Content Highlights

• The standard for overprotective males
• Mistie's unofficial tribute to Amo Jones
• Writing and Characters Discussion

This episode tackles the deep discussion of "Flip Trick" by Amo Jones. This intense conversation examines the toxicity of the main characters' relationship and how it affected our reading experience. Despite some disagreements, we find common ground, agreeing that the book was a page-turner.

Jenn's Rating: 2 Skulls, 2 Spicy, 4 Overall

Mistie's Rating: 2 Skulls, 2 Spicy, 3 Overall

NEW DARKNESS SCALE UPDATED JULY 2, 2024 - 2 Skulls

Books mentioned: All of Amo Jones Books, Penelope Douglas, and Perfect Strangers

He smells like man with a lot of sin or like sin with a little bit of man. It's intoxicating and forbidden and probably poisonous, but a real nice way to wake up dead. My mouth waters, fuck. Okay, today's quote is gonna be from Flip Trick by Amo Jones. I wanna start off by saying with a full disclosure I love Amo Jones. I've loved everything that she has written, and there's only like two series that I haven't read and that's because she's like pulled them off and is like revamping them or like whatever. With that being said, I was not happy with this book. No, not at all. I loved the angst, I loved the pull and pull, but I felt like the pull and pull was too repetitious and I felt like there were too many plot holes, and I'm wondering if this was her first book that she had written. I can't remember.

It was either this or sicko, I think I'm pretty sure it was this, maybe. Or just like she had Amethyst, she had a very good role model of what it's like to be a woman in a relationship with a man who has a son Laura, or Lauren Laura, I don't know the lawyer. So I don't understand. When she found out that what the fuck is this? Maddox had a son or a daughter that all of a sudden they couldn't be together. Like I didn't understand that. They kept on saying, oh, he didn't wanna be like his dad and I'm like your dad never left your mom. He stayed with her and you were raised and look at you, you guys have a great relationship with your father. Like I didn't understand and it made me so upset. I would have liked the story better if they would have stayed together and then tried to build a relationship while he was trying to build a relationship with his daughter. That was my first issue with it. Do you want me to list all of them or do you wanna dissect this one first?

Now go ahead. What are the other issues?

So my second issue is I was really confused about the timeline, so I don't know exactly how long I think they were apart, like over a year, and then all of a sudden he decides to marry Cassidy. Like that didn't fucking make no sense to me. If being the family unit was so important, why didn't you do it at the beginning? Why are you doing it now? That threw me off because I felt like that was a cop out. You didn't need to be married. You hadn't been married for a year. So why now? Like I didn't understand and although obviously the hurt toward Amistice again stabbed you in the heart, but it just didn't make sense to me, like I didn't feel like that was necessary. Them being separate was good enough because, depending on your beliefs, you know that's if you don't love somebody, why marry them?

And he never claimed to love Cassidy when she came back he explicitly says like at no point did he love her. So I think he thought if he married Cassidy it would be more difficult for him to cheat on her with Amethyst. He wanted that extra like barrier.

No, I think that's why he did it. The signs wrong, the signs where you don't need to be with Cassidy, you need to leave the bitch and you need to be with Amethyst. But he wasn't reading them right and that just pissed me off too. One can be you know a two-sum-some things, but still that was no. And then my third thing that I didn't like was that when he found out that she was pregnant actually I have four things when she found out that she was pregnant and then all of a sudden he goes and fucks around with Tiffany, that was a bitch ass move.

And that yeah.

If you're trying to build her trust, that was not the way to do it, to get her to be like she told you beforehand. Every time, if we do this, I'm going to get hurt again, and sure enough. And then the final thing that I didn't like was all of a sudden there's a fucking MC. Like what the fuck? There was nothing through like 90% of the book. And then all of a sudden, like you kind of had a hint at a long lost. To start, I thought they were twins. To be honest, I didn't think that they were you know Irish twins?

I thought they were like legit twins, but then all of a sudden there's an MC and there's this thing about bloodlines and having babies to rule, and like I was just like no, but those were the things that I didn't like.

So the only thing that I didn't like was the Tiffany thing, and I do feel like there was like one more pool that shouldn't have been there, like I feel like once she had her pregnancy scare, like that shouldn't have happened. I think. I feel like we could have skipped that whole thing and still had the MC and that had made sense. But it felt like she had and by she I mean Amo Jones had to put that in there so that the stuff with Travis made sense. About the MC club and that kind of thing when I think, because the MC club like I'm saying club club because the MC still kind of comes out of left field, I really don't think she needed that extra like anchor point for that plot. No-transcript Like you already have the grandmother in the beginning, you already know some things up with the grandmother. I feel like it wasn't like well, well tied by the end. Anyway, I don't think you needed her pregnancy scare.

And the whole thing with Travis could have just been that he was like obsessed with her and he was trying to make sure that he could keep her prisoner in parentheses, you know, strapped to him and that's why he switched out the birth control. I could totally get behind that, because he was fucking crazy. And the fact that she still stayed with him even though that he was emotionally abusing her, I mean she just kind of like rolled it off, but like she acknowledged it and then still just sat with it.

Yeah, but you have to just like. You have to think she is at this point. She's just like looking to get away from the feelings that she's running from with Maddox, like she doesn't actually care how he treats her because he's not who she wants to be with anyway.

That's true. I was disappointed in Amethyst. I did not expect her to have that downward spiral.

I mean, I was.

Like I expected her to be hurt and like devastated, but not to the point where she's almost dying because she's drinking so much alcohol.

And doing coke.

Yeah, and like getting filmed with. I mean that should happen, so we can't hit on that. But, yeah, like and like. If she has such a tight family unit, why were they letting it happen? Like, why weren't they there to intervene? Or, you know, be what's the word? Not foundation, but a support system?

They're fucking millions. I don't think they were aware. I don't think they were aware because she's on the other side of the country and she's filming like this successful show and successful movie. I think people can mask that stuff really well when they're that even like have had that much emotional trauma at that point, Okay, point to you, but still they should have been able to realize that something was wrong.

No, I mean, I don't disagree with that, I just I feel like, again, that was one of the things that, like that's probably the other thing that I didn't care for in the story is it almost like spoke to this Hollywood stereotype, right, where, like you go out, you try to be a famous actress and you fall into this like whole party lifestyle? And it was easier for her because she was basically drowning in her grief.

I mean it was clever. I like I loved that they met at seven and that they were soulmates and I loved their attraction and the tension and the angst and like all the things. I mean and I can, I'll even agree with them separating, that he needed to be with Cassidy to help raise Kennedy, but I did not like the marriage thing at all. That was like a real turnoff for me.

I was shocked when he went through with it. I didn't think he'd go through with it. And then, when Talon confirms it and Amethyst, which I just love that name, by the way- Right.

Just as a side note. I really liked the names in this book as like a whole, but I you know you had Amethyst like go off the rails and talent there and that kind of thing. I'm okay with him getting married because I feel like at that point he was still just trying to make it work with Cassidy and really trying to forget Amethyst and he thought by doing that it would make it easier. When it just it does it.

I do not need you to be the voice of reason, Jenn.

I know I'm always coming over here with my logic and you know whatever.

Mood reader, emotional reader here, okay, no, we do not want the voice of reason.

Well, and I think that's why I think honestly, that's why I loved this book so much is so, if y'all don't know this about me already, fun fact, I love contemporary romance and I will binge read them for long periods of time. But, like we talked about in our very but like we talked about in our in our dark romance episode, the reason I wanted to do dark romance is because it's not predictable and it follows a much more realistic timeline that, like I could see all of that happening in a real life scenario, just without all of the money you know, like that is a very realistic scenario and I think that's why I love these books and well and stuff like this, not so much like the serial killer romances and the stalker romances, but, like in this book, it's more realistic, like that happening in life.

You know, like I liked that they were the big like six month, one year time drums, like. Not only does it make it more realistic, but I also feel like they get a chance to begin navigating their own shit before they come back together. Because if they had stayed together when they were what like 18, 19 and 20 something, they were in their 20s because they were drinking at the clubs.

Oh, you're right. Yeah, they were both in the early 20s. Yeah, you're right, it might have worked, but because they were so push and pull, I don't think they would have worked longterm without going through a tragedy. Real life, so yeah.

Whatever. Yeah, I don't disagree with that, but whatever. But she.

I loved it.

Yeah, she writes so well that just she's stabbing you in the heart with the pin that she's writing with. That's exactly what she's doing, and she does that with all of her work. I really want you to read her other things the late kings, nate.

Oh my God, I love it Well, and that's the other thing too, like, this is my very first book of hers, so if I went into this book with like certain expectations based on other books, I may have a similar opinion to you, but without that history, I just I loved the characters. I loved how the story played out. He was a bitch for getting together with Tiffany. That was the only. That was the one thing Like. If I could erase anything in the book, it would be that.

Okay, well, with your logical reason, I second that All my other things are just hissy fits. Yeah, each of you is building it, that it's got an individual one, of course, and of course you know me messaging you. As it happened, I try not to send as many as I did last time with the Perfect Strangers fight.

Oh, it just bothered me, eddie. I love it, I know.

I know I'm just like what the fuck?

She's in that psych ward Like where the fuck did this come from? Oh, that cracked me up. I'm like, oh no, she's having a Perfect Strangers moment and it's nothing like that. I don't have like PTSD. Yes.

I was like this shit better not be happening. Like how the fuck did Maddox let this happen? And then all of a sudden they say cut. And I'm like wait what?

Yeah. No, yeah, I had the same thought, though I was like, and I and I actually I had the same thought like excuse me, maddox allowed this to get this bad Like hell. No, hell, no.

That was, that was, that was genius.

Yeah, it was, it really was. I will say as much as the MC came out of left field in some ways I actually liked it. I felt like it added it. I feel like, because of all of the bullshit that Maddox put Amethyst through and it really, in my opinion, it was more on like his bullshit and less on hers I feel like that like twist allowed him to actually show that he would like bring the city down to get her, because really, up until that point, all he's done is made bad decisions.

Right.

You know, and I feel like that was not quite a redemption arc but like that was his song outside the window.

Yes, I made a contemporary reference.

You did. It took me a second to get it, but I got it. Look, I've never seen that movie, okay.

I've never. No, that's a lie, I've. It's one of those things where you watch when you're younger, but as you grow up you don't remember it, so it doesn't really count.

Oh yeah, that's fair.

That's what that is.

But but yeah, I liked it. I'm wondering if that whole like plot twist leads up to another book somewhere.

I think she has the MC, but the MC is the one that she pulled down to because it was one of her first or maybe it was her first to rewrite and I believe she's releasing it first on her Patreon and then at some point she'll release it to the public the revision of the story, and it's like five books. I think she has two of them and I think both of them were the MCs that she pulled down.

Oh, okay. Well, that makes sense, because you had two gangs.

But I don't know if they're interconnected or not. I'm pretty sure I own the first book. It's like 150,000 scars or something I'm totally making that up.

I really liked, by the way, when it took me a second to realize what was happening, because I forgot that Amethyst's dad was a cop or is a cop. So when she gets, I mean, she doesn't really get rescued, she kind of doesn't.

she walk out on her own when she's no, she passes out because they hit her too hard over the head.

That's right, and she doesn't do a coma, okay.

And then she can't remember for a minute.

Yes, when what?

I was going to say something, but it would distract you, so continue.

Well, when one of the cops I guess that works on the force that his dad is on or something the guy was like she's one of our own Maddox. Whoever did this will never see the light of day again and then when he's inside he pauses in chuckles. We can have him be taken care of any which way you would like, for as long as you like. However you would like, I'm just like yes, I love that.

Yes, I agree.

You turned me into this bloodthirsty person, Misty.

My plan is working.

Yeah, I love it.

I really would have liked the amnesia arc to be longer. No, I know, but I love. Can you imagine the heartbreak and the angst and the torture that would happen between everybody if she couldn't remember them?

I feel like that would have worked earlier in the story If that had happened instead of Going to the hospital because she got so drunk, the alcohol poisoning. Maybe, Maybe, you know, maybe if it was a completely different story. The first half is they split up, the baby Kennedy happens, Maddox leaves, then he gets the divorce, she gets kidnapped and the amnesia I don't want to have that whole.

Oh yeah, I'm seeing fan fiction in our future.

But yeah, I think if you added the amnesia plus her pregnancy kid scare, plus all the insanity.

Can you imagine he gets the divorce and then shows up and she's like who the fuck are you? Because nobody told Maddox he didn't have.

She was her memory. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. That would be wild.

Amo listening, or Sarah, if you're listening, Sarah's her like magic wizard, but Amo no. This is when she does the rewrites for this. If she does, we got her. We'll be on muses Not that she needs us, because she did it all on her own, but still. Yeah, yeah that would be pretty wild, but it's funny.

You said that because there's the last quote I highlighted is it's from Maddox and it says the fear of not knowing if she's going to remember is Dan, you're crippling. What if she doesn't want me? What if she doesn't allow me to show her? What would I do then? I'd lock her in my basement and make her that's what.

Yep.

Oh, that would get dark fast.

Oh, yeah, be great. I'm pretty sure she does that in some of her books already. Now Amo is amazing. I love the intricate stories that she writes and the characters that she develops. I don't think there's any other thing that throws me off of her writing Like she's an auto buy for me. Yeah, obviously there are some things that I don't agree with, like with this, with Fliptrick. There's a couple of things and like a few other stories that I don't agree with, but overall it would not deter me from buying her or reading her or supporting her or still trying to meet her. I met her once before I became a fan and then I haven't met her since I became a fan. Well, just, probably really good, because I might embarrass myself like I did with Penelope Douglas, but I mean, I really wasn't embarrassed. I'm pretty sure everybody was embarrassed around me, but I don't care.

Oh no, that's funny.

But I would love to meet her after like reading pretty much all of her work and like just seeing her grow as a person, because she is phenomenal. I love how she interacts with her fans, her community. She's very transparent. She, you know, doesn't if something changes, like hypothetically or not hypothetically like currently she's doing the kids of the elite kings and it was supposed to be in one order and then she changed and she's like I changed it because I'm feeling these characters more than these and we're like OK, that's fine. And then she pushes it back because of the duet with Megan. But she was like it's long, I was struggling and I want to make sure I put out the best work possible and I appreciate that I will wait longer if you will write it better than if you're just trying to put it out, because the fans expect it from you and I just don't like that.

Yeah.

And I can respect that, and that's why I'll always be a fan, as long as she keeps it.

I love it.

Yeah, that's my little tribute to Amo. Maybe we can get her on the podcast one day.

That'd be awesome.

Try not to freak the fuck out, anyways. So I talked about what we didn't like. We talked about what we did like. Oh, one of my favorite scenes, though, it's when they're talking about they accidentally shot her boyfriend in high school. Oh yeah, let me tell you something I think I voxered this to you that is now like the foundation of any overprotective father. Well, did you shoot her boyfriend in high school? No, no, you're not a protective father. Okay, because that's the standard. Now you need to shoot him in the foot because you thought that he was a criminal. Okay, even if it was mistaken identity. That's how this works. Now I need something that extreme, because it was greatness. I loved Amo, this humor. I love that she didn't care about what people thought around her, and I loved how she connected all these different personalities. But my favorite thing about her, if you couldn't tell from the quotes, is her love for donuts, because that's my thing.

Yes, she did love the tiramisu donuts.

Not tiramisu. Tiramisu is disgusting because I'm not a coffee drinker, but donuts and that's it. We're ready to do the ratings.

Yeah, I think so Okay.

So dark scale. I'm going to say one skull the few, like fight scenes or whatever. I mean they weren't violent.

No, I'm not thinking the fight scenes. I'm thinking about, like, what happened when she was kidnapped and Liz was kidnapped, and I'm trying to think like what was on page and what is.

She blacked out. She woke up tied to a chair or in a room and then passes out from the blood loss. And then Liz Lisa, lisa, I don't know what her name is, I just call it Liz. Liz was tied, her hands were tied, maybe.

Yeah.

In a room.

Oh, that's. And then the freaking right Was that her? Am I getting my books mixed up? No, no, never mind, I got my books mixed up for a second. Okay, yeah, I'll, I'll.

I agree, one one skull took me a minute there because I would say I would say we could push it to two because the relationship was very toxic.

Toxic.

Yeah, so two skulls for the relationship.

Sure.

Yeah, we'll be nice, we'll give it to you.

We'll give it to schools.

But other than that, the environment was fine, they were the themes were. He was just over aggressive and possessive, but that's just him. And yeah, any death that happened was off page, because the grandma died, they had her killed and Travis beat up and that was all off page.

Yeah, you're right.

So two skulls.

Yeah.

Okay, Bye See.

I'm gonna let you read it because I can't remember. I really am. I'm upset that I don't remember, because I was thinking like three, yeah, yeah, yeah, because, like it's, I don't think it was super kinky.

It was almost fade to black.

Yeah, I know there were a couple of scenes that were fade to black and it pissed me off. I would say or are you thinking too?

I was thinking one, but I can go for two.

Oh my god, I wish I could remember better.

So the first time they were drunk at the club and he takes her home and she falls out the window, which was a great scene, by the way.

Oh my gosh, that was amazing.

He's laughing at her that was so great yeah. I'm pretty sure they had sex in her dorm, but I think that was one of the fade to blacks, because she's like she woke up sore from writing him all night or something. Then there was then, oh, the scene where she's like don't hold back or whatever, and he like leaves all the marks on her. That was pretty hot, I'd give it.

That was hot.

That's probably why it's only a two. It's just the one, because I think we got two.

No, I think we got two scenes like that, because you have that one and then the one in the hallway. No, when he, after he beats Travis almost to death and then she's with in that room. I think that was a similar scene.

It was. I would still say two, though.

Yeah, I'm good. I'm good with two.

Mostly because the other ones are fade to black.

Yeah.

I think that makes me sweaty. Isn't three sweaty?

I think so yeah.

Yeah, so okay, two on the spicy overall rating them, and let you go first.

I'm a much nicer writer than you are.

Yes, you are.

I'm giving it a four and I'll tell you why because there have been very, very few books that I have been able to sit down and literally finish in one sitting, and this was one of them. Like, even if I disagree with some of the things, I could not stop reading this book. I read 70% of this and one sitting. I don't think I moved. I think I basically yelled at my son to get me snacks Nice. So, like, almost for that reason alone not that I would actually yell at my son to get me snacks Almost for that reason alone I have to give it, for I've loved their relationship. I loved, like, the back and forth. I liked the realistic timeline. I liked the growth that they experienced by the time they got back together. Yeah, I, yeah, it's a four for me.

I'm going to give it three.

A three.

I'm going to give it a three.

I did not think you were going to give it a three. I thought you're going to get a two.

If it wasn't Amo Jones, this shit would be getting like a two or one, but it's because it's Amo and I know her writing has progressed and become very, very dear to me, I will give it a three, because three is it was good. You should check it out. Right Like it's not right. So this would not be the book that I would recommend people to read of hers, if anything. Because we haven't read the duet or the bone ties yet, because that's an incomplete series. I would tell people to start with the elite Kings, 100%. Oh my gosh, there's seven and a half in the elite Kings. So the first three is about Madison and Bishop, and then the second two is about Nate and Tillie which Nate is mine and then the third duet is about Brantley and Saint, but then we have like sort of a novella that goes back to Madison and Bishop and that ends it, and then then you have Midnight Mayhem. Look, I'm over here like trying to sell you.

Nevermind, we'll stop.

But I mean the point is, go read Amo Jones.

Yes, okay, readers, and where does the darkness rate with you? Thank you for joining us on the journey into the shadows of love, where dark romance stories come to light.

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Until then, embrace the darkness and let the stories continue to stir your deepest desires.

This is Mistie and Jenn signing off from bones of the story.

Transcribed by https://podium.page