Us by Sarina Bowen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Uneven pacing at the start and a bit more angsty than HIM, but totally paid off in the end. I was skeptical about one of the sex scenes (like, that’s not how he said it works…) and wasn’t too pleased with POC as setting-it was so blatant that white is the default here. The jock bro talk was also a little annoying… “man up,” “don’t be a p****” etc. But it’s hard not to love these guys and get pulled into their story and root for their HEA. So, I sorta had to suck it up (no pun intended), because Jamie and Wes are sexy AF and their romance is so sweet. Not to mention, the hilariousness of THE green shirt, teammates’ banter, Blake, Jess, and Chiweiler episode. Book 3 is THE wedding, but I’m going to pass on principle.
Shifting Gears by Riley Hart
No rating because this just did not do it for me at all. The sex scenes were flat. The book was 100 pages too long. I can’t even remember what the conflict was-something about both guys being commitment phobic because daddy issues. Right. So, Rod thought he was forever unlovable, dad hated him for being gay and said no one would love him because gay. Landon didn’t believe in love because parents used to fight a lot, dad left mom and kids, and mom was so in love with dad that she’s been depressed ever since dad left. Pros: convinced me that motorcycles are sexy and made me want to learn how to ride one.
Finley by Ella Frank
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Took a little too long to resolve the conflict and one too many flashbacks that merely repeated what had already been said. IMO, the student-teacher thing was overplayed; Brantley was Daniel’s college professor, not high school teacher, and they were both adults when they got involved. I didn’t think it was particularly hot when Daniel would call Brantley “teacher” in the present day, because Brantley wasn’t his professor anymore, and I didn’t think their age difference was a very big deal, 9 years and both in their 30s still. So, there’s nothing illegal or convincingly taboo about their relationship. I saw them as equals-Daniel is now a hot shot attorney about to make partner and Brantley is about to make tenure. Again, I can’t stand when the p word is used as a euphemism for weakness or cowardice, and normally wouldn’t tolerate it, but it was only used that one time and the guys weren’t bad people. Anyway, I was already at 65% and I wanted to know how the story would end. I really want to read Jordan and Derek’s story next though because those guys are seriously too funny. And the way Derek was described, the way he dresses, so damn hot. Except in real life I don’t dig guys who smoke. Pros: this book got that George Michael song “One More Try” stuck in my head…
‘Cause teacher
There are things that I don’t want to learn
And the last one I had
Made me cry
So I don’t want to learn to
Hold you, touch you
Think that you’re mine
Because it ain’t no joy
For an uptown boy
Whose teacher has told him goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
