Review: A first rate romantic tale with some extra angst thrown in for good measure
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 7, 2014
When Dorothy clicked her ruby red heels together and said, “There is no place like home,” truer words could not have been spoken. However, as is the case in real life, the concept of home is relative. Home is not necessarily where you were raised, but simply where you find happiness. Welcome to Wamengo, Kansas, where love is in the air.With this second book in the Tales from Kansas series, Andrew Grey has created a fairy tale romance with a twist. With his usual knack for writing beautiful prose and engaging dialogue, Grey has once again written a first rate romantic tale with some extra angst thrown in for good measure.Heartbroken, scared and running away from the only home and family he has known, Jeremy Radcliffe is a bundle of nervous tension. He has not had an easy life, and he is determined to protect his younger brother Petey from the trials Jeremy has encountered.It is difficult not to fall in love with Jeremy. He is an unselfish man whose main goal in life, to this point, seems to be protecting his brother. Beneath the surface of Jeremy’s paranoia lies some hardships that he has kept hidden. He doesn’t want to make waves or draw attention to himself. Although not innocent, he is a nave young man who has never experienced love or a romantic relationship. He would “like to go on his first date before he was old enough to drink.”From the first time Nate lays eyes on the young man, he is smitten.  A few years older than Jeremy, Nate is instantly infatuated with the younger man. Nate is battling his own inner turn oils, most importantly his fear of his high school bully and his parents abandoning him to move to Florida. Although Nate is older, independent and less nave than Jeremy, he learns a lot about life, pride and standing up for oneself in the course of the story.Andrew Grey is a master storyteller and he has the ability for grasping a reader’s attention and heart with his books. Stuck in Oz is no exception to this rule. Even though this is a novella, the characters and plot are well developed. These characters are endearing. The romance is lighthearted but the depth of the characters is not. Grey’s talent for writing smooth and natural dialogue can be appreciated throughout this book. Most of the action takes place between the lines. There are some subplots in the story that help the reader understand the characters’ actions and words. If you are looking for a contemporary m/m romance with character depth, angst, and, of course, romance, this book fits the bill.