3.75*Like the blurb says, Neil is on vacation, going through rituals, I assume ones he used to do with his now deceased lover. Neil was 18 when he met and fell for Lloyd and they were together for 18 years until his death. Lloyd was older and a successful lawyer, whereas Neil doesn't seem to really have much of a career or goal, at least at the moment. It also seemed he was at least partially in Lloyd's shadow. Not that Neil minded or maybe even realized it, at least not at the time.Saving Ty's Uncle Ray changes not only Ray and Ty's life obviously, but meeting Ty opens Neil up to whole new possibilities. Neil has never dated, never asked anyone out, hasn't experienced a lot of things, but now with Ty he has the opportunity. They are very attracted to each other, but Neil is mourning and he is unsure of himself in a lot of ways and Ty actually has a surprisingly big chip on his shoulder.The story itself doesn't try and wring out all the sadness and angst from Neil and his moving on, which I am always glad of. The relationship that develops between the two men does so, without Lloyd being a focal point or a source of conflict, which again I appreciated. I liked seeing Neil and Ty sort of dancing around each other and figuring it out. They had things to work out and it ends with a very hopeful beginning of something new for both of them.After finishing this story, I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it. Although I did like it and enjoyed watching Neil change in front of my eyes.But the way it was written, third person limited to Neil kept me at a distance and I wasn't quite as invested in the characters as I would have wished. I'm sure the feeling of watching the story enfold that way will appeal to many, it just didn't work that well for me.
Mandy, I read obsessively
3.75*Like the blurb says, Neil is on vacation, going through rituals, I assume ones he used to do with his now deceased lover. Neil was 18 when he met and fell for Lloyd and they were together for 18 years until his death. Lloyd was older and a successful lawyer, whereas Neil doesn't seem to really have much of a career or goal, at least at the moment. It also seemed he was at least partially in Lloyd's shadow. Not that Neil minded or maybe even realized it, at least not at the time.Saving Ty's Uncle Ray changes not only Ray and Ty's life obviously, but meeting Ty opens Neil up to whole new possibilities. Neil has never dated, never asked anyone out, hasn't experienced a lot of things, but now with Ty he has the opportunity. They are very attracted to each other, but Neil is mourning and he is unsure of himself in a lot of ways and Ty actually has a surprisingly big chip on his shoulder.The story itself doesn't try and wring out all the sadness and angst from Neil and his moving on, which I am always glad of. The relationship that develops between the two men does so, without Lloyd being a focal point or a source of conflict, which again I appreciated. I liked seeing Neil and Ty sort of dancing around each other and figuring it out. They had things to work out and it ends with a very hopeful beginning of something new for both of them.After finishing this story, I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it. Although I did like it and enjoyed watching Neil change in front of my eyes.But the way it was written, third person limited to Neil kept me at a distance and I wasn't quite as invested in the characters as I would have wished. I'm sure the feeling of watching the story enfold that way will appeal to many, it just didn't work that well for me.
