Review: A sweet and compelling read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 6, 2014
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review."When Sean Loves Rusty" is a collection of stories by Chris Cox about two young men in their mid-twenties who are deeply in love with each other.  I enjoyed the chronological flow of the book because it allowed the reader to see their lives during the course of a year, along with all the changes and growth that can happen in that time.  Sean and Rusty have been in a relationship for several years, and when Sean graduates with a mechanical engineering degree there are some struggles to find a job in their hometown of New Orleans.  Rusty already has a job with his family's company of landscape designers, and the thought of leaving New Orleans is frightening for him.  When Sean receives a job offer from a company in Boston, the pair need to decide what their next steps will be.  In each stage of the book they are supportive of one another and work hard to ensure that their partner feels secure and loved.  The book addresses the pain of geographic distance and the stress of the unknown mixed with the excitement of independence, especially when Rusty moves to Boston to join Sean after the job training is completed.  It also does a good job of exploring the similarities between expanding your comfort zone with moving, work, and new friendships with the challenges of addressing issues with your past or self-perception.  This was a book that successfully mixed both the serious and the sweet.One of my favorite things about this book was the way the author structured the inner thought processes for the characters, because they felt very true to life.  It can be challenging to convey the thoughts and emotions that go into compromises and the give-and-take of relationships, and this book does a good job of showing how the love that Sean and Rusty have for one another helps them bridge their differences and their worries to try and make the best choices for their relationship.There were a handful of typos, but they were easy to move past because the story was so compelling.  Part of me was hoping for a bit more detail about how Sean and Rusty made the shift from best friends to a couple when they were younger, but that was largely due to the fact that I enjoyed reading about them so much that I was curious about as many facets of their romance as possible.  I will absolutely be interested in reading more about them when the author has a chance to continue their story, which was hinted at with a teaser at the end of the book.I greatly look forward to reading more from Chris Cox, both in this series and in his other works.  I recommend "When Sean Loves Rusty."