kicking it with the best man coverRating: 3.25 stars
Buy Link:
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Length: Novel

 

Trying to forget about his recent breakup, Theo heads out alone to a club. Though he doesn’t intend to hookup with anyone, a gorgeous stranger catches his eye. When they meet in the bathroom, Theo can’t help but follow Nate into a stall. The connection is instant, and they exchange numbers, but after a week of texting—and sexting—Theo wants more. The only problem? Nate calls it off when Theo suggests meeting up.

Though Nate has always known he was gay, he’s very firmly in the closet, afraid of losing everyone he loves if he comes out. But there’s something about Theo that keeps him coming back — until the panic gets too great and he runs, knowing he’s ruined something good. But even though Nate thinks he made the right choice, he can’t stop thinking of Theo.

Theo is definitely in a funk, but reluctantly agrees to accompany one of his best friends as her plus one to a lavish wedding. Only who is standing next the groom? Nate. After a fraught confrontation at the reception, culminating in a steaming kiss, Nate runs again. Only this time he realizes he can’t keep living a lie and sets about winning Theo back. It’ll take some groveling, but their connection won’t be denied. Nate wants Theo to be his forever, and thankfully, Theo wants the same.

I had much higher hopes for this book after reading the blurb. But, unfortunately, this book failed to live up to them. This story stays on the surface, the connection between the MCs is tenuous at best, and the conflict, and Nate being in the closet, feels contrived.

I will say that the MCs had chemistry. From the moment they met, things sparked between them and it came across on page well. Theo was a likable character with a big heart and an endearing attitude. He was a bit indecisive when it came to Nate and Nate’s actions, though. First, Theo was ready to write Nate off and move on, then he’s ready to wait for Nate to figure himself out, and then almost immediately he’s over it again. I found this a little off putting, because I liked Theo a lot. When Nate reappeared in his life, he didn’t want to listen to what Nate said, but once he did, he forgave Nate instantly and they moved on into their happily ever after.

In some ways, I felt for Nate and his struggle more, but I’ll be honest when I say I didn’t really understand his whole reason for being in the closet. His family gave little to no indication they would have a problem with it, and his fear only seemed to stem from a father that was no longer in the picture and hadn’t been for a long while. While fear of coming out is a very real part of life, because it wasn’t explored well enough, it lacked the depth and weight it should have had. Instead, I found it frustrating and even more so after Nate came out and everything was shiny and rainbows for him. It seemed like his keeping a secret was so unnecessary.

As for the romance between the MCs, there were parts I liked and parts that didn’t work for me. As I said, they definitely had chemistry. But it was all physical and so I had a harder time understanding their leap to being in love. There was the beginnings of it, for sure, as they started to get to know one another, but it ultimately went from a physical relationship and them barely knowing each other to having the big reconciliation moment and jumping to love. Part of this was the narrative style, but mostly I would have liked to see more scene of them truly getting to know each other in order to be fully invested. For me, this story barely grazed the surface of that before it was ending in a very tidy and happy bow.

Overall, this story was just okay for me. There were parts I liked, and it’s a fairly quick, low-angst read. But without the deeper exploration of certain aspects, it didn’t hit for me the way I expect it was intended.