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Bend or Break #3
The Girl Next Door
When it comes to love, go big or go home.
Charles “Cash” Carmichael traded his high-rise condo and family-firm career for a job coaching soccer for Chicago’s inner-city kids. He’s adjusting to living on minimum wage when his young cousin, newly out and running away from home, shows up on his less-than-luxurious doorstep.
Angsty teens definitely aren’t Cash’s thing. He needs local backup, and there’s only one name he can think of: Stephany Tyler. Back in the day, the bisexual Steph was the perfect friend with benefits until she fell in love with a woman.
To his relief, his former friend steps up to the plate. Soon, though, Cash finds himself feeling the familiar need to keep her in his bed, and in his life. But Steph, burned by the ex-girlfriend and by the absentee dad she’s been trying to connect with, won’t risk her heart again.
Good thing Cash believes in leaving it all on the field. If he can just convince Steph to get in the game, there’s a chance they can both win.
Warning: This book contains ex-friends with benefits crossing boundaries a second time, several steamy encounters on staircases, copious discussions about gay sex from a “straight” guy, a shout-out to magic buttons, and an especially memorable going away threesome.
Charles “Cash” Carmichael traded his high-rise condo and family-firm career for a job coaching soccer for Chicago’s inner-city kids. He’s adjusting to living on minimum wage when his young cousin, newly out and running away from home, shows up on his less-than-luxurious doorstep.
Angsty teens definitely aren’t Cash’s thing. He needs local backup, and there’s only one name he can think of: Stephany Tyler. Back in the day, the bisexual Steph was the perfect friend with benefits until she fell in love with a woman.
To his relief, his former friend steps up to the plate. Soon, though, Cash finds himself feeling the familiar need to keep her in his bed, and in his life. But Steph, burned by the ex-girlfriend and by the absentee dad she’s been trying to connect with, won’t risk her heart again.
Good thing Cash believes in leaving it all on the field. If he can just convince Steph to get in the game, there’s a chance they can both win.
Warning: This book contains ex-friends with benefits crossing boundaries a second time, several steamy encounters on staircases, copious discussions about gay sex from a “straight” guy, a shout-out to magic buttons, and an especially memorable going away threesome.
248 pages, Paperback
First published June 16, 2015
20 people are currently reading
936 people want to read
About the author
Amy Jo Cousins
46 books624 followersTo get updates on Amy Jo's new releases, sign up for her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/YdVW1.
Amy Jo Cousins lives in Chicago, where she writes queer romance, tweets more than she ought, and sometimes runs way too far. She loves her boy and the Cubs, who taught her that being awesome doesn't necessarily have anything to do with winning.
Amy Jo Cousins lives in Chicago, where she writes queer romance, tweets more than she ought, and sometimes runs way too far. She loves her boy and the Cubs, who taught her that being awesome doesn't necessarily have anything to do with winning.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
May 26, 2015
Cash, Cash, Cash.
What more can I say about Cash? He's the dudebro everyone wants to bang, and the adorable mush who had the ability to melt even my tar black heart. It takes a certain amount of skill to write a character who is so nuanced (he's a horny sweetheart and kind of a goofball, but he can also be ethnocentric and is self-aware enough to check himself because he is 100% aware of his own shortcomings) and have him read so damn real. Cash is a one-of-a-kind character, and one of my favorite of all time. He's just super fuckab--likable, and his voice is everything I imagined and all I wanted. There were also times when I related so strongly to things Cash thought or felt that I was like "damn, I feel you man".
Steph and Cash are two side characters from Off Campus who were multifaceted enough to need their own story, and this is definitely the story they deserved. They both have their own hopes and dreams, their own fears and struggles, and I often found myself rooting for them or yelling at them in frustration because they were so real and their experiences resonated with me a lot. As a pairing, they were larger than life and bypassed Tom and Reese as my favorite couple in this universe (although I was thrilled that they had cameos).
Oh and did I mention the sex was smoking hot? Because the sex was smoking hot. Not just because Amy Jo Cousins writes bomb ass sex scenes, but because Cash would pretty much do anything to please Steph. And he's very open-minded. Very VERY open-minded. *mysterious smirk*
What more can I say about Cash? He's the dudebro everyone wants to bang, and the adorable mush who had the ability to melt even my tar black heart. It takes a certain amount of skill to write a character who is so nuanced (he's a horny sweetheart and kind of a goofball, but he can also be ethnocentric and is self-aware enough to check himself because he is 100% aware of his own shortcomings) and have him read so damn real. Cash is a one-of-a-kind character, and one of my favorite of all time. He's just super fuckab--likable, and his voice is everything I imagined and all I wanted. There were also times when I related so strongly to things Cash thought or felt that I was like "damn, I feel you man".
Steph and Cash are two side characters from Off Campus who were multifaceted enough to need their own story, and this is definitely the story they deserved. They both have their own hopes and dreams, their own fears and struggles, and I often found myself rooting for them or yelling at them in frustration because they were so real and their experiences resonated with me a lot. As a pairing, they were larger than life and bypassed Tom and Reese as my favorite couple in this universe (although I was thrilled that they had cameos).
Oh and did I mention the sex was smoking hot? Because the sex was smoking hot. Not just because Amy Jo Cousins writes bomb ass sex scenes, but because Cash would pretty much do anything to please Steph. And he's very open-minded. Very VERY open-minded. *mysterious smirk*
Read
June 18, 2015This one's for everyone who ran to me (metaphorically speaking, because some of y'all are FAR away) after finishing OFF CAMPUS. "CASH! I love Cash! When do we get a book about Cash?"
Dude. I love that boy, too. He is everything I admire in the world. Open and honest and not always the swiftest on the uptake, but totally willing to be admit it and ask for help. With a filthy mouth and an up-for-anything attitude, Cash is one of my favorite characters ever and I cannot tell you how happy it made me to write his story.
Plus, the secondary characters in this book lead directly to a total plot change for book four, so that was exciting. :)
ETA: I forgot to mention! I will most definitely be including sneak peek excerpts of THE GIRL NEXT DOOR in upcoming newsletters, so if you want an early glimpse of Cash & Steph, you can subscribe to my mostly monthly (sometimes I forget!) newsletter at http://amyjocousins.com/.
ETA #2: For those of you who haven't read OFF CAMPUS, I wrote Meet Cash and Meet Steph blog posts if you want to see how these two first met. I've also got a rather NSFW excerpt up in my release day blog post! Enjoy the smexy!
Dude. I love that boy, too. He is everything I admire in the world. Open and honest and not always the swiftest on the uptake, but totally willing to be admit it and ask for help. With a filthy mouth and an up-for-anything attitude, Cash is one of my favorite characters ever and I cannot tell you how happy it made me to write his story.
Plus, the secondary characters in this book lead directly to a total plot change for book four, so that was exciting. :)
ETA: I forgot to mention! I will most definitely be including sneak peek excerpts of THE GIRL NEXT DOOR in upcoming newsletters, so if you want an early glimpse of Cash & Steph, you can subscribe to my mostly monthly (sometimes I forget!) newsletter at http://amyjocousins.com/.
ETA #2: For those of you who haven't read OFF CAMPUS, I wrote Meet Cash and Meet Steph blog posts if you want to see how these two first met. I've also got a rather NSFW excerpt up in my release day blog post! Enjoy the smexy!
June 22, 2015
While I appreciated this book for the male POV, for its adorable narrator, and for the endearing overall cast, it somehow didn't all come together for me. Not like I expected anyway.
I think it's because it didn't live up to its full potential. I loved the main characters separately (I have since I first met them in Off Campus, the first book in this series), and I expected them to be incendiary and super intense together in their book, but their romance was sadly too weak. Steph just didn't get enough page-time; it was as if she was playing third fiddle in her own story.
It's 3.5 stars, with the extra 0.5 star being for the dedication. An author showing their appreciation for their editor in such a beautiful way gives me the warm fuzzies.
I think it's because it didn't live up to its full potential. I loved the main characters separately (I have since I first met them in Off Campus, the first book in this series), and I expected them to be incendiary and super intense together in their book, but their romance was sadly too weak. Steph just didn't get enough page-time; it was as if she was playing third fiddle in her own story.
It's 3.5 stars, with the extra 0.5 star being for the dedication. An author showing their appreciation for their editor in such a beautiful way gives me the warm fuzzies.
March 12, 2018
Removing review because of reasons.
Original everything under a spoiler tag because of GR reasons.
I didn't even like the book anyway.
Original everything under a spoiler tag because of GR reasons.
I didn't even like the book anyway.
August 24, 2015
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have to admit I was a little leery when I saw that the third book in this series was going to be a het romance. I have nothing against het romance, but I've been reading them for over 20 years, and I'm more than a little burned out on the genre. I was pleasantly surprised that this was far from the same old same old het romance.
I really loved Cash. I loved how much he cared about his friends, and how respectful he was of those around him. I liked how secure he was in his own sexuality, and how open minded his was when it came to his own pleasure, and other people's sexuality. I liked how he took ownership of his own feelings, and didn't hold Steph responsible for his jealousy. I also liked that he wasn't perfect, and how deeply insecure he was about what he saw as his own limits. I liked how those insecurities made him more sensitive to other people, and more willing to ask for help. He was far from the typical alpha male douche that populates a lot of het romance.
I liked Steph as well. It was nice to have such a strong, confident female that wasn't a complete bitch. I don't know why so many authors seem to equate female strength with bitchiness, but they do. I liked that she was bisexual, and I loved that she was sexually confident, and adventurous. No shy stereotypical virgin trope either. I appreciated that she was the character who had the most trouble committing to a relationship, with understandable reasons, and it was nice to see it was more Cash pining for Steph than the other way around. I love it when a trope gets turned on its head. I loved their banter, and the balance of the relationship felt very equal to me, which I also appreciated.
The plot of the book was nicely paced, and I loved how the entire book wasn't focused on the relationship. It was nice to see Cash come into his own, and see how much he changed over the course of story. I loved the secondary cast, and how they played into the main narrative. The resolution felt well done, and I loved the pacing of the romance. One of the best romance novels I've read hands down.
I have to admit I was a little leery when I saw that the third book in this series was going to be a het romance. I have nothing against het romance, but I've been reading them for over 20 years, and I'm more than a little burned out on the genre. I was pleasantly surprised that this was far from the same old same old het romance.
I really loved Cash. I loved how much he cared about his friends, and how respectful he was of those around him. I liked how secure he was in his own sexuality, and how open minded his was when it came to his own pleasure, and other people's sexuality. I liked how he took ownership of his own feelings, and didn't hold Steph responsible for his jealousy. I also liked that he wasn't perfect, and how deeply insecure he was about what he saw as his own limits. I liked how those insecurities made him more sensitive to other people, and more willing to ask for help. He was far from the typical alpha male douche that populates a lot of het romance.
I liked Steph as well. It was nice to have such a strong, confident female that wasn't a complete bitch. I don't know why so many authors seem to equate female strength with bitchiness, but they do. I liked that she was bisexual, and I loved that she was sexually confident, and adventurous. No shy stereotypical virgin trope either. I appreciated that she was the character who had the most trouble committing to a relationship, with understandable reasons, and it was nice to see it was more Cash pining for Steph than the other way around. I love it when a trope gets turned on its head. I loved their banter, and the balance of the relationship felt very equal to me, which I also appreciated.
The plot of the book was nicely paced, and I loved how the entire book wasn't focused on the relationship. It was nice to see Cash come into his own, and see how much he changed over the course of story. I loved the secondary cast, and how they played into the main narrative. The resolution felt well done, and I loved the pacing of the romance. One of the best romance novels I've read hands down.
July 2, 2015
Kaetrin who reviews for Dear Author tweeted me a few days ago and recommend this book. She said the phrase, “straight guy BJ” and I was sold. A straight guy participating in a blow job with another man is like my unicorn. (More like a unicorn with two horns).
I digress.
There is much more to this story than BJs. Cash is one of the most likable heroes I’ve read. Told all in his point of view, he is fun, open, trustworthy and just a good guy. Sick of getting wealthy favors from his parents, he moves his entire life from Boston to Chicago and takes a job as a soccer coach for elementary kids in a poorer part of the city. He barely makes enough to pay his expenses, he lives in a crappy apartment and he couldn’t be happier. He is living his life now, and he feels fulfilled.
A few years back in college, Cash met and fell for a girl named Steph. Steph is a super confident, out-going girl with blue hair and was always up for trying new things. They started a relationship and Cash realized his sexual knowledge was lacking. Steph pushed his boundaries (and pushed things up his butt). Doors were opened (back doors were opened?) and he realized his view of sex and sexuality could be much broader. Their relationship ended when Steph fell in love with another woman. They both graduated and for the most part lost touch. But now Steph has also moved to Chicago, but with their hectic work schedules, they haven’t had a lot of time to see each other. When Cash’s seventeen year old cousin shows up unexpectedly and announces he is gay and needs help telling his parents, Cash turns to Steph for help. He also calls on his best friends (and gay couple) Reese and Tom (from book one, Off Campus – great book) to help out.
Cash and Steph start-up a friends with benefits again, but they both start to realize they want more out of the relationship.
Cash’s best friends are gay, he watches gay porn, he goes with them to gay bars – but he is straight. He fully accepts all lifestyles and knows sex and who you like is very much not black and white. He loves women and has never really been turned on by a guy, but guys loving other guys or Steph falling for a woman – he is totally on board with that. When his cousin comes to visit, newly out of the closet, although Cash doesn’t realize it, he is the best person to handle a confused teenager.
He loves Steph – and was heartbroken when she broke up with him in college. From the first time he sees her again, he can’t get her out of his mind. She very much wants to just be friends with benefits. She is scared of committing and getting hurt again. But eventually, they end up together. And what I really liked is that while there is still the predictable fight at the end before the official HEA comes, it was an actual fight – with cutting words and high emotion. No one just left not to be seen for three months. They have a fight – they say hurtful things, they really hash it out. I appreciated it. I do have a little niggle that I wish throughout the book, there had been a little more page time with just Cash and Steph. I think a little more emphasis on their romance would have enhanced the story.
The blow job comes into play when they play out one of Steph’s fantasies of having a threesome with two guys. It’s good y’all.
I read the first book in this series and really enjoyed it. I didn’t realize two more books had been released until Kaetrin tweeted me about it. I need to go back and read book two as well. Cash and Steph are just really cool people. I can see why teens would look up to them and respect them. The supporting characters bring so much into this story as well. Definitely give this a try.
Grade: B
I digress.
There is much more to this story than BJs. Cash is one of the most likable heroes I’ve read. Told all in his point of view, he is fun, open, trustworthy and just a good guy. Sick of getting wealthy favors from his parents, he moves his entire life from Boston to Chicago and takes a job as a soccer coach for elementary kids in a poorer part of the city. He barely makes enough to pay his expenses, he lives in a crappy apartment and he couldn’t be happier. He is living his life now, and he feels fulfilled.
A few years back in college, Cash met and fell for a girl named Steph. Steph is a super confident, out-going girl with blue hair and was always up for trying new things. They started a relationship and Cash realized his sexual knowledge was lacking. Steph pushed his boundaries (and pushed things up his butt). Doors were opened (back doors were opened?) and he realized his view of sex and sexuality could be much broader. Their relationship ended when Steph fell in love with another woman. They both graduated and for the most part lost touch. But now Steph has also moved to Chicago, but with their hectic work schedules, they haven’t had a lot of time to see each other. When Cash’s seventeen year old cousin shows up unexpectedly and announces he is gay and needs help telling his parents, Cash turns to Steph for help. He also calls on his best friends (and gay couple) Reese and Tom (from book one, Off Campus – great book) to help out.
Cash and Steph start-up a friends with benefits again, but they both start to realize they want more out of the relationship.
Cash’s best friends are gay, he watches gay porn, he goes with them to gay bars – but he is straight. He fully accepts all lifestyles and knows sex and who you like is very much not black and white. He loves women and has never really been turned on by a guy, but guys loving other guys or Steph falling for a woman – he is totally on board with that. When his cousin comes to visit, newly out of the closet, although Cash doesn’t realize it, he is the best person to handle a confused teenager.
He loves Steph – and was heartbroken when she broke up with him in college. From the first time he sees her again, he can’t get her out of his mind. She very much wants to just be friends with benefits. She is scared of committing and getting hurt again. But eventually, they end up together. And what I really liked is that while there is still the predictable fight at the end before the official HEA comes, it was an actual fight – with cutting words and high emotion. No one just left not to be seen for three months. They have a fight – they say hurtful things, they really hash it out. I appreciated it. I do have a little niggle that I wish throughout the book, there had been a little more page time with just Cash and Steph. I think a little more emphasis on their romance would have enhanced the story.
The blow job comes into play when they play out one of Steph’s fantasies of having a threesome with two guys. It’s good y’all.
I read the first book in this series and really enjoyed it. I didn’t realize two more books had been released until Kaetrin tweeted me about it. I need to go back and read book two as well. Cash and Steph are just really cool people. I can see why teens would look up to them and respect them. The supporting characters bring so much into this story as well. Definitely give this a try.
Grade: B
June 29, 2015
I've enjoyed all the books in this series, and I love Cash as a character, so I was eager to see him get his romance. This book is M/F and M/M/F - we get to see some moments with the guys from book 1, but it is mainly about Cash's developing love for Steph.
Cash is a very straightforward guy. He has amazing integrity, manifested in a lot of small ways, like not being afraid to own his particular truths, even when they are something as small as admitting he likes kitten pictures. He's not book-smart, but he isn't stupid. He sees people and life with clarity and honesty that lets him admit and own his mistakes, and not make them twice. He hasn't got a prejudiced bone in his body, and he wants the best for his friends, his students, and for Steph. I fell even more in love with Cash here.
Steph is a bit of an enigma, because Cash doesn't really know what motivates her. She matters to him, so much that he's afraid to reach for more with her, for fear of losing what he has. I did find it very refreshing to see an M/F relationship where the girl is sexually eager, uninhibited, and more imaginative in bed than the guy. And gradually we come to see where Steph's worries come from.
Some of the cutest moments in the book come from Cash taking a parental role (however much he might deny it) with his gay second-cousin. Denny runs to Cash's place because he's the only family member with a known acceptance of LGBT. Cash is taken aback, but he's never turned down someone in need. He's just out of college, but he tries to give Denny what a gay teen needs.
In some ways, the weakest part of the book is the romance. I think perhaps because of the way it was positioned, as M/F in an M/M series, there are a wealth of good scenes of Cash with his friends and Cash with Denny and there are a lot of gay secondary characters walking around. Steph is a bit distant in her own story, and I wasn't always convinced by her motivations, or close enough to her to feel her pain. So I enjoyed the book as a whole, and I adore Cash, but I wouldn't read it as a stand-alone M/F romance.
Cash is a very straightforward guy. He has amazing integrity, manifested in a lot of small ways, like not being afraid to own his particular truths, even when they are something as small as admitting he likes kitten pictures. He's not book-smart, but he isn't stupid. He sees people and life with clarity and honesty that lets him admit and own his mistakes, and not make them twice. He hasn't got a prejudiced bone in his body, and he wants the best for his friends, his students, and for Steph. I fell even more in love with Cash here.
Steph is a bit of an enigma, because Cash doesn't really know what motivates her. She matters to him, so much that he's afraid to reach for more with her, for fear of losing what he has. I did find it very refreshing to see an M/F relationship where the girl is sexually eager, uninhibited, and more imaginative in bed than the guy. And gradually we come to see where Steph's worries come from.
Some of the cutest moments in the book come from Cash taking a parental role (however much he might deny it) with his gay second-cousin. Denny runs to Cash's place because he's the only family member with a known acceptance of LGBT. Cash is taken aback, but he's never turned down someone in need. He's just out of college, but he tries to give Denny what a gay teen needs.
In some ways, the weakest part of the book is the romance. I think perhaps because of the way it was positioned, as M/F in an M/M series, there are a wealth of good scenes of Cash with his friends and Cash with Denny and there are a lot of gay secondary characters walking around. Steph is a bit distant in her own story, and I wasn't always convinced by her motivations, or close enough to her to feel her pain. So I enjoyed the book as a whole, and I adore Cash, but I wouldn't read it as a stand-alone M/F romance.
June 23, 2015
I think I was looking forward to this more than almost anything else so far this year, I dont read much m/f romance, but I love AJC's writing, and Cash - well he kind of stole Off Campus a bit for me. And just the premise of Steph yesss.
While I wasn't disappointed, this was definitely a book in 4 parts for me, the scene setting in Chicago with the weather vagaries and ethnicity, the growing up facing your fears becoming an adult, the family we create for ourselves with our friends, and a romance.
I thought this in many ways was a brave book, and while it's never going to go massively in depth over the issues of multi racial living and poverty - they were recognised as part of inner city living. The weakest part was the initial romance between Cash and Steph, although it strengthened towards the end.
I found this a difficult book to rate, because I want to give it 5 stars, because its AJC and because...but i reality it was 3.5 - with an extra .5 for the best cover
Full review over at
http://www.tartsweet.com/
While I wasn't disappointed, this was definitely a book in 4 parts for me, the scene setting in Chicago with the weather vagaries and ethnicity, the growing up facing your fears becoming an adult, the family we create for ourselves with our friends, and a romance.
I thought this in many ways was a brave book, and while it's never going to go massively in depth over the issues of multi racial living and poverty - they were recognised as part of inner city living. The weakest part was the initial romance between Cash and Steph, although it strengthened towards the end.
I found this a difficult book to rate, because I want to give it 5 stars, because its AJC and because...but i reality it was 3.5 - with an extra .5 for the best cover
Full review over at
http://www.tartsweet.com/
March 19, 2016
I was fortunate enough to receive an early copy of this book from Amy Jo Cousins, amd i have to say, the Bend or Break series is shaping up to be one of my favorite contemporary series. Though i am not typically a New Adult reader, i find her take on this age group to be a refreshing and honest reminder of what being twenty-something and finding your way in the world is all about.
I love Cash--love his voice, love the way he thinks, love the way he relates to the people around him. Cash is a rock.
And Steph? Steph is the water flowing around him, always there. Together, they find something really special--a second chance at with the one that got away and an enduring friendship to go with it. With each story, this series keeps getting better--i loved.
I love Cash--love his voice, love the way he thinks, love the way he relates to the people around him. Cash is a rock.
And Steph? Steph is the water flowing around him, always there. Together, they find something really special--a second chance at with the one that got away and an enduring friendship to go with it. With each story, this series keeps getting better--i loved.
probably-not-for-me
December 19, 2016I haven't read this book yet—well, because I should start with the first in the series, right?—but if I see one more woman (!!!) warning or complaining about female bits in a book—even in this book with a female bisexual character—I'm gonna scream. FFS grow up!
ETA: I didn't finish the first book, so I'm not gonna read it.
ETA: I didn't finish the first book, so I'm not gonna read it.
Read
September 1, 2015Elisabeth Lane & I chatted about this over on the AAR blog.
Because the threesome scene wasn't exactly what I was looking for (although, let's face it, what I was looking for was pretty specific *blush*), I think our discussion comes across as slightly more negative than I/we would ever have intended.
Basically:
This book is awesome. And it's Caaaaash! Also a pretty important entry in the series, since it provides a lot of important context for Rafi & Denny (the protagonists of Level Hands).
I know some readers might be inclined to skip this because it's m/f and that makes me pretty sad. I mean, don't get me wrong, every reader is entitled to make a personal choice about what they do and do not want to read (and that's totally fine) ... but I also understand that a lot of m/m readers feel disillusioned and alienated by m/f (particular it's portrayal of female characters.).
Well. I hear ya. That is EXACTLY how I feel about m/m.
But if just the possibility of being made to feel crappy and misrepresented stopped me reading ANY m/m at all ... then I'd be missing out on some beautiful, meaningful, important books. And The Girl Next Door is a corker--with all the trademark Amy Jo complexity, compassion, sexiness and wit.
The other thing I'd say that kind of vaguely upsets me about this book being sort of filed away as m/f is that ... this specific type of categorisation reduces sexuality literally to body parts. If there's a penis and a vagina it's m/f. If there's two penises it's m/m. This is a really distressing way to think about queer romance. It's not PENIS ROMANCE for God's sake.
BEND OR BREAK is a queer series. This book is not more or less queer than the books that precede it or the books that follow it. It just happens to have a bisexual heroine who ends up in an opposite-sex relationship. Yes that means a penis goes into a vagina but it doesn't mean it isn't still an LGBTQ+ story. The fact that it usually gets hand-waved as being m/f, as if it doesn't BELONG with the rest of cisboys and their penises, is ... frankly ... hideously bi-erasing.
Anyway, here's me & Elisabeth Lane talking about it:
AJH: Well, this one was certainly interesting. How did you find it, Elisabeth?
Elisabeth: I think it’s a very ambitious, risky book. And there were elements of it that really grabbed me and other elements that I didn’t love quite as much. How about you?
AJH: I think it went pretty much the same way for me. I mean, I love the way Amy Jo writes. I adore her characters and I’d enjoy pretty much whatever she did, simply because of her ideas and the way she approaches things (and people). But while I admire this book a lot and I think I can see what she was trying to do with it, it didn’t wholly come together for me the way, for example, Off Campus does.
Elisabeth: I really enjoyed Off Campus as well and so I was eagerly awaiting Cash and Stephany’s book. The relationship between Reese and Tom in the first book was just so clearly articulated and slowly and satisfyingly developed. I think part of the reason The Girl Next Door didn’t work quite as well for me was that there’s a lot more going on here than just the relationship between Cash and Stephany.
AJH: Yes, I saw it as Cash’s book, way more than it was Stephany’s. I think what I found interesting was the way it’s … a male-centric romance in the same way that some romances are heavily focused on the heroine, with the hero being more an object or an outcome rather than a full participant in the narrative. So it was sort of like chicklit, in the sense of being primarily about this one character navigating their life, of which romantic fulfillment is just one part except it was about a guy. So … dicklit? Which, weirdly, might be why it feels lacklustre as a romance.
Elisabeth: Okay, it took me a second to get over the laughing fit induced by “dicklit” but you make a good point. I tend to be equally frustrated with books that focus on the female protagonist to the exclusion of developing the romance so that was part of what I found difficult here. The other problem I have is that in Off Campus, I really, really loved Stephany and I…don’t have the same visceral love for Cash. So I felt a little cheated almost? Especially since the entire book is not only focused on his journey, but also told completely from his point of view, which is really odd for me in an m/f romance.
AJH: That’s really interesting, because most people are all Caaaaash oh Caaaaash! And, err, honestly I’m one of them. Or was. I think it’s because amazing bisexual women are, y’know, fairly common in my life. Whereas straight men who are are completely comfortable with queerness are … honestly … still kinda rare. Which is not to say my dude friends all stand with their backs to the wall when I enter a room, but I am fucking painfully envious of the way Cash interacts with Reese. I basically want that for me.
Elisabeth: That actually helps me understand why everyone is so in love with Cash. Because honestly, I didn’t really get it. He’s a jock. But so’s my brother. And he’s…well…a lot like Cash. I just didn’t see what the big deal was. Whereas Stephany just…she’s so brash! Romance heroines are not allowed to be that assertive usually and I love it. She’s kind of high maintenance and impenetrable with her commitment-phobia thing. It’s the reverse of what we see in a lot of romance.
AJH: I agree that Steph is not like a romance heroine is supposed to be, but she’s very like … many of the actual women I know? So, in that respect, she was familiar and I didn’t feel cheated by not getting more of her. But that might also be because we see her from a perspective that is familiar to me: from the outside. Not that I’m saying womenz are impenetrable aliens but while I definitely wanted more Steph in this book in general, I felt I had a very strong handle on who she was. And the slight sense of distance worked for me because it’s how I’m used to engaging with … err … women. God that sounds bad. But, as you say, it’s an unusual perspective to get in a romance novel.
You can catch the rest of this here.
Because the threesome scene wasn't exactly what I was looking for (although, let's face it, what I was looking for was pretty specific *blush*), I think our discussion comes across as slightly more negative than I/we would ever have intended.
Basically:
This book is awesome. And it's Caaaaash! Also a pretty important entry in the series, since it provides a lot of important context for Rafi & Denny (the protagonists of Level Hands).
I know some readers might be inclined to skip this because it's m/f and that makes me pretty sad. I mean, don't get me wrong, every reader is entitled to make a personal choice about what they do and do not want to read (and that's totally fine) ... but I also understand that a lot of m/m readers feel disillusioned and alienated by m/f (particular it's portrayal of female characters.).
Well. I hear ya. That is EXACTLY how I feel about m/m.
But if just the possibility of being made to feel crappy and misrepresented stopped me reading ANY m/m at all ... then I'd be missing out on some beautiful, meaningful, important books. And The Girl Next Door is a corker--with all the trademark Amy Jo complexity, compassion, sexiness and wit.
The other thing I'd say that kind of vaguely upsets me about this book being sort of filed away as m/f is that ... this specific type of categorisation reduces sexuality literally to body parts. If there's a penis and a vagina it's m/f. If there's two penises it's m/m. This is a really distressing way to think about queer romance. It's not PENIS ROMANCE for God's sake.
BEND OR BREAK is a queer series. This book is not more or less queer than the books that precede it or the books that follow it. It just happens to have a bisexual heroine who ends up in an opposite-sex relationship. Yes that means a penis goes into a vagina but it doesn't mean it isn't still an LGBTQ+ story. The fact that it usually gets hand-waved as being m/f, as if it doesn't BELONG with the rest of cisboys and their penises, is ... frankly ... hideously bi-erasing.
Anyway, here's me & Elisabeth Lane talking about it:
AJH: Well, this one was certainly interesting. How did you find it, Elisabeth?
Elisabeth: I think it’s a very ambitious, risky book. And there were elements of it that really grabbed me and other elements that I didn’t love quite as much. How about you?
AJH: I think it went pretty much the same way for me. I mean, I love the way Amy Jo writes. I adore her characters and I’d enjoy pretty much whatever she did, simply because of her ideas and the way she approaches things (and people). But while I admire this book a lot and I think I can see what she was trying to do with it, it didn’t wholly come together for me the way, for example, Off Campus does.
Elisabeth: I really enjoyed Off Campus as well and so I was eagerly awaiting Cash and Stephany’s book. The relationship between Reese and Tom in the first book was just so clearly articulated and slowly and satisfyingly developed. I think part of the reason The Girl Next Door didn’t work quite as well for me was that there’s a lot more going on here than just the relationship between Cash and Stephany.
AJH: Yes, I saw it as Cash’s book, way more than it was Stephany’s. I think what I found interesting was the way it’s … a male-centric romance in the same way that some romances are heavily focused on the heroine, with the hero being more an object or an outcome rather than a full participant in the narrative. So it was sort of like chicklit, in the sense of being primarily about this one character navigating their life, of which romantic fulfillment is just one part except it was about a guy. So … dicklit? Which, weirdly, might be why it feels lacklustre as a romance.
Elisabeth: Okay, it took me a second to get over the laughing fit induced by “dicklit” but you make a good point. I tend to be equally frustrated with books that focus on the female protagonist to the exclusion of developing the romance so that was part of what I found difficult here. The other problem I have is that in Off Campus, I really, really loved Stephany and I…don’t have the same visceral love for Cash. So I felt a little cheated almost? Especially since the entire book is not only focused on his journey, but also told completely from his point of view, which is really odd for me in an m/f romance.
AJH: That’s really interesting, because most people are all Caaaaash oh Caaaaash! And, err, honestly I’m one of them. Or was. I think it’s because amazing bisexual women are, y’know, fairly common in my life. Whereas straight men who are are completely comfortable with queerness are … honestly … still kinda rare. Which is not to say my dude friends all stand with their backs to the wall when I enter a room, but I am fucking painfully envious of the way Cash interacts with Reese. I basically want that for me.
Elisabeth: That actually helps me understand why everyone is so in love with Cash. Because honestly, I didn’t really get it. He’s a jock. But so’s my brother. And he’s…well…a lot like Cash. I just didn’t see what the big deal was. Whereas Stephany just…she’s so brash! Romance heroines are not allowed to be that assertive usually and I love it. She’s kind of high maintenance and impenetrable with her commitment-phobia thing. It’s the reverse of what we see in a lot of romance.
AJH: I agree that Steph is not like a romance heroine is supposed to be, but she’s very like … many of the actual women I know? So, in that respect, she was familiar and I didn’t feel cheated by not getting more of her. But that might also be because we see her from a perspective that is familiar to me: from the outside. Not that I’m saying womenz are impenetrable aliens but while I definitely wanted more Steph in this book in general, I felt I had a very strong handle on who she was. And the slight sense of distance worked for me because it’s how I’m used to engaging with … err … women. God that sounds bad. But, as you say, it’s an unusual perspective to get in a romance novel.
You can catch the rest of this here.
June 18, 2019
3,5 stars.
So many thoughts on this book.
So this will be less of a review and more of me rambling on in the hope that some of you will chime in and let me know what YOU think.
So, off on my first tangent:
On the topic of casual sex. Thing is, I’m proud of having casual and non-casual sex with lovely diverse partners and I've worked hard over the years to learn how to do it in a sophisticated, sustainable and ethical way.
So, I want casual sex to be treated with respect and knowledge in the books I read, especially if a female MC is involved.
Some would say be careful to read a fictional book on a subject about which you are knowledgeable and passionate; it'll just frustrate you.
Take any experience—war, parenthood, extreme sports, marriage, being a disabled person, anything—chances are some books will make a point-missing, reality-ignoring caricature of it.
I'm passionate about nontraditional relationships, and reading books about them sometimes makes me want to slap the writer.
Now, one obvious hit and miss are all the small and big, overt and covert ways of slut shaming a woman who engages in casual sex.
One popular covert way would be to give her ISSUES. Deep attachment issues, an absentee dad, a low self esteem, body image issues, the never sufficiently processed loss of the ONE, (or worst of all sexual abuse) … anything that will make the casual sex not celebratory and joyful but a “lesser”, an interim solution until the healing through the one true love can begin.
Is that happening here? To some small extend yes, though I’m well aware that Steph is not written as a character whose only purpose is to fulfill my yearning for reading about a self-possessed, happy, healthy woman who also happens to enjoy casual sex.
However, all in all she is complex and her characterization through Cash’s loving, empathetic eyes worshipful enough to not fall into the trap of pathologizing her for preferring casual sex over monogamy and attachment.
It seems more a relationship issue with Cash than a supposedly personality flaw, considering her previous relationships. So I’ll give it a pass.
On to another thing that often rubs me the wrong way:
If the premise of the book is this: "We're friends who enjoy spending time together, and we're also going to fuck, frequently and for an ongoing period of time. But we're not going to become emotionally attached beyond casual friendship," I just have to roll my eyes.
Seriously?
Here's a plot spoiler for you: This will always end with the couple realizing that they're madly (and mostly monogamously) in love.
Wow, crazy twist, right?
I find this literary interpretation of a fuck buddy arrangement exactly as realistic as James Bond jumping from one airplane to another. How do you conduct a fuck buddy relationship? Certainly not like that.
There's not a single, save formula, but it sure doesn't look just like dating.
Some physical distance and infrequency should probably be built in, or it's someone you see only at certain social events: your music-festival fuck buddy, your Berlin bang.
But if you regularly and repeatedly have sex with someone you like, you'll become emotionally involved with him or her.
And I don't just say that because I'm female.
I asked a few straight and bisexual male swinger/polyamorous buddies, and all of them said the outlined fuck buddy scenario would lead to emotional attachment for them, too.
Even experienced swingers said that they can fuck a friend casually once, maybe twice but with more than that emotions will be involved. Of course none of them are jerks or have ISSUES.
Ok, if you're very smart, experienced and lucky, you might find a lovely, sustainable balance of love and lust that suits you both, though probably not in your twenties.
So I find it extremely irritating and, frankly, stupid, to hear Steph say "We're just friends," implying nobody is allowed to develop feelings. And Cash trying to accommodate that nonsense. Eyeroll.
It just doesn't jibe with how I was led to picture her up until then- smart, independent-minded, experienced, invested in non-conformity and defining her own relationship-styles.
So, was that a deal breaker for me? Interestingly not because (and only because) they are so damn young. They don’t know what they are doing and what they are talking about. They don’t have the tools and the community around them to approach things like that differently and more sophisticated.
And as much as I would have loved for Steph to be more educated and conscious of what she is doing (and book 1 of the series let me think she might be) she is not and is still a very interesting, multi-layered character.
In fact, they both are probably not the kind of people who would opt for long term non monogamy anyway, though I damn well hope
So, does my rambling have an endpoint?
It was ok, a good read, the characters multi-layered enough for 20somethings to make me care for them. Cash’s voice was dead-on and masterfully done – and I very much enjoyed his healthy, wholesome, relaxed sexuality. Now that’s a man after my liking (just give him 10 more years and in-depth relationship experience with all its ups and downs and he will be absolutely delicious, hands down).
I felt completely let down and cheated out of
Dammit, Amy Jo Cousins, of all things, THIS is what you let happen off page? ;D What a wasted opportunity. Well, well, perhaps this is too out there even for the M/M audience? Is it really so much more daring than
In conclusion this was not exactly the book I was hoping for (and if you know a book that would fit my dearest wishes please rec them – I haven’t been actively looking in the M-F genre for quite a few years), but for what is was it was good and daring and empathetic and warm-hearted and complex enough.
So many thoughts on this book.
So this will be less of a review and more of me rambling on in the hope that some of you will chime in and let me know what YOU think.
So, off on my first tangent:
On the topic of casual sex. Thing is, I’m proud of having casual and non-casual sex with lovely diverse partners and I've worked hard over the years to learn how to do it in a sophisticated, sustainable and ethical way.
So, I want casual sex to be treated with respect and knowledge in the books I read, especially if a female MC is involved.
Some would say be careful to read a fictional book on a subject about which you are knowledgeable and passionate; it'll just frustrate you.
Take any experience—war, parenthood, extreme sports, marriage, being a disabled person, anything—chances are some books will make a point-missing, reality-ignoring caricature of it.
I'm passionate about nontraditional relationships, and reading books about them sometimes makes me want to slap the writer.
Now, one obvious hit and miss are all the small and big, overt and covert ways of slut shaming a woman who engages in casual sex.
One popular covert way would be to give her ISSUES. Deep attachment issues, an absentee dad, a low self esteem, body image issues, the never sufficiently processed loss of the ONE, (or worst of all sexual abuse) … anything that will make the casual sex not celebratory and joyful but a “lesser”, an interim solution until the healing through the one true love can begin.
Is that happening here? To some small extend yes, though I’m well aware that Steph is not written as a character whose only purpose is to fulfill my yearning for reading about a self-possessed, happy, healthy woman who also happens to enjoy casual sex.
However, all in all she is complex and her characterization through Cash’s loving, empathetic eyes worshipful enough to not fall into the trap of pathologizing her for preferring casual sex over monogamy and attachment.
It seems more a relationship issue with Cash than a supposedly personality flaw, considering her previous relationships. So I’ll give it a pass.
On to another thing that often rubs me the wrong way:
If the premise of the book is this: "We're friends who enjoy spending time together, and we're also going to fuck, frequently and for an ongoing period of time. But we're not going to become emotionally attached beyond casual friendship," I just have to roll my eyes.
Seriously?
Here's a plot spoiler for you: This will always end with the couple realizing that they're madly (and mostly monogamously) in love.
Wow, crazy twist, right?
I find this literary interpretation of a fuck buddy arrangement exactly as realistic as James Bond jumping from one airplane to another. How do you conduct a fuck buddy relationship? Certainly not like that.
There's not a single, save formula, but it sure doesn't look just like dating.
Some physical distance and infrequency should probably be built in, or it's someone you see only at certain social events: your music-festival fuck buddy, your Berlin bang.
But if you regularly and repeatedly have sex with someone you like, you'll become emotionally involved with him or her.
And I don't just say that because I'm female.
I asked a few straight and bisexual male swinger/polyamorous buddies, and all of them said the outlined fuck buddy scenario would lead to emotional attachment for them, too.
Even experienced swingers said that they can fuck a friend casually once, maybe twice but with more than that emotions will be involved. Of course none of them are jerks or have ISSUES.
Ok, if you're very smart, experienced and lucky, you might find a lovely, sustainable balance of love and lust that suits you both, though probably not in your twenties.
So I find it extremely irritating and, frankly, stupid, to hear Steph say "We're just friends," implying nobody is allowed to develop feelings. And Cash trying to accommodate that nonsense. Eyeroll.
It just doesn't jibe with how I was led to picture her up until then- smart, independent-minded, experienced, invested in non-conformity and defining her own relationship-styles.
So, was that a deal breaker for me? Interestingly not because (and only because) they are so damn young. They don’t know what they are doing and what they are talking about. They don’t have the tools and the community around them to approach things like that differently and more sophisticated.
And as much as I would have loved for Steph to be more educated and conscious of what she is doing (and book 1 of the series let me think she might be) she is not and is still a very interesting, multi-layered character.
In fact, they both are probably not the kind of people who would opt for long term non monogamy anyway, though I damn well hope
So, does my rambling have an endpoint?
It was ok, a good read, the characters multi-layered enough for 20somethings to make me care for them. Cash’s voice was dead-on and masterfully done – and I very much enjoyed his healthy, wholesome, relaxed sexuality. Now that’s a man after my liking (just give him 10 more years and in-depth relationship experience with all its ups and downs and he will be absolutely delicious, hands down).
I felt completely let down and cheated out of
Dammit, Amy Jo Cousins, of all things, THIS is what you let happen off page? ;D What a wasted opportunity. Well, well, perhaps this is too out there even for the M/M audience? Is it really so much more daring than
In conclusion this was not exactly the book I was hoping for (and if you know a book that would fit my dearest wishes please rec them – I haven’t been actively looking in the M-F genre for quite a few years), but for what is was it was good and daring and empathetic and warm-hearted and complex enough.
January 12, 2016
I enjoyed this installment of the Bend or Break series a lot more than Nothing Like Paris. Cash is such a fun character, and I loved seeing the world through his eyes. Steph on the other hand annoyed me, especially towards the ending. Yeah I know she had a lot on her plate, but that was no reason to be such a bitch to Cash.
June 22, 2015
***3.5 Stars!***
The Girl Next Door is the third book in the Bend or Break series. Ever since I read Off Campus and was introduced to two of the most awesome secondary characters I’ve encountered in books (Cash and Steph, of course) I’ve been waiting for this book.
So, this is Cash’s book. It’s told from Cash’s POV, and we spend lots of time in his head. We get to see how he thinks, and how he truly feels. It was refreshing to see a guy so free, yet insecure. A guy who knows his virtues and flaws and double checks himselfl, cosntantly, because he knows where he can fall. All of this, is purely awesome, and highly appreciated… Why? Well, because this is an interesting change in the M/F narrative. We rarely get the hero’s POV in an M/F romance. So, honest? All the kudos to Amy, for taking this risk and being brave enough to do this.
When the book starts we learn that Cash and Steph hadn’t seen each other in some time. This book becomes a sort of lovers reunite thing, except that here, you have the lovers trying to figure out what they couldn’t when it all started with them a couple of years ago. So far so good. The thing for me was that I didn’t feel like our two MC’s spent enough time together on page. There was a some interaction between them- Phone calls, emails, texting, but the time they actually spent with each other on page wasn’t enough. It left me wanting more. Steph is a constant in Cash’s mind, but like I say, I wish I’d seen more of them. Sadly, what happened to me here was that, because I didn’t see much of her I actually struggled to connect with her as fast and deep as I connected with Cash. For me, this is a bummer, because Steph is one of my girl book crushes, and I just couldn’t completely understand her. I felt like people kept coming into the picture and stole her thunder. She didn’t shine as much as I would’ve wanted to. But, again, this is me.
So, what happened?
You see, Cash is now living in Chicago, and while he’s there, his cousin, Denny, shows up. Denny is a 17 year old kid who just came out to his parents and isn’t being taken seriously. In an effort to put some distance and figure out his new life out of the closet, he finds Cash and crashes with the guy in his apartament. This is where I get awfully torn. Why, you say? Well, as much as I really, truly ADORE Denny and can’t wait to read more about him, I felt like he took too much time of the book. For me this was both good, and not so good. It was good, hell, it was awesome because it set a mean fantastic mood/plot for the next book. So much that like I said, I can’t wait to get my hands on that book. Not so good because I felt like Steph-robbed! Ha!
Now, don’t get me wrong here. I understand 100% that couples have a life outside of their love bubble, so it is normal, understandable, and appreciated that they interact with other people – friends, family, etc. However, when reading a romance I want to be able to read the build up. Not being told that there was one. This is how it felt for me.
However. I think that once the couple started to spend actual time together on page things got lots better. There is also the fact that Denny’s subplot is great, and that seeing Cash struggle with a teenager while trying to be a friend, yet act as some sort of parent is absolutely endearing. Tom and Reese pop up consantly, and that brought a smile to my face more than once. It was just so sweet to read them again.
One thing I have to say that keeps bothering me, and it is personal (I really can’t stress this enough) is that I see that Amy brings diverse characters to her books – which I absolutely love- but she throws in words (Spanish words, in this case) and they are sometimes mispelled, or in other cases the expression used for that particular latin character doesn’t really fit much with their culture. I first noticed this in Nothing Like Paris, and I thought it had just been typos, or something of the sort, but here I confirmed that they were not. There is also the issue of pointing out how to pronounce a name, and yet giving the wrong pronunciation. As a Mexican woman, I do pay attention to those tiny details. I know most people wouldn’t notice, but I do. Like I say, I appreciate authors who take the risk of writing diverse characters, and who take the time to research the most they can about their culture – I can tell that she does, but when using language as an extra descriptor it can become tricky.
That being said – I guess that the main thing to say about this book is that this is an M/F book that was, in my opinion, intended for an M/M crowd. So, yes, you have the hot M/F couple, but you have a blooming M/M subplot, and a fucking damn HOT M/M/F threesome… Like, dude, hot! So. Very. Hot.
Review originally posted to Boys In Our Books
The Girl Next Door is the third book in the Bend or Break series. Ever since I read Off Campus and was introduced to two of the most awesome secondary characters I’ve encountered in books (Cash and Steph, of course) I’ve been waiting for this book.
So, this is Cash’s book. It’s told from Cash’s POV, and we spend lots of time in his head. We get to see how he thinks, and how he truly feels. It was refreshing to see a guy so free, yet insecure. A guy who knows his virtues and flaws and double checks himselfl, cosntantly, because he knows where he can fall. All of this, is purely awesome, and highly appreciated… Why? Well, because this is an interesting change in the M/F narrative. We rarely get the hero’s POV in an M/F romance. So, honest? All the kudos to Amy, for taking this risk and being brave enough to do this.
When the book starts we learn that Cash and Steph hadn’t seen each other in some time. This book becomes a sort of lovers reunite thing, except that here, you have the lovers trying to figure out what they couldn’t when it all started with them a couple of years ago. So far so good. The thing for me was that I didn’t feel like our two MC’s spent enough time together on page. There was a some interaction between them- Phone calls, emails, texting, but the time they actually spent with each other on page wasn’t enough. It left me wanting more. Steph is a constant in Cash’s mind, but like I say, I wish I’d seen more of them. Sadly, what happened to me here was that, because I didn’t see much of her I actually struggled to connect with her as fast and deep as I connected with Cash. For me, this is a bummer, because Steph is one of my girl book crushes, and I just couldn’t completely understand her. I felt like people kept coming into the picture and stole her thunder. She didn’t shine as much as I would’ve wanted to. But, again, this is me.
So, what happened?
You see, Cash is now living in Chicago, and while he’s there, his cousin, Denny, shows up. Denny is a 17 year old kid who just came out to his parents and isn’t being taken seriously. In an effort to put some distance and figure out his new life out of the closet, he finds Cash and crashes with the guy in his apartament. This is where I get awfully torn. Why, you say? Well, as much as I really, truly ADORE Denny and can’t wait to read more about him, I felt like he took too much time of the book. For me this was both good, and not so good. It was good, hell, it was awesome because it set a mean fantastic mood/plot for the next book. So much that like I said, I can’t wait to get my hands on that book. Not so good because I felt like Steph-robbed! Ha!
Now, don’t get me wrong here. I understand 100% that couples have a life outside of their love bubble, so it is normal, understandable, and appreciated that they interact with other people – friends, family, etc. However, when reading a romance I want to be able to read the build up. Not being told that there was one. This is how it felt for me.
However. I think that once the couple started to spend actual time together on page things got lots better. There is also the fact that Denny’s subplot is great, and that seeing Cash struggle with a teenager while trying to be a friend, yet act as some sort of parent is absolutely endearing. Tom and Reese pop up consantly, and that brought a smile to my face more than once. It was just so sweet to read them again.
One thing I have to say that keeps bothering me, and it is personal (I really can’t stress this enough) is that I see that Amy brings diverse characters to her books – which I absolutely love- but she throws in words (Spanish words, in this case) and they are sometimes mispelled, or in other cases the expression used for that particular latin character doesn’t really fit much with their culture. I first noticed this in Nothing Like Paris, and I thought it had just been typos, or something of the sort, but here I confirmed that they were not. There is also the issue of pointing out how to pronounce a name, and yet giving the wrong pronunciation. As a Mexican woman, I do pay attention to those tiny details. I know most people wouldn’t notice, but I do. Like I say, I appreciate authors who take the risk of writing diverse characters, and who take the time to research the most they can about their culture – I can tell that she does, but when using language as an extra descriptor it can become tricky.
That being said – I guess that the main thing to say about this book is that this is an M/F book that was, in my opinion, intended for an M/M crowd. So, yes, you have the hot M/F couple, but you have a blooming M/M subplot, and a fucking damn HOT M/M/F threesome… Like, dude, hot! So. Very. Hot.
Review originally posted to Boys In Our Books
June 24, 2015
Well, my first m/f read for 3 years..and did I like it?? I frickin' LOVED it, many thanks Amy Jo!! 5 stars from me.
Cash, the trust fund baby with the heart of gold, moves to Chicago from Boston after finishing Uni, to take a job with an non-profit organisation teaching kids sports in a very run-down part of the city. Mum and Dad don't approve, and so he leaves the swanky apartment they've bought him, and moves into a studio where there's just about enough room to swing a cat. He's left all of his friends behind too; although, when he really thinks about it, he only has 3 serious friends...Reese, Tom and Stephy (all feature in book 1 of this Bend or Break series). They don't want him for his money unlike the other hangers on, but love him for who and what he is - a goof-ball, with time for other people and no prejudices whatsoever. Reese and Tom are a couple, and Stephy, who swings both ways, had had occasional hookups with Cash but she broke his heart when she met up and moved in with Amira. Cash loved her, I was sure of it.
Cash's 17 year old cousin Denny appears on his doorstep one day, having flown to Chicago from Boston to ask Cash's advice cos he's gay, and his stupid parents won't take him seriously, they think he's going 'through a phase'....yeah, right. Denny's family haven't stopped talking yet about a Christmas two years ago when Cash's friends Reese and Tom turned up for the holiday...fancy inviting gays to your house for Christmas!! Denny knows that Cash won't have a problem with him being gay, and after Cash gets over the shock of Denny being on his doorstep, starts to bring the teenager into his circle of friends. He introduces him to some of the kids on his sports programme, and Denny finds himself very interested indeed in Rafi, one of the other coaches, and I now know that Denny and Rafi will feature in the next book in the series, Level Hands, in August hopefully.
However, I digress....Stephany, ah Stephany...who has daddy issues. Still trying to get her father's approval after he's moved on from her mum and started another family. He makes excuse after excuse as to why he doesn't turn up to see her, and everyone but Steph can see it's because he couldn't really care less, and doesn't approve of her lifestyle, but Cash does his best to soften the blows her father keeps hitting Steph's heart with. Cash knows that Steph is the one he wants, bi-sexual or not, and doesn't put any pressure on her, hoping that she will eventually come around to his way of thinking.
I'll leave my review here. I can't imagine I'll be reading another m/f for a while, but I have to say, I didn't skip the sex scenes, they were hot and tasteful...and pretty kinky on occasion, hehe. Varun, one of Cash's workmates appears in a threesome that takes place, and he too will have his own story later in the series. An all-round winner IMHO.
September 2, 2015
Really good for an mf, especially since I was hoping for an mm for Cash. I love Cash btw! He's so awesome!!! And Steph was pretty cool, but I feel like we didn't get to really meet her, the book was only from Cash's POV, and it was centered mostly on Cash and his life. So that would be one complaint, I felt like Steph was a secondary character (but a cool one :d)
The mmf scene was very, very, very hot!
So if you guys were weary about reading this cause it's an mf let me tell you it has a lot of mm feels, action and so on. But there are girl bits in the sex scenes, so be warned :P
Looking forward to Rafi and Denny's story.
The mmf scene was very, very, very hot!
So if you guys were weary about reading this cause it's an mf let me tell you it has a lot of mm feels, action and so on. But there are girl bits in the sex scenes, so be warned :P
Looking forward to Rafi and Denny's story.
December 13, 2015
This is a story about Cash. It's Cash learning about himself, being an open and honest person, a man that anyone would and should be proud to know. He's adventurous, kind, caring, fiercely loyal, thoughtful, and has an amazing heart. His heart belongs to his friends. It' belongs to Steph. And she's the most rockin' chick on the planet. Tenderhearted, vulnerable, strong, beautiful. The two of them together, OMG, such an explosive combination.
Being in Cash's head was so enjoyable... and seriously sexy. Good grief, that man is sexy and his willingness to try new things, to give Steph what she wants and have fun, they have some very dirty and hot sex. Talk about a good time.
But look... There really isn't anything I can say that's more important than this was excellent. What you need to know is that I enjoyed every bit of this book. Even when Cash would show his ignorance, I loved it because when he realizes things and learns from them, it's beautiful.
Highly recommended.
Being in Cash's head was so enjoyable... and seriously sexy. Good grief, that man is sexy and his willingness to try new things, to give Steph what she wants and have fun, they have some very dirty and hot sex. Talk about a good time.
But look... There really isn't anything I can say that's more important than this was excellent. What you need to know is that I enjoyed every bit of this book. Even when Cash would show his ignorance, I loved it because when he realizes things and learns from them, it's beautiful.
Highly recommended.
November 17, 2016
Every single one of those 5 stars is for Cash. I love Cash so hard. Steph? Meh. She was more of a secondary character for me. I am so happy this book was told through Cash's POV.
June 23, 2015
Now, that was sweet and sexy and so much fun! I will review it closer to publication.
You can read this full review on my blog - Ellie Reads Fiction
I love this series, the first two books so far being New Adult MM and this one is more adult since we have a m/f couple at the centre yet the story is diverse/queer at heart.
I like Ms Cousins' writing - it's engaging, telling the stories of real young people dealing with different issues. Her strength for me is the way she builds her characters so real - insecure, making mistakes, yet not giving up, following their hearts.
This is the story of Cash and Steph whom we meet in book 1, Off Campus, he is Tom's best friend and she's is Reese's. They were both great there, especially Cash - accepting Tom being bi-sexual, the friendship he developed with Reese was pretty awesome as well. We never see much of his relationship with Steph there though I always suspected there was something more than friendship between them.
This books takes place a couple of years after the four friends graduated from college and now are trying to make it on their own as adults.
The best thing about this story for was Cash. I loved everything about him - he truly one of a kind. Open, acceptable, loyal to his friends, honest with himself. Working with the kids just warmed my heart. I loved his voice - struggling to be an adult, the sense of confusion, not feeling smart, often feeling lost and not knowing simple things, things that are supposed to be common knowledge, yet he was hardworking, never quitting, giving his all (I just have to say is again, he was FANTASTIC with those kids).
Steph had a tough time competing with Cash for my heart. I liked her, she was fun and open minded and, yet vulnerable, tender, hiding emotional scars behind free and easy-going attitude.
Cash absolutely stole the show for me. In fact, the romance felt somewhat weak compared to all the other things happening in his life. There was so such much of growth and development in him as a person that his relationship with Steph.
They have this great chemistry, sex is the easiest part of their relationship but Cash wanted more and was both patient and persistent in his affections. Their relationship flowed easily and lacked much tension and conflict. The (in)famous threesome scene was huge sign of Cash's love for Steph but still it left me wondering how it will affect the relationship between the three of them.
And Denny, Cash's nephew, was cute and sweet and a catalyst for Cash making a fateful decision. I can't wait to see more of him (and Rafi) in the upcoming book 4, Level Hands.
You can read this full review on my blog - Ellie Reads Fiction
I love this series, the first two books so far being New Adult MM and this one is more adult since we have a m/f couple at the centre yet the story is diverse/queer at heart.
I like Ms Cousins' writing - it's engaging, telling the stories of real young people dealing with different issues. Her strength for me is the way she builds her characters so real - insecure, making mistakes, yet not giving up, following their hearts.
This is the story of Cash and Steph whom we meet in book 1, Off Campus, he is Tom's best friend and she's is Reese's. They were both great there, especially Cash - accepting Tom being bi-sexual, the friendship he developed with Reese was pretty awesome as well. We never see much of his relationship with Steph there though I always suspected there was something more than friendship between them.
This books takes place a couple of years after the four friends graduated from college and now are trying to make it on their own as adults.
The best thing about this story for was Cash. I loved everything about him - he truly one of a kind. Open, acceptable, loyal to his friends, honest with himself. Working with the kids just warmed my heart. I loved his voice - struggling to be an adult, the sense of confusion, not feeling smart, often feeling lost and not knowing simple things, things that are supposed to be common knowledge, yet he was hardworking, never quitting, giving his all (I just have to say is again, he was FANTASTIC with those kids).
Steph had a tough time competing with Cash for my heart. I liked her, she was fun and open minded and, yet vulnerable, tender, hiding emotional scars behind free and easy-going attitude.
Cash absolutely stole the show for me. In fact, the romance felt somewhat weak compared to all the other things happening in his life. There was so such much of growth and development in him as a person that his relationship with Steph.
They have this great chemistry, sex is the easiest part of their relationship but Cash wanted more and was both patient and persistent in his affections. Their relationship flowed easily and lacked much tension and conflict. The (in)famous threesome scene was huge sign of Cash's love for Steph but still it left me wondering how it will affect the relationship between the three of them.
And Denny, Cash's nephew, was cute and sweet and a catalyst for Cash making a fateful decision. I can't wait to see more of him (and Rafi) in the upcoming book 4, Level Hands.
June 11, 2015
""If he was going to bare his soul, he'd do it with this girl, and no one else, but he'd cop a feel at the same time, because hey, multi-tasking."
This was an interestingly done story for two reasons. First it is a male/female romance told from the guy's point of view. That is something you don't see often in contemporary romance and probably the thing I liked most about this book. The second thing that was unique that is this is a male/female story in an otherwise male/male series. That's not something I've ever seen before. It made for a totally different feel for the story. The main character was a straight guy but most of his friends are gay and he has a much more open mind to social and sexual situations that you normally see in traditional male/female romance. (A VERY open mind.)
We first saw Cash in book one of this series. He was the slightly homophobic, jock friend of Tom's. Over the course of that story he becomes a good friend and an advocate for Tom and Reese. He also spends a lot of time with Reese's friend Stephanie. We get an idea there is somthing going on between them but we don't really see anything. In this book Cash is grown up, out of college and on his own. He's more settled and more responsible. I loved Cash as the narrator. Loved him. He was funny and sweet and really just great in every way. I could totally see having him as a friend or a boyfriend. Cash still spends time with Tom and Reese so we see lot's of them in this book and all of their moments with Cash were great. Some of my favorite scenes in the book.
So if I'm gushing over Cash and the way the story was told then why the lower rating? Well that brings us to the heroine Stephanie. I did not like her at all. Not in one scene. This surprised me as I liked her in book one. In this though I never felt attached to her and I didn't understand any of her behaviors. She was regularly mean to Cash and I could not understand what he saw in her. Maybe she was supposed to be strong and independent but it came across and harpish and unkind. At the end of the story when they end up together I wasn't filled with happiness for them. I was yelling at him to run before she sucked out his soul. Not how I want to end a romance story.
So, I have mixed feelings over this book. I loved Cash and seeing the guys again but I just couldn't buy the romance. There is a side story with Cash's cousin that looks like the set up to the next book in that series. That was good and I'll definitely be reading that. Unfortunately for me this book was a bump in an otherwise really good series.
**smoking hot m/m/f three-some alert**
This was an interestingly done story for two reasons. First it is a male/female romance told from the guy's point of view. That is something you don't see often in contemporary romance and probably the thing I liked most about this book. The second thing that was unique that is this is a male/female story in an otherwise male/male series. That's not something I've ever seen before. It made for a totally different feel for the story. The main character was a straight guy but most of his friends are gay and he has a much more open mind to social and sexual situations that you normally see in traditional male/female romance. (A VERY open mind.)
We first saw Cash in book one of this series. He was the slightly homophobic, jock friend of Tom's. Over the course of that story he becomes a good friend and an advocate for Tom and Reese. He also spends a lot of time with Reese's friend Stephanie. We get an idea there is somthing going on between them but we don't really see anything. In this book Cash is grown up, out of college and on his own. He's more settled and more responsible. I loved Cash as the narrator. Loved him. He was funny and sweet and really just great in every way. I could totally see having him as a friend or a boyfriend. Cash still spends time with Tom and Reese so we see lot's of them in this book and all of their moments with Cash were great. Some of my favorite scenes in the book.
So if I'm gushing over Cash and the way the story was told then why the lower rating? Well that brings us to the heroine Stephanie. I did not like her at all. Not in one scene. This surprised me as I liked her in book one. In this though I never felt attached to her and I didn't understand any of her behaviors. She was regularly mean to Cash and I could not understand what he saw in her. Maybe she was supposed to be strong and independent but it came across and harpish and unkind. At the end of the story when they end up together I wasn't filled with happiness for them. I was yelling at him to run before she sucked out his soul. Not how I want to end a romance story.
So, I have mixed feelings over this book. I loved Cash and seeing the guys again but I just couldn't buy the romance. There is a side story with Cash's cousin that looks like the set up to the next book in that series. That was good and I'll definitely be reading that. Unfortunately for me this book was a bump in an otherwise really good series.
**smoking hot m/m/f three-some alert**
June 21, 2015
a) smart and well written
b) hot
c) threesomes are usually a flat out no thank you for me but this one was fantastic
d) Steph forever
E) Cash forever
f) so sex and queer positive!!!!!! like holy cow this is fucking amazing!
b) hot
c) threesomes are usually a flat out no thank you for me but this one was fantastic
d) Steph forever
E) Cash forever
f) so sex and queer positive!!!!!! like holy cow this is fucking amazing!
June 23, 2022
I dug The Girl Next Door out of my deep, far back TBR pile and I'm so glad I did. What a fantastic character study of a reforming rich-white boy who's learning to become a man in his own right and finding his work, passions, and relationships along the way. Cash could have been such a BRO but he's very cognizant of his privileges, and is very open about both his desires and wants. He's been pining for the one who got away, his friend Steph, who introduced him to many desires he never even imagined for himself. And now Steph has moved back to Chicago, and they reunite and resume their casual 'friends with benefits' arrangement, even if they are afraid they will both get hurt again.
From the SURPRISE threesome, the delicious sexy times, Cash's sweet nature especially as he tends to the youth he coaches soccer for and his recently out cousin, this was super great. I do wish we had gotten a Steph POV, or at least a bit more with Steph, as she remained an enigma for me, and only centered in Cash's POV.
That said, this was great. Highly recommend.
Content notes; biphobia (countered), homophobia (countered, secondary character's parents concerns), drinking
From the SURPRISE threesome, the delicious sexy times, Cash's sweet nature especially as he tends to the youth he coaches soccer for and his recently out cousin, this was super great. I do wish we had gotten a Steph POV, or at least a bit more with Steph, as she remained an enigma for me, and only centered in Cash's POV.
That said, this was great. Highly recommend.
Content notes; biphobia (countered), homophobia (countered, secondary character's parents concerns), drinking
July 20, 2017
This was excellent.
Big, dumb jock with a heart of gold? Sign me the fuck up.
I was excited to read Cash and Steph's story after the first book in the series, and this did not disappoint. It was really great to get inside Cash's head, and see him step out into the world on his own and figure things out. I really liked seeing him interact with everyone in the book, from Denny, to Varun and Rafi, the kids at his job, Tom and Rees, and of course Steph.
They have a really great chemistry between them, and it was great seeing them fall together as people and a couple in this book. I only have two complaints about this book. The first, is I'd have liked to see more insight into how Steph was feeling. Like the last book in the series I felt it was a little bit one sided, and I would have liked to get into her head more than we did. The second: HOW DO YOU TEASE PEGGING LIKE THAT AND THEN KEEP IT OFF SCREEN? I was so certain we were going to get some pegging and then nope! What a cruel cockblock.
I also felt like this book could have benefited from an epilogue, but I assume we'll see more of Cash and Steph and the gang in the next book, so that is forgiven.
Big, dumb jock with a heart of gold? Sign me the fuck up.
I was excited to read Cash and Steph's story after the first book in the series, and this did not disappoint. It was really great to get inside Cash's head, and see him step out into the world on his own and figure things out. I really liked seeing him interact with everyone in the book, from Denny, to Varun and Rafi, the kids at his job, Tom and Rees, and of course Steph.
They have a really great chemistry between them, and it was great seeing them fall together as people and a couple in this book. I only have two complaints about this book. The first, is I'd have liked to see more insight into how Steph was feeling. Like the last book in the series I felt it was a little bit one sided, and I would have liked to get into her head more than we did. The second: HOW DO YOU TEASE PEGGING LIKE THAT AND THEN KEEP IT OFF SCREEN? I was so certain we were going to get some pegging and then nope! What a cruel cockblock.
I also felt like this book could have benefited from an epilogue, but I assume we'll see more of Cash and Steph and the gang in the next book, so that is forgiven.
September 4, 2017
While I love Cash this was just ok to me. It felt weird to have a mf in the middle of a mm series - and I had a hard time moving from enjoying the boys to dealing with a girl - even though Steph was allright.
Read
June 28, 2015On hold at 16%. I like the author and I really like Cash as an MC but I'm just not into m/f these days.
August 27, 2017
I really just want this review to be fire emojis.
May 5, 2017
3.5 stars
I think this story is mis-titled. While Steph, the bi best friend of Reese from book 1 is the female lead the focus of the story is far more on Cash, who also narrates.
Cash has left his cushy family job in Boston for a sports coaching job in Chicago. Steph us also in Chicago but the pair aren't together - until Cash's teenage cousin turns up on his doorstep - and it's Steph he calls for help.
Their casual sex relationship from college restarts - but neither admit that it's more than that for both of them.
I really wish that the narration could have been shared between Cash and Steph
I think this story is mis-titled. While Steph, the bi best friend of Reese from book 1 is the female lead the focus of the story is far more on Cash, who also narrates.
Cash has left his cushy family job in Boston for a sports coaching job in Chicago. Steph us also in Chicago but the pair aren't together - until Cash's teenage cousin turns up on his doorstep - and it's Steph he calls for help.
Their casual sex relationship from college restarts - but neither admit that it's more than that for both of them.
I really wish that the narration could have been shared between Cash and Steph
August 17, 2017
Yep, this is another winner in the series. I skipped book 2 because I REALLY wanted to read more about Cash because he is the BOMB! Did I say that right? I am sooooo not hip to the lingo, LOL. Anywho, I highly recommend this book and even for those who don't usually (or ever) read an MF romance, there is an MFM scene here which was totally HOT!
The audio narration was just amazing and I think Cooper North deserves so many awards! :) Great story, great writing, GREAT characters! Also, Reese and Tom from book 1 show up in this story and they are just as cute as ever.
And now I have skipped books in this series again and am now listening to Real World, which is about Reese and Tom again and since I love them so much, I couldn't take the time to read the stories in between. I'll get to them, don't worry, but I need my fix. ;)
The audio narration was just amazing and I think Cooper North deserves so many awards! :) Great story, great writing, GREAT characters! Also, Reese and Tom from book 1 show up in this story and they are just as cute as ever.
And now I have skipped books in this series again and am now listening to Real World, which is about Reese and Tom again and since I love them so much, I couldn't take the time to read the stories in between. I'll get to them, don't worry, but I need my fix. ;)
Want to read
December 23, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/23/2021)! 🎁
March 27, 2022
Pretty good MF.
He's got a dick but isn't.
Of course, queer AF.
He's got a dick but isn't.
Of course, queer AF.
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