Too Stupid to Live (Whitetail Rock #3) (Romancelandia #1) [Sam & Ian] by Anne Tenino

This one was a pure JOY to read! Such a great read! It was so different than my regular MM read and I haven't even realized how much more real the romance can be when the characters are more flawed and by that I mean - REAL. Both the main characters has their issues, yet they felt somewhat normal. Also the things there were dealing with felt like something regular people would. No more macho macho men dealing with life with a fighter's stance. Just two regular guys (even if one used to be a firefighter).

I LOVED how funny and entertaining this book was and even though there was something quite girly about Sam's behavior I thought he was a real sweetheart (in a good way :)) I also loved his obsession with romance novels and how he looked into what happening in his life trying to think in which "stage" in a romance novel he would be if he WAS in one. Yeah he was a real deary :) (you'll also get the name of the book and series through his analogies) 

I really enjoyed getting both Ian and Sam's POV in this one, it made the story feel "complete". I think getting only one of them would have totally missed the point of how different they are yet the same, each with his insecurities and difficulties yet both wanting the same thing even if they acted differently to get what they want - each other. I loved how confident Ian seems to be but so ignorant on anything relationship-wise. He he seeing a therapist (their sessions are hilarious!) who helps him out and it's interesting to see how much he battles himself to be who he wants to be. I was totally in love with the guy and how thoughtful and sweet he can be especially while trying somehow NOT to be and guard his heart. 

While Ian is our regular "hunk", the one we are used to in romance novels, Sam is NOT a hero material, he isn't that attractive - he is too tall, too skinny, too insecure in a girly kind of way. You'd think he will loose his appeal not only to the other MC but to the reader as well, but somehow I really liked his character and hearing his POV even when he got TOO damn insecure about himself, about the way he looks and why, oh why, would anyone, especially a gorgeous guy like Ian, would find him attractive. Usually those kind of internal dialogues, and especially REAL dialogues are a total and absolute turn off, but here, with Sam and Ian it was just so sweet! 

I'm not saying anything about the plot am I? well, it's a romance novel, you get that Ian and Sam are the main characters, you can guess they fall in love against some odds - here it's mainly Sam feeling "unattractive" and Ian being not into serious relationships (yet?) and then somewhere along the line it all works out and we get a really sweet happily-Ever-After. Yet even though it's a regular novel, with a "regular" plot line of love with a prelude of mistrust, misunderstanding, misplaced feelings and so on, it's SUCH an amazing novel because of all the things I mentioned above. 

A HIGHLY RECOMMENDED MM Romance. I'll be delving into the second one ASAP. It will be of Dalton (Ian's assistant who is also the brother of his other worker Andy) and Tierney his college friend who seemed a total homophobe and turned out to be homosexual. 

One thing I should say, it's NOT necessary to read the first two novellas of Sam's best friend - Nik, and Ian's cousin - Jurgen, to get this one even though they have quite a significant role to the story being the main-side-characters that help out the MC.. I guess you get to understand Sam and Nik's relationship better from those novellas, but I think you can just accept they are best friends and since Ian has only a tiny appearance in the second short novella I don't think you have to know of Ian and Jurgen's relationship as well. Oh, and there's Miller, I have a feeling he will be in the third installment in the series.. So I guess I'm saying - read this one and then see if you feel like getting more of Nik and Jurgen in their two short novellas. 

Additional Details: Kindle Ebook, 315 pages, 23-24 October 2014 / On GoodReads

 

 

ABOUT THIS SERIES 

 

Romancelandia (+ Whitetail Rock) is a MM Series by Anne Tenino

Each book in the series tells us of one couple. The couples have some connection to one another. In the first two short novellas we meet Nik and Jurgen. In the first installment of the series Jurgen's cousin - Ian - and Nik's best friend - Sam - meet and fall in love and the third one is of Ian's new assistant - Dalton (who is also the brother of his other worker Andy) - and Ian's homophobic college friend Tierney (who is you can guess is just afraid of his own sexual orientation).

While I didn't really like the first two short novellas of Nik and Jurgen I LOVED the the two full novels in this series. The characters are so REAL and their struggles also feels, well, realistic! No one is perfect, and they aren't the macho macho men type. I love how Anne deals with emotions and how the story is told from both the MC's POV giving us the full view into the characters' mind and heart. 

I'm not sure if there are going to be more installment to this series, I HOPE there will. I can guess that Miller needs to have his story being told and maybe the other cop Dave (?) from Whitetail. Anyhow I'll be reading more by Anne FOR SURE. Amazing writer. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Books: 
Whitetail Rock 1: Whitetail Rock [Nik & Jurgen] (Published 30 July 2011) ★★
Whitetail Rock 2: The Fix [Nik & Jurgen] (Published 17 December 2011) ★★

Whitetail Rock 3 / Romancelandia 1: Too Stupid to live [Sam & Ian] (Published 14 January 2013) ★★★★★

Romancelandia 2: Billionaire with Benefits [Tierney & Dalton] (Published 20 October 2014) ★★★★★
Romancelandia 3: ??? [?? & ??] (Unknown when will be published)