Liam Davis & The Raven (Love Inscribed #1) by Anyta Sunday

From Goodreads:

Love and romance? I don’t know how I feel about that.

But I’m about to find out.

Jock. Big-boned. Broad shoulders. Tall. Runs fingers through hair as though he’s attractive and knows it. Walks into party like he has all the time in the world, slow but oddly graceful. Laugh lines around the mouth, a deep crack in his skin where a dimple might be.

That’s how I described him in the notes for my latest party-page column.

He fascinates me, but I’m not sure why. Or what to do about it. My belly is a fluttery, twisty mess.

Best to focus on my mission to find The Raven—the campus vigilante—and warn him about the hate mail the student paper’s been getting for him.

Except . . .

Quinn looks at me and his eyes darken. He wants something. But what is it?

Why do I want so badly to give it to him?

Liam Davis and The Raven is the first book of the Love Inscribed series by Anyta Sunday.

I picked this up after finishing  Marc Jillson and The Gazebo. In retrospect, I should have read this first but got too invested with Marc and Hunter’s story, instead.

🌹Reasons to Bump This Up Your TBR

Read this not for the romance

If you’re coming here expecting romance, well, look somewhere else. While it has a bit of romance, the story was more of how Liam navigates the world and how he grows and adjusts his very set views. He also learns how to make and maintain his relationships with other people. The story started with him quite content with his life or rather starting to feel like there’s something missing in his life. It was quite satisfying how he went from being a loner to someone who tried his best and opened himself to new experiences. It was satisfying and fulfilling to see Liam grow and mature.

Treat this as a prequel to Marc Jillson

Ah, I finally get to understand Marc’s remorse and avoidance of Liam in this book. I also get to meet Jack. Marc, or rather Jill in this book, is nothing but a big jerk. 

Hunter is still the biggest sweetheart ever to walk on Earth. I really love his energy and optimism. I gobble up their small interactions together because ugh, I’m a sucker for them like that.

🥀Reasons to Bump This Down On Your TBR

Distanced

I don’t mind a character who’s more into mental than the emotional aspect. But Liam was hard to relate to when he felt so removed. He felt cold and distant, even though I read this from his perspective, knowing full well his inner monologue. Even after a re-read or even spending time apart with this book didn’t make me feel even closer to him which was a stark contrast to Marc’s book. To borrow the word of a Goodreads reviewer, he was very clinical in how he approached life. And that’s a gap that was hard to cross.

The Bi-awakening

I was rather looking forward to the bi-awakening, but Liam took it in stride. Welp, there goes the tension for the romance. I couldn’t help but wonder that maybe it would have more effect if I was reading this in Quinn’s POV.

Verdict

I had high expectations, and I was hoping that maybe I’d like this as much as I loved Marc’s book. Sadly, it was nowhere near book 2. Still a decent read, though.

Now that I’ve finished the two books, I’m looking forward to whenever the release of Tyler’s book.

Have you read this book? If not, do you plan on reading this? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!