Focus on Me by Megan Erickson (In Focus #2)
Released: July 21, 2015
M/M Contemporary Romance
Intermix
Reviewed by Mandi
Earlier this year I read Trust the Focus, a m/m road trip romance and adored it. When I heard that Megan Erickson planned more books in this series, with a focus on road trip romance, it made me very happy. Focus on Me features two new characters who travel across the country, fall in love but also have to deal with a serious issue – depression.
Colin comes from a very close-knit family in North Carolina. His family owns a barbecue restaurant and were very supportive when he told them he was gay. A star football player, he heads out to California for college to play ball and go to school. But school is not for him, and after three dismal years, he fails out and decides it’s time to go home and work in the family business. He gets in his car for the cross-country trip home. Stopping at a gas station on the way, he notices a very attractive guy in front of him in line. With model features and clothes, Colin nicknames him “Catwalk” in his head. Colin has what his family calls the “Savior” gene – he loves to help everyone in need. When he overhears Catwalk aka Riley talking to the cashier that he needs a cab or a bus to take him home – but he is too far out in the country for any help from public transit – Colin offers Riley a ride. Riley hesitantly accepts.
Riley is very quiet, moody, and a bit jumpy. Colin finally wrangles out of him that he has a bucket list of sorts – Riley wants to see the Grand Canyon, Dallas and eventually the Atlantic Ocean. Since Colin is headed to North Carolina from California, he figures why not make a trip out of it and obliges Riley with his bucket list. With much prodding and patience, Colin eventually gets Riley to open up, they realize they are both gay and a romance slowly develops. What Colin comes to learn this summer is that Riley greatly struggles with depression, and no matter how much you love someone, depression is a beast that is hard to beat.
Why do I love road trip romances so much? I’m not sure if it’s the close quarters in the car and low-budget motels, or the different destinations featured throughout the book, but I just love this theme. While the first book was cutesy and adorable and just overall sweet, this one has a little bit of a darker tone. While the reader isn’t fully aware of the extent of Riley’s depression, you know it hangs over him like a dark cloud. Nervous and jumpy by nature, Riley is so cautious with showing affection. Modeling became too much for him and he also sees his family and friends more as enemies, constantly nagging him to get help. He falls hard for Colin, but is so scared to let that emotion come out. His ups and downs are portrayed really well. Colin’s love and devotion towards Riley is evident, but what I liked even more is how his frustration plays out. Colin has to go through his own process of understanding depression and the combination of his fear of what’s happening to Riley and wanting to strangle him at some points plays out well. For as much of a journey Riley goes on, Colin’s experience is heart-felt and difficult too.
They are both 21, but to me, Colin read much older. I kept picturing him in his mid-30’s. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but he didn’t read as a 21-year-old. He seemed so much more mature, and worldly and just more prepared for life than a 21 would seem. Other than that, I adored Colin. Told in his point of view, he leads a pretty stable life. Even with failing out of school, it’s not the end of the world for him. His family is happy to have him home and glad he tried college.
And this author writes the best sexual tension and sex scenes. It takes a little while for Riley to open himself up but once he does…it’s so sexy. They have great chemistry and the romance is both sweet and intense. I think the great care is taken with the end as well. Depression is never magically cured but hopefully managed.
Highly recommend both of these books and hope there are more.
Grade: A-
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