Wallflower by Heidi Belleau

Wallflower_400x600Title: Wallflower

Series: Rear Entrance Video, #2

Author: Heidi Belleau

Genre: MM / Contemporary Romance / Cross-Dressing

Length: Novel

Publisher: Riptide Publishing (October 21st, 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 3.5~4 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb:This gamer geek has a lacy little secret.

Art student and MMORPG addict Robert Ng has always been a loner, but he’s recently made it his goal to make more (IRL) friends. Which is how he winds up working nights at Rear Entrance Video, shilling sketchy porn and blowup dolls as a favor to his roommate. The longer he works there, though, the more he realizes he’ll never be truly happy until he becomes the person he is online: his female persona, Bobby.

Bobby is cuter and funnier than Rob is, and a thousand times more popular with boys. Becoming Bobby IRL presents its own set of challenges, though . . . especially when you’re sitting on the fence between two genders, only one of which has caught the attention of your seriously cute customer/classmate.

Dylan Ford is a six-foot Inuit comic book artist who always says what’s on his mind, and screw anyone who doesn’t like it. As rough as he appears, though, Dylan has a soft spot for Rob. But will out-and-proud Dylan still want Rob if he’s not all man?

Product Link: http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/wallflower

Review: And this reviewer’s inner geek thrilled with this book.

So yeah, my former addiction with MMORPG’s is not hidden, the fact that I simply love those games and especially the ones that contain elves and orcs in there are my absolute favs. So when I picked up this particular book I was already biased, but add to that the cross-dressing character and a fabulous writing and damn, this was a very, very enjoyable read for me.

So yeah, the book starts a bit slowly and steadily introduces us Rob. At first I disliked that slow pace (I’m much fonder of the fast and furious pace where events hit you full force), but I admit that in order to truly appreciate Rob/Bobby you needed a bit of time and some clarifications.

Rob/Bobby is this very confused young man. An online game addict with a very shy personality Rob is the classic “loser.” He goes completely ignored by everyone (literally) except his sister and his online friends. Yeah, his sister has an obligation toward him right, so she can’t ignore him, but even his “friends” don’t know the real him simply because in-game Rob is Bobby.

Bobby is flirtatious, confident, and social. She is admired and always cool. Bobby is still non-existent up until Rob decides to make her part-real IRL too. And while he passed for female, making his customers at the video club he works finally looking at him/her, acknowledging him and telling him he’s pretty, a strange thing happens. Rob gets some confidence as well (was it Bobby’s influence or his new classmate/customer Dylan’s) and he starts a relationship. Miracle of miracles and his boyfriend Dylan not only looks at him, but also literally starts loving him. However, Dylan has made one thing clear since the beginning, he’s gay, and he likes his men all man…

This was a very well studied plot in my opinion, one that made me want to re-read this book to truly appreciate it. Things that are a bit mysterious at the beginning lead you on the wrong path (or at least they did me) and only near the end the complete clarification comes, after many twists and turns that were steadily building up that tension that the beginning lacked. The entire confusion Rob’s character suffered was practically brilliant and very believable. The essence of the twenty years old who’s not 100% sure of what, why or how was perfectly captured and that whole angst people that age pass through was delivered without the additional burden of unnecessary drama.

The relationship between Dylan and Rob may have made it into myfavorite couples list, they were so well suited. I loved them both together and separately as characters. Dylan was just wow. The fact that he was a punk looking teddy bear was adorable, the in your face, no-censor brain-to-mouth and the flawed external appearance were simply brilliant and invigorating. Rob’s complicated personality along with the lovely presentable Chinese appearance made him a lovable character as well. Yeah there were times where you wanted to spank the hell out of him, but that’s just proof of how alive that character came to be for you while reading, a treat actually and a mark that the author did well with giving him life.

So yeah, I loved the story, the plot, the characters, the sex (yeah definitely that, quite hot). I loved the geeky guy, I loved the cross-dressing guy and I could go on and on, but in the end, what matters is that if you find the above slightly appealing I strongly recommend you give this one a shot. It’s guaranteed to be an enjoyable read.

P.S. I wonder is the next book going to be Austin’s story? Hmm, I really, really hope so.

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