Dumb Jock

De: Jeff Erno

Narrado por: Tommy O'Brien

Jeff Irwin is short, timid, and studious. A bit of a social outcast, he lives quietly in the shadows of the popular kids at his school, his life ruled by his ever-present fear of rejection or failure.

Enter high school football hero Brett Willson and the chance for Jeff to embark upon the challenge of educating the world's dumbest jock.

But what develops between Brett and Jeff proves far more challenging than any tutoring session. In 1983, rural Michigan isn't ready to embrace love between two men, never mind two teenage boys. If they're going to make a go of it, Jeff will have to come out of his shell - and Brett will have to prove he's more than just a dumb jock.

©2013 Jeff Erno (P)2015 Dreamspinner Press

Pulled on my heartstrings

I love it when a book can make me laugh and cry and Jeff Erno was a master of it in this book. The start of the book was slow and I almost gave up on it about 10% into it because I thought it was too unbelievable how the romance is initiated and progresses, but then it really picked up. Once their romance gets started it is a fun roller coaster that made me feel along with the characters.

Great story

Was a very thoughtful and touching story. They both grew together and came out in the end better.

I lost 20 lbs of crying!

This is so common of a theme for a gay coming out story. They always make me cry, some more than others. I was surprised that this one got to me though, I didn't feel that it was going to be that good or maybe I just thought I would not allow this one to get to me, but it did. HS was a lost time for me. I stayed deep in the closet in 1960s, in Oakland, CA. I had so many crushes, that I kept to myself, and I barely graduate from HS. I was surely very depressed & also I was dealing with going to Vietnam and war. I became the very first person that my draft board ever gave a CO status to. Since then I have spent 40 years in the medical field savings my patients from the horrors of illness if I could or comforting them in their dying. People still hate me because I am gay, and stories like this one brings up the sadness of my youth and how alone I had to be because of other people's hatred of me. I always wonder if they ever realize the harm & pain they inflicted on a lonely young man that just wanted what everyone one else wanted someone to love and someone to love him back!

Adequate but sad

Brett used Jeff. He caused him anguish. The story’s plot without spoilers left me with a bittersweet feeling. Good tale otherwise

Love vs the enforcers of HS heterosexist normativity

The narrator is very good and the story too. Matt is quite a character and we witness his self-awakening and empowerment in the face of heterosexist normativity and its dumbass enforcers in the High Schools. More things than usual are left to the imagination and this is fine perhaps except for the abrupt ending. But then if I wanted to hear more about Brett's horrible coach and his homophobic parents and the prejudice of small everytown, I guess I wouldn't be reading a romance!