came through on-page, even as their overriding focus was figuring out the case and keeping Tom in one piece. But I would have liked a bit more development on the romance side . . .
. . . and here's where we get to the me thing. Because a lot of what we got in terms of the Tom-Will stuff was Tom telling himself over and over that this won't work, it's doomed to fail, he's better off squishing any chance they may have, he doesn't want a real relationship with Will, etc etc. Tom is this book's Ben: both men learned in childhood that love doesn't last, that love is a weapon, that love is something to run from rather than towards, that it's always better to hold oneself aloof because that's the only way to remain independent, in control, and invulnerable. The difference is that Ben wasn't the POV character; we got his take on love in a crucial conversation between him and Jamie, but we weren't living in his thought process otherwise. Thankfully, to my mind, because one of my least favorite tropes is "MC who CAN'T love because [REASONS]." It's one I have very little patience for, because it almost always feels like manufacturing conflict rather than organic and authentic.
[Tangent: this is also why I've increasingly gone off fake-dating books. Because so often the conflict is "I mustn't fall in love because this will end in 6 weeks," or whatever. Um. Is this a blood pact? Did you stumble into the Hunger Games and only one of you will come out alive? Why do you think it MUST end in 6 weeks if you're two consenting adults who entered into this secret and hopefully non-execution-based pact entirely of your own free will? You have agency, you dumbass! Change the terms of the pact! STOP BEING STUPID!! End tangent.]
Anyway. To Dal Maclean's credit, the "Tom sabotages and devastates Will and himself because love is scary" angle is done really well, even though the trope itself tries my patience. Tom realizes early in the story -- to his credit -- that his much vaunted independence is a front: he may not be tied down emotionally, but he's also entirely passive, a spectator in his own life, his motivations and actions formed less by his own desires and ambition than by others' expectations and goals and wishes. He does not attempt to kid himself into thinking he no longer wants Will: that desire and pull and connection re-ignites immediately, because it's never really gone away. And as the story progresses, he doesn't even believe his own bullshit -- he's just so committed to it because it's so crucial a part of his self-narrative that he can't let it go. The thing is, Tom is so determined to not end up like his father -- pathetically obsessed with Tom's serially adulterous, capricious, grasping mother -- that he misses a rather crucial point: namely that Will is not a user and abuser, i.e. nothing like his mother. (He also misses another crucial point about how he relates to his parents' relationship, but Will points it out so effectively in an absolutely devastating/ satisfying exchange that I'll just leave that to him.)
Also, Tom really doesn't grovel enough. There DEFINITELY should have been more groveling.
Ultimately, of course, all of Tom's waffling and attempts at persuading himself and dogged determination to spell out why he is A Man Who Cannot Love work only to make his surrender more delicious: all romance readers know that the one who protests too much is the one that falls the hardest. And like Ben, when Tom commits, he COMMITS. I really like where Will and Tom end up; and while I wish we got more of them as a couple (only a short final chapter that jumps us ahead 6 months to them living together and Will on the cusp of restarting at the Met), I hope and trust that book 3 will give us plenty of Will and Tom (and Jamie and Ben) as established pairings.
One thing I will ding this on is some sloppy editing: instances of typos, missing punctuation, and strange formatting. There was one chapter in particular that seems to have been simply missed, as most of the editing errors (and also some unpolished/ unusually loose language) were concentrated there. There weren't a ton, but in such a well-written book, it was annoying -- and also strange, because Bitter Legacy was immaculate.
As usual, I end the review feeling like I've been too negative, which is not at all how I felt reading this. I was 100% absorbed by this book and I enjoyed it hugely, both in terms of the mystery and in the characters of smart, down-to-earth, deservedly wary Will and smart-but-dumb, emotionally stunted, cynical Tom. (It sounds like I hate Tom. I don't! I quite like that Tom is a flawed character with a reasonable degree of self-awareness. It's more trope than Tom that's the problem.) Object of Desire didn't work quite as well for me as Bitter Legacy, but Bitter Legacy is also a book that worked in every single way for me from the very first page, while this one had to go up against my dislike of the I MUST HURT US BECAUSE I CANNOT LOVE trope. (Again: I realize this trope was employed in Bitter Legacy, but the key there was that we were in Jamie's head reacting to it, rather than in Ben's head using it.) Also: Mark! Yay, Mark! We need more Mark!!
So suspend disbelief (even moreso than in book 1) and let these two beautiful men take you on a (murder) ride! Onto book 3!
ETA: And here's my review (no spoilers) for Blue on Blue, when Tom and Will finally get their hard-earned HEA.
First off, I should say that I really enjoyed this. If "enjoyed" is the right word for a book that stressed me and wrung me out and left me so exhilarated that I could barely concentrate on anything else. This was twisty and claustrophobic, the mystery was compelling (if erring a bit on the over-complicated side), and Tom's fear and confusion and anger and exhaustion and whiplash as the stalking and the cat-and-mouse game and the violence escalated was so well articulated. This book worked me over hard.
That said, I didn't love it as obsessively as I loved Bitter Legacy. This is partly a book thing and partly a me thing.
On the "book thing" front, as other reviewers have pointed out, the romance between Will and Tom takes something of a back seat to the mystery. I felt like the romance and suspense were more neatly balanced in Bitter Legacy: while Jamie and Ben's relationship in Bitter Legacy was that of flatmates/ friends/ lovers -- after their initial meeting, Ben had virtually no involvement in Jamie's work life other than fretting over his grueling schedule, but because they were living in the same flat we got a ton of interaction between them -- here the fact that Tom and Will were essentially working together meant that their time together was very case- and problem-driven. I LOVE a second-chance romance, and I thought we got a pretty good picture of Tom and Will's earlier all-consuming relationship and the wreckage it left behind. And I also felt that there was a genuine connection between them that came through on-page, even as their overriding focus was figuring out the case and keeping Tom in one piece. But I would have liked a bit more development on the romance side . . .
. . . and here's where we get to the me thing. Because a lot of what we got in terms of the Tom-Will stuff was Tom telling himself over and over that this won't work, it's doomed to fail, he's better off squishing any chance they may have, he doesn't want a real relationship with Will, etc etc. Tom is this book's Ben: both men learned in childhood that love doesn't last, that love is a weapon, that love is something to run from rather than towards, that it's always better to hold oneself aloof because that's the only way to remain independent, in control, and invulnerable. The difference is that Ben wasn't the POV character; we got his take on love in a crucial conversation between him and Jamie, but we weren't living in his thought process otherwise. Thankfully, to my mind, because one of my least favorite tropes is "MC who CAN'T love because [REASONS]." It's one I have very little patience for, because it almost always feels like manufacturing conflict rather than organic and authentic.
[Tangent: this is also why I've increasingly gone off fake-dating books. Because so often the conflict is "I mustn't fall in love because this will end in 6 weeks," or whatever. Um. Is this a blood pact? Did you stumble into the Hunger Games and only one of you will come out alive? Why do you think it MUST end in 6 weeks if you're two consenting adults who entered into this secret and hopefully non-execution-based pact entirely of your own free will? You have agency, you dumbass! Change the terms of the pact! STOP BEING STUPID!! End tangent.]
Anyway. To Dal Maclean's credit, the "Tom sabotages and devastates Will and himself because love is scary" angle is done really well, even though the trope itself tries my patience. Tom realizes early in the story -- to his credit -- that his much vaunted independence is a front: he may not be tied down emotionally, but he's also entirely passive, a spectator in his own life, his motivations and actions formed less by his own desires and ambition than by others' expectations and goals and wishes. He does not attempt to kid himself into thinking he no longer wants Will: that desire and pull and connection re-ignites immediately, because it's never really gone away. And as the story progresses, he doesn't even believe his own bullshit -- he's just so committed to it because it's so crucial a part of his self-narrative that he can't let it go. The thing is, Tom is so determined to not end up like his father -- pathetically obsessed with Tom's serially adulterous, capricious, grasping mother -- that he misses a rather crucial point: namely that Will is not a user and abuser, i.e. nothing like his mother. (He also misses another crucial point about how he relates to his parents' relationship, but Will points it out so effectively in an absolutely devastating/ satisfying exchange that I'll just leave that to him.)
Also, Tom really doesn't grovel enough. There DEFINITELY should have been more groveling.
Ultimately, of course, all of Tom's waffling and attempts at persuading himself and dogged determination to spell out why he is A Man Who Cannot Love work only to make his surrender more delicious: all romance readers know that the one who protests too much is the one that falls the hardest. And like Ben, when Tom commits, he COMMITS. I really like where Will and Tom end up; and while I wish we got more of them as a couple (only a short final chapter that jumps us ahead 6 months to them living together and Will on the cusp of restarting at the Met), I hope and trust that book 3 will give us plenty of Will and Tom (and Jamie and Ben) as established pairings.
One thing I will ding this on is some sloppy editing: instances of typos, missing punctuation, and strange formatting. There was one chapter in particular that seems to have been simply missed, as most of the editing errors (and also some unpolished/ unusually loose language) were concentrated there. There weren't a ton, but in such a well-written book, it was annoying -- and also strange, because Bitter Legacy was immaculate.
As usual, I end the review feeling like I've been too negative, which is not at all how I felt reading this. I was 100% absorbed by this book and I enjoyed it hugely, both in terms of the mystery and in the characters of smart, down-to-earth, deservedly wary Will and smart-but-dumb, emotionally stunted, cynical Tom. (It sounds like I hate Tom. I don't! I quite like that Tom is a flawed character with a reasonable degree of self-awareness. It's more trope than Tom that's the problem.) Object of Desire didn't work quite as well for me as Bitter Legacy, but Bitter Legacy is also a book that worked in every single way for me from the very first page, while this one had to go up against my dislike of the I MUST HURT US BECAUSE I CANNOT LOVE trope. (Again: I realize this trope was employed in Bitter Legacy, but the key there was that we were in Jamie's head reacting to it, rather than in Ben's head using it.) Also: Mark! Yay, Mark! We need more Mark!!
So suspend disbelief (even moreso than in book 1) and let these two beautiful men take you on a (murder) ride! Onto book 3!
ETA: And here's my review (no spoilers) for Blue on Blue, when Tom and Will finally get their hard-earned HEA.
June 2, 2018
Another absolutely brilliant read by Dal Maclean! And this was her "sophomore" story. With some new authors, when the debut novel is so stunning, you worry that their second book just won't be able to measure up to the first. Now that Dal has blown that possibility out of the water, I worry that I won't make it out alive of whatever she writes next. You might laugh at that but bloody hell! I'm not kidding.
This author writes some of the most astonishingly plotted crime thriller I've ever read, and I've read a freaking lot. Yes, I did figure out "who did it" but that didn't detract at all from the intensity of the story, because at one point or another, I really did suspect everyone and though I was right, there were so many twists that I still managed to be taken by surprise.
And her characterizations knock me out. Few authors, among even my very favorites, can make me sympathetic to an almost totally unlikable character, and even make them believably redeemable in the end.
I'm not even going to attempt to review the plot itself, you need all that to play out for yourself. The writing is excellent and the pacing was swift and tense and kept me snared to the very end. The best books, for me, are the ones that make me argue with myself and comment out loud while I'm reading, and I definitely made some noise with this one. This is a truly incredible, not-to-be-missed read and I genuinely look forward to everything else Dal Maclean writes!
This author writes some of the most astonishingly plotted crime thriller I've ever read, and I've read a freaking lot. Yes, I did figure out "who did it" but that didn't detract at all from the intensity of the story, because at one point or another, I really did suspect everyone and though I was right, there were so many twists that I still managed to be taken by surprise.
And her characterizations knock me out. Few authors, among even my very favorites, can make me sympathetic to an almost totally unlikable character, and even make them believably redeemable in the end.
I'm not even going to attempt to review the plot itself, you need all that to play out for yourself. The writing is excellent and the pacing was swift and tense and kept me snared to the very end. The best books, for me, are the ones that make me argue with myself and comment out loud while I'm reading, and I definitely made some noise with this one. This is a truly incredible, not-to-be-missed read and I genuinely look forward to everything else Dal Maclean writes!
April 12, 2019
Dal Maclean una vez más consigue una muy buena historia de suspense, y es un logro que teniendo un MC tan odioso como Tom y otro tan felpudo como Will, me haya tenido enganchada.
No es Bitter Legacy, pero no está nada mal. No la definiría como Romance, no os llaméis a error, si buscáis eso, os vais a decepcionar, no hay groveling, ni redención, ya me hubiera gustado, aún así, la he disfrutado mucho, tanto que igual hasta releo a Jamie y Ben, que me ha dado mono de ellos volver a verles aquí.
No es Bitter Legacy, pero no está nada mal. No la definiría como Romance, no os llaméis a error, si buscáis eso, os vais a decepcionar, no hay groveling, ni redención, ya me hubiera gustado, aún así, la he disfrutado mucho, tanto que igual hasta releo a Jamie y Ben, que me ha dado mono de ellos volver a verles aquí.
June 12, 2018
I’m a little bummed that I didn’t end up loving this one. It was a liked it but didn’t love it read for me.
And at the moment I’m exhausted so I don’t have much to say. It just didn’t grab my attention like Bitter Legacy did. And quite frankly Tom drove me batty. 🙄 Will was great though. 😊
And at the moment I’m exhausted so I don’t have much to say. It just didn’t grab my attention like Bitter Legacy did. And quite frankly Tom drove me batty. 🙄 Will was great though. 😊
July 3, 2018
Brilliant ! I couldn’t put it down.
The plot, the story pace, the characters' development, the romance ... everything was good.
The only negative point was the high number of editing issues in a book that I found rather on the expensive side.
The plot, the story pace, the characters' development, the romance ... everything was good.
The only negative point was the high number of editing issues in a book that I found rather on the expensive side.
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