Quickie: Slam! — by J.L. Merrow

Other Reviewers: Goodreads

Page count: 294

Basic Plot:

This is a story about one “out and proud” student named Jude and a “slightly closeted” martial arts instructor named David.  David rescues Jude from a mugging and a romance develops.  Problem?  Well, David is a bit closeted and is not sure that he is ready for a relationship with a flamboyant Jude.  Will these two guys be able to make this relationship work?

Relationship:

I found Jude an enjoyable character and he is the one that we relate to here.  He may seem to have all the confidence in the world, but he really is a sensitive soul.  His humor and good nature is his shield to all of the pain he has received in his life.  He is also lucky to have such a supportive friendship and family.  David,  well he is really the opposite, isn’t he?  His work is pretty much his life, he really doesn’t have that many friends, other than  his former boyfriend.  He doesn’t really have anything that he is passionate about, but life is pretty good.  What could be better?

Strong Points:

• Humor : There were many times that I laughed out loud  when Jude spoke or thought. He is recently broken up with his boyfriend, which has forced him to move back into his mother’s home.  He is on a break from school and is working in a vegan restaurant despite the fact that he loves meat. No pun intended…much.

Just as I was wondering what we were supposed to do if the shouting didn’t work — say, for instance, we got grabbed by a homicidal would-be rapist who also happened to be profoundly deaf–

• Side characters : You kinda fall in love with his mother. Although she is not perfect, you definitely find out where Jude gets his dramatic goofiness. Keisha is a bit of a bitch, but we come to appreciate her dry humor and her devotion to Jude. Vince is a silent character who again, we feel his deep respect and appreciation of Jude and Keisha.
•  Britishisms : Is that a word? I loved scratching my head on some of the words and phrases, then trying to puzzle it out. It did not detract from the story, it actually helped me to become immersed into the picture.

What Could be Better:

•  David:  It is probably not a good sign when at the end of the book, when we are in the “bad stuff happening” section, I actually thought Jude could do better. We really are not given a lot to respect about him. He does redeem himself at the end, but I didn’t find him very likable.

Conclusions:

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The only thing that bothered me was the tropey manner of the conflict with David and the fact that at several points David could have cleared up the conflict if he had just talked to Jude. Yes, I understand that we needed a conflict, but it just seemed like we could have gotten something a little more creative.

Enjoyable book. If you like the other books by this author, then you will like this one.

Bea