Intersect: The Parallel Series, Book 2
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Beiträge
WARNING: SPOILERS!
I loved the first book and was emotionally invested in the characters, but this sequel kinda let me down. Sure, it was exciting to get a resolution to Nick and Quinn’s situation, and I still enjoyed reading it (mostly for the second half) and the plot twist was really good — I cried a lot (even if I already suspected some of it) — but I have some criticism. Nick and Quinn’s relationship, which I adored in book one, feels a bit off here. They still have chemistry, and I do think they belong together, but something changed. Nick shifted from sweet to overly paternalistic, protective, and possessive — constantly deciding what’s “best” for her. The exact kind of behavior he used to criticize in Jeff. And just like Jeff, he leaves her behind when she’s literally dying, telling her she can’t come with him “for her own good.” I get that he wants to save her, but he treats her like fragile glass — and it’s both annoying and hypocritical. On top of that, he acts so naïve and irrational at times, I can’t believe he’s supposed to be a doctor. And Quinn? Just as naïve. I screamed at my Kindle more than once — but I still love her. Their relationship itself also started to feel unrealistic and kinda cringy: the random jealousy, Nick suddenly not caring about his job anymore, both acting like nothing else in the world matters except their relationship — and sex. It gets to the point where their entire existence revolves around whether they can be together sexually. The book pushes this dynamic so far that it feels forced. I kept thinking: "Is this really all they care about right now?" Also: just because they’re not having penetrative sex doesn’t mean pregnancy is off the table. Why do they feel so safe with that? And when they finally do sleep together, it feels rushed and unspecial. There was all this buildup, and then… it’s just done. Boom — pregnant. (And everything about the pregnancy moves so fast. She gets a positive test after, what, two days? And a visible baby bump after like a week?? Even Quinn herself is confused about how early she’s showing — but okay, I guess it’s explained by the supernatural nature of time travellers, so I’ll give it that.) And if they’re that afraid of pregnancy, why not use a condom? Even if she’s on the pill? Thankfully, this was mostly a focus in the first half of the book and eased up in the second — And Nick also got a bit better again — because honestly, I was starting to get the ick from it. Honestly, I kind of get Jeff, too. Yes, I didn't like him, especially with how he’s portrayed as a total creep here — which I really didn’t like too — but I still feel sorry for him. He never got any closure. Let's not forget: They were engaged and together for six years. Of course he’s hurt and confused by how quickly everything changed. From his perspective, she actually cheated on him — at least emotionally. (And with the baby bump showing so soon, it even looks like she cheated physically, too) Honestly, I kind of understand Jeff, too. I know he’s portrayed as a total creep here, which I don't like, but he never got closure. They were engaged, together for six years — no wonder he’s shocked by Quinn’s sudden 180. She actually cheated on him, at least emotionally. But beyond all that, there’s a deeper issue — something that breaks the logic of the story a bit. I know time travel is fantasy, but the author tries to root it in science. And that’s where it starts to fall apart. There are basic scientific errors that could’ve easily been avoided with just a bit of research. The time travel mutation is said to be located on the X chromosome, which is why only women can time travel and men are “carriers.” That’s how it’s explained in the first book. I could overlook this in book one because it wasn’t central to the plot — but in the sequel, it becomes a major driver of the story. Nick’s paternal grandmother is the time traveller in his family, so his father must be a carrier. But for Nick to also carry the gene, his mother would have to carry it too — since males inherit their X chromosome from their mother, not their father. Only daughters inherit an X from their dad. (That’s following the logic presented by the book, not just real-world biology.) But here’s the real issue: this setup doesn’t work genetically. Men only have one X chromosome — so if they inherit a mutated gene on it, they express that gene. They don’t just carry it. Even if the gene is recessive, they have no second X chromosome to “mask” it. So actually, there should be more male time travellers than female ones — because women would need two mutated X chromosomes. (A real-life example: red-green color blindness is X-linked and far more common in men.) So the entire premise doesn’t make sense genetically. And as a biophysics student, this really bothered me. If you’re going to build a whole plotline around a scientific concept, please take the time to get the basics right. Otherwise, the story starts to collapse — along with the emotional weight of the characters’ choices. Especially when your male main character is supposed to be a doctor. Come on. I was fully invested in the first book, but it’s hard to stay engaged when the stakes feel weakened by shaky science. The tension between the main characters — trying to avoid pregnancy because they fear their child might time travel due to the “Rule of Three” (only three people per family can time travel), and because that’s supposedly why they keep getting pulled apart — loses its impact when the underlying science is so flawed. The FMC’s memories of her parallel lives, where she was also pregnant but never made it to the birth, and where the time-travelling children visit their grandmother, are meant to add depth. And they do. But all of it feels hollow when the scientific logic doesn't hold up. And honestly? These problems weren’t even hard to fix. There are so many simple ways this could’ve made sense: • Nick’s maternal grandmother could’ve been the time traveller, and his mother could’ve carried the gene. • Men could’ve been able to time travel too — which would’ve been more accurate from a genetics standpoint. (Yes, I get that allowing men to time travel might’ve taken away from the emotional weight of being the one left behind — some of the most touching parts of the story are about that grief. That’s valid.) But if emotional impact is the goal over scientific logic, there were even better ways: —> Tie the ability to time travel to mitochondrial DNA, which is only passed down through the maternal line. —> Let it be influenced by hormones like estrogen — which would explain why only women time travel. —> Or — and honestly, this would’ve been the cleanest solution — just say it’s a curse. Or magic. Call it what it is. That would’ve been fine too. But don’t try to explain it with science and then ignore the most basic rules of inheritance. If the logic doesn’t hold up, the plot line starts to fall apart — no matter how emotionally powerful the themes are meant to be. I really hope the third book gets better again — but even with all my criticism, I can’t give this one less than 3.5 stars. I loved the second half so much that I’m willing to overlook the flaws. And I’m so excited to finally meet Quinn’s real parents.
The way I don't know how to feel about this book. It was so good yet the last hour I was confused on where the plot was going to go since it already felt like the book ended. I liked what the author did though. Even though it felt like the end we still got to see more of their story. I actually low key kind of like that more than I can admit. Their love literally transcends time and for them to end with everything they have wanted I honestly can't be upset about it.
Beiträge
WARNING: SPOILERS!
I loved the first book and was emotionally invested in the characters, but this sequel kinda let me down. Sure, it was exciting to get a resolution to Nick and Quinn’s situation, and I still enjoyed reading it (mostly for the second half) and the plot twist was really good — I cried a lot (even if I already suspected some of it) — but I have some criticism. Nick and Quinn’s relationship, which I adored in book one, feels a bit off here. They still have chemistry, and I do think they belong together, but something changed. Nick shifted from sweet to overly paternalistic, protective, and possessive — constantly deciding what’s “best” for her. The exact kind of behavior he used to criticize in Jeff. And just like Jeff, he leaves her behind when she’s literally dying, telling her she can’t come with him “for her own good.” I get that he wants to save her, but he treats her like fragile glass — and it’s both annoying and hypocritical. On top of that, he acts so naïve and irrational at times, I can’t believe he’s supposed to be a doctor. And Quinn? Just as naïve. I screamed at my Kindle more than once — but I still love her. Their relationship itself also started to feel unrealistic and kinda cringy: the random jealousy, Nick suddenly not caring about his job anymore, both acting like nothing else in the world matters except their relationship — and sex. It gets to the point where their entire existence revolves around whether they can be together sexually. The book pushes this dynamic so far that it feels forced. I kept thinking: "Is this really all they care about right now?" Also: just because they’re not having penetrative sex doesn’t mean pregnancy is off the table. Why do they feel so safe with that? And when they finally do sleep together, it feels rushed and unspecial. There was all this buildup, and then… it’s just done. Boom — pregnant. (And everything about the pregnancy moves so fast. She gets a positive test after, what, two days? And a visible baby bump after like a week?? Even Quinn herself is confused about how early she’s showing — but okay, I guess it’s explained by the supernatural nature of time travellers, so I’ll give it that.) And if they’re that afraid of pregnancy, why not use a condom? Even if she’s on the pill? Thankfully, this was mostly a focus in the first half of the book and eased up in the second — And Nick also got a bit better again — because honestly, I was starting to get the ick from it. Honestly, I kind of get Jeff, too. Yes, I didn't like him, especially with how he’s portrayed as a total creep here — which I really didn’t like too — but I still feel sorry for him. He never got any closure. Let's not forget: They were engaged and together for six years. Of course he’s hurt and confused by how quickly everything changed. From his perspective, she actually cheated on him — at least emotionally. (And with the baby bump showing so soon, it even looks like she cheated physically, too) Honestly, I kind of understand Jeff, too. I know he’s portrayed as a total creep here, which I don't like, but he never got closure. They were engaged, together for six years — no wonder he’s shocked by Quinn’s sudden 180. She actually cheated on him, at least emotionally. But beyond all that, there’s a deeper issue — something that breaks the logic of the story a bit. I know time travel is fantasy, but the author tries to root it in science. And that’s where it starts to fall apart. There are basic scientific errors that could’ve easily been avoided with just a bit of research. The time travel mutation is said to be located on the X chromosome, which is why only women can time travel and men are “carriers.” That’s how it’s explained in the first book. I could overlook this in book one because it wasn’t central to the plot — but in the sequel, it becomes a major driver of the story. Nick’s paternal grandmother is the time traveller in his family, so his father must be a carrier. But for Nick to also carry the gene, his mother would have to carry it too — since males inherit their X chromosome from their mother, not their father. Only daughters inherit an X from their dad. (That’s following the logic presented by the book, not just real-world biology.) But here’s the real issue: this setup doesn’t work genetically. Men only have one X chromosome — so if they inherit a mutated gene on it, they express that gene. They don’t just carry it. Even if the gene is recessive, they have no second X chromosome to “mask” it. So actually, there should be more male time travellers than female ones — because women would need two mutated X chromosomes. (A real-life example: red-green color blindness is X-linked and far more common in men.) So the entire premise doesn’t make sense genetically. And as a biophysics student, this really bothered me. If you’re going to build a whole plotline around a scientific concept, please take the time to get the basics right. Otherwise, the story starts to collapse — along with the emotional weight of the characters’ choices. Especially when your male main character is supposed to be a doctor. Come on. I was fully invested in the first book, but it’s hard to stay engaged when the stakes feel weakened by shaky science. The tension between the main characters — trying to avoid pregnancy because they fear their child might time travel due to the “Rule of Three” (only three people per family can time travel), and because that’s supposedly why they keep getting pulled apart — loses its impact when the underlying science is so flawed. The FMC’s memories of her parallel lives, where she was also pregnant but never made it to the birth, and where the time-travelling children visit their grandmother, are meant to add depth. And they do. But all of it feels hollow when the scientific logic doesn't hold up. And honestly? These problems weren’t even hard to fix. There are so many simple ways this could’ve made sense: • Nick’s maternal grandmother could’ve been the time traveller, and his mother could’ve carried the gene. • Men could’ve been able to time travel too — which would’ve been more accurate from a genetics standpoint. (Yes, I get that allowing men to time travel might’ve taken away from the emotional weight of being the one left behind — some of the most touching parts of the story are about that grief. That’s valid.) But if emotional impact is the goal over scientific logic, there were even better ways: —> Tie the ability to time travel to mitochondrial DNA, which is only passed down through the maternal line. —> Let it be influenced by hormones like estrogen — which would explain why only women time travel. —> Or — and honestly, this would’ve been the cleanest solution — just say it’s a curse. Or magic. Call it what it is. That would’ve been fine too. But don’t try to explain it with science and then ignore the most basic rules of inheritance. If the logic doesn’t hold up, the plot line starts to fall apart — no matter how emotionally powerful the themes are meant to be. I really hope the third book gets better again — but even with all my criticism, I can’t give this one less than 3.5 stars. I loved the second half so much that I’m willing to overlook the flaws. And I’m so excited to finally meet Quinn’s real parents.
The way I don't know how to feel about this book. It was so good yet the last hour I was confused on where the plot was going to go since it already felt like the book ended. I liked what the author did though. Even though it felt like the end we still got to see more of their story. I actually low key kind of like that more than I can admit. Their love literally transcends time and for them to end with everything they have wanted I honestly can't be upset about it.