Reread: 8th September 2018
OMG! Rereading this book by listening it when the audio came out made me fall in love with our cheeky, witty and pluperfect Shaun all over again. ? I mean obviously, this is my second time loving this book and I knew how everything will turn out in the end but man, did I cry bucket loads of tears before the HEA. ? Joel Leslie did a very fine job narrating this story and I actually loved listening this more than reading the first time. It was sweet, heartwarming and really romantic. ? Thoroughly enjoyed for the second time. ?
Original review
OMG! Did I love this book!?!? ? YESSS! ? I loved this book soooooooo much! ❤️ Thank you N.R. Walker for such an amazing read. ? While being not a very unconventional storyline, yes, we’ve seen or heard this kind of storyline on screen or in books, ☺️ the take of the love story between an android and a human in this novel was such refreshingly intriguing and enthralling. ? I was totally hooked. ? And now, let’s get to reviewing. ?
Lloyd, a middle-aged guy who has OCD, has never felt like he truly belonged or someone really understood him. When he broke up with his last boyfriend,the guy pointed out to him (rather venomously) that only an android could live up to his standards. ? And a couple years later and having spent quite a considerable amount of time of self-accessing, he finally accepted that his ex had a point. ? A humanoid android companion might be just what he needs. ? So he went to the biggest android producing company and acquired one. But what he got was so much more than a talking and reciprocating android. ? Shaun not only thinks and feels but also evolves with time. Shaun is not an android, he’s a sentient and sapient being, and one he hopelessly fell in love with. ? Now, it’s only a matter of time before they knew that Shaun is so much more than just an android. And it’s only a matter of time that they take Shaun away from him. ?
Obviously, I can’t describe the characteristics of both Lloyd and Shaun because the latter is an android and this is a single PoV story. However, I do think that N.R. Walker nailed the head with this particular story. ? I’m not ashamed to admit that I have OCD tendencies though not as strong as Lloyd from the story. ? I feel like her take and opinions of OCD in this story is quite accurate and interesting. OCD people are not broken and don’t need to be fixed. It’s just our irritation when it comes to certain things can be a bit stronger (well, a bit can be such an euphemism!) than other people. ?And I find Shaun character to be absolutely fascinating. ? In fact, I’m glad that I didn’t get his PoV in this novel because it made the story even more interesting and enthralling in a way. ? While the storyline is being predictable, the way NR portrayed the budding love between these two beings is just breathtakingly beautiful and heartwarming. ? And the sex? Oooooooo .. let’s just say it was very VERY hot! ? This is an ultimate fantasy comes true for a slavefic enthusiast/technosexual (NR’s words, not mine) like me. ? And although I knew that they would somehow get a HEA in the end, I cried bucket loads of tear when they were kidnapped by those SATinc bastards. ? This book tugged my heart many many times, made me smile, laugh, cry and joy. ? And as a person who loves and adores classics, let’s just say Moby Dick references made me fall head over heels in love with this book. ? Call me Ishmael, call me Shaun, because love truly has no boundaries. ??
Favorite excerpts from the novel: ???
because they were trying to “fix” me. Only broken things needed to be fixed. But I wasn’t broken. I didn’t need to be fixed. I needed to be understood.
Would it be so terrible if he could never love me back? He would be forever loyal. He would be attuned to only me. Forever. Was that not love to him? Was that not the synthetic equivalent?
There was no denying it now. There was no going back. I was falling in love with him.
Made just for me. He was more than just an android. He was perfect. He was literally my ideal partner. And something that was crystal clear to me now as he held me, kissed me, longed for me, was that he was sentient.
It was never-ending with him; the pleasure, the want, the need. “I could come again,” I whispered, kissing down his shoulder. “I’ve never known such pleasure, Shaun. Only with you.”
“I do not want you to ever stop.” He didn’t just have desires. He loved it. He wanted it. Just as much as me.
“I love being inside you,” I whispered. “I love how you feel. I love having you in my bed. I love waking up next to you, I love coming home to you.”
Love was a gift to give and should be given without expecting anything in return.
I love you, Shaun. And I love that you love me. It’s the best thing to ever happen to me. You are the best thing to ever happen to me.”
“And I love you. Don’t be sad, Lloyd. This isn’t the end. Remember in Moby Dick, Ishmael thought the final scene with the whale was the end. But in truth, it was his beginning. He lived to see another day, to take what he’d learned about himself and become who he was meant to be.”
“Forever?” “Forever. For all future time; for always.” I smiled and kissed him softly. “Yes. For all future time. For always.”
5 because love was a true gift to give stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️