TLC 101 by Janey Chapel

[reviews_and_ramblings]

This was for sure a very nice story and it had the potential for being a great long novel, but this was only an appetizer. I actually can’t say if the author has any intention to write more about these two men, and so this was only a way to tease the reader, or if she cleverly built a novella that had the wide breath of a novel.

Kip is a sport psychologist for a professional football team. He is the newbie in the team and he has not exactly the role everyone else thinks at as useful, but he is a nice guy and one that you can easily fall in friendship with without even realizing it. And if Kip has a special eye for Greg, one of the coaches, it all remains at “eyes” level, he has never made a move on the other man, even if he thought sometime to have seen a similar knowing look on the other man. Then Greg has a simple but serious accident and he is forced in bed at least for three days, and a stunned Kip discovers that he is listed as contact in case of emergency. Kip doesn’t think twice and he finds himself with a growling Greg in bed… well, it was not exactly the way he has wished to do it, but the result is pretty much the same.

The entire story is basically the play of hint and innuendos that will bring Kip and Greg to admit that there is something more between them. It’s not the story of a forever and happily ever after love, actually I think that, in the end, Kip and Greg have only realized that they are good together, but there is not yet real love between them, at least not a love they have acknowledged. Once in a time, this is not a friends with benefits relationship that will lead to love, this is actually the description of how two men start a friends with benefits relationship. It’s not said, and this is exactly the reason why I think there is potential for a longer story, that between Kip and Greg it’s not love, only that love, for now, it’s not the main purpose of the story. Love, at this moment, will be too complicated: there is always the usual problem of being gay in a world, professional football, where the don’t ask don’t tell policy it’s pretty much the same as in the army. Without love between them, or as I said, without an acknowledged love, Kip and Greg can pretend that sex is enough, and that, if they are discreet, they can be together without too much clamour.

Probably for now it’s enough, and being a novella, it’s not necessary for this story to find a solution to their problems. But the questions are all there, as it’s the potential: I wouldn’t mind to see Kip brings Greg at home, like a prodigal son who comes back home with a coveted prize, “see mom and dad (or better grandmom and granddad)? Even if I couldn’t be like all my other cousins, at least I was able to find a man like them!”. Now don’t get me wrong, between Kip and his family there are no big issue, and I was thinking more to the funny aspect of the scene than anything else.

Also the characterization of Kip and Greg was quite original, for once it was not the professional player who was a slob at home, and controlled and quiet Kip was not the same in his private life, like all the energy he didn’t spend yelling in a playfield, was reversed in creating chaos in his apartment. Instead Greg freak control’s attitude was more in role with the semi-closeted case, putting a controlled mask outside, also at his home, when inside he is burning to finally be able to do as he wants, without need to hide.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=55_89&products_id=1582

Amazon Kindle: TLC 101 by Janey Chapel

The Rainbow Awards: Third (and last!) Phase: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/850354.html

Comments

Maritime Men

[erotromreader.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

Hi Elisa,
I like your site a lot and you're on my blogroll for a while now!
Thanks for the review of TLC 101. I haven't read this, but another story by Janey Chapel: Maritime Men. I must admit that I wasn't impressed with it. It lacked a proper character and plot development imo. Your review reminds me of that. Have you read Maritime Men?
Hugs, Janna

Re: Maritime Men

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

No, actually I haven't still read that one. I have it, but I have a soft spot for sports romance, and so I picked up this one as first. TLC 101 has great potential, there is a lot running underground, but being a novella, not all can be properly developed. I think it would be a good idea if the author consider to pick up the story from where she left it, and develop it some more. Elisa