Review: A sweet old fashioned love story, kind of
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 1, 2011
Dr. James Richards isn't thrilled with his life right now. Why should he be? He's a 43 year old gay man, who is getting soft around the edges, teaches literature at a small community college and the only bright spot in his life is his boston terrier, Marlowe. Life isn't going exactly the way he had planned, but it could be worse. James' ho-hum life takes a turn toward fantasy one afternoon after class, when he discovers his star student has decided to set him up with her best friend.Taken aback by the fact that Sophie knows he's gay, James is a little worried about the kind of man Sophie would set him up with. Sophie dresses like a goth weirdo, but she has a brilliant mind and James enjoys the debates they get into in class. When Sophie's friend stands her up, James is a little relieved. The next day, the most beautiful, underwear model worthy young man shows up to give Sophie a ride, and James discovers this is who she is setting him up with. Gulp, what could this beautiful young Latino man possible want with a pasty, old white guy?Soon James and Rafael discover that opposites do attract, and their wild ride begins. Written with a sense of humor and more than a few winks and nods, this novella was just plain fun to read. James self-depreciating sense of humor keeps the reader chuckling, and Rafael is the perfect straight man (pardon the pun) for him.When I started reading, I couldn't help but think there was no way this could end well. How in the world could an older professional man and a younger working class man find anything in common?  Somehow they did, and it was just a pleasure to watch. Both James and Rafael have their share of issues, but they were fun guys to spend time with.Ms. Lane is known for writing books that one needs a box of tissue handy while reading, but she must have decided to just have fun with this one. This was just a cute love story. There is a little angst thrown in, but hey what do you expect from Amy Lane?This is an erotic romance, so there are some pretty steamy male/male love scenes; they are well written and fit into the story. While this  book didn't make me cry, get mad or any other extreme emotions, it was fun and I did enjoy it. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an old fashioned love story.Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team