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Match Maker
In the four years since being forced off the professional tour for being gay, Daniel Bottega has taught tennis at a second-rate country club. He found a sanctuary to hide from an unkind world, while his lover, Jared Stoderling, fought a losing battle with alcohol addiction to cope with his disappointment of not playing on the pro circuit.
Now Daniel has another chance at the tour by coaching tennis prodigy Connor Lin to a Grand Slam championship win. He shares his chance with Jared by convincing him to return to the pro circuit as Connor’s doubles partner.
Competing on the world tour is challenging enough, but Daniel and Jared also face major media attention, political fallout from the pro association, and a shocking amount of hate that threatens Connor’s career in tennis, Jared’s love for Daniel, and Daniel’s very life.
Winner of first place for Gay Contemporary General Fiction in the 2011 Rainbow Awards.
Honorable Mention for Best Gay Novel in the 2011 Rainbow Awards.
Now Daniel has another chance at the tour by coaching tennis prodigy Connor Lin to a Grand Slam championship win. He shares his chance with Jared by convincing him to return to the pro circuit as Connor’s doubles partner.
Competing on the world tour is challenging enough, but Daniel and Jared also face major media attention, political fallout from the pro association, and a shocking amount of hate that threatens Connor’s career in tennis, Jared’s love for Daniel, and Daniel’s very life.
Winner of first place for Gay Contemporary General Fiction in the 2011 Rainbow Awards.
Honorable Mention for Best Gay Novel in the 2011 Rainbow Awards.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 2010
4 people are currently reading
344 people want to read
About the author
Alan Chin
12 books97 followersAlan Chin was born in Ogden, Utah, where he was christened, Alan Lewis Hurlburt. He was raised in San Jose, California where he enjoyed an undistinguished childhood. After graduating high school, Alan served four years in the U.S. Navy where he learned and practiced the trade of aircraft mechanic while stationed at the naval air station in Kingsville, Texas.
Alan attended four years of night school at San Francisco State University, studying the field of Data Processing. Afterwards he enjoyed a twenty year career working his way from computer programmer, to software engineer, to network designer, and finally to manager of several software engineer development groups.
In 1991, while still working full time, Alan went back to night school and years later graduated from the University of San Francisco with a BS in Economics and a Masters in Creative Writing.
In 1999, Alan retired from his career in Information Technology to devote more time to his three hobbies: writing, traveling, and tennis. During that same timeframe, Alan legally changed his name to Alan Chin, so that he could share the same family name as his life partner, Herman Chin.
Alan turned serious about his writing in 2003, and began working on his first novel, Island Song. He has now published two novel with Zumaya Publications - Island Song and The Lonely War. He is currently searching for a publisher fr his 3rd novel, while writing a 4th novel and two screenplays.
Alan currently lives and writes half of each year at his home in San Rafael, California, and he spends the other half of each year traveling the globe.
You can learn more about Alan Chin and his writing at: http://AlanChinWriter.blogspot.com or about his travels at his travel blog: http://HermanAndAlan.blogspot.com
Alan attended four years of night school at San Francisco State University, studying the field of Data Processing. Afterwards he enjoyed a twenty year career working his way from computer programmer, to software engineer, to network designer, and finally to manager of several software engineer development groups.
In 1991, while still working full time, Alan went back to night school and years later graduated from the University of San Francisco with a BS in Economics and a Masters in Creative Writing.
In 1999, Alan retired from his career in Information Technology to devote more time to his three hobbies: writing, traveling, and tennis. During that same timeframe, Alan legally changed his name to Alan Chin, so that he could share the same family name as his life partner, Herman Chin.
Alan turned serious about his writing in 2003, and began working on his first novel, Island Song. He has now published two novel with Zumaya Publications - Island Song and The Lonely War. He is currently searching for a publisher fr his 3rd novel, while writing a 4th novel and two screenplays.
Alan currently lives and writes half of each year at his home in San Rafael, California, and he spends the other half of each year traveling the globe.
You can learn more about Alan Chin and his writing at: http://AlanChinWriter.blogspot.com or about his travels at his travel blog: http://HermanAndAlan.blogspot.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
January 16, 2014
3.5
I don't know how I finished this, but I did and surprisingly enjoyed it.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I love the characters, sometimes I don't, I find the writing compelling, sometimes it annoys me. But the thing that urged me to go on and read this was the love between the two main character and their journey towards the end.
The book started in the present and Daniel's point of view, Four years later after Daniel and Jared's career had been pretty much thrown out of the tennis court. Daniel found his solace in a country club where he teaches tennis, while Jared found his in the bottle of alcohol.
The writing was okay for me but there are scenes that it really became so poetic(Maybe that's just me.) and focused more on the tennis part. But I like the tennis part nonetheless. I love the thrill of who will win the game.
The Characters, I like them but I feel like the author keep changing the personality of the sub-characters. Like sometimes they are a bitch in this scene and so good on the next.
But I love the journey of the two MC. That's what matters to me.
I don't know how I finished this, but I did and surprisingly enjoyed it.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I love the characters, sometimes I don't, I find the writing compelling, sometimes it annoys me. But the thing that urged me to go on and read this was the love between the two main character and their journey towards the end.
The book started in the present and Daniel's point of view, Four years later after Daniel and Jared's career had been pretty much thrown out of the tennis court. Daniel found his solace in a country club where he teaches tennis, while Jared found his in the bottle of alcohol.
The writing was okay for me but there are scenes that it really became so poetic(Maybe that's just me.) and focused more on the tennis part. But I like the tennis part nonetheless. I love the thrill of who will win the game.
The Characters, I like them but I feel like the author keep changing the personality of the sub-characters. Like sometimes they are a bitch in this scene and so good on the next.
But I love the journey of the two MC. That's what matters to me.
did-not-finish
October 19, 2022DNF @ 14%. No rating.
This wasn't my thing. The MCs already being in a relationship when the story starts was fine but their past history is conveyed through telling, instead of showing, which meant I felt nothing for their relationship. I didn't care for the MC's relationship anyway because it sounded very one sided, with Daniel having spent nearly his entire life constantly making sacrifices and compromises to keep Jared happy, while Jared pretty much did whatever he wanted. But this was made worse by the way the story was written, which left me not connecting with either Daniel or Jared. The narrative is also very wordy with tons of internal musing about various topics, including a heavy focus on the minutia of playing tennis. Lastly, the heavy focus on tennis and homophobia in the professional tennis world makes this feel more like gay fiction instead of romance so it's not for me.
This wasn't my thing. The MCs already being in a relationship when the story starts was fine but their past history is conveyed through telling, instead of showing, which meant I felt nothing for their relationship. I didn't care for the MC's relationship anyway because it sounded very one sided, with Daniel having spent nearly his entire life constantly making sacrifices and compromises to keep Jared happy, while Jared pretty much did whatever he wanted. But this was made worse by the way the story was written, which left me not connecting with either Daniel or Jared. The narrative is also very wordy with tons of internal musing about various topics, including a heavy focus on the minutia of playing tennis. Lastly, the heavy focus on tennis and homophobia in the professional tennis world makes this feel more like gay fiction instead of romance so it's not for me.
June 26, 2011
4.5 stars. This book is unique in many ways, in the broad cast of characters, in the scope of topics it presents, in the tangle of relationships involved. The writing is beautiful, spare and evocative in many places. The tennis background was rarely more detail than I wanted (and I don't play tennis.) My only quibble comes in the way some highly personal and emotional subjects are skimmed a little too lightly in Daniel's cool narration. His love for his partner is intensely portrayed, but topics like alcoholism and the day-to-day impact of disability, beyond just the physical pain, get a little short shrift. The focus of the book leans toward dealing with the external pressures on these men: the homophobic world around them and the intense competition of the tennis circuit. Sometimes other deep problems seemed to disappear in the euphoria of winning the essential games. I don't think anything could have been left out, so as long as this book is (and it is gloriously long and ate my entire afternoon when I really had other things to do) I wish it had been a little longer. A little more of the dark side, of adjustments to be made and addiction to be overcome, would have deepened this lovely work just a little more.
October 1, 2010
I have mixed feelings about Match Maker. To start with the first half of the book, if not more, reads like a book about tennis from a coach’s perspective. The coach happens to be gay but that’s not that important except for the discrimination that is openly practiced within the sport. The second half of the book deals more with emotion and relationships between all the characters in the pretty large cast. On the one hand, the writing is utterly superb; beautifully written with some incredible turns of phrase and crisp, clean writing that makes the story enjoyable to read. On the flip side, the characters are universally unlikable and though they all redeem themselves by the end, it’s difficult to get through the entire story to find redemption.
The story is about Daniel, a tennis coach who gave up his dream of playing to support his best friend and lover Jared. The two men have been together since they were teenagers and Daniel accepts that Jared is the love of his life and Daniel will never leave him no matter what happens. Jared was a pro player until he and Daniel were run out of the sport for being gay. Now bitter and angry, Jared drinks himself to sleep every night, ignores Daniel and pretty much waits to die. Daniel gets a second chance at the sport when an up and coming Chinese player, Connor, wants Daniel to coach him. Daniel tries to give Jared a second shot at the pro circuit by coaching both men. Of course life isn’t that easy and a devastating event threatens all of their lives.
The story is incredibly written with the kind of minimal prose that manages to convey beautiful descriptions without being wordy and boring. The descriptions are crisp, clean, and so vivid you can easily feel, touch, and taste the scenes. The author’s knowledge of tennis is intense and unending as so the main character of the story is really the sport itself. The action all takes place surrounding tennis. The on page scenes deal with training, practicing, performing, winning, losing, and various conversations about such in very minute detail. I didn’t have a problem with this but it’s very much a tennis story first and foremost.
About halfway through the story changes to something more emotional when a “tragic action” occurs. I don’t want to give any spoilers but the focus shifts from tennis, slightly but not fully, onto the characters. Here the most depth is given to Jared and Daniel’s relationship. There are too many holes though as Daniel recounts problems in the relationship but won’t say what. Clearly Jared’s drinking has to be an issue but it’s almost ignored and disappears once Jared starts playing tennis again. Due to this there is an emotional distance and disconnect for a good majority of the story. Daniel feels too even tempered and too unemotional. He recounts the tennis match details with more passion than he does his love for Jared. The later is just accepted and any pain associated with that unimportant. Thus Daniel’s pain and hardship were hard to care about, since Daniel himself doesn’t seem to care.
Later on this does change but even the tremendous pain and suffering Daniel must go through feel rushed and distant. There isn’t the emotional intensity that I would associate with the actions that occurred. The story never fails to be well written but fails to convey that deep connection and intensity that have you feeling for the character and rooting for them. Daniel and Jared do get more romantic and Jared redeems himself well towards the end but he spends much of his story arc unresponsive and elusive. He’s unfortunately a rather unlikable character for 90% of the book and Daniel’s constant excuses for Jared don’t help either. In fact Daniel even counsels Connor to ignore if Connor’s girlfriend cheats on him and instead win the tennis tournament since the girlfriend will want to be with a winner. Um.. yea I just wasn’t with Daniel’s character for most of the book.
I definitely felt more negative before the last part of the book in Spain, when the characters all finally seem human. This starts a turn in the book when it becomes more intimate and the tennis game is a backdrop instead of the focus. This also helps the various members of the cast grow and mature with more intensity. The entire cast, which is pretty large, makes numerous mistakes but they are all filtered through Daniel’s narration. Daniel is sadly very blind to a lot of things so it’s hard to accept his excuses and explanations. Daniel is likely to always stay the way he is at the end, with his self worth wrapped up in Jared and blind to the faults of those around him. Yet he’s still a hopeful guy and yea I guess I was rooting for him at the end. Either way Match Maker is an incredibly well written book with a focus on an interesting game so I enjoyed it. I wish there had been more intensity and connection but that could change with each reader.
The story is about Daniel, a tennis coach who gave up his dream of playing to support his best friend and lover Jared. The two men have been together since they were teenagers and Daniel accepts that Jared is the love of his life and Daniel will never leave him no matter what happens. Jared was a pro player until he and Daniel were run out of the sport for being gay. Now bitter and angry, Jared drinks himself to sleep every night, ignores Daniel and pretty much waits to die. Daniel gets a second chance at the sport when an up and coming Chinese player, Connor, wants Daniel to coach him. Daniel tries to give Jared a second shot at the pro circuit by coaching both men. Of course life isn’t that easy and a devastating event threatens all of their lives.
The story is incredibly written with the kind of minimal prose that manages to convey beautiful descriptions without being wordy and boring. The descriptions are crisp, clean, and so vivid you can easily feel, touch, and taste the scenes. The author’s knowledge of tennis is intense and unending as so the main character of the story is really the sport itself. The action all takes place surrounding tennis. The on page scenes deal with training, practicing, performing, winning, losing, and various conversations about such in very minute detail. I didn’t have a problem with this but it’s very much a tennis story first and foremost.
About halfway through the story changes to something more emotional when a “tragic action” occurs. I don’t want to give any spoilers but the focus shifts from tennis, slightly but not fully, onto the characters. Here the most depth is given to Jared and Daniel’s relationship. There are too many holes though as Daniel recounts problems in the relationship but won’t say what. Clearly Jared’s drinking has to be an issue but it’s almost ignored and disappears once Jared starts playing tennis again. Due to this there is an emotional distance and disconnect for a good majority of the story. Daniel feels too even tempered and too unemotional. He recounts the tennis match details with more passion than he does his love for Jared. The later is just accepted and any pain associated with that unimportant. Thus Daniel’s pain and hardship were hard to care about, since Daniel himself doesn’t seem to care.
Later on this does change but even the tremendous pain and suffering Daniel must go through feel rushed and distant. There isn’t the emotional intensity that I would associate with the actions that occurred. The story never fails to be well written but fails to convey that deep connection and intensity that have you feeling for the character and rooting for them. Daniel and Jared do get more romantic and Jared redeems himself well towards the end but he spends much of his story arc unresponsive and elusive. He’s unfortunately a rather unlikable character for 90% of the book and Daniel’s constant excuses for Jared don’t help either. In fact Daniel even counsels Connor to ignore if Connor’s girlfriend cheats on him and instead win the tennis tournament since the girlfriend will want to be with a winner. Um.. yea I just wasn’t with Daniel’s character for most of the book.
I definitely felt more negative before the last part of the book in Spain, when the characters all finally seem human. This starts a turn in the book when it becomes more intimate and the tennis game is a backdrop instead of the focus. This also helps the various members of the cast grow and mature with more intensity. The entire cast, which is pretty large, makes numerous mistakes but they are all filtered through Daniel’s narration. Daniel is sadly very blind to a lot of things so it’s hard to accept his excuses and explanations. Daniel is likely to always stay the way he is at the end, with his self worth wrapped up in Jared and blind to the faults of those around him. Yet he’s still a hopeful guy and yea I guess I was rooting for him at the end. Either way Match Maker is an incredibly well written book with a focus on an interesting game so I enjoyed it. I wish there had been more intensity and connection but that could change with each reader.
May 22, 2013
Originally reviewed for: http://liveyourlifebuythebook.wordpre...
This is a book that I urge everyone to read. Seldom have I read a book that weaves so many elements together this seamlessly and evocatively. I am purposely going to avoid detail in this review. This story turned out to be so much more than I expected, and I’d love for everyone to experience it as fresh minded as possible.
What grabbed me first with this story was the narrative. The story is told by Daniel in a fairly gentle, matter- of- fact, and highly effective manner and pace. The story centers on Daniel and Jared, their relationship, and their re-emergence into the world of professional tennis. It is also so much, much more. Several key characters are introduced, and the reader becomes well acquainted with them all. Many types of relationships develop among the cast of characters: romance, friendship, professional, familial, you name it. The relationships are all budding and blossoming, or crashing and burning, against a backdrop of high stress, anxiety and more than a little bit of difference of opinion and beliefs. Following everyone on the journey of getting it all sorted, is a real treat.
The title can be considered a metaphor. Sure, the story revolves around the world of tennis, but that is just the backdrop. There’s a deeper message here. Many of the characters paired up in the story, be it professionally, platonically or romantically. They all had to work on those relationships while dealing with all that life was dishing out. And life was dishing out an awful lot!! This is a journey of the heart as well as a journey across the globe. As the story unfolded, I found myself wondering why more time wasn’t being spent exploring certain elements – the drinking, the disability, the taboo physical attractions. There were also several instances that had me worried (I was hoping not to be doing the eye-roll about some character’s actions) only to have these instances dispel without further comment.
What I realized is… this is great writing, keeping the reader engaged and guessing at the outcome. Ultimately, the heart of this story is believing in oneself, of seeking help and guidance from others, of overcoming adversity and injustice, and of working together toward a common goal. If it sounds cliché, don’t let that scare you away. As I have said, the writing is amazing, the characters will all (well, maybe not all!) have you cheering for them. You may even end up joining in the stadium sing along to “We Are Family”. I did. :-)
This was my first book by Alan Chin. It definitely will not be the last!
May 24, 2011
3.8 stars
My thoughts while reading the book went like this: I can't wait to get back to this book; wow, I'm learning a lot about tennis; Daniel, you're a dick; awww Spencer; FU The Man; NOOOOOOOOO Daniel; GO JARED \o/ x infinity.
Read this knowing that there are flaws, things that will bother you, and questions you will want answered. There are also moments that will stick with you, characters you will love, and enemies conquered in intensely satisfying ways.
You will also learn a LOT about tennis.
Things that struck me during reading that I really liked:
1. The bad guy isn't a 'guy' but a conglomeration. It's harder to be frustrated in the 'come on, get over it' way at a conglomeration, which made the homophobia easier to accept into the plot. Usually it gives me indigestion.
2. That every time a character seems to be turning into a baddie, i.e. not letting Daniel or Connor get his way, that character is given a good reason for it, sometimes out of Daniel's own (often self-centered) mouth.
3. Daniel is kind of a self-centered dick, but he knows how to say 'sorry'.
4. Jared is too, no apology needed.
5. I didn't *like* it, but I cried at the attack. It was an unexpected twist, and for a page I actually thought one of them had died.
One thing, though, remains constant. I love Jared. LOOOOOVE HIM. He's brash, egotistical, bad boy, don't F with my man awesome. Seeing that side of him take over in the latter part of the book, it became clear why Daniel would stay with him. He's a flame and Daniel's the moth, that's for sure. I also liked that we don't know much about Jared. I think he's better kept mysterious. It gives him more of an impact.
My thoughts while reading the book went like this: I can't wait to get back to this book; wow, I'm learning a lot about tennis; Daniel, you're a dick; awww Spencer; FU The Man; NOOOOOOOOO Daniel; GO JARED \o/ x infinity.
Read this knowing that there are flaws, things that will bother you, and questions you will want answered. There are also moments that will stick with you, characters you will love, and enemies conquered in intensely satisfying ways.
You will also learn a LOT about tennis.
Things that struck me during reading that I really liked:
1. The bad guy isn't a 'guy' but a conglomeration. It's harder to be frustrated in the 'come on, get over it' way at a conglomeration, which made the homophobia easier to accept into the plot. Usually it gives me indigestion.
2. That every time a character seems to be turning into a baddie, i.e. not letting Daniel or Connor get his way, that character is given a good reason for it, sometimes out of Daniel's own (often self-centered) mouth.
3. Daniel is kind of a self-centered dick, but he knows how to say 'sorry'.
4. Jared is too, no apology needed.
5. I didn't *like* it, but I cried at the attack. It was an unexpected twist, and for a page I actually thought one of them had died.
One thing, though, remains constant. I love Jared. LOOOOOVE HIM. He's brash, egotistical, bad boy, don't F with my man awesome. Seeing that side of him take over in the latter part of the book, it became clear why Daniel would stay with him. He's a flame and Daniel's the moth, that's for sure. I also liked that we don't know much about Jared. I think he's better kept mysterious. It gives him more of an impact.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2012
This was a wonderful change of pace to the fast paced insta-love stories of the M/M romance genre. With Match Maker we meet and established couple during a rocky part of their lives; having been driven out of professional tennis they both now float from day to day, their lives without a bigger purpose other than surviving. Then enter the young, fresh talent, a tennis player with the potential to be the best, and more importantly inspire the couple to return to the sport they love. This is a story of facing life's challenges, and chasing after that ball no matter what tough angles your opponent hits over that net.
My only complaint about this story was all of the tennis technical stuff. Told from the POV of the tennis coach, the story assumes you know the sport and understand how it's played, scored, and how competitions run. Every time they got down to the meat of the game (which was often) I was completely lost. I got some of the emotion through the writing itself, but I'm sure I should've felt more, understood more, if only I knew what holding a serve meant, or if the score of love is good or bad. I picked up a few things by the end of this long story, but not enough to ditch the bewildered skimming every time one of the characters played a match.
Other than the dense sections of tennis lingo, and even despite it, I highly recommend this story.
My only complaint about this story was all of the tennis technical stuff. Told from the POV of the tennis coach, the story assumes you know the sport and understand how it's played, scored, and how competitions run. Every time they got down to the meat of the game (which was often) I was completely lost. I got some of the emotion through the writing itself, but I'm sure I should've felt more, understood more, if only I knew what holding a serve meant, or if the score of love is good or bad. I picked up a few things by the end of this long story, but not enough to ditch the bewildered skimming every time one of the characters played a match.
Other than the dense sections of tennis lingo, and even despite it, I highly recommend this story.
February 2, 2014
Even if you know nothing about Tennis (like me) you will enjoy this book greatly. I loved Daniel and Jared's love story but this book is not about that only.
Just like the blurb says 4 years after being forced off playing professional tennis Daniel is teaching the sport at a country club while Jared gives private classes. Daniel is hired to coach Connor Lin an 18 year old with a lot of potential. Coaching a would-be professional player provides both Daniel and Jared a second chance at doing what they love.
Jared decides that since last time he was forced off for being quietly gay, he comes out and wants to make the issue a non-issue. However, the public and tennis officials don't agree with this and this creates a lot of problems for the team.
The best thing about this book are the multidimensional MCs and the supporting cast. They made for a very engaging story. The only think I wish is that grittier topics had been explored more in depth (such as alcoholism and recovering and learning to live with a disability).
Just like the blurb says 4 years after being forced off playing professional tennis Daniel is teaching the sport at a country club while Jared gives private classes. Daniel is hired to coach Connor Lin an 18 year old with a lot of potential. Coaching a would-be professional player provides both Daniel and Jared a second chance at doing what they love.
Jared decides that since last time he was forced off for being quietly gay, he comes out and wants to make the issue a non-issue. However, the public and tennis officials don't agree with this and this creates a lot of problems for the team.
The best thing about this book are the multidimensional MCs and the supporting cast. They made for a very engaging story. The only think I wish is that grittier topics had been explored more in depth (such as alcoholism and recovering and learning to live with a disability).
October 10, 2010
A great book, a great read. Daniel Bottega, half Chinese, one-quarter Spanish and one-quarter Shoshone, tells his story and the story of his boyfriend Jared, a Tennis pro who has been forced out of pro tennis through homophobia. Danie tells the story and you believe every word of it. This is not a sports novel, although there are a lot of technical Tennis terms in it of which I didn't get one in ten. This is a story of standing by the one you love and never giving up, neither your love nor your dreams, whatever obstacles life throws your way. Moving and thought-provoking.
May 17, 2011
Words. I need words. But, you know, sometimes words fail, and they’re failing me right now as I try to present my review—oh, wait, I don’t DO reviews, do I? So there. I’m free to gush like a bubbly fountain because I don’t have to critique, I just get to…well…babble.
If Ron Howard and Franco Zeffirelli collaborated to create a story—Howard’s poignancy and emotional grit and Zeffirelli’s lavish, sweeping glimpses into exotic worlds—the result would be a piece such as Alan Chin’s Match Maker.
First of all, don’t let the title or the setting of the book—the world of pro tennis—turn you away from this story. I know absolutely nothing about tennis, if you don’t count my temporary jaunt in my teens when I bought a racket and pretty balls but never used them. But, somehow, Chin managed to propel me into the fast-paced world of the game—fascinating me with the ultra-cool terms and the thrill-of-victory-and-the-agony-of-defeat emotion; and, by the time I closed the book, I was mentally ready to take on Martina Navratilova. The prose, the knowledge of the sport—not boring but extremely exciting—was that vital.
You know I love to expound on characters, and I’m learning I can never choose just one. Well, Match Maker was no exception.
Do you want to know a secret? I should be ashamed, but I was initially drawn to the book by the introduction of Connor Lin, the eighteen-year-old aspiring tennis champ with the familiar overly pushy father, the center of the story. I adore, adore, adore Asian men, and young Connor immediately captivated me.
Oh, come on! Before you wag your head at me, read this description of Connor: I took in the vision before me. His body lay quivering, lean and golden and perfectly defined. I had not seen him undressed before, and his sculpted loveliness stunned me. I understood why Shar couldn’t resist him. His burnt-coffee-colored hair cascaded toward the floor, one arm crossed over his eyes, his other foot braced on the floor. Sweat beaded on his breast and ribs, and under the glistening moisture were cool bluish veins weaving under the pale skin.
Though the book is laden with some of the most beautiful, sensual sex scenes I’ve ever read—and I even hesitate to call them ‘sex’ scenes, as they are not explicit but tender, excruciatingly so, yet still manage to send shivers up the spine and delicious spasms to the belly—the sensual physical aspects of the story are wondrously used to speak the characters’ emotions loud and clear instead of dialogue in some scenes. And, by the careful placement of these scenes, the author proves one of my strongest beliefs: that intimacy IS a language all its own. So, if sex is a language, then Alan Chin, in Match Maker, has created a beautiful, complex dialect all his own.
The heroes of the story are Daniel Bottega and Jared Stoderling, who have been inseparable since their youths. Daniel—although a good tennis player himself—took a back seat to the promising tennis dynamo, Jared; but he was content to do so, he loved him that much.
Daniel and Jared’s relationship is realistic. It’s good, it’s bad. And when it’s really bad, the men are tested, especially Daniel. And Daniel’s heart—through Chin’s mastery of words that pierce the reader’s gut like a knife with those very recognizable hurts and smiles—is cut into pieces by his lover’s fall from stardom at the hands of bigotry in sports.
Of course, I can’t reveal plot. But Daniel’s dealings with Jared’s decline, with Jared’s alcoholism, hurt my heart. Although I’ve never dealt with alcoholism, I still knew the pain. None of us are immune to it.
At one point in the story, Daniel mused, A jolt of panic rifled through me, thinking that this was the moment. The support structure of our relationship had been deteriorating for years, and now it was about to collapse. With so few words, but such perfect words, Chin drove the anguish in Daniel’s heart home to the reader, right smack dab in the middle of the core.
All us humans relate to obstacles in our own way, but I know that few of us are immune to the drive that keeps us tied to our love, that just will not let us walk away. And Chin translated this universal ‘disability’ with clarity. I think—no, I know—very few readers would NOT see themselves though some aspect of Daniel Bottega.
One thing I loved about Daniel was that Chin allowed him to find pleasure in touches and sights of other men, and still not stray from his rock solid love for Jared. That, my friend, is human. And I’m not sure but what Alan Chin is one of the first bold writers I’ve read who allows for this very real facet of human nature—where the hero is tempted at times, yet you don’t want to call him a creep, but you love him for it. Beauty is beauty, in Daniel’s eyes, even if it is in the form of another man. And if there ever was a man who could find reason to roam, it would be Daniel; but he does not. True to his character, his potent, unyielding love keeps him true to Jared.
One thing happens in this story that, when I came to it, I almost closed the book. I thought, oh, no, not this angle. But I’d invested too much of my heart in the characters and I could not abandon them.
And I was glad, so glad, I did not walk away.
Chin took this dramatic surprise and—once the urge to knock him upside his talented head for letting it happen in the first place passed—I realized I’d witnessed story telling in its most sublime form. He turned the event into a triumph which was a far cry from the melodrama it could have become, and wove it into a million reasons for me to fall even deeper in love with Daniel than I already was. Could the man BE any more human, could he BE any more beautiful? I wondered, I truly did.
When I referred to Ron Howard and Franco Zeffirelli, well, you obviously know by now why I thought of a Ron Howard movie. Nobody can dish out the emotion like Howard; well, not until Alan Chin stepped onto the court.
And Zeffirelli? Well, Chin takes us all over the world, from San Francisco to the Mediterranean with its blue skies, bleached white structures and clear, gorgeous champagne-colored water. I felt the sun on my face, the sand beneath me, the breezes wafting into the bedroom while I made love to Jared. Wait! Sorry! I didn’t make love to Jared in the sun-drenched bedroom, that was Daniel. See? It was so real, so divine, so sensual, I took a free flight across the globe, courtesy of Alan Chin.
Daniel Bottega’s story is a treatise on survival against the odds, love that just won’t quit, even when the object of the affection unconsciously tries to snuff it out. It’s a beautiful commentary on survival, heartbreaking-but-ultimately-heart-swelling-with joy hanging on to what you know is there, what you KNOW is worth hanging on for. It’s a symphony on self-esteem, and on the many factors that can wreak havoc on it. It’s a lesson on how to regain that self-esteem.
Most of all? To me? It’s a beautiful poem on love. After all, love is—even though we don’t really realize it—at the core of everything, one way or another. And Chin paints across this canvas with such beauty, such softness, and then lets you step back and take a deep breath, a satisfied breath. And you know you just fell in love with Daniel and his gang, but mostly Daniel.
The ending alone is so happy, so powerful….can I give you a hint…the game is on. And, when you’ve finished the book and read those words, and know what they mean and what they cost, I’ll bet you a million dollars that you’ll cry. I did.
I’ll stop with one of the most beautiful thoughts in the book:
Everyone weaves a unique tapestry, using threads of happiness and sorrow, honor and shame, to create a multi-colored landscape that is our past. The secret is knowing that the tapestry is a mirage. It doesn’t really exist. There is only now and what is to come. It is life’s mystery—and its blessing.
If Ron Howard and Franco Zeffirelli collaborated to create a story—Howard’s poignancy and emotional grit and Zeffirelli’s lavish, sweeping glimpses into exotic worlds—the result would be a piece such as Alan Chin’s Match Maker.
First of all, don’t let the title or the setting of the book—the world of pro tennis—turn you away from this story. I know absolutely nothing about tennis, if you don’t count my temporary jaunt in my teens when I bought a racket and pretty balls but never used them. But, somehow, Chin managed to propel me into the fast-paced world of the game—fascinating me with the ultra-cool terms and the thrill-of-victory-and-the-agony-of-defeat emotion; and, by the time I closed the book, I was mentally ready to take on Martina Navratilova. The prose, the knowledge of the sport—not boring but extremely exciting—was that vital.
You know I love to expound on characters, and I’m learning I can never choose just one. Well, Match Maker was no exception.
Do you want to know a secret? I should be ashamed, but I was initially drawn to the book by the introduction of Connor Lin, the eighteen-year-old aspiring tennis champ with the familiar overly pushy father, the center of the story. I adore, adore, adore Asian men, and young Connor immediately captivated me.
Oh, come on! Before you wag your head at me, read this description of Connor: I took in the vision before me. His body lay quivering, lean and golden and perfectly defined. I had not seen him undressed before, and his sculpted loveliness stunned me. I understood why Shar couldn’t resist him. His burnt-coffee-colored hair cascaded toward the floor, one arm crossed over his eyes, his other foot braced on the floor. Sweat beaded on his breast and ribs, and under the glistening moisture were cool bluish veins weaving under the pale skin.
Though the book is laden with some of the most beautiful, sensual sex scenes I’ve ever read—and I even hesitate to call them ‘sex’ scenes, as they are not explicit but tender, excruciatingly so, yet still manage to send shivers up the spine and delicious spasms to the belly—the sensual physical aspects of the story are wondrously used to speak the characters’ emotions loud and clear instead of dialogue in some scenes. And, by the careful placement of these scenes, the author proves one of my strongest beliefs: that intimacy IS a language all its own. So, if sex is a language, then Alan Chin, in Match Maker, has created a beautiful, complex dialect all his own.
The heroes of the story are Daniel Bottega and Jared Stoderling, who have been inseparable since their youths. Daniel—although a good tennis player himself—took a back seat to the promising tennis dynamo, Jared; but he was content to do so, he loved him that much.
Daniel and Jared’s relationship is realistic. It’s good, it’s bad. And when it’s really bad, the men are tested, especially Daniel. And Daniel’s heart—through Chin’s mastery of words that pierce the reader’s gut like a knife with those very recognizable hurts and smiles—is cut into pieces by his lover’s fall from stardom at the hands of bigotry in sports.
Of course, I can’t reveal plot. But Daniel’s dealings with Jared’s decline, with Jared’s alcoholism, hurt my heart. Although I’ve never dealt with alcoholism, I still knew the pain. None of us are immune to it.
At one point in the story, Daniel mused, A jolt of panic rifled through me, thinking that this was the moment. The support structure of our relationship had been deteriorating for years, and now it was about to collapse. With so few words, but such perfect words, Chin drove the anguish in Daniel’s heart home to the reader, right smack dab in the middle of the core.
All us humans relate to obstacles in our own way, but I know that few of us are immune to the drive that keeps us tied to our love, that just will not let us walk away. And Chin translated this universal ‘disability’ with clarity. I think—no, I know—very few readers would NOT see themselves though some aspect of Daniel Bottega.
One thing I loved about Daniel was that Chin allowed him to find pleasure in touches and sights of other men, and still not stray from his rock solid love for Jared. That, my friend, is human. And I’m not sure but what Alan Chin is one of the first bold writers I’ve read who allows for this very real facet of human nature—where the hero is tempted at times, yet you don’t want to call him a creep, but you love him for it. Beauty is beauty, in Daniel’s eyes, even if it is in the form of another man. And if there ever was a man who could find reason to roam, it would be Daniel; but he does not. True to his character, his potent, unyielding love keeps him true to Jared.
One thing happens in this story that, when I came to it, I almost closed the book. I thought, oh, no, not this angle. But I’d invested too much of my heart in the characters and I could not abandon them.
And I was glad, so glad, I did not walk away.
Chin took this dramatic surprise and—once the urge to knock him upside his talented head for letting it happen in the first place passed—I realized I’d witnessed story telling in its most sublime form. He turned the event into a triumph which was a far cry from the melodrama it could have become, and wove it into a million reasons for me to fall even deeper in love with Daniel than I already was. Could the man BE any more human, could he BE any more beautiful? I wondered, I truly did.
When I referred to Ron Howard and Franco Zeffirelli, well, you obviously know by now why I thought of a Ron Howard movie. Nobody can dish out the emotion like Howard; well, not until Alan Chin stepped onto the court.
And Zeffirelli? Well, Chin takes us all over the world, from San Francisco to the Mediterranean with its blue skies, bleached white structures and clear, gorgeous champagne-colored water. I felt the sun on my face, the sand beneath me, the breezes wafting into the bedroom while I made love to Jared. Wait! Sorry! I didn’t make love to Jared in the sun-drenched bedroom, that was Daniel. See? It was so real, so divine, so sensual, I took a free flight across the globe, courtesy of Alan Chin.
Daniel Bottega’s story is a treatise on survival against the odds, love that just won’t quit, even when the object of the affection unconsciously tries to snuff it out. It’s a beautiful commentary on survival, heartbreaking-but-ultimately-heart-swelling-with joy hanging on to what you know is there, what you KNOW is worth hanging on for. It’s a symphony on self-esteem, and on the many factors that can wreak havoc on it. It’s a lesson on how to regain that self-esteem.
Most of all? To me? It’s a beautiful poem on love. After all, love is—even though we don’t really realize it—at the core of everything, one way or another. And Chin paints across this canvas with such beauty, such softness, and then lets you step back and take a deep breath, a satisfied breath. And you know you just fell in love with Daniel and his gang, but mostly Daniel.
The ending alone is so happy, so powerful….can I give you a hint…the game is on. And, when you’ve finished the book and read those words, and know what they mean and what they cost, I’ll bet you a million dollars that you’ll cry. I did.
I’ll stop with one of the most beautiful thoughts in the book:
Everyone weaves a unique tapestry, using threads of happiness and sorrow, honor and shame, to create a multi-colored landscape that is our past. The secret is knowing that the tapestry is a mirage. It doesn’t really exist. There is only now and what is to come. It is life’s mystery—and its blessing.
November 28, 2010
If the adage “write what you know” ever had a better fit it is in respect of author Alan Chin’s Match Maker. In his third novel Mr. Chin combines his knowledge and love of tennis and Buddhism with his storytelling talents to write a moving love story that is set against the world of professional tennis.
Daniel Bottega and his lover Jared Stoderling were forced off the professional tennis circuit four years ago because they are gay. Since then Daniel has been teaching tennis at a local country club and Jared has been finding solace at the bottom of a bottle. Connor Lin is a young tennis prodigy that hires Daniel as his coach and serves as the catalyst for both Daniel and Jared’s return to the pro tennis circuit. Coaching Connor provides Daniel with the opportunity to convince Jared to return to tennis, first as Connor’s doubles partner and then as a singles player.
As coach to Connor, Daniel inherits Connor’s father Roy who is ambitious and controlling and wants his son to become a tennis champion at any and all costs, a grandfather who wants Connor to follow his true life course and become a doctor, Connor’s best friend and warm-up partner Spencer and a host of extended friends and family that try their best to support Connor, Daniel and Jared in their endeavour.
But the world of pro-tennis hasn’t changed much in the four years that have elapsed. Daniel and Jared find themselves once again facing systemic homophobia within the sport and as a result constant attempts to block both Connor and Jared’s bid, only to be further exacerbated by intense and intrusive media scrutiny. This puts strain not only on Daniel’s ability to effectively coach them and adds undue stress on Connor and Jared’s playing, but also threatens Daniel and Jared’s relationship and places Daniel in life-threatening danger.
Throughout their journey Daniel holds steadfast to his deep-seated strength and determination to see both Connor and Jared advance and to take their rightful place as champions. But when homophobia and hatred turn to violence and alter Daniel’s life forever, Jared, Connor and the supportive family they have formed help Daniel to overcome the life altering obstacles that have been placed in his path.
There is beauty and fluidity to the prose in this novel that easily allows the reader to become completely enveloped in the story and its characters.“I SPED past a stream of anesthetized-looking travelers that stretched the entire length of the terminal corridor. They all glanced at me, seemingly embarrassed and fearful as they scurried out of my way. Did I scare them in the same way that drunks and beggars do? Did they cringe at the idea that, but for the grace of their god, the same thing could happen to them? I wanted to know what was going through their minds. They all had that same weary and frustrated look of people on the move. Some had come to the end of their journey. For others, this was merely a pit stop before moving on. We swam against the flow, salmon fighting their way up stream...”
The author’s rich descriptions of the sport itself are seamlessly woven into the fabric of the overall story and rather than overwhelm the reader they provide for an authentic picture of both the game of tennis and of the inner workings of the tennis world. Through his descriptions the author conveys such realism in respect of the sights and sounds of the actual playing of tennis that the reader is transported court side. The tension and suspense of the game as Connor and Jared face-off with their various opponents whether as doubles or singles players is so palpable that at times I found myself holding my breath much as I do when watching a tennis match live or on television.
The story is written in the first person from Daniel’s perspective and the author ascribes and extremely intimate narrative voice to this textured character. Daniel’s spirituality is the grounding element in his life and the filter through which he views and interacts in the world. It centers him and provides him with a steeled inner strength and peace despite the difficult issues that he and Jared face in their relationship, the obstacles that are constantly placed before them as they attempt their advance in professional tennis, the chaos that ensues around all of them, but most of all, it is the foundation that helps Daniel to come to terms with his biggest life challenge.
As seen through Daniel’s eyes, the author also gives depth to the secondary characters and their respective journeys. While Daniel is the main protagonist he is also the lynch pin to the relationships that form and intersect between and among the characters and the author's writing of the intricacies and nuances of these relationships is one of the strengths of this novel. Despite the many tensions in Daniel and Jared’s relationship due to Jared’s alcoholism and the difficulties they face in attempting a comeback there is a deep-seated love, commitment and tenderness between the two that simply shines through. Also prominent are Connor’s familial tensions and his dilemma of, on the one hand, pleasing his father by becoming a tennis champion versus following his heart and keeping his promise to his grandfather by going into medicine. Of note is also the special relationship that Daniel forms with Connor’s grandfather and the influence this has on Daniel's coaching of Connor, his relationship with Jared, as well as how Daniel deals with the life-altering events in his life. In this sense, the secondary story lines that run throughout the novel and the ensemble cast of characters only add to the richness of the overall story.
On a final note, although Match Maker is a completely different story, save for the fact that it deals with the theme of systemic homophobia in sport, I couldn’t help but feel that this novel was in some respects the author’s homage to Patricia Nell Warren’s internationally acclaimed classic The Front Runner. If so, then Match Maker is a befitting tribute.
With only three novels under his belt Mr. Chin has emerged as a great storyteller. Match Maker is a beautifully written, poignant and uplifting multi-layered love story that I thoroughly enjoyed and wholeheartedly recommend.
NOTE: This review was originally published online by Rainbow Reviews on November 21, 2010.
September 12, 2010
Actually somewhere between 3,5 and 4,5...
First time ever that I actually leave a review since I really couldn't decide which ranking points would be suitable. I don't know if I'm disappointed or satisfied after reading the book. Some parts were wonderfully written, I really enjoyed the love scenes between Daniel and Jared - tender, loving with real emotions behind.
But the absence of depth in other parts was disturbing and for me the book would deserve a 5++ if Jared's alcoholism and Daniels disability after the assassination would have been described with a little more psychological depth.
I never really understood why Daniel never confronted Jared or talked with him about his alcohol abuse. He was afraid to lose him - ok - but then, maybe, I did not really get the mechanism of their relationship. For me it was just not plausible in many ways that Daniel never acted although Jared seemed to drink for quite a while (Daniel even mentioned problems in their relationship - but other than the drinking those problems have never been mentioned or explained further) and Jared stopped drinking the minute he played tennis again. This might be explainable since Jared obviously lived and breathed his sports and when he was able to overcome homophobia in his beloved sport his problems have vanished in thin air. Maybe. But alcohol abuse is a severe problem and the impact of alcoholism within a relationship can't be overcome by not talking - at least that's my opinion.
And the fact that Daniel (and also Jared) was obviously capable to accept his disability within a relatively short period of time was a little bit harder to believe. I got that Daniel and Jared loved each other deeply and that's what's beautifully written and what you can sense in almost each sentence that doesn't explain the dynamics of tennis or Zen - but I still think that a homophobic attac (remember: homophobia in the tennis world and the outcome caused Jared's drinking) within the tennis court should cause some real damage to your psyche. And again the book only grazed these emotional tourmoils. They've never been really solved. I guess, Jared and Daniel simply overcame them somehow by playing tennis. Since I'm not a tennis player and I'm not in danger to be obsessed by any kind of sport I maybe have a lack of understanding here. But Seles - also mentioned in one sentence - needed years to be able to play tennis again and she could only do it after years of therapy so maybe here the wish was father to the thought, which is ok since it's fiction, but still...
... a little bit less tennis and a little bit more insights into Daniel's and Jared's emotional state before and after the assassination would have done the story good.
First time ever that I actually leave a review since I really couldn't decide which ranking points would be suitable. I don't know if I'm disappointed or satisfied after reading the book. Some parts were wonderfully written, I really enjoyed the love scenes between Daniel and Jared - tender, loving with real emotions behind.
But the absence of depth in other parts was disturbing and for me the book would deserve a 5++ if Jared's alcoholism and Daniels disability after the assassination would have been described with a little more psychological depth.
I never really understood why Daniel never confronted Jared or talked with him about his alcohol abuse. He was afraid to lose him - ok - but then, maybe, I did not really get the mechanism of their relationship. For me it was just not plausible in many ways that Daniel never acted although Jared seemed to drink for quite a while (Daniel even mentioned problems in their relationship - but other than the drinking those problems have never been mentioned or explained further) and Jared stopped drinking the minute he played tennis again. This might be explainable since Jared obviously lived and breathed his sports and when he was able to overcome homophobia in his beloved sport his problems have vanished in thin air. Maybe. But alcohol abuse is a severe problem and the impact of alcoholism within a relationship can't be overcome by not talking - at least that's my opinion.
And the fact that Daniel (and also Jared) was obviously capable to accept his disability within a relatively short period of time was a little bit harder to believe. I got that Daniel and Jared loved each other deeply and that's what's beautifully written and what you can sense in almost each sentence that doesn't explain the dynamics of tennis or Zen - but I still think that a homophobic attac (remember: homophobia in the tennis world and the outcome caused Jared's drinking) within the tennis court should cause some real damage to your psyche. And again the book only grazed these emotional tourmoils. They've never been really solved. I guess, Jared and Daniel simply overcame them somehow by playing tennis. Since I'm not a tennis player and I'm not in danger to be obsessed by any kind of sport I maybe have a lack of understanding here. But Seles - also mentioned in one sentence - needed years to be able to play tennis again and she could only do it after years of therapy so maybe here the wish was father to the thought, which is ok since it's fiction, but still...
... a little bit less tennis and a little bit more insights into Daniel's and Jared's emotional state before and after the assassination would have done the story good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
November 28, 2010This is the second book I’ve read from Mr. Chin. The first was “The Lonely War”, a novel so stunningly real and a poignant I feared “Match Maker” wouldn’t live up to my expectations. I wasted my time worrying. In tennis vernacular, “Match Maker” is an ‘Ace’.
Jared Stoderling and Daniel Bottega are twin Icarus’ who fly close to the rays of tennis stardom only to burn and crash when an ill-advised sexual display destroys their fledgling tennis careers. The tennis establishment is not ready for openly gay players. They are shunned on the tour and brutalized by bad calls. They’re existence spirals into living lives of mediocrity and alcoholism away from the limelight teaching others the game they love. Could this happen in real life? At first I thought no way, but then I realized I know of no openly gay professional tennis players. Sure, I have a weak memory of transgender player Rene Richards and one or two females have “come out” after their careers were over but no one has dared admit their sexual orientation while actively on the tennis tour, giving credence to the novel’s premise. That credence coupled with absolutely wonderful characters, the politics of tennis, electric descriptions of tennis play and glimpses into the psyche of tennis players had me so engrossed in the story I didn’t want to put this novel down. For me, the best novels (TV shows and movies for that matter) entwine complementary story lines that emotionally or viscerally capture a reader’s mind and heart. “Match Maker” does both.
Mr. Chin’s forte appears to be researching a subject matter well and weaving that knowledge into imaginative storylines with dynamite characterization. “Match Maker” on one level is a great love story between two men who nearly hit rock bottom professionally and personally but rise from the ashes. On another level it offers interesting insight into the Japanese culture through Connor Lin their young Japanese American protégé caught in the web of his father’s dreams of financial gain and his own life choice away from the net. Mr. Chin is masterful in his ability to write characters one cares about. Your heart breaks at their defeats and pain. You soar with their triumphs and survival.
Mr. Chin gave this reader another true-life world full of a wonderful ensemble of characters that gave this story emotional layers that made for an exciting and thought provoking read. I will revisit this world again and to be honest I already have. “Match Maker” has made my keeper shelf. Game, set and match Mr. Chin! Thanks for another great story; and for ‘the gardener’. I grinned and thought….What if?
Justine
Jared Stoderling and Daniel Bottega are twin Icarus’ who fly close to the rays of tennis stardom only to burn and crash when an ill-advised sexual display destroys their fledgling tennis careers. The tennis establishment is not ready for openly gay players. They are shunned on the tour and brutalized by bad calls. They’re existence spirals into living lives of mediocrity and alcoholism away from the limelight teaching others the game they love. Could this happen in real life? At first I thought no way, but then I realized I know of no openly gay professional tennis players. Sure, I have a weak memory of transgender player Rene Richards and one or two females have “come out” after their careers were over but no one has dared admit their sexual orientation while actively on the tennis tour, giving credence to the novel’s premise. That credence coupled with absolutely wonderful characters, the politics of tennis, electric descriptions of tennis play and glimpses into the psyche of tennis players had me so engrossed in the story I didn’t want to put this novel down. For me, the best novels (TV shows and movies for that matter) entwine complementary story lines that emotionally or viscerally capture a reader’s mind and heart. “Match Maker” does both.
Mr. Chin’s forte appears to be researching a subject matter well and weaving that knowledge into imaginative storylines with dynamite characterization. “Match Maker” on one level is a great love story between two men who nearly hit rock bottom professionally and personally but rise from the ashes. On another level it offers interesting insight into the Japanese culture through Connor Lin their young Japanese American protégé caught in the web of his father’s dreams of financial gain and his own life choice away from the net. Mr. Chin is masterful in his ability to write characters one cares about. Your heart breaks at their defeats and pain. You soar with their triumphs and survival.
Mr. Chin gave this reader another true-life world full of a wonderful ensemble of characters that gave this story emotional layers that made for an exciting and thought provoking read. I will revisit this world again and to be honest I already have. “Match Maker” has made my keeper shelf. Game, set and match Mr. Chin! Thanks for another great story; and for ‘the gardener’. I grinned and thought….What if?
Justine
April 21, 2012
4.5 Stars This has been sitting on my kindle for almost a year now. I was expecting this to be dull and boring and was pleasantly surprise that it was instead, quite interesting. It's a well written tale of a Chinese American tennis instructor, Daniel, who is given a young budding tennis star, Connor LIn, to train. Daniel who is gay used to be in pro circuit with his boyfriend of 10 years Jared when homophobia forced them out. Jared is bitter and has taken to drinking.
The main focus of the story is on Daniel and Jared but as they're an established couple, it's not a typical m/m romance story. It was fun to read about their drama filled journey from the depths of despair to their ultimate triumph. I also enjoyed reading about the training of Connor LIn, a (straight) young Chinese American superstar in the making who also has to make choices on what's best for him as Daniel brings out his true potential.
Tennis is of course a huge part of this story and the love for the game really shines through here. I loved all the other little things thrown in as well like the cultural stories, the tai chi training & getting in the zone, the little bits on the physical training & all the war stories from people who are true survivors.
It's not a perfect story. The character of Shar, who is Connor's girlfriend, is particularly annoying and it made no sense that Connor would put up with her. He's the one that should have had girls throwing themselves at him. There's also some things bought up, like Jared's alcoholism, that never gets fully explored, like one day he's drinking & the story just switch focus to his playing & the drinking problem isn't mentioned again.
There were a lot of instances of homophobia in the story but I did have doubts that players on a pro circuit would be able get away with the blatant hate they displayed. Considering in the real world, we've seen players like Kobe Bryant & Joakim Noah having to apologize for homophobic slurs, sports teams now doing it gets better videos & several instances of soccer players being disciplined & suspended for anti gay language, I don't see the tennis organization or the tennis players getting away with what they did or say. But all of it does make for good drama in the novel.
I ultimately enjoyed this novel. The writing was good, the story interesting and you end up rooting for Daniel, Jared and Connor to get what they all wanted out of life.
The main focus of the story is on Daniel and Jared but as they're an established couple, it's not a typical m/m romance story. It was fun to read about their drama filled journey from the depths of despair to their ultimate triumph. I also enjoyed reading about the training of Connor LIn, a (straight) young Chinese American superstar in the making who also has to make choices on what's best for him as Daniel brings out his true potential.
Tennis is of course a huge part of this story and the love for the game really shines through here. I loved all the other little things thrown in as well like the cultural stories, the tai chi training & getting in the zone, the little bits on the physical training & all the war stories from people who are true survivors.
It's not a perfect story. The character of Shar, who is Connor's girlfriend, is particularly annoying and it made no sense that Connor would put up with her. He's the one that should have had girls throwing themselves at him. There's also some things bought up, like Jared's alcoholism, that never gets fully explored, like one day he's drinking & the story just switch focus to his playing & the drinking problem isn't mentioned again.
There were a lot of instances of homophobia in the story but I did have doubts that players on a pro circuit would be able get away with the blatant hate they displayed. Considering in the real world, we've seen players like Kobe Bryant & Joakim Noah having to apologize for homophobic slurs, sports teams now doing it gets better videos & several instances of soccer players being disciplined & suspended for anti gay language, I don't see the tennis organization or the tennis players getting away with what they did or say. But all of it does make for good drama in the novel.
I ultimately enjoyed this novel. The writing was good, the story interesting and you end up rooting for Daniel, Jared and Connor to get what they all wanted out of life.
May 2, 2012
A very good to excellent contemporary M/M romance that follows two life partners, Jared and Daniel, through the trials and tribulations of being on the professional men's tennis circuit, both as a player and a coach. This story does not follow the traditional trope of two men meet, fall in love and start a new life together. Rather it follows an established couple whose world and dreams have collapsed simply because they love each other, how they both deal with the aftermath, and then finally, seeing them rise to the top again, but not without an awful lot of pain, sacrifice and determination. The story seems to encompass a life journey for both men, but in particular Daniel, as the story is told from a first-person POV - his POV.
Chin's characterization is very good in that they are consistent in behavior, the supporting characters are plentiful yet with good depth, and most feel on many levels real, but I still felt a little distant from the main characters for some reason. I suspect it is merely Chin's writing style itself, which is a little formal.
The strength of the novel though, is the core plot, which takes a few turns which I didn't expect. The breadth of the plot is amazing, and is so much more than 2 sports men dealing with a bit of homophobia.
Apart from that small sense of distance from the characters, the only other thing that I found to be below par was the trotting out of that old trite line of why a woman was being bitchy - it was that time of month or she didn't get any nookie. True, it might have fit the occasion, but I still don't like seeing demeaning clichés used in any story, be it about gays, straight men, lesbians or straight women.
All up, this was a story that took me to places that I didn't truly expect. Definitely worth a look.
Chin's characterization is very good in that they are consistent in behavior, the supporting characters are plentiful yet with good depth, and most feel on many levels real, but I still felt a little distant from the main characters for some reason. I suspect it is merely Chin's writing style itself, which is a little formal.
The strength of the novel though, is the core plot, which takes a few turns which I didn't expect. The breadth of the plot is amazing, and is so much more than 2 sports men dealing with a bit of homophobia.
Apart from that small sense of distance from the characters, the only other thing that I found to be below par was the trotting out of that old trite line of why a woman was being bitchy - it was that time of month or she didn't get any nookie. True, it might have fit the occasion, but I still don't like seeing demeaning clichés used in any story, be it about gays, straight men, lesbians or straight women.
All up, this was a story that took me to places that I didn't truly expect. Definitely worth a look.
June 22, 2011
It's a truism that genre fiction like romance is marginalized in the Book World. Even more so m/m romance. Normally, it's a fact I accept without thinking too much; I love genre fiction of whatever kind, and don't mind the mild criticism of friends who don't understand why I don't jump on the bestseller bandwagon. But sometimes I read a book that makes me want to rail at the system and scream, "WHY ISN'T EVERYONE IN THE WORLD READING THIS BOOK???"
Match Maker is one of those rare books that trigger this response. Ten pages in, I was completely absorbed by the story, the characters, the setting, the individual backstories, and, amazingly, the culture of tennis. (I am so not a sports-oriented person.) It's phenomenally well-written, which sometimes is enough, but Mr. Chin goes beyond the mechanics of writing to dig deep into the emotions of the characters. I read it straight through, and by the end was completely wrung out. It's never histrionic, though sometimes the characters are; there's no graphic sex, just graphic emotions; and he sculpts the image of a relationship hovering on the edge of disaster with a fine and gentle hand. The dynamic of sports culture v. traditional Asian culture v. gay culture is powerful and moving, with no stereotypes, just a fine understanding of human nature.
If this isn't nominated for a Lambda award, there is no justice in the world.
Match Maker is one of those rare books that trigger this response. Ten pages in, I was completely absorbed by the story, the characters, the setting, the individual backstories, and, amazingly, the culture of tennis. (I am so not a sports-oriented person.) It's phenomenally well-written, which sometimes is enough, but Mr. Chin goes beyond the mechanics of writing to dig deep into the emotions of the characters. I read it straight through, and by the end was completely wrung out. It's never histrionic, though sometimes the characters are; there's no graphic sex, just graphic emotions; and he sculpts the image of a relationship hovering on the edge of disaster with a fine and gentle hand. The dynamic of sports culture v. traditional Asian culture v. gay culture is powerful and moving, with no stereotypes, just a fine understanding of human nature.
If this isn't nominated for a Lambda award, there is no justice in the world.
August 26, 2011
Written by Victor J. Banis, author of Long Horns, Angel Land and Lola Dances.
Daniel and Jared are on the threshold of big success in the tennis world, when the powers that be discover they are lovers, and the roof caves in on them.
Four years later, Jared has found his solace in the bottle and Daniel works as a tennis pro at a country club, when he is asked to coach young Conner Lin. Conner is talented, Chinese - and straight, with lots and lots of attitude.
So, is this what you’d call a tennis novel? Well, yes, and, no. There’s plenty of tennis, true, but in the author’s gifted hands, playing the game of tennis becomes a metaphor for playing the game of life. Match Maker is first and foremost a story about putting your life together – especially putting it back together when it’s been shattered. There’s plenty of tennis excitement, if that’s your thing, and if not, there is also courage, romance, violence – and plenty of occasions for tears. Warning: have some hankies on hand.
As a writer, Alan Chin is a Grand Slam champion. He’s at the top of his game here.
Daniel and Jared are on the threshold of big success in the tennis world, when the powers that be discover they are lovers, and the roof caves in on them.
Four years later, Jared has found his solace in the bottle and Daniel works as a tennis pro at a country club, when he is asked to coach young Conner Lin. Conner is talented, Chinese - and straight, with lots and lots of attitude.
So, is this what you’d call a tennis novel? Well, yes, and, no. There’s plenty of tennis, true, but in the author’s gifted hands, playing the game of tennis becomes a metaphor for playing the game of life. Match Maker is first and foremost a story about putting your life together – especially putting it back together when it’s been shattered. There’s plenty of tennis excitement, if that’s your thing, and if not, there is also courage, romance, violence – and plenty of occasions for tears. Warning: have some hankies on hand.
As a writer, Alan Chin is a Grand Slam champion. He’s at the top of his game here.
September 4, 2022
In the four years since being forced off the professional tour for being gay, Daniel Bottega has taught tennis at a second-rate country club. He found a sanctuary to hide from an unkind world, while his lover, Jared Stoderling, fought a losing battle with alcohol addiction to cope with his disappointment of not playing on the pro circuit.
Now Daniel has another chance at the tour by coaching tennis prodigy Connor Lin to a Grand Slam championship win. He shares his chance with Jared by convincing him to return to the pro circuit as Connor’s doubles partner.
Competing on the world tour is challenging enough, but Daniel and Jared also face major media attention, political fallout from the pro association, and a shocking amount of hate that threatens Connor’s career in tennis, Jared’s love for Daniel, and Daniel’s very life.
Review:
This book came up when I asked my book buddies for the recommendations of m/m romance with tennis settings. Turned out I already bought it years ago but never read before. I have to admit it was a strange reading experience. I love watching tennis, I would not have minded reading a fiction book purely devoted to tennis even without a romance in it, so correct depiction of tennis is important to me and I think that author either knows the sport well, or conducted a good research where tennis terminology was concerned.
However, from the position of the fan who never played but who follows the sport a lot, reads about it a lot, some things made me scratch my head. I can obviously be wrong, I cannot claim any insider knowledge, only outsider one.
Daniel narrates the story and he is the tennis coach, so it makes sense that for him coach is the figure who makes the match so to speak. And of course coaches are super important, probably more so for younger players like Connor, but it just does not seem to me that over ambitious parents of brilliant young stars who break in the first hundred will give up the control, the place in their off springs lives in favor of somebody else calling the shots. I know that Connor's father does not completely disappear but still it just did not ring true to me what happened in the beginning of the book.
Daniel seems to be a very good coach, who pays attention to mental aspects of the game too, which was fun to read about it.
I am also confused about villain of the piece . It is not as if I have the right to question the existence of homophobia on tennis tour - once again the year is 2022, and we still do not see any out gay or bi male tennis players. I am not saying that they should come out, it is obviously their decision! I am saying that there are probably reasons why they do not. however the villain in this piece sounded completely cartoonish and just so off. I am not questioning the fact that the fictional president of ATP can be a raging homophobe, but I am *absolutely* questioning the idea that fictional president of ATP would go as far as bully all three major masters clay tournaments to take back the wild cards from the out gay player.
I mean at least we did not see president ATP trying to bully any of the Slams into taking back their wild cards haha (for obvious reasons ), so I guess I have to be thankful for that, but I feel like Rome or Monte Carlo masters would laugh at him too?
And the last stunt he tried to pull? I do not even want to describe it, because I rolled my eyes.
But let me talk about the love story, because blurb does mention it. Jared and Daniel are in the established relationship when the book begins, but they are having problems . I wish we would have learned why they were having problems, but this is does not ever happen. it was just so strange and I felt that this part was not well executed because this is the main relationship of the story. I mean of course the book is not a romance and I did not expect it to be a romance, but problems between the main characters I think deserved at least an answer to the question why it happened.
I do suspect that we were supposed to make a leap between Daniel and Jared experiencing homophobia when they were playing in their early years and the issues they were having, but once again - thats entirely my speculation. And when they are back on the circuit in the second half, relationship surely gets more dynamic and author has absolutely no problem showing how what was happening around them affects them ! it was great, not the issues they were going through, but how they were dealing with what was thrown at them .
I appreciated that tennis always remained a major part of the story, even when the relationship took more of the center stage, it was always connected to tennis, even though some of it felt over the top.
I really liked some of the tennis related descriptions though. Here is how Connor answers the question why he likes tennis.
““Everything about tennis is awesome. The feel of the ball on your racket, the way your body moves through the stroke, hitting a difficult shot just the way you mean to, it’s all totally killer. But what I love are those times when my game kicks into light speed and I’m not there anymore. It’s just the ball and the racket, and I’m whooshing around the court making impossible shots look routine. When that happens, I can’t miss. I mean, I play wicked tennis, but it never lasts more than a game or two, sometimes a whole set. But that’s what I love, when that thing happens.” A warm wave, fired by hope, surged through my core. “That’s called being in the zone.” “Duh, I know what it’s called. I didn’t just tumble out of the cradle.””
Speaking about Connor, I liked him a lot, except when he was portrayed in the relationship, because it was cringe worthy to me how his girlfriend was portrayed. I just did not buy that they had any kind of the future together .
C
Now Daniel has another chance at the tour by coaching tennis prodigy Connor Lin to a Grand Slam championship win. He shares his chance with Jared by convincing him to return to the pro circuit as Connor’s doubles partner.
Competing on the world tour is challenging enough, but Daniel and Jared also face major media attention, political fallout from the pro association, and a shocking amount of hate that threatens Connor’s career in tennis, Jared’s love for Daniel, and Daniel’s very life.
Review:
This book came up when I asked my book buddies for the recommendations of m/m romance with tennis settings. Turned out I already bought it years ago but never read before. I have to admit it was a strange reading experience. I love watching tennis, I would not have minded reading a fiction book purely devoted to tennis even without a romance in it, so correct depiction of tennis is important to me and I think that author either knows the sport well, or conducted a good research where tennis terminology was concerned.
However, from the position of the fan who never played but who follows the sport a lot, reads about it a lot, some things made me scratch my head. I can obviously be wrong, I cannot claim any insider knowledge, only outsider one.
Daniel narrates the story and he is the tennis coach, so it makes sense that for him coach is the figure who makes the match so to speak. And of course coaches are super important, probably more so for younger players like Connor, but it just does not seem to me that over ambitious parents of brilliant young stars who break in the first hundred will give up the control, the place in their off springs lives in favor of somebody else calling the shots. I know that Connor's father does not completely disappear but still it just did not ring true to me what happened in the beginning of the book.
Daniel seems to be a very good coach, who pays attention to mental aspects of the game too, which was fun to read about it.
I am also confused about villain of the piece . It is not as if I have the right to question the existence of homophobia on tennis tour - once again the year is 2022, and we still do not see any out gay or bi male tennis players. I am not saying that they should come out, it is obviously their decision! I am saying that there are probably reasons why they do not. however the villain in this piece sounded completely cartoonish and just so off. I am not questioning the fact that the fictional president of ATP can be a raging homophobe, but I am *absolutely* questioning the idea that fictional president of ATP would go as far as bully all three major masters clay tournaments to take back the wild cards from the out gay player.
I mean at least we did not see president ATP trying to bully any of the Slams into taking back their wild cards haha (for obvious reasons ), so I guess I have to be thankful for that, but I feel like Rome or Monte Carlo masters would laugh at him too?
And the last stunt he tried to pull? I do not even want to describe it, because I rolled my eyes.
But let me talk about the love story, because blurb does mention it. Jared and Daniel are in the established relationship when the book begins, but they are having problems . I wish we would have learned why they were having problems, but this is does not ever happen. it was just so strange and I felt that this part was not well executed because this is the main relationship of the story. I mean of course the book is not a romance and I did not expect it to be a romance, but problems between the main characters I think deserved at least an answer to the question why it happened.
I do suspect that we were supposed to make a leap between Daniel and Jared experiencing homophobia when they were playing in their early years and the issues they were having, but once again - thats entirely my speculation. And when they are back on the circuit in the second half, relationship surely gets more dynamic and author has absolutely no problem showing how what was happening around them affects them ! it was great, not the issues they were going through, but how they were dealing with what was thrown at them .
I appreciated that tennis always remained a major part of the story, even when the relationship took more of the center stage, it was always connected to tennis, even though some of it felt over the top.
I really liked some of the tennis related descriptions though. Here is how Connor answers the question why he likes tennis.
““Everything about tennis is awesome. The feel of the ball on your racket, the way your body moves through the stroke, hitting a difficult shot just the way you mean to, it’s all totally killer. But what I love are those times when my game kicks into light speed and I’m not there anymore. It’s just the ball and the racket, and I’m whooshing around the court making impossible shots look routine. When that happens, I can’t miss. I mean, I play wicked tennis, but it never lasts more than a game or two, sometimes a whole set. But that’s what I love, when that thing happens.” A warm wave, fired by hope, surged through my core. “That’s called being in the zone.” “Duh, I know what it’s called. I didn’t just tumble out of the cradle.””
Speaking about Connor, I liked him a lot, except when he was portrayed in the relationship, because it was cringe worthy to me how his girlfriend was portrayed. I just did not buy that they had any kind of the future together .
C
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2010
Match Maker is the first novel I've read by Alan Chin so I had no idea what to expect. I knew it had a tennis theme but what I never expected was the sheer beauty of his prose. Alan Chin paints with words and I tasted, smelled, and experienced every high and low along with Daniel, Jared, and Connor. All his secondary characters are multi-layered as well and it was a true pleasure to lose myself in this novel for a few days. Thank you for this amazing read.
February 26, 2013
4.75 Stars.
Review Originally Published here: http://joyfullyjay.com/2013/02/review...
There are times when writing a review becomes a bit of a burden. Not because I didn’t enjoy the book, but because my adoration of it seems difficult to express. When I started to read Match Maker by Alan Chin, I didn’t expect it to become one of those books. As I mentioned in a previous review, sports aren’t really my thing. Those sports books I have read have done a good job of presenting a rousing story within the framework of the sport, while perhaps shining a spotlight on the discrimination the players face. This book does those things and so much more. It’s a book about tennis, yes, but also is also deeply rooted in Eastern philosophy, delves deep into the homophobia that surrounds it, and also presents an underlying theme of choices and the monumental impact they have on our lives. This is a piece of literature that should be read, savored and absorbed.
Daniel Bottega is a tennis instructor at a local country club. He spends his days instructing wealthy men and women in the sport. It’s not what he was meant to do. He was coaching his lover and rising tennis star, Jared Stoderling, on the pro tour until they were forced out when a photo was exposed that confirmed their sexuality. Daniel has been biding his time as a coach and Jared has found his solace in the bottle. Their once beautiful relationship has hit rock-bottom, and it has left Daniel wondering if Jared will ever be able to pull himself back from this abyss.
Connor Lin is a rising tennis star, only 18 years old, and under the thumb of his controlling father. Mr. Lin agrees to let Connor train with Daniel, but before he does, Daniel is up front with Connor about the challenges that he may face by associating with him. While Daniel’s sexuality is a surprise to him, Connor moves forward in their training and Daniel’s able to help him become one of the best tennis players in the world. Along the way, Daniel recruits Jared as Connor’s doubles partner, and this decision, while not easily accepted by his lover, is the turning point for the two.
Together with Spencer, Connor’s best friend; Shar, Connor’s trainer and love interest; and a host of interesting supporting characters; Jared, Connor, and Daniel confront the tennis world together. Jared realizes his potential and tries yet again to defeat the homophobia that brought him down once before. Daniel continues to train his two boys to be champions. And Connor struggles with his desire to dominate the tennis courts, which is at odds with his real dream, to become a doctor.
At the center of it all is Daniel. The story is told from his point of view, which I found to be an interesting choice. He isn’t one of the tennis stars, but a coach, watching everything from the outside. It is a perspective that is rarely taken, but I enjoyed Daniel’s voice so much, it was easier to accept being removed from the action, in a sense. Daniel’s relationship with Jared is a never-ending journey through peaks and valleys. The two met when they were young and finally acted on their feelings when they were teenagers. Chin’s beautiful description of the roles that became apparent to Daniel even moments after they first have sex explains how love works between these two.
Even at that age, I knew from the way he offered himself to me that I would love him and he would accept my love. Those were our destined roles: me the lover, he the loved. He would always maintain an aloof control, while I orbited him like a lesser moon.
This sounds like an imbalance in the relationship and, in a way, it is. There are times when Jared’s selfishness and stubbornness are so frustrating, you want to throw your e-reader at the wall. But Daniel continues to support him through it all. One of my favorite things about this book is their relationship. So often, a book will be about the passion and excitement of a new relationship, but in this case, we’re given a glimpse into the connection between two souls, who struggle and are imperfect but who love each other deeply and are willing to work through whatever comes in their way. In the end, it pays off. Daniel’s patience through Jared’s alcoholism and Jared’s concern about Daniel while he also goes through an extremely trying time end in a place of well-earned contentment and bliss.
While this book also gives an in-depth description of the discrimination against gay men in sports, and I was touched by the struggle as well as the fight, the biggest takeaway from this novel was, for me, the focus on the choices that we make and the impact it has on our lives. Connor’s grandfather really puts things in perspective as he describes the horrific choices he has to make in order to make a life for his family in America, and it has an impact on all of the characters as well as me as the reader. Often in this book, things could go one of two ways, and the choice, whether good or bad, has drastic consequences. Jared chooses to fight and it changes the course of both he and Daniel’s lives. Daniel is involved in a terrible tragedy that requires him to make a choice about the kind of man he’s going to be. Connor has a difficult choice to make as well — whether to follow the money or follow his heart. I love a book that makes me think long after I finish it, and this one has definitely done that.
This book isn’t perfect. While telling the story from the POV of Daniel was intriguing, it kept the reader emotionally distant. It was difficult to really feel the impact of the action, especially that of the discrimination that Jared faces on the court, when we only see it from Daniel’s perspective.
The pacing of the book was not always consistent. A lot of things happened in this book, and Chin would move quickly through some fairly important periods and then stop and pay particular attention to a few days that don’t necessarily move the plot forward. While the language of this novel was often beautiful and full of imagery, sometimes it got bogged down in it and stopped the momentum of the story in its tracks.
I recommend this book without hesitation for lovers of sports books as well as those who just like a great piece of literature. It isn’t blatantly sexual, but has a sensuality and passion that pervades the story and leaves the reader changed by its passion and intensity. It is a grand accomplishment by author Alan Chin and I look forward to reading anything he publishes in the future
Review Originally Published here: http://joyfullyjay.com/2013/02/review...
There are times when writing a review becomes a bit of a burden. Not because I didn’t enjoy the book, but because my adoration of it seems difficult to express. When I started to read Match Maker by Alan Chin, I didn’t expect it to become one of those books. As I mentioned in a previous review, sports aren’t really my thing. Those sports books I have read have done a good job of presenting a rousing story within the framework of the sport, while perhaps shining a spotlight on the discrimination the players face. This book does those things and so much more. It’s a book about tennis, yes, but also is also deeply rooted in Eastern philosophy, delves deep into the homophobia that surrounds it, and also presents an underlying theme of choices and the monumental impact they have on our lives. This is a piece of literature that should be read, savored and absorbed.
Daniel Bottega is a tennis instructor at a local country club. He spends his days instructing wealthy men and women in the sport. It’s not what he was meant to do. He was coaching his lover and rising tennis star, Jared Stoderling, on the pro tour until they were forced out when a photo was exposed that confirmed their sexuality. Daniel has been biding his time as a coach and Jared has found his solace in the bottle. Their once beautiful relationship has hit rock-bottom, and it has left Daniel wondering if Jared will ever be able to pull himself back from this abyss.
Connor Lin is a rising tennis star, only 18 years old, and under the thumb of his controlling father. Mr. Lin agrees to let Connor train with Daniel, but before he does, Daniel is up front with Connor about the challenges that he may face by associating with him. While Daniel’s sexuality is a surprise to him, Connor moves forward in their training and Daniel’s able to help him become one of the best tennis players in the world. Along the way, Daniel recruits Jared as Connor’s doubles partner, and this decision, while not easily accepted by his lover, is the turning point for the two.
Together with Spencer, Connor’s best friend; Shar, Connor’s trainer and love interest; and a host of interesting supporting characters; Jared, Connor, and Daniel confront the tennis world together. Jared realizes his potential and tries yet again to defeat the homophobia that brought him down once before. Daniel continues to train his two boys to be champions. And Connor struggles with his desire to dominate the tennis courts, which is at odds with his real dream, to become a doctor.
At the center of it all is Daniel. The story is told from his point of view, which I found to be an interesting choice. He isn’t one of the tennis stars, but a coach, watching everything from the outside. It is a perspective that is rarely taken, but I enjoyed Daniel’s voice so much, it was easier to accept being removed from the action, in a sense. Daniel’s relationship with Jared is a never-ending journey through peaks and valleys. The two met when they were young and finally acted on their feelings when they were teenagers. Chin’s beautiful description of the roles that became apparent to Daniel even moments after they first have sex explains how love works between these two.
Even at that age, I knew from the way he offered himself to me that I would love him and he would accept my love. Those were our destined roles: me the lover, he the loved. He would always maintain an aloof control, while I orbited him like a lesser moon.
This sounds like an imbalance in the relationship and, in a way, it is. There are times when Jared’s selfishness and stubbornness are so frustrating, you want to throw your e-reader at the wall. But Daniel continues to support him through it all. One of my favorite things about this book is their relationship. So often, a book will be about the passion and excitement of a new relationship, but in this case, we’re given a glimpse into the connection between two souls, who struggle and are imperfect but who love each other deeply and are willing to work through whatever comes in their way. In the end, it pays off. Daniel’s patience through Jared’s alcoholism and Jared’s concern about Daniel while he also goes through an extremely trying time end in a place of well-earned contentment and bliss.
While this book also gives an in-depth description of the discrimination against gay men in sports, and I was touched by the struggle as well as the fight, the biggest takeaway from this novel was, for me, the focus on the choices that we make and the impact it has on our lives. Connor’s grandfather really puts things in perspective as he describes the horrific choices he has to make in order to make a life for his family in America, and it has an impact on all of the characters as well as me as the reader. Often in this book, things could go one of two ways, and the choice, whether good or bad, has drastic consequences. Jared chooses to fight and it changes the course of both he and Daniel’s lives. Daniel is involved in a terrible tragedy that requires him to make a choice about the kind of man he’s going to be. Connor has a difficult choice to make as well — whether to follow the money or follow his heart. I love a book that makes me think long after I finish it, and this one has definitely done that.
This book isn’t perfect. While telling the story from the POV of Daniel was intriguing, it kept the reader emotionally distant. It was difficult to really feel the impact of the action, especially that of the discrimination that Jared faces on the court, when we only see it from Daniel’s perspective.
The pacing of the book was not always consistent. A lot of things happened in this book, and Chin would move quickly through some fairly important periods and then stop and pay particular attention to a few days that don’t necessarily move the plot forward. While the language of this novel was often beautiful and full of imagery, sometimes it got bogged down in it and stopped the momentum of the story in its tracks.
I recommend this book without hesitation for lovers of sports books as well as those who just like a great piece of literature. It isn’t blatantly sexual, but has a sensuality and passion that pervades the story and leaves the reader changed by its passion and intensity. It is a grand accomplishment by author Alan Chin and I look forward to reading anything he publishes in the future
May 15, 2012
This book was almost 5 stars for me. I really enjoyed reading it, and I appreciated that it was a full length novel with plenty of development. Some reviews complained about the book being so focused on tennis and if the reader has no interest in tennis, then the book isn't as compelling. I don't watch or play tennis but I enjoyed the sport aspect of this book tremendously just the same. The main character, Daniel, is a tennis coach at a country club when he gets a second chance at the pro circuit through an up and coming tennis player with champion potential, Connor. Daniel has been in a relationship with his partner, Jared for 10 years but their relationship has hit some hurdles after homophobia chased Jared and Daniel from the pro circuit 4 years ago, just as Jared's own star was rising. While Jared has found answers at the bottom of a whiskey bottle, Daniel's Buddhist teachings have enabled him to live for the moment and not let the past bring him down.
I loved a lot about this book - I enjoyed the writing as well as Daniel's "voice". He seemed like a man I'd love to be friends with in real life - always sticking to his beliefs and fighting when everything seems impossible. I really liked Jared's character and the love the men felt for each other even through some of their own relationship angst. The angst made their relationship feel real - not like some of the fairy tale insta-love romances you read in a lot of M/M books. This was a true relationship and both men had to work really hard at it. But it also had tremendous depth and commitment which I loved.
There were a couple of reasons this book didn't quite make 5 stars for me. When I finished the book, I was definitely in a 5 star mood, but it was only upon reflection that I took a star away.
1. The book almost read like 2 books. The first half of the book, the focus was on training Conner and Jared. It was very much a tennis oriented book with a lot of training descriptions etc. In the second half of the book, the focus shifted dramatically as the issue of being a gay athlete in a non-tolerant sport caused some serious conflict. Additionally, relationship issues came into play and the angst level went through the roof. This was not a huge issue in the enjoyment of my reading, but it did seem slightly disjointed to me. I think if there were some more conflict/excitement early on, the book would have felt a little more rounded.
2. There were some serious issues in the book that I felt were not given enough attention. In particular, Jared's drinking. Daniel would come home and put Jared to bed and get him cleaned up, but he never talked to Jared about this problem. Once Jared started playing tennis again, this problem sort of just went away. I would have liked it to not have been forgotten so easily. The issue of Shar and her .
3. Conner and Shar as a couple. I don't know if the author was trying to show Shar as a strong woman who was taught by a rough life how to handle men, but I didn't like her at all. I am not sure why Daniel was friends with her or why he didn't take Conner's side in things. Also, her was a real problem for me.
All in all - this book was really good and I enjoyed it very much. I have already put other Alan Chin books in my Dreamspinner wish list.
I loved a lot about this book - I enjoyed the writing as well as Daniel's "voice". He seemed like a man I'd love to be friends with in real life - always sticking to his beliefs and fighting when everything seems impossible. I really liked Jared's character and the love the men felt for each other even through some of their own relationship angst. The angst made their relationship feel real - not like some of the fairy tale insta-love romances you read in a lot of M/M books. This was a true relationship and both men had to work really hard at it. But it also had tremendous depth and commitment which I loved.
There were a couple of reasons this book didn't quite make 5 stars for me. When I finished the book, I was definitely in a 5 star mood, but it was only upon reflection that I took a star away.
1. The book almost read like 2 books. The first half of the book, the focus was on training Conner and Jared. It was very much a tennis oriented book with a lot of training descriptions etc. In the second half of the book, the focus shifted dramatically as the issue of being a gay athlete in a non-tolerant sport caused some serious conflict. Additionally, relationship issues came into play and the angst level went through the roof. This was not a huge issue in the enjoyment of my reading, but it did seem slightly disjointed to me. I think if there were some more conflict/excitement early on, the book would have felt a little more rounded.
2. There were some serious issues in the book that I felt were not given enough attention. In particular, Jared's drinking. Daniel would come home and put Jared to bed and get him cleaned up, but he never talked to Jared about this problem. Once Jared started playing tennis again, this problem sort of just went away. I would have liked it to not have been forgotten so easily. The issue of Shar and her .
3. Conner and Shar as a couple. I don't know if the author was trying to show Shar as a strong woman who was taught by a rough life how to handle men, but I didn't like her at all. I am not sure why Daniel was friends with her or why he didn't take Conner's side in things. Also, her was a real problem for me.
All in all - this book was really good and I enjoyed it very much. I have already put other Alan Chin books in my Dreamspinner wish list.
September 10, 2010
Here's the thing: I'm not a sports fan. I don't play tennis or follow it in its professional incarnation at all. Heck, I still haven't completely figured out the scoring system! Nevertheless, I found Alan Chin's new novel Match Maker to be a thoroughly compelling and fascinating read.
The first thing I noticed about the book was the spare beauty of the prose. The author has the special gift of being able to engage all of the reader's senses in descriptive passages but without drowning the reader in adjectives and adverbs. He makes the description of something as simple as liquid in a bowl a sensual experience.
The same goes for the on-court action. Even though my personal knowledge of the game of tennis is practically non-existent, I could hear the thwack of the racket hitting the ball, see the dance of the players as they moved on the court. You didn't need to be a motorcycle mechanic to appreciate Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and the same sensibility applies here.
Speaking of Zen.... There is a distinct element of Asian, especially Buddhist, philosophy in both the training technique and the personal journey of the protagonist and other signal characters. This formed one of the principal themes of the novel and infused every other element. And yet, none of the characters were Bodhisattvas. They were human beings with all their individual foibles and flaws, discovering that being "in the zone" in life is a lot harder than in a game of tennis.
The characters were all complex individuals with a variety of motivations and interactions. The author peeled down the layers and showed you something of the heart of each character, so that you found yourself very invested in their triumphs, or hoping for their downfalls. "Family" was as much a character as the individuals, however, families of both the blood kin and the manufactured kind. (There ought to be a word to describe the sort of family formed from unrelated individuals tightly bound by a shared journey. I'm tempted to call them Whedon-families.) Both sorts of family weave and cross through the narrative with similar tropes of love, anger, envy, resentment, guilt, and did I say "love?"
But I don't want to give the impression that this book was a rambling discourse. Not at all. It was full of action on and off the courts. Exotic locations, dirty politics, homophobia and its opposite, relationships, danger--all made the novel difficult to put down. It takes you on an exciting and fascinating journey with its characters and is both thought-provoking and terribly entertaining. I'd be happy to meet the author across the net and shake his hand for a game well played.
The first thing I noticed about the book was the spare beauty of the prose. The author has the special gift of being able to engage all of the reader's senses in descriptive passages but without drowning the reader in adjectives and adverbs. He makes the description of something as simple as liquid in a bowl a sensual experience.
The same goes for the on-court action. Even though my personal knowledge of the game of tennis is practically non-existent, I could hear the thwack of the racket hitting the ball, see the dance of the players as they moved on the court. You didn't need to be a motorcycle mechanic to appreciate Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and the same sensibility applies here.
Speaking of Zen.... There is a distinct element of Asian, especially Buddhist, philosophy in both the training technique and the personal journey of the protagonist and other signal characters. This formed one of the principal themes of the novel and infused every other element. And yet, none of the characters were Bodhisattvas. They were human beings with all their individual foibles and flaws, discovering that being "in the zone" in life is a lot harder than in a game of tennis.
The characters were all complex individuals with a variety of motivations and interactions. The author peeled down the layers and showed you something of the heart of each character, so that you found yourself very invested in their triumphs, or hoping for their downfalls. "Family" was as much a character as the individuals, however, families of both the blood kin and the manufactured kind. (There ought to be a word to describe the sort of family formed from unrelated individuals tightly bound by a shared journey. I'm tempted to call them Whedon-families.) Both sorts of family weave and cross through the narrative with similar tropes of love, anger, envy, resentment, guilt, and did I say "love?"
But I don't want to give the impression that this book was a rambling discourse. Not at all. It was full of action on and off the courts. Exotic locations, dirty politics, homophobia and its opposite, relationships, danger--all made the novel difficult to put down. It takes you on an exciting and fascinating journey with its characters and is both thought-provoking and terribly entertaining. I'd be happy to meet the author across the net and shake his hand for a game well played.
January 24, 2011
This is a superbly written story about love and the human spirit being able to overcome significant challenges and tragedy. Mr. Chin does an amazing job using just the right words and descriptions in his writing style so that I felt like an integral part of the story. I could almost literally smell the ocean, reach out and touch a drop of sweat, and feel each character's pain like a living thing.
The primary characters (Daniel and Jared) are already in an established relationship at the beginning of the book. Early on, there's a flashback to how the two of them met and how their relationship had progressed up to current time. From there, we get to experience their incredible journey as they experience ups and downs related to family, friends, careers, fame, tragedy, society and their own personal struggles. The physical relationship between these guys is more of a background element in the story, so you aren't going to see steamy descriptions of hot sex. As someone who loves to be a voyeur as much as the next person, I have to admit, I didn't miss it. The story was too incredible to even miss it and that's a refreshing change of pace! Additionally, secondary characters play strongly in the overall story and come to mean as much as the primary characters.
The game of tennis is obviously the core theme around the book, and as such, we gain a lot of insight into the intricacies of both the mental and physical aspects of this sport. I was completely fascinated with all the detail and completely absorbed in learning more. It never felt boring or overdone, but rather, totally enhanced the story. Another aspect of the book that I thoroughly enjoyed was learning more about a different culture due to the strong Asian elements that were present.
I was emotionally moved by this story and experienced feelings of pride, fear, triumph, disappointment, hope and love (to name a few) as Daniel and Jared fought to be true to themselves against a tide of bigotry/hate that surrounded them in the world of sports. I appreciate that Mr. Chin tackled this very tough issue and painted what felt like a very realistic picture of today's world - as sad as it may be. I was completely wrapped up in their story and rooting for them all the way.
This was my first book by Alan Chin and it was a WOW! I loved it and would highly recommend it to anyone wanting something out of the ordinary in the world of m/m romance, something with a lot of depth of meaning, or something that shows the determination of the human spirit to come out the victor against all odds. Excellent!!!
The primary characters (Daniel and Jared) are already in an established relationship at the beginning of the book. Early on, there's a flashback to how the two of them met and how their relationship had progressed up to current time. From there, we get to experience their incredible journey as they experience ups and downs related to family, friends, careers, fame, tragedy, society and their own personal struggles. The physical relationship between these guys is more of a background element in the story, so you aren't going to see steamy descriptions of hot sex. As someone who loves to be a voyeur as much as the next person, I have to admit, I didn't miss it. The story was too incredible to even miss it and that's a refreshing change of pace! Additionally, secondary characters play strongly in the overall story and come to mean as much as the primary characters.
The game of tennis is obviously the core theme around the book, and as such, we gain a lot of insight into the intricacies of both the mental and physical aspects of this sport. I was completely fascinated with all the detail and completely absorbed in learning more. It never felt boring or overdone, but rather, totally enhanced the story. Another aspect of the book that I thoroughly enjoyed was learning more about a different culture due to the strong Asian elements that were present.
I was emotionally moved by this story and experienced feelings of pride, fear, triumph, disappointment, hope and love (to name a few) as Daniel and Jared fought to be true to themselves against a tide of bigotry/hate that surrounded them in the world of sports. I appreciate that Mr. Chin tackled this very tough issue and painted what felt like a very realistic picture of today's world - as sad as it may be. I was completely wrapped up in their story and rooting for them all the way.
This was my first book by Alan Chin and it was a WOW! I loved it and would highly recommend it to anyone wanting something out of the ordinary in the world of m/m romance, something with a lot of depth of meaning, or something that shows the determination of the human spirit to come out the victor against all odds. Excellent!!!
June 29, 2013
Wow, that was surprising. I think it's the first time I've read a book where someone had the bright idea of cutting out the ending.
The most horrifying part was how much I loved this book up to that point. I loved the story, and as much as the characters annoyed me, I still liked them. But then someone surgically removed the ending and so I just can't like this book as a whole. We go right up to the big final game that should settle the book, and it just ... fades to black. There were many other loose threads left dangling, but we didn't get to see any kind of resolution because someone snipped out the best part of the story.
Up until the end, my biggest complaint was going to be how wordy the story is. There's a lot of information and description that really should have been snipped. And instead of snipping all this pointless fluff, the author snipped out the ending instead. Maybe the author didn't know which player should win and so decided to just skip the thing altogether?
There were also issues with research. There's a whole medical section of this book, including hospitals, that didn't feel well-researched because of all the glaring errors. A simple Google search could have cleared up a lot of these problems, but it seems all the research time went into every conceivable little detail about tennis and every tennis court on the face of the planet.
The wordiness was extreme, and the story kept wandering off on tangents and info dumps. I stopped counting how many times I wanted to just yell "get on with it", which resulted in the inevitable Monty Python flashback. The story kept stalling at the strangest times; I became quite proficient at flipping pages without even needing to skim to find the part where the story picked back up again.
In the end, it was the ending which really threw me. I don't know, this whole thing just doesn't make sense to me, and as a result, I can't recommend this story. Stories without endings are just meandering rambles. I guess the constant inclination to go off on tangents should have warned me that the story didn't have a direction.
The most horrifying part was how much I loved this book up to that point. I loved the story, and as much as the characters annoyed me, I still liked them. But then someone surgically removed the ending and so I just can't like this book as a whole. We go right up to the big final game that should settle the book, and it just ... fades to black. There were many other loose threads left dangling, but we didn't get to see any kind of resolution because someone snipped out the best part of the story.
Up until the end, my biggest complaint was going to be how wordy the story is. There's a lot of information and description that really should have been snipped. And instead of snipping all this pointless fluff, the author snipped out the ending instead. Maybe the author didn't know which player should win and so decided to just skip the thing altogether?
There were also issues with research. There's a whole medical section of this book, including hospitals, that didn't feel well-researched because of all the glaring errors. A simple Google search could have cleared up a lot of these problems, but it seems all the research time went into every conceivable little detail about tennis and every tennis court on the face of the planet.
The wordiness was extreme, and the story kept wandering off on tangents and info dumps. I stopped counting how many times I wanted to just yell "get on with it", which resulted in the inevitable Monty Python flashback. The story kept stalling at the strangest times; I became quite proficient at flipping pages without even needing to skim to find the part where the story picked back up again.
In the end, it was the ending which really threw me. I don't know, this whole thing just doesn't make sense to me, and as a result, I can't recommend this story. Stories without endings are just meandering rambles. I guess the constant inclination to go off on tangents should have warned me that the story didn't have a direction.
November 24, 2012
This is a surprisingly affecting book. The prose is mostly dispassionate, simple, and perhaps blunt -- Kaje calls it spare, and I think that's a good word for it (Kaje Harper has a very good review of this book, which you can see here. Emotions are somewhat downplayed, reported for the most part with that dispassionate tone. Nonetheless, the emotion does come through to the reader effectively, and by the end I was quite moved.
This is not really a romance. There are a few onscreen sex scenes, but they are much more about the emotion than the physical act, and, in fact, come the closest to poetry of any text in the book. At it's heart this is a tale of competition -- not only the trials and tribulations of competition, but also its personal meaning and internal rewards -- and the tale happens to be shaped by the existence of gay men at its epicenter. (As an aside, I love the MC's ethnicity -- half Chinese, one quarter Spanish, one quarter Shoshone. Quite a mix there!) It was also very interesting to be exposed to the Chinese heritage of the main secondary character (the player being coached by the MC) and his family, and those Asian experiences and values also formed an integral part of the story.
Some elements of the story were a bit far-fetched, but it was easy to suspend disbelief while reading. Despite the spare dispassionate style of the writing, the author carries the reader along very effectively until you can literally feel the heat of the sun shining at center court.
This is not, in general, a humorous book, but it does have at least two great lines in it:
""We had a saying on the farm when I was growing up: 'If it doesn't scare the cows, who the hell cares?'"
and
"Like most Chinese families, I have relatives in high places. You fuck with one Chinaman, you fuck with us all."
Gotta love it. ;-) Overall this is a very good story, and I'll definitely be looking forward to Chin's other books. 4.5 stars.
This is not really a romance. There are a few onscreen sex scenes, but they are much more about the emotion than the physical act, and, in fact, come the closest to poetry of any text in the book. At it's heart this is a tale of competition -- not only the trials and tribulations of competition, but also its personal meaning and internal rewards -- and the tale happens to be shaped by the existence of gay men at its epicenter. (As an aside, I love the MC's ethnicity -- half Chinese, one quarter Spanish, one quarter Shoshone. Quite a mix there!) It was also very interesting to be exposed to the Chinese heritage of the main secondary character (the player being coached by the MC) and his family, and those Asian experiences and values also formed an integral part of the story.
Some elements of the story were a bit far-fetched, but it was easy to suspend disbelief while reading. Despite the spare dispassionate style of the writing, the author carries the reader along very effectively until you can literally feel the heat of the sun shining at center court.
This is not, in general, a humorous book, but it does have at least two great lines in it:
""We had a saying on the farm when I was growing up: 'If it doesn't scare the cows, who the hell cares?'"
and
"Like most Chinese families, I have relatives in high places. You fuck with one Chinaman, you fuck with us all."
Gotta love it. ;-) Overall this is a very good story, and I'll definitely be looking forward to Chin's other books. 4.5 stars.
October 25, 2010
Firstly, this is a book about tennis. I don't play tennis. I don't watch tennis. I could care less... You get the point. And if I whine a bit about Chin giving me way, way too much esoteric particulars about the sport, forgive me. Having said that, I acknowledge Chin's passion for the sport, and do agree with and paraphrase what Victor Banis had to say about Match Maker: "This is the book Alan Chin was meant to write."
Chin is a fine writer. His storytelling is clean, fresh; an easy, studied prose that takes the reader effortlessly through the pages without the clutter of an occasional unexplained non sequitur; the onus of scenes not fully realized.
There is the tennis side to this book. There is the relationship side to this book. The relationship side weaves through subject matter both sordid and uplifting: alcoholism, homophobia, Chinese family dynamics, the maintenance of a longtime relationship in spite of a horrid physical debility visited upon one of the parties.
Those who love tennis will savor this book. Indeed, those who love tennis within the subplot of gay men struggling against the MAN (ATP), will find this book fascinating. Those who find Chin's writing sensitive, revealing, starkly human will also love this book.
I enjoyed this book. There were a couple aspects of the narrative that weren't, for me, relevant to the story but, rather, constituted a wee bit of editorializing. A couple very unlikely scenarios. One odd character, who kept slipping into and out of the narrative...quite inexplicably. But, still, I did enjoy this book...to a point.
Although I previously provided a litany of my "to a point" issues with this book, I've decided to remove them in the spirit of what most of our mothers used to tell us: "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."
So, I've said the nice. Made my mama happy.
Enough said.
Chin is a fine writer. His storytelling is clean, fresh; an easy, studied prose that takes the reader effortlessly through the pages without the clutter of an occasional unexplained non sequitur; the onus of scenes not fully realized.
There is the tennis side to this book. There is the relationship side to this book. The relationship side weaves through subject matter both sordid and uplifting: alcoholism, homophobia, Chinese family dynamics, the maintenance of a longtime relationship in spite of a horrid physical debility visited upon one of the parties.
Those who love tennis will savor this book. Indeed, those who love tennis within the subplot of gay men struggling against the MAN (ATP), will find this book fascinating. Those who find Chin's writing sensitive, revealing, starkly human will also love this book.
I enjoyed this book. There were a couple aspects of the narrative that weren't, for me, relevant to the story but, rather, constituted a wee bit of editorializing. A couple very unlikely scenarios. One odd character, who kept slipping into and out of the narrative...quite inexplicably. But, still, I did enjoy this book...to a point.
Although I previously provided a litany of my "to a point" issues with this book, I've decided to remove them in the spirit of what most of our mothers used to tell us: "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."
So, I've said the nice. Made my mama happy.
Enough said.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2013
I have so many mixed feelings about this book. I love tennis I really do, played it for years. What I hate is first person narratives, so much I hate those. For that reason alone I almost didn't pick up this book.
I did like this one enough that I finished it and I found the book overly long and dragging in some places. I will admit some of the scenes I ended up skimming only to reach the end and have the ending cut off completely. Even after reading all this I still have no idea who won the last match and apparently it's suppose to be really apparent. Gee, thanks for making me look stupid.
On the other hand I did really like Jared and only Jared. A lot of the scenes in this one made absolutely no sense to me. Why was Spencer coming on to Daniel? The innocence vs experience thing was a little weird. And really this book was a little ridiculous at parts. You know what now that I'm sitting here putting my thoughts into words I actually didn't like this book. I'm getting more aggravated and frustrated now that I'm actually thinking about it.
And what is with Grandpa Lin, what an annoying character. Even though apparently his cave story was what this book ends up revolving around I still don't see the point.
I was going to give this 3 stars but I'm upset now so I'm giving it 2. Probably doesn't deserve that because the writing is actually done really well but I don't care at this point in time. But the fact that I'm so mad at this book means I must have a been a least a little invested in the characters and story so the book is engaging but oh so frustrating at the same time.
I do represent the minority here! LOTS of people loved this book as you can see by the rating, so please give it a go if you want to read a heartfelt sports story.
I did like this one enough that I finished it and I found the book overly long and dragging in some places. I will admit some of the scenes I ended up skimming only to reach the end and have the ending cut off completely. Even after reading all this I still have no idea who won the last match and apparently it's suppose to be really apparent. Gee, thanks for making me look stupid.
On the other hand I did really like Jared and only Jared. A lot of the scenes in this one made absolutely no sense to me. Why was Spencer coming on to Daniel? The innocence vs experience thing was a little weird. And really this book was a little ridiculous at parts. You know what now that I'm sitting here putting my thoughts into words I actually didn't like this book. I'm getting more aggravated and frustrated now that I'm actually thinking about it.
And what is with Grandpa Lin, what an annoying character. Even though apparently his cave story was what this book ends up revolving around I still don't see the point.
I was going to give this 3 stars but I'm upset now so I'm giving it 2. Probably doesn't deserve that because the writing is actually done really well but I don't care at this point in time. But the fact that I'm so mad at this book means I must have a been a least a little invested in the characters and story so the book is engaging but oh so frustrating at the same time.
I do represent the minority here! LOTS of people loved this book as you can see by the rating, so please give it a go if you want to read a heartfelt sports story.
September 27, 2022
I first picked up this book because I heard Alan Chin was good, and so when I saw one of his books come across the Black Ravens review desk, I snatched it up. I confess to having a bit of trepidation over reading a tennis book. I don't play the sport and am not all that into watching it. After the first page, I knew there was a lot more to this book than just tennis. Mr. Chin has a definite flare for description and easily paints a picture that takes the reader far deeper than surface appearances. His ability to weave together words and dig into both the psyche of the narrator, Daniel, and the apparent mind set of the people inhabiting Daniel's world made this a really easy book to get into despite my initial reservations. And that's all in the first three chapters.
Those descriptions go into incredible detail during the tennis matches. Amazing how much you can see when the painting is in the right words. With my limited experience of the game, I expected to want to skim over these bits, but somehow, that didn't happen. Instead, I found myself enthralled with the settings and the characters and the very obvious passion Mr. Chin brings to his work.
My Recommendation: This is not a short book, but every word was worth it. I'd definitely encourage anyone who wants to lose themselves in a sumptuous feast of imagery and emotional extremes to read this.
Find the rest of my reviews, as well as other great reviews at Blackraven's reviews.
http://www.blackravensreviews.com/?p=...
Those descriptions go into incredible detail during the tennis matches. Amazing how much you can see when the painting is in the right words. With my limited experience of the game, I expected to want to skim over these bits, but somehow, that didn't happen. Instead, I found myself enthralled with the settings and the characters and the very obvious passion Mr. Chin brings to his work.
My Recommendation: This is not a short book, but every word was worth it. I'd definitely encourage anyone who wants to lose themselves in a sumptuous feast of imagery and emotional extremes to read this.
Find the rest of my reviews, as well as other great reviews at Blackraven's reviews.
http://www.blackravensreviews.com/?p=...
September 30, 2010
This is an amazing story. I felt as if I was on a roller-coaster ride. It took me a couple days to read this because it's such an intense story. It an uphill, I can't look, I need to catch my breath, what else can happen storyline. I honesty walked away from my laptop and needed to take breathers.
The character's are amazing. Each one is multi-layered and complex. All the characters grow and develop, change and morph into real life, three dimensional beings.
If you are looking for erotica. This is not your book. The sex is glossed over and not descriptive. This is definitely a LOVE story.
The book is centered around tennis and you will learn quite a bit about the game. Discrimination within the game is a major component of the storyline, but in the end it's about a bond between partners.
FIVE PLUS STARS
The character's are amazing. Each one is multi-layered and complex. All the characters grow and develop, change and morph into real life, three dimensional beings.
If you are looking for erotica. This is not your book. The sex is glossed over and not descriptive. This is definitely a LOVE story.
The book is centered around tennis and you will learn quite a bit about the game. Discrimination within the game is a major component of the storyline, but in the end it's about a bond between partners.
FIVE PLUS STARS
May 22, 2013
5 Stars
This is a book that I urge everyone to read. Seldom have I read a book that weaves so many elements together this seamlessly and evocatively. I am purposely going to avoid detail in this review. This story turned out to be so much more than I expected, and I’d love for everyone to experience it as fresh minded as possible.
What grabbed me first with this story was the narrative. The story is told by Daniel in a fairly gentle, matter- of- fact, and highly effective manner and pace. The story centers on Daniel and Jared, their relationship, and their re-emergence into the world of professional tennis. It is also so much, much more....
Read Dianne's full review at Live Your Life, Buy The Book
This is a book that I urge everyone to read. Seldom have I read a book that weaves so many elements together this seamlessly and evocatively. I am purposely going to avoid detail in this review. This story turned out to be so much more than I expected, and I’d love for everyone to experience it as fresh minded as possible.
What grabbed me first with this story was the narrative. The story is told by Daniel in a fairly gentle, matter- of- fact, and highly effective manner and pace. The story centers on Daniel and Jared, their relationship, and their re-emergence into the world of professional tennis. It is also so much, much more....
Read Dianne's full review at Live Your Life, Buy The Book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews