Review: 4 Hearts from MM Good Book Reviews
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 1, 2014
4 HeartsThis collection of Bayou Boys stories follows Sean and Rusty over the first year after college, the hunt for a job, moving, their first Halloween in new city, their first visit home for Christmas and finally their wedding. We are drawn into their lives one stage at a time seeing their fears and triumphs, doubts and joys and each hurdle they cross as they find their lives together changing and seeing as they grow and change with it.Meant to be:Sean has finished college and is struggling to find a job and to add to his worries they have to move out of student housing, Rusty is secure in his job at his father’s landscaping company and is looking forward to moving back to his parent’s house until Sean gets a decent job.These two men have been sweethearts since they first knew they were gay, Sean moved in to Rusty’s family home when his father beat him for being gay and the two are inseparable. Sean now wants to embark on the next part of their lives but feels that unless he is contributing then he is failing, but his confidence is low after thirteen interviews and no job in sight. Rusty is very close to his family and knows that they will always be there for him and Sean, Rusty has always loved Sean but when Sean finally gets a job offer it causes friction and as the time draws closer for Sean to give an answer will their love be enough to see them through.I loved this story as we see a very insecure Sean and a very confident Rusty working through a difficult decision that causes friction between them. With Sean’s past it would have been easy for him to fall back into the security that he found in Rusty and his family but the opportunity he has been offered is too good for him to turn his back on, and we see him finding the confidence to go for what he wants. With Rusty we see him having to let go of the security he has always known for the unknown that he will have with Sean. I loved seeing how love wins through against the doubts and fears and hoe Rusty gave up the security for Sean.Moving On:It has two month’s since Sean moved to Boston for his new job and Rusty has missed him something fierce, now Sean is coming home after setting everything up and Rusty will be returning with him. Sean has missed Rusty and hopes he has set everything up so Rusty can just fit seamlessly into a new life in Boston, but as they meet at the airport they both feel something is just a bit off.Oh now this has just a bit of angst as Rusty has let his imagination run just a bit wild after Sean has described everything he has been doing and the friends he has made. Rusty is used to Sean leaning on him for everything but now with Sean being alone in Boston Rusty feels like Sean has been moving on without him. Sean has had to move out of his comfort zone to make sure Rusty doesn’t feel like he lost everything, so he has made friends, found an apartment and checked out the local sites to show Rusty, but he couldn’t help trying to make Rusty a tiny bit jealous.Hmmm there’s nothing like spending two months apart to really test a relationship, and no matter how much you love someone the fear of betrayal and loss is still there. Rusty has torn himself up with worry when he noticed that the phone calls were getting shorter or being missed altogether but even with the doubts in his mind he isn’t letting Sean go. Sean has his own doubts when Rusty pulls out a condom and it takes a heart to heart for them to get back on an even road.Tricked Up for Treats:As Sean and Rusty struggle to make ends meet Rusty splashes out on tickets to a Halloween competition, Rusty thinks that it will be a great way for Sean to relax and be more at ease with his feminine side. Sean is reluctant at first but gives in knowing that it will be a bring some of the sparkle back to Rusty’s eyes as the worries of being jobless have been wearing away at Rusty’s spirit.I really loved this one as both men try to please the other. Sean hates anything that reminds him of his father’s constant bullying, and dressing in drag has the words that his father drilled into him rolling through his mind, but for Rusty he will do anything. Rusty wants Sean to relax more and embrace his more feminine nature, being free to walk and act how he wants and Rusty thinks that the drag competition will help with that. Both men trying to boost the other and having a blast while doing it, having their love support them and showing both of them that they can do anything together.Jingle My Bells:After winning a prize for the drag competition and swapping it for two plane tickets Rusty and Sean are heading back to New Orleans for Christmas, it is a time that awakens both Sean and Rusty to how far they have both come and how things have changed.Ah there’s nothing like going home for Christmas to make you realise just how much you have grown up and that everything moves on and changes. As Rusty and Sean visit Rusty’s family for Christmas they both see how they have grown as a couple, doing things for themselves instead of relying on the parents and starting their own traditions, and we also see as Rusty and Sean realise just what freedom they have living alone with no constant interruptions. We also see how far Sean has come and also healed as he does his yearly Christmas present drop on his parent’s porch; there is also a light of hope as he gets a visit from his sister and his mom.Better or worse:Sean and Rusty’s wedding is days away and Sean is worried that he has messed up at work, he worries that he will lose his job and that he made a mistake dragging them both to Boston. Rusty knows Sean has something to tell him but he knows that he will be there to support Sean no matter what. They are about to embark on the next step in their life and nothing will stop them from standing together and facing the world.This was a wonderful little story that shows us exactly how far both Sean and Rusty have come and how far they have grown as a couple and as individuals. Sean handles his work problems with panache, facing them head on even though he feels fear. Rusty ups his search for a permanent job as Sean confides his fears about his job. And while all this is going on they are preparing for their wedding and the step that will take them onto the next journey in their life.****My overall rating for these books is 4 Hearts and I would have to say that each step in their journey is just as good as the last. I absolutely adored how the author never stepped back from showing each man’s fear or their triumphs, we see the remarkable journey they take to fully become the men that they deserve to be and it was wonderful to see that even as they have ups and downs their love never falters and just got stronger. Sean and Rusty are two men that deserve all the happiness in the world, we see their happiness at the simplest things and how they work as a couple to make things work for them… standing together and leaning on each other to get through life.I recommend this to those who love seeing love deepen and grow, who love watching relationships develop and work through the ups and downs of life, who love characters who develop and grow even as they grow closer to their lover, and to those readers who love watching pivotal moments unfold into something incredible.