Rating: 3.25 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Short Story


Blake is the Director of Photography at the adult film studio, Wild Card Studios. He loves his job, and even though he’s asexual, he certainly appreciates a beautiful body. For Blake, it’s all about the artistic aspect, and he’s good at what he does. Blake had a rough time in high school and doesn’t want to go to his ten-year reunion. But since he’s in town for his cousins wedding, he can’t say no.

At the wedding, Blake meets Felix, the bride’s friend. Felix is at loose ends in his life at the moment and he often gets misjudged when he lets it be know he’s pansexual. But the two men hit it off, first because it’s nice to meet another person with non-binary attraction, and then a friendship starts to build. They connect on a deep level, and Felix agrees to rescue Blake if the reunion goes south.

Fortunately for Blake, when things do go sideways, Felix is right there to save him. And then put his drunk ass to bed. In the morning, Felix is still there and Blake not only knows he’s found someone special, but he also might solve Felix’s current situation.

Looking for something diverse led me to this book, and I thought the premise sounded intriguing. An ace guy who is homoromantic, a pan guy who sees the beauty in people, it sounded like the perfect read for Diverse Books Week in our Reading Challenge Month here on the blog. And we definitely get two types of characters that we don’t see a lot in the genre. Blake is now comfortable in his asexuality, and he knows exactly what it means it him. The same goes for Felix. And while I had a few issues with the plot, I really liked the MCs.

This story is told from Blake’s POV and we find out right from the start that he’s not hiding his sexuality in the least. Felix is also quick to explain that he’s pan, and what that means. And as much as I liked these two guys—they are both likeable, friendly, and caring, and their humor matches up so they fit well together, my first problem was in the presentation of this information. Both guys explained their sexualities as if they were quoting a definition. It felt wooden and by rote, and slightly out of place. I would have preferred a more natural conversation where these things were concerned. As engaging as the characters were, it seemed unnatural for them just to spout out their sexualities by definition. So while that didn’t work well for me, I liked that they were both open about it front the start. It showed their ease with who they are, and that visibility is vitally important.

My other issue with this story is that there was quite a lot going on, some of which felt unresolved, and then the story just ended. When Blake goes to his high school reunion, things go sour, and then it’s just
left. The author made it into a big deal, and then there was no resolution. So it almost felt like a needless scene to me. On top of that, when the story ends, I felt like we didn’t get enough information about where Felix and Blake were in their relationship. Just friends? Romantic partners if not sexual ones? The story feel short for me here, as I would really have like to see this explored, especially considering the nature of their sexualities. It would have been great to see the compromises or dynamic they settled into, and we just didn’t get that.

Even still, the MCs were great and well written, so I enjoyed reading the story for that. The plot fell a little short, but it definitely hit the mark on bringing visibility to sexualities that are often dismissed, ignored, or glossed over. For that reason, it’s a good pick for Diverse Books Week.

This review is part of our Reading Challenge Month for Diverse Books Week! Leave a relevant comment below and you will be entered to win one of our amazing diverse books prize packs. Commenters will also be entered to win our amazing grand prize sponsored by Dreamspinner Press (a Kindle Fire filled with Dreamspun Desires/Beyond books, plus a 3-month subscription!). You can get more information on our Challenge Month here, and more details on Diverse Books Week here, including a list of all the books in this week’s prize.Â