Review: review
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 4, 2014
3.5 of 5 stars~ Review by BrandilynFor original review see Prism Book AllianceThere are a number of factors that can affect one’s enjoyment of a particular story. There are the obvious ones of plot, point of view, characters, and author style. There are also the less obvious ones such as personal experience, mood, distraction level, energy level, health, the list goes on. Sometimes when I review a book, I have to make a conscience effort to strip those intangibles away and focus on the story the author told.The Guy from Glamour by Skylar M Cates is a sweet tale about one guy finding family where he never expected.  Dean is a rough and tough army special forces man who needs no one but himself and a couple of army buddies.  One day, he gets a phone call that the niece he has never met needs him.  He has every intention of taking a short trip, taking care of things, and coming right back to his unit, but a teenage girl and a middle-school guidance counselor may just change his mind.I read this in pieces before bed over a number of nights. That is not my usual reading style; I tend to devour books whole in one or two sittings. As such, I often found myself trying to remember who all the minor characters were and losing the point of a scene in the minutia of so many characters.  The characters themselves were interesting and well developed, however.In the beginning, I could feel Dean and Anthony’s attraction and reticence. It kept me turning the pages seeing “when” they would get together.  When they would see they needed each other. Once they were together, however, I felt that the book suffered from a tired theme of friends with benefits becoming more. We know they both want more from the beginning, so we spend a lot of time just wanting Dean and Anthony to realize what they had was so much more than they were giving it. I was waiting for something to differentiate the story from all the other FWB stories I have seen and read. Unfortunately, I never felt that I got it.  I also often found myself skimming the numerous sex scenes. I know it is sacrilege in the M/M genre to say there was too much sex, but let’s face it, the guys don’t have to go at it every chapter. What I need to know is how the characters connected. I would love to see how sex made their relationship grow and how it moved them toward their happily ever after. If it’s not doing that, then it’s just sex for the sake of sex.  I will say, however, that when they did get together it was hot and almost animalistic.There is not a whole lot of conflict in The Guy From Glamour. We see two men struggling with their own life changes and their desire for better for each other. We also watch the story of a teenage girl who has had less than an idyllic life trying to find the safety and security in her new normal. We see a family embrace both the teenager and the rough and tough Army Special Forces pilot. We see two men in love who don’t want to admit to themselves. Overall, it is a good comfort read.