Taking Chances
I am a huge fan of the Foster High series. I have read all the other books, and now, we have Tyler's story. I can honestly say that I am happy that we had Tyler's story because there were things... Well, there was one mystery that ended up being answered. The whole Tyler/Robbie feud is something that was never formally addressed. It was something that made me curious, but I never did figure out what it was about. To be honest, I had envisioned something different. The story like the others are told in two POV's. Matt's and Tylers. And like previous books, both men have a somewhat similar outlook and experiences. Saying that, they also have a fresh feeling. Neither man is completely out, or they are not comfortable at least. To summarise: Imagine Kyle and Brad had they waited and never gotten together. That was Tyler and Matt. It's the case for a lot of people who just won't take the chance.
Both characters were great and had their own demons. Although I can't say who's was worse. I can say that Matt had someone in his life who brought him down, dragging him back into the closet in a sense. While Tyler, alone, was bringing himself back into the past. And for those who want to know, yes, it has everything to do with the feud with Robbie. In fact, I would say that almost everything had to do with that. Some will take sides. Others, like me, will just say that they could kind of see both sides. I could. Maybe when I re-read this my opinion will change. But I am not mad at Tyler.
The romance in this, though both characters are older, was still PG. I liked that. I read the series because it's YA. Not because I wanted hot, steamy erotica. I wanted the series. So you don't get sex, sex, and more sex. You get a slow building journey and a couple who just need to find their way together. It takes a long time, and a lot of issues. But it does have a happy ending. But as we know, there is always more. And this is not a HEA. It's more a HFN, with promise.
You could... maybe... read this as a standalone. I mean, the information about other characters is there. But I liked knowing the things. It's just so much easier, not to mention better, when you know the characters and want to read about them. Like, I wanted to know about Tyler. He was the "gay adult" of the series for me. And when I heard about his story, I was intrigued. John Goode brought his story to us and I couldn't be happier. I loved the book. It was everything I wanted it to be. And I can't wait for the next book in the series. It will be interesting to see Kyle and Brad again, as well as maybe a few glimpses at Tyler and Matt.
