I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This book sounded like a solid read, but I didn't feel that the characters were a love match or even that they were attracted to one another.

I really enjoyed Jackson and Blake's story and how they allowed their friendship to grow and change as they did individually. I saw a few other reviewers mention that it didn't seem realistic and that the two of them getting together in the end seemed rushed. I didn't feel that was the case at all. I don't know how people didn't see that Blake was feeling awkward around Jackson because he was starting to have feelings for him. It wasn't a slow burn, but it still moved at a pace that made sense for the characters. Being best friends with someone and then suddenly having more than friendly feelings is a weird situation and they both handled it well.
I also appreciated the way they talked through the problems as they arose. There was no moment of one avoiding the other after the initial "first kiss awkwardness." They were very communicative with each other and with their friends and Jackson's mom.

If I had to find something I didn't like with The Perfect Shine is that I didn't care for the handjob-in-the-lake scene. It just felt like it came out of nowhere and was a weird way to show that they might not be entirely straight.

A coming-of-age story dealing with figuring out sexuality. Jumps back and forth in time between high school and university. I would personally consider it YA, but I think it may be on the line. Was a bit slow in the beginning for me but so much that reading was a chore or anything.

Jackson Meade was the classic nerdy guy at school who didn’t fit in and was easy to bully. He kept his head down and tried to survive his school days until he could escape to go to college. He couldn’t quite believe it when handsome and popular Blake Renault wants to be his friend and keeps waiting for it to end. I really loved this detailed story of friendship and loyalty. Jackson slowly finds his way whilst Blake finds his path. I really enjoyed this story of exploration and different kinds of love. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This books showed a relationship between Jackson and his best friend Blake, I’ve never read a book like this before and I did enjoy the story line. However, Blake was said to have liked Jackson through their friendship although I never got that vibe from him in his chapters. The ending was graphic, but I enjoyed the rest! 4/5 ⭐️

I am having a hard time writing this review because I loved these characters and I love their story of discovery, acceptance and love but the first quarter of this book was really hard for me to read. I actually love the fact that this story unfolds over 3 years in the lives of these young men but the first few chapters were just jarring with the back and forth flashback, fast forward aspects. The beginning is also very heavily Jackson's POV and Blake's perspective was sorely missing. I love reading both YA and NA novels and it feels like this book gave me both but I just wish it had done so in a more cohesive way. I hope other readers will not be thrown off by the beginning because I feel like if you stick it out the pay off is a beautiful love story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Perfect Shine has a very sweet taste of Spring.
Like a flower blooming, the relationship between Jackson and Blake is slow and is everything close to beautiful.

The reader follow them for three years of their lives. Three important years where they learn everything about their other half but also about themselves.

Jackson is a very shy and anti-social sweetheart, the bully in highschool transformed him in someone who's unsure about himself. He's very introvert and Blake is his total opposite. The presence of his best friend let him feel free and feel true. When the graduation arrives and when he misses his best friend more than everything in the world, there are some questions he needs to ask himself.

Blake is confident, extravert, but there's one thing that makes him vulnerable: Jackson. He's as much important for him than breathing is. They are inseperable and very close. They've never been embarrassed to show each other how much they care about the other.
Unless... until something clicked.

The Perfect Shine is a love-story that explore the bond of friendship, the different aspects of a relationship, and the questioning of sexual identity. Everything is sweet and soft. Acceptation, respect, and kindness are the key words to that story.

Ok, so reading the synopsis I was hooked by the friends to lovers and sexual discovery aspect of the book; however, once I started reading it was clear that it was a good idea, but it lacked real clear execution.

First, we start off with Jackson in college, an introvert missing his best friend. Then he meets a girl that kinda becomes his girlfriend and then we are whisked off to Jackson and Blake in high school, where their story began. I felt like there was so much time spent on things that just didn't matter and little time developing the characters, their story, and how it all came together. I mean, we get a lot of details into their high school lives, but a lot of it felt unnecessary. Did we really need to get huge chunks of Jackson being bullied? It would have been enough to have some things shown, but the amount of detail gone into it you would think it would have had more of an impact.

We also learn about Blake and his homelife. It was rough and I felt for him, but when the decision came to go to college, I don't understand why he even cared about what his parents thought or why they should even get a say. It wasn't explained, it was just a convenient way for him not to go to college with Jackson. And we don't even learn that he is bisexual until half way through the book. According to the synopsis, he is in love with Jackson since high school, but it isn't even in his thoughts. Not even a hey, I am bisexual and find Jackson kinda cute but I need to suppress that side of me and bang all these girls to try and fuck the gay out of me. Nothing. But apparently that's what was going on because that's what we are told later. It just didn't add up.

And that wasn't the only thing that didn't connect. There is a scene where they have a sexual encounter kinda together. It's viewed as a one time thing, but then later apparently it was a thing they did? And let me just tell you that that scene in itself distracted me because was it just me and my teen wolf (read Sterek) obsession, but the summer kids were basically the Hale Pack. Lahey? Allie? Scott? Derek? Schulyer?? Come on.

ANYWAY, once I got past that, it was again clear that there had been scenes or thoughts that wanted to happen, but then all the pieces were not put together. I also feel like their personalities changed from part one to part two and there was literally no time for that to have happened. Jackson was super introverted with no social skills or knowledge of really going out to a guy who had a regular drink and wanted to go out with his new friends? Blake was super in love with Jackson and was gonna pass that boundary and not really care if it ruined the friendship as long as he got in a quick makeout session? What?

I also felt like there were parts that literally added nothing to the story. Why did Wils show up at the college for no reason? Why did Wonder have to show up at the bar? What was that crap about Blake and Jackson knowing each other in kindergarten? It added nothing to the story and was unnecessary.

I guess what it boils down to is this story had a lot of potential, but lacked follow through and cohesiveness. And it didn't feel genuine.

This book is hard for me to review. I love this author’s writing and storytelling, and I like this book. I like Blake and Jackson together. This just felt like two different books and this is where I’m torn because both parts are necessary to their story but the transition between the parts didn’t really flow well.

Part one is the boys meeting and becoming best friends in high school. Other than a couple of small hints we have no idea that Blake is in love with Jackson during this time, especially since he pursues girls several times. Jackson’s sexuality was never really discussed in part one. He goes through major sexual discovery in part two. And right as Jackson starts his discovery, Blake’s sexuality is uncovered abruptly, almost too conveniently. This is also when the confession of his true feelings is revealed to us. For me, this would have worked better if we had some insight – even just a couple of hints – into Blake’s feelings in part one.

I adore the friends-to-lovers trope and it really works for these guys. Their friendship was critical for both of them, especially in high school. I’m also glad they separated for a bit at the beginning of college thus proving their relationship would survive a separation. Part one with them in high school was a little slow but part two made up for that. Jackson's sexuality discovery was handled perfectly for me with very little angst and a great support system for him to lean on when he needed.

The ending seemed a bit abrupt with some hesitation still regarding their future – not necessarily whether or not they’d have one, just what it would look like. Their story feels unfinished, so I really hope we get a follow up in the future.

The cast of side characters in part two is amazing as is Meredith, Jackson’s mom, throughout the book. There are some dangling story lines left at the end of the book with some of those side characters so I’m hopeful this is the start of a series.

When I read the blurb for this book, I figured it would be a perfect read for me. I love YA/coming of age books. Throw in some sexuality struggle and secret crushes and I am sold !! Not to mention that J.K. Hogan is the author of one of my "all-time favorite" books "Unbreak Broken". 

I didn't quite get what I expected though... These two don't really get romantically involved until the very end. Now I can do "slow burn"... I am actually a big fan, but I didn't really feel any burn here. 

In the blurb, it is said that Blake has always been in love with Jackson...but it didn't really come up until I passed the halfway mark... For me, the first half of the book was more about "high school friendship" than anything else. Now there isn't anything wrong with that...it just wasn't what I expected.

When both of them are in college, things seem to change and it that's when it's mentioned that Blake has always had a thing for Jackson... It should have been mentioned sooner I think...it would have helped with the burn.

All in all, I didn't really "feel" the attraction between the two of them. I was also a bit thrown off by the POV switches, it took me out of my zone a bit.. They were awesome characters though and I have to give extra credit here to Jackson's mom !! 

That said, this isn't my favorite by this author. That's okay though, because we can't love them all the same. And I will always have my Unbreak Broken re-read :P

J.K. Hogan is a new-to-me author, but reading this book has inspired me to check out her backlist.

I’d call this a coming of age story that straddles the line between young and new adult fiction. Jackson, a nerdy outcast, meets Blake when he starts attending Jackson’s high school. Blake quickly befriends Jackson, who can’t quite figure out why, but the two of them go on to become best friends. Blake even moves into Jackson’s home to escape a bad family situation, and they become inseparable. When the Jackson and Blake are parted by college and work, they find being separated difficult, and that’s the catalyst for their relationship to take a turn toward the romantic.

I’ve read a fair number of YA contemporaries, and the first two-thirds or so of this book would fit well into that genre since it's mostly a flashback to their high school years. I liked the characters; Jackson is smart and self-deprecating, and Blake is nice and protective of Jackson. The first part of the story is mostly about the development of their friendship, which I enjoyed. However, I also became a bit frustrated because the author spends so much time on the backstory for the romance. There are reasons for why nothing develops between them at that point, as the reader learns later, but it definitely made me impatient for the next phase in their relationship.

Once the two of them acknowledge that they might be more than friends, the pace of the story picks up. Jackson is confused about his sexuality, and Blake is supportive as Jackson tries to adjust to the change in how he views himself and their relationship. The two of them are very sweet together, and eventually things take a turn for the spicy, too.

Aside from the pacing issues, I liked this novel. A couple of characters appeared more prominently toward the end of the book, and I’m wondering if a follow up is in the works. If so, I’m definitely going to check it out.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

I requested an ARC of The Perfect Shine because this sounded like it might be a fun romance, but it didn't do much for me; or maybe I'm just super critical, it's hard to tell these days. While the first 50%—most of this being Jackson and Blake's friendship during high school—was fairly entertaining, I felt disconnected from the second half. I found the construction odd due to the fact that the majority of the book came from Jackson's point of view, but then over a fourth of the way into the story Blake's narrative was introduced, and from there the dual perspectives weren't shared evenly. The writing also wasn't the best: it tried to be amusing but instead generally fell flat. I didn't like Jackson, though I enjoyed the look he gave into questioning one's sexuality and not being able to entirely define it. Blake was okay for the first half, though I never connected with him, but the author's decision to make him suddenly acknowledge his bisexuality and romantic feelings for Jackson felt forced and awkward: it kind of came out of left field, even though hints of attraction had been there from nearly the beginning. Their relationship would have benefited from being a slow burn, which is what I say about most romances, I know. I absolutely adored the relationship Jackson had with his mother, and their conversation near the end was lovely. Honestly, I much preferred seeing the boys' friendship as they lived under the same roof, building a family together with Jackson's mother.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While this book was really cute, it felt like something I'd read a million times before--two white boys, homophobic town, bullies, and all--especially during the first half of the book. I couldn't really get into the characters, Jackson and Blake, and I found it difficult to tell their viewpoints apart. The second half was an improvement and I was glad to see a lot more variety of queer characters, seeing a lot of m/m often neglects the existence of queer girls. I would have liked to see a lot more of Jackson and Blake's life as adults; the blurb was misleading in that I wasn't expecting a large part of the storyline to be them in high school, and the information the readers gets in this part could have been gleaned from a few short flashbacks. On the whole I thought this book was okay but nothing stood out to me.

This book isn't what I expected but I ended up really enjoying it. Actually I probably wouldn't have read it had the blurb been a bit more accurate since I don't read YA books and the first 60% of this book takes place while the two MCs are in high school. Surprisingly though that ended up being my favorite part of the book and I really loved it. I liked both Blake and Jackson as characters, I loved Jackson's relationship with his mother and I loved the friendship that developed between Blake and Jackson.

The only issue I really had with this book was that during the first 60% of the book we get a few scenes in Blake's POV and there is never even a hint of his acknowledging his attraction to Jackson. That would be okay except in the last 40% of the book Blake repeatedly states that he has always wanted Blake. I really wish the author would have made it more clear in the first part of the book. There was some great potential for a very slow burn or at least a one-sided attraction. I would have liked to have some scenes were Blake was dealing with his attraction to Jackson in the first part of the book.

I really loved that the friendship these two had built made the romantic relationship between them far easier because they communicated and respected each other already. It did seem to happen rather quickly and I would have liked a bit more of the book dedicated to the development of this relationship. What this book did an amazing job at was the self discovery from Jackson. I loved this aspect of the book.

It seemed that there were a few open ended questions at the end especially in regards to Jackson's roommate. Maybe this was meant to be set up for another book but it was a bit of a loose end that had me wondering.

Overall, I loved this tender, sweet coming of age romance and although there were some things which I would have liked to be a bit different I will definitely look for some other books by this author.

First all sorry for my poor english. I'll try to explain my opinion as much better I can.
I liked this book and the characters but I think the plot is not sufficiently developed. At beginning the book is slow. In that point I only could see their relathionship just like friends. I was waiting for something else more romantic to happen between them apart from their friendship.
I understood Blake more tan Jackson. Although both of them are two adorable guys, their love not touched my heart.
Jackson is shy and he is suffering bullying from others guys in his school. He doesn't question his own sexuality until long after meeting Blake, but when this happens, I thoght that like a weird reaction, because I didn't see conflict into him.
This book is enjoyable and has made me have a good time reading but it will not be among .my favorites in the world.
They take hurried decisions and all this it fall into a hasty end too.

When I first read the plot I thought I'll find another kind of story but I had to wait until 60% to find out all I had guessed. Close to half of the book was a presentation of characters: Jackson and Blake and all their stories.

There were parts narrated by both of them so I could understand them better. I really loved Jackson and Blake, both are fantastic characters and so sweet ^.^

The part where Jackson questioned his sexuality was funny, interesting and educational.

Something happened in the two last chapters that made me think of another book, about another characters.

Reading the last chapters it came to my mind that there’s a possibility of a book two with another MCs, could be

The perfect shine is a sweet and entertaingin book about friendship and love :)

The Perfect Shine is a perfect coming of age and friends to lovers book. Jackson and Blake are high school friends and the story is about what to happen to them during college. The book is mostly Blake's point of view and the discovery of their feeling for one another. The interactions with them has a great flow and truly enjoyed the book.

This book really was a mixed bag for me!

To get this out of the way, my single biggest issue with this book is the description. I get that some people don't read descriptions, but I like to know what I'm getting into. And I know that most authors are not responsible for the descriptions of their books, but this was really annoying. From the description I thought we would get some little flashbacks to high school and the main story of this book would be Jackson and Blake figuring out their sexuality. But in reality, the first half of this book is about these two in high school and the second half starts with Jackson in college. And I really don't like it when descriptions tell me more than half of what is going to happen in the book I'm about to read.

Anyway, I couldn't quite put this conflicting information aside. The description tells us Blake has been in love with Jackson from the beginning, so I thought this would be a nice twist on the usual "nerd in love with the jock" trope. But, even though we got a few chapters from Blake in the first half, there was nothing about any romantic feelings between these two. It was a really sweet developement of a deep friendship between the two main characters, don't get me wrong, I really liked that! My mind was just set on a different kind of story. If you can get over that or just stay blind to the description, the first half is just a very low-key, sweet friendship story. When the second half started and we suddenly learn that Blake has been in love with Jackson from the very beginning and that he's always known he's bisexual. And like I said, we got some chapters from Blake's perspective and there was no indication of that. Why? I would have loved to read about Blake trying to figure out how to deal with his feelings.

Despite this confusion that Blake brought with him, I really liked him as a character! Especially towards the beginning when Jackson and him were just getting to know each other. He was always so sweet and wanted to do the best for Jackson. And even later when Jackson was in college, he was still a sweetheart, sending him care packages and I loved that these two were calling each other every day!! Speaking of great characters, Meredith (Jackson's mom) is seriously the sweetest! I loved how they really formed a family together and were always there for each other. I'm really close to my mom too, so seeing this in this book warmed my heart! I also loved her reaction when Jackson talks to her about his relationship/sexuality problems.

Speaking of sexuality, I really liked that once Jackson started questioning what was between him and Blake, he started seriously thinking about it and doing his own research, instead of ignoring it and pushing it to the back of his mind. On another note, though, people were super casual about sex in this book and it probably comes down to personal taste, but I didn't really enjoy this. There is a scene where Blake and Jackson have a three-way make-out session with a girl and that made me super uncomfortable. And not only that, but later on they mention that they did this several times and from what I understood had sex with different girls in the same room on prom night. That's just not something I liked. Any time Jackson mentions that he had sex with girls, he throws it around so casually and that was just weird to me.

Something that I really enjoyed was that people actually talk to each other in this. Once there's some conflict between Jackson and Blake regarding their feelings and sexualtiy, they don't just ignore it or have some stupid fallout where they try to ignore each other (there is a brief situation like that, but it's not as bad as it could be and it gets resolved rather quickly). They talk about their insecurities and I really liked that Jackson really tried to figure out what label he could put on his sexuality, and ultimately deciding that it doesn't matter.

There's a few plot threads that don't get resolved in the end, which confused me a little. One of Jackson's old school bullies turns up at his college and then you never hear about him again. His mom said there was something she's been thinking about doing. Maybe she meant the bakery that Jackson was talking about somewhere at the beginning of this story? Or maybe not, I don't know. Also, Callen, Jackson's roommate was acting strangely towards the end of the book and we never find out why. Is there another book planned? I have no idea! But this left me a bit unsatisfied.

Anyway, the writing started out okay and got better towards the ending, in my opinion. Characters were talking a bit strangely sometimes (like Jackson calling himself an "old soul", what teenager does that?), but it was easy to read!

Overall, this is a perfectly enjoyable contemporary about friendship and figuring out your sexuality.

So to to be honest the beginning of this book did not grab me. But I kept on and about 50% in it hit its stride. I enjoyed the romance between Blake and Jackson. However, I felt like it ended kind of quickly. I hope there is a sequel. Thank you for the ARC.

The Perfect Shine is about a lot of things, but I think what stood out most for me, is that it’s about figuring out who you are, and I will always read the hell out of that kind of story

This book follows Jackson Meade and his best friend Blake Renault. From the day they first meet in high school, it’s clear that there’s a connection between them despite their differences. Sweet, befuddled, bullied, unusual Jackson in his skinny jeans and band t-shirts is surprised when popular, tattooed, soccer playing Blake seems to want to be friends with him. That’s what this book is all about though, the connections that we make with people who may not be the same as us… the non-judgemental kind of love and friendship we all need.

I think this story also reminds us that we shouldn’t be drawing conclusions about who people are, what they think, what kind of life they’re living… based on how they look. Life can be pretty confusing without us all making assumptions about each other.

As this lovely friendship blossoms, Blake creates a buffer safe zone around Jackson with his unconditional support and it’s a very new thing for Jackson. He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t much like to touch people, and he’s not really social, preferring his own company.

There are things going on in Blake’s life that make his home life untenable and big-hearted Meredith (Jackson’s mom) takes him in. No spoilers here, people!

As the two young men grow and change, they find themselves off on different paths even though they are still inexplicably drawn to each other. For one… the attraction is confusing and terrifying, for the other it’s just how he’s always felt. The book is about how they figure that out and what will become of their friendship once they do.

I loved this book. I want to cuddle it. Honestly, the relationship between Blake and Jackson made my heart feel all warm and fuzzy. Did you ever want a friend who would kind of just show up, and be … everything?

Reading this made me feel good and it made me miss my best friend. Please write more dear author.