Tatum West

I like the series, I like the author, I like the narrators, the biggest problem was there was so much hate and judgement going on, not from the residents of the little town but from outsiders brought in by the people in authority from the town that should have known better. I've read the first 4 books in this series and while there is always some controversy about some issue, it's fairly peaceful for this little primarily gay town. The hate has been nowhere as prevalent as it is throughout this story, actually the citizens, both gay and straight, get along well. That being said...this story is about justice being served, truth being told, learning respect and to compromise. Nobel is the son of a Bible thumping father who is a southern Pastor in another little town. He picks and chooses what the Bible says and translates it to suit his own narrow-minded whims. His son, Noble has hidden his true self for thirty years. Now he's met Connor Strong, the town baker and the love of his life...and he's finished hiding. The school administration is composed of bigots and those that are loud but not in any way right. Every town has some, but it seems that Abingdon has more than its fair share. Add to this a hillbilly homophobic damaging his boyfriend Connor's bakery and Connor almost ending up in jail. It was just one thing after another! The near ending surprised me, and the last chapter made my heart sing.. Yes...There is hope for everyone.… (mais)

The characters in this story are great together. I couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Elias. He was the product of a dysfunctional family...seems to be somewhere on the autistic spectrum...and as a result had social and behavioral trouble in school. He fell for Zane while at prep school years ago, but he couldn't bring himself to accept his sexuality at that time and pushed Zane away breaking his heart. The story then moves ahead to several years later, and Elias is now a multi-millionaire tech whiz, has divorced his wife, and finally comes out as a gay man, and he has what he never thought would be possible...another chance with Zane. At a financially low point in Elias' life, he and Zane tentatively reunite and begin to explore a relationship. Suddenly, with no warning his ex-wife literally dumps Zoe, their daughter, on him and takes off for parts unknown. Zoe is a mess to put it mildly. She's been told that her father didn't love her and had never wanted anything to do with her. She is beyond autistic. No school can manage her for more than a few months or even weeks. Zane steps in and helps him and he and Zoe simply, beautifully, mesh, connecting with his very little trouble. What results is a very sweet and emotional love story, between Elias and Zane, and Elias and Zane with a very wary and emotionally needy, Zoe. I loved how Zane could always make things right...how he never gave up on Elias or Zoey. He gave new meaning to "the patience of a saint". The story went through 11 years and there was a happy ending for everyone in spite of the way it started out. I listened to the audio and that was really the only problem I had with the entire story. The voices of Elias and Zane were done by two different narrators. Zane's voice was beautifully done but Elias's voice was grating to put it mildly. It sounded like he was angry and on the verge of having a melt-down through the entire reading.… (mais)

Gil Steele returns to his hometown in Virginia to assume the role of town police chief after being away 15 years while working as a police officer in California. He meets and quickly falls for Kendall Vincent, who is a chef and runs a successful food cart service. The two quickly pair up but it seemed they were constantly being interrupted a group of anti-gay rednecks aided by an old-school bigoted county sheriff. It won't take long for you to absolutely hate the sheriff. The main, (non-romance), plot line here involves a reprehensible kind of betrayal. One that has become all too common in this country. It’s always a problem anywhere when corrupt and, or uncaring law enforcement and others that have sworn to protect and serve, oppress the very people that they’re paid to protect. That problem is especially horrendous when the targets of that oppression are the ones with differences some may disagree with but still should protect their rights...not just “tolerate” ... but protect. It’s especially satisfying in this story to see some other more enlightened officers, stepping up to end these abuses. In this case there are two happy endings. one when the “good cops” end the bullies’ reign of terror. And the other, a more romantic happy ever after. My husband was a police officer for 38 years...20 of them in a part of the country...not the state, that this story takes place in...so I did a happy little cheer when we are reminded that any officer of the law that knows of, but fails to report a crime, is themselves committing a crime. What finally comes up was a bit of a surprise. I learned, thanks to "Mr.Google"... that it's something that has only been actually legal in Virginia since 2014. Don't want to say what because it would give away too much of a good story line. The book is told in alternating chapters from the viewpoints of Gil and Kendall. The narrators are two of my favorites when I do audio books. Alexander Cendese narrates Kendall’s chapters in an animated and endearing style, and Tor Thorn narrates Gil's chapters in a more sedate and gruffer style. While the contrast was at first a bit jarring, the two styles work very effectively and by the end I was sold on Gil and Kendall no matter how they sounded.… (mais)

A box of tissues should be a requirement before you start reading or listening to this story. I challenge anyone to have a dry eye by the time the last chapter is finished. This story was amazing. The characters are really well-done...the plot is good...the dialogue simply flowed....and the narrators are perfect for the voices. It had the right balance of "sexy stuff" that added to the story but didn't overwhelm. You couldn't have asked for a better ending. These characters are real. The situations are real. The outcomes are real, though in real life it would be rare for so many things to turn out so very well in the end. Even so, it is at least a possibility. I loved the romance and the erotic moments, but they really weren't needed in order for the story to simply work. This book made me cry, and that's a fairly rare occurrence unless the story is about dogs or cats. This one is about humans...everyday, run of the mill, hardworking humans... and it contains good times, bad times, realistic scenes, and more genuine love than I have encountered in a story in a long time.… (mais)