High and Tight
I wasn’t expecting anything of this. A surprise. And a good one. I liked the MC, they are different from the stereotype I usually read about gay pairs due to all the amount of M/M novels in which the top guy is the bigger man. I’m so used to that scheme it’s ridiculous but classifying people with those labels only because of the appearance is shameful.
Adam is a pilot in the Army.
Harris is a hairdresser.
Adam hasn’t behaved well with Harris. And Harris behaves badly with Adam in return. These characters were doomed to not be liked but in the end they did. At least for me. They are harsh to each other after all the resentment and pain but it’s believable and could understand it all.
I liked the sister pretty much but I find the model too convenient in her matchmaker role. The rest of the family is nice and the most I liked is Jason. But I don’t buy that about Jason not really loving Harris and suggesting so is a weak argument. To mitigate the rupture the author gave less importance to his feelings and I don’t find that fair. I find it even less fair that Adams dares to break a stable relationship. I find even less fair they treat Jason like a kleenex. It’s impossible to make amends with everyone in a story so it was logical some parts would end up hurt. If that happens, don’t minimize the situation and affront it and call it for its name: betrayal. I know that Harris has never stopped loving Adam, but undervaluing other people’s emotions is not an excuse to break up like that. Be brave and recognize it as a stab in the back.
I can’t point exactly why is that, but I read this like something new and bright. Maybe that’s because of the shocking way the rules are broken. Maybe it’s because I found the after-DADT topic quite interesting. Maybe it’s just the style that I loved. Or it could be the perspective I found different. In any case, this novella has been like fresh air for me. But that manipulation of emotions has spoiled much of it.
