Ricky
Mostly enjoyed this. I always appreciate it when the characters in a gay romance novel are actually gay. These characters have both had gay relationships before. And seemingly the book is also written by a gay man. A few annoying tropes though. As usual in these books, most of the conflict feels contrived and implausible. But I don't know, a lot of teenage drama feels contrived and implausible so what do I know. there are some tropes here that I usually associate with female authors of gay romance though. In particular the kind of delayed intimacy trope. These guys have both been in a relationship before, I don't think they would be so precious about sex. It would make sense for Aiden to hold back because he's still carrying a lot of emotions for his former relationship, but I guess I just never buy it when you have two gay teenage boys being like I want a first time to be special. I don't know, I guess some boys must feel that way but it certainly wasn't my experience. On the one hand I appreciate the way that this author avoids providing any explicit details about the sexual encounters, but I almost found it too oblique. Like I just read The Only Light Left Burning, and there's this thing where they read romance novels in front of children and so they kind of coyly describe some of the sex scenes in the book. That's how this book feels. It doesn't feel very natural. Like I honestly like when these books are delicate about intimacy, but I primarily found those sections confusing in this book. Instead of coming across as delicate, it came across as prim and uncomfortable. Like I felt like the novelist was someone's grandmother or something who was afraid to talk about sex. I was just thinking about it because I recently read crash test about the Formula 1 drivers or whatever and I actually liked that the intimate scenes were so restrained in those books. Those scenes are usually so silly so I appreciate one an author shows restraint. anyway I found myself kind of wondering if the approach to sex in this book seemed so tentative because this book might be sort of YA flavored or something but the characters are both adults and it is not totally like a YA book so I wasn't really sure.
I also don't feel like the characters always seemed to adequately appreciate the importance of the mission or the world they were trying to call into being by completing it. I wanted the characters to really rise to the occasion regarding the importance of their mission and the obligatory third act breakup was really just annoying. Whenever that happens in a book it really undoes a lot of the good will that a book has built up which is an unfortunate place to leave the reader.
But at the end of the day, it is a fun world full of gay MacGyvers with a likable couple at the center. People talk sometimes in reviews about not believing love stories because they just kind of fall for each other or something like that. I don't know, that's always been my experience. I don't think I've ever been in love with somebody that didn't start with a feeling of love at first sight. Like that looking at someone's eyes and thinking like almost instantly, oh this is somebody that I could fall in love with. It's just this magnet or something that takes you over.
I also really enjoyed the narration by Talia Carver.
Mostly enjoyed this. I always appreciate it when the characters in a gay romance novel are actually gay. These characters have both had gay relationships before. And seemingly the book is also written by a gay man. A few annoying tropes though. As usual in these books, most of the conflict feels contrived and implausible. But I don't know, a lot of teenage drama feels contrived and implausible so what do I know. there are some tropes here that I usually associate with female authors of gay romance though. In particular the kind of delayed intimacy trope. These guys have both been in a relationship before, I don't think they would be so precious about sex. It would make sense for Aiden to hold back because he's still carrying a lot of emotions for his former relationship, but I guess I just never buy it when you have two gay teenage boys being like I want a first time to be special. I don't know, I guess some boys must feel that way but it certainly wasn't my experience. On the one hand I appreciate the way that this author avoids providing any explicit details about the sexual encounters, but I almost found it too oblique. Like I just read The Only Light Left Burning, and there's this thing where they read romance novels in front of children and so they kind of coyly describe some of the sex scenes in the book. That's how this book feels. It doesn't feel very natural. Like I honestly like when these books are delicate about intimacy, but I primarily found those sections confusing in this book. Instead of coming across as delicate, it came across as prim and uncomfortable. Like I felt like the novelist was someone's grandmother or something who was afraid to talk about sex. I was just thinking about it because I recently read crash test about the Formula 1 drivers or whatever and I actually liked that the intimate scenes were so restrained in those books. Those scenes are usually so silly so I appreciate one an author shows restraint. anyway I found myself kind of wondering if the approach to sex in this book seemed so tentative because this book might be sort of YA flavored or something but the characters are both adults and it is not totally like a YA book so I wasn't really sure.
I also don't feel like the characters always seemed to adequately appreciate the importance of the mission or the world they were trying to call into being by completing it. I wanted the characters to really rise to the occasion regarding the importance of their mission and the obligatory third act breakup was really just annoying. Whenever that happens in a book it really undoes a lot of the good will that a book has built up which is an unfortunate place to leave the reader.
But at the end of the day, it is a fun world full of gay MacGyvers with a likable couple at the center. People talk sometimes in reviews about not believing love stories because they just kind of fall for each other or something like that. I don't know, that's always been my experience. I don't think I've ever been in love with somebody that didn't start with a feeling of love at first sight. Like that looking at someone's eyes and thinking like almost instantly, oh this is somebody that I could fall in love with. It's just this magnet or something that takes you over.
I also really enjoyed the narration by Talia Carver.