Sara Winters

I was given this book by the author through the M/M Romance Group’s ‘Don’t Buy My Love’ program for an honest review. This story is told in first person through the eyes of Jamie Godwin, a girl who gets her wish to experience life as a male for a day. I’d classify this as a realistic, contemporary story with a magical twist. Jamie has a best gay friend, Brian Cook, who’s she crazy about and he for her. This is the story of what happens when Jamie gets her wish and how it affects their relationship.


For me, I can’t consider this an M/M story just because Jamie is physically a male for twenty-four hours. Inside the male body, Jamie is still a girl, a superficial, fluffy, selfish girl. I’d have to call this book more of a transgender story or even a M/F story. Jamie doesn’t understand that being male isn’t just about the sexy bits, but a different way of thinking, feeling and acting in the world. Jamie needs a crash course in behaving like a male from her friend Brian and he has his hands full because Jamie just… doesn’t… get it, or refuses to get it. She pretty much focuses on her own wants and desires throughout the whole story. I wanted to slap her upside the head. I found her annoying and too focused on sex. She was also very pushy towards Brian in getting him to confess whatever she was sure he was hiding from her. She didn’t have much respect for his boundaries. I didn’t find her character very likeable. However, she did learn a few things from experiencing life through a male perspective. Not just how males treated other males, but also how females presented themselves to males.

Poor Brian was conflicted. He knew that Jamie would turn even more tenacious in getting what she wanted if he told her what was going on with him and he was right. I dislike Jamie, but at the same time I find it sad, that Brian let’s himself be run-over by whatever Jamie wants even though the author speaks through Jamie and says that Brian doesn’t. I don’t believe it. Brian hated the fact that Jamie, and other women, based their perceptions of gays on gay romance books and Brian argued with Jamie a lot about that subject.

The one thing I didn’t like about Jamie’s thinking, was that even after her body returned to that of a female’s, she continued to believe that Brian and her could be a couple even though Brian has stated he prefers male bits. Jamie still can’t or won’t take no for an answer. Her attitude is that Brian will turn “straight-for-her.” It reminds me too much of straight parents bullying their gay children to turn straight. Jamie is doing the same thing for a completely selfish purpose and expects Brian to change his desires. No matter how much Brian cares for her, there comes a point where a person has to leave toxic people behind, especially if they can’t accept you for who you are. And even if you fall in love someone, the relationship may not work, or it’s an unrequited love.

The sex scenes are pretty good, with Jamie experiencing sex as a Top and bottom.

The story leaves off with Jamie, thinking that Brian still needs time to come to terms with himself being bi, and that annoys me. Maybe he isn’t bi. Maybe he’ll never love a female’s body. Why does Jamie assume Brian will decide what she wants him to decide? I think Jamie is very presumptuous and is pushing Brian to become what she wants. When Jamie wakes up back in her own body, in a way the author is telling us that reality is not as simple as fantasy, the fantasy being Jamie’s day as a male. Relationships aren’t as easily solved.

It definitely looks like there will be a sequel, but I personally hope there isn’t. I wish that it was a perfect moment that they shared once and could treasure for the rest of their lives. But if there is a sequel, I hope Brian doesn’t give in to Jamie and Jamie has to realize that maybe she’s the one that needs to change, not Brian. Now that would really be a twist.

I think the author did a great job of showing the pitfalls that females don’t always understand what it takes in being a male and she didn’t hit the readers over the head with the message. The writing was smooth, and the story fast and easy to read. But I still find Jamie to be a very annoying person and I still want to smack her upside the head for her selfishness which she seems to think is OK. I give this story 4 Starsfor the smooth writing and interesting way the idea of being a male for a day was covered, because it’s certainly not for the character I dislike so much.




… (plus d'informations)

I received The Strength of a Man from the author through the Goodreads M/M Romance Group’s Don’t Buy My Love Program.

This story is told in third person through the eyes of Kurt Dennings and James Theard two students on their college swim team. This is a longer version of the 2011’s Don’t Read in the Closet short story, Starting Over. I didn’t read the short story so I can’t compare this version with the other, but can give my thoughts on this one.



I really liked this. The characters Kurt and James seemed believable, although James seemed a tiny bit too perfect. I wish we could have seen him a bit more frustrated with having to wait for Kurt to heal from the trauma of having come out to his parents and his two bad past experiences with the men he was with. The experiences were so bad, he was afraid that James would leave him right after Kurt slept with him and that the experience would be terribly painful. I would say that James almost qualifies for sainthood, that’s probably my only complaint of this story is that he was a bit too perfect.

I liked how Kurt’s family issue was resolved and his character growth in the story. The author did a good job with descriptions with not overdoing it or underdoing it. I found this to be a very enjoyable book and the angst was at a level that I could deal with, not to heavy, but just enough. I give The Strength of a Man 5 stars.


… (plus d'informations)