{"id":69246,"date":"2023-03-14T08:00:09","date_gmt":"2023-03-14T12:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=69246"},"modified":"2023-03-13T06:15:01","modified_gmt":"2023-03-13T10:15:01","slug":"review-the-tragedy-of-felix-and-jake-by-j-daniels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=69246","title":{"rendered":"Review: The Tragedy of Felix and Jake by J. Daniels"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Tragedy of Felix and Jake by J. Daniels is live, and it’s an amazing read!<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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I have so many feelings about this book. It\u2019s so funny, so emotional, and so heartwrenching, and I feel like I\u2019ve been on a bit of a rollercoaster, but wow, what a beautiful read! A dramatic and forbidden(ish) m\/m romance between two addicts who long to be together when everyone is telling them they can\u2019t be, this is a story about the power of love \u2013 love for your family, for your partner, and for yourself. It sucked me in and didn\u2019t let go, and I absolutely loved it!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Amazon\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Paperback\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Special Edition Paperback<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

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Blurb<\/strong><\/h4>\n

From\u00a0New York Times\u00a0<\/em>bestselling author, J. Daniels, comes an all-new standalone forbidden romance.<\/b><\/p>\n

They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.
\nThey say the best way to stay sober is to love yourself.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m great at making bad decisions.
\nAddict? Check. Poor impulse control? Check. Obsessed with the guy I\u2019m sponsoring? Check Check Check.
\nThere is no one worse for me to want in my bed than Jake Tully. He\u2019s hot and grumpy and literally a terrible idea. Terrible. Worse, no one has ever made me feel the way he does \u2014 valued. But here I am – thinking about him again.<\/p>\n

Falling for my sponsor is not my worst idea yet, but it\u2019s damn close.
\nFelix Fields is everything good. He\u2019s thoughtful and kind. I can\u2019t help but think about every bad thing we could do between these sheets.
\nBut we can\u2019t be together. I\u2019m not willing to risk my recovery for anyone \u2013 even if he might be perfect for me.<\/p>\n

Finding a love like this is nothing short of a tragedy.<\/b><\/p>\n

**Author’s Note: This book ends in a Happily Ever After, but getting there isn’t easy.<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

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Add to Goodreads<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Review<\/b><\/h4>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be okay\u201d <\/i><\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

5 stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh wow, where to begin with this review. I have so many feelings about this book. It\u2019s so funny, so emotional, and so heartwrenching, and I feel like I\u2019ve been on a bit of a rollercoaster, but wow, what a beautiful read! A dramatic and forbidden(ish) m\/m romance between two addicts who long to be together when everyone is telling them they can\u2019t be, this is a story about the power of love \u2013 love for your family, for your partner, and for yourself. It sucked me in and didn\u2019t let go, and I absolutely loved it!<\/p>\n

Firstly, don\u2019t let the title scare you. Yes, this is an emotional read, with heavy subject matter, but the majority of it is actually quite light-hearted, with lots of moments that made me laugh and smile. This book is a complete standalone, but it does have a fun tie-in to the Alabama Summer<\/i><\/a> series. Jake is the younger brother of CJ (from What I Need<\/em>), and we get to see some of the Alabama<\/i> crew as side characters, which is fun.<\/p>\n

Jake is a recovering addict who suffers a relapse, with devastating consequences. He\u2019s pretty much lost everything, but his big brother CJ is there for him, quickly setting him up in his spare room, and getting him back into regular meetings and back on the road to recovery again. It\u2019s at one of his meetings that Jake meets Felix. A fellow recovering addict, Felix reaches out to Jake and they click immediately. Though Felix is the perky, quirky sunshine to Jake\u2019s grumpy broodiness, they form a connection, understanding each other in a way that others in their lives don\u2019t, and Felix becomes Jake\u2019s sponsor. The two lonely men become close friends, but there\u2019s attraction there as well, but just when Jake has a glimmer of the chance of something meaningful in his life, they\u2019re both told that new relationships are not recommended upon while you\u2019re in recovery.<\/p>\n

Felix has no idea how angry I was reading those guidelines the other night. It\u2019s like someone saying \u201cYeah. You\u2019re doing a great job with your sobriety and everything, but fuck you for wanting someone after messing up so badly. For thinking you <\/i>deserve someone. You\u2019re still too much of a loser and we know you\u2019ll screw it up. Stay alone and sober, prick.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But Felix is fiercely determined, and he doesn\u2019t let guidelines stand in the way of his flirtatious nature, letting Jake know in no uncertain terms that he wants to try for more.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d be so good together. I just know we would.\u201d
\nI close my eyes as this ache in my chest burns and <\/i>burns, and if life doesn\u2019t stop fucking me soon, I\u2019m going to lose my mind.
\n\u201cEverything is stacked against us,\u201d I say. \u201cWe\u2019d be a tragedy, Felix. This wouldn\u2019t work.\u201d
\nHis smile is confusing.
\n\u201cYou don\u2019t agree?\u201d I ask, and how fucked up is it that I actually <\/i>hope he doesn\u2019t.
\n\u201cNo. I agree.\u201d He steps closer and presses one (last) kiss to my mouth. \u201cI just know that wouldn\u2019t stop me.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Felix made me laugh so many times! His cheery disposition is so incredible when you look at his situation, his past, and the sheer tragedy of his life. He\u2019s funny and flirty, and so full of love for everybody in his life, and I just adored him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love you so much, it\u2019s sick.\u201d I throw my arms around him, squeeze for a solid second, and then release. \u201cWhat a great first hug.\u201d
\n\u201cWe really didn\u2019t hug. I just stood here.\u201d
\n\u201cI felt the embrace of your body.\u201d
\n\u201cNever say that again.\u201d
\n\u201cIt sounded sexual. I hear it now.\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m leaving,\u201d he says as he gives me his back.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But in the midst of the laughs, we get to know these boys on a deep level, and my heart ached for them, for all they have been through, and for the love and sense of belonging that they both so desperately want.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve lived so long without anyone giving a shit or caring about me, and I\u2019m sure I could live longer without it, but I don\u2019t want to.
\nI want to matter to someone every day <\/i>forever.
\nAnd I want that someone to be Jake.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Their need for each other becomes impossible to resist, and against the \u2018guidelines\u2019, and the advice of everybody in their lives, they give in to their attraction and fall hard and fast for each other. It\u2019s fun, playful, intense and emotional, and it\u2019s so damn sexy! They\u2019re open with each other about everything, they talk about their journeys, their struggles, and their recovery, and they support and encourage each other through the ups and downs they experience, and God, I love their dynamic!<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think you\u2019re <\/i>nothing special or just another dick that gets me hard. I\u2019ve <\/i>never thought that about you. And I\u2019d be a shitty boyfriend if I did. In fact, I will beat the <\/i>fuck out of you if you ever let someone treat you like that.\u201d
\nHe blinks, letting his mouth fall open.
\n\u201cThat was actually really romantic, Jake. In like, a fucked-up way. But still. My heart <\/i>totally liked that.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And the romance! OMG, what a beautiful, beautiful love story! The love that Jake and Felix have for each other is all-consuming, and I feel like I lived it with them. I love that they found each other, I love that they gave into it all so easily, and I love that they found something so incredible together.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re my fucking soulmate, Felix, and I don\u2019t even believe in that shit.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But their recovery is a delicate thing, and though they do find each other, they\u2019re still struggling with their demons and wrestling with their addictions, and you can feel how much they hate it. It broke my heart, and as we follow them through the highs and lows, oh, I ached for them both! Emotions run high, and it\u2019s dramatic and intense, and at one point I read with tears streaming down my face at the unfairness of it all. But wow, what a journey we go on with these two men.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve waited my whole life for you. And for <\/i>this. Us.\u201d I squeeze his hands. \u201cYou\u2019re my fucking family, Jake, and we\u2019ll fight this. Together.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There is an epilogue which finishes off the story beautifully, and I finished this book feeling satisfied and so happy for the happy ending the Jake and Felix fought so hard for.<\/p>\n

This is a really beautiful read. I loved it so much.<\/p>\n

5 stars.<\/p>\n

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.<\/i><\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  The Tragedy of Felix and Jake by J. Daniels is live, and it’s an amazing read!   I have so many feelings about this book. It\u2019s so funny, so emotional, and so heartwrenching, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":68549,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,49,972,335,9,29],"tags":[59,491,48,76],"class_list":["post-69246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-feeeeeeels","category-forbidden","category-mm","category-romance","category-steamy","tag-arc","tag-j-daniels","tag-review","tag-standalone"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-Tragedy-of-Felix-and-Jake.jpg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-i0S","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=69246"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69246\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/68549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=69246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=69246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=69246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}