Marie Sexton

Jared lives a lonely life as a gay guy in the small Colorado town of Coda. Matt is a policeman who moves to town and soon befriends Jared. He's not gay, but he and Jared click. They mountain bike together and hang out. Matt puts up with jibes about his friendship with the town's gay guy. When it gets too close to home, he starts to sleep with an unsuitable woman to block the rumours. It's hardly ethical, or satisfying. Very slowly, Matt opens up to Jared about the man he's long denied, and his bisexuality.

I liked the storyline which I found quite provocative. I must have read many novels with this same bi/gay denial trope but this seemed quite real - the way Matt was so stuck. He worked in a macho work environment, was a minority in a small town, and was terrified of being branded queer.

Thanks to the tropes of the romance novel, he rises to claim happiness for himself and Jared. Thanks to the times, maybe this scenario is more likely than it once was. The book was released in 2010 - I'm guessing the 10s was a decade when the POV of this novel was still mostly a fairytale. But perhaps in the current decade, the 20s, the storyline could appear in popular fiction? ie outside the Romance realm. (Can anyone comment whether it has appeared in mainstream fiction?)

(After reading the reviews below) - Wow, this book has garnered 32 reviews - that's so many more than I usually find. Reenz38 - we are of like mind - I was actually going to comment that Matt and Jared were not characters I'd forget too soon. And I'm glad you pointed out how hard it was on Jared too, to wait for for Matt.… (mer)

Zach owns a video rental store. When his ex-boyfriend left him, he got the video rental, Blockbuster-like, store. He was also left a diffident cat which I thought was the better part of that deal. Zach is just getting through life, existing from day to day, then he gets a new landlord and then he hires a helper. Suddenly things start to turn around. The landlord proved to be something else ...but it was interesting. Zach gets to keep his store IF he keeps the landlord happy. Now almost everyone over the age of 15 probably understands what "keeping the landlord happy" actually means, but Zach, true to his nature...doesn't get it. Yes, Zach lives on a different plane of existence from most everyone else, which is why he misses the signs entirely. Now we meet his new employee, Angelo. Zach doesn’t really get Angelo either, which won't surprise you in the least by now... but they do slowly become friends. Angelo educates Zach about movies. How can you own and run a video store if you don't know the first thing about movies?? Zach also learns about Angelo’s past....and somehow the two of them manage to just…get along. We aren't finished with the new landlord, and he's not by any means finished with Zach, and he proves that in spades with the monkey-wrench he throws into things. With Angelo’s encouragement, Zach takes a risk and moves to Coda, joining Matt and Jared from book 1...a couple that he and Angelo met at a festival. Zach wants more from Angelo, but Angelo’s been burned before, making him fearful of relationships and not trusting anyone...not even the man he’s falling in love with. Just when things seem to be settling down for Zack and Angelo, who should reappear but Zach’s old landlord and then the proverbial hell breaks loose. Marie Sexton's characters always seem to overcome their difficulties and find happiness, so I wasn't too worried for Zack...but things were close for a while. This crazy couple deserved happiness if anybody did. This little series is best read in order as the characters reappear in each story as the series progresses. As usual, John Solo does a fantastic job with the narration.… (mer)

Promesse è un romance carino che racconta dello sviluppo della storia tra due uomini che vivono in un piccolo paese sperduto dove ci si conosce tuttə e l’omofobia scorre a fiumi.

Si tratta di una storia piuttosto classica, senza grandi particolarità dal punto di vista dell’evoluzione dei personaggi, ma, visto che è un cavallo di battaglia così radicato nel fronte omofobo, mi sento di citare la presenza del tema dell’omofobia in ambito scolastico, intesa come rifiuto di avere insegnanti gay per “proteggere” l’incolumità dellə studenti, sia fisica (dalla presunta sessualità rapace delle persone omosessuali), sia morale (dalla presunta capacità di convertire lə giovani innocenti all’omosessualità).

È bello vedere nel romanzo come l’ignoranza cada di fronte alla conoscenza e di come le giovani generazioni siano più propense a imparare.… (mer)

The story focuses on two men learning how to love and compromise, and most of all, recognize their own fallibilities so they can heal and find their happy ending. Cole Fenton is a character that it's hard to relate to in any meaningful way. His lifestyle is one most of us would only dream about...but honestly would never want. He’s independently wealthy...doesn’t hold a job; owns homes in Paris, Hawaii, Vail, the Hamptons, and Phoenix; has lots of "friends with benefits" conveniently living in each location. Mostly his time is spent traveling the world for months at a time whenever he wants, while indulging in his various interests and hobbies. It may sound adventurous but actually it's a life of extreme loneliness. He has only a few really "meaningful" friendships, and his only relative is his mother to whom he’s been estranged from for years. The absence of loving relationships growing up has left him damaged and he has adopted this flamboyant, "devil may care" lifestyle as a defense mechanism. Cole doesn’t really know anything about what real love is. Keeping everyone at arm’s length, he's never had a committed relationship. He says he’s too restless to ever settle in one place for very long and he becomes resentful of anyone who expects that of him. Somehow his "brokenness" is what made me love him so much once I started to understand him. Then we have Jonathon (Jon), Kechter who actually was not a great catch either. Cole and Jon are set up by one of Cole’s friends, and their first date is beyond disastrous. It’s fascinating to see Cole transform from a man cocooned in self-preservation, not permitting anyone to see his pain, to a partner who eventually allows his walls to crumble and lets his vulnerability show. Jon’s lesson to learn is that instead of trying to change Cole, he needs to set aside his stubborn pride and make the change within himself, and to bring happiness to Cole while making their new and fragile relationship successful. Although theirs is an unusual relationship, they both do work hard for their happily ever after, and what a delightful ending it is.… (mer)