Scan barcode
maya56's review against another edition
5.0
Yeah, I loved this book! It was just this wonderful feel-good story that made me wish for people like these in my real life!
yukiojax's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-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
4.75
kaje_harper's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. This is a nice, satisfying love story about a young man afraid of commitment and the amazing older man he falls for. It's a comfort-read book, the kind of thing you go to after wallowing in some other big emotional story, to get your head out of the emo zone. It's nice and sweet, and there is no big angst and very little actually happens in the plot. The characters are all a little too good. (If Asa had a fault, I couldn't find it, and the kid, Jordan, was really too sweet to be true.) Even the villain of the piece turns herself around some. I would have been a little deeper into the story if there had been more conflict than just Sebastian's inability to figure out what he really wanted (or if his alternatives had been more powerful and difficult to choose between. In this case it felt like a no-brainer.) But the book is full of people it would be lovely to know, and Amy Lane's style carries the story along. I'll save this one, and read it again the next time I need a lift.
lenoreo's review against another edition
5.0
So I was having a bit of a bad day yesterday, wasn't enjoying the book I was reading at the time, and just really needed a pick me up. So I decided to treat myself to another Amy Lane book, even though they tend to be a bit higher than my usual price range. I suck it up though, and you know why? B/C I don't regret it. This is my third Amy Lane book, and I must say they are all different...the characters are different, the relationship is different...but this thing that is the same? The way your heart feels when you finish. I didn't end up connecting with the Promise Rock one as much as my first read The Locker Room, so I wasn't sure how this one would go. Like I said, Sebastian and Asa are just such different characters from any of them, but you still love them, you know?? And the side characters are equally as fantastic. I laughed, I cried, I loved.
msmiz95's review
3.0
3.5 - 3.75 - this story made me laugh out loud quite a bit and it was a really cute HEA.
n_hasek's review
4.0
I loved this story a lot. I thought it was light and humourous with fully fleshed-out characters that worked their way off the pages and into my heart. I was flipping through an e-book catalogue and the cover art is what struck me first. (it's what made me grab a copy in the first place) I thought this would be another guilty-pleasure smutty book to pass the time with. It was much more than just smut, sure there were some steamy scenes here and there, but it wasn't what the entire story was about, the sex was just a part of Sebastien and Asa's relationship-building process.
Back to the cover art, I half-expected it to be only smut and for Asa to be some silver-tongued seducer and for Sebastien to be a shyer, more reserved character. I was wrong, Asa was the silent listener and Sebastien was the bright, talkative ray of sunshine.
I loved the detail Lane goes through to establish the characters, the setting and their personalities, and that they all showed a balanced level of maturity and immaturity based on situation. This was a lovely light read for me and it sure helped me pass the time while I was waiting for the contractors to turn the electricity back on again as they worked. I recommend this read to anyone who likes a nice light-hearted romance between two men and has about an hour and a half of free time available.
Back to the cover art, I half-expected it to be only smut and for Asa to be some silver-tongued seducer and for Sebastien to be a shyer, more reserved character. I was wrong, Asa was the silent listener and Sebastien was the bright, talkative ray of sunshine.
I loved the detail Lane goes through to establish the characters, the setting and their personalities, and that they all showed a balanced level of maturity and immaturity based on situation. This was a lovely light read for me and it sure helped me pass the time while I was waiting for the contractors to turn the electricity back on again as they worked. I recommend this read to anyone who likes a nice light-hearted romance between two men and has about an hour and a half of free time available.
squirrely007's review
4.0
I've had this book so long and finally got around to reading it. I adored it. And one of my favorite parts was that Sebastian called Bella 'heifer' sometimes, it reminded me of a personal friendship.
astoryuntold's review
2.0
2,5
Kinda cute, but not quite.
Lane is a much beloved author in the mm community and this is the first book of hers I pick up, for the sole reason it was mentioned in another book as an inspiration for a dog's name of all things.
Obviously, this is one of Lane's earliest books and her story telling only gets better later, if the ratings are any indication. And don't get me wrong, her writing was good and the story was interesting-gay friend meets best friend's brother and they spent a tumultuous summer together, but it was all a bit much.
Sebastian, Bella (taken after band Bell&Sebastian, that was pretty cool) and Asa were all extremely beautiful. Breathtakingly so. Sebastian was 27 years old, was about to do his second PhD and he worked at Barnes&Noble (and too pretentious for my taste). Him and Bella have been the best of friends for 5 years and he has never met her brother, Asa, until now. Asa's house, where B&S would spent their summer, was of course mansion-like.
You see the pattern here? It was all too extravagant and not believable. It was hard to relate to their "real world" problems when they themselves were so unrealistic. The book read more like a romance from another era, than a (relatively) modern mm romance.
Asa and Sebastian's relationship was pretty quick and straightforward-angst free, which I liked. All the "problems" in their lives came from other stuff, which were resolved very easily. Bella and Sebastian's relationship was also nice, even though I couldn't bring myself to like Bella.
Also, Asa has a 7 year old, and I am usually not fond of kids in romance books, but this one was alright.
To be honest, I wanted to drop BBBB after page 10. But because of my obsession to not ever leave a book unfinished, I pushed through and I actually finished it all in one sitting. I kinda got in the flow after a while and I was curious to see what would happen.
A couple of sex scenes just to spice things up, but nothing you haven't read before if you're a hardcore mm reader.
I guess I would recommend this book to those who are into Fabio/harlequin-like romances, but in the modern world.
Kinda cute, but not quite.
Lane is a much beloved author in the mm community and this is the first book of hers I pick up, for the sole reason it was mentioned in another book as an inspiration for a dog's name of all things.
Obviously, this is one of Lane's earliest books and her story telling only gets better later, if the ratings are any indication. And don't get me wrong, her writing was good and the story was interesting-gay friend meets best friend's brother and they spent a tumultuous summer together, but it was all a bit much.
Sebastian, Bella (taken after band Bell&Sebastian, that was pretty cool) and Asa were all extremely beautiful. Breathtakingly so. Sebastian was 27 years old, was about to do his second PhD and he worked at Barnes&Noble (and too pretentious for my taste). Him and Bella have been the best of friends for 5 years and he has never met her brother, Asa, until now. Asa's house, where B&S would spent their summer, was of course mansion-like.
You see the pattern here? It was all too extravagant and not believable. It was hard to relate to their "real world" problems when they themselves were so unrealistic. The book read more like a romance from another era, than a (relatively) modern mm romance.
Asa and Sebastian's relationship was pretty quick and straightforward-angst free, which I liked. All the "problems" in their lives came from other stuff, which were resolved very easily. Bella and Sebastian's relationship was also nice, even though I couldn't bring myself to like Bella.
Also, Asa has a 7 year old, and I am usually not fond of kids in romance books, but this one was alright.
To be honest, I wanted to drop BBBB after page 10. But because of my obsession to not ever leave a book unfinished, I pushed through and I actually finished it all in one sitting. I kinda got in the flow after a while and I was curious to see what would happen.
A couple of sex scenes just to spice things up, but nothing you haven't read before if you're a hardcore mm reader.
I guess I would recommend this book to those who are into Fabio/harlequin-like romances, but in the modern world.
cheye13's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is an absolute mess and I love it completely.
I can see where others may disagree. The premise is contrived and overly-simplified, the writing can get maudlin and repetitive, the last act stretches on a little, the humor is simple and unnatural, the dialogue can get grating. On the heavier side, there are some consent issues in characters' pasts, our main character is occasionally biphobic, and I can see how this might read as fetishization (esp w the blue cover).
What enamored me most was characterization – everything, every decision and opinion, was character-driven and the author makes damn sure we know this. These characters aren't cardboard cutouts, throwaway romantic leads to briefly entertain us by looking pretty and boning; in fact, they circumvent this by beginning as stereotypes and then gradually peeling back that façade. I don't agree with every choice made, but what counts is that it makes sense for the characters. Familiar with conventional romance, this book kicked off too good to be true for me, so I prepared myself for inevitable disappointment – "this is five stars now, but if this prediction happens, it'll bump my rating." It wasn't always that my predictions didn't happen, but that when they did happen, they didn't change the story, but slipped seamlessly in, which surprised me more than a different plotline would have. With this attention to movtivation, there were no considerable plotholes, no room to wonder why or get frustrated and I found that so satisfying.
The humor wasn't my own personal taste, and it came off as artificial, but it genuinely made me laugh and kept the writing and relationships fun and easy to read. Apparently bi single dads are a weakness of mine (I keep seeing this tagged/referenced as GFY and it is not).
The primary plotline (including the romance) – about the procratination of growing up, the push and pull of adulthood, needing people and being needed – really resonated with me. The platonic, familial, and romantic relationships were all well-developed. The writing style isn't pulitzer-worthy, but I think this story is absolutely beautiful.
potential spoilers: consent/assault issues:
I can see where others may disagree. The premise is contrived and overly-simplified, the writing can get maudlin and repetitive, the last act stretches on a little, the humor is simple and unnatural, the dialogue can get grating. On the heavier side, there are some consent issues in characters' pasts, our main character is occasionally biphobic, and I can see how this might read as fetishization (esp w the blue cover).
What enamored me most was characterization – everything, every decision and opinion, was character-driven and the author makes damn sure we know this. These characters aren't cardboard cutouts, throwaway romantic leads to briefly entertain us by looking pretty and boning; in fact, they circumvent this by beginning as stereotypes and then gradually peeling back that façade. I don't agree with every choice made, but what counts is that it makes sense for the characters. Familiar with conventional romance, this book kicked off too good to be true for me, so I prepared myself for inevitable disappointment – "this is five stars now, but if this prediction happens, it'll bump my rating." It wasn't always that my predictions didn't happen, but that when they did happen, they didn't change the story, but slipped seamlessly in, which surprised me more than a different plotline would have. With this attention to movtivation, there were no considerable plotholes, no room to wonder why or get frustrated and I found that so satisfying.
The humor wasn't my own personal taste, and it came off as artificial, but it genuinely made me laugh and kept the writing and relationships fun and easy to read. Apparently bi single dads are a weakness of mine (I keep seeing this tagged/referenced as GFY and it is not).
The primary plotline (including the romance) – about the procratination of growing up, the push and pull of adulthood, needing people and being needed – really resonated with me. The platonic, familial, and romantic relationships were all well-developed. The writing style isn't pulitzer-worthy, but I think this story is absolutely beautiful.
potential spoilers: consent/assault issues:
- Asa explains a pivotal event numerous times; in the past, after passing out, he came to as a man performed oral sex on him. Asa himself speaks of this casually.
- Bella explains a past pregnancy that occurred while drunk at a high school party. Her trauma revolves around the pregnancy/abortion, and side-steps addressing the dubious consent.
More...