Reviewed by Carissa
TITLE: Protection 
AUTHOR: T.T. Kove
PUBLISHER: Arctic Circle Press
LENGTH: 71 pages
BLURB:
Adrian isn’t looking for a boyfriend. He’s focused on school and social situations make him anxious. When his mother encourages him to make a friend and be more outgoing, he takes a chance at a party. It doesn’t live up to expectations. His classmates ignore him and the alcohol tastes bad. Worse? Oliver finds him moping in the bathroom.
Oliver, the class clown and know-it-all, might grate Adrian’s last nerve, but he’s the only one paying Adrian any attention. Not only does Oliver flirt him into a bedroom, he charms Adrian’s pants off. Adrian loses his virginity to a man he doesn’t even like and in the morning his anxiety spirals into full panic. They didn’t use protection and popular-with-everyone Oliver insists they need to get tested.
Adrian is sure this isn’t the kind of friendship his mother meant and he tries to distance himself. But it turns out Oliver’s brash personality is just a mask to hide his own insecurities and family embarrassments. Adrian can relate. Oliver may be a know-it-all, yet Adrian can’t abandon him. Besides, they still need their test results. But how can the popular kid be friends with him when Adrian doesn’t want to come out of his shell?
REVIEW:
Badgered into socializing more with his fellow students, Adrian reluctantly accepts an invitation to a party near his college. He’s pretty sure that the invitation came by his proximity to the group being invited than by any real desire to have him actually come, but he promised his mother he would try to be more outgoing. So off he goes–and it is as bad as he thought it would be. Too many people in too small a space–and not a one of them interested in him. That is until Oliver barges into the bathroom Adrian is hiding out in, and sets about drunkenly seducing Adrian.
While this is hardly the way he expected to lose his virginity–it was the lack of protection used that really flips Adrian out. Now he has to deal with the consequences of one night’s drunken tumble in the sheets, as well as the conflicting feelings growing for Oliver.
I saw this book when it came out and knew that I wanted to read it. Luckily I was able to snag the review copy for Love Bytes. I’ve read several books by T.T. Kove and have enjoyed them all immensely. Plus I kinda just like the cover. I’m a huge sucker for a good cover.
This is very much a quick slice of life between Oliver and Adrian. And because of that the ending is definitely more HFN than HEA, but the realist in me actually prefers it that way. Very few times is a few days of knowing someone going to end up with the two people madly and continually in love till death do they part. Even if this is not a romance for the ages, it is still a very good love story. All awkward firsts and doubting seconds.
I have a feeling Adrian and I would get along great. We both suffer in social situations. In fact reading the opening scene of this story was like taking a transcript of the voices in my head whenever I am forced into large groups of people. Sadly, cute dudes don’t seem to want to seduce me in random bathrooms–or anywhere else, for that matter. Um…not that I want to be seduced in bathrooms. That is kinda squicky.
As we read we learn more about Oliver and Adrian, and they start to grow from simple characters into more fully realized people. I would have loved for this to be longer because by the time the story really gets going it ends. I want to know more about Oliver’s home life, or how Adrian and him handle their rather slapdash relationship. Just so many things left uncovered that I wanted to hear more about.
I really enjoyed this story. The characters were good, and it was entertaining to read. Especially the sex. I do really love when the sex scenes are less than perfect. And well, there is certainly some highly entertaining, if not porn-worthy, sex in this book. But seeing as Adrian is a virgin to begin with, I think we should cut him some slack.
Though the condom thing…he really ought to have known better. As we all should.
RATING:
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