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teresab78's review against another edition
4.0
I wish I’d reread the other books in the series as I had forgotten some of the details that come up in this book. Chase in Shadows was one of the hardest books I’ve read. In contrast, I didn’t really connect with this pair. While there’s tons of angst in never got me in the feels. However, it is well written and I found the sex hot. I was happy for them to get their hea.
liza5326's review against another edition
4.0
Probably my least favorite of the series, but still an incredible story! I love the Johnnies series and Amy Lane and this book really didn't disappoint. It was nice to see why John became who he was and how he changed his life. I loved Galen and I can see how powerful their love became. It actually seemed like there was a lack of sex scenes in this book compared to the others, most likely because it took place away from the Johnnies' set, in Florida with just Galen and John most of the time. In fact, the hottest scene for me was a solo scene with John. Whoa. Nice!! This series has grown and I am eager to see where Amy goes next!
shan198025's review against another edition
4.0
I love the Johnnies series. I love how it's set so that you get different POVs of the same events. I just plain love the books.
papercranestitches's review against another edition
Oh fuck. I may as well just hand Amy Lane my bleeding heart on a platter right now.
ezichinny's review against another edition
3.0
I have been waiting for John Alexander Carey's book and I was disappointed with this one. First of all, the story of his past love Vittorio "Tori" Petrelli was heartbreaking. Particularly since Tori was selfish and hurtful with his actions. Tori's neighbor Galen Henderson, becomes the new love interest of John in this book. I find Galen unappealing as he is snobby and judgmental.
I also don't understand the idea of pairing a recovering drug addict with a man who is still in the throws of his addiction. What a recipe for disaster.
I like John and feel bad as he has a savior complex, but I would have loved for him to get a better person than Galen. But when all is said and done, a corporate lawyer is just want Johnnies needs!
regencyfan93's review against another edition
5.0
Before I could read Black John, I had to reread some of the earlier books, to refresh myself on characters and the situation John was in. It will take me some time to process this book, and then I'll need to reread this one too.
John can only help someone who really wants to be helped. He keeps hoping and helping until almost nothing is left.
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My rating - 5 outstanding, 4 - I liked this and will re-read it, 3 - I enjoyed it though may not re-read, 2 - I kept going because I had to see how it ended, 1 - Whatever time I spent with this book is time I'll never get back to my regret.
John can only help someone who really wants to be helped. He keeps hoping and helping until almost nothing is left.
__________________
My rating - 5 outstanding, 4 - I liked this and will re-read it, 3 - I enjoyed it though may not re-read, 2 - I kept going because I had to see how it ended, 1 - Whatever time I spent with this book is time I'll never get back to my regret.
kaje_harper's review against another edition
4.0
This is the fourth book in a favorite series for me. I do recommend reading in order - book 1, [b:Chase in Shadow|13423284|Chase in Shadow (Johnnies, #1)|Amy Lane|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348129361s/13423284.jpg|18870311], is a very favorite read for me.
John ended the previous (somewhat overlapping time frame) three books as a bad guy, a man who sold out his best friend to a drug-dealing ex in order to pay for his addiction. But in this book, John's pain and his backstory are there to move him slowly from bad guy to "it's complicated" to a sympathetic figure, a man who deserves another chance. There is a lot of painful story here.
As the book opens, John is fresh out of rehab. I appreciated that his recovery wasn't shown as easy or certain. He continues to fight falling back into addiction throughout the book. Many of his issues can be laid at the feet of his first boyfriend, Tory. From the early days, Tory was his best friend and lover, but there was a deep hole of neediness in Tory that John couldn't fill. Tory turned to drugs, and eventually John couldn't stand to watch that, and wasn't strong enough to stop him. And now Tory is dead.
Tory's neighbor in his last days was Galen, once a lawyer, now a scarred and pain-pill addicted shadow of himself. But even that badly impaired, Galen is smart and compassionate and the right guy to be around as John tries to deal with being Tory's next of kin. Their relationship is fragile, made from loss and need more than a real connection at first, but it grows. Amy Lane is very good at these stories of damaged characters, oozing their heart's blood silently, fighting and losing the good fight until they find the man to stand with them.
It's a challenge to depict an addict both realistically and as a romantic MC. This book succeeds. The end is a little abrupt. It's definitely a HFN, full of hope, but bringing together two people who haven't spent much both-of-us-sober time learning to live with each other yet. Their past addictions loom over their future happiness. But there's a hint in this book of a sequel, with a possible future couple, so I'm hoping this isn't the last I'll get to see of John and Galen.
ETA: Amy Lane has given us a little free additional epilogue - just another moment with the guys that moves them closer to their happy ending - http://lovebytesreviews.com/2015/02/02/bonus-epilogue-for-black-john/
John ended the previous (somewhat overlapping time frame) three books as a bad guy, a man who sold out his best friend to a drug-dealing ex in order to pay for his addiction. But in this book, John's pain and his backstory are there to move him slowly from bad guy to "it's complicated" to a sympathetic figure, a man who deserves another chance. There is a lot of painful story here.
As the book opens, John is fresh out of rehab. I appreciated that his recovery wasn't shown as easy or certain. He continues to fight falling back into addiction throughout the book. Many of his issues can be laid at the feet of his first boyfriend, Tory. From the early days, Tory was his best friend and lover, but there was a deep hole of neediness in Tory that John couldn't fill. Tory turned to drugs, and eventually John couldn't stand to watch that, and wasn't strong enough to stop him. And now Tory is dead.
Tory's neighbor in his last days was Galen, once a lawyer, now a scarred and pain-pill addicted shadow of himself. But even that badly impaired, Galen is smart and compassionate and the right guy to be around as John tries to deal with being Tory's next of kin. Their relationship is fragile, made from loss and need more than a real connection at first, but it grows. Amy Lane is very good at these stories of damaged characters, oozing their heart's blood silently, fighting and losing the good fight until they find the man to stand with them.
It's a challenge to depict an addict both realistically and as a romantic MC. This book succeeds. The end is a little abrupt. It's definitely a HFN, full of hope, but bringing together two people who haven't spent much both-of-us-sober time learning to live with each other yet. Their past addictions loom over their future happiness. But there's a hint in this book of a sequel, with a possible future couple, so I'm hoping this isn't the last I'll get to see of John and Galen.
ETA: Amy Lane has given us a little free additional epilogue - just another moment with the guys that moves them closer to their happy ending - http://lovebytesreviews.com/2015/02/02/bonus-epilogue-for-black-john/
shinysylver's review against another edition
I don't feel able to rate this book. I usually rate books based on personal enjoyment/appreciation and I don't feel able to do that with this book. It made me uncomfortable in a lot of ways. I don't regret reading it, but I certainly don't recommend it nor think I will ever reread it.
I'm used to the angst and melodrama that often populates Amy Lane's books (and often enjoy wallowing in it) but the topics in this story traveled too far into uncomfortable for me. To be fair she warns for some of the content at the beginning of the book so I had an idea what I was getting into. Some of the content in this book includes: heavy drug addiction, suicide, unhealthy relationships, unhealthy approaches to sex, over-sexualization at a young age, and child abuse. As is typical with Amy Lane books, the main characters overcome a lot of those things, but that didn't make some of it any easier to read about and she covered a lot of it in in-depth flashbacks.
I'm used to the angst and melodrama that often populates Amy Lane's books (and often enjoy wallowing in it) but the topics in this story traveled too far into uncomfortable for me. To be fair she warns for some of the content at the beginning of the book so I had an idea what I was getting into. Some of the content in this book includes: heavy drug addiction, suicide, unhealthy relationships, unhealthy approaches to sex, over-sexualization at a young age, and child abuse. As is typical with Amy Lane books, the main characters overcome a lot of those things, but that didn't make some of it any easier to read about and she covered a lot of it in in-depth flashbacks.
knrt_17's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, just wow. Amazing story. Ugly cries and babies!! Love this series. Updates on all the previous book characters. Best read in reading order. Off to book 5.