castairs's review against another edition
1.0
I felt for James, I really did. I think he's a likeable character, and while his story made me feel incredibly sad, I didn't find him pitiful. I have to give credit to the author for that.
Michael, on the other hand. Oh boy. I felt like the author spent so much time trying to convince me of how sweet, how compassionate and just what a good and pure person Michael was. And I think I know where they're coming from, but the way Michael talked about the surrogacy and sometimes James' disability made me extremely uncomfortable. It's portrayed as something very pure and altruistic, but it felt like a fetish at times.
For a while I was torn between wanting to know more about James and being uncomfortable by Michael, but then their relationship gets serious and everything went downhill for me. Michael is the one who fucks up, and it's something very serious. Like, serious enough that if someone did that to me I probably wouldn't be able to trust that person in an intimate way ever again, no matter how in love I was. And the problem is that the book doesn't treat this with the gravity it deserves.
I believe a person can have sex with other people while in a commited relationship and it won't be morally wrong, but only as long as their partner is 100% okay with it. It doesn't matter how "good" and "noble" Michael's work is, he's still having sex with strangers without telling James about it!!!!! It doesn't matter that Michael doesn't think it counts because it's part of his job, that's still CHEATING. James has huge abandonment and trust issues, and Michael knowingly keeps the truth from him. Being scared of losing James in understandable, but he's a grown man, so the fact that he doesn't man up and tell the truth for James' sake is selfish and cowardly.
Then one of his clients, who he also sees as a friend, tries to commit suicide and I get that it's a delicate and distressing situation, but to abandon James like that when he needed Michael so much, with just one single text for an explanation, is so immature and messed up. Honestly, I think he should have tried to go to the gala and then to the hospital, but I understand that could be asking for too much, so if he couldn't do it that'd be fine. But he seriously couldn't have gone to James' and explain the situation in person? That was such a shitty way to handle things and I cannot get over it.
What made me incandescent with rage is that James, once he has just discovered his boyfriend has been lying about his job and having sex with other people (and I'm not even getting into the ethical issue of putting his partner's health at risk without his consent, no matter how careful Michael is), has to put up with three fucking people he doesn't know from Adam coming to his house and lecturing him about the way he's broken poor Michael's heart. Even Michael's boss, who is a sex therapist and should have some damn empathy considering how traumatic this is for James, has the nerve to do this:
Halloran gave him a stern lecture on the value of sex therapy and surrogacy and told him in detail about the two clients Michael was treating currently and why"
"Whatever you want to make of that is up to you, but Michael is a good man and he deserves a second chance”
Are you fucking kidding me. No, he does not "deserve" a second chance. I know Michael didn't mean to hurt James, but James has every right to tell Michael to fuck off. Also, nobody seems to give a damn about James' feelings in all of this and it was so depressing and infuriating to read.
There's also this:
He’d meant to talk to James tonight about the surrogacy. That had been the plan—get James to let him touch his legs and maybe use that as a lead-in to discuss surrogacy afterward.
I know I'm not meant to see it that way, but this sounds so gross to me. James finally overcame his fear and let Michael touch his legs, something that's very traumatic for him, and while I don't doubt Michael genuinely wanted to make James feel good, the idea that he had a plan to use the experience to hopefully make James more accepting of his dirty secret is just unbelievable. Way to make it all about you, Michael. Not to mention what a moronic idea it is. If I had just had a deeply intimate experience with my partner and he compared that in any way to the work he does to make disabled people feel good because they can't find anyone who wants to touch them, it would emotionally destroy me.
I give one star because of James, and if I ignore the context surronding it, some intimate moments between James and Michael were touching, but the rest just made me genuinely furious. Maybe if Michael had to actually redeem himself I wouldn't take this so seriously. I have ignored some fucked up behavior in other stories because it's fiction, but I can't do it if everyone in the story acts like it's not that big of a deal.
Michael, on the other hand. Oh boy. I felt like the author spent so much time trying to convince me of how sweet, how compassionate and just what a good and pure person Michael was. And I think I know where they're coming from, but the way Michael talked about the surrogacy and sometimes James' disability made me extremely uncomfortable. It's portrayed as something very pure and altruistic, but it felt like a fetish at times.
For a while I was torn between wanting to know more about James and being uncomfortable by Michael, but then their relationship gets serious and everything went downhill for me. Michael is the one who fucks up, and it's something very serious. Like, serious enough that if someone did that to me I probably wouldn't be able to trust that person in an intimate way ever again, no matter how in love I was. And the problem is that the book doesn't treat this with the gravity it deserves.
I believe a person can have sex with other people while in a commited relationship and it won't be morally wrong, but only as long as their partner is 100% okay with it. It doesn't matter how "good" and "noble" Michael's work is, he's still having sex with strangers without telling James about it!!!!! It doesn't matter that Michael doesn't think it counts because it's part of his job, that's still CHEATING. James has huge abandonment and trust issues, and Michael knowingly keeps the truth from him. Being scared of losing James in understandable, but he's a grown man, so the fact that he doesn't man up and tell the truth for James' sake is selfish and cowardly.
What made me incandescent with rage is that James, once he has just discovered his boyfriend has been lying about his job and having sex with other people (and I'm not even getting into the ethical issue of putting his partner's health at risk without his consent, no matter how careful Michael is), has to put up with three fucking people he doesn't know from Adam coming to his house and lecturing him about the way he's broken poor Michael's heart. Even Michael's boss, who is a sex therapist and should have some damn empathy considering how traumatic this is for James, has the nerve to do this:
Halloran gave him a stern lecture on the value of sex therapy and surrogacy and told him in detail about the two clients Michael was treating currently and why"
"Whatever you want to make of that is up to you, but Michael is a good man and he deserves a second chance”
Are you fucking kidding me. No, he does not "deserve" a second chance. I know Michael didn't mean to hurt James, but James has every right to tell Michael to fuck off. Also, nobody seems to give a damn about James' feelings in all of this and it was so depressing and infuriating to read.
There's also this:
He’d meant to talk to James tonight about the surrogacy. That had been the plan—get James to let him touch his legs and maybe use that as a lead-in to discuss surrogacy afterward.
I know I'm not meant to see it that way, but this sounds so gross to me. James finally overcame his fear and let Michael touch his legs, something that's very traumatic for him, and while I don't doubt Michael genuinely wanted to make James feel good, the idea that he had a plan to use the experience to hopefully make James more accepting of his dirty secret is just unbelievable. Way to make it all about you, Michael. Not to mention what a moronic idea it is. If I had just had a deeply intimate experience with my partner and he compared that in any way to the work he does to make disabled people feel good because they can't find anyone who wants to touch them, it would emotionally destroy me.
I give one star because of James, and if I ignore the context surronding it, some intimate moments between James and Michael were touching, but the rest just made me genuinely furious. Maybe if Michael had to actually redeem himself I wouldn't take this so seriously. I have ignored some fucked up behavior in other stories because it's fiction, but I can't do it if everyone in the story acts like it's not that big of a deal.
geo_ix's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
This would have been a 5 Star read for me, but I really didn’t like the scene where legit EVERYONE who knows Michael goes after James for hurting him lol. None of them really care that he hurt James, just that Michael was hurting and they thought he didn’t deserve it.
Other than that I really love the characters and the story and I really liked the snippets from the book he wrote and the few flash back scenes that described how James got polio. It was nice seeing a different type of profession (michael is a sex surrogate) and his struggles with how he would tell James, or if he should give up a career that really suits him and he loves.
I thought there’d be more issues with the surrogacy thing because of how self conscious James was for the majority of the book, I thought he’d be like oh you’re trying to fix me etc etc but that wasn’t the issue it was more omitting which also makes sense because James also has trouble with lies and abandonment etc and really I wish the fact James needs actual mental therapy was added (he’d researched suicide just so he had an out when his career really tanked) but overall really loved the book
This would have been a 5 Star read for me, but I really didn’t like the scene where legit EVERYONE who knows Michael goes after James for hurting him lol. None of them really care that he hurt James, just that Michael was hurting and they thought he didn’t deserve it.
Other than that I really love the characters and the story and I really liked the snippets from the book he wrote and the few flash back scenes that described how James got polio. It was nice seeing a different type of profession (michael is a sex surrogate) and his struggles with how he would tell James, or if he should give up a career that really suits him and he loves.
I thought there’d be more issues with the surrogacy thing because of how self conscious James was for the majority of the book, I thought he’d be like oh you’re trying to fix me etc etc but that wasn’t the issue it was more omitting which also makes sense because James also has trouble with lies and abandonment etc and really I wish the fact James needs actual mental therapy was added (he’d researched suicide just so he had an out when his career really tanked) but overall really loved the book
babytloves2read's review against another edition
5.0
This was a super interesting story! I’ve literally never read anything with a similar plot to this. Although sex surrogacy isn’t really an accepted form of therapy in the world of psychology, I think it has its place. I think it’s very interesting that these surrogates work hand in hand with actual licensed doctors and gives it an element of professionalism and ethicality that wouldn’t otherwise be there. I know none of that really matters because this is just a goddamn book and not real life, but I’m a psychology student with an interest in human sexuality!
Additionally, I’ve never read an MM steamy romance with a disabled character as a sexual being. That made me really happy. Seeing positive representation in media will help fight ableism, slowly but surely.
Additionally, I’ve never read an MM steamy romance with a disabled character as a sexual being. That made me really happy. Seeing positive representation in media will help fight ableism, slowly but surely.
mschaeff's review against another edition
4.0
So - the first book in this series was really, REALLY not my cup of tea. But it seems clear that the author grew as a writer - or maybe that these types of characters are ones they're more comfortable writing - because this one was so incredibly good. Michael is truly, genuinely one of the NICEST characters I've read in a long time, and sometimes, that's perfect. James' motivations and fears were so understandable. It's an interesting premise - sex surrogacy is something I've basically never thought about - but no different than any other medical field. I really enjoyed this one.
papercranestitches's review against another edition
5.0
Hands down the best of the series. Two amazing characters, a realistic struggle towards their HEA, smexy times and so much friggin' HEART. The only blip for me was that horribly clumsy and insensitive analogy at 19% (and repeated again at 88%).
bfdbookblog's review against another edition
4.0
This is by far the best book of the series. Both the pacing of the story and the story itself is better. While this is technically a new couple, Michael is in both the previous books and I really think both of them should be read to get a complete picture of him before reading this one. Also, Jack is in this book a few times so it would help to know him for this story.
This is the heaviest, most emotional of the three as well. James’ past is wrought with pain, both emotional and physical, and he’s still suffering. It made him strong but also a little jaded and a lot protective of his heart and soul. Michael offers a bit of light to his darkness and while James didn’t need a nurse to help him live no one else could have seamlessly fit into his world. Michael’s great big kind heart is a balm to soothe James…they are kindred spirits.
Great ending to the series!
This is the heaviest, most emotional of the three as well. James’ past is wrought with pain, both emotional and physical, and he’s still suffering. It made him strong but also a little jaded and a lot protective of his heart and soul. Michael offers a bit of light to his darkness and while James didn’t need a nurse to help him live no one else could have seamlessly fit into his world. Michael’s great big kind heart is a balm to soothe James…they are kindred spirits.
Great ending to the series!
reading_rainy's review against another edition
3.0
*2.5* Michael is a sex surrogate. He only works with men, because he is only attracted to men. He likes being with people who are not experienced, it makes him feel worthy and special. He’s a complete and utter sweetheart, you can tell how much care and love he puts into his work. Truly.
James is an author. His best work was written as a teen, and he’s struggled to stay relevant. He hasn’t had the use of his legs since childhood, and is in a wheelchair. He is asked to make a rare public appearance and meets a huge fan, Michael. After some mild stalking, they start dating.
*Slight spoilers below*
It’s understandable that Michael doesn’t tell James that he’s a sex surrogate. He knows that touching and letting other men touch him in a sexual way could possibly upset his boyfriend. Michael keeps repeating how the work he does isn’t really emotional, but that is proven incorrect by the action of one of his clients.
The biggest issue with this story is that there is no real discussion or communication about Michael’s sex work, or the relationship James has with his mother. Everything is gently glossed over to make a hea. Why have these huge issues for the characters to deal with if you’re not going to actually have an open and honest discussion about them?
Also how did a single, financially unstable women traveling the world, afford a high-end, 24/7 disabled childcare facility?
I adored the story within a story, Sentimental Cyanide, written by James. In fact, I would have loved to have read that beautiful sci-fi story about an robot who is designed for sex work. The correlation between Lamb and Michael was absolutely beautiful.
James is an author. His best work was written as a teen, and he’s struggled to stay relevant. He hasn’t had the use of his legs since childhood, and is in a wheelchair. He is asked to make a rare public appearance and meets a huge fan, Michael. After some mild stalking, they start dating.
*Slight spoilers below*
It’s understandable that Michael doesn’t tell James that he’s a sex surrogate. He knows that touching and letting other men touch him in a sexual way could possibly upset his boyfriend. Michael keeps repeating how the work he does isn’t really emotional, but that is proven incorrect by the action of one of his clients.
The biggest issue with this story is that there is no real discussion or communication about Michael’s sex work, or the relationship James has with his mother. Everything is gently glossed over to make a hea. Why have these huge issues for the characters to deal with if you’re not going to actually have an open and honest discussion about them?
Also how did a single, financially unstable women traveling the world, afford a high-end, 24/7 disabled childcare facility?
I adored the story within a story, Sentimental Cyanide, written by James. In fact, I would have loved to have read that beautiful sci-fi story about an robot who is designed for sex work. The correlation between Lamb and Michael was absolutely beautiful.
a___broad's review against another edition
4.0
This author just earned my undying gratitude for putting to light the sheer stupidity and callousness of those damn anti-vaxxers out there.
Overall, it was a lovely story.
Overall, it was a lovely story.
marinazala's review against another edition
4.0
** Books 288 - 2014 **
4 Stars for the touching story!!
It is the story about Michael, a young and attractive nurse who met an broken science-fiction writers named james. They are so sweet! seriously, i love their love relationship progress and anything about them is really touching my heart! T__T
"He liked James so much. The depth of what he felt was almost surreal. He wanted to be the one to give James a full life, inspire his dreams and his writing. And that was maybe a foolish, unrealistic fantasy, but he thought it was not an entirely selfish one. He just Needed time to win James's trust and his heart" - Michael
"I love that about you. The thought entered James's mind in a sneak attack. it was strange thought to have. He'd kown Michael was a nurse, of course, and that it was a decent profession to have, implied some kind of desire to serve that was admirable, like being a firefighter or a cop. He saw that being a nurse was more than a paycheck to Michael, that is came from his heart. And james Did love that. If not through Turncoat, Michael would have found his path some other way. But it was still amazing to have had an influence on someone's life" - James
I also got some new knowledges about Sex Surrogate . I never heard this job after i read this novel. woww there is such a job like that in this world .. *__*
4 Stars for the touching story!!
It is the story about Michael, a young and attractive nurse who met an broken science-fiction writers named james. They are so sweet! seriously, i love their love relationship progress and anything about them is really touching my heart! T__T
"He liked James so much. The depth of what he felt was almost surreal. He wanted to be the one to give James a full life, inspire his dreams and his writing. And that was maybe a foolish, unrealistic fantasy, but he thought it was not an entirely selfish one. He just Needed time to win James's trust and his heart" - Michael
"I love that about you. The thought entered James's mind in a sneak attack. it was strange thought to have. He'd kown Michael was a nurse, of course, and that it was a decent profession to have, implied some kind of desire to serve that was admirable, like being a firefighter or a cop. He saw that being a nurse was more than a paycheck to Michael, that is came from his heart. And james Did love that. If not through Turncoat, Michael would have found his path some other way. But it was still amazing to have had an influence on someone's life" - James
I also got some new knowledges about Sex Surrogate . I never heard this job after i read this novel. woww there is such a job like that in this world .. *__*
dominicanbookworm's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
Como odio el título. Me gustó, Michael/James se me hicieron super cute, pero algunas cositas me molestaron/fueron ofensivas.
Read in August 2014.
Como odio el título. Me gustó, Michael/James se me hicieron super cute, pero algunas cositas me molestaron/fueron ofensivas.
Read in August 2014.