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Aug 23, 2011

Edina rated it:

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12 comments like (5 people liked it)

Oct 04, 2011

Lena rated it:

Ah, first love! For many people, their first love is the most memorable of all. The experiences found in that first attraction tend to color any other future relationships we they may have. This is certainly true for Ben Bentley and Tim Wyman of 'Something Like Summer' by Jay Bell.

Ben is bright, talented and loving. He strives to live life on his own terms. Ben is very kind and has a deep- seated strength of character. With the help of Allison, his best friend, and Jace, his knight-in More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 22, 2012

L-D rated it:

This book was exquisite. Tim and Ben are teenagers at the same school and they begin a secret relationship. This book charters 12 years in the life of Ben with all of the highs and lows. Quite honestly, this book was an emotional roller coaster that left me completely wrung out at the end. Some readers have liked the ending, some do not. To me, the ending is not important, it was the journey and the strength and spectrum of the emotions that it invoked in me. I really loved this book.
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0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Feb 11, 2012

Emanuela ~plastic duck~ rated it:

If you haven't read the book, DO NOT READ THE SPOILERS if you want to enjoy it, I'm serious!!!!

It's difficult to rate because I have very strong feelings AGAINST one of the characters and this is really clouding my judgment.

This is the story of Ben, who falls in love for the first time with Tim. While Ben is the not-so-popular gay kid, Tim is handsome, popular and straight. Ben pursues Tim and he is able to get closer to him, so close that he prompts Tim to reconsider his More...

12 comments like (3 people liked it)

Feb 16, 2012

Allie rated it:

I really enjoyed this book and it took me on a rollercoaster of emotions which I wasn't necessarily anticipating. It's been a really emotional year for me, on a personal level, and I have found several books have made me cry. This was one of them. I loved Ben and Tim's journey of discovery. Ben was very much aware that he liked boys but Tim was very much in denial and trying to live the life that was 'expected' of him by his family and friends. Deep down, though, he knew. Something like summer s More...

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Feb 07, 2012

Jeffong rated it:

Closed the book ,I can feel Tim's growth ,from a boy to a man ,when in his 28 ,he deserved Ben's love .I looked down upon Tim in Part One ,because of his coward ,naive and selfish character ,but touched by his relationship with Eric and his behavior on the art show and it was totally a surprise . BTW, I image that if there’s no Eric's money the story may be more wonderful. I mean Tim became rich made him easy to say no to his family. It’s a regret that I can't see how Tim will cope with his fami More...

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Dec 04, 2011

My Gay rated it:

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0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 27, 2011

Leslie rated it:

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0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Mar 07, 2011

Bembo rated it:

Benjamin Bentley is sixteen years old when we first meet him, he has been out since he was fourteen, coming out was his own decision, how else was he going to find a partner? When a new boy moves into the neighourhood he is infatuated, but how will he get to know this handsome well built guy, and anyway he is probably a straight jock, he won't have any time for skinny Ben who prefers singing to sports.

Against all the odds Ben manages to engineer an introduction, even if a somewhat dis More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 18, 2011

Jenre rated it:

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0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Feb 12, 2011

Elisa added it

What could have been a simple and harmless coming of age story in the ’90, in the hand of Jay Bell becomes a somewhat surprisingly deep and a little sad quest of a young man towards his future.

Of the many trouble gay kids I have read about, in novels filled with angst and drama, Ben Bentley is probably one of the luckier: he accepted he was gay at a more or less young age, around 14 years old, and after some months spent being the best “secret” friends of his fellow schoolmates, he More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 03, 2011

Ann rated it:

This is a coming of age story, and a pretty convincing one. The characters are credible, though not always appealing. The standard straight girl friend is credible without being ubersaintly or self-sacrificing (as too many of these kinds of characters end up being), but her story takes a back seat to the main action - sad, because one could have written a novel about her alone, and this story, told from her perspective, might have been a better book. Unfortunately, the author doesn't flesh out t More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Feb 03, 2011

ALPHAreader rated it:

Benjamin Bentley came out of the closet when he was fourteen. His parents are loving and accepting, as is his best friend Allison. If only the same could be said of Ben’s classmates. Ever since Ben came out of the closet he has been the school piranha – bullied by the jocks, sneered at by the cheerleaders and even his teachers are wary of his open sexuality. It’s no surprise that Ben is the only ‘out’ teenager at his Houston school . . . and if he’s honest, he can’t ever imagine meeting someone More...

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Nov 26, 2011

Raji rated it:

There are some books which remain in your memory long after you have done reading them. I read this book couple of months ago and the impression that it made on my mind was so deep that I couldn't review this book till now.
The story starts when Benjamin Bentley begins his innocent crush/ stalking of Tim Wyman. Surprised to find Tim in his class, Ben begins a tentative friendship with him. The story which follows spans and entire decade, plus some more.
I More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 20, 2011

Megan rated it:

I stumbled upon Something Like Summer while looking for something to read on Trevor, my Kindle. The blurb sucked me in and the price was right so I downloaded it and settled in to read a bit before turning in for the night. BIG MISTAKE! I ended up not being able to fall asleep until I finished it. This is one of those books that I just could not put down until I saw it through to completion. The story follows the life of Ben Bentley from his junior year in high school through to his thirtie More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 27, 2011

Cheri rated it:

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1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jul 09, 2011

Nam rated it:

I am a big fan of erotic gay novel and let me tell you: this book is really cream of the crop. Majority of erotic novel you found online are just too-typical-to-be-true. While every of them goes left, "Something like Summer" goes right, in fact it's so right that I cannot stop re-read it. The story spread in a much more elaborate background and timeline. The drama is enough to make you grasp your pillow without getting sick while reading. The story as well as the characters seems real More...

1 comment like

Dec 31, 2011

Di rated it:

I like the writing, I adore the characters, I just dislike the plot, so I won't give it 4 stars. that's what you get when a story immersed you so much, you just wanna lock it in your workshop and fix it until it fits you again.
Yes, it is a good book, just not the book I want.
(Quoting Batman, it's the book I need but I don't deserve)

spoilers ahead...

Ben meet Tim on one summer in his high school year. Tim is so far out his league so he only stalk him from afar. After More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 10, 2011

Lara rated it:

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0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 22, 2011

Eric rated it:

This book is "THE" best romance book, gay or straight, I have read in years. The protagonist is Benjamin (Ben) Bentley, a young, sweet and openly gay character who grew up in the suburb of Houston, Texas. The epic love story is divided into three parts, spanning 12 years from 1996 to 2008. The first part of the book centers on Ben's junior year in high school, when he first met Tim Wyman who later became his high school sweetheart. The second part of the book leaps 3 years forward and More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

May 21, 2011

Morgon rated it:

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0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 19, 2012

David rated it:

This is my first review, so here goes.
First off, I thoroughly enjoyed this book especially since the high school angsty arena is pretty saturated in gay lit. I like the genre but surprises get to be rarer. It is a testament to the much improved quality of gay writing in general. I believe, as a group, we are/ have been pretty forgiving of any shallowness just because it tells a bit of our own story and the, often oppressive, hateful times we endured.
I found a tad of that but "So More...

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Sep 06, 2011

Fangtasia rated it:

Wonderful story that grabs the reader, makes one care for and get invested in their journey. Ben's behavior is typical for the age he is, throughout the book, very well developed character arc. His parents and sister, his best friend, all have central parts in helping to understand his reactions and what drives him, while being well-rounded themselves. The authors do a good job of handling the topics of homophobia in a small town, the issues Tim has with his parents and why he won't even recogni More...

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Apr 02, 2011

Wendell rated it:

This was by far the best gay romantic literature I have read so far. It was passionate, funny and oddly enough in parts reminiscent of my own story. It moved me to the point of tears which is a very rare occurrence for me. I could not help but wonder how much of it was fiction and how much was grabbed from the author's life. The story was well crafted and the author showcases a master level talent as a storyteller.
My only two points of critique would be that the narrator sounds like a male More...

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Feb 07, 2011

Kassa rated it:

Something Like Summer is a moving coming of age story that will definitely appeal to readers. Unfortunately I didn’t particularly like the main character in Ben but in many ways this is completely subjective. He happened to touch on a few personal pet peeves that are unlikely to bother other readers, although the issue of fidelity may be a problem for some. The writing though is very engaging, bringing you into Ben’s journey with an absorbing intimacy. Although this isn’t a fast paced read, it’s More...

4 comments like (9 people liked it)

Jan 27, 2012

Hobbes708 rated it:

2.75 stars really. This is a very hard book for me to review. It was a wonderful literary work and the author is very talented...but. It just somehow missed coming together as a 5 star book for me and I don't really know why. It went on and on and on in lots of parts for one thing; I would skip 4-5 pages and still know exactly what was going on. I seemed to be reading for hours and hours and wasn't even 30% done. I just kept thinking 'cmon already' And many times through out the story I didn't e More...

0 comments like

Mar 15, 2011

CoffeeTimeRomance rated it:

Hopefully if you are about to read this book, you already have an open mind, and an open heart, because these young men deserve no less. The will make you cry, make you laugh, and make you want to tear your hair out, but the one thing you will not do, is feel nothing. Ben is a reckless teenager, just like any teen boy you have ever known, and many times allows his feelings to get the better of him. His growth and maturity as this story moves along is wonderfully portrayed through his openness ab More...

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Dec 26, 2011

Ari rated it:

First love is the sweetest! Really? Let's see Ben's... ^^

Ben is kind, loving, bright and brave young guy. He comes out when he was 14 and even though he got so many terrible things ever since, he never regretted his decision. He's lucky enough to have family and friend who always supporting him. Unfortunately his love life is not lucky enough.

Tim Wyman is Ben's love object since he spotted him in his jogging track. Dark hair, tan, with silver-grey eyes that haunted Ben' More...

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Nov 10, 2011

Bee rated it:

This one was…intense. I’m not really sure how to describe it in any other way. It was a testament to how unpredictable and messy life can be…and it was a story about how love can be oh so complicated and sad, while it is also so beautiful. I’m surprised that I didn’t cry at all, but perhaps I just didn’t have any tears left after watching “Prayers for Bobby” the other night…anyway, I digress…

Ben came out when he was 14. Since then he has had to suffer through a lot of taunts and slurs, More...

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Jan 14, 2011

Caryn rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

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