Title & buy link: Table 26
Author: Kanata Pierre
Cover Artist: BSClay
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: M/M contemporary
Length: Novelette (54 pages)
Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
A guest review by Leslie S
Review summary: A nice idea let down by rushed pacing and a sleazy protagonist.
Blurb
Twenty-three-year-old Cam Phillips is a waiter at Newark Airport’s The Layover and has aspirations of owning his own restaurant in New York. With a lust for older men and stormy eyes that demand affection, Cam has a troubled past with airport regulars that includes bathroom rendezvouses.
Every Thursday night, Cam rebuffs the advance of Anderson Montgomery, a corporate lawyer more than a decade older, who always sits at Table 26. Anderson seems different from Cam’s usual encounters, having class and offering kindness, but Cam’s troubled past keeps him from committing to a relationship that seems more take than give. What is he willing to give to Anderson, and what can he give—other than cayenne pepper in Anderson’s meals?
Review
This is one of those stories where the blurb is misleading. The main conflict comes not from Cam’s troubled past (an ex-boyfriend who’s a bit of a dick and humiliated Cam but who, to be quite honest, is a fairly run-of-the-mill jerk ex) but from the difference in social class between Cam and Anderson. Usually I like romances that cross the social divide, but though this one started well, it soon descended into creepiness.
When Cam first meets Anderson in the restaurant, they have some great flirty banter. Cam is sassy and confident in a young, brittle way while Anderson’s confidence comes from being older and successful in business. They dance around one another for four months before things get physical, and after they got together, the book went downhill for me.
Anderson is extremely wealthy and wants to spoil his young lover. Again, usually I love the rags-to-riches, rich-guy-splashes-his-cash scenario, but the power balance is so weighted in Anderson’s favour that it made me uneasy. That wasn’t helped by the fact that Anderson repeatedly makes jokes about Cam’s liking for bathroom sex. Though he and Cam did have bathroom sex, it’s also a hot point for Cam because of his ex-boyfriend and Anderson knows that, and a couple of times Cam is upset by the references and yet Anderson doesn’t seem to notice.
Then, after Anderson suddenly springs his family on Cam without warning and finds it amusing; after Cam has to stand up for himself when Anderson’s mother insults him (and again, usually I like this trope but it didn’t work here at all); after the Pretty Woman-esque scene where Anderson’s *brother* takes Cam shopping (:confused:), there’s Anderson’s ex, wealthy asshole Max, who insults Cam and then tries to assault him.
And then, an undisclosed amount of time after their break-up, Cam encounters Anderson again. The denouement has a whole bunch of strings attached and yet it’s presented as if it’s not. By this point I was hoping Cam would tell Anderson where to go, because by this point it’s clear that Anderson is one of those Christian Grey rich arrogant tosser types who’s more concerned with himself than with a partner.
I could see how this story might have worked if it had been novella length or longer, but the idea squashed into such a short format cuts corners with characterisation and plays hell with the pacing. I liked Cam and Natalie but hated everyone else in it. A good idea, but it just didn’t work for me.
I agree Leslie, you hit all the nails on the head, the constant referencing to the bathroom sex with the ex, when he knew it bothered Cam, was just low and the whole scene with the family..that was a crappy move. He nags and cajoles till Cam gives in and visits him, yet leaves him alone with his brother and he comes home to an empty apartment to be greeted by the sleazy ex.
It had a lot of potential but I didn’t like Anderson or anyone in his sphere.
Wow. Really? See, I meant the whole scene with the bathroom sex to show Anderson helping Cam to overcome his past bad experiences. Whole scene with the family was a crappy move? Writing or just the fact that Anderson wanted to show Cam his family because he wanted Cam to be part of his life? Leaves Cam alone with his metrosexual brother is a bad move? And Anderson didn’t know his ex would be home when Cam returned.
Wow. Sorry it didn’t hit any pointers for you…or much at all, it seems.
I have a suspicion this one may have worked for me too if it was longer. Otherwise I would be imagining telling Anderson to go jump in the lake instead of Cam. Thanks for the review.
Wow. May I ask why?
Sorry it didn’t work for you.
He totally sounds like a rich arrogant tosser type! I try to avoid things where one of the MCs is that unlikable. Thanks for the review, Leslie.
Actually, Anderson’s not, and I’m sorry you take one review (when there are other good ones) as fact.
Sorry you won’t try the story.
HI Leslie, I felt exactly like you about this story. I liked the idea, but the execution fell short for me.
Wow. Really? Sorry to hear that. I thought it came out well. Of course, I’m biased. 🙂
Thank you for your honest review, Leslie, but I feel you misunderstood so much of the story, especially the ending had no strings attached since Cam didn’t even know that Anderson was involved until much later.