Review: It was a let down for me.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 05 30, 2014
This would have been a perfect M/F historical romance. This book missed its calling, I swear. I mean, the reformed rake and the young, virginal lover? It just makes sense! What doesn't make sense is this book being a GFY about two adult males.I like Lily Velden. I thought that Gay as Mardi Gras was ADORABLE and I couldn't wait to get my hands on another one of her books. However, I struggled so much with this story.My main issue is the character of Noah. He was supposed to be sort of a ladies man, someone who never noticed a guy before in any way sexual. However, he came across exactly like a teenage girl. He pined, mooned, had insta-love with his object of lust, blushed, and basically acted just like a damsel in need of her handsome prince. Now, I have nothing against damsels and princes, but when the MC is supposed to have been a previously "heterosexual" male, the rapid shift from "straight" to a drooling over every guy's ass and going gaga for a man whom he had never met was completely not realistic.The GFY... *moans*. How poorly done was that? I know Noah says multiple times that it was like a "switch went off" in his head to turn him from gay to straight, but surely most people would agree that it was frighteningly sudden. The BEST part about a GFY is the time. The time it takes to realize your cravings, the cycle of arousal and denial, the slow discovery. I would have much preferred this book NOT be a GFY. I think Noah being closeted would have fit the story 1,000 times better.And Robert. What can I say about him. He was the classic handsome, rakish duke, wining and dining his love interest, showing her (I mean him! Sorry, I keep forgetting!) the magic of sex, and showing him the wonders of the world. Robert whisked Noah off to various European locales and Noah acted like a inexperienced bumpkin, not like a man who had his PhD in Art History and could hold his own. He was so deferential, so referent about Robert that it irked me.My last issue is some of the phrases used in this story. Some may enjoy this style of writing but it doesn't really work for me."With each flex of my inner muscles, I opened for him, like a flower to the sun.""'But what about your sweet little hole? Does your bud want to blossom again?'He returned his hand to my ass, stroking and kneading me, pressing his finger between my cheeks to gently massage the hole he'd so recently deflowered."There are dozens of quotes like those that I bookmarked.Despite my issues, there is something cute about this book. The sex scenes were often very hot (and there are a lot of them!) and I wasn't bored while reading. I think if you like traditional M/F romance and don't mind that structure in your M/M that this might work quite well for you. However, it was a bit of a let down for me. *sad face***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**