Review: Eight Nights

Title: Eight Nights
Series: Eight Nights
Author: Keira Andrews
Publisher: Loose Id
Publication Date: December 2007
Reviewed Format: ebook
Length: 63 pages

Rating: 3 out of 5

Blurb:
Lucas McKenzie figures spending the holidays with his annoying roommate's family is better than being alone on campus. The last thing he expects is to lust over Sam's brother -- or for Nate to actually want him back.

They hide their attraction during Hanukkah celebrations, but behind closed doors, Lucas and Nate can't keep their hands (or mouths) off each other. Nate's only looking for a bit of holiday fun, and amazing sex with a hot virgin definitely fits the bill.

Yet as the candles burn, Nate and Lucas begin to realize eight nights will never be enough.

Review:

Main Characters:
Lucas is... cute is the first word that comes to mind. An older college freshman due to his father's illness and eventual death, he's on a pre-med track and not quite certain that it's what he wants to do with his life. He's certain he's gay but never actually had any gay experiences--never even gotten over his nerves to look into his college's gay alliance. He's shy and uncertain and, well, cute.

Nate is far more confident--at least when it comes to anything but his family. He's out to his friends and pursuing an interest in photography, but he's afraid of his family finding out both his sexuality and that for him photography is more than a hobby.

Chemistry:
The relationship between Lucas and Nate is tinged with desperation, between Lucas's inexperience, the timeframe instituted by Lucas's visitation to Nate's family's home, and Nate's insistence that he doesn't want anything look longterm. The fumbling discovery of each other is charming--a bit silly at times, but it works within the context. They spend time together outside of having sex, so it's easy to believe that they might have a future as they slowly grow to know each other.

Secondary Characters:
For the length, this book has a fairly broad cast of secondary characters. Most aren't very consistent in their appearances, thankfully, but the central unit of Nate's family is present throughout. Sam and Nate's mother are the strongest, the latter moreso than the former. Lucas in particular interacts with them the most (not surprising, given that he's the story's narrator, but also because Nate tends to disappear to his bedroom when not required) and it's just enough to build another layer to the characters and story.

Story:
There's not a lot that actually happens here; it's driven by the characters, rather than events. There are a few instances of Lucas and Nate exploring the City, but the bulk of the story is spent in Nate's family's home or, more specifically, Nate's bedroom.

Writing:
The writing is competent, enjoyable if not stellar. The balance of showing and telling is excellent, and there are very few errors.

Overall:
Pleasant characters make this an enjoyable story set against the backdrop of Hanukkah. It's a nice bite of story and serves well as a set-up to the sequel, which I will definitely be picking up.