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A review by molsen7961
Cali Boy by Charli Meadows
4.0
3.5 stars
I’m not big on taboo romances, but I figured stepbrothers was okay because they’re not blood related and they can be considered more of childhood friends than brothers. But what bothered me was that the characters simultaneously think of each other romantically and as brothers. I mean if you’re going to think of someone romantically, at least don’t think of them as your brother, even if that’s what they technically are. (“I can’t wait to get home and show my stepbrother all the perverse things running through my mind right now.”) I guess the author was playing up the taboo factor for people who actually enjoy it.
The pacing wasn’t great. The characters are pretty much instantly attracted to each other, don’t try to hide it or deny it, and are hooking up within days of meeting. They don’t seem at all bothered that they are stepbrothers. I would have liked more forbidden pining. That being said, they get together and get committed pretty fast, so we get to spend the majority of the book with the couple actually together, which I loved. I wish there was more secrecy involved, though. Basically no one cares when the secret gets out, and people are more shocked with the gay aspect of it all than the stepbrothers aspect.
There’s a lot of unhealthy behaviors in the name of being “caring” in this book, which I’m not a big fan of. Like being controlling while calling it protectiveness. (“He better be in his room and not on the fucking roof again, or I may not hesitate to bend him over my knee and teach him a lesson.”) Blocking someone from leaving the room when they want to end the conversation. Forcing people to talk about past trauma against their will. Stopping others from flirting with someone you have no claim on with jealous / possessive behavior. Opening and barging into a locked bedroom without permission. Et cetera. That kind of behavior is not romantic, it’s a red flag.
There’s also a scene where one MC gives the other a wake up blowjob (starting while asleep) without any prior discussion, which I would consider dubcon. There is no content warning for this.
Finn’s ex-girlfriend is portrayed as a “slut” (book’s words, not mine), and I didn’t appreciate that level of misogyny. Why does one of the only prevalent female characters in the book have to be portrayed in that manner? Why is she called out for dressing like a “slutty school girl” when she’s just wearing the school’s standard uniform? Why is sleeping around portrayed as a bad thing for female characters and a normal thing for male characters? She’s demonized for everything down to drinking kombucha. I mean, what’s wrong with drinking kombucha? She has no purpose in the book except for playing the one-dimensional, evil, slutty ex-girlfriend. And she’s not the only girl - all the girls in the entire school are treated as bratty rich-girl sluts except for the MCs’ only female friend (who also flaunts her assets but apparently it’s only okay for her to do).
There’s also a lot of toxic masculinity in this book. One of the MCs paints his nails and is constantly shamed for it. There’s a lot of calling each other pussies and girls as insults, and there’s a point where one of the MCs states that he wouldn’t be interested in a spa day because he’s a guy. There’s one scene where a group of guys go to a club with a group of girls and the guys call dibs on the girls like they’re objects to claim.
The ending was a bit too easy. No one cared that the characters were together, the antagonists got punished, and the MCs use their trust fund to quit school and get a penthouse apartment AND a beach house while following their dreams of opening a car museum and being an artist. Like life is that easy.
Overall, this book was okay, but problematic in a lot of ways.
I’m not big on taboo romances, but I figured stepbrothers was okay because they’re not blood related and they can be considered more of childhood friends than brothers. But what bothered me was that the characters simultaneously think of each other romantically and as brothers. I mean if you’re going to think of someone romantically, at least don’t think of them as your brother, even if that’s what they technically are. (“I can’t wait to get home and show my stepbrother all the perverse things running through my mind right now.”) I guess the author was playing up the taboo factor for people who actually enjoy it.
The pacing wasn’t great. The characters are pretty much instantly attracted to each other, don’t try to hide it or deny it, and are hooking up within days of meeting. They don’t seem at all bothered that they are stepbrothers. I would have liked more forbidden pining. That being said, they get together and get committed pretty fast, so we get to spend the majority of the book with the couple actually together, which I loved. I wish there was more secrecy involved, though. Basically no one cares when the secret gets out, and people are more shocked with the gay aspect of it all than the stepbrothers aspect.
There’s a lot of unhealthy behaviors in the name of being “caring” in this book, which I’m not a big fan of. Like being controlling while calling it protectiveness. (“He better be in his room and not on the fucking roof again, or I may not hesitate to bend him over my knee and teach him a lesson.”) Blocking someone from leaving the room when they want to end the conversation. Forcing people to talk about past trauma against their will. Stopping others from flirting with someone you have no claim on with jealous / possessive behavior. Opening and barging into a locked bedroom without permission. Et cetera. That kind of behavior is not romantic, it’s a red flag.
There’s also a scene where one MC gives the other a wake up blowjob (starting while asleep) without any prior discussion, which I would consider dubcon. There is no content warning for this.
Finn’s ex-girlfriend is portrayed as a “slut” (book’s words, not mine), and I didn’t appreciate that level of misogyny. Why does one of the only prevalent female characters in the book have to be portrayed in that manner? Why is she called out for dressing like a “slutty school girl” when she’s just wearing the school’s standard uniform? Why is sleeping around portrayed as a bad thing for female characters and a normal thing for male characters? She’s demonized for everything down to drinking kombucha. I mean, what’s wrong with drinking kombucha? She has no purpose in the book except for playing the one-dimensional, evil, slutty ex-girlfriend. And she’s not the only girl - all the girls in the entire school are treated as bratty rich-girl sluts except for the MCs’ only female friend (who also flaunts her assets but apparently it’s only okay for her to do).
There’s also a lot of toxic masculinity in this book. One of the MCs paints his nails and is constantly shamed for it. There’s a lot of calling each other pussies and girls as insults, and there’s a point where one of the MCs states that he wouldn’t be interested in a spa day because he’s a guy. There’s one scene where a group of guys go to a club with a group of girls and the guys call dibs on the girls like they’re objects to claim.
The ending was a bit too easy. No one cared that the characters were together, the antagonists got punished, and the MCs use their trust fund to quit school and get a penthouse apartment AND a beach house while following their dreams of opening a car museum and being an artist. Like life is that easy.
Overall, this book was okay, but problematic in a lot of ways.