The Boy Who Came In From The Cold (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
Let me just preface this by saying that I love M/M fiction; completely and unabashedly love it. It is an insatiable addiction that I suffer from and I have spent embarrassing amounts of money over the last decade or so indulging it. That being said, I am also aware that often (read: usually) these books are not exactly the most well-crafted or edifying of reads. Loving M/M fiction often means suspending belief and embracing preposterous or silly plots, cheesy clichés, questionable sex scenes, and endings so neatly wrapped up they could have been written for a "very special episode" of Mr. Belvedere. So, you see, I had a pretty good understanding of what I was getting into when I bought this book, and I really wanted (WANTED!) to love it. Unfortunately, however, it just wasn't very good.To begin with, it takes FOREVER for them to fall in love. Or maybe it just feels like forever because in the preceding time you have to listen to Todd's irritating inner dialogue of-forgive me for paraphrasing- "Am I a fag!" or "Oh my God, can I be gay!" along with awkward mental flashbacks of his stepfather saying things like "What are you? Some kind of queer!". It was okay at first, because it gave you an idea of where Todd was coming from; but after awhile I found myself rolling my eyes and wanting to shout, "Yes, Todd! You're queer! Could we move on already? Jeesh!". Gabe is far less annoying and, frankly, I'm not sure what he's supposed to like about Todd, who seems not only incredibly naive but just plain stupid. Also, who the hell says, "shitfire!"?Unfortunately, I think my disdain for Todd managed to limit my ability to embrace what was happening which, in turn, made all the many unlikely scenarios that happen throughout the book seem all the more ridiculous. As I said, I'm willing to suspend a lot of belief, but, when the character I'm supposed to root for is so grating and dumb, I can't be bothered to care that much. Although, (possible SPOILER) nothing on Earth would make me accept that ham-handed scene with the HIV tests at the end,ugh! I have a thing about romance novels with a super short time frame for love. I mean, I can enjoy a love at first sight story... But whirlwind romances tend to have me rolling my eyes and sighing sarcastically (so I have my curmudgeonly moments). Perhaps it's because of my real life experiences, but that's neither here nor there. You will notice, I'm sure, that I rated this five stars. And, yes, it's a whirlwind romance. So why? Because it is well-written, the characters are believable(and engaging!), and safe sex. Maybe a silly thing to love in a romance novel, but I do. I messaged with my BFAM whilst reading and he had to deal with many a flail and "omgomgomg". Highly recommend. Loved it. Can I adopt B.G. Thomas? I have an opening for a cool uncle.
What do You think about The Boy Who Came In From The Cold (2013)?
My first, but definitely not my last by this author. Great story.
—falme442
