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Jock #2
No! Jocks Don't Date Guys
"The JOCK Series: Book Two "
What is a sexy soccer stud supposed to do when following family tradition falls 180 degrees opposite his closeted ideal?
From birth, Chris Jackson has been schooled on how to land a cheerleader. After all, his father married one, and his father s father before him. Heck, even his older brother married a stereotypical cheerleader the summer before Chris went off to college. For two years, Chris dodges invasive questions about relationships by blaming his lack of female companionship on grueling practices and heavy course loads. But his lack of interest in girls should ve given his family a clue. It isn t until Chris mentions meeting a boy that his father s synapses short-circuit.
Alonzo Martin is anything but a buxom blond. From his black hair, combat boots, and trench coat to his nail polish and guyliner, the mysterious introvert isn t easily persuaded to date. Alonzo s insecurities keep Chris at arm s length, but Alonzo s painful past might meet its match in the charismatic jock s winning smile and sense of humor.
When opposites attract, only cheerleaders and gummy bears can help overcome fear and family tradition. "
What is a sexy soccer stud supposed to do when following family tradition falls 180 degrees opposite his closeted ideal?
From birth, Chris Jackson has been schooled on how to land a cheerleader. After all, his father married one, and his father s father before him. Heck, even his older brother married a stereotypical cheerleader the summer before Chris went off to college. For two years, Chris dodges invasive questions about relationships by blaming his lack of female companionship on grueling practices and heavy course loads. But his lack of interest in girls should ve given his family a clue. It isn t until Chris mentions meeting a boy that his father s synapses short-circuit.
Alonzo Martin is anything but a buxom blond. From his black hair, combat boots, and trench coat to his nail polish and guyliner, the mysterious introvert isn t easily persuaded to date. Alonzo s insecurities keep Chris at arm s length, but Alonzo s painful past might meet its match in the charismatic jock s winning smile and sense of humor.
When opposites attract, only cheerleaders and gummy bears can help overcome fear and family tradition. "
294 pages, Paperback
First published December 14, 2015
15 people are currently reading
401 people want to read
About the author
Wade Kelly
17 books388 followersWade Kelly lives and writes in conservative, small-town America on the east coast where it’s not easy to live free and open in one's beliefs. Wade writes passionately about controversial issues and strives to make a difference by making people think. Wade does not have a background in writing or philosophy, but still draws from personal experience to ponder contentious subjects on paper. There is a lot of pain in the world and people need hope. When not writing, she is thinking about writing, and more than likely scribbling ideas on sticky notes in the car while playing "taxi driver" for her three children. She likes snakes, can’t spell, and has a tendency to make people cry.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
January 4, 2016
I was hoping to enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed the first book in the series, "My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap!," but that sadly didn't happen this time around.
I actually did like both main characters, a lot, but much of the book just felt really awkward for me.
Chris is a 20 y.o. soccer team captain with a heart of gold. I loved him right from the start. He is strong, without being strong-willed toward others, and when he set his mind on a certain young emo-punk, he never faltered in his commitment. Major maturity points there for Chris.
Alonzo, aka Lonnie, is a snarky, withdrawn 19 y.o. college freshman from Nebraska with more baggage than Samsonite. He's experienced some major trauma 3 years prior, so he desperately holds onto his heart for the fragile thing that it has become.
This book is extremely slow burn and I love how Chris chips away at Alonzo's walls to work his way inside his heart. Kudos for the inventive re-purposing of gummy bears to help make that happen. I loved that and laughed so hard during those scenes.
If the story had kept going in that same direction, this one would have probably been a 5-star read for me, but alas.
The story went off track, IMO, when the whole " cheerleader " business came up. The men in Chris' family have all married cheerleaders for nearly 100 years, which Chris' father takes very seriously. Way. Too Seriously.
I found the whole cheerleader plot not only distracting, but to be honest, pretty mind-numbingly irritating and vapid. For all of Chris' maturity, his father showed none of that. Absolutely none.
The book also devoted chapters to points of view from Chris' best friend, Doug, and Alonzo's sister, Stephanie. WHY???
Other than to set Doug up for his own book, I felt his perspective only took away from the book's focus and I found it to be more of a detractor.
Plus, at 294 pages, the book felt unnecessarily long. By the time I hit the halfway mark, I was ready for the pacing to increase and the book to wrap it up.
I'm not adverse to longer books, I've *loved* all of TJ Klune's page count-friendly stories, but this read just seemed to drag on and on.
Again, I loved both Chris and Alonzo, especially when they felt comfortable enough to become intimate, because that was smoking HAWT, but there were a ton of side-plot points explored, which made the book a bit unfocused when trying to proceed from point A, meeting, to point B, the HEA.
Lastly, I found a lot of phrases unrealistic for 20 y.o. Chris to be using. For example:
"Well, hot diggity dog!”
“Holy man.”
"Oh by gosh, by golly."
If you can find anyone under 40, especially a young college student, who talks like that, I'll eat them. Literally.
Yes, I did find much of the story enjoyable, including following up on the lives of the recently-married Ellis and Cole, but I also found an equal number of niggles, so this one clocks in at a little under 3 stars for me.
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My copy of the book was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
July 23, 2024
2.5 Stars
Chris Jackson is a college soccer jock. He’s kind, loyal, open-minded and enthusiastic in all endeavours he sets his mind to. He’s also gay but closeted, knowing full-well that his loving but headstrong father will be gutted if Chris doesn’t follow family tradition and marry a cheerleader like his father and his father before him.
Chris’s plan is to just get through college before he worries about his love life and how it could affect the dynamics of his close-knit family. But when he meets shy, emo-looking, trench-coat-in-summer-wearing Alonzo “Lonnie” Martin, Chris finds himself losing his heart immediately, throwing himself into loving Lonnie with everything he has, damned the consequences.
Not only does Chris have his teammates and his family’s potentially negative reaction to contend with, but Lonnie is also deeply troubled, dealing with past trauma that still lingers heavily on his mind and in his heart. Chris needs to be strong and unwavering in his affections if he’s going to prove to everyone around him—especially Lonnie—that their love is worth fighting for.
This synopsis drew me in, but I had my ups and downs with this story before long. In theory, the plot and the characters were geared to appeal to my personal favouring of new adult and MM stories. In reality, the story was overlong and awkwardly executed—particularly with the choppy POV changes, stilted dialogue and the unnecessary POV chapters that focused on some of the less appealing side characters.
I didn’t mind Chris and Lonnie as characters or as a couple, but I did feel like their love and passion for one another was something I was told rather than shown. I did like that it took a good portion of the story to build up the tension before revealing Lonnie’s troubled past, but I’m not actually certain I liked what I learned—leading to more of a disappointed reaction than a sympathetic one from me.
I did, however, appreciate the presence of past characters within this story. I liked revisiting Ellis and Cole from My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! and I liked how supportive and kind they were upon befriending Chris and later Alonzo. It’s always nice to see past couples later down the track, settled and even happier in their relationships, so I appreciated their small presence here.
Mostly, I was just baffled by the whole cheerleader thing. We kept getting told that Chris’s father was this wonderful, loving man; a perfect husband to his high school sweetheart and past cheerleader wife, and a great dad to his two sons. But the reality of how this played out showed him as this vapid, perverted man, who was hardcore obsessed with cheerleaders and their bodies. . Honestly, the cheerleader plot-point was so stupid that a lot of my potential enjoyment was seeped away early on.
After ample tries, I think it’s safe to say that I simply don’t mesh well with Wade Kelly’s writing. All the elements of a decent new adult romance were present and accounted for here, but I just didn’t connect with the characters or their story, as hard as I tried.
Chris Jackson is a college soccer jock. He’s kind, loyal, open-minded and enthusiastic in all endeavours he sets his mind to. He’s also gay but closeted, knowing full-well that his loving but headstrong father will be gutted if Chris doesn’t follow family tradition and marry a cheerleader like his father and his father before him.
Chris’s plan is to just get through college before he worries about his love life and how it could affect the dynamics of his close-knit family. But when he meets shy, emo-looking, trench-coat-in-summer-wearing Alonzo “Lonnie” Martin, Chris finds himself losing his heart immediately, throwing himself into loving Lonnie with everything he has, damned the consequences.
Not only does Chris have his teammates and his family’s potentially negative reaction to contend with, but Lonnie is also deeply troubled, dealing with past trauma that still lingers heavily on his mind and in his heart. Chris needs to be strong and unwavering in his affections if he’s going to prove to everyone around him—especially Lonnie—that their love is worth fighting for.
This synopsis drew me in, but I had my ups and downs with this story before long. In theory, the plot and the characters were geared to appeal to my personal favouring of new adult and MM stories. In reality, the story was overlong and awkwardly executed—particularly with the choppy POV changes, stilted dialogue and the unnecessary POV chapters that focused on some of the less appealing side characters.
I didn’t mind Chris and Lonnie as characters or as a couple, but I did feel like their love and passion for one another was something I was told rather than shown. I did like that it took a good portion of the story to build up the tension before revealing Lonnie’s troubled past, but I’m not actually certain I liked what I learned—leading to more of a disappointed reaction than a sympathetic one from me.
I did, however, appreciate the presence of past characters within this story. I liked revisiting Ellis and Cole from My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! and I liked how supportive and kind they were upon befriending Chris and later Alonzo. It’s always nice to see past couples later down the track, settled and even happier in their relationships, so I appreciated their small presence here.
Mostly, I was just baffled by the whole cheerleader thing. We kept getting told that Chris’s father was this wonderful, loving man; a perfect husband to his high school sweetheart and past cheerleader wife, and a great dad to his two sons. But the reality of how this played out showed him as this vapid, perverted man, who was hardcore obsessed with cheerleaders and their bodies. . Honestly, the cheerleader plot-point was so stupid that a lot of my potential enjoyment was seeped away early on.
After ample tries, I think it’s safe to say that I simply don’t mesh well with Wade Kelly’s writing. All the elements of a decent new adult romance were present and accounted for here, but I just didn’t connect with the characters or their story, as hard as I tried.
December 22, 2015
Review originally posted at Sinfully.
This was another good entry in the Jocks series. The main couple in this story is Chris, the closeted jock who is expected to marry a cheerleader and Alonzo, the quiet, goth/emo who keeps showing up to watch Chris’s soccer team practice. For fans of the first book Cole and Ellis are back in this story as well.
I just want to get this part of the review out of the way and say that the whole dad obsessing on the cheerleader thing really made me uncomfortable; “squicked me out” would be a good way of putting it. I guess in theory it is no different than a parent obsessing on a child following in his footsteps over a college or career choice, but this one really was over the top. Even the characters find it weird, so I guess that’s what Wade Kelly was going for, and succeeded. Even though it was explained as him being into family history and steeped in tradition, it turned me off every time it was mentioned. Luckily it didn’t overshadow this story and Chris’s mom’s attitude and acceptance makes up for it. His character’s slavish devotion to this “family tradition” doesn’t change, but Alonzo does manage to outsmart him in the end. It may not have been the resolution I wanted to see, but I did like it in a strangely subversive way.
Chris is popular, handsome and a leader on the soccer field. He isn’t perfect though. He can be rude and I thought he failed at being a good friend when his best friend and roommate Doug was obviously going through some things. The fact that he never realizes what he has done and waits for Doug to apologize to him still makes me angry. That flawed part of his personality though is balanced with his protectiveness, caring and loyalty to Alonzo. It is clear that he is crazy in love and would do anything to help him, even if he doesn’t always start off on the right track. I had a mixed feelings about Chris’s actions throughout the book, but overall, his devotion to Alonzo made me like him in the end.
My favorite character hands down was Alonzo. Wade Kelly did a lovely job with his growth through the book with the help of Chris and his newfound friends. He had a horrible experience growing up in a small town where he couldn’t be out. The consequences were devastating and he carries the physical and emotional scars. He has been working for years on healing, but he still suffers and has a lot of anxiety, self-doubt and fear. While he has some setbacks in the story, he worked hard to overcome them and he blossomed. I loved watching him gain new confidence and strength while finding a new family of friends and people he could be himself with.
Wade Kelly always does a good job writing young/new adult characters that have a good balance between acting like an adult and acting like a teen. This is definitely on the lighter side of her writing, but there are still plenty of emotions that come through without putting you through the wringer. The dual points of view (with a couple chapters told from secondary characters’ POV as well) really helped to gain a good understanding of both men. It was great catching up with Ellis and Cole and Doug was an interesting secondary character. I’m glad we’ll get to see him again as the main character in the next book as he seems to have a lot he needs to work through. Recommended for both fans of the series and anyone who enjoys an emotional coming of age story.
This was another good entry in the Jocks series. The main couple in this story is Chris, the closeted jock who is expected to marry a cheerleader and Alonzo, the quiet, goth/emo who keeps showing up to watch Chris’s soccer team practice. For fans of the first book Cole and Ellis are back in this story as well.
I just want to get this part of the review out of the way and say that the whole dad obsessing on the cheerleader thing really made me uncomfortable; “squicked me out” would be a good way of putting it. I guess in theory it is no different than a parent obsessing on a child following in his footsteps over a college or career choice, but this one really was over the top. Even the characters find it weird, so I guess that’s what Wade Kelly was going for, and succeeded. Even though it was explained as him being into family history and steeped in tradition, it turned me off every time it was mentioned. Luckily it didn’t overshadow this story and Chris’s mom’s attitude and acceptance makes up for it. His character’s slavish devotion to this “family tradition” doesn’t change, but Alonzo does manage to outsmart him in the end. It may not have been the resolution I wanted to see, but I did like it in a strangely subversive way.
Chris is popular, handsome and a leader on the soccer field. He isn’t perfect though. He can be rude and I thought he failed at being a good friend when his best friend and roommate Doug was obviously going through some things. The fact that he never realizes what he has done and waits for Doug to apologize to him still makes me angry. That flawed part of his personality though is balanced with his protectiveness, caring and loyalty to Alonzo. It is clear that he is crazy in love and would do anything to help him, even if he doesn’t always start off on the right track. I had a mixed feelings about Chris’s actions throughout the book, but overall, his devotion to Alonzo made me like him in the end.
My favorite character hands down was Alonzo. Wade Kelly did a lovely job with his growth through the book with the help of Chris and his newfound friends. He had a horrible experience growing up in a small town where he couldn’t be out. The consequences were devastating and he carries the physical and emotional scars. He has been working for years on healing, but he still suffers and has a lot of anxiety, self-doubt and fear. While he has some setbacks in the story, he worked hard to overcome them and he blossomed. I loved watching him gain new confidence and strength while finding a new family of friends and people he could be himself with.
Wade Kelly always does a good job writing young/new adult characters that have a good balance between acting like an adult and acting like a teen. This is definitely on the lighter side of her writing, but there are still plenty of emotions that come through without putting you through the wringer. The dual points of view (with a couple chapters told from secondary characters’ POV as well) really helped to gain a good understanding of both men. It was great catching up with Ellis and Cole and Doug was an interesting secondary character. I’m glad we’ll get to see him again as the main character in the next book as he seems to have a lot he needs to work through. Recommended for both fans of the series and anyone who enjoys an emotional coming of age story.
December 11, 2015
No! Jocks Don't Date Guys by Wade Kelly is the follow-up story to Crap! My Roommate's A Jock. I knew I wanted to read it as it has the same trope as its predecessor: opposites attract. I greatly enjoyed this sequel; it had some high points and some low points.
I'll start off with the negatives first:
~The multiple POV changes. I am not a fan of having other POVs besides the main characters in a romance book. I feel that it disrupts the story flow and adds unnecessary content to a story. In this story, it happened twice once with Chris's best friend Doug and Alonzo's sister Stephanie. Both times it caught me off guard, and I found myself wishing she had scrapped that.
~Chris's dad's obsession with cheerleaders. I just didn't get it. It seemed so silly and shallow to me. Every time it came up I tried to ignore it but when the conflict between Chris and his dad came up- I almost couldn't take it seriously. Here's an excerpt:
"I never said I didn't love my son, but I can't simply let go of our family history in the span of two weeks. What I can't do, Charlotte, Alonzo, Chris"- he eyed each of them- "is move past my disappointment. You might be a great guy, Alonzo, and my son might very well love you, but you're not a cheerleader."
And then the resolution... it's a big spoiler so I wouldn't read it if you plan on reading this book.
It just felt so superficial and kind of cheesy. I don't know... maybe it's just me.
Anyhoo, now for the positive highlights:
~The main characters- loved them. Chris was loving and loyal. He was in Alonzo's corner from the get go and never waivered. I thought he was adorable. And Alonzo, despite everything he'd been through I admired how he was willing to give Chris a chance and was understanding of his situation with his family.
~The relationship development. Wade Kelly did such a great job here. She took her time here, and it paid off. It was incredibly sweet.
~Character growth. This is probably the biggest highlight of the story. You know, we fall in love with these characters, and when they succeed, we can't help but feel their joy.
~The secondary characters. Despite several of them getting on my nerves, in the end, they showed heart.
~Catching up with Ellis& Cole. It was great to see them so happy.
~The steam. :D
I know I am a bit harsh at the beginning of this review, so I want to clarify that although those things bugged me, they were not deal breakers. Once I started, I quickly got sucked into the story and became Chris and Alonzo's biggest cheerleader. I wanted them to get their HEA. Kudos to the author for making me care about these characters.
All in all it was a nice story about family, friendships, loyalty, and finding the strength within oneself to push forward. 3.80 Stars from me.
**ARC kindly provided by Dreamspinner Press to Gay Book Reviews for an honest review.**
December 14, 2015
3.75 stars
Big Wade Kelly Giveaway: https://rainbowgoldreviews.wordpress....
This is a romance story between two super sweet & sexy guys. I really like Chris's happiness and optimism and Alonzo stole my heart. Alonzo is so vulnerable; and yet, he opens his heart to let Chris in. He has been through a terrible ordeal that is slowly revealed with each new page, but behind the trauma of his past is a confident and vibrant young man, hidden away.
While I really like Chris in many ways, he is not as perfect as he seems in the beginning. He is the soccer captain and incredibly driven and talented. He looks hot, is popular, but always takes the time to be friendly to everyone. He is smart and is easily enraptured by strange things. A guy can't be quite that perfect, right? Well, I quickly realized he wasn't and I struggled with my feelings for him.
Honestly, I'm glad that he has flaws. Because let's be honest, who wants a Ken doll without faults and personality? Mistakes and faults make characters seem more human and easy to relate. Chris has many awesome qualities to him from the very beginning that made me like him.
However, he seems to feel a moral superiority at times that rubbed me the wrong way. I really enjoyed the book, though, and had a big smile on my face while reading it. Still, I like when characters apologize when they have messed up and it made me sad that Chris never seems to realize when he judges others in a harsh and unfair way.
It is beautiful how Chris and Alonzo feel more and more drawn to each other and get closer and closer to each other. However, he is so infatuated that he ignores his best friend completely. He has known Doug for years and they were inseparable. He just drops him like a hot stone when he falls for a guy. I understand that a new 'relationship' takes most of one's attention, but Doug tries so hard to overcome his internalized homophobia to be the best friend he wants to be for Chris. He struggles and even asks for help, but Chris leaves him alone with all those feelings to figure it out without help, chews him out whenever Doug fails his friend's expectations, and generally is not as much a friend to Doug as I expected.
Doug is the first and only person Chris tells about being gay and he supports him, even though readers discover quickly that he has his own homophobia issues and it is not easy for him to overcome that repression. It becomes more difficult when Chris finds a boyfriend, making his sexuality more than just words and tries to find a way back to an equilibrium in their friendship. He tries to find back to the open friendship they had and even though it clearly makes him uncomfortable, asks about things like sex - stuff they always used to talk about. Chris gets incredibly offended by that, even though he asked the same kind of questions about Doug's girlfriends and just spent a lot of time telling his straight friend how he jerked off again and again in the shower imagining his boyfriend, even though Doug is obviously struggling with things. Everyone has a right to privacy, but Chris shares much more than I would be comfortable in sharing with any of my straight friends, especially if they were struggling with my sexuality and is then offended by an innocent question. As they have a history about talking openly about straight sex, I actually thought it was really cool of Doug to push through his own discomfort and try to continue as before. Instead of asking about Chris's girlfriends, he asks about his boyfriend now.
Of course when Doug has very strong negative reactions to the gay issue, it makes sense that Chris has a problem with bringing Alonzo to his room. I probably wouldn't want to expose a new relationship to that. But it broke my heart that Chris ignores his best friend and does not help him in working out his confusion about his own sexuality. If my best friend wold struggle like that and ask for my help to figure everything out, I would help in any way I could and I think Alonzo would have understood.
In any case, I'm super glad that Doug is the main character in Jock 3, because he was such a fascinating character in this book for me and I NEED to find out more about him.
I think a lot of the problems I have with Chris are things he got from his father. I strongly disliked his father, though Chris' mom was awesome. His father knows a lot of fancy words, because his parents wanted him to be smart and he passed that on to his son. I thought that was really cool. However, he sees that as being smarter than others who don't know those fancy words and only wants to deal with 'smart' people. Unless they are cheerleaders, then he is obsessed with them. I thought his obsession with cheerleaders (young women) was kind of creepy and I disliked the way the personality and everything about the cheerleaders is dismissed. This whole cheerleader obsession plot point was very hard to take serious, because it made no sense to me personally and I cringed whenever it was mentioned.
Chris has picked up that 'I'm smarter than you' mentality to some extent and it made me slightly uncomfortable how he saw the girls who he hangs out with as vapid, superficial and stupid. Personally, I loved that they stood by him when he comes out as gay. People can be so incredibly mean, become bullies, try to hurt and ostracize someone just for being gay, but these girls don't. They have been his friends and want to continue supporting him. I don't think they ever had much contact with gay people and there are some stereotypes in their heads that lead them to make some unfortunate comments. Chris could have just told them that he remains the same guy he was before and did not change into a stereotype, just because they now know he is gay. He could tell them when they ask or say things he is not comfortable talking about. I loved how everyone had his back and considering how everything could have turned out, he was incredibly lucky.
He's lucky especially in regards to Alonzo, and he behaves like a total gentleman. He is patient with him and takes care of him. He draws him out of his shell and makes him live again. It is a beautiful transformation and Chris has everything to do with it. He risks it all to be with Alonzo, even though he only knows him for a short time and has never been in a gay relationship. He trusts his own feelings and makes Alonzo his one, big priority. As much as I might not agree with the way he interacted with his friends, I admire the courage and love he shows in his blossoming relationship. He is completely in love and it is a wonderful and cute thing to behold. He and Alonzo are beautiful together.
Honestly, I love all the ways Chris supports Alonzo and shows him how much he cares for him. As Alonzo's wounds slowly heal and his confident personality breaks through more and more, he also starts to take care of Chris and what he does for him in the end is a beautiful sign of his love. They are not just sweet together, their sex scenes were hot and intimate.
It was also great to have cameos of the guys from book one. I missed them a lot and it was wonderful to see how their story continued.
Jock 2 is a super sweet and sexy book. The main protagonists have an instant connection and are drawn to each other and together they try to overcome Alonzo's traumatic past. While it could not match the sarcastic wit of book one for me and I had a much easier time to identify with Ellis and Cole, I really enjoyed this sequel and can't wait for the follow up. I can encourage any fan of book one to check this sequel out for themselves.
Big Wade Kelly Giveaway: https://rainbowgoldreviews.wordpress....
This is a romance story between two super sweet & sexy guys. I really like Chris's happiness and optimism and Alonzo stole my heart. Alonzo is so vulnerable; and yet, he opens his heart to let Chris in. He has been through a terrible ordeal that is slowly revealed with each new page, but behind the trauma of his past is a confident and vibrant young man, hidden away.
While I really like Chris in many ways, he is not as perfect as he seems in the beginning. He is the soccer captain and incredibly driven and talented. He looks hot, is popular, but always takes the time to be friendly to everyone. He is smart and is easily enraptured by strange things. A guy can't be quite that perfect, right? Well, I quickly realized he wasn't and I struggled with my feelings for him.
Honestly, I'm glad that he has flaws. Because let's be honest, who wants a Ken doll without faults and personality? Mistakes and faults make characters seem more human and easy to relate. Chris has many awesome qualities to him from the very beginning that made me like him.
However, he seems to feel a moral superiority at times that rubbed me the wrong way. I really enjoyed the book, though, and had a big smile on my face while reading it. Still, I like when characters apologize when they have messed up and it made me sad that Chris never seems to realize when he judges others in a harsh and unfair way.
It is beautiful how Chris and Alonzo feel more and more drawn to each other and get closer and closer to each other. However, he is so infatuated that he ignores his best friend completely. He has known Doug for years and they were inseparable. He just drops him like a hot stone when he falls for a guy. I understand that a new 'relationship' takes most of one's attention, but Doug tries so hard to overcome his internalized homophobia to be the best friend he wants to be for Chris. He struggles and even asks for help, but Chris leaves him alone with all those feelings to figure it out without help, chews him out whenever Doug fails his friend's expectations, and generally is not as much a friend to Doug as I expected.
Doug is the first and only person Chris tells about being gay and he supports him, even though readers discover quickly that he has his own homophobia issues and it is not easy for him to overcome that repression. It becomes more difficult when Chris finds a boyfriend, making his sexuality more than just words and tries to find a way back to an equilibrium in their friendship. He tries to find back to the open friendship they had and even though it clearly makes him uncomfortable, asks about things like sex - stuff they always used to talk about. Chris gets incredibly offended by that, even though he asked the same kind of questions about Doug's girlfriends and just spent a lot of time telling his straight friend how he jerked off again and again in the shower imagining his boyfriend, even though Doug is obviously struggling with things. Everyone has a right to privacy, but Chris shares much more than I would be comfortable in sharing with any of my straight friends, especially if they were struggling with my sexuality and is then offended by an innocent question. As they have a history about talking openly about straight sex, I actually thought it was really cool of Doug to push through his own discomfort and try to continue as before. Instead of asking about Chris's girlfriends, he asks about his boyfriend now.
Of course when Doug has very strong negative reactions to the gay issue, it makes sense that Chris has a problem with bringing Alonzo to his room. I probably wouldn't want to expose a new relationship to that. But it broke my heart that Chris ignores his best friend and does not help him in working out his confusion about his own sexuality. If my best friend wold struggle like that and ask for my help to figure everything out, I would help in any way I could and I think Alonzo would have understood.
In any case, I'm super glad that Doug is the main character in Jock 3, because he was such a fascinating character in this book for me and I NEED to find out more about him.
I think a lot of the problems I have with Chris are things he got from his father. I strongly disliked his father, though Chris' mom was awesome. His father knows a lot of fancy words, because his parents wanted him to be smart and he passed that on to his son. I thought that was really cool. However, he sees that as being smarter than others who don't know those fancy words and only wants to deal with 'smart' people. Unless they are cheerleaders, then he is obsessed with them. I thought his obsession with cheerleaders (young women) was kind of creepy and I disliked the way the personality and everything about the cheerleaders is dismissed. This whole cheerleader obsession plot point was very hard to take serious, because it made no sense to me personally and I cringed whenever it was mentioned.
Chris has picked up that 'I'm smarter than you' mentality to some extent and it made me slightly uncomfortable how he saw the girls who he hangs out with as vapid, superficial and stupid. Personally, I loved that they stood by him when he comes out as gay. People can be so incredibly mean, become bullies, try to hurt and ostracize someone just for being gay, but these girls don't. They have been his friends and want to continue supporting him. I don't think they ever had much contact with gay people and there are some stereotypes in their heads that lead them to make some unfortunate comments. Chris could have just told them that he remains the same guy he was before and did not change into a stereotype, just because they now know he is gay. He could tell them when they ask or say things he is not comfortable talking about. I loved how everyone had his back and considering how everything could have turned out, he was incredibly lucky.
He's lucky especially in regards to Alonzo, and he behaves like a total gentleman. He is patient with him and takes care of him. He draws him out of his shell and makes him live again. It is a beautiful transformation and Chris has everything to do with it. He risks it all to be with Alonzo, even though he only knows him for a short time and has never been in a gay relationship. He trusts his own feelings and makes Alonzo his one, big priority. As much as I might not agree with the way he interacted with his friends, I admire the courage and love he shows in his blossoming relationship. He is completely in love and it is a wonderful and cute thing to behold. He and Alonzo are beautiful together.
Honestly, I love all the ways Chris supports Alonzo and shows him how much he cares for him. As Alonzo's wounds slowly heal and his confident personality breaks through more and more, he also starts to take care of Chris and what he does for him in the end is a beautiful sign of his love. They are not just sweet together, their sex scenes were hot and intimate.
It was also great to have cameos of the guys from book one. I missed them a lot and it was wonderful to see how their story continued.
Jock 2 is a super sweet and sexy book. The main protagonists have an instant connection and are drawn to each other and together they try to overcome Alonzo's traumatic past. While it could not match the sarcastic wit of book one for me and I had a much easier time to identify with Ellis and Cole, I really enjoyed this sequel and can't wait for the follow up. I can encourage any fan of book one to check this sequel out for themselves.
January 19, 2016
So I enjoyed this book, mostly. The MCs were great and great together. I really loved "watching" them fall in love. Chris is okay with being gay and loving Lonnie. He has a lot of great romantic moments. My heart broke for Lonnie...his past was tragic and really highlights the non-issue of Chris's "angst". The problems come from the side characters. Basically all the female characters were rude ditzy bimbos with big boobs. Except the moms of course. Lonnie's sister was horrible in her own way. But then I hate pushy invasive characters. I really hate that she broke confidence and told Lonnie's business. It wasn't her place. It didn't even ultimately help the situation. I think the inclusion of Lance and his boyfriend was a little forced. And rushed. They went from barely being acquaintances to Lonnie moving in with them and being BFFs. For what I expected to be my biggest issue going in, the ridiculous premise of "we only marry cheerleaders", it turned out the be relatively unimportant. It provided minimal angst. But I hate how it was resolved. Instead of forcing the creepy old man who leers and makes gross comments about barely legal girls to realize you can't control your children in the name of "tradition", the characters placate his unreasonable immature selfish desires. I do appreciate that the issue was "non-cheerleader" rather than "in love with a man" though. RIDICULOUS. And not in a fun way. However it is saved by the main characters not being majorly impacted by it. Aside from the obvious conclusion that anyone can figure out if they've ever seen a teen romcom. So basically it all boils down to the couple being better than the premise. So if you can let that go and ignore it, and read for just the relationship I think you'll enjoy this.
July 29, 2017
3.5 Stars
Despite the light hearted title, this New Adult romance does some heavy emotionial lifting.
Chris is a sunny extrovert hero who is kind and while not out yet is very much out to himself.
Lonnie is an introvert who we slowly open himself to Chris and a circle of friends that show him it is okay to be his full self in a a safe place.
The love story and healing of Lonnie is really well done and Chris is someone anyone would fall in love with in his steadfast, attentive, and brave ways.
The cheerleader side story is just awful, creepy, disjointed and weird and almost ruins to the book. I elected to ignore it.
Despite the light hearted title, this New Adult romance does some heavy emotionial lifting.
Chris is a sunny extrovert hero who is kind and while not out yet is very much out to himself.
Lonnie is an introvert who we slowly open himself to Chris and a circle of friends that show him it is okay to be his full self in a a safe place.
The love story and healing of Lonnie is really well done and Chris is someone anyone would fall in love with in his steadfast, attentive, and brave ways.
The cheerleader side story is just awful, creepy, disjointed and weird and almost ruins to the book. I elected to ignore it.
dnf
February 25, 2016Ok, another one for the DNF shelf, yes, I'm having a run of back luck. But honestly, I don't like Chris, the way he talks, what he talks and the writing style telling us all that stuff is getting on my nerves. I'm on vacation with lots of fun things to do, so I don't want to take time to work through a book I don't like.
December 16, 2015
Original Post: Review: No! Jocks Don't Date Guys (Jock #2) by Wade Kelly
Review by: multitaskingmomma
My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
No! Jocks Don't Date Guys is the second of the Jock books which surprisingly became a series. The first hint was the book Oh, Crap! This Jock's Getting Married (Jock #1.5) offered to attendees to GRL and released to the public right after. There we see the futures of our beloved characters, Cole and Ellis. They have graduated and life is not giving them the break they need financially. At the end of that story, we caught a glimpse of this second installment.
This book opens where 1.5 closed, of a jock, Chris, who catches a glimpse of a hooded figure watching his team practice. Ellis comes in as the coach and strikes up a friendship with Chris who learns to trust his coach and depend on him as a friend.
Alonzo's history is not to be spilled, you have to read it to know why he is acting the way he is, dressed the way he is, and most of all, looks with longing at the field and ball. Oh yes, the player Chris is eye candy so he enhances the experience. When Chris strikes a friendship with him, via gummy bears of all things, he discovers that Chris is not as 'jocky' as he acts (note: did I mispell that?). Not only does Chris prove to be persistent, he also speaks the dictionary.
As the two young men get to know each other, they also learn their faults and weaknesses. Surprisingly, both stick it out, through thick and thin, and become more than boyfriends. They become best friends.
Then there are the strangeness of the characters who are weird in a really weird way, like Chris' father who has this thing for cheerleaders. It's a confusing obsession but recalling that I know of even weirder ones, he comes out tame. But weird. He's funny, illogical and lovable at the same time.
I love Ms Wade's style of presenting this read. There is a shift in POV which made it easier for this reader to 'read' into the mind of each young man and discover the whys of their behavior and actions. There is also a peek into the minds of some of the side characters who play important roles for Chris and Alonzo's relationship. The shifting is surprisingly free of confusion and just made it a more interesting read.
Check out Wade Kelly's Guest Post Here (She's got #Giveaways)
Review by: multitaskingmomma
My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
No! Jocks Don't Date Guys is the second of the Jock books which surprisingly became a series. The first hint was the book Oh, Crap! This Jock's Getting Married (Jock #1.5) offered to attendees to GRL and released to the public right after. There we see the futures of our beloved characters, Cole and Ellis. They have graduated and life is not giving them the break they need financially. At the end of that story, we caught a glimpse of this second installment.
This book opens where 1.5 closed, of a jock, Chris, who catches a glimpse of a hooded figure watching his team practice. Ellis comes in as the coach and strikes up a friendship with Chris who learns to trust his coach and depend on him as a friend.
Alonzo's history is not to be spilled, you have to read it to know why he is acting the way he is, dressed the way he is, and most of all, looks with longing at the field and ball. Oh yes, the player Chris is eye candy so he enhances the experience. When Chris strikes a friendship with him, via gummy bears of all things, he discovers that Chris is not as 'jocky' as he acts (note: did I mispell that?). Not only does Chris prove to be persistent, he also speaks the dictionary.
As the two young men get to know each other, they also learn their faults and weaknesses. Surprisingly, both stick it out, through thick and thin, and become more than boyfriends. They become best friends.
Then there are the strangeness of the characters who are weird in a really weird way, like Chris' father who has this thing for cheerleaders. It's a confusing obsession but recalling that I know of even weirder ones, he comes out tame. But weird. He's funny, illogical and lovable at the same time.
I love Ms Wade's style of presenting this read. There is a shift in POV which made it easier for this reader to 'read' into the mind of each young man and discover the whys of their behavior and actions. There is also a peek into the minds of some of the side characters who play important roles for Chris and Alonzo's relationship. The shifting is surprisingly free of confusion and just made it a more interesting read.
Check out Wade Kelly's Guest Post Here (She's got #Giveaways)
August 26, 2016
Family traditions are all fine and can be supportive and comforting, but if they become restrictive directives instead, pain and unnecessary upset follow. Chris has known for a while that his father’s idea of “all Jackson men marry a cheerleader” conflicts with what will make Chris happy. Chris is gay and the last thing on his mind is finding a nice cheerleader to settle down with. When he finds an intriguing guy instead and falls for him faster than he ever expected, Chris knows he is in trouble. His own dreams and his father’s ideal are on a collision course, and Chris has no idea how to deal with it.
Chris loves to play soccer and he does well academically, so he has used both as an excuse for not having any time to date. His older brother has already married – a cheerleader, of course – and Chris can feel the pressure increase every time he goes home. So far he has dodged the issue, and since he is not romantically involved at all, the issue has never really come up for him. All that changes when he meets Alonzo, and Chris knows it is only a matter of time until he’ll have to bite the bullet and come out to his family.
Alonzo is withdrawn, shy, and has deep emotional issues that only emerge gradually as the story develops. He is certainly not a cheerleader, but he is fascinating to Chris. Alonzo has no idea why Chris is so interested and constantly fears that his issues will drive Chis away. But no matter how much he opens up about his past, Chris is undeterred.
If you like stories that perfectly illustrate the fact that opposites attract, if a jock falling for a shy goth/emo/punk guy is your thing, and if you’re looking for a read full of youthful discoveries, self-realization, and finding the courage to overcome obstacles of all kinds, then you will probably like this novel. It’s a great story and an excellent follow-up to the first book in the series. And yes, Cole and Ellis make a few appearances which made me very happy.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Chris loves to play soccer and he does well academically, so he has used both as an excuse for not having any time to date. His older brother has already married – a cheerleader, of course – and Chris can feel the pressure increase every time he goes home. So far he has dodged the issue, and since he is not romantically involved at all, the issue has never really come up for him. All that changes when he meets Alonzo, and Chris knows it is only a matter of time until he’ll have to bite the bullet and come out to his family.
Alonzo is withdrawn, shy, and has deep emotional issues that only emerge gradually as the story develops. He is certainly not a cheerleader, but he is fascinating to Chris. Alonzo has no idea why Chris is so interested and constantly fears that his issues will drive Chis away. But no matter how much he opens up about his past, Chris is undeterred.
If you like stories that perfectly illustrate the fact that opposites attract, if a jock falling for a shy goth/emo/punk guy is your thing, and if you’re looking for a read full of youthful discoveries, self-realization, and finding the courage to overcome obstacles of all kinds, then you will probably like this novel. It’s a great story and an excellent follow-up to the first book in the series. And yes, Cole and Ellis make a few appearances which made me very happy.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
January 8, 2016
Other than the idiotic father drama I loved this book!
January 5, 2016
Super cute but some emotional stuff read.
not-for-me
September 13, 2017Have to DNF this one. The more I read, the less I like. It's become more of a chore to finish and since I read for pleasure, why torture myself?
September 7, 2017
Chris Jackson is a bright and happy college student and the captain of his soccer team. But he's aware in no uncertain terms that his father expects him to carry on the family tradition of marrying a cheerleader. That becomes problematic when Chris falls for troubled Alonzo Martin, a goth guy that seems to have no friends but who shows up to watch all Chris's soccer practices and games.
Approaching Alonzo is also problematic initially as Chris discovers. Apparently Alonzo has had some severe problems in his past and as we and Chris discover more about these their relationship develops.
While the basic set-up for this was well done and most of the storytelling engaging there were a few points that were just too far-fetched or discordant to be believable. For me the worst was the father's obsession with the whole cheerleader thing. It felt artificial and just too unbelievable to serve as the plot device that the author was going for.
Chris's being brilliant (as well as being a star athlete) was nice but his logophilia (word loving) seemed a bit under-served with some of the best words reserved for other characters. "Specifications" has never struck me as a ten-penny word and "sesquipedalian" felt like it was trying too hard. I think that given the nature of the story a few more "fundament"al points might have been made if Chris were an acknowledged ass-man. And some were just throw-aways. "Ocular Trajectory" was used too early and as part of the narrative rather than in dialogue.
Also the symbolic "Black Trench Coat" wasn't the best device in my opinion. Given the Columbine connotations a "Black Hoodie" might have been much more effective. But again, that observation might just be the "back seat writer" in me.
On the up-side the characters were sympathetic and likeable though I felt like the best friend Doug might have been handled better. I did especially like the chocolate milk apology.
One tends to paint a mental picture and "get into" a story as one reads but if the author uses the wrong word or creates a cognitive dissonance one can be "pulled out" of that state. I was really enjoying the story but a few clinkers along the way damaged the overall experience.
One, was the metaphor involving a catalytic converter being set to idle. As far as I know catalytic converters aren't set at all and the rest of the metaphor was about gears so I'm guessing that what was intended was a transmission metaphor. Given that we'd been preconditioned to expect word precision, this one was kind of jarring. Likewise Chris's rejoinder when learning about Alonzo being from Nebraska... "I bet the Mountains are gorgeous." kinda threw me. I'm guessing that there MAY be some mountains (or at least foothills) in the extreme western parts of Nebraska but I've always thought of Nebraska as one of the plains states and pretty flat.
But enough of picking nits. If one can overlook these minor annoyances, the basic story-line is sweet and the boys are the kind that any romantic would root for. A wounded character is almost by default a sympathetic one and discovering the nature and extent of Alfonzo's (or Lonnie's) wounds made him endearing and it seemed natural that Chris would be attracted.
The development of couples as friends was also something nice to read about that is all too uncommon in m/m fiction.
By all means, check this out.
Approaching Alonzo is also problematic initially as Chris discovers. Apparently Alonzo has had some severe problems in his past and as we and Chris discover more about these their relationship develops.
While the basic set-up for this was well done and most of the storytelling engaging there were a few points that were just too far-fetched or discordant to be believable. For me the worst was the father's obsession with the whole cheerleader thing. It felt artificial and just too unbelievable to serve as the plot device that the author was going for.
Chris's being brilliant (as well as being a star athlete) was nice but his logophilia (word loving) seemed a bit under-served with some of the best words reserved for other characters. "Specifications" has never struck me as a ten-penny word and "sesquipedalian" felt like it was trying too hard. I think that given the nature of the story a few more "fundament"al points might have been made if Chris were an acknowledged ass-man. And some were just throw-aways. "Ocular Trajectory" was used too early and as part of the narrative rather than in dialogue.
Also the symbolic "Black Trench Coat" wasn't the best device in my opinion. Given the Columbine connotations a "Black Hoodie" might have been much more effective. But again, that observation might just be the "back seat writer" in me.
On the up-side the characters were sympathetic and likeable though I felt like the best friend Doug might have been handled better. I did especially like the chocolate milk apology.
One tends to paint a mental picture and "get into" a story as one reads but if the author uses the wrong word or creates a cognitive dissonance one can be "pulled out" of that state. I was really enjoying the story but a few clinkers along the way damaged the overall experience.
One, was the metaphor involving a catalytic converter being set to idle. As far as I know catalytic converters aren't set at all and the rest of the metaphor was about gears so I'm guessing that what was intended was a transmission metaphor. Given that we'd been preconditioned to expect word precision, this one was kind of jarring. Likewise Chris's rejoinder when learning about Alonzo being from Nebraska... "I bet the Mountains are gorgeous." kinda threw me. I'm guessing that there MAY be some mountains (or at least foothills) in the extreme western parts of Nebraska but I've always thought of Nebraska as one of the plains states and pretty flat.
But enough of picking nits. If one can overlook these minor annoyances, the basic story-line is sweet and the boys are the kind that any romantic would root for. A wounded character is almost by default a sympathetic one and discovering the nature and extent of Alfonzo's (or Lonnie's) wounds made him endearing and it seemed natural that Chris would be attracted.
The development of couples as friends was also something nice to read about that is all too uncommon in m/m fiction.
By all means, check this out.
February 18, 2018
This story had started out well. I liked the characters. The story and stars started falling towards the end when the whole cheerleader issues entered. I actually had to stop and reread it wondering if I had wasted my time starting this book. The book really went downhill from this point. It is towards the end so I forced myself to the end. The 3 stars are for the first 3/4 of the book.
January 26, 2016
This is book two in the “jocks” series. We see Ellis and Cole again as an established couple but the new couple – Chris and Alonzo are not part of their group – so you can read this as a standalone.
Chris knows he’s gay, but hasn’t wanted to out himself until he’s found “the one”. When he meets Alonzo something about the emo boy calls to him and he feels more and more certain that he may be worth coming out for.
Alonzo has a very painful past and has a hard time trusting anyone. He doubts Chris and their relationship and fights both tooth and nail.
Eventually Chris wears Alonzo down and they begin a relationship. In the meantime – Doug – Chris’s roommate has gay stirrings of his own to deal with. Alonzo has to deal with his sister and her effects on his life. Chris has to come out to his family and friends. And then there’s the cheerleader issue.
Chris’ family dates and marries cheerleaders. Alonzo is in no way a cheerleader. So in addition to being gay, Chris has to deal with the fall out from not dating a cheerleader.
**
For the most part I really loved this story. Wade Kelly is excellent at giving us angst-ridden MCs and then giving us a HEA wherein they may not be “fixed” so much as “healing”. I like that. She doesn’t feel the need to “fix” everyone.
I thought the slow burn romance here was sweet and I loved how open Chris was. He was a good complement to Alonzo. The opening up of Alonzo to new friends was great and a nice touch.
The one thing that didn’t work for me was the cheerleaders. The “friends” who were cheerleaders, the dating only cheerleaders, the end with Alonzo and the cheerleaders… it felt kinda hokey and silly given the serious nature of the other issues the couple had to deal with. That part just didn’t work for me.
I also felt really bad for Doug. I think Chris kind of abandoned him in his time of need. I hope he gets his own story with the cousin – Sam and we get to see him with his own HEA.
All in all I think fans of Kelly will love this. Fans of GFY/OFY, jock/nerd romances, and college fans will all love this. I recommend it and give it 4.5 of 5 stars
Chris knows he’s gay, but hasn’t wanted to out himself until he’s found “the one”. When he meets Alonzo something about the emo boy calls to him and he feels more and more certain that he may be worth coming out for.
Alonzo has a very painful past and has a hard time trusting anyone. He doubts Chris and their relationship and fights both tooth and nail.
Eventually Chris wears Alonzo down and they begin a relationship. In the meantime – Doug – Chris’s roommate has gay stirrings of his own to deal with. Alonzo has to deal with his sister and her effects on his life. Chris has to come out to his family and friends. And then there’s the cheerleader issue.
Chris’ family dates and marries cheerleaders. Alonzo is in no way a cheerleader. So in addition to being gay, Chris has to deal with the fall out from not dating a cheerleader.
**
For the most part I really loved this story. Wade Kelly is excellent at giving us angst-ridden MCs and then giving us a HEA wherein they may not be “fixed” so much as “healing”. I like that. She doesn’t feel the need to “fix” everyone.
I thought the slow burn romance here was sweet and I loved how open Chris was. He was a good complement to Alonzo. The opening up of Alonzo to new friends was great and a nice touch.
The one thing that didn’t work for me was the cheerleaders. The “friends” who were cheerleaders, the dating only cheerleaders, the end with Alonzo and the cheerleaders… it felt kinda hokey and silly given the serious nature of the other issues the couple had to deal with. That part just didn’t work for me.
I also felt really bad for Doug. I think Chris kind of abandoned him in his time of need. I hope he gets his own story with the cousin – Sam and we get to see him with his own HEA.
All in all I think fans of Kelly will love this. Fans of GFY/OFY, jock/nerd romances, and college fans will all love this. I recommend it and give it 4.5 of 5 stars
January 18, 2016
3.5 I re-read the first book and the free short in preparation for this book and then immediately started this. I have to say, I think I like this one the best so far.
Let me start out with the pros. I loved the inclusion of Ellis and Cole in this story and it was nice seeing Rob (I really need his story pretty please?) again but the focus never ventured far from Alonzo and Chris. I was vested in Chris and Alonzo's relationship and liked them as a couple and the patience and acceptance that they showed each other was nice to see. Chris came across as an extremely mature 20 in most ways. The side characters were okay but not as interesting as Rob and Russ were in the first book. There was plenty of sex but it didn't feel overly awkward.
What didn't work for me. The cheerleader obsession. That particular point was just as bad as the internal crazy of Ellis' mom in the first book. It actually made me uncomfortable and squirmy. I can honestly say, I would not be friends with Chris' father, nor would I leave my daughter anywhere near him. Just...yuck.
I think that the PTSD, since it was introduced, could have been handled a little better but I'm not sure if someone that doesn't suffer from it would feel the same. Some of the actions and reactions just don't ring true to me but again, everyone is different.
Overall, I liked this book better than the first perhaps because Ms. Kelly has grown as a writer. I hope that Ellis, Cole, Chris, and Alonzo continue on in the coming stories and the little family that all these guys are forming continues to grow together.
Lastly, I think I'm supposed to disclose, I won a copy of this book in a contest but I would have read it regardless.
Let me start out with the pros. I loved the inclusion of Ellis and Cole in this story and it was nice seeing Rob (I really need his story pretty please?) again but the focus never ventured far from Alonzo and Chris. I was vested in Chris and Alonzo's relationship and liked them as a couple and the patience and acceptance that they showed each other was nice to see. Chris came across as an extremely mature 20 in most ways. The side characters were okay but not as interesting as Rob and Russ were in the first book. There was plenty of sex but it didn't feel overly awkward.
What didn't work for me. The cheerleader obsession. That particular point was just as bad as the internal crazy of Ellis' mom in the first book. It actually made me uncomfortable and squirmy. I can honestly say, I would not be friends with Chris' father, nor would I leave my daughter anywhere near him. Just...yuck.
I think that the PTSD, since it was introduced, could have been handled a little better but I'm not sure if someone that doesn't suffer from it would feel the same. Some of the actions and reactions just don't ring true to me but again, everyone is different.
Overall, I liked this book better than the first perhaps because Ms. Kelly has grown as a writer. I hope that Ellis, Cole, Chris, and Alonzo continue on in the coming stories and the little family that all these guys are forming continues to grow together.
Lastly, I think I'm supposed to disclose, I won a copy of this book in a contest but I would have read it regardless.
January 7, 2016
I really enjoyed No! Jocks Don’t Date Guys, and Chris and Alonzo’s story. The patience that Chris showed, to first be friends and spend time with Alonzo, and to take things at his pace, was super sweet. Over and over Chris showed that he would be loyal, supportive and stand by Alonzo through anything, and that made me fall for him even more.
Now, I will say that there were a few times Chris really got on my nerves, and I kind of wanted to slap him upside his head—especially when dealing with Doug—but I tried to overlook it since I could see Chris was blinded by his first relationship. I guess I would have just liked to see the same loyalty and support he showed for Alonzo, shown a little more toward his best friend. The only other issue I had was with Chris’s dad. I mean, the cheerleaders…at one point it just got a little creepy for me.
Then we have Alonzo, who is introverted, scared, a little lost and a little broken. Due to things in his past, he has multiple issues, but it was great seeing how Chris slowly broke down those walls, helping Alonzo come out of his shell and be who he was meant to be.
I think No! Jocks Don’t Date Guys is a good follow-up to the first book in the series, and I enjoyed getting a glimpse at what’s been going on with Cole and Ellis. I missed a some of the snarky humor I loved so much in the first book, though this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, it was just different than what I had expected. But, I can’t wait to see what happens when we get Doug’s story.
Reviewed by Karen for The Novel Approach
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
Now, I will say that there were a few times Chris really got on my nerves, and I kind of wanted to slap him upside his head—especially when dealing with Doug—but I tried to overlook it since I could see Chris was blinded by his first relationship. I guess I would have just liked to see the same loyalty and support he showed for Alonzo, shown a little more toward his best friend. The only other issue I had was with Chris’s dad. I mean, the cheerleaders…at one point it just got a little creepy for me.
Then we have Alonzo, who is introverted, scared, a little lost and a little broken. Due to things in his past, he has multiple issues, but it was great seeing how Chris slowly broke down those walls, helping Alonzo come out of his shell and be who he was meant to be.
I think No! Jocks Don’t Date Guys is a good follow-up to the first book in the series, and I enjoyed getting a glimpse at what’s been going on with Cole and Ellis. I missed a some of the snarky humor I loved so much in the first book, though this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, it was just different than what I had expected. But, I can’t wait to see what happens when we get Doug’s story.
Reviewed by Karen for The Novel Approach
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
December 21, 2015
Soccer player Chris falls fast for Alonzo, but you wouldn’t expect these two to get together. Chris is a popular, easy going, fun jock while Alonzo appears to be something between goth and emo. They’ve both got baggage too. Chris is out to just one close friend and he’s terrified to tell his parents because his dad is hung up on him keeping up the family tradition of marrying a cheerleader. Meanwhile, Alonzo is attempting to put his life back together by moving across the country and enrolling in school.
Chris is absolutely adorable as he tries to coax Alonzo out of his shell. The interplay between Chris and Alonzo is wonderful and sold me on this book early on (you’ll never look at Gummy Bears the same way again). They are a joy to read, even when the going gets tough…and particularly for Alonzo the story takes some dramatic turns as Chris finds out about his past.
You can read the entire review at http://www.jeffandwill.com/2015/12/14...
Chris is absolutely adorable as he tries to coax Alonzo out of his shell. The interplay between Chris and Alonzo is wonderful and sold me on this book early on (you’ll never look at Gummy Bears the same way again). They are a joy to read, even when the going gets tough…and particularly for Alonzo the story takes some dramatic turns as Chris finds out about his past.
You can read the entire review at http://www.jeffandwill.com/2015/12/14...
December 30, 2015
So this book was really not great. I hate writing bad reviews, so I'll keep it short, but it really didn't work at all for me. What did I like? Not a lot. The MCs were actually ok, and the premise of the story was good. It ends their though. The writing style was not for me at all, it was cliche, weird, annoying, the father with his cheerleader obsession was way to ridiculous, many other plot points I can't be bothered adding were also ridiculous. The whole thing just sounded like a badly written self published m/f 'author'. I hated the random chapters from other characters view points. The best friend was a complete douche, and clearly his chapter was set up for his own book, which I won't be reading. To much was left out, to much left unanswered, but in the end I didn't even care. I only finished it because I paid way to much for it, but really I should have given up after the first couple chapters.
December 23, 2015
This is turning into one of my favourite series. Wade has such a way of bringing the broken soul into warmth and love. Chris and alonzo are so different from each other but the chemistry between them is perfect. There are some fantastic secondary characters, Doug being one of them. You will hate him but feel sorry for him too all at the same time. I always love the depth in the characters wade creates. You will end up feeling like you know them personally by the end of the book.
January 3, 2016
My first 5 star of 2016! I had to force myself to put it down so I could get some sleep last night. I spent most of the book with a smile on my face, loving how Chris spent his time earning Lonnie's trust. Cole and Ellis were back and provided a sweet and funny support system for the boys. I hope Doug is up next after his discovery. I love this series!
December 23, 2015
4.5 Stars I love them as equally as I loved Ellis & Cole.. Chris is an ideal boyfriend, oh god lucky Alonzo for having him.. I enjoyed reading this though at some point I want to smack Doug, get a grip dude just accept that you fall in love with a guy.. Geez!
December 27, 2015
4.5 stars. Would be 5 but the dad bits were a bit too over the top for me.
December 15, 2015
Enjoyable and satisfying story.
October 28, 2016
I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
3 Stars.
I’m uncomfortable posting this review because I both enjoy the author and their books. But, no matter what, sometimes a book is just not a good fit for a reader. This was the case this time around for me- maybe mood-based, or simply one of the characters rubbing me the wrong way.
Excuse the following review. As a writer, it’s difficult for me to read and fall into the story. It’s a rare occasion that I manage that, as I had with the others in the series. However, this book had my editor hat slipping on, to the point I almost didn’t finish the book. So my apologies for what is more of a rant than a review. Basically, this is what my notes would have been had I edited for the author.
Truly, I wish I could just be a normal reader, but I can’t.
After devouring the other books in one sitting, this one was difficult for me to complete. So few pages seemed to anger, frustrate, and make me put the book down. Having read this series starting at book 3, then going back to read book 1 and 1.5, I found the feel of this book to be completely different than the others. Darker, less funny, yet more shallow. I know that sounds odd, how a dark book could read shallow, but the issues were at the surface, far removed from the narrator, even if it was his boyfriend going through the issues. The issues were glossed over, never shown, always from a third-party.
Chris is a strong character, solid and compassionate to a fault, even if that meant he was treated with disregard, whether it be his family or friends. It did feel as if Chris was shutting Doug out, his BFF, as he was getting to know Lonnie, which is par for the course during the insanity of a new relationship. So other than hurting the guy closest to him, everyone else’s needs and emotions came first.
Alonzo- Lonnie, I never felt connected to him. It was just at the surface, never learning his personality. He liked to read and listen to Green Day, run away, and had emotional scars. Just because he has issues and a dark past doesn’t mean he gets a pass to act pitiful and disrespectful, nor does it mean I will automatically like him. If it isn’t shown, but merely told or glossed over, no matter what had happened to him, it no longer matters. If it’s a major part of the story, then it needs to be shown.
I would have liked Lonnie if he had only ‘tried’ just a bit to get to know his own boyfriend. The entire book was about catering to Lonnie’s needs, with him giving nothing in return but taking. I get it, he has issues. But if he can’t give anything to Chris, then he isn’t ready for a relationship and he should only be friends with Chris. I don’t even believe Lonnie was capable of being a good friend, because friends need to help their friends in return as well.
I never felt the connection between Chris and Lonnie. Chris spent the entirety of the novel trying to get to know Lonnie, with Lonnie never asking Chris questions and never even attempting to get to know him outside of watching him play soccer on occasion or availing himself to eating with him in the cafeteria, even if he didn’t speak and acted totally put out by the experience. This behavior removed whatever was sweet building between the pair, because Lonnie gave his conversation, smiles, laughter, and easy-going attitude to strangers, but never the man the reader assumed he loved.
Actions speak louder than words. & Lonnie’s actions screamed how he didn’t care one iota for Chris, outside of using him in the bedroom.
This book was about Chris and Lonnie, right? Not about Lonnie finding new friends and no longer needing Chris at all? How is that romance? While I understand and appreciate having a different set of friends in a couple, it’s to the detriment of their relationship if Lonnie never lets Chris in because he’s so guarded, yet he tells strangers all about himself. That’s a contradiction. Guarded people don’t tell their horror stories to strangers, move in with them immediately, and make them their BFFs in hours, while ignoring their friends, family, therapist, and boyfriend.
Scenes which would have had a major impact on the story never happened, ones that would have shown the strength in their relationship. Chris heard everything from outside parties, whether it be Lonnie’s sister or his new friends.
When his breakdown happened, Lonnie allowed others to hold him up, care for him, while shutting Chris out. Then when Chris was feeling insecure about their relationship, Lance (Lonnie’s new friend) would tell him to stop being jealous.
Is it really jealousy to not know anything about your boyfriend, especially his well-being? Lance and his fiancé didn’t even have the common sense to contact Lonnie’s sister or boyfriend when he was missing, so I found their behavior disgusting. Yes, if Lonnie was comfortable, good. But to allow Lonnie’s friends and family to wonder where he was, if he was hurt or dead, and on the verge of filing a missing person’s report, but they didn’t contact anyone. With Lance’s boyfriend a nurse, he knew better than that.
Then to add insult to injury that Chris is jealous of Lance. No. It’s called why are we dating if I know nothing of you, not even your location, and you show no need to get to know me. No common courtesy to make sure I’m not worried. But all Lonnie wanted to do is kiss Chris in front of Lance to prove that he’s brave and not going to cheat. They were past cheating- how about talking to his boyfriend, that he gives a crap about him. At all. Prove there is a reason Chris should stick around. That’s not jealousy. That’s not using Chris as a notch on a bedpost to make you feel sexy and confident about yourself.
Jealousy? To have strangers know more about your boyfriend, when they met him hours ago? Shouldn’t a boyfriend be the first person you tell where you’re living now? That your family is speaking with you? What your therapist said? Yes. Instead of showing the couple getting stronger during a difficult time, Chris is left in the dark while Lonnie goes shopping with Lance and another new friend.
There was no resolution to something that was a major thread in the novel. Through Chris, the reader is yet again ‘told’ what happened via third-party hearsay, never connecting Chris to Lonnie through intimate conversation, which would have invested the reader in their relationship.
It was very junior high for characters who were already working professionals, and/or upper classmen in college.
“Lonnie’s been living here this week, didn’t you know?” Lance grinds it in, informing both Chris and the reader about Lonnie’s whereabouts and the resolution to his breakdown. “Oh, don’t be jealous, Chris. Lonnie talks about you constantly.”
Really? Because this is Chris’s narration, and the reader never hears Lonnie speak, or even shows the slightest interest in Chris whatsoever, going as far as ignoring Chris from page one until the very end, including during his breakdown, after kicking Chris and running away.
“I know Lonnie just had a breakdown, but doesn’t he look hot in pinstripe pants?” Lance was more worried about this instead of reassuring Chris, and Lonnie was more interested in feeling sexy than sane.
When it came to Chris needing support, going to his house for Lonnie to meet his family. “My dad isn’t taking it well.” Instead of being supportive, like Chris had been then entire novel, Lonnie’s reply was, “Hmm… you told me that already.” Dismissive disregard. Maybe Chris had, maybe not, but it wasn’t on the pages, because this was occurring while Lonnie was being selfish and making everything about him. When Chris tries to open up, Lonnie is shutting him down.
I would have loved to see one of the love interests opening up to the other. Chris would have loved Lonnie doing so, and would have loved Lonnie returning the favor. But that never happened, so the reader loses out on being told via third-party hearsay.
The author can tell the reader how it is, but when it’s written a different way, I can’t buy into it. Lonnie wasn’t supportive- didn’t act like a boyfriend. Their entire relationship was one-sided.
At the same time, Chris’s father, and all the cheerleaders themselves, was so off-the-wall at odds with the dark elements surrounding Lonnie, the elements never explored, that the book itself felt beyond disjointed. It was like whiplash with the silliness. Really? Cheerleaders? A professional, married middle-age man and father of two? THAT is his malfunction? Dad was the shallowest character to grace any book I’ve ever read.
This bizarre, out of place, thread of storyline ruined the novel for me, and the characters. I ended up only enjoying Chris and his soccer mates, yet feeling resentment toward Lonnie and his new friends, the cheerleaders (on behalf of the female population on how the cheerleaders were written), and the dad.
I felt disconnected reading this novel, because everything was happening off-scene, by other characters who weren’t the narrator, removing any connection between the reader and characters and the characters to other characters.
I wanted to experience the connection outside of messing around and making out. The romantic couple didn’t do anything together- they had no conversations that bound them together. I felt more chemistry of a platonic sort between the friendships of the series than I did with the romantic relationship between Chris and Lonnie, because the friends hung out and conversed- connected on a human level. Whereas the author just told us Chris was crazy about Lonnie, and Chris assumed Lonnie loved him, even if his actions and behavior stated the opposite.
I felt Lonnie as vapid as the cheerleaders. When it was anything of importance, Lonnie had to go shopping, worry about his eyeliner and nail polish, and completely freeze Chris out. While it’s amazing Lonnie had a support system, as did Chris, Lonnie was one of the most selfish characters I’ve ever read. 100% one-sided. Lonnie had Chris skip a yearly tradition simply for brunch- something that could be done any day of the year (not that it mattered, as it was all written off-scene, but the actions spoke of selfishness) More worried about brunch, shopping, his new clothes, nail polish, and whether his makeup was smeared, then attempts at sex, Lonnie refused to connect with Chris outside of the bedroom.
Sure, the ending was Lonnie’s way of trying to give Chris want he needed, but even that wasn’t about Chris. That was about feeding into Chris’s Dad’s silly, childish insanity. It would have meant more if there was ONE intimate conversation between them at some point. ONE!
This book didn’t work for me. While I’ve enjoyed the series and cast of characters the author has created, and I look forward to more, I’m not partial to the overuse of exclamation points or the bizarre POV change-ups out of nowhere. It just feels unnecessary and drags the story down.
In the end, I look forward to hearing more about Ellis’s core group of friends, Chris’s group of friends, and I hope Lonnie and his buddies fade to the background, as I felt them as vapid as the cheerleaders. But I know, since I read book #3 first, Lonnie is bizarrely written as a reserved, sage soul, one who I wished had been present on the pages of his book.
3 Stars.
I’m uncomfortable posting this review because I both enjoy the author and their books. But, no matter what, sometimes a book is just not a good fit for a reader. This was the case this time around for me- maybe mood-based, or simply one of the characters rubbing me the wrong way.
Excuse the following review. As a writer, it’s difficult for me to read and fall into the story. It’s a rare occasion that I manage that, as I had with the others in the series. However, this book had my editor hat slipping on, to the point I almost didn’t finish the book. So my apologies for what is more of a rant than a review. Basically, this is what my notes would have been had I edited for the author.
Truly, I wish I could just be a normal reader, but I can’t.
After devouring the other books in one sitting, this one was difficult for me to complete. So few pages seemed to anger, frustrate, and make me put the book down. Having read this series starting at book 3, then going back to read book 1 and 1.5, I found the feel of this book to be completely different than the others. Darker, less funny, yet more shallow. I know that sounds odd, how a dark book could read shallow, but the issues were at the surface, far removed from the narrator, even if it was his boyfriend going through the issues. The issues were glossed over, never shown, always from a third-party.
Chris is a strong character, solid and compassionate to a fault, even if that meant he was treated with disregard, whether it be his family or friends. It did feel as if Chris was shutting Doug out, his BFF, as he was getting to know Lonnie, which is par for the course during the insanity of a new relationship. So other than hurting the guy closest to him, everyone else’s needs and emotions came first.
Alonzo- Lonnie, I never felt connected to him. It was just at the surface, never learning his personality. He liked to read and listen to Green Day, run away, and had emotional scars. Just because he has issues and a dark past doesn’t mean he gets a pass to act pitiful and disrespectful, nor does it mean I will automatically like him. If it isn’t shown, but merely told or glossed over, no matter what had happened to him, it no longer matters. If it’s a major part of the story, then it needs to be shown.
I would have liked Lonnie if he had only ‘tried’ just a bit to get to know his own boyfriend. The entire book was about catering to Lonnie’s needs, with him giving nothing in return but taking. I get it, he has issues. But if he can’t give anything to Chris, then he isn’t ready for a relationship and he should only be friends with Chris. I don’t even believe Lonnie was capable of being a good friend, because friends need to help their friends in return as well.
I never felt the connection between Chris and Lonnie. Chris spent the entirety of the novel trying to get to know Lonnie, with Lonnie never asking Chris questions and never even attempting to get to know him outside of watching him play soccer on occasion or availing himself to eating with him in the cafeteria, even if he didn’t speak and acted totally put out by the experience. This behavior removed whatever was sweet building between the pair, because Lonnie gave his conversation, smiles, laughter, and easy-going attitude to strangers, but never the man the reader assumed he loved.
Actions speak louder than words. & Lonnie’s actions screamed how he didn’t care one iota for Chris, outside of using him in the bedroom.
This book was about Chris and Lonnie, right? Not about Lonnie finding new friends and no longer needing Chris at all? How is that romance? While I understand and appreciate having a different set of friends in a couple, it’s to the detriment of their relationship if Lonnie never lets Chris in because he’s so guarded, yet he tells strangers all about himself. That’s a contradiction. Guarded people don’t tell their horror stories to strangers, move in with them immediately, and make them their BFFs in hours, while ignoring their friends, family, therapist, and boyfriend.
Scenes which would have had a major impact on the story never happened, ones that would have shown the strength in their relationship. Chris heard everything from outside parties, whether it be Lonnie’s sister or his new friends.
When his breakdown happened, Lonnie allowed others to hold him up, care for him, while shutting Chris out. Then when Chris was feeling insecure about their relationship, Lance (Lonnie’s new friend) would tell him to stop being jealous.
Is it really jealousy to not know anything about your boyfriend, especially his well-being? Lance and his fiancé didn’t even have the common sense to contact Lonnie’s sister or boyfriend when he was missing, so I found their behavior disgusting. Yes, if Lonnie was comfortable, good. But to allow Lonnie’s friends and family to wonder where he was, if he was hurt or dead, and on the verge of filing a missing person’s report, but they didn’t contact anyone. With Lance’s boyfriend a nurse, he knew better than that.
Then to add insult to injury that Chris is jealous of Lance. No. It’s called why are we dating if I know nothing of you, not even your location, and you show no need to get to know me. No common courtesy to make sure I’m not worried. But all Lonnie wanted to do is kiss Chris in front of Lance to prove that he’s brave and not going to cheat. They were past cheating- how about talking to his boyfriend, that he gives a crap about him. At all. Prove there is a reason Chris should stick around. That’s not jealousy. That’s not using Chris as a notch on a bedpost to make you feel sexy and confident about yourself.
Jealousy? To have strangers know more about your boyfriend, when they met him hours ago? Shouldn’t a boyfriend be the first person you tell where you’re living now? That your family is speaking with you? What your therapist said? Yes. Instead of showing the couple getting stronger during a difficult time, Chris is left in the dark while Lonnie goes shopping with Lance and another new friend.
There was no resolution to something that was a major thread in the novel. Through Chris, the reader is yet again ‘told’ what happened via third-party hearsay, never connecting Chris to Lonnie through intimate conversation, which would have invested the reader in their relationship.
It was very junior high for characters who were already working professionals, and/or upper classmen in college.
“Lonnie’s been living here this week, didn’t you know?” Lance grinds it in, informing both Chris and the reader about Lonnie’s whereabouts and the resolution to his breakdown. “Oh, don’t be jealous, Chris. Lonnie talks about you constantly.”
Really? Because this is Chris’s narration, and the reader never hears Lonnie speak, or even shows the slightest interest in Chris whatsoever, going as far as ignoring Chris from page one until the very end, including during his breakdown, after kicking Chris and running away.
“I know Lonnie just had a breakdown, but doesn’t he look hot in pinstripe pants?” Lance was more worried about this instead of reassuring Chris, and Lonnie was more interested in feeling sexy than sane.
When it came to Chris needing support, going to his house for Lonnie to meet his family. “My dad isn’t taking it well.” Instead of being supportive, like Chris had been then entire novel, Lonnie’s reply was, “Hmm… you told me that already.” Dismissive disregard. Maybe Chris had, maybe not, but it wasn’t on the pages, because this was occurring while Lonnie was being selfish and making everything about him. When Chris tries to open up, Lonnie is shutting him down.
I would have loved to see one of the love interests opening up to the other. Chris would have loved Lonnie doing so, and would have loved Lonnie returning the favor. But that never happened, so the reader loses out on being told via third-party hearsay.
The author can tell the reader how it is, but when it’s written a different way, I can’t buy into it. Lonnie wasn’t supportive- didn’t act like a boyfriend. Their entire relationship was one-sided.
At the same time, Chris’s father, and all the cheerleaders themselves, was so off-the-wall at odds with the dark elements surrounding Lonnie, the elements never explored, that the book itself felt beyond disjointed. It was like whiplash with the silliness. Really? Cheerleaders? A professional, married middle-age man and father of two? THAT is his malfunction? Dad was the shallowest character to grace any book I’ve ever read.
This bizarre, out of place, thread of storyline ruined the novel for me, and the characters. I ended up only enjoying Chris and his soccer mates, yet feeling resentment toward Lonnie and his new friends, the cheerleaders (on behalf of the female population on how the cheerleaders were written), and the dad.
I felt disconnected reading this novel, because everything was happening off-scene, by other characters who weren’t the narrator, removing any connection between the reader and characters and the characters to other characters.
I wanted to experience the connection outside of messing around and making out. The romantic couple didn’t do anything together- they had no conversations that bound them together. I felt more chemistry of a platonic sort between the friendships of the series than I did with the romantic relationship between Chris and Lonnie, because the friends hung out and conversed- connected on a human level. Whereas the author just told us Chris was crazy about Lonnie, and Chris assumed Lonnie loved him, even if his actions and behavior stated the opposite.
I felt Lonnie as vapid as the cheerleaders. When it was anything of importance, Lonnie had to go shopping, worry about his eyeliner and nail polish, and completely freeze Chris out. While it’s amazing Lonnie had a support system, as did Chris, Lonnie was one of the most selfish characters I’ve ever read. 100% one-sided. Lonnie had Chris skip a yearly tradition simply for brunch- something that could be done any day of the year (not that it mattered, as it was all written off-scene, but the actions spoke of selfishness) More worried about brunch, shopping, his new clothes, nail polish, and whether his makeup was smeared, then attempts at sex, Lonnie refused to connect with Chris outside of the bedroom.
Sure, the ending was Lonnie’s way of trying to give Chris want he needed, but even that wasn’t about Chris. That was about feeding into Chris’s Dad’s silly, childish insanity. It would have meant more if there was ONE intimate conversation between them at some point. ONE!
This book didn’t work for me. While I’ve enjoyed the series and cast of characters the author has created, and I look forward to more, I’m not partial to the overuse of exclamation points or the bizarre POV change-ups out of nowhere. It just feels unnecessary and drags the story down.
In the end, I look forward to hearing more about Ellis’s core group of friends, Chris’s group of friends, and I hope Lonnie and his buddies fade to the background, as I felt them as vapid as the cheerleaders. But I know, since I read book #3 first, Lonnie is bizarrely written as a reserved, sage soul, one who I wished had been present on the pages of his book.
December 21, 2015
(Originally Reviewed for Love Bytes Same Sex Book Reviews. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars)
I finished reading Wade Kelly’s newest Jock installment last night, and I’ve got to say…I quite enjoyed it, as usual for a Wade Kelly book.
The characters in this one had some flaws which made their story more interesting in some ways, and maybe one which touched me in an irritating way. I’ll share both as I go along, rather than just pointing out either side. Chris is this perfect son, sexy soccer player that all the cheerleaders have chased for years. But he hasn’t been caught by any of them, because he isn’t at all interested in females, or cheerleaders. His Dad is completely insistent that Chris find a big boobed blond cheerleader to carry on the family tradition, because ALL the men in the Jackson family marry cheerleaders and have for something like 4 generations!
Then one day Chris notices a guy dressed all in black, including a black trench coat, sitting in the stands watching one of their soccer team practices. Did I mention it is late summer in Maryland? Black trench coat? Chris is instantly intrigued. When he sees the guy in the cafeteria the next day, and starts a conversation, he realizes that the cheerleader thing might be completely off the table after gazing into the deep brown eyes of the guy, Alonzo.
Alonzo Martin has just received a scholarship to attend the school, but he is from Podunk, Nebraska, and has never seen the world beyond his small homophobic town. And he has some heavy baggage tying him to his past. Is he ready to date? When the sexy soccer player comes over and introduces himself…could he be interested?
I really liked the characters. Alonzo has been broken by events that happened back in Nebraska. Events that were bad enough to put him in a psych ward for a while. He is still very fragile and he could fall apart at any point. I liked Alonzo a lot, and wanted to reach out and give him a big supporting hug.
I also liked Chris. But he, on the other hand, had some issues which I didn’t particularly like. Chris kind of read at times as self-centered and not really giving a crap about those around him. We’ve all met “that” jock, and in my opinion, Wade captured him perfectly. He wasn’t perfect. He had issues. He treated others poorly at times, and was super jealous.
So let’s talk about the part of the book that I really didn’t like, and the part that made me vaguely dislike Chris for the rest of the book. It was one scene, where Chris took off to be with Alonzo minutes after his best friend, from his ENTIRE life, Doug, jumped him and kissed him, and then ran crying from the room, I believe I called Chris an F-ing A-hole, out loud. I know my husband looked at me and asked if he needed to take my Kindle away from me, so I’m pretty sure I was loud. I lost a lot of respect for Chris at that point, and honestly when I think back to this book, that is going to be the section that stands out in my mind the most. Did Chris go on to redeem himself? Yes, very much so. Did things work out with the best friend? Yes. Did I like Chris again by the end of the book? Yes, but I didn’t love him…because I’ll always remember him ditching his friend while he was in pain. I think anyone who has ever been in Doug’s place, like I was personally in the far distant past, will understand where I’m coming from on that part. That section opened old personal wounds that I thought closed years ago, and I didn’t particularly like that.
Other than that one small section, I loved the book. Of course, I say that on every book from Wade Kelly. This one can stand on its own, but I would recommend reading My Roommates a Jock? Well Crap!, and Oh Crap! This Jock’s getting Married!, first so that you have background on Ellis and Cole, but again…not necessary.
I was a little annoyed, Ms. Kelly, at the teasing about some new player who is coming, is coming, is coming, and then never showed up in this book. I’m assuming that is in Jock 3? I’m also hoping we get more on Doug and Cullen’s cousin in the next book?
As always with Wade’s books, I am very comfortable recommending you give this one and all her other books a read. They are entertaining and filled with angst ridden young adults. If you’re an old duff like me, while you’re reading her books, you might want to reach in and slap one of her characters once in a while, but that is what makes me like Wade’s writing. She instills that feeling of annoyance in me, which means her characters are well written and have depth…
Give this one a try, you won’t be sorry!
I finished reading Wade Kelly’s newest Jock installment last night, and I’ve got to say…I quite enjoyed it, as usual for a Wade Kelly book.
The characters in this one had some flaws which made their story more interesting in some ways, and maybe one which touched me in an irritating way. I’ll share both as I go along, rather than just pointing out either side. Chris is this perfect son, sexy soccer player that all the cheerleaders have chased for years. But he hasn’t been caught by any of them, because he isn’t at all interested in females, or cheerleaders. His Dad is completely insistent that Chris find a big boobed blond cheerleader to carry on the family tradition, because ALL the men in the Jackson family marry cheerleaders and have for something like 4 generations!
Then one day Chris notices a guy dressed all in black, including a black trench coat, sitting in the stands watching one of their soccer team practices. Did I mention it is late summer in Maryland? Black trench coat? Chris is instantly intrigued. When he sees the guy in the cafeteria the next day, and starts a conversation, he realizes that the cheerleader thing might be completely off the table after gazing into the deep brown eyes of the guy, Alonzo.
Alonzo Martin has just received a scholarship to attend the school, but he is from Podunk, Nebraska, and has never seen the world beyond his small homophobic town. And he has some heavy baggage tying him to his past. Is he ready to date? When the sexy soccer player comes over and introduces himself…could he be interested?
I really liked the characters. Alonzo has been broken by events that happened back in Nebraska. Events that were bad enough to put him in a psych ward for a while. He is still very fragile and he could fall apart at any point. I liked Alonzo a lot, and wanted to reach out and give him a big supporting hug.
I also liked Chris. But he, on the other hand, had some issues which I didn’t particularly like. Chris kind of read at times as self-centered and not really giving a crap about those around him. We’ve all met “that” jock, and in my opinion, Wade captured him perfectly. He wasn’t perfect. He had issues. He treated others poorly at times, and was super jealous.
So let’s talk about the part of the book that I really didn’t like, and the part that made me vaguely dislike Chris for the rest of the book. It was one scene, where Chris took off to be with Alonzo minutes after his best friend, from his ENTIRE life, Doug, jumped him and kissed him, and then ran crying from the room, I believe I called Chris an F-ing A-hole, out loud. I know my husband looked at me and asked if he needed to take my Kindle away from me, so I’m pretty sure I was loud. I lost a lot of respect for Chris at that point, and honestly when I think back to this book, that is going to be the section that stands out in my mind the most. Did Chris go on to redeem himself? Yes, very much so. Did things work out with the best friend? Yes. Did I like Chris again by the end of the book? Yes, but I didn’t love him…because I’ll always remember him ditching his friend while he was in pain. I think anyone who has ever been in Doug’s place, like I was personally in the far distant past, will understand where I’m coming from on that part. That section opened old personal wounds that I thought closed years ago, and I didn’t particularly like that.
Other than that one small section, I loved the book. Of course, I say that on every book from Wade Kelly. This one can stand on its own, but I would recommend reading My Roommates a Jock? Well Crap!, and Oh Crap! This Jock’s getting Married!, first so that you have background on Ellis and Cole, but again…not necessary.
I was a little annoyed, Ms. Kelly, at the teasing about some new player who is coming, is coming, is coming, and then never showed up in this book. I’m assuming that is in Jock 3? I’m also hoping we get more on Doug and Cullen’s cousin in the next book?
As always with Wade’s books, I am very comfortable recommending you give this one and all her other books a read. They are entertaining and filled with angst ridden young adults. If you’re an old duff like me, while you’re reading her books, you might want to reach in and slap one of her characters once in a while, but that is what makes me like Wade’s writing. She instills that feeling of annoyance in me, which means her characters are well written and have depth…
Give this one a try, you won’t be sorry!
December 26, 2015
***********May contain Spoilers*********
I'm not a huge fan of instant lust,love & this book has it in spades.I could not understand nor feel the connection between the two"lovebirds",which seemed contrived due to a lack of natural progression.
I strangely felt no empathy towards Alonzo despite the author creating a persona that is specifically intended to garner a sympathetic response.
Alonzo's case file reads like a profile of a teen Frankenstein:
Sex at 14.
Attempted suicide pact at 14.boyfriend dies he does not.has PTSD of the incident
Weak ankles.broken on three separate occasions,now held together with pins.can only walk a straight line.
Fan of previous episodes of cutting.
Appears to be bi-polar.has rare blackout episodes.
Now the fun part.At first he appears to be a loner,a social outcast who cannot be touched than has miraculous metamorphosis into a social butterfly & a magnet for every gay-body in town and is having sex like an addict with his boyfriend of a few weeks.
His boyfriend Chris thoughts:
I thought his name was Lance,I’d seen him working in the coffeehouse several times,He’d always been polite, but now he was smiling rather coquettishly at Alonzo—something I did not appreciate!I cleared my throat and gave him a hard stare. He shrunk back, knowing he’d been caught, and apologized. “I’m sorry. It’s just your boyfriend is really cute.”Boldly, green-haired barista guy then shifted his gaze over to Alonzo and said, “Your look is very Gerard Way circa two thousand four.”
And damn it! Alonzo blushed. “Thanks. You should have seen me three years ago.
“I bet you were hot,” said barista guy, smiling his very smiley smile, which I did not care for.
Now from that single incident his socially inept who cannot be touched boyfriend later on after a psychotic breakdown suddenly is living with a stranger called Lance & his boyfriend.Platonic-ally of course.I just found that a tad bizarre.And he does not understand why his boyfriend of a few weeks is suddenly jealous.
In between all this chaos they dream of white picket fences of the forever kind being just aged 19 & 20.
Alonzo's thought patterns about his boyfriend where at times too bitter at 85% into the book to warrant a forever kind of relationship hence my belief of a bi-polar nature
Alonzo:
"Ryan suggested a game, so for two hours they played a word game called Balderdash. Chris seemed surprised Alonzo could play so well, and although he could have taken offense at Chris’s assumption, he knew it wasn’t an argument worth having. Alonzo’s IQ was rather high, and it seemed conceited for him to belittle Chris, especially in front of his family. Chris would find out through daily interaction how smart Alonzo was."
The sex scenes were everywhere though the most weird scenes were of them making out furiously in the dorm room that he shares with his best friend Doug & than later on in the bathroom of the strangers house that Alonzo just decided to inhabit after his meltdown.
"Jason pulled back the shower curtain and found us in each other’s arms. His eyes locked on me and then Alonzo before he pulled the curtain back in place. He flushed the toilet, and the water went hot momentarily. We both screamed and jumped out of the spray. “You deserved that,” Jason said. “And you’re scrubbing that tub before you leave.” He shut the door soundly."
The condom wrappers became so excessively abundant that I found myself skimming after the 3rd scene of sex.This book tried too hard to be clever because the character Alonzo & Chris were created so clever which only made me dislike the characters even more.
“Alonzo, I—” “Lonnie,” he interrupted. “I like Lonnie. Or Lon.” “Lon?” I questioned. His eyes grew bright. “Yeah. As in Lon Chaney. Although his given name was Leonidas, not Alonzo, but I don’t have time to go into his biography right now, since I need to get to class. But call me Lonnie. Okay?”
December 19, 2015
Chris Jackson and Alonzo Martin couldn’t be more opposite; they come from completely different backgrounds. Chris was raised by very loving, hands on parents and his family is still pretty close, even if his father is a little mental. While Alonzo comes from a broken home in a small town where being convicted of murder would be more acceptable than being gay. These two give new meaning to the term ‘opposites attract’.
Chris is intrigued and infatuated from the start; Alonzo however, takes a while to warm up to the jock with the open, kind personality and a slew of friends. Alonzo’s past makes him wary of not only trusting people, but caring about anyone as well. Slowly but surely, one layer at a time, Chris works his way into Alonzo’s world, and eventually his heart. But an innocent mistake sends Alonzo into a tailspin, bringing back painful memories of the past.
I liked that Chris and Alonzo shared this instant connection, but it wasn’t an insta-love type story. Chris has this infectious personality and it’s hard for people not to like him, but Alonzo is hiding under years of pain and sorrow, so if they had instantly fallen into each other, the story would have suffered. Chris had to show Alonzo that he cared, and not just with words. He basically courted his man, showered him with affection and proved to Alonzo he could be trusted. Still, when you have the type of darkness in your past that Alonzo has, it isn’t easily washed away.
Chris wasn’t without his shortcomings though. He was overly critical and harsh at times of his friends, and boy does he have a jealous streak five states long! But I think that was a byproduct of his upbringing. As I said, his father is a bit mental. Speaking of… I didn’t translate the whole cheerleader thing the way I’ve seen some other reviews discuss it. I think what Kelly was doing with that aspect of the story is translating one person’s ridiculous viewpoint into the story. Chris’s parents didn’t give a rats ass he was gay, but his boyfriend isn’t a cheerleader. I read this as a way to show people how ridiculous it looks to others when they hold onto archaic beliefs, like blind, unwarranted hatred of homosexuality. But that is just my take on this part of the story.
Jock 2 is a coming of age story I think, a story about loving who you are and being the person you want to be, not the person everyone else thinks you should be. It was passionate, emotional and I was engrossed from start to finish. I also loved that Kelly gave Ellis and Cole an integral part in the story; I do love when the ones that started the series get to stay involved. I’m very excited to see whose story Kelly decides to tell next. I’m hoping for Doug, but we shall see.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Chris is intrigued and infatuated from the start; Alonzo however, takes a while to warm up to the jock with the open, kind personality and a slew of friends. Alonzo’s past makes him wary of not only trusting people, but caring about anyone as well. Slowly but surely, one layer at a time, Chris works his way into Alonzo’s world, and eventually his heart. But an innocent mistake sends Alonzo into a tailspin, bringing back painful memories of the past.
I liked that Chris and Alonzo shared this instant connection, but it wasn’t an insta-love type story. Chris has this infectious personality and it’s hard for people not to like him, but Alonzo is hiding under years of pain and sorrow, so if they had instantly fallen into each other, the story would have suffered. Chris had to show Alonzo that he cared, and not just with words. He basically courted his man, showered him with affection and proved to Alonzo he could be trusted. Still, when you have the type of darkness in your past that Alonzo has, it isn’t easily washed away.
Chris wasn’t without his shortcomings though. He was overly critical and harsh at times of his friends, and boy does he have a jealous streak five states long! But I think that was a byproduct of his upbringing. As I said, his father is a bit mental. Speaking of… I didn’t translate the whole cheerleader thing the way I’ve seen some other reviews discuss it. I think what Kelly was doing with that aspect of the story is translating one person’s ridiculous viewpoint into the story. Chris’s parents didn’t give a rats ass he was gay, but his boyfriend isn’t a cheerleader. I read this as a way to show people how ridiculous it looks to others when they hold onto archaic beliefs, like blind, unwarranted hatred of homosexuality. But that is just my take on this part of the story.
Jock 2 is a coming of age story I think, a story about loving who you are and being the person you want to be, not the person everyone else thinks you should be. It was passionate, emotional and I was engrossed from start to finish. I also loved that Kelly gave Ellis and Cole an integral part in the story; I do love when the ones that started the series get to stay involved. I’m very excited to see whose story Kelly decides to tell next. I’m hoping for Doug, but we shall see.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
June 30, 2020
Cheer for owning the fluffy schmalz, hurt and comfort, not the ending
While not as strong as the first book in the series, Alonzo the wounded non-conformist (dressed as an “emo” stereotype ?) was a Nice contrast with the soccer stud from a heavy athletic-tradition family. The “opposites” and romantic pursuit tropes kept the characters and story moving and interesting. The schtick of the overriding family tradition just didn’t work for me, dropping it down a star. (Alonzo’s willingness was fun and fine, the resolution ridiculous. I assume that was the author’s point, but came across like a really bad, really corny, and really flat joke.)
While not as strong as the first book in the series, Alonzo the wounded non-conformist (dressed as an “emo” stereotype ?) was a Nice contrast with the soccer stud from a heavy athletic-tradition family. The “opposites” and romantic pursuit tropes kept the characters and story moving and interesting. The schtick of the overriding family tradition just didn’t work for me, dropping it down a star. (Alonzo’s willingness was fun and fine, the resolution ridiculous. I assume that was the author’s point, but came across like a really bad, really corny, and really flat joke.)
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