This book was provided to me for free by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book is about Gene and Josh, who were friends through High School and College but broke up when Gene got to know his belated boyfriend Dan. Josh couldn’t stand Dan because he didn’t treat Gene well. But now Dan has died and Josh comes back in Gene’s life to support him getting over the death of his boyfriend. The relationship actually was problematic because Dan betrayed Gene several times and was now ready to break up for good. But Gene doesn’t learn about this plan until the funeral of Dan where Dan’s new boyfriend pronounces this in front of all people attending the funeral. Gene’s world breaks apart.
Not only is his boyfriend dead, he now knows that he wanted to leave him. He also finds out that Dan had already submitted an offer for a house he wanted to buy together with his new boyfriend whom he also wanted to marry.
Now you should assume that Gene is devastated and heartbroken because of Dan’s betrayal and death. But that’s not the real reason for his grief. He seems to be angry because he can’t scream at Dan anymore. But actually I can’t say for sure. The problem is I couldn’t find a connection to either one of the characters. I read through the story without any kind of emotions.
If Gene had really loved Dan although he had betrayed him I’d have understood why he his grieving that much, isn’t open for a new relationship, needs therapy and so on. But he states that the relationship between him and Dan hasn’t been well since his last betrayal and okay, now he is dead and this is a real shock. And please don’t think that I’m a cold monster without feelings but I cannot retrieve that it really takes Gene that long to break up with Dan and start a new relationship with Josh who has actually been his great love and whom he loves much more than he has ever loved Dan. I mean, I’d have understood if Gene hat been afraid of losing Josh. But this is just one of the reasons and not even the most important one why it takes him so long to finally commit to Josh.
Another point that really disturbed me about Gene was that whenever he was ready for a next step or found something out about his feelings, he had to tell his therapist first before actually taking steps.
And Josh… I couldn’t find the connection to him either. He has a kind of bad boy image, who doesn’t want a relationship and enjoys just having sex with different women. But then he is acting so differently and I found it unrealistic that as soon as he sees Gene again he changes 180 degrees and is Mr. Perfect who is ready to wait for his great love as long as it takes him to commit to him and declares his love to him.
So all in all the characters didn’t convince me much. I think if it had come out that Gene had really loved Dan badly or that he was his great love. I’d totally gotten the grieving which nearly lasted one year. In that case I’d also taken three years or more grieving as comprehensible but in Gene’s case I didn’t get why he is pushing Josh away that often.
I mean this could have really been a god story if I’d found the connection to both characters and would have understood them or their feelings better. But I think you shouldn’t conclude from my review that the story isn’t worth reading. Because it really is and I’d even recommend it to you to make your own opinion because maybe you do understand Gene and Josh better than I did and can understand their behavior. If so, I’d be happy hearing from you.