I had no idea what to expect when I picked up Sex & Sourdough. Normally it’s pretty easy to sum up a book in a sentence or two, but it’s really difficult to do that with this book. That’s due to there being so many different layers to the plot. This was a book which had a lot happening. On one level there is Anders finally discovering who he is, what he wants out of life, and gathering the courage standing up for himself. Another level has Kevin living with a disease which he knows is going to eventually kill him. Then, there is the slow build of the romance between Anders and Kevin. There is also their fascinating adventure of hiking the Appalachian Trail. And then, on a completely different level, is Anders’s ex boyfriend. He brings the crazy, which is the root of the danger and action in the book.I’m sure after everything I just said that it seems like there’s no way all this can work together, but it does. This book completely captured my imagination and interest. I knew the Appalachian Trail existed, but that’s about all I knew about it. After reading this book, I’m thinking it’s something I want to do myself one day. The hike itself and all the people they encountered fascinated me. It was a fun and unique backdrop for their romance. The relationship between Anders and Kevin was so good. It felt real. I had no problem imagining them as real people, they were genuine and natural. Neither they nor their relationship ever felt forced. I thought their day to day struggles of hiking the trails, finding a place to camp, eating enough food to sustain them, and even Kevin mixing up his sourdough was all very interesting.It feels like a cop out to say it, but there really is too much happening for me to give you a clear picture about all of it and how it works together. What I can tell you is that Anders and Kevin have a great relationship. There was also a wonderful sense of danger and suspense because of the ex stalking Anders. I especially liked that the book touches on the love of parents for their kids and what the support of family can bring. I can promise you that reading Sex & Sourdough is an adventure. I really enjoyed it, and I recommend it. I like to use my privilege as a reviewer to try out new (to me or first-time) authors. You never know how it will turn out, as it’s kind of like a roll of the dice. This time I was most definitely a winner. A.J. Thomas has rolled “snake eyes” with Sex & Sourdough. This is Thomas’s second book and I will definitely be reading the first, A Casual Weekend Thing as soon as I can.Anders and his boyfriend of several years plan to hike the Appalachian Trail together over the summer. Anders is being coerced by his family to attend law school in the fall, so this is his last hurrah before having to buckle down and study something in which he has no interest. At the last minute, Anders’s boyfriend cancels because of a prior commitment. Anders makes the decision to go ahead with the hike on his own. Having never hiked before, he has no idea what he is in for.Kevin is an experienced hiker. He has been practically living on the trails since he found out he has the same disease that killed his father. He left his family and their business behind with no explanation and has been hiking as much as possible for years. He is not interested in a hiking partner. He is not looking for a relationship. Especially one with a man on the rebound from an abusive ex-boyfriend.Along the way, it becomes apparent that Anders’s ex-boyfriend is stalking him. He catches up with him at one stop and demands that Anders come home with him. This is where Kevin realizes that the relationship is abusive. The close-knit group of hikers bands together to make sure the ex isn’t able to find Anders. He won’t be dissuaded, though and is seen many times over that summer at various places along the trail.Kevin is convinced that he has a brief future and that it will be consumed by pain and illness caused by his disease. He doesn’t want to get close to anyone because he knows how much it hurts to lose someone you love to illness. The way he lost his father. The only tie to his family he allows himself is the sourdough bread he bakes over a camp fire at every stop along the hiking trail. He keeps the recipe alive and cultivates the “starter” in a jar which he carries with him in his pack. This has earned him the trail nickname “Sourdough”. All the regular hikers have trail names.Kevin takes Anders under his wing and helps him out along the hike, even though it means cutting his own distance covered in half which will keep him from reaching his goal before winter sets in. As they get to know each other, Kevin and Anders realize that they have a lot in common. They become friends and are quickly aware of their attraction to each other. Kevin is hesitant to act on his attraction due to his illness and Anders thinks Kevin is straight. Once they do become romantically involved, there is no stopping them.The group of hikers surrounding Kevin and Anders was a cast of supporting characters that were so enjoyable to read. They all had their own trail names and real names. Some were in relationships with one another, some not. They all seemed to meet up every few days at one of the many shelters set up along the Appalachian Trail to allow them to spend a night at a place with a few (and I’m not talking hotel quality here) amenities. This group of people, bound together by their love of hiking had little to no contact with each other during the off season, but they banded together like family to keep Anders safe from his ex. They were fully developed supporting characters that actually provided support on a number of occasions. They were well-written and fully evolved.When I met Anders and Kevin, my first instinct was to feel sorry for both of them. They were both in a bad place and using hiking to escape their situation and their own thoughts. I quickly realized that they didn’t need me to feel sorry for them. They were stronger than they first appeared. And together, they were exponentially stronger. I loved these characters. They were full-fledged, their personalities and pasts laid out for the reader (in this case, me) to see in all their glory and pain.The lengths that they both went to for the other were sweet and loving and sacrificial. I wanted them to be together so badly. Despite the odds that they would have to overcome to find their way back to each other, I knew they had the fortitude to do it. I wanted them to have their happiness, regardless of how long Kevin thought it might last. I wanted to see them both at peace and reconciled with their families. A.J. Thomas has done what most writers dream of when they are early into their published career, she wrote a great book that makes me want more. More from her amazing brain and equally amazing computer. If this story was in there, I can’t wait to see what else she has floating around in her head. Sex & Sourdough drew me in with the title (read the book to find out it’s meaning!) and kept my attention until way too late at night because I just HAD to finish it. Oh, yeah, you may need a tissue or two. This is a must read.
What do You think about Sex & Sourdough (2013)?
3.5*good story, but the whole ex boyfriend plot was annoying and took away from the story.
—Jen
