Book Reviews

Book Blurb

The only path to happiness is freedom: the freedom to live—and love—as the heart wants. Claiming that freedom will take all the courage one young man has… but he won’t have to face it alone.

 

In small, conservative Sierra Pines, California, Reverend Gabriel is the law. His son, Willy, follows his dictates… until he meets a man in Sacramento, and then reunites with him in his hometown—right under his father’s nose.

 

Reggie is Sierra Pines’s newly appointed sheriff. His dedication to the job means not flaunting his sexuality, but when he sees Willy again, he can’t escape the feeling that they’re meant to be together. He’ll keep Willy’s secret until Willy is ready to let the world see who he really is. But if going up against the church and the townspeople isn’t enough, the perils of the work Reggie loves so much might mean the end of their romance before it even gets off the ground….

 

Book Review

As this story proves, the courage to be who you are is not always easy to find. Willy is young, still living with his parents, and keenly feels the restrictions his father, a very religious reverend, places on him. Reggie is a little older and seems to be free, but as it turns out, the restrictions he has placed on himself can be just as much of an obstacle to being himself as any external limits. Luckily they find each other and can travel the path to freedom together – which may sound good but actually makes some things even more difficult once their emotions get involved. Secrets, past events, current bullies, and potential criminal activity all interfere with Willy and Reggie’s goal of being happy.

Willy has struggled with his father’s restrictions and his mother’s passive acceptance of whatever “the reverend” pronounces for a while. Family tragedy has something to do with it but the fact that Willy realizes that he is gay doesn’t make things easier. When he does decide to come out of the closet, at least when he is away from his little town, he meets Reggie. It is the start of a journey of self-discovery that enables Willy to be honest not just with himself but with everyone else as well.

Reggie faces a set of different problems. In his mind, and with his friends, he is open about his sexuality. On the job, however, in the small, conservative town he has been sent to, he does not flaunt the fact that he is gay. In fact, he is pretty much back in the closet. Meeting Willy and seeing how much he struggles makes Reggie more conscious about the fact that he is “hiding” too, but it takes a while for Reggie to figure out how to deal with it.

Willy falls for Reggie very quickly, and vice versa, but Reggie is very careful about letting Willy set the pace. Initially, he is very reluctant to let Willy know how much he affects him, not wanting to make it all about the physical side of things. But when it becomes clear that there is more to their attraction than sex, the real journey begins, and it’s not an easy one. Neither man wants to hurt the other, there are a lot of potential pitfalls in their way, and everyone in town seems to have an opinion on what is right and what is wrong.

If you like romances that are very much set in the real world, if watching two men deal with prejudice, their own preconceived notions, and external interference is your thing, and if you’re looking for an emotional read with great characters and a wonderful ending, then you will probably like this novel.

 

 

 

 

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	Novel, 200 pages/64107 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	11-September-2018
Price	$6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/all-for-you-by-andrew-grey-9846-b