Sole Support by Kaje Harper
When you open a book that is almost twice the ordinary length and nevertheless start it, knowing you will see the little hour of the night, because you are sure it will be good? That was Sole Support for me. I don’t know what gave me the feeling that this was one of those books you don’t forget, maybe the blurb, a 37 years old virgin falling in love for the first time, yes, maybe that was it, or maybe the stray cat… in any case Sole Support fulfilled my expectations and maybe something more.
I truly love the characters, so ordinary! And yes, I loved they were ordinary people, not some unreachable romance hero. Mike is short, skinny, painfully shy, at 37 years old resembling more Woody Allen than some cute twink; nevertheless, Kellen likes him, at first I think in almost a patronizing way. Kellen is more expert, used to play the field, no strings attached relationships and all. Pushing more 50 than 40, tall and fit, but with the threatening of overweight luring, he is not exactly your dream hero. And now maybe you are understanding what I mean with ordinary people, describing Mike and Kellen with their physical description, doesn’t entice the reader to start the novel, but well, how they look doesn’t really matter. They are good to each other, they are two gay men, single, ready for something serious (even if Kellen doesn’t want to admit it). I could also add to their ordinaries, that Kellen is also unemployed, or better he is self-employed as an editor after he lost his job as salesman in a bookstore. He is a wanna-be mystery author, but like him thousand others. Sure he is good, but more or less on the average. This is not a romance of exploitation, with big revelations, fame and fortune and happily ever after. It’s more warm and comfort, AND happily ever after, but in a very realistic way.
Kellen’s relationship with his mother touched me almost in a painful way, being more or less in the same situation; being the sole support of an aging parent is not easy, and Kellen is as stubborn as his mother. He is ready to sacrifice his personal life, and to an extend also his professional one, or at least to put a stop to it until something will happen (read his mother passing away). But planning and realizing is not the same, and it’s even more difficult when you are basically a social being, not used to cut everyone out of your life.
Truly wonderful story, touching and sweet, but also sexy when it was the right moment.
http://store.samhainpublishing.com/sole-support-p-7416.html
Amazon Kindle: Sole Support
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (June 4, 2013)
Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle
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