The Bitter Rednesses of Love

I liked the story over all. There is some surprisingly tender scenes between Anthony and Stephen early on, with one of them being a virgin and the other being careful and gentle. Also, Anthony get's a pretty major bout of character development for such a short story. And I kind of wanted to hug Stephen when he goes into his statue mode. (Though we never get to be inside his head, which I think was a shame.)

However, there are two big issues for me that dropped this book like a rock in my estimation. The smaller issue is the realization. Anthony was an ass. Stephen, quite rightly, wanted no part of what he viewed as manipulation. There was angst and drama and longing. However, that was all wiped away when Anthony was badly injured. I just...hate when the author uses the ‘they almost died, I couldn't live without them' to get the couple together. (Especially when it cheapens the emotion, as this book did in my opinion.)

The second issue... Well.

“No,” Stephen said, “Anthony, wait -“But there had been enough waiting.“Don't, I can't, Anthony, please -““You've missed this,” Anthony said. “Say you've missed this, you've missed me.”

...

I'm sorry. When you're having sex with someone and things like consensual non-consent hasn't been talked about, and they tell you to wait, you wait. How is that a concept that seems foreign to romance novels? (I could, possibly forgive the second instance if the first hadn't been there. At all.)