J.H Trumble series

Don't Let Me Go by J.H. Trumble

Synopsis: Nate and Adam are at what seems to be a crossroad. Adam is moving to New York in pursuit of his dreams and Nate is left to deal with his senior year of high school alone. Trouble arises for the love birds though, as Adam's roommate edges on Nate's insecurity and things take a turn for the worse when Nate begins a movement at his school.

Rating: 4 / 5

Although I had some trouble getting into the groove of things, I eventually was immersed in the book. It was a bit disarraying because (mostly at the beginning and spread out through the middle) the book jumps from past to present fairly often.

Although there was a tad bit too much drama at times (at least for me that is) and many times I found myself disliking certain characters to the point I wish I could slap some sense into them:

Nate is a bit annoying, I just had to get that out there. Although he is quite brave and noble at times, he makes a lot of mistakes. That is something I can live with. We don't get to see too much of Adam though, unfortunately. I would have liked more development in their relationship. 

Anyway, all in all, I wouldn't say this novel is a must read but it is a great story of love, loss, friendship, and finding yourself. Definitely recommend.

Where You Are by J.H Trumble

Where You Are  is the second book in this universe. 

Synopsis: Robert Westfall's life is complicated. He has nothing in common with his boyfriend and can barely stand him, his father is terminally ill, and the extended family is making his and his mother's life a living hell. In the midst of his world being turned upside down, Robert seeks comfort in his teacher, Andrew McNelis. What initially starts as sympathetic consolation, blooms an intense and passionate love between student and teacher. The only thing they have to worry about is keeping a lid on their relationship until Robert graduates but their carnal desires might just be too wild to contain.

Rating: 4.5 / 5 

Anyway, back to Where You Are. This novel is told in first person present, something that I usually don't like but it's well written and I didn't mind as much as I usually would. It switches from the POV of the main characters Robert and Andrew, which I find nice because it gives more insight on both characters and how their actions affect one another. Yes I know, some people hate the aspect of switching POVS every chapter but it works. You aren't left wondering about anything because of this. Trumble really makes you feel for her characters, something I found difficult to do in Don't Let Me Go. Robert has so much on his plate and he's so young (I say this but I'm only a few years older than he is), not to mention that he is at a point in his life when he is starting to make decisions that will thoroughly affect his future. And when you're a teenager, the aspect of love and lost and trauma and things of that sort seem to hit you harder than it does normally. Andrew on the other hand, is a father of a 2 year old daughter with an iffy relationship with his ex-wife. He struggles to keep a cap on his personal life at school while fighting off the advances of a fellow teacher. The bond between Andrew and Robert is well developed, you really fall in love with them falling in love with each other. They are just too cute for words. It feels realistic; reading between the lines, waiting for a text, being in a good mood simply because you're in love. These are only a few of the many aspects that Trumble brings to in this novel but let me tell you, it's really well written. I am really picky when it comes to writing style, sometimes I can push through it but there are countless books that I've bought that end up dusty on my bookshelf.

Two things I would have to say is the ending is just meh. It wasn't bad per say but it was no where near the level of emotional depth that had me bawling at the end of Don't Let Me Go. Still, I find myself liking this novel more so than the first. Two, the supporting characters are barely tolerable. There really isn't a "supporting" character to the main characters in my opinion. I feel like there is just Andrew and Robert and then everyone else who is in their lives. On occasion, Luke,who in this book is a senior now (was a freshman in Don't Let Me Go, I believe), advises Robert on his problems but he is rarely in the novel and when he is it's about a paragraph. I have a huge spot in my heart for supporting characters; if you've read any of my posts about the Something Like series you'd know that. It's disappointing that there really weren't any in this novel. But then at the same time, it really builds a connection between Andrew and Robert because they can only confide in one another. 

Well written with well-developed and likeable characters. I will definitely be picking up Trumble's latest book.

Just Between Us by J.H Trumble

Synopsis: Just Between Us is the third installment of J.H Trumble's books (series?) and features Luke Chesser and Curtis Cameron. It is the sequel to the first novel Don't Let Me Go, taking place 2 years after the events of that novel, and is the prequel to Where You Are, taking place one year before. Luke Chesser is now a junior and though his life is moving on, he can't help but think about the past: his failed relationship with ex-boyfriend Nate Schaper (Don't Let Me Go) and the estranged one with his father. But suddenly Luke finds love in the form of college student and band field tech Curtis Cameron. As fate would have it, Curtis finds out he is HIV positive and begins to push Luke away and thus they enter an endless game of pushes and pulls.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

 Wow was I pleasantly surprised by this novel. As you may have noticed, this is the third installment meaning that it is the third book I've read of Trumble's. It was tons better than what I had expected, my favorite of the three. It is told in a similar style to Where You Are, first person POV, alternating between Luke and Curtis.

Luke Chesser has grown up, now knowing what he wants and more confident than we've seen him in Don't Let Me Go; he is sexy and seductive, flirty and playful, cute and adorable, but we still see his childish side: his naivete, his innocence, his temper and his sensitivity. Curtis is the boy-next-door, that nice and smart guy everyone looks up too, and with the pressure of keeping up to this expectation, he has become fearful in a way, to hide the shameful parts of his life, to bottle in his troubles.

What I love about their (Luke and Curtis) relationship is that it starts off slowly. It's rocky at the beginning but they clearly show interest in one another, and even afterwards they slowly get into the grooves of getting to know each other, spending time together . Of course it was mostly due to Curtis's fears of being potentially HIV positive but because of this build up, you really get to see the heartbreak that they go through when he is diagnosed. There relationship ends before it officially begins. The downward spiral Curtis goes through and the once again heartache Luke experiences is evident with every word Trumble writes. I really felt for the characters. It had my heart pounding numerous times throughout the book. 

Once again, the supporting characters are amazing. Both the Chesser family and Cameron family have amazing characters, Matt who is funny and un-apologetically foward that fully supports and truly cares for Luke even though he is so young, Corinne and her organic foods obsession with her witty remarks and deep connection with her brother, and even the homophobic Mr. Chesser who struggles to be a better father. But we can't leave out Jaleel, whom I didn't particularly like at the beginning, and his steadfast convictions and duty as a friend, telling Curtis what he needs to hear when no one else could, and also Robert Westfall, making his appearance as Luke's confidant and partner in crime. Here is an example of Luke and Matt's brotherly bonding that made me laugh -

Matt: Nah. He's really good at tying knots. He's gonna teach me some. Hey, maybe I can fix you up with him?
Luke: He's Eleven.
Matt: Ten. But he'll grow up.
Luke: I'm not nearly that desperate.

What can I say, this book had me going. I knew I should have gotten some rest but it kept luring me in, whispering and coaxing me with words of sweet temptation, much like the ones Luke kept whispering to Curtis. Haha. This novel is simply fantastic. It had the same appeal as Trumble's previous works but it is more well-rounded. The MCs were lovely, I felt every emotion they did, the pain, the heartache, the anger, the confusion, the happiness. It feels like they are my best friends, that's how well Trumble has written them into existence. I love the incorporation of the MCs of the other books, it is something I will probably always love when books of a series intertwine. But where was my time jump epilogue? No where to be seen! Argh!

And it continues...

Then The Stars Fell by Brandon Witt

This is actually book # 2 in the El Dorado Springs Chronicles... So once again I've read a series out of order... seems to have become a habit of mine...

Synopsis: Trying to recollect himself and get a hold of his life, Wesley Ryan moves to the small town of El Dorado Springs, a place full of happy childhood memories. Taking over the local veterinary clinic, Wesley tries his best to adjust into his new life but when he meets handsome, gruff, and masculine widower Travis Bennett, his heart begins to beat to a different rhythm. 

Review: 4 / 5

While reading this book, all I could think of was that this was a m/m version of a Nicholas Sparks novel. I don't know why, I've never even read one of Sparks' novels (except for half of Dear John). It was well written, the perspective changing each chapter, mainly between Travis and Wesley (told in 3rd person), and sometimes giving us insight to the other characters around them: Travis' family (his sister and three children). It was an interesting way to learn more about the main characters and how they affected everyone else, we don't get to see that often in books. But at the same time, we don't get to see as much progression between the relationship of Travis and Wesley, which is a bummer. There are no explicit scenes, which isn't necessarily bad because that left the intimate moments of their relationship to be about anything but sex. The book focused a lot on the relationships Travis has with his family and his deceased wife and Wesley's relationship to Travis' family. Speaking of Travis' family, I instantly fell in love with his youngest son, Mason, probably the cutest little boy ever written into existence. Overall, it was nice change of pace from the Y/A books I usually read, definitely worth reading.

Aristotle and Dante Learn the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Synopsis: Aristotle (Ari) is a loner by choice. He doesn't quite understand the world around him: boys, girls, his parents, his siblings and because of that he keeps to himself. Although everyone around him thinks of him as lonely and sad but he is content all by his lonesome. And then he meets Dante who loves to draw, and paint, and read literature and poems, someone who feels with all of himself, someone unlike any other Ari has ever met. Their lives have changed forever.

Review: 4.5 / 5
First and foremost, forgive me for this poorly written review that is about to come. I am not sure I could ever come up with the words that describe how I feel about this book.

Ari & Dante is eloquently written yet simple, that much is true. I was in love with the writing style from the first two lines of the book. 

"One summer night I fell asleep, hoping the world would be different when I woke. In the morning, when I opened my eyes, the world was the same."

A huge majority of this book is about friendship, family, trust, loyalty, and Ari and Dante's journey to finding themselves. For Ari, he feels as if the life he lives is not the one he has chosen for himself. He is lost in a world of not feeling anything but rage, rage that his parent's don't speak about his brother, that he doesn't understand his father, that his mother hovers over him. For Dante, he deals with the acknowledgement of being different and how this difference affects his personal life. Both characters were written well and have such a deep bond, the conversations they have are as if they had been best friends for decades rather than just weeks/months. It's easily seen how they fall into rhythm with one another, almost understanding each other more than they do themselves. 

"He'd captured the afternoon light streaming into the room, the way the shadows fell on the chair and gave it depth and made it appear as if it was something more than an inanimate object. There was something sad and solitary about the sketch and I wondered if that's the way he saw the world or if that's the way he saw my world. I stared at the sketch for a long time. It scared me. Because there was something true about it."

Dante makes everything better. I truly believe he is the star of the novel. He has such a unique and special way of seeing the world and everything about him is just wonderful. I don't think there is a single thing I didn't like about Dante. 

Overall, this book is actually quite deep. It's philosophical in a way. There was a lot to think about, the "secrets of the universe" to be learned. A great coming of age novel, a great story of love and friendship and of familial bonds. I will definitely be picking up more books by Saenz if all his writing is like this.

Collide by J.R. Lenk

Synopsis: Hazard James, now entering high school, is at an impasse of sorts. He has feelings he doesn't understand and his life seems to have gotten a hundred times more confusing after entering high school. And then he meets Jesse Wesley, the infamous bad boy everyone knows and talks about. Forming a camaraderie of sorts, Jesse introduces Hazard to the world of parties, alcohol, drugs, and sex which eventually leads to a friends-with-benefits relationship between he and Jesse. But as time goes on, Hazard's feelings deepen and perhaps so does Jesse's but neither is willing to admit to it. Collide is a tale about the insecurities of love and the change that comes from two people "colliding", forever changing the other's life.

Review: 3.75 / 5 

This book... I don't even know what to say about it... it is probably the most frustrating book I have ever read... Each page... each line... I hated everything... Okay, so obviously that isn't quite true. I was... I don't know... I don't think anything I say can really justify this book. It's full of angst... teenage rebellion... insecurities... heartbreak... sex... love... It was literally everywhere... The main character Hazard is increasingly insecure. He has abandonment issues and he cries a lot. He is also witty and sarcastic, at times a pain. But he also has a cute side to him. Jesse is a wild card... you never really know how he's gonna act or what mood he's going to be in... When they're together, they are either totally and completely in love with one another, never able to keep their hands off each other or they hate each other's guts and are in screaming matches. They have really tender moments and some really not tender moments... It's like watching one of those chick flicks when you know that the main characters are in love with one another but because of a misunderstanding or what not they never get together until the end... except that this isn't as perfect as a movie... You'll just have to read it to understand what I mean.

Better Late Than Never?

So, I'm on Spring Break now (yay!), and remembered that I wanted to keep up with this blog. So here is some reviews of books I thought were deserving of a second read through, or at least one!

Ethan, Who Loved Carter by Ryan Loveless

Synopsis: Hoping to settle into a quieter and more inconspicuous life style, Carter Stevenson moves from the busy city of Los Angeles to the quiet and peaceful town of Santa Josephina. Afraid of what people will think of him, Carter hides himself and his Tourette's away. However, Carter's life begins to change when he meets Ethan Hart, the man who lives next door, who is tall, handsome, kind, and sensitive. Although worried that Carter won't see past his damaged brain, Ethan makes his feelings known to Carter and hopes that with time, Carter can come to love him too.

Rating: 4 / 5

I loved it! It was sweet and sappy all the way through and I just had to read it in one sitting. But I guess I should warn you now, some of you might be uncomfortable reading this. Ethan has suffered a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). So, although he has the body and libido of a 27 year old man, his mental state is that more of a child and teenager. He can't control his feelings and is forgetful, sometimes requiring lists of steps to remind him how to do certain things. His mannerisms and speech are also child-like in some aspects. Even so, I loved him and Carter together. At first I was worried that maybe I could only see that Ethan was a child while Carter was a man but as I kept reading, all I could see was love, their ever present and never ending love for one another. Their connection through music was beautiful and how they changed and bettered one another was well-written and developed. There's no love triangle, so that's a plus. The story focused on Ethan and Carter and their "conditions" which was nice and refreshing.

I don't know why, but the little brothers of the main characters' are always my favorite or near favorite, so I have to mention Elliot (Ethan's 15 year old brother). He was totally adorable in that overprotective but annoying punk of a brother way.

The Last Days of Summer by JF Peterson

Synopsis: Rett is used to running away and when his boyfriend asks him to move in, that's exactly what he does. He takes the first job offered to him in another city and breaks it off. Now single and alone, Matt begins his new job as a physical therapist for the MLB team the Mobile Joes. There he meets sexy, funny, and optimistic Cory, the new recruit and finds himself falling in love with not only the talented baseball player, but the game itself, something he never thought possible.

Rating: 4 / 5

JF Peterson must like baseball, I say this because this novel is heavily influenced by baseball and Latakia also had a bit of it thrown in there. Anyway, the beginning and the middle were great but I felt it getting severely repetitive when it neared the ending. It rehashed a lot about Rett's insecurity, to the point I was bored with it. Maybe it was just me... idk... other than that I loved the characters, where do I sign up for a guy like Cory? I loved how they acted around each other you could definitely see that Cory really loved Rett. But I think my favorite character has to be Jerry, Cory's father. He was really funny. Two thumbs up.

Latakia by JF Peterson


Synopsis: Matt is a good guy, sometimes too much so for his own good. He wants to be a better boyfriend and love so much more, even when his boyfriend is the least deserving of it. When a trip out of the country puts Matt's life in danger, this resolve solidifies. But then he meets the handsome and sometimes aloof Travis, a navy seal, who saves his life multiple times and finds it all that much harder to keep his promise.

Rating: 4 / 5

I loved reading this. The story is nicely paced and has really strong characters that are extremely memorable. You just can't hep but smile when they are all together. The only things I dislike is that Matt is too naive at times(I nicknamed him DoorMatt) and that Matt's friends are a bit stereotypical portrayals of gay men - sex crazed and effeminate. Otherwise, it was pretty great all around.

Remember My Name by Chase Potter

Synopsis: Estranged twin brothers, Jackson and Ben are reunited when Ben is forced to stay the summer with Jackson and their father. Neither quite knowing how to act around one another, Jackson and Ben are confronted by how 8 years has affected their relationship. But as the months go on, they find that there may still be sparkles of hope at regaining their once close and inseparable kinship.

Rating: 4 / 5

First and foremost, this is not a romance novel. Sure, it has romance in it but it is not the focus of the book. The book is centered around Jackson and Ben, twin brothers who have not seen one another in 8 years and their struggle to find common ground. The novel is told in alternating perspectives and Potter has a much better grasp on plot progression compared to his first novel, it moves at a much better pace. So, you're probably wondering why this book made it onto this page now. Jackson is gay and Ben isn't, which adds another element to their relationship. We do get to explore Jackson's sexuality through his relationship with Matt, an older boy. 

Although I wasn't rushing to finish the book, I did like it. I liked that Jackson and Ben both had their own voice, that they were different but very similar. I liked how they were there for each other and how much they love each other. I was smiling at their texts near the end. They do share some intimate moments bordering homoerotic, which made me often question how the book would end but ultimately I am glad it didn't go that way. A pleasurable read!