Review: Protection by T.T. Kove

Adrian isn’t looking for a boyfriend. He’s focused on school and social situations make him anxious. When his mother encourages him to make a friend and be more outgoing, he takes a chance at a party. It doesn’t live up to expectations. His classmates ignore him and the alcohol tastes bad. Worse? Oliver finds him moping in the bathroom.

Oliver, the class clown and know-it-all, might grate Adrian’s last nerve, but he’s the only one paying Adrian any attention. Not only does Oliver flirt him into a bedroom, he charms Adrian’s pants off. Adrian loses his virginity to a man he doesn’t even like and in the morning his anxiety spirals into full panic. They didn’t use protection and popular-with-everyone Oliver insists they need to get tested.

Adrian is sure this isn’t the kind of friendship his mother meant and he tries to distance himself. But it turns out Oliver’s brash personality is just a mask to hide his own insecurities and family embarrassments. Adrian can relate. Oliver may be a know-it-all, yet Adrian can’t abandon him. Besides, they still need their test results. But how can the popular kid be friends with him when Adrian doesn’t want to come out of his shell?

Adrian pushed himself out of his comfort zone by going to party and being with actual people. So while at the party he decides he's just going to hide out until everyone leaves and then he can sneak away. This right here was weird to me. Huh? Why don't you just leave? Nobody was making him stay, he was just worried that leaving would draw attention to himself. Again... huh?

He's discovered in his hiding spot by Oliver. Oliver and Adrian have a class together but have never actually spoken. Oliver is drunk, talks up Adrian and decides to go for it. In the rush of things they have unprotected sex and then have to deal with the repercussions the next day.

That's where their story begins.

Can I say that Adrian is one of the most  unlikable characters I've encountered? He's so rude and off-putting. It's said that he suffers from anxiety, but that didn't translate to me. He just came off as an ass. He very rude towards Oliver and, honestly, I have no idea what Oliver saw in him.

I liked the whole 'opposites attract' theme going on here. Where Adrian is quiet and to himself, Oliver is outgoing and friendly. But I felt like both these characters were cliched and things felt forced. Even though Oliver was more likable, neither character was particularly believable.

The ending was rushed and unfinished. I don't believe in their HEA... but I really don't care about it either, since neither guy really struck a chord with me.

 A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Measured Doses (Their Circumstances, #5) by T.T. Kove

After his father beats him, Chad escapes to the only safe haven he can think: his former teacher, Dion. But when he arrives at Dion's door, it's opened by a stranger—who promptly finds himself catching an unconscious man.

Unable to turn away the broken, battered Chad, Jeremy takes him in and tends his wounds, even if he would much rather have nothing to do with the student that his ex, Dion, cheated on him with …

Warning: Story contains a threesome

Psst...c'mere.

I'm a reader that likes trashy, angst ridden complicated reads, at times.  So when I read this premise, oh baby, was it my kind of read: cheaters (love reading about it), teacher/student affair (yup!) and menage? Mmm...sounds like a recipe for trash, trouble and lust aka a must-read for me. One man's trash is another man's treasure. And I can find treasure in hot messes. And this story was decent hot mess. If abuse and/or cheating are a trigger, step away from the book.

Chad (a ginger twink and owner of a below average penis!) is nineteen and majorly troubled. His father uses him as a punching bag, he has no self esteem and doesn't care to be used by others, his one moment of happiness born out of an affair was cut short by his love and ex-teacher. He doesn't tell everyone the extent of the abuse he goes through, he thinks he's stupid, worthless and uses drugs and alcohol as an escape. His only skill he thinks he has is that he is great at sex. I mean, he did set out to seduce his teacher, Dion. The cheating happened before the story starts. The story begins with the aftermath and spends a lot of time discussing emotions. Angst, baby, front and center.

Chad is abused by his father one day and goes to the only place he knows, his ex-lover's Dion's flat. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), Dion doesn't answer the door. Jeremy, Dion's boyfriend does. Dion had told Jeremy of his indiscretion months ago and broke it off. However, Jeremy has made Dion suffer but can't seem to let go because he loves the man. And can't help but help Chad because he feels a connection to him, not one born out of hate or jealous...something else. Within days Chad goes on a downward spiral with drugs and booze but when he reaches rock bottom, Jeremy and Dion are there to save him. And offer light to his very dark tunnel.

The story mostly is told from Jeremy and Chad's POV. The two are damaged and own up to their part in the major angst going on. I enjoyed tat part. Jeremy never played the blame game on Chad. He knew his partner was in the wrong. I enjoyed each main character though, Dion played more of a minor role when comparing the three.

What I also enjoyed about the story is that the three people involved had some time to works through their relationship issues. And anti-cheating readers who like a lot reassurance that the aggrieved party is a bad cheater and appropriate groveling can rest assured. Dion owned what he did. Chad owned what he did. Jeremy was the wronged party, gave stress to Dion's life those months after.

But they all formed a throuple (threesome couple). How? Why?

After sorting most of the emotions (they were an emotional mini crew- MANTEARS and angst and such), the lust brewing between them finally erupted around 79%. And it was delicious. And it fit for the theme boiled throughout the story.

Issues? A few. Continuity-around 43% Chad is talking to his friend Wynn in what I assume was a hospital and then Jeremy & Dion show up and then are at home. And Wynn just disappeared. *shrugs* Oh and towards the end it seems Chad forgot emphatically telling everyone he's nineteen going on twenty because he's eighteen years old at the end of the story. *shrugs* I'm not one for excessively MANTEARS, most of it was justified so I won't harp about it. The story did not hit soap opera level dramatics but it got close a few times.

Even with the issues, it was a decent read that ended with a strong HFN and if I close one eye, hold up a hand to my face and look through the side of my eye...a HEA too.

It does seem that this book can be read as a standalone as Chad is a member of a group therapy member of other reoccurring characters. I was not lost.

Would I read more from this author? Sure. Why not?