Title: If You Say So
Author: Teagan Hunter
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance Novella
Release Date: May 24, 2018
Blake and I weren’t always together. But, to be fair, we weren’t always not together either.
It began innocently. We were friends, nothing more.
Then two years ago, everything changed.
I noticed his stares. He noticed mine.
We weren’t just friends anymore—we were a whole hell of a lot more than that.
And that’s how we remained, blissfully in love and ready to conquer anything that stood in our way.
Except for ourselves.
4 Stars
This was a heavy and emotional read featuring an already established couple from a previous story, who have split up, but still love one another. Nate isn’t ready to give up on them, but Blake isn’t sure he can get past the mistake Nate made.
While this story was enjoyable, it wasn’t always an easy read, you could feel the tension and emotional turmoil between Nate and Blake coming off the pages at you. I’ll be honest, my heart broke for Nate, while I understand he was supposed to be the guilty party in this split, I didn’t find that to be completely true. Sure, what he did was crappy, but Blake was just as guilty, in my opinion. But I also understand, first hand, what Blake was dealing with, still it was messed up, even if he didn’t want to discuss it, that he let Nate take the total blame in their friends' eyes. Shame on you, Blake!
Anyway, this was a well-written story and I think it’s a good gateway book for anyone wanting to maybe dip their toes into the MM genre for the first time, as there was not really any explicit sex featured. Blake and Nate had amazing chemistry, but I was left wanting more. I wanted to be able to experience them as a true couple and I felt a bit cheated that I didn’t get that. Another chapter or two, or perhaps even an epilogue would have been a great addition to the story and gone a long way in making the story more complete and satisfying.
Still, this was an enjoyable read that I’d recommend!
*copy provided by author/publisher for my reading pleasure, a review was not a requirement*
3.5 Stars
2 years ago, Nate and Blake made the leap from friends to lovers. However, Blake finds it difficult to balance love and friendship and things get messy after he asks Nate for some time. Will they be able to move past it and make things better between them again?
I really liked Nate and I felt so bad for him. Yes, he kissed someone else in his and Blake's bed and that wasn't good, but he was drunk and hurting after Blake kind of broke up with him. I didn't particularly care for Blake and my opinion of him didn't change much throughout the book. Blake maybe didn't mean to break up with Nate permanently, but Blake wasn't innocent in all the messy affair and yet, he let Nate take all the blame and made him feel guilty over what he did over and over again and this dampened my enjoyment of the story. By the time Blake finally got his act together and actually told Nate what he'd been going through, it was a case of too little, too late for me.
Overall, while the book is well written, it just didn't quite work for me. However, don't take my word for it, maybe you'll think differently.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
3 Stars!
I’m thinking this must be a case of “It's not you, it's me” because I gotta tell you: If You Say So just didn’t do it for me.
This is the first book by this author I’ve read and I didn’t dislike the writing. My issues, I guess, had more to do with the story itself. I know I’m probably in the minority but I have a really hard time with stories in which characters have horrible communication skills. To make things worse, I’m not a huge fan of established couples (again, a personal preference) because I love the initial getting to know one another phase, the buildup and the sexual tension. With this one, they were together and broken up before it even began. Then the buildup to their reconciliation was rife with so much indecision and angst. I just wasn’t a fan.
As for the characters, I think I could have liked them more had I had the chance to see them before and after. We just got this part of them and it wasn’t the best parts of them (in my opinion). Maybe I need to read the previous book to get an idea of who they were but since they weren’t the MC’s, I’m not sure how much I’d get from that.
Overall, this one wasn’t for me. Others may feel completely different though.
***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.***
By day I’m a freelance cover designer. By every other free moment, a writer. I’m a Missouri raised gal, but I currently live in North Carolina with my US Marine husband where I spend my days begging him for a cat. I survive off coffee, pizza, and sarcasm. When I’m not writing, you can find me binge-watching various TV shows, especially Supernatural and One Tree Hill. I like cold weather, buy more paperbacks than I’ll ever read, and I never say no to brownies.
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