Elaine White's Life in Books

Book – Redesigning Max (Foothills Pride #2)
Author – Pat Henshaw
Star rating - ★★★★☆
No. of Pages – 98

Cover – Really Nice
POV – 1st person, 1 character
Would I read it again – Yes

Genre – LGBT, Contemporary, Romance


** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK, BY DREAMSPINNER PRESS, IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine


Already, just two books into the series, I’ve noted the pattern it will take:
• homophobic hate crime element
• insta-love
• everyone is connected to everyone
• slipping into present tense and talking to the reader

Again, I missed the “getting to know each other” aspect of the romance, but this one was a little more realistic than book 1, since they went on days/weeks worth of dates. It just would have been nice to see them.

The lack of on page sex, again, was fine and appropriate for the story, though it probably would have benefitted from some kind of discussion or acknowledgement of how it had gone, since Max had never been with a man before. Instead, like a lot of the relationship stuff, it was glossed over.

The confusing timeline reared its ugly head again, only it was much better and less prevalent than book 1. The crime element was a little bit more believable and I had a good giggle over Junior’s part in the whole Max/Steve face-off. Though it’s a serious issue and sadly realistic, Junior offered a little light relief.

Overall, I was disappointed that it ended at 85%, but the story had gone as far as it needed to. Still, I’d have liked more focus put on the progression of the relationship that happened crazily fast.

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Favourite Quotes

““Son, I just wanted to say that your daddy would be real ashamed of you letting this homosexual turn you like he did,” the man pontificated.
What the fuck? It took all I had not to laugh. Turned? Like a vampire? I hadn’t so much as kissed Max, let alone sunk my teeth into the man, though both ideas were good ones.”

“Drama before several cups of coffee is downright rude.”