4.5 “Little Ribbon” Kisses
Wow. Wowowowowowowowow. Just wow. I mean…I do have other things to say but like seriously…WOW! Honestly had a really good feeling about The Boy and His Ribbon - I mean, for one it’s Pepper Winters and seriously – she has never failed me…but on top of that, I had heard such amazing things, so I knew I had to experience TBaHR for myself. I didn’t really have any expectations and I think that was the best thing for this book because there is no way to prepare for it…it’s like nothing I’ve ever read or experienced before and I loved that so much. You don’t just get attached to these characters, they grow roots! They’re in my heart, my brain, my soul – it’s an all encompassing experience and journey with Ren and Della and I dove head first and never looked back. It has all the elements that I would expect from a Pepper Winters book and yet it’s unlike anything I’ve ever read from her…I loved that it was so unique but it still had her signature gorgeous writing. Gah…see, told you had other things to say…
Ren Wild…oh boy – well, I maybe shouldn’t say that because Ren actually hates the word boy. There are many things that come to mind when I think of Ren…there is no easy way to describe him. I was instantly pulled to him…he’s magnetic like that. He doesn’t have any particular charm or charisma – I mean the guy hates people so it’s not like he’s winning any popularity contests, but there is so much more to who he is. The main thing that comes to mind is his strength…he was strong in every sense of the word. Physical, mental, emotional…the dude is a freaking rock. Granted, the s$!% life threw at him, he was forced to be strong, the choices were limited – adapt or face the consequences and Ren could adapt better than anyone. I loved his strength…it’s what held him together and given everything he had been through, there are very few people I think that could withstand half of Ren’s struggles. The strongest part of Ren was his heart…he loves two things – the wilderness and his Ribbon…
‘I ducked on my haunches and waited for her to scramble into my arms.
And when she did, I knew I would never let her down again. I would die for her. I would live for her. I would kill for her.
In my ten measly years on this unforgiving, cruel, terrible earth, right there I found home, and no matter where we ended up, I’d always be home because I would never let her go again.’
Della Mclary…Della Wild…Della Ribbon – call her whatever you wanna call her, this girl stole the show and I can’t even be mad at her for it. It was really easy to see how quickly Ren lost his heart to Della because she is so easy to love. I can’t say it’s one thing in particular…but just the combination of everything that is Della…that makes her unique and undeniably sucks you into her orbit. Similar to Ren, she’s very magnetic. I loved her personality…she’s sweet and genuine, so incredibly smart it blew my mind and beyond loyal. I think the thing I loved most about Della is the fact that there are very few characters that I can think of where I’ve been able to fully see them grow and develop as much as I have with Della. I don’t mean that I saw every moment of her entire life, but I got to see the major pieces that shaped her into the person that she is from the very beginning…and that was honestly pretty awesome. She’s a fascinating character, truly one of a kind and I think I fell in love with her because of that process but getting some of the story from her POV from the present fully cemented that love.
‘I might have been raised differently from so many kids. I might have missed out on things and probably lived through events that others would baulk at, but I was luckier than anyone because I had Ren.
I was never lacking for love.
I never felt unwanted or hurt or scared.
He was my entire universe, and he treated me like I was his in return.’
Della and Ren…the bond they share is absolutely one of the strongest I’ve ever read or experienced. They are the only constant thing they have in their lives…Della knows no other life other than one with Ren and through her, Ren learned so much. They’ve both made unending sacrifices for each other…because of their love, because they care for each other so much. It’s so hard because I don’t want to spoil any details about their relationship but there is no real way to completely describe it and do it justice. You have to experience it for yourself because it’s something that took 17 years to establish, cultivate, bloom and thrive and part of the joy of this book is living that with them. Nothing about what they had to go through was easy…they faced so many battles, could have given up a million times, had so many difficult decisions and yet all of it was made easier because they had each other…and in the end, that’s all they needed.
‘How many times do you think a person can survive a broken heart?
Any ideas?
I would like to know because Ren has successfully broken mine, repaired it, shattered mine, fixed it, crushed mine, and somehow glued it back together again and again.
Then again, I don’t need an answer to that question.
I’m living proof that a heart can be broken a thousand times and still function, still keep you alive — desperately hoping that it won’t happen again, all the while knowing it will.’
Pepper Winters…good gravy, this woman never ceases to astound me. It’s been a while since I’ve read a book by Pepper and the second I started reading The Boy and His Ribbon all of the reasons why I love her books came flooding back to me. I loved just about every decision she made with this book…the level of detail was out of this world, brilliantly executed, I’m just in awe of all that was put into TBaHR. Pepper has such a grace and an elegance with the way she weaves her stories…it doesn’t matter what she is writing about, the words she uses and the way she composes everything is just captivating and beautiful and pulls you in almost effortlessly. I love the way she describes things…even the most mundane things, she can put a unique description on it, something I’ve never even experienced before, that just makes it sound so much better and more interesting. Her characters slay me…so complex…so deep and she builds them layer by layer until you’re completely surrounded by all of their magnificence and you never want to escape this world that you now live in, with them. And the emotions…it doesn’t matter if she is sending me to the pinnacle of happiness and bliss or gutting me with angst or torturing me with some on-the-edge-of-my-seat suspense…every moment is captured with such clarity, it’s the literal best thing ever. Everything she writes is interlaced with emotion, there is no way to extract the two and being the emotional reader that I am, I love experiencing that with her books. Reading a Pepper Winters book is an all encompassing, breathtaking experience and I forgot how much I crave it.
‘I looked at her, wanting to burn her with the truth. “I’ve never had anyone. I had no love until you taught me what it was, and even as I slowly learned the opposite of hate, I’ve known all along that love would end up hurting me the most.” I laughed sadly. “I was right.”’
So…The Boy and His Ribbon is the first book in The Ribbon Duet. I knew going in that that probably meant a cliffhanger ending. I am the rare breed of reader that loooooves cliffhangers – I know that sounds weird and I feel like I have to disclaimer it by saying I love good cliffhangers – they need to be well timed, not just thrown in for the sake of drawing out or extending the drama. A good cliffhanger can serve great purpose and The Boy and His Ribbon might be going down as one of my favorite cliffy’s that I’ve ever read – definitely in the top five. It was extremely well orchestrated with the line of the story and it serves a clear purpose. I both hate and love what it’s doing to the characters, the angst that it’s putting me through (yes…I’m an angst lover too – Bring on the pain!) and it definitely achieved the goal – I am D-Y-I-N-G for The Girl and Her Ren. I need to know the rest of their story, I’m beyond invested and I’m so flippin’ excited to see what Pepper has in store for the rest of this story. #ILoveAWildBoy
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Winters has written another amazing book!
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2019
Be prepared to have your heart, mind, and soul consumed by The Boy & His Ribbon. As with all of Pepper Winters’ books, I was not able to put this book down. It grabs you from the first page to the last. This book is part one, of three, of The Ribbon Duet series and must be read in order. Trust me, you will not want to miss one word of this incredible story.I don’t have the words to tell you how well this book is written, but I will give it a try. Beautifully, painstakingly, written, but so much more. This book is complicated, multifaceted and will have you questioning all you know or think you know about love. If you are looking for a sweet romantic story, you are looking at the wrong book. This is a love story that will wreck you. The book starts with an innocent, pure, child-like love, and slowly builds to an unrequited forbidden lustful love. As I have stated before this is a complex book not only just about love but about the struggle for survival when everything seems to be working against you.Ren is “The Boy”, who is sold into slavery by his mother when he is eight years old. Della is “His Ribbon”, the baby of the two monsters that he has been sold to. This story is their journey of survival and love. This book guides us through the struggles, both mental and physical, that Ren and Della experience over eighteen years. So be prepared to have your heart ripped out, stomped on and then put back in your chest. I adore both Ren and Della, but I will say that I fell in love with Ren. Ren is a conundrum, rough exterior with a soft underbelly, uneducated but smart and finally, he can be cold and aloof, but when it comes to his Ribbon, he loves so deeply that it hurts. To put it simply Ren is lovely.This book does end in a cliff hanger. But lucky for us all the books in this series are finished. Right now, all three of these books are free on Kindle Unlimited!If you have never read any of Ms. Winters’ books, you are missing out! I highly recommend this book, and I am looking forward to reading all the books in this series. Be warned you will become obsessed with reading all her books!
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2019
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