2.5 starsApparently, when I posted my status around 24% and said how much I loved the story, I spoke too soon *sigh*. I am going to swim against the current here and say, "No, I DON'T like it". I am struggling to think if I can say that the story is okay enough for me to give it my so-so 3-stars... Sadly, the feelings I had after finishing this were frustration and discontent. I even slept on it, thinking that maybe I overreacted and my feelings would change. But it didn't. When I woke up, I still felt very much annoyed with the story. So, with heavy heart I must say that this is my least favorite from Ms. Sexton (even against the controversial [b:Saviours of Oestend|13695693|Saviours of Oestend (Oestend, #2)|Marie Sexton|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1337112285s/13695693.jpg|19316453])Here are the reasons. Most of them will be spoilery and well, I am going to RANT about it. The rant will be long. You have been warned!1) Nick's secretSo Nick had HIV+ ... it is NOT AIDS. This is the year 2013. Not the 2000s. Not the 1990s. Definitely not the 1980s during the first wave of this disease. There are a LOT of information out there about the differences between HIV+ and AIDS. I am sure that is what the doctor will first tell their patients. That HIV+ is NOT AIDS and with the right regimen, someone with HIV+ can live their life without ever contracting AIDS. Since Nick is a health-enthusiast because of it, I REFUSE to believe that he doesn't even know the difference between the two. So both Owen and Nick keep using the words HIV+ and AIDS like these are the same thing annoys me.Then, there's Nick's keeping this as a secret. Which is one of my major frustrations of this story. Nick is the one who MAKES the move! He is the one openly flirting. He is the one that gives Owen romantic hope. Then he backs off and acts hot and cold. You know what PISSES me off? That Nick withheld the fact that he's HIV+ and he tells Owen AFTER they have oral sex. Uhm, sorry, what?!?Owen is already have low self-esteem. Nick KNOWS that Owen is a virgin. Owen has no experience with sex. NONE whatsoever. So Nick not telling Owen about his HIV+ status before they do any sexual activity is just wrong, okay? Yes, you can have sexual intercourse with someone with HIV+ without catching the virus, but THIS should be something that Nick should say beforehand. Because the only reason they are doing the oral sex in the first place is because Owen doesn't have condom. What if Owen has a condom? Will Nick continue with sexual intercourse without even telling Owen of his HIV+ status?? And don't get me started on the reason why Nick is keeping this a secret. Nick says it himself, "I realize it’s a lame excuse to say". Yes, Nick, it's LAME. VERY LAME. I can understand if Nick wants to protect his privacy and he doesn't want people to treat him differently. But HIV+ is also not a cough or flu, okay? He can keep it a secret when they are just friends. But when Nick is pursuing romantic relationship?? Yeah, he should've say something...2) Owen's motherSure, let's bring the bitchy/harpy mother to add my irritation, shall we?? Because OF COURSE the bitchy mother is the root of all evil, the source of every single miserable things that Owen experiences in life. I know that there are bad mothers in this world. It's going to be unrealistic for me to think that authors should only write supportive mom. I get that. But here's the thing... I just finished a Merlin/Arthur fanfic prior to reading this. A fanfic where Hunith (Merlin's mom) is just the best mother ever -- and it makes me feel happy and I want to hug my own Mom (because my Mom is amazing). Getting this on my fiction after that happy feeling? Bitter disappointment. Period.3) The EpilogueSo here is how the story ends ... Regina, the woman who leaves the piano at Nick's apartment, is back. She asks Owen if she can get the piano back and she is willing to buy and pay for the moving company. Do you know what Owen says?? "Get your own/"WHAT?! I'm sorry, but what does Regina do to Owen?! Sure, she doesn't know his name, but it's not like Owen ever really interacts with her or correcting her. She is the star of Owen's fantasy in the beginning, when he thinks that he can be happy if he's with the right woman... Regina does absolutely nothing evil to him!!Owen's reaction is just plain rude! What a jerk!!. I don't know if it's meant to be funny or witty, but I fail to see the humor. ... Having said all that, at least Marie Sexton is writing about someone with physical disability. That, I can give my thumbs up for... And there are dogs.
