Review: Lovely, well-written love story with soul - wonderful read!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 7, 2011
This is the second Harper Fox book I've read, although I believe it was the first she wrote in this genre.  The first,Driftwoodis better (I gave it 5 stars - I'd have given it 10 if I could!), but this is still a wonderful read.  Ms. Fox's writing is outstanding, and her narrative has an almost poetic quality to it.  Her ability to describe the look and feel of the settings for her stories is just fabulous.  I look forward to reading many more of her works!MILD SPOILERS TO FOLLOW"Life After Joe," much like "Driftwood," is a love story between two men who are both in pain.  Matt, a doctor, is wandering through a self-destructive blur of grief from the sudden departure of his longtime lover, Joe.  Joe, it seems, has decided he wants a wife of the female persuasion and a family.  Aaron has pain of his own (I won't reveal what it is, because that really would spoil the lovely and haunting revelation towards the end of the book), but suffice it to say, he rescues Matt from himself with kindness and patience.  Matt, however, begins to suspect Aaron is hiding a secret which will hurt Matt and, when Joe shows up on Matt's doorstep, Matt is forced to make some important choices.I think I'd have given this 5 stars, but for the short-shrift given Aaron's character.  True, some of the revelations as to Aaron explain a lot, but there might have been a way to structure the story so we'd have gotten more about him after the "big" revelation.  In the end, we still don't know all that much about him.  I think the ending could have been longer and more significant (although I agree that Aaron's admission that he still loves Rosie was a beautiful and realistic touch).Regardless of these criticisms, I highly recommend this book.  It is dark and angsty, but there is sweet light at the end of the tunnel - something I love about Ms. Fox's books.  Wonderful read!