Title: Trust the Focus
Series: In Focus #1
Author: Megan Erickson
Publisher: InterMix
Release Date: March 17, 2015
From the author of Make it Count comes the first novel in the In Focus series…
With his college graduation gown expertly pitched into the trash, Justin Akron is ready for the road trip he planned with his best friend Landry— and ready for one last summer of escape from his mother’s controlling grip. Climbing into the Winnebago his father left him, they set out across America in search of the sites his father had captured through the lens of his Nikon.
As an aspiring photographer, Justin can think of no better way to honor his father’s memory than to scatter his ashes at the sites he held sacred. And there’s no one Justin would rather share the experience with more than Landry.
But Justin knows he can’t escape forever. Eventually he’ll have to return home and join his mother’s Senate campaign. Nor can he escape the truth of who he is, and the fact that he’s in love with his out-and-proud travel companion.
Admitting what he wants could hurt his mother’s conservative political career. But with every click of his shutter and every sprinkle of ash, Justin can’t resist Landry’s pull. And when the truth comes into focus, neither is prepared for the secrets the other is hiding.
Oh my, oh my, oh my! There are not very many M/M books that affect me this way. Actually, before this book, there was only one that had me feeling this emotional. I tend to stick to M/M reads that are on the more erotic side. That ends now. Because, WOW! This book had my feelings all over the damn map.
Two best friends and a road trip. One out and proud, and the other firmly closed away in the closet. Justin has kept his feelings for his best friend, Landry, a secret. They're there, ever present, but he's not ready for the repercussions admitting to them will entail. The road trip of a lifetime changes things for these two men.
This is one of the most complete package M/M reads I've ever had the pleasure to pick up. Megan Erickson has done an amazing job writing these characters. You FEEL their emotions and inner conflict. It's beautiful, sexy and will stay with me for a long, long time.
~ Review by Erin
Get the tissues handy—this is not your typical M/M read. It’s so much more.
Justin and Landry have been best friends since they were kids. With the passing of Justin’s beloved father a couple years ago, and now that they’ve both graduated from college, Justin and Landry are embarking upon a cross country trip in the Winnebago left to Justin, to spread his father’s ashes at the sites his dad captured through the lens of his Nikon.
Justin is angry—angry that his dad is dead. Angry that he’s expected to join his mother’s senate campaign team regardless of his wants and desires. Angry that he’s in love with Landry and can’t admit his feelings.
Landry is just along for the ride. He’s happy to be spending some time with his best friend, even if his feelings aren’t returned. Landry’s been in love with Justin for years, too.
Will Justin finally admit his feelings for Landry? Will he face his fears and accept who he is as a gay man? Is he willing to stand up to his mother and finally take control of his own life and future? But will that future include Landry?
This book is so much more than a M/M romance. It’s about love, acceptance, grief recovery, and bravery. I really enjoyed this book. Justin’s story is heartbreaking. He’s kept his feelings for Landry buried so deep because of his mother’s political platform and beliefs. She’s a driving force that Justin must stand up to if he’s ever going to find happiness. Landry, I thought was going to be a bit of a puppy—happy to see Justin, happy to be with Justin, happy to be included in the trip… happy, happy, happy. I loved that he wasn’t and that he called Justin on the carpet! It was a true turning point for both Justin and the story and I couldn’t put the Kindle down until I finished!
~ Review by Missy
Trust The Focus...what a great title. I'd have read this book based only on it, even if it hadn't been written by an author whose previous series (The Bowler University series) I had loved, and even if it wasn't a M/M book with an intriguing premise.
Wanting honor his late father, Justin Akron is set to spend the summer after his college graduation with three things he loves; his father's old Nikon, Sally, the RV that would cart him cross-country, and his best friend, Landry.
With the responsibilities forced on him by his politician mother looming come Fall, Justin wants to make the most of his summer of freedom, as he travels to sites his father memorialized with his photographs...even if that means sharing a small space with the man he's loved for years -- but can never have.
Will he be able to keep his feelings secret, when every stop, every photo, every scattering of ashes, makes the future seem that much harder and Landry that much more desirable?
Trust The Focus was a very good coming out and coming-of-age story. It had all the right ingredients to make a sweet, sexy and heartfelt book; forbidden love, friends-to-lovers, secrets, lies and mistakes, and an emotional grand gesture. I loved the way the trip that Justin and Landry took was chronicled with blog posts, I enjoyed their banter and their friendship, and I very much wanted these men to find their happy, and find it together.
I easily warmed to Justin, and I strongly believe that's because this book is told from his POV. While I liked Landry, and felt he was an excellent match for Justin, I never truly connected with his character. I struggled to get into his headspace and see the world as he seemed to. But not so with Justin. Justin, I loved almost from page one. And with each step he took towards becoming who he was meant to be, I was cheering him on. Sure, sometimes I wanted to pop him upside the head, but that's men for you...right?
As far as M/M reads go, this one was everything good about the genre. Steamy and sexy, honest with a little angst and tension to propel the story, and filled with likable characters that gave Justin and Landry the support they deserved. Oh, and a great title.
~ Review by Beth
Wow! What a book! Trust the Focus was my first book by Megan Erickson and I absolutely adored it! I can’t wait to read more by her! It was so easy to read and I couldn’t put it down.
We meet Justin, a college graduate who is struggling with life.
“When did my life get away from me and get this f--ked up?”
He has a degree he doesn’t really want, a controlling mother he doesn’t want to work for, and a ten-year long crush on his best friend, Landry, while pretending to like girls. The two set out of a summer road trip in honor of Justin’s dad, Charlie, to spread his remains on some of his favorite places.
The connection between Landry and Justin was phenomenal. You could feel it through the pages. I loved the forehead touches being like anchors. And when they finally admitted their secrets and feelings, it was perfect.
“All those fantasies, those feelings I’d harbored deep down inside, had been 100 percent right. Kissing Landry, touching him, my fingers on his skin, was everything I should have felt like the way my teammates talked about feeling when touching a girl.”
It was hard, at times, to watch Justin learn to be true to himself, but it was so worth it in the end. Landry was a fantastic best friend and boyfriend.
This book was so much more than just the story of a boy coming out. It was so much more than a story of two best friends becoming lovers. It was the story of two people who were truly meant to be together, no matter their sex. It was emotional, funny, and full of hope. I loved it!
~Review by Tiffany
Megan Erickson worked as a journalist covering real-life dramas before she decided she liked writing her own endings better and switched to fiction. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids and two cats. When she's not tapping away on her laptop, she's probably listening to the characters in her head who won't stop talking.
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