REVIEW: 'The Blueprint' by S.E. Harmon
Title: The Blueprint
Author: S.E. Harmon
Published: Mar, 13, 2018
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Kanaxa/Kanaxa Designs
Genre: Contemporary Romance; Erotic Romance
Length: 270 Pages
Tags: Gay; M/M; Coming Out; Friends to Lovers; GFY; OFY; Opposites Attract; Self-Discovery; Tattoos/Piercings; Athlete/Sport: Football; Geek/Nerd; HEA
About The Blueprint
Kelly Cannon is satisfied with his life. He has friends, a wonderful family, and a great job. But his love life has reached a new level of pitiful. Why? Well, his heart decided to break all the rules. Don’t fall in love with a straight guy. And definitely don’t fall in love with your best friend.
NFL standout Britton “Blue” Montgomery has pressure coming at him from all sides. From his father, who’s only interested in Blue’s football career. From his coaches, who just want him to play without getting injured again. From the fans. From his agent. And from his mother, who has popped up on the radar after leaving his family years before. And now his relationship with Kelly is on shaky ground, and that frightens Blue more than anything.
When Kelly admits he’s in love with Blue, bonds are tested, and Blue has to decide what’s really important. He doesn’t want to lose the number-one person in his life, but the cost to keep Kelly close might be more than he’s willing to pay.
It’s a good thing his nickname is the Blueprint—it’s time to draft a new set of plans.
4 HEART READ
REVIEW:
The Blueprint by S.E. Harmon is the heartwarming story of a long-time relationship between a now “straight” NFL player and gay college professor. It is a best friends to lovers, GFU/OFU journey with low drama, love that has been built over time, and two men who take forever to get on the same page.
Kelly and Blue met during their elementary school years when Blue and his family moved in next door. They shared nothing in common, but found a mutual interest in PlayStation video games soon spending a lot of time together. As their friendship grew and they matured so did their bond, with Kelly becoming infatuated with his straight best friend.
Kelly Cannon enjoys his life as a geeky math/science professor. He hasn’t told his family yet that he is gay, and after a very public and embarrassing proposal, he decides the time to break the news has come. Their reaction to his distress over revealing this part of himself can only be described as comical acceptance.
Britton Montgomery “Blue” is an NFL tight end (no pun intended, *snicker*). His life is filled with football and meaningless sex with women. He enjoys these encounters but never acquires any form of attachment.
With each guy heading in the opposite direction the tension and stupid actions ratchet up. Jealousy flares and these two pull out their abundant reserves of immaturity splashing them across their relationship.
As adults Kelly and Blue remain close, spending what time they can together given their respective adult lives. Kelly realizes that he needs to let go of his fantasy of being with Blue and makes plans to distance himself. Kelly’s actions trigger Blue to evaluate his feelings and with the help of a buddy he comes to the realization that he is not as “straight” as he has always believed.
With each guy heading in the opposite direction the tension and stupid actions ratchet up. Jealousy flares and these two pull out their abundant reserves of immaturity splashing them across their relationship. As is usually the case they are pretty much the only two who don’t realize what is happening between them.
Experimentation sex only adds to the turmoil and confusion swirling around Kelly and Blue. The depictions of their encounters almost, but not quite, fade to black. For Blue they initially confuse but eventually solidify things in his mind. For Kelly they add to his torment, confusion, and intensify his desires.
The ending is somewhat understandable and yet a little surprising. After all the build-up of these guys getting to this point, choices are offered that make you scream, “Why, after all this would this even be an option?”
Overall The Blueprint runs the gamut of emotions as Kelly and Blue traverse the events of the past and navigate their current feelings. There are times when both Kelly and Blue are schmucks and their immature nature is grating. However, the banter flows easily, not forced, the self-discovery isn’t dramatized, and there are the opposites attract along with the best friends to lovers angles.
A copy of The Blueprint was provided to Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter, by Dreamspinner Press, at no cost and with no expectations in return. We offer our fair and honest opinion on behalf of our readers.
Meet the Author
S.E. Harmon has had a lifelong love affair with writing. It’s been both wonderful and rocky (they've divorced several times), but they always manage to come back together. She's a native Floridian with a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters in Fine Arts, and now splits her days between voraciously reading romance novels and squirreling away someplace to write them. Her current beta reader is a nosy American Eskimo who begrudgingly accepts payment in the form of dog biscuits.
For more from S.E. be sure and visit her website.
