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bukowski's review against another edition
5.0
This book depicts trauma of past relationships in a real, painful, but wonderfully accurate way. It shows contradictory personalities and worlds colliding and the build of love over time that sort of just...satisfies my soul. This is a book I can easily see myself going back and reading. For this book I’m putting Jenny Holiday up with my favorites Alexis Hall and Roan Parrish.
writtenechoes's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely adored this!!!!!! Nicole recommended this to me a while ago, but I sat on it for the right mood to strike. When she recommended it to me… I recognized the author name. Jenny wrote one of my fave MF romances! I had no clue she had written a gay romance. And boy did she hit it out of the park!!!
This was slow burn best friends to lovers with immaculate pining vibes excellence. Hunter and Jesse met on a train ride, both having had break ups. Over the course of five hours they vented and became “friends for an hour” as I like to call people you meet at the right time but never speak again. Two years later they meet again because Hunter is a pediatrician and one of his patients is a big fan of rockstar, Jesse. This begins their friendship. It was so sweet to watch them hang out and get closer and closer. To becoming each others closest friends. There were so many “almosts” that had me in the edge of my seat. It was also juxtaposed against the background of Jesse being told by his manager that he can never publicly be bisexual. Only straight to maintain his bad boy rocker persona. So there’s a bitterness to it all too. Even if they “get together” they can never really be together.
But Omg this had some of my fave grand gestures of all time!!!!! At a charity gala Jesse spent $200,000 to get Hunter as a date???? FOR ONE EVENING!!!! And their chemistry just exploded after that
This was slow burn best friends to lovers with immaculate pining vibes excellence. Hunter and Jesse met on a train ride, both having had break ups. Over the course of five hours they vented and became “friends for an hour” as I like to call people you meet at the right time but never speak again. Two years later they meet again because Hunter is a pediatrician and one of his patients is a big fan of rockstar, Jesse. This begins their friendship. It was so sweet to watch them hang out and get closer and closer. To becoming each others closest friends. There were so many “almosts” that had me in the edge of my seat. It was also juxtaposed against the background of Jesse being told by his manager that he can never publicly be bisexual. Only straight to maintain his bad boy rocker persona. So there’s a bitterness to it all too. Even if they “get together” they can never really be together.
But Omg this had some of my fave grand gestures of all time!!!!! At a charity gala Jesse spent $200,000 to get Hunter as a date???? FOR ONE EVENING!!!! And their chemistry just exploded after that
writtenechoes's review
5.0
I absolutely adored this!!!!!! Nicole recommended this to me a while ago, but I sat on it for the right mood to strike. When she recommended it to me… I recognized the author name. Jenny wrote one of my fave MF romances! I had no clue she had written a gay romance. And boy did she hit it out of the park!!!
This was slow burn best friends to lovers with immaculate pining vibes excellence. Hunter and Jesse met on a train ride, both having had break ups. Over the course of five hours they vented and became “friends for an hour” as I like to call people you meet at the right time but never speak again. Two years later they meet again because Hunter is a pediatrician and one of his patients is a big fan of rockstar, Jesse. This begins their friendship. It was so sweet to watch them hang out and get closer and closer. To becoming each others closest friends. There were so many “almosts” that had me in the edge of my seat. It was also juxtaposed against the background of Jesse being told by his manager that he can never publicly be bisexual. Only straight to maintain his bad boy rocker persona. So there’s a bitterness to it all too. Even if they “get together” they can never really be together.
But Omg this had some of my fave grand gestures of all time!!!!! At a charity gala Jesse spent $200,000 to get Hunter as a date???? FOR ONE EVENING!!!! And their chemistry just exploded after that
This was slow burn best friends to lovers with immaculate pining vibes excellence. Hunter and Jesse met on a train ride, both having had break ups. Over the course of five hours they vented and became “friends for an hour” as I like to call people you meet at the right time but never speak again. Two years later they meet again because Hunter is a pediatrician and one of his patients is a big fan of rockstar, Jesse. This begins their friendship. It was so sweet to watch them hang out and get closer and closer. To becoming each others closest friends. There were so many “almosts” that had me in the edge of my seat. It was also juxtaposed against the background of Jesse being told by his manager that he can never publicly be bisexual. Only straight to maintain his bad boy rocker persona. So there’s a bitterness to it all too. Even if they “get together” they can never really be together.
But Omg this had some of my fave grand gestures of all time!!!!! At a charity gala Jesse spent $200,000 to get Hunter as a date???? FOR ONE EVENING!!!! And their chemistry just exploded after that
alexisisreading's review
4.0
This was truly best friends to lovers perfection. Hunter and Jesse meet on a train and spend hours just talking and getting to know each other, they exchange contact information but don't speak again until 2 years later when Hunter takes a wild shot at reaching out to Jesse after he finds out one of his patients at the hospital he works at is a big fan. Hunter is a pediatrician and adores his kids, it was so sweet to watch how much he cared for them throughout the book.
When Jesse and Hunter first met, Jesse was not as big of a rockstar as he now is 2 years later but his fame came at a price. He made a deal with a label manager to give him full control of the brand Jesse and his band would portray. This included Jesse hiding his bisexuality from the public and not ever pursuing men. Jesse had a "fine but not actually fine" kind of vibe with this. He hadn't really felt the temptation to bend the rules until his feelings for Hunter grew.
Hunter recently got out of an 8 year relationship in which the entire time his partner had maintained the image that they were just friends. Hunter acknowledges coming out is different for everyone but he no longer wanted to be hidden away and kept a secret. He wanted his next lover to be just as out as he was. Knowing all this, Jesse struggles with wanting Hunter but not wanting him to be a secret because he knows how much it hurt Hunter in the past. Even as the two admit their attraction and feelings for one another, they can't be together because of the rules set in place by Jesse's band manager.
The flirting was so sweet between these two, it had that perfect set up of friends who start to realize there may be something more. Also, Jesse really said "Whatever Hunter wants" and he meant that with his entire soul. Even after their relationship is strained Jesse and Hunter still have that gentleness toward one another, Hunter is willing to have whatever he can with Jesse even if that just means friendship.
Jesse's grand gesture at the end was also so good - the shock mixed with hope from Hunter as he realized what Jesse had done? Hallmark movies wish.
In that instant, it seemed like anything was possible. Like the rules hadn’t merely been suspended; they’d been transformed. Like Jesse and Hunter had been transformed, made into something new and unnameable, like Frankenstein’s monster brought to life with a jolt of supernatural electricity.
When Jesse and Hunter first met, Jesse was not as big of a rockstar as he now is 2 years later but his fame came at a price. He made a deal with a label manager to give him full control of the brand Jesse and his band would portray. This included Jesse hiding his bisexuality from the public and not ever pursuing men. Jesse had a "fine but not actually fine" kind of vibe with this. He hadn't really felt the temptation to bend the rules until his feelings for Hunter grew.
Hunter recently got out of an 8 year relationship in which the entire time his partner had maintained the image that they were just friends. Hunter acknowledges coming out is different for everyone but he no longer wanted to be hidden away and kept a secret. He wanted his next lover to be just as out as he was. Knowing all this, Jesse struggles with wanting Hunter but not wanting him to be a secret because he knows how much it hurt Hunter in the past. Even as the two admit their attraction and feelings for one another, they can't be together because of the rules set in place by Jesse's band manager.
The flirting was so sweet between these two, it had that perfect set up of friends who start to realize there may be something more. Also, Jesse really said "Whatever Hunter wants" and he meant that with his entire soul. Even after their relationship is strained Jesse and Hunter still have that gentleness toward one another, Hunter is willing to have whatever he can with Jesse even if that just means friendship.
Jesse's grand gesture at the end was also so good - the shock mixed with hope from Hunter as he realized what Jesse had done? Hallmark movies wish.
In that instant, it seemed like anything was possible. Like the rules hadn’t merely been suspended; they’d been transformed. Like Jesse and Hunter had been transformed, made into something new and unnameable, like Frankenstein’s monster brought to life with a jolt of supernatural electricity.
jove64's review
5.0
I read this, and the other book in the series [b:Famous|35389458|Famous (Famous, #1)|Jenny Holiday|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1496936995l/35389458._SY75_.jpg|56753964] on the recommendation of a friend. I LOOOOVED them. I'm not really into celebrity culture or the kinds of romances that are focused around meeting a rich/famous partner but these 2 books are not that at all.
The focus is more on pursuing something you are good at and love as a career, in a situation where that career involves being in the public eye, affects how people you meet treat you (everyone wants something), and often involves teams of managers and others who have their own agenda for your career that are different from yours. In the case of these 2 books, it's the pop/rock music industry.
Both books start with a chance meeting with a spark and then a period of not seeing or thinking of that person. The real story takes off when they reconnect several years later. In Infamous, there is the additional complication of internalised homophobia.
Both stories are so well told. The characters, even the minor ones, are well developed. There is humour without these really being romantic comedies. Both have a subplot about helping young people who are struggling or disadvantaged in some way.
Highly recommend.
Content warning for Infamous: one subplot includes references to domestic violence, and a scary scene. The threat of violence is deflected.
The focus is more on pursuing something you are good at and love as a career, in a situation where that career involves being in the public eye, affects how people you meet treat you (everyone wants something), and often involves teams of managers and others who have their own agenda for your career that are different from yours. In the case of these 2 books, it's the pop/rock music industry.
Both books start with a chance meeting with a spark and then a period of not seeing or thinking of that person. The real story takes off when they reconnect several years later. In Infamous, there is the additional complication of internalised homophobia.
Both stories are so well told. The characters, even the minor ones, are well developed. There is humour without these really being romantic comedies. Both have a subplot about helping young people who are struggling or disadvantaged in some way.
Highly recommend.
Content warning for Infamous: one subplot includes references to domestic violence, and a scary scene. The threat of violence is deflected.
malloreads8's review
3.25
3/5
(SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD)
this had a couple really cute memorable moments, but putting them aside and looking at the bigger picture, this story was a bit boring and lackluster.
this would have been a 2-star read if not for two specific scenes: Spoilerjesse bidding on hunter at the auction and them dancing together, and Spoilerhunter watching jesse's music video premiere at his concert. those were by far the most entertaining and heartwarming moments of the book.
i also enjoyed the fact that the MCs became friends first. some people voiced their dislike of this in their reviews, and i can sort of see why because even during moments where they were getting intimate, hunter would still refer to jesse as his best friend (in his thoughts, at least). personally, i just thought it showed how much they valued each other as more than just someone to sleep with, since i find that relationships that begin as strong friendships can sometimes be much more powerful.
but to be perfectly honest, everything else aside from the moments mentioned previously was pretty forgettable. i'm struggling to remember bits and pieces as i type this review, and i just finished the book...
besides being told that jesse hooks up with tons of girls and that he doesn't care what people think of him (and, of course, the fact that he makes rock music), he hardly comes off as a rockstar to me.
also—and this is just a personal gripe that probably has to do with me not particularly favoring age-gap romances or romances with much older characters—the amount of times the color of hunter's gray hair was brought up and him being referred to as a silver fox got so tiring.
like we get it, he's in his thirties and his hair is already graying... i promise we get it.
(SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD)
this had a couple really cute memorable moments, but putting them aside and looking at the bigger picture, this story was a bit boring and lackluster.
this would have been a 2-star read if not for two specific scenes: Spoilerjesse bidding on hunter at the auction and them dancing together, and Spoilerhunter watching jesse's music video premiere at his concert. those were by far the most entertaining and heartwarming moments of the book.
i also enjoyed the fact that the MCs became friends first. some people voiced their dislike of this in their reviews, and i can sort of see why because even during moments where they were getting intimate, hunter would still refer to jesse as his best friend (in his thoughts, at least). personally, i just thought it showed how much they valued each other as more than just someone to sleep with, since i find that relationships that begin as strong friendships can sometimes be much more powerful.
but to be perfectly honest, everything else aside from the moments mentioned previously was pretty forgettable. i'm struggling to remember bits and pieces as i type this review, and i just finished the book...
besides being told that jesse hooks up with tons of girls and that he doesn't care what people think of him (and, of course, the fact that he makes rock music), he hardly comes off as a rockstar to me.
also—and this is just a personal gripe that probably has to do with me not particularly favoring age-gap romances or romances with much older characters—the amount of times the color of hunter's gray hair was brought up and him being referred to as a silver fox got so tiring.
like we get it, he's in his thirties and his hair is already graying... i promise we get it.
robazizo's review
4.0
Highly enjoyable. I loved the progression from friends to lovers (although it was quite obvious early in that both felt more than friendship for the other) and I really liked how emotionally honest these two were. It really felt like they were suited, not just physically but emotionally as well and that they would make it in the long run. Major kudos to the band and their support!
innerpeace1081's review
5.0
There aren't enough words...
To express just how good this book is! I was blown away with the range of emotions this book invoked. Jesse and Hunter's relationship was a slow built that changed them both. Some parts were predictable but the manner in which the author handled those events were refreshing and delightful. This book is going on my reread shelf. :-)
To express just how good this book is! I was blown away with the range of emotions this book invoked. Jesse and Hunter's relationship was a slow built that changed them both. Some parts were predictable but the manner in which the author handled those events were refreshing and delightful. This book is going on my reread shelf. :-)
scrow1022's review
4.0
I had looked at this before but something snagged me this time. Friends to lovers, second chances, competence porn. Yum.