I really enjoyed "All I Want" by Megan Lowe. I had the pleasure of receiving a complementary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Having only read one other book in this series, I was surprised at how easily I was able to jump into the story and have enough back story to not feel lost. This main character was introduced to us in the book prior to this one and it was fun to get to know more about why he is the way he is and see him move forward in this book.
The BMX elements were new to me, but I certainly learned a few new things while reading the book and the steamy scenes certainly kept things interesting.
A great addition to your book collection.
Happy Reading...enjoy! ( )

It's rare to come across queer romance novels representing the world outside of the UK, US, and Canada, so I was really excited to receive and review this book, set in New Zealand and Australia. It didn't hurt that the cover art deviates from the m/m genre's typical stock-photo-mashups, instead bearing a single photo that looks fresh and thoughtfully chosen to reflect the characters. Promising signs, all...which the story, sadly, had some trouble delivering on.

In the first few chapters, we're introduced to Bishop, a BMX rider and archetypal badboy; Bishop's crush Jake, clean-cut lawyer and archetypal good-guy; and finally, Bishop's father Jonah, a cartoonishly-evil corporate overlord who spouts the f-slur with the frequency and glee of a middle school bully. We're told (not shown, just told) that Jake and Bishop have been best friends and hiding feelings for each other since childhood; however, due to the breakneck pacing of the first few chapters, there's close to no buildup before the two of them get together. The book has barely begun before the pair succumbs to their allegedly long-restrained passion, and then in a blink, they're broken up and devastated for reasons that further confuse readers' attempts to follow along. Once they begin dating, Jake insists that Bishop come out to his staunchly homophobic father, so you might expect Jake to anticipate Jonah forcing an ultimatum and cutting Bishop off financially. Instead, Jake is so shaken when this near-inevitability occurs that he pulls an overnight disappearing act to Australia, leaving only a note to let the so-called love of his life know that he's been dumped. Unbelievable character development continues as Bishop and his father have a five-minute heart-to-heart chat which reconciles them after over a decade of near-continuous verbal abuse and anti-gay slurs. Investing in Bishop and Jake's romance after all this is a tough sell, even more so because the two are separated and out of contact for the entire middle part of the story.

What saved me from not finishing this book was Kyle, a smartass 18-year old who shows up midway through the story and has no problem raking Bishop over the coals for his unchecked privilege and self-pity. Kyle is easily the most authentic character in the book, and he also leads to the most believable changes in Bishop. Kyle's devotion to his own BMX training (and to trash-talking Bishop) finally motivates Bishop to get back on his own bike. The rivalry and eventual friendship between the two would've made a convincing buildup for romance...but, no such luck. Midnight-dumper Jake is still Bishop's "soulmate," or so we're told; the vastly more interesting Kyle eventually gets his own boyfriend, off-page.

The plot unfolds predictably but much more sensibly in the book's second half. In addition to all things Kyle, the story's strongest point for me was the camaraderie that develops among Bishop and his teammates. I laughed out loud, hard, during the scene where everyone's searching for Bishop's lucky belt. It was kind of bittersweet. Had the author demonstrated that same flair for dialogue and character writing consistently throughout the book, this would've been an exceptional story, no question.

The setting was my main reason for requesting this book, and it does add glimmers of interest here and there - mainly through a glossary of Kiwi slang appearing at the very beginning, before the story even starts. Other than minor details and place names though, the book could've taken place in nearly any western-style city. Specific issues facing queer Kiwi men (and in Bishop's case, queer biracial men with Maori heritage) go all but unexplored. Jake and Bishop's move "across the ditch" is another untapped source of material. For example, what is it like for them to move from New Zealand, a major global destination for queer weddings, to Australia, where marriage equality was only passed late last year? It's certainly not the author's fault that so few m/m books are available from this region, nor is it her responsibility to fill in every gap in the reader's knowledge. The did prompt me to look up some things (Queenstown gay marriages, for example - think grooms exchanging rings in front of Lord of the Rings scenery) that I didn't know about before. Still I can't help feeling this book missed a lot of opportunities to dig deeper into its setting and culture, and to create much more complex, authentic characters as a result.

A few alternate recommendations: for m/m romance with extreme biking hijinks, try Eli Easton's Five Dares. For m/m set in Australia, check out Welton B. Marsland's historical romance, By The Currawong's Call. I loved them both. ( )

I'm new to the genre of romance, but I was excited to take this one out for a spin. It was a quick read but very enjoyable. I'm not a big fan of books that focus so heavily on coming out, so I appreciated that while it definitely was a major plot point--the story was well-developed beyond just that. Queer folks deserve stories about our lives that don't just focus on coming out! I also really liked the longtime chemistry between Bishop and Jake--their feelings run deep but at no point did it ring false or feel over the top. The author Lowe doesn't box them into labels like top or bottom while at the same time there wasn't a need to over-assert their masculinity. It's a nice change to read about some non-toxic (or tender) masculinity as the protagonists work through their lives and feelings. I definitely would recommend this to anyone who's looking for some queer romance! ( )

I was fortunate enough to win a copy of All I Want by Megan Lowe through a LibraryThing giveaway. I was interested in the book because part of it is set in Australia, where I spent a summer and fell in love with the country. I knew nothing about BMX racing since I am not a sports fan, but Google brought me up to speed. Bishop was a difficult MC to like for most of the story, being insecure and self-destructive. His BFF Jake is just the reverse, a confident nice guy who just wants the best for Bishop. Jake’s choice of helping Bishop get his life in order initially has the reverse effect. The glimpses into the world of BMX racing at the top level were entertaining, echoing the machismo of all professional sports. Most of the story is about Bishop’s path to maturity, but it ends happily for all concerned, even Bishop’s unpleasant father. ( )