It’s easy to become cynical when life never goes your way. 

Cole Reid has been a social recluse since he was fifteen, when he was outed by his high school baseball team. Since then, his obsessive-compulsive behavior and sarcastic nature have driven away most of the population, and everyone else hates him because he’s gay. As he sees it, he’s bound to repulse any prospective friends, let alone boyfriends, so why bother? 

By the time Cole enters college, he’s become an anal-retentive loner—but it’s not a problem until his roommate graduates and the housing department assigns Ellis Montgomery to move in with Cole. Ellis is messy, gorgeous, straight, and worst of all, a jock! 

During a school year filled with frat buddies, camping expeditions, and meddling parents, Cole and Ellis develop a friendship that turns Cole’s glass-half-empty outlook on its head. There must be more to Ellis than a fun-loving jock—and maybe Cole’s reawakening libido has rekindled his hope for more than camaraderie.

 

Review

Okay. Wade Kelly is killing me a little bit. The parts of her books and this book that are good are so very good and this there is these little bits and pieces that are off putting, out of place, not resolved and as another review put it haphazard. This makes it hard to recommend her books as I know someone will want to throw them across the room and to ask for the high price of Dreamspinner books even tougher. 

I love mean witty Cole. I love his funny and his personality and even how difficult and yet assertive and brave he is. I was charmed by his nerd self.

I like sunny Ellis a great deal as well as he learns who he is and how to be with himself and Cole. His lack of communication and freak outs seem out of character and took too long. 

The cast of friends is interesting and I kind of would like them to get their own romance. MF for the super nice future pastor. The next books in the series takes place when Ellis (now well adjusted and married to Cole awwww) is coaching and teaching (cause that happens in a university so easily lol)

There is some crazy sauce that is not needed but the romance is sweet and hot overall with lots of couple time. I liked it a lot. 

I must give the author props - the young men sounded and acted like young men, teasing and harrassing each other and not talking about anything real.  It's just that I don't really enjoy that dynamic.  I guess I want young men to act much older and more mature - my bad. :-)

 

This was told from several different points of view.  Some of them were really creepy, like Mike.  One of them was (I think) unintentionally creepy - Ellis's mom.  I think I hated being in her head more than Mike's, and Mike was awful.  At first Ellis's mom was just really clueless and self-involved without being able to self examine at all.  But then she got weirdly controlling and obsessed with Ellis.  She

refused to let him have his phone for days on end.  The guy is 20!  But Ellis has a tearful reunion with her later, so I think she was supposed to be a normal mom.

(spoiler show)

Again, maybe just me?

Don't hate me but I was glad when this one ended. I know, I know. I loved Cole and Ellis. I enjoyed watching their friends process their relationship. I thought the mother was fine. It was the constant jibber-jabber. Way, way too much yapping. But I get why this is a popular book and I'd recommend it to other readers who are looking for something lite and fun. 

Back Off! That's My Jock - Wade Kelly Orginally reviewed at Sinfully.

This just may be my favorite book in the series. Book three in the Jock series picks up where the second book, [b:No! Jocks Don't Date Guys|27389706|No! Jocks Don't Date Guys (Jock, #2)|Wade Kelly|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1447639460s/27389706.jpg|47433801], left off as far as the series timeline goes. While Doug and Sam’s love story is new, and Wade Kelly does recap any important prior events, I think anyone who has not read at least book two might be a little lost with respect to all the secondary characters in the story.

Sam’s been raised by a father who grew more violent as the years passed once he had an idea that Sam was gay, seeking out any religion that would support his homophobic stance, and a mother that seemingly just closed her eyes to what was happening. His father browbeat him into doing all he could to suppress his attraction to men and Sam knows that it would just be easier for him to date girls. He’s recently been stuck in the middle of his parents’ fighting and impending divorce. Now that he’s escaped home and is away at school, there are times where he yearns to accept who he is, but those feelings are still up against what his father says is right. He still thinks his feelings are unnatural and against God’s will. As much as he wants Doug the fear of his father’s reaction outweighs it.

Doug has been working through his own feelings since the last book, when his best friend Chris fell in love with Alonzo. He is really pretty comfortable with his attraction to Sam and is just trying to figure out whether he is gay or bisexual. Doug understands that Sam is working through some issues and tries to be there for Sam however he needs him to be. Easier said than done as Sam continues to date a cheerleader and Doug finds it hard to keep his anger and jealousy hidden. Both of them are guilty of sending mixed signals and not really communicating with each other.

There is definitely insta-love in this story and both men know the other has strong feelings very early on. I found myself alternately being angry with and then feeling bad for Sam. Since the story is told mostly from Doug’s point of view, it hurt being in Doug’s shoes watching Sam date Mindy, even knowing why he was doing it and the damage his father had done to him. I was angry at Sam when, knowing full well how Doug feels, he asks Doug not to see any girls, seeks out physical contact with Doug, yet he continues on with Mindy. I couldn’t blame Doug for acting out on his jealousy and anger. Wade Kelly definitely knows how to get the emotions her characters are experiencing across to her readers. The only thing that saved me from writing off Sam early on was getting a bit of Sam’s point of view and his background.

Most of the characters from the first two books are back and some even have chapters from their points of view. Chris and Alonzo play a large supporting role as does Ellis, who is back again coaching the soccer team. My favorite returning character though is Rob (Ellis’ best friend from [b:My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap!|16225637|My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! (Jock #1)|Wade Kelly|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1354585786s/16225637.jpg|22212735]) who is back with his open-minded spirituality. There are religious undertones in many of these stories and Rob is so good at remaining true to his faith while offering up guidance without judgment. Rob becomes a lifeline for both MC’s, but especially Doug, who in turn provides Rob with much needed friendship.

This is a series that focuses on characters coming to terms with themselves and coming out amongst the outside pressures and expectations of family and friends. As with the prior books this one has plenty of emotional ups and downs while still being funny and sexy. It doesn’t skimp on the drama and angst and provides a wide variety of reactions from supportive to outright hateful, with some characters coming around in unexpected ways. I found myself pulled into each character’s situation and was completely invested in every moment of happiness Doug and Chris found together. Now that Doug’s story has been told, I’m begging you Wade, please bring Russell back and put Rob out of his misery before he has a breakdown. That man needs a happy ever after of his own if anyone does!

(PS: Wade Kelly has since promised that yes, Rob will be put out of his misery. :D )

Painful read.  Grant had every horrible thing happen to him; Mel seemed added to the book to be "inclusive" and Tristan was oblivious for 15 years?!  These characters were poorly thought out and plot was ridiculous.