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netslummer's review
3.0
Noah Westwood was kicked out of his house at 16 by his conservative parents. He's been homeless ever since. Now, six years later, he's desperate. Desperate enough to rush into Marcello Maltese's office and ask for a job as an escort while trying to hide his past. Marcello gives him a chance and instructs him to meet with Harold Franklin, another escort to learn the ropes. Noah is constantly worried that his past will cause trouble while he tries to build a future.
Despite the empathy I have for Noah I found him sort of unlikeable. He is very naïve, exhaustingly so, for the first 50% of the book. Particularly in his interactions with Harold. Then there's the Felix stuff. And I liked Felix (and I even like Harold!) but eh. This 388 page book felt like it wasn't long enough and yet I couldn't wait for it to be done. Each series needs a "worst book" and, for me, this is the one that hit the least hard for sure. Hail is worth reading but it's nothing close to Summer. I never once had a warm fuzzy during this book. There is a note at the start that this was written vaguely collaboratively with the author's fans and you can sort of tell. The pacing and the decisions some of the characters make don't feel super genuine? I dunno. I was disappointed. I'm eager to get another story about the potential trio in one of the stories collections because the ending honestly feels up-in-the-air and barely satisfying.
Hail feels like a novel-length propaganda poster supporting ethical sex work (which I agree with but didn't need to read a nearly 400 page book about?).
Despite the empathy I have for Noah I found him sort of unlikeable. He is very naïve, exhaustingly so, for the first 50% of the book. Particularly in his interactions with Harold. Then there's the Felix stuff. And I liked Felix (and I even like Harold!) but eh. This 388 page book felt like it wasn't long enough and yet I couldn't wait for it to be done. Each series needs a "worst book" and, for me, this is the one that hit the least hard for sure. Hail is worth reading but it's nothing close to Summer. I never once had a warm fuzzy during this book. There is a note at the start that this was written vaguely collaboratively with the author's fans and you can sort of tell. The pacing and the decisions some of the characters make don't feel super genuine? I dunno. I was disappointed. I'm eager to get another story about the potential trio in one of the stories collections because the ending honestly feels up-in-the-air and barely satisfying.
Hail feels like a novel-length propaganda poster supporting ethical sex work (which I agree with but didn't need to read a nearly 400 page book about?).
ryanpfw's review
4.0
2022 update - Five years later, perhaps knowing more about what is coming, this one worked a lot more smoothly. Upping to 4 stars. Noah and Harold, ironically, both have boundary issues between parents and what people need to know, although Noah’s character makes up for that. I’m not as comfortable as the characters are around certain topics, and a lot of my complaints about the book from my earlier review still stand, but if for a few days I can entertain alternate viewpoints, even if they’re not mine, I’m a more open minded human.
———
I know this was written as a group collaborate, and that Jay Bell has said community decisions on plot were not the ones he would have made. Noah as an original character started off a bit too exclamation pointy, Harold was a bit too perfect (perhaps Marcello was playing matchmaker and put them together on purpose?) and the heavy reliance on bizarre dates over character growthmade the first half a sluggish read. I'm by no means the target demographic of this series, but character growth has been what has kept me coming back, so the reliance on a plot in particular that was really beyond my comfort zone for so many pages really turned me off, but again, Jay's not writing this for me.
I loved the bits with Edith, and Marcello always makes everything better.
Felix was a more engaging character in the second half, and his family life brought a lot to the story. I get the contrast with Harold, but I felt we were almost out of time by the time we reached his character arc and were forced to speed through it. Noah's character matured over the jump and his characterization with Felix came across as almost big brotherly, and I just couldn't believe the chemistry. It was almost like he decided someone like Felix was what he needed and went with it, but it was insta-love and wasn't very believable. I did appreciate that the ending left Noah with two options, that it wasn't easy on everyone, and made a point that we don't know where the future will leave everyone. I just didn't buy into it as I did in previous books.
———
I know this was written as a group collaborate, and that Jay Bell has said community decisions on plot were not the ones he would have made. Noah as an original character started off a bit too exclamation pointy, Harold was a bit too perfect (perhaps Marcello was playing matchmaker and put them together on purpose?) and the heavy reliance on bizarre dates over character growthmade the first half a sluggish read. I'm by no means the target demographic of this series, but character growth has been what has kept me coming back, so the reliance on a plot in particular that was really beyond my comfort zone for so many pages really turned me off, but again, Jay's not writing this for me.
I loved the bits with Edith, and Marcello always makes everything better.
Felix was a more engaging character in the second half, and his family life brought a lot to the story. I get the contrast with Harold, but I felt we were almost out of time by the time we reached his character arc and were forced to speed through it. Noah's character matured over the jump and his characterization with Felix came across as almost big brotherly, and I just couldn't believe the chemistry. It was almost like he decided someone like Felix was what he needed and went with it, but it was insta-love and wasn't very believable. I did appreciate that the ending left Noah with two options, that it wasn't easy on everyone, and made a point that we don't know where the future will leave everyone. I just didn't buy into it as I did in previous books.
rbdeschamp's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Jay Bell continues to display his prowess of writing engaging and relatable queer characters while tackling hard-hitting topics faced in the LGBTQ+ community. This installment lives up to the standard Bell has established chronicling the many lives in Austin and how paths are shared, crossed, and diverted away from one another. Noah Westwood has had a bout of bad luck, uber-religious parents, on the streets at 16, he's learned to survive any way he can. His story is unique in as he is a new character to the series, but we still get the usual crossover from regulars like Tim, Marcello, and Nathaniel, as well as some smaller mentions of Ben, Jason, Kelly, and others. We follow Noah on his journey from the streets through Studio Maltese, getting further background on Ryan, as well as introductions to Harold, Edith, Felix, and a whole gaggle of gentlemen from the GAC. I always enjoy learning more about Marcello, even if it's indirectly through someone else's tale. Noah, overall, is not the strongest character and often finds himself jumping into relationships and being ruled by his emotions, or lack of, depending on the situation. I appreciated Bell's depiction on the struggles people have with their family when it comes to being gay and the light representation of housing insecurity that many gay youth can experience. In the end, this is a good addition to the series, with great writing and world building, but not the best story in this universe.
daftfader's review
5.0
This book was great as usual. A very interesting idea to crowd source ideas while writing. Some scenes seemed slightly more like fan service than usual(I am guessing fans voted for them, eg a scene featuring Tim)
Even with those scenes it was still better than 95% of the books I have read.
Noah is a new character trying to restart his life. His connections to the main plot are fun to uncover, dropping hints a few pages before they are revealed. Right up until the end I still didn't know who he would end up with.
Here is hoping for more books about the characters and events in this story arc
Even with those scenes it was still better than 95% of the books I have read.
Noah is a new character trying to restart his life. His connections to the main plot are fun to uncover, dropping hints a few pages before they are revealed. Right up until the end I still didn't know who he would end up with.
Here is hoping for more books about the characters and events in this story arc
jreason's review
3.0
Not as big a fan of this story as I have been for the majority of the series. i can't really put my finger on why but sometimes I really enjoyed the characters, sometimes I didn't. The first 50% was a bit of an uphill struggle but the last 50% flowed smoothly and was by far my favourite part of the book.
wrapmeupinplastic's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
opusfra's review
3.0
Every author has a drawer with half-finished manuscripts and ideas that just didn't work out. Some get revisited and turn into something, some just lay there for all time. This book feel like one of those. It doesn't quite work, the story is not quite good enough, and the disturbingly out-of-place sex scenes are a bit embarrassing. I love this series, and I will always read his work, but sometimes you've just got to admit that one book out of a long series is a dud. This is it.
frain04's review
5.0
Something like Summer was the book that broke my very long reading slump, but Something Like Hail kept me up until 4am on a work night, because I couldn’t put it down. That hasn’t happened in years.
If you’ve read the Something Like.... series and are on the fence about this one because it’s a completely new character and so close to the end of the series, have no fear. The characters in Something Like Hail are just as endearing, charming, and multi-faceted as any of the others, and there are quite a few connections to the rest of the series that will have you exclaiming in glee.
Jay Bell is a master at creating characters you can connect with, regardless if you have anything in common with their life. I cared so much for each of these new people, and was fully invested in a ride that was full of angst, humour, and some pretty damn steamy scenes.
The main critique I would give is that some of the scene to scene transitions are a bit clunky, and sometimes the pacing is a bit off, but overall I absolutely loved this story, and it’s probably my second favourite of the Something Like..... books.
If you’ve read the Something Like.... series and are on the fence about this one because it’s a completely new character and so close to the end of the series, have no fear. The characters in Something Like Hail are just as endearing, charming, and multi-faceted as any of the others, and there are quite a few connections to the rest of the series that will have you exclaiming in glee.
Jay Bell is a master at creating characters you can connect with, regardless if you have anything in common with their life. I cared so much for each of these new people, and was fully invested in a ride that was full of angst, humour, and some pretty damn steamy scenes.
The main critique I would give is that some of the scene to scene transitions are a bit clunky, and sometimes the pacing is a bit off, but overall I absolutely loved this story, and it’s probably my second favourite of the Something Like..... books.
lakelivelaugh's review against another edition
5.0
Oh. My. Goodness. This book was amazing! I love this new character and his heart!