2018/42: Fail Seven Times -- Kris Ripper
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tamaranth2018/42: Fail Seven Times -- Kris Ripper
Justin Simos' life used to be simple, for quietly desperate values of simple. He's an unrepentant self-saboteur, a self-identified gay man who prefers his sex transactional (and somewhat abusive) and his friendships predictable. Unfortunately, his friends -- especially Alex, who he's known since they were seven, and Alex's girlfriend Jamie -- have other ideas. They have a non-monogamous relationship, and would like very much for Justin to be part of it. He's not the person they think he is ('I hate myself. Why don't you hate me?'): he's reluctant, spelt s-c-a-r-e-d. It's not, he tells himself, that he doesn't love them: he loves them too much to expose them to, well, him.
Justin's fortunate, because he has a number of friends -- not just Alex and Jamie, but people he's met through a 'BDSM and Dating' workshop -- who support him with tough love. He becomes engrossed, too, in researching the life of a (fictional) gay artist, Enrico Hazeltine, who's been a major influence since Justin's teens. Understanding how Hazeltine opened up his own life, even when he was dying of AIDS, helps Justin, too, open himself to authentic, reciprocal relationships.
Fail Seven Times is a poly, bi-positive BDSM romance which is funny, frustrating and raw. Ripper does some interesting things with the sex scenes -- notably opening the novel when the three are in bed, though of course it is not quite that simple -- and every scene, sex-related or otherwise, works hard for the plot. A good read, and a romantic scenario that isn't often explored in the romance genre.
Old friends. Such a fucking nuisance. I should surround myself exclusively with new people who find my wit biting and my sarcasm mean. Strangely, it’s difficult to find people who stick around for that, but of course that’s not really a barrier; once they get used to you, it’s time to find new people anyway. [loc 2247]
Justin Simos' life used to be simple, for quietly desperate values of simple. He's an unrepentant self-saboteur, a self-identified gay man who prefers his sex transactional (and somewhat abusive) and his friendships predictable. Unfortunately, his friends -- especially Alex, who he's known since they were seven, and Alex's girlfriend Jamie -- have other ideas. They have a non-monogamous relationship, and would like very much for Justin to be part of it. He's not the person they think he is ('I hate myself. Why don't you hate me?'): he's reluctant, spelt s-c-a-r-e-d. It's not, he tells himself, that he doesn't love them: he loves them too much to expose them to, well, him.
Justin's fortunate, because he has a number of friends -- not just Alex and Jamie, but people he's met through a 'BDSM and Dating' workshop -- who support him with tough love. He becomes engrossed, too, in researching the life of a (fictional) gay artist, Enrico Hazeltine, who's been a major influence since Justin's teens. Understanding how Hazeltine opened up his own life, even when he was dying of AIDS, helps Justin, too, open himself to authentic, reciprocal relationships.
Fail Seven Times is a poly, bi-positive BDSM romance which is funny, frustrating and raw. Ripper does some interesting things with the sex scenes -- notably opening the novel when the three are in bed, though of course it is not quite that simple -- and every scene, sex-related or otherwise, works hard for the plot. A good read, and a romantic scenario that isn't often explored in the romance genre.
