Book Review ~ Professional Courtesy by J.V. Speyer
Professional Courtesy
by J.V. Speyer
Publication date: December 21st 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary,
Description:
This is the story of two college professors who share an office and not much else – until the holiday season works its magic.
Eric’s semester hasn’t been going all that well. Not only have renovations to the English Department’s physical space forced him to share an office with the department’s newest faculty member, Mike Kistler, his mother showed up at the beginning of the semester with all her worldly possessions and a U-Haul. It’s not that he doesn’t care for his mother, but she’s disruptive. She keeps wanting to honor traditions they never cared about when he was growing up, starting with the giant antique advent calendar she dragged over from her parents’ house in Hamburg.
Eric has a solution, though. He might not have much interest in his mom’s traditions, but his irritating office mate does. He’ll bring Kistler over, and his mom will have someone who cares, and someone to speak German with, and Eric will be left alone to grade papers in peace.
Mike is the rising star of the English Department. He’s worked damn hard to get from homeless teen to young PhD, he’s proud of his accomplishment, and he loves to give back. He likes his work. He could live without his office mate, who’s attractive but stuffier than an overfull burrito. He’s shocked when Eric invites him to help his mother celebrate Advent, but intrigued by the old traditions. And it’s been more than ten years since he’s had anything like a family to celebrate anything with, so he agrees.
Moving from a cramped office to a family setting shifts things for Eric and Mike, and they start to see each other through different eyes. Can they find love, or will old family issues keep them apart forever?
3.5 Stars
So, I'm a bit torn about this book. On one hand, I completely adored Mike, he was such a sweet, kind man, who'd put himself through school/college after his grandparents threw him out for being gay and ended up living in the streets and yet he still had that joie de vivre that Eric lacked, despite having had his parents support on most things. Really, the way Eric behaved with his mother at first made me want to clobber him and then to use her as an excuse to avoid his intimacy issues and push Mike away? So not cool, Eric! Grrrr! And then we have the way they made up at the end, frankly, I don't think Eric deserved Mike's forgiveness, he didn't even put in much of an effort after how much of an ass he was to Mike. Ugh! *headdesk*
I think had the book been a tad longer and had Eric been less, well, himself, maybe my rating would've been higher. The story is well-written and I loved Mike and Eric's mother, I found Mike's story compelling and I was so happy when his brother found him, but Eric ruined it for me. Oh well, it's possible it was just me, so try it out and perhaps you'll think different. Stranger things have happened. ;)
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
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