Summer Lessons

Winter Ball #2

by Amy Lane

Mason Hayes’s love life has a long history of losers who don’t see that Mason’s heart is as deep and tender as his mouth is awkward. He wants kindness, he wants love—and he wants someone who thinks sex is as fantastic as he does. When Terry Jefferson first asks him out, Mason thinks it’s a fluke: Mason is too old, too boring, and too blurty to interest someone as young and hot as his friend’s soccer teammate.

The truth is much more painful: Mason and Terry are perfectly compatible, and they totally get each other, but Terry is still living with his toxic, suffocating parent and Mason doesn’t want to be a sugar daddy. Watching Terry struggle to find himself is a long lesson in patience, but Mason needs to trust that the end result will be worth it, because finally, he’s found a man worth sharing his heart with.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Sports, Contemporary, LGBT, Audiobook, Fiction

290 pages, ebook

First published November 25, 2016

About the author

Amy Lane dodges an EDJ, mothers four children, and writes the occasional book. She, her brood, and her beloved mate, Mack, live in a crumbling mortgage in Citrus Heights, California, which is riddled with spiders, cats, and more than its share of fancy and weirdness. Feel free to visit her at www.greenshill.com orwww.writerslane.blogspot.com, where she will ride the buzz of receiving your e-mail until her head swells and she can no longer leave the house.

Reviews

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Winter Ball, the first book in this series, and was excited to read Mason's story. Mason is one of the VPs at the company where Skip works. In book 1, Mason crossed some boundaries in pursuing Skip, but once Mason met Richie and realized that Richie was IT for Skip, he backed off.

Mason has a huge heart; he's smart and loves to take care of his people. But he's also socially awkward and has a tendency to blurt out whatever pops in his head. Mason doesn't think he's much of a catch, until he sees that he's been surrounding himself with the wrong tribe. I really loved Mason, spazzy mouth and all.

The other MC, Terry Jefferson, was harder to like. Terry is youngish (25 to Mason's 37) and has lived with his mother his entire life. Terry's mother is a piece of work: homophobic, hateful, unhappy; she's just a nasty, ugly human being. But she's Terry's MOTHER, and he can't leave her, not yet.

There is definite chemistry between Mason and Terry, and their coupling is raw and intense. Mason loves sex, and he finally meets his match in Terry, who is totally uninhibited and wanton.

Terry teaches Mason how to play soccer, and Mason teaches Terry golf (which doesn't go as well). I liked seeing Richie and Skip again. The banter between the guys on the soccer team is hilarious! Carpenter is back as well, trying to lose weight and hanging out with Mason's younger brother, Dane, who broke my fucking heart.

Dane is bipolar and sometimes he just stops taking his meds and falls into a deep, black hole of depression. Mason worries about his brother incessantly, and the friendship between them is a beautiful thing. Dane and Mason's parents are AMAZING, a true foil to Terry's selfish, emotionally abusive mom.

My biggest issues with the story was how Terry treated Mason. Mason falls head over heels for Terry, but Terry is flighty. His heart is in the right place, and he cares about Mason, but he's a squirrel, always flitting around. Even after dating Mason for months, after all the help Mason gives him, Terry can't promise Mason anything. He won't even say they're boyfriends.

I get why Terry would need to grow up and find himself once he moved out of his mother's house. After all, he's never been his own person. But the way he sort of forgets about Mason and starts dating other men made me really grumpy.

Plus, there wasn't enough groveling! Terry doesn't do enough to prove himself, and Mason gives in too easily. I really wanted Mason to make Terry beg for it, but Mason's just not a bitch like that. And Terry does promise; he finally does.

Summer Lessons is classic Amy Lane: sweet with a touch of angst, sharp dialogue, complex characters, lusty sex, and a HEA (but of course).

[drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's been over a year since i read the first book in this series, so the finer details of that story are mere vagueries in my mind. what i do remember, though, is how much i disliked the way Mason was portrayed in that book - as a creepy, old pervert! - and that definitely made me hesitant to read his story at first. ultimately, though, i'm really glad i gave this a chance.

Mason is still kind of... inappropriate at times, but he's definitely been fleshed out more here and given a lot more depth and nuance so that he feels like an actual person. Amy Lane is a master of developing realistic, rootable characters, which is not something i would have ever thought i'd describe Mason as after book one lol.

Terry, the love interest, felt a little one-dimensional in comparison to Mason's development, but i still really liked their romance. it was very sweet but it also made me cry. a lot. i cried pretty much constantly throughout the second half of the book ffff. chapter sixteen, in particular, was crybaby city for me.

i ultimately really enjoyed this book, but it wasn't quite as good as book one for me (i just have a thing for a good friends-to-lovers story, and that aspect wasn't present here). 4.25 stars, rounded down.

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is Classic Amy Lane - romantic, witty, sexy, dirty, snarky, emotional, laugh out loud funny, make-you-cry sappy, and it's perfect!

Summer Lessons is book two in the Winter Ball Series with the series named after book number one. Amy Lane has brought back the gang from Winter Ball and added in some more characters that you are going to simply love. The MC's in this story are Mason and Terry. Mason, we met in Winter Ball as he is a VP at where Skip works and was the VP who may have done a little risky flirting before he realized that Skip and Richie were a solid item. Mason is a bit of a spaz - he just has no filter and says what he feels. But I still adored him. Mason has known he was gay since he was a little boy his only problem is finding someone who will love him. Terry, he is younger than Mason - he is not out, he lives at home with his homophobic, manipulative, ratchety mom. While he knows he would be happier on his own he has to make sure his mom is able to care for herself before he leaves, even if she is sometimes the most horrible person on the face of the earth - she is still his mom.

When Mason and Terry start seeing each other - Terry is teaching Mason soccer and Mason is teaching Terry how to be himself. Mason, is ready to settle down and Terry is just learning how to live. Yet the chemistry between them is so intense neither of them can walk away - they find themselves in deep before they realize it. Mason fears his heart is going to be broken. But he can't make himself leave Terry alone. There is a rawness to their connection and you get the sense that at any moment it could all blow-up. As the story progresses I really wished I could see into Terry's head, but the story is told from Mason's POV so we are left wondering about why Terry does what he does and I think this at times painted Terry in a bad light.

Both of the characters go through a lot of growth throughout the story. I was happy when Terry finally started to find his way - but it takes a while for him to get there. Meanwhile, Mason's heart is on the line and he knows that in order for them to ever really have a chance, he has to let Terry do some growing up. He only hopes that once Terry spreads his wings he will fly back to him and they can start their life together. This is a very emotional part of the story and I felt really bad for Mason.

In addition to Mason trying to find someone to fill that empty space that has been in his heart since he knew what guys were - he also watches out for his younger brother Dane who is bipolar and lives with Mason. Dane goes through cycles of mania and depression and Mason is the balm that helps hold him together. Dane is also gay and he ends up dating a best friend, I can't wait for their story and am assured by Ms. Lane it is on its way!

Overall, I Loved the story. Loved the characters. The sometimes flowery prose that just brings life to the story, makes the characters loveable and now..I simply didn't want this book to end! I highly recommend this story and this series to all lovers of romance as Amy Lane won't let you down.

5 Stars!

[☆ Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm liking this Winter Ball series quite a bit so far, but the first book was definitely still my favorite of the two.

Mason is in his mid-thirties and a successful executive at the Sacramento-area company where Skip and Carpenter, from the first book, work. But his personal life is a bit of a mess. He has no real friends and his romantic taste in men is atrocious, with a full range of cheaters and con artists.



Terry is in his mid-twenties, with an okay tech job, but his personal life is nearly non-existent, as his cunty mother (yes, I used the "C" word, because it's well-deserved in this case) only allows him to leave the house to go to work and for soccer a few hours a week. It's ridiculous.



There was a whole lot going on in this book.

I loved the parts where Mason realized that he'd finally found his tribe. That his new friends were true friends, which he'd never had before.



I also loved the parts where the entire soccer team helped Terry finally escape his mother's very firm grasp. No one should have to deal with the verbal guilt-tripping that she doled out. I was, however, shocked that when he finally made his move, it was pretty uneventful.

What I hated was " the break ," which I understood in my head, but the whole separation made zero sense to my heart. It felt extremely abrupt and left me scratching my ass, wondering what the hell just happened. I don't know, it just felt a bit manufactured from my point of view.



There were also quite a few passages devoted to the developing relationship between Carpenter (wasn't he straight?) and Dane, Mason's baby brother. I felt their story was pretty much told by the time this story wrapped, so I'm not really dying for them to get a book of their own, but that's just my take.

" Summer Lessons " was funny and flirty, with some sass and sexiness thrown in for good measure. It was definitely a fun ride, so I'd rate it around 4 stars and recommend it.

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My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.

[Ele]

DNF @ 35%

One of my New Year's resolutions is to stop pushing myself to finish books that don't hold my attention, just because I'm OCD like that. This book falls into this category. I can't connect to the plot, the characters or the narrative at all, so I'm throwing in the towel.

But I'm obviously the minority.

[Jewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series just makes me happy. I loved LOVED Winter Ball so reading Summer Lessons was a no-brainer, and I thoroughly enjoyed Mason and Terry and their journey to each other. It was entertaining and also a little heart breaking. Just a little, though, I promise.

Summer Lessons starts off with a tour through Mason's childhood and his awkward and funny obsession with his penis. Awkward, because he would blurt about it at random-ish times. And funny because he would blurt about it at random-ish times. Oh, man, it is so good he had the parents he had. I can't blame his mom for spiking her Kool-Aid with vodka. I'm sure I'd have done the same!

We're also taken a bit through some of Mason's breakups when he was clearly with the wrong guy. But Mason has always wanted someone to call his own, and like most of us, he often chose poorly. But that's a good thing, because it helps Mason recognize something really good when he experiences it. Things start to look up when he and his brother Dane move to Sacramento. Oh, he still gets blurty at the complete wrong times, which is all kinds of awesome, but he finds his place and his people and life is good, you know?

The one good thing throughout Mason's life, though, has been his family. His parents are very supportive of both him and his brother, Dane, and Mason looks out for Dane. In fact, I love his family. They're a bit quirky, but that isn't a bad thing at all, and they just work. They have had their challenges, both with Mason getting into trouble, periodically, because of his lack of a filter and when Dane was diagnosed as bipolar. But they're what a family should be.

Terry is still young, 25, and is still living at home. His mom is controlling and, frankly, awful. She's always acted like Terry owes her, since she raised him. But I've gotta say, I think he mostly raised himself. She was pretty useless and very bitter. And Terry feels guilty for even wanting to leave. His only real reprieve from his mom is his rec soccer league. They don't exactly win games, but everyone has fun and Terry gets out of the house.

Terry was tenacious in his pursuit of Mason after they met at Skip and Richie's holiday party. At first, it was just sex, because Terry has never had a relationship, and didn't really know how to break away from his mom so that he could actually manage one. But the thing about Terry is that he has trouble seeing the big picture in his head until he sees good examples externally. It was true in soccer and it was true in life. It takes Terry a bit of time to really grasp how he feels about Mason and what he really needed to do about that.

And Mason sees Terry as a hot guy that is too young for him. In many ways, I totally agree with Mason on that. Mason is 36 and Terry is 25, so it isn't like the age difference is so huge, but Terry's never been on his own and he seems like he can barely take care of himself. That isn't really true, though. Terry just squirrels easily and can never think further ahead than today because his mom is very very needy (and a bitter bitch). Because of her he's had to go without a lot and he's had to find his own way, while still taking care of her.

Am not a fan of Terry's mother. She had Terry when she was pretty young (not sure of her age, but I suspect she is now in her early 40's) and she was bitter and acted like the world owed her and often told Terry that he owed her. Well, Terry went above and beyond for far longer that he should have. But we often do, for family. So where Mason won the family lottery, in many ways, Terry got short changed.

Their inevitable "break", while heartbreaking, was also very necessary and was done without too much unnecessary drama. I was thankful for that. I do agree with how Mason handled it, though. Terry did need time and space to find his own direction and spread his wings and that would be difficult to do when Mason was there. Terry needed to be able to define who he was and what he wanted on his own Terms. And Mason needed to make sure that he wasn't just 'convenient'. So, while that part of the book made me sad, I do think it was absolutely necessary and right.

We also get to visit with Skip and Richie, from Winter Ball and the rest of the team, but we also meet some new people that I hope will come into play in future books.

Summer Lessons is more than just about Terry and Mason finding each other. It's about finding your place in the world and forming a family through friendships and about spreading your wings and taking chances. It's about love and life. And, hopefully, we've got at least three more novels in this series (we seem to get decent setups for at least that many) because I really love these people and getting to visit with them more would do me good.

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ARC of Summer Lessons was generously provided, by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I has a problem...

I really loved the first book in this series, Winter Ball. I mean I liked it so much that I gave it 5 stars and a pretty glowing review. So here's my problem I seriously like this one better. I mean way, way more and not because the first book wasn't total awesomesauce...nope, nope, nope, not even a little bit. It's more like Winter Ball was awesomesauce and Summer Lessons are super deluxe awesomesauce.

'Summer Lessons' are Mason and Terry's story and this one got me right straight in the feelz. I laughed because Mason...oh-my-god! the things that came out of his mouth. I seriously want to be his friend just so I can sit and talk with him and screen his boyfriends because his taste in men...not so good. Until Terry and as much as I adored Terry there were still issues. One of the biggest and ugliest ones being Terry's mother. Sweet merciful heavens can I get my hands on this woman? I mean seriously is there anything worse than making your kid feel like he's responsible for all that's wrong in your life? NO!!! Just hell no. You don't do this...yep, Terry's mom gives me rage.

So lets talk about better things...like Mason's brother Dane. I loved Dane. His struggle to keep his life on track was heartbreaking and uplifting because he kept trying. Yes sometimes he needed the strength and support of his family to do it but hell sometimes I need that and I'm not bipolar. I loved that he recognized and appreciated what an awesome person and brother Mason was and yes, I want a story with an epic HEA for Dane because he so deserves it. It was also really awesome to have so many of the characters from the first book back as well these guys are just a wonderful, interesting and eclectic collection of personalities.

There is so much more that I could go on and on about because this is what Amy Lane does she creates stories that draw you in and introduce you to a world of people who make you feel. Whether it's because they make you rage in anger and frustration...Terry's mom or they make you laugh and smile until your ready to burst because you know without a doubt that if this person was standing in front of you, you would want them to be your friend, your mother, your father, sister, brother, partner, lover, something but you just know that you need someone like them in your life.

Surprisingly the thing I loved the most about this book was Mason and Terry's relationship which had me doing a double take because May/December...just not my thing. But I loved how Ms Lane handled this relationship. In so many ways Terry and Mason were at different places in their lives and Mason recognized this and he knew that for as much as he wanted Terry, he needed to be the one to do the right thing, the grown up thing and step-away from the relationship but he didn't do it until he was sure that Terry was in a position to explore his new found independence and find himself.

It's the hardest thing in the world to do what's best for the person you love even if it's the total opposite of what you want for yourself but Mason did it and not only did he do that, when Terry figured out what he wanted Mason never made him feel like the fact that he'd taken some time to figure out who he was and what he wanted was bad or wrong. it was after all what Mason had encouraged him to do.

This story touched my heart and I know it's going to stay with me for a long time. I honestly have a hard time imagining that this won't be my favorite book from the series. It was all the imperfections of Mason and Terry as a couple and as individuals that ended up being perfection for me.

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An ARC of 'Summer Lessons' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[River · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mason stole my heart and he didn't gave it back!
I was a bit frustrated with Terry BUT I get it, he was young and he never had freedom and Mason was such a great guy, he gave him what he needed.
I can't wait for the next book!

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy Lane has created a wonderful California community of ordinary, marginally blue collar and techie-types, which began with Richie and Skip in Winter Ball and continues with Mason and Terry in this one. I liked Terry.... but I absolutely loved Mason and his bipolar brother. The entire interaction with Mason and Dane, his brother, was handled so very well giving the reader real insight into what people that are bipolar not only go through but what they are capable of accomplishing. I’m a huge fan of Amy Lane. I have read almost everything she has written. She always gives us super quirky characters that quickly get into one another, and thus far, in everything I have read, they find their "happy ever after". It might take a while, but they do get there. The circle of friends in this series is expanding with some from the first book and hopefully the group will grow with the third book Fall Through Spring, which I have already started.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was all the fun!!!

I totally love Amy Lane. She's one of those authors who are just an auto-buy for me and even though I've already read this book, once again, when the opportunity was presented for me to review the audiobook and I saw that Nick J. Russo was the narrator I was all over it.

'Summer Lessons' is the second book in Ms Lane's series 'Winter Ball' and as I said in my original review 'I loved this one even more than the first one' which I loved 5 stars worth by the way. So here's the link to my original review...
Summer Lessons
So here I am listening to a book on audio that I've already given 5 stars to...really, what's a girl to do?

Rave about the narrator, of course! Because it's all I got. I'm definitely getting more experienced in the audiobook department and one of things that I learned early on thanks to a very helpful friend...winks at Josy, is always listen to the sample before buying/requesting an audiobook. Trust me...these are words to live by. I've not done this a couple of times and been left wondering why I love to torture myself. While it's not a guarantee for a good listening experience, it's definitely as close to a sure thing as you can get.

However, there are those rare occasions when I've become quite comfortable just saying 'gimme the audiobook' and one such occasion is when I see one of my favorite authors names, in this case Amy Lane followed by the name of someone who has become one of my favorite narrators...Nick J. Russo.

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying he's the only good narrator out there. But he's one of a very few that I've listened to narrate more than one or two books (actually to date I've listened to about 10) and consistently without fail I've enjoyed them all.

How much I've enjoyed the story may have varied but not because of the narration simply because that particular story didn't appeal to me as much as other ones have, but I've never been left feeling that maybe I just didn't like the audiobook as much as the e-book or maybe I should have passed on the audiobook. Nope, without fail I've either enjoyed the audiobook as much or more as was the case here, Mr. Russo's narration has brought a bit more depth to this story and I ended up liking it even more.

In the past I've mentioned that there are certain things I look for when I'm listening to an audio sample...distinct voices for the characters, expressive voices that convey the characters feelings and emotional state, good accents if there's an accent involved and no I'm not an expert in this area by any means so this one is totally subjective and I'm going to add dependability to that list.

I know the word 'dependable' seems so staid and boring good old dependable so and so you can count on them, but when you think about it, I think you'll agree, it may sound staid and boring but it's also a characteristic that we all look for in a lot of the important things in our lives...for example...our cars, we want to be able to depend on them to get us where we need to be. Pretty is nice but if you can't rely on it to get you to...let's say work. Who cares how pretty it is?If you can't get out of the garage. Our friends...we depend on them to have our backs but if you can't count on them to be there when you need them...well really what's the point? And our parents we depend on them to love us no matter what, to help us become positive and productive people and if they're love has conditions and they don't try to give us that moral compass that helps us to be a good and productive person? Well...I think we all have stories about how that works out. So you see dependable may not sound overly exciting but it is important.

In this case what I mean by dependable is a narrator that is going to give me a solid performance that I can depend on not to spoil the story for me...trust me, it's happened but not with this narrator.

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An audiobook of 'Summer Lessons' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Trio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story with just a smidge of angst. Creative Amy Lane characters (as always), nicely performed by Nick J. Russo. A fun weekend listen.

[Aerin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel so conflicted after reading this book, because I freaked out when I realized I was getting Mason's story. I loved Mason a lot in Winter Ball, he was one of my favorite characters aside from Skipper and Carpenter, and I wanted to fall in love with his story. It was definitely good, but I'm not head over heels.

Remember Mason, one of Skipper's bosses, whose mouth has gotten him in trouble more times than he can count? Mason is a 37 year old man who has wanted only one thing his entire life: someone who would love touching his penis as much as Mason does. I felt sad with Mason's disappointment over the years because Mason deserves to be happy. He's such a kind, beautiful person, who loves making people happy and enjoys taking care of loved ones, be they friends or family. Mason is crazy loyal and socially awkward, which made his even more easy to love! I wanted the best for him! Terry was not the best and I was praying hard that Mason would fall in love with someone else, but alas, that didn't happen.

Terry, Mason's love interest however is severely lacking. I wanted to feel bad for Terry because the boy has mommy issues to boot, but I just couldn't. Terry was very hard to like, and I didn't really warm up to him, not even at the end when he got his head out of his ass. Despite being 26 years old, Terry is still very childish and inexperienced. Living his whole life with a mother who's emotionally abusive has not been easy, but that bitch is also homophobic and just plain MEAN! I don't remember ever meeting such an evil and nasty secondary character.

When Terry finally feels ready to leave his mother and try to live life as an independent young man, Mason has to let him go discover himself, whatever that means, no matter how much it hurts. In a way I totally understood why finding himself was important to Terry and how getting to experience life and find out what he really wants would help their possible future. Terry has been flighty the whole time and never committed to a relationship with Mason, so I was hoping the freedom from his mother would make their relationship even stronger. I pretty much said fuck it when Terry easily forgot about Mason and started dating different people. I understand he wasn't ready to acknowledge how serious his relationship with Mason was, but did he have to be such an asshole and forget that Mason even exists? Not a text message, not a phone call, not a "are you still alive and is your heart still bleeding" care in the world? Fuck that shit, that was where I stopped liking Terry even a little bit and I held a grudge all the way to the end. That little shit needed to beg for a decade and grovel on his knees for me to get over it.

This book is uniquely Amy Lane, with her personal brand of angst that you'll certainly feel down to the bones. But it was also a bit funny because.... Mason's mouth! It was sad and hopeful and hot as hell, all wrapped up in a beautiful HEA. Despite my dislike of Terry, I still think this is a great book.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay, but I never quite felt the chemistry between the two MC's that I wanted to. Despite Mason's quick claims of love, I didn't really see why. What was so special about Terry? I didn't dislike him, but he also never really did anything to endear me to him either. He never seemed to appreciate Mason enough. And his actions didn't match his intense dialogues.

I liked Mason, and I wanted better for him. When new potential love interests started being introduced, I found myself wishing he would give them a shot. I agree that Terry needed to live on his own, but that doesn't mean you hafta start skipping out on plans and stop texting. It's called being a friend. Mason was there for him when he needed someone and it was really unflattering to see how quickly he dropped him.

So the resolution was nice, but not as joyous as I experience with most books. First of all, their first three interactions post 'break' were all via phone. Seriously?!? And then, while Terry did acknowledge that he was wrong and needed to make amends... Mason was so happy to have him back that there was very little groveling. I was at least glad Mason was a bit skittish with his heart and Terry at least needed to acknowledge how much he had hurt him, for pretty much no reason.

I liked how the book started with some scenes throughout Mason's childhood, showing us his foot-in-mouth-disease. It was sweet and a nice intro. I do think that if we had gotten a few scenes from Terry's POV, it would have made me a bit more sympathetic. If I had seen his insecurities and questioning, it also may have allowed to see the chemistry better from his side. Anyway, a nice enough read, but not an all time fave from one of my fave authors. If you liked book 1 then you'll prob like this also, the same cast of characters make a prominent appearance and I liked getting to know Dane in particular.

Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for Hearts On Fire

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It should come as no surprise that I'm a HUGE fan of this author. I've read everything she's written excluding a few young adult books, and it doesn't make a difference to me what genre it is, what types of characters there are, whether it's filled with angst and pain or humorous, and it matters not what the plot is. Hands down I love every word written by Amy Lane. Sometimes that makes it very difficult to review her work because I feel as if I'm saying the same thing over and over. I'll apologize, in advance, if I gush too much and seem as if I'm incapable of being unbiased. At the very least, I'm being honest.

"Mason glared at him. “Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I’m just never going to find the right guy? That there is something deficient in me, something that fucks things up at the last minute, something that says the wrong thing or does the wrong thing or—”…
“I just… I don’t want another relationship—not if it’s not going to be awesome, you know?”

I fell for Mason right from the start. He, literally, has no filter from brain to mouth and I loved that about him. The way the author showed him at different ages and the things he said and did was hysterical, but it also showed how lucky Mason was to have the parents he did. Falling for Mason straight off wasn't a problem… except then I immediately fell for Terry. It was impossible not to adore this kid who has an emotionally manipulative mother who is slowly strangling the life out of him. Terry and Mason were raised in completely different environments and it is hard for Mason to keep his mouth shut and not say what he thinks about Terry's mom. Goddess knows I'm not so sure I could have stayed quiet.

Please find my full review at Rainbow Book Reviews

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars


I liked Mason in Winter Ball. His foot-in-mouth disease made for hilarious moments. Mason’s funny gaffes continue in ‘Summer Lessons’, and I liked getting to know more about him. He’s a genuinely nice person, so it didn’t take any effort at all to root for him.

Terry takes a bit more getting used to. He’s unsure of himself, and his place in the world. Some of that comes down to age, but it’s more so due to the affects of his emotionally-abusive mother. Even though I could sympathize with him, there were points when I wasn’t too fond of him.

Terry plays hot-and-cold with Mason for most of the book. It hurts both himself and Mason, and it got old pretty fast.

But even so, I wanted the relationship to work out. They were just so sweet together, and clearly made each other much happier people. I liked their early dates, which involved them trying to teach each other their favourite sports. It doesn’t go so well, but it gave the two an excuse to be together more often.



Plus, the two were killer in the bedroom. Mason loves to let go in the bedroom, something that his previous lovers haven’t always appreciated. Terry has no issue with that at all, giving as good as he gets. The two definitely didn’t lack in the sexual chemistry department.

Family plays a big role in this book. Mason’s housemate is his younger bipolar brother, Dane. Working with Dane to keep his medications and environment stable is exhausting, but Mason would do anything for Dane. The bond between the brothers was really something special.

Terry’s mother is the biggest stumbling block in his life. She’s held him back from moving on, and from accepting himself. I could understand Terry’s struggle, but I honestly wouldn’t have minded if he’d left the nasty woman behind without a second thought. I really liked seeing how being with Mason gave Terry the confidence in himself that he needed to finally break free.

I wasn’t a big fan of the drama at the end of the book. I think it’s an overused plot device in MM, especially when there’s an age gap between the MCs. It felt too contrived and unnecessary, and left me a tad annoyed.

Even so, I was happy with the way things ended. The epilogue reassured me that Mason and Terry definitely have what it takes to make it in the long-run.

Overall, I enjoyed ‘Summer Lessons’. It’s not one of Amy Lane’s killer angst-fests, but there’s a good dose of angst, with some hot sex and a sweet HEA. Recommended if you’re looking for a contemporary MM romance with some feels!

[BWT · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I absolutely, one hundred percent, no holds barred LOVED this audio narration. Nick J. Russo made me so happy while listening to this!

I laughed so hard, I loved the humor in this so much. I loved the age gap, I loved Mason, I loved Terry - even when I wanted to kill him.

Told entirely from Mason's point of view, I loved his (sometimes awkward) interactions with everyone around him. I felt all the feels with his love and fraternal bond with his brother, Dane. And I absolutely adored how he falls head over heels for Terry.

This was just a treat to listen to.

Summer Lessons is funny and sweet, has just a soupçon of angst, some terrifically complex characters, wonderfully smart banter and dialogue, lots of passion, and a so-worth-it-in-the-end HEA.

Recommended, and I can hardly wait for Dane and Carpenter's story!

Audio copy of Summer Lessons (Winter Ball, #2) provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange of an honest review.

This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.

[Ay · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 23%.

I stopped reading it last night and went to bed. Today I realised I had absolutely no desire to return to it.

The notes to the tune were all wrong, and it was uncomfortable to read.

I will say, she seemed (from what I read) to recognise bisexuality.

I don't have the howling hate I sometimes get, or disappointment, just...I don't really want to be around this. Something about how she depicted the guys? I may take a bit of reflection to identify what exactly made me veer off. Even while reading it I kept leaping off to bits of the internet.

On reflection, what made me really uncomfortable was the attitude of the narrator to the two MCs. It was a bit like someone talking lovingly about her defective toddlers, not grown men. She doesn't seem to have much of a clue about management either.

[Gabis Laberladen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darum geht's:

Mason ist nach der letzten gescheiterten Beziehung seinem jüngeren, psychisch kranken Bruder nach Sacramento gefolgt, um sich um ihn zu kümmern und ein neues Leben anzufangen. Die plumpen Flirtversuche über die IT-Hotline seiner Firma bringen ihm zwar keinen Lover ein, aber "Flirt-Opfer" Skipper wird zum guten Freund. Auf dessen Party lernt Mason den jüngeren Terry kennen. Terry steht schwer unter der Fuchtel seiner Mutter, doch um Zeit mit Mason zu verbringen, begehrt er auf.

So fand ich's:

Mason hat ein loses Mundwerk und platzt mit allem heraus, was ihm so durch den Kopf geht. In den gehobeneren Kreisen, in denen er sich früher bewegte, kam das nicht gut an und er fühlte sich minderwertig und nicht akzeptiert. Skipper und seine Kumpels von der Hobby-Fußballmannschaft sind da wesentlich handfester und passen besser zu ihm. Das dicke Auto und das weitläufige Haus, das Mason sich leisten kann, beeindruckt sie nicht, denn sie haben schon lange erkannt, was wirklich wichtig ist, nämlich, dass Mason ein feiner Kerl ist.

Terry lebt mit seiner Mutter zusammen, weil er sich für sie verantwortlich fühlt. Sie gibt Terry die Schuld an ihrem vermurksten Leben und er hat es bisher hingenommen, ihre Launen zu ertragen und alles für sie zu tun. Erst als er Mason trifft, versucht er, seine eigenen Interessen über die Loyalität zu seiner Mutter zu stellen.

Der Sex zwischen Mason und Terry ist explosiv und beide können nicht genug davon bekommen. Doch wenn es um mehr als nur Sex geht, haben sie beide so ihre Problemchen. Mason ist sich des Altersunterschiedes sehr bewusst und Terry meint, Mason könne jemand Besseren haben als ihn. Bis zu ihrem Happy End dauert es einige Zeit. Es wird nicht übermäßig dramatisch und obwohl es Spaß macht, die ganze Truppe um die Hobbyfussballer interagieren zu sehen, gab es doch eine Phase, in der sich die Geschichte in kleines bisschen in die Länge zog.

Terry kämpft ein wenig mit den Launen seiner Mutter, die zwar versucht, ihren Sohn unter ihrer Fuchtel zu halten, die gegen Terrys Wunsch, seine Zeit mit Mason zu verbringen, aber nicht bestehen kann. Viel mehr Sorgen macht Mason da schon sein jüngerer Bruder Dane, der seine Medikamente nicht zuverlässig nimmt und immer wieder in depressive Phasen rutscht. Und welcher Art die Freundschaft oder Beziehung zwischen Dane und Clay aus der Fussballmannschaft ist, das durchschauen wohl nicht einmal die beiden.

Skipper und seinen Liebsten Richie kennen wir ja schon aus "Winter Ball", genauso wie seine Hobby-Fußballmannschaft, die sich zu einem soliden Freundeskreis entwickelt hat und zu der auch Terry gehört. Mason rutscht dort mit hinein und deshalb treffen wir die ganze sympathische Truppe wieder. Die Fußballkumpels sorgen für ihre eigenen besonderen Momente, z. B. als sie nach Jahren der Bekanntschaft erst einmal die Vornamen austauschen - denn auf dem Fußballplatz wird sich schon immer nur mit dem Nachnamen angesprochen.

Außerdem sammeln sich einige vielversprechende schwule Männer als neue Bekannte an, die sicher interessant genug sind, um ihre eigenen Geschichten in weiteren Bänden dieser Reihe zu verarbeiten.

Auch wenn "Summer Lessons" nicht ganz an den ersten Band "Winter Ball" herankommt, ist die Lovestory zwischen Mason und Terry und die Suche einer sympathischen Gruppe von Männern nach ihrem Platz im Leben sehr lesenswert und eine gelungene Fortführung der Reihe. Ich hoffe, da kommen noch ganz viel mehr Bände (Auf Goodreads hat die Autorin verraten, dass zumindest Clay seine Geschichte bekommt).

[Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted at Sinfully.

3.5 stars

I absolutely adored Mason in Winter Ball so I was thrilled to see he was getting a book and I loved him just as much here. You don’t need to have read that story to jump in here, but it’s a fantastic one and the MC’s from that book, Skip and Richie, do play a big supporting role. The story between Mason and Terry itself is fully contained here though.

The book starts off with a hilarious view into Mason’s childhood and really set the tone for knowing Mason as a 37 year old adult. He grew up in a happy supportive family, has a good education and is a successful executive. His love life has been less than great, with a few relationships with men that never really understood him. He also can be socially awkward since he has a bit of a mouth-filter issue (which you’ve experienced if you read Winter Ball) and sometime can’t rein in his brain whose default mindset seems to be that of an adolescent with a sex obsession (see the flashbacks referred to above).

Terry Jefferson is fairly young (about 25), inexperienced when it comes to life in general and a bit flighty. He lives with the vile creature that is his domineering, emotionally abusive, bigoted and hateful mother and finds it hard to break away from her.

Terry and Mason meet through Skip’s soccer league and start hooking up. It’s clear from the start that physically, they give each other just what they want. The sex is hot! Mason falls pretty fast for Terry, who he thinks gets him like none of his partners have before. Terry really doesn’t understand that Mason could possibly want him around for anything other than sex. He sees Mason as an older, smarter classy guy and figures they will just keep hooking up until Mason is done with him since he has nothing else to offer. As Mason helps Terry move away from his mother and as they spend more time together, Mason knows Terry is exactly what he wants, but he also thinks Terry isn’t in a position to commit to something long-term since he’s just starting out on his own.

I understood Terry’s confusion and inability to understand having a relationship and I understood Mason’s need to let him go out and experience things. Mason trying to save himself from further heartache didn’t seem to work too well for the most part as Terry does seem to leave him in the dust. I had a hard time connecting with Terry. I really wish I had a bit of his POV, as I think it might have helped me understand just what he was thinking about the relationship, especially once he’s out on his own. I definitely felt bad for him and could feel his sadness and loneliness, but when it came down feeling that emotional connection between him and Mason, that fell a bit short for me.

I did enjoy the sub-story about Carpenter (Skip’s co-worker from Winter Ball) and Mason’s completely adorable brother Dane. Dane is trying to figure out his friend Carpenter’s sexuality, as he seems to be flirting and responding to Dane as if he’s not straight. Their budding friends to lovers story was a strong thread throughout the book and I would love to have their story in the future.

Dane also struggles to live with his bi-polar disorder as Mason tries to keep him on his medication regimen and from falling into an emotional spiral over Carpenter. Although I didn’t find the main love story to pack quite the emotional punch as Winter Ball did for me, the relationship between Mason and his brother Dane was beautiful and did choke me up a few times.

The friendships amongst the soccer team are another strong point of this story and Mason has found his people amongst Skip, Richie, Carpenter and Terry. The banter and camaraderie help Mason through and even serve to give Terry a bit of the push he needs to move forward. And if you’re looking for a strong woman here, Mason’s secretary, Mrs. Bradford takes the cake, while Mason’s mother is the mom every child should have in their corner.

Amy Lane’s writing is wonderful as always. There is depth and emotion and each character has their own voice and personality. If it wasn’t for my trouble connecting with the romance between Mason and Terry, this story would have been as good for me as the first one. Regardless, there is plenty to like here and if you were a fan of Winter Ball you are definitely going to want to read this one.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.5 stars

First, I have to say, I freaking LOVE Amy Lane. Her books are always damn near perfect. She’s an auto buy for me, and you know what else? I was fortunate enough to meet her at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention, and she was the sweetest, most gracious women I’ve ever encountered. So, when I saw I had the opportunity to review Summer Lessons, I jumped on it. I am so not sorry.

Let’s start at the beginning because it was freaking hilarious! It begins when Mason is in the fourth grade, and they show the puberty video to the boys and he comes home convinced Dane is going to get the flowers pregnant because he was naked in the yard peeing on them. He pretty much comes out to his mother then because he tells her he doesn’t want to touch a girl’s vagina and he only wants boys to touch his penis. This little scene is also when we discover Mason and Dane’s mom adds vodka to her Kool Aid. I laughed so hard, I drooled.

Young Mason is obsessed with all things penis…the word, his own, other boys’. It’s all about the penis. We get to see an event when he’s in the eighth grade, and another when he’s in high school, and still another funny story from college. There’s also a memory from seven years earlier when his boyfriend breaks up with him, and all thoughts of sex toy Saturday (and other themed days) are dashed.

Read Kenna’s review in its entirety here.

[namericanwordcat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terry's and Mason's love story and individual development are in turns delightful, painful, and tender.

We have age and class difference and in really knowing that a better way of being exists for both of them. They are both use to a certain kinds of the relationship. For Terry, it is simply sexual and for Mason, it has more to do with status or assumed behaviors. They both have to learn to be in a truely loving equal partnerships.

They each have dependents of a sort and the book doesn't soft sell what it means to love someone who is bi polar or someone who is toxic.

The circle of friends is wonderful and expands. As always I love the Sacromento area setting. There is a secondary romance that I hope gets its own book.

This is a love story you will get more out of if you read the first book in the series. I hope there is more!

[Rissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Mason! <3
And I definitely agree with another review that I read that my reservations were with Terry. I understood what Mason had to do but I wanted Terry to do more. I don't disagree that Terry had to experience what he had to for himself. Maybe because we really didn't have his POV but it felt like after all Mason went through, Terry could have showed more. I mean, we all know that Mason would be no comparison to anyone (or that may just be my bias, lol).

I love reading about the other characters as well. I usually don't but the side characters were part of Mason and Terry's story so I enjoyed them as well. I kind of actually want to reread Winter Ball now. Actually, not kind of, will definitely. :)

[Pianka *call me PIU* · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first book in this series and I loved this one too. “Skip and Richie” are still my favorite couple but I dug “Mason and Terry’s” puppy love quite a lot. This read was a sweet and snarky romance with a whole lot of funny, dirty and sassy moments thrown in for good measure. The entire soccer group with Skip at its helm did wonders for the budding romance between our adorable MCs. It’s a very feel-good romance and I had a swell time rolling around laughing at all the stuff that came out of Mason’s mouth!!! He was really one of a kind.

Mason Hayes has always wanted someone to love him for who he really is but his every romantic endeavor has ended disastrously thus breaking his heart. After a terrible betrayal which ends his last relationship, Mason relocated his life to Fair Oaks, Sacramento. He takes up a job at Tesco where he meets Skipper. Mason tries to land Skip but soon finds out that Skip is in a committed relationship with Richie and their bond is unbreachable like the Fort Knox. He settles being a part of their soccer group where he meets Terry Jefferson.

Terry is in his mid-twenties with a low paying tech job. His social life is non-existent because of his selfish and needy bitch of a mother who has never let him forget that he owes her because she has given birth to him. As I said, BITCH!!! Mason is interested in Terry but he is not sure if he is even gay but after an impromptu blow job session after practice one day, Mason has no doubt that Terry wants him too. Terry loves sex as much as Mason so they are all over each other on every Saturdays but it’s not the type of relationship Mason is looking for. Mason needs a full-fledged committed relationship but Terry has a lot of baggages to overcome before that can happen.

Mason gradually helps Terry turn his life around but he needs to let him go for Terry to make a conscious choice as an adult to want a relationship with him. Read this wonderful story about the journey of Mason and Terry finally getting what they both deserve the most: LOVE!!!

I loved Mason. He was dorky and goofy and has an obsession with the word “penis”. I laughed so much when the first chapter starts. His mother really deserved a medal to patiently handle Mason’s famous unruly and awkward mouth. Mason had such a big heart and he was never pretentious. He has a far better job than anyone else in the team but he never looks down on anyone. He is such a nice friend to Skip and Clay and I loved what he does for them at the end. His understanding of Terry’s situation is so awesome. He helps Terry with his whole heart and is not selfish when it came to releasing Terry for his own good. I really respected him for letting Terry go so selflessly.

Terry has been conditioned by his selfish mother to cater for her without living his own life. He is naïve and innocent in many ways. Terry has never been shown affection by his previous bed partners and always been taken advantage of. Mason changes that of course. There are many moments in the book when he discovers that what he has been led to believe is completely wrong and I really felt bad for the sweet and innocent Terry.

I loved the progress of Mason and Terry’s relationship. Both of them grow in their journey to find love and I loved how they had each other’s back. My heart was breaking for Mason when he lets Terry go to let him live his life. Their “break” was annoying but so very necessary. The results were fantastic but that period was really sad for Mason (and for me*pouts*)

Another thing that I absolutely loved was Skip’s soccer group. They were a huge part of the story. Skip, Richie and Clay were given more exposure than the rest. Clay is shown having a romantic relationship with Mason’s bipolar brother, Dane. We get bits and pieces of their story but I would really love to read their complete story next.

Overall, I loved this emotional and lovely story about love wholeheartedly. I loved the characters and felt totally invested in Mason and Terry’s life from the get go. Ms. Lane never disappoints with her romances and this one is another hit in the “Winter Ball” series. Her writing is beautiful here and she has done an excellent job in making it sweet, funny, sexy and romantic. I would recommend this book to all!!!

*This review has been cross posted at GayBookReviews*

[Sue "DavinciKittie" Brown-Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the full review on GraveTells, including memorable tweetable quotes, here: (available after 11/10) http://bit.ly/SummerLessonsReview

Mason Hayes has no filter. He says just what he's thinking, no matter how inappropriate, where he happens to be, or who he might be with—especially if it has to do with sex. This was a tendency his poor mother struggled with even when Mason was a child.

If you read Winter Ball, you no doubt remember Mason as Skipper's "gentlemen caller", an executive of their company who could have rightly been sued for sexual harassment when he asked Skip to watch gay porn with him at work. Seriously. No. Filter.

If Mace is a social nightmare, Terry Jefferson is an unwitting mama's boy. He lives with his mother and supports her and puts up with her controlling act...because he doesn't know anything else, and she's convinced him he's unworthy, owes her for his very existence. He has such personality and vibrance of life, yet he's used to just folding when it comes to his harpy-tongued mother. Makes things a little tough for Mason, who came from a whole, loving home and found success early in his life.

Where Mason is classy (even if he tends to speak frankly and inappropriately), Terry is a little rough around the edges. He's a working class guy who doesn't see his own worth. He also LOVES sex and has no qualms about trying new things or making a lot of noise, so in that respect he's pretty much the perfect partner for the very horny Mason.

This story is a little heart breaking. It chronicles the relationships of two couples (although Mason and Terry are front and center), and in both relationships one of the guys is learning how to be an independent adult. That learning and growing process many people go through in college is a whole lot harder once you're out in the real world, dealing with real problems and a real partner.

There were a lot of things I loved about this story—Mason's good heart and patient soul, his relationship with his brother and all the happiness and heartache it brings, his unlikely circle of soccer buddies who support each other no matter what—but Terry was a tough character to read. He's young and immature enough to come off as self-centered for most of the book. Contrasted against Mason's giving spirit, I found it very frustrating that Mason kept gravitating to him. His speech is reminiscent of Ritchie's from Winter Ball (so, working class), but I found him far less likable.

Even so, I really enjoyed this story. In Amy Lane's signature style, Summer Lessons has humor, class, heart, and characters who feel REAL, like you could walk out your front door and meet them at the mailbox—and be glad to see them! Mental illness is a thread throughout the story, and Ms. Lane has beautifully captured the highs, lows, joy, stress, and fear that come along with bipolar disorder.

Readers new to the series should start with Winter Ball to get the full introduction to Mason and his awesome secretary. It also helps to have already met the guys on the soccer team since they interchange first and last names so freely. Fans of Winter Ball will enjoy exploring the relationships featured in Summer Lessons, and probably laugh and cry a little too.

[UltraMeital · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating this book isn't easy for me. It was GREAT at the beginning, funny and engaging, then when Mason and Terry started their relationship I wasn't sure it was working for me, but somewhere on the last third I was SO caught up in Mason's struggles I couldn't put it down! Unlike the previous one which felt lacking because it was too short, this one, delivered a full journey for both MCs (though we only get Mason's POV). They both needed to "grow up" in their own way, they needed time, and Amy gave us this time before they were truly ready to have their HEA with one another. I really appreciated that. Yet still, I gotta say, I"m not fully convinced about this couple. They work! There's no denial in that, but it still doesn't make sense to me. Terry is a nice sweet guy, but I would have preferred seeing Mason with someone more "like him" in any sense really (which is why this is a rounded up 4 stars rating).

We've met both MCs in the previous book "Winter Ball". That one was somewhere between a short novel to a long novella. It missed the depth I so enjoyed in this one. Though it's quite long it didn't drag because both Terry and Mason needed to see how they can work together. Though I was skeptical (still am..) I gotta say - it worked! Terry and Mason were great together even if so many things seemed to keep them apart. But I'm getting ahead of myself.. As I was saying, we've met these guys before - Terry Jefferson plays on Skipper and Richie's team. All we knew about him is he has a VERY annoying mother he lives with who controls his life and makes them as hellish as she can. Mason is the VP in the company Clay Carpenter and Skipper works at. Mason's the guy who hit on Skipper when he was just suppose to ask for technical help.. I really wanted to get his story. He seems like the "foot in his mouth" kind of guy, which can be really endearing and that's EXACTLY who he is. I LOVED him for how genuine he is, and though he comes from money and making a lot of it, he's just a decent guy. He doesn't care about money, degrees and all of that even if most of the people around him seems to be all about it. But things are changing now for the better.

Mason Hayes makes a decision, living at the Bay area has lost it's charm after his ex cheated on him with his boss so when his little brother - Dane, asks if he'd move to Sacramento so they could share a house while Dane is finishing his Veterinary studies he agrees. There's more to Dane than meets the eye. He seems like a charming guy, but he has his secrets and his reasons for wanting Mason near. Mason knowing all about that, prefers to have him near by. I loved the interaction between the brothers. It was the realest thing. All those little banters and even fights, how much they care for one another and would do ANYTHING for each other. They made fun of one another, they laughed and all that, but in the end they'd walk through fire for one another which was BEAUTIFUL to read.

Mason had his share of relationships at the age of 36, but none of them were any good. All of them simply didn't "get" him, they didn't need him or want him like he wanted or rather CRAVED to be cherished by his man. It's funny, I just dated this guy a week ago? He was truly a nice guy, but he never made an effort and he didn't even realize it. When I told him - listen, it's not working.. His reaction was - Well, I'm not going to to run after a girl who doesn't want me.. and I was thinking - well, if you'd actually RAN after me, just a LITTLE bit, I'd be happy to give to a chance. Though Mason's past was FAR worse than that stupid guy I dated like twice.. I think the main thing was the same. They weren't really INTO him. Maybe something about him appealed to them "on paper", but they didn't see him for who he is, everything that he had to give and mostly - his big heart.

While forming a friendship with Skipper he is invited to play on their soccer team. I love that these guy enjoy winning but don't play for it. It really is just the fun of the game. Quite charming from my point of view :) Mason known NOTHING about playing soccer so when Terry offers to tutor him he joyfully accepts (also because he likes what he's seeing even though the chance of anything happening considering he is 11 years Terry's senior isn't promising..).

Terry is actually VERY attracted to Mason and couldn't care LESS about his age. He wants him and he grabs him. End of story. But wait! What do you mean end of story? Mason doesn't want a fling, he wants a steady guy. Terry never had real time for himself which means at the age of 25 any sexual interaction he had - had to be bang N' go. Not only that, he isn't highly educated and besides living with his mean mother, he also never had a lot of money. Why would a guy like Mason be interested in HIM? and for more than a little fun on the side? doesn't sound likely..

Yet Mason IS interested and he does his best to show Terry just that. It's not easy on Mason, seeing all the self doubt Terry deals with on a daily basis, from life and mostly his mother so with the help of the guys he does his best to make Terry build a life of his own. Yet once he does, question is, will he choose Mason by his side or someone who is more "like him". He'll just have to wait and see even if it breaks his heart... I won't say more about Mason and Terry because though they were obviously MEANT for one another I didn't connect with Terry AT ALL. I know he was meant to be seen as "sheltered", for me it was still translating to "childish". Thinking about it through my eyes (as I'm the same age as Mason) it feels wrong on so many levels even if the sex was great. Even though he grew up a lot throughout the book he is still a kid while Mason is a man. Yeah he act "teenagery" at times, but it doesn't change his maturity, his sense of responsibility. These things will take YEARS for Terry to accomplish and though I'm happy for Mason for finding his one, I wonder through how much growing up he'll have to wait until he actually gets an EQUAL. It just bothers me..

But through it all it's not just Terry who gets to grow up, and make difficult decisions about his life. It's also a time for Mason to actually build a life he always wanted even if he never realized it before. Though the soccer team he gets to be surrounded by friends who he enjoys spending time with but also knows will have his back. His work starts to mean more to him and he starts making changes ones that impact more people including the ones he holds dear. He builds a LIFE in Sacramento so different than the one he used to have back home. A life he enjoys. With people who get HIM and laugh with him and not at him. He doesn't have to pretend anymore he can just BE after a life of his quirky comments destroying so many things for him.

I've already wrote too damn much about a book I had a really difficult time to rate. But I gotta add a few more things :) First! I LOVED Mason's secretary. She was a PLEASURE to read. Their interaction was GOLD. I also REALLY want to get Dane and Clay's romance story, I truly hope Amy will write it (sooner rather than later)! One last thing - Without saying much I also really appreciated the way Dane's difficulties were handled. I don't want to spoiler, but it was painful yet heart warming at the same time seeing how much Dane means to Mason as well as Clay and how hard it was on everyone. It's not an easy subject but I think it was handles beautifully.

More Reviews HERE

[Wax · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Mason so much. He's so awkward in social situations. But he has the biggest heart. His younger brother Dane is bipolar and he doesn't begrudge at all the time and effort he takes to make sure that Dane stays on an even keel. He doesn't see hierarchy and despite being a VP, has people from the IT tech pool eating lunch with him on a weekly basis. So he certainly can't understand why a guy almost a decade younger than he is would want to spend time with him.

Terry has had a tough life. His mother (if you can call her that) is an albatross around his neck. She raised him with a combination of guilt (he's lucky to be alive since she could've gotten rid of him) and food stamps (she may not have worked a day in her life.) Terry still lives at home and can't leave her. He also can't openly admit that he's gay because he knows she will be angry. So he certainly can't have a long-term relationship.

However, the more time Mason and Terry spend together, the more they realize that maybe a relationship is actually possible. Mason worries, though, that once Terry is free of his albatross that he wouldn't be content with an older, socially awkward guy.

I knew that this was Amy Lane lite (meaning not as angst-heavy as many of her reads), but there was definitely still some angst. And I didn't like it. I really liked the fun parts and the friendship parts of the story much more. Overall, I still liked the story, and I'm definitely looking forward to more from this series. I read this out of order, but didn't feel like I missed too much. And I'm definitely interested in going back and reading Winter Ball. And I'll definitely read Dane's story if it comes out.

[Rachel Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Mason! I just adored him! The beginning where we get to learn about who he was as a young boy growing up was just so endearing, and I just loved how he blurted out whatever he was thinking, no matter how outrageous. I felt awful for some of his past experiences and how down on himself he was. He truly needed someone who saw how wonderful he was and love him 110%.

Terry was a harder character to figure out. I think that not having his POV in some cases made him harder to like and figure out. He's younger - 11/12 years younger than Mason, flighty - literally a squirrel, and lives with quite possibly the Worst Mother On the Planet. He's also never had a successful relationship, and never with a man, so he's very very hesitant to give a name to what he's doing with Mason.

This book is one that I think you'll either love or hate - it uses that old adage of "if you love something, set it free. If it doesn't come back it was never yours to begin with, but if it does it's yours forever" - whatever that old saying goes. I, for one, wasn't a huge fan of how they had to take a break towards the end of the story, for Terry to figure out what he wanted. I honestly didn't really like how he treated Mason - this is why not having his POV hurt his character, for me anyway. He doesn't even want to call Mason his boyfriend and they're having unprotected sex.

There are some truly moving parts in this, some seriously sexy moments, some truly emotional ones, but I almost felt like Mason forgave and moved on too easily, and Terry got away with too much.

Really, really can't wait for Carpenter and Dane's story - sounds like this one might be a bit more of an angst-fest!

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review

[fandomprincess · Rating 2 out of 5]

wow so this book was actually 5 stars for me until Terry moved out of his mom's house towards the end of the book. i loved mason and thought his relationship with terry was cute but the last part of the book ruined their relationship for me. So basically Terry didn't have much free time because of his mom (but he still had weekends to sleep with whoever he wanted), so once he moved out he had to go out and date a bunch of other guys for 2 and 1/2 months to figure out if he really wanted a relationship with mason. I mean did the months before you moved out that you spent together not clue you into the fact that you were already in a relationship? well I guess not if he had to go out and date a bunch of guys while mason was turning down every single guy that hit on him. I really do 100% get Terry wanting to go out and live his life and hang out with friends and do stuff on his own once he finally had freedom, i mean thats what millions of couples around the world do, but him all of a sudden dating other people just didn't feel realistic at all to me. why did Terry tell mason he only wanted him just to go out and date other people, it was weird and didn't work for me. oh and him bringing someone else to mason's party, telling mason that he's just a friend (cause hello who brings another guy to your exs house) and later telling mason well he was a great guy and he tried to kiss me (so basically the other guy thought you were on a date) that was like a nail in the coffin for me, after that I kind of wanted mason to tell Terry sorry I moved on with the young cute meat department guy better luck next time.

[Lelyana's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Dani said the best here about my opinion, we have the same view of this story.
While I loved Mason so much with his 'no filter' mouth (ever since he's a little boy), I'm kinda not loving Terry that much.

I get it that he's young and need to find out what he wants in his life, but he seemed clueless. And Mason is too easy, I think. I know how desperate Mason to be needed by someone, to accept who he is just the way he is, but still.
I believe they're made for each other and all, but I got pissed to Terry especially when he let Mason did 'that'.

Good thing is, even something happen between the two of them, I'm glad there's no cheating involved, so I think I can give this four stars, because I enjoyed this story despite of me wanted to bitching after Terry so much.

I haven't read the first book of this series, guess I need to read it to get to know Mason better (?)
Because I've heard something about him and Skip? Yeah, so going to dig in Ritchie and Skip book soon.

*ARC was given by publisher for a fair and unbiased review.*


More update to come...

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I loved this one just as much as the first. It takes a minute to warm to Terry he's young and living in a world completely controlled by his relationship with his mother. Mason is just the best, he's like Skip just the sweetest nicest guy willing to do anything and everything for the people he loves. The love story is sweet and hot and my only complaint is Terry needed to get his head out of his ass a little quicker. Another great book by Ms. Lane.