I really enjoyed reading The Kinsey Scale; I seem to have an affinity for college stories and this is a good one. This one has lots of tropes: fake boyfriend, forced proximity, secrets and secret attraction.

Eric and Will are Resident Advisors (RAs) for a freshman dorm. Due to a shortage, they have to share a room. Eric is attracted to the good-looking Will as soon as he spots him and knows that sharing a room with the straight guy is going to be torture.

The blurb really tells you everything about this rather short novella. I found it a fun, quick read. I felt so bad for Eric when he realizes how attracted he is to Will. He’s determined to not fall for the straight guy but it’s a huge challenge for him.

Things get interesting when Eric and Will are with a group of friends and a discussion about the Kinsey Scale comes up. The Kinsey Scale allows for more fluidity regarding sexual preference rather than just hetero or homo (words used in the book). As everyone is telling where they fall on the scale Eric is shocked when Will reveals his number.

I think this book sends a message, wrapped in an entertaining story, that you shouldn’t make assumptions about people, which is what got Eric into trouble. It’s a good book and I really enjoyed it.

Reviews for CJane Elliott

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“So how’s it going with Hottie the Roommate?” Jerry asked. He lounged in the armchair at the coffee shop and took a languid sip of his latte.“Fine.” Eric made a face. “We stay out of each other’s way. It sucks, but nothing we can do about it now.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t taken advantage of the situation.” Jerry arched his eyebrow.

“He’s straight. He has a girlfriend who doesn’t go here. I guess he sees her on the weekends. I don’t know. We don’t talk about that.”

“Don’t talk? Oh honey, that doesn’t sound like you at all. What’s up with that?”

“I don’t know. Shut up.”

“Touchy, touchy. God. You’re not usually this grumpy. Maybe you should look at changing this RA thing, because it sounds like it’s causing you stress.”

Eric shifted in his chair and sipped his latte. Jerry knew him too well. He was grumpy lately, but it wasn’t the RA thing. He enjoyed being an RA and counseling the kids. He and Will functioned well as an RA team, seeming to know instinctively when one of them would do better than the other in handling a situation, and then debriefing about it later. They talked about stuff really easily, and laughed a lot, having discovered they shared the same kind of crazy humor. And Will composed his own songs, which Eric thought was totally cool. He loved lying on his bed listening to Will play his guitar and sing.

“Yeah, it’s not that bad. We get along great, actually.”

And it wasn’t true that they never talked about Will’s girlfriend. Her name was Jessie, and Will sometimes mentioned her in passing, but Eric never pressed for details. In fact he had a strange reluctance to regale Will with his own sexual escapades, the way he always had in the past with friends or roommates. It was a weird thing, almost like a force field or something. They both shut up whenever the conversation veered too close to sex or relationships.

And then having to look at Will every day, with his bedhead when he woke up and his naked chest when he came out of the bathroom in his sleep pants, or when his face was animated and he threw back his head and laughed at something Eric said and…. God. No wonder he was grumpy.

“Let’s go out tonight. You need to dance and get laid.” Jerry’s voice brought him back.

“Okay.” It was Friday, so Will would be out of the room, thank God. Maybe Eric would even get lucky and bring someone back with him tonight… or go to their place, given the shitty dorm beds. He yawned, all of a sudden weary.

“Oh yes.” Jerry peered at him critically. “We’ve got to get you back to your perky self, my dear. I’m getting you another latte, for starters.”