Review: A very human coming of age/coming out story with a HEA ending.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 6, 2014
This is the poignant and romantically told story of two young college aged men. Both on the swim team, Kurt's performance is suffering. When James, the team captain, is asked by the coach to offer Kurt some pointers one-on-one, sparks begin to fly. It's immediately apparent to Josh that Kurt is carrying some pretty significant emotional damage from past relationships. His recent coming out has estranged him from his friends and family, who didn't take his announcement well at all.James has been attracted to Kurt since day one, but his ongoing reluctance to engage in more than heavy petting is putting a strain on their new romance. James is willing to wait as long as he needs to for Kurt to open up to him physically, but his reluctance to trust James with his heart and emotions just might be what breaks them apart.A well written novella length story, the honestly portrayed emotions and flawed human behaviors is what makes this story as engaging as it is heart-wrenching to read. Love, like life, is a journey that can be harrowing at times. It's who we choose to take with us on that journey that will make or break us in the end.A copy of The Strength of a Man was received from the author in exchange for an honest review.