Review: Why We Fight (At First Sight #4) by T.J. Klune

Do you believe in love at first sight?

Corey Ellis sure doesn’t. Oh, everyone around him seems to have found their happy ending, but he’s far too busy to worry about such things. He’ll have plenty of time for romance after he survives his last summer before graduation. So what if he can’t get his former professor, Jeremy Olsen, out of his head? It’s just hero worship. And that’s the way it should stay.

Except that this summer, bigender Corey—aka Kori—is interning at Phoenix House, a LGBTQI youth center that recently hired an interim director. And because life is extraordinarily unfair, the director just so happens to be a certain former professor, now current boss.

Desperate to keep things professional as he and Jeremy grow closer, Corey makes a major mistake: he turns to his friends, Paul Auster and Sanford Stewart, for help.

But Paul and Sandy have some ideas of their own.

Set in the summer of 2016, Why We Fight is a celebration of queer life and being true to oneself… no matter the cost.

I couldn’t wait to read Corey/Kori’s story, and at the same time, I didn’t even want to start it because, like so many others, I don’t want the At First Sight series to end. But, like all good things, blah, blah, blah and here we are. Why We Fight is the perfect end.

The flavor of it is a little different than the rest of the series, but it has to be. It’s a little more serious and tackles the reality of 2016 because it has to. It’s Corey’s life and love story, but it’s also the story of the whole family as they mature and all their lives evolve. They evolve together though and while bits were terribly bittersweet, they were still full of hope and happiness. You’ll notice that I used the word “mature” there, you have to know that term is relative with regards to the Tucson crew.

There were still plenty of shenanigans to keep me laughing throughout and there’s really nothing better than family dinners at the Auster house. The extended family is growing by two as Charlie’s gentleman, Robert and his son Jeremy are welcomed, nay shanghaied, into the fold. I do love when lonely people find their homes in stories and when it’s a chosen home, the finding is that much sweeter. The characters are always so appreciative of what they have too, it just makes me feel good to read their interactions. The snark and sarcasm keep them real and hilarious and the balance, as always, is perfectly done.

I appreciated reading Corey’s distinct voice and perspective. He’s a bit more serious and jaded than Paul, Sandy, Vince and Darren, and it makes sense for him. He’s seen some shit and he’s lived a life where he depended on no one but himself. And then of course along came Sandy and he got the family he always deserved but never had. He’s about done with his Master’s and the changes coming for him are scary in a way he’s never had to worry about before. He didn’t have family, so leaving his foster parents was never a real emotional thing. But he has a family now, couples are pairing up, things are changing and his educational career is coming to an end. He’s at a bit of crossroad and I could feel how unsettled he was.

This is Corey’s happy ending though and when Jeremy, his hot professor shows up as the interim director of Phoenix House everyone but them knew what was coming. Their journey to their HEA was different than Paul and Vince or Sandy and Darren. I mean, obviously, but I mean it in the way that Corey and Jeremy are more mature, more worldly, so they kept the decorum for a good bit, because neither was willing to jeopardize what the other had going on professionally. Not that there weren’t some amazing moments that were the exact opposite of that, but overall, there was just a lot of respect between the two of them.

Being that Why We Fight is set in 2016, with the spectre of the Cheeto on the horizon, there were a lot of poignant moments that gave the issues that the LGBTQI community is now confronted with a personal face. It’s important to read, it’s important to listen and it’s important to learn from the stories told here. Charlie made me cry more than once and I’m getting all verklempt just thinking about him. The respect, friendship and love he is shown throughout the story really made this book for me.

While I’ve mostly reflected on the heavier side of Why We Fight, and I’ve only mentioned shenanigans in passing, you have to know there are some amazingly wonderfully stupid moments that are the hallmark of this series. There’s always so much great stuff that I’ve reread each book multiple times and discovered/remembered a moment every time. I’m going to do that with Why We Fight too. I think I was so moved by all the dynamics, that I know I have to go back and re-appreciate the interactions. They are too good not to read multiple times.

I’m so sad to see this series come to a close, but I loved how it ended. I’ve always felt invested in these characters and to see them all with their HEAs makes my heart happy.

**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

Tag Team Review: Until You (At First Sight #3) by T.J. Klune

Sequel to The Queen & the Homo Jock King

Together with their families and friends

Paul Auster

and

Vincent Taylor

request the honor of your company at the celebration of their marriage.







Jet and Jem's Fuck Yeah Super Awesome Buddy Read Reviews
 
Tag team review y'all!

Jenni Lea and Ann both dove on this one as soon as it crossed the threshold into the clubhouse. T.J. Klune is a favorite here among unicorns and a freakin' wedding between Vince and Paul??? Please, how does one NOT get all up in that?

Come join the love fest . . . .

Jenni Lea ------ 5 Hearts

This was everything that I could have ever wished for from this series.  Vince is finally going to make an honest man out of Paul and we're invited to the shenanigans... er, I mean wedding.  It was fabulously awkward and adorable and I laughed the whole way through.

Vince is the most amazing guy.  He has no brain-to-mouth filter.  The words that come out of that boy's mouth... guh!  I was swooning right next to Paul.

"You're a little weird."
He shrugged.  "Probably.  But that's okay.  Being a little weird got me you, so I don't really care about that sort of thing."

This was a riot.  From nana's shenanigans to Sandy and Corey/Kori's "bro-isms" I was hyperventilating from laughter.  The situations the Scooby gang get themselves into are side-splitting hilarious.  Klune is a comedy master.  And when I wasn't rolling on the floor in hysterics I was shedding tears of joy over all the heartfelt moments between everyone, especially those moments between Paul and his dad.  That was beautiful!

I loved every bit of this story.  Every single bit.  But what I loved most about this story was Sexy Paul.  If you read this book for nothing else, read it for Sexy Paul.   Sexy Paul is my spirit animal.

I knew, just like everyone else, that wearing sunglasses at night immediately made a person at least forty-two percent hotter than if they went without them.

I think Corey Hart would agree with you on that one, Sexy Paul.

Sexy Paul is... well, I can't even describe what he is, he's that epic.  He is in a class by himself.  You see, Sexy Paul is the result of mixing one normal, every day Paul Auster with the evil brew that is Jagermeister.  The more you mix, the stronger the transformation.  And it. Is. Magical.

"Whoa," I said as I immediately posed because I was too legit to quit.  "Hey guys.  Sexy Paul is here.  You're welcome."
People cheered at that.  Of course they did.  I was amazing.

 Fuck yeah you are, you sexy beast!

Seriously, y'all.  If you've read Tell Me It's Real and The Queen & the Homo Jock King then you don't want to miss out on this book.  It was everything!  And if you haven't read this series yet, why the fuck not?  What the hell are you waiting for?




Ann ------ 5 Hearts

The pure sassy love that these characters have is the stuff that every family should aspire to.

There are really only two words I need to say to convince you that you NEED to read Until You as soon as possible. SEXY PAUL. You haven’t lived until you’ve met Sexy Paul.




In his mind he's JGL, in reality he's more Bobby Moynihan, which is all the better and so perfect Paul. Sexy Paul is so not ‘everyday Paul’, he is, in short, a magnificent beast and I love him. So does Vince and that’s what’s most important.

A wedding between Paul and Vince, from the planning to the actual nuptials is exactly as insane and magical as you would expect. Paul and Sandy are . . . well, they are Paul and Sandy and Vince, Vince is the rock that Paul needs desperately. Vince is the one that keeps the perspective on becoming an official part of the Auster family and legally Paul’s forever and always. He’s so ridiculously and accidentally romantic that I was reminded all over again why Paul is so madly in love with him. He made me swoon by just saying his feels out loud and he had NO idea how amazing his words were.

I had so many favorite parts, on top of meeting Sexy Paul, that I’ll be rereading this whole treasure again. And listening to the audio again. Just all of it, again. But, I’ve got to say, the most truly Vince/Paul moments were all about their wedding vows. They planned on writing them themselves and the goal was to make the other hubs weep like a motherfucker. It was pure gold and the buildup lived up to the execution beautifully. That included the obligatory smack-talk that came upon vow reading completion.

But, the bestest thing about Until You is how all the characters were brought together. Everyone had some ‘special’ page time. Even though the focus is Vince and Paul, every character had a voice and it really gave each of them even more depth. There were no real secondary characters, everyone was important and all of those moments made Until You so much more than just a romantic comedy. Love, in all its forms, was represented and I ate up all those little vignettes. The balance between OTT shenanigans and heartfelt emotions was sublime. Bring it in my bitches.





 And of course, SEXY PAUL.


Head over to Dreamspinner Press to pick up your copy.

**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

Audiobook Review: The Queen and the Homo Jock King (At First Sight #2) by T.J. Klune

Do you believe in love at first sight?

Sanford Stewart sure doesn't. In fact, he pretty much believes in the exact opposite, thanks to the Homo Jock King. It seems Darren Mayne lives for nothing more than to create chaos in Sandy’s perfectly ordered life, just for the hell of it. Sandy despises him, and nothing will ever change his mind.

Or so he tells himself.

It's not until the owner of Jack It—the club where Sandy performs as drag queen Helena Handbasket—comes to him with a desperate proposition that Sandy realizes he might have to put his feelings about Darren aside.

Because Jack It will close unless someone can convince Andrew Taylor, the mayor of Tucson, to keep it open.

Someone like Darren, the mayor’s illegitimate son.

The foolproof plan is this: seduce Darren and push him to convince his father to renew Jack It’s contract with the city.

Simple, right?

Wrong.

Narrator: Michael Lesley
Listening Length: 17 hours and 5 minutes

What can I say about this book and its sheer awesomeness that hasn’t already been said? I reviewed the book when it came out and gave it all the hearts, when the audiobook became available I was all over it.

I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating, Michael Lesley is the voice inside TJ Klune’s head. He can bring these characters to life like no other and he’ll spoil you for your next audiobook listen. The characters can be completely over the top at times, which amuses me to no end, but they also have a ton of heart and the narrator is able to convey the whole range of emotions believably. The voices are distinct so it’s very easy to follow all the shenanigans and if they weren’t it would be too easy to get lost and it would do the entire story a disservice.

TJ Klune writes the absolute best scenes around mealtimes, fans of BOTK know of which I speak. The brunch scene and the dinners out with the whole crew had me in stitches in this one. Even though I’d already read the book and I knew what was coming, it was like it was all new again with the added personality of the narrator. The texting conversations were hilarious too and how the narrator changed his tone for each character in the text made it even funnier.

The voices for Sandy and Darren were perfect and when Darren spoke softly and from the heart I swooned a bit right along with Sandy. Paul and Vince are just sooooo Paul and Vince and having their characters play a big part in The Queen made me happy. I had been missing them. I can’t wait for the next installment of this series to come out. Reading and then listening to these books make you feel like you’re a part of this whackadoodle family and I love it. If you’re a fan of the book, then I can’t recommend the audio enough, it’s a crazy heartfelt ride that will leave you with all kinds of happy on your face.

For more information and to get a copy for yourself, which you should, head over to Dreamspinner Press.

**a copy of this audiobook was provided for an honest review**

Trivia Question

Which characters fall in love on a boat while taking care of a two-headed frog? (worth 5 pts)

Be sure to tag @BMBReviews on Twitter with your answer as well as the author to be entered to win DSP credits! 

Release Day Review: The Queen and the Homo Jock King by TJ Klune

Do you believe in love at first sight?

Sanford Stewart sure doesn't. In fact, he pretty much believes in the exact opposite, thanks to the Homo Jock King. It seems Darren Mayne lives for nothing more than to create chaos in Sandy’s perfectly ordered life, just for the hell of it. Sandy despises him, and nothing will ever change his mind.

Or so he tells himself.

It's not until the owner of Jack It—the club where Sandy performs as drag queen Helena Handbasket—comes to him with a desperate proposition that Sandy realizes he might have to put his feelings about Darren aside. Because Jack It will close unless someone can convince Andrew Taylor, the mayor of Tucson, to keep it open. 

Someone like Darren, the mayor’s illegitimate son.

The foolproof plan is this: seduce Darren and push him to convince his father to renew Jack It’s contract with the city.

Simple, right?

Wrong.

I let this book make me its bitch and I loved every minute of it. You have to read Tell Me It’s Real to appreciate the sequel, no doubt. Sandy/Helena is too big for one book and knowing his backstory through Tell Me It’s Real makes him that much more amazing. Helena is all the things that Sandy is not but wants to be. Helena is bold and fearless where Sandy is shy and sweet. And, thank sweet baby jeebus, he has that special brand of manic that makes me love this authors characters. But, Sandy is more than Helena and to get the full scope of his character, you need both books. I loved reading about Paul, Vincent and Paul’s family again, I missed them. And, Charlie. Oh Charlie, I’m so glad I got more of his story. The Most Awkward Brunch was most awkwardly amazing. If you’ve read other books by TJ Klune, you know there is no better writer of awkwardly fucked up and hilarious family situations than him. No one, don’t even try.

I can’t give enough snortles and love to Sandy’s meltdowns. They are epic and insane and the ‘logic’ stream they follow amuses me greatly. Plus, they are cathartic to Sandy so we all win. But, as much as I love them, I love the fierce protective streak that Sandy has, he usually channels Helena at that point, but that is one trait that Sandy and Helena have in common. We saw it a lot between Paul and Sandy in Tell Me It’s Real, but I got an even stronger sense of it in The Queen. Sandy will cut a bitch if they mess with his family. As much as Sandy may have had an irritatingly incessant boner for Darren even with the lingering hate, as the story progressed, and they two of them worked together to save Jack It, that protective bubble expanded to include Darren and it was just damned sweet. That was when I totally bought into Sandy’s true feels for Darren. Lust for a hot homo jock king is one thing, wanting to protect him is another level all-together.

The plan of deception and shenanigans that Sandy and Darren have to save Jack It gets more involved and convoluted as the story progresses. Just like no one can write and awkward family gathering like TJ Klune, no one can write shenanigans like he can either. Every progression of the story added to the what-the-fuckery and it was hilarious to read. As fun as the story arc itself is to read, it’s the conversations and the rambling inner monologues that are the gold here. BUT, there was more than just the fun, there were serious feels that this author is so good at sneaking in on us readers. He really got me good a couple of times in this one. Good on you TJ Klune, you had me snickering, snorting in a most unladylike manner, swooning and heart rendered all within a page or two. It was an amazingly fun ride and I was ready to read again right after I finished. I’ll be anxiously awaiting the audio version to come out to relive ALL the moments again.

For more info and purchase links, head over to Dreamspinner Press.

**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

Audiobook Review: The Lightning-Struck Heart Audiobook by TJ Klune

Once upon a time, in an alleyway in the slums of the City of Lockes, a young and somewhat lonely boy named Sam Haversford turns a group of teenage douchebags into stone completely by accident.

Of course, this catches the attention of a higher power, and Sam's pulled from the only world he knows to become an apprentice to the King's Wizard, Morgan of Shadows. When Sam is fourteen, he enters the Dark Woods and returns with Gary, the hornless gay unicorn, and a half-giant named Tiggy, earning the moniker Sam of Wilds.

At fifteen, Sam learns what love truly is when a new knight arrives at the castle. Sir Ryan Foxheart, the dreamiest dream to have ever been dreamed.

Naturally, it all goes to hell through the years when Ryan dates the reprehensible Prince Justin, Sam can't control his magic, a sexually aggressive dragon kidnaps the prince, and the King sends them on an epic quest to save Ryan's boyfriend, all while Sam falls more in love with someone he can never have.

Or so he thinks.

ALL of the hearts. Every fucking one of them.

I spend a lot of time in my car commuting. I hate it. I like my job, I love the people I work with, but again, my commute? I hate it sooooo hard. So, when the commute from hell started a few years ago I got started listening to audio books. What better way is there to sit in traffic than to listen to a man tell me a story and at some point or 10 talk dirty to me? There is no better way, just so you know. When the request came through for a review on The Lightning-Struck Heart I was ALL over that shit. I loved Michael Lesley’s narration of TJ’s Tell Me it’s Real so I was pretty happy. Then I started listening and I had so much fucking fun I was ecstatic!

If you’re a fan of TJ Klune when his manic humor is on high, then this book was written for you. Besides the absolute hilarity of his writing, he manages to sneak real feels in there giving the story and characters depth that sneak up on you like a tackle hug, make you happy in your heart and grin like a loon. This wasn’t just a story, it was an odyssey and it was ridiculously fun. I fell in love with every character, even the ones I should hate. I loved hating Tina at the fan club FFS.

As I said, I listened to the audiobook version and I do honestly believe that Michael Lesley IS the voice in TJ Klune’s head. I am truly amazed at how he managed to have a completely unique voice and tone for each character. You could take out every “he said”, “she said”, etc. and I would still have had no trouble distinguishing between who was talking at any given point. It was like being in the middle of a one man play that is so elaborate you forget you are only listening to one man. I laughed out loud so many times I’m going to have to listen to this one at least two more times to make sure I didn’t miss parts of the story for the LOL’s.

I was trying to figure out who my favorite character is and I gave up shortly into listening. Sam had me wrapped around his magical little finger and then Gary came along and I would follow his Unicornian buns anywhere. I was telling a friend about The Lightning-Struck Heart not long into listening. I walked into the office and he asked me what I was snortling about and I told him all about Sam and Ryan and Gary and Tiggy and etc. and etc. Now this friend is relatively new to the wonder that is the MM romance world. I’ve bought him some of my favorite books and steered him in the direction of authors I think he would like and he’s so damn happy about it all. He had no idea these stories and this world even existed. For me it’s amazing to have someone in my RL to talk books with on a daily basis!

Anywho, I babble. SO, I was telling him about this one and said, “Please, you have to listen to Gary for a second.” It was a scene where he and Sam were having a debate/discussion about Sam being fay fairy married and he looked at me with wide and happy eyes. I immediately went online and bought him a copy. We’ve been texting back and forth constantly ever since. He just met Kevin, I can’t wait to see what he has to say about Kevin. This is one of those treasures I’m going to keep in a safe place forever. It’s officially my Go-To, Feel-Good, Fuck-All-Y’all-I-Gotta-Fantasy-World-That-Needs-Me-To-Love-It-Right-Now Epics. And yes, all of that is capitalized because it’s a thing.

For more information on Lightning-Struck Heart check it out on Goodreads.

**a copy of this EPIC treasure was provided for an honest review**

Review: Drama Muscle by Joe Cosentino

It could be lights out for college theatre professor Nicky Abbondanza. With dead bodybuilders popping up on campus, Nicky, and his favorite colleague/life partner Noah Oliver, must use their drama skills to figure out who is taking down pumped up musclemen in the Physical Education building before it is curtain down for Nicky and Noah. Complicating matters is a visit from Noah’s parents from Wisconsin, and Nicky’s suspicion that Noah may be hiding more than a cut, smooth body.

You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino’s fast-paced, side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat entertaining second novel in this delightful series. Curtain up and weights up!

When we met Nicky and Noah in Drama Queen, they were Jessica Fletcher(s) to Tree Meadow's Cabbot's Cove - all while falling in love. Of course, by then end of the book they'd tied up the mystery is a velvet bow and worked out whodunnit before going back to their busy lives, their short careers as detectives behind them.

Until now that is. Now, when they are working with the gym department to put on a body building show (Nicky and Noah add a little help in the theatrics part of the competition) and all of a sudden they find themselves having to work out whodidit again. It was in the gym, with... well, various weapons... but WHO is the culprit? They know the where and the how, but they need to work out the who and the why before anyone else falls foul of the gym killer.

In Joe Cosentino's inimitable style Nicky, and Noah, set out to find out who is killing off body builders faster than you can say gym bunny. There is a fine line of writing farcical humour, too far and it just becomes eye-rollingly stupid, but Cosentino walks it beautifully. It's in your face, but has subtle undertones at the same time. It's the sublime and the ridiculous in just the right amounts. From the names to the situations and scenarios, every detail is thought out.

The who's shagging who in this story is reminiscent of an eighties bedroom swapping drama. You know, the ones where nobody ends up in bed with who they expect too. Nobody is as sweet and innocent as they appear. I suppose all that oil the body builders are rubbing into their bodies makes for good lubrication.

As well as trying to stage this show and solve this mystery, Noah's parents have come to stay, and Nicky is getting a little suspicious about Noah's frequent disappearances. The story lines keep us loving the relationship between Nicky and Noah as well as the mystery and humour.

Drama Muscle is such a well woven story that is literally laugh out loud funny. Reminiscent of the Carry On films in humour, if you've not tried this author I'd say start with Nicky and Noah, they definitely hooked me in.

Before I go...it's gotta be said, on my (decidedly rare) visits to the gym, I often feel like killing people. All that working out, it's meant to make you feel happy and buzzed but it's just a waste of good reading time, if you ask me.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.
For more information, see Goodreads.