Falling for your gay best friend isn't that uncommon. But when that gay best friend isn't really gay, the confusion and frustration becomes palpable. When Bash comes back from a study abroad in England his plans for romance are a little different from what Callie expects. She's been in love with Bash forever and the years and distance have done nothing to dull her attraction or affection. The push and pull she feels from him is more than confusing, it's beginning to hurt. There's a lot they'll have to overcome if they'll find their own happily ever after. Maybe some awesome friends and a steamy kiss as co-stars can help...
Callie has a flair for the dramatic, that's for sure. She's young and hopelessly in love with someone who could never return her feelings. But knowing that she'd rather have his friendship than nothing at all, she tries her best to squelch all those flutters and nerves whenever she's in close proximity to Bash. I thought she was cute and quirky almost all the way through the story. She was also caring, giving, understanding, and funny. Her best friend is phenomenal. But when things really get serious, I found her a bit juvenile. The issue with that is that she's really just acting her age, there's nothing unnatural about her reactions and feelings, I was just hoping for some maturity and clarity and COMMUNICATION. Without those things I felt disappointed rather than amused and hopeful for a romance between them. Except for when there was an issue with the professor, I loved that she found her strength, her ferocity, and put it to good use. While not completely redeeming herself, I did soften toward her.
Bash was another story. I was hoping for a lot more of his perspective. Although it would have given away the secret early, it's not like it was actually a secret because the synopsis clearly tells us he's not really gay. I found him just as much at fault for not communicating. They're best friends and I can understand holding a bit back for fear of ending up with nothing instead of what you've yearned for for years, but if he was so determined to get out of the friend zone he sure wasn't trying very hard. Small overtures here and there, some flirty comments, and then some seriously whip-lash inducing "advances" only to have them quickly become full retreats...none of that is doing him any favors. His fierceness to protect and care for her is quite admirable though. When we get his perspective it's pretty much all from the moment we learn the truth of her terrible assumption. He's angry, hurt, confused. It's not doing the audience any favors or winning us over either. Instead of watching him get over himself we get to see him stewing and venting and wallowing. An unfortunate choice by the author there.
Their relationship was cute and full of the angst of youth and apprehension. I liked watching their interactions through most of the story, learning about them individually and together went a long way for me to root for them. The reveal, however, completely threw me. What should have fit the tone of the story and been a shock, a bit of distance, and humorous became overly dramatic, angry, full of hurt, and almost the end of them. I felt that it didn't fit the flow of the story and was disappointed by it. The epilogue was sweet and hopeful but quite abrupt. I was hoping for more settling but we get drama, drama, drama, and a harrowing experience followed by more drama before we get sexy times and reconciliation only to have it end suddenly. Despite that there were some real gems that made the story enjoyable. The humor, the side cast, and the focus of the story that made the progression fluid were all great. While there were some things I wasn't a fan of, the overall story was pleasant to read.
*99¢ on Amazon!
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