There be spoilers. I'm pretty pissed off at the moment. What a waste of time this was.

CW: Homophobia, racism, cheating, and sexual assault.

I only liked Holden. And even he was an idiot. But I could empathize with this struggles - coming to terms with his feelings for another boy, figuring out that he's bi-sexual (though I'm not sure why he'd think that, since he hasn't even had a girlfriend), and dealing with being bullied at school, on top of living with an asshole father and a doormat mother, unable to live up to his Golden Boy older brother, who was much less an asshole than I expected based on how his character was initially set up. Holden's best friend of 14 years (Tiffany) is abandoning him for a boy, though I'm honestly not even sure why Holden thought of her as his friend in the first place - she was nothing but a bitch to him. 

All the characters in his book are one-dimensional card board cutouts. You have the rich boy jerkface who thinks he can throw his daddy's money in everyone's face, the bitchy-only female, the pedophile principal (ew, ew, ew, what the fuck was that shit, touching Holden inappropriately, talking about blow jobs to make a record go away, and then comparing his dick to Aaron's whose dick he presumably knows NOTHING about), and the cheating daddy fucking Holden's best friend, who's - you guessed it - suddenly pregnant.

None of the characters, including Aaron, the love interest, made any fucking sense with their actions. Not a single one. Not Holden thinking he can just go to the city and enroll in college, and find a job that will pay him enough to cover his cost of living, not Aaron, whose pillow talk was the most ridiculous thing I've ever read in a romance novel, not Jeff, the jerkface, not Tiffany, the bitch, not the principal (what the FUCK was that shit), and not Holden's parents. 

At one point Aaron's father leaves for a conference of some sort in Seattle - which, super convenient, amirite, so Aaron and Holden can have a sleepover and sex it up (virgin ass and all), and we're supposed to believe that a small town mechanic goes to a conference, leaving no one to work on the cars in the shop? 

This book was an utter mess, and I don't just mean the stilted, unrealistic dialogue and ridiculous plot. The editor was MIA, and the proof-reader took a vacation, I guess. Grammar seemed optional. 

Men don't have a g-spot. A virgin like Holden, never having even CONSIDERED gay sex, has likely not heard of the prostrate. And he sure as fuck wouldn't call it a g-spot. 

At one point, Aaron says "Open Says Me". I suppose the author meant OPEN SESAME. How was that not caught? Then a few pages later, Aaron opens the condom and puts it on, with HIS TEETH. On himself. Uhm, sure, whatever floats your boat. I guess you're super bendy. Never mind the holes you just made with your teeth, you moron, which sort of defeats the purpose of putting on a condom in the first place. 

And to top off the editorial proof-reading fuckery, in one instance HOLDEN is called AARON. 

And, and, and... there's no HEA, not even a HFN - the couple has broken up at book's end because Holden is leaving town and Aaron isn't. We get a "To Be Continued" as if that isn't something you should tell your readers up front.

Not recommended. Possibly the worst book I've read this year. JFC. Yeah, I know it's YA, but young adults would like to read good books. And this isn't a good book. 

I'm so sorry, Secret Santa. I was swayed by the blurb and the positive reviews, and I now regret putting this book on my wishlist. I kind of hate that you wasted your money on this, even though I truly appreciate you getting it for me. 

Not recommended.

I read the 2nd edition of this book, out 2/25/17. 

A quick glimpse into the relationship and almost break-up of two college kids who are young, dumb, and in love.

Kyle and Jonathan, both freshmen at university, are madly in love. Except Kyle is ashamed of his humble background and believes that Jonathan and his rich parents will look down on Kyle's poor mother when they'll meet at the upcoming Parents' Weekend.

So, clearly, it's easier to just break Jonathan's heart, and his own. Right? Wrong!

In actuality, this book is simply too short. We don't get a full picture of their relationship, so it's difficult (not impossible) for the reader to put herself into the shoes of these young and dumb kids.

I would applaud Jonathan for not giving up on Kyle (after the initial shock wears off), and going after what he wants, demanding an explanation for that which is to him inexplicable. He does listen and learns something new about his boyfriend.

Kyle too learns that maybe he should have not assumed and instead be a grown-up and talk about his fears. Pulling the crap he pulled didn't win him any favors with me, even if I could to some extent understand his fears. Shame wasn't a good look on him, and while I felt sorry for him during his pain, he did bring this on himself.

The author does a really good job exploring the relationship each boy has with his mother, and that's where this book really worked. I also liked that we got a dual POV, as both Jonathan and Kyle deal with their equally broken hearts. There was a lot of emotion that really came across well in those lines.

I also liked that they both felt drawn to the special place where they shared their first kiss, and thus got a chance to find their way back to each other.

Still... not my favorite by this author. I think this story might have worked a little better if we had been given a bit of a lead-up to their almost break-up, and thus seen why they were so devastated, instead of simply being told they were.


** I received a free copy of this book from Signal Boost promotions as part of the re-release of this story. A positive review was not promised in return. **

Utterly adorkable 3rd installment to Life According To Maps. In which Maps and Lane and Benji and Perry try to figure out the pitfalls of making plans for after high school, teenage angst, and first love.

Maps' usual quirks are front and center as always, assuming that while he should probably find a college to attend, his parents don't really want him to leave, which obviously explains his reluctance in applying for college, obviously, and has nothing to do with his fears of not getting into the same school as Lane, no sirree, not at all.

As Maps and Lane navigate their last few months of senior year, plan for and attend prom, Maps also learns a lot. Okay, some. He definitely learns that Lane loves him, and that he loves Lane. He learns that Perry might have the hots for Benji, possibly, and that those feelings might be returned to some extent, despite Benji's protests and denials.

The way Maps looks at the world is still the same in this book, which is to say completely different from anyone else. He convinces himself that it's not his fears of leaving Benji, and losing Lane, that are keeping him from applying to college and looking forward to finishing high school. He also has a list of things he thinks one should accomplish before finishing high school, such as crashing a party. He makes Lane jealous, unintentionally, during a situation that is so utterly Maps I giggled out loud. I actually giggled quite a few times throughout this book.

This book should not be read as a standalone, since at this point in the series, you have to know Maps to understand him. Besides, why wouldn't you want to read the entire series from start to finish anyway?

Maps is like nobody else you've ever known. That is part of his charm, and while he's not the only character that makes this series worthwhile reading, he's a huge part of the reason.

This is firmly YA fare, as there is no steam other than some toe-curling kisses, but that's not a detriment at all. These boys fumble, they stumble and nearly fall, but their bond is strong and will surely lead them along the right path.

I hope we'll get at least a glimpse of them during their college years. How about it, Nash Summers?


** I received a free copy of this book from its author. A positive review was not promised in return. **

I picked this up on a whim on Netgalley where it was offered as a Read Now from Harmony Ink.

Mason (Mace) is a freshman at college. He keeps to himself, he has no close friends, because he thinks he doesn't deserve any.

He supports himself by being having sex for pay with a specific clientele - he poses as a submissive in ads, seeking not the sex, which does nothing for him, but the pain his clients inflict. Mason believes that he deserves the pain, as a punishment for killing his younger brother. Guilt, shame, and grief are crushing him slowly, to the point where he has cut off even his parents, because he cannot look them in the eye, knowing he's to blame for Jamie's death. This is his coping mechanism, and it's a very destructive one.

The story, short as it may be, packs a huge emotional punch. Mason broke my heart. He's so sad, so alone, and he won't let anyone get close to him, not even Dex, the RA in the dorm where he lives. He doesn't understand why he can't feel sexual desire, why he isn't sexually attracted to anyone. He had a girlfriend in high school, but even with her, he felt nothing. His focus is on his atonement for his brother's death, even if it was an accident - Mason feels responsible, and therefore deserves whatever his clients dish out.

There's a scene about 25% in that sets the plot in motion, and I was thankful that the author chose to not be explicit about what happens to Mason. The aftermath was difficult enough to read.

From there, Mason enters a massive downward spiral, drowning his pain by binge-drinking alcohol, forgoing classes, and basically hiding himself in his dorm room. He is fortunately given help in the form of Dex, his RA. He feels oddly safe with the slightly older man, and while he still keeps his secrets, Mason allows himself to spend time with Dex. Their relationship forms slowly, with two steps forward, one step back.

Mason eventually gets an understanding of his sexuality - he's ace - and I thought this was really well done here, showing the reader how he craved cuddling and intimacy, but not the sexual acts. He learns that what he thought was abnormal really isn't, and that's a huge step on his way to recovery.

This book is dark and somber for the most part, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried a few times. I wanted to reach into the book and help Mason, help him see the truth, help him find his way back from the darkness. I was thankful that he had someone to look out for him, someone who got him the help he so desperately needed.

The book ends on a very hopeful note, and I felt that Mason was in a much better place by the end than when I first met him. The story has a rather realistic feel to it - it's absolutely feasible that someone's guilt, anguish, and shame would drive them to do what Mason did here. I only wish that the real Masons out there were all given the same help book Mason received. Sadly, I don't think that's the case.

Heed the warnings - this is dark, this will break your heart, but it's worth it. Go on this journey with Mason. Not recommended for younger teens, but young adults 16 and older.


** I received a free copy of this book from its publisher via Netgalley. A positive review was not promised in return. **