Another well done Voinov and Witt collaboration. Unhinge the Universe showcases their abilities as a team by producing a well researched historical romance that will be as successful as their starkly contrasting Market Garden series. John and Hagen are not complexly written, but they are humanized. Not simple in the least, but lacking multilayered depth. They are nicely refreshing. Smartly crafted to be relatable and likeable without inclination to be unnecessarily dramatic. The plot is intelligent enough to be engaging, while a clever plot twist aids in the acceptance of the speedy progression of their relationship. I enjoyed the WWII setting, rarely seen in the romance genre, and hope to see more of it from these authors. The white and black lines of good guy and bad guy are well blurred to a gray. A satisfying read with an HEA well owed to the authors' characters.
I could give accolades all day to UTU, but aside from them, Unhinge the Universe inherently demonstrates Voinov and Witt's progression as professional writers. What we see in the lines of UTU is a smartly executed sense of commercial refinement that will draw appeal from the majority of m/m genre fans.
Refinement in prose, paragraph construction and transition between character perspective creates an easy and clear read. This is five star writing. Refinement in the quality of content and cleverness of plot - if not without some predictability to satisfy what the intended reader wants. This is five star storyboarding. Refinement in the subtle balance between plot, relationship progression and eroticism. This is five star drafting.
So with all these refined five star qualities, why did I rate it four stars? UTU exemplifies Voinov's stamp of the balanced, tension filled dance that embodies his enemies to lovers storylines. This is the ability of Voinov's that has never needed refining - he is without question a master of it. So much so that I would love to be his enemy to see where it leads ....
Any who back to the book, apart from Voinov's signature power struggle, his previous writing has incorporated a harsh, unrefined, intensity to it. In essence, I appreciate that his writing comes with an edge. Unhinge the Universe showed us a glimmer of Voinov's edge, but softened with a gentle hand. And when I give out five stars, it's because the book slapped me.
I wouldn't be surprised if this tamed edge in the book was deliberate to expand their fan base. Maybe to be followed up by a bunny that will mix this new refinement with the Voinov edge? If that is the case, he'd have something on his hands that could outshine SF:Soldiers.
Despite the tamed edge, I'll take the cuddle. I enjoyed John and Hagen. As they did with Market Garden and with a number of characters they created individually, Voinov and Witt have gifted me once again with characters and a story that "sticks." I will continue to think about the story and the characters will remain memorable to me.
Designing the enemies to lovers theme to be extreme enough to draw the hardcore fans of the trope, but restrained enough to be popular with all readers of the m/m genre makes this a smart book. Voinov and Witt have something going here, as the $7.99 price tag, that I very willing paid, reflects. The masses that read this genre will love it. I loved it. You'll love it, too.
Enjoy this review? More at http://romanticnotion.blogspot.com/
Enjoy stories like Unhinge the Universe? Consider joining the GR group, Ticket to Stockholm: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/114872-ticket-to-stockholm for recommendations and discussions.
