Blurb
A Harrison Campus Story
When the stakes are this high, you better be sure you can win.
Jackson Murphy lost his parents to a boating accident, but they’re never far from his thoughts. He attends the same university as his parents, joined the same fraternity as his dad, and even lives in his father’s old room, along with his adopted brother, Marcus. Life brightens when he meets the man of his dreams.
Edward Knowles trades full-time college for working during the day and community college at night when his father’s factory closes. He intends to stay deep in the closet to keep his job in heating and cooling. But Jack pushes all his buttons.
Jack’s college rival challenges him to bring a date to the upcoming dance. He goads Jack into accepting even though failure means he and Marcus will lose their room and Jack must leave the fraternity.
Jack is falling hard for Ed, but Ed will never agree to go the dance. Ed—not knowing the stakes of the wager—has also made it clear that Jack taking another man will end their romance.
With pressure from friends and enemies alike, will Jack hold on to his legacy… or his heart?
Review
My Rating - 4 Stars!
The author perfectly captures the college years, reminding me often at how young and inexperienced these young men are. It all feels realistic and genuine. The frat dynamics seem to be accurate and the pressures and stress are definitely well described.
Their relationship deals with being a virgin, bullying, and family issues, in addition to homophobia, expectations, and self-imposed pressure. One of biggest themes explored is that of loss, grief, and depression. This part is well developed, but seems to be lacking any form of therapy, which seems a little off to me.
If you enjoy closeted college athletes, you should check out Andy Gallo's Better Be Sure.
It took me a while to get into this story; to really connect to the characters. In the beginning, the bet just annoyed the hell out of me. That said, the bet is completely on par for college aged frat brothers. This is absolutely something that would happen, despite it bugging me. Once I remembered that, I really enjoyed the story.
Ed and Jack make a great couple, but struggle with a lot of things. Ed's firmly in closet with no plans of leaving it, setting up for some great angst. They have to deal with their own issues, as well as issues that are forced upon them. There's definitely an antagonist who you'll hate, which is always entertaining.
The closeted nature of Ed just makes me sad. His reasons are completely understandable, making it tougher to stomach. I love the way that Ed, a townie, falls for the frat boy, Jack. This is one of those elements I always enjoy in a romance, and it's pulled off in an excellent manner.
The author perfectly captures the college years, reminding me often at how young and inexperienced these young men are. It all feels realistic and genuine. The frat dynamics seem to be accurate and the pressures and stress are definitely well described.
Their relationship deals with being a virgin, bullying, and family issues, in addition to homophobia, expectations, and self-imposed pressure. One of biggest themes explored is that of loss, grief, and depression. This part is well developed, but seems to be lacking any form of therapy, which seems a little off to me.
As for Jack and Ed, I just love them. Separately and together. Jack's an amazing guy who's understanding and wonderful to Ed. And Ed, he's a sympathetic character who grows a lot by the end. Their story's emotional and memorable.
Better Be Sure is a gripping and impressive romance. It has a lot of heart, and is worth a read. The writing is good, with some fantastic flashbacks and great secondary characters.
No comments:
Post a Comment