A sweet romance with a slow, sexy buildupWarning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS. Rating: 8/10PROS: - The author does a good job of conveying Marc’s terror at coming out of the closet while somehow managing to avoid making his struggle too fraught with angst. Sometimes it’s even rather amusing. One of my favorite lines occurs when Sawyer shows up unexpectedly at one point and Marc thinks, “Fate hated him. That was the only explanation.”- I loved that Sawyer pushes Marc to come out not by forcing him with threats or nasty comments, but simply by showing affection and convincing Marc that the two of them could be good together if only Marc would allow them to be.- The men’s relationship builds slowly and reaches the point where they’re crazy about each other before they ever even really kiss. This book is a lovely example of the slow dance of seduction.- There are a lot of secondary characters who are funny and kind, and their presence makes the whole story seem more complete. The scenes in which Marc and Sawyer are apart are just as much fun to read as the scenes when they’re together. I especially loved Sawyer’s friend Bruce.CONS:- The connection between Marc and Sawyer reaches an intense level very quickly (within the span of a few hours), and I didn’t see quite enough PROOF of that connection to believe that it could be so strong so soon. We see their initial meeting from Marc’s perspective but not Sawyer’s--and even from Marc’s point of view, we don’t see much more than the fact that he thinks Sawyer is physically attractive.- The first chapter from Sawyer’s perspective doesn’t occur until 20% of the way into the story. I think the reason this bothered me was that I had already formed an idea of him based on Marc’s observations of him, and then the first chapter from Sawyer’s POV was not entirely in line with the picture I had created of his personality. I felt a bit like I had read a book and then watched a movie remake of it only to discover that none of the actors looked anything like the way I’d pictured them in my head.- Something happens very near the end of the story that requires a rather mighty suspension of disbelief.Overall comments: I think this is very much worth a read, especially if you like a bit of buildup before the characters fall into bed together. And there’s a nice mix in this story of focus on the relationship and focus on external plot points that enhance rather than detract from the romance. This was a splendid, well-written, and engaging novel. The setting and the main and secondary characters were charming. The secondary characters definitely added vital color and context. Of the two leads, I really liked Sawyer. He had that appealing combination of strength, confidence, sexiness, dominance, sensitivity, and tenderness. Among the secondary characters, Tim, Finn, and Simone were my favorites. I loved the way Tim carried himself, his unassuming nature despite marked perceptiveness and intelligence, his comfort in his own skin, and his attitude and philosophy. Simone was the epitome of growing old gracefully. She cracked me up. Her wisdom and generosity of spirit shown true. It was refreshing to read a gay romance that did not have the protagonists immediately having sex and going at it in every chapter. This focused a lot more on the development of their attraction and feelings for each other. It effectively conveyed how Sawyer and Marc felt about each other and how their feelings intensified, as the story progressed. There was passion and intensity without going over the top (that, to me, demonstrated the author's exceptional writing and story-telling skills).
What do You think about Great Restorations (2010)?
nice story about 2 men, one is deep in the closet and the other not.
—Rayne_Ookami
