In a Gilded Cage, from Mia Kerick

Good morning, beauties! Welcome to my review for In a Gilded Cage, a lovely Rapunzel M/M retelling from Mia Kerick *–* I received my copy from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review to be posted during their book tour for this title. Thank you so much, guys! It was an amazing experience =D

Prin is a boy with a mission: to succeed in life. After a childhood with barely enough food to eat, Prin is ready to the next step of life: college, working, getting famous and getting rich. Not necessarily in that order, as he really needs the money as soon as possible.

To make sure he’ll have the necessary funds to move to Boston once he graduates and that he won’t be a burden to his awesome loving parents, Prin arranges a job as the gardener of Damien Gothan’s ridiculously large Estate. With soccer practice, his college classes and assignments and a world of lawn to mow, one would expect Prin to have his head completely focused on his life goals.

Well, Prin had managed to accomplish that until he lays eyes on Lucci, Damien’s heavily guarded son. What began with a giggling and playful race across Gothan’s gardens soon becomes an obsession to Prin. Who is Lucci and why no one seems to know him? Why does Damien guard him so fiercely?

More importantly: How will Prin manage to see Lucci again?

Me after finishing this book:

Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader 🙂

Soooo, I had been dying to read a fairy tale retelling with a gay couple. I was just talking about how authors NEEDED to make this happen with an offline friend when I saw the invitation for this tour and I was like OMG THE BOOK GODS HEARD ME! *squeals, signs up and bothers Giselle, from Xpresso Book Tours, until she assured me my name was confirmed for the tour*

While I loved this book and enjoyed a lot this new experience, there were some serious plot roles and unbelievable responses from key characters at critical situations that prevented it to make to the big 5 stars rating. Kerick involves her reader in the story and makes our hearts ache for her characters, but I missed some more polishing on her work – she’s got a lot of potential, so I can’t wait to read another book from her sooner than later, but I can’t ignore In A Gilded Cage’s flaws. All in all, it was an awesome 4 stars read!

The narrative switched points between Lucci and Prin in first person style. I personally LOVED both Lucci and Prin, as they are very different boys experiencing the same thing together: a colorful friendship, haha! Given my very public reservations about first person styled books, I must say that this isn’t where Kerick went wrong with me, as both boys are different as sun and moon and the reader could pick them up even without the name labels in the beginning of each chapter, haha! I also liked how fluid the writing is, simple but rich and enticing ❤

The plot had all the potential in the world. A hidden boy, forbidden romance, psychological torture and games, the hope for a new beginning… Then, enter the flaws. The end felt absurdly rushed for me, like the author stopped and said: “wait, I need to finish this book in the next five minutes!”. Also, many resolutions didn’t make any sense, as they didn’t agree with the modus operandi constructed for the characters during the book.

Now, back to my undying love with this book what, to the characters! /o/

Lucci was a delight – it is really rare to find modern young men so pure as Lucci was! I usually have zero patience with naïve characters, but I think that his whole social situation – being trapped into that mansion with a sick man torturing him and all – made me more accepting of his wonder at discovering how magical life could be. And, while many would say that Prin was responsible for Lucci’s development as a regular teenage boy, I say that Lucci has all the credit. Prin was just key sliding into Lucci’s lock understand this metaphor as you please ❤, not the one to inspire the changes. Lucci had it inside him all the time, just wanting to be free again.

Prin was your regular boy next door teenage student with a knack for obsessing over weird things. I was surprised to find him so funny and likeable, as I usually prefer my boys more mean and all. Well, I guess there’s an exception for every bookish taste rule indeed, haha! One of the best parts in this read was to see how both Lucci and Prin reacted to their blossoming romance and Prin struggling to not hut Lucci’s feelings with the insecurities that a relationship during teenage can bring ❤

Also, both the villain and the side kicks were amazingly constructed – I just wish Kenrick had kept the good work towards the end of the book and not thrown it all through the window as she did And, as I’m complaining again, I’m just going to make a quick comment to say I’m not this cover’s number one fan. I don’t feel it represents the story, besides the not-being-easy-on-my-panda-eyes deal, oops!

Noooow, quote time! Because this is the best way to force convince you guys that this book deserves a chance nevertheless!

“There’s nothing that’s forbidden to think about. Maybe there are things you’re forbidden to do – like murdering people and stealing shit – but you can think about whatever you want.” – Prin’s wisdom

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“His [Lucci’s] words make no sense, so I guess I’m doing this right.” – Prin

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And this lovely and killer passage from Lucci’s point of view:

“She [Miss Gladys] shakes her head, and mutters, “There’s far too much pressure on you to be a perfect person, not that anybody asked for my opinion.”

I agree, but no one asked for my opinion either.

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Overall, if you love fairy tale retellings, gay romance and deep and emotional books, you just have to check In a Gilded Cage! ❤

That’s it! Thanks so much for reading my review! Bellow, you can find more technical information about the book, purchase links, info about Mia Kerick and a giveaway =)

In a Gilded Cage

by Mia Kerick

Published by: Evernight Publishing

Publication date: October 21^st, 2016

Genres: LGBTQ+, New Adult, Romance

In a Gilded Cage is available only on ebook format at our favorite book sellers =)

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young men and their relationships, and she believes that sex has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press for providing her with an alternate place to stash her stories.

Mia is proud of her involvement with the Human Rights Campaign and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

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One lucky INTERNATIONAL winner will take home a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

GIVEAWAY!

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With love,