This was a pretty good book and I am glad I gave it a shot on netgalley. The story was a bit slow, but the LGBTQ representation and diverse perspectives make it a worthy read. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

Bei dieser Geschichte handelt es sich um eine süße, einfühlsame, aber auch dramatische und sehr bewegende Gay Romance, die abwechselnd aus den Perspektiven von JJ und Kade erzählt wird. Anders als der Titel vermuten lässt, gibt es in dieser Geschichte nur wenige intime Szenen; stattdessen geht es eher um das Finden der eigenen Sexualität, um Freundschaft und Akzeptanz.

JJ und Kade sind zu Beginn der Geschichte eher Bekannte als Freunde. JJ war bisher der Ansicht, heterosexuell zu sein, aber er verspürt eine Anziehung in Kades Nähe, die er sich nicht erklären kann und der er auf den Grund gehen möchte. Zugleich steht er jedoch unter massivem psychischen Druck, denn ihm ist klar, dass weder seine Eltern noch sein Fußballteam eine andere sexuelle Orientierung akzeptieren würden.
Kade ist schwul und zeigt und kommuniziert dies auch offen. Er hat kein Problem damit, dem gut aussehenden JJ etwas bei der Selbstfindung behilflich zu sein, da Beziehungen für ihn eh nicht infrage kommen. Er spürt jedoch mit der Zeit, dass JJ ihm etwas bedeutet und er für ihn da sein möchte - als Freund oder mehr.
Ich mochte JJ und Kade sehr. Beide sind nicht frei von Fehlern und mussten manchmal darauf hingewiesen werden, dass sie sich falsch verhalten oder eine Grenze übertreten hatten; das machte sie jedoch in meinen Augen sehr authentisch. Beide lernen aus ihrem Fehlverhalten, können aufeinander zugehen und verzeihen und entwickeln sich im Verlauf der Geschichte weiter. Auch die Nebenfiguren fand ich sehr realistisch dargestellt.

Interessant fand ich an dieser Geschichte, dass sie sich sehr realitätsnah anfühlte und sich auch nicht davor scheute, sensible und kontroverse Themen anzusprechen - bei denen ich teilweise sogar selbst ins Wanken geriet. Bspw. vertrat Kade zu Beginn des Buches die Ansicht, dass es nur Hetero- und Homosexualität gäbe, da jede andere sexuelle Orientierung auf eine dieser beiden Formen hinauslaufen würde, und es dauerte eine ganze Weile und viel Überzeugungsarbeit seiner Freunde, bis er seine Haltung änderte. Ich mochte, dass Themen wie bspw. Outing im Männersport nicht verharmlost wurden, sondern genauso schwierig, schmerzhaft und ungerecht dargestellt wurden, wie sie es leider teilweise noch immer sind. JJ muss in dieser Geschichte sehr viele schlimme Dinge mitmachen, und mein Herz hat teilweise sehr für ihn geblutet. Eine Triggerwarnung packe ich ans Ende meiner Rezension. Dennoch lag mir die Geschichte niemals schwer im Magen, und ich empfand sie von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite sehr spannend. Nur die Thematik mit JJ's Familie ist für meinen Geschmack etwas zu kurz gekommen.

Fazit:
Anders als der Titel vermuten lässt, ist diese Geschichte emotional, dramatisch und tiefgründig. Es werden einige sehr wichtige, kontroverse Themen angesprochen. Ich wurde sehr gut unterhalten und werde mich noch lange an dieses Buch erinnern. Sehr empfehlenswerte 4,5 Sterne.

*Achtung! Spoiler!*
Triggerwarnung:
Homophobie, Diskriminierung, Mobbing, Bedrohung, sexueller Missbrauch
*Spoiler Ende*

In English:

This story is a sweet, sensitive, but also dramatic and very moving gay romance, told from the perspectives of JJ and Kade alternately. Contrary to what the title might suggest, there are only a few intimate scenes in this story; instead, it's more about finding your own sexuality, about friendship and acceptance.

JJ and Kade are more acquaintances than friends at the beginning of the story. JJ previously thought he was straight, but he feels an attraction to being around Kade that he can't explain and wants to explore. At the same time, however, he is under massive psychological pressure because he is aware that neither his parents nor his football team would accept a different sexual orientation.
Kade is gay and shows and communicates this openly. He has no problem helping the handsome JJ to find himself a little, since relationships are not an option for him anyway. Over time, however, he begins to feel that JJ means something to him and that he wants to be there for him - as a friend or more.
I really liked JJ and Kade. Both are not free from faults and sometimes needed to be pointed out when they had misbehaved or crossed a line; but that made them very authentic in my eyes. Both learn from their misconduct, can approach and forgive each other and develop further as the story progresses. I also found the supporting characters very realistic.

What I found interesting about this story was that it felt very realistic and did not shy away from addressing sensitive and controversial topics - some of which even made me falter. For example, at the beginning of the book, Kade took the view that there was only heterosexuality and homosexuality, since any other sexual orientation would amount to one of these two forms, and it took quite a while and a lot of convincing from his friends to change his stance. I liked that topics such as coming out in men's sports were not played down, but were presented as difficult, painful and unfair as they unfortunately sometimes still are. JJ has to go through a lot of bad things in this story and my heart bled a lot for him at times. I put a trigger warning at the end of my review. However, the story never weighed heavily on my stomach and I found it very exciting from the first to the last page. Only the topic with JJ's family is a bit too short for my taste.

Conclusion:
Contrary to what the title might suggest, this story is emotional, dramatic and profound. Some very important, controversial issues are addressed. I was very entertained and will remember this book for a long time. Highly recommended 4,5 stars.

*Attention! Spoiler!*
Trigger warning:
homophobia, discrimination, bullying, threats, sexual abuse

I ended up not finishing this book, ending at about 20% into the book. While it was an interesting idea, the execution wasn't working for me. The pacing was somewhat too fast and I found it unbelievable.

Really enjoyed this one. I usually shy away from books that have so many content warnings because they're too upsetting to read about, but I was drawn to this one for the demisexual rep. I'm also demi and really appreciated the rep. It felt true to me. I also really liked that all of the people who were awful received consequences for their actions in the end. I know some people might not like that that was resolved so cleanly, but I don't need my fiction to be realistic, I just need it to be enjoyable to read, and seeing the homophobes, biphobes, and rapist get what was coming to them was so satisfying. I've already recommended this to a lot of friends in the aspec community and on social media. Looking forward to checking out more titles from this author.

Like most people I was apprehensive about this book due to the sexual assault warning but luckily the author doesn't go into a lot of details about it. One of the MC is assaulted by a female and struggles most of the book with coming out and how to handle his assault.

I wish the author had spent more time on the two MC and their relationship vs his processing of the assault.

Dynamic Plot

JJ is certain he’s got everything figured out. He’s straight, right? He’s just not into the hookup culture prevalent on his college soccer team. But he’s trying to hide that to avoid getting on his team captain’s bad side.

Kade is anything but straight. Out and proud, he’s curious about how the “other half” lives… even as his best friends remind him there’s more to the LGBTQ+ community than just the “G.” Curious, Kade texts JJ a simple question: do straight guys ever get off together?

When JJ’s reply leads to a head-spinning sexual spark, he starts questioning everything he knows about his sexuality, both in terms of who he’s attracted to, and also why hookups have never been his thing. But when JJ endures trauma that confuses him more, he starts pushing Kade away. Kade has to learn how to be a supportive friend, and more than that, a supportive partner, or risk losing JJ altogether. And JJ? He has to fight for his team to be team players, even when they suspect he’s “playing for the other team.”

I love romance of all types and I found this an interesting and dynamic depiction with a happy for now ending. J. R. Hart is a new author for me so I was intrigued to find this novel and check it out. I ultimately enjoyed the characters, enjoyed the plot, and found it a realistic and engaging story. 

One of the reasons I found it interesting, is the use of the texts between the two characters to introduce each chapter. It added a twist on the typical story but that isn’t what kept me reading. What kept me reading was the characters themselves and how they reacted to the situations around them. JJ struggles with his emotions, his decisions and his sexuality, nothing is black and white and he feels like an outsider in the groups he’s used to being part of. As he learns with the help of friends and working through what makes him happy, his eventual choice is realistic to the character. 

Kade is also unusual but truthful to anyone we meet every day. As a gay man, he struggles with accepting his bisexual friends and understanding other identities other than his own. But meeting JJ changes that and also encourages the character to grow and change. And the growth of both characters is why this story resonates. While it is primarily a romance, it informs the reader about the real culture of the LGBTQ+ community. 

The plot is authentic in how both characters behave but also the backlash and homophobia that JJ experiences. But more than that, it also shows the support systems available and the outcomes that are possible if one is willing to risk speaking out and taking a stand. Without giving away the story, JJ has to face tough decisions but in doing so, finds support in places unexpected. And that realism, both the bigots and those who are supportive is true to the real world. And the ending is a satisfying conclusion to the romance between the two men. 

If you love LGBTQ+ stories and romances, this is worth reading. It is both dynamic, fun, and truthful with a great deal of commentary on the world as a whole. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

I had the opportunity to read Getting Off, I really enjoyed the storyline between both men and their development of their relationship.

I was a bit sad the book was so short, I would have liked to see more.

The format of text messages in books I always love to read. I think it adds a bit more to the characters

I feel bad giving Getting Off a low rating, especially since I found out in the author's note that the story has personal meaning for them, but Getting Off was not only a slog to get through but it also didn't feel much like a romance book.

Trigger warnings: sexual assault, biphobia

I didn't hate this book, but I do feel like I have a bit to unpack here. First of all, I felt like the story had an awkward start and an vibe that didn't quite carry through during the rest of the story. In the beginning, Kade had big energy and was a moderately interesting character, but I felt like as the story progressed, it went from two MCs with equal things going on to just being about JJ's struggles. Kade felt more like a prop and a support for JJ, and the story morphed from a budding romance to make about JJ's personal journey. I think the author felt like telling JJ's story, and the romance was a bit slapped together to round out the book.

Speaking of Kade, I really didn't enjoy his biphobia at the beginning of the story, for a number of reasons. To start, it felt really blatant and awkward, especially with a bunch of bi friends and with him being pretty well-informed in general. His comments were off-putting, especially because I felt like it was inserted into the story to give the author space to preach about biphobia in general. I didn't like it and I feel like it was the wrong choice for his character.

The central focus of the story is really on JJ's and his sexual assault, his difficulties coming to terms with his sexuality, and his experiences with his soccer team. If I'm being fully honest, I read romance for a good romance, and I didn't think this was quite that. It was a moderately interesting story otherwise with an okay HFN sort of romance, but it wasn't what I was expecting and it certainly was different from the tone at the start of the book.

Not a hit for me, but hopefully it will connect with the right readers.

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Gosh, I am so sorry to say, but I had to DNF this book... I skim-read a lot of it... and I am actually surprised because I have read books by J. R. Hart before and loved them, but this one? I just felt like I was turning in a circle, I kept having deja vus, thinking I had just read the exact same conversation. The writing in this one also felt a bit stiff and... not really cold, but... cold? And I loved this premise, because I don't think we can ever talk enough about the importance of consent and the fact that yes, men get sexually harassed, too! So all of the stars for me for the subject. The execution was not my cup of tea, so I will sadly give this two stars. I am still absolutely excited about what Hart does next.

I've been trying to branch out and read more books outside of the m/f romances I've been reading. I've read a sapphic one recently that I loved and decided to request this m/m romance without realizing that I have another one of this author's books to review on Netgalley - which I will absolutely get to soon. I believe it's also a m/m romance.

I liked this story for the most part but I did struggle a little in the beginning because I felt some of the prose was a little repetitive. It did get a lot better as the book went on. I think the rep is fantastic. I think it's great to have biphobia coming from within the LGBT+ community addressed in here. CHALLENGED. Because YES - love a book with characters who CHALLENGE that @#%&. It was nice to have the dual perspective of both Kade and JJ. I adore both of their sets of friends - Camryn, Aiden, and Russo. And let me just tell you, my favorite part of the whole book was probably the coffee shop, Mugged. I want to believe in my heart that there is a real-life Mugged out there and I want to go there!

Wasn’t sure about the premise of this book at first. However once i got into it i loved it, the plot was fantastic and i loved JJ and Kade. Would recommend reading the warnings before reading

Thank you to Netgalley and J.R. Hart for this ARC.

What an emotional roller coaster! This book is so so good! My heart bled for JJ so badly, I honestly just wanted to cuddle him and tell him it's okay. I thought this book was well written and you just need to read it! Please read the warnings before you start.

4 our of 5 stars

Major trigger warning for sexual assault

Getting Off was not what I expected. I expected a fun, sexy story about two colleges dudes living their best life and having tons of sex. This story is more serious than that. Sexual assault becomes the primary theme of the story and shapes the narrative of JJ and Kade's relationship. I appreciated the way the author handled this topic and how the characters responded and reacted,

Other sensitive topics addressed are homophobia and biphobia/erasure. Both MCs struggle with the concept of bisexuality, and their internal and external debates felt authentic.

I would have liked more glimpses into the MCs relationship prior to the incident that brought them together in a beyond-friends way.

***Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.***

I started this book thinking that it was a straightforward LGBT romance, but as I got further into it, it ended up being much more about coming to terms with who you are and what you want. The romance was really secondary to JJ's struggle, which makes sense when you see what he is going through. The trigger warnings are real for homophobia, sexual assault, and bullying. I thought the message was important, but this book is very heavy. No light-hearted romance here.

I really enjoyed this book!

I thought that this was a really good story with an excellent plot!

It was an insight into unfamiliar feelings by a young man who is trying to discover who he really is.

It was well written and the plot had a great flow to it, it was well planned out and I really enjoyed getting to know the characters as the book progressed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one - it had great attention to detail too.

It is 4 stars from me for this one - highly recommended!!

You might be thinking “the premise of this book sounds like the start of a porno movie”, well Kade would agree with you. The book starts with Kade texting JJ asking him if straight guys ever jerk off with each other, and JJ tells him to come and see for himself. You can guess what happens next.

KADE: Do you…get off? Sorry
KADE: Told you this was personal.
JJ: Yeah. Occasionally, lol. Why? Do you want to see for yourself?
JJ: Tomorrow. 2pm. Come if you want.
KADE: Pun intended?

It’s hard to take it all seriously until we get to JJ’s pov and see that he’s actually struggling a lot with his sexuality and saw this as an opportunity to help figure himself out. JJ’s chapters read a lot like something from the mind of an anxious person, a lot of fast thoughts and second guessing himself all the time.

Things between Kade and JJ don’t progress very well JJ decides he wants to get his mind off Kade and goes out on a date that ends in sexual assault. Even if I did not love every aspect of this book, I really love how it handled the sexual assault and especially considering it was a woman who assaulted a man which is often times dismissed.

The rest of the story is more about JJ struggling to come to terms with what happened to him, and struggling with his sexuality and inner homophobia, while Kade struggles to be there for JJ while also trying to not be left feeling like someone’s experiment. In a bold move the author made Kade biphobic, which I can see would bother a lot of readers and did bother me until I read more and saw what the author was trying to do which was to show the issue of biphobia from within the gay community. Kade is very much called out by his friend on his thoughts and it becomes a bit of character development for Kade when we see how harmful his words are.

The books ends with a HFN and overall it was an okay read. If you’re looking for a typical mm romance then I think this might not be for you. The romance did not shine that much to me, and I felt like the topics that the book addressed were more of a focus. That being said I still think the topics were addressed really well and I commend the author for doing such a good job.

Trigger Warnings Needed!!
I have not seen any on GoodReads or Net Galley and with the events that take place in this book, they are absolutely warranted.
JJ's struggle with his identity is worth reading about, especially because he doesn't fit into the Gay/Straight boxes. Thank you Aiden, for being such a strong advocate. It was great that Kade wasn't just instantly some perfect fairy gay-father; he needed to do a lot of learning too. JJ and Kade needed to evolve as people first before they could be anything else, which is a good message in any NA novel. I love how JJ's self-worth matures over the course of the novel and I LOVE that he gets professional help. It's important for almost everyone, but especially him.
This was a good book, but I was caught off guard by the assault, and I shouldn't have been.

A story about a jock’s struggles as he navigates through the hardships of dealing with sexual confusion and discovery, Getting Off bravely and commendably draws focus not only on the problematic issues from outside the LGBTQ+ community but also from within.

Full and honest review was provided to the publisher.

Thanks Netgalley, for the book to review!


I really, really wanted to love this book. A jock, bi-awakening and some angst thrown in? Normally right up my alley. In this case though... Not so much. While there were many great lines of dialogue, there were also so many times I just wanted JJ to get.out.of.his.head. The angst and chronic over analyzing of every single action, thought, emotion just go to to be... too much. WAY too much at times.

The upside? I appreciated the inclusion of a demi-sexual character! I read a LOT of m/m and f/f romance, and have seen this sexuality represented in only a handful of books. Cheers to the author for giving the readers an array of sexualities, instead of the typical "straight to gay" trope.

Overall, I would recommend this if someone is looking for a book with character diversity, coming out, and bi-awakening.

The writing style on this one was really good so I don't want to rate it any lower despite not being able to make it past the first chapter. The content just wasn't for me and I wasn't interested in continuing this story. I won't be rating this title outside of netgalley.