E. Davies (2)

Not my favourite Vino and Veritas but good enough to finish. This is my 8th of 19 Vino and Veritas novels and I'll definitely keep reading.

Isn't this cover good?! I don't comment on covers often, dismissing them as little more than clickbait and probably not related to the enclosed story, but this guy is an idyllic yet highly believable image of Caleb, with his blond curls.

While Caleb is a sweet earnest guy, full of yearning for excitement, commitment and love, there is almost too much fairytale about this story...and predictability.

I feel disappointed. Even though, in the beautiful environment of the meadery, the Vermont countryside and the charming bar and bookshop, how could I feel flat?

Tag is your typical Vino and Veritas hero, an ex rock star who makes a new life with bees and winemaking. Caleb is a huge geek, in the broadest sense of the word, in that he is not your typical young man diving into sex and casual relationships. He's the opposite. He is himself, unsullied, and knows what he wants enough to maintain that path till he's 26 ... and suddenly out of nowhere, and at his most vulnerable, he finds Tag.

Wikipedia defines geek as "a slang term originally used to describe eccentric or non-mainstream people; in current use, the word typically connotes an expert or enthusiast obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit", so it is this former meaning that described Caleb.

Tag has done it all and now withdrawn from success, fame, and relationships, preferring his honey, his dog, and the quiet busy life of a farmer. Though he doesn't reveal much of this journey to Caleb.

The chemistry between the two is fantastic but I think without this cover image of what Caleb might look like, I couldn't easily get on board with his boyishness, his naivety, his giggling wonderment at the beautiful Tag, and likewise, Tag's besottedness with Caleb. Greg Boudreaux doesn't help, so expertly creating his vision of Caleb by narrating him in a higher register.

The major charm of this novel is that these two are equally captivatied by the geekiness of the other - they see the adorable guy before them - it hits both of them at their core. As a reader below says, they are made for each other.… (mais)