Four out of Five Stars
One sentence summary: A scholarship swimmer at a prestigious college falls in love with his best friend's roommate- but can the two keep their fiery passion a secret?
First thought: This was a great read and I'm looking forward to book two in the Twin Hearts Duet. I hadn't read anything by A.M. Johnson perviously, but I could tell this series is a family affair.
Why I read it: I was in the mood for MM, so I picked this one up because it was an 2019 IAN Outstanding Fiction Winner for LGBTQ Fiction
POV: Alternating M|M, Past Tense
Tropes: First Relationship, Athlete
Our Hero: Royal. Charismatic and understanding- the ultimate book boyfriend. Plus, I'm all about a swimmer's body. This boy has it all- charm and compassion for what others are going through. Both his sister and father suffer from depression, so being there for them made him more open to human experiences, ultimately making him the best match for Camden.
Our Hero: Camden. He's the dark to Royal's light. I loved that he let Royal open him to to a world outside of his piano. I wish we got to know a bit more about his background- or his story after the HEA, so I'm holding out hope for more Camden.
Overall thoughts: This book was a super sweet and quick read. It took me a moment to adjust to A.M. Johnson's writing style. The language was a little more elevated and more descriptive then I usually read in romance- so it took me a bit longer to get invested in the characters.
I wish we had a bit more time at the end of the series. I feel like these two characters didn't really get to go through the trials they needed to. The last few chapters felt like: oh here is what happens to young gay men, but they'll be fine. I wonder how much of their story will come up in Kai and Pink's story.
The sexy scenes: These scenes where a bit more reserved, but the build up was incredible.
The best part of the book: I love first love and these two characters did it right.
What wasn't working for me: I know the characters are different- it's obvious in what their passions where and the was they interacted with others, but I had a hard time telling them apart within their inner monologues. I really like when it's easy to see who's POV I'm in, but in this case I felt like sometimes I was waiting to see whose name was mentioned so I could figure out who "I" was.
TLDR: Super sweet first love mixed with a bit of real world expectations.
How I read it: Free with my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
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