Review: 4 stars on the plot, and the additional star for artwork!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 28, 2014
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through the M/M Romance group's DBML (Don't buy me love) program.I’m giving this compilation four stars for plot and an extra star for the chapter heading artwork.In the first book, Derrick is a loner who has basically put his life on hold after dealing with the loss of his grandparents just as he’s becoming an adult. He’s gone through his life by blocking out his attraction to men. He had a girlfriend in high school who now plays a supporting role in getting him to come out of his shell and start living. He has his own handyman business that he started when his grandparents were ill so that he could set his own hours. He’s now well established and was recommended to Gavin who needs some repairs.Gavin just ended a horrible relationship with Lucas and was feeling a bit depressed so he starts flirting with Derrick to make himself feel better. When Derrick actually responds slightly favorably to the flirtation, Gavin starts intentionally breaking things or mentioning tiny problems just so he can get Derrick to come back and fix them. Then Lucas comes back and during the argument that follows, a doorknob gets shoved through the wall so when Derrick comes back to fix it, Gavin has to explain some things about his last relationship and Lucas.Derrick is starting to like Gavin when Gavin admits that he is going through a “waiting and testing” phase since Lucas refused to provide HIV test results. Lucas had managed to get Gavin drunk enough to have sex without a condom and had pushed Gavin several times more into bareback sex.Derrick reacted badly at first to Gavin’s revelations about his HIV status being up in the air, and he walks out on Gavin. Derrick’s reactions have more to do with the fact that he’d been a caretaker from an early age to his grandparent’s and he’d been walling off his emotions so that he wouldn’t feel the heartbreak and loss from getting to close to someone who might die. He soon figures out that Gavin’s early test results are negative and as time goes on, more negative results are only good news as the chance for a positive result decreases. He goes back to Gavin and apologizes for his behavior and they start developing a relationship.In the second book, Gavin is mad at Derrick for still holding back on his feelings and not telling Gavin things. Gavin doesn’t feel like he can trust Derrick if he holds back so he walks out on Derrick. They work that issue out, but Derrick has to deal with homophobic insults and text message threats he receives from someone related to his hockey team.Gavin and Derrick work through their respective problems and become closer. The threat of a potential HIV positive test still hangs over their heads.In the third book, everything comes to a head. Lucas comes in with a lie that he’s tested positive for HIV, Derrick has a meeting this is hockey team to deal with the harassment, and Gavin’s 6-month HIV test is coming up.I love this as a “compilation” instead of as three separate books. It would also have been just as good as one long novel instead of three novellas. The story smoothly transitions from one book to the next and the only thing noticeable was the fact that each book had a new set of chapter heading art, which matches the cover art for each book. As I already mentioned, I love the art. It gives the book a little more feeling that the author cared about the contents of the books.The plot is well thought out and maintained continuity across the trilogy. It was believable and created a connection with the two main characters and their supporting characters. I didn’t see the Lucas situation ending as it had, (no spoilers read the book to find out what happened), but that was a great ending to his situation.