Heartbreaking and Heartwarming. Both apply even though they're on opposite sides of the same coin. I bought this book not knowing anything about the author; unusual? Yes. But the story description really called to me and I needed to know how Tim and Conner's story was going to go.
Tim's layers and layers of protection were a formidable barrier, but Connor was more than up for the challenge; he's knownTim for years. Knowing him as well as he does, better than anyone, gave Connor an edge that no-one else had ever had. But he still had to work to get past all the barriers.
Connor's gay and has known so for a long, long time. Tim, on the other hand, really thinks he's straight; until his girlfriend tells him different.
Tim, wow. I could feel his prickliness from the first; it was incredibly tangible. And yes, it was a defense mechanism. But he's a man who has never let anything get in the way and he's not about to start now.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, Connor wasn't one to let go of what he wanted... and Tim is definitely what he wanted.
This is far more than a romance; it's about friendships, it's about families and it's about opening oneself to life, regardless of the inherent risks. But above all it's the story of two men who, by degrees, work their way through to a love that is ... I don't know if I have the words to describe just how powerful I found this book; I do know that I'm starting to tear up. *snort*
J.B. McDonald is on my auto buy list and I'm looking forward to exploring more of her writing... in fact I just bought two more of her books; print and ebook.
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BOOK INFO:
J.B. McDonald; By Degrees; Torquere Press; August 2009 (TPB)
Orphaned at eleven and bounced around the foster system, Tim learned young that the only thing he could control was himself. It was a lesson he took seriously, and it's the only thing that keeps him safe from more heartbreak. Conner doesn't understand this desire to control things, but he doesn't need to. He loves everything about his control-freak friend, even the way he quirks just one eyebrow. He has for years.
With Con's arrival, everything starts unraveling in Tim's life. He's questioning his sexual orientation, wrangling with emotions from his past, and fending off questions from Con's well-meaning family. Drowning in a world out of his control, his one hope is to let go and trust that love will save him. But after so many years of burying his feelings, he's not sure it's possible.
Buy this book: ebook / print
In one of the Yahoo groups where I spend some of my time, there had been some discussion about AKM Miles and the fantastic books that she writes; of course I had to check them out. I bought three books ~ Dare To, a Christmas short Dare's Christmas Gift and Smart Alex. I've just finshed the latter and now have added ALL her books to my gotta-get-soon list.
Her stories have so much heart, so much emotional richness and detail that, while you could easily be overwhelmed, the characters keep you grounded. There is one element in both the stories that I've read that leapt to my notice, but it in no way hinders my enjoyment. It's that the romance moves fast... and by fast may I say 'warp speed'? But in AKM Miles's stories, it's the relationships between the men that are the focus, the meat of the story. Not so much that they do fall in love ~ because that's a given ~ but how their love helps them through the very difficult situations and / or events that occur in the story. It's about hope, friendship and love and how all these are necessary for love to withstand the very worst that can be thrown at it.
In Smart Alex, our hero Smart is a young man who's trying to find a place where he fits. He knows he's gay ~ at least he's pretty sure he is ~ but he's never had an opportunity to find out for himself. That is, until he leaves his small hometown and heads off to university. Luckily for him two of the first people he connects with, Mike and Tommy, are the kind of friends everyone should have. They take him under their wing and offer him a friendship the like of which he's never experienced.
I absolutely LOVED the dynamics of the relationships: Smart with Mike and Tommy and then Tommy and Mike... oh those two are so very special. When Smart meets Alex, fireworks ignite... and love finds a home.
This story is not only a romance, but a story of the strength of true and lasting friendships and just how vital they can be in our lives.
If you love a story in which you can lose yourself and yet, at the same time, discover the strength of friendship and real love, then AKM Mile's Smart Alex is just the book for you. But don't stop here; I guarantee that you'll discover that the rest of her stories are just as amazing!
