The Tragedy of Felix and Jake

I finally finished these boys! And I have alot to say, so if you like rambling and fangirling... keep reading. Jake & Felix's story is brilliant, sweet, hilarious, a tragedy at times, and most definitely one that will always stay with you. J Daniels may have not been in the book world for a bit, as we all haven't been.... but reading her work again, it's clear she never left. This book was like smelling fresh cookies(or donuts in our sweet Jake & Felix's story) and it was like coming home after a long day(or a long couple of years) and it did NOT disappoint in any way! These boys, this love, this family, it just keeps getting better and better, even when I think we've reached the peak and that makes me so emotional and giddy with excitement! This book had me on the floor snorting, hysterically laughing, crying into a pillow and screaming my excitement like a child. People need to read this book!! On a side note, I have maybe two at-best addiction books I've read, and this... is the best one thus far! I'm not an addict, I can't say I know much about it.... but I am mentally ill, and seeing how these two characters think and feel.... it resonated with me in a way I never expected. When things get hard for us(people who may not have the best coping skills) we go to our vices- (all the vices amazon won't let me write) And seeing that these two characters not only understood that but made THE READER understand that... was everything and then some! Thank you, J for writing…

I’m actually not quite sure how to feel. On one hand it’s a beautifully tragic love story with amazing writing and complex characters, and on the other hand one of the characters did something that really colored him negatively in my eyes. The book made me cry, laugh, smile, swoon and clutch my metaphorical pearls (mostly the narrator Tristan Josiah’s fault lol). So obviously a great book, but I need some more distance from it before I can love it fully. It’s a painfully real book that doesn’t shy away from any part of addiction, and I’m glad it wasn’t romanticized in any way. That of course makes it difficult to read, and having had a family member who fought so hard to beat this cruel addiction but ultimately didn’t make it, it hit pretty hard. I’m so glad Jake and Felix got their happy ending though. They needed it and deserved it in equal measure. I don’t think Jake is a bad person, but he made a choice (most likely) that I can’t understand on a personal level, so that makes it difficult. However, he too deserved a beautiful HEA with Felix. And then there’s Felix. An absolute ray of sunshine. He was utterly charming. He’s also insecure and needs lots of reassurance, but what a kind soul. And finally (so I don’t go on forever and ever), I appreciated that these characters had wildly different chilhoods and backgrounds. Addiction is a cruel bleep and doesn’t care where you come from. And actually finally, there was plenty of lighthearted and funny moments, which was…

5🌟 & 2🌶 ᴡᴇ'ʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴏᴋ Every once in a while I read a book that really digs itself under my skin and deep into my DNA. The Tragedy of Felix and Jake is one of these books. I like the author, J. Daniels, has never been an addict but I have fallen out of love with an addict and been a family member trapped in the push and pull of an addicts journey. I found the story of Felix and Jake to be one of struggle, pain, heartbreak, hope, recovery, and love. I kinda went into this book completely blind. I mean I could tell from the title it was going to be an MM romance and likely hurt on the way to the end because 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥𝘺 is in the title after all. Then I took the time to read the author’s note, as this was my first book by J. Daniels, and discovered that at the heart of the story there was going to be a struggle with addiction. Don’t worry this is an HEA. I mean I almost DIED on the way there but like - we get there ok. The story starts off with Jake and we get one heck of an introduction to him and his current state of life. It is hard to put into words what all Jake has gone through. I don’t want to spoil anything but what Jake is dealing with is hard enough without the added struggle of addiction. I immediately wanted life to cut him a break. At the very least he finds a good meeting. Felix, man I just adored Felix. He was the sunshine to our grumpy Jake. A true easily excited Golden Retriever who just wants everyone to be happy and feel loved. He was an absolutely…

⭐️ 5/5 🌶️ 3/5 Main characters: Felix & Jake Side characters: CJ, Riley, Dean, Miguel, Hector Page count: 405 Dual POV. I love this book so much. It deals with such heavy themes but is also full of these beautiful light moments, and so much humor and flirting. Felix is one of my favorite characters ever. He is such a sweet and genuine and beautiful baby boy. Jake is so raw and unapologetically himself. I love that they have open and honest communication throughout and are so passionate about each other. They both fall hard and fast. Both Jake and Felix have a lot to overcome in their sobriety journeys, and the setbacks they face are absolutely heartbreaking, but through their love and support of each other they are able to fight their way to a beautiful HEA. **🎧 Audiobook was great. Dual narration by Iggy Toma & Tristan Josiah.

I have a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad confession to make: The Tragedy of Felix and Jake is my very first read by J. Daniels. I know, I know. I'm a sad excuse for a romance reader. Sigh. That doesn't mean that I'd never heard of her either. I've actually had her Sweet Addiction trilogy since 2014 and 2015 and her Alabama Summer series starter, Where I Belong, since 2017, all four of which have been languishing in my Kindle library. I swear, I have more books than I know what to do with, but all it took was a nudge courtesy of seeing J. Daniels's name and two of her titles in a Facebook group for me to realize that I need to get my act together and actually read her books! Now, I'm making up for so much lost time and catching up on everything I've missed, and I'm starting with her most recent release, which is a standalone that shares loose ties with her Alabama Summer series. And yes, I followed The Tragedy of Felix and Jake with Where I Belong, and I may or may not (TOTALLY DID) have followed that up with the second Alabama Summer book. So, who are Felix and Jake and why was so tragic about their story? Felix Fields is twenty-three and a tattoo artist; Jake Tully is twenty-eight and a dishonorably discharged Marine now working construction. Both are recovering addicts, and Felix offers himself up as Jake's sponsor when the latter attends an addiction meeting. Felix is friendly AND flirty, and he becomes a source of light and positivity for Jake, especially since…