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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was so good but... the dead wife trope. Something about it feels so cheap to me. Maybe I see myself in the wives, so it feels unsettling when they exit the story early. They also always seem to be the coolest characters and genuine friends to the other mains. Idk...
Jack Spears = a great character. His bathtub breakdown and paranoia after an invasion of privacy: chef's kiss.
Max = uh... I'm iffy. I wanted to wring his neck through a lot of this, particularly from the start and the damn laundry room, but on the flip, once he accepted everything it felt almost too easy. Which is not fair of me to say.
Basically, I enjoyed this a lot. I also found it incredibly frustrating. It had a sweet epilogue that didn't feel corny or forced, which is always a great bonus.
Jack Spears = a great character. His bathtub breakdown and paranoia after an invasion of privacy: chef's kiss.
Max = uh... I'm iffy. I wanted to wring his neck through a lot of this, particularly from the start and the damn laundry room, but on the flip, once he accepted everything it felt almost too easy. Which is not fair of me to say.
Basically, I enjoyed this a lot. I also found it incredibly frustrating. It had a sweet epilogue that didn't feel corny or forced, which is always a great bonus.
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Goood, I knew it was gonna be good when we got told lainey spoke about Max to jack like he was theirs after she found out jack liked himmm, loveddd it
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was beautiful. Hurt/Comfort with a side of pining and some angst. This was a great story of two friends coming together after loss. The found family trope was great in this too. A beautiful story. Loved how Max became the strong one for Jack.
No rating as I stopped reading at 61%.
I just couldn't read another word. This was not good. I hope Jack learns to know his self worth and dumps Max.
I won't be exploring other work from this author as the writing style didn't work for me.
I just couldn't read another word. This was not good. I hope Jack learns to know his self worth and dumps Max.
I won't be exploring other work from this author as the writing style didn't work for me.
I loved Jack's relationship with Lainey, Max, and Emma when the book started and then when the story shifted gears. His closest friend was hit with tragedy and he stayed to help make sure the people he loved were taken care of. He accidentally kissed his best friend when comforting him and we were off to the races.
I almost put the book down because of how Max was treating Jack at certain points because it felt like he was kicking a gorgeous golden retriever. Jack never deserved the treatment he got and I'm glad they were able to work it out. Every time Jack cried I wanted to flick Max in the ear.
I almost put the book down because of how Max was treating Jack at certain points because it felt like he was kicking a gorgeous golden retriever. Jack never deserved the treatment he got and I'm glad they were able to work it out. Every time Jack cried I wanted to flick Max in the ear.
The shutout by Dianna Roman is a fantastic book in my opinion. Wholly cow I was blown away! It was such a roller coaster of emotions. I laughed so hard, cried so many times( happy and sad ), was on the edge of my seat in anticipation , and angry for jack and max so many times. Jack was max and Lainey’s next door neighbor and best friend. Then Lainey dies and for 3 years jack has supported max and his daughter Emma while secretly in love with max. When it comes to light that jack is gay and is extremely attracted to max. Max has to come to terms with so many things really,His grief over his wife, his sexuality, jacks sexuality, and the secret that was kept from him. I loved that we were able to be in max’s head while he sorted everything out the best that he could. I felt like I was with these two characters the whole time every step of their journey.
I just want to pay a little homage to Morgan, max’s sister, one of the best side characters ever. Also the title of the book is so perfect for this story. The only thing I would critique would be and maybe I just missed it but I never found out what happened with laney’s parents. In the epilogue everything was tied up neat in a great package but for Lainey,s parents. I could have just missed it. Not a big deal anyway it doesn’t take away from how incredible this book is. I absolutely loved it. Thank you Dianna Roman.
I received an advance copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I just want to pay a little homage to Morgan, max’s sister, one of the best side characters ever. Also the title of the book is so perfect for this story. The only thing I would critique would be and maybe I just missed it but I never found out what happened with laney’s parents. In the epilogue everything was tied up neat in a great package but for Lainey,s parents. I could have just missed it. Not a big deal anyway it doesn’t take away from how incredible this book is. I absolutely loved it. Thank you Dianna Roman.
I received an advance copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was an interesting book, and overall it surprised me and kept me interested throughout the duration of the novel. What I assumed was just going to be a run of the mill friends to lovers became a lot more emotional and heartfelt that I was banking on, with a slow burn, angst, and emotional dialogue constantly throughout.
This is the debut novel for the author that came out earlier this year, and the story is different. The story is of Jack Spears, the best pitcher in the MLB who is next door neighbor of Max Hartwell, his best friend of six years and to his wife Lainey. Tragically, Lainey died three years ago, and that also coincides with the time that Jack starts to realize that his feelings for Max, which Max is oblivious too, seeing Jack as his best friend (and not knowing he is gay) and all of this is the status quo until one day when Max breaks down from the stress of being a single dad and Jack in comforting him kisses him, which changes their relationship and where the story begins to play out.
Told from dual perspectives of Max and Jack, you get to a picture of the backstory of how they became friends, how it shifted with Lainey dying, and how Jack is with Max and his daughter, Emma. Some readers have been quick to point out some of the issues with the narrative - Jack sharing with Max things that he and Lainey talked about (his queerness, her sexual fantasy about Jack going down on Max, their omission of Jack’s sexuality to Max, Ma and his initial reaction to Jack kissing him and the internalized homophobia). While I agree, Lainey having that fantastic is stereotypical of cis het white women fetishizing gay men, and that Jack probably should not have shared his convos with Lainey’s widowed husband, but for me as a reader, it made sense how Max respond the way he did initially by driving Jack away and being confused by his internal thoughts and slowly realized attraction. Once Jack shifted from being a friend that he relied on and admired, and became someone that he looked at in a romantic light, it didn’t seem stereotypical to me, and I actually read Max as a Demi sexual character. That part of the reason, as his internal monologue says, is that he was attracted to Jack because of his care and love for Emma, and how Jack had been there for Max for a long time. The issue I took at first was that Jack was seen by both Max and Emma as their domesticated help - and while that narrative shifts and expands in the second half of the book, it was odd to me that Jack was content not only being closeted in the MLB, but also being around Max with unrequited love.
My other umbrage with the book was the constant tears - I get it, men can and should be free with their emotions. But this much crying, during random convos, hugs, sex, meetings?? You would think these two were in danger constantly - which they were not. Also, the cheesy dialogue reminded me at times like I was reading a porn script written for limited knowledge, and while the author makes fun of that herself, it was off putting. And of course, the use of baby drove me up the wall - again, can we please find other words of endearment????
Overall, the illustrated cover version that I came across surprised me and overall I did enjoy the book for what it was slated to be, and I didn’t expect to have enjoyed myself so much in this slow burn and angst friends to lovers book.
This is the debut novel for the author that came out earlier this year, and the story is different. The story is of Jack Spears, the best pitcher in the MLB who is next door neighbor of Max Hartwell, his best friend of six years and to his wife Lainey. Tragically, Lainey died three years ago, and that also coincides with the time that Jack starts to realize that his feelings for Max, which Max is oblivious too, seeing Jack as his best friend (and not knowing he is gay) and all of this is the status quo until one day when Max breaks down from the stress of being a single dad and Jack in comforting him kisses him, which changes their relationship and where the story begins to play out.
Told from dual perspectives of Max and Jack, you get to a picture of the backstory of how they became friends, how it shifted with Lainey dying, and how Jack is with Max and his daughter, Emma. Some readers have been quick to point out some of the issues with the narrative - Jack sharing with Max things that he and Lainey talked about (his queerness, her sexual fantasy about Jack going down on Max, their omission of Jack’s sexuality to Max, Ma and his initial reaction to Jack kissing him and the internalized homophobia). While I agree, Lainey having that fantastic is stereotypical of cis het white women fetishizing gay men, and that Jack probably should not have shared his convos with Lainey’s widowed husband, but for me as a reader, it made sense how Max respond the way he did initially by driving Jack away and being confused by his internal thoughts and slowly realized attraction. Once Jack shifted from being a friend that he relied on and admired, and became someone that he looked at in a romantic light, it didn’t seem stereotypical to me, and I actually read Max as a Demi sexual character. That part of the reason, as his internal monologue says, is that he was attracted to Jack because of his care and love for Emma, and how Jack had been there for Max for a long time. The issue I took at first was that Jack was seen by both Max and Emma as their domesticated help - and while that narrative shifts and expands in the second half of the book, it was odd to me that Jack was content not only being closeted in the MLB, but also being around Max with unrequited love.
My other umbrage with the book was the constant tears - I get it, men can and should be free with their emotions. But this much crying, during random convos, hugs, sex, meetings?? You would think these two were in danger constantly - which they were not. Also, the cheesy dialogue reminded me at times like I was reading a porn script written for limited knowledge, and while the author makes fun of that herself, it was off putting. And of course, the use of baby drove me up the wall - again, can we please find other words of endearment????
Overall, the illustrated cover version that I came across surprised me and overall I did enjoy the book for what it was slated to be, and I didn’t expect to have enjoyed myself so much in this slow burn and angst friends to lovers book.
*Edited 7.10 after a lot of reflecting*
The first 50% of this book I was extremely annoyed with Max. He keeps doing hurtful things, acknowledging in his own head they were hurtful, and then not changing. Once he does apologize to Jack for his actions it’s like his character does a complete 180. He and Jack to a lesser extent would’ve benefited greatly from therapy, but that’s never brought up. The latter half of the book the love they have for each other is palpable. They do have sweet moments that I very much enjoyed. Unfortunately there’s also a traumatic outing in the third act that quite frankly I could’ve absolutely done without.
The first 50% of this book I was extremely annoyed with Max. He keeps doing hurtful things, acknowledging in his own head they were hurtful, and then not changing. Once he does apologize to Jack for his actions it’s like his character does a complete 180. He and Jack to a lesser extent would’ve benefited greatly from therapy, but that’s never brought up. The latter half of the book the love they have for each other is palpable. They do have sweet moments that I very much enjoyed. Unfortunately there’s also a traumatic outing in the third act that quite frankly I could’ve absolutely done without.