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Merge Ahead
Will doesn’t know that his safe but unfulfilling life as a Call Center Supervisor is about to be turned upside down. Or that the man responsible is sitting next to him waiting for the same delayed flight. Adam Summers is confident, successful, gorgeous, and about to sign the contract that will cost Will his job. Corporate policy says they should keep their hands off each other, but they can’t. Is their growing affection worth the risk to Adam’s career? And what will Will’s future look like when their companies, and their lives, have merged? Merge Ahead is a full-length, standalone MM romance.
223 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2016
92 people are currently reading
262 people want to read
About the author
Tanya Chris
60 books295 followersTanya writes in a variety of romantic and erotic genres, being an avid follower of many of these genres herself. Some of her favorites are M/M romance, MFM threesomes, and BDSM with male submissives.
Tanya lives in New England with her boyfriend and her cat and has participated in many of the activities about which she writes, but not all of them. It's left to the reader to decide which are which.
Tanya lives in New England with her boyfriend and her cat and has participated in many of the activities about which she writes, but not all of them. It's left to the reader to decide which are which.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
September 12, 2018
3.5 Stars
Will works an unfulfilling job as a supervisor in a prominent Call Centre, though he dreams of a day he can quit the monotonous day job and pursue his writing full time. When he takes some time for himself to attend a cross-country writing convention, Will meets a dreamy guy at the airport named Adam and the two eventually hit it off, sharing contact details and the promise of connecting properly the following weekend.
Things are looking up for Will, until he realises his new squeeze is actually the CFO of the company that has just acquired and merged with his own place of business. Their professional positions make any potential relationship a difficult prospect, possibly even an intolerable one by workplace standards, but Adam and Will decide that the connection they share is worth the risk and they begin a relationship while trying to keep their work lives separate.
The romance-forbidden-in-the-workplace stuff wasn’t nearly as angst inducing as I feared it would be and I’m thankful for it. I loved the natural progression of Adam and Will’s relationship; it had a truly realistic feel to it, focusing on the simple everyday interactions they experienced as a new, slowly establishing couple. It wasn’t all hearts and flowers from the get-go, and talk of forever was a nice slow work-in-progress. For me, that’s what made this story so damn refreshing.
I must say I took issue with Will’s issues. As he and Adam grew closer, and eventually started introducing and getting to know each other’s families and friends, it emerged that Will was messed up in some major ways, specifically where his whack perceptions of gender roles in relationships were concerned. A lot of this was greatly influenced by Will’s experiences growing up in a culturally diverse household, with a father who pushed certain antiquated views and beliefs on his kids. To a point, I could overlook some of the shit Will said (and clearly believed) as being a direct result of his upbringing, but mostly his hang-ups were perturbing to me, particularly whenever he mentioned an action or behaviour as negatively relating to a woman, like women were somehow less than. It was clear he didn’t truly believe women were inferior – which ensured I didn’t hate on him completely – but it was like he’d been so brainwashed growing up that any suggestion of his own actions as a caregiver, or as someone who was being financially supported in a relationship, meant he was weaker somehow. I seriously wanted to smack some sense into him a time or two. I appreciated that this wasn’t simply overlooked and that Adam called him on that shit constantly, guiding Will in adjusting his warped mentalities into an attitude that held a much healthier outlook.
Aside from my problems with Will’s worldview at times, I generally enjoyed the heck out of this story. Considering Tanya Chris is a new-to-me author, this was a solid success and I will definitely be on the lookout to try more from her backlog of stories.
Will works an unfulfilling job as a supervisor in a prominent Call Centre, though he dreams of a day he can quit the monotonous day job and pursue his writing full time. When he takes some time for himself to attend a cross-country writing convention, Will meets a dreamy guy at the airport named Adam and the two eventually hit it off, sharing contact details and the promise of connecting properly the following weekend.
Things are looking up for Will, until he realises his new squeeze is actually the CFO of the company that has just acquired and merged with his own place of business. Their professional positions make any potential relationship a difficult prospect, possibly even an intolerable one by workplace standards, but Adam and Will decide that the connection they share is worth the risk and they begin a relationship while trying to keep their work lives separate.
The romance-forbidden-in-the-workplace stuff wasn’t nearly as angst inducing as I feared it would be and I’m thankful for it. I loved the natural progression of Adam and Will’s relationship; it had a truly realistic feel to it, focusing on the simple everyday interactions they experienced as a new, slowly establishing couple. It wasn’t all hearts and flowers from the get-go, and talk of forever was a nice slow work-in-progress. For me, that’s what made this story so damn refreshing.
I must say I took issue with Will’s issues. As he and Adam grew closer, and eventually started introducing and getting to know each other’s families and friends, it emerged that Will was messed up in some major ways, specifically where his whack perceptions of gender roles in relationships were concerned. A lot of this was greatly influenced by Will’s experiences growing up in a culturally diverse household, with a father who pushed certain antiquated views and beliefs on his kids. To a point, I could overlook some of the shit Will said (and clearly believed) as being a direct result of his upbringing, but mostly his hang-ups were perturbing to me, particularly whenever he mentioned an action or behaviour as negatively relating to a woman, like women were somehow less than. It was clear he didn’t truly believe women were inferior – which ensured I didn’t hate on him completely – but it was like he’d been so brainwashed growing up that any suggestion of his own actions as a caregiver, or as someone who was being financially supported in a relationship, meant he was weaker somehow. I seriously wanted to smack some sense into him a time or two. I appreciated that this wasn’t simply overlooked and that Adam called him on that shit constantly, guiding Will in adjusting his warped mentalities into an attitude that held a much healthier outlook.
Aside from my problems with Will’s worldview at times, I generally enjoyed the heck out of this story. Considering Tanya Chris is a new-to-me author, this was a solid success and I will definitely be on the lookout to try more from her backlog of stories.
August 20, 2018
Sneaky fucking book I love you. No seriously, I LOVE you.
Let me tell you a story about this book ok? So this is how it goes. This book I’ve never heard of with an author I’ve never heard of shows up on my feed one day. Free. I like the sound of the blurb and well, free, so I grab it. (Thanks Line!)
A couple days later I’m working on my spreadsheet for the upcoming GRL and notice that said unknown to me author is attending so I make note to bump the book up if I can.
This morning I decided to give it a go.
FAVORITE!! No lie. Straight to the top of that list right now for 2018. I am head over heels in love with this book. Every single thing about it was perfection to me. Everything. The only thing I didn’t like about it is that it had to end. I feel lost and sad right now. I want to still be reading it.
So, ok, this book. I don’t even know what to say except this is romance perfection. Meet perfect, love perfection. It’s real. So very real and it is honest, sweet, hot and it truly swept me off my feet. Again, it is just absolutely perfect to me.
I have to buy this book in Virginia if it is available. I have to go see if there is a pre-order.
I am terrible at reviewing a book I loved this much. But that’s all I can do right now because there is a short story on the authors webpage that I must read right now.
If you read it I hope you love it as much as I did. If you want to Buddy Read, let me know, I might have to read it again 😊
True Love guys, true love.
Let me tell you a story about this book ok? So this is how it goes. This book I’ve never heard of with an author I’ve never heard of shows up on my feed one day. Free. I like the sound of the blurb and well, free, so I grab it. (Thanks Line!)
A couple days later I’m working on my spreadsheet for the upcoming GRL and notice that said unknown to me author is attending so I make note to bump the book up if I can.
This morning I decided to give it a go.
FAVORITE!! No lie. Straight to the top of that list right now for 2018. I am head over heels in love with this book. Every single thing about it was perfection to me. Everything. The only thing I didn’t like about it is that it had to end. I feel lost and sad right now. I want to still be reading it.
So, ok, this book. I don’t even know what to say except this is romance perfection. Meet perfect, love perfection. It’s real. So very real and it is honest, sweet, hot and it truly swept me off my feet. Again, it is just absolutely perfect to me.
I have to buy this book in Virginia if it is available. I have to go see if there is a pre-order.
I am terrible at reviewing a book I loved this much. But that’s all I can do right now because there is a short story on the authors webpage that I must read right now.
If you read it I hope you love it as much as I did. If you want to Buddy Read, let me know, I might have to read it again 😊
True Love guys, true love.
Want to read
September 5, 2019Kindle freebie 9/4/19
August 23, 2018
Eh...….
I wanted to like this one. And while the writing style was smooth and I enjoyed it, I just couldn't reconcile myself to enjoy the story.
And that was because of Will, the single POV we get.
Will has issues.
To a certain degree, we are all products of our upbringing. However, that doesn't give anyone free reign to be an ignorant ass into adulthood. Do some self-reflection. Do some family reflection, if need be.
But don't be willfully ignorant.
Will is Puerto Rican and was raised by a very "macho" father who always taught Will that there are certain gender roles of conformity. This leads to Will having major complaints about being with someone who is more of a dominant personality and makes more money than him. Even though he prefers to work from home, cook, and "take care of" Adam, he can't let his father know that he does those things.
Apparently, there are "gay" roles that he perpetuates too. Just like all "men" should act the same, all "gays" should act the same. I'll just leave some excerpts here for the class and let you decide for yourself.
I really dislike judgmental people. Especially when they're as ignorant as Will.
He never grew on me, even as his character developed.
So, although I enjoyed this author's writing style, I'd be hesitant to read something else unless I found out about the personality of the primary MC.
I wanted to like this one. And while the writing style was smooth and I enjoyed it, I just couldn't reconcile myself to enjoy the story.
And that was because of Will, the single POV we get.
Will has issues.
To a certain degree, we are all products of our upbringing. However, that doesn't give anyone free reign to be an ignorant ass into adulthood. Do some self-reflection. Do some family reflection, if need be.
But don't be willfully ignorant.
Will is Puerto Rican and was raised by a very "macho" father who always taught Will that there are certain gender roles of conformity. This leads to Will having major complaints about being with someone who is more of a dominant personality and makes more money than him. Even though he prefers to work from home, cook, and "take care of" Adam, he can't let his father know that he does those things.
Apparently, there are "gay" roles that he perpetuates too. Just like all "men" should act the same, all "gays" should act the same. I'll just leave some excerpts here for the class and let you decide for yourself.
Gay men needed to keep in shape if they wanted to get laid. Will was never going to be anything special in the looks department - brown hair, brown eyes, medium-toned skin, average height and average weight, neither especially masculine or at all feminine - but he didn't need to handicap himself by being overweight.
The first dates had, yes, included sex because gay guys were like that[…]
Guys like Adam either wanted other guys like Adam - men who could rival them in the passion and power - or they wanted the complete opposite - the femme, the twink, the why-don't-you-just-get-yourself-a-goddamn-girl guy.
That was their CEO, huh? John Triana didn't look the part. He was too young, too fat, and his hair was too long.
Right now he had on a tight pair of trousers in an eggplant color and a silky grey sweater. Really, almost too gay for work.
I really dislike judgmental people. Especially when they're as ignorant as Will.
He never grew on me, even as his character developed.
So, although I enjoyed this author's writing style, I'd be hesitant to read something else unless I found out about the personality of the primary MC.
November 2, 2017
4.5 stars
This wasn't what I expected at all.
Low on angst and drama, the characters get together fairly early in the novel and remain that way till the very happily-ever-after ending.
The plot follows their relationship as it develops and evolves, through the workplace difficulties they face as the blurb implies, but also way beyond that.
I liked the focus on facing, questioning and overcoming gender roles, different upbringing and class differences, especially in combination with Will, the protagonist, being Latino with a very traditional father. Some conversations about sexism, homophobia and racism made me vaguely uncomfortable, though I can't tell if that was because the topics weren't handled well or because of the topics themselves.
The only thing I would have wished for was a more extended ending. Almost all of the threads regarding Will's future were left open except for one, and I especially would have liked if there had been more focus on his writing as him being an aspiring author was one of my favourite parts of the book.
This wasn't what I expected at all.
Low on angst and drama, the characters get together fairly early in the novel and remain that way till the very happily-ever-after ending.
The plot follows their relationship as it develops and evolves, through the workplace difficulties they face as the blurb implies, but also way beyond that.
I liked the focus on facing, questioning and overcoming gender roles, different upbringing and class differences, especially in combination with Will, the protagonist, being Latino with a very traditional father. Some conversations about sexism, homophobia and racism made me vaguely uncomfortable, though I can't tell if that was because the topics weren't handled well or because of the topics themselves.
The only thing I would have wished for was a more extended ending. Almost all of the threads regarding Will's future were left open except for one, and I especially would have liked if there had been more focus on his writing as him being an aspiring author was one of my favourite parts of the book.
April 8, 2017
There was a lot more to this than a business romance or suit porn. Will is smitten with confident alpha-male Adam. But despite Adam’s reciprocal interest, they encounter several stumbling blocks as they make their way from airport acquaintances to serious boyfriends. Adam seems to have everything over Will—more power, more money, more future. Can their relationship find an equal footing?
Both characters are engaging, and there are enough work and life plot events to keep things interesting while the romance works itself out. I appreciated the lack of Dumb Misunderstandings and silent treatment—these boys talk. They also grow.
Recommended.
Both characters are engaging, and there are enough work and life plot events to keep things interesting while the romance works itself out. I appreciated the lack of Dumb Misunderstandings and silent treatment—these boys talk. They also grow.
Recommended.
September 5, 2018
Guille
3.5 stars
Will works at a call center as he struggles to become a writer. Adam works as CFO of a big company that happens to be taking over Wills. They start a relationship that is not exactly improper by company standards but frowned upon. To avoid potential conflict they keep their relationship secret but as it grows the harder it is to contain their love.
With Adam being in such power it makes will feel inadequate and less manly. Which is something that has been ingrained in Will's head since childhood. When Will loses his job the feelings become stronger.
It is something he struggles with heavily in this book. Although, he enjoys taking care of Adam in his mind it makes him the woman in the relationship and he fears that's the role everyone will label him as. All Adam tries to do is make Will see all of what he contributes to the relationship as whole and that there is nothing inferior about being a woman (that's right listen to Adam).
It takes time for Will to open his eyes and realize his ways.
Along with all that I would say this book takes us from the start of a relationship and continues through it's progression from first meeting, to dating to more i.e. the merging of their lives as individuals to a couple. Overall a nice read.
3.5 stars
Will works at a call center as he struggles to become a writer. Adam works as CFO of a big company that happens to be taking over Wills. They start a relationship that is not exactly improper by company standards but frowned upon. To avoid potential conflict they keep their relationship secret but as it grows the harder it is to contain their love.
With Adam being in such power it makes will feel inadequate and less manly. Which is something that has been ingrained in Will's head since childhood. When Will loses his job the feelings become stronger.
It is something he struggles with heavily in this book. Although, he enjoys taking care of Adam in his mind it makes him the woman in the relationship and he fears that's the role everyone will label him as. All Adam tries to do is make Will see all of what he contributes to the relationship as whole and that there is nothing inferior about being a woman (that's right listen to Adam).
It takes time for Will to open his eyes and realize his ways.
Along with all that I would say this book takes us from the start of a relationship and continues through it's progression from first meeting, to dating to more i.e. the merging of their lives as individuals to a couple. Overall a nice read.
Want to read
July 24, 2018Freebie at amazon.com right now: https://smile.amazon.com/Merge-Ahead-...
August 27, 2020
I really loved this story. I couldn’t put it down. The employee who falls in love with the CFO of his company and his struggle to feel an equal partner in the relationship. I actually got so tired of Will’s feelings of inferiority that I had to give the book 4 stars instead of 5. Adam did nothing but try to make Will realize that they were each contributing to the relationship just in different ways. Anyway, it was still a great love story.
November 25, 2017
Two guys meet at the airport and things develop from there. I enjoyed the journey, but one character was just too hung up on proper gender roles. To me the point was made one too many times.
Typos: A few missing or extra letters and words (e.g., "a while go"), lay/lie confusion. The past tense of lie is lay, not laid.
Typos: A few missing or extra letters and words (e.g., "a while go"), lay/lie confusion. The past tense of lie is lay, not laid.
August 21, 2018
I loved every bit of this.
June 7, 2022
I read the really remarkable [[ASIN:B0722P9BQY Aftercare]] and just loved it. I then bought this book. It's completely fine, a good solid romance, but it feels like it was written by a different person - it's not just that Aftercare was far more intense, it's also that its sentences sang. Here everything was more prosaic.
Personally I felt that both men felt younger than their age. Adam felt like he was 33 and Will was 25. It seems a petty difference, but 38 was too old for someone to be as rootless as Adam was. I like that they had minor discomfort over their age - not when they are together, but when they meet each other's friends. I like that they were so strong together and didn't have any made up complications. Will's feelings felt entirely real to me, and I'm sure many men feel as he does. However I've seen this dynamic explored more subtly ([[ASIN:B003TJAVPS
Promises (Coda Series Book 1)]] Marie Sexton does it really well here.
I will look for more by Tanya Chris, but I was puzzled by the difference in style between her two books.
Edited to add - I was vaguely remembering this book and could not find it anywhere. In the end, I asked in Can you find this book - page here on goodreads, and remarkably, one of my goodfriends pals recognized my description! I was thrilled. I realized it was so different from other tanya chris books that I had completely forgotten that she wrote it. So I a rate this a solid 3.5, rounded up to 4. But there are better Tanya Chris books out there... Still happy to have reread it again.
Personally I felt that both men felt younger than their age. Adam felt like he was 33 and Will was 25. It seems a petty difference, but 38 was too old for someone to be as rootless as Adam was. I like that they had minor discomfort over their age - not when they are together, but when they meet each other's friends. I like that they were so strong together and didn't have any made up complications. Will's feelings felt entirely real to me, and I'm sure many men feel as he does. However I've seen this dynamic explored more subtly ([[ASIN:B003TJAVPS
Promises (Coda Series Book 1)]] Marie Sexton does it really well here.
I will look for more by Tanya Chris, but I was puzzled by the difference in style between her two books.
Edited to add - I was vaguely remembering this book and could not find it anywhere. In the end, I asked in Can you find this book - page here on goodreads, and remarkably, one of my goodfriends pals recognized my description! I was thrilled. I realized it was so different from other tanya chris books that I had completely forgotten that she wrote it. So I a rate this a solid 3.5, rounded up to 4. But there are better Tanya Chris books out there... Still happy to have reread it again.
Want to read
July 24, 20187/24/18 Currently FREE via Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
April 8, 2017
3.5 not too angsty stars
September 25, 2019
A cute and sweet gay romance novel, a genre that has become a favorite of mine over the past year. The story of Will and Adam and their romance is funny, sexy and sweet and they make a good pair. And I found myself relating to a lot of it. And I liked that Will is Puerto Rican and struggles with living up to the being masculine stereotype of his culture. That was an aspect that isn't always seen in literature and so I appreciated seeing it here. Not quite as erotic as other books I've read in this genre but still enough sex scenes to keep my interest.
May 11, 2020
It was good, something I won't remember I read in a little while, but good. Will was starting to get on my nerves with the constant whining about Adam's money and how it made him feel like a woman. I get that was how things were in his life growing up, but I still got sick of hearing about it. Adam was super patient with all of it. I wasn't entirely comfortable with some of the other attitudes either, but maybe the author was trying to make a point in those cases as well.
I know I basically complained, but it's a good book, just not a great one.
I know I basically complained, but it's a good book, just not a great one.
September 20, 2018
I wanted to give this book five stars. I’ve never read a m/m contemporary romance and haven’t read a contemporary adult romance since high school!! I prefer historical. But I read a free short story on the author’s website and decided to buy one of her books. I really LOVED the fluff and smut (if you will excuse the fanfic term) aspects of this book. The romance was so sweet and the sex was super hot and intimate with zero cringe factor. There were lots of scenes with people being gently taken care of, cooked for, shoulder massaged, etc if you’re into that. My only issue was what has been mentioned by a bunch of other reviewers: Will being weirdly misogynistic and maybe even homophobic, seemingly because he was Puerto Rican. Also some mild fat-shaming that made me rather uncomfortable. I know that as an author one of my own worst fears is being culturally insensitive and that there’s always room for improvement, so I won’t go into it further since plenty of other reviews discuss it in detail. It does seem that his character comes to terms with his issues by the end of the novel. Single POV didn’t bother me: I don’t always love all the head hopping in romance. I’m willing to give another one of her books a try because the writing is so polished and clever and the romance was so sweet.
March 20, 2025
A Realistic Romance
This is more than a romance. Sure, there’s a meet-cute and sex but they are not the focus of the story. I identified with Will a LOT as he struggles with his upbringing and expected gender roles in society, and how that impacts his relationship. Also, the struggling between keeping a traditional job and trying to have a writing career is one I know all too well. It shows the back and forth that happens in relationships, realistic conflicts, and it flows smoothly. I highly recommend this book.
This is more than a romance. Sure, there’s a meet-cute and sex but they are not the focus of the story. I identified with Will a LOT as he struggles with his upbringing and expected gender roles in society, and how that impacts his relationship. Also, the struggling between keeping a traditional job and trying to have a writing career is one I know all too well. It shows the back and forth that happens in relationships, realistic conflicts, and it flows smoothly. I highly recommend this book.
July 8, 2018
Will is a manager of a call centre, but really wants to be a writer. Adam is a CFO, who flits where the work sends hm,so he never has a proper home.
They meet on a plane, neither of them knowing they belong in opposite sides of a company merger. Once they realize that, it’s a complication, but not a deterrent.
Adam works too much to look after himself properly, and Will wants and is able to look after him. They are sweet, and figure out the rest along the way. Fussy cat included.
Interesting read.
KU
They meet on a plane, neither of them knowing they belong in opposite sides of a company merger. Once they realize that, it’s a complication, but not a deterrent.
Adam works too much to look after himself properly, and Will wants and is able to look after him. They are sweet, and figure out the rest along the way. Fussy cat included.
Interesting read.
KU
October 17, 2017
I enjoy it.
It's so rare to find books without idiotic misunderstanding, unnecessary drama.. Here, they talk, they communicate, there is no hiding. There is some homophobic and sexist comment from side characters and those people aren't magically fix, aren't brought to the "right" side. It's refreshing to read because it's reality.
I adore Adam but Will was annoying to me.
It's so rare to find books without idiotic misunderstanding, unnecessary drama.. Here, they talk, they communicate, there is no hiding. There is some homophobic and sexist comment from side characters and those people aren't magically fix, aren't brought to the "right" side. It's refreshing to read because it's reality.
I adore Adam but Will was annoying to me.
January 29, 2020
Touches the heart, incorporates relevant societal themes
I don’t leave enough reviews for authors whose work I’ve appreciated, but this read made me get off the sidelines and show some appreciation for good work. Nobody needs a drawn-out book report to spoil the read for others, but I’ll mention a few things that endeared “Merge Ahead” to me. Initially I thought the book would be good (I was right), but I didn’t expect some of the topics that came up. Among those themes were gender stereotypes, cultural hang-ups, and societal expectations. About halfway through, I realized the story was deeper than I expected. I found myself binge-reading this book by itself (I usually read several at once), and of course I crushed on both Adam and Will. I like how Tanya Chris weaves important topics into the tale, but doesn’t get bogged down in them or gloss cavalierly over them either – there’s balance and superb pacing. The ups and downs Will and Adam have aren’t addressed as often in gay-themed books, but they’re definitely real-life occurrences. I like that the protagonists are overall mature in how they address situations, and the author doesn’t exploit little rifts to create reader angst (they don’t have an unhealthy pattern of breaking up every time there’s a bit of discomfort). The sexual attraction and loving tenderness between Adam and Will are touching and hot all at once! The author suavely works in side stories with friends, family, and colleagues, and they enrich the story. There are rather frequent poetic moments in the writing to appreciate. Grammatical errors are few, making this easy to read; in fact, the few errors are generally typographical in nature.
I don’t leave enough reviews for authors whose work I’ve appreciated, but this read made me get off the sidelines and show some appreciation for good work. Nobody needs a drawn-out book report to spoil the read for others, but I’ll mention a few things that endeared “Merge Ahead” to me. Initially I thought the book would be good (I was right), but I didn’t expect some of the topics that came up. Among those themes were gender stereotypes, cultural hang-ups, and societal expectations. About halfway through, I realized the story was deeper than I expected. I found myself binge-reading this book by itself (I usually read several at once), and of course I crushed on both Adam and Will. I like how Tanya Chris weaves important topics into the tale, but doesn’t get bogged down in them or gloss cavalierly over them either – there’s balance and superb pacing. The ups and downs Will and Adam have aren’t addressed as often in gay-themed books, but they’re definitely real-life occurrences. I like that the protagonists are overall mature in how they address situations, and the author doesn’t exploit little rifts to create reader angst (they don’t have an unhealthy pattern of breaking up every time there’s a bit of discomfort). The sexual attraction and loving tenderness between Adam and Will are touching and hot all at once! The author suavely works in side stories with friends, family, and colleagues, and they enrich the story. There are rather frequent poetic moments in the writing to appreciate. Grammatical errors are few, making this easy to read; in fact, the few errors are generally typographical in nature.
March 27, 2019
Adam was too good for Will, and it had nothing to do with money or status. I understand how he was raised, but being that he had been to college, employed and living on his own for quite some time, not to mention having dated other men, there was no reason for him to be so neurotic when it came to people who "might" have seen him as the "woman" in the relationship. When it came down to it, if anyone had this view, it was Will's caveman-ideal-wielding father; no one else. But what was also wrong with this premise was that so much of the book talked about Will's "eagerness to please" even before he met Adam, always wanting to take care of, serve, and pamper his man without wanting any reciprocation. In a way, he gave himself the appearance of the submissive partner. It just grated on my nerves that he'd do these things yet constantly harp about how people could potentially see him. He really got on my last nerve. Add to that, the overall book just wasn't all that interesting. I also didn't care for such comments as "first dates...included sex because gay guys were like that"; that the CEO was "too young, too fat, and his hair was too long" (what does that have to do with his job?); that Will's friend Ryan dressed "almost too gay for work" (what kind of statement is that?); and that it was funny that Will's lawyer was named Angie Whitelaw "because she was a lawyer but she was black." All of these were Will's thoughts.
June 13, 2020
I love this author's writing.
I've devoured all the short stories that Tanya Chris has available for free and this is my first time reading a longer story. I always enjoy the character development and chemistry. For this one, though, I was right there with Adam frustrated and annoyed with Will's fixation on gender roles/norms and his machismo baggage. I couldn't tell if it was internalized homophobia or a form of misogyny and I know a lot of it was self-doubt, but it got old FAST. Adam was a lot more patient about it than I would have been. Despite how parts of the story would get stuck on those same issues and Will's conflicting reactions to his own thoughts, I still love this story because we FINALLY see him break through all that because love is love and they love each other and however they chose to express that love to one another is what I'm here for. I'm not saying that Adam's perfect, but I will admit that I relate so much more to his character. Plus, as a reader, it's hard not to kind of gloss over Adam's flaws when we're reading Will's perspective and he pretty readily accepts Adam's imperfections. Maybe some Adam point of view would have balanced this out a little better, but I think the author had a definite point here that they wanted to get to. Which they did. Eventually.
I've devoured all the short stories that Tanya Chris has available for free and this is my first time reading a longer story. I always enjoy the character development and chemistry. For this one, though, I was right there with Adam frustrated and annoyed with Will's fixation on gender roles/norms and his machismo baggage. I couldn't tell if it was internalized homophobia or a form of misogyny and I know a lot of it was self-doubt, but it got old FAST. Adam was a lot more patient about it than I would have been. Despite how parts of the story would get stuck on those same issues and Will's conflicting reactions to his own thoughts, I still love this story because we FINALLY see him break through all that because love is love and they love each other and however they chose to express that love to one another is what I'm here for. I'm not saying that Adam's perfect, but I will admit that I relate so much more to his character. Plus, as a reader, it's hard not to kind of gloss over Adam's flaws when we're reading Will's perspective and he pretty readily accepts Adam's imperfections. Maybe some Adam point of view would have balanced this out a little better, but I think the author had a definite point here that they wanted to get to. Which they did. Eventually.
September 24, 2019
Will's flight is delayed and after it is rescheduled for the following morning he accepts an invitation to spend the night at the home of the fellow beside him as opposed to sleeping in the terminal all night. The following morning, he is paged to the boarding station and told that he has been upgraded to first class courtesy of his host the night before. They exchange phone numbers but soon after Will realizes that his host is the CFO of the company merging with his company and he discards the number. A week later an information session is held and Adam spots Will and comes off the stage to speak with him. There are no rules against inter company relationships as long as there is no possibility of control or influence and Will and Adam begin to see one another on the QT. They are outed by Will's boss and he ends up losing his job but with a two year severance package allowing him to concentrate on his first love, writing. Their relationship develops quickly but Will struggles with ethnically defined male female roles and he is unwilling and unable to accept Adam's finanical contributions to their life together. An enjoyable read with the psychological influence of ethnic and parental relationships.
January 23, 2019
I'm pretty meh about this book. The beginning felt very stereotypical and bland and it took me a while to get into it. The characters just felt very one-dimensional. Once the relationship developed a bit further the book is not too bad, their issues feel reasonably realistic, there is little unnecessary drama and any fights are usually resolved immediately, but I never got the feeling that the character develop in any way. The relationship is cute and nice, but nice is really the best I can say about it all. There was nothing really captivating or attention grabbing in it.
Also, near the end Will started to really get on my nerves. He had issues with being "the woman" in the relationship the whole time and it only gets worse as the book progresses (he takes issue with getting flowers, for fucks sake). There where several scenes where I thought he finally gets how antiquated his ideas are, but nope. Only right in the end they force in a change of heart.
Also, near the end Will started to really get on my nerves. He had issues with being "the woman" in the relationship the whole time and it only gets worse as the book progresses (he takes issue with getting flowers, for fucks sake). There where several scenes where I thought he finally gets how antiquated his ideas are, but nope. Only right in the end they force in a change of heart.
September 8, 2019
Meet cute, hot sex, angst, more hot sex
The cover doesn't match the rest of the book, it seems to infer more driving than business. The book is well written, but so, so much angst. All the self-doubt and ingrained messages from childhood and anguish. Luckily there's way hot sex to soothe the emotions, with an undercurrent of lust that runs through most of the book, as shown here:
"There was a knock on his door. Will smoothed his damp palms over his sexiest pair of jeans and went to answer it. Adam was also wearing his sexiest pair of jeans—or if he had a sexier pair, then Will wanted to see those too—and a thin sweater that hugged his pecs beneath an open leather jacket. Will had never seen him in anything other than a suit and was taken aback by the fact that he looked even more powerful in casual clothes. More powerful and also yummier."
Sex scenes, 5. Excessive (though understandable) angst with sudden resolution, 3. Overall, 4.
The cover doesn't match the rest of the book, it seems to infer more driving than business. The book is well written, but so, so much angst. All the self-doubt and ingrained messages from childhood and anguish. Luckily there's way hot sex to soothe the emotions, with an undercurrent of lust that runs through most of the book, as shown here:
"There was a knock on his door. Will smoothed his damp palms over his sexiest pair of jeans and went to answer it. Adam was also wearing his sexiest pair of jeans—or if he had a sexier pair, then Will wanted to see those too—and a thin sweater that hugged his pecs beneath an open leather jacket. Will had never seen him in anything other than a suit and was taken aback by the fact that he looked even more powerful in casual clothes. More powerful and also yummier."
Sex scenes, 5. Excessive (though understandable) angst with sudden resolution, 3. Overall, 4.
June 23, 2021
It may be because it was written six years ago and much has changed in the world of MM romance but this was just so-so to me. Told only in Will's POV, I didn't feel that I got to know the real Adam until the end of the story and even then he was pretty shallow.
Will was Puerto Rican and made sure that was said a few times, especially when he kept thinking that since Adam earned more money Adam must think of him as the wife. There was quite a bit of time spent on Will's self-angst related to his role in their relationship and his own perceptions on coupledom.
There were also a few other references that likely weren't an issue at the time of the story but are pretty awkward in today's world. It was an okay pretty simple romance with a lot of sex scenes and a lot of debate over finance. If someone is looking for a story like that, this is the one to pick.
Will was Puerto Rican and made sure that was said a few times, especially when he kept thinking that since Adam earned more money Adam must think of him as the wife. There was quite a bit of time spent on Will's self-angst related to his role in their relationship and his own perceptions on coupledom.
There were also a few other references that likely weren't an issue at the time of the story but are pretty awkward in today's world. It was an okay pretty simple romance with a lot of sex scenes and a lot of debate over finance. If someone is looking for a story like that, this is the one to pick.
September 6, 2019
This is good
It’s actually a lot better than I anticipated. I’m a really tough grader too, but I’d give this 3.75. The characters are likable and it doesn’t go where you think it will. My biggest complaint is that one of the mc’s is a bit slow figuring out he’s screwed up about gender roles, or his perception of them. And then when he does the book just ends. Endings are really hard but I felt kinda ripped off by this one since it was such a pat ending and the rest of the book didn’t go like you’d think it would. It’s definitely worth reading though.
It’s actually a lot better than I anticipated. I’m a really tough grader too, but I’d give this 3.75. The characters are likable and it doesn’t go where you think it will. My biggest complaint is that one of the mc’s is a bit slow figuring out he’s screwed up about gender roles, or his perception of them. And then when he does the book just ends. Endings are really hard but I felt kinda ripped off by this one since it was such a pat ending and the rest of the book didn’t go like you’d think it would. It’s definitely worth reading though.
August 22, 2018
Well, well! Quite enjoyable overall, with funny and loveable main characters.
Merge Ahead was a relatively smooth read, but some of the early comments (before we, the reader, understand Will's family dynamic) felt totally bigoted, sexist and even homophobic. It was a very strange experience and never properly dealt with, which was my main problem.
It definitely lessened my love of what was an otherwise generally enjoyable book.
Merge Ahead was a relatively smooth read, but some of the early comments (before we, the reader, understand Will's family dynamic) felt totally bigoted, sexist and even homophobic. It was a very strange experience and never properly dealt with, which was my main problem.
It definitely lessened my love of what was an otherwise generally enjoyable book.
November 16, 2024
I have been saving this story for a while - I love Tanya Chris - and when I started it I knew it'd be a fave. Covers several topics I'm obsessed with - economic uncertainty and how that effects people on the micro level as well as macro, power imbalances, class/cultural differences - with characters that feel real and imperfect but do their best to engage with them. All this plus a great meet cute! THe HEA felt very earned. Loved it, will re-read sooner rather than later.
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