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haydemoone's review
lighthearted
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
3.5
leelee68's review
5.0
4.5 stars rounded up to 5...I thought this one was sweet. I enjoyed both MC's. I thought they brought out the best in each other.
claire_melanie's review
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
2.5
joyousreads132's review
3.0
The second instalment to Annabeth Albert’s Gaymers series is pretty much what you would expect if you have any familiarity with the first book. It features a romance between two people who would have to answer a question about personal sacrifices. Nothing earth-shattering, mind you. Just what the other would give up for them to be together.
Their relationship wasn’t one of those flash fire types. It was a slow build due to the professional competitiveness they had towards one another. Though they admired each other’s work ethics, they were after peer recognition since they were both newbies at the company. One can’t help but notice the telltale differences between the two, though. While Ravi was a social butterfly liked by many, Tristan took a while to warm up to anyone. He’s a deliberate person who comes off aloof.
Ravi is an out and proud artist whose family tentatively embraced him being gay. And on the other hand, you have Tristan Jones who comes from a conservative upbringing with a political background and whose parents threatened to cut off financial support should he flaunt his sexual identity. He lives in a very organized world so being with Ravi threw him in a loop. In the end, Tristan would have to make a choice; one that’s as difficult as it is freeing.
Overall, I enjoyed this book; it was relatively angst-free. But, unfortunately, unremarkable. I just didn’t make a stronger connection with the characters here as I did in Status Update. I still would like to see the rest of this series, though.
Their relationship wasn’t one of those flash fire types. It was a slow build due to the professional competitiveness they had towards one another. Though they admired each other’s work ethics, they were after peer recognition since they were both newbies at the company. One can’t help but notice the telltale differences between the two, though. While Ravi was a social butterfly liked by many, Tristan took a while to warm up to anyone. He’s a deliberate person who comes off aloof.
Ravi is an out and proud artist whose family tentatively embraced him being gay. And on the other hand, you have Tristan Jones who comes from a conservative upbringing with a political background and whose parents threatened to cut off financial support should he flaunt his sexual identity. He lives in a very organized world so being with Ravi threw him in a loop. In the end, Tristan would have to make a choice; one that’s as difficult as it is freeing.
Overall, I enjoyed this book; it was relatively angst-free. But, unfortunately, unremarkable. I just didn’t make a stronger connection with the characters here as I did in Status Update. I still would like to see the rest of this series, though.
litagentsaritza's review
5.0
Friends to lovers courtesy of a road trip to a gaming convention! I mean, you can't get better than that, right? You can if you're Annabeth Albert. You don't just give us a great love story, you sneak in there some social commentary without being judgy or preachy to remind you that great things like two guys who couldn't possibly be more different can still find true love in today's social climate.
"He didn’t want to be Tristan’s friend; he wanted to be Tristan’s everything."
Gah! I loved this book!!!
"He didn’t want to be Tristan’s friend; he wanted to be Tristan’s everything."
Gah! I loved this book!!!
mads0527's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-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
3.75
bookish_notes's review
4.0
This is an opposites-attract story, so I am all here for this. But let me just say that this cover pic, as good-looking as the cover models are, are nowhere close to the character descriptions in the book. Tristan is a preppy, Captain America-type who would not have his hair shaved up like this cover model. Or have those cuffs around his wrist. And Ravi is Indian, if it's not obvious from this pic (which it kind of isn't), and dresses like a hipster.
Ravi is super popular at work at the video gaming company and is an extrovert. He has tons of friends, he's flamboyant, he volunteers at the local AIDS Project, he does runs with his friends, and is basically everything Tristan isn't. Tristan isn't closeted, but he keeps his life entirely private, he's an introvert, puts his entire life in spreadsheets, and plans ahead for everything. Tristan is jealous of the easy way Ravi goes about his life, seemingly uncaring what anyone thinks.
These polar opposites get stuck together driving up from Santa Monica to Seattle for a conference to show off their game for their company. These two are super attracted to each other, even though they would rather have died than admitted it. They both have family issues, where both their families don't acknowledge their sons are gay and will do everything to avoid talking about it. Ravi has had bad experiences with romance between co-workers and would rather his and Tristan's hook-ups be kept secret. Which is fine with Tristan, because his parents would absolutely hate for anything to get out since his mom is a political figure running on a conservative ticket.
Tristan is insecure about his sex life due to a terrible ex-boyfriend, but with Ravi's urging, he does get more confident. I love how their almost loathing for one another grows into a "friendship" and then into something more. They are so cute and are really only away by their own preconceptions about what others think of them. Tristan and Ravi have some really steamy scenes together, but I feel like metaphors are dropped in that totally kills the mood. I don't remember having any issues with the sex scenes in later books by the author, but the previous book and this one have had some really awkward descriptions that were probably less sexy than it should have been. BUT the emotional connection and the story about Tristan and Ravi more than make up for that.
I like that the author doesn't hesitate to write about Ravi's Indian culture and manages to work it into his story where it never feels forced or stereotypical. Like with Connection Error, I feel like the author has done the research to know how to write a character with disabilities (in book 3) and knows how to write a character of color - with lots of research. And it shows. Ravi's ethnicity is never ignored and there are some scenes in the book that are quickly corrected and apologized for. Never once is Ravi's skin color, or any other dramatic references made to make sure we know he's not Caucasian, ever awkwardly referenced and I, personally, did not notice anything problematic about this story in regards to having a POC character.
I really enjoyed reading this book and this cute opposites-attract office romance story. I would highly recommend this for anyone wanting to read a feel-good book that ends in a HEA and especially recommend this book for having an awesome POC love interest.
Ravi is super popular at work at the video gaming company and is an extrovert. He has tons of friends, he's flamboyant, he volunteers at the local AIDS Project, he does runs with his friends, and is basically everything Tristan isn't. Tristan isn't closeted, but he keeps his life entirely private, he's an introvert, puts his entire life in spreadsheets, and plans ahead for everything. Tristan is jealous of the easy way Ravi goes about his life, seemingly uncaring what anyone thinks.
These polar opposites get stuck together driving up from Santa Monica to Seattle for a conference to show off their game for their company. These two are super attracted to each other, even though they would rather have died than admitted it. They both have family issues, where both their families don't acknowledge their sons are gay and will do everything to avoid talking about it. Ravi has had bad experiences with romance between co-workers and would rather his and Tristan's hook-ups be kept secret. Which is fine with Tristan, because his parents would absolutely hate for anything to get out since his mom is a political figure running on a conservative ticket.
Tristan is insecure about his sex life due to a terrible ex-boyfriend, but with Ravi's urging, he does get more confident. I love how their almost loathing for one another grows into a "friendship" and then into something more. They are so cute and are really only away by their own preconceptions about what others think of them. Tristan and Ravi have some really steamy scenes together, but I feel like metaphors are dropped in that totally kills the mood. I don't remember having any issues with the sex scenes in later books by the author, but the previous book and this one have had some really awkward descriptions that were probably less sexy than it should have been. BUT the emotional connection and the story about Tristan and Ravi more than make up for that.
"The key for you is what are you going to fight for? That's the whole question, isn't it? It's not what you fight over, it's what you fight for."
I like that the author doesn't hesitate to write about Ravi's Indian culture and manages to work it into his story where it never feels forced or stereotypical. Like with Connection Error, I feel like the author has done the research to know how to write a character with disabilities (in book 3) and knows how to write a character of color - with lots of research. And it shows. Ravi's ethnicity is never ignored and there are some scenes in the book that are quickly corrected and apologized for. Never once is Ravi's skin color, or any other dramatic references made to make sure we know he's not Caucasian, ever awkwardly referenced and I, personally, did not notice anything problematic about this story in regards to having a POC character.
I really enjoyed reading this book and this cute opposites-attract office romance story. I would highly recommend this for anyone wanting to read a feel-good book that ends in a HEA and especially recommend this book for having an awesome POC love interest.
hijinx_abound's review
3.0
2 men who both have families who are not supportive of who they are collide in a road trip.
jazzlioness's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75