SUSAN: BOOK REVIEW "Slam" by J.L. Merrow

SUMMARY:
Limericks, lies, and puppy-dog eyes...

Jude Biggerstaff is all the way out and loving it - mostly. The Anglo-Japanese university graduate is a carnivore working in a vegan cafe, an amateur poet with only one man in his life. His dog, Bubbles.

Then there's "Karate Crumpet", a man who regularly runs past the cafe with a martial arts class. Jude can only yearn from afar, until the object of his affection rescues him from muggers. And he learns that not only does this calm, competent hunk of muscle have a name - David - but that he s gay.

Jude should have known the universe wouldn't simply let love fall into place. First, David has only one foot out of the closet. Then there's Jude's mother, who lies about her age to the point Jude could be mistaken for jailbait.

With a maze of stories to keep straight, a potential stepfather in the picture, ex-boyfriends who keep spoiling his dates with David, and a friend with a dangerous secret, Jude is beginning to wonder if his and David's lives will ever start to rhyme.

Warnings: Contains a tangled web of little white lies, a smorgasbord of cheesy limericks, a violin called Vanessa, some boots that mean business, and the most adorable little dog ever. Poetry, it's not...

REVIEW:
Well…here’s where I’m conflicted.

This book was all kinds of ridiculous.

But some of that ridiculous was kinda hysterical: the first karate class? Had me in stitiches…
And some of that ridiculous is just the kind I like: closeted alpha being a jerk but eventually coming around. Swoon…
Yet some of that ridiculous was so eye-rolling: do I actually LIKE Jude the MC or does he bug the CRAP out of me until I want to scream?...
However, worst of all, much of that ridiculous was just boring: I skimmed all parts not Jude & David…and Bubbles…

I think I would have enjoyed this book much more if it was shorter. I wouldn’t have the time to get even more annoyed with Jude, Keisha might not have even existed, Kevin would be a non-factor, and I could still get my kicks at cracking up over a dude named Knut. PS – it has nothing to do with Slam performances…FYI…I mean it does, but not really…

Alas, I finished having sharpened my skimming skills and having a new desire to pen and perfect my own limericks.

"There was a young gal from the city
Who liked books that were smutty and witty
She preferred man on man
Zane, Hsin, Damen, Vadim were her clan
Such escape made her horny and giddy"

*Can you BELIEVE that was my FIRST? :)

IN A NUTSHELL:
Overall...unimpressed. And this from a Merrow fan! :(