Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: My Mate Jack
SERIES: A Heated Beat Story #1
AUTHOR: Garrett Leigh
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 105 Pages
BLURB:
Will Barter’s been in love with his best mate Jack for as long as he can remember. They’ve shared everything: love, life, laughs, even Will’s first kiss. But Jack’s straight, and Will’s long-buried infatuation means nothing until their last summer together draws to a close.
Then one night, everything changes, but with Will bound for university in Leeds, and Jack for his dream DJ job in Ibiza, there’s no time to explore their blurred lines. Before long all that’s left are secrets, lies, and misunderstandings.
In the months that follow, anger and hurt overshadow fifteen years of friendship, and Will must dig deep to remember Jack is his mate… his best mate, and nothing matters more than that, right?
REVIEW:
Will and Jack have been best mates since Will was six and Jack was seven. Their entire lives they’ve done everything together. Will popped his first boner at twelve looking at Jack, but Jack has always been into the girls. When Will slipped and told Jack he was gay, Jack took it in stride and it didn’t make any difference at all in their friendship.
Will’s first kiss happens after a group of friends play spin the bottle and Jack’s spin lands on Will. Will laughs and pushes him away, but later at Will’s house Jack volunteers to be Will’s first kiss, since he, Jack, is reportedly the best kisser in their school according to all the girls that Jack has dated. A little kiss leads to an all-night kissing session. But Jack is straight, so even though Will is infatuated and in love with his best mate, he doesn’t bring it up afterwards.
Things change during their last summer together. Jack doesn’t want to go to his summer dream DJ job in Ibiza as a virgin. Turns out he has never slept with any of those girls he has been snogging. One thing leads to another and the two guys end up in bed together and by the time it is over, Jack is no longer a virgin. Have you ever slept with a friend? Messy, messy business. With these two it wasn’t any different. Through a failure in communications, Jack goes off to Ibiza and Will goes off to university in Leeds, both mistakenly thinking the other left without saying goodbye and that the other is probably freaked out about their wild sex night.
I really wanted to reach in the book and shake both of them. Particularly Jack, who truly sucks at email! Their miscommunications continue, and further events push them further apart. Do they ever talk to each other again? Are they be able to salvage that fifteen year friendship? Guess you’ll just have to read the book and see. Do it quickly, because my review of the next book in the series is posting tomorrow!
I liked this book, and I recommend it for anyone looking for a little late teen/early twenties angst.
RATING: 
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