Covet Thy Neighbor (Tucker Springs) by L.A. Witt
From an atheist point of view, I’m always surprised to see how much more atheist people seem to follow the original concept of the Christian teachings than many of the current churches. I still remember the priest who was teaching in my midterm school, how he was glad someone was listening to his lessons (religion was still a mandatory matter in school till 10/15 years ago); the ordinary kids were so bored because they had to hear the same story also afterschool, while for me everything was new and moreover I was listening it from an external point of view and so more critical.
That was the feeling I had about the two main characters in this novel, Darren the minister and Seth the tattoo artist; truth be told, Seth is an atheist since he was kicked out from his ultra-conservative and Christian family, who apparently didn’t remember that Jesus Christ has never kicked out people (well, he did for those who were using the sacred place as a market but that is another story…), but exactly the opposite. And it’s not the hateful love the sinner but hate the sin, it’s really an unconditionally love. This is what Darren is trying to convey, but this is also what Seth is struggling to accept.
It’s really difficult for me to believe there are places where a minister can be gay, and where he has a church and a place where he can do good things, but luckily, it’s not the first time I read of true stories like this, so while reading about Darren, I was imagining him like a real person, and hoping someone as good as him was out there.
The story between Darren and Seth is hot too, lot of sex, and strange as it sounds, Darren wasn’t questioning the fact he was having a not-committed relationship. In a very simple answer he gave to Seth, he explained that, minister can marry and have kids, he cannot marry and so… well, he has to do in some other way.
I’m reading this series in bit and pieces, so I don’t have the full picture, but I’m starting to like this Tucker Springs setting, with its gay neighborhood and college town feeling.
http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/covet-thy-neighbor-tucker-springs-novel
Amazon: Covet Thy Neighbor (Tucker Springs) (Volume 4)
Amazon Kindle: Covet Thy Neighbor (Tucker Springs) (Volume 4)
Paperback: 154 pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing (March 21, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1626490015
ISBN-13: 978-1626490017
Series: Tucker Springs
1) Where Nerves End by L.A. Witt
2) Second Hand by Marie Sexton & Heidi Cullinan
3) Dirty Laundry by Heidi Cullinan: http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/3491548.html
4) Covet Thy Neighbor by L.A. Witt
Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading+list&view=elisa.rolle
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