And I’m done. I actually read part of the acknowledgments, but only to confirm that Ellis does use beta readers and apparently has an editor/reading group, but I’m still suspicious. She also thanks someone for creating the covers for her and I’m still in awe that she loves them. I know you’re not supposed to judge, but they’re just bad.
95% sure it wasn’t worth the hate read, but at least it got me through them and I don’t feel like I wasted money on them. I just have to keep even more vigilant about self-published works, especially on Amazon.
Honestly, I’m not sure what pissed me off most about this novel. From the writing, the bad LGBT politics/research, the lack of understanding of the LGBT community, or something else completely intangible.
The fact that it’s billed as a “gay-for-you” novel, but really it’s a gay man and a bisexual man finding happiness and building a family together really pissed me off. Kade is not “gay for” anyone. He’s acknowledging his bisexuality, coming to terms with it, and exploring a relationship with Cameron.
“‘Nah, once I admitted to myself that I likely had some bi-sexuality or at the least some bi-curiosity, the basketball season was over, I met my next girlfriend, and that was that. School ended, I prepared for college, and I shoved the feelings to the back of my mind.’ I wondered about the words even as I said them. ‘Honestly, dating girls was easier than even contemplating what it meant that I found guys attractive. So, I took the easy way all the way.'” (Loc. 14,242)
I had this same issue with Bryan & Jase, Ellis clearly wrote the characters as bisexual (giving them same-sex desires from an early age) and yet billed them as “gay for” romance novels. UGH.
Then there’s the writing. The first one got me because if the characters are supposedly best friends, you’d think he would know what his best friends kids called their other father and not just a generic “loved one.” Seriously, how lazy can you get. The second one killed me because it was just such a horrible description or the phrasing was weird. I realize that she was saying it went from light to dark, but come on to compare it to night was again super lazy/sloppy.
“My heart ached for Cameron and his sons as they faced their lives without their loved one.” (Loc. 13,615)
“The sky became as black as night and clouds swirled over and around us.” (Loc. 15,141)
And then, once again like in Bryan & Jase, we get the horrible research about men, but in particular gay men, not being able to gain custody of their kids.
“I feel like she’s helping me build a fairly strong case against her getting primary custody, but you never know how judges are going to rule. A lot of them rule in favor of the mother no matter what.” (Loc. 16,030)
“‘No judge is going to give a couple gay guys rights to two little boys when their mother and her fiancée are willing and able to take care of them.’ Stephanie sneered her words. ‘And, we all know this area of the country is exceptionally pro-mother. You don’t have a chance in hell.'” (Loc. 16,145)
I mean what horseshit is this. She tried to explain it away with everyone’s reactions to the first book, but I’m still not buying it. Sure she’s in Indiana where the infamous Vice President Pence was an uber conservative governor, but seriously one or two court cases do not make a stereotype/standard. That being said, remembering how liberal she was with stereotypes I shouldn’t be surprised she heard about one case and then clung to it for this “story.”
Recommendation: Nope. Don’t bother with it. A better writer (or even editor) could’ve made more out of this story. There were random characters that had no introduction, the writing in general was mediocre, and even the feelings the story generated were barely worth the read.
Opening Line: “‘Cam, babe, we need to talk,’ Deacon’s words were a ragged whisper as he struggled to breathe through the oxygen mask strapped to his face.”
Closing: “But, most importantly, we lived life and learned to love again.” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)
Other Books in the Something About Him Series
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