Truman Reid is Summitville High’s most out-and-proud senior. He can't wait to take his fierce, uncompromising self away from his small Ohio River hometown, where he’s suffered more than his share of bullying. He’s looking forward to bright lights and a big city. Maybe he’ll be the first gender-fluid star to ever win an Academy Award. But all that changes on the first day of school when he locks eyes with the most gorgeous hunk he’s ever seen.Mike Stewart, big, dark-haired, and with the most amazing blue eyes, is new to town. He's quiet, manly, and has the sexy air of a lost soul. It’s almost love at first sight for Truman. He thinks that love could deepen when Mike becomes part of the stage crew for Harvey, the senior class play Truman's directing. But is Mike even gay? And how will it work when Truman's mother is falling for Mike’s dad?
Plus Truman, never the norm, makes a daring and controversial choice for the production that has the whole town up in arms.
See how it all plays out on a stage of love, laughter, tears, and sticking up for one’s essential self….
Buy links: Dreamspinner | Amazon
Cat gives this one 5 Meows...
On the first day of school in Summitville High, two people’s lives will take a drastic change. Dane meets a young freshman that is being bullied horribly. That same day his wife is killed. Dane has been hiding his sexuality his entire life. This chance meeting with Truman that comes to school wearing gay pride shirts and is very effeminate looking makes him realize he needs to be himself now.
In the winter Seth, a new teacher shows up and immediately catches his eye. He knows that a relationship with a co-worker is not a good idea, he is still mourning his wife and raising his kids.
Big Love is a story of three men and how their lives entwined and enriched each other. Truman, the young man that is being bullied so harshly is an inspirational character. His mother also is inspirational. All mothers should be like her.
I liked Dane as well. There is a lot of character growth as well. I liked Seth but felt we didn’t get a lot of his character. I felt there was something missing from Seth and Dane’s relationship, perhaps that it came at the end and seemed a bit rushed. I would have liked more.
I also couldn’t help but wonder why the teachers and Principal didn’t step in more to stop this bullying.
Big Love is a clean story with lots of characters. Lots of character growth and some bullying.
If you like clean stories, teachers, out and proud young men, unique characters, coming out and an all-over good romance this is for you!
Excerpt...
Prologue
ON A shore somewhere, two boys embrace, clinging, their bodies not pressed so tightly together out of desire, but from a need for comfort, for knowing that this moment is one to savor, because it may never come again.
Nearby… wind rushes through trees, and a thousand tiny voices lament the boys’ parting.
Nearby… stars twinkle in an impossibly black sky, not shining down exactly, but providing a jewellike backdrop for this unfortunate and drawn-out farewell.
Nearby… water rushes, slamming a shore in frustration at the separating of a pair who’d, once upon a time, proclaimed, “forever.”
Eyes meet. Lips touch. Minds and hearts meld, knowing that tomorrow nothing will ever be the same again.
The R is for romance... Rick R. Reed is all about exploring the romantic entanglements of gay men in contemporary, realistic settings. While his stories often contain elements of suspense, mystery and the paranormal, his focus ultimately returns to the power of love.
He is the author of dozens of published novels, novellas, and short stories. He is a three-time EPIC eBook Award winner (for Caregiver, Orientation and The Blue Moon Cafe). He is also a Rainbow Award Winner for both Caregiver and Raining Men. Lambda Literary Review has called him, "a writer that doesn't disappoint."
Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA with his beloved husband. He is forever "at work on another novel." Take a look at his blog to get the latest on his work and his life!
I thank you for the review of BIG LOVE. I appreciate it. But I do have to point out that the post seems to feature the sequel, BIGGER LOVE (cover image, blurb, buy links and excerpt are all for my latest release, which is BIGGER LOVE...it seems odd, then, that the review is for a different book). Will you be reviewing the new book?
ReplyDeletegreat review
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