Dumped In Oz by Andrew Grey

Lions, tigers and Bears, oh my! Just kidding. Given the name of the book, I couldn’t resist. There isn’t a Scarecrow, Tin Man or a cowardly lion. There isn’t even a Toto. I suppose you could call the main character a friend of Dorothy. There is however, a wicked witch and her flying monkey, metaphorically speaking of course.

Wamego, Kansas is a quaint little town where everyone not only knows your name but they know your business as well, which could be good in some instances. Frozen in time, this town holds charm and beauty and a little thing called “we take care of our own.” Its  home to the Oz Museum and the Oz Winery and a beautiful park to pass the time away.

This is where Lyle meets Roger. Lyle is a loner of his own doing but used to the fast pace of the city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. When he is asked to do a job in the “middle of nowhere” Kansas, he buckles. At first he didn’t want to take the job because he didn’t want to leave his life. With coaxing from friends, he realizes he doesn’t have a life and decides to make the move. Not knowing that he just might meet his future there.  When he arrives in Wamego, he feels like he’s gone to Heaven and it’s only for a year, so he thinks.

Roger is a recovering alcoholic, dealing with the wicked witch and her flying monkey. I mean his ex-wife and her brother. But he’s managed to stay clean for his twelve year old daughter. In order to have her visit him on her breaks from school , he has to stay sober and he feels he has to deny who he is so he doesn’t lose his daughter to the ex.

Lyle helps Roger see the possibilities and helps Roger grow a backbone by giving him support when he needs it. They both learn to trust another person, something neither one did easily. Lyle helps Roger live again and Roger helps Lyle love again.

 Don’t let this review and the name fool you though, it has nothing to do with the Wizard of Oz except for maybe the two tourist traps it has. I have to admit though what pulled me to this book was the mention of Oz, I’m a big Wizard of Oz fan and the fact I am a fan of Andrew’s work. What I liked most about it though was the caring people throughout the book. Alcoholism is not an easy thing to deal with, sometimes it really does take a village.It’s a strong subject to tackle and I think Andrew did an awesome job. I was impressed how Andrew decided to have the town rally around Roger instead of against him. Roger had more true friends than he thought at first even if he was gay, they’d accepted him for the way he’s always been. Roger, “owner of the diner in town”.  I also liked how two broken souls were made whole with the love from each other. The characters were well written. I knew who I liked and who I didn’t.

I  would highly recommend this book. I give it 5 Blue Roses.

Inside Out by Andrew Grey

Some say reviewers should not get personal in their reviews of other’s works. I disagree. Aren’t we already getting personal by giving our opinion and rating it?

That being said, I have read everything Andrew Grey has ever published. He was my introduction into the M/M world. I am a big fan of this Love Means books and I absolutely love the colorful character of Lonnie in another series by Andrew Grey. So knowing all of his characters, I can safely say that Bull is the best character he’s created! He’s huge, bald and abrasive. By looking at him a person would get the idea he’d rather kick your ass than shake your hand.  With the exception of his childhood friend and business partner, he never let anyone in and get close to him. Or so it seems. He reminds me of a big biker I met once, I was at a concert and he kept people from running me over. If I had met him in an alley I would have been scared, that is until I looked down at his wrist. He was wearing a Mickey Mouse watch, one big contradiction.

Zach is a man who wears his heart on his sleeves who is a lot younger than Bull and not to mention a lot smaller. Bull’s outward appearance doesn’t bother Zach. He can see the man behind the tough façade and he wants to get to know him better.

Its funny watching the whole relationship unfold. Is it possible for a tough guy to turn into a teddy bear?  If you want to know what I mean then read the book.

I give this book 5 blue roses

The Enlightenment of Daniel by Eli Easton

 

Sex in Seattle: Book Two

Business tycoon Daniel Derenzo lives for his work until his dying father reminds him life is short. When Daniel starts to reevaluate his world he experiences a startling revelation—he’s attracted to his business partner and best friend, Nick, even though Daniel always believed himself to be straight. In typical type-A fashion, Daniel dissects his newfound desires with the help of the experts at the Expanded Horizons sex clinic. He goes after Nick with the fierce determination that’s won him many a business deal.

Nick Ross was in love with Daniel years ago, when they were roommates in college. But Daniel was straight and Nick patched his broken heart by marrying Marcia. Two kids and fourteen years later, they go through the motions of their marriage like ships passing in the night. But Nick’s kids mean the world to him, and he’s afraid he’ll never get joint custody if they divorced. If he can trust his heart to an awakening Daniel, they all might find their way to a happily ever after.

I lost sleep over this book. I couldn’t put it down, I ended up reading this in one sitting. That’s not unusual with an Eli Easton book. Even though this book can be read alone, you would get a more understanding of sub characters if you read the first one before you dove into this story. I strongly recommend it. The first book is called “Trouble with Tony”.

The Enlightenment of Daniel will make you laugh and it will make you cry. It might even make you throw something. This story isn’t without it’s angst but what good story is? The characters are well written. Take Daniel for instance, after a push from his father, it didn’t take him long to know what he wanted out of life. When he figured that out, it was impressive to see him go after what he wanted and he wanted Nick.

Nick had been in love with Daniel since college but it was hard for him to come to terms that Daniel loved him back. He was married with two kids and he felt trapped in his marriage. I have no comment about his ahem, wife. His kids were terrific though, loved them. It’s a must read.

I give this book 5 blue roses