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jugglingpup 's review for:
Tell Me It's Real
by TJ Klune
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
So, I got this book last year as a Secret Santa present (it is happening again this year, join us!). I have been neglecting to read it, because I am a terrible person. I honestly judged the book by the name of the second book in the series and vowed to never pick it up, really dramatic for a reaction to a book that in reality isn’t as bad as I thought it was based on a name alone.
The book read like I was talking to my sorta-ex Mark (oh, hi Mark). Paul was whiny, dramatic, and made a ton of pop culture references. He also rambled a lot in a way that was endearing and annoying at the same time. I actually texted Mark multiple times saying that Paul was him, giving very detailed descriptions of what was happening. He was mad, I was right. Enough about me torturing boys who don’t read.
The characters were all fantastic. I am just in love with Paul’s parents. They were funny and way TOO supportive. They are what you imagine when you google PFLAG mom (see, I can make random references too!). I loved all the characters, but the one I had the most issues with was Paul. In his quest to hate on himself and never really deal with his own drama, he said some really terrible things all of the time. He slut shammed twinks out of jealousy, which was never addressed. He was really misogynistic and awful about vaginas, which is sadly common among the gay men I always seem to find. It was really shallow and awful. I can keep going, if I did I would remember every time this book upset me. The thing is: Paul isn’t perfect. None of the characters are, except Paul’s parents. Paul is never portrayed as perfect and he often gets called out on his ignorance, but he just skips on by staying ignorant. So I could have done with less hatred for vaginas, thank you.
I also have to point out that there is a conversation about safer sex right before the first sex scene, but then no condoms for oral sex. Sandy literally gives a lesson about how to use a sandwich baggy as a dental dam for anilingus, but heaven forbid oral sex has a condom. I am not surprised by the lack of condom, because this is a romance novel and so very few authors seem to grasp that oral sex needs a condom. I am surprised that dental dams were discussed pages before the missing condom!
I was laughing so much and so hard that I started squeaking. My co-workers asked if I was ok. I tried to explain the hippo scene, but I couldn’t make it through it. I couldn’t even pretend to tell the whole story. I was wheezing.
So this book will either sit very badly with you because of Paul or you will die laughing. If you can’t love Paul for Paul, then you will hate this. There is no way around it. I had a few years of practice with Mark, so I was safe (though Mark would never make the awful vagina comments because I raised him better than that!).
So, I got this book last year as a Secret Santa present (it is happening again this year, join us!). I have been neglecting to read it, because I am a terrible person. I honestly judged the book by the name of the second book in the series and vowed to never pick it up, really dramatic for a reaction to a book that in reality isn’t as bad as I thought it was based on a name alone.
The book read like I was talking to my sorta-ex Mark (oh, hi Mark). Paul was whiny, dramatic, and made a ton of pop culture references. He also rambled a lot in a way that was endearing and annoying at the same time. I actually texted Mark multiple times saying that Paul was him, giving very detailed descriptions of what was happening. He was mad, I was right. Enough about me torturing boys who don’t read.
The characters were all fantastic. I am just in love with Paul’s parents. They were funny and way TOO supportive. They are what you imagine when you google PFLAG mom (see, I can make random references too!). I loved all the characters, but the one I had the most issues with was Paul. In his quest to hate on himself and never really deal with his own drama, he said some really terrible things all of the time. He slut shammed twinks out of jealousy, which was never addressed. He was really misogynistic and awful about vaginas, which is sadly common among the gay men I always seem to find. It was really shallow and awful. I can keep going, if I did I would remember every time this book upset me. The thing is: Paul isn’t perfect. None of the characters are, except Paul’s parents. Paul is never portrayed as perfect and he often gets called out on his ignorance, but he just skips on by staying ignorant. So I could have done with less hatred for vaginas, thank you.
I also have to point out that there is a conversation about safer sex right before the first sex scene, but then no condoms for oral sex. Sandy literally gives a lesson about how to use a sandwich baggy as a dental dam for anilingus, but heaven forbid oral sex has a condom. I am not surprised by the lack of condom, because this is a romance novel and so very few authors seem to grasp that oral sex needs a condom. I am surprised that dental dams were discussed pages before the missing condom!
I was laughing so much and so hard that I started squeaking. My co-workers asked if I was ok. I tried to explain the hippo scene, but I couldn’t make it through it. I couldn’t even pretend to tell the whole story. I was wheezing.
So this book will either sit very badly with you because of Paul or you will die laughing. If you can’t love Paul for Paul, then you will hate this. There is no way around it. I had a few years of practice with Mark, so I was safe (though Mark would never make the awful vagina comments because I raised him better than that!).