Biblio Reviews

With Crossroads  (2015), Riley Hart presents a new world fantasy, one in which previously heterosexual males fall in love and have the full support of the majority of their family. In this story, we meet Nick Fuller, a newly divorced chef and restaurant owner who also just bought himself a duplex next to Bryce Tanner, mechanic and previous playboy who took years to find his passion in motorcycle repair. Nick is looking to start over, and after weeks of spending time with Bryce, their friendship develops into attraction--which confuses both as neither has ever had any gay inclinations. Though they question for one hot second what their attraction means, the fear of being labeled "gay" doesn't prevent them from moving forward. What follows is a lovely fantasy: Nick and Bryce suffer no angst and move full steam into a sexual and romantic relationship that sizzles and scorches off the pages! New to reading m/m romances, I was taken aback by the raw, coarse, and descriptiv...

Kwame Alexander's The Crossover (2014) is not a stereotypical basketball story: It isn't about impoverished black boys from a single parent female-headed household living in a crime-ridden neighborhood who play basketball to escape. Rather, it is a universal story of growing up, of family, and of love told in narrative verse (poetry). Related from the perspective of Josh "Filthy McNasty" Bell, The Crossover is about the experiences of almost thirteen year-old twins Josh and Jordan (JB) in a year when everything changes: JB's interests and time are no longer exclusive to basketball, which challenges Josh's sense of identity, and their father is facing a health crisis for which he refuses to seek medical help. In the end, after facing some adversity and developing some maturity, the boys move forward, united in their bond and responsibilities. Other than his vibrant use of language, a strong narrative voice, and his realistic portrayal of the speed, hea...