Review: Love Lessons by Heidi Cullinan

27 November 2013

Title: Love Lessons
Author:Heidi Cullinan
Meet the author: Goodreads, Official Blog 
My Rating:

Love doesn’t come with a syllabus.

Kelly Davidson has waited what seems like forever to graduate high school and get out of his small-minded, small town. But when he arrives at Hope University, he quickly realizes finding his Prince Charming isn’t so easy. Everyone here is already out. In fact, Kelly could be the only virgin on campus.

Worst of all, he’s landed the charming, handsome, gay campus Casanova as a roommate, whose bed might as well be equipped with a revolving door.

Walter Lucas doesn’t believe in storybook love. Everyone is better off having as much fun as possible with as many people as possible…except his shy, sad little sack of a roommate is seriously screwing up his world view.

As Walter sets out to lure Kelly out of his shell, staying just friends is harder than he anticipated. He discovers love is a crash course in determination. To make the grade, he’ll have to finally show up for class…and overcome his own private fear that love was never meant to last.

Warning: This story contains lingering glances, milder than usual sexual content for this author, and a steamy dance-floor kiss. Story has no dairy or egg content, but may contain almonds.

 


When I read the blurb I thought: here we go another one of those “slutty jock meets virginal nerd” porn scenarios.
But, boy was I wrong!
It turned out “love lessons” is really about learning to love and about what it means to truly grow up.

Kelly Davidson, shy guy from a small town hopes to find an intimate setting where he can come out and acclimate. He thinks he found it in Hope University (zero tolerance policy?)

Walter “lets just have fun” Lucas is a college junior who hoped he could escape the dorms for another year, but as luck would have it not only did he get denied he gets to dorm in room for a single and with cutie Kelly.(In the most homophobic house in the entire campus!)

This book had me spinning. I don’t often come across a realistically portrayed gay love story. Usually it hi, let's have sex, boom love!
So I was really excited throughout the whole book.
Man I just love Kelly (me and the whole female population of Hope university) He is such a cutie patootie. But didn’t come of as flamboyant even through he has an unrivaled passion for Disney movies.(Tangled)
He grew a lot during the process but still retained that childish innocence that was subtle and didn’t come of as annoying.

Walter, my sweet poor baby. He had a messed up life and not that I justify his sleeping around with that. Its just, as the story develops its clear that he wears his promiscuity as a shield. I enjoyed looking how Kelly striped him slowly and got him to open up and kinda set him emotionally. Another thing I loved was that the relationship took time to evolve. They didn’t immediately jump in the proverbial bed. And Walter's trust issues weren’t gone overnight. They talked things trough.
The parallels between Kelly's and Walters family's are interesting. While Kelly's come from a small town middle class, they are 100% sportive loving parents to both of their children. Walter's are from a rich Chicago suburbs and are messed up. Not that they aren’t supportive, but you need to be there for your children, not your bank account. Kelly's dad specially was a mentor to both of boys. (Parenthood you’re doing it right)

The book also raised some interesting questions that, I think, every teen and generally every person In their 20's has questioned:

I think I expected, or really, assumed, that going to college would mean growing up. That everything about being at college, at Hope, would be moving me toward that. Except I don’t always feel like it is. Sometimes it is, but sometimes it seems even more ridiculous than high school.”

And Prof. Williams said everything that needed to be said and he said it perfectly:

...There is no supposed to. There’s no magic ruler by which we’re all judged and weighed, not in this life. If you wait for someone to tell you it’s time to grow up, you’ll wait forever. Some people, quite happily, do just that. They don’t do anything until they’re forced to by circumstance.”


Overall the writing was amazing, the characters where believable, the story was full of cuteness.
If you want a book that fills you with happiness and a generally a (feel good?) feeling.
This is the book for you, don't hesitate!
                                             
                                                       

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