Jez thinks his developing crush is doomed, even when, because reasons, the guys start wanking together regularly. The story is told solely from Jez’s (third person) perspective and he assures the reader that Mac is definitely, 100%, straight. As a result, Mac and Jez are regularly home on Friday and Saturday nights when the rest of their housemates are out.Īt the start of the book, Jez regards himself as straight – those experiences in the all-boys boarding school he went to were just because there were no girls available, right? – but quite soon he begins to realise that he is attracted to both men and women – and Mac in particular. His wealthy parents are teaching him a lesson by requiring him to work off the debt himself which means he has little spare money for going out. Mac has to stay in because he’s falling woefully behind in his classes and Jez has to stay in because in the first year of uni he went a bit overboard with the partying and ran up a massive overdraft.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Jez and Mac live (with others) in a share house while they study at university in Plymouth (in the UK). But falling for your straight friend can only end badly, unless there’s a chance he might feel the same. One thing leads to another, and soon their arrangement becomes hands-on rather than hands-off.

When Jez suggests watching some porn together, he isn’t expecting Mac to agree to it. While their housemates are out drinking every weekend, Jez and Mac stay in to save cash and focus on their studies. After partying too hard last year, they make a pact to rein themselves in. What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Jez Fielding and James MacKenzie-Big Mac to his mates-are in their second year at uni. Why I read it: I saw some positive reviews from trusted Goodreads friends, so I bought it.

Starting from Scratch by Jay Northcote