Otts reviewed Tough Guy by Rachel Reid
Big/Small, Man/Woman, Please/Stop
3.0 stars
Reid digs into the kinds of contrasts that are so tiresome when a straight woman writes gay male characters, like race, physical size, and gender expression. But at least it’s a little bit more interesting this time: Ryan is a big and intimidating hockey player with severe anxiety; Fabian is a petite, femme violinist/singer.
The way they gently navigate a relationship counters the toxicity of the rink, which demands a very specific and narrow form of masculinity. It breaks the anxiety loop. That Ryan never asks Fabian to stifle his femininity, but is instead drawn to, turned on, and entirely unbothered by it made me care what happens to them all the more.
The cover is horrendous though. Who wrote the brief for that mess?