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Nothing Ever Happens
A hurt/comfort gay saga.
This isn’t a romance of easy solutions. It’s a love story between two men who should never have come together.
In Andrew’s world, nothing much happens. His days with his wife and son are content, if not passionate. The new neighbors are about to change all that.
Nathan is looking forward to the arrival of his new baby and his first teaching job. Then he meets Andrew, and his world turns upside down.
Tension morphs into passion and it’s obvious to everyone, however hard they try to hide it. Even from each other. But Andrew and Nathan love their families too.
Making decisions is never easy and in a small cul-de-sac, the two men have hard choices to make. Do they follow their hearts or their responsibilities?
This isn’t a romance of easy solutions. It’s a love story between two men who should never have come together.
In Andrew’s world, nothing much happens. His days with his wife and son are content, if not passionate. The new neighbors are about to change all that.
Nathan is looking forward to the arrival of his new baby and his first teaching job. Then he meets Andrew, and his world turns upside down.
Tension morphs into passion and it’s obvious to everyone, however hard they try to hide it. Even from each other. But Andrew and Nathan love their families too.
Making decisions is never easy and in a small cul-de-sac, the two men have hard choices to make. Do they follow their hearts or their responsibilities?
377 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 6, 2011
About the author
Sue Brown
128 books814 followersHot guys, big hearts, Sue's world.
Sue Brown is a Londoner with a dream to live on a small island. Coffee fuels her addiction to writing romance with hot guys loving each other, and her Adorkadog snores in harmony as she creates.
Sue Brown is a Londoner with a dream to live on a small island. Coffee fuels her addiction to writing romance with hot guys loving each other, and her Adorkadog snores in harmony as she creates.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 265 reviews
February 19, 2013
2.5 stars...
Well this book was just RIDICULOUS.
Bad writing, horrible editing, and just outrageous story points.
I will try and save you by telling you to run the other way from this book. However, if you have the itch for a poorly written, unbelievable GFY plot than close your eyes as I spoil away in this review:
- 2 married men, one in a “beard” relationship, the other blissfully happy hetero
- Love at first hug.
- Cheating
- Club sex
- “I can’t do this! I can’t do this!”
- Fake pregnancy
- Emotional breakdown
- Perfect new boyfriend, to-become-husband
- Let’s all be friends
- Oh, didn’t I tell you we’re in an “open” relationship
- More club sex
- 100 different characters who all have relationships with each other
- Child pornography
- Zealous religious mother
- “The older man” x1000 (why do author’s LOVE to overuse this as a descriptor? And PS – the guy was only TWO years older!)
- Let’s share each other. That’s not weird at all.
- Near death experience.
- HEA
Ok, ok…in list form, it’s worse than in actuality. It was interesting enough to get me to finish. I guess that’s saying something…
October 23, 2015
I find myself not writing a lot of review's this year, but I thought I needed to for this one since I loved it so much...
I've had this book on my kindle for a very long time. Every time I came to it thinking it was time for me to read it I would see so many mixed ratings that I thought, "maybe not right now". But finally I thought I'd read one of the reviews that marked it at 5 stars and one that marked it at 2 stars just to see which one would lead me to either finally reading the book or passing it by again. Obviously by me having read the book the 5 star review won me over and I am so glad it did. This just reminded me that we are all very different and we are not going to love or even like the same books. That, I personally, just need to read the damn book for myself and see what happens.
Now with saying that, I really loved this book. The characters are all very flawed and most importantly to me, very much real. The struggles within these men, these families, and even in these women are very much a reality to a lot of people who are either feeling this way or living this very life being told in this story. Sue Brown has created a story that is very well written with well developed characters. I loved the rollercoaster she put me on and that this book had my feelings all over the map.
Like I said, this book was a rollercoaster of emotions with so many ups and downs that I never knew where I would end up. One moment I was loving Nate and Drew and the next moment I was yelling at my kindle for what they were doing to each other, themselves, and their families. I couldn't help but get very involved with these characters considering their so well developed and I really enjoy that with my reads. I like being able to connect to the characters and go through the emotions with them. It makes them and their situations that more real.
I think what I loved most about this book was how honestly written it is. Their is no sugar coating and no excuses made for the actions made by these characters. It was like here it is, this is what they did, here's how they felt, and this is what happened because of their actions. I liked the reality of it and how at the end it wasn't wrapped up in a big HEA bow. I know people in other reviews have stated this is a HEA but I disagree to a point. In the end they're still going through struggles and everything isn't perfect. It was one of the most honest realist endings I have ever read. I loved that even though some things worked out some things were still being worked through. I loved the imperfections of it all.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
I've had this book on my kindle for a very long time. Every time I came to it thinking it was time for me to read it I would see so many mixed ratings that I thought, "maybe not right now". But finally I thought I'd read one of the reviews that marked it at 5 stars and one that marked it at 2 stars just to see which one would lead me to either finally reading the book or passing it by again. Obviously by me having read the book the 5 star review won me over and I am so glad it did. This just reminded me that we are all very different and we are not going to love or even like the same books. That, I personally, just need to read the damn book for myself and see what happens.
Now with saying that, I really loved this book. The characters are all very flawed and most importantly to me, very much real. The struggles within these men, these families, and even in these women are very much a reality to a lot of people who are either feeling this way or living this very life being told in this story. Sue Brown has created a story that is very well written with well developed characters. I loved the rollercoaster she put me on and that this book had my feelings all over the map.
Like I said, this book was a rollercoaster of emotions with so many ups and downs that I never knew where I would end up. One moment I was loving Nate and Drew and the next moment I was yelling at my kindle for what they were doing to each other, themselves, and their families. I couldn't help but get very involved with these characters considering their so well developed and I really enjoy that with my reads. I like being able to connect to the characters and go through the emotions with them. It makes them and their situations that more real.
I think what I loved most about this book was how honestly written it is. Their is no sugar coating and no excuses made for the actions made by these characters. It was like here it is, this is what they did, here's how they felt, and this is what happened because of their actions. I liked the reality of it and how at the end it wasn't wrapped up in a big HEA bow. I know people in other reviews have stated this is a HEA but I disagree to a point. In the end they're still going through struggles and everything isn't perfect. It was one of the most honest realist endings I have ever read. I loved that even though some things worked out some things were still being worked through. I loved the imperfections of it all.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
March 11, 2020
***4.5***
You know how some things can completely surprise you? That was me and this story. For some reason I've had this in my sights pretty much since I started seriously reading MM (what a phrase! LOL) and I'm not quite sure why.
If you're a stickler for tropes or strict about things like monogamy, one-true-loves, or infidelity this might not be for you. I'm super glad I finally read it. Though I've had the ebook for ages I hadn't taken the leap until I needed an AB for my commute and chose this. Paul Morey does a pretty decent job, notwithstanding weird musical intros at the beginning of each chapter, but ultimately what really shines is the story.
In broad strokes this is the story of Andrew Matthews, a gay man living the suburban dream complete with wife and child. Except that at the age of 26 it's more like a prison sentence for Andrew. One fine day that sentence becomes a dream & a nightmare when tall-drink-of-water, Nathan Peterson, moves into the neighborhood. With his very pregnant wife Alex. There's an immediate attraction on Andrew's part and true spark of friendship for both men. Over the course of seven (7) years that spark catches fire, wanes, and comes back to life through the ups and downs of their lives. As I said this is the story in broad strokes as it's really kind of epic in scope covering the lives of Andrew & Nathan's friends and family.
I liked pretty much everything about this, how Sue Brown gave life to a whole cast of characters who were utterly human. I know, particularly in romance, we want our MC to be heroic, almost perfect in their choices, and adhering to an almost impossible moral/ethic code but these were just people. Flawed. Sometimes afraid. Failing more often than not. Stumbling and stalling on their way to love. I really like how she didn't have her MCs, gay men, adhere to cisgender heteronormative roles. The road to HEA is bumpy and full of heartbreak but nothing rang false.
You know how some things can completely surprise you? That was me and this story. For some reason I've had this in my sights pretty much since I started seriously reading MM (what a phrase! LOL) and I'm not quite sure why.
If you're a stickler for tropes or strict about things like monogamy, one-true-loves, or infidelity this might not be for you. I'm super glad I finally read it. Though I've had the ebook for ages I hadn't taken the leap until I needed an AB for my commute and chose this. Paul Morey does a pretty decent job, notwithstanding weird musical intros at the beginning of each chapter, but ultimately what really shines is the story.
In broad strokes this is the story of Andrew Matthews, a gay man living the suburban dream complete with wife and child. Except that at the age of 26 it's more like a prison sentence for Andrew. One fine day that sentence becomes a dream & a nightmare when tall-drink-of-water, Nathan Peterson, moves into the neighborhood. With his very pregnant wife Alex. There's an immediate attraction on Andrew's part and true spark of friendship for both men. Over the course of seven (7) years that spark catches fire, wanes, and comes back to life through the ups and downs of their lives. As I said this is the story in broad strokes as it's really kind of epic in scope covering the lives of Andrew & Nathan's friends and family.
I liked pretty much everything about this, how Sue Brown gave life to a whole cast of characters who were utterly human. I know, particularly in romance, we want our MC to be heroic, almost perfect in their choices, and adhering to an almost impossible moral/ethic code but these were just people. Flawed. Sometimes afraid. Failing more often than not. Stumbling and stalling on their way to love. I really like how she didn't have her MCs, gay men, adhere to cisgender heteronormative roles. The road to HEA is bumpy and full of heartbreak but nothing rang false.
March 19, 2015
I love angsty romances. It's almost all I read. I've survived some of the best of the genre. I've forgiven cheaters, accepted characters who were total bastards, MCs that had done bad things in their past; reread them all. Twice. But this one I just can't bring myself to re-read. I just think it broke my heart and made me angry one too many times.
I really loved this book. I did. I love epic romances. I love seeing how love can survive through time and stress (stop making fun of my optimism, it's all I got, k?) I wanted to see these guys together and the stupid things they let keep them apart pissed me off. And quite frankly, Nathan's cheating pissed me off, but it wasn't some lost in the moment gratification... they didn't have sex until they'd fallen in love. That broke my heart in a shitty way. I don't understand Nathan's wife trying to hold on to a man that's not in love with her any more... A man who is in fact in love with a MAN. I'd say that means your relationship has crashed and burned. Nathan's in his early 20s which is why I think marriage that young is dumb anyways because you still have so much to find out about yourself, in many people's cases it's their sexuality. That was obviously Nathan's problem.
And while I was happy for the guys when they got their HEA I was not satisfied because Nathan was forced. He never made any decision for himself. His marriage was what was expected, as was his fatherhood, then it went on and on until ALEX decided it was time to finally cut her losses and drop the gay boy (silly girl). If he hadn't been forced I have no doubt they would have done their silly dance for another 20 yrs which leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth toward old Nate. Goodness, now I'm just ranting.
I'd say give it a read if you're down with the angst. It won't disappoint but know this: it's frustrating as hell.
I really loved this book. I did. I love epic romances. I love seeing how love can survive through time and stress (stop making fun of my optimism, it's all I got, k?) I wanted to see these guys together and the stupid things they let keep them apart pissed me off. And quite frankly, Nathan's cheating pissed me off, but it wasn't some lost in the moment gratification... they didn't have sex until they'd fallen in love. That broke my heart in a shitty way. I don't understand Nathan's wife trying to hold on to a man that's not in love with her any more... A man who is in fact in love with a MAN. I'd say that means your relationship has crashed and burned. Nathan's in his early 20s which is why I think marriage that young is dumb anyways because you still have so much to find out about yourself, in many people's cases it's their sexuality. That was obviously Nathan's problem.
And while I was happy for the guys when they got their HEA I was not satisfied because Nathan was forced. He never made any decision for himself. His marriage was what was expected, as was his fatherhood, then it went on and on until ALEX decided it was time to finally cut her losses and drop the gay boy (silly girl). If he hadn't been forced I have no doubt they would have done their silly dance for another 20 yrs which leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth toward old Nate. Goodness, now I'm just ranting.
I'd say give it a read if you're down with the angst. It won't disappoint but know this: it's frustrating as hell.
May 2, 2015
This book was well written, a great story and would rate 5 stars if it weren't for certain things that I think a decent editor/beta reader could have pointed out. One of them, and it's a particular pet peeve of mine, is the use of words that are British in origin when the story takes place in Texas. Like calling a kitchen counter a "dresser". I had to read the scene three times before I understood why there was a "dresser" in the kitchen. Or saying "in hospital" or "have a coffee" Or use of the world "whilst". A Texas boy would never, ever use the word "whilst" and he would be in THE hospital and have a CUP of coffee. This is picky, I know, but it does break up the flow of the conversation and rip me out of the story.
Another thing that drove me crazy was the use of M' or S' preceding a word to denote "sleepy" or lazy speech. It's so overdone in this book that it's become a huge distraction! Example: “S'not m'alarm,” or
“M' phone, m' pocket,”. These are scattered all throughout the book and not always when someone has just been woken up. I dunno but s'driving m'crazy!
I will read more of this author because I think she is a good story teller but a little more attention to detail would go a long way in making her books great rather then just good.
Another thing that drove me crazy was the use of M' or S' preceding a word to denote "sleepy" or lazy speech. It's so overdone in this book that it's become a huge distraction! Example: “S'not m'alarm,” or
“M' phone, m' pocket,”. These are scattered all throughout the book and not always when someone has just been woken up. I dunno but s'driving m'crazy!
I will read more of this author because I think she is a good story teller but a little more attention to detail would go a long way in making her books great rather then just good.
November 5, 2015
I am having a really hard time reviewing this book properly. I expected a nice romance that involves married men who fall for each other, but what I got was a full on drama.
I've read lots of mixed reviews on this book and I have to say, they're all true. There are many flaws about this story that you can either overlook and accept or decide to abandon this story because of them.
One of the biggest flaws is clearly Nathan and his refusal to leave his wife for Andrew. But let's start at the beginning.
Andrew is a gay guy caught in a marriage raising his son with his wife. Why he is married was never clear to me. Obviously his bigot mother forced him into it and his wife just went along. Whatever.
Nathan is a newly wed young elementary school teacher who just moved to the neighborhood with his pregnant wife.
Since Andrew hails from Texas - just like Nathan - both men immediately bond and start hanging out together. Andrew even tells Nathan that he is gay - which is another major flaw in the story. Why would Andrew confide in his new neighbor if he doesn't want his sexual orientation to be public knowledge? For all he knows, Nathan could be a homophobic jerk.
Andrew has a fuck buddy, Gary, with whom he frequents gay clubs to get laid or get an occasional blowjob to work off some steam. Andrew even drags (his straight friend!!) Nathan along to the club one night and Nathan walks in on Andrew and some stranger going at it in a toilet stall.
Of course, Nathan is shocked while simultaneously thinking: 'Why can't it be me doing this with Andrew?'
Yeah sure, the confused straight boy has a crush on the married gay guy.
Their friendship is suffering over this and long story short: Nathan falls for Andrew. Andrew falls for Nathan, but Nathan doesn't want to leave his wife, job and children behind to be with Andrew.
I don't really understand what Nathan and Andrew see in each other (which is probably another major flaw). I mean, Nathan is a hot young guy. I can understand the attraction, but on an emotional level? What glued these guys together? Somehow this important part was missing.
So the story spans over 7 years with Nathan longing for Andrew and Andrew finally deciding to pursue his life as a gay man (leaving his wife and having a gay relationship and everything that he could never have with Nathan) before things wind down (due to a rather extreme tragedy, mind you) to a nice HEA.
As a gay man, I did not feel comfortable with the portrayal of the relationship that Andrew shared with his partner. This open relationship with the older guy dictating what (or who) will be done is quite insulting. I know such things exist in real life, but I don't feel comfortable about them. Especially the way his partner tried to rekindle the affair between Andrew and Nathan was a very weird concept for me. It made sense, later on, but it was still weird.
Although the main flaw was, I simply couldn't understand why Nathan didn't simply leave his wife. It's not like he still loved Alex. So many rainbow families consist of gay fathers leaving their marriage to be with a male partner. Why would Nathan torture himself and Andrew over SO MANY f**** years?! I just don't get it.
And last, but not least: The name issue. Gary and Gabe? I had a hard time separating these two characters when they were mentioned. How can you choose names that are so alike? Andrew and his partner Mr. Andrews? So ultimately Andrew would be Andrew Andrews?!
And - this is rather funny, though - Principal Skinner?! Bart Simpson would be so proud.
On the positive side, I have a weakness for epic stories that span over several years. By the end of it, I could not suppress a tear upon witnessing their well-deserved HEA.
But let me tell you, I don't wanna go on an angst-ridden ride like this again anytime soon.
3.5 stars!
I've read lots of mixed reviews on this book and I have to say, they're all true. There are many flaws about this story that you can either overlook and accept or decide to abandon this story because of them.
One of the biggest flaws is clearly Nathan and his refusal to leave his wife for Andrew. But let's start at the beginning.
Andrew is a gay guy caught in a marriage raising his son with his wife. Why he is married was never clear to me. Obviously his bigot mother forced him into it and his wife just went along. Whatever.
Nathan is a newly wed young elementary school teacher who just moved to the neighborhood with his pregnant wife.
Since Andrew hails from Texas - just like Nathan - both men immediately bond and start hanging out together. Andrew even tells Nathan that he is gay - which is another major flaw in the story. Why would Andrew confide in his new neighbor if he doesn't want his sexual orientation to be public knowledge? For all he knows, Nathan could be a homophobic jerk.
Andrew has a fuck buddy, Gary, with whom he frequents gay clubs to get laid or get an occasional blowjob to work off some steam. Andrew even drags (his straight friend!!) Nathan along to the club one night and Nathan walks in on Andrew and some stranger going at it in a toilet stall.
Of course, Nathan is shocked while simultaneously thinking: 'Why can't it be me doing this with Andrew?'
Yeah sure, the confused straight boy has a crush on the married gay guy.
Their friendship is suffering over this and long story short: Nathan falls for Andrew. Andrew falls for Nathan, but Nathan doesn't want to leave his wife, job and children behind to be with Andrew.
I don't really understand what Nathan and Andrew see in each other (which is probably another major flaw). I mean, Nathan is a hot young guy. I can understand the attraction, but on an emotional level? What glued these guys together? Somehow this important part was missing.
So the story spans over 7 years with Nathan longing for Andrew and Andrew finally deciding to pursue his life as a gay man (leaving his wife and having a gay relationship and everything that he could never have with Nathan) before things wind down (due to a rather extreme tragedy, mind you) to a nice HEA.
As a gay man, I did not feel comfortable with the portrayal of the relationship that Andrew shared with his partner. This open relationship with the older guy dictating what (or who) will be done is quite insulting. I know such things exist in real life, but I don't feel comfortable about them. Especially the way his partner tried to rekindle the affair between Andrew and Nathan was a very weird concept for me. It made sense, later on, but it was still weird.
Although the main flaw was, I simply couldn't understand why Nathan didn't simply leave his wife. It's not like he still loved Alex. So many rainbow families consist of gay fathers leaving their marriage to be with a male partner. Why would Nathan torture himself and Andrew over SO MANY f**** years?! I just don't get it.
And last, but not least: The name issue. Gary and Gabe? I had a hard time separating these two characters when they were mentioned. How can you choose names that are so alike? Andrew and his partner Mr. Andrews? So ultimately Andrew would be Andrew Andrews?!
And - this is rather funny, though - Principal Skinner?! Bart Simpson would be so proud.
On the positive side, I have a weakness for epic stories that span over several years. By the end of it, I could not suppress a tear upon witnessing their well-deserved HEA.
But let me tell you, I don't wanna go on an angst-ridden ride like this again anytime soon.
3.5 stars!
Read
March 18, 2011My feelings about this book are so mixed as to make it impossible to rate so I'm not going to. There were parts that I hated, and parts that had me totally sucked in. It was such a roller coaster - not just the story, but my enjoyment of it. I don't know if I would recommend it to anyone, it's just all totally up in the air. There were characters that I not only disliked but thought were poorly written. There were dialogue and events that I thought were unnecessary and made no sense. But for me, I find a love story the most romantic when the love between two people is stronger than anything else and even though there are obstacles, they can't help themselves. Maybe it's not the most realistic scenario, but it's the kind story I like best and that's what this was so I enjoyed it despite myself.
November 8, 2017
I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. But I enjoyed every messy second of it. I loved how credible it all was. How there was no right answer, no right path to take. Just trying to make the best of an impossible situation.
The pacing of the book was just right for this kind of story. Mostly set in a sleepy small town, were everybody knows everybody and secrets are impossible to keep.
And as for the cheating? I can't say that it's right or wrong. Don't get me wrong, lying and hurting people is never right, but this was also an impossible situation that they found themselves in and people were bound to get hurt no matter what. I can't honestly say there was a right path to take. I do think that this is a book that can make you question what's right or wrong, to look at things from other perspectives, to see that things aren't always what they might seem from the outside.
Life is really messy and hard at times, and this book clearly shows that. But it also shows amazing loves, friendships and families that are there for each other no matter what. It's hopeful, beautiful and heartbreakingly sad, but it's definitely a book I'd recommend you to read.
January 5, 2015
W-O-W! This is another one that I'd give 6 stars to if I could. This will go on my Absolute All-Time Favorites shelf. I stayed up until 4:30 a.m. to finish it, because there was no way I could put it down without finising it. It was an absolute rollercoaster of angst and emotion. This is one of the very few books that I actually did shed a couple of tears for and that is a BIG rarity for me. I feel like I need to catch my breath now that I'm done, like I'm emotionally drained.
This story spans seven years in the lives of Andrew and Nathan. Andrew is a gay man who is married with a kid. He was forced into the marriage by his (abusive) homophobic mother at a young age because in her mind, that would make him be straight. So although married, and having gotten a son out of the marriage, he and his wife live separate lives, but are good friends. Nathan and is young pregnant wife move into the neighborhood and he and Andrew immediately become friends. But for Andrew, his feelings for Nathan run deeper, despite being warned by his friends not to fall for the straight, married, and very unavailable straight guy. Andrew and Nathan have a somewhat hot and cold kind of relationship. They bicker like lovers do, because before long, Nathan can't deny that they are like gravitational bodies that pull each other together, and it's not long before others start to notice and warn them to cool it and stay away from each other. Finally, one night at a gay club, Nathan sees Andrew with another man and is upset by witnessing the act as well as jealous which causes another big fracture in their relationship. The angst in this story is about as heavy as it gets. These guys want each other so badly that it hurts to read about it. Their pain is palpable. The grief that they feel over the times that they nearly have each other, only to realize that it's not going to happen then is heart wrenching. There are losses and pain and fiercely protective family and friends that surround both Andrew and Nathan. There are some plot twists and surprises. There is infidelity in the story and other reviewers have taken issue and I've seen some that didn't read the book because of that fact. I don't condone it, but is addressed by the characters and things do work out in the end and all of the characters get a HEA to some degree or another.
Now having gushed, because I seriously LOVED this book, I would like to take a moment to plead with authors to take "the older/younger man" phrase and wipe it out of existence. I find it obnoxiously annoying. It becomes repeated over and over throughout the book and pulls me out of the story. It just sounds funny. And in this case? Andrew was only several years older than Nathan so to me, he wasn't really an "older man". Why can't authors just refer to characters by their name? GRRRR!!! That was really the only thing about the book that irritated me. But anyway, FANTABULOUS book!!!
This story spans seven years in the lives of Andrew and Nathan. Andrew is a gay man who is married with a kid. He was forced into the marriage by his (abusive) homophobic mother at a young age because in her mind, that would make him be straight. So although married, and having gotten a son out of the marriage, he and his wife live separate lives, but are good friends. Nathan and is young pregnant wife move into the neighborhood and he and Andrew immediately become friends. But for Andrew, his feelings for Nathan run deeper, despite being warned by his friends not to fall for the straight, married, and very unavailable straight guy. Andrew and Nathan have a somewhat hot and cold kind of relationship. They bicker like lovers do, because before long, Nathan can't deny that they are like gravitational bodies that pull each other together, and it's not long before others start to notice and warn them to cool it and stay away from each other. Finally, one night at a gay club, Nathan sees Andrew with another man and is upset by witnessing the act as well as jealous which causes another big fracture in their relationship. The angst in this story is about as heavy as it gets. These guys want each other so badly that it hurts to read about it. Their pain is palpable. The grief that they feel over the times that they nearly have each other, only to realize that it's not going to happen then is heart wrenching. There are losses and pain and fiercely protective family and friends that surround both Andrew and Nathan. There are some plot twists and surprises. There is infidelity in the story and other reviewers have taken issue and I've seen some that didn't read the book because of that fact. I don't condone it, but is addressed by the characters and things do work out in the end and all of the characters get a HEA to some degree or another.
Now having gushed, because I seriously LOVED this book, I would like to take a moment to plead with authors to take "the older/younger man" phrase and wipe it out of existence. I find it obnoxiously annoying. It becomes repeated over and over throughout the book and pulls me out of the story. It just sounds funny. And in this case? Andrew was only several years older than Nathan so to me, he wasn't really an "older man". Why can't authors just refer to characters by their name? GRRRR!!! That was really the only thing about the book that irritated me. But anyway, FANTABULOUS book!!!
July 25, 2013
3.5 stars.
In theory this book hit so many of my buttons, but the ending left me frustrated. This is a long read that covers 7 years in the lives of Andrew, Nathan and their families.
Andrew has a wife and son and an arrangement. He is gay and his wife knows and accepts that. They live their life in a way that has worked for them for 10 years. When Nathan and his very pregnant wife move into the neighborhood, Andrew and Nathan instantly click, but Andrew must remind himself not to fall for the straight, married, Nathan, who is also his son's new teacher. Eventually one thing leads to another and the story becomes an epic soap opera of love, lust, friendship, family drama and lies.
Through these 7 years, there is never a question that the two will always love each other. Andrew really has had a difficult past and is put through the wringer in this book. I really felt for him and was happy that he had so much support from his wife and friends. Nathan's issues are mostly of his own making, however. What frustrated me most is that at the end left me more with a HFN feeling rather than HEA. When it all ended, I never felt comfortable that Nathan would not just up and leave Andrew .
If you love angst and soap opera like plot lines, this is definitely a book for you.
In theory this book hit so many of my buttons, but the ending left me frustrated. This is a long read that covers 7 years in the lives of Andrew, Nathan and their families.
Andrew has a wife and son and an arrangement. He is gay and his wife knows and accepts that. They live their life in a way that has worked for them for 10 years. When Nathan and his very pregnant wife move into the neighborhood, Andrew and Nathan instantly click, but Andrew must remind himself not to fall for the straight, married, Nathan, who is also his son's new teacher. Eventually one thing leads to another and the story becomes an epic soap opera of love, lust, friendship, family drama and lies.
Through these 7 years, there is never a question that the two will always love each other. Andrew really has had a difficult past and is put through the wringer in this book. I really felt for him and was happy that he had so much support from his wife and friends. Nathan's issues are mostly of his own making, however. What frustrated me most is that at the end left me more with a HFN feeling rather than HEA. When it all ended, I never felt comfortable that Nathan would not just up and leave Andrew .
If you love angst and soap opera like plot lines, this is definitely a book for you.
February 23, 2022
Nope, Nope, Nope. This wasn't for me. I could go on about why, but I won't. The writing didn't work for me. I didn't like the characters or the story. The end.
1 star and dnf at 40ish%
1 star and dnf at 40ish%
April 15, 2011
This is very much a mixed review. I appreciate when an author takes the time to tell a complete story, especially in this genre filled with stories that are often too short & shallow. I also was interested enough to want to know what happens with the two protagonists. Parts of this story was very good but then there were parts that fell flat & felt unreal.
Firstly this book needed a good editor. I tend to overlook minor errors but there were so many here that it took me out of the story many times. Sometimes the errors & awkward phrasings made the sentences incomprehensible. I'd find myself reading it several times to try to figure it out. There was also the constant use of the phrase older man even when one character was 26 and the other 23.
My second issue was some of the character's reactions lacked credibility. Alex, Nate's wife, basically encourages the friendship between Nate & Andrew even though she knows that Andrew is trying to pick up men in bars when they go out together. She even gets angry when Nate tries to break off the friendship due to this. I don't know of any wife who wants her husband hanging around a guy who is cruising(whether for guys or gals), especially one that's a new mother. The entire neighborhood knows everybody's business. Everybody from exes, parents, brothers to new husbands, to f buddies interferes & intermingle with each other. In fact I'm not sure why Nate remains closeted as there appeared to be no one who didn't know about he & Andrew.
The more the story went on, the more Nate appeared to be a likable but weak character. It seemed his misery was of his own making so I started to lose sympathy for him. By the end when Nate finally makes his choice, it's not even his decision but the decision was made for him & he starts the blame game taking no responsibility for his actions. That was actually the most disappointing scene in the book. I also found the character of Alex mystifying. I could not understand her motivation for wanting to stay in a marriage with Nate.
Lots of other stuff happens in this book--it does go through 7 years. The scenes with the two men together are great. I think Andrew was the most clearly drawn character and his actions made sense. I'm glad he wasn't made into some pitiful character waiting for Nate to wake up, & actually did what a normal person would do, move on. But by detailing these other relationship & all the other trials & tribulations, the romance of Nate & Andrew diminishes & is no longer the primary focus of the story. This is when the novel starts to drag.
All in all I found the book uneven. Nate & Andrew have great chemistry on the page & if you can overlook the factors above, then you'd probably enjoy this novel.
Firstly this book needed a good editor. I tend to overlook minor errors but there were so many here that it took me out of the story many times. Sometimes the errors & awkward phrasings made the sentences incomprehensible. I'd find myself reading it several times to try to figure it out. There was also the constant use of the phrase older man even when one character was 26 and the other 23.
My second issue was some of the character's reactions lacked credibility. Alex, Nate's wife, basically encourages the friendship between Nate & Andrew even though she knows that Andrew is trying to pick up men in bars when they go out together. She even gets angry when Nate tries to break off the friendship due to this. I don't know of any wife who wants her husband hanging around a guy who is cruising(whether for guys or gals), especially one that's a new mother. The entire neighborhood knows everybody's business. Everybody from exes, parents, brothers to new husbands, to f buddies interferes & intermingle with each other. In fact I'm not sure why Nate remains closeted as there appeared to be no one who didn't know about he & Andrew.
The more the story went on, the more Nate appeared to be a likable but weak character. It seemed his misery was of his own making so I started to lose sympathy for him. By the end when Nate finally makes his choice, it's not even his decision but the decision was made for him & he starts the blame game taking no responsibility for his actions. That was actually the most disappointing scene in the book. I also found the character of Alex mystifying. I could not understand her motivation for wanting to stay in a marriage with Nate.
Lots of other stuff happens in this book--it does go through 7 years. The scenes with the two men together are great. I think Andrew was the most clearly drawn character and his actions made sense. I'm glad he wasn't made into some pitiful character waiting for Nate to wake up, & actually did what a normal person would do, move on. But by detailing these other relationship & all the other trials & tribulations, the romance of Nate & Andrew diminishes & is no longer the primary focus of the story. This is when the novel starts to drag.
All in all I found the book uneven. Nate & Andrew have great chemistry on the page & if you can overlook the factors above, then you'd probably enjoy this novel.
February 29, 2020
I listened to this back in 2012, back when I didn't leave reviews. I absolutely remember the core story and that I liked it. I couldn't find the audiobook edition on GR so I added it. In 2012, I rated the audiobook at Audible four stars for both the story and the narration. This was back when just about the only narrator available and affordable for MM romance writers and small publishing houses was Paul Morey.
May 5, 2020
3.5 pero redondeo por lo alto porque
Recuerdo que hubo cosas que no me convencieron, sobre todo el ritmo de la trama, pero en general me tuvo enganchada y cada vez agradezco más encontrarme con personajes que se salen de lo habitual y cuyas acciones no necesariamente apruebo.
Recuerdo que hubo cosas que no me convencieron, sobre todo el ritmo de la trama, pero en general me tuvo enganchada y cada vez agradezco más encontrarme con personajes que se salen de lo habitual y cuyas acciones no necesariamente apruebo.
May 20, 2013
My expectation was that I wouldn't enjoy the story and wouldn't like the characters due to the infidelity - actually that sounds a bit silly given that I bought the book to read! :) However, I really, really liked this book.
I loved both Andrew and Nathan. I didn't necessarily like all their actions or agree with their decisions, but I found myself quite passionately wanting them to get together.
The books was interesting to read. The journey was not necessarily a happy one. There was lots of heartache and Andrew and Nathan weren't together most of the time. There were a couple of moments where the story looked to take one path but diverted to another, keeping me turning the pages to find out want happens next.
The secondary characters were varied and interesting - children, wives, ex-wives, in-laws, best friends, neighbours, lovers. Everyone seemed to have an opinion on the relationship.
Although I found it hard to understand why Nathan didn't just bite the bullet and leave his wife, his confusion and indecision was clear. He was worried about his very young children (Daniel and Jess) and his career but the person he seemed to be hurting the most was himself. "For too long now, Nathan had only felt alive when he was bathed in the warmth of Daniel and Jess or in the blazing light that was Andrew."
It was also easy to feel sympathetic towards Andrew whose overbearing parents had forced the direction his life had taken. He had spent his life trying to do the right thing by his wife and son. At the beginning of the book he is living with his wife and son and supporting them, but it was a marriage in name only. He was honest with his wife.
The love and passion between the two men was obvious and their journey a very hard one but with the outcome I was hoping for.
I loved both Andrew and Nathan. I didn't necessarily like all their actions or agree with their decisions, but I found myself quite passionately wanting them to get together.
The books was interesting to read. The journey was not necessarily a happy one. There was lots of heartache and Andrew and Nathan weren't together most of the time. There were a couple of moments where the story looked to take one path but diverted to another, keeping me turning the pages to find out want happens next.
The secondary characters were varied and interesting - children, wives, ex-wives, in-laws, best friends, neighbours, lovers. Everyone seemed to have an opinion on the relationship.
Although I found it hard to understand why Nathan didn't just bite the bullet and leave his wife, his confusion and indecision was clear. He was worried about his very young children (Daniel and Jess) and his career but the person he seemed to be hurting the most was himself. "For too long now, Nathan had only felt alive when he was bathed in the warmth of Daniel and Jess or in the blazing light that was Andrew."
It was also easy to feel sympathetic towards Andrew whose overbearing parents had forced the direction his life had taken. He had spent his life trying to do the right thing by his wife and son. At the beginning of the book he is living with his wife and son and supporting them, but it was a marriage in name only. He was honest with his wife.
The love and passion between the two men was obvious and their journey a very hard one but with the outcome I was hoping for.
October 17, 2017
4 Stars
This was a hard book to listen to, and it will not be a lot of readers' cuppa with the extreme angst & infidelity. The problems with these characters are not easily resolved, there's no quick solution for a sweet, happily-ever-after. In fact, there's much to be desired in the one we're given, even if the MCs do end up together. Families, ya know? It's hard to please everyone...
The story takes place over the span of years, seven of them, where no one ever seems completely happy. These people are terribly, wonderfully humanly flawed; they make mistakes - lots of them - and try to learn from the consequences. If you read (or listen carefully) it's not just the MCs that stretch their limits, make sacrifices that break your heart sometimes...but they all seem to grow & try to do the best they can given the seemingly untenable situations.
Don't judge by my review, though. Or anyone else's. Give this book a whirl and see for yourself. If you can get past those issues (or they don't immediately make you want to burn the book), it's worth living through the turmoil with them. Promise.
This was a hard book to listen to, and it will not be a lot of readers' cuppa with the extreme angst & infidelity. The problems with these characters are not easily resolved, there's no quick solution for a sweet, happily-ever-after. In fact, there's much to be desired in the one we're given, even if the MCs do end up together. Families, ya know? It's hard to please everyone...
The story takes place over the span of years, seven of them, where no one ever seems completely happy. These people are terribly, wonderfully humanly flawed; they make mistakes - lots of them - and try to learn from the consequences. If you read (or listen carefully) it's not just the MCs that stretch their limits, make sacrifices that break your heart sometimes...but they all seem to grow & try to do the best they can given the seemingly untenable situations.
Don't judge by my review, though. Or anyone else's. Give this book a whirl and see for yourself. If you can get past those issues (or they don't immediately make you want to burn the book), it's worth living through the turmoil with them. Promise.
June 4, 2011
Let me try this again. Silly internet didn't save my review!!
Nothing Ever Happens was an emotionally charged read that had me wrung out by the end. It had the perfect amount of wit and humor infused with the heartbreak and Pain. The characters were well developed and I at least at one point throughout either hated or loved Drew and Nate. Sue Brown created amazing characters that kept me riveted and I have to confess I missed a lot of what was going on around me for a couple days as I simply had to keep reading to find out what happened next. There were only a few minor things in this book that had me rolling my eyes but not once was I pulled from the story. Highly recommended read!!
Nothing Ever Happens was an emotionally charged read that had me wrung out by the end. It had the perfect amount of wit and humor infused with the heartbreak and Pain. The characters were well developed and I at least at one point throughout either hated or loved Drew and Nate. Sue Brown created amazing characters that kept me riveted and I have to confess I missed a lot of what was going on around me for a couple days as I simply had to keep reading to find out what happened next. There were only a few minor things in this book that had me rolling my eyes but not once was I pulled from the story. Highly recommended read!!
November 17, 2011
There is a sanctity and favor when God looks at one of His creations and smiles that can only be defined as grace. And then there is a certain eloquence of style when an artist creates something of beauty that can also be considered grace. Sue Brown has created something of grace and beauty here that shines with a quiet painful dignity.
Andrew and his family live in a quiet neighborhood. and lead a quiet life. A scarred man inside and out, Andrew is a photographer, a father, and a man staying in a marriage he never wanted with a woman he loves as a friend to please a religious mother. When the pressure builds too badly, he escapes for a night to find release with a man he will never see again. Then back home to pretend for another little while that life is fine.
Nathan moves his pregnant wife into Andrew's neighborhood looking to settle down, start his career as a teacher, and raise his soon-to-be son among other happy young families. He and Andrew strike and immediate friendship, and while Nathan wonders why Andrew has his own room downstairs, he begins to like Andrew a lot. At least until he finds the gay stroke mag stuck in between Andrew's couch cushions, and assumes the worst.
While they patch up their friendship, can the two men deal with the attraction that grows between them? And when Andrew's wife asks him for a divorce to marry the man she loves, what will happen to both families?
Where lesser writers would wrap this up quickly with both men leaving their wives and walking off into the sunset together, holding hands under a rainbow, Ms. Brown takes the much harder road and has life, in all it's sticky, uncomfortable and messy ways, happen. We see Andrew having to come to terms not only with the present, but with his painful past - how his overbearing and religious mother allowed him to be physically abused in the name of normalcy, how he bowed his head and tried to be the man they wanted, how he struggled and ended up with a pregnant girl friend and a son and a life he never wanted. And we see how his future is uncertain and scary. What is a man to do and who is he to be when he loses what everything he defined himself as?
And Nathan. Where Andrew had fought to be "normal" all his life, Nathan WAS normal. And now that he has fallen for man, what does that mean for him and his wife and his son and his self image? Can he be what he needs to be to be in a relationship with Andrew? Or will his fear be the master of him? Will Nathan take the easier road, the less risky way? Will his flame be dimmed, and allowed to die out.
The message here is that life is rarely simple, cut and dried, or comfortable. All of us brave the trials, the fires, the tears and the bitter harsh realities in which we baptize our pains in order to come out the other side renewed. For, as Ms. Brown shows us so clearly with Andrew and Nathan, the easy road seldom feeds the soul, and the struggle, while painful, allows our spirits to break free and shine.
It may only be through trial that we are rewarded. Lessons learned without cost may not sustain us when rough times come.
Andrew and Nathan certainly learn that grace comes with a cost. And we learn that grace may just be worth the costs.
I found this book to be a lovely, painful, harsh testament to the power of love, redemption and sacrifice. I hope you will too.
Tom
Andrew and his family live in a quiet neighborhood. and lead a quiet life. A scarred man inside and out, Andrew is a photographer, a father, and a man staying in a marriage he never wanted with a woman he loves as a friend to please a religious mother. When the pressure builds too badly, he escapes for a night to find release with a man he will never see again. Then back home to pretend for another little while that life is fine.
Nathan moves his pregnant wife into Andrew's neighborhood looking to settle down, start his career as a teacher, and raise his soon-to-be son among other happy young families. He and Andrew strike and immediate friendship, and while Nathan wonders why Andrew has his own room downstairs, he begins to like Andrew a lot. At least until he finds the gay stroke mag stuck in between Andrew's couch cushions, and assumes the worst.
While they patch up their friendship, can the two men deal with the attraction that grows between them? And when Andrew's wife asks him for a divorce to marry the man she loves, what will happen to both families?
Where lesser writers would wrap this up quickly with both men leaving their wives and walking off into the sunset together, holding hands under a rainbow, Ms. Brown takes the much harder road and has life, in all it's sticky, uncomfortable and messy ways, happen. We see Andrew having to come to terms not only with the present, but with his painful past - how his overbearing and religious mother allowed him to be physically abused in the name of normalcy, how he bowed his head and tried to be the man they wanted, how he struggled and ended up with a pregnant girl friend and a son and a life he never wanted. And we see how his future is uncertain and scary. What is a man to do and who is he to be when he loses what everything he defined himself as?
And Nathan. Where Andrew had fought to be "normal" all his life, Nathan WAS normal. And now that he has fallen for man, what does that mean for him and his wife and his son and his self image? Can he be what he needs to be to be in a relationship with Andrew? Or will his fear be the master of him? Will Nathan take the easier road, the less risky way? Will his flame be dimmed, and allowed to die out.
The message here is that life is rarely simple, cut and dried, or comfortable. All of us brave the trials, the fires, the tears and the bitter harsh realities in which we baptize our pains in order to come out the other side renewed. For, as Ms. Brown shows us so clearly with Andrew and Nathan, the easy road seldom feeds the soul, and the struggle, while painful, allows our spirits to break free and shine.
It may only be through trial that we are rewarded. Lessons learned without cost may not sustain us when rough times come.
Andrew and Nathan certainly learn that grace comes with a cost. And we learn that grace may just be worth the costs.
I found this book to be a lovely, painful, harsh testament to the power of love, redemption and sacrifice. I hope you will too.
Tom
July 19, 2021
I have really mixed feelings about this book and that's not just because of the subject of the story(a LOT of cheatings) but also i had some issues with the way it was written. Or maybe it's better to say, half the time i wanted to beat the characters and the real problem wasn't with the writing itself!
One of my untouchable subjects is cheating. Reading about it makes me so uncomfortable. It does not matter how much someone justifies the betrayal my brain screams "NO!" So going through this book wasn't quite easy for me but i think i needed a change of pace and i did it a go.
In my total horror the result wasn't as i predicted and i have to admit i did enjoy it in some levels. (should i be ashamed?! 😂🤔).
Two men with a commitment to their families fall in love. Andrew was more honest with himself and although he was a married man with a 9 year old son, he was in an agreement with his wife so both of them had their separate love lives. (my first issue : This isn't a reasonable solution specially with a child to take care of. They always said they wanted to keep their relationship because of their son and Andrew 's parents but honestly it is a wrong thing to do in every aspect that i look). Then we have Nathan, a newly married guy with a pregnant wife. I had the most issues with Nathan' s personality. He was clueless most of the time and the fact that he couldn't make a decision annoyed me the most. He was like"I'm in love with another man and that lets me have the right to cheat and i feel guilty but i'll continue it anyway! "
Even when Andrew finally decided to have another relationship, they didn't stop seeing each other! (Andrew told Nathan that he wasn't in an exclusive relationship with his husband and Rich actually set Andrew and Nathan up to meet each other in a club). At the end Nathan did not made a decision himself and i think if his wife didn't want a divorce he would have continued his life style without any change.
Idk what rating is suitable due to the feelings i had towards this book🤯. But i can't deny it made me read a book without any stop after so long. I give it 4 stars for that. (it's more 3 or 3.5 stars for my usual ratings but nvm)
One of my untouchable subjects is cheating. Reading about it makes me so uncomfortable. It does not matter how much someone justifies the betrayal my brain screams "NO!" So going through this book wasn't quite easy for me but i think i needed a change of pace and i did it a go.
In my total horror the result wasn't as i predicted and i have to admit i did enjoy it in some levels. (should i be ashamed?! 😂🤔).
Two men with a commitment to their families fall in love. Andrew was more honest with himself and although he was a married man with a 9 year old son, he was in an agreement with his wife so both of them had their separate love lives. (my first issue : This isn't a reasonable solution specially with a child to take care of. They always said they wanted to keep their relationship because of their son and Andrew 's parents but honestly it is a wrong thing to do in every aspect that i look). Then we have Nathan, a newly married guy with a pregnant wife. I had the most issues with Nathan' s personality. He was clueless most of the time and the fact that he couldn't make a decision annoyed me the most. He was like"I'm in love with another man and that lets me have the right to cheat and i feel guilty but i'll continue it anyway! "
Even when Andrew finally decided to have another relationship, they didn't stop seeing each other! (Andrew told Nathan that he wasn't in an exclusive relationship with his husband and Rich actually set Andrew and Nathan up to meet each other in a club). At the end Nathan did not made a decision himself and i think if his wife didn't want a divorce he would have continued his life style without any change.
Idk what rating is suitable due to the feelings i had towards this book🤯. But i can't deny it made me read a book without any stop after so long. I give it 4 stars for that. (it's more 3 or 3.5 stars for my usual ratings but nvm)
March 29, 2017
Normalerweise mag ich die Bücher von Sue Brown, aber was sie sich bei diesem hier gedacht hat, ist mir ein Rätsel. Ich habe es aufgegeben, mich bis zum Schluss durchzuquälen, das Buch ist schlimmer als diese nervigen Daily-Soaps im Fersehen.
Ich hatte beim Lesen (späterem Durchblättern) mehr und mehr das Gefühl, als gönne die Autorin den beiden Hauptcharakteren ihr Happy End nicht, deswegen treibt immer wieder irgendwas Neues einen Graben zwischen die Charaktere ... Noch dazu wollen Nathan und Andrew erwachsene Männer mit Familien sein, kommen mir aber eher so vor, als wären sie ohne ihre Ehefrauen überhaupt nicht lebensfähig. Oder besser gesagt: nicht entscheidungsfähig.
Und wie man, in Andrews Fall, überhaupt noch einen Gedanken an die eigene Mutter verschwenden kann, nach dem, was sie ihm angetan hat - sorry, aber dafür fehlt mir jedes Verständnis.
Dafür gibt's nicht mehr als den obligatorischen Stern und definitiv keine Leseempfehlung.
Aber ein dickes Dankeschön geht wie immer an den Dreamspinner Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar.
Ich hatte beim Lesen (späterem Durchblättern) mehr und mehr das Gefühl, als gönne die Autorin den beiden Hauptcharakteren ihr Happy End nicht, deswegen treibt immer wieder irgendwas Neues einen Graben zwischen die Charaktere ... Noch dazu wollen Nathan und Andrew erwachsene Männer mit Familien sein, kommen mir aber eher so vor, als wären sie ohne ihre Ehefrauen überhaupt nicht lebensfähig. Oder besser gesagt: nicht entscheidungsfähig.
Und wie man, in Andrews Fall, überhaupt noch einen Gedanken an die eigene Mutter verschwenden kann, nach dem, was sie ihm angetan hat - sorry, aber dafür fehlt mir jedes Verständnis.
Dafür gibt's nicht mehr als den obligatorischen Stern und definitiv keine Leseempfehlung.
Aber ein dickes Dankeschön geht wie immer an den Dreamspinner Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar.
July 6, 2017
Re-read March 2014 for the Re-Romancing the Faves Challenge. I still love this angsty story, but I thought the beginning was a little weird. I didn't really notice this the first time I read it, but I have noticed this in my multiple re-reads: why was Stephanie made out to be a bitch at the beginning? The way Andrew described/thought about her, she came across as a bitch who didn't let him do anything and trapped him in their marriage, but she quickly becomes a very understanding and supportive wife/ex-wife. Just kind of odd.
Read originally 9/1/2011: I truly felt for Andrew. I hate that Nathan and others seemed to blame him like he was trying to seduce Nathan, but I don't think he did anything wrong other than the obvious of messing around with a married man. He should have put his foot down WAY earlier and made Nathan choose, but I get he was in love, so he kept going back. I am glad that he stood up for himself when Nathan came to tell him Alex was pregnant. I truly hated Alex. I get that she loved Nathan, but she knew he wasn't in love with her anymore, so to sink to the level of faking a pregnancy is just disgusting to me. Have some self respect and leave! Even if she really was pregnant, that wasn't going to make him love her again all of a sudden... it just added another kid's life to get messed up by her parent's divorce. I like that the author mentioned that the daughter was having a tough time with splitting time between parents. I am not against divorce by any means, but all of the HEA stories tend to gloss over issues with kids, etc. I am happy that Andrew got his HEA, and I am happy that Steph and Joe and his son were there for him through everything. I thought at the beginning that Steph was going to be a spiteful b!tch, but she turned out to be very caring, and I liked her a lot. The only part that really threw me with this book was when Rich setup Andrew and Nathan, and Andrew said that they messed around with other people. Was just kind of random and seemed weird like it was thrown in to make them hooking up more plausible. I am glad that Rich was there for Andrew though, I definitely agree that Rich was what Andrew needed at the time.
Read originally 9/1/2011: I truly felt for Andrew. I hate that Nathan and others seemed to blame him like he was trying to seduce Nathan, but I don't think he did anything wrong other than the obvious of messing around with a married man. He should have put his foot down WAY earlier and made Nathan choose, but I get he was in love, so he kept going back. I am glad that he stood up for himself when Nathan came to tell him Alex was pregnant. I truly hated Alex. I get that she loved Nathan, but she knew he wasn't in love with her anymore, so to sink to the level of faking a pregnancy is just disgusting to me. Have some self respect and leave! Even if she really was pregnant, that wasn't going to make him love her again all of a sudden... it just added another kid's life to get messed up by her parent's divorce. I like that the author mentioned that the daughter was having a tough time with splitting time between parents. I am not against divorce by any means, but all of the HEA stories tend to gloss over issues with kids, etc. I am happy that Andrew got his HEA, and I am happy that Steph and Joe and his son were there for him through everything. I thought at the beginning that Steph was going to be a spiteful b!tch, but she turned out to be very caring, and I liked her a lot. The only part that really threw me with this book was when Rich setup Andrew and Nathan, and Andrew said that they messed around with other people. Was just kind of random and seemed weird like it was thrown in to make them hooking up more plausible. I am glad that Rich was there for Andrew though, I definitely agree that Rich was what Andrew needed at the time.
May 6, 2011
This book was about Andrew and Nathan's love story, a story which spans 7 years to actually come to fruition. What I don't get about stories such as these is why stay with someone who you don't love (or who doesn't love you). Alex, Nathan's wife, KNEW Nate was having sex with someone other than herself. She knew he was having sex with Andrew and that they were undeniably drawn to each other over anyone else. She also knew that Andrew was in a fake marriage to Stephanie because they had been forced to marry as teens, by Drew's mom, when Stephanie fell pregnant on the one time they had sex. Now, knowing this Alex stays with Nathan and makes sure (won't spoil) that he stays with her.
As with another reader I found the label, 'older man', stupid when it referred to Andrew (as he was in his mid 20s when the story starts and hardly what one would classify as an older man even though, sure, he was older than 23 year old Nate). It made it sound like he was a LOT older than 26, frankly. Almost made it sound like a May/December relationship LOL. But that was just a niggle.
The cheating was annoying because, apparently, it was OK in a gay marriage so, therefore, OK (unbeknown to wife) in a straight marriage? If you need to cheat (and we're not just talking once which is, also, not acceptable) constantly GET OUT OF YOUR MARRIAGE. I realize we're supposed to sympathize with these two men who are so in love with each other but what about the one man's wife. Sure, Drew's wife is fine with it because theirs is a farce of a marriage, but Nate's wife isn't fine with it. I still don't get why she was accepting of Nate's infidelity. Did she really have no self esteem? Is that why she allowed it to continue and said nothing? And stayed?
I really wanted to like this story as I liked Drew. I suppose there are reasons for an elementary school teacher to keep his relationship with a man a secret when he's a big fat cheater. But, otherwise, is there any reason for a gay man to keep quiet about being gay if he teaches elementary school children?
I think Drew deserved to be treated better. I liked Rich but how convenient that he ... (won't ruin it).
As with another reader I found the label, 'older man', stupid when it referred to Andrew (as he was in his mid 20s when the story starts and hardly what one would classify as an older man even though, sure, he was older than 23 year old Nate). It made it sound like he was a LOT older than 26, frankly. Almost made it sound like a May/December relationship LOL. But that was just a niggle.
The cheating was annoying because, apparently, it was OK in a gay marriage so, therefore, OK (unbeknown to wife) in a straight marriage? If you need to cheat (and we're not just talking once which is, also, not acceptable) constantly GET OUT OF YOUR MARRIAGE. I realize we're supposed to sympathize with these two men who are so in love with each other but what about the one man's wife. Sure, Drew's wife is fine with it because theirs is a farce of a marriage, but Nate's wife isn't fine with it. I still don't get why she was accepting of Nate's infidelity. Did she really have no self esteem? Is that why she allowed it to continue and said nothing? And stayed?
I really wanted to like this story as I liked Drew. I suppose there are reasons for an elementary school teacher to keep his relationship with a man a secret when he's a big fat cheater. But, otherwise, is there any reason for a gay man to keep quiet about being gay if he teaches elementary school children?
I think Drew deserved to be treated better. I liked Rich but how convenient that he ... (won't ruin it).
March 19, 2011
First of all, I have plenty of friends who have a hard limit on cheating. They just don't read books about cheating and if you normally don't, please consider giving this book a chance anyway.
I don't want to use the spoilers-thingum, so I'll just gush without giving much away...
First of all, characters. The guys were lovable, faulty human beings. They made a lot of mistakes, a LOT of mistakes but who doesn't? I loved the secondary characters too, they were, despite being secondary, very well crafted and real, even the annoying neighbor. You know who I mean once you read it. :)
This is a love story, above all. Between two men who seem to have no control over their emotions and who really does? It's a family story too, which I loved, because it was so well-written that it was fresh. The wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and children... Just so good.
For once I LOVED the timeline. We got about a decade of story (I think) and boy was it and a story. It's a rollercoaster ride, I'll give you that, but one of those that leave you breathless and almost teary because it was so good despite freaking you out so much, and you just know you have to go again eventually.
I gasped, I cried, I laughed my butt off, I felt heartbroken and I enjoyed it so, so much.
Read it.
January 20, 2016
3.5
Es la primer novela homoerótica que leo y creo que estuvo bastante bien, me gustó la historia que trata aunque con temas controversiales al momento de ponerlos en la mesa, infidelidad en el matrimonio.
Para ser una novela de este tipo, las escenas de sexo estaban muy tranquilas y para nada explícitas así que no resultan un mal trago. Por eso mismo pienso que como historia resulta muy disfrutable
Es la primer novela homoerótica que leo y creo que estuvo bastante bien, me gustó la historia que trata aunque con temas controversiales al momento de ponerlos en la mesa, infidelidad en el matrimonio.
Para ser una novela de este tipo, las escenas de sexo estaban muy tranquilas y para nada explícitas así que no resultan un mal trago. Por eso mismo pienso que como historia resulta muy disfrutable
September 3, 2011
One of the most amazing book I've ever read. Great love story through several years. I loved it
September 23, 2013
Mi scuso in anticipo se questa sembrerà parecchio una recensione “di pancia” anziché squisitamente letteraria. Ho dato un punteggio basso ma non nullo, perché sono dell’idea che se un libro riesce comunque a smuoverti dentro qualcosa non è da buttare, anzi, ha una sua certa dignità comunicativa.
A parte lo stile narrativo non eccelso (ritmo lento, insistenza sulle descrizioni di mille inutili azioni quotidiane che tutti i personaggi compiono - lui scese nello scantinato, lui tornò su, lui prese il pacco da sei birre – ecco, per inciso, sembra veramente che negli Usa le donne inizino a bere per disperazione alle due del pomeriggio mentre il massimo della vita per i maschi adulti sia chiudersi in garage a ubriacarsi…), è la trama in sé e il conseguente messaggio che mi sono andati di traverso.
C’è un primo padre di famiglia, anzi un “forzato” padre di famiglia (visto che è stato costretto al matrimonio causa figlio in arrivo) che conosce il nuovo vicino di casa ed è come se vedesse “il sole, la luna e le stelle impacchettati per Natale”. Fin qui tutto bene. Siccome Andrew è consapevolmente gay (la moglie sa e comprende, anche se il resto del mondo è all’oscuro), nulla di ridire sul suo colpo di fulmine. Non è invece ben chiaro perché il vicino di casa, che fino a cinque secondi prima era un orgoglioso e FELICE marito e neopadre, diviene d’un tratto un uomo pieno di dubbi sulla sua sessualità e con irrefrenabili istinti di repulsione per la sua (sinora) tranquilla vita matrimoniale. Questo passaggio dal bianco al nero è inverosimile, o comunque troppo repentino, ed infatti da questo sviluppo arrivano guai, lacrime, e sofferenza, tanta sofferenza non solo per i due uomini ma per tutti quelli che stanno intorno.
Il primo aspetto spinoso del romanzo è l’accettazione, direi quasi l’esaltazione della promiscuità sessuale che si percepisce tra le righe. Ora, questo è uno dei pregiudizi che maggiormente affligge le unioni gay e anche uno dei maggiori ostacoli al riconoscimento del loro diritto alla paternità, perché si critica l’instabilità e una certa irresponsabilità/immaturità delle relazioni (non è il mio pensiero – riporto quanto emerge più di frequente nelle discussioni a cui mi è capitato di partecipare).
Ebbene, sia Nathan che Andrew vengono dipinti come due tizi sovraccarichi di ormoni che una volta al mese devono andare in qualche omo-club a sgroppare con il primo che capita. Non importa il nome, basta che il tizio abbia una certa corporatura o abbia i capelli di un certo colore, e chissenefrega delle condizioni igieniche del tizio e del locale (e se in “Morning Report” le scene di sesso erano roventi ma mai volgari, qui le ho trovate brutte, ma proprio brutte. L’unico aggettivo che mi viene in mente è …tristi).
Anche quando Andrew, dopo tanto lottare, finalmente si “sposa” con il suo compagno, che fa? Incontra di nuovo Nathan, con il consenso del marito, e gli spiega tranquillamente che ogni tanto si concedono cavalcate con partner diversi perché tanto la loro non è una “relazione esclusiva”! (???? Ma allora perché tutte queste paranoie sul matrimonio con tanto di festone con i parenti?)
Se mi metto nei panni di uno che legge per la prima volta un romanzo di questo genere penso che qui, senza essere ipocriti, si ricava la sgradevole impressione che veramente (perdonate la volgarità) per certe persone, al buio, un buco vale l’altro.
Ma è nel rapporto con i figli e le due (sfortunate) mogli che i due danno il peggio di sé.
Dapprima è tutto un insistere sui bambini (ah, cosa non farei per loro) ma – stringi stringi – alla fine il cruccio di entrambi è la ricerca della loro felicità (sessuale) ad ogni costo. Per carità, questo è tipico anche di molti eterosessuali – uomini e donne – ma è particolarmente fastidioso che tutti nel romanzo si diano un gran da fare a sottolineare il “diritto” di Andrew e Nathan di realizzare la propria vita NONOSTANTE siano due adulti consapevoli che hanno comunque messo in piedi una baracca familiare e abbiano delle responsabilità verso qualcuno che non ha chiesto loro di venire al mondo.
C’è un passaggio che mi ha fatto particolarmente arrabbiare. Nathan discute con il suo migliore amico la possibilità di piantare moglie e figli per coronare il suo sogno d’amore, ma ha una (corretta?) esitazione: “I bambini…” e l’amico saggio, serafico, gli ribatte: “Quando smetterai di usarli come scusa?”
EH? Ribadisco, eh? Ma è il contrario!! Una volta che sei diventato genitore, devono essere i bambini e non la tua “realizzazione” lo scopo primario della tua vita. E non puoi arrogarti il diritto, solo perché le tue palpitazioni vanno a una nuova persona e non più al precedente coniuge, di passare come uno schiacciasassi sui sentimenti altrui…
Nel libro, tanto per dare un contentino, la felicità dei due si incrocia, guarda caso, con la provvidenziale comparsa in scena di due ulteriori maschi etero che si sobbarcano mogli e figli altrui, ma quanto spesso nella realtà gli egoismi di tanti Nathaniel ed Andrew si lasciano dietro famiglie distrutte e figli che crescono male?
Alla fine, non si salva nessuno. A parte le ex-mogli che, se non sono giustamente comprensive, sono delle megere solo perché cercano di tenersi stretto il marito, pure le madri dei due lasciano allibiti. Se una è una donna crudele che ha usato la cinghia per cancellare la “malattia”, l’altra spinge allegramente il figlio a lasciare mogli e due bimbini (in tenerissima età) per “rifarsi una vita” (di nuovo lo stesso concetto: la felicità del singolo viene al di sopra di tutto).
A parte lo stile narrativo non eccelso (ritmo lento, insistenza sulle descrizioni di mille inutili azioni quotidiane che tutti i personaggi compiono - lui scese nello scantinato, lui tornò su, lui prese il pacco da sei birre – ecco, per inciso, sembra veramente che negli Usa le donne inizino a bere per disperazione alle due del pomeriggio mentre il massimo della vita per i maschi adulti sia chiudersi in garage a ubriacarsi…), è la trama in sé e il conseguente messaggio che mi sono andati di traverso.
C’è un primo padre di famiglia, anzi un “forzato” padre di famiglia (visto che è stato costretto al matrimonio causa figlio in arrivo) che conosce il nuovo vicino di casa ed è come se vedesse “il sole, la luna e le stelle impacchettati per Natale”. Fin qui tutto bene. Siccome Andrew è consapevolmente gay (la moglie sa e comprende, anche se il resto del mondo è all’oscuro), nulla di ridire sul suo colpo di fulmine. Non è invece ben chiaro perché il vicino di casa, che fino a cinque secondi prima era un orgoglioso e FELICE marito e neopadre, diviene d’un tratto un uomo pieno di dubbi sulla sua sessualità e con irrefrenabili istinti di repulsione per la sua (sinora) tranquilla vita matrimoniale. Questo passaggio dal bianco al nero è inverosimile, o comunque troppo repentino, ed infatti da questo sviluppo arrivano guai, lacrime, e sofferenza, tanta sofferenza non solo per i due uomini ma per tutti quelli che stanno intorno.
Il primo aspetto spinoso del romanzo è l’accettazione, direi quasi l’esaltazione della promiscuità sessuale che si percepisce tra le righe. Ora, questo è uno dei pregiudizi che maggiormente affligge le unioni gay e anche uno dei maggiori ostacoli al riconoscimento del loro diritto alla paternità, perché si critica l’instabilità e una certa irresponsabilità/immaturità delle relazioni (non è il mio pensiero – riporto quanto emerge più di frequente nelle discussioni a cui mi è capitato di partecipare).
Ebbene, sia Nathan che Andrew vengono dipinti come due tizi sovraccarichi di ormoni che una volta al mese devono andare in qualche omo-club a sgroppare con il primo che capita. Non importa il nome, basta che il tizio abbia una certa corporatura o abbia i capelli di un certo colore, e chissenefrega delle condizioni igieniche del tizio e del locale (e se in “Morning Report” le scene di sesso erano roventi ma mai volgari, qui le ho trovate brutte, ma proprio brutte. L’unico aggettivo che mi viene in mente è …tristi).
Anche quando Andrew, dopo tanto lottare, finalmente si “sposa” con il suo compagno, che fa? Incontra di nuovo Nathan, con il consenso del marito, e gli spiega tranquillamente che ogni tanto si concedono cavalcate con partner diversi perché tanto la loro non è una “relazione esclusiva”! (???? Ma allora perché tutte queste paranoie sul matrimonio con tanto di festone con i parenti?)
Se mi metto nei panni di uno che legge per la prima volta un romanzo di questo genere penso che qui, senza essere ipocriti, si ricava la sgradevole impressione che veramente (perdonate la volgarità) per certe persone, al buio, un buco vale l’altro.
Ma è nel rapporto con i figli e le due (sfortunate) mogli che i due danno il peggio di sé.
Dapprima è tutto un insistere sui bambini (ah, cosa non farei per loro) ma – stringi stringi – alla fine il cruccio di entrambi è la ricerca della loro felicità (sessuale) ad ogni costo. Per carità, questo è tipico anche di molti eterosessuali – uomini e donne – ma è particolarmente fastidioso che tutti nel romanzo si diano un gran da fare a sottolineare il “diritto” di Andrew e Nathan di realizzare la propria vita NONOSTANTE siano due adulti consapevoli che hanno comunque messo in piedi una baracca familiare e abbiano delle responsabilità verso qualcuno che non ha chiesto loro di venire al mondo.
C’è un passaggio che mi ha fatto particolarmente arrabbiare. Nathan discute con il suo migliore amico la possibilità di piantare moglie e figli per coronare il suo sogno d’amore, ma ha una (corretta?) esitazione: “I bambini…” e l’amico saggio, serafico, gli ribatte: “Quando smetterai di usarli come scusa?”
EH? Ribadisco, eh? Ma è il contrario!! Una volta che sei diventato genitore, devono essere i bambini e non la tua “realizzazione” lo scopo primario della tua vita. E non puoi arrogarti il diritto, solo perché le tue palpitazioni vanno a una nuova persona e non più al precedente coniuge, di passare come uno schiacciasassi sui sentimenti altrui…
Nel libro, tanto per dare un contentino, la felicità dei due si incrocia, guarda caso, con la provvidenziale comparsa in scena di due ulteriori maschi etero che si sobbarcano mogli e figli altrui, ma quanto spesso nella realtà gli egoismi di tanti Nathaniel ed Andrew si lasciano dietro famiglie distrutte e figli che crescono male?
Alla fine, non si salva nessuno. A parte le ex-mogli che, se non sono giustamente comprensive, sono delle megere solo perché cercano di tenersi stretto il marito, pure le madri dei due lasciano allibiti. Se una è una donna crudele che ha usato la cinghia per cancellare la “malattia”, l’altra spinge allegramente il figlio a lasciare mogli e due bimbini (in tenerissima età) per “rifarsi una vita” (di nuovo lo stesso concetto: la felicità del singolo viene al di sopra di tutto).
December 7, 2014
**2.5 stars**
(This review is both long and has some spoilers so read at your own risk.)
If this book had been a contemporary fiction, I’d have rated it higher. One of the book’s good points is that it was realistic, with weak, selfish main characters that do whatever they want without thinking about others. However, in romance I have higher standards. I need to care about the main characters but with these two, I simply couldn't. Just because a person is gay doesn’t give him the right to sleep with married men or cheat on his wife.
This book is about two married men (which we’ll call M1 and M2…they are definitely not ‘heroes’) and their respective wives (W1 and W2.) The first couple has been married for long time and has an open relationship because M1 is gay. The second couple is expecting their first child and seems very loving and happy. But all of a sudden, the men fall in love.
I hate insta-love plot and this was definitely one of them. The men went from having a neighborly relationship, to lusting and then having sex. There were a few silly misunderstandings in their relationship but I really don’t know why they fell in love. I was instantly suspicious of M2’s feelings because it’s clear that as his wife is getting closer to giving birth, he feels left out and out of sorts. There have been a lot of changes in his life (he just got married, will be a father soon and is starting his first job) so it makes sense that in this situation, he will look to the familiarity of male friendships. And that’s why I didn’t know if his feelings for M1 were real or just him reaching for the familiar.
M1, who was the least objectionable of the two men, has a penchant for falling for married men and this was never even addressed (in my opinion any person that only falls in love with married people should consider seeing a psychologist.) Even after he realizes that his attraction for M2 is reciprocated, he doesn’t even stop seeing the guy (as any decent person would tried to do) but instead includes him in his Boys’ Nights Out where they go to gay clubs and share motel rooms. Because you know, the least likely way for you to fall into temptation is to share a room with a person you are attracted to. And his excuse was of course “I was in love with you. I wasn’t strong enough to say no”. Give me a break!
I believe that if an author is going to have infidelity and adultery as part of a plot, it should be addressed properly. I need to see the guilt, the fights, the recriminations, etc. But in this case it’s just glossed over and instead of being an important character, W2 is pushed to a corner. Not only that, but the author makes W2 into a manipulative, slightly abusive mother that takes the husband’s behavior on her children. I guess that makes it OK to cheat on her and maybe endanger her life (he never even thought about the possibility of getting HIV until somebody else told him.)
One of the most deplorable parts of this book is how the “bad guys” are all women. You have M1’s bigot mother, the controlling neighbor and, of course, W2. The men were always portrayed as being blissfully happy when they could be on their own away from the pesky women (even those that weren’t gay.) However, none of the man came out on their own; the wives decided that enough was enough. Both stayed married until the women asked for a divorce. You see, neither of these men was strong enough to make this decision on their own and confront the world with the fact that they were gay.
So overall, not the worst book in the world but definitely not my sort of romance.
(This review is both long and has some spoilers so read at your own risk.)
If this book had been a contemporary fiction, I’d have rated it higher. One of the book’s good points is that it was realistic, with weak, selfish main characters that do whatever they want without thinking about others. However, in romance I have higher standards. I need to care about the main characters but with these two, I simply couldn't. Just because a person is gay doesn’t give him the right to sleep with married men or cheat on his wife.
This book is about two married men (which we’ll call M1 and M2…they are definitely not ‘heroes’) and their respective wives (W1 and W2.) The first couple has been married for long time and has an open relationship because M1 is gay. The second couple is expecting their first child and seems very loving and happy. But all of a sudden, the men fall in love.
I hate insta-love plot and this was definitely one of them. The men went from having a neighborly relationship, to lusting and then having sex. There were a few silly misunderstandings in their relationship but I really don’t know why they fell in love. I was instantly suspicious of M2’s feelings because it’s clear that as his wife is getting closer to giving birth, he feels left out and out of sorts. There have been a lot of changes in his life (he just got married, will be a father soon and is starting his first job) so it makes sense that in this situation, he will look to the familiarity of male friendships. And that’s why I didn’t know if his feelings for M1 were real or just him reaching for the familiar.
M1, who was the least objectionable of the two men, has a penchant for falling for married men and this was never even addressed (in my opinion any person that only falls in love with married people should consider seeing a psychologist.) Even after he realizes that his attraction for M2 is reciprocated, he doesn’t even stop seeing the guy (as any decent person would tried to do) but instead includes him in his Boys’ Nights Out where they go to gay clubs and share motel rooms. Because you know, the least likely way for you to fall into temptation is to share a room with a person you are attracted to. And his excuse was of course “I was in love with you. I wasn’t strong enough to say no”. Give me a break!
I believe that if an author is going to have infidelity and adultery as part of a plot, it should be addressed properly. I need to see the guilt, the fights, the recriminations, etc. But in this case it’s just glossed over and instead of being an important character, W2 is pushed to a corner. Not only that, but the author makes W2 into a manipulative, slightly abusive mother that takes the husband’s behavior on her children. I guess that makes it OK to cheat on her and maybe endanger her life (he never even thought about the possibility of getting HIV until somebody else told him.)
One of the most deplorable parts of this book is how the “bad guys” are all women. You have M1’s bigot mother, the controlling neighbor and, of course, W2. The men were always portrayed as being blissfully happy when they could be on their own away from the pesky women (even those that weren’t gay.) However, none of the man came out on their own; the wives decided that enough was enough. Both stayed married until the women asked for a divorce. You see, neither of these men was strong enough to make this decision on their own and confront the world with the fact that they were gay.
So overall, not the worst book in the world but definitely not my sort of romance.
December 2, 2011
I had a slight anxiety before beginning to read this. The reason was that these kind of stories that span years and give us a in-depth look at each character are always my favorite so what should I do in case I didn't like it? What if the author didn't do justice to one of the character? But I was needlessly worrying! I loved this story - with it flaws too.
I have to point out that the summary might be a bit misleading. Andrew has a "loveless" marriage but he and his wife both know why. Andrew is gay and his wife knows it - this marriage is a compromise for both of them and they have made peace with it. Each has his/her own life. In fact, his problems END when his wife asks for a divorce.
Nathan's case is, believe it or not, much more complicated than Andrew's. A new father and a closet (and in denial) gay he already has his plate full. But he makes it much more difficult by falling in love with his neighbor, Andrew. I felt genuine pity for him. None of the important decisions in life are easy and he definitely learned it the hard way. The interaction between Nate (who is Andrew's son's teacher), Colin (Andrew's son) and Andrew himself was beautifully done. Some of it might seem a bit too idealistic or picture perfect but it did add to the story.
After reading the summary of this story I was curious and just glance through some of the other reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Some of them (or at least one of them) mentioned that they got irritated as the men never took the next step and they thought that what propelled the men to action was the women and without the women in the story - Andrew's and Nate's wife, they wouldn't have done anything. This was the point that irritated the reader(s).
When I read the book, I waited for the irritation to come. It never did. People require catalyst to change their life - for someone it might be failing in a class, for someone it might be their best friend getting married, for someone it might be a loved one's (or even an acquaintance's) death. But the catalyst is present in everyone's lives. All we need to do is identify it. The same way, it was wives for these guys who acted as catalysts. I really felt bad for the situation that Drew and Nate were in. It would be a fairy-tale and movie-esque situation where you can leave your spouse and kids at the drop of the hat just 'coz you found "Twu Wuv" but in real life? No way. This is where I felt that this book was realistic - each of the man was available when the other wasn't - finally something had to give.
The only unrealistic part was that there weren't any grudges after everything was said and done. There was no way that everyone was happy with what they got. It is human to have grudges for some time at least! The supporting characters of Gabe and Gary were hilarious but were serious enough to know when they were needed.
I have to point out that the summary might be a bit misleading. Andrew has a "loveless" marriage but he and his wife both know why. Andrew is gay and his wife knows it - this marriage is a compromise for both of them and they have made peace with it. Each has his/her own life. In fact, his problems END when his wife asks for a divorce.
Nathan's case is, believe it or not, much more complicated than Andrew's. A new father and a closet (and in denial) gay he already has his plate full. But he makes it much more difficult by falling in love with his neighbor, Andrew. I felt genuine pity for him. None of the important decisions in life are easy and he definitely learned it the hard way. The interaction between Nate (who is Andrew's son's teacher), Colin (Andrew's son) and Andrew himself was beautifully done. Some of it might seem a bit too idealistic or picture perfect but it did add to the story.
After reading the summary of this story I was curious and just glance through some of the other reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Some of them (or at least one of them) mentioned that they got irritated as the men never took the next step and they thought that what propelled the men to action was the women and without the women in the story - Andrew's and Nate's wife, they wouldn't have done anything. This was the point that irritated the reader(s).
When I read the book, I waited for the irritation to come. It never did. People require catalyst to change their life - for someone it might be failing in a class, for someone it might be their best friend getting married, for someone it might be a loved one's (or even an acquaintance's) death. But the catalyst is present in everyone's lives. All we need to do is identify it. The same way, it was wives for these guys who acted as catalysts. I really felt bad for the situation that Drew and Nate were in. It would be a fairy-tale and movie-esque situation where you can leave your spouse and kids at the drop of the hat just 'coz you found "Twu Wuv" but in real life? No way. This is where I felt that this book was realistic - each of the man was available when the other wasn't - finally something had to give.
The only unrealistic part was that there weren't any grudges after everything was said and done. There was no way that everyone was happy with what they got. It is human to have grudges for some time at least! The supporting characters of Gabe and Gary were hilarious but were serious enough to know when they were needed.
May 31, 2012
Reviewed on Hearts On Fire... http://heartsonfirereviews.com/
This book was absolutely excellent and extremely well written. I could have read another couple of hundred of pages more easily. The book is very reminiscent of Armestead Maupin's Tales Of The City books. Andrew Matthews is a gay man stuck in a loveless marriage forced on him and his wife, Stephanie by his puritanical, homophobic mother. Mother Matthews and her pastor beat the young Andrew until he finally got Stephanie pregnant and the couple was forced to marry. Stephanie knows that Andrew is gay and they have a unique arrangement worked out between best friends. A newly married couple moves onto their rather conservative and nosey street. Nathan and a very pregnant Alex Peterson are welcomed to the neighborhood at a boring barbeque where Andrew and Nathan hit it off immediately. Soon best friends, Nathan is surprised to find out that Andrew is gay but staying with Stephanie because of their young son Colin. Andrew invites Nathan to join him and a couple of friends on a visit to a gay bar where Andrew cuts loose and really relaxes. Nathan finds himself desiring Andrew and at their next club outing has what he thinks is anonymous sex with Andrew. Problem is that Andrew knew it was Nathan and this begins an almost love/hate relationship between the two men as Nathan dances around his sexuality, his marriage and his attraction to Andrew which takes five years to finally resolve. Did the men cheat on their wives? Yes they broke their marriage vows. The question that I found interesting is who exactly was cheated more, the wives or the men who were forced into marriage by the moral strictures of an uptight society. I don't believe that either of the men would have married if our society embraced gay marriage. Many of the problems that Nathan and Andrew ran into at home and at work was what their straight laced neighbors would think. Ms Brown did an excellent job developing the tension between Andrew and Nathan and carrying it through the story. I thoroughly enjoyed and liked all of the well developed characters except for Mother Matthews who was easy to dislike. The friendship between Colin and Nathan's son Daniel which was much like the tight friendship between their fathers without the sexual attraction. The story flowed wonderfully carrying me through the ups and downs of the character's lives. I laughed, groaned and got teary as I read this very touching love story. There was just enough sex and of course Ms Brown's trademark coffee addictions. I recommend this book to anyone looking for an out of the norm gay love story with an HEA.
This book was absolutely excellent and extremely well written. I could have read another couple of hundred of pages more easily. The book is very reminiscent of Armestead Maupin's Tales Of The City books. Andrew Matthews is a gay man stuck in a loveless marriage forced on him and his wife, Stephanie by his puritanical, homophobic mother. Mother Matthews and her pastor beat the young Andrew until he finally got Stephanie pregnant and the couple was forced to marry. Stephanie knows that Andrew is gay and they have a unique arrangement worked out between best friends. A newly married couple moves onto their rather conservative and nosey street. Nathan and a very pregnant Alex Peterson are welcomed to the neighborhood at a boring barbeque where Andrew and Nathan hit it off immediately. Soon best friends, Nathan is surprised to find out that Andrew is gay but staying with Stephanie because of their young son Colin. Andrew invites Nathan to join him and a couple of friends on a visit to a gay bar where Andrew cuts loose and really relaxes. Nathan finds himself desiring Andrew and at their next club outing has what he thinks is anonymous sex with Andrew. Problem is that Andrew knew it was Nathan and this begins an almost love/hate relationship between the two men as Nathan dances around his sexuality, his marriage and his attraction to Andrew which takes five years to finally resolve. Did the men cheat on their wives? Yes they broke their marriage vows. The question that I found interesting is who exactly was cheated more, the wives or the men who were forced into marriage by the moral strictures of an uptight society. I don't believe that either of the men would have married if our society embraced gay marriage. Many of the problems that Nathan and Andrew ran into at home and at work was what their straight laced neighbors would think. Ms Brown did an excellent job developing the tension between Andrew and Nathan and carrying it through the story. I thoroughly enjoyed and liked all of the well developed characters except for Mother Matthews who was easy to dislike. The friendship between Colin and Nathan's son Daniel which was much like the tight friendship between their fathers without the sexual attraction. The story flowed wonderfully carrying me through the ups and downs of the character's lives. I laughed, groaned and got teary as I read this very touching love story. There was just enough sex and of course Ms Brown's trademark coffee addictions. I recommend this book to anyone looking for an out of the norm gay love story with an HEA.
June 20, 2014
Andrew is a gay man trapped in a marriage thanks to a religious mother. Nathan is a newly-wed expecting his first child. Together they shouldn't work, they shouldn't match, but despite the "shouldn't" or "can't" - somehow they do. The two collide in a reckless and heartbreaking affair that spans years, the ups and downs of life bringing them together no matter how much they try to part.
This was actually heading towards a higher rating for me, but the ending fell a bit flat for me. I just needed... more. After all that time, all that angst, I needed something more impactful for the ending.
That being said, I quite enjoyed this, but it will not be for everyone. There is very explicit cheating that occurs and a lot of difficult situations. But it worked for me. I'm a huge fan of angst, as in, the more the better (as long as there's a happy ending somewhere.) There was a lot of feelings evoked with this, and for that I have to give the author a lot of props.
I did have some issues, besides just the end. First, the names of the characters were so similar I kept getting confused. We've got Andrew, Alison, Alex, Gary, and Gabe... It took me three quarters of the book to remember that Gary was Andrew's best friend and Gabe was Nate's.
Additionally, the blurb says that Andrew is trapped in a loveless marriage. I really don't think that's the case. Sure, it's not the kind of love you expect in a marriage, but he and Stephanie do love each other very much, even if not in the romantic aspect. She's a great character, and that part of the blurb doesn't do their relationship justice.
Lastly, we only really saw Nathan and Andrew together in their more heated moments. We heard briefly about their sweeter times together, the times that really seemed to matter in the end, but we never actually saw it, and that bothered me.
But, all in all, I quite liked it. Again, not for everyone, but it was an enjoyable read for me.
No matter how big the ride, the anticipation was far worse than the actual event.
This was actually heading towards a higher rating for me, but the ending fell a bit flat for me. I just needed... more. After all that time, all that angst, I needed something more impactful for the ending.
That being said, I quite enjoyed this, but it will not be for everyone. There is very explicit cheating that occurs and a lot of difficult situations. But it worked for me. I'm a huge fan of angst, as in, the more the better (as long as there's a happy ending somewhere.) There was a lot of feelings evoked with this, and for that I have to give the author a lot of props.
I did have some issues, besides just the end. First, the names of the characters were so similar I kept getting confused. We've got Andrew, Alison, Alex, Gary, and Gabe... It took me three quarters of the book to remember that Gary was Andrew's best friend and Gabe was Nate's.
Additionally, the blurb says that Andrew is trapped in a loveless marriage. I really don't think that's the case. Sure, it's not the kind of love you expect in a marriage, but he and Stephanie do love each other very much, even if not in the romantic aspect. She's a great character, and that part of the blurb doesn't do their relationship justice.
Lastly, we only really saw Nathan and Andrew together in their more heated moments. We heard briefly about their sweeter times together, the times that really seemed to matter in the end, but we never actually saw it, and that bothered me.
But, all in all, I quite liked it. Again, not for everyone, but it was an enjoyable read for me.
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