If you’re looking for an MM romance that dives into addiction, recovery, and forbidden love, The Tragedy of Felix and Jake by J. Daniels might catch your attention. The book brings together two broken men trying to find hope, love, and stability while battling their demons. While it promises raw emotion, my personal reading experience was more conflicted.
The Tragedy of Felix and Jake by J. Daniels Genres: MM Romance, Contemporary
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They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.
They say the best way to stay sober is to love yourself.I’m great at making bad decisions.
Addict? Check. Poor impulse control? Check. Obsessed with the guy I’m sponsoring? Check Check Check.
There is no one worse for me to want in my bed than Jake Tully. He’s hot and grumpy and literally a terrible idea. Terrible. Worse, no one has ever made me feel the way he does — valued. But here I am - thinking about him again.Falling for my sponsor is not my worst idea yet, but it’s damn close.
Felix Fields is everything good. He’s thoughtful and kind. I can’t help but think about every bad thing we could do between these sheets.
But we can’t be together. I’m not willing to risk my recovery for anyone – even if he might be perfect for me.Finding a love like this is nothing short of a tragedy.
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The Tragedy of Felix and Jake brings a story filled with potential: two recovering addicts trying to build a connection while struggling with their own brokenness. Told mostly from Jake’s perspective, the book follows his relapse, his strained family ties, and his unexpected bond with Felix — the man assigned to be his sponsor.
Felix is portrayed as fragile yet deeply emotional. He’s scarred by tragedy, marked by low self-esteem, but full of longing for love and stability. He was easily the character I connected with the most, thanks to his vulnerability and dreams of finally having a family.
That said, the execution didn’t work for me. The writing often felt superficial, sometimes even leaning into comedy in moments that deserved more depth. The heavy use of text messages and casual slang also made it harder to stay immersed, and some side characters disappeared without closure.
Emotionally, the story failed to pull me in. I even considered DNF’ing at points and ended up skimming several pages. The central romance had sparks, but the way it unfolded, especially Jake’s sudden shift in his sexuality, felt underdeveloped.
One aspect I did appreciate was the reminder that addiction doesn’t just affect the addict; it impacts everyone around them. A line from Jake’s brother hits hard: “You should love the people who love you more than you love the drugs.” That reflection stayed with me long after finishing the book.
Unfortunately, the story didn’t resonate as strongly as I hoped. While many readers adore this book, for me, it was just an average read.
Final Rating: 3 stars!
Have you read The Tragedy of Felix and Jake? I’d love to know if the story hit you differently — share your thoughts in the comments!
About J. Daniels
J. Daniels is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Alabama Summer, Dirty Deeds and Sweet Addiction series, as well as her MM romance: The Tragedy of Felix and Jake.
Best known for her sexy, small-town romances, her debut novel, Sweet Addiction, was first published in 2014 and went on to become an international bestseller. Since then, she has published more than fifteen novels, including the Dirty Deeds series with Forever Romance.
