Amy Jo CousinsReseñas

Jack is the perfect person to get his own story for #2 in this series, Bend or Break.

He was an angry wild man at college so much so he recklessly threw away his prospects.

Fortunately, Tom Worthington and Reese from #1, Off Campus, reappear here too. The touching love story between Jack and Miguel rang with the same pathos as Tom and Reese's story.

I will be working my way through this series.

Once 2 books out of 3 I'd consume were romcoms, but these days I find that edgy stories and characters like this series has are more fulfilling. At minimum the romcom has got to have some edginess, like Isabel Lucero's South River University series, which I'm reading concurrently, for my imagination to be snared.

I'm very tempted to give this novel another half star, it appealed to me so much.

But I usually feel that way about novels where two isolated traumatised people find each other.

Tom Worthington is the archetypical romantic hero, though his circumstances would indicate anything but. He meets Reese Anders, his "roomie", who brings out his protective streak - he needs to rescue Reese.

But it is Reese who rescues Tom, of course. Tom faces his own demons and blooms under Reese's nurturing streak. I like that Reese calls Tom on his paranoia such as when he confuses his willingness to make people like him, with manipulation of people for an ulterior motive.

I haven't read this author before, but I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the Bend or Break series - all of which are on Hoopla - yeh Hoopla.

All Hail! Cooper North. His voice realises the potential of this novel.

The conflict occasionally felt contrived, but overall, not a bad story. Not too fluffy, not too deep. I thought this was GFY but Tom was actually bi. It felt like maybe that fact was withheld a little too long? I liked that eventually Tom started pushing back against the bi-erasure.

This definitely needed some editing help as there were practically no dialogue tags and sometimes the speaker indicated by context was actually not the speaker. Frex:

"This is my roomate, Reese. The guy with no filter is Cash. We used to run together." Nostalgia momentarily evoked, Cash turned back to him for a high five. "Run strong, bro." Tom gave a half-hearted smack at his head... The speaker in that last paragraph was Cash even though the actions are attributed to Tom. And you only know that because Tom wasn't really into the fist bump. This is what dialogue tags are for. So you don't need to parse the shit out of the text to figure out what's going on.

Anyway, this is the second by Amy Jo Cousins I've read, but I probably won't be reading another. It's just too middle-of-the-road for me to seek out any more.

4,5 stars

Best MM Anthology I have ever read.
Good plots very well written, emotion without slush, interesting characters and warm sexiness.

A Very English Christmas by Keira Andrews - 4 stars

Mr. Perfect’s Christmas by Joanna Chambers - 4.5 stars

The Christmas Ship by Amy Jo Cousins - 4 stars

That Thing by Megan Ericson - 4, 5 stars

Just Like Heaven by Suki Fleet - 5 stars

Not Your Grandfather’s Magic by Kaje Harper - 4 stars

Bottle Boys by Anyta Sunday - 3,5

Extra Mayo by Henrietta Clarke - 2 stars
I only liked the last third, everything else was preposterous IMO.

Ice Cream Dreams by Shae Connor - 2 stars
So-so and with an unsatisfactory ending.

My OTP by Bru Baker - 3.5 stars
A good mix of sexiness, romanticism and fun.

Not Quite 1776 by Therese Woodson - 3 stars
I read this yesterday and I already don't remember the name of a MC although I bear I mind the plot. So, nice but forgettable

Unmasked by Kay Walker - 4 stars
Well, what a surprise. A HFN futuristic dystopia with a lot of potential for a series.

The Bet by Holly O. Hale - 2,5 stars

Dance Hall Days by Amy Jo Cousins - 4 stars
Historical (London, 1930s). Not super original yet so well written that is a thing of beauty.

Short Timer by Jenni Michaels - 2 stars
Predictable.

Fans of RWBY may be able to tell which episodes are referenced in this novella. I've only seen a few, but it doesn't matter. Loving humor is the resilient, bouncy backbone of this story. HeartShip is comfort reading. The characters are great, just enough bad to highlight all the genuine trust, and I'm still smiling.

This one felt real. Each character is wonderfully distinct, the time it takes them to figure out their problems is realistic, the hurdles in the way feel genuine, the resolutions are organic. All of it combines into such a whole that I had to sit here several minutes to figure out how to say what I wanted to say. I loved the first book in this series. You should read it, to appreciate just how badly Jack screwed up (and also because it is a fantastic story). This one could stand alone, but it means more following Off Campus.

I don't know why I let so much time pass between reading books 2 and 3, but it was as if I'd never left. And that means strong, interesting characters, which meant Cash's story grabbed my brain and would not let go until I cried my way through the resolution at 2 AM and bought book 4 before I went to sleep.

Read the Bend or Break series. You're welcome.

This one's perfect.

I bought this on a whim (knowing the author is REALLY GOOD) and ended up reading it straight through because it is completely engaging. Each character's instantly three dimensional with personal concerns & backgrounds. The way Devin and Jay meet, good lord. Sisters!!!

Highly recommended.

This is unlike any other romance I've read -- a statement few authors get out of me.

I expected an engaging, rather light story with fun sex and some emotional steam. What I got was this guy Evan, whose learning curve with the volatile Riley is so visceral and so dependent on Evan's best qualities that I fell half in love with both of them by the end.

Cousins doesn't detail each sex scene but delivers the emotional, brilliantly. Emotion is the heart of any good romance. I've read too many explicit sex scenes that should've been left out, they're so emotionally flat. There has to be a point to including all that physical. It carries emotional weight or it's wasted words. Cousins wastes exactly zero words in Full Exposure; each one carries weight. I didn't know it for a little while as it swept in behind me. By the time I realized, I was already caught up and flying.

Vinnie is seriously repressed, so I was more than ready to see who would unlock him. His unique key, so to speak, is named Bryan. Bryan challenges Vinnie on nearly every front. Mistakes are made on both sides, which make the resolutions all the sweeter. This is a wonderful story for many reasons, highly recommended.

Is there such a thing as a fast slow-burn romance? Well, you decide. I vote yes. If you're in the mood for low angst and groups of friends and questioning sexuality, this one's for you. Were I you, I'd read HeartShip first, though it's not necessary. It just adds a whole layer of understanding if you do/have.

I found one (1) typo, in the last bit of the book, which is remarkably good.

Though I loved that Cousins included the devastation that Hurricane Maria caused - like, loved that a lot - I found the epilogue a little less tightly-written. But that last chapter, man. It pulled all my heartstrings.

This story is told from a single point of view, and the author handled it beautifully. As the character's personal fucked-upedness required, revelations are only as-needed, and, given the seriousness of this pair's issues, the time it takes is realistic. There are no magic cures. I loved it, it compelled me to read and read and made me cry and laugh and smile and really, what more do you want from a novel?

I didn't read the previous book where Rafi and Denny are introduced. Maybe that's why I didn't enjoy this one as much as I wanted to.

2.75 stars
Jack Tarkington comes home to his hometown in Iowa, dragging his suitcase and banjo and other personal baggage along behind him, fresh off of being expelled for the rest of the semester of college for bullying (book 1 in this series). He's embarrassed and angry and desperate to go back. However, before he can go back he's got a lot of growing up to do and he needs to work his way through some childhood/teenage trauma with his own family, as well as find a new balance with the guy he left behind to go to college.

The set up is great, this story had sooo much potential. Unfortunately, Ms. Cousins is so busy trying to get Jack and his high school boyfriend, Mike Vargas, bed as often as possible, she only tells us about the tension between Mike and his father, or the tensions between Jack and his mom and his father. I felt disconnected from the characters and honestly found the ending of the story to be the opposite of uplifting (though it was meant to be uplifting, I'm sure).

I don't think Ms. Cousins' writing is for me. Absolute minimum character development and way too many pages dedicated to having sex of some kind or another. One scene took 13 pages of text to get through. The phone sex scene took up 9. I did not go back and count earlier scenes.

Yes, these guys are 21, but they both act like they're in high school when they're together. I get they're young and horny, but both are good at avoidance. It's so frustrating to read. Usually I like second chance romance, but this one just fell flat on its face. >splat

[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

Tom Worthington is excited to be back at school. After his father was arrested and he lost everything, he thought he would never be able to finish his degree. But now he stands outside the door of his room in Perkins House, an off campus residence, knowing it's a possibility. Yes, he was only barely able to pay the first semester's tuition and he'll only be able to pay the next if he keeps his spending to a minimum and returns to Boston to drive a taxi every weekend. But right now he's just excited to have a bed and can't wait to fall into it and sleep.

He discovers a hitch in that plan as soon as he opens the door. His room is a double and his roommate was obviously not expecting him (as evidenced by his co-opting the second bed as a makeshift sofa). When his roommate, Reese, appears in the door moments later, his suspicion is confirmed. Tom wonders how someone as young as Reese ended up in Perkins house, but for the moment he really just wants to get some sleep. Reese is determined to see him gone, though, and is very open about the fact that he is gay. That's not enough to scare Tom off, though, and it quickly becomes clear that the two of them living together is going to be a boundary-pushing experience for them both. But will they be able to push past their respective walls to reveal both of their hidden truths? And once things are out in the open, what more might be lurking there for them to learn about each other and themselves?

I had a hard time putting this one down. From the very beginning, I was easily intrigued by Tom and Reese, and I was indeed impatient to see where things were headed. Amy Jo Cousins has demonstrated a real skill in character development here. Even the secondary characters--Cash, Steph, the other Perkins House residents, and even Jack--have a level of easy and realistic complexity that helps bring this world to life.

The overall subject matter here is colored by angst. Both Tom and Reese are dealing with some heavy stuff from their past and only gets intensified as they are thrown into the same living space. But the book manages to stay a bit on the lighter side (we can probably thank Cash for some of that). Aside from the fact that I felt like Tom's issues really dragged on in a bit too much (and found it slightly frustrating) the overall story was not too overshadowed by that aspect of things.

I recommend this one. I'm looking forward to the second installment to see what happens to Jack. Maybe we'll get a chance to see him redeem himself a bit, too.

[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author via the Goodreads M/M Romance Group's "Don't Buy Me Love" program in exchange for an honest review.]

Jack Tarkington messed up. When he gave Tom Worthington a hard time because Tom's father caused Jack's parents to lose all of their savings (and Jack's college fund) in an investment scheme, he hadn't exactly realized the implications of his actions. Now suspended--and facing expulsion--for harassment, he is forced to do the one thing he told himself he would never ever do. He's returning to his hometown in Iowa. Jack left so much behind when he left, and he still feels most of that was for the better. But he's not in town for long before he runs into the one thing he left behind that he regrets--MIguel. Jack's high school best friend (and boyfriend) certainly hasn't forgotten that Jack left him, either. And when he's only back because he was forced to come home, not because he wanted to, certainly doesn't give Miguel any hope that Jack has changed. But will the break from school and return to his past help Jack find what he really wants? And will he be able to make the best of the second chances he finds for himself and for Miguel?

In the first book, Jack is nowhere close to a likable character. Even though we earn a bit about his motivation in the end, it's still not enough to get past the way he acted toward Tom and Reese. Learning more about him and his past, however, added a whole dimension to Jack that helped me to understand him even better. The character development in this book (both for Jack and for Miguel) is incredible while never feeling forced or overdone. I am very much a fan of the way this series seems to be progressing and am definitely looking forward to the next installment.

Spoilt rock stars aren't normally something that catch my attention. But lucky for me I didn't read the blurb on this.
I think it helped that none of this story was told from Riley's POV. We got Evan's side of the story, his perception of Riley's needs and wants, along with his own insecurities about the longevity of any sort of relationship with a rock star.
Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

A Very English Christmas by Keira Andrews - I haven't read the stories this short is connected to but that didn't impact on my enjoyment of this very cute story.

Mr Perfect's Christmas by Joanna Chambers - Perfect. *Happy sigh*

The Christmas Ship by Amy Jo Cousins - So cute.

That Thing by Megan Erickson - my only issue with this is the dual first person pov. It's possibly my least favourite thing. The story and the characters were great, sweet and hot, with a true HEA. But too often I was distracted trying to remember whose pov we were in.

Just Like Heaven by Suki Fleet - a damaged soul with armour around his heart and a sweet virgin. Gorgeous.

Not Your Grandfather's Magic by Kaje Harper - Aww, poor Zeb. Although...maybe not. This was really sweet, bittersweet in places, but overall left me warm and fuzzy. And I loved the way the two guys met!


Bottle Boys by Anyta Sunday - I worried about this one at the beginning. So many characters introduced in the first few paragraphs. But within a few pages my worries settled down and I fell in love with this super sweet story. Only two complaints: I struggled to understand why in particular it was set in Germany, it didn't feel particularly European to me, and what was going on with Marco?

Overall an exceptional anthology with well written stories, just sweet enough for the season. Highly recommended for some holiday cheer.

I loved the short story this was based from. Time to buy the extended version.

2.5 stars

Oi! Its me not the book. I wanted to loved this but i ended up being disappointed



There was a story here that i might have enjoyed but it dragged,on and on and on.........Tom's inner monologue became repetitive and i stopped feeling sorry for him.



On the upside i loved Cash.

There are some good reviews, so maybe its me not the book. I feel if i read this in 2015 maybe i would have enjoyed it but after reading so many MM books i guess i am over the manufactured break-up 'miscommunication thing' that happens between 75%-80% then the reunion at 90% i just can't deal.

It's better than the first book, not sure I will read the third when it comes out though.

I recommend this for someone who loves instalove, which I don't.
I'm all for the slowburn.
But I still might read the second book in the series. Just beacause of the cover (the guy looks a bit like 50 Cent, isn't he? ) ;)

3.5 starts
This was a short, lighthearted, and an incredibly cute read. I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to the next in series :)