Review: NO SCREWUPS HERE!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 4, 2014
Jake is an extremely closeted guy who hails from a family that includes a macho father, two homophobic jock brothers and a loving and caring mother. Throughout Jake's life, to this point, his father has dictated his future and his twin older brothers have made his life hell.He is now in college and beginning to take some fledgling steps toward his future in the arts, while keeping that secret from his family. His first step is to move from the business oriented dorm to one that is art and music oriented. If he is found out by his father, he will lose his financial support, As well as any chance of graduating. He also wants to change his major. Jake possesses  the skill and talent to possibly become an exceptional artist.Danny, who is openly gay, is happy to accept Jake as his room mate. But Jake is terrified of coming out to anyone, even Danny, with whom he has gained a modicum of trust.Sounds familiar, huh?Although this plot has been used countless times before, Jamie Fessenden makes it work quite effectively. Jake and Danny have a rather unique chemistry between them that makes this plot work, and work well. We are given great insight into each character's motivations that make for a believable and unique story.I can't say that everything here spoke of originality, but I found a certain charm in the angst of both main characters, who have well hidden secrets in their combined past experiences. Those incidents create real fear in each, and threaten to undo a fragile physical and emotional bond that is beginning to form between them.Jake is a virgin, while Danny is quite the opposite. This difference between them, as well as some damn fine creative writing makes this book very much different from others with similar plots. The author takes his time to build the personalities, cover important points in their growth and gives reasons for the motivations of his two main characters. He also takes the time to develop the secondary characters quite thoroughly, and this adds greatly to the story.All told, it was a fascinating and enjoyable, well written and edited book, and deserves a chance. This is not a YA novel, since the sex is quite graphic. However, at no time, should it offend a gay adult reader. In fact, the sexual scenes are sometimes humorous, and definitely add to the character of the book.