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Balls to the Wall #4
F.A.S.T. Balls
This edition no longer available. New edition is 'Balls to the Wall #4'
A hot, gay firefighter could send Mick’s life up in flames…
Firefighter and surfing champion Jerry Wallender is a member of FAST—the Firefighter Assist and Search Team. But while the rest of the world thinks he’s a hero, he just doesn’t see it. He keeps falling for these intellectual guys who wind up making him feel dumb and needy. On top of that, Mick Cassidy, super-gorgeous firefighter and total homophobe, makes Jerry’s life miserable with his slurs. Until the night of the Firefighter’s Ball, when Jerry offers Mick a helping hand and gets a hand job in return.
Mick Cassidy is great at fighting fires and solving math problems. But he’s rotten with people—until he meets Jerry, the nicest, kindest man he’s ever known. Raised by a gay-hating preacher, Mick grew up despising men like Jerry. He’s never wanted a woman, but he can’t stop thinking about the strong, sexy firefighter and what they shared at the Firefighter’s Ball. Does that make him gay? And if he’s gay, what will happen to his whole, carefully constructed life?
A hot, gay firefighter could send Mick’s life up in flames…
Firefighter and surfing champion Jerry Wallender is a member of FAST—the Firefighter Assist and Search Team. But while the rest of the world thinks he’s a hero, he just doesn’t see it. He keeps falling for these intellectual guys who wind up making him feel dumb and needy. On top of that, Mick Cassidy, super-gorgeous firefighter and total homophobe, makes Jerry’s life miserable with his slurs. Until the night of the Firefighter’s Ball, when Jerry offers Mick a helping hand and gets a hand job in return.
Mick Cassidy is great at fighting fires and solving math problems. But he’s rotten with people—until he meets Jerry, the nicest, kindest man he’s ever known. Raised by a gay-hating preacher, Mick grew up despising men like Jerry. He’s never wanted a woman, but he can’t stop thinking about the strong, sexy firefighter and what they shared at the Firefighter’s Ball. Does that make him gay? And if he’s gay, what will happen to his whole, carefully constructed life?
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 18, 2013
46 people are currently reading
475 people want to read
About the author
Tara Lain
97 books1,389 followersTara Lain believes in happy ever afters - and magic. Same thing. In fact, she says, she doesn't believe, she knows. Tara shares this passion in her stories that star her unique, charismatic heroes and adventurous heroines. Quarterbacks and cops, werewolves and witches, blue collar or billionaires, Tara's characters, readers say, love deeply, resolve seemingly insurmountable differences, and ultimately live their lives authentically. After many years living in southern California, Tara, her soulmate honey and her soulmate dog decided they wanted less cars and more trees, prompting a move to Ashland, Oregon where Tara's creating new stories and loving living in a small town with big culture. Likely a Gryffindor or maybe a Ravensclaw but possessed of Parseltongue, Tara loves animals of all kinds, diversity, open minds, coconut crunch ice cream from Zoeys, and her readers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
dnf-not-4-me
October 11, 2014Ok, I made it to 34% and am patting myself on the back for that. MC Jerry continues to moan and groan that he is too stupid to love and MC Mick is the son of an off-the-charts homophobic preacher of some backwoods, hillbilly church and has just agreed to "let" his 24YO son "court" a woman. Can you say virgin? This is very "19 Kids and Counting" and I'm so over that shit.
September 22, 2013
2.5
While I really enjoyed seeing previous characters this one had an odd feel for me. Jerry felt a bit like Rod when he was speaking to Mick and Mick was just a bit too innocent for me. The story was peppered with some pretty horrific homophobic diatribes and villianous characters which weared on me after a bit. For the call backs it was fun but the relationship felt a bit thin and moved really fast and furious. Once I could move past Mick's actions and understand where he was coming from the story had a sweetness to it and I was happy to see Jerry find some happiness but I think my rating would have been higher if I had reread the others in the series because the MC felt completely different from how I remembered them.
While I really enjoyed seeing previous characters this one had an odd feel for me. Jerry felt a bit like Rod when he was speaking to Mick and Mick was just a bit too innocent for me. The story was peppered with some pretty horrific homophobic diatribes and villianous characters which weared on me after a bit. For the call backs it was fun but the relationship felt a bit thin and moved really fast and furious. Once I could move past Mick's actions and understand where he was coming from the story had a sweetness to it and I was happy to see Jerry find some happiness but I think my rating would have been higher if I had reread the others in the series because the MC felt completely different from how I remembered them.
September 20, 2013
Great addition to the Balls to the Wall series. Also really good to catch up with the other guys and Jerry finally gets his HEA!!
September 30, 2013
3.5 stars Review written for The Blog of Sid Love.
If you’ve read this series, you will recognize all of these guys from previous books. Sweetheart fireman, Jerry, has dealt with fellow fireman Mick’s hateful slurs and hurtful remarks. I’ll start by saying the first quarter of this book is a bit difficult to get through. Jerry has just been dumped by his boyfriend, is constantly putting himself down and repeating over and over how stupid he is. Then there is Mick, constantly going on with the gay hating comments, fag this, fag that. Honestly, it gets really old, and I almost stopped reading at this point.
But, I trudged on, and I was glad I did. We quickly learn the reasons behind Mick’s beliefs and behavior. Hearing about how he was raised and how he still lives where his family is concerned was almost unbelievable if I didn’t know similar compounds actually existed. After Mick meets Hunter and then Jerry, he begins to struggle with what he was always taught and what he sees in these men. Thankfully, he continues to question it, as well as his own feelings towards men in general.
It was really sweet how Jerry introduced Mick to all things sexual. They were really good together, but this story is mostly about the way Mick sees through everything he was ever taught, everything that has been preached to him, and takes charge of his own life.
It was nice to see the other guys again, and we even meet a few new characters. While this was a much tougher read overall, it was well written, and if you can stick through the difficult beginning, you’ll really enjoy how this one turns out.
January 4, 2018
I tried. Honestly, I did. But with each page I came to despise it a little bit more. The characters never stopped being cliche. The dialogue was stilted. And how the author expected me to have any feelings but loathing for a guy who constantly called gay people f*gs, I can't even begin to imagine. I HATE that fucking word. And I am not at all comfortable with how casually it was used in this book. If you know me you will know that I have a pretty laid back relationship with curse words, but this isn't just a curse word, and the author really should know that. And each time it was used i could feel myself visibly flinch. It was used nearly 50 times in this book--a lot of those times by one of the MCs. Every page became something to dread because, yep, there is was again. I don't like the idea that uncomfortable words should be banned, but I do think you should take into consideration the ease with which you throw around words that fucking hurt your readers. And the thing is, I'm not even sure it made the book even an iota better. It made the christian characters seem so fake I'm not at all sure they were not made of plastic.
So yeah. I deeply regret even beggining this book. And if the author didn't have an occasionally good book, I might just write her off as well. Just, it won't be for a while because...ugh. I feel like I need fucking shower.
So yeah. I deeply regret even beggining this book. And if the author didn't have an occasionally good book, I might just write her off as well. Just, it won't be for a while because...ugh. I feel like I need fucking shower.
dnf
October 10, 2013I was so disappointed in this story. At 70℅, this is a 1 star for me and I'm done with it. The Jerry in this story is not the one I loved from Fire Balls, and I missed him. He was...flat, and not very interesting to me.
Most of my dislike goes to the characterization of Mick, though. Even if he grew up sheltered, and had little experience sexually, I find it unlikely that a 24 year old man who worked as a firefighter in Laguna Beach would be so naive. His thoughts, dialogue were more like a 12 year old's, and calling his penis The Thing was a little ott. (That was inconsistent, though; he'd go from referring to it as a thing to calling it a cock. *smh*) He came across as more mentally challenged than innocent and it was painful to read. Telling us Mick is a genius with things like math, but "bad with people" didn't make it so.
The caricaturization didn't end with Mick. The "bad guys" were so stereotypically bad it caused more eyerolls than sympathy for their victims. And Jezebel? More head shaking there. I can only think this must be satire.
Most of my dislike goes to the characterization of Mick, though. Even if he grew up sheltered, and had little experience sexually, I find it unlikely that a 24 year old man who worked as a firefighter in Laguna Beach would be so naive. His thoughts, dialogue were more like a 12 year old's, and calling his penis The Thing was a little ott. (That was inconsistent, though; he'd go from referring to it as a thing to calling it a cock. *smh*) He came across as more mentally challenged than innocent and it was painful to read. Telling us Mick is a genius with things like math, but "bad with people" didn't make it so.
The caricaturization didn't end with Mick. The "bad guys" were so stereotypically bad it caused more eyerolls than sympathy for their victims. And Jezebel? More head shaking there. I can only think this must be satire.
September 24, 2013
3.75* I love Tara's Balls To The Wall Series, its one of my favourite go back to reads and I've been salivating whilst waiting for Jerry's story. Having just finished, my initial reactions was yes it was worth waiting for and I did enjoy it but not quite as much as the rest of the series.
If you're a fan like me you'll have been rooting for Jerry to finally get his own man and his long awaited HEA because he is such a beautiful sweet guy and - no spoilers here - of course he does in F.A.S.T. Balls, with Mick the homophobic fireman who made his appearance in Fire Balls when über flamboyant but black belt Rodney teaches him a painful lesson.
So I was really hoping that this would be another 5 star rating for me but sadly I had a couple of niggles that even though I enjoyed it, dropped its rating to just under 4, although I've rounded up because I really heart Tara's style and books generally.
The first was that in the other books, Tara has always given us some delish sexual tension between her guys that usually has the opposites attract pairings that she does so well, sparring off against each other for a while before the lustful attraction/ love gets too strong and they end up doing the horizontal mambo and in this I thought there'd be a lot more of that considering how homophobic Mick is, but it didn't happen. I was looking for some mighty " enemies attract " sparks to fly between these two and ultimately I suppose they did but not in the fiery way I expected and I think it was because of Mick's, character which leads into my second niggle. I understood that he had been brought up in a brainwash type of environment where he had been kept under but at times it felt like Jerry was romancing a child because the way he spoke and acted sometimes was childlike and terribly naive for a man of his supposed character and I couldn't get my head around that, it just took away my connection with him a touch as it didn't match the picture I had of the asshat from earlier in the series.
Overall though I'm still a big Balls fan ( who isn't? LOL. ), it was nice to catch up with the guys from the other books and I'm so glad that Jerry has found the love of his life. A series that will always give me a lot of pleasure and a definite keeper so this joins its partners and who knows when I read it again I might see it differently! Methinks another back to back series reread is in the pipeline when I can slot it in. I do love the guys of Laguna Beach.
If you're a fan like me you'll have been rooting for Jerry to finally get his own man and his long awaited HEA because he is such a beautiful sweet guy and - no spoilers here - of course he does in F.A.S.T. Balls, with Mick the homophobic fireman who made his appearance in Fire Balls when über flamboyant but black belt Rodney teaches him a painful lesson.
So I was really hoping that this would be another 5 star rating for me but sadly I had a couple of niggles that even though I enjoyed it, dropped its rating to just under 4, although I've rounded up because I really heart Tara's style and books generally.
The first was that in the other books, Tara has always given us some delish sexual tension between her guys that usually has the opposites attract pairings that she does so well, sparring off against each other for a while before the lustful attraction/ love gets too strong and they end up doing the horizontal mambo and in this I thought there'd be a lot more of that considering how homophobic Mick is, but it didn't happen. I was looking for some mighty " enemies attract " sparks to fly between these two and ultimately I suppose they did but not in the fiery way I expected and I think it was because of Mick's, character which leads into my second niggle. I understood that he had been brought up in a brainwash type of environment where he had been kept under but at times it felt like Jerry was romancing a child because the way he spoke and acted sometimes was childlike and terribly naive for a man of his supposed character and I couldn't get my head around that, it just took away my connection with him a touch as it didn't match the picture I had of the asshat from earlier in the series.
Overall though I'm still a big Balls fan ( who isn't? LOL. ), it was nice to catch up with the guys from the other books and I'm so glad that Jerry has found the love of his life. A series that will always give me a lot of pleasure and a definite keeper so this joins its partners and who knows when I read it again I might see it differently! Methinks another back to back series reread is in the pipeline when I can slot it in. I do love the guys of Laguna Beach.
October 4, 2013
This novel is smooth and easy to read, yet it still gives you lots to think about. There are times when I was completely frustrated with the situations that the characters had to deal with (even though they do happen everyday). I was offended on their behalf. And then there are some parts of this novel that are so sweet that they’ll give you a toothache. This story is eloquent yet flows very naturally, never stiff or forced. She paints a picture with her words, giving you a visual of not only the scenery but the characters and the action as well. Also, the way that Lain works slang into the narrative and dialogue makes the story itself feel that much more personal.
I am definitely in love with the characters in this novel. Lain sets forth a brilliant pair of individuals to drool over in this one. They are both very strong individuals that you want to see find themselves and each other. They are exceedingly well and naturally developed. That said, Lain is not one of those authors who throws every random detail about a character at her readers. The supporting cast is also quite unique in its development. I love how each character is at a different stage of development based on their role in this novel. No one is underdeveloped to fill their role, nor do they overshadow our hunky leads.
One of the best parts of this novel was the fact that, although tied in with the rest of the series, this novel can very easily be read as a standalone novel. Everything required is found between the covers of this novel. It was a frustratingly heart-warming novel that I’d recommend to anyone who’d like some time with two swoon worthy firefighters.
Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author/publisher/blog tour company in exchange for an honest review.
I am definitely in love with the characters in this novel. Lain sets forth a brilliant pair of individuals to drool over in this one. They are both very strong individuals that you want to see find themselves and each other. They are exceedingly well and naturally developed. That said, Lain is not one of those authors who throws every random detail about a character at her readers. The supporting cast is also quite unique in its development. I love how each character is at a different stage of development based on their role in this novel. No one is underdeveloped to fill their role, nor do they overshadow our hunky leads.
One of the best parts of this novel was the fact that, although tied in with the rest of the series, this novel can very easily be read as a standalone novel. Everything required is found between the covers of this novel. It was a frustratingly heart-warming novel that I’d recommend to anyone who’d like some time with two swoon worthy firefighters.
Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author/publisher/blog tour company in exchange for an honest review.
October 5, 2013
I liked this series as a whole but this book is just so bad. It started out good. I usually like virgin stories or turn around gay men stories. This one was both but it was just not good. As I wrote in a comment, it is disjointed and rough around the edges. Every single sex scene I read was unromantic and clunky. If someone is a virgin and finds someone they like, it may not be romantic but it has to be better than me doing an eye roll. The scenes were Jerry trying to instruct Mick which could very well happen, it just did not come across well.
True, Mick was a genius and genius people may not be the best in social situations but one second Mick was sounding like a man and the next, his spoken words and thoughts were those of a 12 year old. How did he transform like that all of a sudden? And Jerry, oh my goodness, just...Ugh. I have no words. I got to the point that I thought it would get better so I skipped ahead thinking the sex scenes would have some feeling in then. Nope, it didn't get better it got worse.
I'm a little angry at how unsatisfying this book was. I stopped at 87% right in the middle of a sex scene. I could no longer take it.
True, Mick was a genius and genius people may not be the best in social situations but one second Mick was sounding like a man and the next, his spoken words and thoughts were those of a 12 year old. How did he transform like that all of a sudden? And Jerry, oh my goodness, just...Ugh. I have no words. I got to the point that I thought it would get better so I skipped ahead thinking the sex scenes would have some feeling in then. Nope, it didn't get better it got worse.
I'm a little angry at how unsatisfying this book was. I stopped at 87% right in the middle of a sex scene. I could no longer take it.
September 29, 2013
Tara, I'm a fan! I've read most of the Balls to the Walls series and I really enjoyed this one as well. I couldn't rip my eyes away and I read through this in one go.
Mick is a luscious virginal, in-denial MC, and it was fun to watch his thoughts progress from 'wow, it's sort of weird that I keep staring at that guy's ass', to sort of falling into sex with Jerry, and ultimately coming out to all and sundry. And Jerry was very sweet and together in this story. It was a solid hot/sweet read just the way I like them. Yes, Tara's characters can be a little extreme, but it's fantasy, it's fun and sexy fantasy, and I like it!
It was nice seeing Rodney again and I actually realized, when I didn't recognize 'Adam' and 'Sky' at the party scene, that I'd missed a book in the series. Must rectify that.
I think my favorite in this series is still Fire Balls (Rodney, the tiny flammer with the black belt and the toppy 'tude, is just too cute) but this one is maybe #2 for me.
Mick is a luscious virginal, in-denial MC, and it was fun to watch his thoughts progress from 'wow, it's sort of weird that I keep staring at that guy's ass', to sort of falling into sex with Jerry, and ultimately coming out to all and sundry. And Jerry was very sweet and together in this story. It was a solid hot/sweet read just the way I like them. Yes, Tara's characters can be a little extreme, but it's fantasy, it's fun and sexy fantasy, and I like it!
It was nice seeing Rodney again and I actually realized, when I didn't recognize 'Adam' and 'Sky' at the party scene, that I'd missed a book in the series. Must rectify that.
I think my favorite in this series is still Fire Balls (Rodney, the tiny flammer with the black belt and the toppy 'tude, is just too cute) but this one is maybe #2 for me.
Read
September 15, 2013Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Author. I hadn't read any of the Balls To the Wall series but I knew I was in for an exciting and interesting read from Tara, having read other works by her, and I wasn't at all disappointed. The worldbuilding and the background info were skillfully integrated into the story and it made absolutely no difference to the reading enjoyment that this was my first one in the series. She even managed to make me sympathetic to a Homophobe and root for Jerry & Mick's romance to go well. Well I for one am now adding the first four of this series to my wishlist and adding Tara to my list of auto buy authors.
July 19, 2015
Ok, I liked seeing Jerry again, and I liked seeing Mick changing his whole world view. I hated how many homophobic assholes there were in this book. It’s like, every time you turned around, there's another raging homophobe. I think Mick's preacher daddy was trying to start the next Westboro Church. It just felt very heavy handed.
Want to read
September 16, 2013These are not literary classics, but I gotta say I've enjoyed every book in the series. Looking forward to wasting some time with this one.
July 13, 2017
Such a satisfying read!
***
FAST Balls was a satisfying read as Lain not only gave me Jerry's story - a character I met at the beginning of this series and have come to love - but she also conveyed it in a way that dealt with societal prejudice, discrimination, and ignorance. That's something I'e come to expect from her and something she does well.
When I saw Jerry was getting his own story, I was excited. Jerry is such a good guy - a good friend, fun-loving, and kind. He's a surfer but he's deeper than that having dealt with the struggle of returning to school (he's dyslexic) and becoming a firefighter. He's a character I've come to adore and one who doesn't see all that he is.
Mick Cassidy is not the guy I would have chosen to for a love interest for Jerry. He's also a firefighter - at the same station as Jerry - but he's proven to be callous in his homophobia in the past. However, after learning of Mick's upbringing and how he's lived his life, not to mention his confusion over his own feelings about what he's been taught and lived...well, I softened toward him. Quite a bit actually, especially seeing how he views himself.
Jerry and Mick have gotten to know each other while working together and while that happened off-page, I still felt their feelings toward one another were genuine. They connect because of certain situations and I liked how they were there for one another. I also liked how they helped each other see themselves through each other's eyes.
Overall, FAST Balls was fulfilling for me in that Jerry got his story. I got to spend time with the other guys from the series - even if it was only a little - and the way Lain incorporated bigotry was handled well. I'm excited for the next installment!
***
FAST Balls was a satisfying read as Lain not only gave me Jerry's story - a character I met at the beginning of this series and have come to love - but she also conveyed it in a way that dealt with societal prejudice, discrimination, and ignorance. That's something I'e come to expect from her and something she does well.
When I saw Jerry was getting his own story, I was excited. Jerry is such a good guy - a good friend, fun-loving, and kind. He's a surfer but he's deeper than that having dealt with the struggle of returning to school (he's dyslexic) and becoming a firefighter. He's a character I've come to adore and one who doesn't see all that he is.
Mick Cassidy is not the guy I would have chosen to for a love interest for Jerry. He's also a firefighter - at the same station as Jerry - but he's proven to be callous in his homophobia in the past. However, after learning of Mick's upbringing and how he's lived his life, not to mention his confusion over his own feelings about what he's been taught and lived...well, I softened toward him. Quite a bit actually, especially seeing how he views himself.
Jerry and Mick have gotten to know each other while working together and while that happened off-page, I still felt their feelings toward one another were genuine. They connect because of certain situations and I liked how they were there for one another. I also liked how they helped each other see themselves through each other's eyes.
Overall, FAST Balls was fulfilling for me in that Jerry got his story. I got to spend time with the other guys from the series - even if it was only a little - and the way Lain incorporated bigotry was handled well. I'm excited for the next installment!
July 13, 2017
One very important point in life is not to burn bridges between yourself and other people. You never know when circumstances might change and you end up relating to that person again in a completely different way. Jerry Wallender, of Tara Lain's book entitled 'F.A.S.T. Balls', finds himself in such a situation when Mick Cassidy, who has harassed Jerry mercilessly because he's gay, suddenly begins to be nice to him.
Jerry is one of the sweetest characters from this series. He's got the biggest heart around; everyone loves him. He is kind, generous, and brave. Jerry is an excellent firefighter and a fantastic surfer. Jerry also has a beautiful body which his friend, Rodney, loves to paint. It made me angry when his boyfriend, Bill, left him brokenhearted, ending their relationship with a text message. As sad as it is that breakup opens a very unexpected door in which Mick Cassidy, of all people, is standing. When Mick tries to comfort him about his situation with Bill, Jerry doesn't hold on to all the nasty, bigoted things Mick had said to him in the past. He gives Mick a chance to change. In fact, he encourages and helps him sort out the mammoth confusion in his head, brought on by a lifetime of brainwashing by his father.
Remembering all the times Mick threw derogatory comments at Jerry and his friends, made it difficult for me to like Mick, much less believe that he wanted to change. But as the story progressed, I began to understand his way of thinking and started to feel sorry for him. Mick was raised in a religious community which taught hate instead of God's love. His father is an awful, cruel, power hungry man who brainwashes Mick into believing that homosexuals are a vile, sinful group of people who should be eliminated. It's not until he gets out in the real world, that Mick sees that what his community taught is contradictory to the way things actually are. Jerry is the first gay man Mick has ever known and, for all intents and purposes, is a model human being. Mick can't imagine how Jerry, in any sense, could be seen as evil. Suspecting that his desire for other men could mean that he may be gay himself, Mick goes to the only source that he trusts and asks Jerry to help him figure out if he is gay by experiencing gay sex. His pleasure and relief quickly confirm that he is, indeed, a homosexual himself.
This book was more serious than the others, in that it dealt with a very difficult subject: homophobia and bigotry. Mick's journey out of the darkness of hate and into the light of self-discovery wasn't easy, but Tara, with her compassion and straightforwardness, took Mick and placed him in Jerry's competent hands which makes his transition from bully to ally utterly endearing. Thank you, Tara, for sharing with us this strong, beautiful story of redemption and love.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Jerry is one of the sweetest characters from this series. He's got the biggest heart around; everyone loves him. He is kind, generous, and brave. Jerry is an excellent firefighter and a fantastic surfer. Jerry also has a beautiful body which his friend, Rodney, loves to paint. It made me angry when his boyfriend, Bill, left him brokenhearted, ending their relationship with a text message. As sad as it is that breakup opens a very unexpected door in which Mick Cassidy, of all people, is standing. When Mick tries to comfort him about his situation with Bill, Jerry doesn't hold on to all the nasty, bigoted things Mick had said to him in the past. He gives Mick a chance to change. In fact, he encourages and helps him sort out the mammoth confusion in his head, brought on by a lifetime of brainwashing by his father.
Remembering all the times Mick threw derogatory comments at Jerry and his friends, made it difficult for me to like Mick, much less believe that he wanted to change. But as the story progressed, I began to understand his way of thinking and started to feel sorry for him. Mick was raised in a religious community which taught hate instead of God's love. His father is an awful, cruel, power hungry man who brainwashes Mick into believing that homosexuals are a vile, sinful group of people who should be eliminated. It's not until he gets out in the real world, that Mick sees that what his community taught is contradictory to the way things actually are. Jerry is the first gay man Mick has ever known and, for all intents and purposes, is a model human being. Mick can't imagine how Jerry, in any sense, could be seen as evil. Suspecting that his desire for other men could mean that he may be gay himself, Mick goes to the only source that he trusts and asks Jerry to help him figure out if he is gay by experiencing gay sex. His pleasure and relief quickly confirm that he is, indeed, a homosexual himself.
This book was more serious than the others, in that it dealt with a very difficult subject: homophobia and bigotry. Mick's journey out of the darkness of hate and into the light of self-discovery wasn't easy, but Tara, with her compassion and straightforwardness, took Mick and placed him in Jerry's competent hands which makes his transition from bully to ally utterly endearing. Thank you, Tara, for sharing with us this strong, beautiful story of redemption and love.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
July 14, 2017
This is the fourth book in the Balls to the Wall series and might be better enjoyed after reading the second book, FIRE BALLS.
Jerry is a surfer-turned fireman. He lives and works in Laguna Beach and has one guy on his crew who’s a bigoted homophobe. Mick is big and burly and a decent fireman, but he’s been reprimanded for his attitude and his drunken misadventures. In FIRE BALLS he was a bit of a tormentor for Hunter and got put in his place directly by Rodney, but Jerry’s a different kind of guy. He smiles past the comments and treats everyone with respect, even if they don’t merit any.
This goes a long way toward breaking through Mick’s coarse shell; he’d been raised by a grotesquely bigoted “preacher” of a father. Yes, there’s a cult involved. In fact, Mick is “betrothed” to a teen girl is his father’s congregation. The idea of marrying this girl is really upsetting for Mick, as is his interest in Jerry. Mick’s just never had a friend before and Jerry’s friendliness is so necessary–it makes him reconsider all the hateful lessons he’d absorbed at his father’s church.
Jerry doesn’t know what to make of Mick. The guy is a set of contradictions, but Jerry’s happy enough to try and get to know him better, if it’ll help quell the animosity that’s been a problem in their firehouse. This effort isn’t helped by the advent of some new blood in the firehouse who subscribe more to Mick’s father’s attitudes. One of them had been a disciple of the church, and this scares the bejesus out of Mick; what if his dad learns how friendly he is with Jerry? Considering how militant their stance is about homosexuality, Mick fears Jerry could be put into danger.
They have a sweet quiet romance, with Jerry assuring Mick that his desires are natural and not a problem. Mick, for his part, finally feels as if he’s experiencing the kind of physical contact he’s desired all along. It’s bittersweet, honestly, to see his internalized homophobia tear him apart, but Jerry’s a good guide into self-awareness. There’s a bunch of drama that involves spiteful firemen and a lunatic preacher, but all ends very well. I really enjoyed this one! A nice mix of steamy bits and heartfelt loving.
Jerry is a surfer-turned fireman. He lives and works in Laguna Beach and has one guy on his crew who’s a bigoted homophobe. Mick is big and burly and a decent fireman, but he’s been reprimanded for his attitude and his drunken misadventures. In FIRE BALLS he was a bit of a tormentor for Hunter and got put in his place directly by Rodney, but Jerry’s a different kind of guy. He smiles past the comments and treats everyone with respect, even if they don’t merit any.
This goes a long way toward breaking through Mick’s coarse shell; he’d been raised by a grotesquely bigoted “preacher” of a father. Yes, there’s a cult involved. In fact, Mick is “betrothed” to a teen girl is his father’s congregation. The idea of marrying this girl is really upsetting for Mick, as is his interest in Jerry. Mick’s just never had a friend before and Jerry’s friendliness is so necessary–it makes him reconsider all the hateful lessons he’d absorbed at his father’s church.
Jerry doesn’t know what to make of Mick. The guy is a set of contradictions, but Jerry’s happy enough to try and get to know him better, if it’ll help quell the animosity that’s been a problem in their firehouse. This effort isn’t helped by the advent of some new blood in the firehouse who subscribe more to Mick’s father’s attitudes. One of them had been a disciple of the church, and this scares the bejesus out of Mick; what if his dad learns how friendly he is with Jerry? Considering how militant their stance is about homosexuality, Mick fears Jerry could be put into danger.
They have a sweet quiet romance, with Jerry assuring Mick that his desires are natural and not a problem. Mick, for his part, finally feels as if he’s experiencing the kind of physical contact he’s desired all along. It’s bittersweet, honestly, to see his internalized homophobia tear him apart, but Jerry’s a good guide into self-awareness. There’s a bunch of drama that involves spiteful firemen and a lunatic preacher, but all ends very well. I really enjoyed this one! A nice mix of steamy bits and heartfelt loving.
September 20, 2013
When I first saw that Jerry was our hero, I was excited. I mean he is so sweet and caring. You can't help but love him on the spot. Then I found out who would be our other leading man and my first thought was "Is Tara Lain nuts?!" How do you match such a awesome character like Jerry with an a$$hole like Mick? A homophone nonetheless! So I have to admit to having my doubts. But boy did she prove me wrong. I found myself, not hating Mick so much as feeling sorry for him and making excuses for his previous behavior. In typical Tara Lain fashion, she made me care for the one person I would have gladly seen beaten up yet again, by Rodney.
All in all, I finished this book falling in love with both characters who turned out to be an even better match than I had anticipated. Ms. Lain, I don't know how you come up with these characters, but please keep them coming!
All in all, I finished this book falling in love with both characters who turned out to be an even better match than I had anticipated. Ms. Lain, I don't know how you come up with these characters, but please keep them coming!
October 10, 2013
4 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
I cannot believe this book! I’m shocked, and glad, and damn, I feel so good.
Can you believe it? Jerry got his own novel and boy did I love it. I mean sure, I found Jerry and Bill being together nice and all, and when he gets dumped at the beginning of the story I felt I could rip Bill’s throat out, but what follows is exquisite.
Out of all people to pair him up, Tara Lain picks Mick. You know Mick, the homophobe jerk Rodney kicked up when he when on slurring to Hunter and his family in Fire Balls book #2 (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...)? Well if you haven’t read it I suggest you do, it was a great read. Anyway, Mick was this total jerk who wouldn’t stop saying the most hateful slurs at gay people, so it kind of makes you think he’s in the deep, deep closet, but you don’t actually expect him to ever get out of there, or actually be a nice person underneath. So when he makes an appearance in this book I’m shaking my head in bewilderment, because let’s face it people, Balls to the Wall series are fun and joyful, not deep and heavy. How could you take such a disturbed character and make him fun? Well *bows to the Mistress of fun-character making* if there is one person who can achieve that, it’s Tara Lain. She even made the virgin-naïve Mick make sense for crying out loud. Amazing!
As his life will have it Jerry is fated to always fall for brainy men. He doesn’t chase them, oh no, they kinda chase him, and although they keep telling him he is smart, Jerry fails to see it. It takes a genius homophobic hunk of a man to really show Jerry how good and smart he is (in the end). Till that happens though we get to enjoy a most wonderful story that turns an awful character into an adorable puppy and a lighthearted ex-surfer current firefighter to a strong role model. All the while the fun, the hot sex scenes that have a penchant for surprising you with their extreme intensity and make you pant and gulp for air, and characters from other books in the series as well as new ones keep you entertained and take into a fantastic ride.
Yes I wanted to read Jerry’s story and not only was I not disappointed, but I totally loved it. I adored this couple as much as the others before them. If you like a nice, happy-go-lucky kind of book don’t miss it, it’s quite worth it.
Thommie
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
I cannot believe this book! I’m shocked, and glad, and damn, I feel so good.
Can you believe it? Jerry got his own novel and boy did I love it. I mean sure, I found Jerry and Bill being together nice and all, and when he gets dumped at the beginning of the story I felt I could rip Bill’s throat out, but what follows is exquisite.
Out of all people to pair him up, Tara Lain picks Mick. You know Mick, the homophobe jerk Rodney kicked up when he when on slurring to Hunter and his family in Fire Balls book #2 (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...)? Well if you haven’t read it I suggest you do, it was a great read. Anyway, Mick was this total jerk who wouldn’t stop saying the most hateful slurs at gay people, so it kind of makes you think he’s in the deep, deep closet, but you don’t actually expect him to ever get out of there, or actually be a nice person underneath. So when he makes an appearance in this book I’m shaking my head in bewilderment, because let’s face it people, Balls to the Wall series are fun and joyful, not deep and heavy. How could you take such a disturbed character and make him fun? Well *bows to the Mistress of fun-character making* if there is one person who can achieve that, it’s Tara Lain. She even made the virgin-naïve Mick make sense for crying out loud. Amazing!
As his life will have it Jerry is fated to always fall for brainy men. He doesn’t chase them, oh no, they kinda chase him, and although they keep telling him he is smart, Jerry fails to see it. It takes a genius homophobic hunk of a man to really show Jerry how good and smart he is (in the end). Till that happens though we get to enjoy a most wonderful story that turns an awful character into an adorable puppy and a lighthearted ex-surfer current firefighter to a strong role model. All the while the fun, the hot sex scenes that have a penchant for surprising you with their extreme intensity and make you pant and gulp for air, and characters from other books in the series as well as new ones keep you entertained and take into a fantastic ride.
Yes I wanted to read Jerry’s story and not only was I not disappointed, but I totally loved it. I adored this couple as much as the others before them. If you like a nice, happy-go-lucky kind of book don’t miss it, it’s quite worth it.
Thommie
August 26, 2019
OMG....only the most fabulous Tara Lain could write a book where one of the main characters is a guy I despised when he showed up in other books, and have me loving him by the end of the story. I love every one of these 'Balls to the Walls' books and this one is no different.
I fell madly in love with Jerry in Rod and Hunter's story so it came as a bit of a surprise to discover I liked him even more, now. It was Mick who broke my heart, though. Genius level IQ and not an ounce of people skills. What I always assumed was just plain meanness was actually partly because he was drinking a lot before to escape some of the beliefs he grew up with, and partly because he simply doesn't know how to relate to people. Mick's dad is a horrid right wing fundamentalist crackpot preacher who believes gays are the reason for every bad thing in the world. Yep, one of those!
It was heartbreaking watching Mick struggle to accept he was gay, and then have to fight everything he was ever told in order to live his life and be himself. Hell, he didn't even know who he was. With a guy like Jerry loving him, Mick couldn't go wrong, and certainly not with the support of Rod and Hunter, too.
I loved absolutely everything about this book! Thank you, Tara, for telling Jerry and Mick's story!
I fell madly in love with Jerry in Rod and Hunter's story so it came as a bit of a surprise to discover I liked him even more, now. It was Mick who broke my heart, though. Genius level IQ and not an ounce of people skills. What I always assumed was just plain meanness was actually partly because he was drinking a lot before to escape some of the beliefs he grew up with, and partly because he simply doesn't know how to relate to people. Mick's dad is a horrid right wing fundamentalist crackpot preacher who believes gays are the reason for every bad thing in the world. Yep, one of those!
It was heartbreaking watching Mick struggle to accept he was gay, and then have to fight everything he was ever told in order to live his life and be himself. Hell, he didn't even know who he was. With a guy like Jerry loving him, Mick couldn't go wrong, and certainly not with the support of Rod and Hunter, too.
I loved absolutely everything about this book! Thank you, Tara, for telling Jerry and Mick's story!
September 21, 2013
Fast Balls is Tar Lain's fifth book in her Balls to the Wall series. Each book can be read as a standalone book. Fast Balls is the first book in the series I have read and I wasn't confused at all, just wanted to read more about the secondary characters so I will definitely be checking out the others in this series.
Firefighter Jerry Wallender develops a crush on homophobe Mick Cassidy. After Mick sees usually happy Jerry depressed, Mick starts to be more friendly to Jerry. One thing leads to another and they develop a friendship and a relationship soon follows. I am glad they didn't have an insta-romance. I loved how the relationship developed. And oh man did I get teary eyed several times reading about Mick's childhood and his jerk father. Definitely a book that makes the reader think about the prejudices people face. Highly recommend!
Firefighter Jerry Wallender develops a crush on homophobe Mick Cassidy. After Mick sees usually happy Jerry depressed, Mick starts to be more friendly to Jerry. One thing leads to another and they develop a friendship and a relationship soon follows. I am glad they didn't have an insta-romance. I loved how the relationship developed. And oh man did I get teary eyed several times reading about Mick's childhood and his jerk father. Definitely a book that makes the reader think about the prejudices people face. Highly recommend!
August 21, 2015
Not great.... This story has one of my major pet peeves.... Dick-heads do not giggle.... I don't care how much they let out their inner vixen to get screwed.... Big Bad Firemen do NOT giggle or even attempt to giggle! So completely out of character!
April 23, 2021
3 Stars of a Better Variety ⭐⭐⭐
After the disappointed read of Fife Balls, I was hoping for a better turnout. This read is better but still with some issues.
Mick is an unrealistic character.
It he went to college, fought off girls, worked on a Firehouse fir years, & couldn't understand the concept of a public erection? He's watching guys at the firehouse & porn at home, then he starts playing with his ass? The pacing of self revelation is too fast.
His father is just scary & sad. Obviously closeted, his own homosexual experiences pushed him to be uncompromisingly towards his fellow man. As a 'preacher', that's just wrong.
***Jesus Christ loved everyone, its a shame his followers, 'Christians', can't***
Now, lets move on to Jerry.
Its interesting how laid back Hunter, Rod& Jerry are. Jerry slept with Hunter & I think Rod too. No extra jealousy, hard feelings, or issues as a result. Jerry is more upset over losing Bill than he was Hunter. Seriously?
Their getting together was really quick but it less than 200 pages, it would have to be.
After the disappointed read of Fife Balls, I was hoping for a better turnout. This read is better but still with some issues.
Mick is an unrealistic character.
It he went to college, fought off girls, worked on a Firehouse fir years, & couldn't understand the concept of a public erection? He's watching guys at the firehouse & porn at home, then he starts playing with his ass? The pacing of self revelation is too fast.
His father is just scary & sad. Obviously closeted, his own homosexual experiences pushed him to be uncompromisingly towards his fellow man. As a 'preacher', that's just wrong.
***Jesus Christ loved everyone, its a shame his followers, 'Christians', can't***
Now, lets move on to Jerry.
Its interesting how laid back Hunter, Rod& Jerry are. Jerry slept with Hunter & I think Rod too. No extra jealousy, hard feelings, or issues as a result. Jerry is more upset over losing Bill than he was Hunter. Seriously?
Their getting together was really quick but it less than 200 pages, it would have to be.
March 16, 2021
This story has everything that I usually love (uniforms, first time, ...) but unfortunately its written in a way that makes both characters feel like simpletons who have no clue about anything at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2017
I know there are miserable homophobes in this world, but it was really hard reading about them.
June 13, 2020
this was a lot of fun... interesting.. sexy.. fun.. the characters are fun and made me curious.. kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was next. and it picked up where the last book ended. i enjoyed it
October 7, 2018
Jerry is a simple guy, a sweet-heart who woks for the fire department, tries to find love with guys who he thinks are too smart for him, but still has a great outlook on life. And he loves to surf.
Mick is a unique soul raised by strict parents in a sort of cult who has near genius math skills but very few social skills. He’s at first a ridiculous homophobe who lashes out at anyone remotely gay, but at home secretly loves porn with big dicks.
Something about Jerry draws Mick in and he can’t help but admire the guy who seems to always act the hero, but never get a swollen ego.
Eventually Jerry and Mick become friends. Jerry helps Mick to bend his brain around the idea that he might be gay and in fact might really be attracted to Jerry himself.
Jerry has always found the bigoted guy hot, even if he drove him crazy. When Jerry finds himself in a life or death situation, Mick has to make a brave call that ends up driving them together and forces them to act on their smoldering attraction.
**
I love this series by Tara Lain! All of the guys in these stories are unique and special and Jerry and Mick are my most favorite!
Mick’s gentle self-discovery and Jerry’s constant support are really touching. Though the cult thing threw me at first, it really kinda fits and I love how Mick’s mom doesn’t act like you think she would.
All the books in this series are smokin’ hot, but the love story really is the main thing, and each one ends in a way that makes you think of forever.
Though this is only one book in the series, I highly recommend the entire group and this one in particular. You don’t have to read them in order but it does give it a bit more depth as the MCs play recurring roles.
I couldn’t really detect any changes from the first edition and this one.
Upon re-reading I was reminded how much I love Jerry and how really awful Mick was.
I still think this is the best book in the series and I enjoyed reading it again!
4.5 of 5 stars
Merged review:
(I couldn't find any difference between this edition and the first)
Jerry is a simple guy, a sweet-heart who woks for the fire department, tries to find love with guys who he thinks are too smart for him, but still has a great outlook on life. And he loves to surf.
Mick is a unique soul raised by strict parents in a sort of cult who has near genius math skills but very few social skills. He’s at first a ridiculous homophobe who lashes out at anyone remotely gay, but at home secretly loves porn with big dicks.
Something about Jerry draws Mick in and he can’t help but admire the guy who seems to always act the hero, but never get a swollen ego.
Eventually Jerry and Mick become friends. Jerry helps Mick to bend his brain around the idea that he might be gay and in fact might really be attracted to Jerry himself.
Jerry has always found the bigoted guy hot, even if he drove him crazy. When Jerry finds himself in a life or death situation, Mick has to make a brave call that ends up driving them together and forces them to act on their smoldering attraction.
**
I love this series by Tara Lain! All of the guys in these stories are unique and special and Jerry and Mick are my most favorite!
Mick’s gentle self-discovery and Jerry’s constant support are really touching. Though the cult thing threw me at first, it really kinda fits and I love how Mick’s mom doesn’t act like you think she would.
All the books in this series are smokin’ hot, but the love story really is the main thing, and each one ends in a way that makes you think of forever.
Though this is only one book in the series, I highly recommend the entire group and this one in particular. You don’t have to read them in order but it does give it a bit more depth as the MCs play recurring roles.
Mick is a unique soul raised by strict parents in a sort of cult who has near genius math skills but very few social skills. He’s at first a ridiculous homophobe who lashes out at anyone remotely gay, but at home secretly loves porn with big dicks.
Something about Jerry draws Mick in and he can’t help but admire the guy who seems to always act the hero, but never get a swollen ego.
Eventually Jerry and Mick become friends. Jerry helps Mick to bend his brain around the idea that he might be gay and in fact might really be attracted to Jerry himself.
Jerry has always found the bigoted guy hot, even if he drove him crazy. When Jerry finds himself in a life or death situation, Mick has to make a brave call that ends up driving them together and forces them to act on their smoldering attraction.
**
I love this series by Tara Lain! All of the guys in these stories are unique and special and Jerry and Mick are my most favorite!
Mick’s gentle self-discovery and Jerry’s constant support are really touching. Though the cult thing threw me at first, it really kinda fits and I love how Mick’s mom doesn’t act like you think she would.
All the books in this series are smokin’ hot, but the love story really is the main thing, and each one ends in a way that makes you think of forever.
Though this is only one book in the series, I highly recommend the entire group and this one in particular. You don’t have to read them in order but it does give it a bit more depth as the MCs play recurring roles.
I couldn’t really detect any changes from the first edition and this one.
Upon re-reading I was reminded how much I love Jerry and how really awful Mick was.
I still think this is the best book in the series and I enjoyed reading it again!
4.5 of 5 stars
Merged review:
(I couldn't find any difference between this edition and the first)
Jerry is a simple guy, a sweet-heart who woks for the fire department, tries to find love with guys who he thinks are too smart for him, but still has a great outlook on life. And he loves to surf.
Mick is a unique soul raised by strict parents in a sort of cult who has near genius math skills but very few social skills. He’s at first a ridiculous homophobe who lashes out at anyone remotely gay, but at home secretly loves porn with big dicks.
Something about Jerry draws Mick in and he can’t help but admire the guy who seems to always act the hero, but never get a swollen ego.
Eventually Jerry and Mick become friends. Jerry helps Mick to bend his brain around the idea that he might be gay and in fact might really be attracted to Jerry himself.
Jerry has always found the bigoted guy hot, even if he drove him crazy. When Jerry finds himself in a life or death situation, Mick has to make a brave call that ends up driving them together and forces them to act on their smoldering attraction.
**
I love this series by Tara Lain! All of the guys in these stories are unique and special and Jerry and Mick are my most favorite!
Mick’s gentle self-discovery and Jerry’s constant support are really touching. Though the cult thing threw me at first, it really kinda fits and I love how Mick’s mom doesn’t act like you think she would.
All the books in this series are smokin’ hot, but the love story really is the main thing, and each one ends in a way that makes you think of forever.
Though this is only one book in the series, I highly recommend the entire group and this one in particular. You don’t have to read them in order but it does give it a bit more depth as the MCs play recurring roles.
July 12, 2017
Full review available at: https://optimummblog.wordpress.com/20...
Rating 4.5*s
I was so excited to get the chance to read Fast Balls by Tara Lain. Fast Balls is the fourth book in the Balls to the Wall series. I loved reading Fire Balls, and so I was so excited that Fast Balls is about Jerry who was a friend of Rodney in Fire Balls. I am so glad that Jerry got his own story and with the most unlikely person, Mick, that we also met in Fire Balls when Rodney knocked him out. Mick was such an unlovable homophobic character in Fire Balls that I was excited to see how he changed and figured out who he really was and what he believed in instead of what his homophobic fanatical preacher red-necked father thought and had been shoving down his throat his whole life.
I loved Mick. He had an air of innocence to him even though he was a mathematical genius and could have had any number of jobs. He wanted to help and save people, and so he became a firefighter. And at first, he was a real jerk to Hunter and Jerry who were the two gay firefighters at his fire station. But his beliefs are challenged when he gets to know both Hunter and Jerry and how nice and friendly they both are and how well liked they are at the station. I really liked watching him change and grow and come into his own and go after what he really wanted, which is Jerry.
Jerry isn’t having the best day at the start of the book. He just got dumped by his boyfriend, Bill, via text message about not coming back from a job interview that he was going to turn down. Now Jerry’s without a boyfriend, a new roommate, and his date to the Firefighters Ball. Jerry has self-esteem issues and doesn’t see himself as being smart. So he compensates with dating smart people. However, they don’t fulfill his need to have somebody need him. And although they are all attractive, they really aren’t his type. He’s attracted to manly men like Mick, the homophobic jerk at his station. So when Mick notices that Jerry isn’t his normal happy self, he tries to be nice to him and make him feel better. And he continues to do so. I loved how Jerry helps Mick figure out his sexuality, and it also fills that hole he has about needing to be needed.
I really enjoyed getting to see David, Gareth, and Edge from Volley Balls, Rodney and Hunter from Fire Balls, and Adam and Sky from Beach Balls. I love that they are all interconnected as friends, and I like the little glimpses into their lives and how they are doing. I also love how the series is set in Laguna Beach which is close to where I live, and so I know the various places that are mentioned in the book. I also enjoyed the excerpt of the next book in the series, High Balls. It sounds really good, and I can’t wait to read it. So thank you, Tara Lain, for another great book.
4.5 OptimuMM's
****The ARC was provided by Dreamspinner Press. My review is an honest opinion of the book****
Rating 4.5*s
I was so excited to get the chance to read Fast Balls by Tara Lain. Fast Balls is the fourth book in the Balls to the Wall series. I loved reading Fire Balls, and so I was so excited that Fast Balls is about Jerry who was a friend of Rodney in Fire Balls. I am so glad that Jerry got his own story and with the most unlikely person, Mick, that we also met in Fire Balls when Rodney knocked him out. Mick was such an unlovable homophobic character in Fire Balls that I was excited to see how he changed and figured out who he really was and what he believed in instead of what his homophobic fanatical preacher red-necked father thought and had been shoving down his throat his whole life.
I loved Mick. He had an air of innocence to him even though he was a mathematical genius and could have had any number of jobs. He wanted to help and save people, and so he became a firefighter. And at first, he was a real jerk to Hunter and Jerry who were the two gay firefighters at his fire station. But his beliefs are challenged when he gets to know both Hunter and Jerry and how nice and friendly they both are and how well liked they are at the station. I really liked watching him change and grow and come into his own and go after what he really wanted, which is Jerry.
Jerry isn’t having the best day at the start of the book. He just got dumped by his boyfriend, Bill, via text message about not coming back from a job interview that he was going to turn down. Now Jerry’s without a boyfriend, a new roommate, and his date to the Firefighters Ball. Jerry has self-esteem issues and doesn’t see himself as being smart. So he compensates with dating smart people. However, they don’t fulfill his need to have somebody need him. And although they are all attractive, they really aren’t his type. He’s attracted to manly men like Mick, the homophobic jerk at his station. So when Mick notices that Jerry isn’t his normal happy self, he tries to be nice to him and make him feel better. And he continues to do so. I loved how Jerry helps Mick figure out his sexuality, and it also fills that hole he has about needing to be needed.
I really enjoyed getting to see David, Gareth, and Edge from Volley Balls, Rodney and Hunter from Fire Balls, and Adam and Sky from Beach Balls. I love that they are all interconnected as friends, and I like the little glimpses into their lives and how they are doing. I also love how the series is set in Laguna Beach which is close to where I live, and so I know the various places that are mentioned in the book. I also enjoyed the excerpt of the next book in the series, High Balls. It sounds really good, and I can’t wait to read it. So thank you, Tara Lain, for another great book.
4.5 OptimuMM's
****The ARC was provided by Dreamspinner Press. My review is an honest opinion of the book****
November 6, 2013
Please comment on Lady McNeill's 4 sweet pea review at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
“You tried to make me gay.”
Jerry looked up and frowned. “Nobody can make anyone gay. You either are or you aren’t, man. To quote Lady Gaga, You’re born this way. And I’m not the one who came over asking to get fucked, remember?”
All of his insides quivered. “Are you saying I’m gay?”
F.A.S.T Balls by Tera Lain is another hit in the Balls to the Walls series. I’ve wanted to read Jerry’s story since I met him in Rodney’s story Fire Balls. Back then he was a surfer and attracted to Hunter. Hunter and Jerry dated for a while until Hunter realized who he really wanted which was Rodney. (side note if you haven’t read Fire Balls..go now and get it!) In the end Jerry started dating Rodney’s friend Bill who is a professor. In Fire Balls, Jerry was portrayed as pretty simple but I started to see a different side to him in Snow Balls and here in F.A.S.T. Balls he’s really matured. He’s now a fire fighter and seems much smarter to me than originally. Unfortunately, Bill has dumped him. Their intellectual differences were just too great for Bill, but poor Jerry, what a way to make someone feel bad about himself by reminding him he isn’t smart enough. Of course when Jerry finds out, he’s at work and homophobe Mick Cassidy is there to rub salt in the wound. We also met Mick in Fire Balls. He was such a jerk in that book in fact he’s still a jerk and just spews hate. No matter how attractive he is I just can’t get over what an ass he is, even his internal monologue is riddled with hate. So imagine my surprise his background story or even my bigger surprise that he would turn into Jerry’s love interest. It was nothing that I was expecting at all so I won’t even hint at what happens because I don’t want to ruin the story.
As with past stories, Ms. Lain’s visualization is amazing. I’d love to go to Laguna Beach just to see the area. I closed the book loving Jerry more than ever, but I can’t say I really fell in love with Alex. He was redeemed in the end but not my favorite. The characters are my favorite part of the story and I’d like the storyline. There was a lot of the use of f@g which is a word I hate but I think it was used for impact because of Mick’s family are such hateful people. It still made some of those scenes difficult to read.
Overall it is a quick read like the others in the series and again I loved it. In fact I went back and reread Fast Balls just so I could remember when I first met Jerry.
“You tried to make me gay.”
Jerry looked up and frowned. “Nobody can make anyone gay. You either are or you aren’t, man. To quote Lady Gaga, You’re born this way. And I’m not the one who came over asking to get fucked, remember?”
All of his insides quivered. “Are you saying I’m gay?”
F.A.S.T Balls by Tera Lain is another hit in the Balls to the Walls series. I’ve wanted to read Jerry’s story since I met him in Rodney’s story Fire Balls. Back then he was a surfer and attracted to Hunter. Hunter and Jerry dated for a while until Hunter realized who he really wanted which was Rodney. (side note if you haven’t read Fire Balls..go now and get it!) In the end Jerry started dating Rodney’s friend Bill who is a professor. In Fire Balls, Jerry was portrayed as pretty simple but I started to see a different side to him in Snow Balls and here in F.A.S.T. Balls he’s really matured. He’s now a fire fighter and seems much smarter to me than originally. Unfortunately, Bill has dumped him. Their intellectual differences were just too great for Bill, but poor Jerry, what a way to make someone feel bad about himself by reminding him he isn’t smart enough. Of course when Jerry finds out, he’s at work and homophobe Mick Cassidy is there to rub salt in the wound. We also met Mick in Fire Balls. He was such a jerk in that book in fact he’s still a jerk and just spews hate. No matter how attractive he is I just can’t get over what an ass he is, even his internal monologue is riddled with hate. So imagine my surprise his background story or even my bigger surprise that he would turn into Jerry’s love interest. It was nothing that I was expecting at all so I won’t even hint at what happens because I don’t want to ruin the story.
As with past stories, Ms. Lain’s visualization is amazing. I’d love to go to Laguna Beach just to see the area. I closed the book loving Jerry more than ever, but I can’t say I really fell in love with Alex. He was redeemed in the end but not my favorite. The characters are my favorite part of the story and I’d like the storyline. There was a lot of the use of f@g which is a word I hate but I think it was used for impact because of Mick’s family are such hateful people. It still made some of those scenes difficult to read.
Overall it is a quick read like the others in the series and again I loved it. In fact I went back and reread Fast Balls just so I could remember when I first met Jerry.
September 23, 2013
Ditched by his academic lover, can Jerry finally find the right man for him?
Raised on lies, can Mick escape the past and his family ties?
I love the rest of the books in the series, but this one ramps the angst and intensity up to a new level.
First of all, if you haven’t read FIRE BALLS, I really recommend you read that one first. This book does stand alone, but it will be much better in context with the other book. In part, this book redeems the bad guy from that book and makes many references to events that occurred in it. Plus that book introduces Jerry, one of the heroes of this book and a fan favorite and all-around nice guy.
Tara Lain often has heroes who have at least one set of tolerant parent or parental figure between them, often more. Not the case here. Jerry was kicked out years ago. Mick was raised in one in a strict religious community by an anti-gay preacher, and never questioned his own sexuality. Until now. Many of Tara’s contemporary romances have dealt with men afraid of coming out to their families or co-workers, but this is the first one in which coming out might lead to a genuine risk for the man. Often the bad guys are just creepy exes or slimy coworkers. (Her paranormal Aloysius series has some pretty evil witch villains in it, though, Snow Balls had a couple of crooks in it and Golden Dancer had a pair of very bad men).
However, Mick’s father and a new homophobic firefighter (appropriately named Straight) are definitely among the more unsavory characters to appear in this series. One of the more sobering aspects of this book is the knowledge that there are probably many people out in the real world just like them (and people who suffer and are at risk because of them).
Poor Mick is definitely the most conflicted character in the series. Watching Mick accept who he was and break free of his past was a rewarding experience. To a lesser extent, Jerry changes too, finally appreciating the qualities his friends have always seen in him, and gets rid of some of his self-doubt and lack of faith in himself.
And as always, Tara has a great supporting cast. The big surprise in this book was Jezebel, a spirited young woman from Mick’s conservative community who sees things so much more clearly than he does.
Jerry and Mick have to work for their HEA (but they are firefighters, so they can handle hard work). Enjoy the journey.
Raised on lies, can Mick escape the past and his family ties?
I love the rest of the books in the series, but this one ramps the angst and intensity up to a new level.
First of all, if you haven’t read FIRE BALLS, I really recommend you read that one first. This book does stand alone, but it will be much better in context with the other book. In part, this book redeems the bad guy from that book and makes many references to events that occurred in it. Plus that book introduces Jerry, one of the heroes of this book and a fan favorite and all-around nice guy.
Tara Lain often has heroes who have at least one set of tolerant parent or parental figure between them, often more. Not the case here. Jerry was kicked out years ago. Mick was raised in one in a strict religious community by an anti-gay preacher, and never questioned his own sexuality. Until now. Many of Tara’s contemporary romances have dealt with men afraid of coming out to their families or co-workers, but this is the first one in which coming out might lead to a genuine risk for the man. Often the bad guys are just creepy exes or slimy coworkers. (Her paranormal Aloysius series has some pretty evil witch villains in it, though, Snow Balls had a couple of crooks in it and Golden Dancer had a pair of very bad men).
However, Mick’s father and a new homophobic firefighter (appropriately named Straight) are definitely among the more unsavory characters to appear in this series. One of the more sobering aspects of this book is the knowledge that there are probably many people out in the real world just like them (and people who suffer and are at risk because of them).
Poor Mick is definitely the most conflicted character in the series. Watching Mick accept who he was and break free of his past was a rewarding experience. To a lesser extent, Jerry changes too, finally appreciating the qualities his friends have always seen in him, and gets rid of some of his self-doubt and lack of faith in himself.
And as always, Tara has a great supporting cast. The big surprise in this book was Jezebel, a spirited young woman from Mick’s conservative community who sees things so much more clearly than he does.
Jerry and Mick have to work for their HEA (but they are firefighters, so they can handle hard work). Enjoy the journey.
July 16, 2017
I was given a copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
This is a darker addition to a fun, often silly series. This time, firefighter Jerry finds himself enjoying an unexpected sexual encounter with Mick, the homophobic firefighter Rodney beat up in an earlier story. As Mick makes a difficult transition from chief homophobe to enthusiastic gay lover, Jerry has to decide whether to risk his heart with someone who has been so cruel in the past.
This isn’t my favourite book in the series. Much of the playfulness and witty banter that I’ve enjoyed in the other books is missing here and the elements I haven’t enjoyed so much - the overly simplistic conflict between evil homophobes and happy, loved up gays is amplified as Mick attempts to extract himself from his father’s church/cult.
For me, neither Jerry or Mick has the charm and charisma of my favourite men in this series. Jerry remained especially bland in this story. He complains about not being intelligent but there is no evidence of this in his narration. I wanted to see more of Mick’s maths genius skills but he was also a little bit too simplistic for me to really invest in him as a leading man.
My biggest reservation is the cult storyline. This series doesn’t take itself seriously enough to tackle issues like religious cults and spiritual abuse. As an adult still deeply scarred by early experiences in a similar church environment, I was offended by the ease with which Mick and Jezebel seem to slip out of the church, their community and their families into mainstream America. This book lacks sensitivity. It didn’t feel well researched and Mick and Jezebel’s experiences do not feel authentic.
This story offers welcome glimpses of previous characters in this series and there are moments where the fun and fluffy good vibes return, but I really struggled with some of the main themes and ideas.
This is a darker addition to a fun, often silly series. This time, firefighter Jerry finds himself enjoying an unexpected sexual encounter with Mick, the homophobic firefighter Rodney beat up in an earlier story. As Mick makes a difficult transition from chief homophobe to enthusiastic gay lover, Jerry has to decide whether to risk his heart with someone who has been so cruel in the past.
This isn’t my favourite book in the series. Much of the playfulness and witty banter that I’ve enjoyed in the other books is missing here and the elements I haven’t enjoyed so much - the overly simplistic conflict between evil homophobes and happy, loved up gays is amplified as Mick attempts to extract himself from his father’s church/cult.
For me, neither Jerry or Mick has the charm and charisma of my favourite men in this series. Jerry remained especially bland in this story. He complains about not being intelligent but there is no evidence of this in his narration. I wanted to see more of Mick’s maths genius skills but he was also a little bit too simplistic for me to really invest in him as a leading man.
My biggest reservation is the cult storyline. This series doesn’t take itself seriously enough to tackle issues like religious cults and spiritual abuse. As an adult still deeply scarred by early experiences in a similar church environment, I was offended by the ease with which Mick and Jezebel seem to slip out of the church, their community and their families into mainstream America. This book lacks sensitivity. It didn’t feel well researched and Mick and Jezebel’s experiences do not feel authentic.
This story offers welcome glimpses of previous characters in this series and there are moments where the fun and fluffy good vibes return, but I really struggled with some of the main themes and ideas.
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