Title: Kamikaze Boys
Author: Jay Bell
Genre: m/m romance
Print length: 280 pages
Publication date: March 6, 2012
Rating: Three Stars
Blurb: If the world is against you, don't give up. Find yourself a kindred spirit. Then you can start fighting back.
They say Connor, the one with the crazy eyes and creepy scar, tried to kill his old man. Lately he's been seen hanging out with David, the gay guy who always eats lunch alone. They make an odd pair, the loser and the psychopath, and bad things happen to people who mess with them. Not that Connor and David are looking for trouble. Even when taking on the world, they seem more interested in each other than fighting.
Kamikaze Boys is a story about breaking the chains that bind you and using them to beat down anyone that gets in your way. Better yet, it's about holding hands with the guy you love while doing so.
Review:
Let me just say that I read 'Something like Summer' and then promptly decided that this writer is not for me. But, If you are one of those readers who didn't enjoy that novel, give Jay Bell another chance because this one is much better.
It's a story about two outsiders; I will not give you the plot because other people will do that until you're both blue in the face. I will tell you that these characters are definitely unique. The story line might not be but the writer sells it with some skill. It's refreshing and seductive; it sucked me right in. I do have to say that the ending was a bit 'meh' but it won't take away from the story. The whole thing is a wast improvement.
It's a story about two outsiders; I will not give you the plot because other people will do that until you're both blue in the face. I will tell you that these characters are definitely unique. The story line might not be but the writer sells it with some skill. It's refreshing and seductive; it sucked me right in. I do have to say that the ending was a bit 'meh' but it won't take away from the story. The whole thing is a wast improvement.
Buy it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kamikaze-Boys-ebook/dp/B007I48JUY/ref=cm_cr-mr-img
More titles by Jay Bell:
Title: Something Like Summer
Author: Jay Bell
Genre: m/m romance
Print length: 292 pages
Publication date: January 5, 2011
Overall reviewer rating: Four and a Half Stars
Blurb: Love, like everything in the universe, cannot be destroyed. But over time it can change.
The hot Texas nights were lonely for Ben before his heart began beating to the rhythm of two words; Tim Wyman. By all appearances, Tim had the perfect body and ideal life, but when a not-so-accidental collision brings them together, Ben discovers that the truth is rarely so simple. If winning Tim’s heart was an impossible quest, keeping it would prove even harder as family, society, and emotion threaten to tear them apart.
Something Like Summer is a love story spanning a decade and beyond as two boys discover what it means to be friends, lovers, and sometimes even enemies.
More titles by Jay Bell:
Title: Something Like Summer
Author: Jay Bell
Genre: m/m romance
Print length: 292 pages
Publication date: January 5, 2011
Overall reviewer rating: Four and a Half Stars
Blurb: Love, like everything in the universe, cannot be destroyed. But over time it can change.
The hot Texas nights were lonely for Ben before his heart began beating to the rhythm of two words; Tim Wyman. By all appearances, Tim had the perfect body and ideal life, but when a not-so-accidental collision brings them together, Ben discovers that the truth is rarely so simple. If winning Tim’s heart was an impossible quest, keeping it would prove even harder as family, society, and emotion threaten to tear them apart.
Something Like Summer is a love story spanning a decade and beyond as two boys discover what it means to be friends, lovers, and sometimes even enemies.
Review by Jeff Billington:
So, first off, I read a lot, but more classic literature and historical nonfiction than anything else, so maybe I'm a poor judge of current fiction, but I felt the need to leave this review anyway. I basically liked it, it was at times quite moving and sweetly written, but great literature it is not. First, the writing was uneven. At parts it was well developed and gave a great picture, but then at others it read like the author was getting bored and just wanted to get something down on paper. There were also more than a couple typos in the version I downloaded on my Nook. Ben's character was uneven, he did not seem to have a consistent personality throughout the story. I actually thought Tim was better written and more believeable. His life did not turn out well, he got bitter, he made bad choices, he tries to manipulate his way back into a relationship with Ben, who he had felt happy with once, these are ways people really act, even if it might be unpleasant. Then there is poor Jace. He felt like a character of convenince for the author. He was the strong, supportive, and just a little too pius one. Other's had flaws and made mistakes but never him and then he was shuffled off when he was no longer needed. Yes, I know this is all critical, but I did enjoy it, though I agree with other reviews I read, maybe it would have been better just ending after Part I.
Buy it from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Something-Like-Summer-ebook/dp/B004I6DKPY/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1
If you liked Something Like Summer, the sequel is now available:
Title: Something Like Winter
Author: Jay Bell
Genre: m/m romance
Print length: 376 pages
Publication date: October 31, 2012
Overall reviewer rating: Five Stars
Blurb: There are two sides to every story. When you're Tim Wyman, sometimes there are three.
Tim hoped moving to Texas would mean a new beginning, a chance to spread his wings, but he soon finds himself falling into the same tired patterns. Until he meets recklessly brave Benjamin Bentley. Suddenly a whole new world opens up to Tim--love, sex, warmth... home. Certain that society won't understand what he and Ben have together, Tim struggles to protect their relationship, even if it means twisting the truth. As his lies slowly push Ben away, Tim learns that the greatest enemy can come from within. Buried beneath a decade of deceptions, Tim must claw his way to the surface in the hopes of learning to fly.
Review by Bibliomaniac:
I loved Something Like Summer from Jay Bell - loved loved Benjamin Bentley, one of the nicest guys you could read about in a book. I felt his sorrow when Tim dumps him (shed a few tears), so Tim automatically became the bad guy in that book. I couldn't really understand why Ben kept giving Tim more & more chances, even after he had tried to break him & Jace up.
I think JB wrote this book simply to give his readers a better closure on Ben & Tim's story - and it was an awesome closure too. This whole story is from Tim's POV, and you finally get to see what he had gone through, what kind of life he had led, how he came to the decisions he came to. After this book, readers will start liking Tim a lot more & finally understand the chain of events that lead to certain stupid decisions he makes. His relationship with Eric is also explored fully here, along with how Ryan came into his life & why he couldn't / wouldn't get rid of him until Ben steps in to help out.
The ending was also a lot more defined with an Epilogue of how their life together goes on. I still preferred Something Like Summer (simply for Jace & Ben's story, which made me cry buckets), but this one was worth a read for those who were not fully satisfied with the 2nd, 3rd, 4th chances that Ben keeps giving Tim. You'll agree after this book that Tim totally needed & deserved those chances, and sometimes, love needs more than one opportunity to blossom.
Buy it from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Something-Like-Winter-ebook/dp/B009ZXF1E8/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1368074560&sr=1-1
And now, a brand new release in the for those who loved 'Something Like Summer':
Title: Something Like Autumn
Author: Jay Bell
Genre: m/m romance
Print length: 418 pages
Publication date: May 28, 2012
Overall reviewer rating: Five Stars
Blurb: Love can appear unexpectedly: a chance meeting at a friend's wedding, the arrival of a handsome new co-worker... or while being robbed at a convenience store.
For some, love seems an impossible dream. Growing up gay in small-town Missouri, Jace Holden thought his chance would never come. When he meets Victor--a wild soul and fellow outsider--his chances of finding love go from bleak to a very uncertain maybe. Bracing his heart, Jace chases after his desire, hoping for a warm hand to hold his tight.
Something Like Autumn tells the story of Jace's life before the events of Something Like Summer, while also revisiting his time with Benjamin Bentley.
Review by Galateo:
I am honored to be the first or one of the first people to write a review of this superb book. Something Like Autumn is an equal among Something Like Summer and Something Like Winter. It deserves a seat next to them. Jay Bell was the first LGBT author I ever read and my first read was Something Like Summer that was bought on my kindle a couple of years ago. I've become an avid fan and the Something Like Summer series has been my gold standard to all other gay literature since. I was not sure what to think when I found out a few weeks ago that Jay Bell was writing Something Like Autumn. I had more than loved Something Like Summer/Winter and I was unsure of what story was left to tell about Tim and Ben except for their future. Though Tim and Ben are featured in Something Like Autumn, this book is dedicated to Jace, the man that was able to win the heart of Ben from the ridiculously handsome Tim Wyman. We know from other books in the series that Jace is a "saint", calm, collected, and seemingly always in control of his emotions. In this book, we see that is not always the case and come to understand what events took place that shaped Jace into the amazing person Ben fell in love with. We are introduced to his fantastic friend Greg, his loving parents, his wonderful sister Michelle, his guardian angel Benard, and the free loving Victor. They each were an important element in forming Jace and were superbly written. Most importantly, we got to see Jace's point of view and his reactions to Tim disrupting the "perfect" relationship that Jace and Ben had. We are privileged to see his thoughts, hear his words, and connect emotionally with Jace.
This book, by far, has been the most emotionally charged filled in the series, in my opinion. I absolutely love the story of Tim and Ben, but ironically, my life has literally been parallel with Jace's. I recently came out three years ago at 28 years old only because my first love, like Jace's first love, met the same fate. This book was emotionally difficult for me to read and I cried numerous times throughout it because his life was just too eerily similar to my own and yet I love the life Jace lived. Jay Bell's insight into love is accurate and precise. It is true that you never stop loving someone even when you love someone else and this is an important lesson that Jace learns about life. Since we all know Jace eventually dies from the other books in the series, I would have to say that Jay Bell, a master author of love and its tragedies, was able to make this book not simply about the inevitable death of Jace, which was a difficult task because you already know the Jace's fate, but simply because Jay Bell was still able to make Jace's death a tearful surprise. In the end we learn that Jace's life is the perfect example of "Amor Vincit Omnia", Love Conquers All.
If you are fan of the Something Like Summer series, then Something Like Autumn is a must read. I hope this review is helpful to you and that you come to the same conclusion that I did after reading this book, that life is definitely not easy, but love exists and it is the most powerful force in the universe. Something Like Autumn was released at a perfect time in my life and truly represents the season of Autumn, which givs us hope that when summer ends, we live through the love formed during the warm summer nights and rise to meet new ones to be formed during the cooling Autumn days. Finally, to the author Jay Bell, I know that when a person writes something, he will never know the complete impact of his writings. Just know, your books have given me hope. Homosexuality is promoted as promiscuous every where you look and yet your able to write the exact vision I see of gay love when I read about Ben, Tim and Jace. With all my heart, Thank You Very Much!
Buy it from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Something-Like-Autumn-ebook/dp/B00D381LWM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370345636&sr=8-1&keywords=something+like+autumn
Title: Something Like Winter
Author: Jay Bell
Genre: m/m romance
Print length: 376 pages
Publication date: October 31, 2012
Overall reviewer rating: Five Stars
Blurb: There are two sides to every story. When you're Tim Wyman, sometimes there are three.
Tim hoped moving to Texas would mean a new beginning, a chance to spread his wings, but he soon finds himself falling into the same tired patterns. Until he meets recklessly brave Benjamin Bentley. Suddenly a whole new world opens up to Tim--love, sex, warmth... home. Certain that society won't understand what he and Ben have together, Tim struggles to protect their relationship, even if it means twisting the truth. As his lies slowly push Ben away, Tim learns that the greatest enemy can come from within. Buried beneath a decade of deceptions, Tim must claw his way to the surface in the hopes of learning to fly.
Review by Bibliomaniac:
I loved Something Like Summer from Jay Bell - loved loved Benjamin Bentley, one of the nicest guys you could read about in a book. I felt his sorrow when Tim dumps him (shed a few tears), so Tim automatically became the bad guy in that book. I couldn't really understand why Ben kept giving Tim more & more chances, even after he had tried to break him & Jace up.
I think JB wrote this book simply to give his readers a better closure on Ben & Tim's story - and it was an awesome closure too. This whole story is from Tim's POV, and you finally get to see what he had gone through, what kind of life he had led, how he came to the decisions he came to. After this book, readers will start liking Tim a lot more & finally understand the chain of events that lead to certain stupid decisions he makes. His relationship with Eric is also explored fully here, along with how Ryan came into his life & why he couldn't / wouldn't get rid of him until Ben steps in to help out.
The ending was also a lot more defined with an Epilogue of how their life together goes on. I still preferred Something Like Summer (simply for Jace & Ben's story, which made me cry buckets), but this one was worth a read for those who were not fully satisfied with the 2nd, 3rd, 4th chances that Ben keeps giving Tim. You'll agree after this book that Tim totally needed & deserved those chances, and sometimes, love needs more than one opportunity to blossom.
Buy it from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Something-Like-Winter-ebook/dp/B009ZXF1E8/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1368074560&sr=1-1
And now, a brand new release in the for those who loved 'Something Like Summer':
Title: Something Like Autumn
Author: Jay Bell
Genre: m/m romance
Print length: 418 pages
Publication date: May 28, 2012
Overall reviewer rating: Five Stars
Blurb: Love can appear unexpectedly: a chance meeting at a friend's wedding, the arrival of a handsome new co-worker... or while being robbed at a convenience store.
For some, love seems an impossible dream. Growing up gay in small-town Missouri, Jace Holden thought his chance would never come. When he meets Victor--a wild soul and fellow outsider--his chances of finding love go from bleak to a very uncertain maybe. Bracing his heart, Jace chases after his desire, hoping for a warm hand to hold his tight.
Something Like Autumn tells the story of Jace's life before the events of Something Like Summer, while also revisiting his time with Benjamin Bentley.
Review by Galateo:
I am honored to be the first or one of the first people to write a review of this superb book. Something Like Autumn is an equal among Something Like Summer and Something Like Winter. It deserves a seat next to them. Jay Bell was the first LGBT author I ever read and my first read was Something Like Summer that was bought on my kindle a couple of years ago. I've become an avid fan and the Something Like Summer series has been my gold standard to all other gay literature since. I was not sure what to think when I found out a few weeks ago that Jay Bell was writing Something Like Autumn. I had more than loved Something Like Summer/Winter and I was unsure of what story was left to tell about Tim and Ben except for their future. Though Tim and Ben are featured in Something Like Autumn, this book is dedicated to Jace, the man that was able to win the heart of Ben from the ridiculously handsome Tim Wyman. We know from other books in the series that Jace is a "saint", calm, collected, and seemingly always in control of his emotions. In this book, we see that is not always the case and come to understand what events took place that shaped Jace into the amazing person Ben fell in love with. We are introduced to his fantastic friend Greg, his loving parents, his wonderful sister Michelle, his guardian angel Benard, and the free loving Victor. They each were an important element in forming Jace and were superbly written. Most importantly, we got to see Jace's point of view and his reactions to Tim disrupting the "perfect" relationship that Jace and Ben had. We are privileged to see his thoughts, hear his words, and connect emotionally with Jace.
This book, by far, has been the most emotionally charged filled in the series, in my opinion. I absolutely love the story of Tim and Ben, but ironically, my life has literally been parallel with Jace's. I recently came out three years ago at 28 years old only because my first love, like Jace's first love, met the same fate. This book was emotionally difficult for me to read and I cried numerous times throughout it because his life was just too eerily similar to my own and yet I love the life Jace lived. Jay Bell's insight into love is accurate and precise. It is true that you never stop loving someone even when you love someone else and this is an important lesson that Jace learns about life. Since we all know Jace eventually dies from the other books in the series, I would have to say that Jay Bell, a master author of love and its tragedies, was able to make this book not simply about the inevitable death of Jace, which was a difficult task because you already know the Jace's fate, but simply because Jay Bell was still able to make Jace's death a tearful surprise. In the end we learn that Jace's life is the perfect example of "Amor Vincit Omnia", Love Conquers All.
If you are fan of the Something Like Summer series, then Something Like Autumn is a must read. I hope this review is helpful to you and that you come to the same conclusion that I did after reading this book, that life is definitely not easy, but love exists and it is the most powerful force in the universe. Something Like Autumn was released at a perfect time in my life and truly represents the season of Autumn, which givs us hope that when summer ends, we live through the love formed during the warm summer nights and rise to meet new ones to be formed during the cooling Autumn days. Finally, to the author Jay Bell, I know that when a person writes something, he will never know the complete impact of his writings. Just know, your books have given me hope. Homosexuality is promoted as promiscuous every where you look and yet your able to write the exact vision I see of gay love when I read about Ben, Tim and Jace. With all my heart, Thank You Very Much!
Buy it from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Something-Like-Autumn-ebook/dp/B00D381LWM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370345636&sr=8-1&keywords=something+like+autumn
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