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ameliacgormley

What's Amelia reading?

Author of m/m romance, usually contemporary, occasionally historical, even sometimes post-apocalyptic. Check me out at ameliacgormley.com

Training Season

Training Season - Leta Blake What an amazing book. Where do I even begin?

Matty. I love that he is so unapologetically femme. He totally owns who he is and that is amazing. But he's also a very flawed character, in the best possible way. He's bitchy and selfish and immature at times. But he's so damn passionate about everything that you just have to adore him.

Rob. If he has one flaw as a character, it's that he's a little too perfect and could use a couple flaws. But he's also the perfect stabilizing, grounding thing Matty needs in his life.

The story. At times it was so hilarious I literally LOLed and other times I literally wept. It took me across the entire emotional spectrum. I love that there were no easy solutions to the dilemma Matty faced, no pat, perfect way he could have it all without sacrificing something. And I love that this book goes a route many wouldn't, and demonstrates that even when you do make the sacrifices and give something your all, sometimes it's still not enough. The side characters were well constructed, each having their own subtle influence on the MCs without ever being heavy-handed.

And all of this was delivered in Leta's smooth, flawless prose. I don't know how she does it. I envy her the knack for it. She manages to be descriptive without becoming flowery, and there are never any moments (as there almost always are with other authors) where I read a sentence or a paragraph and it just feels clunky and takes me out of the story. She's truly one of the best authors I've read in this genre.

Now, in the interest of transparency, Leta is a friend of mine and I read an earlier incarnation of this book years ago. That said, it's still an amazing book, and even better for the changes and additions she's made. Nothing I've said in this review has been sugar-coated; every word is 100% true and I would make all these same statements about this book if it were written by a complete stranger.

Anyway, I can't recommend it highly enough.