Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: 7 Minutes in Kevin
SERIES: Games We Play, Book 3
AUTHOR: D.J. Jamison
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 353 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 10, 2022
BLURB:
7 minutes in…holy heck, what have I done?!
What happens when I return early from a work trip to find my son throwing yet another party?
Annoyance. Exasperation. Temptation…
I’m tired, yearning for my bed, but I hadn’t counted on the games my son and his friends play–or the one person who’d be waiting in my closet after everyone else is gone.
The guy who’s been haunting my fantasies lately.
He’s too beautiful. Too young. Too off-limits, being one of my son’s best friends.
And…on his knees for me.
Oh god.
7 Minutes in Kevin is a son’s best friend romance with a bi-curious dad, an androgynous beauty who challenges his understanding of himself, and a quirky small town full of watching eyes.
REVIEW:
D.J. Jamison concludes her fun, frisky Games We Play series with 7 Minutes in Kevin. The concept behind the pairings in this series, or at least the catalyst for getting two previously attracted men together, are party games. It works especially well in 7 Minutes in Kevin because the opportunities for Garrett, a down-to-earth truck driver, and the flamboyant, twenty-years-younger Kevin, a close friend of Garrett’s son Darren, to find themselves in a situation where they might give in to their secret attraction to each other are slim to none. Using a game of “seven minutes in heaven” as the vehicle to throw them together almost seems plausible.
While Jamison deftly crafts stories featuring colorful, endearing characters, and seamlessly weaves solid romances between men who are complete opposites, I think she falters a bit here. Kevin and Garrett are both fascinating characters in their own right. I liked them both in different ways, and also for one reason that they have in common: the backbone to stand up for themselves and embrace who they are and what they want even in the face of those that disagree. But I just couldn’t embrace them as a couple. The relationship didn’t feel authentic to me: non-existent chemistry, opposites in just about every way from looks and personalities to stage of life – and while I have encountered that scenario before in MM romances, it just didn’t work for me here.
That’s not to say that this story doesn’t have merit. The underlying theme of acceptance and the importance of investing in yourself and your happiness resonates. You’d also be hard-pressed to resist the emotional impact of Kevin and Garrett’s respective embracing of their sexuality and being able to openly show pride in who they are. The found family aspect of the story is done well, giving us heartwarming glimpses of the couples from the previous books, and friends and family supporting Garrett and Kevin in their new, unusual relationship.
Because of my struggle with the featured couple, I had difficulty engaging with the story and found it dragged, especially given its length. All the pieces are there – great characters, humor, steam, found family – but Jamison doesn’t put them together in a way that clicks, at least not for me. Notwithstanding, 7 Minutes in Kevin is undoubtedly a light, easy read that leaves you feeling good.
RATING: 
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