Crossing Borders by Z. A. Maxfield
Review by Lauren
Source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own
Official Summary: Tristan knows he’s got issues. His latest ex-girlfriend knows it too.
He can’t blame her for dumping him—even though she gets her brother to
do it for her. Since he can’t stop staring at said brother’s package, he
figures it’s about time to put a label on those issues. He likes guys.
He
heads to a local bookstore with what he’s sure is a foolproof plan to
find someone to show him what he’s been missing. But who should crash
his little adventure? Officer Michael Truax, who gave him a really
expensive ticket back in high school for skateboarding without a helmet.
Michael
has been trying to catch Tristan for years…to give him a second
ticket. Suddenly faced with “Sparky”, all grown up and looking to get
laid, Michael’s protective instinct kicks in—and presents him with an
opportunity that’s hard to resist. After all, the kid must know what
he’s getting into, so why not?
But when a man with a plan connects with a man with a hunger, the result is nothing short of explosive.
Review: This book was originally published in 2007, I believe, so there are aspects of being in an M/M relationship that have definitely changed since then. You can get married across the U.S. and it’s a bit more in the forefront of society than when Tristan and Michael first meet. I’m telling you this so if you do read the book, some of what the boys talk about will make sense, but at the same time, not enough has changed. People are still discriminated against, people can still get hurt just for loving someone of the same gender. It’s not a perfect world, so when Tristan realizes that he likes guys, he’s not sure he wants to dive right into a real relationship. The world doesn’t really let him decide though, when Michael, a local cop, sits down to have a conversation with Tristan in a bookstore one day.
I thought Crossing Borders was a really good book. It focused on a lot of issues beyond sexuality. There is a bit of an age difference (about nine years, I believe) between Tristan and Michael, as well as the fact that Tristan is a student and Michael is a cop. Not just the difference in occupation, but the fact that Michael doesn’t really have a secure job. He could easily be hurt and that is something Tristan has difficulty with.
Whenever I review romance novels, I like to note the graphic nature for those that only like certain levels. Crossing Borders reads like an NA novel, as it mostly follows college-aged Tristan, but there are a lot of descriptive sexual scenes. This doesn’t bother me, as it fits the story and the guys within it, but if that borrows you, now you know! In all, I’d definitely read more by this author.
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Gosh, that cover model is awfully young though, I would pick him as a high school student which makes me a bit uncomfortable given the age difference. I do enjoy a good romance though, but the nine year age gap makes me wonder how much depth this one has. Whether his older partner is taking advantage of his age and inexperience, especially as it sounds as though he had a vendetta against him when he was a teen. Did you find the situation a bit awkward? Seeing he knew him as a teen while he was an adult, and is now in some sort of relationship with him? Although it sounds wonderfully written, I'm not sure I could get past that aspect.
Wonderful review nonetheless Lauren and I'm so glad you were able to enjoy it <3 <3
Curious choice but I respect it just the same. Sounds like it represents the LGBT audience beyond the expected so KUDOS indeed to the author! Thanks for the peek behind the cover!
I haven't heard of this one but it sounds really interesting. I totally agree with you even though some tings changed legally, discrimination is still there. I'm also glad that this book is more than just a story about sexuality. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Oh yes I heard great things about this one but I haven't tried it yet
Maxwell is just amazing. Have you read her Grimm series? I can't for the life of me remember the titles, but it's two books and they are great. This was one of my first MM reads and I still love it to this day.
Seems like such an interesting story, good enough to add to my list. Greetings!
This sounds like even with all the changes now and this being an older read, that it was still a wonderful one that focused on a lot of things. Great review!
This sounds like my kind of books o I'll be checking it out soon.
Karen @For What It's Worth
Interesting to read an older book where it wasn't quite as accepted and not really legal
How interesting to read a book that has been re-released after some time. Are there other noticeable differences, e.g. cell phones and other technology?
I loved, "But when a man with a plan connects with a man with a hunger, the result is nothing short of explosive."
This does look like an interesting story line and I would pick it up.
This sounds really interesting, and like something I'd enjoy! Lots of issues to make you think it sounds like. So neat to read something set not that long ago and see changes.
I know we have come a long, long way, as a whole, but definitely have a whole lot more to go. Sounds like this ticks a whole lot of boxes (and so much more than just a LGBT.)