B-

Status Update

Very brief summary: a quiet, closeted archeology professor inches from tenure at a Christian college agrees to give an exuberant, confident video game designer a ride home when said designer is abandoned at an RV park by his new boyfriend, and on the way they visit Bone Town.

This story had powerful internal conflict and protagonists who were extremely different from one another. Noah is closeted and has isolated himself personally and professionally. He grew up in a religious fundamental household and now works at a college that is equally so. Adrian is a confident and mostly happy video game designer who is out and comfortable with who he is.

I liked that they were trapped together at one point in a snowstorm (WOOT!) and that the forced proximity of Noah’s RV as he drives Adrian home causes them to have to talk to each other. There are also cute dogs – Ulysses and Pixel – and Noah and Adrian’s shared love of their pets and of gaming draws them together in a way that bypasses all the boundaries Noah has built around himself.

I loved that consent was a near-constant presence between them. Adrian is unfailingly attentive to making sure that Noah agrees to anything they do, and those scenes revealed much about them both.

Noah struggles with his upbringing, his family, and the expectations of his employer, especially as he has to accept how much of his closeted life is due to his own unconscious actions. But once the conflict moved from “Will Noah accept himself and his desires?” to “What happens now that he has?” the dialogue and some of the scenes became treacly and over-sweet. Relatives who are described as harsh or cold are much warmer and forthcoming in conversations towards the end of the book – which I found hard to believe.

The conflict and distance the characters have to travel emotionally and geographically to make their relationship work kept me reading until the end, but there were several chapters I had to push myself through because of pacing, overly-sweet dialogue, or downright purple prose.

– SB Sarah

Adrian Gottlieb is winning at life. He’s a successful video game designer with everything a man could ask for, including a warm comfy ride to Denver and a date for his sister’s wedding. But he finds himself in need of a total reboot when he’s left stranded at a snowy campground in Utah. Holiday plans? Epic fail.

That is until Noah Walters offers him shelter for the night and a reluctant cross-country ride. Nothing about the ultraconservative geoarchaeologist should attract Adrian, but once he discovers Noah’s hidden love for video games, the two connect on a new level. Soon, a quiet but undeniable chemistry sparks.

Something doesn’t add up, though. As the miles accumulate and time runs out, Noah must face the most difficult choice of his life. Meanwhile, Adrian must decide whether he’s ready to level up. Is their relationship status worth fighting for, or has this game ended before it’s even begun?