Review: Emotional and Engaging
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 24, 2014
Chris and Matt have been in a relationship a couple times now. First in high school, but Matt left Chris when he wouldn’t come out. Now in college they are trying to make a go of it again. But the same issues that drove a wedge between them before are not yet resolved. Can Chris come to terms with his sexuality and be honest with his conservative family about who he really is? Or will he allow his pride and appearances to cause the man he loves to leave him alone, again.Chris Boyden loves baseball, he loves everything about it. The rush, the feeling and the sound when he holds that bat in his hand and hits the ball. But his reasons for playing may not be all self serving. He feels the need to provide for his family, he doesn’t want to let them down. This is a huge factor in why he hasn’t told anyone he is gay either. But the time has come to make a decision. Either Chris comes out and lives his life in the open with Matt, or he stays in the closet and looses the one thing that matters most, Matt’s love.Matt VanderVeen has loved Chris since they were teenagers. But he wants to love him out loud. He wants to hold hands in public, kiss him whenever he wants and take vacations together. Not lie about where they are going, who they are with or what they are doing. When Chris is injured and finally comes out to his family, it would seem that Matt is getting his wish. But the regret and the backlash may be more than his lover can handle.This book pissed me off! But not for the reason you may think. My heart broke for Chris and the struggle he was going through. The conversation with his mother in the hospital literally floored me. I wanted to reach into my kindle and strangle her! Kudos to Gormley for making the emotions and words jump off the pages and really resonate with me. Matt was as understanding as could be expected, in his situation. And it’s not often that I read a story where the character is completely honest about his feelings. Matt told Chris straight up that he loved him and he would hold on, until he couldn’t hold on anymore.I am completely in awe of Gormley’s writing style. There is something almost animalistic in her writing that is really engaging. I can’t wait to see what she gives us next. Be sure to grab a copy of this book, it’s free right now, and then follow up with the companion novel Saugatuck Summer.