REVIEWED by Lisa and Jen B.
TITLE: Antidote
SERIES: Don’t #2
AUTHOR: Jack Pyke
PUBLISHER: Men in Ink Press
LENGTH: 459 Pages
RELEASE DATE: April 28, 2019
BLURB:
“Us. We’re okay, aren’t we, mukka?” ~ Jack Harrison
Video footage of Jack sleeping with Cutter, a man who has mutilated teenagers for his own sadistic streak, should have stayed dead and buried with the man who had filmed it. Yet when footage to Jack’s past starts appearing on internet porn sites, Jack’s whole world is again turned on its head. At first the porn links are done to unsettle, to disrupt Jack’s fire and ice world: all the sexed-up adrenaline of being caught between the pleasure to Gray Raoul’s BDSM kink and the “soft lad” gentleness of Jan Richards’ vanilla touch. But when the content of the porn sites force even Gray to turn his back on Jack, leaving Jack isolated and away from the full protection of the Masters’ Circle, Jack is left at the mercy of a group of men who are out to alter Jack’s whole perception on his BDSM lifestyle and the reality of being Jack Harrison. As brutally as possible, Jack’s sex life is now live webcam feed for a whole new audience.
This book is definitely not for the faint of heart! While reading I experienced an entire range of emotions: happiness, anger, horror, sadness, blinding rage. I’ve been in a reading slump since the beginning of the year but reading this book made me want to read again the way I used to.
There’s a lot I can’t say about this book without giving away spoilers for the few people (besides myself) who haven’t yet experienced the genius of Jack L. Pyke with this series. It begins in a happy place with Jack, Gray, and Jan developing their poly relationship. Then Jack and Jan are swept up in a horror they’re not sure they can escape.
Jack’s mental illness in this book is another character. The reader experiences all the discomfort of Jack’s world right along with him. And there are times when it’s oddly funny and also times when it’s heartbreaking. I love Jack’s snark even though I feel like it’s used as a defense mechanism.
It’s much more evident how much Gray and Jack mean to each other than it was in the first book. Gray is superhuman but at the same time he shows just how much of a flawed human he really is. He and Jack both have a very difficult time articulating their feelings for each other and that leads to some serious miscommunications.
Jan is often described as a “soft lad” both in the first book and this one. I’ll admit to not being a huge fan of Jan until I read this. Even while he’s experiencing the worst moments of his life, he’s showing his strength and his love for Jack. So he’s moved from my least favorite of the triad to being my current favorite.
This book definitely requires content warnings. There’s extreme psychological mindfucks, rape, and torture. It was not an easy read and there were several passages that had me in tears. As well as having me want to cut a bitch during the reveal.
As difficult as it was to read the majority of the book, I still loved it. I loved how invested I was in the characters and their well-being. I loved how it rekindled my love of reading. I loved how it gave me feels even when the feels weren’t warm fuzzies. If you’re a person triggered by rape and/or torture I would not recommend this. I would however recommend to those who can deal with reading something very dark and disturbing. This is not a standalone so I wouldn’t recommend reading it without reading Don’t first. I’m very invested in these characters and definitely intend to continue with the series. It’s going to be hard to wait for the 2nd editions though!
Heed the trigger warnings, but if you find you can handle them, buckle up and get ready for a bit of a wild ride! You absolutely have to read these in order, as this one picks up where Don’t left off – with Jack, Jan and Gray finding their way through their new relationship. We already know Jack has some serious issues, but we are beginning to understand the depth of them and the lengths he (and Gray) go to help Jack cope with them. Jack and Gray have been doing ok with this for many years, but it is clear to see that Jan brings a peace to Jack that was clearly missing.
This is my second time around getting through this book. Rereading is something I generally do not do. However, this series quickly made its way to the top of my favorite list, and it has held that spot ever since. Hence the current reread. It has been an amazing experience seeing these guys again for another go. I found myself excited all over again, even though I knew what happened. It is even more fun reading with someone who is reading them for the first time and having someone to chat about them with. Ms. Pyke has done an unbelievable job creating this story with unbelievably complex characters who share a history that makes you want to gobble up every detail. You want to know the whys and hows, but just like it isn’t easy for the guys, Ms. Pyke doesn’t make it easy on the reader either. Tidbits are revealed like breadcrumbs that have you turning pages like a madman.
This is not your fluffy romance or your hearts and flowers happy ever after lovefest (one of the things I love about it!). It is gritty and edgy yet still manages to be sexy and give you all the feels. There is so much meaning behind certain words (“peachy”) and nicknames (“mukka” and “stunner”) or even the safeword(s) that have so much meaning (“Mercedes” and “Mercedes ‘Fucking’ Benz”) – just hearing them said gives you goosebumps every time. In this installment, Jack (with Jan alongside for the ride) is forced to face his phobias head on in the worst possible way and for all the wrong reasons. It is difficult to see how the damage done can possibly be reversed enough for him to make it back to the men who love him. Understandably, this doesn’t happen overnight, and the toll it takes on each of them oozes off the pages. My heart broke so many times, yet other times, it warmed like a ray of sunshine. Suffice to say, the pain and suffering will be worth it, but it is not an easy road to get there. Other than the trigger warnings, to say anything more about this actual installment would be possibly giving too much away in terms of twists and story. If you’ve made it to this point, you basically know what to expect. I will say that the road ahead isn’t exactly smooth sailing from here on out, but in comparison, finishing this should get you over the hump.
I know I cannot wait to jump into the next installment, even though I’ve already read and know what is to come. But, just as with the first two, I absolutely cannot wait to read about my favorite troubled trio once again. Very few stories have made me want to hide in a corner where nobody can find me just so I can concentrate and get lost in my book, yet this series does it with each installment.
Highly recommend this masterfully written psychological thriller to those who really want to feel the full gamut of emotions. Don’t…get invested in this story as soon as possible. 🙂
Wow! Thank you so much!! Both of you!!!
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