Review: Great Story
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 25, 2014
I was given a free copy of this book by the author thru the GoodReads M/M Romance event Don't Buy My Love.Ok this was a really good book but let me get my "not like" out of the way first. If I had read this trilogy as three single books I would have been mad. It doesn't take three books to cover four months of time, I'm just saying. The other thing I didn't like was that it was only told from Derrick's POV until about halfway thru the third book.Now that I've gotten that out of the way let me say well done Ms. Gormley. You put a lot of issues on the table for healthy discussion; HIV, bigotry, domestic abuse, personal lose, and family. While reading this book I found myself thinking a lot about these themes. This again is one of those times I wish I had the gift of words as so many talented authors have, I'm not sure I know enough adjectives to describe this book. I'm sure the primary theme, aside from the MCs Gavin and Derricks growing relationship, was HIV which seems to have been down played a great deal in todays society. Safe sex programs and slogans aren't as in your face or as common place as they were 20 or 30 years ago so I feel like hetero and homo lifestyles treat it as a non-issue. I'm not going to even start on the bigotry that runs rampant today from race, to gender, to sexuality (thank you Tea Party you can sit down now we've seen you and we don't care). Oh lawd I'm supposed to be reviewing this book not doing my soapbox thing...sorry.Oh I loved Derrick, I just picture him as an unmovable rock in a raging storm. I can understand his need for self protection by not becoming emotionally involved with anyone. All of the tragic family lose he had from the age of 14 to 21 I'm surprised he was able to maintain his friendship with Devon. By the way, loved Devon, Hannah, Andi, and Ms. Ingrid their love and support for Derrick and Gavin is the definition of family. But Derrick meets his match in a whirlwind named Gavin. Gavin shakes Derrick to his core and breaches that wall that Derrick has spent 10 years building.This book covers about a four month time period that starts with simple flirting that grows to full out LOVE! Getting over personal lose enough to let someone else in and dealing with possibility of HIV. The ups and downs of getting to know someone and being able to deal with their past and be supportive of their present and future. It made me question would I stay and/or would I be brave enough to handle it.