3.5 starsIn For the Living, L.A. Witt tells us the bittersweet love story between Jay Warren and Scott Lawson. Jay has been in denial all his life. He did not want to be gay, so he married a wonderful woman, Misty, and tried as hard as he could to make it work. But it didn’t, so in the first chapter we find him trying to gather the courage to talk to Misty… When police come and tell him she’s just died in a car crash. Stunned by feelings of guilt and sadness, the following days become blurry, and the only clear thing is handsome funeral director Scott Lawson, who offers him understanding and compassion. On impulse, Jay confesses Scott why he feels so guilty, and Scott is able to understand because he is gay as well and has had to deal with coming out… more than once. They become friends, and too soon they turn into lovers, but both feel uneasy about their relationship. Jay is still in denial and refuses to face his emotional turmoil. And Scott has to deal with remorse for having abused his professional relationship with Jay (he met him in a moment he was very vulnerable, after all), and he suspects that Jay may be using him as his personal way out of pain and guilt. So they argue and they part but Jay cannot stop wondering… Are their feelings the real thing? And if so… Is there a way back for them?This is a really nice book. The characters are likeable, and it is very easy to feel empathy with their feelings. The guilt and the pain are smoothly conveyed, but also the excitement and joy of a newfound love. Both characters have issues they must deal with, and that makes them believable. I also like the fact that their love story is not perfect, and as implied in the epilogue, there are bad times together with the good ones. Relationships have ups and downs and it would be naïve to believe the opposite (although many times that’s what we expect to find in love stories: Prince Charming meeting Cinderella… and a happy ever after at the end). The relationship between Jay and Scott feels nearer to the real thing: Faulty people falling in love, and struggling to make it work. I must recognize that this is my first book from L.A. Witt, but I am sure I’ll repeat. Highly recommendable. L.A. Witt’s For the Living is a tale of love, loss, grief, and finding love again. It deftly explores the feelings that surround a loved one’s sudden death, while presenting a skillful portrayal of coming out and acceptance of oneself. For the Living is essentially a love story, one of loving a lost loved one, loving a new person, and loving yourself. Jay, the protagonist, meets Scott, a funeral director, under trying circumstances. As their romance buds, Jay must deal with the loss in his life that caused their coming together, and he must also deal with the fact that he is gay and that perhaps others in his life will not accept that. Witt is skillful. Her characters are well-drawn, and I found myself truly engaged with them. It is a finely wrought romance that has more substance than I expected. But I also decided, while reading this, that I’m not a fan of this genre. I loved the characters, the plot development, and the writing. But when Witt ventures—as she does several times—into lengthy four and five page sex scenes, she lost me. Yes, the scenes are hot. They accomplishment the author’s purpose, I’m sure, for those who want to indulge. But I just wanted her to keep advancing the characters and their story, not pause for endless rounds of sex. I’m convinced, however, that since this genre is quite popular, it has an audience that would disagree with me, and that’s fine. 50 Shades of Grey, I’m sure, did not become a mega-seller because of its plot (and I haven’t read that one, so maybe it did) and gay men and others who read this genre get not only good sex scenes here, but they are blessed with characters they care about and a story that is fine-tuned. I recommend the book with reservations, but those reservations are probably mostly my own and not For the Living’s potential audience’s.
What do You think about For The Living (2012)?
3.5 stars. Not this authors best work but it was still a nice story and at times quite emotional.
—Anaia2005
