Book Reviews

Book Blurb

On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States made a monumental decision, and at long last, marriage equality became the law of the land. That ruling made history, and now gay and lesbian Americans will grow up in a country where they will never be denied the right to marry the person they love.

But what about the gay men who waited and wondered all of their lives if the day would ever come when they could stand beside the person they love and say “I do”?

Here, four accomplished authors—married gay men—offer their take on that question as they explore same-sex relationships, love, and matrimony. Men who thought legal marriage was a right they would never have. Men who, unbelievably, now stand legally joined with the men they love. With this book, they share the magic and excitement of dreams that came true—in tales of fantasy and romance with a dose of their personal experiences in the mix.

To commemorate the anniversary of full marriage equality in the US, this anthology celebrates the idea of marriage itself--and the universal truth of it that applies to us all, gay or straight.

Book Review

To commemorate the June 26, 2015 decision of the US Supreme Court to legalize marriage equality by writing and publishing this anthology is a heartwarming and beautiful idea. And while each of these four stories written by four married gay men are different, they have one thing in common. A quiet, or not so quiet, and in all cases fierce joy that finally their love and commitment are seen as equal, recognized as equal, in the eyes of the law. I adored each story, admired each couple’s hard-won victory, and celebrated their success with them – if only in spirit.

Flames by J. Scott Coatsworth
Alex and Gio belong together. They have lived in the same house, they love each other deeply, and even though they have the occasional fight - or maybe because they have the occasional fight - they are a couple. Then Fate interferes, and suddenly they are about to lose everything.

Alex and Gio’s story made me cry because of the suffering they both went through when Gio got burned in a house fire badly enough to end up in a coma. It made me mad when Gio’s bigoted and harsh mother made it impossible for Alex to be at his side in the hospital because she excluded him since he was not family. I cheered Alex on when he found a way to remain at Gio’s side anyway.

‘Flames’ is an emotional roller coaster and has a perfect ending in more than one way.

Jeordi and Tom by Michael Murphy
Tom and Jeordi don’t have a lot, but they work hard and they have each other. Every day is a struggle, so when Jeordi gets hit by a car on his way to work and ends up in the hospital, things suddenly get a whole lot worse. But when his family interferes and tries to ban Tom from his hospital room, Jeordi fights back. I was glad he was able to do that, because I am not sure what these people would have done otherwise. And then the really amazing part of the story begins – the part where Jeordi proposes.

Jeordi and Tom’s story touched me because they fought so hard to be together, and the fairy-tale-like support they managed to find made everything so much better. They were both so unassuming, and I loved watching things work out for them in the most amazing way.

‘Jeordi and Tom’ reads like a beautiful fairy tale once the horrible early obstacles are behind them.

Destined by Jamie Fessenden
Sometimes love is a journey, and this story is definitely an example of that. Jay and Wallace get so close to never making it as a couple, and not because they have issues, or because they fight. No, it’s simply because they keep running into each other, over years, and just don’t seem to be able to figure out they should stop losing track of each other. Once they do realize they belong together, it still isn’t always easy, but they now know what they want. The daily struggle of being a same-sex couple when some people don’t want to accept that comes through loud and clear here. And sometimes it is the small things that make it just as bad as the bigger obstacles – like not being able to get legally married until the law was finally changed.

I loved following Jay and Wallace on their life journey, and particularly enjoyed the whole wedding preparation and all the details on the day itself. Absolutely beautiful!

Someday by B.G. Thomas
Some couples are just meant to be, and Lucas and Dalton are an excellent example of “destined lovers”. Lucas realizes this much earlier than Dalton, namely when they first meet on Lucas’s first day in kindergarten. Nobody takes him seriously, his mother even tries to make him understand that “boys can’t marry boys”, but Lucas knows better. Watching him grow up and go through the agony of Dalton denying there is anything more than friendship between them was painful. Dalton kisses girls, has a girlfriend, and Lucas is ready to give up and goes to senior prom with another boy – and then a miracle happens and Lucas is back on track with his life plans.

If you believe that sometimes Fate knows what she’s doing, you will enjoy reading this story. I know I did!

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Anthology/4 novellas, 350 pages/107655 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	26-June-2016
Price	$6.99 ebook, $17.99 paperback, $17.99 bundle
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/a-more-perfect-union-7149-b