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Crush
Going to college gives eighteen-year-old Trey Porter a chance to experience the world beyond rural Alabama and his overbearing family. After staying in a motel due to a housing error at the school, Trey’s friend, Bryce, offers to let Trey stay with him. The fascination Trey feels with Bryce’s gorgeous, glamorous, and somewhat outrageous boyfriend, Co-Co, catches him totally off guard, because Trey’s never considered himself even remotely gay. At least that’s what he’s always believed. Trey prides himself on being tolerant, but it’s hard to handle the questions he faces about life and himself—and even harder to accept that there might be no simple answers.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 26, 2015
3 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
Caitlin Ricci
290 books174 followersCaitlin was fortunate growing up to be surrounded by family and teachers that encouraged her love of reading. She has always been a voracious reader and that love of the written word easily morphed into a passion for writing. If she isn't writing, she can usually be found studying as she works toward her counseling degree. She comes from a military family and the men and women of the armed forces are close to her heart. She also enjoys gardening and horseback riding in the Colorado Rockies where she calls home with her wonderful fiance and their dog. Her belief that there is no one true path to happily ever after runs deeply through all of her stories.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 18, 2015
“Normal is a setting in laundry, noting more”
There is something wonderfully universal about small-town, Southern Trey’s eye-opening experiences as a college freshman. A college identity is always difficult to forge and Trey’s sparkly, gender-fluid new friend Co-Co opens his eyes to all sorts of possibilities he has never considered.
I loved the coming of age story and I loved the romance in this story. Trey’s innocent refusal to judge anyone or any experience gives this story a modern feel. And for a story that tackles huge issues, the author manages to keep it playful and fun without ever being flippant.
Trey’s self-discovery is difficult and heartbreaking at times, but Co-Co and Bryce also have their own stories and their own identities to forge. Together, the three are unique. Confidence breeds confidence and together they just work. Beautifully.
There is more sex here than in most books featuring Ace leads, but as a Harmony book, the sex is only ever suggested and never explicit.
This is a hopeful book that I’d love to offer to every teen questioning “their” identity. The message (and there always seems to be a message in books aimed at teens) is that gender and sexuality comes in many possible permutations. And sometimes - these possibilities make true love bigger and better than we might ever hope for. For once, the message is offered gently, with humour and not from a pulpit. I loved these characters and I loved their relationship.
Harmony Ink has come a long way in a very short time. This is one of the best offerings yet, and I can only hope that every secondary school library orders at least one copy. What an amazing story!
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for Inked Rainbow Reviews.
There is something wonderfully universal about small-town, Southern Trey’s eye-opening experiences as a college freshman. A college identity is always difficult to forge and Trey’s sparkly, gender-fluid new friend Co-Co opens his eyes to all sorts of possibilities he has never considered.
I loved the coming of age story and I loved the romance in this story. Trey’s innocent refusal to judge anyone or any experience gives this story a modern feel. And for a story that tackles huge issues, the author manages to keep it playful and fun without ever being flippant.
Trey’s self-discovery is difficult and heartbreaking at times, but Co-Co and Bryce also have their own stories and their own identities to forge. Together, the three are unique. Confidence breeds confidence and together they just work. Beautifully.
There is more sex here than in most books featuring Ace leads, but as a Harmony book, the sex is only ever suggested and never explicit.
This is a hopeful book that I’d love to offer to every teen questioning “their” identity. The message (and there always seems to be a message in books aimed at teens) is that gender and sexuality comes in many possible permutations. And sometimes - these possibilities make true love bigger and better than we might ever hope for. For once, the message is offered gently, with humour and not from a pulpit. I loved these characters and I loved their relationship.
Harmony Ink has come a long way in a very short time. This is one of the best offerings yet, and I can only hope that every secondary school library orders at least one copy. What an amazing story!
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for Inked Rainbow Reviews.
January 17, 2020
This book was really different, I am not sure what i expected, but I was really surprised.. In a good way!
I liked The dynamick between Trey, Co-Co and Bryce, how everything fit together without huge drama.
My only problem with this book was that i found it confusing when refering to Co-Co as " they" and"them". I realize that this is correct term, but as english is not my first language it did my head in a bit
I liked The dynamick between Trey, Co-Co and Bryce, how everything fit together without huge drama.
My only problem with this book was that i found it confusing when refering to Co-Co as " they" and"them". I realize that this is correct term, but as english is not my first language it did my head in a bit
April 5, 2018
I really adored this one.
Crush is about a shy Alabama boy going to college. Trey arrives to find there was a mishap and his dorm room was assigned to someone else. Lost on campus and trying to make it to a mandatory orientation, he is panicking a bit and worried he will have to return home to his overbearing parents. Instead he meets a strange and amazing person, Co-Co.
C0-Co is quite fabulous and a bit of a steamroller. He reminds me a bit of The Kinks' 'Lola'. While quite upfront about being a gay man and not in drag, he isn't shy about wearing makeup and tall heels. His outgoing personality is a bit overmuch for the shy guy away from home for the first time, but even while trying to decide if he should escape their clutches, Trey is very curious about his new friend who is like no one he has ever met. Luckily for Trey, Co-Co thinks he is adorable and saves him by leading Trey to the orientation which is being run by Co-Co's boyfriend, Bryce.
Bryce is intelligent, taciturn, and a boxer. He is in love with Co-Co and often sits back and lets him manage things, acting like an anchor when Co-Co gets a bit too out-of-hand. He is from Maine and his mother died while he was young, so he was raised by his father, a lobster fisherman. Though his skin color is mentioned, there are no racial overtones, just a love of how different the three look from one another and a pointed avoidance of calling Bryce's skin the overused chocolate.
Once the couple find out Trey is staying in a motel Co-Co offers up Bryce's spare room until everything is worked out with his dorm room. Despite never having met any gay people before, Trey treats Co-Co and Bryce politely and works on learning to get along with the strange new world that seems so far from Alabama.
Like any new freshman away from home for the first time, Trey must learn to do things on his own. Everything from getting a job and going to a college party is a bit confusing, but luckily Co-Co and Bryce take care of him. And when Trey starts questioning his sexuality, the couple is there to hold his hand, even when the results are shocking to them all.
Co-Co has their own secrets, which causes issues in their relationship with Bryce.
The trio are just figuring things out when Trey's overly-religious parents visit from Alabama to see how he is doing and whether his roommates are the type of people they want their little boy around.
Trey is often timid and confused, but he is willing to fight what he sees as injustice. Crush is told from his point of view, so we primarily see the story through the eyes of someone just finding themselves and finding love.
Crush is a sweet romance without too much sex, featuring gay men, polyamory, bisexual or biromantic asexuality, and someone coming out as gender fluid. It finishes nicely with no cliffhangers and a happily-ever-after (HEA). There's no cheating, and the only trigger is coming out to parents as well as some minor mentions of things in the past.
I loved the coming-of-age, finding-out-who-you-are aspects of this book.
Crush is about a shy Alabama boy going to college. Trey arrives to find there was a mishap and his dorm room was assigned to someone else. Lost on campus and trying to make it to a mandatory orientation, he is panicking a bit and worried he will have to return home to his overbearing parents. Instead he meets a strange and amazing person, Co-Co.
C0-Co is quite fabulous and a bit of a steamroller. He reminds me a bit of The Kinks' 'Lola'. While quite upfront about being a gay man and not in drag, he isn't shy about wearing makeup and tall heels. His outgoing personality is a bit overmuch for the shy guy away from home for the first time, but even while trying to decide if he should escape their clutches, Trey is very curious about his new friend who is like no one he has ever met. Luckily for Trey, Co-Co thinks he is adorable and saves him by leading Trey to the orientation which is being run by Co-Co's boyfriend, Bryce.
Bryce is intelligent, taciturn, and a boxer. He is in love with Co-Co and often sits back and lets him manage things, acting like an anchor when Co-Co gets a bit too out-of-hand. He is from Maine and his mother died while he was young, so he was raised by his father, a lobster fisherman. Though his skin color is mentioned, there are no racial overtones, just a love of how different the three look from one another and a pointed avoidance of calling Bryce's skin the overused chocolate.
Once the couple find out Trey is staying in a motel Co-Co offers up Bryce's spare room until everything is worked out with his dorm room. Despite never having met any gay people before, Trey treats Co-Co and Bryce politely and works on learning to get along with the strange new world that seems so far from Alabama.
Like any new freshman away from home for the first time, Trey must learn to do things on his own. Everything from getting a job and going to a college party is a bit confusing, but luckily Co-Co and Bryce take care of him. And when Trey starts questioning his sexuality, the couple is there to hold his hand, even when the results are shocking to them all.
Co-Co has their own secrets, which causes issues in their relationship with Bryce.
The trio are just figuring things out when Trey's overly-religious parents visit from Alabama to see how he is doing and whether his roommates are the type of people they want their little boy around.
Trey is often timid and confused, but he is willing to fight what he sees as injustice. Crush is told from his point of view, so we primarily see the story through the eyes of someone just finding themselves and finding love.
Crush is a sweet romance without too much sex, featuring gay men, polyamory, bisexual or biromantic asexuality, and someone coming out as gender fluid. It finishes nicely with no cliffhangers and a happily-ever-after (HEA). There's no cheating, and the only trigger is coming out to parents as well as some minor mentions of things in the past.
I loved the coming-of-age, finding-out-who-you-are aspects of this book.
July 28, 2017
Maybe even 2.5 stars. This one just didn't really work for me. We were always in Trey's head, and he didn't quite seem real to me. Some parts I really enjoyed, but I would have liked to have Bryce's and Co-Co's perspectives as well.
January 4, 2017
A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Review
4.5 stars
This was my second book by Caitlin Ricci. She recommended it to me herself, after I’d complained about the lack of detail in “Running With the Pack”. At first, I was a bit hesitant because several reviewers mentioned crossdressing and trans themes, which I’m usually not so fond of. But I’m really grateful for the recommendation, because I absolutely loved this book.
Trey, Bryce and Co-Co are three wonderfully unusual people. “Normal is a setting in the laundry, nothing more” will probably stay a favourite quote of mine for a long time to come. And it’s a perfect summary of our three MCs. I really liked all three of them, though Trey seemed just a tad too innocent at times. His utter lack of understanding of any sort of sexual innuendo seemed a bit unrealistic to me, even if he is asexual.
The plot itself is on the slower side, without all that much action. But that worked wonderfully for the story Caitlin Ricci was trying to tell. There was some angst and Co-Co made for plenty of drama, but it was never over the top. Just like in “Running With the Pack”, Trey’s asexuality and Co-Co’s gender identity were portrayed in a very positive way. I really liked that.
Even though Trey is asexual, there were quite a few sex scenes. It was really interesting to find out how Bryce and Co-Co let Trey be part of their love-making, without him being part of the action itself. The sex scenes definitely worked to further the plot and weren’t just there for the fun of it. They were still hot, of course, but it didn’t devolve into simple porn.
The love between the three of them was obvious, without ever turning cheesy. The ending was simply perfect and so very romantic it almost had me tearing up a little.
Long story short: “Crush” is a wonderful coming of age story, with three pretty unusual MCs. While Trey occasionally seemed a bit too naïve, I still really liked all three of them.
Cover: The cover by Caitlin Ricci shows Trey lying in the grass, looking thoughtful. It’s simple and yet somehow brilliant.
4.5 stars
This was my second book by Caitlin Ricci. She recommended it to me herself, after I’d complained about the lack of detail in “Running With the Pack”. At first, I was a bit hesitant because several reviewers mentioned crossdressing and trans themes, which I’m usually not so fond of. But I’m really grateful for the recommendation, because I absolutely loved this book.
Trey, Bryce and Co-Co are three wonderfully unusual people. “Normal is a setting in the laundry, nothing more” will probably stay a favourite quote of mine for a long time to come. And it’s a perfect summary of our three MCs. I really liked all three of them, though Trey seemed just a tad too innocent at times. His utter lack of understanding of any sort of sexual innuendo seemed a bit unrealistic to me, even if he is asexual.
The plot itself is on the slower side, without all that much action. But that worked wonderfully for the story Caitlin Ricci was trying to tell. There was some angst and Co-Co made for plenty of drama, but it was never over the top. Just like in “Running With the Pack”, Trey’s asexuality and Co-Co’s gender identity were portrayed in a very positive way. I really liked that.
Even though Trey is asexual, there were quite a few sex scenes. It was really interesting to find out how Bryce and Co-Co let Trey be part of their love-making, without him being part of the action itself. The sex scenes definitely worked to further the plot and weren’t just there for the fun of it. They were still hot, of course, but it didn’t devolve into simple porn.
The love between the three of them was obvious, without ever turning cheesy. The ending was simply perfect and so very romantic it almost had me tearing up a little.
Long story short: “Crush” is a wonderful coming of age story, with three pretty unusual MCs. While Trey occasionally seemed a bit too naïve, I still really liked all three of them.
Cover: The cover by Caitlin Ricci shows Trey lying in the grass, looking thoughtful. It’s simple and yet somehow brilliant.
June 9, 2016
This was an interesting book that still failed to really excite me all that much. It wasn’t bad, but not great either.
Crush features a polyamorous threesome of three guys who identify as a biromantic asexual; genderfluid; and gay. Talk about a mixture of sexualities, right? It can be hard to write a book and get just one of those identities correct, let alone all of them. The author didn’t get anything wrong with the book, but there’s also nothing groundbreaking or even anything very deep here.
The story is told in the POV of Trey Porter, a college freshman. He’s away from his overprotective parents for the first time and is looking to find out more about life. He quickly befriends the flamboyant and loud, Co-Co and his boyfriend, Bryce. Trey needs a place to stay and Bryce just happens to have a spare room.
The three men become close, first as friends then as more. I identified with Trey the most, but Co-Co and Bryce are mostly cyphers and we never really get to know them apart from their feelings for each and Trey. Trey’s journey straight to bi and asexual was interesting even if there wasn’t much conflict, except for the stereotypical, overwrought reaction of his parents who then cut off all contact with him.
While I applaud any author’s choice to deal with asexuality, gender fluidity or polyamory I wish it was dealt with more seriously than it was here. It was almost like the author wanted to write a book about characters with those identities and decided to put them all together.
Nothing in Crush was given much depth it was all pretty much superficial. I’ve read some really good books by Caitlin Ricci so I was expecting more.
http://www.prismbookalliance.com/2015...
Crush features a polyamorous threesome of three guys who identify as a biromantic asexual; genderfluid; and gay. Talk about a mixture of sexualities, right? It can be hard to write a book and get just one of those identities correct, let alone all of them. The author didn’t get anything wrong with the book, but there’s also nothing groundbreaking or even anything very deep here.
The story is told in the POV of Trey Porter, a college freshman. He’s away from his overprotective parents for the first time and is looking to find out more about life. He quickly befriends the flamboyant and loud, Co-Co and his boyfriend, Bryce. Trey needs a place to stay and Bryce just happens to have a spare room.
The three men become close, first as friends then as more. I identified with Trey the most, but Co-Co and Bryce are mostly cyphers and we never really get to know them apart from their feelings for each and Trey. Trey’s journey straight to bi and asexual was interesting even if there wasn’t much conflict, except for the stereotypical, overwrought reaction of his parents who then cut off all contact with him.
While I applaud any author’s choice to deal with asexuality, gender fluidity or polyamory I wish it was dealt with more seriously than it was here. It was almost like the author wanted to write a book about characters with those identities and decided to put them all together.
Nothing in Crush was given much depth it was all pretty much superficial. I’ve read some really good books by Caitlin Ricci so I was expecting more.
http://www.prismbookalliance.com/2015...
May 17, 2017
I could never see a couple but just a couple and a friend. It's not about asexuality either, since I've just finished a book (Three) with the same problem but an amazing and healthy (Or maybe not) amount of sex. A couple and a friend the quite sealed it for me.
November 26, 2015
I really enjoyed this one, lovely story.
August 2, 2016
4.5 stars
January 7, 2017
3.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews