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so_many_books's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Biphobia, and Homophobia
rebelbooks101's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book follows Kelly and Blue who have been best friends since childhood. At the start of the story, Kelly rejects a proposal from his boyfriend because he’s been hopelessly in love with his straight best friend for forever. While things seem hopeless for him, things take a turn when Blue starts to show an interest in him.
I would say overall I liked this book but it wasn’t my favourite book ever or anything. I’ve read a lot of books like this before so in ways I’d just felt like I’d read this book already.
I’m such a sucker for friends to lovers so it was easy to win me over in that regard. My main gripe with the trope is a lot of times because the characters already know each other, authors forget to show and convince the reader that these two characters were friends. I think I was definitely convinced they were friends, however their romantic development from friends into lovers was where this book lost me.
When it came to their emotional relationship development, I think that came much later in the story than I would’ve liked and even then what we got was little. A lot of it was rooted in jealousy of not wanting the other person to sleep with someone else and while I think jealousy can definitely show a character is interested in someone, it never really went past that.
“So this is another jealousy thing.”
“No. Well, yes. But no.”
“That’s clear as mud.”
I feel like the characters needed more of a reason to want to be together at the end of the book rather than just not wanting the person with somebody else. Because of that, the characters acted out of pure selfish need, rather than actually showing that they loved each other. This book seemed to focus more on the fact that these characters wanted to sleep together rather than developing them romantically.
I’m all for stories where characters are figuring out their sexuality and all, but the way Blue went about all of it rubbed me the wrong way. It’s one thing to want to experiment, but it’s a whole other thing to continuously sleep with your best friend who you’re fully aware is in love with you when you want to remain just friends. While you know they’ll end up together in the end, I didn’t like the intentional way Blue was hurting Kelly because he wanted to have sex with him.
Overall, I would say I liked this book. While I definitely had issues with it, I would still consider it an enjoyable read. I definitely had higher expectations at the beginning of the book that were not met but maybe that’s just because this book was a little smuttier than I would’ve liked it.
I would say overall I liked this book but it wasn’t my favourite book ever or anything. I’ve read a lot of books like this before so in ways I’d just felt like I’d read this book already.
I’m such a sucker for friends to lovers so it was easy to win me over in that regard. My main gripe with the trope is a lot of times because the characters already know each other, authors forget to show and convince the reader that these two characters were friends. I think I was definitely convinced they were friends, however their romantic development from friends into lovers was where this book lost me.
When it came to their emotional relationship development, I think that came much later in the story than I would’ve liked and even then what we got was little. A lot of it was rooted in jealousy of not wanting the other person to sleep with someone else and while I think jealousy can definitely show a character is interested in someone, it never really went past that.
“So this is another jealousy thing.”
“No. Well, yes. But no.”
“That’s clear as mud.”
I feel like the characters needed more of a reason to want to be together at the end of the book rather than just not wanting the person with somebody else. Because of that, the characters acted out of pure selfish need, rather than actually showing that they loved each other. This book seemed to focus more on the fact that these characters wanted to sleep together rather than developing them romantically.
I’m all for stories where characters are figuring out their sexuality and all, but the way Blue went about all of it rubbed me the wrong way. It’s one thing to want to experiment, but it’s a whole other thing to continuously sleep with your best friend who you’re fully aware is in love with you when you want to remain just friends. While you know they’ll end up together in the end, I didn’t like the intentional way Blue was hurting Kelly because he wanted to have sex with him.
Overall, I would say I liked this book. While I definitely had issues with it, I would still consider it an enjoyable read. I definitely had higher expectations at the beginning of the book that were not met but maybe that’s just because this book was a little smuttier than I would’ve liked it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
piperclover's review against another edition
emotional
funny
slow-paced
2.75
I so desperately want to give this a higher rating but I was just so angry through so much of it that I can't justify anything higher. If from about 65% to about 85% were cut out, I'd probably give this 3.5 or 3.75 stars. The number one thing that bothered me was that from about 70% to about 88% I was just flat out angry at Blue. I found him to be it so heartless, manipulative, and controlling. Multiple times he undermines Kelly as an autonomous, fully capable person but also undermines his feelings to his face and never once does he apologize for it. He doesn't seem to care about how much hes hurting Kelly but then wants to keep Kelly as a pet or a trophy all the same.
Kelly stuck up for himself a few times and every single time I was praising him and then in the chapter, sometimes sooner, he'd go back on it and we were in the exact same position all over again.
The other things that bothered me were 1) of course one of the main characters had to have gray eyes despite the fact that having gray eyes is such a rare genetic trait that only about 3% of the world's population has. But of course Kelly just happens to have them like every other main character in a romance book ever. And 2) I'm almost positive that not a single time does this book call a fully grown adult woman woman. Everybody all the time says girl and it's ridiculous. These are full grown autonomous adults having sex with fully autonomous capable adult men and the author is still calling them girls as if they're children.
Kelly stuck up for himself a few times and every single time I was praising him and then in the chapter, sometimes sooner, he'd go back on it and we were in the exact same position all over again.
The other things that bothered me were 1) of course one of the main characters had to have gray eyes despite the fact that having gray eyes is such a rare genetic trait that only about 3% of the world's population has. But of course Kelly just happens to have them like every other main character in a romance book ever. And 2) I'm almost positive that not a single time does this book call a fully grown adult woman woman. Everybody all the time says girl and it's ridiculous. These are full grown autonomous adults having sex with fully autonomous capable adult men and the author is still calling them girls as if they're children.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
browneyedbookworm's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
fairydust18's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
4.0
This was one of the first m/m sports romances I read. Loved both Kelly and Blue to bits.
It’s a slow burn friends to lovers bi awakening situation, with happy ending and some angst along the way.
Really enjoyable plot and great cast of supporting characters.
It’s a slow burn friends to lovers bi awakening situation, with happy ending and some angst along the way.
Really enjoyable plot and great cast of supporting characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
romantiquesplendor's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
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