by C. Koehler
This book was provided to me for free by IndoGo Marketing in exchange for an honest review.
This story is the second in the series CalPac Crew. I think it could be read as a standalone but it definitely helps reading book 1 ‘Rocking the Boat’ first. First there are many references to book one, second the main characters of ‘Rocking the Boat’, Morgan and Nick, play an important role in that book too, although they are side characters now, and third Brad and Drew, the two main characters of this book, are already introduced and start crushing on each other in the first book.
But now let’s concentrate on ‘Tipping the Balance’. It’s a cute book, although I liked part one slightly more and it gets kind of long in some parts.
Drew St. Charles an openly gay guy and Nick’s best friend has a crush on one of Nick’s ex-students/athletes Brad Sunderstorm.
Brand Sunderstorm, who had recently graduated university and has never questioned his heterosexuality so far, suddenly can’t stop thinking about Drew St. Charles.
Both men like to question their friends Nick and Morgan about the other but never get the guts to call each other until one day Brad does. And although admitting his feelings for Drew doesn’t take Brad real long, thinking of it… and thinking of being gay really freaks him out. Even more since he has grown up with a kind of psychological abusing, homophobic father. But eventually Brad comes to terms and commits to a relationship with Drew, but one step at a time… Or like Drew calls it: ‘babysteps’. Brad slowly gets used on kissing a man and having sex with him, but two things he can’t bring himself to is being the ‘top’ and being openly gay and seen in public with his boyfriend, which eventually leads to a fight between the two men. Up till this part the book was real great and smooth, but then there was this cut and it started getting a kind of boring. I mean it was obvious that something still had to happen and it was also predictable that there’d come a break up or a huge fight, so I was prepared to it. And there were some real good ideas there, but it somehow didn’t fit anymore.
So Drew and Brad have a huge fight about being public, which leads to Drew going dancing with Nick and Morgan and Brad going home. But at the club Drew gets beaten up and is really injured badly and his mobile is damaged. So far so good, but then no one calls Brad to tell him about the accident until three days later, although Nick and Morgan haven’t left Drew’s side. Once in hospital they didn’t think about calling Brad. When Nick finally calls Brad he tells him visiting Drew wouldn’t be a good idea and forgets to mention that Drew’s mobile had been damaged during the accident. So Brad is sure Drew wants to break up and has therefore even his changed telephone number since he can’t reach him. So he really stays away… so easily, he isn’t even fighting for the man he loves.
Drew isn’t better, when he wakes up from his coma and Nick tells him of the damage he has done by telling Brad not to come and visit him, he is of course angry with Nick but doesn’t call Brad either.
Reading through those scenes really got me lose my patience. There are two men who had one fight (no one talked about breaking up then) but love each other are eventually breaking up by not talking while one is in a coma. I mean seriously, if my boyfriend whom I love had an accident I’d go and try visiting him for whatever it takes… But that’s little old me and obviously not those two characters. So the question is: will they find their hea together?