Review: Incredible characters
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 4, 2014
REVIEW: Roll, by Lynn Townsend, is a funny, feel good read, that has you keeping your fingers crossed, that everything will finally come together for these two boys. As the blurb has already mentioned, this is a coming out story and learning who you really are, and what you are going to do about it, once you figure it out. Ms. Townsend is a new author to me, but that did not deter me at all. I love finding new authors, especially when I can really connect with their story. The author done an incredible job with the characters, showing us different dimensions, whether due to their background and family upbringing, or their personality in general.Beau, a country boy, leaving home for the first time, sets off for college. He has always known he was gay, but unfortunately, as so many young boys have to do, he had to keep it to himself. Pretending that he was like everyone else, going, as far as, having a steady girlfriend, trying to give her as much pleasure as he could muster, which, as you can imagine, was not much. You can only push the envelope so far, as they say, when you don’t have real feelings. This is where Beau found himself, a lot. So, he busted his butt to make excellent grades, pretty much his one-way ticket and guarantee, to get away from everyone he knew, and go to college, where hopefully, he will be able to live and love, as he has always dreamed. It doesn’t take him long to settle in, and decide he wants to join the gay alliance club at school. Once he gets his courage, he makes some great friends within the group. Will they give Beau the knowledge and determination he needs to finally ask a boy out? Will he finally get to touch and be touched by another boy? Something he has only, up to this point, dreamed of.Vin, a rich kid, loves to party, has a chauffeur, a bodyguard, his own lawyer on retainer and president of the Rainbow Club. The same club Beau decides to join. Vin has been around the block a time or two. He has always been open about his sexuality, never having to hide, gaining, quite a bit, of experience along the way. He has a fun personality, easy to get along with, but he, also, is a bit of a damaged soul. His mother died when he was young, therefore never knowing who his father was. His grandparents raised him, and although he had everything anyone could possibly ever want, he still felt alone. He has a secret or two, and once you get to know him, some of his actions and behaviors begin to make sense. He finds himself attracted to Beau from the minute they meet. He does just about everything to get Beau’s attention, and is a little crushed when he thinks the only thing Beau wants is his friendship. But is that really all that Beau wants? Could there be a relationship there? Will either one of them finally get the nerve to be honest with each other?I thought the author done an amazing job bringing the two MC’s together. They start out as friends, getting to know each other, without sex being the focal point of their relationship. Actually, there is very little sex in this book, and what there is, it’s kind of off the page. While the author does include sex in the story, most is left to the imagination. Normally, when I read a story, the more sex, the better. However, it has to be appropriately placed, so with this particular read, less sex, was better. The characters are experimenting for the first time, It wouldn’t be right to have them know everything there is about sex, and be comfortable enough to perform at a higher level. I feel Ms. Townsend handled this appropriately within the context of the story. As Beau and Vin develop their relationship, they begin to trust each other more. Will Beau finally learn Vin’s secrets? Will Beau ever get the courage to tell his family that he is gay? And what about the girlfriend? Where does she fit it to this relationship, or does she? I guarantee that when you read this story for yourself, you will get all of those answers. The author, thank goodness, does not leave you hanging wondering what happened. While this story was fun, and had several, laugh-out-loud moments, there was also some angst and dreadful moments. Not everyone is okay with homosexuality, and sadly, this causes much pain for the boys. Not only physical pain but emotional pain as well. This is a good place to mention the supporting characters. The author includes them almost as much as the main characters and she was right to do so. They were incredible with their support and they brought a lot of joy to the story. Overall, I really enjoyed this coming of age story. It brought a smile to my face more than once, and even though there was emotional distress, it was short lived, allowing you to get back to the fun and carefree spirit of the book. I look forward to other works from Lynn Townsend in the future. If you like coming of age or coming out stories, this is a good one to pick up.