To The Max

To The Max #1

by Julie Lynn Hayes

What's a man to do, I ask you, when his own mother is more accepting of his lycanthropy than his homosexuality? I'll tell you what I absolutely nothing. (I'm really a laid-back kind of guy, despite that werewolf thing.) Maximillian Jean-Baptiste Montague, at your service. But please, call me Max. I write a syndicated column—To The Max—offering advice to the romantically challenged, and I think I'm doing pretty well for myself. Yet I can't seem to find the backbone to stop my mother from setting me up on blind dates of the female variety. Go figure.

I do my best to get along, not cause any trouble, and keep my life on an even keel. But right now somebody's rocking my dream boat, and I don't like it. Not one little bit. My longtime live-in lover Richard is coming and going without explanation. Amy Rose, a wannabe lover from my past, is back in town, and she's brought her nephew, Morgan, who is making a play for my Richard—why does no one see that but me? And on top of all that, my mother is dating a homophobic minister, and she wants to "cure" me. Can life get any worse?

Genres: M M Romance, Shapeshifters, Paranormal

350 pages, ebook

First published March 26, 2010

About the author

Julie Lynn Hayes was born and raised in St Louis, Missouri, and still calls that city home. She first began to write over fifty years ago, and doesn’t see that stopping anytime soon. She likes to write in different genres, to stretch herself in order to see what is possible. When someone tells her something can’t be done, she feels compelled to do it. Much of her writing is in the m/m romance category.

When she isn’t writing, or working at her day job with a third party elevator inspection company, she enjoys crafts, such as cross stitch and crochet, and watching her favorite programs. Her favorite chef is Geoffrey Zakarian, and her favorite historical character is Aaron Burr—she is obsessed with all things Hamilton! Never say never is her motto!


You can contact Julie at tothemax.wolf@gmail.com.

Reviews

[Lily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maximillian 'Max' Montague lives a bit of a crazy life. He's a werewolf, gives advice to the lovelorn in a syndicated newspaper column, his family and his best friend like to get in his business and Richard, his lover of over twenty years has a habit of leaving and coming back with no explanations. On top of that his Mother still doesn't fully accept his homosexuality and an old wanna-be girlfriend is back in town and she's brought someone with her who wants to steal his boyfriend away.

The story is told through Max's POV and at first he seems to be a likable guy with a complicated life but after a while I found him to be a weak and whiny man. He's totally in love with Richard and they've been in a 'committed relationship' for twenty years. During this time Richard apparently likes to take off and do whatever it is he wants to leaving Max brokenhearted and crying until Richard decides to waltz back. No explanations given or asked for. When they are together Richard is very nice and loving but how Max puts up with that kind of behavior from him for so long was a mystery to me. This made Richard a totally unlikable character in my eyes even though when they are together he seemed nice. The story is told using flashbacks from the time they met to the present and after a while I was a bit tired of flipping back and forth. By the time I reached the end and Richard's activities are explained it just wasn't enough for me to change my mind about him or Max.

Max's relationship with his family and best friend is often chaotic as well. Even though his mother loves Richard and they've been together so long she still wants to see Max marry and have kids. Things get worse when she starts seeing a preacher who of course is totally against homosexuality. Then there's the nosy meddling best friend and a woman from his past who wants to be much more than a friend. She comes with an added complication, her cousin who sets his sights on Richard.

Another complication in Max's life is that he is a werewolf. This subplot had me a bit puzzled throughout. Are werewolves known to exist or like in real life are they considered just a myth or legend? My confusion stems from how easily those that know his secret accepted it versus how he doesn't want people to find out. Also, he is the only werewolf in this story and there is no mention of him knowing others. During the full moon Max has always locked himself away so that he has never experienced running and hunting under the moon much less been with a pack. I think the story would have worked just as well without the werewolf subplot.

I first saw this book on the coming soon page at Dreamspinner and was intrigued by the blurb. It sounded like an entertaining and fun story and I also liked the cover. Unfortunately while there are some entertaining scenes and sometimes Max's musing would bring a smile to my face overall I was disappointed and towards the end I sometimes had to force myself to continue reading.

These are just my opinions and if you like the sound of the book you may find you like it once you've read it. However, I can't recommend it.

[Adara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one took me a long time to get into because I wasn't sure where it was going, and I wasn't overly fond of certain aspects of the story. I didn't know how it was going to reach the end and I wasn't as engaged as I needed to be to move through it.

I did finally get into it within the last third of the book, and I realize that I do like the story now that I've reached the end. It grew on me over time, but getting to the end did feel like something of a chore initially. Unfortunately, I can't quite put my finger on what it was that didn't sit right with me.

I do need to add that the usage of "to the max" at the end of the chapters worked the first couple of time, but it began to feel contrived and forced by the end.

By all means, don't stick to my impressions. I do think the end is worth the read, and I'm likely to read it again to see if I feel better the second time through, now that I know what's happening. I have a feeling it'll be a different read the second time through. =)

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

Free at Dreamspinner Press right now!!! 5/9/13!

[Gwengwel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish. (As the majority)
But I did go to the ending to see "THE explication".

The werewolf's element is there only to be 'cute' but did nothing for the story. A part that his mother was rape by a werewolf, element that seems to never be mentioned again after the first few pages.

The continual change between the seventies and 2000 was not well done but pretty confusing.

If my mother was like Juliet, I'd tell her to come back when she accept me not endure her for TWENTY-FUCKING-YEARS.

Max win a gold medal for the most pathetic-without-backbone (and ostentatious) personage and Richard win one too but in the most biggest asshole's category.

It's a risk to write a story in the first personal point of view, you have to have a very interesting personage or a powerful one not a whinny baby like Max that you're going to hate after the first page.

If my boyfriend had act one time like Richard, I would have quit him, not endure for TWENTY-FUCKING-YEARS!!! If the writer wanted us to pity Max, it's a big failure in this case. And after reading his explication? I would castrate him (not that I think it's possible since his explication demonstrate his lack of balls)!!!

I think making this story take place for twenty years was a bigger error than making Max's pathetic. I would had find him sympathetic if it's had take place between, let's see, two years.

[S.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story! To be honest; this is my first werewolf book and I dreaded the thought of hearing about monthly full moon killings or springing upon unsuspecting victims...but no...it wasn't that at all!
This was an excellent tale told in Max's point of view about his 25 yr relationship with Richard...a man who's held his heart by a string ever since they met at a disco.
I wasn't sure about Richard, esp with his disappearing acts, and couldn't understand why Max wouldn't confront him (call me crazy, but I would've)...but he's mated for life to the man; so he'd understanding.

What I really liked were the flashbacks...making my brain work a bit as to where and when things were happening. Such a colorful cast of characters join Max, his mother, his best friend, cousin, etc. I never liked Amy at all; I knew she was bad news from the word "Hi."

Overall I really enjoyed this and read it in three nights...staying awake longer just to get in more of the story!

Wonderful job, Jules! I will read more of this wonderful couple...

BTW...Love the scene with Max and his mom after the truth was "revealed"!

[Serena Yates · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a hard book for me to figure out and to rate. I liked the distinctive voice that the narrator, Max, brings to events. It was funny, made me feel more as if I was following a conversation than reading a book, and is definitely pretty unique.

At the same time, it drove me up the wall. Max has no backbone, lets people walk all over him (inlcuding his lover) - and he's supposed to be a werewolf? That, by the way, seemed pretty unimportant in the scheme of things; I didn't feel it added anything to the story. I just couldn't connect to him at all.

The other thing that really threw me was the constant jumping in time. Flashbacks within memories - quite often I had to pull back to try to remind myself where in the story I was and what was going on. I may have missed something here, but for me, the plot was lost in all the back and forth.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

If gay werewolves is your thing, then this is the book for you!

In the story we follow Max, who is currently trying to deal with a wayward lover and his mother's homophobic new boyfriend as well as that pesky moon once a month.

The story is entertaining from start to finish and the way it is addressed to the reader helps to draw you in.

Max can come across as a little bit whiny at times but this is not a major problem and the other characters are all interesting and well rounded.

There is some explicit sexual description in this book - just as a warning for those who may not like erotica.

A sequel is in the pipeline, which I would definitely be keen to read!

[Ms. Nikki · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am highly disappointed. I cared not a whit for Max(so weak-willed) or Richard (for his supposedly deceiving ways). Pure drivel. The book was told with flashbacks in every chapter, kind of like a Dear Diary/Memoir. The sad thing is the writing itself would be superb for a historical read, but this story had no meaning for me. You never knew exactly what was going on and what the point of everything was. This book has frayed my nerves "To The Max"(this phrase is used repeatedly throughout the book). I might revise this after I cool down (doubt it). Let me sleep on it~

[kasjo_peja · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abandoned after few pages.

[Sallie · Rating 2 out of 5]

To the Max is the story of Maximilian Jean-Baptiste Montague, a gay werewolf. Max narrates the story of his life by jumping back and forth between the past and the present. Max’s frenzied life is the tableau on which readers meet his mother (Juliet), his best friend (Rachel) and his partner (Richard), among a host of individuals.

These characters (Rachel, Juliet and Richard) are the primary contributors to the vortex that is Max’s life. The turbulent rings in Max’s whirlpool are littered with an unaccepting mother and a supposed friend who intentionally brings an individual into Max's life who is clearly a harbinger of trouble. And then there is Richard, Max’s lover who swirls closest to Max in his vortex and impacts Max utmost.

I wish I could say I love all the characters but, with the exception of Max, the characters are not written to be loveable. Max is such a warm loving character that it pains me to witness him suffering ill treatment and it pains me to see him taking it. Max is surrounded by a pernicious cast of characters who should be most protective of him. There is just so much to dislike about Juliet, Rachel and Richard in particular because he tramples Max’s heart. Max just takes it and it’s a huge turn off. His flighty mother is disrespectful, narcissistic, and interfering. One of the first things Max tells us about his mother is "My mother has always dealt well with my being a werewolf. In fact, she finds it easier to accept than my being gay, which might explain the women she is always pushing on me and the blind dates she attempts to set me up on.”

I'm not even going to waste my time on Rachel and just skip over her and go straight to the heavyweight contender of this story in terms of being an awful person, Richard. The reader knows from the onset of the story that Max wants nothing more than to find his true mate and to be with that person for the rest of his life. Max reveals this to the reader by saying “You see, it is a peculiarity of wolves, werewolves being no exception, that when we find that particular someone who is our soulmate, we mate for life and become incapable of loving anyone else ever again.” And yet he tolerates Richard traipsing in and out of his life for many years, just disappearing whenever he wants and then showing up just as abruptly. Abracadabra, Richard is here. Abracadabra Richard is gone. Max loves Richard and suffers through many years of this transient and disrespectful behavior. For me, because I hated Richard’s mistreatment of Max, because I loathed his mother's relentless non-acceptance of his homosexuality, because Rachel helped bring down a bucket load of trouble for him and because Max just took it all, like a doormat, like the bottom of the vortex on which all the debris rests, I couldn't be sympathetic to any of the characters. By the end of the story, I wished “a plague o' both their houses[i]”, happy ending or not.

I found this review particularly difficult to write because while I'm obviously mad at the characters, I love the way Julie Lynn Hayes writes. Her joy of writing shines through. Julie Lynn Hayes has a flair for writing. It's hard to explain; I guess what I'm trying to say is, Julie Lynn Hayes writes in 3-D, the characters are so vibrant. It’s truly a gift to write with such passion that's clearly evident, even if in this case the story itself is not as lovely as the way she wrote it.

This book falls into the M/M romance/paranormal genre and is appropriate for adults. I’m giving this book 2 and 1/2 stars. Julie Lynn Hayes is a talented writer and I look forward to reading other works of her creation.

Reviewed by:
Sallie Lundy-Frommer
Author of Yesterday’s Daughter

[Margaret West · Rating 4 out of 5]

To the max is written in the first voice pov. Not a favourite of mine usually. But I have to say, after reading this. I may revise my opinion. Maximillian Jean-Baptiste Montague is a gay werewolf. Just that phrase makes me smile. His relationship with Richard spans over 20 years. It is bit of a one-sided relationship as Richard is inclined to disappear with no word. He struck me as being a little selfish throughout the book. I couldn’t warm to him as much as I did to max.
Max’s job is giving advice about love in a newspaper column. When an old girl friend, who wants to be more than a friend is back in town, she brings with her a cousin who wants to steal Richard from him. As if his life isn’t complicated enough, his mum, who doesn’t accept his sexual persuasion, dates a preacher who accepts it even less. It’s a shame Max is locked up and not allowed to hunt when he changes, I’d like to see a stronger side to him as he can come across a little too soft sometimes. Max’s life is mad and chaotic. The story is entertaining and will have you smiling to yourself in parts of it. If you don’t mind the flipping backwards and forwards occasionally, this book will keep you entertained to the end.
I give this book a Citrine. 4/5

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is hard for me to rate, I just don't like giving bad rates...
I always wanted to read it and when I won it on our group celebration I was thrilled.

BUT I've never been so disappointed in my life. I just couldn't connect with Max and Richard. Max made me crazy. I like his narrators voice, he is funny but I always wanted to say "hey grow up, stop being whiny, grow a backbone and stand up for yourself". Richard gets the prize as biggest asshole ever - he is supposed to be Max mate and not walk over him all the time. I found it sad that the werewolf element wasn't really important to the story.
Juliet is simply annoying, that woman drove me up the wall, I just couldn't stand her and it is simply beyond me why Max put up with her at all.
The flashbacks were irritating but I could deal with them... I give it 1.5 stars...

[Elf · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say "ditto!" to Lily's review...

Pro: Several cute points in the story, authorial voice is engaging.

Pro: I always like a smack down on ex-gay "counseling" >.<

Con: The Richard-disappearance angst goes so far beyond too long, and the resolution is weak. Were I in that same situation, my beau would have to buy me an island and a castle and a pony to receive forgiveness.

Con: The were plot line seemed tacked on. I wish more could have been done with that, and less with the Richard-angst.

I'm not counting this author 'out' entirely though - I enjoyed her authorial voice; my problem was that this story just missed the mark for me. Ms. Hayes could win me back with a more mature, tightly plotted novel.

[Iris · Rating 1 out of 5]

After a few pages i already stopped reading. The person just dwells on and on about things that i think don't matter at that moment. It really made me so confused that i didn't saw what the story was anymore.

[Jess Candela · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've attempted to start this a few times now but never manage to get past the first chapter.

[Calila · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank christ this book is over. Never again.