Review: 4.5 Stars, Rounding Up - 4 for story, 5 for characters
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 24, 2014
This book is a charmer. Jeremy is sweet, a bit brash & immature, but honest & loyal. He & Beck fall for each other from Day 1. Their interaction is heated, funny, & eye-opening for Beck. He's gay & knows it but is not open about it. His biggest fear is that he'll lose his wrestling scholarship for his last year as an undergrad if he comes out. Since this is such a big plot point in the story, I felt there were a few holes in it that could have used patching up. Also, the end of the story feels a bit unfinished because after the story comes to a head, it's never revealed what Beck's family's reaction is to all of it. We see Jeremy's side but nothing from Beck's. I think that would have made this book easily a 5 for me. It felt a little incomplete since it wasn't brought up AT ALL. Another reason for less than a 5 is that the 1st person POV shift from Jeremy to Beck & back again sort of takes you out of the momentum of the story since you have to consciously note, 'Oh right, it's Beck now.' Not a biggie but I didn't lose myself in the story. Having said this, I do really like that you know what's going on in each MC's head.The story is enjoyable & the MCs are sexy, their relationship is heartfelt, & both MCs brought their vulnerabilities to the table in a strong way. I love Beck's protectiveness & commitment...That is, once he makes up his mind, but he's all in when it happens. He shows Jeremy how he feels before saying the words, which is sweet. Jeremy has every reason to be less than he is, but his strength & determination, his fearlessness in rising above his circumstances, makes him just as like-able as Beck. I like their interaction & emotional connection. Maris Black is good in creating the attraction, both emotionally & physically. Yeah, they are hot together, for sure, but their love is what vests me in the story.I also enjoyed the secondary characters. There could have been a tad more development in that area as well, but I'm interested enough to read any further stories about them. In fact, I'm looking forward to it.I like Maris Black's writing & will definitely continue to pick up her books. I liked 'Owning Corey' as well & was glad to see a glimpse of the MCs from that book in this one. Highly recommend.