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REVIEW: FIRST AND FIRST by SANTINO HASSELL


Caleb Stone was raised on the Upper East Side, where wealth and lineage reigns, and “alternative lifestyles” are hidden. It took him years to come out to his family, but he’s still stuck in the stranglehold of their expectations. Caleb knows he has to build his confidence and shake things up, but he doesn’t know how… until Oliver Buckley enters the picture. Oli is everything Caleb isn’t—risk-taking, provocative, and fiercely independent. Disowned by his family, Oli has made his own way in the world and is beholden to no one. After a chance encounter on New Year’s Eve, Caleb is smitten. As Caleb sheds the insecurities that have held him back for years, he makes bold steps toward changing his career and escaping years of sexual repression. But for Caleb to take full control of his life, he has to be brave enough to confront his feelings and trust Oli with his heart.

MELISSA'S REVIEW: 3 STARS

Santino Hassell is a relatively new to me author. I recently read Strong Signal which he co-authored with Megan Erickson and really enjoyed it. My enjoyment lead to intrigue so I did some stalking and well, now here I am with First and First.

Initially I was really excited to start First and First and thought it began really well. The prologue was powerful and intriguing and from there I was introduced to both protagonists as told through Caleb's first person POV. Right off the bat the sexual chemistry between them was intense, however their intellectual and emotional connection was not as affective and my connection to each of them followed suit. While I didn't think their behaviors and motives were out of character and I wanted to see them on the other side of their conflict, I wasn't necessarily rooting for them. The secondary storyline involving Aiden and the start up was uninteresting and felt dispensable. Despite the sharp and clever writing, I could never fully settle into the story which made the pace sluggish and left me feeling detached.

Some enjoyable moments included the use of flashbacks that detailed their initial encounter. I thought this was especially beneficial in developing Caleb's character. The use of his flashbacks seemed to come at moments when his insecurities were shed, giving the reader confidence that he would overcome this obstacle. I also enjoyed the intrigue of Oli's character and felt that his tenacity in breaking down Caleb's sexual insecurities was heartfelt despite his unwillingness towards monogamy. The sex in this book is undeniably hot and includes both m/m and m/m/m scenes, all of which I enjoyed.

Even though I did not completely love this book I'm left with an unyielding curiosity about the previous books in the series and Santino's additional works. I think this was just a case of story/reader mismatch. However I would easily recommend this to someone who is an avid m/m reader as I think they would find enjoyment in the individual character growth and the realistic portrayal of the emotional connection between Caleb and Oli.

ABOUT SANTINO

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.


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