Review: Lawn Parties, Discovery and Kink… I Think it May be Love…
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 28, 2014
Right off the bat, this became a ten-lane wide highway right back to college for me. It’s already a fab time to look back on and this was one more way of doing that. For so many of us, this was a time of, not just expressing ourselves, but discovering how the heck we wanted to do that to begin with. The passion exuded and used for issues important to me, it was also here. A cool thing about reading a story like this is that is helps remind me of how I was back then, and that no, it’s not coming on too strong when I make it very clear how I feel on any particular subject, how I’ll defend and take care of the people who are important to me, how having fun is sometimes just about that, having fun – it doesn’t always have to have a purpose.Some of you may be thinking, wow, that sounds kind of serious. I thought this was about university and frat houses and sex and hotness? Yes, it is, have no doubt. It also has a story, several story lines, woven together through a number of supporting characters that set up shop in the midst of this thing called Mark Cooper and Deacon Holt. Humor and excitement, embarrassing situations that sometimes lead to awesome discovery, puzzle pieces about life that seem to slip into place as you start making your way in the world, especially with someone you’re finding yourself unable to resist. There, see? Heh, yeah, FUN.Let me say that, whether you ever went to college/university doesn’t really matter when you read this story. All of us were 18 and 21 at some point and how we were back then… or now. ;)Mark is 18, Deacon is 21, and if you sit back and think for even just a minute, it wouldn’t be difficult to imagine the things they are going through and experiencing here together. The cool thing is that these two writers have come up with a fantastic story in which to present this unique time in life. Have I mentioned the sex? Because the almost-sex and quickie sex and hot sex and the sweet sex are all here, and very well done, at that.These two ladies know how to write. It feels very natural, smooth. The dialogue flows and it’s easy to picture all of the places and hear all of the sounds. I will say that this particular story is definitely on the lite end of the scale when it comes to the angst and BDSM factors. There are problems that arise, and Mark and Deacon do try some things, but none of it is extreme. It’s an interesting dynamic between the two of them. The difference in their ages does play a small role but not overly so. Their family situations and just their personalities lend themselves to a wide range of possibilities and interactions that work to build something larger. I know I’ve already used this word but it’s just fun to watch.There are some typical experiences here but they fit the story. There are a few things that happen but then appear to be left unresolved, though most of them are given a return visit later on. There are surprises and it’s one of the best things a writer can do that make a story that much better to read for me.Being college age is that strange mix of feeling like you know a lot but then have no clue. It means being brave but then being unsure. It feels like you can conquer the world but then question if you’re going about it the right away. It creates that unique atmosphere of being able to explore, including sexually, while still feeling safe and exciting all at once. Reading this story, with its emotion and hilarity and yes, FUN, I remembered it all. College also means success doesn’t always come from achieving the original goal. Something we can take with us through the rest of life.Ok, so, let me recap: humor, important subjects, sex, discovery, family, oh and FUN. There aren’t too many guarantees in life, but I’m pretty dern sure you’ll have fun reading this. :) This is a re-read for me, fo sho.I would like to thank Loose ID for providing me with the eARC of this title in exchange for my honest opinion.This review was originally published on Prism Book Alliance.