A review by whitneydr
Pisces: From Behind That Locked Door by Pepper Espinoza
5.0
I liked this a lot. I was in the mood for something light and cute with a little angst, so I’m glad I picked it. Also a bonus, the main character, Jay, isn’t your typical white adonis you see in every other M/M novel. He’s overweight, insecure, and shy. I related to him a lot, which is probably why I loved this book.
Normally, I’d complain about coming into the middle of the story, but I felt that the backstory was set up well for our characters and it wasn’t necessary for me as the reader to see the story start from their very first interaction. I was also surprised at how much the short timeline didn’t really bother me at all. The whole book took place in a month, but I felt like there was still relationship and character development.
Of course this wouldn’t be your standard M/M if there weren’t detestable female characters. I don’t even care to remember their names, but they were awful. How are you going to date someone who treats your best friend like crap and has been doing so for 15 years? While I understand that Utah isn’t the bastion of gay culture, they do live in or around a major city, so I feel like it can’t be that difficult to find someone else. I wouldn’t be that desperate. Even if I was, I’d still talk to my best friend about it. With regards to Jay’s “nemesis”, I wish a woman would come into my house disrespecting me and doesn’t pay nan a bill; she’d have to be told. And quickly. In the end, I wouldn’t have forgiven her so she could date my roommate/best friend, but I’d tolerate her existence until she proved to be a decent human being, because even in the end, she didn’t deserve it.
All in all, I really loved Jay and Stephen as a couple. I liked how Stephen wasn’t bothered by Jay’s body and even accepted and loved it/him for what/who he was. He was supportive and didn’t try to change his physical appearance, just how Jay viewed himself. As someone who doesn’t have the perfect body either, it gave me hope that I could meet someone who will love my body just the way it is.
This is the last (12th) book in the Boys of the Zodiac series and I will definitely check out the others. Especially since I love the authors writing them.
5 stars.
Normally, I’d complain about coming into the middle of the story, but I felt that the backstory was set up well for our characters and it wasn’t necessary for me as the reader to see the story start from their very first interaction. I was also surprised at how much the short timeline didn’t really bother me at all. The whole book took place in a month, but I felt like there was still relationship and character development.
Of course this wouldn’t be your standard M/M if there weren’t detestable female characters. I don’t even care to remember their names, but they were awful. How are you going to date someone who treats your best friend like crap and has been doing so for 15 years? While I understand that Utah isn’t the bastion of gay culture, they do live in or around a major city, so I feel like it can’t be that difficult to find someone else. I wouldn’t be that desperate. Even if I was, I’d still talk to my best friend about it. With regards to Jay’s “nemesis”, I wish a woman would come into my house disrespecting me and doesn’t pay nan a bill; she’d have to be told. And quickly. In the end, I wouldn’t have forgiven her so she could date my roommate/best friend, but I’d tolerate her existence until she proved to be a decent human being, because even in the end, she didn’t deserve it.
All in all, I really loved Jay and Stephen as a couple. I liked how Stephen wasn’t bothered by Jay’s body and even accepted and loved it/him for what/who he was. He was supportive and didn’t try to change his physical appearance, just how Jay viewed himself. As someone who doesn’t have the perfect body either, it gave me hope that I could meet someone who will love my body just the way it is.
This is the last (12th) book in the Boys of the Zodiac series and I will definitely check out the others. Especially since I love the authors writing them.
5 stars.