M.E. Sanford

Vinny and Tristan drew me in from the beginning and stuck with me for days afterward. Vinny let down his gay brother Danny and is now questioning his homophobia and the strictures of his upbringing and his religion. When he sees Tristan's reaction to his slurs and actions, Vinny starts to doubt himself and starts to change, a slow process that tears at Vinny's somewhat basic view of life.

What I liked about the book:
1) Vinny is a terrific character who doesn't accept who he's become after he loses the person closest to him. A big, somewhat bumbling mechanic, Vinny works at becoming more tolerant changing fundamental beliefs in his life. The changes, however, don't come easily which is exactly how fundamental life changes occur.
2) Tristan, for all his soft-looking exterior, is much stronger and resilient than Vinny, which is a wonderful twist for gay romance. His loyalty and devotion to his family is a nice juxtaposition to Vinny and his family.
3) Tristan's family's interactions with both men ring true as do Vinny's interactions with his family. The dynamics aren't easy but are pure.
4) The story never feels overly cloying or angst-for-angst sake. The transformations of the characters are believable and interesting.
What I didn't like about the book:
1) Some of the events in the last few chapters seem a bit too dramatic and rushed, but they didn't bother me enough to downgrade the book.

The bottom line: I really enjoyed this book and think you might too.… (més)