Review: Charming
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 13, 2014
This book was charming. And I don't mean to damn it with faint praise, but in the best sense of the word.It sports a few of the standard M/M Romance memes - alcoholic father, fears about coming out, distracted mother (actually, she's a meth addict) but it also starts a few of its own. Blackmail by a wrestling coach. Roommate is a secret famous Yaoi artist. And it even has a couple of characters from Ms. Black's first Kindle book, which turned out to be a lovely almost-flashback.To be honest, I'd completely forgotten that I had read another book by Ms. Black until I went to look for another one to read after finishing this one. Which tells you how much I liked "Pinned".Of course, I've always had a fetish for wrestlers - all those perfect bodies in skintight Spandex. What's not to like? But what surprised and pleased me in this book was how well Ms. Black handles the small stuff, the everyday stuff, a night out at a gay bar, meeting the coach at a sandwich shop. It all goes into making a compelling tapestry.Both boys are engaging, overwhelmingly attractive and realistic. The story carried me right along for a very pleasant ride and ended exactly as it should have.I recommend "PInned" to anyone looking for a good gay read.