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Royal Cycles #2
Crankset
San Francisco bike courier Matt Robinson wishes he and his boyfriend Jason had more privacy, sure, but their quiet, curtained-off living room in the Mission District is all the two of them can afford. Besides, it's safe and homey, two things Jason missed during his tour in Afghanistan. But when the two boys run afoul of their roommates and a rent increase, will Matt let Jason talk him into a risky move to the Sunset District? Or will Matt's big mouth land them both out on the street?
- GenresM M RomanceGay
42 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 18, 2011
15 people want to read
About the author
Kate Roman
39 books57 followersKate Roman is an adventurer, a scribe, and a hopeless romantic. A native of northern California, she divides her time between dreaming of beautiful, heartbroken men and the men who love them and working in IT support. She's ably assisted by one cat, three dogs, and four rabbits and doesn't want to talk about the shameful state of her garden. She also reads more books than can possibly be healthy and can be reached at romankate@gmail.com.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 13, 2012
This title was provided free by the author or publisher for review purposes. Review originally posted at Brief Encounters Reviews.
Rating: B+
Although this story is a sequel to the delightful Chainbreaker (which I reviewed here), I don't think you'd need to have read that one to understand what's going on in Crankset. This story is longer but has the same ingredients of a sweet and sexy relationship between the two main characters, and a colourful cast of background characters. I liked it almost as much as the first story, although it didn't have quite the same impact.
Crankset opens with a scene that beautifully sets up the main conflict. Broke as usual, Matt has found a free sofa on the street and is determined to get it back to their shared apartment despite Jason's misgivings about the orange plaid and possibilities of resident bugs. However, when they get there it turns out that Ricky has already bought a new sofa with her recently increased salary, and is also talking about putting up the rent. While she justifies by saying rents are rising all over the trendy Mission district, Matt sees it as a personal affront. Like him, I couldn't help reading into it that Ricky was now sick of having two young men sleeping behind a curtain in the living room, and was trying to elbow them out of the way just like she does with the sofa.
Matt and Jason are as sweet together as ever in this story, and while Matt's more aggressive approach to life results in a small amount of conflict between them, their relationship is never under threat. Indeed, the very reason Matt opposes Jason's idea to move to another area is because of how protective he feels towards his Gulf War veteran boyfriend. He's worried that unfamiliar surroundings could trigger another attack of post traumatic stress, although Jason is clearly much more stable now.
As in Chainbreaker, the vibrant surroundings of the Mission are beautifully observed, with plenty of arresting details woven into the narrative. I particularly loved the way Matt observes the neighbours across the street from the safety of their rooftop:
These details bring San Francisco vividly to life, yet are deftly fitted between the dialogue so you never find the description intrusive. Another aspect that's just as strong are the fun sex scenes, that Roman skilfully integrates within the plot.
The reason I wasn't quite so taken with this story, though, were the other characters. They are all female (apart from one token prospective housemate), and with the exception of Ricky I couldn't find a huge amount to distinguish them. Perhaps there were just too many of them for me to cope with in such a short story. Mama Yung, who I loved in the first story, was woefully underused, although she does get one of the best lines.
It's difficult when reviewing a sequel as you can't help but compare to the previous book, yet I think on its own merits this one is a great read. It has a touching and sexy romance between two likable leads and the setting is vividly realised. I was going to give it a B as I'd given Chainbreaker a B+, but I think it's actually worth more than that and I probably should have given Chainbreaker an A-!
Rating: B+
Although this story is a sequel to the delightful Chainbreaker (which I reviewed here), I don't think you'd need to have read that one to understand what's going on in Crankset. This story is longer but has the same ingredients of a sweet and sexy relationship between the two main characters, and a colourful cast of background characters. I liked it almost as much as the first story, although it didn't have quite the same impact.
Crankset opens with a scene that beautifully sets up the main conflict. Broke as usual, Matt has found a free sofa on the street and is determined to get it back to their shared apartment despite Jason's misgivings about the orange plaid and possibilities of resident bugs. However, when they get there it turns out that Ricky has already bought a new sofa with her recently increased salary, and is also talking about putting up the rent. While she justifies by saying rents are rising all over the trendy Mission district, Matt sees it as a personal affront. Like him, I couldn't help reading into it that Ricky was now sick of having two young men sleeping behind a curtain in the living room, and was trying to elbow them out of the way just like she does with the sofa.
Matt and Jason are as sweet together as ever in this story, and while Matt's more aggressive approach to life results in a small amount of conflict between them, their relationship is never under threat. Indeed, the very reason Matt opposes Jason's idea to move to another area is because of how protective he feels towards his Gulf War veteran boyfriend. He's worried that unfamiliar surroundings could trigger another attack of post traumatic stress, although Jason is clearly much more stable now.
As in Chainbreaker, the vibrant surroundings of the Mission are beautifully observed, with plenty of arresting details woven into the narrative. I particularly loved the way Matt observes the neighbours across the street from the safety of their rooftop:
He watched a purple-haired guy with thick, black-rimmed glasses lean out of a fourth-floor window to water a flower box. Almost immediately, the water dripped out the bottom, glittering in the sun. Someone yelled from the street.
These details bring San Francisco vividly to life, yet are deftly fitted between the dialogue so you never find the description intrusive. Another aspect that's just as strong are the fun sex scenes, that Roman skilfully integrates within the plot.
The reason I wasn't quite so taken with this story, though, were the other characters. They are all female (apart from one token prospective housemate), and with the exception of Ricky I couldn't find a huge amount to distinguish them. Perhaps there were just too many of them for me to cope with in such a short story. Mama Yung, who I loved in the first story, was woefully underused, although she does get one of the best lines.
It's difficult when reviewing a sequel as you can't help but compare to the previous book, yet I think on its own merits this one is a great read. It has a touching and sexy romance between two likable leads and the setting is vividly realised. I was going to give it a B as I'd given Chainbreaker a B+, but I think it's actually worth more than that and I probably should have given Chainbreaker an A-!
December 3, 2011
Crankset is a romantic vignette about two guys, Matt Robinson and Jason Hicks, in a committed relationship living in the fabled Mission District and working for a bike courier service. These two charming guys have a dilemma--should they move from their current digs or tough it out. Roman's main characters in this brief piece have a long history with each other and their relationship is solid. But stress over living arrangements can strain the best relationship.
How Matt and Jason cope with the situation is entertaining and fun. Despite the lightness of the story, Roman makes it obvious that Matt and Jason endured much hardship to come to the place they are in their relationship. The love between these two men is clear, as is the trust. Crankset is a nice read about two nice guys dealing with life in the big city.
Roman is a good novelist with a fluid style and great characterization. She has a nice focus on the stage of her stories and pays attention to detail. Crankset is worth 3.5 stars.
Originally reviewed for BlackRaven's Reviews
How Matt and Jason cope with the situation is entertaining and fun. Despite the lightness of the story, Roman makes it obvious that Matt and Jason endured much hardship to come to the place they are in their relationship. The love between these two men is clear, as is the trust. Crankset is a nice read about two nice guys dealing with life in the big city.
Roman is a good novelist with a fluid style and great characterization. She has a nice focus on the stage of her stories and pays attention to detail. Crankset is worth 3.5 stars.
Originally reviewed for BlackRaven's Reviews
November 4, 2011
Good short m/m sequel to
Chainbreaker
, which unfortunately lacks the charm of the original. In this one, our San Francisco bike messenger and his Gulf War veteran boyfriend become frustrated about living behind a curtain in the corner of someone's living room.
January 23, 2012
A short, sweet placeporn piece featuring two guys in love, and a city full of inappropriately priced real estate.
November 30, 2011
Short sequel to Chainbreaker.Will Matt and Jason finally move, and get their own door? :)
October 31, 2011
I want more...please
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews