ARC Review: Under Five by Michael War

Blurb:

Mike is good looking, charming, and has no trouble attracting men—as long as his clothes stay on. But the moment they come off, something always seems to go terribly wrong. When his sister takes him to a faith healer to fix the problem, he is provided with a spell—and left with a lot of doubts. 

But after meeting Kevin, Mike decides to give the spell a try…

Todd's rating:

 

"Please grant me the knowledge that I seek and deliver the answer to my worries."

That was how it all started.

Well, that, a witch doctor, a candle, and some burning hair wrapped in a leaf.

And the unexpected appearance of a clone. Or his identical twin. Whatever you want to call the doppelganger.

This story was nothing at all like I'd anticipated once Angel, the 'twin', made his appearance.

Instead of immediately answering the Mike's initial "is my penis too small to keep a partner long-term" question, Mike begins to see how his 'twin' interacts with the world. And, in turn, how people see him as interacting with the world.


I'll be honest, a lot of this story left me wanting more. I never felt entirely compelled to keep reading, which isn't great for a 120+ page story.

While I did enjoy some parts of the book, there was just something that I felt was missing. That intangible quality the pulls you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I think that part of what I may have felt missing was due to the fact that Mike, at least partially, kept Kevin at arm's length, not wanting to go 'full frontal' and chance their budding romance before he'd fully figured out the answer from the spell.

The steamier bits were fairly limited, but pretty satisfying, when they did occur, with emphasis on the cuddly after-glow to help convey that it wasn't only about sex for anyone involved.

I did like where the fate of the 'twin' ended up going, as I'd grown a bit attached to him, just as Mike and his sister Carmen both had.

So if you're looking for a light paranormal romance, you might enjoy this story. I was just hoping for a bit more *zing* than the book delivered.

3 stars.

My ARC copy of the story was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.

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