Pages I Never Wrote

I've noticed that MCs in M/M romances do a lot of smirking. I think it's supposed to be endearing, but considering the definition of smirk is “to smile in an irritatingly smug, conceited or silly way,” it is like nails on a chalkboard whenever an author uses it. After reading Pages I Never Wrote, I have found something even worse than smirking.

It's giggling.

The book's narrator, Luke, and the object of his affection, Nate, giggle a lot, and every time they do it pulled me right out of the scene. I just kept imagining two adults going “tee-hee-hee” and it felt ridiculous. Giggling is for little kids, not for two young men in love. Maybe it would have better if there were more smirking.

So besides my personal pet peeves, I appreciated the fact that the book featured an MC with dyspraxia and intimacy issues associated with the lifelong trauma of being “othered” for his disability. The very act of hugging Nate is a major accomplishment for Luke, and the author does a good job of describing how scary it feels to take that step. It's easy to root for Luke, and I warmed to Nate although he was inappropriately pushy until he understood Luke's boundaries.

The third-act OTT melodrama comes out of nowhere and doesn't fit with the rest of the book; it felt like the author ran out of ideas and had to come up with an artificial reason to keep the MCs apart. Not a bad debut, but a few weaknesses that need to be addressed for his next effort. And less giggling please!