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Loving You #3
Aaron
Aaron Hall n’a jamais été capable de rester fidèle envers la moindre femme, et d’aussi loin qu’il se souvienne, il en a toujours fréquenté deux en même temps. Il y a peu, sa maîtresse a trouvé où il vivait, est venue frapper à sa porte... et c’est sa petite amie qui a ouvert. Maintenant qu’il les a perdues toutes les deux, il lui reste un prêt hypothécaire qu’il n’a pas les moyens de rembourser.
Vinnie Rosello a besoin de faire des changements dans sa vie : dégoter un meilleur boulot, arrêter de dépenser tout son fric dans l’alcool, se trouver un petit ami sérieux... et quitter la maison de maman et papa.
Ils emménagent donc ensemble, et bien qu’Aaron ait quelques préjugés sur les gays et que la famille de Vinnie lui manque, tous deux trouvent du réconfort dans leur amitié. C’est un arrangement parfait, jusqu’au jour où tout change entre eux.
Vinnie tombe amoureux d’Aaron et Aaron est choqué de découvrir qu’il partage ses sentiments. Il n’y a qu’un problème : il est toujours hétéro. Il va devoir apprendre à surmonter sa peur des étiquettes sociales s’il veut arriver à aimer l’homme qui a capturé son cœur.
297 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 21, 2016
51 people are currently reading
409 people want to read
About the author
Renae Kaye
30 books878 followersRenae Kaye is a lover and hoarder of books who thinks libraries are devilish places because they make you give the books back. She consumed her first adult romance book at the tender age of thirteen and hasn’t stopped since. After years – and thousands of stories! – of not having book characters do what she wants, she decided she would write her own novel and found the characters still didn’t do what she wanted. She believes that the world is too complicated for her, so she loses herself in stories. The only thing that keeps her going are her children who are the delight of her life.
Renae lives in Perth, Western Australia. She is a survivor of being the youngest in a large family and believes that laughter (and a good book) can cure anything. Which is why it's a pity laughter is sometimes scarce on the ground.
You can contact her at renaekaye@iinet.net.au.
Renae lives in Perth, Western Australia. She is a survivor of being the youngest in a large family and believes that laughter (and a good book) can cure anything. Which is why it's a pity laughter is sometimes scarce on the ground.
You can contact her at renaekaye@iinet.net.au.
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August 27, 2024The Straight Boyfriend is a friends-to-lovers, GFY story set in the same world as Loving Jay. Indeed, Jay and Liam, as well as Kee and Tate from Don't Twunk With My Heart, are fairly present in the story (although Jay isn't nearly as fabulous here as he was in Don't Twunk With My Heart).
Aaron is Liam's red-headed, burly, straight best friend. Aaron loves sex and sometimes dates more than one woman at a time because he's insatiable. He also has trouble staying faithful. He's a bit of a bastard, honestly, but he's also laid-back, funny, and accepting.
Vinnie comes from a poly Italian family consisting of his mom, his dad, his aunty, and many brothers, sisters, "cousins" (really half-siblings), and THEIR kids. When Vinnie finally moves out of his parents' house and in with Aaron, he has trouble sleeping alone, so he sleeps with Aaron.
Vinnie pines for Aaron, but Aaron is straight. Aaron is VERY straight. Aaron tells us that he's DEFINITELY NOT GAY dozens of times. Aaron has no interest in other men. Watching two men get it on does nothing for him. But he likes Vinnie. He likes Vinnie A LOT.
Vinnie flirts with Aaron and pushes Aaron into a sort of friends-with-benefits situation. I was really uncomfortable with how sneakily aggressive Vinnie was. Aaron tells him no, but Vinnie keeps manipulating the situation. And, yes, eventually Aaron wants Vinnie to get him off; it feels good, and Aaron loves sex.
The running theme in the story is that loving someone doesn’t need a label. Liam and Aaron have this long discussion about it, and Liam says that he's now gay because he’s with Jay ("It was never a choice to me, Aaron. I never had to choose between being gay or not. I never consciously sat down and decided one day to turn my whole life around because I wanted to be gay.").
For a long time, Aaron won’t do anal, because that’s SO gay, more gay than oral apparently. He won’t say he’s bi, even though he’s aware of the Kinsey scale and that sexuality is more fluid than just straight/gay. Vinnie refers to Aaron as his "straight boyfriend," which, hello, is an oxymoron.
For a story that’s all about NO LABELS, there are a hell of a lot of labels used. The word “gay” appears 216 times! Aaron thinks he can’t stay faithful to Vinnie because at some point he'll want to fuck a woman.
This made me think of the ridiculous, ignorant stereotype about bisexuals who supposedly can’t ever be satisfied with one partner because they like both sexes, and their partner can ever offer them only half of what they need. That’s so fucking wrong and offensive, I can’t even.
I’m so torn about how to rate this book. On the one hand, this is a cute, readable story. I liked the dual first-person POV. I loved Vinnie’s loving family. And I adored the sweetness between Aaron and Vinnie, all the cuddles and tender moments. The HEA is completely gooey.
On the other hand, well, I wanted Aaron to have some kind of breakthrough about his sexuality (and acknowledge that he’s not a zero on the Kinsey scale!), but that never happened. In the last chapter, he tells Vinnie he’ll try not to cheat with a woman. Now mind you, there is no cheating in the story, but the implication is that Aaron will struggle to stay faithful because he finds both women and Vinnie, a man, attractive.
If I were rating this as mere brain candy, I’d go with 3 stars. But I can’t disregard the utter dismissal of bisexuality (the insistence that Aaron is straight made me want to scream and hit something) and the assumption that a man who's attracted to both women and men (or, in this case, one man) is innately a cheater.
Aaron is Liam's red-headed, burly, straight best friend. Aaron loves sex and sometimes dates more than one woman at a time because he's insatiable. He also has trouble staying faithful. He's a bit of a bastard, honestly, but he's also laid-back, funny, and accepting.
Vinnie comes from a poly Italian family consisting of his mom, his dad, his aunty, and many brothers, sisters, "cousins" (really half-siblings), and THEIR kids. When Vinnie finally moves out of his parents' house and in with Aaron, he has trouble sleeping alone, so he sleeps with Aaron.
Vinnie pines for Aaron, but Aaron is straight. Aaron is VERY straight. Aaron tells us that he's DEFINITELY NOT GAY dozens of times. Aaron has no interest in other men. Watching two men get it on does nothing for him. But he likes Vinnie. He likes Vinnie A LOT.
Vinnie flirts with Aaron and pushes Aaron into a sort of friends-with-benefits situation. I was really uncomfortable with how sneakily aggressive Vinnie was. Aaron tells him no, but Vinnie keeps manipulating the situation. And, yes, eventually Aaron wants Vinnie to get him off; it feels good, and Aaron loves sex.
The running theme in the story is that loving someone doesn’t need a label. Liam and Aaron have this long discussion about it, and Liam says that he's now gay because he’s with Jay ("It was never a choice to me, Aaron. I never had to choose between being gay or not. I never consciously sat down and decided one day to turn my whole life around because I wanted to be gay.").
For a long time, Aaron won’t do anal, because that’s SO gay, more gay than oral apparently. He won’t say he’s bi, even though he’s aware of the Kinsey scale and that sexuality is more fluid than just straight/gay. Vinnie refers to Aaron as his "straight boyfriend," which, hello, is an oxymoron.
For a story that’s all about NO LABELS, there are a hell of a lot of labels used. The word “gay” appears 216 times! Aaron thinks he can’t stay faithful to Vinnie because at some point he'll want to fuck a woman.
[Aaron] looked down and nodded . . . . "I want you to help me fight my feelings if I feel like I want to go with a girl. I don't know what you can do, because since we've been together, I haven't really felt a great need to be with a girl. "
"You mean you feel gay now?"
[Aaron's] face brightened . . . "No. See? . . . I'm straight. I'm definitely straight. I can feel it. I still feel the attraction to girls . . . I want to be with you, even if it means people think I'm gay. I don't mind. I'd do that for you . . . But I don't know how strong the attraction to a woman will be if I start getting itchy feet."
This made me think of the ridiculous, ignorant stereotype about bisexuals who supposedly can’t ever be satisfied with one partner because they like both sexes, and their partner can ever offer them only half of what they need. That’s so fucking wrong and offensive, I can’t even.
I’m so torn about how to rate this book. On the one hand, this is a cute, readable story. I liked the dual first-person POV. I loved Vinnie’s loving family. And I adored the sweetness between Aaron and Vinnie, all the cuddles and tender moments. The HEA is completely gooey.
On the other hand, well, I wanted Aaron to have some kind of breakthrough about his sexuality (and acknowledge that he’s not a zero on the Kinsey scale!), but that never happened. In the last chapter, he tells Vinnie he’ll try not to cheat with a woman. Now mind you, there is no cheating in the story, but the implication is that Aaron will struggle to stay faithful because he finds both women and Vinnie, a man, attractive.
If I were rating this as mere brain candy, I’d go with 3 stars. But I can’t disregard the utter dismissal of bisexuality (the insistence that Aaron is straight made me want to scream and hit something) and the assumption that a man who's attracted to both women and men (or, in this case, one man) is innately a cheater.
no
October 31, 2016i don't know how you can read that blurb and not feel like you've just taken a bath in sewage.
MM is LGBTQ utopia, assuming you aren't L, B, T, or any kind of Q at all, of course.
#NOH8!!! AS LONG AS YOU'RE WHITE, GAY, AND MALE!!!
for reference: the last time this author got spanked on the internet for being a bigot on this scale, it was for defending this book: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
which she said was totally fine bcuz it's not like bisexuality is a real thing, y'know?
fml.
MM is LGBTQ utopia, assuming you aren't L, B, T, or any kind of Q at all, of course.
#NOH8!!! AS LONG AS YOU'RE WHITE, GAY, AND MALE!!!
for reference: the last time this author got spanked on the internet for being a bigot on this scale, it was for defending this book: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
which she said was totally fine bcuz it's not like bisexuality is a real thing, y'know?
fml.
March 31, 2017
If you completely ignore that the story goes specifically out of the way to pretend to acknowledge bisexuality while supporting the narrative that erases it and only look at this from a GFY kink story premise...it's a fun, cute read with likable characters, low angst, lots of sweetness, and an absolutely wonderful HEA.
Told from both main character's POV, The Straight Boyfriend is a friends-to-lovers story set in the same world as Loving Jay. Liam is Aaron's best friend, so Liam and Jay appear quite often in the story, as well as, on a lighter scale, Kee and Tate from Don't Twunk With My Heart.
Aaron Hall loves women and sex, it's why he's been a serial cheater his entire dating life - because no one woman has had a sex drive high enough to satisfy him so he looks elsewhere to help fill the gap. Unfortunately, it's never with his current partner's permission, which leads to him getting broken up with a lot. This last time it's left him with an expensive mortgage and the need for a housemate.
Vinnie Rosello is one of nine kids who grew up in an unconventional household, but he's realized that it's time to get his life together and it comes in four parts.
So when Vinnie hears Aaron is looking for a housemate it seems like the perfect solution for them both. They get along well together, which can easily translate into living well together. What Vinnie doesn't foresee is falling in love with Aaron.
Who is straight. Straight, straight, straight, straight.
The running theme through the story is how Aaron is undeniably, indubitably, inarguably, incontestably, incontrovertibly, plainly...straight.
Regardless of the fact he lets Vinnie sleep in his bed almost nightly because Vinnie is unused to having a room to himself.
Regardless of how often Vinniepressures coerces needles persuades Aaron into participating in sexual situations like hand jobs and blow jobs.
Regardless of Aaron falling just as hard in love with Vinnie, as Vinnie is with him.
Because Aaron is straight. He even looked up the Kinsey scale after his best friend Liam started dating his boyfriend, Jay, to confirm it.
So, you see? Aaron is straight. Totally. Except for the sexual and romantic parts of being in love with Vinnie.
But it's okay, you see, because Vinnie is more femme and smaller than Aaron. So he can still feel manly and straight, even while being sexually active with Vinnie.
Because, ultimately, labels don't matter. That's the prevailing theme through the story - labels don't matter. Except where they label almost everything.
Especially with the "straight" label.
There was an opportunity here to be inclusive. To give voice to a very marginalized, often persecuted, group...and it wasn't taken. Not only wasn't it taken, but I felt like the story took every opportunity to shut bisexuality down as hard as it possibly could be at every mention. And that's disheartening.
Like I said before, if you can completely ignore the bi-erasure there's a lot of warmth and love in this book. The friendship between Liam and Aaron is very sweet, the interactions between Vinnie and Aaron are, for the most part, lovely, and it's a fun, cute read with likable characters, low angst, lots of sweetness, and a wonderful HEA.
Advanced Review Galley copy of The Straight Boyfriend (Loving You #3) provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
Joel Leslie does a great job with the character voices (and, oh! how I love his Jamie and Vinnie voices!), pacing and timing.
I picked up the audio because I genuinely enjoy Joel Leslie, particularly his Australian accents, so even though when I had read the story I had been frustrated I thought maybe listening would have a different impact.
If anything the narration brings the bi-erasure that drove me crazy even more starkly to notice.
So while I can be objective and say the narration was wonderful, as expected, the story itself was almost more maddening to me via audio than reading.
Told from both main character's POV, The Straight Boyfriend is a friends-to-lovers story set in the same world as Loving Jay. Liam is Aaron's best friend, so Liam and Jay appear quite often in the story, as well as, on a lighter scale, Kee and Tate from Don't Twunk With My Heart.
Aaron Hall loves women and sex, it's why he's been a serial cheater his entire dating life - because no one woman has had a sex drive high enough to satisfy him so he looks elsewhere to help fill the gap. Unfortunately, it's never with his current partner's permission, which leads to him getting broken up with a lot. This last time it's left him with an expensive mortgage and the need for a housemate.
Vinnie Rosello is one of nine kids who grew up in an unconventional household, but he's realized that it's time to get his life together and it comes in four parts.
I had a vague idea of a plan. There were four parts to the equation. Employment, living circumstances, financial savings, and boyfriend. I needed to find a new job—one with career prospects—move out of my father’s house, stop drinking my pay each weekend, and find a boyfriend.
So when Vinnie hears Aaron is looking for a housemate it seems like the perfect solution for them both. They get along well together, which can easily translate into living well together. What Vinnie doesn't foresee is falling in love with Aaron.
Who is straight. Straight, straight, straight, straight.
I’m not gay. I don’t mind if you think I am. But just so we’re clear? I’m not gay.
I have no problem with being gay. My best friend, Liam, admitted he liked guys—and boy, it took him years to realize that—and I have no difficulty with it. However, just because I don’t have a problem with gay, that doesn’t mean that I am. It’s fine to be gay.
I mean, I respect LGBT people’s sexuality, so they can respect mine. And my sexuality is straight. 100 percent of the time.
Or maybe 99 percent.
The running theme through the story is how Aaron is undeniably, indubitably, inarguably, incontestably, incontrovertibly, plainly...straight.
Regardless of the fact he lets Vinnie sleep in his bed almost nightly because Vinnie is unused to having a room to himself.
Regardless of how often Vinnie
Regardless of Aaron falling just as hard in love with Vinnie, as Vinnie is with him.
Because Aaron is straight. He even looked up the Kinsey scale after his best friend Liam started dating his boyfriend, Jay, to confirm it.
Yes. I was such a good friend that I even researched what the Kinsey Scale was. Mr. Kinsey was a pretty progressive guy, for his time. He published most of his work before my parents were born, but his studies helped me understand my best friend, Liam. Until the previous year, I’d always thought Liam was like me—completely straight. What Kinsey called a zero.
So, you see? Aaron is straight. Totally. Except for the sexual and romantic parts of being in love with Vinnie.
The biggest problem was that it didn’t feel gay. When Vinnie was blowing me, or when we were rubbing together, it was just me and Vinnie. It wasn’t two guys. It wasn’t gay. It was just me and Vinnie. Like watching TV together was me and Vinnie. Taking turns in cooking and then cleaning up the kitchen together was me and Vinnie. Arguing about my obsession with my lawn was me and Vinnie.
It seemed like a natural extension of our platonic relationship.
But it's okay, you see, because Vinnie is more femme and smaller than Aaron. So he can still feel manly and straight, even while being sexually active with Vinnie.
I reached down to cup Vinnie’s balls and dick. Despite the fact that I wasn’t gay and that Vinnie wouldn’t be winning any size championships with his dick, I enjoyed what he had. The women’s magazines had been spouting headlines like “Size doesn’t matter, it’s what he does with it” for years. But somehow men didn’t get the message. I was finally appreciating the smaller things in life.
Because, ultimately, labels don't matter. That's the prevailing theme through the story - labels don't matter. Except where they label almost everything.
“Yeah,” I said. “That’s when it started. He’s not bothering with the girls at the moment. He’s taking a break.”
“So is he gay, then? Bi? Pan?” Shane asked.
I shook my head. “No. Definitely still straight.”
Especially with the "straight" label.
“I don’t have a label that fits, Vinnie. I’m not gay. If I could honesty say that I’m gay, or even bi, then it would be so much easier. But I can’t. I don’t know what I am. But I’m hot for you. I’m horny for you.”
“So you’re going to be gay for me?” he asked with a smile.
There was an opportunity here to be inclusive. To give voice to a very marginalized, often persecuted, group...and it wasn't taken. Not only wasn't it taken, but I felt like the story took every opportunity to shut bisexuality down as hard as it possibly could be at every mention. And that's disheartening.
Like I said before, if you can completely ignore the bi-erasure there's a lot of warmth and love in this book. The friendship between Liam and Aaron is very sweet, the interactions between Vinnie and Aaron are, for the most part, lovely, and it's a fun, cute read with likable characters, low angst, lots of sweetness, and a wonderful HEA.
Advanced Review Galley copy of The Straight Boyfriend (Loving You #3) provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
Joel Leslie does a great job with the character voices (and, oh! how I love his Jamie and Vinnie voices!), pacing and timing.
I picked up the audio because I genuinely enjoy Joel Leslie, particularly his Australian accents, so even though when I had read the story I had been frustrated I thought maybe listening would have a different impact.
If anything the narration brings the bi-erasure that drove me crazy even more starkly to notice.
So while I can be objective and say the narration was wonderful, as expected, the story itself was almost more maddening to me via audio than reading.
dnf-not-4-me
October 29, 2016
That blurb is insulting. How can this be the same author that wrote one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES The Shearing Gun???
November 20, 2016
“The Straight Boyfriend” is a “friends to lovers”, GFY story with none to minimum angst. It’s a fluff read where the relationship evolves from friends to lovers to partners in a lazy, satisfying pace with a sweet HEA at the end. Both the MCs have a group of mutual friends which includes the MCs from the previous books in this series. They were all very supportive and accepting of Vinnie and Aaron’s “not Gay” relationship completely (you will get what I mean later on).
I seriously didn’t feel comfortable while reading this book. I am not a huge fan of "labels" in love but in this book, the author has gone out of her way to label one of the main characters as “straight” while he is having a monogamous relationship with another man. I mean, does she even know the meaning of “bisexuality”??? I had a hard time getting into the story coz of some agonizing dialogues which were sprinkled heavily throughout the story, trying to convince the readers that Aaron is actually “straight”, which was such BS. One example:
"No. See? . . . I'm straight. I'm definitely straight. I can feel it. I still feel the attraction to girls . . . I want to be with you, even if it means people think I'm gay. I don't mind. I'd do that for you . . . But I don't know how strong the attraction to a woman will be if I start getting itchy feet."
I found this book a huge insult to bisexual people. They are attracted to both sexes but that does not mean that they cheat on their partners, may they be guys or girls just because they can. A relationship is a relationship and cheating is cheating even if you are gay, bi or hetero. Being bi does not make an individual more prone to cheating just because they have a choice in their partner’s gender.
The overall story, if you overlook the complete dismissal of bisexuality, is very cute and sweet. Vinnie is a very sweet character who was fun, loving, caring and completely understanding. He falls in love with his housemate, Aaron who is indisputably straight or so he thinks. They have a great relationship as friends and housemates but there is also an underlying attraction going on which neither can deny. Vinnie wants Aaron but falling in love with a straight man is no fun. But when Aaron starts showing interest in him sexually, Vinnie is ready to let him explore his sexuality if it means he can have Aaron even for a little while.
Aaron is completely set on the fact that he is “straight” even when he and Vinnie engage in daily sexual activities in one way or another. He likes Vinnie, is attracted to him and maybe even loves him but he is still “straight” as an arrow, which frustrated me to no end.
I’m not gay. I don’t mind if you think I am. But just so we’re clear? I’m not gay.
I have no problem with being gay. My best friend, Liam, admitted he liked guys—and boy, it took him years to realize that—and I have no difficulty with it. However, just because I don’t have a problem with gay, that doesn’t mean that I am. It’s fine to be gay.
I mean, I respect LGBT people’s sexuality, so they can respect mine. And my sexuality is straight. 100 percent of the time.
Or maybe 99 percent.
I tried to like Aaron but his stupid as shit reasoning behind him liking Vinnie and still saying straight, killed any love I had for him. Just because Vinnie is smaller than Aaron and more femme does not make him any less of a man, so Aaron thinking himself as more masculine or “straight” even after having sex with Vinnie was highly insulting and offensive especially to Vinnie, whom he is supposedly in love with.
I reached down to cup Vinnie’s balls and dick. Despite the fact that I wasn’t gay and that Vinnie wouldn’t be winning any size championships with his dick, I enjoyed what he had. The women’s magazines had been spouting headlines like “Size doesn’t matter, it’s what he does with it” for years. But somehow men didn’t get the message. I was finally appreciating the smaller things in life.
After several instances where Aaron keeps on insisting that he is “not gay”, I kind of hoped that he will have more profound understanding of his sexuality but till the end he does not come to the conclusion that “maybe he is bi and that it does not automatically make him a cheater”. The “bisexuality” is shut down in every which way in this read and I found that really disappointing!!!
[image error]
The read tried to promote the theme that “labels are not required in love” but it accomplishes the complete opposite. Everything gets labelled (except for “bisexuality”, which is apparently not a thing*eye-rolls*)
“Yeah,” I said. “That’s when it started. He’s not bothering with the girls at the moment. He’s taking a break.”
“So is he gay, then? Bi? Pan?” Shane asked.
I shook my head. “No. Definitely still straight.”
“I don’t have a label that fits, Vinnie. I’m not gay. If I could honesty say that I’m gay, or even bi, then it would be so much easier. But I can’t. I don’t know what I am. But I’m hot for you. I’m horny for you.”
If this is not labeling, then what is???
So yeah, there is a sweet romance in this book if you can get over the ongoing “there is no such thing as bisexuality” theme here. If I have to rate the romance then I would give it a total of 3.5 stars. But the whole “I am straight even I am fucking a guy” part, reduced my love for the sweet romance considerably.
*This review has been cross posted at GayBookReviews*
I seriously didn’t feel comfortable while reading this book. I am not a huge fan of "labels" in love but in this book, the author has gone out of her way to label one of the main characters as “straight” while he is having a monogamous relationship with another man. I mean, does she even know the meaning of “bisexuality”??? I had a hard time getting into the story coz of some agonizing dialogues which were sprinkled heavily throughout the story, trying to convince the readers that Aaron is actually “straight”, which was such BS. One example:
"No. See? . . . I'm straight. I'm definitely straight. I can feel it. I still feel the attraction to girls . . . I want to be with you, even if it means people think I'm gay. I don't mind. I'd do that for you . . . But I don't know how strong the attraction to a woman will be if I start getting itchy feet."
I found this book a huge insult to bisexual people. They are attracted to both sexes but that does not mean that they cheat on their partners, may they be guys or girls just because they can. A relationship is a relationship and cheating is cheating even if you are gay, bi or hetero. Being bi does not make an individual more prone to cheating just because they have a choice in their partner’s gender.
The overall story, if you overlook the complete dismissal of bisexuality, is very cute and sweet. Vinnie is a very sweet character who was fun, loving, caring and completely understanding. He falls in love with his housemate, Aaron who is indisputably straight or so he thinks. They have a great relationship as friends and housemates but there is also an underlying attraction going on which neither can deny. Vinnie wants Aaron but falling in love with a straight man is no fun. But when Aaron starts showing interest in him sexually, Vinnie is ready to let him explore his sexuality if it means he can have Aaron even for a little while.
Aaron is completely set on the fact that he is “straight” even when he and Vinnie engage in daily sexual activities in one way or another. He likes Vinnie, is attracted to him and maybe even loves him but he is still “straight” as an arrow, which frustrated me to no end.
I’m not gay. I don’t mind if you think I am. But just so we’re clear? I’m not gay.
I have no problem with being gay. My best friend, Liam, admitted he liked guys—and boy, it took him years to realize that—and I have no difficulty with it. However, just because I don’t have a problem with gay, that doesn’t mean that I am. It’s fine to be gay.
I mean, I respect LGBT people’s sexuality, so they can respect mine. And my sexuality is straight. 100 percent of the time.
Or maybe 99 percent.
I tried to like Aaron but his stupid as shit reasoning behind him liking Vinnie and still saying straight, killed any love I had for him. Just because Vinnie is smaller than Aaron and more femme does not make him any less of a man, so Aaron thinking himself as more masculine or “straight” even after having sex with Vinnie was highly insulting and offensive especially to Vinnie, whom he is supposedly in love with.
I reached down to cup Vinnie’s balls and dick. Despite the fact that I wasn’t gay and that Vinnie wouldn’t be winning any size championships with his dick, I enjoyed what he had. The women’s magazines had been spouting headlines like “Size doesn’t matter, it’s what he does with it” for years. But somehow men didn’t get the message. I was finally appreciating the smaller things in life.
After several instances where Aaron keeps on insisting that he is “not gay”, I kind of hoped that he will have more profound understanding of his sexuality but till the end he does not come to the conclusion that “maybe he is bi and that it does not automatically make him a cheater”. The “bisexuality” is shut down in every which way in this read and I found that really disappointing!!!
[image error]
The read tried to promote the theme that “labels are not required in love” but it accomplishes the complete opposite. Everything gets labelled (except for “bisexuality”, which is apparently not a thing*eye-rolls*)
“Yeah,” I said. “That’s when it started. He’s not bothering with the girls at the moment. He’s taking a break.”
“So is he gay, then? Bi? Pan?” Shane asked.
I shook my head. “No. Definitely still straight.”
“I don’t have a label that fits, Vinnie. I’m not gay. If I could honesty say that I’m gay, or even bi, then it would be so much easier. But I can’t. I don’t know what I am. But I’m hot for you. I’m horny for you.”
If this is not labeling, then what is???
So yeah, there is a sweet romance in this book if you can get over the ongoing “there is no such thing as bisexuality” theme here. If I have to rate the romance then I would give it a total of 3.5 stars. But the whole “I am straight even I am fucking a guy” part, reduced my love for the sweet romance considerably.
*This review has been cross posted at GayBookReviews*
November 22, 2016
At the risk of attracting some of that angry attention my way, I’m going to weigh into the argument over this book with my own review. My 5 STAR review. And why, you might ask, am I rating this so highly while other people are performing exorcisms on their kindles? Well, I’ll get to that bit. But first, let me tell you a bit about this story.
For readers of this series, the characters of Aaron and Vinnie are two that you’ll recognize. Aaron was the straight best friend of Liam, back in the first book, and Vinnie popped up as one of Jay’s friends in the second book. Which makes our two main characters part of the same friend group at the beginning of this story. Fun-loving party boy, Vinnie, has an Epiphany (yes, with a capital) and recognizes that it really is time for him to dial back on the drinking and partying and finally move out of his parent’s house. Conveniently for Vinnie, Aaron needs a housemate when his girlfriend moves out after meeting his…other girlfriend. That’s right folks. Aaron is a cheater-cheater-pumpkin-eater, who has never been faithful to a girlfriend in his life. And it has nothing to do with the fact that he’s bisexual.
Which brings us to the first issue that some people seem to have with this book. Aaron is a man-ho who cheats on girls with other girls. When he starts dating Vinnie he’s scared that he will cheat on him with girls too. Because that’s just how he rolls. It isn’t that he can’t settle on just males or just females – that old well-debunked bisexual myth. His problem is that he has no impulse control and can’t keep little Aaron in his pants. So in my opinion you can hate on Aaron all you like. I certainly didn’t like him. Actually he’s the first character that Renae Kaye has written that I didn’t like. But that doesn’t mean I have to hate the author. Or the rest of the book. Because while I had to tilt my head and squint to see Aaron’s good qualities, I still enjoyed the dynamics and the romance between him and Vinnie.
Actually I loved the dynamics between all of the characters in this story. There has been a rather large cast building over the three books and they all come together here, plus a few new faces such as the entire Rosello family. I loved the snarky comments, the quirky quips and the outright hilarious conversations between the extensive group of friends. From Vinnie’s Epiphanies/Epoofanies, to appeals for “ravishment”, to multiple characters’ concerns about farting in bed, this author has yet to write a book that has failed to entertain me.
But funnily enough, the thing I liked most about this book, is the thing that appears to be causing the greatest concern amongst other people. I’ve always had a fascination with labels and how different people rate their importance, or unimportance as the case may be. I mentioned this briefly in my review of the previous book in this series and it comes up again here. Now I’m in no way suggesting that bierasure is not a real issue, but I after reading this entire book, I honestly can’t see that Aaron’s character would be ready after such a short time to turn around and admit that he was bisexual. If, in fact, he even is bisexual. Until Vinnie came along Aaron was completely into females. Literally. Several females. Several times a week. He didn’t suddenly see Vinnie and think, well hey that guy is hot. Instead he found himself growing closer and closer to his friend until he was forced to question if he could handle a sexual relationship with him – because he wanted to be with him in every other way and that was pretty much the final step. But although Aaron was willing to think long and hard about whether this makes him gay or bisexual he decides that he’s still straight, but with a boyfriend. Which is where my fascination with labels comes into it. Obviously there are people out there (real life and fictional) who are lying to themselves in dangerous ways, but why do all of them have to be wrong? If a transgender woman knows that she’s a woman despite the fact that she was born in a male body – we believe her. If a man has sex with a man but honestly feels that straight is the label that fits him – why shouldn’t we believe him? I loved the fact that Aaron put his foot down and said – nah ah, I’m straight, but I love my boyfriend. And I loved that the author let him do it.
So, in a nutshell, a rather rambly this-is-how-my-head-works nutshell, those are my thoughts on this somehow controversial book. This is my perspective. I’m not saying anyone is right or wrong, everyone is entitled to an opinion, but at least I read it before judging it.
I absolutely recommend this. I think most people will read it without even realizing there’s any drama surrounding its release. It’s typical Renae Kaye. Upbeat, fun and well written.
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2016/11/2...
For readers of this series, the characters of Aaron and Vinnie are two that you’ll recognize. Aaron was the straight best friend of Liam, back in the first book, and Vinnie popped up as one of Jay’s friends in the second book. Which makes our two main characters part of the same friend group at the beginning of this story. Fun-loving party boy, Vinnie, has an Epiphany (yes, with a capital) and recognizes that it really is time for him to dial back on the drinking and partying and finally move out of his parent’s house. Conveniently for Vinnie, Aaron needs a housemate when his girlfriend moves out after meeting his…other girlfriend. That’s right folks. Aaron is a cheater-cheater-pumpkin-eater, who has never been faithful to a girlfriend in his life. And it has nothing to do with the fact that he’s bisexual.
Which brings us to the first issue that some people seem to have with this book. Aaron is a man-ho who cheats on girls with other girls. When he starts dating Vinnie he’s scared that he will cheat on him with girls too. Because that’s just how he rolls. It isn’t that he can’t settle on just males or just females – that old well-debunked bisexual myth. His problem is that he has no impulse control and can’t keep little Aaron in his pants. So in my opinion you can hate on Aaron all you like. I certainly didn’t like him. Actually he’s the first character that Renae Kaye has written that I didn’t like. But that doesn’t mean I have to hate the author. Or the rest of the book. Because while I had to tilt my head and squint to see Aaron’s good qualities, I still enjoyed the dynamics and the romance between him and Vinnie.
Actually I loved the dynamics between all of the characters in this story. There has been a rather large cast building over the three books and they all come together here, plus a few new faces such as the entire Rosello family. I loved the snarky comments, the quirky quips and the outright hilarious conversations between the extensive group of friends. From Vinnie’s Epiphanies/Epoofanies, to appeals for “ravishment”, to multiple characters’ concerns about farting in bed, this author has yet to write a book that has failed to entertain me.
But funnily enough, the thing I liked most about this book, is the thing that appears to be causing the greatest concern amongst other people. I’ve always had a fascination with labels and how different people rate their importance, or unimportance as the case may be. I mentioned this briefly in my review of the previous book in this series and it comes up again here. Now I’m in no way suggesting that bierasure is not a real issue, but I after reading this entire book, I honestly can’t see that Aaron’s character would be ready after such a short time to turn around and admit that he was bisexual. If, in fact, he even is bisexual. Until Vinnie came along Aaron was completely into females. Literally. Several females. Several times a week. He didn’t suddenly see Vinnie and think, well hey that guy is hot. Instead he found himself growing closer and closer to his friend until he was forced to question if he could handle a sexual relationship with him – because he wanted to be with him in every other way and that was pretty much the final step. But although Aaron was willing to think long and hard about whether this makes him gay or bisexual he decides that he’s still straight, but with a boyfriend. Which is where my fascination with labels comes into it. Obviously there are people out there (real life and fictional) who are lying to themselves in dangerous ways, but why do all of them have to be wrong? If a transgender woman knows that she’s a woman despite the fact that she was born in a male body – we believe her. If a man has sex with a man but honestly feels that straight is the label that fits him – why shouldn’t we believe him? I loved the fact that Aaron put his foot down and said – nah ah, I’m straight, but I love my boyfriend. And I loved that the author let him do it.
So, in a nutshell, a rather rambly this-is-how-my-head-works nutshell, those are my thoughts on this somehow controversial book. This is my perspective. I’m not saying anyone is right or wrong, everyone is entitled to an opinion, but at least I read it before judging it.
I absolutely recommend this. I think most people will read it without even realizing there’s any drama surrounding its release. It’s typical Renae Kaye. Upbeat, fun and well written.
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2016/11/2...
nope
October 30, 2016Everything about this book is a hell no for me.
December 4, 2016
Lo confieso, lo leí, me gustó Jay y tenía curiosidad.
Pues bien, he sido castigada por ello, es un auténtico horror. La relación no tiene ningún sentido, algunas situaciones son ridículas y es MUY OFENSIVO todo lo relacionado con la sexualidad de Aaron y Liam (del primer libro), no me extiendo porque ya lo han hechoh otras.
No lo recomiendo
Pues bien, he sido castigada por ello, es un auténtico horror. La relación no tiene ningún sentido, algunas situaciones son ridículas y es MUY OFENSIVO todo lo relacionado con la sexualidad de Aaron y Liam (del primer libro), no me extiendo porque ya lo han hechoh otras.
No lo recomiendo
not-interested
October 27, 2016Boycotting this author and this book because bisexuals are presented as though they can't be monogamous.
December 24, 2016
I'm almost scared to right a review of this one seeing all the comments about it. But I will. I enjoy Renae Kaye's books and this one was no exception. I admit to being a bit uncomfortable in places with Aaron's adamant refusal of his "gayness" and I did tire of hearing about it constantly but I loved these two together. Vinnie was just the greatest guy and while Aaron came across as kind of an ass-hat at first, I ended up loving him as well. Sue me, I liked it!
just-say-no-with-fire
October 28, 2016Fuck right off with this doubling down on bullshit biphobic fuckwittery.
November 21, 2016
The Straight Boyfriend is book three in Renae Kaye’s Loving You Series. Book one is Loving Jay, which is the book I found this author with and adored it! Book two is Don’t Twunk with my Heart, another awesome addition to this series. So, I was very excited to read this one.
I’ll admit the title did have me furrowing my brow, no lie. I knew right off the bat that this was a GFY story. Do I have issues with GFY stories? Sometimes. If written with laced disrespect it kills the story and in turn an author loses their audience. Did I find this one disrespectful? Not completely. Let me explain.
This is no doubt going to be, or already is, a controversial book. It’s a book that will be read by many who see it as a sweet love story, a fantasy come to life. Others will read it as insulting to their identities and those of the LGBTQ community. One cannot tell the other they are right in their feelings. So when you read this book you’ll need to make your own judgements.
Vinny is an effeminate gay man. His parents are in a Polyamorous relationship… and they are a huge Italian family. Yeah, let that sentence absorb a bit. I grew up in an Italian family and all of that would have been a no go. So wrapping my head around it was something I tell you. Refreshing, yes. I like to think where we once had to hide our lifestyles we no longer do. So, Vinny’s life is a basket of labels.
Aaron… Okay this guy is where I had some issues, and maybe not why you think. First off he identifies as straight. He is a philanderer, comes from a heterosexual family mom and dad. He’s a cheater. Straight up cheater of women. Not gonna lie I didn’t like him in the beginning. It was going to take a miracle to understand his thinking.
When his girlfriend leaves him (and rightly so) he’s stuck with a mortgage he can’t pay…yadda yadda enter Vinny to the rescue.
This story is off the charts different than the first two books without question. I had a lot of internal struggles reading this. My own feelings, beliefs, morals, and identity battled during my read. I put a lot of that away to form a professional outlook.
I feel the author is writing a fairy tale of sorts. She’s twisting labels, yes. I can see where people would be upset but I really do not think that it’s the author’s intention to insult rather than make a fantasy in today’s society.
It is a sweet romantic story with a wonderful HEA. I loved Vinny a lot and he was my favorite. I felt for him in many ways through this story. Aaron, though I’m happy he found a solid love for his life; in my own eyes I don’t feel it excuses his cheating. So I’m on the fence with how I feel about him. He’s like the guy I’ll be nice to because Vinny is my friend. I wasn’t thrilled with Aaron and how he identifies himself BUT I also cannot and will not judge a person based on how they feel inside so Aaron gets this. He does.
Like I said it’s different than the other two books and it will need a open mind and some moral struggles but it’s a good addition to the series.
I’ll admit the title did have me furrowing my brow, no lie. I knew right off the bat that this was a GFY story. Do I have issues with GFY stories? Sometimes. If written with laced disrespect it kills the story and in turn an author loses their audience. Did I find this one disrespectful? Not completely. Let me explain.
This is no doubt going to be, or already is, a controversial book. It’s a book that will be read by many who see it as a sweet love story, a fantasy come to life. Others will read it as insulting to their identities and those of the LGBTQ community. One cannot tell the other they are right in their feelings. So when you read this book you’ll need to make your own judgements.
Vinny is an effeminate gay man. His parents are in a Polyamorous relationship… and they are a huge Italian family. Yeah, let that sentence absorb a bit. I grew up in an Italian family and all of that would have been a no go. So wrapping my head around it was something I tell you. Refreshing, yes. I like to think where we once had to hide our lifestyles we no longer do. So, Vinny’s life is a basket of labels.
Aaron… Okay this guy is where I had some issues, and maybe not why you think. First off he identifies as straight. He is a philanderer, comes from a heterosexual family mom and dad. He’s a cheater. Straight up cheater of women. Not gonna lie I didn’t like him in the beginning. It was going to take a miracle to understand his thinking.
When his girlfriend leaves him (and rightly so) he’s stuck with a mortgage he can’t pay…yadda yadda enter Vinny to the rescue.
This story is off the charts different than the first two books without question. I had a lot of internal struggles reading this. My own feelings, beliefs, morals, and identity battled during my read. I put a lot of that away to form a professional outlook.
I feel the author is writing a fairy tale of sorts. She’s twisting labels, yes. I can see where people would be upset but I really do not think that it’s the author’s intention to insult rather than make a fantasy in today’s society.
It is a sweet romantic story with a wonderful HEA. I loved Vinny a lot and he was my favorite. I felt for him in many ways through this story. Aaron, though I’m happy he found a solid love for his life; in my own eyes I don’t feel it excuses his cheating. So I’m on the fence with how I feel about him. He’s like the guy I’ll be nice to because Vinny is my friend. I wasn’t thrilled with Aaron and how he identifies himself BUT I also cannot and will not judge a person based on how they feel inside so Aaron gets this. He does.
Like I said it’s different than the other two books and it will need a open mind and some moral struggles but it’s a good addition to the series.
necronomicon
November 1, 2016
I haven't read this. The blurb is gross, I've seen reviews from people who have read this, and it seems the book is just as gross as the blurb indicates.
But I'm left with just one big question: what was there about Aaron for Vinnie to fall in love with? The guy sounds like a major douchebag. A cheater of the highest order, and "Straight" to boot, so what's the lure in it for Vinnie? Why would anyone want, not just a cheater, but a cheater who can't even pretend he could ever be faithful?
November 21, 2016
I know it's controversial, but I liked it. A lot. It was happy and sweet, and it really added to the lovely universe she's created with this series. I liked that the characters were not wealthy, that they lived simply and that they had realistic jobs instead of glamorous ones. I also loved the little nod to one of my favourite books from this author.
Aaron's reluctance to enter into a physical relationship and his discomfort with various intimacies gave legitimacy to the premise that he's not gay; it's just Vinnie. If he were actually gay and closeted, one might think that the intimacies might have come a little more naturally to him.
However, I was confused at the very end. Spoiler alert...
Now for the political stuff...
This book gave voice to an experience that gets fetishized in literature but doesn't get a lot of respect in the real world... Gay Only For You. Yes, it does happen. I know from personal experience. And it's nice to see some affirmation for not having to consider myself bi or pan or anything else just because I happened to once fall in love with a person of the same sex. People have a right to choose their own labels. I respect the bisexual community, I affirm them, I support them, I acknowledge fully that bisexuality exists and that it is a real and natural sexual orientation. Because I only had that one relationship and did not before that and have not since then been sexually attracted to a member of my own gender, I do not feel like I have the right to label myself as bi, pan, etc. It's not up to me to tell someone else whether or not to claim such a label... it's their own personal choice. I will not define someone else's orientation, and I don't care to have someone tell me what mine is. As much as I appreciate Kaye's work here, I don't expect/insist that authors write to affirm my exact experience. The book doesn't say that bisexuality or pansexuality doesn't exist; it says that Aaron does not consider himself either of those things. Aaron doesn't speak for the world; he speaks for himself.
To me, this was a story of someone choosing to go against his nature because of his love for one single person. Many people do that. Anyone who is married and chooses to ignore attraction to a person who is not their spouse does that. Monks and nuns and priests choose celibacy because they love God.
One thing I love about Ms. Kaye's work is that she gives voice to a variety of experiences/identities within the gay community... twink, femme, bear, in-the-closet, etc. Not every one is about a big hunky top protecting a little twinky bottom. No, she hasn't managed to include every single experience out there. She writes gay romance, not LGBTQIA. Authors tend to stick to a type because then their readers know what to expect. She's likely working with what's comfortable for her, and that's fair. In fact, it's a good idea, as writing too far outside of one's knowledge doesn't tend to create believable characters. Yes, I do believe that we need more stories with bi and pan and trans characters, but it doesn't mean that Kaye is obligated to write them.
For those who are complaining that she ought to be including more POC... look at the reality. Perth is just beginning to diversify culturally. Though things are improving, Australia has not, throughout the past century, been known to be accepting of a lot of racial integration and equality. (This is not meant to be a dig against Australia; my own country has a similar shameful history. It's a statement of fact.) Most of Kaye's characters tend to come from families that have been in Western Australia for generations. Makes sense that they are mostly white. If you wrote a book set in Toronto's gay scene that only included white guys, well, that would be ridiculous because that city is one of the most diverse on the planet and has been for quite a while. But a long-established set of friends in Perth? Yeah, it's likely to be largely homogeneous. There's also the fact that authors writing main characters of different ethnicities than their own can be problematic and lead to accusations of cultural appropriation. How many terrible cliches of Latino families have been portrayed in American romance novels by clueless authors whose sole experiences with Latino culture are Taco Bell and Google Translate to Spanish? Think about the fetishized portrayal of Native Americans in the Twilight series. Ew.
If people want more diversity, they should write it themselves, rather than demanding that a specific author who has specific experiences, background, and understanding do it for them. I'd love to read the story of a Maori-Pakistani bisexual polyamorous Catholic transman, but I'm sure as heck not going to write one, because that's so far outside of my experience or knowledge that I could never do it any kind of justice. Just because an author doesn't include your experience in a story doesn't mean that they are trying to insult you or erase you or hate on you. It likely means that they don't know enough about you.
Aaron's reluctance to enter into a physical relationship and his discomfort with various intimacies gave legitimacy to the premise that he's not gay; it's just Vinnie. If he were actually gay and closeted, one might think that the intimacies might have come a little more naturally to him.
However, I was confused at the very end. Spoiler alert...
Now for the political stuff...
This book gave voice to an experience that gets fetishized in literature but doesn't get a lot of respect in the real world... Gay Only For You. Yes, it does happen. I know from personal experience. And it's nice to see some affirmation for not having to consider myself bi or pan or anything else just because I happened to once fall in love with a person of the same sex. People have a right to choose their own labels. I respect the bisexual community, I affirm them, I support them, I acknowledge fully that bisexuality exists and that it is a real and natural sexual orientation. Because I only had that one relationship and did not before that and have not since then been sexually attracted to a member of my own gender, I do not feel like I have the right to label myself as bi, pan, etc. It's not up to me to tell someone else whether or not to claim such a label... it's their own personal choice. I will not define someone else's orientation, and I don't care to have someone tell me what mine is. As much as I appreciate Kaye's work here, I don't expect/insist that authors write to affirm my exact experience. The book doesn't say that bisexuality or pansexuality doesn't exist; it says that Aaron does not consider himself either of those things. Aaron doesn't speak for the world; he speaks for himself.
To me, this was a story of someone choosing to go against his nature because of his love for one single person. Many people do that. Anyone who is married and chooses to ignore attraction to a person who is not their spouse does that. Monks and nuns and priests choose celibacy because they love God.
One thing I love about Ms. Kaye's work is that she gives voice to a variety of experiences/identities within the gay community... twink, femme, bear, in-the-closet, etc. Not every one is about a big hunky top protecting a little twinky bottom. No, she hasn't managed to include every single experience out there. She writes gay romance, not LGBTQIA. Authors tend to stick to a type because then their readers know what to expect. She's likely working with what's comfortable for her, and that's fair. In fact, it's a good idea, as writing too far outside of one's knowledge doesn't tend to create believable characters. Yes, I do believe that we need more stories with bi and pan and trans characters, but it doesn't mean that Kaye is obligated to write them.
For those who are complaining that she ought to be including more POC... look at the reality. Perth is just beginning to diversify culturally. Though things are improving, Australia has not, throughout the past century, been known to be accepting of a lot of racial integration and equality. (This is not meant to be a dig against Australia; my own country has a similar shameful history. It's a statement of fact.) Most of Kaye's characters tend to come from families that have been in Western Australia for generations. Makes sense that they are mostly white. If you wrote a book set in Toronto's gay scene that only included white guys, well, that would be ridiculous because that city is one of the most diverse on the planet and has been for quite a while. But a long-established set of friends in Perth? Yeah, it's likely to be largely homogeneous. There's also the fact that authors writing main characters of different ethnicities than their own can be problematic and lead to accusations of cultural appropriation. How many terrible cliches of Latino families have been portrayed in American romance novels by clueless authors whose sole experiences with Latino culture are Taco Bell and Google Translate to Spanish? Think about the fetishized portrayal of Native Americans in the Twilight series. Ew.
If people want more diversity, they should write it themselves, rather than demanding that a specific author who has specific experiences, background, and understanding do it for them. I'd love to read the story of a Maori-Pakistani bisexual polyamorous Catholic transman, but I'm sure as heck not going to write one, because that's so far outside of my experience or knowledge that I could never do it any kind of justice. Just because an author doesn't include your experience in a story doesn't mean that they are trying to insult you or erase you or hate on you. It likely means that they don't know enough about you.
September 22, 2017
This book is bullshit.
There are enough people that have weighed in on whether you can claim the label "straight" while being in love or in a relationship with someone of the same sex that I don't think I need to wade into that pile of bees.
But I think they're missing the point.
Both of these guys are terrible people, so who gives a fuck whether they call themselves gay, straight, or elephants.
Aaron. Wow. He's been unfaithful to every long-term girlfriend he's ever had. They "weren't enough for him". He "couldn't help himself". What a bunch of self-serving bullshit. He agreed to a monogamous relationship. Then he broke his word. That is a lack of respect for your partner. He said whatever he needed to say, agreed to whatever he needed to agree to to get in their pants and then did whatever the fuck he wanted. Gross. But then when it comes to Vin, suddenly he cares about whether he's using him? Suddenly it matters to him that he not agree to something he can't deliver? So either that is ridiculously out of character, or that's some Grade A misogynist bullshit right there. Put together with that lovely trope where sex with women "just isn't enough" but a man "can satisfy him". Wow. Just. Wow.
Vin. Again... wow. He's so fucking creepy. Twilight creepy. I have this thing in romance novels and movies where I think 'how would this person's behavior be construed if the object of their desire didn't like them?' Twilight is a perfect example, because it starts with a restraining order and ends with a stake in the chest (hopefully, anyway. I would totally watch that movie). If Aaron didn't like Vin... holy hell. Vin actively uses Aaron's discomfort with appearing 'homophobic' to manipulate him. He takes advantage of their friendship repeatedly.
It's one thing to have feelings for someone you're friends with. That happens.
It's one thing to spin fantasies where the person you desire wants you back. That also happens.
It's even a thing to start analyzing your interactions, their actions and reactions and to try really hard to interpret them as interest or proof that your infatuation is reciprocated. That's totally a thing.
It is an entirely different thing to abuse the trust that person has given you. There are so many times when Vin crosses a line and Aaron wants to pull back, but he forces himself not to because he feels like doing so would be hurtful to Vin and he doesn't want him to feel bad. He feels guilty for "making assumptions" about Vin's motivations "just because he's gay", but that's the crux of it. He's not wrong. He's absolutely right about Vinnie's motivations the whole time. Vinnie's gaslighting him the whole fucking time. He acts like 'oh, this is just normal friendship stuff!' But it's not. A lot of what happens between them is not 'normal friendship stuff'. It's 'Vinnie wants to bone Aaron and is just pretending like he just wants to be friends' stuff. So Aaron berates himself and feels guilty for wanting to draw lines, because he believes that Vinnie's actions are motivated by platonic affection and that it's his problem.
But They're Not.
It's SO not ok. And the fact that this deception is never addressed sucks.
I'm sorry, but if you realize that someone you're really close friends with has been secretly ogling you, perving on you, manipulating the situation to gain physical closeness all while pretending that everything they're doing is perfectly innocent and that they have no ulterior motives whatsoever, that's a breach of trust. That's a betrayal. You are going to think twice about trusting that person in the future.
Or at least a normal person would. Maybe because Aaron thinks nothing about breaking trust and betraying people he's gotten close to, it doesn't phase him in the least when Vin does to him what he did to all his girlfriends. Says anything, does anything to get what he wants regardless of how manipulative and gross it is.
I suppose the two of them deserve each other. Two really gross manipulative people find love. Yay. I'm giving it two stars because at the beginning, some of their banter was genuinely funny and the narrator on the audiobook was good. But I really hated just about everything else here.
There are enough people that have weighed in on whether you can claim the label "straight" while being in love or in a relationship with someone of the same sex that I don't think I need to wade into that pile of bees.
But I think they're missing the point.
Both of these guys are terrible people, so who gives a fuck whether they call themselves gay, straight, or elephants.
Aaron. Wow. He's been unfaithful to every long-term girlfriend he's ever had. They "weren't enough for him". He "couldn't help himself". What a bunch of self-serving bullshit. He agreed to a monogamous relationship. Then he broke his word. That is a lack of respect for your partner. He said whatever he needed to say, agreed to whatever he needed to agree to to get in their pants and then did whatever the fuck he wanted. Gross. But then when it comes to Vin, suddenly he cares about whether he's using him? Suddenly it matters to him that he not agree to something he can't deliver? So either that is ridiculously out of character, or that's some Grade A misogynist bullshit right there. Put together with that lovely trope where sex with women "just isn't enough" but a man "can satisfy him". Wow. Just. Wow.
Vin. Again... wow. He's so fucking creepy. Twilight creepy. I have this thing in romance novels and movies where I think 'how would this person's behavior be construed if the object of their desire didn't like them?' Twilight is a perfect example, because it starts with a restraining order and ends with a stake in the chest (hopefully, anyway. I would totally watch that movie). If Aaron didn't like Vin... holy hell. Vin actively uses Aaron's discomfort with appearing 'homophobic' to manipulate him. He takes advantage of their friendship repeatedly.
It's one thing to have feelings for someone you're friends with. That happens.
It's one thing to spin fantasies where the person you desire wants you back. That also happens.
It's even a thing to start analyzing your interactions, their actions and reactions and to try really hard to interpret them as interest or proof that your infatuation is reciprocated. That's totally a thing.
It is an entirely different thing to abuse the trust that person has given you. There are so many times when Vin crosses a line and Aaron wants to pull back, but he forces himself not to because he feels like doing so would be hurtful to Vin and he doesn't want him to feel bad. He feels guilty for "making assumptions" about Vin's motivations "just because he's gay", but that's the crux of it. He's not wrong. He's absolutely right about Vinnie's motivations the whole time. Vinnie's gaslighting him the whole fucking time. He acts like 'oh, this is just normal friendship stuff!' But it's not. A lot of what happens between them is not 'normal friendship stuff'. It's 'Vinnie wants to bone Aaron and is just pretending like he just wants to be friends' stuff. So Aaron berates himself and feels guilty for wanting to draw lines, because he believes that Vinnie's actions are motivated by platonic affection and that it's his problem.
But They're Not.
It's SO not ok. And the fact that this deception is never addressed sucks.
I'm sorry, but if you realize that someone you're really close friends with has been secretly ogling you, perving on you, manipulating the situation to gain physical closeness all while pretending that everything they're doing is perfectly innocent and that they have no ulterior motives whatsoever, that's a breach of trust. That's a betrayal. You are going to think twice about trusting that person in the future.
Or at least a normal person would. Maybe because Aaron thinks nothing about breaking trust and betraying people he's gotten close to, it doesn't phase him in the least when Vin does to him what he did to all his girlfriends. Says anything, does anything to get what he wants regardless of how manipulative and gross it is.
I suppose the two of them deserve each other. Two really gross manipulative people find love. Yay. I'm giving it two stars because at the beginning, some of their banter was genuinely funny and the narrator on the audiobook was good. But I really hated just about everything else here.
November 2, 2016
Review to follo4 1/2****Stars
Book: The Straight Boyfriend
Author: Renae Kaye
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: M/M Romance
Rated: Mature
I was glad a member of our guild decided to take a stand and cry out about the bullying of author Renae Kaye. This book has received more talk, furor and anger, not having even being released yet !
I read all genres, and as a straight 75 year old Grandmother (My Label) I chose to read this book and review it along with my younger, gay male friend (His Label) I am the Review Chair of a Book Guild, and have been at that position for 7 years. This book would be classified as a Contemporary Gay Romance until you begin reading the book. Our author begins with a beautiful Dedication:
This story is for any person who’s ever had to “come out” and have to explain their sexual orientation as something other than straight. I’m sorry you had to do that. I wish for a society that is embracing and welcoming, where that is no longer necessary.
We begin with Vinnie Rosello, lying in his bunk bed, thinking about his life, the big Italian Family he comes from, and hear his thoughts as years go by about how his house hold is perceived. He has brothers and sisters and cousins all living under one roof with a Mom and Dad and an Aunt as adults. The three bedroom house has the boys in one room, the girls in another and the adults in another; then he wonders why that still is since they moved to a four bedroom house. All is good, he is brought up with love, support and lots of hugs and noise. He has come out to his family and they accept him lovingly. Now in his 20’s he spends everything he makes on the weekends clubbing with friends, wants to save, find a better job and at 25 move out from his crowded home still living with the family.
Aaron Hall has a bad boy reputation. From what we read, he cannot stay true to any one woman. Seemed to me he didn’t meet Miss Right who pushed all the right buttons. His last relationship was him losing interest with the girl he was dating and started dating a second girl. He was a happy camper having 2 girls meet his relationship needs. Then the roof caved in when they both found out and both left him holding the bag and a full mortgage payment since he had purchased a house with one of them.! Now he needed someone to help with the expenses. A roommate was needed.
So here they were, Straight Aaron hanging out with his best friend Liam whose boyfriend is gay; in a group of gay friends every weekend. So here is where the author puts the reader to task on “labels” !!! We have in the first couple of chapters learned of the Label of the life style Polyamorus by which Vinnie didn’t quite get as a child. The Gay label, that makes a man less of a man, the freak of nature burning in hell label. Aaron Straight which is supposed to be the ‘best label’ to be and Liam who is straight but loves a gay man. What is he called….To me he is called Liam, but the world needs a Label. So is he Bi? Or what?
Aaron and Vinnie begin with an intro, then some tentative conversation, and Vinnie asks Aaron to let him move in, and share the bills.. Aaron learns from Vinnie about what he believed and now learns what he really didn’t know about being gay and gay sex.
Vinnie feeling so alone not having his large family needs touch and comfort that Aaron is willing to give him with the understanding ‘no one will know’ as Vinnie sleeps with Aaron. Over months they slowly go from friends, to friends with some benefits, to finally admitting they are in love. Aaron still tries to work out how he will be perceived, will he have to say he is gay, having a gay boyfriend and what will that do to his persona?
This is a very interesting formula this gay for you trope. If this is what all the fuss was about, I truly believe the author wins!!!!
Review by Gloria Lakritz
Sr Reviewer and Review Chair for the Paranormal Romance Guild
w
Book: The Straight Boyfriend
Author: Renae Kaye
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: M/M Romance
Rated: Mature
I was glad a member of our guild decided to take a stand and cry out about the bullying of author Renae Kaye. This book has received more talk, furor and anger, not having even being released yet !
I read all genres, and as a straight 75 year old Grandmother (My Label) I chose to read this book and review it along with my younger, gay male friend (His Label) I am the Review Chair of a Book Guild, and have been at that position for 7 years. This book would be classified as a Contemporary Gay Romance until you begin reading the book. Our author begins with a beautiful Dedication:
This story is for any person who’s ever had to “come out” and have to explain their sexual orientation as something other than straight. I’m sorry you had to do that. I wish for a society that is embracing and welcoming, where that is no longer necessary.
We begin with Vinnie Rosello, lying in his bunk bed, thinking about his life, the big Italian Family he comes from, and hear his thoughts as years go by about how his house hold is perceived. He has brothers and sisters and cousins all living under one roof with a Mom and Dad and an Aunt as adults. The three bedroom house has the boys in one room, the girls in another and the adults in another; then he wonders why that still is since they moved to a four bedroom house. All is good, he is brought up with love, support and lots of hugs and noise. He has come out to his family and they accept him lovingly. Now in his 20’s he spends everything he makes on the weekends clubbing with friends, wants to save, find a better job and at 25 move out from his crowded home still living with the family.
Aaron Hall has a bad boy reputation. From what we read, he cannot stay true to any one woman. Seemed to me he didn’t meet Miss Right who pushed all the right buttons. His last relationship was him losing interest with the girl he was dating and started dating a second girl. He was a happy camper having 2 girls meet his relationship needs. Then the roof caved in when they both found out and both left him holding the bag and a full mortgage payment since he had purchased a house with one of them.! Now he needed someone to help with the expenses. A roommate was needed.
So here they were, Straight Aaron hanging out with his best friend Liam whose boyfriend is gay; in a group of gay friends every weekend. So here is where the author puts the reader to task on “labels” !!! We have in the first couple of chapters learned of the Label of the life style Polyamorus by which Vinnie didn’t quite get as a child. The Gay label, that makes a man less of a man, the freak of nature burning in hell label. Aaron Straight which is supposed to be the ‘best label’ to be and Liam who is straight but loves a gay man. What is he called….To me he is called Liam, but the world needs a Label. So is he Bi? Or what?
Aaron and Vinnie begin with an intro, then some tentative conversation, and Vinnie asks Aaron to let him move in, and share the bills.. Aaron learns from Vinnie about what he believed and now learns what he really didn’t know about being gay and gay sex.
Vinnie feeling so alone not having his large family needs touch and comfort that Aaron is willing to give him with the understanding ‘no one will know’ as Vinnie sleeps with Aaron. Over months they slowly go from friends, to friends with some benefits, to finally admitting they are in love. Aaron still tries to work out how he will be perceived, will he have to say he is gay, having a gay boyfriend and what will that do to his persona?
This is a very interesting formula this gay for you trope. If this is what all the fuss was about, I truly believe the author wins!!!!
Review by Gloria Lakritz
Sr Reviewer and Review Chair for the Paranormal Romance Guild
w
nope
January 6, 2017Nope, nope, nope. This author and her biphobic ass can fuck right off.
First she publishes a biphobic BS post about how there is no bisexual romance and then she follows it up with this shitshow?
This book is meant to be hurtful and written in retaliation of those calling her out on her BS back in march/april. And no this is no "witch hunt". It's people seeing something hurtful, ignorant and biphobic and speaking up&calling the author out. (Again.)
First she publishes a biphobic BS post about how there is no bisexual romance and then she follows it up with this shitshow?
This book is meant to be hurtful and written in retaliation of those calling her out on her BS back in march/april. And no this is no "witch hunt". It's people seeing something hurtful, ignorant and biphobic and speaking up&calling the author out. (Again.)
pass-not-for-me
November 1, 2016This author has made several hurtful statements regarding bisexual people. For this reason I've decided to add the author to my permanently banned author list.
It really is a shame, because I loved The Shearing Gun, but I will not support an author that discriminates against certain members of the LGBTQ community.
It really is a shame, because I loved The Shearing Gun, but I will not support an author that discriminates against certain members of the LGBTQ community.
February 9, 2017
Before I had read the book:
It annoys the hell out of me how people rate books before they even read them. And it annoys the hell out of me that people think their way to regard something (in this case sexuality) is the only way to look at something and their way is the only right way to do something.
Not every book must be a "social" textbook. Hell, a few days ago I've read a book about a transman, who got called "Pussy" by his boyfriend. Now...if that book had been written by a heterosexual woman, everybody would have screamed like hell. Lucky the author is a transman himself.
Readers, stop bashing books before you have read them and seriously, try to be a bit more openminded.
Now I have read the book:
There have been discussions about the book even before it had been released. The most common accusation had been «bi-erasure».
So – I still stand with my statement that no book should be reviewed by the blurb alone.
In the meantime, I had the pleasure to read it. Yes, it was a pleasure.
Does this book strengthen bi-erasure? No, not in my opinion.
Other criticized topics have been Aaron’s «cheating» or how Vinnie throws himself at Aaron despite him saying “no”.
So now let me explain:
Aaron is a work in progress – like we all are. Our opinions, our ways of living, all this undergoes a constant change, based on our experiences. Same goes with Aaron. Once he had been a straight guy with a straight best friend. Then this best friend had fallen in love with a guy and hasn’t been so straight anymore. And Aaron, who hadn’t thought about it before because it hadn’t been something he had been personally affected, realized that being gay is okay. It didn’t apply to him, but others? Why not. And obviously not every gay guy is like the other gay guy. Okay. Fine, he learned that, too. And he is willing to learn. He is feeling comfortable with the others, enjoying time with them.
So when Vinnie moves in, he’s just happy to have a person living with him he likes. More and more they discover how comfortable they are around each other. They become best friends. And with this closeness comes attraction and intimacy.
And both learn to stretch their boundaries, explore new ways of living with each other.
I think if you want to read this book as “bi-erasure” you’ll find parts that you can twist into it. But overall, if you really read it, the book shows in a very sensitive way how a person is growing and changing with his experiences.
I also want to address a few issues that have been mentioned in other reviews:
Vinne sneakily “forces” Aaron into a sexual relationship – I never got that impression. Aaron was quite happy to experiment, confused maybe but still open to it.
Which leads to the complaint that for a long time he “wouldn’t do anal because it’s so gay”. Did you read about me explaining that this book is about Aaron’s development? If he’d done anal immediately people would have complained that he did it too fast.
The implication that Aaron will struggle to be faithful because he still thinks women are attractive. – He doesn’t trust himself because he had cheated on all his girlfriends. He doesn’t want to cheat and he doesn’t plan to cheat – he’s just afraid he’ll make the same mistake because he had done so in the past. It is his own insecurity – and it wouldn’t matter if he had boyfriends or girlfriends before, he’d still be insecure. It has nothing to do with him being whatever-sexual, it’s all about his insecurity.
Next point – the bi“reasure“ because he never labelled himself bi – for a community that claims to be so very open on sexuality people are hellbent for him to label himself. He doesn’t want that. He’s in love with Vinnie and that is what is important to him.
I believe in the right of everybody to define their sexuality the way they want - with or without giving it a label.
It annoys the hell out of me how people rate books before they even read them. And it annoys the hell out of me that people think their way to regard something (in this case sexuality) is the only way to look at something and their way is the only right way to do something.
Not every book must be a "social" textbook. Hell, a few days ago I've read a book about a transman, who got called "Pussy" by his boyfriend. Now...if that book had been written by a heterosexual woman, everybody would have screamed like hell. Lucky the author is a transman himself.
Readers, stop bashing books before you have read them and seriously, try to be a bit more openminded.
Now I have read the book:
There have been discussions about the book even before it had been released. The most common accusation had been «bi-erasure».
So – I still stand with my statement that no book should be reviewed by the blurb alone.
In the meantime, I had the pleasure to read it. Yes, it was a pleasure.
Does this book strengthen bi-erasure? No, not in my opinion.
Other criticized topics have been Aaron’s «cheating» or how Vinnie throws himself at Aaron despite him saying “no”.
So now let me explain:
Aaron is a work in progress – like we all are. Our opinions, our ways of living, all this undergoes a constant change, based on our experiences. Same goes with Aaron. Once he had been a straight guy with a straight best friend. Then this best friend had fallen in love with a guy and hasn’t been so straight anymore. And Aaron, who hadn’t thought about it before because it hadn’t been something he had been personally affected, realized that being gay is okay. It didn’t apply to him, but others? Why not. And obviously not every gay guy is like the other gay guy. Okay. Fine, he learned that, too. And he is willing to learn. He is feeling comfortable with the others, enjoying time with them.
So when Vinnie moves in, he’s just happy to have a person living with him he likes. More and more they discover how comfortable they are around each other. They become best friends. And with this closeness comes attraction and intimacy.
And both learn to stretch their boundaries, explore new ways of living with each other.
I think if you want to read this book as “bi-erasure” you’ll find parts that you can twist into it. But overall, if you really read it, the book shows in a very sensitive way how a person is growing and changing with his experiences.
I also want to address a few issues that have been mentioned in other reviews:
Vinne sneakily “forces” Aaron into a sexual relationship – I never got that impression. Aaron was quite happy to experiment, confused maybe but still open to it.
Which leads to the complaint that for a long time he “wouldn’t do anal because it’s so gay”. Did you read about me explaining that this book is about Aaron’s development? If he’d done anal immediately people would have complained that he did it too fast.
The implication that Aaron will struggle to be faithful because he still thinks women are attractive. – He doesn’t trust himself because he had cheated on all his girlfriends. He doesn’t want to cheat and he doesn’t plan to cheat – he’s just afraid he’ll make the same mistake because he had done so in the past. It is his own insecurity – and it wouldn’t matter if he had boyfriends or girlfriends before, he’d still be insecure. It has nothing to do with him being whatever-sexual, it’s all about his insecurity.
Next point – the bi“reasure“ because he never labelled himself bi – for a community that claims to be so very open on sexuality people are hellbent for him to label himself. He doesn’t want that. He’s in love with Vinnie and that is what is important to him.
I believe in the right of everybody to define their sexuality the way they want - with or without giving it a label.
Read
November 3, 2016I don't have a huge problem with GFY as a trope, even if it isn't my thing. I do have a problem with it when it's clearly a mocking response to being (rightfully) called out for spouting biphobic nonsense. Bi-erasure and bi-phobia are very real and it's clear that Ms. Kaye could give a shit about that, and chooses instead to write a grudge-wank fic about it so she can now make fun of the people she hurt. All of whom are members of the community she writes about, so that's gross.
Nope.
Nope.
00-mm-horrible-disaster-fail-dnf
November 1, 2016What, about this book, did the author think would be even remotely intriguing, enticing, or interesting is beyond me!! The MC, right outta the gate, sounds like a skeevy, unfaithful, two-timing, immoral douchebag. I mean, I got douchebumps just by reading this blurb!!
With the baffling exception of The Shearing Gun (which I REALLY enjoyed), this author's work is very evidently and most definitely not for me. I'm going to categorize this author as a "one hit wonder" in terms of my liking her books [read: I am NOT talking about the author and her following as a whole, I'm talking about MY personal preference] and will take a hard pass. I'm out.
With the baffling exception of The Shearing Gun (which I REALLY enjoyed), this author's work is very evidently and most definitely not for me. I'm going to categorize this author as a "one hit wonder" in terms of my liking her books [read: I am NOT talking about the author and her following as a whole, I'm talking about MY personal preference] and will take a hard pass. I'm out.
November 8, 2017
I'm still on my second read while I write this review, and still have the smile and dreamy face :)
How perfect the ending of this series, you think? You have no idea!
Because this is what's ALL the book I read should have their Epilogue! Sigh!
Just like Liam, Aaron 'is not gay. Aaron is not gay. Repeat. Aaron is NOT gay!'.
Got that?
Denial! Just like Liam's denial in Loving Jay, Aaron's also have a denial that, no way a straight guy can fall in love with a flamboyant Disney Prince's like gay guy! No way!
Yo Aaron, yes way!
I won't give you the story spoiler in this one, but you need to experience your own frustration after Aaron, and all the love you'll feel for Vinnie. Gosh! That guy!
Who doesn't want to ' switch team' for a guy like Vinnie? Hmm...not many. And Aaron is one of those serial straight dater who can finally 'finding' what's he's looking for.
After awhile, he came to realized that he can't imagine his life without Vinnie anymore.
Let's just put this picture of my lovely Lance here, to show you what's Aaron's feeling about his Vinnie. Damn.
And let's put this 'interesting' conversation with Aaron's Mom here...
And this...
Swoooooooon.....
Don't worry of not 'seeing' Jay and Liam (especially him!) and Kee and Tate in this book.
They're 'everywhere'!...oh how I miss my Liam and Jay...And how Liam shows how a best friend he is for Aaron... I couldn't love the guy more!
And then after I laugh, I swoon, and cry with Aaron and Vinnie...enter the 'epilogue' !
You'll swooning after that only. This is not a perfect story. Vinnie and Aaron are not perfect but they're perfect for each other. And the epilogue, is just as perfect!
*.....I miss the boys already :(....*
*ARC was given by publisher for a fair and unbiased review. Thank you Dreamspinner Press!*
There's a lot of warmth and love in this book. Friendship between Liam and Aaron is a heartwarming and deserved five stars for that only.
Aaron is straight, I think I agreed with you Dani about how determined Vinnie to have Aaron, sometimes, I thought he's kind of a doormat.
But once again, when love is talking, maybe we can quote what Liam said to Jay..."He is Jay sexual".
I enjoyed this book, so...
How perfect the ending of this series, you think? You have no idea!
Because this is what's ALL the book I read should have their Epilogue! Sigh!
Just like Liam, Aaron 'is not gay. Aaron is not gay. Repeat. Aaron is NOT gay!'.
Got that?
Denial! Just like Liam's denial in Loving Jay, Aaron's also have a denial that, no way a straight guy can fall in love with a flamboyant Disney Prince's like gay guy! No way!
Yo Aaron, yes way!
I won't give you the story spoiler in this one, but you need to experience your own frustration after Aaron, and all the love you'll feel for Vinnie. Gosh! That guy!
Who doesn't want to ' switch team' for a guy like Vinnie? Hmm...not many. And Aaron is one of those serial straight dater who can finally 'finding' what's he's looking for.
After awhile, he came to realized that he can't imagine his life without Vinnie anymore.
Let's just put this picture of my lovely Lance here, to show you what's Aaron's feeling about his Vinnie. Damn.
And let's put this 'interesting' conversation with Aaron's Mom here...
..."Oh, so you're gay?"
"Not really. But I'm going to be gay with Vinnie. Okay? I love him, and if loving him means I'm gay, then I'll be gay"
And this...
"I love you Aaron. And yes, I will help you. I'll be here and listen with an open mind if you say you're struggling with the gay stuff or the same sex attraction or whatever. Because loving you is easy, so I guess I have to take the bad stuff with the good. It would be easier if you're gay, but I know that you're not. You're Aaron. And whether you're straight or not, you're the guy I love"
Swoooooooon.....
Don't worry of not 'seeing' Jay and Liam (especially him!) and Kee and Tate in this book.
They're 'everywhere'!...oh how I miss my Liam and Jay...And how Liam shows how a best friend he is for Aaron... I couldn't love the guy more!
And then after I laugh, I swoon, and cry with Aaron and Vinnie...enter the 'epilogue' !
You'll swooning after that only. This is not a perfect story. Vinnie and Aaron are not perfect but they're perfect for each other. And the epilogue, is just as perfect!
*.....I miss the boys already :(....*
*ARC was given by publisher for a fair and unbiased review. Thank you Dreamspinner Press!*
There's a lot of warmth and love in this book. Friendship between Liam and Aaron is a heartwarming and deserved five stars for that only.
Aaron is straight, I think I agreed with you Dani about how determined Vinnie to have Aaron, sometimes, I thought he's kind of a doormat.
But once again, when love is talking, maybe we can quote what Liam said to Jay..."He is Jay sexual".
I enjoyed this book, so...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2019
Aaron è un dongiovanni non è mai stato fedele ad una donna ed ha avuto anche due relazioni con due donne contemporaneamente, le due l’hanno scoperto e lui ora è single con un mutuo e da solo non ce la fa quindi quando Vinnie gli propone di diventare coinquilino lui accetta . Vinnie viene da una famiglia piuttosto particolare , il padre ha una relazione con sua madre e sua zia cioè la sorella della madre quindi vivono tutti insieme in questa grande famiglia , lui è gay ed Aaron ha dei pregiudizi su di loro anche se il suo migliore amico Liam è gay .
Vinnie non riesce a dormire nella sua stanza così silenziosa ed ogni notte si rifugia nel letto di Aaron il quale inizia a non essere indifferente al suo corpo ...
Bello. Un libro pieno di nomi , di amici , di famigliari . Mi è piaciuto tanto Vinnie con la sua famiglia e le tradizioni italiane , Aaron e le sue perplessità sono concesse a chi si ritrova in una situazione insolita , innamorarsi di una persona dello stesso sesso ed ammetterlo penso non si facile . Mi è piaciuto come l’autrice con delicatezza è riuscita a trattare l’argomento .
Per me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vinnie non riesce a dormire nella sua stanza così silenziosa ed ogni notte si rifugia nel letto di Aaron il quale inizia a non essere indifferente al suo corpo ...
Bello. Un libro pieno di nomi , di amici , di famigliari . Mi è piaciuto tanto Vinnie con la sua famiglia e le tradizioni italiane , Aaron e le sue perplessità sono concesse a chi si ritrova in una situazione insolita , innamorarsi di una persona dello stesso sesso ed ammetterlo penso non si facile . Mi è piaciuto come l’autrice con delicatezza è riuscita a trattare l’argomento .
Per me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 18, 2020
When I read the title, I thought this would be a book about a "straight" guy realizing he was actually not so straight and was in love with a guy. That is not really what happened. Aaron did fall in love with Vinnie, but even at the end of the book, he still identified as straight. He was just straight and in love and attracted to just the one guy. I have never read a gay-for-you book that really ended up that way. I have read many GFY books, but usually, the "straight" guy in question either comes to the conclusion that they are actually bi or gay after all and just hadn't really realized it before (or had been in denial). So, that was kind of weird for me. I didn't hate the book, but it was just weird for me.
February 4, 2017
Labels. Like them or loathe them we are surrounded day in, day out by labels. Alcoholic, bi, cis, depressive, disabled, dyslexic, dyspraxic, female, gay, husband, male, partner, queer, straight, teacher, trans, wife, , .. I could go on, the list is endless. Human instinct is to categorise, to order, to try and understand, and labelling is a way of doing this. Is it right? I don't know. Sometimes labels can become very dangerous, an alcoholic is more than an alcoholic, yet you can bet your life that is the term that defines them, I know from personal experience; dad, son, husband, chef, loving, funny... they all come after the alcoholic label. It can be so dangerous to reduce a person to a label.
BUT...
...and this took me a while to understand, for some people labels are exactly what they need. It helps them understand themselves and gives them a place to belong. Pansexual. For someone who has never understood their attraction because it doesn't conform to what society understands, to be able to be labelled as pansexual gives something to identify with. As humans we are all different. We are unique. Our feelings and emotions and identities are ours to own and label as we please. Right?
Aaron, frankly on the surface I didn't really like him, for a start he consistently cheats on girlfriends because he's not getting enough sex. Not exactly endearing in a romantic lead! Then he has a relationship with Vinnie yet refuses to label himself as anything other than straight... but the more I thought about it, the more I realised, isn't that his right? It's his label for himself. To me, maybe to the majority, he is bisexual. When I google the meaning of bisexual it says:
noun
1.
a person who is sexually attracted to both men and women.
Aaron is attracted to women, but he's also attracted to Vinnie, a man. Therefore by dictionary definition, he's bi. Just because it's only one man doesn't change the fact that Vinnie is a man to whom Aaron is sexually attracted. Yet he really doesn't want to identify as anything other than straight. And that is his right. Nobody has a right to tell someone they can't identify the way they want to, and that works every way. Bi-erasure is COMPLETELY wrong, but so is taking away the right for an individual to identify with whichever label they want. Personally, I think bisexuality makes more sense than anything else, we are all people and are attracted to people... but that is just my opinion and I don't expect anyone else to have the same view as me!
So what does this have to do with the book? Well Aaron is very hung up on the labels and it makes admitting that he has fallen in love with Vinnie difficult, he is adamant he's not gay, nor bi, he's straight. See above for my feelings on this.
The thing is, on the surface this is a funny, sweet love story between two people who don't feel like they would belong together. I'm a sucker for friends to lovers and Aaron and Vinnie are definitely friends before anything else. Vinnie brings out the best in Aaron, he makes us see the nice side of this serial cheater. He is a good friend, thoughtful and kind and the blossoming romance made my heart go gooey. I think you could read this and just be enamoured by the romance. Or you can read it and think deeply about labels and how they fit in society. Is there a definitive right or wrong? I don't think so - but that's just my opinion.
Personally I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves sweet romances.
BUT...
...and this took me a while to understand, for some people labels are exactly what they need. It helps them understand themselves and gives them a place to belong. Pansexual. For someone who has never understood their attraction because it doesn't conform to what society understands, to be able to be labelled as pansexual gives something to identify with. As humans we are all different. We are unique. Our feelings and emotions and identities are ours to own and label as we please. Right?
Aaron, frankly on the surface I didn't really like him, for a start he consistently cheats on girlfriends because he's not getting enough sex. Not exactly endearing in a romantic lead! Then he has a relationship with Vinnie yet refuses to label himself as anything other than straight... but the more I thought about it, the more I realised, isn't that his right? It's his label for himself. To me, maybe to the majority, he is bisexual. When I google the meaning of bisexual it says:
noun
1.
a person who is sexually attracted to both men and women.
Aaron is attracted to women, but he's also attracted to Vinnie, a man. Therefore by dictionary definition, he's bi. Just because it's only one man doesn't change the fact that Vinnie is a man to whom Aaron is sexually attracted. Yet he really doesn't want to identify as anything other than straight. And that is his right. Nobody has a right to tell someone they can't identify the way they want to, and that works every way. Bi-erasure is COMPLETELY wrong, but so is taking away the right for an individual to identify with whichever label they want. Personally, I think bisexuality makes more sense than anything else, we are all people and are attracted to people... but that is just my opinion and I don't expect anyone else to have the same view as me!
So what does this have to do with the book? Well Aaron is very hung up on the labels and it makes admitting that he has fallen in love with Vinnie difficult, he is adamant he's not gay, nor bi, he's straight. See above for my feelings on this.
The thing is, on the surface this is a funny, sweet love story between two people who don't feel like they would belong together. I'm a sucker for friends to lovers and Aaron and Vinnie are definitely friends before anything else. Vinnie brings out the best in Aaron, he makes us see the nice side of this serial cheater. He is a good friend, thoughtful and kind and the blossoming romance made my heart go gooey. I think you could read this and just be enamoured by the romance. Or you can read it and think deeply about labels and how they fit in society. Is there a definitive right or wrong? I don't think so - but that's just my opinion.
Personally I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves sweet romances.
November 29, 2016
To say I enjoyed this story does not do right by this book. My first book by this author and I was pleased with the genuine description of emotions.
Although this is the third story of the series, I just jumped in without reading the previous books and I had no problem following the characters, I would say you can read it as a standalone as well.
Vinnie has a large Italian family, there are 9 kids growing up in the same house, including siblings and cousins. Vinnie at the age of 25 he has an Epiphany (with capital letter, you’ll see why) that he must move out, find another job and save some money. Asking Aaron to let him move in with him it went easier than he had thought. Taking a break of going out every night and sharing the bills help him save a bit of money. He is a receptionist at a company that sells toilet papers. Aaron convinces him not quite his job, instead he should ask for a promotion. After a time Vinnie has an Epoofany, he has feelings toward Aaron … but he’s straighter than an arrow.
Aaron, the player, the womanizer who has two or more girls at the same time ends up single after one of his outdoor girlfriend meets the indoor girlfriend. He has a mortgage to pay so when Vinnie ask him to let him move in with Aaron, he hesitates just a bit … Vinnie is a gay gay touchy-feely kind of guy. He hugs Aaron, kisses his cheeks when he goes to work and when they watch TV he snuggles and often he ends up spreading on his chest or his lap. Vinnie misses his big family he never had a room on his own. One night Vinnie asks Aaron to let him sleep in the same bed with Aaron…
Being a gay man I love the idea of gay-for-you. Maybe the predator in me who wants to conquer, I don’t know. Anyway, there are really few good GFY out there, mostly because the lady authors, and no offense, cannot really relate to the feelings. Renae though… I was wondering if the author is a gay man writing under a woman pen name, I asked her, she said no … hmm maybe she is a closet man … It’s genuine, it’s original and very realistic. Aaron transformation is smooth but not without minor obstacles … the sex scenes are hot and you can experience it from both parties involved.
I rate this book with an honest 5 star!
****The ARC was provided by Dreamspinner Press. My review is an honest opinion of the book****
Full review : THREE BOOKS OVER THE RAINBOW - BLOG ABOUT M/M NOVEL
Although this is the third story of the series, I just jumped in without reading the previous books and I had no problem following the characters, I would say you can read it as a standalone as well.
Vinnie has a large Italian family, there are 9 kids growing up in the same house, including siblings and cousins. Vinnie at the age of 25 he has an Epiphany (with capital letter, you’ll see why) that he must move out, find another job and save some money. Asking Aaron to let him move in with him it went easier than he had thought. Taking a break of going out every night and sharing the bills help him save a bit of money. He is a receptionist at a company that sells toilet papers. Aaron convinces him not quite his job, instead he should ask for a promotion. After a time Vinnie has an Epoofany, he has feelings toward Aaron … but he’s straighter than an arrow.
Aaron, the player, the womanizer who has two or more girls at the same time ends up single after one of his outdoor girlfriend meets the indoor girlfriend. He has a mortgage to pay so when Vinnie ask him to let him move in with Aaron, he hesitates just a bit … Vinnie is a gay gay touchy-feely kind of guy. He hugs Aaron, kisses his cheeks when he goes to work and when they watch TV he snuggles and often he ends up spreading on his chest or his lap. Vinnie misses his big family he never had a room on his own. One night Vinnie asks Aaron to let him sleep in the same bed with Aaron…
Being a gay man I love the idea of gay-for-you. Maybe the predator in me who wants to conquer, I don’t know. Anyway, there are really few good GFY out there, mostly because the lady authors, and no offense, cannot really relate to the feelings. Renae though… I was wondering if the author is a gay man writing under a woman pen name, I asked her, she said no … hmm maybe she is a closet man … It’s genuine, it’s original and very realistic. Aaron transformation is smooth but not without minor obstacles … the sex scenes are hot and you can experience it from both parties involved.
I rate this book with an honest 5 star!
****The ARC was provided by Dreamspinner Press. My review is an honest opinion of the book****
Full review : THREE BOOKS OVER THE RAINBOW - BLOG ABOUT M/M NOVEL
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November 18, 2016(Spoilers included because I can’t talk about this without giving away some key points. Sorry ☹ )
Before I start, I’d recommend reading several reviews before deciding one way or another about this because there are a lot of different ways this story can be taken.
Renae Kaye is a gifted writer and her MCs are really three-dimensional as are her secondary characters. This is the third book in the series that started with Loving Jay, where Liam essentially “turned gay” to be with Jay. Their friends Kee and Tate are in this as well, though not as much (from Don’t Twunk with my Heart). Aaron is best friends with Liam and he’s as straight as can be. He’s adapted to having more gay men in his life, but he’s never considered being gay (and all the way to the end of the story, denies that he’s remotely gay himself.)
Vinnie is a “gold star gay”, meaning he’s never even been with a woman at all, and he is also a bit femme, so he’s been “out” all his life because of his mannerisms.
I’m not sure if this book is really well-timed or very, very poorly timed. Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about “bi-erasure” and this book both adds to the argument for and against that issue.
As I see it, there are several things of importance to discuss about this book – hot topics – if you will.
First, I believe that the author was trying to show that labeling someone gay, straight, bisexual, etcetera, does not help in every situation. She uses Liam as an example of a person who falls in love with a man but who, in general, does not find men sexually attractive, but that he is labeled “gay” because he’s in a permanent relationship with a man – though that’s not very accurate in describing his sexuality. I can see that being “straight” but falling in love with a man and seemingly not feeling attraction toward other men might make this difficult, but if we are trying to pin down a label – then at least consider bi-sexual or demi-sexual or something other than straight has to apply because straight people don’t fall for members of the same sex. I think that in an effort to show how inaccurate labels can be, the fact that Aaron, far more than Liam, protested WAY too much that he wasn’t gay, especially when he kept saying “that it’s okay to be gay, but I’m not”. You kinda have to pick. If labels aren’t important, then why keep harping on it, and if they are important, then take some time and think about ALL the choices and pick one that fits.
Second, in the pursuit of Aaron, Vinnie did several things that made me really uncomfortable. I kept saying to myself, if Aaron was a woman, would Vinnie’s actions be seen as “cute and charming and romantic” or “skeezy and manipulative and kinda rapey”. Aaron kept protesting he wasn’t gay and wasn’t interested in pursuing a romantic/sexual relationship and Vinnie kept putting him in situations that pushed Aaron into sexual/romantic positions. I’m sure Aaron could have stopped things at any point in time, but Vinnie wasn’t giving Aaron’s words the respect they should hold. No means no, male or female.
Third, Aaron’s issue with monogamy/cheating. I think this got conflated with his concerns about being gay when it really should have been it’s own separate issue. Who he loves has no bearing on his ability to commit. Somehow it got wrapped up in the issue that he loved a man and so therefore things had to be different. No. If he’d decided to date a woman he’d have had to eventually figure this out. What made him stray? I still don’t know. Maybe he hadn’t found the right PERSON – man or woman – and therefore kept trying to find him/her. Having found someone to love in Vinnie and deciding to be faithful to him should NOT hinge on the fact that he is or isn’t gay, bi, demi, straight, etc. The MCs needed to really take this out of the “am I gay” equation and simply address it for what it was: cheating is cheating no matter who you date (if the parties involved agree to be monogamous). This bothered me the most because it seemed to suggest that he might be more willing to cheat simply because he was with a guy and he might “crave a woman” and wouldn’t that be horrible. Well, if he was with another woman he might “crave” a different woman – and in fact he had, many times, done this – so being with a guy is NO DIFFERENT. And, hell, who knows?, he might “crave” a guy at some point. Just because he hadn’t felt attraction to a man before doesn’t mean he might not in the future. Before Vinnie he hadn’t felt attraction to a man, but he definitely desires Vinnie so why is it so impossible to think that he might find ANOTHER man attractive in the future? I just didn’t understand this “hurdle”.
Fourth, Vinnie’s poly family. Boy. On one hand I wanted to applaud them for taking a stand and doing something “abnormal” because it felt good and up until the point where Vinnie’s mom gives him her “I’m so proud of you speech” – I felt like that’s what it was. But after listening to her describe what happened, I kinda felt like she ended up railroaded into it because her family disowned her when her sister – who got pregnant by her husband and he couldn’t decide between the two sisters – and her husband decided to make the three of them a family basically because it was the best thing for the husband and she didn’t want to lose him. I didn’t see what she got from it other than NOT losing the husband. It sounded like she’d rather he didn’t have the relationship with the sister so… that wasn’t a great relationship to model things from.
Fifth, Vinnie – up until the end – was way too willing to be Aaron’s secret. That bugged me. He was even considering having an open relationship when that is NOT what he wanted. Aaron continued to say things to him that made me really wonder just what was going on between them – he didn’t really find gay porn hot, he didn’t really want to do anal but since Vinnie did he’d do it for him, he wasn’t sure he wanted to admit he was with Vinnie in a romantic relationship – and still Vinnie was all okay with this.
I didn’t get that Vinnie’s self-esteem was so low that he’d just let Aaron keep saying things that demeaned him and continue to motivate him towards deepening the relationship. It just didn’t jive.
Finally, and this is just a personal pet peeve, but why the discussion about Vinnie’s dick size? What was that even about? It’s like Aaron thought, well – since Vinnie’s dick is smaller than mine it’s ok to have feelings for him? It was strange, at best, and borderline offensive.
I guess, for me, though there were a few moments where Aaron was sweet to Vinnie and by the end he’d somewhat worked out some of his issues, so much of the story left me cringing and wishing Vinnie had better taste in men, that I can’t really say I liked this story. It confused me and made me scratch my head and sometimes I laughed, but for the most part it just seemed to lack a clear direction. I don’t know exactly what point was trying to be made regarding sexual identity and as far as the romance goes, it didn’t feel super healthy nor was it terribly romantic. The smexy times kinda made me uncomfortable because Aaron’s involvement constantly felt a bit forced.
I’m not going to give this a rating because I’m just too conflicted about the story to pick a number – it definitely got me thinking and there were some cute parts but there was just so many other things that didn’t work for me.
Before I start, I’d recommend reading several reviews before deciding one way or another about this because there are a lot of different ways this story can be taken.
Renae Kaye is a gifted writer and her MCs are really three-dimensional as are her secondary characters. This is the third book in the series that started with Loving Jay, where Liam essentially “turned gay” to be with Jay. Their friends Kee and Tate are in this as well, though not as much (from Don’t Twunk with my Heart). Aaron is best friends with Liam and he’s as straight as can be. He’s adapted to having more gay men in his life, but he’s never considered being gay (and all the way to the end of the story, denies that he’s remotely gay himself.)
Vinnie is a “gold star gay”, meaning he’s never even been with a woman at all, and he is also a bit femme, so he’s been “out” all his life because of his mannerisms.
I’m not sure if this book is really well-timed or very, very poorly timed. Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about “bi-erasure” and this book both adds to the argument for and against that issue.
As I see it, there are several things of importance to discuss about this book – hot topics – if you will.
First, I believe that the author was trying to show that labeling someone gay, straight, bisexual, etcetera, does not help in every situation. She uses Liam as an example of a person who falls in love with a man but who, in general, does not find men sexually attractive, but that he is labeled “gay” because he’s in a permanent relationship with a man – though that’s not very accurate in describing his sexuality. I can see that being “straight” but falling in love with a man and seemingly not feeling attraction toward other men might make this difficult, but if we are trying to pin down a label – then at least consider bi-sexual or demi-sexual or something other than straight has to apply because straight people don’t fall for members of the same sex. I think that in an effort to show how inaccurate labels can be, the fact that Aaron, far more than Liam, protested WAY too much that he wasn’t gay, especially when he kept saying “that it’s okay to be gay, but I’m not”. You kinda have to pick. If labels aren’t important, then why keep harping on it, and if they are important, then take some time and think about ALL the choices and pick one that fits.
Second, in the pursuit of Aaron, Vinnie did several things that made me really uncomfortable. I kept saying to myself, if Aaron was a woman, would Vinnie’s actions be seen as “cute and charming and romantic” or “skeezy and manipulative and kinda rapey”. Aaron kept protesting he wasn’t gay and wasn’t interested in pursuing a romantic/sexual relationship and Vinnie kept putting him in situations that pushed Aaron into sexual/romantic positions. I’m sure Aaron could have stopped things at any point in time, but Vinnie wasn’t giving Aaron’s words the respect they should hold. No means no, male or female.
Third, Aaron’s issue with monogamy/cheating. I think this got conflated with his concerns about being gay when it really should have been it’s own separate issue. Who he loves has no bearing on his ability to commit. Somehow it got wrapped up in the issue that he loved a man and so therefore things had to be different. No. If he’d decided to date a woman he’d have had to eventually figure this out. What made him stray? I still don’t know. Maybe he hadn’t found the right PERSON – man or woman – and therefore kept trying to find him/her. Having found someone to love in Vinnie and deciding to be faithful to him should NOT hinge on the fact that he is or isn’t gay, bi, demi, straight, etc. The MCs needed to really take this out of the “am I gay” equation and simply address it for what it was: cheating is cheating no matter who you date (if the parties involved agree to be monogamous). This bothered me the most because it seemed to suggest that he might be more willing to cheat simply because he was with a guy and he might “crave a woman” and wouldn’t that be horrible. Well, if he was with another woman he might “crave” a different woman – and in fact he had, many times, done this – so being with a guy is NO DIFFERENT. And, hell, who knows?, he might “crave” a guy at some point. Just because he hadn’t felt attraction to a man before doesn’t mean he might not in the future. Before Vinnie he hadn’t felt attraction to a man, but he definitely desires Vinnie so why is it so impossible to think that he might find ANOTHER man attractive in the future? I just didn’t understand this “hurdle”.
Fourth, Vinnie’s poly family. Boy. On one hand I wanted to applaud them for taking a stand and doing something “abnormal” because it felt good and up until the point where Vinnie’s mom gives him her “I’m so proud of you speech” – I felt like that’s what it was. But after listening to her describe what happened, I kinda felt like she ended up railroaded into it because her family disowned her when her sister – who got pregnant by her husband and he couldn’t decide between the two sisters – and her husband decided to make the three of them a family basically because it was the best thing for the husband and she didn’t want to lose him. I didn’t see what she got from it other than NOT losing the husband. It sounded like she’d rather he didn’t have the relationship with the sister so… that wasn’t a great relationship to model things from.
Fifth, Vinnie – up until the end – was way too willing to be Aaron’s secret. That bugged me. He was even considering having an open relationship when that is NOT what he wanted. Aaron continued to say things to him that made me really wonder just what was going on between them – he didn’t really find gay porn hot, he didn’t really want to do anal but since Vinnie did he’d do it for him, he wasn’t sure he wanted to admit he was with Vinnie in a romantic relationship – and still Vinnie was all okay with this.
I didn’t get that Vinnie’s self-esteem was so low that he’d just let Aaron keep saying things that demeaned him and continue to motivate him towards deepening the relationship. It just didn’t jive.
Finally, and this is just a personal pet peeve, but why the discussion about Vinnie’s dick size? What was that even about? It’s like Aaron thought, well – since Vinnie’s dick is smaller than mine it’s ok to have feelings for him? It was strange, at best, and borderline offensive.
I guess, for me, though there were a few moments where Aaron was sweet to Vinnie and by the end he’d somewhat worked out some of his issues, so much of the story left me cringing and wishing Vinnie had better taste in men, that I can’t really say I liked this story. It confused me and made me scratch my head and sometimes I laughed, but for the most part it just seemed to lack a clear direction. I don’t know exactly what point was trying to be made regarding sexual identity and as far as the romance goes, it didn’t feel super healthy nor was it terribly romantic. The smexy times kinda made me uncomfortable because Aaron’s involvement constantly felt a bit forced.
I’m not going to give this a rating because I’m just too conflicted about the story to pick a number – it definitely got me thinking and there were some cute parts but there was just so many other things that didn’t work for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2019
Questo terzo volume della serie Loving you è un gioiellino e l’ho adorato.
I protagonisti principali sono Aaron e Vinnie. Aaron è etero e ha la fama di sciupafemmine, con addirittura due fidanzate contemporaneamente. Vinnie è un gay gold star, che significa che non è mai stato con una donna e non ha mai sentito la necessità di essere sicuro della sua sessualità facendo prove con l’altro sesso. I due diventano coinquilini e da lì le cose iniziano a cambiare.
Intorno a loro gravitano altri personaggi che, pur essendo secondari, sono fondamentali per la storia e vi si integrano perfettamente.
Non ci sono particolari drammi nella storia, tutto si svolge in un arco di tempo piuttosto breve che, tuttavia, è perfetto, non serve dilungarsi e in ogni caso il libro è bello corposo.
L’epilogo mi ha anche fatto scendere una lacrimuccia.
A parte qualche piccolo refuso qua e là, la lettura è scorrevolissima. Come ho già detto, l’ho adorato e mi sento di consigliarlo vivamente.
Per me 4,5 abbracci.
Alla prossima, la vostra Aylen.
I protagonisti principali sono Aaron e Vinnie. Aaron è etero e ha la fama di sciupafemmine, con addirittura due fidanzate contemporaneamente. Vinnie è un gay gold star, che significa che non è mai stato con una donna e non ha mai sentito la necessità di essere sicuro della sua sessualità facendo prove con l’altro sesso. I due diventano coinquilini e da lì le cose iniziano a cambiare.
Intorno a loro gravitano altri personaggi che, pur essendo secondari, sono fondamentali per la storia e vi si integrano perfettamente.
Non ci sono particolari drammi nella storia, tutto si svolge in un arco di tempo piuttosto breve che, tuttavia, è perfetto, non serve dilungarsi e in ogni caso il libro è bello corposo.
L’epilogo mi ha anche fatto scendere una lacrimuccia.
A parte qualche piccolo refuso qua e là, la lettura è scorrevolissima. Come ho già detto, l’ho adorato e mi sento di consigliarlo vivamente.
Per me 4,5 abbracci.
Alla prossima, la vostra Aylen.
November 27, 2016
I have my doubts about reading or not this book… but finally I decided to try it because I really love other Renae’s books.
I must say I enjoyed “the story”, it has a lot of cute and romantic moments. 3,5*
But yes, it has some cringing parts too ; The debates about what's supposed to be being gay or not give to me a headache -_- Are A LOT nonsense conversations about being straight although he's having a relationship with a guy??¿¿??¿? I wish I could put this off.
Plus one of the Mcs, Aaron demonstrate that he was a total dick with his girlfriends at the first part and then in a TOTAL DENIAL with vinnie at the rest of the book.
And then, they have a really beautiful epilogue. That’s the true.
I must say I enjoyed “the story”, it has a lot of cute and romantic moments. 3,5*
But yes, it has some cringing parts too ; The debates about what's supposed to be being gay or not give to me a headache -_- Are A LOT nonsense conversations about being straight although he's having a relationship with a guy??¿¿??¿? I wish I could put this off.
Plus one of the Mcs, Aaron demonstrate that he was a total dick with his girlfriends at the first part and then in a TOTAL DENIAL with vinnie at the rest of the book.
And then, they have a really beautiful epilogue. That’s the true.
December 15, 2016
1.5 stars.
I usually enjoy Renae Kaye's stories...they're warm and light-hearted. But this one was a huge disappointment. :/ I'm not going along with the GFY-shaming going around (I lurve GFY), but this was messed up. It was all "I'm gay", "I'm not gay", "I'm straight" and so on...thank you, I got that after a first dozen of times! Could you just move on with the story without getting stuck on the labels??
Repetitive and boring. Didn't enjoy this one bit.
I usually enjoy Renae Kaye's stories...they're warm and light-hearted. But this one was a huge disappointment. :/ I'm not going along with the GFY-shaming going around (I lurve GFY), but this was messed up. It was all "I'm gay", "I'm not gay", "I'm straight" and so on...thank you, I got that after a first dozen of times! Could you just move on with the story without getting stuck on the labels??
Repetitive and boring. Didn't enjoy this one bit.
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