A review by tankytoon
The Shutout by Dianna Roman

emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This was a mixed bag of emotions for me, I'm not sure whether I like it or don't so I settled for somewhere in the middle.

The things I liked:

- the fact that Jack was best friends with Max and his wife, and did not have subconscious desires from the start
- the way Jack treats Max's daughter as if it was his own
- the time and compassion Jack takes to be there for Max and Emma when Lainey died
- the way Jack held back because he didn't want to overstep boundaries 
And of course, with this, THE PINING!!! It was really palpable in this book
- the banter between Max and Jack like being old married couple
- Emma!

The things I didn't like:

- Max's reaction to the fact that his best friend is gay going from 0 to 180. Progression from straight to gay seem sudden. 
- Max mishandling Jay's confession 
- Some of the narrative seem teenage-y and clichéd
- Some of  the dialogue, especially during sex scenes are cringey
- A bit repetitive towards the second half
- The way they were outed and no real resolution
- and lastly, the epilogue was unnecessary 
especially the part where they talked about dying when they're 50 and at their daughter's wedding spoiled the good mood for me


There are other things I could list but it would spoil the story, there are some parts that are hopeful,
like the way the team and everyone who mattered came together after their public outing,
but I have to keep in mind that this only happens in the realm of fiction and it is still a far cry from happening in reality.




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