Scan barcode
kady_cordova's review against another edition
5.0
ššššš 5 stars
š„š„š„š„ Heat Level: 4
Wow, just wow!! An amazing and compelling story of chance, trust, love, and hope! I couldnāt put it down!
Honestly, the cover of this book appealed to me (I love tea!) but once I read the blurb I was intrigued, little did I know Iād be drawn into a story that was not what it seems and would break my heart, only to put it back together in the best way!
This is my first book from this author and my first book featuring a transgender main character and it was amazing! The story follows a wonderful meet-cute of two polar opposite characters and explores their lives, pasts, hopes, and personal demons as they navigate their way to a new relationship together. I loved John! He is a wonderfully real character that stole my heart. His personal demons were confronting at times and all I wanted to do was give him a giant hug and tell him itāll be okay! I felt for John as he faced his demons and loved Chrisās sense of humor and his spark as he encourages John and discovers more about himself as they progress in their relationship. Chris was not what I expected after the meet-cute but was so much better! He had so much vitality in spite of all his challenges, a wonderful sarcastic streak and such sass and humor I was laughing out loud!
Matthew writing felt so raw and real to me. I think its a testament to his talent that he has created two characters that have so much depth and desire that they have the ability to help heal each other. John and Chris are such exemplary characters that will honestly hold a special place in my heart and I canāt wait to see where they go next!
A highly recommended read that has the ability to surprise you, make you cry, laugh and hope along with the characters and feel their connection continue beyond the last words on the page!
Thanks for reading! For great stories, reviews and more please visit https://bookstattoosandtea.wordpress.com š
š„š„š„š„ Heat Level: 4
Wow, just wow!! An amazing and compelling story of chance, trust, love, and hope! I couldnāt put it down!
Honestly, the cover of this book appealed to me (I love tea!) but once I read the blurb I was intrigued, little did I know Iād be drawn into a story that was not what it seems and would break my heart, only to put it back together in the best way!
This is my first book from this author and my first book featuring a transgender main character and it was amazing! The story follows a wonderful meet-cute of two polar opposite characters and explores their lives, pasts, hopes, and personal demons as they navigate their way to a new relationship together. I loved John! He is a wonderfully real character that stole my heart. His personal demons were confronting at times and all I wanted to do was give him a giant hug and tell him itāll be okay! I felt for John as he faced his demons and loved Chrisās sense of humor and his spark as he encourages John and discovers more about himself as they progress in their relationship. Chris was not what I expected after the meet-cute but was so much better! He had so much vitality in spite of all his challenges, a wonderful sarcastic streak and such sass and humor I was laughing out loud!
Matthew writing felt so raw and real to me. I think its a testament to his talent that he has created two characters that have so much depth and desire that they have the ability to help heal each other. John and Chris are such exemplary characters that will honestly hold a special place in my heart and I canāt wait to see where they go next!
A highly recommended read that has the ability to surprise you, make you cry, laugh and hope along with the characters and feel their connection continue beyond the last words on the page!
Thanks for reading! For great stories, reviews and more please visit https://bookstattoosandtea.wordpress.com š
michaeljpdx's review against another edition
4.0
You can read my review of āTeaā at my web site.
suze_1624's review against another edition
4.0
More than 3.5* for me, but perhaps not quite so intense as some others by this author. That said, we do cover a range of issues here.
I generally like the authorās writing style, I find it refreshingly real, with strong sense of place and characters though sometimes in this one the slow road that the two guys have to travel meant the story did slow down - though to contradict myself, it didnāt feel like a 300+ page read either.
Whilst Chris had a whole host of personal - and family - issues, we see him just as a guy for the most part. Any reference to his gender, illness or blindness was put in as a setting for John to deal with.
John has been traumatised by events with the ex and did come across as conflicted between his āpublicā persona (tough, straight, confident) versus how he was inside (highly anxious). I did find but i have no direct experience to relate this to so trust the author here.
Families are a mare and both have to deal with mixed bag of reactions. Overall, enjoyed their story.
I generally like the authorās writing style, I find it refreshingly real, with strong sense of place and characters though sometimes in this one the slow road that the two guys have to travel meant the story did slow down - though to contradict myself, it didnāt feel like a 300+ page read either.
Whilst Chris had a whole host of personal - and family - issues, we see him just as a guy for the most part. Any reference to his gender, illness or blindness was put in as a setting for John to deal with.
John has been traumatised by events with the ex and did come across as conflicted between his āpublicā persona (tough, straight, confident) versus how he was inside (highly anxious). I did find
Spoiler
how he quickly adjusted to Chrisās bodily needs a bit odd considering he is gay, just seemed a bit too easy somehowFamilies are a mare and both have to deal with mixed bag of reactions. Overall, enjoyed their story.
mihrreader's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Super cute read! My local library put this on a list of trans romances and I devoured it in one sitting in one day. It's really nice to read romances with trans characters; I just absolutely cannot get into cishet romance. It's kind of mindless to read and I like that. Just a nice little fluffy thing.
pam_h's review against another edition
3.0
John is a shockingly sappy MC for Matthew Metzger! Or at least from my experience of his books so far. I still enjoyed it overall, because I love MM as a writer, but it probably wouldn't have worked for me coming from someone else. I even passed on the sequel...
kaje_harper's review against another edition
4.0
This book packs a whole lot of issues into one character-driven story. John is a big guy, rough-hewn and unattractive in appearance but gentle by nature, whose last relationship was beyond bad. He's tied up in knots, unable to trust himself and even prone to panic attacks after his previous boyfriend put him through a psychological wringer.
John meets Chris at a cafe, accidentally spilling his tea, and it's attraction at first sight - or in the case of Chris, who is blind, at first hear. In the absence of a snap judgement based on what John looks like, Chris's first impression is warm and kind, and desirable, ālike the hot afterburn of whiskey.ā They begin a tentative relationship, hampered by Chris's prickles and limits and by John's worries and inability to take anything lightly.
I adored John, and he gave us a look at a current hot button from the other side, in a way that felt valid. His family was great too. Chris had his reasons for his reflexes and worries, and for holding John at a little distance when John was already falling head over heels in love.
Sometimes, John seemed like the one making all the accommodations, but Chris was climbing some real obstacles and the fact that he worked hard to discount them as much as possible didn't make them less real. By the end of the book, it felt like Chris had one too many things piled onto him (including the last family reveal) and I wouldn't have minded John pushing Chris to get therapy too. The ease of the physical side of their relationship is plausible because of who John is, as his deep pleasure is in pleasing his partners, but once or twice I looked for hesitation that wasn't there. In general, I was pulled along through this story cheering these guys on to finding the balance between all of their issues, needs, desires, and painful spots.
I love this author's writing style, his use of language, the conversations between his characters. Always a pleasure to read.
John meets Chris at a cafe, accidentally spilling his tea, and it's attraction at first sight - or in the case of Chris, who is blind, at first hear. In the absence of a snap judgement based on what John looks like, Chris's first impression is warm and kind, and desirable, ālike the hot afterburn of whiskey.ā They begin a tentative relationship, hampered by Chris's prickles and limits and by John's worries and inability to take anything lightly.
I adored John, and he gave us a look at a current hot button from the other side, in a way that felt valid. His family was great too. Chris had his reasons for his reflexes and worries, and for holding John at a little distance when John was already falling head over heels in love.
Sometimes, John seemed like the one making all the accommodations, but Chris was climbing some real obstacles and the fact that he worked hard to discount them as much as possible didn't make them less real. By the end of the book, it felt like Chris had one too many things piled onto him (including the last family reveal) and I wouldn't have minded John pushing Chris to get therapy too. The ease of the physical side of their relationship is plausible because of who John is, as his deep pleasure is in pleasing his partners, but once or twice I looked for hesitation that wasn't there. In general, I was pulled along through this story cheering these guys on to finding the balance between all of their issues, needs, desires, and painful spots.
I love this author's writing style, his use of language, the conversations between his characters. Always a pleasure to read.
tanouska's review against another edition
5.0
This books deals with quite some heavy themes, but they're all dealt with really well in the way they're written, and also by the characters themselves I think. I would definitely recommend it!
charkinzie's review
4.0
So Chris and John bump into each other in book one ā literally ā and are instantly attracted. I loved the way that their issues and challenges didnāt play into their initial meeting. They met on neutral territory and even groundā¦ it was fantastic. I was instantly drawn in by their connectionā¦ I have developed such a soft spot for John. Heās the kind of man that people judge when they see himā¦ and that speaks to me on many levels. Chris doesnāt judge himā¦. he just takes a chance on him.
Their relationship progresses quickly even though John is still healing from a very negative experience that ended his previous relationship. As a result, John is already in deep when Chris reveals that he is transgender. This is an #ownvoices novel so itās no wonder that the reveal was written realistically and in a great way. Now, Iām a Cisgender woman but I have spent a lot of time reading reviews and non-fiction books written by members of the trans community. I feel as though the authentic voice of author, Metzger is the kind of voice that the trans community needs to be hearing from.
Chris is an independent young man who is still discovering some things about himself while, at the same time, being certain of who he is in many ways. As the relationship grows stronger, John and Chris work through so many issues that are relevant to those of us living a queer life or a life that is affected by illness or disability. Bravo Matthew J. Metzger!
There are many things revealed about these two characters in the first book and I donāt want to go into them all. I really want people to be able to read this series and let it unfold naturally. The way the first book is written, the relationship grows and blossoms in a very organic way.
Their relationship progresses quickly even though John is still healing from a very negative experience that ended his previous relationship. As a result, John is already in deep when Chris reveals that he is transgender. This is an #ownvoices novel so itās no wonder that the reveal was written realistically and in a great way. Now, Iām a Cisgender woman but I have spent a lot of time reading reviews and non-fiction books written by members of the trans community. I feel as though the authentic voice of author, Metzger is the kind of voice that the trans community needs to be hearing from.
Chris is an independent young man who is still discovering some things about himself while, at the same time, being certain of who he is in many ways. As the relationship grows stronger, John and Chris work through so many issues that are relevant to those of us living a queer life or a life that is affected by illness or disability. Bravo Matthew J. Metzger!
There are many things revealed about these two characters in the first book and I donāt want to go into them all. I really want people to be able to read this series and let it unfold naturally. The way the first book is written, the relationship grows and blossoms in a very organic way.
susanscribs's review
3.0
New-to-me author. Okay but not really my cuppa; I wanted a little more plot than just the relationship, and it seemed to me that Chris was unbelievably chill considering the number of issues he was living with (blindness, epilepsy, being trans) . Perhaps Metzger will present more of the story from his perspective in the sequel but I'm not sure I'll be checking it out.
rhodered's review
3.0
Honestly, I thought it was well written and liked the various families, but the core subject matter made me a bit uneasy.
IRL false rape accusations are exceedingly rare. And reporting rape nearly always carries a heavy price for the accusers, who fight a battle to be taken seriously every day. Many times a big part of that battle are conservatives saying we should protect the accused more than the victim. We all hear how we should not risk ruining menās lives by accusing them even with inescapable evidence.
In this context, a novel where the accused is not guilty and is suffering emotional damage from the accusation, is off key. Yes, Iām sure this situation could occur. But why spotlight it even more than its being continually spotlit? How does that help our society at all? The overdramatized fear of it already ruins actual rape victimās lives.
I wish the author had picked a different reason for our heroes anxieties.
IRL false rape accusations are exceedingly rare. And reporting rape nearly always carries a heavy price for the accusers, who fight a battle to be taken seriously every day. Many times a big part of that battle are conservatives saying we should protect the accused more than the victim. We all hear how we should not risk ruining menās lives by accusing them even with inescapable evidence.
In this context, a novel where the accused is not guilty and is suffering emotional damage from the accusation, is off key. Yes, Iām sure this situation could occur. But why spotlight it even more than its being continually spotlit? How does that help our society at all? The overdramatized fear of it already ruins actual rape victimās lives.
I wish the author had picked a different reason for our heroes anxieties.
More...