Title: Lime Green: Margarita Mondays
Author: T.C. Blue
Publisher: Torquere Books
Genre: M/M contemporary romance
Length: 177 pages
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
A guest review by Jenre
Summary Review
A sweet and sexy romance with the theme of being brave enough to fall in love again.
THE BLURB
A simple noise complaint to Safe Haven Security ends in a broken door when Jeremy misinterprets something he hears coming from inside Troy Ballard’s home. It also starts the two men on a path of high resistance, as neither of them wants a ‘relationship,’ especially not with each other. Their lives are too different.
Unfortunately, their hearts insist on wanting exactly what their minds know to be impossible. With the dubious help of their friends, Jeremy and Troy start to discover that sometimes ‘impossible’ is anything but.
THE REVIEW
Margarita Mondays is a sort of sequel to the very enjoyable Making Lemonade which I reviewed here, but which can also be read as a stand-a-lone. In the case of this book, it’s Evan’s friend Troy who is the focus of the book.
After having his heart broken many years ago, Troy has vowed to avoid commitment and concentrate on having fun. He maybe 30, and he maybe getting a bit sick of one night stands, but it’s better than having to go through all the pain of rejection again. During one of Troy’s weekly Marguarita Monday parties, a complaint from a neighbour, coupled with a broken glass-topped table lead to the local security firm breaking into his house, and tackling Troy the floor. Not the most auspicious beginnings for a relationship, but part time security guard Jeremy is contrite, and neither man can deny the instant attraction they feel for each other.
There was much to like about this story, especially in the characters of Troy and Jeremy. When we first meet Troy it’s clear that he’s a man who is perhaps trying just a little too hard to enjoy life. He likes being a host, has a good solid friendship with several other men, including his cheating ex, and if that means he occasionally feels a bit lonely, then that’s OK. When Jeremy literally barrels into his life things are completely turned upside down for Troy. I liked the way that he was able to rationalise his feelings for Jeremy, and was also quite afraid of them. I also liked his quick wit and the way he relishes the absurdities of life. He uses humour to diffuse awkward situations, and also to hide his emotions. Some of the best scenes in the book were when Jeremy was able to break those barriers, and challenge Troy to accept him.
Jeremy too, was a highly sympathetic character. He’s hard working and focused on getting what he wants out of life. One of the things he wants is Troy, but he was sensible enough to realise that Troy needed time to sort through his emotions. There was a delicious sexual tension about their relationship, and I liked that they didn’t jump straight into bed with each other, allowing the tension to ratchet up further and further to a very satisfying (and explosive) conclusion.
Having said that, the character who stands out over and above Troy and Jeremy is Jeremy’s straight friend and work colleague, Riley. He almost steals the whole book out from under their nose with his outrageous comments, sexual innuendo and embarrassing questions and comments. I found myself laughing on a number of occasions at both Riley’s comments and the reactions of Jeremy to his intrusive probing questions about the life of a gay man. I’m hoping Riley is next in line for his own book, preferably alongside the flirtatious Pauly.
Whilst I enjoyed this book a great deal there were a couple of niggles. Firstly, there’s a lot of introspection on the part of both Troy and Jeremy and on a number of occasions I wished they’d stop over-thinking things and just get their act together. I understood that both men had issues and problems, linked with the past behaviour of others, but I still found their lack of action frustrating at times. The other little niggle is that the characters speak in very short sentences quite a lot of the time. I know this was supposed to represent a hesitant or indecisive pattern of speech, but it became a distraction after a while.
However, these were minor niggles in what was a very amusing and heartwarming read. The characters are well rounded and sympathetic with most of the book focusing on their relationship rather than other external factors; the secondary characters, especially Riley, are a scream; and the romance affecting. If you’re looking for a entertaining romantic story, then you can’t go too wrong with this book.
This sounds like a very fun story! Thanks, Jen, for bringing it to my attention. 🙂
Hi Val
It was a fun story, but it also had a nice dramatic balance to it. I’m sure you would like it too.
Ditto. 🙂 I didn’t notice the sentence thing but I loved the book and maybe, just maybe, Riley might be a bit too interested in how the buttsecks works. That’s what Tis said, without admitting to anything. (And I’m holding her to it.) LOL I can only hope because as you said, Riley nearly stole the book. He was so funny.
A very fun read and definitely can be read as a stand-alone because I didn’t realize it was the sequel since the other characters are only there very briefly.
Hi Tam
The speech thing could just well have been me. I began to notice it about 1/3 of the way through the book and once that happened it jumped out at me every time.
Oh, yes. Riley really does have an overly enthusiastic interest in the sex life of Jeremy, Troy and their friends. Especially for one who vehemently professes to be straight, lol!
Definitely not straight then!! 🙂 This sounds good – will add to my list, thank you!
Anne
xxx
Hi Anne
I hope you enjoy it too, and it doesn’t stay too long on the list :).
I just assumed the short sentences were a trademark of TQ editing…
Lol! You are naughty :).
Riley? *blinks* Who’s Riley? *whistles quietly*
Thanks for the review, Jen! Glad you liked the story!
~Tis
You’re such a tease, Tis :).
I did like the book and I’m looking forward to the next one.
Jen, just found out it’s scheduled for release March 23. *hee*
Tease? Me? *wide-eyed innocent gaze* No way. 😛
~Tis
March! That’s too far away.
*sigh*
I suppose I’ll just have to be patient then :).
Um, if it helps at all, the sequel to ‘Life or Something Scary Like That’ (Ben’s story, Life Changes Everything) comes out later this month.
Not the same, I know, but I figured I’d let you know. 😛
~Tis
So Tis, are we to assume that Riley’s overly enthusuastic interest in buttsecks means that we should look forward to his book next? I sure hope so because Jen’s comments have me all riled up for Riley’s walk on the wild side. LOL
Oh, Riley! *affectionate yet annoyed smile for him*
The next book comes out March 23, or so I’ve been told. It MIGHT conceivably involve Riley. Just remember — he’s straight! Or so he keeps saying. *hee*
~Tis
Tis
I’m not reading the next book unless Riley is getting reamed by another guy, and I don’t care if he’s supposed to be straight. 😉
Wave~
Riley? Reamed? Straight Riley?
*whistles quietly while giggling, which doesn’t work so well*
Only one way to find out! 😛
~Tis
This sounds like a great story (along with “Making Lemonade”), I plan to get them both, glad you reviewed them, otherwise I may have missed out!
I’m glad I’ve persuaded you to try the books. Enjoy :).
Jen
Great review. I read Making Lemonade and thoroughly enjoyed it so I’m looking forward to this one. I’ll keep an eye out for the “over-thinking” and short sentences and will ignore Chris’s comment about TQ editing. She’s so bad. LOL
*has Sean Michael flashback*
:p
Thanks, Wave :).
I agree, Chris is a terror ;).
Tis
It’s funny you mention Life or Something Like That. I pulled out my TC Blue list only last night and realized that I hadn’t reviewed it. I guess I should around the time that the new book is released. Jen gets the fun TCB books to review while I get the angst filled books. How fair is that?
It sounds woefully unfair, Wave. If I were you, I’d see about renegotiating your contract. *hee*
Um, for the record… I didn’t mention it in reply to Jen (because I was pretty sure she’d already read the first Life book), but ‘Life or Something Scary Like That’ is actually being rereleased in a newly edited version (much better editing AND a new cover) on the same day the sequel releases. And they’ll both be available in print, too! Wheee! 😀
So I guess what I’m saying is, if you haven’t read ‘Life or Something…’ yet, or of it’s been a while, it might be better to wait and get the new version.
Of course, that’s entirely up to you. Just sayin’. *sheepish grin*
~Tis
Tis
So what you’re saying is I should wait and do them both at the same time? Sounds good to me. Could you please email me when they’re released because my memory is like a sieve. I also have to review The One That Got Away. I need a 48 hour day. 🙂
Well, I’m not saying you HAVE to wait or anything… just that (in my opinion) the re-edited version of Life or Something… is vastly improved. *grins*
I’ll do my best to email you on the day, but I’ll be traveling the wilds of lovely New Jersey, taking Mum to see family for (American) Thanksgiving, so I may be a bit late. Still, I’ll remember… eventually. 😛
Right there with you on the whole ‘why isn’t there more time in my day?’ thing. LOL
~Tis