Mature Content
Author: Megan Erickson & Santino Hassell
Reviewer: B.
Rating: A
What I’m Talking About:
3/10/2018 Edited to Add: Please note, this review was written and posted prior to the occurrences brought to light in recent days (https://goo.gl/Y7WB7F). The book was read and reviewed in good faith and as presented at the time. The posting of this review in no way condones the actions of author.
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From the very beginning, the Cyberlove series has been an unflinching and welcome rebuttal to the notion that the connections, and lives, we find for ourselves online are invalid. Mature Content goes further in that the characters’ challenges, opportunities, and relationships play out where the distinction between “real life” and the internet is no longer distinct—or even relevant in many ways. Zane Brody and Beau Shields are two popular YouTubers in the LGBTQ community whose already overlapping circles are about collide—spectacularly.
Beau’s online persona, Beau Starr, isn’t a lie exactly, but rather the version of himself he wants to be. Informative and validating, he tries to be the positive presence that was lacking when he was trying to figure things out for himself. The problem is that living means making mistakes, and Beau has his share like everyone else. But, the past is never very far away, and I was reminded of the Confucius quote “No matter where you go, there you are.” It’s simply too much for Beau to shoulder on his own, and the steadily increasing weight of it all was tangible as the story progressed.
Zane, on the other hand, decided long before to live his life openly, his “TrashyZane” identity being the truest version of himself that he could possibly be. He is incredibly strong, unrepentantly sexual, and has an enviably good heart to go with it all. He is sometimes (justifiably) wary, but honest to a fault, and his determination not to hide who he is means that there’s nowhere for him to hide when he might have need of such. I adored Zane from the beginning, and still can’t think of a single thing I didn’t like about him.
In terms of sex, the aptly titled Mature Content has plenty, and I thought these scenes were some of the best I’ve read. Entire lifetimes could be spent unsuccessfully searching for the kind of sexual compatibility Zane and Beau share. That they despise one another makes the fact as perfect as it is annoying (for them, at least), but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find their mutual struggle with that reality as riveting as the encounters themselves. Saying that these two are “smoking hot” together wouldn’t be wrong, but it would be sadly inadequate for the chemistry that Ms. Erickson and Mr. Hassell manage to bring to the page.
Mature Content is an excellent addition to the Cyberlove series, and, although there weren’t more titles planned to my knowledge as of this writing, I sincerely hope that’s not the case. There are so many significant factors covered: perception and honesty, sex positivity and awareness, identity and authenticity—and how expectations and responsibilities can affect them both—and, yes, acceptance and love are all presented with a raw earnestness and humor that I was thrilled to see. I believe these authors are onto something both enjoyable and important with these stories, and I can think of nothing I’d like more than to continue along wherever they might choose to go.
My Rating: A, Loved It
About the Book:
My life plan is to be brutally honest all the way to the bank. Don’t believe me? I run a popular YouTube channel called TrashyZane, and my claim to fame is oversharing about every aspect of my personal life. Sometimes while tipsy. Not everyone loves my style, but I have a long history of icing out people who can’t handle me. I have no time for judgmental foolishness.
Except, apparently, when it comes to Beau Starr. His channel is the polar opposite of mine, and so is he. Wholesome, inspirational, and clean-cut. Everything about him should turn me off, but when we hook up following a confrontation at a convention, my world flips upside down. Not only does Beau Starr turn me on, he uses the exact combination of dirty talk and roughness needed to turn me out.
But we still hate each other. I think.
Release Date: June 2, 2017
Publisher: Megtino Press
Series: Cyberlove #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQ, m/m
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Blog Tour Company
Purchase Info:
Amazon | BN | kobo | iBooks | Indigo | Angus & Robertson Book World | Mandadori Store
Reviews in the Series:
Strong Signal by Megan Erickson & Santino Hassell (Cyberlove #1)
Fast Connection by Megan Erickson & Santino Hassell (Cyberlove #2)
Hard Wired by Megan Erickson & Santino Hassell (Cyberlove #3)
About the Authors:
Santino Hassell was raised by a conservative family, but he was anything but traditional. He grew up to be a smart-mouthed, school cutting grunge kid, then a transient twenty-something, and eventually transformed into an unlikely romance author.
Santino writes queer romance that is heavily influenced by the gritty, urban landscape of New York City, his belief that human relationships are complex and flawed, and his own life experiences.
Online at:
Website: www.santinohassell.com
Email: Santino@santinohassell.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SantinoHassell
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/santinohassellbooks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/santino_hassell
Amazon:amazon.com/author/santinohassell
Megan Erickson is a USA Today bestselling author of romance that sizzles. Her books have a touch of nerd, a dash of humor, and always have a happily ever after. A former journalist, she switched to fiction when she decided she likes writing her own endings better.
She lives in Pennsylvania with her very own nerdy husband and two kids. Although rather fun-sized, she’s been told she has a full-sized personality. When Megan isn’t writing, she’s either lounging with her two cats named after John Hughes characters or… thinking about writing. For more, visit meganerickson.org
Online at:
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeganErickson_
IG: https://www.instagram.com/meggiejoknows/
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