The Making of Us

Checking Him Out #4

by Debbie McGowan

When English Lit. student Jesse Thomas meets Leigh Hunter, he has to reconsider a few assumptions he's made about himself.

Two years ago, Jesse joined Pride—the uni’s LGBT+ society—to support best friend Noah, and Noah’s boyfriend, Matty. As a straight, cismale ally, Jesse keeps a low profile—not difficult for someone as shy and body-conscious as he is.

Leigh Hunter is Noah and Matty’s new housemate. Born with a life-threatening congenital condition, Leigh is intersex and identifies as queer—none of which alters Jesse’s conviction that they are the most beautiful person in the world.

While Jesse and Leigh get to know each other, a new academic year begins in earnest, bringing with it the usual challenge of balancing work and play. Add in a week’s holiday in Cornwall that Jesse and Leigh half-wish they hadn’t agreed to, Jesse’s unplanned involvement in the election of Pride’s new officers, and some big decisions for Noah and Matty, it’s going to be an interesting semester all round.

NOTE: this is a stand-alone novel, but you might wish to read the series in order.

***

In the Checking Him Out Series

Checking Him Out (Book One)
Checking Him Out For The Holidays (novella)
Hiding Out (novella - A crossover featuring Matty and Noah, and Josh, George and Libby from Hiding Behind The Couch)
Taking Him On (Book Two - A Noah and Matty novel)
Checking In (Book Three)
The Making of Us (Book Four - A Jesse and Leigh novel)

Genres: Romance, New Adult, LGBT, Intersex, Fiction

364 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Author, publisher, social scientist.

Reviews

[Tanu Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I start with my review, a heartfelt thank you, Debbie, for honouring me with a mention in the acknowledgements. It still thrills me even after having seen it about ten times already! ;-)



Hmmm... where do I start?

As I had already expected, anticipated and been looking forward to, I immensely enjoyed this piece of art, so much so that I was sulking when I had to pause my reading to fulfill other responsibilities (read: distractions). I am known to read books which are high on angst, with full-on hurt/comfort between amazing characters, and while I always enjoy that rollercoaster ride, I was finding myself in a bit of a funk recently, unable to decide which book to read next, or which genre to try. Then suddenly, I remembered that I had received an ARC of this book from Debbie during a crazy busy week, which had made me completely forget about it until the day before yesterday.

And without my knowing it, it was exactly what I needed to get me out of the reading slump I was in. Instead of the usual and over-read rollercoaster type stories, I was in need of something calmer to give my brain another pace to read on. This book was like a long drive, where you can sit back and enjoy the beautiful scenery passing you by and not having the usual boring chores calling you back.

Leigh and Jesse have been one of the most anticipated main characters for me. I still remember how much I would bug Debbie with regular emails asking how far she had gotten in writing about them. Both of them had stolen my heart when they appeared in Noah and Matty's story, and I had been waiting since then to read their own story. You cannot guess how I excited I was when I saw the story in my mail.

And as I had known, they both made me fall in love with them all over again. There is pain, there is fun, there is anger, but to overcome it all is endless happiness and camaraderie that the whole family of the characters of this series form. I was captivated by Jesse and admired how he fought his internal struggles due to his weight. I loved Leigh for loving him and supporting him throughout, making him come out a stronger and more confident person. And I loved Matty and Noah for being the bestest mates.

At this point, I have no idea if there will be any more stories in this series or not, but unlike the last time, I am perfectly content right now. I'd love it if there are more books, because I can NEVER get enough of the amazing MCs, but I won't be heartbroken if there aren't. And the reason is that Adam and Sol, Noah and Matty, and now Jesse and Leigh have built a beautiful nest in my heart, where these love birds sparkle my world with their cheery and sunny personalities. (On that note, I hope that there ARE more instalments, I can never get tired of reading about the lives of this family.)



Thank you, Deb, for writing such beautiful stories that make me feel like I am enjoying lying down in a boat in the middle of a calm, peaceful lake, with only nature and its melodies surrounding me. I love the place you transport me to. ❤️

[Debbie McGowan]

My book, so no rating.

The editing's done, just the proofreading to go!

Three weeks until release day - available for preorder now (http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/...)

I'll say more here later, but for now...I'll just say I loved writing this story. I hope you'll love reading it as much.

[Amy Spector · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first introduction to this author was through book one of this series, and now, almost four years later I am sitting here and trying to decide if The Making of Us is, in fact, my favorite book by this author. It just might be.

Jesse is lovely. He’s a little overweight, introverted and inexperienced in all things relationship. He’s always thought of himself as straight, that his until he lays eyes on Leigh. Admittedly, he assumes Leigh is a girl, but they’re not. Declared a boy at birth, Leigh is neither, and Jesse realizes his sexuality might not be so cut and dry, because his attraction to Leigh isn’t going away.

First person, told from Jesse’s viewpoint, it is impossible not to adore Jesse from the very start. He’s so damn lovely! And relatable to a lot of us. And Leigh—well having a lot of the same hangups as Jesse, it took me a little while to realize that yes, they could be trusted—is really the perfect person for Jesse.

The romance is delightful. Sweet and gentle, and just wonderful to read.

Also, elements of this book really appealed to the political and social junky that I am. Because, like all Debbie McGowan books, it’s a lot more than just a romance. The book deals with a lot of issues I think are important, ones I think a lot about. The reality of which we see unfolding around us on a daily basis. The world is changing. Our understanding of it, too.

It touches on prejudice and privilege, with a theme of inclusion and dismissal, on feeling erased and even about coping with those feelings by excluding others, run throughout this story.

Much like a book, you can’t judge a person from the outside. You’ve no idea what it’s taken them to get where they are.

Highly recommended.

Note: Why isn’t there a specialized singular gender-neutral pronoun in English? There really needs to be.

[A.M. Leibowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I review, I should make a note that I’ve read all the books in this series, and this one is very different. Not so much in tone but in that it’s less focused on the romance between Jesse and Leigh and much more on Jesse as he tackles some big (pun intended) issues. Despite that, the story is still in keeping with the light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek humor as well as the emotional and psychological undertones of the series as a whole.

Jesse is entirely likable. He’s not perfect, and he has lots of things he’s dealing with: His size, for one thing, and his developing feelings for Leigh and new understanding of himself. Through a series of sometimes funny, sometimes mortifying, sometimes enraging events, Jesse’s standing up for himself results in an unexpected situation with Pride (the campus LGBT+ group). Watching him fumble his way through it is quite a ride.

Fortunately, Jesse’s friends have his back. After reading the other books, it was utterly fascinating for me to read Noah from a peer’s point of view. I admit I didn’t care for him before, but I had new appreciation for him after this book. Matty, as always, is a delight. Once again, it was interesting seeing him through a friend’s eyes.

Then there’s Leigh. I can’t say enough good things about Leigh. It’s not hard to see why Jesse’s smitten so quickly; I think I would be too. Leigh is one of the most wonderful characters. The relationship between Jesse and Leigh is natural, sweet, and not full of drama or discord. They fit together perfectly, and it’s with Leigh’s love and support that Jesse is able to come out of his shell. This is not because Leigh “rescues” him in any sense. It’s simply the confidence he has knowing Leigh adores him and his friends have his back.

Jesse’s feelings about his body and his weight are an important part of the story. Yes, there are other books about fat characters, but one thing really stood out to me. This is not a Jesse-learns-to-manage-his-weight book. Nor is it really a Fat Pride and Acceptance book. There’s a very little bit of both, but they aren’t the heart of the story. This is much more about who Jesse is becoming as a whole person. Much of what he describes will resonate with anyone who has been through similar issues.

Unlike the rest of the series (except for the novella), there is not much in the way of descriptive, on-page sex. The sensuality is understated, and it fits perfectly with the tone of the story and the characters. Jesse isn’t body-confident, and it would’ve felt to me exploitive and inappropriate to have it be too graphic. There’s a lovely scene of Jesse “taking care of business” in the shower which has this nice feel of being completely G-rated. Even though Jesse’s a fictional character, I had the sense it would’ve been embarrassing for him to know readers could “see” what he was doing. It sets the tone for later on, where there is such a sweet tenderness to his lovemaking with Leigh. The understated quality feels like letting us have a glimpse while still respecting the privacy of their intimate acts.

To me, that’s the hallmark of great storytelling. Everything in this fits together just right in this book. It’s about friendship, love, and who “our people” really are when it comes down to it. Is it a bit of an unusual romance? Yes. But I hope that readers will give it a chance, even if it’s different from the sexy guy-on-guy story fans have come to expect in this series.

For more-to-love characters, good social themes, and a love story sweeter than ice cream, this gets 5 stars.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I frequently read romance and I realized that I hadn't read any romance with a non-binary protagonist for some time and I found this on a list to check out.

This is set at an English university with side characters from earlier books in the series. Jesse Hunter is an English Lit student who struggles with his weight and poor self esteem because of it. He's been active in the university's Pride association as an ally, but his attraction to non-binary and intersex Leigh Hunter has him reconsidering how he labels his sexuality. Leigh is an Engineering student with a potentially life-threatening adrenal disorder (CAH) that also makes them intersex. Some mutual attraction, a Cornwall holiday, big announcements from their friends and a whole lot of university Pride drama makes for an eventful background to their low-key romance.

This was interesting, particularly for exposing me to CAH which I'd never heard of before, and for the discussion on the role of allies and bisexuals in LGBTIQ organizations. Jesse's insecurity issues around his weight were less interesting reading, but as his focus shifts to a political campaign within Pride and his growing relationship with Leigh, those issues become much less of a focus in the book.

Regarding it being the fourth in the series: there's clearly plenty of stuff that's been missed in earlier books, but there's enough here to pick up the main points without needing to have read them.

[A. Zukowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jesse and Leigh are so real and lovable, and the depiction of college life is perfect. To be honest, though, I was quite a lousy and irresponsible student. I found these two, and their friends Noah and Matt, a bit too sensible! They are mature and likeable twenty years olds who face some poignant personal and political issues head-on. My heartfelt applause!

[Gabis Laberladen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darum geht’s:

Jesse ist mit dem schwulen Paar Matty und Noah befreundet und engagiert sich deshalb auch als Unterstützer im LGBT+Verein an der Uni. Eigentlich hält er sich für komplett heterosexuell, doch als er Leigh trifft, stellt er fest, dass es ihm nicht schwer fällt, seine diesbezüglichen Prinzipien über Bord zu werfen. Leigh ist intersexuell und Jesse ist das völlig egal. Wichtig ist nur, dass er Leigh atemberaubend toll findet.

So fand ich’s:

Die Serie „Checking Him Out“ von Debbie McGowan mag ich sehr gerne und freue mich über jeden neuen Band, der erscheint. Auf die aktuellste Episode „The Making of Us“ habe ich mich aber ganz besonders gefreut, denn die beiden spannenden Nebenfiguren Jesse und Leigh stehen hier im Mittelpunkt. Die beiden sind sich in den früheren Bänden schon über den Weg gelaufen und von Anfang an war klar, dass zwischen ihnen ganz schön die Funken fliegen.

Die Protagonisten der vorhergehenden Bände dieser Reihe haben natürlich auch ihre Auftritte. Die Erwachsenen Adam und Sol beschränken sich auf Taxi-Dienste, aber Noah und Matty erweisen sich als tolle Freunde und es hat Spaß gemacht, wieder von ihnen zu lesen und mitzubekommen, wie es ihnen als Paar geht.

Jesse muss damit kämpfen, dass er sich wegen seines Übergewichtes als nicht besonders liebenswert empfindet und kann gar nicht glauben, dass Leigh sich ausgerechnet für ihn interessiert. Leigh selbst ist intersexuell, das heißt, weder eindeutig männlich noch weiblich. Im Englischen hat es sich wohl eingebürgert, in diesen Fällen die Anrede der Mehrzahl (also they, them usw.) zu verwenden. Das liest sich nach einer kurzen Eingewöhnungszeit ganz flüssig und selbstverständlich im Buch. Wobei Leigh regelmäßig Probleme mit offiziellen Stellen und besonders im Krankenhaus bekommt, weil oft unnötiger Weise dort eine eindeutige Zuordnung verlangt wird.

Dies Serie besticht eher durch leise, ernsthafte Töne und auch Leigh und Jesse sind sympathische und ruhige Menschen. Jesse ist schüchtern, aber als er das Gefühl hat, Stellung beziehen zu müssen, wagt er sich in die ��ffentlichkeit und zeigt Mut an der richtigen Stelle. Leigh fühlt sich inzwischen wohl in der eigenen Haut und gibt auch Jesse jede Menge Selbstbewusstsein, einfach dadurch, dass Leigh die Gefühle für Jesse deutlich zeigt und in ihrer Beziehung zueinander keine Zweifel aufkommen, nachdem sie sich ihre Sympathie erst einmal gestanden haben. Die beiden nähern sich zielstrebig einander an und statt wilder Leidenschaft herrschen zwischen ihnen zärtliche Gefühle und tiefe Verbundenheit. Das liest sich einfach wunderbar und passt perfekt zu den beiden.

Und so ganz nebenbei wurden mir ein bisschen die Augen geöffnet über intersexuelle Menschen, die (in der Regel aus medizinischen Gründen) nicht eindeutig dem weiblichen oder männlichen Geschlecht zugeordnet werden können. Da scheint unsere Gesellschaft viel zu unflexibel zu sein, um diese Entscheidung einfach nicht zu treffen. Schon in meinem Monatsrückblick auf den August habe ich das Thema angesprochen, ein paar Links dazu herausgesucht und in den Kommentaren einige sehr interessante Meinungen dazu bekommen, besonders weil es ganz konkret in der deutschen Sprache fast nicht möglich ist, geschlechtsneutrale Formulierungen zu verwenden. Und wenn man sich doch darum bemüht, ist das zwar mit Nachdenken und bewusster Wortwahl in schriftlichen Texten doch zu bewerkstelligen, aber im Gespräch macht es einen flüssigen Dialog schwierig und wahrscheinlich auch ziemlich verkrampft.

Und so hat mich das Buch mit einem für mich neuen Thema bekannt gemacht und mit einer wunderschönen, gefühlvollen Liebesgeschichte zweier toller Menschen sehr gut unterhalten.

[Grammar*Kitten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I count myself devastatingly lucky that I get to sneak-peek these books before most people, and this is simply amazing.

However, if you're all 'ooh, men on men, whispering softly and jizzing ropes of cum' don't even bother. Just don't. This isn't some flighty bit of fluff to get your rocks off over. THIS is so much more.

It features battles that all of us fight at some point in our lives, whether we're young slips of things like Jesse and Leigh, the main characters, or whether we're much older than that and still dealing with the fallout. There are struggles with weight, for acceptance, with self image, and ultimately learning not only to stand up for others, but for ourselves too. This book hits home hard, but it also leaves you with a smile on your face and a warm fuzzy feeling in your belly.

Because this is proper friendship, romance and love at its best.

[Anna Koetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent coming of age story. I loved the characters and was truly vested in them. So much so, that I didn't want it to end and as I told my wife I want to know what becomes of them. I could relate to Jesse and his struggles in self esteem. Recommend this story for everyone.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow, but look at all the stars. :-)

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came back to this series after a few years. It features one of my favorite couples, Matty and Noah. The emphasis of this book is on two prior background characters, Jay and Leigh. Jay struggles with his weight and body image, while Leigh is intersex. It took some getting used to "they" as a singular pronoun. The situations are studying, attending class, a beach holiday, a campus election, courtship, and a wedding. By the end I still preferred the established couple to the new one, but it was educational and took me out of my comfort zone.

[Ana María · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

It's absolutely beautiful, i enjoyed and learned a lot. This one particularly made me re-thinkme a lot. I want more.