Book Release Blast for Jerk by Daryl Banner (REVIEW)…..

 Readers will be taken on a journey of self-discovery with this charming m/m romance, a journey that will warm your heart while making you think.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Jerk by Daryl Banner, along with my impressions of it, then add this tenth installment in the ABCs of Love series to your bookshelf!

You don't want a nice guy. Just admit it.

The real guy you want to sweep you off your feet isn’t wearing a cardigan. He won’t remember your anniversaries or bring you hot chocolate on a cold night.
The guy you want is rough, rude, and hotter than sin.
A total jerk.
Still, inexplicably, you’re madly in love with him. Why? Is the sex really that good? Why don’t you want the nice guy? The one you can actually take home to Mom and Dad? The one who smiles with his eyes, who will laugh at your jokes — even the bad ones? The one who will hold you after a hard day, who will run to your side even if it’s inconvenient, who will cherish and worship you like something priceless and precious?
It’s inevitable that guys like me lose hope in ever finding love. Capturing your heart isn’t easy when the world is full of countless jerks you’re so willing to give it to. What’s a nice guy to do when he’s playing a game you won’t let him win?
To tell my story properly, we have to start at the end.
As in: the end of the Mr. Nice Guy I used to be.

BUY AT AMAZON here.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Not having read anything by this author before I was feeling a bit leery as I started turning the pages.  From the very start though this book set itself apart from many of the other m/m romances I've read, showing surprising depth in a tale of self-discovery that dealt more with finding yourself rather than finding a traditional HEA.  Interactions between friends and moments of self-reflection became the driving force in Rome's life while his friends to lovers romance with Danny sat on the back burner waiting for Rome to discover himself.

When readers first meet Rome they see an average gay man, an all-around nice guy who's unlucky in love.  Seeing the one man to make his heart race (Danny) dating a real jerk does something to Rome though, it changes him and how he views himself.  So for the next year Rome decides to be more like the jerks who seem to always get their heart's desires.  But once the year is up, do nice guys finally finish first?  With each turn of the page I found this tale a journey of self-discovery that pulled at my heartstrings, had me disappointed with Rome a time or two, while desperately hoping that he'll discover life's little truths.  Words of wisdom, courtesy of Danny and Tim, offered moments of enlightenment that added much heart and soul to an already unforgettable tale that I thoroughly enjoyed.  Danny was especially insightful, given the small amount of time readers got to see him, and his words endeared him to me and made it understandable what Rome saw in him and why he was so desperate to win him over.

While the romance between Rome and Danny takes a backseat to the emotional growth of Rome, that doesn't mean there aren't moments full of heart, self-acceptance, along with a satisfying HEA.  Rome's journey is one all readers can relate to as we all try to be who we think we should be.  On a whole it's a bumpy journey for Rome, one where he's not always the hero, but it's a journey that was perfectly imperfect as you discover the need to love yourself before you can love another.

My rating for this is an B+

*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Daryl Banner is an author and composer who graduated magna cum laude from the University of Houston Honors College with a degree in Theatre and Psychology. During his time in college, he wrote, composed, and produced a musical under Tony Award-winning musical and Theatre producer Stuart Ostrow, as well as two original plays produced under the mentorship of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lanford Wilson, who also mentored Daryl through the writing of his first novel.

In addition to new adult and M/M romance, Daryl writes post-apocalyptic fantasy and dystopian fiction. He is most inspired by the smart and unlikely hero, but urges you (the reader) not to fall in love with them; they may deceive you with their innocence.