[ARC Review] Blow Me Away by Billie Bloom
Noah was in trouble. His sister might be the one getting married, but the groom's best man is his ex. Noah absolutely cannot face his ex and his ex's new fiancé alone. Cue Nick - tall, muscular and handsome little brother of Noah's BFF. Nick might be straight, but for the right price he's willing to be Noah's wedding date for the week. Except. . . the closer Nick gets to Noah, the less he's pretending. As their time together winds down, neither want it to be over. But Noah doesn't want to just be Nick's experiment, and Nick isn't sure who he truly is anymore. But if Nick and Noah can work though their differences, they might just blow each other away.
I enjoyed Bloom's take on fake dating. Would I have loved to see more into Nick's head as he was coming to terms with who he truly is? Definitely yes. Nick had to go through a lot and work though a lot in his head, but it seemed like a missed opportunity for major character development that I felt mostly fell short. Nick realizing he was attracted to Noah was a huge, life-altering moment, yet I saw Nick as being much the same at the end as he was at the beginning. Nick was a good character, but I would have loved to see him develop a bit more as he grew within the story.
Noah was a bit more complex as a character, and a bit more expressive. He was relatable in not wanting to attend a wedding single when he knew he ex would be there. He was also relatable in not wanting to be Nick's plaything or experiment; no one wants to feel used like that. I thought their dynamic together was great. Noah is a few years older than Nick and knows his goals and dreams. Nick, like when it comes to his attraction, is still figuring things out.
For the length of the book, there was honestly more plot development than I was expecting and that was a pleasant surprise. There was plenty of spice - don't get me wrong - but Bloom made Blow Me Away deeper than just a physical relationship featuring a guy experiencing his awakening. The ups and downs of Nick and Noah's relationship was by far my favorite part of the story; I loved their intense connection.
Even though I would have liked to be in Nick's head a bit more, especially as he handled his changing orientation, I thought Bloom did a excellent job at writing the rocky start to Nick and Noah's relationship. With plenty of spice, Blow Me Away is a great read for anyone not wanting to get too deep into the psychological aspects of bisexual awakenings.
A huge thank you to the author for providing an advanced copy of Blow Me Away via Gay Romance Reviews.
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Release date: 1/10/22
Format: eARC
eARC provided via: Gay Romance Reviews
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