Coin Tricks

I want to start by saying, I like this story - but it's not a flawless story.

Sometimes the wrong name is used for characters and a good proofreader would take care of that. Also, the way Maori language is used in this book is both really cool and really confusing. Some of the words/terms are given footnotes, some are defined in the text of the book, and some you have to figure out through context. (Or, maybe only seeing the translation once.) It's very higgledy-piggledy.

And Sid is a self professed book nerd that loves Asimov - however he egregiously credit's THE quote by Arthur C. Clark (if you're a sci-fi book nerd, you know the one - and if you're not, you don't care) to Isaac Asimov. This is not a mistake he could conceivably make. Also, there's a couple of formatting issues that mean one or more words don't show up at all.

All in all, some technical issues.

However, I really do like this book.

That can all pretty much come down to Wire and Sid. Wire's a giant of a man that doesn't want to come off as scary - yet he always does. He's unlucky in love because all his previous ‘boyfriends' use his size and his brown skin as a fantasy. Sid is ... okay, I don't usually use this term, but Sid is a firecracker. He's proud and outspoken and pretty darn good at just being himself. Only complaint here is that the book is told entirely from Wire's point of view and I think it would have been great to get inside Sid's head.

I also have to make special mention of the family. They are huge, extremely extended and I love them. Only a few really stand out as characters in their own right: and all three of the next most important characters after our boys are girls. This is something that makes me very happy as so many gay romances run the gamut from casual misogyny to straight up vilifying women. I noticed nothing like that here - in fact, I definitely get the feeling that Wire is a true feminist.

While the book isn't really long, there is a nice build up to the romance, almost a slow burn, even, and it takes about eight months of our boys knowing each other before they kiss. And it's a bit after that before they have sex. So I do approve of the speed and direction on the romance.

This book is mostly sweet and soft, but there are some serious issues mentioned: homophobia from parents and bad parenting in general is discussed, bullying is discussed. And there are some arguments. It's not all smooth sailing for Wire and Sid, but they talk things through. They don't just patch it over with sex. They discuss it, they fix it as well as they can - they are friends before they are anything else.

Which, I think more than anything, is what sold me on the story. They become friends over the course of the story, then become something more. And, personally, I love that. All in all, a pretty great start to 2020.

Cute, although it might have benefited from adding Sid's POV. His characterization was all over the place, and being inside his head for part of the ride might have put the disparate pieces together. Also appreciated the portrayal of New Zealand Maori culture, including the heavy emphasis on family.

3.25*