Perfect Match

March 26, 2013 by Dianne

Title : Perfect Match

Author : JJ Ryan

Publisher : Dreamspinner Press (BUY HERE)

Genre : M/M, Contemporary

Length : 200 pages (e-book)

Published : March 29, 2013

Blurb:

Seattle trauma doctor Patrick Quinn has never been in love. In fact, he’s never even had a long-term relationship. In his limited personal life, getting a date is only half the problem. Being able to keep it, despite emergency duties in the ER, is the other. So though he’s interested in Trevor Oneil, a man he meets on a dating site, he decides to take it slow.

Trevor moved to Seattle looking for a fresh start. Recently single and lonely in his new city, he works business hours as an anesthesiologist, hoping a better work-life balance will make it easier to meet someone. Patrick might be just what he’s been hoping for.

Then disaster hits and a severely injured Trevor lands in Patrick’s ER. Unable to work on Trevor, Patrick feels helpless. He wanted to ease into a relationship, but he’s already attached. Then Trevor’s past comes rushing in to take him away from the dangers of Seattle. If Trevor and Patrick’s new love is to survive the drama, Patrick will have to own up to what he wants—and fight for it.

Review:

This book started with an interesting premise and I was initially eager to see what happened with the main characters. Unfortunately for me, as the story unfolded, it did not live up to the intrigue I felt while reading the first chapter excerpt on the publisher’s site.

The story is told in alternating POVs between Patrick and Trevor. Both guys, for differing reasons, have decided to try an on-line match making site as a way to meet compatible men to date. Patrick is a very busy ER doctor who needs someone who won’t resent his unpredictable schedule. Trevor has not lived in Seattle for long and he left behind a less than understanding ex-boyfriend in Chicago. Trevor and Patrick end up exchanging e-mails and developing a nice familiarity between them before setting up an actual meet. I really enjoyed the dynamic here, the use of message exchanges worked to establish banter between the two of them in a manner that had me looking forward to their first actual date. Both characters were likeable, and I had a good sense of where they “were coming from”.

Sure enough, Patrick’s schedule gives them grief before they can even meet, but Trevor is really sweet about their first date being cancelled. They actually meet for the first time when Trevor has a somewhat tragic day at work and ends up calling Patrick, who rushes to be at his side. The pair were able to get away for an entire day the following weekend and it goes amazingly well for them. Wish I could say the same for the remainder of the story because here is where it went downhill for me. Once Trevor and Patrick did actually meet, their dialogue struck me as stilted and missing in depth. I generally enjoy alternating POVs, however these two seemed to cover the same events excessively without conveying a uniqueness or freshness in their thoughts.

I was fine with Trevor developing really intense feelings over the short period of the e-mails, the “rescue” by Patrick, and his first day spent together with Patrick. However, Patrick had expressed thoughts of wanting to move slowly and then suddenly there was sex, sex, and more sex. That, when added to the insta-love on Trevor’s part, did not work for me. The story turned in a direction where it seemed like every thought both men were having involved “cocks filling” or lust crazed actions.

I like to escape, I can suspend disbelief, I certainly like for characters to have sex …however…I was not feeling the connection at the level and circumstances under which all the sex between Trevor and Patrick was presented. It just didn’t ring true compared to where the guys were in life, and what they had seemed to want when the story started. Too much sex happened without advancing character growth, relationship growth or the plot in general. My interest in the story definitely waned.

It also felt like there were many missed opportunities for interesting sub- plots, and sources of conflict that were never cultivated. For example, were there really no more issues that arose, either professionally or emotionally, from the incident at Trevor’s work? At one point Trevor is attacked and injured and there is no follow through on police reports, the criminal case, or possible long term repercussions from Trevor’s injury. Secondary characters, including Trevor’s best friend and an ex, were introduced and then sort of disappeared.

This story got off to a good start. I thought the initial core of the plot had good features, and found Trevor and Patrick to be engaging characters. Unfortunately I felt the story lacked compelling continuation of plot, flowing realistic dialogue and character growth.

Rated 2.5 stars by Dianne