Review: Beautifully Told Romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 7, 2012
Write down this name, Tibby Armstrong, and don't forget it. I'll admit, I have a cache of "go to" authors, ones I will always buy their books no matter what because I know I'm going to get my money's worth and get a great story. Until I started reviewing for Guilty Pleasures, I'm ashamed to admit I didn't branch out very much. Mainly because when I did, I was disappointed 70% of the time. Since starting at Guilty Pleasures, my "go to" author list has tripled and I'm very happy to add Tibby Armstrong to that list. Today, I'm reviewing her book, No Apologies.I've never read a book like No Apologies before and that's not a bad thing. While I guess it could be called a coming of age story about two young men who attend the same boarding school, it's not really that. You see, their story is told through a film written by one of the men, Greg Faulker. He's basically written and produced this movie as a love letter to his long time partner, Aaron Blake. The problem is Aaron is tired of waiting for Greg to admit his homosexuality. He's tired of being Greg's dirty little secret. He's tired of being ignored and he's decided that he just can't do it anymore. Greg realizes that it might be too little, too late but he's determined to make Aaron understand how he feels. The book opens with this look at Aaron and Greg ten years after high school and then we flash back as we "watch" the premier of Greg's movie.Because of the way this book is written, we really don't see a lot of the Greg and Aaron of today. Instead we see Greg's version of their life at school and soon after. He admits it is part truth and part fiction. We see them struggling with their growing feelings towards each other, facing ridicule and abuse from fellow students and teachers, Greg dealing with some serious issues at home, and Aaron coming out to his parents.I can't even begin to explain the range of emotions I had while reading this book. At times I was scared for Greg and Aaron, I cried, I laughed, and I was horrified and I was happy. To say that Tibby packs a punch when she writes is understated. I honestly can't even verbalize how much this book touched me. I had to keep reminding myself that this was fiction because what I really wanted to do was scoop these two young men up and bring them home and show them how parents treat their children, no matter what!While this is a beautifully told romance story, it isn't typical because the situation isn't typical. Yes, there is quite a bit of sex but for the most part it was done secretly. There was also kind of a D/s vibe running through their relationship but it wasn't truly D/s. They struggled for control and figuring out what each other needed. While Aaron had experimented with a couple of girls, Greg never had which is why I found it interesting that he was the one having issues with "coming out". Aaron however was very sheltered but yet had a very dominant personality. I really enjoyed watching them coming to terms with what they meant to each other.No Apologies is a book that I know I will revisit again and again. It's not an easy book to read, I can almost guarantee you will be emotional while reading it. But, I hope that by the time you get to the end you'll know just how special this book truly is. I'm giving it 4.5 stars only because I would have like a little more time with Greg and Aaron as the adults they are today. That being said, I'll tell you that we do see more of them as adults in book two, Acting Out!4.5 Stars