| Title | : | Pricks and Pragmatism (Southampton Stories #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1609281942 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781609281946 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 60 |
| Publication | : | First published September 9, 2010 |
English student and aspiring journalist Luke Corbin should be studying. Instead he’s facing homelessness, thanks to the lover who’s just kicking him out of their posh digs. It’s not his first rejection—his father tossed him out at age sixteen—but Luke has no problem trading his favors for a home and security. Especially with rich, powerful, handsome men.
Except now, with finals bearing down, there’s no time to be choosy. He needs a roof over his head and he needs it now. Even if it means settling temporarily for a geeky, less-than-well-off chemical engineer called Russell.
Luke’s fully prepared to put out for the guy—because after all, in this world no one gets something for nothing. But Russell isn’t just a nerd; he’s an honourable nerd who wants to save himself for someone special.
At first Luke is annoyed, but the more time he spends with Russell, the closer he comes to a devastating realization. He wants to be that someone special. Except he’s fallen for the one man he can’t seem to charm…
Pricks and Pragmatism (Southampton Stories #1) Reviews
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Y'know...
It's the third J.L. Merrow story I've read that lays out unappealing or disturbing or even outright repellant circumstances and still manages to make me feel things for people who are, at best, disquieting, and at worst outright appalling.
She's a crafty one, that Merrow.
How else to explain why the travails of a mooching, self-absorbed demi-prostitute should even register with me, let alone make me cry a little in sympathetic misery?
Even the revolting poser friend who mangles French managed to surprise me, when he pops round the pub to tell the narrator to fuck off, there's a good chap, Russel's too good for you.
And then stays to make sure.
Crafty.
Fearless, and skilled, Merrow is. No other explanation.
Keep your eyes open when you read this one. -
3.5 stars
I started out disliking Luke (not that there was much to like about him in the beginning, mind,) but I gradually warmed up to him and ended up rooting for him and Russel. Russel was the shy, socially challenged geek you love and feel protective of from the get go.
I would have liked a bit more info on what happened with Luke's father, but I suppose it went all right, he was already making an effort.
But anyway. This was a sweet story about two guys who find love in an unexpected way and I liked it fine. -
Hiding behind a smile, a protective smile, that hides all the hurts. Wearing your hurts on your sleeve is not the done thing, after all.
Yes I loved this poignant little short. Quiet, without lots of fanfare but with a good punch.
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4.5 Stars
This was such a sweet and fun read. Luke's voice just sucked me right in. Of course I want more because I'm greedy like that. Some of the scenes seemed a little rushed but the ending was satisfying.
There were so many lol moments. This one had me going for a bit: I watched sadly as he scampered to the kitchen like a virginal Hobbit being chased by a sex-mad Ring-wrath. HAHA, ok big LOTR fan here.
This will definitely be one of my go to books when I need a little lift. -
This is entitled: WHY DO I KEEP WRITING SUCH LONG FUCKING REVIEWS
The first time I read this book was directly after falling head over heels in love with Merrow's
Muscling Through. Now that's a book I enjoy as a "good read" but I also admire it for its FUCKING AWESOME WRITING. Merrow is just so damn good.
So, in light of that, I was rather disappointed in this book. I thought Luke was, yes, a pragmatist, but also a giant PRICK. Just a big knobhead to be British about it. Yes, he improved as the book went on but in the beginning he was fond of making comments like this:And to be honest, I'd never had a lot to do with socially retarded saddo types.
Ok. Luke's far from the first person to think this way or even say it out loud, but nonetheless it kind of ticked me off. Mainly because this is the perfect description of yours truly. Minus a mention of half a lifetime of drugs, of course. (Doctor approved, people, not coke. Sheesh!) Normally, I don't take such comments too seriously (total lie) but my thought was, well FUCK YOU, JAG OFF.
But I'm really glad to say that I liked this book a lot more on the second read through. Merrow lets us see that Luke, even in the very beginning, knows he’s, if not a total prick, definitely on his way to becoming one:There's only one thing I don't like about my looks: my eyes. When I was a little kid they were bright blue, just like my mum's, but these days they've faded to grey, and where I'm blond now they can look a bit cold.
We later learn that it when he was 16 and still a kid, his mother died, leaving him with a less than supportive father. That was probably the last time he felt loved, felt like he had more to offer than a pretty face and peach-like bottom. When I realized that Luke was really just a sad little boy with a dickish exterior, with no one who really loved him, I started sympathizing with him.
But Luke is and will probably always be a little self-involved, someone who protects himself first. A bit of a prick. Luckily he meets the saddo, socially-retarded Russell. I do love how Luke first describes Russell:He…just stared into his coffee cup as if helpful suggestions were going to spell themselves out on the foam on top. His fingers linked around the sides of the mug like he was giving it a cuddle.
Ok, this I laughed at because, again, it sounds exactly like me (what can I say, I’m as self-involved as Luke). I often cuddle my coffee cup, hoping it’ll provide me with something profound or funny to say. It hasn’t yet, but I continue to live in hope.
Luke forms a friendship with Russell. And he pretty quickly falls for him, though he won’t admit it and the reader barely notices his feelings. Like I said, Merrow is a very subtle writer, she gives few hints – like Luke enjoying making dinner Russell. Or spending what little money he has on a birthday present for Russell. Maybe he sees this as obligation because for once he isn’t sleeping with Russell in recompense for his room and board. But he didn’t have to pick something he knows Russell will like so much. It shows a thoughtfulness that Luke never shows for anyone else.
What I loved most about this book is that Luke, although concerned with his own appearance, never encourages Russell to go out and get a whole new wardrobe. It’s mentioned once and then totally forgotten. Luke doesn’t care that Russell has a beard and glasses and has a bit of a tummy. He loves Russell as he is and I just love that. He’s happy that he’s the only person to really see and love Russell for the wonderful guy he is. And, yeah, maybe this is just further proof of Luke's selfishness, but it also shows that he’s less concerned with outside appearances as he thought he was. As we thought he was.
Luke and Russell actually make an appearance in Merrow’s
Hard Tail. Luke really shows how possessive he is when the MC in that book dares to talk a little too nicely to Russell. It was so freakin’ cute. Luke's a spoiled little boy that you can’t help being amused by when he insists on not sharing his toys. Only HE knows how to love them properly.
The only real problem I had with this book is the sex Luke has with 2 other guys. Now, I don’t normally mind this. I’m not a person that thinks once you meet your true love, all other penis’s are verboten. (I do think they’re verboten after a couple gets together, though – in MM Romance, anyway.) My problem is when he sleeps with one of these men. It all happened a too little quickly for my taste.
Anyway, this isn’t Merrow’s best book, but I really enjoyed it and I hope you will too.
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Possibly I wouldn’t grade this so highly if I were more familiar with m/m, but it seemed unique to me as well as delightful. What I most liked about it is that though it’s unquestionably a romance, it seemed to be aiming more for authenticity than for pleasing straight women readers. (I have no idea whether it was written by a man or a woman and I don’t much care.)
Our narrator Luke is a homeless student who gets by on his looks, charm, and belief that sex is meaningless. (He’s outraged at the suggestion that he sells himself, but when you have to pretend you like it rough just to have a place to live, what else can you call it, really?) His lifestyle is totally acceptable in his circles and he thinks nothing of being passed along to a friend of a friend he hasn’t even met -- even when Russell turns out to be geeky and hairy. But though Russell is willing to take Luke in, he refuses to accept any sexual favors from him -- which leaves Luke first baffled and irritated, and then, as he gets to know Russell, increasingly wistful.
I love romance based on slowly growing attraction. When Russell initially rejects him, Luke feels like screaming at him, “with his stupid nerdy glasses and his bony elbows and his beardy weirdy face even his mother only pretended to love.” But he starts to notice how Russell’s eyes crinkle when he smiles, along with how kind and companionable he is, and soon he’s having “weird hot dreams about hairy chests and whiskery kisses.” And he goes from feeling like he’d be doing Russell a favor in sleeping with him to feeling like he can’t possibly be good enough for such a special man.
This is a terrific short character study, both of Luke and of Russell, although we get less insight into him. The sex scenes -- those not with Russell -- are deeply sad and show how dependent Luke is on sex to bolster his self-esteem. Initially seeming glib and callous, Luke is revealed to be really damaged and needing love and care. It’s ultimately very sweet and satisfying. -
This took me a bit to warm up to as I couldn't really relate to Luke, the narrator. In addition I found Luke and Russell's communication difficulties rather fake and getting Russell's side through Luke's POV just makes Luke seem kind of stupid for not "getting" it, despite the fact I can relate to a sort of relationship blindspot. Still, somehow I generally liked it and came away from the story with a favorable inclination toward the author. I'm certainly willing to try JL Merrow's other books down the road. Then again, I just finished reading it like half an hour ago and had to go check what Russell's name was to write this review, so take what you will from that bit of info...
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This is a sweet, short, low-angst story about a young college student who has been trading sex for room and board, and his reactions to living with a man who doesn't seem to want to make that trade. A very believable, sympathetic, slightly confused main character with a tough past makes this a delightful and engrossing, if somewhat lightweight, story.
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I'm giving this a 3.5. Luke is absolutely adorable as this story is told in his point of view. Yes, he uses sells himself with sex so he can crash in people's apartments as he finishes school - but he is so darn funny. He meets Russell - super geeky, bearded (swoon) 30 yr old virgin (OMG SWOON)and 95% of this book is them living together, awkwardly at first, and eventually becoming friends. My only complaint is that I wish we would have seen them in an actual relationship for longer than a few pages. I waited all book and I felt a little let down at the end. It ended SO abruptly. I wanted more smexy time with them.
Otherwise, super cute story!! Love this author's voice!! -
I adored this book. I loved both the protagonist and the love interest. The sweetness of this story is hard to describe. It's subtle and slow and seductive. Like their relationship. I was so involved in this romance that I had to read through the novel in one night to get my happy ending. I really wanted it for these two.
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It was a fine story, but I've got to give it only three stars because it was so predictable and formulaic. I guess I expect a wee bit more from J.L. Merrow.
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The plot of this book is actually pretty good and it's definitely sweet enough, but I just couldn't connect to any character. The beginning of this held a lot of promise, but gradually I just started to find myself getting more and more distracted while reading. If this had been more fully developed and longer, I could see this plot and the characters really turning into something fantastic. As it stands, it just left me feeling like I got 1/3 of a story.
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Pricks and Pragmatism is a delightful and absorbing read. It’s just a quick novella – 50 pages – but it’s worth reading. The writing is clever, sly, and witty with a lot of quick one-liners and classic characters. The tension and conflict plays off obvious and exaggerated tropes but that doesn’t diminish the entertainment factor. Luke will warm your heart while Russell is adorable as a geek. They don’t stretch beyond their pre-determined boxes but the strong writing makes this worthwhile reading.
Luke is an English major that manages to support himself by finding rich men to take care of him in exchange for sex and companionship. He’s an easy going guy that can cook and loves sex so he doesn’t have much trouble finding a new man to land with and is always calm and appreciative when he’s told to go. When his last man asks him to leave a mere three weeks before finals, Luke ends up with Russell. Russell is not his type – a geeky engineer who’s still a virgin at 30 – but not only that, Russell doesn’t let Luke pay his way with sex. Instead the two develop a friendship which may turn into something else if only both men can admit their feelings.
The story relies on some classic tropes that are a stretch but not so much it’ll affect your enjoyment. For starters Luke is an affable, handsome young man that never has trouble finding a new man to house and feed him for as long as the sex remains good between them. He’s desperate to be loved and wanted but is convinced no one ever will so he’s constantly quick to jump to the conclusion he’s being told to leave. To his credit, it’s often true but this defense mechanism causes the most conflict and tension between him and Russell. For Russell’s side he’s a thirty year old virgin, which I can’t imagine he couldn’t find –anyone- in all that time that he liked enough to have sex. Russell isn’t really socially backward or unattractive so I wish that hadn’t been so exaggerated. Yet he’s a solid, warm hearted man that wants to help Luke with no ulterior motive.
The two are an interesting pair in that not quite opposites attract way. The attraction is there at the start but deepens as their friendship becomes something real. This is where the story really shines in how Russell becomes more attractive to Luke the more time they spend together. Luke realizes he appreciates Russell’s sense of humor, the laugh lines around his eyes, and other small details and slowly falls in love. It’s not immediate and not based on sex at all, but instead shared interests and deepening emotion. There is conflict of course because Luke believes Russell doesn’t want him and Russell figures Luke will leave him for the next handsome man so of course that takes the course of the story to figure out and end happily.
The writing and quick wit displayed throughout in addition to the solid characters makes the story simply fun to read. There are numerous touches of humor and dry wit that come across, mostly in Luke’s thoughts, but they keep the story engaging and entertaining even if the story may be predictable and familiar. An example of one of the many quips offered is where early on Luke tries to seduce Russell thinking that working out naked may attract Russell and keep them on an even footing, but of course that doesn’t happen.
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“Well, that went well,” I muttered to my cock, which had optimistically jumped up when I did. All pumped up with nowhere to go. I took it for a shower and gave it a few strokes to make it feel better, but it wasn’t fooled. It knew it was just my hand tugging on it. (pg. 19)
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For a quick novella, the story just delivers. It’s a familiar one that readers have read before but still works due to the fresh writing and good characterization. I think it’ll be a big hit with romance fans. -
Luke Corbin is a kept man; true, he is doing that only to support himself during college, and he is not that he asks for money, even if he doesn’t refuse expensive gift if they come, but his lovers are usually high executive men with nice and posh apartments where Luke can “land” from lover to lover. Only that the last in this string of lovers asks him to move out when Luke has not yet found a substitute, and a friend, former lover, proposes him to move with Russell. Russell is not as rich as his other lovers but his friend tells him he would do more or less a charity project since Russell is apparently unable to get a date.
Yes, Russell indeed is more a nerd than an executive, he is a chemical engineer and he is as geeky as his job. Plus he is not really able to exalt his assets and so, at almost 30 years old, he is still a virgin. You would think he would be on Luke as soon as he moves in, and instead Russell offers Luke the guest room and plenty of space to study without asking anything back. Luke takes upon himself the job of cooking Russell dinner, with the groceries Russell is buying by the way, but other than that, and only since Luke offered, Russell seems to be content with being simply roommate.
I like that the author didn’t choose the easy and obvious way of making Luke see the light as soon as he meets Russell; on the contrary, Luke will go and search for sex, and finding it, two times while he is staying with Russell, and the second time it actually hurts not only Russell, but also me that was reading since it was clear that Russell had feelings for Luke, and Luke was a bit superficial to not notice it. But I think both time served to Luke to understand it was really no more possible for him to continue like before Russell, without Luke being aware of it, Russell changed him, ruining him for any other relationship without strings attached.
Both characters had their deep layers, Russell obviously so shy to not being able to have a social life, so shy to arrive to 30 years without any action neither when action was inside his same home; Luke with a little of Electra complex, an unresolved situation with his father that turned in Luke avoiding serious relationship and trying to prove to his own father, even if they actually didn’t talk at all, that he was not the sissy boy his father accused him to be; this complex was clear even in Luke’s almost obsession with his looks, he did everything necessary to put on muscles and lose the fragile looks he had when he was 16 years old and he was kicked out of his native home.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00436EZGM/?... -
3-1/2 stars. I loved the author's voice. Luke cracked me up so many times. He was just so snarky and funny and the thoughts that flowed thru his head were hilarious sometimes.
I really enjoyed the way Luke and Russel became friends first. My heart ached for Luke at times -so convinced he was not worthy of being Russel's someone special. But...the book ends SO abruptly. Seriously, within a couple of pages you have them finally getting together as a couple and then the end. Russell is a virgin in the book and Luke trades sexual favors for a place to stay. They have very different views on sex throughout most of the book. I was reading the book, lookins forward to them getting together, and they trade BJs and that's all. The end. :-O I was so disappointed. I didn't get to see them together as a couple for but a couple of pages, and technically Russell's still a virgin at the rnd of the book.
1 more chapter, or even an epilogue, would have made me happy. I've read other books that don't have actual smex and enjoyed them, but in those, the guys were in a relationship for part of the book. It's just that I got so invested in their relationship, but really never got to see but a peek of them as a couple. -
Merrow rocks short form.
Love you just the way you are.
Opposites attract. -
4.5 stars
Great little story. Like most shorts I wish it had been longer but to my surprise J.L. Merrow was able to make me understand and feel for the characters. Luke the good looking, never has trouble finding a guy type who is actually a lonely, very insecure sweetheart, or he was to me at least. And shy kind of nerdy Russell a teddy bear of a man I just wanted to cuddle, that takes Luke in when he is need of a place to stay. This book has an HEA that takes the whole story to get to which was nice and sweet and lovely. A wonderful little love story..... I wish there were more like it! -
Like fish and chips. Coming home. And a real nerd on top. :)
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Audio - I'm really undecided, and on the fence about how I feel on this one. On one side I think the narrator Mark did a good job with these two main characters and giving them each some depth for their roles in the story. On the other side, I think maybe this narration was just not for me (personally). It was kind of hard for me to follow along in some spots, I had to rewind and re-listen a few times, but again, I think it was just me not being used to the accent the narrator had and not really the narrator himself.
Book - Luke was kicked out when he was a teen. He basically goes from house to house doing "favors" for guys, like a friends with benefits type deal, in exchange for places to stay. When the most recent guy kicks him out he moves in with a friend of a friend named Russell. Russell is a steady and stable, dorky, hairy bear of a guy who decides to let Luke move in until he lands on his feet. They become friends but Russell refuses the "benefits" Luke keeps trying to offer him, since Russell is waiting for "The One". This book was alright, Short and Cute, and fun, I liked Luke's Snarky attitude, but not necessarily Luke himself at times since his attitude was kind of Douchey at best. I think maybe I would have liked the book more overall if I had just read it and not "listened" to it. -
Audiobook Review
Story: 2 stars
Narration: 2 stars
This is a very weak story that tried for something, I don’t know if it was supposed to be charming or what, but failed miserably. It told the story of Luke, who sleeps with men for a place to stay and when his current lover finds someone new he needs a new place while finishing up his last few weeks of school. His ex sends him to Russell’s. Russell is not like Luke’s previous boyfriends, he’s nerdy and unkempt, quiet and shy. He also doesn’t expect sex in return which throws Luke off course because that’s all he’s been good for in the past.
The story tries to build up a friendship between Luke and Russell but fails to do so, especially with Luke hooking up with other guys just because he thinks Russell doesn’t want him. For me there wasn’t enough of a spark between Luke and Russell for the friendship to turn to love. There’s way too much of Luke screwing other men, up to the last 15 minutes of the book. Russell is a virgin and his first time is with someone who was just screwed by another guy. That is not a romance to me.
The narration wouldn’t have been bad except the narrator spoke with huge pauses between words. Maybe this was done for some dramatic effect but it didn’t work at all. -
Ever since his father tossed him out at the age of sixteen, English student Luke Corbin has been living his life by trading favors for a place to stay. Since he cannot afford to pay the rent, he is willing to pay in other ways. His principle is "You scratch my back, I scratch yours". His lovers are always those who are wealthy and handsome. However, when his current beau, Sebastian, tells him, that Luke needs to move out the apartment in times for the finals, Luke is scrambled to find a quick resort.
With a help from a friend, he ends up settling temporarily with a geekey chemical engineer, Russell. However, different with anyone else, Russell doesn't want anything from Luke. In fact, he seems to always run quickly whenever Luke makes a sexual advance. Oh, Russell is gay, but he seems to want someone special to share the sexual relationship, not for casual flings. After awhile, Luke finds himself enjoying the friendship and the comfortable arrangement with Russell. Unfortunately, the longer he stays, the more Luke realizes that he wants to be someone special to Russell, someone more than just a roommate. But with an honorable streak that Russell has, there is no way that he will want anything to do with someone like him, right?
Oh, I love, LOVE this story. It's so sweet and exactly what I want in a romance. There are no fuck fest scenes in every pages that bore the hell out of me. There are no handsome perfect guys that make me rolled my eyes because yeah, the world is not THAT perfect. Sure, Luke is said to be attractive, but Russell is your daily kind of nerdy teddy bear.
There is a build up in their relationship: from the first meeting, into the comfortable friendship (Luke cooking for Russell, watching DVDs and such -- Russell is such a nerd with those X-Men DVDs!), until Luke realizes that he is fallen for Russell. It strings along in perfect pace for me because I'm not always in favor for quick-love-lust-fuck in the first sight. The story also has some funny lines ("I watched sadly as he scampered to the kitchen like a virginal Hobbit being chased by a sex-mad Ring-wraith") that make me laugh.
There are a couple of things that niggle me a bit: (1) The fact that Russell is a thirty year old virgin is a bit too much; no need to have that just to confirm that Russell wants someone special (2) The scene towards the end with Sebastian, which annoys me a bit, because I don't think Luke needs to go all the way -- even if the end result (with Russell) is what I have expected. However, in the general sense of things, I am willing to let it go because I just love the story so much. I wish there are more scenes of Luke and his father after the reconciliation, but I can just imagine it :) -
Wow...just wow! P&P is such a laugh-out-loud, charming tale of finding love where you least expect it. In this case for Luke, it comes in the form of furry, nerdy, Russell. After a series of "arrangements", whereby Luke puts out for a place to stay, he fines himself in the unlikely apartment of a certified geek who doesn't seem to have to slightest attraction to him in the least.
Poor Luke is out of his element as Russell seems oblivious to each of his sexual advances; my fav being the seen where he decides to exercise in the buff around the time Russell comes home from work.
After Russell dashes of to his bedroom completely mortified, the following is Luke's response:
"Well, that went well," I muttered to my cock,which had optimistically jumped up when I did. All pumped up with nowhere to go. I took it for a shower and gave it a few strokes to make it feel better, but it wasn't fooled. It knew I was just my hand tugging on it."
Brilliantly funny and a nice hot ending! -
4.5 stars
P&P is a very simple and enjoyable tale. There were no real surprises, but for this sort of story it didn't really matter - it was still a fun journey towards a sweet and satisfying ending.
I liked Luke and Russell. Not overly buff, impossibly gorgeous men. Here are two ordinary guys and I loved that. My only complaint is that I would have liked a bit more insight into Russell's past and what makes him tick. I would have liked to see him be developed more.
Another strength is the author's working-class "Brit" voice, which gives her characters and story a delightfully down to earth tone. I very much enjoy J.L. Merrow's stories set in the UK - they seem to have a lot more character and charm than her more generic US-based stories.
In summary, P&P is a fun and sweet fairytale when you're looking for something to put you in a good mood. :-) -
Normally if a book has "cheating" I hate it. This wasn't really cheating because neither man was in a relationship with the other. Still it did come across an awful lot like cheating. I am enough of a romantic to want the other guy to realize before sex that his man isn't the jerk about to do him. Luke was that little bit too "slutty" for me to really like. Russell is so sweet and nice he is unbelievable.
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I don't know whether it's because I'm from a Commonwealth country, but I really like Merrow's Britishness. Even if the story's not spectacular, I always enjoy the setting and style of writing. Other than that I really don't have too much to say about this book, it's a solid novella-length romance about two fairly clueless guys. Predictable as anything, but enjoyable enough.
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4.5 stars
Russel the lovable virgin bear!!! One of the best characters ever :D -
How weird is it that I didn't remember I'd listened to this rather than reading it? That might seem as if I didn't like the narration, but actually Mark Steadman's a pleasure to listen to. I wish I liked Merrow's Shamwell Tales series more than I do, because Steadman's narrated all of them. Damn.
Four stars instead of five mainly because this somehow felt a little thin even though when I consider some of the things a longer narrative might have addressed -- Luke's family history; Russell's relationships with the secondary characters who're supposed to be his friends -- they are accounted for. And yet.
An interesting feature of Merrow's handling of Luke's situation is that he's absolutely a sex worker: he's very good-looking and amiable and has some serious I'm-fine-really-I'm-fine-look-at-me-smiling chops, all of which since, he's been cast out by his father and is a dead-broke student, he trades for a series of roofs over his head. But none of the potentially relevant labels (sex worker, rent boy, prostitute) are ever applied to him. It's very matter-of-fact, and I like that, only I also wonder whether it just avoids addressing the issue of stigma.
I also liked that although Russell is a lovely person, he's imperfect, as demonstrated when he oversteps the boundaries Luke has established around the subject of his family. Luke is furious, rightly so, and I appreciate it that although Merrow gave Russell's action a better result than Luke might have expected, it wasn't retrospectively justified by a fairytale-perfect outcome.
Two things I didn't like, one potentially serious and the other trivial. Potentially serious: one of Luke's exes, if that's the right word -- exploiters, maybe? -- is characterized as liking "rough stuff," which Luke pretended to like for the sake of having somewhere to live. I always get a little twitchy when a narrative makes no explicit distinction between liking BDSM-adjacent sex and being an inconsiderate asshole. The trivial thing is Russell's beard. I hate facial hair more extensive than scruff anyway, but Russell's beard is even worse because it's completely unkempt. Eugh. I get why Merrow did that -- the whole point is that Russell is so decent and kind that gorgeous, sexy Luke, who everyone expects will only be interested in men who look like underwear models, falls for him despite his surface unattractiveness. But oh, God, that beard. I had to mentally edit it out, or at least make Russell groom it a bit in an epilogue, because his self-image has improved so much or whatever. I am desperately grateful to Merrow for not sending Russell to the gym to get a six-pack, because I get sick unto death of the trope that sexual attractiveness and gym bodies make a 100% overlapping Venn diagram.
Good lord, that cover illustration is dreadful. -
3.5 Stars.
I love a kind lead matched with a cynical one. We have that here is spades. Luke is beyond jaded and guarded. When he falls for the super sweet and open nerdy hero, it is the best.
Luke is with other people during the book but there is no cheating. This is a slow burn romance.
I wish we had more couple and relationship time after they get together to make this a really great romance. -
I so wanted to enjoy this book more. I just didn't warm up to Luke. He was an asshole. A total survivor which I understand, but still an understand. I hated that . Russell deserved better than that.
