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Jock #1
My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap!
It’s easy to become cynical when life never goes your way.
Cole Reid has been a social recluse since he was fifteen, when he was outed by his high school baseball team. Since then, his obsessive-compulsive behavior and sarcastic nature have driven away most of the population, and everyone else hates him because he’s gay. As he sees it, he’s bound to repulse any prospective friends, let alone boyfriends, so why bother?
By the time Cole enters college, he’s become an anal-retentive loner — but it’s not a problem until his roommate graduates and the housing department assigns Ellis Montgomery to move in with Cole. Ellis is messy, gorgeous, straight, and worst of all, a jock!
During a school year filled with frat buddies, camping expeditions, and meddling parents, Cole and Ellis develop a friendship that turns Cole’s glass-half-empty outlook on its head. There must be more to Ellis than a fun-loving jock — and maybe Cole’s reawakening libido has rekindled his hope for more than camaraderie.
Cole Reid has been a social recluse since he was fifteen, when he was outed by his high school baseball team. Since then, his obsessive-compulsive behavior and sarcastic nature have driven away most of the population, and everyone else hates him because he’s gay. As he sees it, he’s bound to repulse any prospective friends, let alone boyfriends, so why bother?
By the time Cole enters college, he’s become an anal-retentive loner — but it’s not a problem until his roommate graduates and the housing department assigns Ellis Montgomery to move in with Cole. Ellis is messy, gorgeous, straight, and worst of all, a jock!
During a school year filled with frat buddies, camping expeditions, and meddling parents, Cole and Ellis develop a friendship that turns Cole’s glass-half-empty outlook on its head. There must be more to Ellis than a fun-loving jock — and maybe Cole’s reawakening libido has rekindled his hope for more than camaraderie.
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 30, 2012
32 people are currently reading
1313 people want to read
About the author
Wade Kelly
17 books388 followersWade Kelly lives and writes in conservative, small-town America on the east coast where it’s not easy to live free and open in one's beliefs. Wade writes passionately about controversial issues and strives to make a difference by making people think. Wade does not have a background in writing or philosophy, but still draws from personal experience to ponder contentious subjects on paper. There is a lot of pain in the world and people need hope. When not writing, she is thinking about writing, and more than likely scribbling ideas on sticky notes in the car while playing "taxi driver" for her three children. She likes snakes, can’t spell, and has a tendency to make people cry.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 414 reviews
February 7, 2018
I am calling it: Time of death at 74%.
Well! Crap! that was a disappointment!
Oh it was sooo bad and that cover should be illegal.
I gave up at Mike's POV, which was so unnecessary and out of place, i guess the author wanted to create a villain before the end of the book and decided to throw this one in at the last minute.
Mike knew how to cover his tracks. It served that man right, anyway, for marrying a black woman. Mixed couples are disgusting! Mike thought.
Mike wasn’t racist. No. He simply thought that blacks should be segregated, like in the olden days. And intermarrying with them was unnecessary.
I knew this would not end well at some point i was confused if i was reading about boys in high school or college. Cole annoyed the hell out of me, then Ellis was just Meh.
Multiple POV's got me confused, especially Ellis's mum which sounded so weird.
The narrative became so preachy and annoying.
Cole and Ellis had no chemistry at all IMHO and the I love you blurted after the 1st time they have sex did not help.
The Marry me part well......
Well! Crap! that was a disappointment!
Oh it was sooo bad and that cover should be illegal.
I gave up at Mike's POV, which was so unnecessary and out of place, i guess the author wanted to create a villain before the end of the book and decided to throw this one in at the last minute.
Mike knew how to cover his tracks. It served that man right, anyway, for marrying a black woman. Mixed couples are disgusting! Mike thought.
Mike wasn’t racist. No. He simply thought that blacks should be segregated, like in the olden days. And intermarrying with them was unnecessary.
I knew this would not end well at some point i was confused if i was reading about boys in high school or college. Cole annoyed the hell out of me, then Ellis was just Meh.
Multiple POV's got me confused, especially Ellis's mum which sounded so weird.
The narrative became so preachy and annoying.
Cole and Ellis had no chemistry at all IMHO and the I love you blurted after the 1st time they have sex did not help.
The Marry me part well......
September 1, 2016
Wow... okay... that wasn't exactly what I expected.
Anyone else expect a really light, fun romance from the cover and the title? That's what I thought it would be. I was expecting another book like Frat Boy and Toppy but this was more serious than I expected. It had a lot of highs and a few lows. I'll break it down for all of you below ;)
First I'll talk about the narrator because the narrator can make or break an audiobook. Jason Lovett did a really nice job with the story. He sounded age-appropriate (KEY for a book about college students!) and was really easy to listen to. He had a nice, even speaking voice that had a lot of expression to it. My one complaint is that all of his characters sounded kind of the same, but other than that, I really liked his narration. (And I checked out his youtube videos and he is adorable so, bonus points!)
Now on to the story. I'll begin with what worked for me. I have a thing for gay first-timers so when I realized that I had a virgin on my hands I was like, ::booty dance, booty shake:: So, major score for me! Also, I think the whole difficulty with beginning a relationship and transitioning from friends to lovers rang true. It felt honest and funny and I liked all of the awkwardness and sexual tension there.
This book is also surprisingly religious in the way that it paints Christian characters in a really good light. The religious character of Rob was a loving, patient, understanding, intuitive friend and I actually liked seeing an example of someone who is religious but also open-minded in M/M. It wasn't heavy handed, but if you don't like any religion in your books, be forewarned.
Now what didn't work for me? Well, I'll be spoiler-tagging below so click at your own discretion.
I didn't like the POV changes, especially how they jumped from 1st to 3rd person. Some were okay, like the POV of Rob or Ellis, but the POV of Mike and Ellis's mom were just terrible. I don't mind characters that are flawed but I hated being in Mike and Ellis's mom's heads and felt like it took away from the story.
On that note, Mike's storyline was just random and sort of over-the-top, and Ellis's mom was annoying to the point that I wanted to skip over her section. I think if Ellis's mom's part was cut completely out of the book it would have been better. She was too self-centered and self-involved for my taste.
I also wasn't a fan of the
Also, I liked most of the characters but I thought that Cole veered a bit towards the whiny side. He was too complain-y and shrill for me at times.
So, yeah... this book was a mixed bag for me. Parts I really liked and parts I didn't so averaging out, this gets three stars.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
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January 1, 2013All I can say about this book is--IT'S AWESOME!!! I cracked myself up writing it, so i hope readers will find the same enjoyment. Cole is every bit of the dour side of me, my inner cynic. Cole is also one of my favorite characters that i ever wrote!! And Ellis... I can't pick just one adjective that links him to my personality. Ellis will have to speak for himself. Readers, have fun!!!
March 31, 2020
2.5 Stars
I snatched this one up in a sale last weekend, thinking it was about time I cross a long-standing TBR item off my list once and for all. I must say, this was not at all what I was expecting from my first Wade Kelly read.
I liked the story well enough, but I didn’t quite connect to the characters or the overall writing style.
Cole and Ellis, our proclaimed geek and jock, meet when they are paired as roommates for their off-campus housing, and although they start off at odds – because Cole is a curmudgeon-y bastard, no joke – they eventually find common ground, building a friendship which transitions into a lightning-fast romance that was perhaps a little too rushed/forced for my personal liking.
I honestly didn’t quite feel a connection between Cole and Ellis, at least not to the degree that I ever believed that they were in love so early on in their acquaintance. It was all very fast, and although sometimes fast (insta-love-y) relationships in books can sweep me up and make me believe in the romance, I didn’t experience that here. If anything, I wasn’t ever sure why Cole or Ellis even liked each other.
Cole truly was an ass at times, and I get his neurotic behaviour/reactions were maybe meant to be funny and quirky, but I was more inclined to be annoyed at his OTT antics. And Ellis was kind of bland in my opinion and way too unrealistic in terms of his supposed virgin jock status. In truth, they felt much younger than they were meant to be - more early teens than early twenties - which didn't feel right given the progression of their relationship.
The more I think on it, the more I realise how many aspects of the plot didn’t sit well with me; everything from Cole and Ellis’s initial sexual interactions and the ramifications of such, to the weird, OTT behaviour of characters like Ellis’s creepy mother and the random friend/enemy that was Mike. A lot of these plot elements seemed slightly off to me, but I guess there was something about the story that held my attention to have finished it so easily.
Ultimately, this was a bit of a peculiar story for me, but I’d still be open to trying more from Wade Kelly, maybe even more from this particular series… just maybe.
I snatched this one up in a sale last weekend, thinking it was about time I cross a long-standing TBR item off my list once and for all. I must say, this was not at all what I was expecting from my first Wade Kelly read.
I liked the story well enough, but I didn’t quite connect to the characters or the overall writing style.
Cole and Ellis, our proclaimed geek and jock, meet when they are paired as roommates for their off-campus housing, and although they start off at odds – because Cole is a curmudgeon-y bastard, no joke – they eventually find common ground, building a friendship which transitions into a lightning-fast romance that was perhaps a little too rushed/forced for my personal liking.
I honestly didn’t quite feel a connection between Cole and Ellis, at least not to the degree that I ever believed that they were in love so early on in their acquaintance. It was all very fast, and although sometimes fast (insta-love-y) relationships in books can sweep me up and make me believe in the romance, I didn’t experience that here. If anything, I wasn’t ever sure why Cole or Ellis even liked each other.
Cole truly was an ass at times, and I get his neurotic behaviour/reactions were maybe meant to be funny and quirky, but I was more inclined to be annoyed at his OTT antics. And Ellis was kind of bland in my opinion and way too unrealistic in terms of his supposed virgin jock status. In truth, they felt much younger than they were meant to be - more early teens than early twenties - which didn't feel right given the progression of their relationship.
The more I think on it, the more I realise how many aspects of the plot didn’t sit well with me; everything from Cole and Ellis’s initial sexual interactions and the ramifications of such, to the weird, OTT behaviour of characters like Ellis’s creepy mother and the random friend/enemy that was Mike. A lot of these plot elements seemed slightly off to me, but I guess there was something about the story that held my attention to have finished it so easily.
Ultimately, this was a bit of a peculiar story for me, but I’d still be open to trying more from Wade Kelly, maybe even more from this particular series… just maybe.
July 28, 2015
Absolutely likable.
The acknowledgment that we are all prejudiced, but most fail to recognize it is one of my favorite parts of this story. Cole's epiphany in that regard was great and so on point. I really enjoyed seeing religious characters that were not intolerant and raging A-holes. I feel like Kelly nailed these two concepts so well, especially since I see so little of it demonstrated in other MM romance stories. Kelly played well with stereotypes and exposed that there is more beneath people's exteriors if you give them a chance.
The parts that were detractors for me were the odd POV choices like random jumping into a tertiary character's head and the characterization of Cole's mom--who was a egocentric nut job--don't get me wrong, I believe this is not implausible and if I hadn't been dumped into her head unexpectedly I probably wouldn't have cared as much. So, yeah, I thought there were some structural issues.
2.5-3 Stars, rounding up for humor and theme
Overall, college love story with quirky characters.
The acknowledgment that we are all prejudiced, but most fail to recognize it is one of my favorite parts of this story. Cole's epiphany in that regard was great and so on point. I really enjoyed seeing religious characters that were not intolerant and raging A-holes. I feel like Kelly nailed these two concepts so well, especially since I see so little of it demonstrated in other MM romance stories. Kelly played well with stereotypes and exposed that there is more beneath people's exteriors if you give them a chance.
The parts that were detractors for me were the odd POV choices like random jumping into a tertiary character's head and the characterization of Cole's mom--who was a egocentric nut job--don't get me wrong, I believe this is not implausible and if I hadn't been dumped into her head unexpectedly I probably wouldn't have cared as much. So, yeah, I thought there were some structural issues.
2.5-3 Stars, rounding up for humor and theme
Overall, college love story with quirky characters.
January 3, 2013
After much anticipation, dread and excitement all rolled into one, I am happy to say I enjoyed my time with Cole, Ellis, Rob and Russell. My two absolute favourites were Cole and Russell. Cole for his neurotic, cynical and cautious attitude and Russell well heh he was a fool who's antics made me laugh along with poor suffering Rob who tries to deal. Secretly I think he loves the buffoon, a romance would be delightful, what chaos. Ellis was a sweetie, and very shy unless you were part of his group of trusted friends, I warmed up to him slowly as he tried to sort out his confusion and feelings for Cole. The characters I disliked were Ellis's mum who treated him like a child for her own twisted and muddled reasons and Mike who came out of nowhere towards the end to cause some drama. A good fun read and the romance is cute.
January 1, 2013
Humour is a funny thing, (sorry pun not intended lol), what makes some roll around holding their sides laughing leaves others wondering what they are missing, while others simply smile and think that was funny.
I love snark and sarcastic humour, but it doesn’t make me laugh out loud, more likely I will quietly smile or chuckle and think “good one” lol.
That’s how I reacted to Cole. He had some great lines but they were not necessarily laugh out loud ones. I found I sympathised with Cole a lot, as I'm kinda pessimistic too. But there were times even I wanted to smack Cole over the head and tell him to look on the bright side for a change lol.
Ellis was lovely except for that one time he bottled things up. But he was trying to cope with things in his own way so I can easily give him a pass. He did try to make amends lol.
This story was both romantic,(at times) and amusing. It also packed a few deep and meaningful punches. The speech mentioned near the end was worth hearing.
I loved that despite the instant connection when their eyes met, it was a slow and sometimes conflicting romance. No jumping straight into bed, instead we get to know both Cole and Ellis as single guys first.
This story might have been about Ellis and Cole, but credit has to go to Rob and Russell. I loved those guys to pieces, despite a rocky start with Rob. If I had a wish it would be to see those two hook up lol They just seem so perfect for each other. Their banter was what had me chuckling out loud.
My niggles go more towards Ellis's mum. That woman needs to learn the difference between a ten year old and a twenty year old. The confiscating Ellis's phone really didn't sit well for me, as in I found it unbelievable, but that’s a personal niggle lol.
Overall a very well put together story. Great characters with some brilliant lines but just a few minor quirks for me that stop it being a full 5 stars.
I love snark and sarcastic humour, but it doesn’t make me laugh out loud, more likely I will quietly smile or chuckle and think “good one” lol.
That’s how I reacted to Cole. He had some great lines but they were not necessarily laugh out loud ones. I found I sympathised with Cole a lot, as I'm kinda pessimistic too. But there were times even I wanted to smack Cole over the head and tell him to look on the bright side for a change lol.
Ellis was lovely except for that one time he bottled things up. But he was trying to cope with things in his own way so I can easily give him a pass. He did try to make amends lol.
This story was both romantic,(at times) and amusing. It also packed a few deep and meaningful punches. The speech mentioned near the end was worth hearing.
I loved that despite the instant connection when their eyes met, it was a slow and sometimes conflicting romance. No jumping straight into bed, instead we get to know both Cole and Ellis as single guys first.
This story might have been about Ellis and Cole, but credit has to go to Rob and Russell. I loved those guys to pieces, despite a rocky start with Rob. If I had a wish it would be to see those two hook up lol They just seem so perfect for each other. Their banter was what had me chuckling out loud.
My niggles go more towards Ellis's mum. That woman needs to learn the difference between a ten year old and a twenty year old. The confiscating Ellis's phone really didn't sit well for me, as in I found it unbelievable, but that’s a personal niggle lol.
Overall a very well put together story. Great characters with some brilliant lines but just a few minor quirks for me that stop it being a full 5 stars.
January 12, 2013
1.5 stars
Here we go...
I hate giving such low ratings to books and even more writing these kind of reviews, but I just didn't like this book at all for countless reasons. To be honest, I would've probably liked it more if it were shorter, but with ~260 pages, every single detail got on my nerves more and more as I kept reading.
First of all, I did not like the two main characters, especially not Cole, whom I found very rude. I liked Ellis a bit more, but I can't say I loved him either because I found the way he handled things very immature. But worst of all, I didn't see why these two were attracted to each other.
So it starts out with Ellis moving in with Cole and Cole being all rude with him, but still being attracted to him even though *gasp!* he's a jock!! Eventually they have kind of a "truce" and they start playing video games together and I guess this is where their friendship developed? I say "I guess" because next thing I know, Cole describes his friendship with Ellis as "special" and he says that Ellis knows him better than anyone else, even his best friend. And I might have understood that, IF the book actually SHOWED Ellis and Cole bond, but I feel like it skipped a few weeks or even months between when they first started playing video games together and Cole thinking that. Oh, yeah there was the camping trip and a few kisses here and there but nothing worthy of "special friend who knows me better than anyone else". Then, there's a whole lot of drama; Ellis and Cole not talking to each other anymore (aka Ellis being immature and annoying), and then eventually everything works and BAM "I love you's" are exchanged. But wait! That's not the worst, a couple of weeks later, ELLIS ASKS COLE TO MARRY HIM. Uh ?????? I just... I was shaking my head laughing at this cause in my opinion it was pretty damn ridiculous that Ellis asks him to marry him after such a short period of time, because even though everything works out for them I don't feel like Cole and Ellis know each other AT ALL (and as a reader I don't feel like I know either of these characters either). Anyways, next there's a whole lot of cheesiness and sap ensuing that made me roll my eyes more than once.
The two characters that I actually enjoyed reading about were Rob and Russell. They were quite entertaining and funny, so that helped me get through this book. I also liked how this book didn't show all christians under a bad light, like a lot of m/m books do very often. Rob and Russell, who are quite religious, handled things very well regarding Ellis and Cole. So that aspect of the book was quite refreshing to read.
But sadly, those few positive points didn't save this book for me. The characters, the writing style, the plot and the cheesiness made it that I just couldn't enjoy the book as a whole. Very regretful too, because I was looking forward to this story, seeing as jock/nerd is one of my favourite kind of storylines.
Here we go...
I hate giving such low ratings to books and even more writing these kind of reviews, but I just didn't like this book at all for countless reasons. To be honest, I would've probably liked it more if it were shorter, but with ~260 pages, every single detail got on my nerves more and more as I kept reading.
First of all, I did not like the two main characters, especially not Cole, whom I found very rude. I liked Ellis a bit more, but I can't say I loved him either because I found the way he handled things very immature. But worst of all, I didn't see why these two were attracted to each other.
So it starts out with Ellis moving in with Cole and Cole being all rude with him, but still being attracted to him even though *gasp!* he's a jock!! Eventually they have kind of a "truce" and they start playing video games together and I guess this is where their friendship developed? I say "I guess" because next thing I know, Cole describes his friendship with Ellis as "special" and he says that Ellis knows him better than anyone else, even his best friend. And I might have understood that, IF the book actually SHOWED Ellis and Cole bond, but I feel like it skipped a few weeks or even months between when they first started playing video games together and Cole thinking that. Oh, yeah there was the camping trip and a few kisses here and there but nothing worthy of "special friend who knows me better than anyone else". Then, there's a whole lot of drama; Ellis and Cole not talking to each other anymore (aka Ellis being immature and annoying), and then eventually everything works and BAM "I love you's" are exchanged. But wait! That's not the worst, a couple of weeks later, ELLIS ASKS COLE TO MARRY HIM. Uh ?????? I just... I was shaking my head laughing at this cause in my opinion it was pretty damn ridiculous that Ellis asks him to marry him after such a short period of time, because even though everything works out for them I don't feel like Cole and Ellis know each other AT ALL (and as a reader I don't feel like I know either of these characters either). Anyways, next there's a whole lot of cheesiness and sap ensuing that made me roll my eyes more than once.
The two characters that I actually enjoyed reading about were Rob and Russell. They were quite entertaining and funny, so that helped me get through this book. I also liked how this book didn't show all christians under a bad light, like a lot of m/m books do very often. Rob and Russell, who are quite religious, handled things very well regarding Ellis and Cole. So that aspect of the book was quite refreshing to read.
But sadly, those few positive points didn't save this book for me. The characters, the writing style, the plot and the cheesiness made it that I just couldn't enjoy the book as a whole. Very regretful too, because I was looking forward to this story, seeing as jock/nerd is one of my favourite kind of storylines.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2015
Thank God almighty I'm free at last! I thought that would never fucking end.
1) Didn't like the narrator's voice
2) The narrator only had one voice, so every character (straight friends, mothers, lesbian sisters, middle-aged men) sounded like a gay 20 year old co-ed.
3) Cole was annoying as all fuck, I had a hard time seeing what drew Ellis to him at all. Snarky (not in a cute way), sarcastic (not in a funny way), and pessimistic Debbie Downer at all times.
4) Random Christian friend who feels the need to point out at every turn how "insightful" and "intuitive" he is (by the grace of God of course)... which really just means observant and possessing the powers of deductive reasoning.
5) Excessively trying to point out that not all Christians are bigots, by having the Christian characters wax poetic in long diatribes about equality and loving all. Super preachy. I don't mind a character being religious. And I don't mind religion being a theme in a gay romance if one of the main characters struggles with his faith (ie: Between Sinners and Saints)... but neither MC or their families were religious at all. So it didn't fit to try to play that angle by having an uber religious friend. But then of course we need to play the other angle and have an uber bigot who's not religious at all. Lest you think only religious people are bigots.
6) The dialogue was awkward and immature, but at the same time overly formal. How does one manage that, you ask? I have no idea.
7) Ellis's mom was another random psycho character. I didn't need her POV. It was weird and creepy and sad all rolled into one. Then they tried to redeem her in the end, but it was too late for me. (And grown-ass men calling their mom "mommy"? Creepy!)
8) What the fuck was the purpose of creepy groundskeeper Stan? Fine he was a matchmaker, but why make it so weird? And even Cole pointed it out several times. WTF?
9) Way too soon relationship milestones
Just no, for me. Unfortunately, nothing worked. Except the sex. That was hot. But then... #10) weird choice of first time events . Just. No.
Received audio version from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for Hearts On Fire
1) Didn't like the narrator's voice
2) The narrator only had one voice, so every character (straight friends, mothers, lesbian sisters, middle-aged men) sounded like a gay 20 year old co-ed.
3) Cole was annoying as all fuck, I had a hard time seeing what drew Ellis to him at all. Snarky (not in a cute way), sarcastic (not in a funny way), and pessimistic Debbie Downer at all times.
4) Random Christian friend who feels the need to point out at every turn how "insightful" and "intuitive" he is (by the grace of God of course)... which really just means observant and possessing the powers of deductive reasoning.
5) Excessively trying to point out that not all Christians are bigots, by having the Christian characters wax poetic in long diatribes about equality and loving all. Super preachy. I don't mind a character being religious. And I don't mind religion being a theme in a gay romance if one of the main characters struggles with his faith (ie: Between Sinners and Saints)... but neither MC or their families were religious at all. So it didn't fit to try to play that angle by having an uber religious friend. But then of course we need to play the other angle and have an uber bigot who's not religious at all. Lest you think only religious people are bigots.
6) The dialogue was awkward and immature, but at the same time overly formal. How does one manage that, you ask? I have no idea.
7) Ellis's mom was another random psycho character. I didn't need her POV. It was weird and creepy and sad all rolled into one. Then they tried to redeem her in the end, but it was too late for me. (And grown-ass men calling their mom "mommy"? Creepy!)
8) What the fuck was the purpose of creepy groundskeeper Stan? Fine he was a matchmaker, but why make it so weird? And even Cole pointed it out several times. WTF?
9) Way too soon relationship milestones
Just no, for me. Unfortunately, nothing worked. Except the sex. That was hot. But then... #10) weird choice of first time events . Just. No.
Received audio version from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for Hearts On Fire
January 6, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. Cole and Ellis were a great couple - their kiss in tent was oh so yummy :) but Rob and Russell sometimes stole the whole show. They were like super fun.
I think that the book should be shorter and I didn't mind POV shifts because it was great to get inside of MC's minds but
Overall it was great book and I’m looking forward to next story if there will be any ... I hope so :)
I think that the book should be shorter and I didn't mind POV shifts because it was great to get inside of MC's minds but
Overall it was great book and I’m looking forward to next story if there will be any ... I hope so :)
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November 22, 2016I'm not rating this book because I DNF'ed I don't have the full picture so it simply won't be fair.
I didn't like Cole, but even with that I still might finish this someday. Just not now because my "want to read" list is way to long to keep reading at this point.
I didn't like Cole, but even with that I still might finish this someday. Just not now because my "want to read" list is way to long to keep reading at this point.
April 1, 2013
Well, I made it to the end of this book (woohoo for me!), and I seriously didn't think I was going to. Cole was such a whiny little toad, I really didn't like him at all, and that was putting me off the book! I could completely understand why he was on his own, and talk about OCD and anal!!
But, as usual, when love strikes, ah, the old coup de foudre, nothing is ever the same again.
Ellis, who had no sexual experience at all, even with those strange and weird things called girls, was an out-going guy to his friends at uni, and his team mates on the footie team (sorry, not American, and the game IS called FOOTBALL, not soccer!!) but deep down, he was an extremely shy person, always doing the right thing, and hoping that in his future too there would be love like the 'struck by lightning' kind that his parents had. He had two siblings, an elder brother who'd taken the plunge and got married when his girlfriend got pregnant at 16, and a younger sister who was a lesbian, and lived with her partner.
Ellis and his mates (other than one who shall remain nameless, but gets his comeuppance towards the end of the book, yippee!) were a lovely group of guys, especially Rob. Rob was a Christian, but wasn't judgmental or critical, and didn't harp on about religion in any way (thank God - sarky much!), he just was. Russ was also a nice character, and tended to follow Rob's lead in most things.
Cole and Ellis' friendship started badly when Ellis was roomed with Cole, and as a college jock, was completely opposite to the sort of person that Cole wanted to room with him - have I mentioned that Cole was anal and had OCD? How anyone had put up with him before was a complete mystery to me, but hey, each to his own. Bonding did eventually take place, and they slowly became friends, even though it was clear to us, dear readers, that the old lightning bolt had indeed struck the moment they met.
It became apparent to Cole that Ellis wanted to be more than friends, and after a disastrous first sexual encounter between them when Cole topped (first time for everything) because Ellis didn't know what he was doing, Ellis hid himself away again, and Cole obviously thought that he'd ruined everything. They ultimately decided to talk to each other (what is it with men and not talking?), and things progressed from there, Ellis eventually coming out to family and friends after a few misunderstandings, and he and Cole becoming a couple seriously in love, and an exchange of rings taking place (although Cole being who and what he was, couldn't help but moan about the fact that his ring didn't fit!!)
All in all, a Happy Ending (and I am a sucker for a Happy Ending!) Glad I persevered with it!
But, as usual, when love strikes, ah, the old coup de foudre, nothing is ever the same again.
Ellis, who had no sexual experience at all, even with those strange and weird things called girls, was an out-going guy to his friends at uni, and his team mates on the footie team (sorry, not American, and the game IS called FOOTBALL, not soccer!!) but deep down, he was an extremely shy person, always doing the right thing, and hoping that in his future too there would be love like the 'struck by lightning' kind that his parents had. He had two siblings, an elder brother who'd taken the plunge and got married when his girlfriend got pregnant at 16, and a younger sister who was a lesbian, and lived with her partner.
Ellis and his mates (other than one who shall remain nameless, but gets his comeuppance towards the end of the book, yippee!) were a lovely group of guys, especially Rob. Rob was a Christian, but wasn't judgmental or critical, and didn't harp on about religion in any way (thank God - sarky much!), he just was. Russ was also a nice character, and tended to follow Rob's lead in most things.
Cole and Ellis' friendship started badly when Ellis was roomed with Cole, and as a college jock, was completely opposite to the sort of person that Cole wanted to room with him - have I mentioned that Cole was anal and had OCD? How anyone had put up with him before was a complete mystery to me, but hey, each to his own. Bonding did eventually take place, and they slowly became friends, even though it was clear to us, dear readers, that the old lightning bolt had indeed struck the moment they met.
It became apparent to Cole that Ellis wanted to be more than friends, and after a disastrous first sexual encounter between them when Cole topped (first time for everything) because Ellis didn't know what he was doing, Ellis hid himself away again, and Cole obviously thought that he'd ruined everything. They ultimately decided to talk to each other (what is it with men and not talking?), and things progressed from there, Ellis eventually coming out to family and friends after a few misunderstandings, and he and Cole becoming a couple seriously in love, and an exchange of rings taking place (although Cole being who and what he was, couldn't help but moan about the fact that his ring didn't fit!!)
All in all, a Happy Ending (and I am a sucker for a Happy Ending!) Glad I persevered with it!
March 9, 2013
This book was supposed to be funny? Well, crap!
I hope you got ready all your rotten eggs and tomatoes, because you’re gonna want to throw them at me, Yes, I’m talking to all of you who loved this book, there are a few out there.
You know the feeling when you see a movie trailer that seems awesome and you think, wow, if the trailer is this good….how’s the whole movie gonna be? And then all there is to the movie are those couple of cool scenes you saw in the trailer? Well that’s what this book was like for me. I read a lot of quotes that were great (out of context) and I was expecting a really funny book. What I got……not so much. I have no idea what the author intended with this book but it was all over the place for me. The only good thing about it were the sex scenes.
This book literally had one WTF moment after the other. Also, it annoyed me way to much to be coherent so I’ll give it to you in bullet points:
•the book is not funny, I read all the “funny” scenes /lines as being forced- WTF
•too many POV “:Rob, Ellis’ mom, Mike….why should I care?? WTF
•annoying and pointless flashback WTF
•I’m reading the same scene over again from a different POV? Why? WTF
•Rob and Russ are the same person , can’t make them apart. WTF
•Who are all these people who keep appearing? And why should I care? WTF
•Stan ? WTF
•Cole felt like losing his best friend? What? Backtrack a bit. You barely knew him and exchanged 2 words. WTF
•The psycho mother. WTF
•Ellis’ behavior regarding said mother. Triple WTF
•Stop crying Cole, I really want to punch you. So bad! WTF
•Hey, dear readers, let me distract you pointlessly from this story by introducing a bunch of f***ed up characters and paint them as evil. Beware of the cardboard characters. WTF
I tried reading this till the end. But after Mike’s POV and following WTF moment I skimmed it like crazy. All I can say is that I should have given up like 30 pages in, when I knew something was wrong.
P.S.: I know I’m probably too hard on this review but it annoyed me way to much to keep quiet. Or play nice.
I hope you got ready all your rotten eggs and tomatoes, because you’re gonna want to throw them at me, Yes, I’m talking to all of you who loved this book, there are a few out there.
You know the feeling when you see a movie trailer that seems awesome and you think, wow, if the trailer is this good….how’s the whole movie gonna be? And then all there is to the movie are those couple of cool scenes you saw in the trailer? Well that’s what this book was like for me. I read a lot of quotes that were great (out of context) and I was expecting a really funny book. What I got……not so much. I have no idea what the author intended with this book but it was all over the place for me. The only good thing about it were the sex scenes.
This book literally had one WTF moment after the other. Also, it annoyed me way to much to be coherent so I’ll give it to you in bullet points:
•the book is not funny, I read all the “funny” scenes /lines as being forced- WTF
•too many POV “:Rob, Ellis’ mom, Mike….why should I care?? WTF
•annoying and pointless flashback WTF
•I’m reading the same scene over again from a different POV? Why? WTF
•Rob and Russ are the same person , can’t make them apart. WTF
•Who are all these people who keep appearing? And why should I care? WTF
•Stan ? WTF
•Cole felt like losing his best friend? What? Backtrack a bit. You barely knew him and exchanged 2 words. WTF
•The psycho mother. WTF
•Ellis’ behavior regarding said mother. Triple WTF
•Stop crying Cole, I really want to punch you. So bad! WTF
•Hey, dear readers, let me distract you pointlessly from this story by introducing a bunch of f***ed up characters and paint them as evil. Beware of the cardboard characters. WTF
I tried reading this till the end. But after Mike’s POV and following WTF moment I skimmed it like crazy. All I can say is that I should have given up like 30 pages in, when I knew something was wrong.
P.S.: I know I’m probably too hard on this review but it annoyed me way to much to keep quiet. Or play nice.
January 3, 2013
Cole had a bad experience with jocks in high school. That experience changed the course of his life at age 16: he was out, did not have any friend, verbally bullied, and was given cold treatment by his father--whom he was close with--for years. So, when his roommate for three years graduated, and he got Ellis, a soccer jock, for a new roommate, he was upset. It turned out, Ellis was a different kind of jock. He was majoring in English, and maintained 4.0 GPA. He had many other jocks as friends, but he also had several non-athlete close friends, particularly Rob and Russ. Could Cole change his mind about jocks?
I really liked reading this book. It reminds me that stereotyping is not unique to religious freak, military, or other groups that often appear as villains in m/m romance. Us, m/m crowds, who usually profess to be against all kinds of stereotyping, unfortunately, often fall into the same trap even when we're marching for equality, acceptance, and unconditional love. Some of the stereotyping came from experiences, just like Cole's, others because we simply follow the 'in' crowds, without giving deep thoughts about our own bias based on our beliefs and values.
In this story, beside his jock stereotyping, Cole (and others) also has to deal with stereotyping his religious friends.
I really liked reading this book. It reminds me that stereotyping is not unique to religious freak, military, or other groups that often appear as villains in m/m romance. Us, m/m crowds, who usually profess to be against all kinds of stereotyping, unfortunately, often fall into the same trap even when we're marching for equality, acceptance, and unconditional love. Some of the stereotyping came from experiences, just like Cole's, others because we simply follow the 'in' crowds, without giving deep thoughts about our own bias based on our beliefs and values.
In this story, beside his jock stereotyping, Cole (and others) also has to deal with stereotyping his religious friends.
January 2, 2013
4.25 stars
I enjoyed this story very much. It was both sweet and amusing at the same time. Sweet because of Cole and Ellis, even though they had bumps in the road to their happy ending, the way their relationship developed was nice and slow. They both had their issues with expressing themselves to each other, but it made their slow build up much nicer. I liked that we did get different POVs so as the reader I got to see what each of them was thinking and freaking out about. While I really liked Cole and Ellis, Rob and Russ were my favorites. They were just so great together, especially loved their banter back and forth. They acted so much like a couple even though they weren't. While I really enjoyed these characters and the story, I have to say that there were a couple of minor things that I felt could have been left out as they really didn't add to this story. Ellis' mother would be the main thing, but overall a funny and enjoyable story.
I enjoyed this story very much. It was both sweet and amusing at the same time. Sweet because of Cole and Ellis, even though they had bumps in the road to their happy ending, the way their relationship developed was nice and slow. They both had their issues with expressing themselves to each other, but it made their slow build up much nicer. I liked that we did get different POVs so as the reader I got to see what each of them was thinking and freaking out about. While I really liked Cole and Ellis, Rob and Russ were my favorites. They were just so great together, especially loved their banter back and forth. They acted so much like a couple even though they weren't. While I really enjoyed these characters and the story, I have to say that there were a couple of minor things that I felt could have been left out as they really didn't add to this story. Ellis' mother would be the main thing, but overall a funny and enjoyable story.
April 16, 2014
I quite enjoyed this one! It was funny, cute, emotional, with some sexy times sprinkled in. Why not 5 stars then? The only thing that was a bit off for me was the POV changes. I also would've preferred if it was told only from Cole and Ellis' POV. It wasn't a biggie though, I think it's more of a personal preference. Overall enjoyable and I'd definitely recommend it. :)
January 4, 2013
Although I have to confess that I wasn't really fond of the title, nevertheless I pre-ordered it and started reading immediately. I really liked the story, read it more or less in one sitting - well, despite needing to sleep:). I liked the couple and their developing relationship. Also the friends Rob and Russell were fun to read about. But, and this is a big but, for me the alternating POVs were really disrupting. Don't get me wrong, I like reading different POVs, if there is some structure to it, e.g. alternating chapters or different fonts to follow. This book was formost written in Cole's first person POV and then all of a sudden there were voices thrown in. Totally pulling me out of my reading flow. Then I'm with another reviewer - the mom-chapter didn't do anything to the story. Same with Mike's POV - not really needed. The ending was nice, but a tad unsatisfying.
January 4, 2013
2.5 stars
There was nothing wrong with this story: no personal pet peeves, no overall stupidity and over-the-top things (well, except Mike who managed to be homophobe, racist and pretty much everything else you can imagine), the writing was good... But, I was sooooo bored. So, so bored. I thought about quiting at least a dozen times in the first 100 pages. I still don't know how I managed to get through with it. Not even quirky Cole could save the story for me. Perhaps it was my mood, but I just couldn't get into it. Did I mention that I was bored?
So, because there was nothing wrong with the story and because I just couldn't get into it, I rate it exactly in the middle between 1 and 5 stars - 2.5.
There was nothing wrong with this story: no personal pet peeves, no overall stupidity and over-the-top things (well, except Mike who managed to be homophobe, racist and pretty much everything else you can imagine), the writing was good... But, I was sooooo bored. So, so bored. I thought about quiting at least a dozen times in the first 100 pages. I still don't know how I managed to get through with it. Not even quirky Cole could save the story for me. Perhaps it was my mood, but I just couldn't get into it. Did I mention that I was bored?
So, because there was nothing wrong with the story and because I just couldn't get into it, I rate it exactly in the middle between 1 and 5 stars - 2.5.
January 7, 2013
4.5 stars
Maybe I was in the exactly the right mood for this type of story, but this story hit all the right spots for me.
It's basically a sweet story that is saved from being overly so by some funny, snarky dialogue - particularly from Cole - as well as a small but healthy dose of drama. Add in a fetish for geek-humor T-shirts, the non-stereotypical religious friend, well-meaning but noisy jocks, a friendly father-type figure slash stalker, and a mother who talks to herself, as well as an evenly-paced plot, and this is what you get. You'll find it's a perfect fit for when you need something with substance yet doesn't overwhelm you with details, and in the end, leaves you all gooey inside.
Maybe I was in the exactly the right mood for this type of story, but this story hit all the right spots for me.
It's basically a sweet story that is saved from being overly so by some funny, snarky dialogue - particularly from Cole - as well as a small but healthy dose of drama. Add in a fetish for geek-humor T-shirts, the non-stereotypical religious friend, well-meaning but noisy jocks, a friendly father-type figure slash stalker, and a mother who talks to herself, as well as an evenly-paced plot, and this is what you get. You'll find it's a perfect fit for when you need something with substance yet doesn't overwhelm you with details, and in the end, leaves you all gooey inside.
July 6, 2014
Don't you just hate it when one of the MCs (Cole) is annoying as hell?!! Not a fan of the writing. Over all just an ok story.
October 22, 2014
After a week and a half of debating what to say or not say about this book, here I go.
I liked this book. A lot. Maybe not as much as I was expecting, but I was so looking forward to this story and I am glad to say that I was not disappointed. It was different, but not enough to stop me from reading it.
I liked Cole - he felt real. He had his issues (big and small) but he wanted to be accepted and loved for who he was was. Socially awkward and cynical to boot, he didn't think he would ever find that special someone. He was so happy in his own little world of pristine floors, neuron and protons, that when he was faced with a new roommate he felt like his world was tuning on its axis. And then to find that his roommate was a jock? Well that just turned his life upside down.
In comes Ellis. A handsome jock, he was uncertain about his sexuality and moving in with Cole didn't help matters. He was drawn to him, exasperated by him and just confused. They developed a friendship of sorts based on acceptance and mutual understanding. Until the kiss. That kiss that made Cole's heart skip a beat and took their friendship that one step closer to an emotional connection.
I enjoy Wade Kelly's writing. Be it a reading blog post or his debut novel, When Love is Not Enough, he always manages to keep me entertained. This book was no different. Not exactly the what I was expecting, but like I said before not a disappointment. To me it felt more like one of Wade's blog post. Honest, funny and with an underlying message. While WLINE was dark and angsty, this book was funny and with an understated sense of drama that kept me reading from start to finish with just a minor break when real life showed its ugly head.
I was thoroughly into these characters. I enjoyed both the main and the secondary characters, even if I felt that Mike 's POV and his story should have had a lesser role in this book. I appreciated what he brought to the story in the overall resolution to the conflict, but I think that his POV and his actions should would have made a great short story to add to the book lineup. Other than that, I think the secondary characters added beautifully to the story. I especially enjoyed Rob and Russell's voice and what they added to the overall story. I think there's great potential there for a meaningful story and I hope Wade finds the time to write it.
Filled with sarcastic humor, insightful moments, adorable characters and an underlying message of acceptance, My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! was a treat to read. I am already a fan of Wade Kelly and I can't wait for his next book to be released.
No pressure Wade, no pressure at all! But if you could just edit The Cost of Living a little bit faster I would truly appreciate it. Thanks!
I liked this book. A lot. Maybe not as much as I was expecting, but I was so looking forward to this story and I am glad to say that I was not disappointed. It was different, but not enough to stop me from reading it.
I liked Cole - he felt real. He had his issues (big and small) but he wanted to be accepted and loved for who he was was. Socially awkward and cynical to boot, he didn't think he would ever find that special someone. He was so happy in his own little world of pristine floors, neuron and protons, that when he was faced with a new roommate he felt like his world was tuning on its axis. And then to find that his roommate was a jock? Well that just turned his life upside down.
In comes Ellis. A handsome jock, he was uncertain about his sexuality and moving in with Cole didn't help matters. He was drawn to him, exasperated by him and just confused. They developed a friendship of sorts based on acceptance and mutual understanding. Until the kiss. That kiss that made Cole's heart skip a beat and took their friendship that one step closer to an emotional connection.
I enjoy Wade Kelly's writing. Be it a reading blog post or his debut novel, When Love is Not Enough, he always manages to keep me entertained. This book was no different. Not exactly the what I was expecting, but like I said before not a disappointment. To me it felt more like one of Wade's blog post. Honest, funny and with an underlying message. While WLINE was dark and angsty, this book was funny and with an understated sense of drama that kept me reading from start to finish with just a minor break when real life showed its ugly head.
I was thoroughly into these characters. I enjoyed both the main and the secondary characters, even if I felt that Mike 's POV and his story should have had a lesser role in this book. I appreciated what he brought to the story in the overall resolution to the conflict, but I think that his POV and his actions should would have made a great short story to add to the book lineup. Other than that, I think the secondary characters added beautifully to the story. I especially enjoyed Rob and Russell's voice and what they added to the overall story. I think there's great potential there for a meaningful story and I hope Wade finds the time to write it.
Filled with sarcastic humor, insightful moments, adorable characters and an underlying message of acceptance, My Roommate's a Jock? Well, Crap! was a treat to read. I am already a fan of Wade Kelly and I can't wait for his next book to be released.
No pressure Wade, no pressure at all! But if you could just edit The Cost of Living a little bit faster I would truly appreciate it. Thanks!
January 21, 2013
Halfway through another book I spotted this in the new releases and thought I'd give it a go. The title was amusing and the idea seemed promising enough so I bought it and just peeked at the first couple of pages to get an idea but before I realised it, was hooked in and couldn't put it down.........finished at 3am this morning!
At first it seems like the typical geek v jock, opposites attract story, but it is so much more than that. Wade Kelly, who I've never read before, really has a quirky way of putting a story together. Each character has his own voice in a way that I've never come across before but it really works. Told mostly in first person by Cole, who I adored because he is just such a character, the book is full of great characters who would normally be classed as secondary, but when they are present in a scene, shine just as much as the MC's and add extra depth to the whole story. Ellis , the gorgeous jock (this is just as much his story too) , is fantastic as Coles nemesis/ desire and their growing friendship and romance is totally unexpected in so much as it doesn't follow the usual path that these geek/jock plots take. I'm not going to give any spoilers because it really would ruin the wonderful surprises that this story holds but I will say that acceptance in its many forms is a big part of the book - acceptance of oneself, acceptance of others and of course acceptance of the right to love and be loved by whoever you want, whether you be gay or straight. One of my favourite characters was Rob, Ellis' best friend, who although straight has a "Bromance" with his other friend Russell ( they are a great double act and funny together ) also straight, but are another example showing that people can love each other in many different ways. The whole story was just a great surprise and felt like a breath of fresh air. Sexy but not smutty, angsty in parts but not gloomy, snarkily funny, witty banter and full of fabulous characters who worked their magic on this reader, I can wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a gay romance that defies the norm. Really enjoyed Wade Kelly's unique style and ' voice.' I LOVED it! Keeper.
At first it seems like the typical geek v jock, opposites attract story, but it is so much more than that. Wade Kelly, who I've never read before, really has a quirky way of putting a story together. Each character has his own voice in a way that I've never come across before but it really works. Told mostly in first person by Cole, who I adored because he is just such a character, the book is full of great characters who would normally be classed as secondary, but when they are present in a scene, shine just as much as the MC's and add extra depth to the whole story. Ellis , the gorgeous jock (this is just as much his story too) , is fantastic as Coles nemesis/ desire and their growing friendship and romance is totally unexpected in so much as it doesn't follow the usual path that these geek/jock plots take. I'm not going to give any spoilers because it really would ruin the wonderful surprises that this story holds but I will say that acceptance in its many forms is a big part of the book - acceptance of oneself, acceptance of others and of course acceptance of the right to love and be loved by whoever you want, whether you be gay or straight. One of my favourite characters was Rob, Ellis' best friend, who although straight has a "Bromance" with his other friend Russell ( they are a great double act and funny together ) also straight, but are another example showing that people can love each other in many different ways. The whole story was just a great surprise and felt like a breath of fresh air. Sexy but not smutty, angsty in parts but not gloomy, snarkily funny, witty banter and full of fabulous characters who worked their magic on this reader, I can wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a gay romance that defies the norm. Really enjoyed Wade Kelly's unique style and ' voice.' I LOVED it! Keeper.
January 3, 2013
4.5* This was a fab read. I wasn't really sure if I'd like Cole, but he totally grew on me. I liked Ellis a lot (soccer players = yumm). I love stories about 2 people meeting up, getting to know each other, realizing there is attraction and working their stuff out. 'Cause really that's what it's about 2 people working their stuff out. I loved Cole's shirts. Extra star for that.
October 26, 2015
This story was a whole lot of fun to read. The main characters, Ellis and Cole, were great people to wrap a book around. Funny, sexy, honest, romantic, did I say sexy? The writing was great, and the cover was perfect. Well done, Wade Kelly. I loved it.
July 6, 2014
I've had this one sitting on my TBR pile for a while, something had me hesitating, but yesterday I decided to just go for it.
I'm glad I did, there is a lot for me to like about this story.
Cole, annoying as he might be, he's also a sympathetically OCD sarcastic pessimistic guy and I wanted him to get his man.
Ellis, with one or two exception , is a really nice guy and the perfect foil to Cole's glass not only half full, but more his glass almost empty kind of outlook.
Another positive were the friends Russell and Rob, I especially liked that people of faith were shown in a good light and not as the 'typical homophobic bible thumping lemmings' as so often happens.
It was a romantic story and Cole's POV had a few funny moments and his thoughts are entertaining.
I could have done without all the different POVs, I like having the MCs POV, but having the mother's, the friend's and even the asshat Mike's didn't really work all that well for me.
The mother, although understandable with her dismay at the empty-nest syndrome I had trouble believing she can take away a 20year old's cell phone and literally hold him hostage, this is where I would have liked Ellis' POV to explain him liked being spoiled.
I was also a little uncertain about all the drama and angst about not seeing each other for 2 weeks over Christmas break, I understand young love, but it felt a little much for me, but alas, it was still a sweet romance and an enjoyable read.
I'm glad I did, there is a lot for me to like about this story.
Cole, annoying as he might be, he's also a sympathetically OCD sarcastic pessimistic guy and I wanted him to get his man.
Ellis, with one or two exception , is a really nice guy and the perfect foil to Cole's glass not only half full, but more his glass almost empty kind of outlook.
Another positive were the friends Russell and Rob, I especially liked that people of faith were shown in a good light and not as the 'typical homophobic bible thumping lemmings' as so often happens.
It was a romantic story and Cole's POV had a few funny moments and his thoughts are entertaining.
I could have done without all the different POVs, I like having the MCs POV, but having the mother's, the friend's and even the asshat Mike's didn't really work all that well for me.
The mother, although understandable with her dismay at the empty-nest syndrome I had trouble believing she can take away a 20year old's cell phone and literally hold him hostage, this is where I would have liked Ellis' POV to explain him liked being spoiled.
I was also a little uncertain about all the drama and angst about not seeing each other for 2 weeks over Christmas break, I understand young love, but it felt a little much for me, but alas, it was still a sweet romance and an enjoyable read.
January 10, 2013
What a cute, funny story. Cole is my kind of character he’s snarky and a bit neurotic but sweet as pie he made me smile and chuckle more than once and Ellis was a perfect match for him one balancing out the other. I loved Ellis’s shyness it made their relationship all the sweeter but one niggle here is “are there any jocks out there that are shy?” That was a hmmm moment for me but not a big enough one to turn me off the story.
I thought I would have a hard time with the love at first sight thing but Wade made that work, maybe because things didn’t go smoothly for them they still had obstacles with family,friends and between themselves to overcome and he had the romance between the two go slowly, which is the best way, it makes everything that much sweeter.
I loved his secondary characters especially Rob and Russell what tremendous friends, the kind everyone wishes they had. Once in a while I felt like they took over the story and wouldn't it be great for them to have their own story...did you hear that Wade? *wink* And Ellis’s mother, as annoying as she is you know she loves her son and she wants nothing but happiness for him.
I wish there had been a few laugh out loud moments along with the chuckles and the switching of POV’s threw a curve in the reading periodically it could have been structured a bit differently, I did have to go back and re-read a few time just to be sure I knew who was thinking or talking but overall this was a really enjoyable read.
Great job Wade!
January 2, 2013
LOVED THIS BOOK! Okay. Let's see if I can do this book justice. I get really bored with the same old fluffy love stories. Although this is a love story, I just didn't find it boring. Wade Kelly made both of these MCs come alive and made me feel for both of them.
Cole is a Senior physics major. He looses his old roommate. He does't want to get another because he's a bit socially inept. He had a rough time in high school with jocks and he damn sure doesn't want to get one of those as a roommate. Let's see if I can get a picture placed here.
[IMG]http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b...
Enter Ellis. Ellis is on the soccer team but is an English Major. He has two best friends, Rob and Russell, that are a complete riot. (We could only wish we had best friends like these two) So, of course Ellis becomes Cole's new roommate. Ellis has never considered that he might be gay.
It's a sweet love story with a little bit of angst, a lot of really funny antics by Rob and Russell and a really good HEA. Highly Recommended!
Cole is a Senior physics major. He looses his old roommate. He does't want to get another because he's a bit socially inept. He had a rough time in high school with jocks and he damn sure doesn't want to get one of those as a roommate. Let's see if I can get a picture placed here.
[IMG]http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b...
Enter Ellis. Ellis is on the soccer team but is an English Major. He has two best friends, Rob and Russell, that are a complete riot. (We could only wish we had best friends like these two) So, of course Ellis becomes Cole's new roommate. Ellis has never considered that he might be gay.
It's a sweet love story with a little bit of angst, a lot of really funny antics by Rob and Russell and a really good HEA. Highly Recommended!
December 5, 2012
Okay... to be fair, the trope and premise of this story SOUNDED awesome. Shy, sweet jock with sarcastic, cynical nerd... awwwww all around. But this story was poorly written. There is a constant shift of POV and it's not even with MCs. One character is written in first person POV AND present tense. Another was third person POV... It just was a hot mess.
This story was stunted and I struggled to get through it. It irked and irritated to read through, I found myself skipping a lot in order to JUST FINISH.
According to the author bio, "Wade does not have a background in writing..." My response was "yeah, no shit!" My advice to this author is take some creative writing courses. If they're too expensive, audit some at a local college. OR get friends and beta readers that will be truly honest with your work in order to help your creativity grow and become BETTER.
If this book was any indication of the author's style, I will not be reading any works from this author in the future.
This story was stunted and I struggled to get through it. It irked and irritated to read through, I found myself skipping a lot in order to JUST FINISH.
According to the author bio, "Wade does not have a background in writing..." My response was "yeah, no shit!" My advice to this author is take some creative writing courses. If they're too expensive, audit some at a local college. OR get friends and beta readers that will be truly honest with your work in order to help your creativity grow and become BETTER.
If this book was any indication of the author's style, I will not be reading any works from this author in the future.
March 26, 2016
I rated this book 3 stars, but in fact it was probably closer to 3.5 for me. I started out really liking it. Cole's ramblings were amusing and I liked the interaction between him and pretty much everyone else, especially Ellis.
Then I got to the part with Mike and it threw me off balance. I was reading along and one minute I'm at Cole and Ellis's with Rob and then next thing I know it's Mike and his psycho attitude and I'm sitting there going 'what the hell? who's Mike?' until my brain cycles around and remembers he's one of the friends who hasn't been around for a few pages and that was where I disconnected I couldn't seem to get involved in what was happening and as things went along I just felt like this part of the story was incomplete, it just didn't work for me and I didn't seem to get totally back on track with the rest of the book after that.
The other thing that confused me was the way Ellis's parents were portrayed, we're told that they met and got engaged within 8 months of their meeting because it was love at first sight but if it was then I guess it wasn't love everlasting because the couple of scenes that they are in left me feeling like they were strangers.
So at the end of it all I very much enjoyed Cole and Ellis as well as Rob and Russ. Where things fell short for me were some of the other background characters, what I was being told they were wasn't lining up with the impression I was getting from the story so it made it hard for me to totally lose myself in the story. Still overall an enjoyable read and I really hope that Ms Kelly invites us to the wedding because if Cole & Ellis are in the room there will be laughs to be had...food fight!!!!!!!!!!
Then I got to the part with Mike and it threw me off balance. I was reading along and one minute I'm at Cole and Ellis's with Rob and then next thing I know it's Mike and his psycho attitude and I'm sitting there going 'what the hell? who's Mike?' until my brain cycles around and remembers he's one of the friends who hasn't been around for a few pages and that was where I disconnected I couldn't seem to get involved in what was happening and as things went along I just felt like this part of the story was incomplete, it just didn't work for me and I didn't seem to get totally back on track with the rest of the book after that.
The other thing that confused me was the way Ellis's parents were portrayed, we're told that they met and got engaged within 8 months of their meeting because it was love at first sight but if it was then I guess it wasn't love everlasting because the couple of scenes that they are in left me feeling like they were strangers.
So at the end of it all I very much enjoyed Cole and Ellis as well as Rob and Russ. Where things fell short for me were some of the other background characters, what I was being told they were wasn't lining up with the impression I was getting from the story so it made it hard for me to totally lose myself in the story. Still overall an enjoyable read and I really hope that Ms Kelly invites us to the wedding because if Cole & Ellis are in the room there will be laughs to be had...food fight!!!!!!!!!!
September 1, 2015
This is the second book that I've read of the author's and I found out that Wade Kelly is really fond of the shifting POV style of storytelling. And she's so good at it. They don't feel out of place and the transitions are well thought of. But in this one, I really liked Cole's first-person POV because it was so darn funny and snarky. A cynical geek with extreme OCD (sounds pretty redundant) was so amusing to follow. And his attempt at injecting logic even to the mundane of things was simply hilarious.
I also liked the secondary characters in this book. The camaraderie between Ellis and his "jock" friends, especially Rob and Russel, was quite endearing.
Although this screamed cliche, I had a surprisingly enjoyable and fast reading experience. And what was more surprising was the author's take on homosexuality near the end spoken in Cole's vantage point. It was so on point and timely.
I recommend this for those just looking for a light read and more so to those who find geeky protagonists smexy as hell!
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