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kaje_harper's review
5.0
4.5 stars . It's no secret that I like books with a touch of reality to the small details. More than anything, that was what appealed to me here. This was an excellent look at a main character with significant mental health issues, treated with compassion but not romanticized. I loved seeing Cedric dealing with real, serious limitations, and watching him and Kevin try to find middle ground they could come together on.
These guys' first sexual encounter was (wonderfully) about as far from the romance-traditional "best thing ever" as it's possible to get, and the good stuff went on from there. There were real side effects to medications, and times when the guys were unkind to each other out of stress and anxiety. Cedric's OCD issues were still present at the end of the book, although muted, and he was seeing a therapist throughout. There were times when his issues flared up and came between them. I admit, Kevin's patience with him, given how quickly they moved into a relationship, was borderline too good to be true. That lust-at-first-sight was really strong, I guess. But I like thinking there are guys like Kevin out there, who fall in love quickly and with their whole hearts and treasure that above small comforts and petty annoyances. Or not so petty. I did appreciate the occasional moments when Kevin became less than perfect in his stress-laden world.
What came across was the author's compassion for her characters, and her determination to get them to a happy ending without miracle cures for their problems. I enjoyed the writing style, and will be looking for more from this author. I hear she has a mystery series...
These guys' first sexual encounter was (wonderfully) about as far from the romance-traditional "best thing ever" as it's possible to get, and the good stuff went on from there. There were real side effects to medications, and times when the guys were unkind to each other out of stress and anxiety. Cedric's OCD issues were still present at the end of the book, although muted, and he was seeing a therapist throughout. There were times when his issues flared up and came between them. I admit, Kevin's patience with him, given how quickly they moved into a relationship, was borderline too good to be true. That lust-at-first-sight was really strong, I guess. But I like thinking there are guys like Kevin out there, who fall in love quickly and with their whole hearts and treasure that above small comforts and petty annoyances. Or not so petty. I did appreciate the occasional moments when Kevin became less than perfect in his stress-laden world.
What came across was the author's compassion for her characters, and her determination to get them to a happy ending without miracle cures for their problems. I enjoyed the writing style, and will be looking for more from this author. I hear she has a mystery series...
the_novel_approach's review
5.0
Cedric has to be one of the most memorable characters I have encountered in a very long time. In fact, just thinking about him makes me want to squeal like a 12 year old girl at a One Direction concert. - Bruce
One of the questions I asked myself when I finished this book was if Taylor V. Donovan’s writing was powerful enough to convey Cedric’s suffering. The answer is a flat-out, “you better believe it is.” This was a couldn’t-put-it-down read for me. The anxiety doesn’t let up for a moment, which is one of the things I loved about it so much, and was really just a big bonus when added to the fact that I also loved the characters in each of their roles, even when there were times I didn’t like them so much. - Lisa
You can read the rest of Bruce's and my reviews at The Novel Approach
One of the questions I asked myself when I finished this book was if Taylor V. Donovan’s writing was powerful enough to convey Cedric’s suffering. The answer is a flat-out, “you better believe it is.” This was a couldn’t-put-it-down read for me. The anxiety doesn’t let up for a moment, which is one of the things I loved about it so much, and was really just a big bonus when added to the fact that I also loved the characters in each of their roles, even when there were times I didn’t like them so much. - Lisa
You can read the rest of Bruce's and my reviews at The Novel Approach
steiner's review
2.0
the dreadlocks..... I can't take a white, English hero with dreadlocks who is also very posh. No.
l2intj's review
emotional
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
3.0
This was an interesting read for me, because I really liked our two MCs, Kevin and Cedric. I especially appreciated how the two of them negotiated Cedric’s OCD and Kevin’s complicated family dynamics. I thought the author took a sensitive and nuanced approach to these characters and their burgeoning relationship.
Unfortunately, this thoughtful approach can’t be said to describe the entire narrative. There were times when secondary characters and situations were overblown to the point of absurdity, because it was convenient to the plot for them to be so, and it was especially jarring as a backdrop for Kevin’s and Cedric’s lovely relationship. In the end, I wasn’t sure how to feel about this book.
Unfortunately, this thoughtful approach can’t be said to describe the entire narrative. There were times when secondary characters and situations were overblown to the point of absurdity, because it was convenient to the plot for them to be so, and it was especially jarring as a backdrop for Kevin’s and Cedric’s lovely relationship. In the end, I wasn’t sure how to feel about this book.
sweetasumeshu's review
3.0
We have:
- Kevin (36), recently divorced father of three, trying to find a partner now that he accepted he's gay
- Cedric (26), rich Brit boy "thug" (idk, this didn't sit well with me), with germophobia and OCD
- After a brief encounter they can't stop thinking about each other, but have no contact info
- They eventually meet at school and hit it of, but Cedric's condition requires a lot of patience and understanding from his partner - they make it work
- I liked the uncomplicated coming out Kevin had with his family and how accepting the kids were
- I wasn't fan of the homophobic town and the scene at the field with Paul and others (where did that come from? It felt like it was there just so there would be some final conflict...)
- It was interesting to learn about OCD and how to deal with it (although, Cedric's progress was off the charts later in the story, which seemed a bit unrealistic).
Overall, I liked it.
- Kevin (36), recently divorced father of three, trying to find a partner now that he accepted he's gay
- Cedric (26), rich Brit boy "thug" (idk, this didn't sit well with me), with germophobia and OCD
- After a brief encounter they can't stop thinking about each other, but have no contact info
- They eventually meet at school and hit it of, but Cedric's condition requires a lot of patience and understanding from his partner - they make it work
- I liked the uncomplicated coming out Kevin had with his family and how accepting the kids were
- I wasn't fan of the homophobic town and the scene at the field with Paul and others (where did that come from? It felt like it was there just so there would be some final conflict...)
- It was interesting to learn about OCD and how to deal with it (although, Cedric's progress was off the charts later in the story, which seemed a bit unrealistic).
Overall, I liked it.
drnoel's review
1.0
ok so i don’t get at this age in time we giving attention to books that endorse the “no is sometimes maybe and go with your instincts when you are hooking up” mentality... like... no. communication is sexy, asking if it’s ok or what they want every step of the way is sexy.
assault is definitely NOT sexy. saying no is NOT a sexy way to say yes and the fact that i’m writing this rn is crazy to me, this supposed to be basic common sense.
as a med student, i’d say imagine a doctor that goes about examining you without asking or explaining what they’re gonna do. i’m sure a lot of you had that experience. remember how uncomfortable it is to trust your body to a complete stranger without the person with the knowledge of what will happened enlightening you. yeah, not so great right?
other problem is that symptoms are NOT quirks. someone that suffers from OCD is NOT “quirky”. this is invalidating and incorrect.
and the writing is not even good, like... average at best.
assault is definitely NOT sexy. saying no is NOT a sexy way to say yes and the fact that i’m writing this rn is crazy to me, this supposed to be basic common sense.
as a med student, i’d say imagine a doctor that goes about examining you without asking or explaining what they’re gonna do. i’m sure a lot of you had that experience. remember how uncomfortable it is to trust your body to a complete stranger without the person with the knowledge of what will happened enlightening you. yeah, not so great right?
other problem is that symptoms are NOT quirks. someone that suffers from OCD is NOT “quirky”. this is invalidating and incorrect.
and the writing is not even good, like... average at best.
dsstewart's review against another edition
5.0
Awesome read. Finished it in 4 hours and was completely satisfied when flipped the last page.