A Book Review: Hawke By Jescie Hall
I've really been going down the rabbit hole of romance novels lately, everything from fluffy and wholesome to deranged and totally not legal if this was real life. Personally, I'm more of a dark romance girly myself, and whilst Hawke doesn't really fall into that category, it had more then enough elements to make it a fun read, so let's talk about it.
Minor Spoilers Ahead
Hawke is a contemporary romance, revolving around two main characters and splattering of side characters. The story is relatively straightforward. Nicole and her current boyfriend Patrick are currently living in Hawke's old home, so when he is released and moves in, Nicole is not a happy bunny. She believes he's a junkie, manipulator and liar, actively ruining her 'perfect life.' He's rather hostile to her at first to be fair, but for the most part, his apparent destruction of her life is more a projection of her own personal issues rather than anything he really does. As time goes on, Hawke's coaxes Nicole from her shell through their interactions and moments, whilst Patrick's true nature is revealed, cementing Nicole's need to leave him and finally stand on her own two feet. Once Hawke finally reveals his past and everything comes to light, it's just a matter of seeing how it all unfolds.
“He looks edible in a way that toxic things usually are.”
The story is quite linear, with most of their time being spent in the same three locations, and their interactions with side characters are pretty limited. The side character with the biggest role is referred to as Kid, who happens to be Hawke's best friend. He actually has his own book, which is on my to be read list. Apart from him, the other characters don't really do to much for the plot. They act as a push or tug in whichever direction the plot needs to go, such as answering a question that reveals some truth, or just filling in time with banter. The story could have actually cut a lot of these interactions out and it wouldn't have taken anything away. But, since Hawke and Nicole are our main characters, let's move on to them.
“Wreck me, shatter me, destroy me, be the ruin of me. I don’t care, just make me feel again.”
Hawke is a recently released ex-convict with a chip on his shoulder. He's a moody, beautiful bad boy, harbouring a lot of secrets and, throws Nicole's somewhat mundane life into absolute chaos. It becomes obvious fairly quickly that Hawke is a trouble maker, but in the best kind of way. As usual, behind the wall of ice he has created, he has a heart of gold. Hawke is the kind of man who will do anything and everything to get and keep his girl, even risking going back to jail.
Once Hawke's story starts to unfold, any grievances you had against him will melt away. His hot and cold attitude are a consequence of his troubled past and, it makes absolute sense why he behaves the way he does. Hand on heart, this is one of the best written MMC's I've read in a while. His struggles, especially with his emotions and inner torment are written incredibly well. My heart ached for the poor man, and I'm usually not the type to get emotionally invested in characters, so I was pleasantly surprised. I found myself wishing for a happy ending, just so Hawke could finally have the peace he deserved.
“He’s an ex-convict, a liar, a manwhore, a manipulator, and who knows what else. He’s proving that to me day by day.”
The FMC is Nicole, who has pretty much relinquished the rights to any decision making in her relationship to her rather controlling boyfriend Patrick. Our first introduction to her is by way of her complaining about their rather vanilla sex life, but she lacks the ability to speak up about it. Which honestly, not the best start. I mean come on girl, use your words?
At first, I really couldn't enjoy Nicole as a character. She came across spineless, judgemental and wholly naive. She is aware of the problems in her current relationship, but it is too scared to bring them up or rather, to reliant on Patrick to risk the relationship. Now, given that this happens often in real life, I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her, but she makes being empathetic hard when she treats Hawke like absolute dirt for just being around at the beginning. However, Nicole did grow on me over the book. Her self reflection wasn't perfect, but she did recognise her own mistakes and shortcomings, and she really began to shine when she started taking her life into her own hands. She definitely shows the most growth in this story, and is all the better for it.
“You, my love, are the only habit worth being addicted to.”
When it comes to their relationship, I think it can be seen in two ways. Either Hawke and Nicole are the definition of when opposites attract, and their relationship blossomed from understanding, acceptance and desire. Or, that their attraction is purely based off physical lust and the desperate need to fill their loneliness. Personally, I think it's a bit of both and honestly, that's alright. I'm not sure if that is what Jescie Hall intended, or whether these two interpretations are just a natural consequence of their story, but it doesn't come across as toxic, perhaps more in line with needy?
Speaking of needy, I have to give a small shout out to the spice. I'd give it a solid 3/5, with one scene in particular being written so well it had me blushing like a school girl. There's a few smutty scenes through out the book, they're steamy but not too risqué. Forewarning, it’s abit of slow burn, but worth the wait.
“Nothing can take me away from you. Do you understand that?”
Writing wise, I found it to be fine. It's not ground breaking, but it was quite immersive. As I mentioned earlier, some parts did seem to be unnecessary, which led to a bit of a pacing problem for me. Realistically, it could have been about a hundred pages shorter, but the eventual ending made it worth it.
Overall, it's a good story, with some heavy topics, lots of drama and a happy ever after ending. I'd recommend it for those of you that like semi-spicy romances that lean heavily on drama.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
