The Apothecary's Garden by Julie Bozza
This was quite a beautiful romance, and strange enough, while the pace was slow, for various reason I will explain, the story wasn't at all boring, and actually it was captivating, like a blanket wrapping you in winter, letting no desire to go out of your nestle.
Hilary is 65 years old; already enough an original character for a story cause you aren't used to imagine senior people to have love story, or if they do, they are chaste, often with people their own age. When you pair him with 23 years old Tom, well that was unexpected. Above all cause, it's Tom who initiates everything, being charming and hinting to an interest that was beyond their common task of restoring a psychic garden in Hilary's backyard.
For Hilary is more upsetting to accept what people will think of them, than believing that Tom is really interested in him. Maybe cause Tom is really an open character, no hidden layer, honest and kind from the beginning; Hilary doesn't question if Tom has an hidden agenda, and so he believes Tom's feelings are sincere. What he questions are how much enduring they are, and what Tom's friends and relatives will think if he has a relationship with a man that could easily be his grandfather.
I liked how respectful the author was of these two men, and how she didn't deprive them of the sexual nature of their relationship. Tom is 23 years old and it would be unbelievable if he hadn't desires; sure their love making is different from that of two twenty something fellows, but nevertheless is satisfying for the both of them.
The story has its bittersweet undertone, and the author doesn't hide what is the possible future of this couple; they can find happiness, but indeed, happiness with Hilary will not last for the entire life of Tom, but is it better to love and lose or to not love at all?
Paperback: 202 pages
Publisher: Manifold Press (June 28, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1908312947
ISBN-13: 978-1908312945
Amazon: The Apothecary's Garden
Amazon Kindle: The Apothecary's Garden
More Reviews by Author at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Reviews
This journal is friends only. This entry was originally posted at http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/4303776.html. If you are not friends on this journal, Please comment there using OpenID.