Reviews with content warning for Racism - Him

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Him by Elle Kennedy, Sarina Bowen

4 reviews

haloblues's review against another edition

4.5

AH. GOD. I didn't take a single note while reading this because I didn't want to stop reading and on one hand that speaks to how invested and absorbed I was in the story but on the other I hate it because now I don't remember anything I wanted to say!

I loved both Jamie and Wes so much. I loved Jamie's family. I loved Pat and Holly. I loved all of the relationships in this book - Jamie and Wes (obviously), Jamie with his family, Wes with Jamie's family, the both of them with their coaching teams. This was such a sweet, lovely story and I think it'll be one of the ones that sticks in my memory for a while after. I'll miss these two.

(Also, the couple of times Wes bottomed were hot as hell. The plug thing - holy shit.)

Details: Alternating POVs, first-person, present tense
Favourite character: Both, but I have a soft spot for Jamie
Happy ending?: Yes
Other content warnings: Homophobic slurs

Favourite quotes:

"Next year in Toronto you'll probably have a personal assistant to carry your stick around for you."

It feels superstitious to talk about my NHL contract before the Frozen Four. So I change the subject. "That's awesome, dude. I love it when another guy holds my stick."

My whistle is so loud that Canning claps his hands over his ears. "Two minute penalties!" I roar. "Both of you."

"What?" Killfeather yelps. "I didn't touch his ass."

"For your mouth," I snarl. "On my ice, you don't use a slur of any kind." I point toward the sin bin. "Get out."

But Killfeather doesn't move. "You don't get to make new rules." His sneer is as big as the banner advertisements lining the boards.

All the players are listening, so I can't do this wrong. "Ladies, it is a rule. Two minute bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct. If you'd kept your trap shut after he hit you, your team would have a power play right now. I'm doing this for your own good."

"Sure you are."

In spite of that parting shot, both my troublemakers finally aim their bodies toward the penalty boxes. So I issue my parting shot, and I make sure that everyone can hear. "By the way - science has proven the correlation between calling someone a faggot and having a small penis. You do not want to advertise that. Think about it."

Canning doesn't say anything. But he skates off, too. I see him take a seat off to the side and then bend over as if he's retying his skates. Whatever, right? But then I see his back shaking.

At least somebody gets my jokes.

"We're the only ones here. You can say fuck, dumbass. You can say anything, really." With a grin, he unleashes a string of expletives. "Fuck, shit, cock, pussy--"

"For the love of Christ!" a loud voice booms from behind us. "Do I need to wash your mouth out with soap, Canning?"

"Did we wander onto the set of Sex and the City? If so, I'm Samantha. Called it."

The tension diffuses instantly, as Canning's lips twitch uncontrollably. "You know actual character names from Sex and the City? Shit, if you hadn't told me you were gay, I would've figured it out just now."

"That was an extremely insensitive case of stereotyping, Jamie," I say primly.

I'm attracted to women, no doubt about it.

I'm also attracted to men, apparently.

Wonderful. Complicated fellow, my dick.

"Why did you stop?" I swallow, too. "Are you going to... fuck me now?"

The question brings a jolt of panic. As hot as it was to watch on a screen, I don't think I'm ready to experience that for myself yet. I'm not sure I'll ever be ready--

"No." He's quick to reassure me, his gaze softening when he sees my face. "Not unless you want me to."

"I..." I bite my lip. "I... don't know. Maybe another time." Maybe another time? God, when I go gay, I really go gay.

"Hi."

"Hi," he says, without looking up.

I drop my nose into his hair and take a deep breath of him. He smells like summertime, and I can't get enough.

"Dude, are you sniffing my head?"

"Want you," I whisper. Lately, those two words define me.

"Have me," he says.

Wes heads to the bathroom to brush his teeth, and I watch him go. I even catch myself admiring his ass. Lately I find myself sneaking looks at him, trying to raise some kind of holy shit reaction to the idea that I'm involved with a guy.

When I was young, I used to try to scare myself by walking through the woods alone. I'd peer into the shadows and imagine something terrifying waited there, just to give myself a little thrill. But it never worked all that well, and neither do my attempts to frighten myself over recent events.

Because it's Wes. He's not scary. And the things we do in bed are just plain hot.

"Look, that dude is only jealous. But some people are assholes about it. I mean, the things you and I do are illegal in some places."

"You're really selling it to me then."

His grin is wry. "There are benefits."

"Yeah? Hit me. What's good about going gay?" I nudge him back under the table.

"Well, dicks," he says. "Obvs."

"Obvs."

There's pressure in my ears, and the world goes a little blurry. I find myself sinking down toward the floor, my back sliding along the expensive wood cabinet, my ass hitting polished cherry. My eyes are wet, so I look out the window. I see blue. That fucking view. It's beautiful, and I just don't care.

Because nothing is as beautiful as the man who just told me he loves my fucked-up self.

I rake one hand through my hair, and he suddenly captures my wrist, his brown eyes narrowing.
"When did you get this done?"

He's looking at my new tat, and I feel sheepish as I answer, "Couple days after I left camp."

Rough fingertips skim the line of black ink. "What are these coordinates for?" I'm not surprised he's figured it out. My man is smart.

"Lake Placid," I tell him.

His eyes lock with mine. "I see." He clears his throat, but when he speaks again, his voice is still lined with gravel. "You really do love me, huh?"

"Always have." I swallow hard. "Always will."

"Yeah, it sucks," he agrees. "But here's the thing about family, Ryan... blood doesn't mean shit. You just need to surround yourself with people who do love you, and they become your family."

I sink down on the couch beside him, the plastic crinkling beneath my boxers. He slings one muscular arm around me, then brushes his lips over my temple. "I'm your family, babe." He takes the phone from my hand and taps the screen. "And these crazy maniacs? They'll be your family too if you let them. I mean, they'll fucking drive you bananas sometimes, but trust me when I say it's totally worth it."

I believe him. "I can't wait to meet them," I say softly.

His mouth travels along the edge of my jaw before hovering over my lips. "They're going to love you." He kisses me, slow and sweet. "I love you."

I rub the pad of my thumb over his bottom lip. "Loved you every summer since I was thirteen years old. Love you even more now."

"Ryan Theodore Wesley! Put that knife down this instant!"

I freeze like an ice sculpture as Jamie's mother barrels toward me, one hand planted on her hip, the other pointing to the chef's knife in my hand.

"Who taught you how to chop onions?" she demands.

I glance down at the cutting board in front of me. As far as I can tell, I haven't committed any major onion-related crimes.

"Um..." I meet Cindy Canning's eyes. "Well, that's kind of a trick question. Nobody taught me, per se. My parents have a cook that comes in four times a week to prepare meals and - wait, I'm sorry, did you just call me Ryan Theodore?"

She waves her hand as if the question is inconsequential. "I don't know your middle name so I had to make one up."

"Are you in love with my brother?"

"Tammy!" Jamie sputters as his older sister voices that last question.

I look up and find him in the mob, and it's like the sun just came out. It's only been an hour since I saw him last, but he has the same damn effect on me every time.

As his mom gestures for us to wait, he brings his mouth close to my ear and says, "Are we having fun yet?"

"Yes," I say truthfully. Because fuck, the Canning clan has been great. Maybe I can stop worrying so much. Maybe there's one corner of the world where I don't have to prove myself all the time. Okay - two corners. Because life in a certain Toronto condo is going really well, too.

Dear Ryan. Thank you for making Jamie so happy. He loves you and so do we. Welcome to the Canning clan.

Content Warnings

lauren717's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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? It's complicated

3.5

Content Warnings

gmelrose's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.0

So. Elle Kennedy is undoubtedly one of the worst current, more famous authors out there.

The book was fine, readable, up until the casual misogyny, racism (that I assume both authors shouldn't have written in) and homophobia, coupled with multiple f-slurs (which also- authors, queer or not- shouldn't have tried to reclaim). What really made me lose it was at 95% of my ebook, where one of the characters says, and I quote, "I could announce I wanted to live my life as a transsexual vampire yeti, and they’d still say ‘Oh, Jamie. You’re so cute.’" I might be reading too much into this, but since when is being trans- (-sexual or -gender) a bad thing? Where one shouldn't need the love they deserve for being who they are? Which is also a big plot of the book, being queer and homophobia. The irony.

Anyways, this book really... sucked. But seriously. Making being trans out to be a bad thing was the cherry on top.

Content Warnings

silver_lining_in_a_book's review against another edition

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lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Content Warnings

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