Review: Much better than I expected
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 21, 2011
I've just read "Muscling Through" by J.L. Merrow, based upon the recommendation of a couple of people on a book forum, whose opinion I trust.This was a very quick read, since it is a novella rather than a full-length novel. But it was also a surprisingly satisfying one, for its length!(Yikes, I just re-read that last sentence, which could certainly be taken to mean something that was TOTALLY not intended!)I wasn't sure I was comfortable with Al's voice as he began telling the story, when he came across as being a bit slow on the uptake. (Which of course is totally hypocritical of me, since I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer myself.) But in no time at all, I grew to like this character; he's a real sweetheart, and it was refreshing to hear someone express himself so very directly.Now, I also had my doubts as to whether these two people---who, intellectually speaking, are operating on completely different levels---could have a successful long-term relationship. But by the end of the story the reader is rooting for the two fellows wholeheartedly, and totally believes that they will make a go of it. Is such a relationship possible in real life? Hmmmm, I'm still not sure---I think it rather unlikely---but nevertheless you'll believe it can be true as you read this story.This tale also had a lot more sex in it than the romances I usually read. Wait, is that a good thing or a bad thing? Heh. But hey, it worked---though the question is how to classify it. Does it veer a bit toward erotica, or is it still simply a romance?Oh, I should add that I loved how this story began. It was very funny---I've re-read the first chapter four or five times already.So, surprisingly (because this isn't really like the sort of thing I usually read) I give this a glowing recommendation, though I do wish it were longer and a bit more complex. I appreciated the amusing bits, but the story contained a few genuinely touching moments as well, that really got to me. Give it a try.