Review: Angsty story with good buildup but a disappointing conclusion
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 5, 2011
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.Rating: 6/10PROS:- The tentative back-and-forth nature of the men's relationship when they first start seeing each other is tender and a nice change from the all-or-nothing seduction often portrayed in m/m romances.- Harley struggles mightily with his desire for Ryan, and I loved that Harley makes himself suffer for so long before doing anything about it. I like reading about characters who have some sexual restraint.- Once the guys start a physical relationship, there are several bedroom scenes, and most of them are of the angry variety. Blackwell captures the tone of such episodes very well. One minute the men are snarling and shoving each other, and the next they're snarling and kissing.CONS:- The two guys are constantly saying hurtful and/or offensive things to each other. In several instances, in fact, I found one guy or the other simply despicable.- Ryan's constant wavering about his feelings for Harley is enough to induce whiplash (and I do mean CONSTANT, as in he hates and desires and pities and admires Harley one after another, all within the span of a single scene).- The transition from "Ryan hates Harley and is cruel to him" to "Ryan loves Harley and wants to live with him" is incredibly abrupt. In fact, there's not much of a transition at all. He just changes, literally overnight.- The descriptions throughout the story are a little flowery and over-the-top for me. Here's an example: "His face was exquisite, like an angel in human form. His lips were full and pink, his nose small and button-like. A pair of startling, amber-colored eyes fringed with lush lashes..." And so on.Overall comments: There's a good story here, and it's actually one of the more convincing Gay for You stories I've read, but I didn't find it very enjoyable overall. The angst level is high, what with Harley's unrequited feelings, Ryan's sexual confusion, and both men's near-constant anger at each other. Each time I thought they'd moved past the hostile/cruel stage, they ended up saying or doing something hurtful again in the next scene.