Reviews

Unwrap Me by Jack Harbon

heabooknerd's review

3.0

I read UNWRAP ME quickly and overall it was good, though die-hard HEA fans be aware that this is not a HEA. Danny is a sophomore in college and while he's out to his siblings and some friends, his parents don't know he's gay. Growing up around his father's often homophobic comments has left Danny with conflicted feelings over his desires and he's struggled to find a healthy relationship with another man. Meeting Trevor really changes things for Danny because Trevor is charming, sexy, and more than willing to help Danny explore.

Everything happens pretty quickly in UNWRAP ME and I wish we could have had a longer story because Danny and Trevor are really great. We learn a lot about Danny but not much about Trevor so he's still a bit of a mystery. The story is from Danny's POV mostly but there were a few times where a sentence or paragraph appeared to be from Trevor's POV but it was never clear and that made the writing a little awkward at times. Overall, a pretty solid erotic novella.

Content Warning: Homophobic comments; hero doesn't feel comfortable coming out to his parents

achilleanshelves's review

4.0

5/12/22 - Gay Christmas erotica >>>>> breathing

2/8/21 - This was a quick and easy smutty read with some surprisingly strong themes of family and self-acceptance packed into the short page count. Did I read a Christmas smut book in August? Yes, sometimes it's needed.

lezreadalot's review

3.0

He couldn’t form the proper words to express that there was no shame when he kissed Trevor.

This was cute! And honestly more substantial than I expected? From the blurb, I sorta thought this novelette was going to be pure erotica, but there was some great family interaction, some ruminations on being in the closet and the conflict of loving your family even when they aren't totally accepting of your sexuality. The writing was good and the romance was fun. It's not a typical romance (HFN) and is more about the main character getting to explore himself and learning to be more comfortable with who he is, but it was still sexy and romantic.

Also I yam who I yam and I love Christmas stories. 3.5 stars.

meli_2371's review

emotional funny tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.25

pam_h's review

2.0

2.5 stars

Hmmm. The main theme here is overcoming internalized homophobia caused by parental conditioning, and that’s not usually something I can handle reading about. It’s not super heavy here, but I guess it took me off guard in a Christmas short? Which definitely qualifies as an “it’s me, not the book” situation. But I also never fully bought in to Trevor’s character. So I guess I’m going to round down even though that feels a little too harsh for this one...

ashleighbeanxo's review

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

nicolewhopickedthisbook's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

This was actually a really wholesome holiday erotica.... which seems contradictory but it's not!! Fun family holiday shenanigans and a college boy opening up and getting to feel comfortable with who he is and exploring his sexuality. Super cute, sweet, and steamy!

bookswhitme's review

lighthearted fast-paced

3.75

sepiareece's review

4.0

This was a fun and hot book. It was a little transgressive in a good way.

qace90's review

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

Short and sweet

I wanted something short and sweet, and this exactly fit the bill. No angst, no conflict, no drama - just a quick holiday tryst. Perfect dose of sweetness to start the day~