Sole Support by Kaje Harper
M/M Romance
June 4, 2013
Samhain

Reviewed by Mandi

Mike is 37 and a virgin. He has never even kissed anyone (you all know this excites me, yes?). He is gay, a pathologist and lives with his older sister. He wears glasses, used to have acne – kind of an all around nerdy guy. The main reason he is still a virgin is that he is really shy and never has the courage to approach a man. However, he joins an online reading group and starts to have chemistry with a man named Kellen.

Kellen is an aspiring author who is 40 years old. He enjoys talking to Mike online and pushes for them to meet in real life. When they do, he is totally smitten with Mike. After the initial kiss, Kellen knows Mike must not have much experience but that doesn’t bother Kellen in the slightest. Kellen’s mother is elderly and starting to show signs of dementia. Already being short on cash, Kellen struggles with making sure she stays safe. Her situation embarrasses him, and he has a very hard time telling people about her medical condition.

I think some things are done really well in this book and other things I struggled with. What is done well is the character of Mike. We really get to know him and his yearning for a relationship yet his fear and shyness try to get in the way. I enjoyed his nervousness of trying to wade through a new relationship and not feeling confident when it comes to the physical acts. I think this author does a nice job with writing him as a bumbling virgin, and also a nice job with his sexual discovery and how he gains confidence as the weeks go by.

My main frustration comes with Kellen. I felt he was disconnected from the story and the romance through most of the book. I think his relationship and struggles with his mother are portrayed well, but while there is plenty of sex in this book, I never felt Kellen was truly into it. He just lacked chemistry with Mike. He isn’t a bad person or weak – but there was just something about him and how he acted with Mike that never clicked with me.

I also think the middle of this book drags on and on. There is quite a build-up to the actual sex act between Mike and Kellen. as Kellen fears about moving too quickly, and all Mike can think about is actual penetration, and this goes on for quite awhile. Much time is also spent with Kellen and his ailing mother, something that didn’t necessarily bother me, but some might find those parts slow too.

This was just an okay read for me. I do like my virgin heroes and I wish I could have been more into Kellen.

Rating: C

Recent Reviews:
Dear Author – B
Joyfully Jay – 4.75/5
Under the Covers – 4/5
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