Vegas, Lust & Glitter – My Take on "Scattered Glitter"

Oh, my stars. What a singular, exciting, amazing journey. I feel like Pebble must feel when Levi makes him appear out of nowhere instead of a combustion.

I’m speeding out of nowhere, and I have no idea where the hell I’m flying to, but I’ll go with my master (in this case, Blake) because I love her so much that I trust her viscerally.

PS: Levi is an illusionist and Pebble is a pigeon

Without any absolute doubt, this is a five-star read for me. But I have this gut feeling that the author, Blake Black, could write literally anything and still reach my heart like no one else ever has.

Her characters feel real, her stories are painful and tormented, and her writing is so beautiful and natural, fitting perfectly with every single element of her books.

Good sky, when I discovered her a couple of months ago with the Coded Connections Duet, I felt like I had stumbled upon the Holy Grail.

She has this incredible talent for taking the reader’s hand and guiding them along the path of redemption—starting from the fall, the moment we truly feel the main character’s torment, and leading us toward self-forgiveness, self-acceptance, self-awareness, and ultimately, self-love.

Throw in a couple (in this case, four) of sweet, protective, loving, handsome, and caring men, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for Blake’s books.

In this story, we navigate the different ways of coping with grief. When loss doesn’t just take a person from the world but also strips away a part of your soul, everyone reacts differently.

Some dive into distraction, some lash out in anger or aggression, and others withdraw into themselves. But for all of them, there is no morning when they wake up without realizing—once again—that their loved one is still gone, and they are not coming back.

Beneath all that glitter and glam, there's just me.

This is the case for Novalee, a woman who has been heartbroken for eight long years. She isn’t just missing her soulmate—she’s missing the other half of her own soul.

She is just a person who lost her will to live, whose ambition, dreams, and ability to love died along with that fatal accident.

Not only that, but she is clueless, lost. She goes through the motions, but is it really living when you don’t plan to stick around? When all you do is chase fleeting moments of thrill, never thinking beyond the present?

God, my name never sounded better than from your lips.

Then there’s Sylus. The bartender, the video game addict, the crop top enthusiast. He’s the egocentric presence every family needs—the one who speaks his mind, blurts out the dumbest things, and pushes way harder than necessary. But those who dare the most, achieve the most. And in the meantime, he’ll make you laugh so hard, it’ll be impossible not to fall in love with him.

Two seconds is all a mentalist needs to read someone's soul.

Koen Lane is the most cautious, father/husband-material, attentive, and loving person in the group. Okay, that probably has something to do with the fact that he’s the mentalist of the Lane Twins, leaving the illusions to his brother, Levi. Koen is the one who sees right through you. He knows exactly when to speak and when to stay silent, giving you the space to feel, process, and move forward.

Alaric. God, the theory I have about this character. He’s a man who lives in regret, punishing himself for his past, for his mistakes. A man who breathes but doesn’t evolve. He’s still. Static. Waiting.

But something tells me the waiting is almost over.

And then there’s Nicholas. Anything I say about him might be a spoiler, so I’ll shut my mouth. Just know this—I totally understand Nova’s doubts. Completely. He is one hell of an option.

Huge shoutout to Levi, whom I love so, so, so much. He’s one of the key elements that hold the “found family” dynamic together. He’s fabulous, funny, refreshing, and I seriously wish he could hear me and hire me as his personal cheerleader. (Is that an excuse I just came up with to be adopted by the Lanes? Maybe.)

This is a medium-burn contemporary why choose romance. That means the female lead has multiple love interests. The setting is magical, glittery Las Vegas. The characters have all endured horrible experiences (let’s just call it life), and it shows in ways that will make you empathize with them—ways that will make you feel things along the way. It’s normal, so embrace it, if you will. Sometimes it feels good to be sad. Grieving means we loved. We still love.

Ah, and it ends with a cliffhanger, so be prepared.

Anyway, I will be recommending this book forever. Stay glittery, my friends.

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