Christopher Koehler

This is one of those books that utterly fascinate me yet drive me up the wall because the main characters just don’t get it. This story contains misunderstanding after misconception, interpretations of events that are clearly incorrect (with reader-sight as well as hindsight) – in other words, this novel feels like a slice of real life to me. Cameron and Henry get off on the wrong foot – and stumble through the rest of the book clearly fascinated with each other (even if they’d never show more admit that) but unable to get over their first impressions to reassess the other in the light of day and taking into account the fact that both of them are only human.

Cameron is a bit of an idiot. He wants to be independent from his rich parents, which is fine, but he really does bite his nose off to spite his face. He struggles along, working retail while dreaming about going to college. When he runs into Henry at a party, he is very attracted to him but the man treats him like crap, and that first impression sticks with him throughout the rest of the book. Thanks to his friends, who believe he and Henry were meant to be together, he keeps running into him, but the process of recognizing his own mistakes is slow and painful.

Henry has a ton of issues. He used to be a gay porn star, and has been fighting to get away from being objectified for ten years. Even running a successful business hasn’t truly set him free, and his one wish - to find a life partner - still eludes him. When he meets Cameron, Henry thinks he may be his wish come true, but the subsequent misunderstandings are almost too much to deal with. Thank God Henry is as stubborn as Cameron! Just a little more actually, and far more forgiving as well.

If you like a “slice of reality” in your stories, if main characters with definite flaws interest you, and if a troubled start to a relationship is something you like reading about you may like this book as much as I did.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. show less

3.5 Stars

Oh Lord, but I felt badly for Derek & Toby. Their disagreement and conflict was achingly real, seemingly without the possibility of a positive resolution. And in that, the story fell short of 4 stars because in fact there was no resolution, only a mutual agreement to leave things for now. *pouts* Not what I wanted from Santa!

First up, this is gay fiction not m/m romance although a romance is at the heart of the book.

"First Impressions" is one of the best books I've read this year. There is so much going for it, if you drop your prejudices, look beneath the surface and think about what the author is saying.

It makes a number of statements on a number of levels clothed in witty, irreverent and scathing dialogue as befits a gay writer doing exactly what Jane Austen did many years ago.

It's fun picking the parallels show more with specific characters. They are there in essence, but at times the lines blur. For example, Simon is sometimes said to be the Wickham character, but really he reminds me more of Elizabeth's friend Charlotte and her marriage of convenience to Mr Collins aka Henry's Uncle Brenton. The master stroke was making his alter ego, the drag queen as a beautiful rendition of Lady Catherine.

Just as in the original, the secondary characters are seen through the eyes of the long suffering quieter pair, Elizabeth and Darcy, or in this case Cameron and Henry. Their friends' frivolities and flaws stand out in marked contrast to the latter's more conservative behavior.

True, the antics can be at times over-the-top, because deep down the POV character, Cameron, makes no bones about the fact he's gay and allows the stereotypical acerbic gay wit to sneak through.

Some of the scenes in the book are priceless. Take for example the early scene in the diner where the four men have gathered on Cameron's birthday. Their sniping dialogue is very well done.

Reading this requires you to look underneath words and concentrate more on what characters do. Those with good hearts may on the surface appear bratty, selfish and out of control but that is often a front donned to protect themselves from the judgemental pricks of (and in) society.

There's also a very serious, thought-provoking discussion on what makes the perfect partner. Present are Cameron's mentors, Brent and Aspen (aka Mr and Mrs Gardiner) and Darren (aka Mr Bingham) The criteria of choosing the Ideal Husband hold true for anyone of any gender, and the answer may surprise some people. I have no doubt that the arguments presented here reflect the author's own beliefs, judging by his record of nearly twenty years of happy marriage.

All I'd like to know is if Darren ends up with Thad or Van (or both maybe) that would be a perfect match.

So, if you've been put off reading the book because of negative reviews, do yourself a favor and read it without prejudice because I think the author should be proud of what he's written.

Mind you, you don't have to have read Pride and Prejudice to enjoy the story, and I'd forgotten hearing about the link until half way through. This link explains some plot roughness as characters are used to mirror the original. But overall, it is a comedy of manners of our time, a sarcastic take on the society it's set in and a collection of some really memorable characters. show less

The thing I liked most about this book was the depiction of a big man who had lost his self-confidence thanks to the overwhelming nature of his relationship with his father.
People tend to assume that big people are naturally mentally tough, when in reality they've often had to suppress their strength for fear of hurting little people. I've seen this happen with children who are bullied by smaller, weaker ones because they know they can't retaliate.
Long term this makes it difficult for them show more to believe they are worth anything and they can be prone to walking away when the going gets tough rather than fighting back because they know if they did someone would get physically hurt, and it wouldn't be them.
Recognising this allowed me to accept how easily Brad assumed Drew hated him and hesitated to return phone calls.
Whether characters should or shouldn't behave the way they do isn't relevant to me. In real life, people's motives for doing things can be extremely illogical. When you're hurting physically you can be very self-centred and just see things through a very narrow field of reference.
Friends can knowingly or unwittingly influence you, especially if their perceptions of your relationship aren't entirely positive.
Only the two people concerned really know what they get from and contribute to a partnership. It's not for others to judge, yet too often we do.
The story kept me interested and rooting for the couple. That's the main thing. show less