Here's another case where I put off a book way to long despite numerous recommendations. I found myself surprisingly closed minded about the central premise of the plot. Not my usual modus operandi, and thankfully I finally ceded to all the Good Book Noise (tm). I laughed, I cried, I swooned a little, I sighed a little, I empathized a lot. Really well crafted story about letting go of grief and living without fear, which are huge obstacles for many people. There's a little family drama, a little father/daughter relationship building, lots of get your head out of your ass friends, a touch of faith restored and a wonderful love story. So good enough story, not three hankies, and sex? You mean stuff you'd read in Harlequine Desire, not Blaze? I'd give the "sex" 1 1/2 stars.To be honest, I got this from the library (thank goodness!) bec of the name of the publishing company: Samhain. I was so dissappointed that there was no Pagan element whatsoever. Now, the convetional God/spiritual elements were quite good, which is saying something because I typically find it extremely off-putting. And I think would be healing for gay persons/families but for the fact that the main charactars are in a m/f relationship with a child and the guy seems to be ready for conventional religion participation by the end. Sure, I'm glad he has recognized his need for spirtuality in his life and began reconciling with God. Same with her. But I think if I were a gay male parent reading this, I'd be pissed at the turn of events.Yes, he acknowledges bisexuality, but to think that he's never going to flirt with a man again as she demands? His terrible guilt and off the wall excuses- they contradict his and her comfort with his Bi status. Here Bi means Binary- on or off. Gay or Straight. ;) But I guess they covered how that dillemma would work in Things She's Going to Have to Wait for Him to Work Out. That will be hard given he's got "the queer vibe". How's he going to lose that? Is he going to stop being a "good queer boy", lighting other men's cigarettes,etc. when she's at his side? THAT would be interesting to answer, my dear. Very. This romance is was an unexpectdly good vehicle for explorations of the different kinds of loss we live with, extreme and otherwise. How once touched by a catastrophic grief it remains the spectrum through which even happy events are viewed.Hell, the experience and exploration of loss through the eyes of a chld was excellent (where do people go when they die? Adults wonder too), and her integration of that loss into a child's life in order to go on was psychiatrist approved, incl. the way the adults in her life helped- just fantastic. BUT....BUT. This was not at all what either cover (back or front)suggests by the chosen graphics or even the blurb. But for the complexity of the sexuality and sex lives and the Hollywood settiing, there may as well be a bonneted white woman on the cover: Rebecca's Trial, or some such. The name Samhain is a misnomer if what they want is to present books where convetional views of God/conventional religion is a pathway to healing and connecting with others, whether gay or straight, in whatever formation of family that exists today. It's a great goal and I fully support it because it reflects today's realities. I know many people are crying out for something more inclusive and modern yet values-oriented in their romantic reading. Great, I'm glad Ms. Knight and Samhain are here for them. But pulling a bait and switch with the cover is disrespectful to your mission, (and I suspect it is a mission), your goals and your readers. Plenty would have liked to read this but were turned off by the cover. Those turned on by it did not get the story they expected. Whether that's good or bad- I'll just say I prefer to have an idea of what i'm getting when I pick up a book. If you read it, read it for the explorations of grief and loss, fear and overcoming it. Not sex or necessarily romance. It definitely stands on it's on and earns a half star on this measure.
What do You think about Butterfly Tattoo (2009)?
Like it but it's not as good as the rave reviews :/
—dmturps
