Love, Hypothetically (Theta Alpha Gamma, #2)

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Love, Hypothetically (Theta Alpha Gamma #2)

by Anne Tenino (Goodreads Author)

3.57 of 5 stars 3.57 · rating details · 376 ratings · 91 reviews

Paul's been called many things-graduate student, humanities tutor, jock-hater, even broke-but "forgiving" isn't one of them. When the new women's softball coach at Calapooya College specifically requests Paul to tutor his athletes, Paul's forced to put aside his strict "no athletes" policy for the sake of his paycheck. Enter Trevor Gardiner, former Major League Baseball pl...more

ebook, 100 pages

Published August 27th 2012 by Riptide Publishing (first published August 25th 2012)

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Best M/M Romance Published in 2012

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Aug 23, 2012 Kelly_Instalove rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: era-contemporary, genre-romance, theme-glbtq, theme-sports, theme-friends2lovers, theme-nerds-geeks, theme-asshole-hero, riptide

Grade: B+

Once again, I am forced to abandon my beloved and lazy One-Quote Review format because there were just too many good ones to choose from. One hundred pages, sixty "damn, that's good" highlights - you do the math.

"How does one go about about changing one's life?" he asked. Toby seemed to know a lot of useless crap, maybe he'd know the answer to this question.

It takes a lot of skill to turn a villain into a worthy hero. Yes, Paul was an evil little worm in the first book. But he freely...more

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May 07, 2013 Christina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance, sports

I never really liked Paul but he was an interesting character. I was hoping for more development in this book, but it fell flat. We were told what happens to Paul when he was in high school but we weren't given enough time to feel his pain. Everything got back to the present day and worked itself out far too quickly. I'm glad I understand him more and it was fun seeing Sebastian, Brad, and Toby again but other than that it I had very little connection to Paul or even Trevor for that matter.

Also...more

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Aug 27, 2012 MandyM rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance

OK novella about a gay teacher who gives his former jock boyfriend one more chance. I liked this better than Frat Boy and Toppy but I still much prefer this author's other two series, Whitetail Rock and Task Force Iota. This college series seems more formulaic and forgettable, and the characters less appealing. But it's a nice quick read and no doubt many people will enjoy.

6 likes · like · see review

Sep 23, 2012 deirdre rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, romance, lendable-nook

quick light fun easy read

liked how paul was explained and redeemed from frat boy and toppy

just not enough to sink you teeth into here . . .
seemed quick, rushed . . .wanted more of the ending

like the author's style, the dialogue is great

fun to see brad and sebastian from frat boy ...

updated 9/23 . . . i need to go back and reread this and frat boy . . .i cannot imagine that iread 2 books with a character in it and MISSED what he is supposed to look like . . . i am imagining he is not described...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Mandy*reads obsessively* rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook-owned, m-m, cottoncandy-fluff, cute-easy-light, evil-ex, gfy-ofy, homophobes-abound, hurt-comfort-disability, jerk-mc, kid-kids-and-more-kids, series-sequels, second-time-around

Paul is a porcupine, very prickly and abrasive, I know he has his reasons but it still took a bit for me to like him.
I did feel for him with what his Highschool boyfriend, and I use that term loosely, did to him, literally outing him and leaving him to suffer the consequences.
Trevor was a jock, with dreams of a pro ball future and he was a teenager, so it was understandable that he didn't react as he must have wished he did, given age and maturity.
He comes back into Paul's life and grovels, I...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Nichole (Dirty H) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, m-m, college-boys

I was really loving this, and then it just sort of turned on a dime and had it's nice sappy ending and I felt like there was a huge chunk missing from the middle. Not to say that I didn't like the ending, I just had a hard time following the leap. This needed about 20 more pages.

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Jan 16, 2013 clear skies rated it 3 of 5 stars

The first book in this series really annoyed me, but I'm on a college-romance kick and I figured why not give this a shot. Personally authors tend to write college-romances the same way and it's such a shame. I'm not sure why they cannot drum up some originality in their storytelling. This book was very similar to Wade Kelly's in both characters had "issues" with jocks. I wonder if this is new trope in m/m books?

I really liked Paul he was really abrasive and mean, and he was kicked out of his a...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, glbt, m-m-romance

4.5 Stars

“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” – Paul Boese

Ooooh, back in high school, star baseball play Trevor Gardiner did the unforgiveable: He outed his boyfriend. We’re talking a forced out here. We’re talking, threw him under the team bus, backed it up and then ran over him again, and poor Paul wasn’t even aware he was playing the game. That’s how Trevor’s steamy encounter with Paul in the gym locker room went from homerun to sacrifice play in the bottom...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Vanessa theJeepDiva rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, ebook, m-m, net-galley, romance

“I’m a prick. A prickly bitter, volatile prick, destined to splat on the floor of life.” That quote from Paul about himself really sums up exactly who Paul is. He has had his heart broken and it has left him a bitter and sometimes very heartless individual. He has gotten so used to being a cynical ass that he doesn’t let the lack of people in his life get to him. To say Paul has trust issues would be a huge understatement.

In walks the new girls softball team coach Trevor. Trevor just happens to...more “I’m a prick. A prickly bitter, volatile prick, destined to splat on the floor of life.” That quote from Paul about himself really sums up exactly who Paul is. He has had his heart broken and it has left him a bitter and sometimes very heartless individual. He has gotten so used to being a cynical ass that he doesn’t let the lack of people in his life get to him. To say Paul has trust issues would be a huge understatement.

In walks the new girls softball team coach Trevor. Trevor just happens to be the guy who broke Paul’s heart. Trevor was so easy to love and hate. What he did to Paul is horrible, but we are talking about the cruel things teens do to fit in and not be different from the norm. The grown up Trevor was so easy to love. He still wants Paul. He is willing to go above and beyond in fixing his wrongs to get Paul.

Paul does not make his road to a happily ever after easy. His personality quirks make for a very rough go at love. He literally turns the possibility of love into a disaster. Not being a Paul fan from reading him in Frat Boy and Toppy I was pleased to see that his actions made for difficult circumstances.

There is a scene that takes place in a bar between Toby and Paul. I do believe it was my favorite part of Love, Hypothetically. It allows Paul to be seen as a human with feeling who has the capabilities to care about others. It also lets readers see an incredible friend that Paul, Sebastian, and Brad have in Toby. I do hope that we get to see more of Toby. This is the type of person you want in your life as a friend.

I think Love, Hypothetically could be read as a stand-alone. I can guarantee that the moment you meet Brad and Sebastian you’re going to want to read Frat Boy and Toppy. If anything as a reader you’re going to want to know about the pancake reference. I was very pleased that Sebastian got as much page time as they did. I think I need to check out some of this Anne’s other books while I impatiently wait for the next in this series to come out!
(less)

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Aug 31, 2012 Paisley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Paisley by: Monika

Shelves: author-tenino-a, do-me-athlete, do-me-student, mm-stories, lendable-kindle

I always know when I like a story because I want more. This one was around 100 pages and so I would call it a short story. Sometimes I really love short stories - they can be nice when you want a quick read - it can also be frustrating when you find yourself wishing it would continue.

I read Frat Boy and Toppy so I knew the characters in this one. (side note: I re-read Frat Boy and Toppy before I read this one and I liked it better in the re-read)

Paul the main guy is very hard to love because he...more

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Sep 10, 2012 orannia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Anne Tenino has a lovely writing style with interesting characters. Not perfect. Paul, the POV character in Love, Hypothetically, is definitely not perfect. In fact, if I had to use a word to describe him it would be prickly. He didn't come across well in Frat Boy & Toppy (the first book in this series), but in Love, Hypothetically you get to understand that there is more to his prickliness than just being a pr*ck. Well, there's that too :) Yes, the title is relevant to the book - I love how...more

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Aug 29, 2012 ttg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, reviews

I hadn't read Frat Boy and Toppy, the first book in this series, but this follow-up novella seemed pretty self-contained, and it was. I'm sure you would get more out of it if you've read FBAT, but overall I thought this was a nice enjoyable read, even on its own.

The story focuses on Paul, a graduate student who is reunited with his high school baseball player lover after a nine-year break, a break that was preceded by a betrayal that for Paul, was unforgivable and colored all his future interact...more I hadn't read Frat Boy and Toppy, the first book in this series, but this follow-up novella seemed pretty self-contained, and it was. I'm sure you would get more out of it if you've read FBAT, but overall I thought this was a nice enjoyable read, even on its own.

The story focuses on Paul, a graduate student who is reunited with his high school baseball player lover after a nine-year break, a break that was preceded by a betrayal that for Paul, was unforgivable and colored all his future interactions with anyone remotely athletic.

Paul's pithy, acerbic voice was fun to read, and it was easy to sympathize with him once you had a better idea of why he was so bitter. I also appreciated Trevor's remorseful hopefulness, a feeling that you can see came from both age and loss. As a reader, I felt hope for both of them, and I liked their reigniting chemistry.

My main beef with the story is that it's pretty short, at about 100 pages. I wouldn't have minded more time with Trevor and Paul. (They were fun to read together.) That, and after a big conflict, Paul rehashes his feelings and tries to figure out what to do with three different friends before we get to the end-run. This part probably felt the most meaningful to those who read the first book since some characters from that pop up here. I understood the back-story, and the importance of revisiting it, especially for closing a loop from book 1, but I think it slowed the pacing down a little, and felt a bit repetitive and drawn-out over that whole section.

One thing that I really liked though, and thought was clever, was Paul's inner thoughts in the beginning, discussing what kinds of kids he usually tutors—-either the miscreants who party too much, or morons who have a mental block with specific subjects. Once that sank in, I knew Paul was in the latter group, no matter how smart he thinks he is. After that, the story was him figuring out how, with the right inspiration and guidance, he can move his block and move on. (Or in this case, return back.)

In the end, it was a fun read, and a nice (and needed) chaser after a much heavier book that I had just finished.

I wonder if there will be a book #3 (and will it focus on Toby?)(less)

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Dec 17, 2012 Shirley Frances rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-series, kindle-app, read-2-review, 2012, mm-read

3.5 stars

Paul was Sebastian's not-so-nice roommate in Frat Boy and Toppy. He has been hurt in love and to say that he doesn't do relationships or doesn't like jocks in an understatement. His experience with both has left much to be desired, so he avoids them like the plague. Then in comes Trevor, the new softball coach. Trevor happens to be Paul's high school boyfriend and the guy who broke his heart. He has come back to try a relationship with Paul again, but his apologies and amends are useles...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Mandi Schreiner rated it 3 of 5 stars

Paul and Trevor had a secret relationship together in high school. Paul considered himself in love, although they never really talked about their feelings much. Trevor was a big time baseball player, with a pretend girlfriend. Although he had the hots for Paul, he never wanted to reciprocate oral sex or do anything “too gay.” One day while starting to fool around in the shower together, they get caught by a teammate of Trevor’s. Trevor immediately plays the hetero card, blaming Paul for trying t...more Paul and Trevor had a secret relationship together in high school. Paul considered himself in love, although they never really talked about their feelings much. Trevor was a big time baseball player, with a pretend girlfriend. Although he had the hots for Paul, he never wanted to reciprocate oral sex or do anything “too gay.” One day while starting to fool around in the shower together, they get caught by a teammate of Trevor’s. Trevor immediately plays the hetero card, blaming Paul for trying to come onto him, dually forcing Paul out of the closet and humiliating him. Paul can not forgive Trevor for this, as Trevor goes onto play in the major leagues, still in the closet.

Now nine years have past, and Paul is still very bitter over the whole thing. He is just an anti-social, grumpy person in general. He is a tutor for a AA college, and gets a message that the new women’s softball coach wants him to tutor several of his players. And guess who the new coach is?

Trevor is back in town and now all these years later, wants Paul back. Paul just wants revenge for the embarrassment that Trevor caused. Deep down, Paul was not only embarrassed but he lost the person he loved all those years ago and has never gotten over it.

I’ve said it in the past, but I love cranky heroes. I love the self deprecating humor, the grumpiness, and the foul mood they are in when shoved in the face with a big surprise aka the high school crush back after nine years. Paul is still so pissed off about Trevor outing him, yet not outing himself and choosing baseball over a relationship. But now Trevor is back, more mature, out to the world and wants Paul back. Paul kind of falls for Trevor’s sexy advances and then feels even more pity that he let himself do that.

This one is okay, the sex is hot, kind of angry at first, which can be fun in a sex scene. But I kind of feel like, the basis of the two of these guys deciding to give their relationship another shot is all based on sex. We don’t see them court each other, except with blow jobs and sex on a boat (although I’ll never complain about sex on a boat!). Told in Paul’s point of view, he turns to friends for consultation, but we never really get into Trevor’s mind to see exactly how he feels about all this. I’m not convinced that they actually work through their issues. It felt more like Paul worked through some of his issues with the help of his friends, and we don’t really know the extent of Trevor’s internal battle. But I think we miss the two of them working it out together. I wish we could have seen that more.

This is novella length, so it is a quick read, and like I said, Paul made me smile a few times because he really is a grump. This is the second book I’ve read by Anne Tenino and I’ll be back for another.

Rating; C+(less)

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Apr 12, 2013 LiveYourLife BuyTheBook rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: jen, riptide, verra-good

4.5 Stars

When we first met Paul in Frat Boy and Toppy he was a jerk. No beating around the bush on this one the man was a dick, or like Paul likes to refer to himself a prick. He hated jocks and gave his roommate a lot of grief for dating one. Now we’ve come to Paul’s story and we finally learn the reason for his prickliness.

Nine years ago Paul was dating (in secret of course) a jock and one night while Paul was trying to fulfill his boyfriends fantasy they were caught and he was basically throw...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Kris (KindleRomance) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-bitten, mm, 2013

Reveiwed for BittenbyParanormalRomance

The main focus of this story is watching Paul try to determine if he can ever forgive Trevor for a past transgression and give their relationship another shot. Paul is a strange character who manages to annoy or irritate most people. It's surprising he has as many close friends as he does given his personality. However, they manage to see past the strangeness that is Paul, and care about him regardless. He spends time with each of his 3 friends who help him...more

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Aug 31, 2012 E_bookpushers rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, contemporary, m-m, romance, reviewed

Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2012/08/31/...

Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Publish Date: Out now
How I got this book: ARC from the publisher

Paul’s been called many things—graduate student, humanities tutor, jock-hater, even broke—but “forgiving” isn’t one of them. When the new women’s softball coach at Calapooya college specifically requests Paul to tutor his athletes, Paul’s forced to put aside his strict “no athletes” policy for the sake of his paycheck.
Enter Trevor Gar...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Cole Riann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: armchair-reviews, m-m, m-m-college, m-m-contemporary, m-m-reunions-second-chances, m-m-series, m-m-sports

Review posted at The Armchair Reader.

I was very eager to read this follow up to Frat Boy and Toppy when I saw that the author was carrying on into a series. Not simply because I liked that book so much, because I really did, but also because I was really eager to see how Anne Tenino would redeem Paul. In Frat Boy, Paul was the bastard friend of Sebastian, who was livid that his friend was falling for a brainless jock and frat boy. No matter where their relationship led, every time Paul found him...more Review posted at The Armchair Reader.

I was very eager to read this follow up to Frat Boy and Toppy when I saw that the author was carrying on into a series. Not simply because I liked that book so much, because I really did, but also because I was really eager to see how Anne Tenino would redeem Paul. In Frat Boy, Paul was the bastard friend of Sebastian, who was livid that his friend was falling for a brainless jock and frat boy. No matter where their relationship led, every time Paul found himself around Brad (the frat boy jock Sebastian was falling in love with), he couldn't keep his mouth shut. It was obvious that there was more to Paul, other than being stuck up, snobbish, elitist. You could tell that there was a real aversion to jocks, just that he's too proud to say why. Love, Hypothetically gives us that story, plunked straight into the middle of Paul's neuroses, and showing the way he looks at the world around him.

Paul uses dark humor, elitism, and arrogance to cover the depth of the hurt that his one real relationship caused him. His first love, Trevor, chose his promising baseball career over their relationship in the most humiliating and sacrificial way -- a pain he never dealt with, and consequently altered him into the jaded and untrusting graduate student he currently is. Now, Trevor is back and Paul doesn't know what to do about it. He can't face his own feelings honestly, and the friends he once had who could have done it for him he has pushed away. Trevor is asking for forgiveness and a chance to see if they can rekindle their old relationship, but Paul doesn't know if he can trust him again.

Though shorter, this story definitely lived up to my hopes, having really enjoyed the first book about Brad and Sebastian. Paul is an interesting character himself, and I think that the reason he's compelling is that we get to know him first through Brad's POV, in the first book. Paul doesn't treat him well, and for most of the book comes off as a bitter bastard. Now, sinking into Paul's own point of view gives us a chance to understand him better. I expected a different character, honestly. I thought Paul would be a little more lost, but what we see here is a character who, while he might have a skewed perception about some things, is very frankly real about his own shortcomings. He knows that he's bitter, that he keeps his friends at an arm's length. The real problem is that he doesn't know if he can change that, or even if he wants to. Getting close to people is what got him in trouble in the first place.

For the most part, I'm not a fan of flashbacks, and I was worried when Chapter 2 went back to Paul's high school days with Trevor. That doesn't last, for those of you who, like me, aren't fans of going back and forth in time. It's a personal choice that, unless done supremely well, seems to aggravate me endlessly, so I was happy to see that that wasn't the case here. I liked Trevor. He comes off as a stock romance character at first. He's almost perfect (well, at least in in the present time). He's making up for misdeeds and comes in to try to sweep Paul off his feet. In fact, this plot line isn't that original. But still, it becomes it's own story. Paul and Trevor push past the usual plot of relationship failing in the past, to meeting again, to getting to know each other, to having a small problem to work out, to HEA. When they actually get down to talking about how they feel, the author allows Paul to be Paul. In doing so, Paul uses those old defense mechanisms like he really means them. Allowing the character not to hold their punches, to be realistic and not always perfectly understanding gave the story what it needed to come to a successful resolution.

Recommended.(less)

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Apr 29, 2013 Geoff rated it 3 of 5 stars

For some reason, this novel just felt more real and better developed than Tenino’s first novel in this series. Frat Boy and Toppy wasn’t bad, it just annoyed me and could’ve used a better copy editor. This novel seemed more polished and a bit more developed. I’m not sure if this had to do with the (seemingly) fewer sex scenes, the (seemingly) more emotionally intense battles or if it’s because the author progressed as a writer. I like to think it was a mixture of the three.

I received a copy of t...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Tami rated it 2 of 5 stars

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

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Feb 20, 2013 Shirley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Oh these Theta Alpha Gamma boys. I loved Sebastian and Brad’s story in Frat Boy and Toppy. Their book was funny and both boys were charming on their own. As a couple, they were adorable. Readers were also introduced to Paul in the first book. When I found out that Love, Hypothetically was Paul’s story I was wondering exactly how Anne Tenino was going to pull it off. If you haven’t read Frat Boy and Toppy, let me explain. Paul was one of those characters that you despised from the first time he o...more Oh these Theta Alpha Gamma boys. I loved Sebastian and Brad’s story in Frat Boy and Toppy. Their book was funny and both boys were charming on their own. As a couple, they were adorable. Readers were also introduced to Paul in the first book. When I found out that Love, Hypothetically was Paul’s story I was wondering exactly how Anne Tenino was going to pull it off. If you haven’t read Frat Boy and Toppy, let me explain. Paul was one of those characters that you despised from the first time he opened his mouth. He was mean to the point of being down right cruel and he made no apologies for any of his actions. I had no idea how this character could be turned around enough for me to sympathize with him at all. I love it when an author can totally change my attitude – and amazingly, it happened within the first few pages of Love, Hypothetically.

I should have known that there was a reason behind Paul’s attitude. In his own strange way, he was trying to protect Sebastian from heart break by being so mean to Brad in Frat Boy and Toppy. He knew first hand about jocks, how cruel they could be and how impossible it was to trust them, especially with a fragile thing like a heart. It was still no excuse for how he acted, but his experience explained so much and made me really like him. I never saw that one coming. Even though Trevor was supposed to be the bad guy in this one, I liked him from the start. He had a lot to make up for, but he had his reasons for his actions too.

This was more of a novella than a book – it was almost half as long as Frat Boy and Toppy, but it packed a lot within those 100 or so pages. I think what is really making me enjoy this series is the supporting characters. Some of my favorite scenes in this book were Paul’s interactions with his friends. His ‘Hypothetical’ conversation with Toby was hilarious. It made me really want to get to know Toby better. Paul’s phone conversation with Josie and his breakfast with her and Callie (the Parasite) were priceless and so adorable. I also really loved the talk he had with Brad and Sebastian (these two were still adorable together by the way.) Watching him work through his feelings and explain things out loud to his friends were a huge part in turning him into a character that I could really like.

The Theta Alpha Gamma series is one that I am so glad I picked up. I haven’t read any of Anne Tenino’s other books, but this series has definitely made me want to see what else she has to offer.(less)

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Aug 26, 2012 Francesca the Fierce ~Eyelet Ecstasy~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2012, man-loving

This review was posted at Under the Covers

I'm really not sure what I was expecting going into this book. I liked Paul from the previous book but yes, he was a jerk to his friend and his new boyfriend. Obviously I was expecting him to have hangups about something and that there was a story behind why he acted like an ass at the mere thought that Brad was a jock.

But what I wasn't prepared for was this story. LOVE, HYPOTHETICALLY was really a beautiful love story of reunited lovers, high school sw...more This review was posted at Under the Covers

I'm really not sure what I was expecting going into this book. I liked Paul from the previous book but yes, he was a jerk to his friend and his new boyfriend. Obviously I was expecting him to have hangups about something and that there was a story behind why he acted like an ass at the mere thought that Brad was a jock.

But what I wasn't prepared for was this story. LOVE, HYPOTHETICALLY was really a beautiful love story of reunited lovers, high school sweethearts that hit a bump in the road that veered them off track for a while but they're getting their second chance at love. While it was sad that Paul and Trevor couldn't stay together then, and what Trevor did was awful, it is also understandable. There were reasons, there was pressure. It was about love or his future and as a teenager who is still figuring out that he's gay and has to deal with that, everything else was too much.

Paul surprised me as well. Where I was expecting to find out he was a flirt and slept around, turns out that he's not the slut I thought he was. He does put value into giving his body to someone and in his heart, there truly only has been Trevor. Even after the heartache, the betrayal and the hurt.

When Trevor comes back, I thought he did everything perfect. He did some groveling, he tried some wooing. And what I found most endearing is that he's not coming back as a perfect guy, all gorgeous looking. He's not at the top anymore, he started loosing his hair. But the same love is still there.

And last but not least, the friendships. After everything Paul did, it was great to see him make amends and have his friends understand why he did the things he did.

If anything, I was expecting this book to be sexier or funnier, and although there was still plenty of sexual tension and a few very hot encounters as well as some funny moments and quotes, it was also a lot more emotional than the first book. There was a connection between them that went beyond the physical and beyond the jokes and I kept holding my breath for the right moment when Paul would finally give in and forgive Trevor.

Now I can't wait for the next one!

*ARC provided by publisher(less)

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Aug 25, 2012 Stephanie M. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, anne-tenino, riptide

This story was fantastic! It had all the elements that I love about m/m romance: hurt/comfort, angst, humor, redemption, forgiveness and a HEA.

The story starts out with Paul, going thru his day being the bitter, jaded self-dubbed "prick" undergrad student/tutor, who was just given a email summoning him to the girls' softball head coach's office regarding tutoring some of his students. But Paul doesn't tutor jocks because he HATES them with a passion. We find out why in a short flash-back scene...more

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May 22, 2013 Sophia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

I really wasn't sure how I felt about a book that featured the snarky and bitter Paul from 'Frat Boy & Toppy' as the next book's hero, but there was something about his total hatred of jocks and frat boys that made me curious to know where all that vitriol came from. And so, I got the TAG sequel and gave it a try.

The story begins inside Paul's head as he conducts an internal monologue. Its summer time, he's now living in the dorms (fate worse than death) because he was hateful to his old ro...more I really wasn't sure how I felt about a book that featured the snarky and bitter Paul from 'Frat Boy & Toppy' as the next book's hero, but there was something about his total hatred of jocks and frat boys that made me curious to know where all that vitriol came from. And so, I got the TAG sequel and gave it a try.

The story begins inside Paul's head as he conducts an internal monologue. Its summer time, he's now living in the dorms (fate worse than death) because he was hateful to his old roommate's boyfriend Brad and he absolutely has to earn enough money to get his own place. Summer tutoring is the worst because its usually those who screwed around all school year and now they have to get their academics back under control before the fall. And ooh, lucky him, he gets a message to report to the new coach of the girl's softball team because most of those girl are in academic trouble. But it just gets better and better (not) when he discovers who the new coach is. Its been nine years and seeing Trevor Gardiner, his first love who tossed him over royally to pursue his dreams, is like a stab in the heart.

Paul soon learns that Trevor intentionally looked him up and begs Paul's forgiveness and wants to reconcile. Too bad Paul's not on the same page. He isn't, right? Trevor puts things in motion to win Paul back and Paul goes along with it to a degree, but he's flustered and panics. He says things that he can't take back and now wonders if- this time- he's the one who tossed his chance at love away.

Its not a long story, but its very impactive. Paul's snarkiness and bitter hatred of all things jock now make a little sense after getting his back history. He's a very intense person and has carried unresolved issues around for nine years that he projects onto all aspects of his life. At first, he was still the guy that was all prickles like a porcupine making me wonder if I could ever sympathize with him let alone like him. But then, after his interactions with Trevor and his friends I saw glimmers of the guy hiding under the hard outer shell. After that, I sat back and just enjoyed watching Paul's character growth commence. He has sass and he has snark and without the bitterness, he's definitely worth knowing. I enjoyed seeing him get his second chance with Trevor and groaned each time he self-destructed because he is one that needs a lot of convincing to trust. My only quibble is that with this told in a first person perspective I missed not having Trevor's perspective and getting to know him better. I liked what I saw and there is no trouble following Trevor's actions or intent, but I guess I wanted to know him as well as Paul. I would have loved seeing them together after they got things settled just to see what they were like without all the tension and angst. Then again, is there a less intense version of Paul? LOL. Maybe we'll get a peek of them together in future books. Speaking of the series, I loved seeing Toby, Sebastian and Brad in a few scenes.

All in all, it was a surprising book because the author was able to not only satisfy my curiosity, but make the unlikeable Paul into a loveable character who I could root for to find his happiness. Those who enjoy m/m contemporary romance in a college setting should give this series a try.(less)

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Sep 11, 2012 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley-arc, novella, lgbt, m-m-contemporary-romance

~* 3.5 Stars *~
Fun, Actually
Calapooya College grad student and tutor Paul is an intellectual elitist and a cynical bastard who loathes jocks on principle and is no more fond of frat boys. It's a wonder the guy ever gets laid.

Booted from his old apartment for treating his former roommate's new boyfriend like the jock boy toy he is, Paul is stuck tutoring lunkheads all summer long. He needs the money to get out of the dorms and into his own place before fall session starts. Then he gets a specific...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Pete W rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 round up.

It was a fun story. I enjoyed Paul's voice very much. I supposed I identified with his bitterness personality which, in my opinion, he entitled to be.

However, I felt that everything happened too quickly. Trevor came back and grovel for just two days and expecting Paul to comply after the level of betrayal that he did was rather optimistic. (view spoiler)...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Marquetta (LoveToReadForFun) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, m-m, netgalley

I loved Frat Boy and Toppy and was immediately interested in Sebastian's grumpy roommate, Paul. I wanted to know why he hated jocks so much!

Love Hypothetically is Paul's story. In high school, he had a secret relationship with the star baseball player, Trevor. When Trevor humiliated and outed Paul in order to save his own ass, Paul was devastated. To Paul, athletes are not to be trusted and are only good for hurting people. Ten years later, Trevor is now the coach for the women softball team at...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Heller rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, m-m

I did not like Paul in Frat Boy and Toppy I thought he was an ass and treated Brad horribly so I love when an author can turn a character around and have me rooting for them instead.

I actually ended up feeling quite sorry for Paul. He held onto his anger for too long though. Even if things hadn't worked out with him and Trevor I'd like to think that Paul would have be able to let go of some of his bitterness after Trevor apologized. I hope anyway.

I thought Trevor had a lot of guts to approach...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Aiko rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: asshole-mc, books-that-made-me-lol, kind-of-reviewed, m-m

Been waiting for this story since I finished reading Brad and Sebastian's story, seeing that we get introduced to this prickly douchebag, Paul, in that book. And prickly douchebags are one of life's more fascinating things.

The blurb pretty much sums up the way the story goes nice and tidy. The plot line isn't a particularly strong one. Or maybe I should call it predictable instead of weak.
Boy falls in love with jock, jock hurts boy, jock tries to make amends, boy hurts jock, kiss and make up. A...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-stars, anthologies-novellas-short-stories, contemporary, ebooks, erotica, male-male, netgalley-first-reads-arcs, romance, reviewed-on-blog, series-completed

This is a companion novella to Tenino's Frat Boy and Toppy which means that the characters overlap, but I don't think the first book needs to be read in order to enjoy this one. Like the first Theta Alpha Gamma book, I really liked Tenino's writing and her depiction of her characters. I especially enjoyed the "lovers reunited" story line since it is one of my favorites.

I wasn't sure whether I would like Paul as a main character especially after the way he treated Brad and Sebastian in the first...more

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About Anne Tenino

Raised on a steady media diet of Monty Python, classical music and the visual arts, Anne Tenino rocked the mental health world when she was the first patient diagnosed with Compulsive Romantic Disorder. Since that day, with her trusty psychiatrist by her side, Anne has taken on conquering the M/M world through therapeutic writing. Finding out who those guys having sex in her head are and what to d...more

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Frat Boy and Toppy (Theta Alpha Gamma, #1)

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Love, Hypothetically (Theta Alpha Gamma #2)

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