Boys of Summer by Cooper Davis

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Recently I read a gay romance written by a man and my comment was that it was the proof that men can write romance. But still I think their intake on the romance is different from the one of a woman. Woman are more brainiac, they always did things more complicated than necessary. Like in this case: Boys of Summer is basically a simple story, but all the brainstorming happening inside the mind of one of the character makes it complicated only to realize in the end than complicated is not. Now I'm not saying it in a derogatory way, I like both men in this story, but maybe they are behaving more like a woman would do in the same situation, and so perhaps this is the reason why I can identify so much in Hunter's trouble.

When the story starts, Hunter and Max have already realized that their story is something more than friendship, after some years they met, one night at the beginning of summer Max kissed Hunter and their love story started. Only that Max, even if handsome, self-assured and wealthy, is still a virgin to sex (both with men than women), and to finally give his virginity to someone else, he wants for it to be a true gift of love, and he wants for it to be with the right man, the man that will remain in the bed the morning after, the man with whom he can build a life together.

Hunter knows he loves Max, but he isn't so sure that he wants to commit to that level. For all the summer they met every night, they did heavy petting, but Hunter left every morning at dawn on his motorcycle (another quite romance image). Hunter and Max are part of a tight circle of friends, Max's childhood ex-girlfriend Louisa and Hunter former girlfriend Veronica are part of it, and so is Max's neighbor Ben... coming out as Max's boyfriend for Hunter means coming out full front with a lot of people and changing all his life. It's not a simple decision, and they decided to go on holiday together, far from all their friends, to see if their story has a future.

So at the end of summer we find Hunter and Max together, and we read the story from Hunter's point of view. There is no doubt in Hunter's mind and heart that he loves Max, and it's not that the problem. Truth be told, I don't think it's even a problem for Hunter coming out, admitting he is gay. I have the feeling that Hunter's trouble is one common to a lot of people, he fears to commit, he fears to settling down with one person, to do the shift from boy to man. I really don't think it's the "gay" thing the problem, I think Hunter is more a good and friendly boy who reached that point in life when he has to do something right. In a way, this made him even more real, more masculine... the fear to commit, to settle down, is very common in young men, maybe the way Hunter brains over it it's more a woman's thing, but aside that, Hunter is all "man" in his behavior.

When he finally decides that he wants something more with Max, he becomes all "boyfriend" attitude, carrying heavy things for his lover, beaming when Max is doting over him cooking or doing other sweet things. For good part of the book, Max has really a "bottom" attitude, he has even the teasing behavior that usually women have when they want something, he even uses the sex card, denying Hunter till the moment the man surrenders to his desires. I like how the author chooses to give also to Max his mainly moment, to scroll down a bit from him the idea that he was a bit too feminine.

Boys of Summer is only a novella, and the first book I read by this author, but I like it. It's sweet and sugar, a bit of an old fashioned romance, and sometime it's refreshing to go back to simple and nice stories like this one.

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/boys-of-summer

Amazon Kindle: Boys of Summer

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

Comments

[ashmedai.livejournal.com]

I like both men in this story, but maybe they are behaving more like a woman would do in the same situation, and so perhaps this is the reason why I can identify so much in Hunter's trouble.

Heheh - I have to agree with you there, from reading the synopsis. This is definitely not the way a male would behave or even think, pretty much the opposite, actually. It's hard to have a balance, between writing realistically and still be understood and let the readers have empathy for the character(s).

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I don't want to cut off potential male readers for this book, but I think this is more a woman story for women than for men ;-) Elisa