Rough Canvas

Hmm, what to say...this book didn't turn out to be what I expected. Well, the first half was, then it changed. I was ready for some hot BDSM man on man action, and for the first half of the book, I was not disappointed. And then the goats showed up. After a scene involving a goat, lube, and bondage rope that made me gag (get your mind out of the gutter, perverts!), the book changed. From that point forward, every side character the couple ran into started waxing poetic about love and romance, giving them the same advice over and over. They of course ignored most of this advice, so it continued to be repeated.

It frustrates me when MCs don't mature in the relationships themselves, but instead have to be guided every step of the way by friends, family, and complete strangers who always seem to have an eerie insight into the problems they're going through. I want to see the characters grow and take the steps to further develop their relationship on their own, so it bothered me that Marcus and Thomas didn't do that in this book. Yes, everyone seeks relationship advice at some point, but it doesn't need to come from everyone they know.

Another thing I don't like is when a person's decision to put their trust in another by revealing their secrets is made for them, as was done to Marcus. Thomas took his choice away by lying on a phone call, so how am I to believe that Marcus would ever truly trust him enough to willingly make himself vulnerable? That's huge, and the decision should have been his to make.

I also had a hard time believing Thomas' mother's overnight about face in her treatment of her son. It's like she suddenly became a different person because it was convenient for the storyline. Honestly, her original behavior (but not her beliefs) was a bit hard to swallow, and this is coming from someone who lives in the heart of the Bible Belt. She wouldn't have acted the way she did in front of and to Marcus unless she was white trash, which she wasn't. Her sense of manners would have kept her from saying anything until Marcus was not present. Her behavior didn't match the type of person she was supposed to be.

I'd rate this book pre-goat 4 stars, but the direction it went from there makes it a 3 for me.

Forgot to add, as far as the writing went, I was particularly annoyed with the switching back and forth between Marcus and Thomas' POVs from one paragraph to the next without warning. It was jarring and confusing.

Merged review:

Hmm, what to say...this book didn't turn out to be what I expected. Well, the first half was, then it changed. I was ready for some hot BDSM man on man action, and for the first half of the book, I was not disappointed. And then the goats showed up. After a scene involving a goat, lube, and bondage rope that made me gag (get your mind out of the gutter, perverts!), the book changed. From that point forward, every side character the couple ran into started waxing poetic about love and romance, giving them the same advice over and over. They of course ignored most of this advice, so it continued to be repeated.

It frustrates me when MCs don't mature in the relationships themselves, but instead have to be guided every step of the way by friends, family, and complete strangers who always seem to have an eerie insight into the problems they're going through. I want to see the characters grow and take the steps to further develop their relationship on their own, so it bothered me that Marcus and Thomas didn't do that in this book. Yes, everyone seeks relationship advice at some point, but it doesn't need to come from everyone they know.

Another thing I don't like is when a person's decision to put their trust in another by revealing their secrets is made for them, as was done to Marcus. Thomas took his choice away by lying on a phone call, so how am I to believe that Marcus would ever truly trust him enough to willingly make himself vulnerable? That's huge, and the decision should have been his to make.

I also had a hard time believing Thomas' mother's overnight about face in her treatment of her son. It's like she suddenly became a different person because it was convenient for the storyline. Honestly, her original behavior (but not her beliefs) was a bit hard to swallow, and this is coming from someone who lives in the heart of the Bible Belt. She wouldn't have acted the way she did in front of and to Marcus unless she was white trash, which she wasn't. Her sense of manners would have kept her from saying anything until Marcus was not present. Her behavior didn't match the type of person she was supposed to be.

I'd rate this book pre-goat 4 stars, but the direction it went from there makes it a 3 for me.

Forgot to add, as far as the writing went, I was particularly annoyed with the switching back and forth between Marcus and Thomas' POVs from one paragraph to the next without warning. It was jarring and confusing.