Best Gay Contemporary Romance (2° place): Too Soon for Love by Kimberly Gardner
The odd thing about this novel? I liked it since its main character, blind guy Michael, is full of faults. And no, I’m not referring to the most obvious disability, but more on the fact that Michael is not a saint, and he commits mistakes like and sometime even more than a sighted person.
Michael was in a long term relationship with Philip and they were in love, deeply in love; despite everything else will happen I think Philip was really in love with Michael and that is proved by the fact that, despite him having an affair for more than 2 years, his main thought was to take care of his personal business so that Michael will not have to worry if something happened to him… as it indeed happens. Philip loved Michael, but theirs was not really a balanced relationship, Philip “picked up” Michael soon after college and Michael more or less grew into the man he is always depending from Philip. Michael never questioned Philip, not even when his decision were affecting him; like when Philip decided he wanted a threesome, not considering that for Michael was the first time having sex outside their relationship; sure Michael enjoyed the experience, but maybe it would have been better for Philip to ask… that was yet another proof that he almost considered Michael like a beautiful toy boy than a same level partner.
So, you are thinking, Philip is the bad guy and Alan is the right one who will rescue Michael from his golden cage? Not really, I think that, in a way, Michael was more than comfortable in his cage and that he, in a way, decided to not see (no pun intended) certain things since it would have meant to face issues he wasn’t ready, or didn’t want, to face. And when he is forced to face them, the immediate reaction is to dump the guilt to someone else, an easy target that wanted only to help him. Again, I want to highlight that being Michael faulted is the reason why I liked him, I appreciated him even more for not being the pity case you usual find in novels dealing with disability.
Now on the other hand Alan is almost a saint, and yes, he is maybe too perfect to be true, but he is a perfect romance hero. The author made him only a little naughty, for how much naughty can be a guy who lusts after a newly widower man like Michael. But I liked him, he is basically a big hearted man and I found quite nice that he is a bottom in bed, it would have been even too much easy to have him being the dominant partner with Michael, and instead in this way the author gives an original perspective on both Alan and Michael.
There is also a nice plethora of supporting characters: of course I’d love to read the story of Tommy, Alan’s brother, and Patrick, but I’d really love to read also Robby’s story, even if he was here the “bad” guy, I really think he was in love with Philip as well, and yes, he is a twink, but who said twinks don’t deserve an happily ever after?
http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=KGTOSOON
Amazon: Too Soon For Love
Amazon Kindle: Too Soon For Love
Paperback: 328 pages
Publisher: MLR Press (February 19, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1608202992
ISBN-13: 978-1608202997
Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading%20list&view=elisa.rolle