Title: Twelve Hours I
Author: Drew Hunt
Length: 7,462 words
Publisher: JMS Books
Genre: m/m contemporary romance
Rating: C
Blurb:
High school quarterback Zack Pierce’s life is spiralling out of control. To hide from his growing attraction to Sam, his best friend and team mate, Zack drinks, smokes dope, and has sex with any girl who will have him. Things reach a crisis point when Zack’s girlfriend dumps him after she finds out he’s got another girl pregnant. Not knowing what else to do, Zack breaks out his father’s bourbon and calls Sam for help.
The call in the middle of the night scares Sam, who rushes to his friend’s side. Dare he risk everything by confessing what he feels for Zack? The next twelve hours will either make or break them.
Review:
I normally like stories with younger men who are either coming out of the closet or coming to realisation that they are gay – and often attracted to their best friend. Given that, the blurb sounded like it might be the sort of book I would enjoy. In the end the story was OK, with some good parts to it, but I found it a touch too melodramatic. I know that men at that age see most of life as a huge big deal, and Zack’s made some pretty terrible mistakes but I felt even with that context he behaved in a way which, instead of allowing me some sympathy for him, meant that I found him to be too over dramatic.
Zack’s behaviour meant that I never really warmed to him much, especially as he throws the pity card out to the reader on more than one occasion. He’s a school football star, has women hanging off his every word and men who want to be him. He comes from a wealthy family and has a best friend who is willing to get out of bed at 3am to help him. However, his utter self-loathing at knowing that he’s gay borders on homophobia and the disdainful way he uses women borders on misogyny. I couldn’t feel sorry for him when his actions came out of drunkenness and self-pity.
I did, however, like Sam. He’s loyal with a bit of a quirky sense of humour. He really loves Zack, despite his many faults, and is willing to help him through his time of coming out of the closet. He even tries to sort out Zack’s messes – although to give him credit, Zack doesn’t let him and sorts the mess out himself. The story ends on a sort of HEA, but with them being so young, I see it as a HFN really. I can’t see the relationship staying the course unless Zack develops some maturity.
So in the end I had mixed feelings for the story. If you’re the sort of reader who likes dumb jocks and melodrama, then this book could be for you. There’s a sequel – Twelve Hours II – which shows that the characters do stay the course, but I’m not invested enough in either of the men to want to give that a go.
Hmm. Not really calling my name, Zach seems a bit too much for me.
He was rather too much. As I said, I know that teenage boys are generally over the top with their emotions but this went too much to an extreme for me.
This really does sound melodramatic! :O
Maybe it’s my British sensibilities Chris, but it was too melodramatic in my opinion.