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Timothy
“I shall always be in his shadow, unable to live up to the standard he set at Spindrift, hoping that someday Carlo might love me the way he loved his lost Timothy…”
The memory of Timothy haunts every corner of Spindrift, the beautiful mansion on the Atlantic shore. His face was flawless, his body breathtaking perfection. Everyone who saw him loved him, desired him, wanted him—whether they first laid eyes on him in a magazine ad, on a billboard, or on a box of underwear. No one ever forgot him, once they had passed through his orbit. They remember his wit, intelligence, and sense of style. He was the perfect match for wealthy Carlo Romaniello. Spindrift was the perfect backdrop for the glamorous couple, and the unforgettable, fabulous parties they hosted there. But then tragedy took Timothy, and darkness descended on the beautiful house on the beach. Carlo closed the house, and its secrets remained hidden within.
When Carlo reopens the house as a home for himself and his new young husband, those old secrets begin to creep out into the light. And those secrets might just prove deadly for his new spouse, a young man who has to compete with the memory of the unforgettable Timothy….
The memory of Timothy haunts every corner of Spindrift, the beautiful mansion on the Atlantic shore. His face was flawless, his body breathtaking perfection. Everyone who saw him loved him, desired him, wanted him—whether they first laid eyes on him in a magazine ad, on a billboard, or on a box of underwear. No one ever forgot him, once they had passed through his orbit. They remember his wit, intelligence, and sense of style. He was the perfect match for wealthy Carlo Romaniello. Spindrift was the perfect backdrop for the glamorous couple, and the unforgettable, fabulous parties they hosted there. But then tragedy took Timothy, and darkness descended on the beautiful house on the beach. Carlo closed the house, and its secrets remained hidden within.
When Carlo reopens the house as a home for himself and his new young husband, those old secrets begin to creep out into the light. And those secrets might just prove deadly for his new spouse, a young man who has to compete with the memory of the unforgettable Timothy….
- GenresM M RomanceMysteryLGBT
264 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2012
5 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Greg Herren
80 books150 followersGreg Herren is a New Orleans-based author and editor. Former editor of Lambda Book Report, he is also a co-founder of the Saints and Sinners Literary Festival, which takes place in New Orleans every May. He is the author of ten novels, including the Lambda Literary Award winning Murder in the Rue Chartres, called by the New Orleans Times-Picayune “the most honest depiction of life in post-Katrina New Orleans published thus far.” He co-edited Love, Bourbon Street: Reflections on New Orleans, which also won the Lambda Literary Award. He has published over fifty short stories in markets as varied as Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine to the critically acclaimed anthology New Orleans Noir to various websites, literary magazines, and anthologies. His erotica anthology FRATSEX is the all time best selling title for Insightoutbooks. Under his pseudonym Todd Gregory, he published the bestselling erotic novel Every Frat Boy Wants It and the erotic anthologies His Underwear and Rough Trade (to be released by Bold Strokes Books in 2009).
A long-time resident of New Orleans, Greg was a fitness columnist and book reviewer for Window Media for over four years, publishing in the LGBT newspapers IMPACT News, Southern Voice, and Houston Voice. He served a term on the Board of Directors for the National Stonewall Democrats, and served on the founding committee of the Louisiana Stonewall Democrats. He is currently employed as a public health researcher for the NO/AIDS Task Force.
A long-time resident of New Orleans, Greg was a fitness columnist and book reviewer for Window Media for over four years, publishing in the LGBT newspapers IMPACT News, Southern Voice, and Houston Voice. He served a term on the Board of Directors for the National Stonewall Democrats, and served on the founding committee of the Louisiana Stonewall Democrats. He is currently employed as a public health researcher for the NO/AIDS Task Force.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 5, 2013
2 stars because I fell asleep while reading the damn Prologue!!
**Yawn**
December 28, 2012
The author acknowledged Timonthy as a homage to his four favorite authors: Phyllis A. Whitney, Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart, and Daphne du Maurier. I didn’t think much of this till a few chapters later when Timonthy strongly reminded me of a book I once read for my school’s summer reading.
Long story short: Timonthy is a gay fanfiction of Rebecca, paying the most homage to Daphne du Maurier. (Then again, it’s the only book I have read by one of the author’s favorite authors.)
I didn’t mind that the book was predictable for me because I read Rebecca. Timonthy and Rebecca were different in many ways, but the key pieces were there such as the distant husband, the MC dressing like the deceased spouse at the event scene, and the boat where it happened. I liked that Timonthy had the best parts of Rebecca. What I did mind, however, was that Timonthy also had some of worst parts of Rebecca.
The Flaws
+ the instant love with the MC
The elopement worked well in Rebecca’s historical setting, but not in Timonthy’s contemporary setting. Marriage, even with a pre-nup, should have been the last thing in Carlo’s mind after what happened with his deceased husband. The proverb “fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me” should have been Carlo’s creed.
I know marriage was unavoidable because the plot was paying homage. However, the book could have mitigated the issue if Carlo and the MC, nicknamed Mouse, married for companionship and the promise of love rather than for instant love.
+ the villain
Even dead, Timonthy still causes problems for everyone. I recall from Rebecca, the book, that Rebecca, the character, was one-dimensional. This happened in Timonthy, the book, to Timonthy the character, as well. It wasn’t for the lack of character development; the book focuses on Timonthy greatly and build him up to be a deliciously-hateful villain just like in Rebecca. But it was also the lazy kind of the hateful. Timonthy the book never once developed Timonthy the character beyond his wicked behaviors and deeds. Timonthy was an evil Gary Stu because he was an evil Gary Stu, period.
+ the distant husband
I understand that the book, being titled after the character, would focus on Timonthy, but was it necessary to have Carlo and Mouse apart for most of the story? The same as the couple in Rebecca? Carlo didn’t get much character development, and as a result his character felt bland. I found it jarring that such a major character rarely showed up in the book. It is entirely possible to have a distant, secretive character and still have him present in 100% of the book.
+ the meek MC
Mouse is an apt nickname for the MC. I liked him and his voice and how the story stuck to his 1st person POV. Nevertheless, I wished his growth to a wilful character happened faster instead late in the book. I would have enjoyed more of the book instead being rather bored for most of the book, bugged by Mouse’s naivety.
+ dishonorable mention
Last but not least, there was a supporting character who was seriously annoying like fingernails on chalkboard. She only showed up in 2-4 short scenes, but a single appearance was more than enough.
The Plot
+ the bad prologue
The story began with a ridiculously long prologue. It lowered my expectation so much that I wanted the story to be over with already. The book would have been significantly better without it. Not to mention it ruined the ending some since it was one of those prologues where the scene happened after the story and the MC tells the story like a flashback. The prologue sucked like spoiled eggs.
+ the ending
I had mixed feelings about the ending. I liked it somewhat because of what happened to Carlo and Mouse, but, barring the terrible prologue, I would have liked it more if the closure wasn’t so weak. Specifically, the romance between Carlo and Mouse would have been convincing if they sincerely spent some time together and not the few, absurdly small scenes here and there like raisins in raisin bread. The instant love was bad enough.
The couple should have also gotten rid of the mansion and be done with Timothy and everything he corrupted once and for all. Seriously! The entire story was one long lesson of why they should. Apply the lesson, for y’all mental health’s sake already.
In Conclusion
I rate 3 stars Timonthy for I liked it. I almost didn’t like it had Mouse not grown to a willful character and saved the day. Better late than never.
If you enjoyed Rebecca, then you should consider reading this gay (smutless) fanfiction. I liked Timonthy better than Rebecca mostly because Timonthy’s ending was stronger.
Long story short: Timonthy is a gay fanfiction of Rebecca, paying the most homage to Daphne du Maurier. (Then again, it’s the only book I have read by one of the author’s favorite authors.)
I didn’t mind that the book was predictable for me because I read Rebecca. Timonthy and Rebecca were different in many ways, but the key pieces were there such as the distant husband, the MC dressing like the deceased spouse at the event scene, and the boat where it happened. I liked that Timonthy had the best parts of Rebecca. What I did mind, however, was that Timonthy also had some of worst parts of Rebecca.
The Flaws
+ the instant love with the MC
The elopement worked well in Rebecca’s historical setting, but not in Timonthy’s contemporary setting. Marriage, even with a pre-nup, should have been the last thing in Carlo’s mind after what happened with his deceased husband. The proverb “fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me” should have been Carlo’s creed.
I know marriage was unavoidable because the plot was paying homage. However, the book could have mitigated the issue if Carlo and the MC, nicknamed Mouse, married for companionship and the promise of love rather than for instant love.
+ the villain
Even dead, Timonthy still causes problems for everyone. I recall from Rebecca, the book, that Rebecca, the character, was one-dimensional. This happened in Timonthy, the book, to Timonthy the character, as well. It wasn’t for the lack of character development; the book focuses on Timonthy greatly and build him up to be a deliciously-hateful villain just like in Rebecca. But it was also the lazy kind of the hateful. Timonthy the book never once developed Timonthy the character beyond his wicked behaviors and deeds. Timonthy was an evil Gary Stu because he was an evil Gary Stu, period.
+ the distant husband
I understand that the book, being titled after the character, would focus on Timonthy, but was it necessary to have Carlo and Mouse apart for most of the story? The same as the couple in Rebecca? Carlo didn’t get much character development, and as a result his character felt bland. I found it jarring that such a major character rarely showed up in the book. It is entirely possible to have a distant, secretive character and still have him present in 100% of the book.
+ the meek MC
Mouse is an apt nickname for the MC. I liked him and his voice and how the story stuck to his 1st person POV. Nevertheless, I wished his growth to a wilful character happened faster instead late in the book. I would have enjoyed more of the book instead being rather bored for most of the book, bugged by Mouse’s naivety.
+ dishonorable mention
Last but not least, there was a supporting character who was seriously annoying like fingernails on chalkboard. She only showed up in 2-4 short scenes, but a single appearance was more than enough.
“I HAVE to play tennis this afternoon, and I didn’t WANT to cut my visit ONE minute short to have to run home and CHANGE. Oh, dear, you’re SPEECHLESS in HORROR at my CLOTHES.”She talks like this every single fucking time. I know it was intentional to make the character a diva, but it did it in the most horrible way. I literally couldn’t stand to read her dialogue. I had to skim for the sake of my sanity.
The Plot
+ the bad prologue
The story began with a ridiculously long prologue. It lowered my expectation so much that I wanted the story to be over with already. The book would have been significantly better without it. Not to mention it ruined the ending some since it was one of those prologues where the scene happened after the story and the MC tells the story like a flashback. The prologue sucked like spoiled eggs.
+ the ending
I had mixed feelings about the ending. I liked it somewhat because of what happened to Carlo and Mouse, but, barring the terrible prologue, I would have liked it more if the closure wasn’t so weak. Specifically, the romance between Carlo and Mouse would have been convincing if they sincerely spent some time together and not the few, absurdly small scenes here and there like raisins in raisin bread. The instant love was bad enough.
The couple should have also gotten rid of the mansion and be done with Timothy and everything he corrupted once and for all. Seriously! The entire story was one long lesson of why they should. Apply the lesson, for y’all mental health’s sake already.
In Conclusion
I rate 3 stars Timonthy for I liked it. I almost didn’t like it had Mouse not grown to a willful character and saved the day. Better late than never.
If you enjoyed Rebecca, then you should consider reading this gay (smutless) fanfiction. I liked Timonthy better than Rebecca mostly because Timonthy’s ending was stronger.
October 30, 2012
Blurb from Bold Strokes Books website: “I shall always be in his shadow, unable to live up to the standard he set at Spindrift, hoping that someday Carlo might love me the way he loved his lost Timothy…"
The memory of Timothy haunts every corner of Spindrift, the beautiful mansion on the Atlantic shore. His face was flawless, his body breathtaking perfection. Everyone who saw him loved him, desired him, wanted him—whether they first laid eyes on him in a magazine ad, on a billboard, or on a box of underwear. No one ever forgot him, once they had passed through his orbit. They remember his wit, intelligence, and sense of style. He was the perfect match for wealthy Carlo Romaniello. Spindrift was the perfect backdrop for the glamorous couple, and the unforgettable, fabulous parties they hosted there. But then tragedy took Timothy, and darkness descended on the beautiful house on the beach. Carlo closed the house, and its secrets remained hidden within.
When Carlo reopens the house as a home for himself and his new young husband, those old secrets begin to creep out into the light. And those secrets might just prove deadly for his new spouse, a young man who has to compete with the memory of the unforgettable Timothy…
Okay, give me a moment to recover before attempting to write this review................
Greg Herren has pulled off a wonderful young adult gothic romance in his new novel, Timothy. Fans of the genre will surely love this one, as it takes you to a world of the elite through the eyes of the young main character whose name is never revealed.
Told through his point of view, the narrator, called "Mouse" by his husband, is swept away from his life of work and loneliness into society as we know it today. As readers get to know his new world along with him, their hearts will break as he comes to believe his husband, Carlo, is still in love with his deceased husband, Timothy, who was perfection to all who knew him.
But there is a mystery here, and readers are pulled into it as the narrator's world starts to unravel. I truly felt for him and at one point had to stop reading because I felt his despair so strongly.
I found it interesting that the narrator is never given his own name. He is so overshadowed throughout a majority of the novel by the dead Timothy that it is like his existence isn't as important. Clearly it is as he is the narrator, but others are so enamored by the memory that they can't even speak to him by his given name. And not even he uses his name. This technique reminded me of Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, which was another novel I loved, but for very different reasons. I was also reminded of Sarah Water's The Little Stranger because of the presence of the house, Spindrift. It is one of the driving elements of the novel, just as Hundreds Hall is in Water's novel.
In short, I loved this novel. I could write a paper on it, discussing the wonderful qualities it has, comparing it to wonderful works of classic and contemporary literature. I can only hope that Greg Herren writes more novels like this.
The memory of Timothy haunts every corner of Spindrift, the beautiful mansion on the Atlantic shore. His face was flawless, his body breathtaking perfection. Everyone who saw him loved him, desired him, wanted him—whether they first laid eyes on him in a magazine ad, on a billboard, or on a box of underwear. No one ever forgot him, once they had passed through his orbit. They remember his wit, intelligence, and sense of style. He was the perfect match for wealthy Carlo Romaniello. Spindrift was the perfect backdrop for the glamorous couple, and the unforgettable, fabulous parties they hosted there. But then tragedy took Timothy, and darkness descended on the beautiful house on the beach. Carlo closed the house, and its secrets remained hidden within.
When Carlo reopens the house as a home for himself and his new young husband, those old secrets begin to creep out into the light. And those secrets might just prove deadly for his new spouse, a young man who has to compete with the memory of the unforgettable Timothy…
Okay, give me a moment to recover before attempting to write this review................
Greg Herren has pulled off a wonderful young adult gothic romance in his new novel, Timothy. Fans of the genre will surely love this one, as it takes you to a world of the elite through the eyes of the young main character whose name is never revealed.
Told through his point of view, the narrator, called "Mouse" by his husband, is swept away from his life of work and loneliness into society as we know it today. As readers get to know his new world along with him, their hearts will break as he comes to believe his husband, Carlo, is still in love with his deceased husband, Timothy, who was perfection to all who knew him.
But there is a mystery here, and readers are pulled into it as the narrator's world starts to unravel. I truly felt for him and at one point had to stop reading because I felt his despair so strongly.
I found it interesting that the narrator is never given his own name. He is so overshadowed throughout a majority of the novel by the dead Timothy that it is like his existence isn't as important. Clearly it is as he is the narrator, but others are so enamored by the memory that they can't even speak to him by his given name. And not even he uses his name. This technique reminded me of Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, which was another novel I loved, but for very different reasons. I was also reminded of Sarah Water's The Little Stranger because of the presence of the house, Spindrift. It is one of the driving elements of the novel, just as Hundreds Hall is in Water's novel.
In short, I loved this novel. I could write a paper on it, discussing the wonderful qualities it has, comparing it to wonderful works of classic and contemporary literature. I can only hope that Greg Herren writes more novels like this.
January 9, 2013
4.5 Stars
The perfect dead husband. A new husband competing with a memory. A nice update of a great classic.
Full review can be found at On Top Down Under Book Reviews.
This book was provided by Net Galley and Bold Strokes books in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The perfect dead husband. A new husband competing with a memory. A nice update of a great classic.
Full review can be found at On Top Down Under Book Reviews.
This book was provided by Net Galley and Bold Strokes books in exchange for a fair and honest review.
dnf
May 25, 2013Godawful prologue and first chapter. If you can't grab me in the first 69 pages, I'm not going to sit through 400 more, hoping it gets better. Life is too short.
Maybe I'll try this again when I go through my DNF list to do a second-chance read.
Maybe I'll try this again when I go through my DNF list to do a second-chance read.
November 14, 2012
Remember when you were in high school and there was that one guy who was good at pretty much everything? He was on all the sports teams, he was good at his classes, and as much as you sometimes wanted to dislike him, he was also - darn it all - a nice guy, so you couldn't.
Greg Herren does that with writing. I'm probably forgetting something, but off the top of my head, I've enjoyed novels and stories he has written that were mystery, young adult, romance, horror, nonfiction... Well, you get the idea.
Timothy is another in the stream of books from Herren that I've enjoyed. This is a gothic romantic suspense, and though it is aimed at a young adult audience, I loved it.
From a narrative perspective, Timothy tells the tale of a young man who is very much a fish-out-of-water in the big city of New York, and the whirlwind romance that leads him to Spindrift - a beautiful looming estate that he is to share with his new husband. But the man he has married was married to someone before, the eponymous Timothy himself. Timothy was gorgeous - physically near perfect - and successful and suave and everything that Herren's character feels he is not.
The cast of characters - the rich, the servants, the husband, Timothy's former friends - all tangle around the young man in a tangled snarl that leads him to wonder more and more whether anything is as it seems in Spindrift, or if Timothy's legacy is one that will not leave any happiness behind.
The tone is wonderful. Herren's young protagonist (who lacks self-confidence in the face of Timothy's seemingly indelible presence) loves his husband, and the huge Spindrift as well (the home itself, as is the case in most gothic romances, is nearly a character itself), but lives in a constant sense of uncertainty in nearly everything around him. The suspense rises, and every time the young man has a conversation with someone who knew Timothy, the truth seems less like what he has been told, and the danger grows nearer.
Again, the book is written for a young adult audience, but it doesn't fall into the trap of "speaking down." I read - and loved - this. In a time when adults are more and more reading teen fiction, I can confidently suggest Timothy for their shelves.
Now all I have to do is wait for Greg Herren to find another genre to try. I bet he'll be great at it.
It's a good thing he's a nice guy.
Greg Herren does that with writing. I'm probably forgetting something, but off the top of my head, I've enjoyed novels and stories he has written that were mystery, young adult, romance, horror, nonfiction... Well, you get the idea.
Timothy is another in the stream of books from Herren that I've enjoyed. This is a gothic romantic suspense, and though it is aimed at a young adult audience, I loved it.
From a narrative perspective, Timothy tells the tale of a young man who is very much a fish-out-of-water in the big city of New York, and the whirlwind romance that leads him to Spindrift - a beautiful looming estate that he is to share with his new husband. But the man he has married was married to someone before, the eponymous Timothy himself. Timothy was gorgeous - physically near perfect - and successful and suave and everything that Herren's character feels he is not.
The cast of characters - the rich, the servants, the husband, Timothy's former friends - all tangle around the young man in a tangled snarl that leads him to wonder more and more whether anything is as it seems in Spindrift, or if Timothy's legacy is one that will not leave any happiness behind.
The tone is wonderful. Herren's young protagonist (who lacks self-confidence in the face of Timothy's seemingly indelible presence) loves his husband, and the huge Spindrift as well (the home itself, as is the case in most gothic romances, is nearly a character itself), but lives in a constant sense of uncertainty in nearly everything around him. The suspense rises, and every time the young man has a conversation with someone who knew Timothy, the truth seems less like what he has been told, and the danger grows nearer.
Again, the book is written for a young adult audience, but it doesn't fall into the trap of "speaking down." I read - and loved - this. In a time when adults are more and more reading teen fiction, I can confidently suggest Timothy for their shelves.
Now all I have to do is wait for Greg Herren to find another genre to try. I bet he'll be great at it.
It's a good thing he's a nice guy.
November 30, 2013
Crap. Not worth the paper it was printed on. I persisted through the prologue hoping it would get better, but it did not. I gave up at the end of chapter 3 on page 57. I skipped ahead to the middle and read two pages and then close to the end and read two more: same drivel. This is the first book is over 20 years I have not finished.
July 11, 2013
A little slow for me. I know it was the intentional style, and I like Herren's writing in general. I just thought this took a long time to develop. Still, I liked the characters and basic story.
Read
October 30, 2019This book was actually a lot better than I thought it was going to be. When I started it, I thought it would be the usual sappy love story with lots of explicit sex scenes that I wasn't overly interested in, and this turned out to be very different.
A young man, from small town USA, has moved to the big city after the death of his father, to work with a friend of his father's as her personal assistant. There's lots of travel involved and while they are in Florida, they meet with a wealthy, famous socialite who tragically lost his husband. The socialite falls in love with the young man and before the week is finished has asked him to marry him and live in his mansion. The young man is overwhelmed by all the upheaval in his life - rags to riches story - plus, people start talking about the death of the first husband and he soon has doubts about his relationship with his new husband.
I get the whole insecure personality of the young man - I would definitely not understand what someone would see in me to have them fall in love in a day and marry me in a week, then be surrounded by everything that my new husband had and lost. Then he starts unraveling the mysteries of his predecessor, and this is where you start getting hooking into the book, so, I'm glad I stuck with it.
A young man, from small town USA, has moved to the big city after the death of his father, to work with a friend of his father's as her personal assistant. There's lots of travel involved and while they are in Florida, they meet with a wealthy, famous socialite who tragically lost his husband. The socialite falls in love with the young man and before the week is finished has asked him to marry him and live in his mansion. The young man is overwhelmed by all the upheaval in his life - rags to riches story - plus, people start talking about the death of the first husband and he soon has doubts about his relationship with his new husband.
I get the whole insecure personality of the young man - I would definitely not understand what someone would see in me to have them fall in love in a day and marry me in a week, then be surrounded by everything that my new husband had and lost. Then he starts unraveling the mysteries of his predecessor, and this is where you start getting hooking into the book, so, I'm glad I stuck with it.
November 28, 2017
Review from AntonySimpson.com:
I’ve read a few of Greg Herren’s short stories and enjoyed them, so when the opportunity to review Timothy I jumped at the chance. But ultimately I was to be very disappointed.
In Timothy the meek, uninteresting and Unnamed main character – whom I might add has had a tragic life so far – meets Carlo Romaniello. Carlo is a mega rich widower who instantly falls in love with the main character. After a week of bliss they get married.
Carlo has a huge mansion called Spindrift and takes his new husband to this home. The Unnamed main character is to take over the running of the household and its staff. Carlo is often away on business trips.
But Spindrift is filled with Timothy. Timothy was Carlo’s husband prior to his death. Timothy was a gorgeous-looking model, a talented photographer and had his own successful underwear range. Basically everything the unnamed main character isn’t.
As the main character adapts to his new life in Spindrift, he learns bits about Carlo & Timothy’s relationship. He fills in the blanks often wrongly. But the truth does eventually come out about Timothy and his death.
There were two fundamental problems with this novel for me. Firstly that every aspect of the novel felt like a cliché. The helpless and poor younger gay man meets a wealthy older good looking gay man. They get married after a week – I mean come on, who does that? and they move to a castle…whoops a mansion…and live happily ever after. Timothy read like a cliché fairytale with a gay slant.
Second was the main character. The unnamed main character lacked any realism and was essentially boring. He responded more emotionally to his perceived relationship problems than to the death of his father, whom was his only living relative.
The plot was predictable and not enough actually happened. Important plot points – like the first week where the two characters fell in love and their marriage were mentioned but not actually shown/told in the story. This inevitably effected the pacing negatively. Often the story gave little intrigue or hooks to encourage the reader to read on.
The description was reasonable. But because of the recurrent clichés it was hard to suspend reality and become absorbed within the story. Timothy is available to buy on Amazon if you’d like to. But I can’t honestly recommend it.
Review soon,
Antony
I’ve read a few of Greg Herren’s short stories and enjoyed them, so when the opportunity to review Timothy I jumped at the chance. But ultimately I was to be very disappointed.
In Timothy the meek, uninteresting and Unnamed main character – whom I might add has had a tragic life so far – meets Carlo Romaniello. Carlo is a mega rich widower who instantly falls in love with the main character. After a week of bliss they get married.
Carlo has a huge mansion called Spindrift and takes his new husband to this home. The Unnamed main character is to take over the running of the household and its staff. Carlo is often away on business trips.
But Spindrift is filled with Timothy. Timothy was Carlo’s husband prior to his death. Timothy was a gorgeous-looking model, a talented photographer and had his own successful underwear range. Basically everything the unnamed main character isn’t.
As the main character adapts to his new life in Spindrift, he learns bits about Carlo & Timothy’s relationship. He fills in the blanks often wrongly. But the truth does eventually come out about Timothy and his death.
There were two fundamental problems with this novel for me. Firstly that every aspect of the novel felt like a cliché. The helpless and poor younger gay man meets a wealthy older good looking gay man. They get married after a week – I mean come on, who does that? and they move to a castle…whoops a mansion…and live happily ever after. Timothy read like a cliché fairytale with a gay slant.
Second was the main character. The unnamed main character lacked any realism and was essentially boring. He responded more emotionally to his perceived relationship problems than to the death of his father, whom was his only living relative.
The plot was predictable and not enough actually happened. Important plot points – like the first week where the two characters fell in love and their marriage were mentioned but not actually shown/told in the story. This inevitably effected the pacing negatively. Often the story gave little intrigue or hooks to encourage the reader to read on.
The description was reasonable. But because of the recurrent clichés it was hard to suspend reality and become absorbed within the story. Timothy is available to buy on Amazon if you’d like to. But I can’t honestly recommend it.
Review soon,
Antony
October 6, 2023
I read this on vacation. This stand alone Greg Herren book is Rebecca. The gothic intrigue of the original (which had overtones of Jane Eyre) is all there, but with a gay worldview. As the story reveals itself, there are a few deviations from its inspiration that it feels fresh for a set of readers who probably didn't read the original (or the orginal orginal). But overall it is a really good novel, especially for the beach.
June 16, 2017
Overall, a really good book - I struggled with the prologue and first chapter or so, because I am a fan of Herren's work and this is a little different than his usual mystery writing. That said, it is entirely an exciting read once you get a clear frame of the story line. A few plot twists exist, which keeps the reader more engaged in the final three chapters.
March 6, 2021
I love reading stories by Greg Herren. He is one of my favorite authors, especially his Scotty Bradely series. I found this book, fascinating and very hard to put down. The only critique was that it was too short. I wanted more.
August 9, 2013
Hmmmmm...It was ok!
The synopsis was good and got me interested. Simple guy fell in love with rich guy but rich guy looks like he's still in love with his decease gorgeous husband.
Then the (according to Dd)'damn prologue!' was soooo.. depressing? sad? and definitely long.. I don't know, it made my mood down reading the prologue like it was telling me that it won't have a happy ending. But! I still got past the prologue and didn't fell asleep haha
So on to Chapter One and this is where I really got bored and so annoyed reading ALL ABOUT VALERIE FRANKLIN and she's not even supposed to be a likable character or very significant in the story. Really! this where I skip some of the pages skimming until to the part where the two protagonist met.
So they met then chance happened for them to go and bond together awakening feelings. The rich guy getting fond of the Church mouse,(an endearment from Carlo the rich guy which I find cute :D) finding him cute, making him laugh after so long and the Church mouse falling in love with him. They were really having a good time and having fun with each others company. Then rich guy proposed to the c.mouse and accepted making him quit his job with Valerie with the promised of making him happy for the rest of the rich guy's life.
They got home to Spindrift. This is the part where I just kept reading expecting something from their relationship to improve but nothing came. C.mouse was insecure, worried, comparing himself with Timothy but husband was always gone for work, not helping that they don't share a bed and done or show nothing to appeased the c.mouse's feelings. This is also where Carlo somewhat fade in the story. I can't even really remember a long conversation/dialogue between husbands not until nearing the end. Then the c.mouse encounters the other characters that will tell him about timothy: the servants, Carson the butler?, neighbors, the trainers, Taylor Hudson, Nell and Joyce. This other characters occupied more conversation with the c.mouse.
By curiosity and feedback from this characters the c.mouse was unraveling the mystery around Timothy then BOOM the secret was revealed, mystery solved! A true dialogue finally happened between husbands, confessions were made, honesty, true feelings and the twist happened! The end!
So all in all the story was ok. Not hating it or negative feelings but not really liking it either. I was..OK = 2 stars. But for others who still haven't read it yet don't be discourage :) You might find it more to your liking than others.
I guess I'm just wrong for focusing on the relationship between Carlo and the c.mouse as the story was more on the mystery around Timothy :D
The synopsis was good and got me interested. Simple guy fell in love with rich guy but rich guy looks like he's still in love with his decease gorgeous husband.
Then the (according to Dd)'damn prologue!' was soooo.. depressing? sad? and definitely long.. I don't know, it made my mood down reading the prologue like it was telling me that it won't have a happy ending. But! I still got past the prologue and didn't fell asleep haha
So on to Chapter One and this is where I really got bored and so annoyed reading ALL ABOUT VALERIE FRANKLIN and she's not even supposed to be a likable character or very significant in the story. Really! this where I skip some of the pages skimming until to the part where the two protagonist met.
So they met then chance happened for them to go and bond together awakening feelings. The rich guy getting fond of the Church mouse,(an endearment from Carlo the rich guy which I find cute :D) finding him cute, making him laugh after so long and the Church mouse falling in love with him. They were really having a good time and having fun with each others company. Then rich guy proposed to the c.mouse and accepted making him quit his job with Valerie with the promised of making him happy for the rest of the rich guy's life.
They got home to Spindrift. This is the part where I just kept reading expecting something from their relationship to improve but nothing came. C.mouse was insecure, worried, comparing himself with Timothy but husband was always gone for work, not helping that they don't share a bed and done or show nothing to appeased the c.mouse's feelings. This is also where Carlo somewhat fade in the story. I can't even really remember a long conversation/dialogue between husbands not until nearing the end. Then the c.mouse encounters the other characters that will tell him about timothy: the servants, Carson the butler?, neighbors, the trainers, Taylor Hudson, Nell and Joyce. This other characters occupied more conversation with the c.mouse.
By curiosity and feedback from this characters the c.mouse was unraveling the mystery around Timothy then BOOM the secret was revealed, mystery solved! A true dialogue finally happened between husbands, confessions were made, honesty, true feelings and the twist happened! The end!
So all in all the story was ok. Not hating it or negative feelings but not really liking it either. I was..OK = 2 stars. But for others who still haven't read it yet don't be discourage :) You might find it more to your liking than others.
I guess I'm just wrong for focusing on the relationship between Carlo and the c.mouse as the story was more on the mystery around Timothy :D
March 10, 2025
This novel, by Greg Herren, is a gothic horror story written for modern times. Reading it for the second some 4 1/2 years after the first, I also see its elements that originated in the earlier Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. They both are about a new marriage built after the rich owner of a mansion on an island has lost a previous spouse who the new person thinks was the most beloved. Both new persons are honored too be chosen.
Once they return to the "family home" however they find secrets and more secrets. The previous spouses had secrets and those secrets still color thing in the wonderful mansion the new person is now living in. The difference is, however, is that the genders are changed. In Rebecca, it is a young woman who meets a very wealthy man and has to deal with his first wife's secrets and the shadows she has left on the family home. In Timothy, it is a gay relationship and the relationship was between two men who got married in Massachuets right after that states change in the law.
To get to Timothy, the guy meets the relating spouse and is quickly taken back to Spindrift after they married before a justice of the peace very quickly after meeting. Then they also go back to the family home, Spindrift, where the ghosts of the past come back to haunt them all over again. The story is actually told from the new husband's point of view and deals with his struggles to understand what he has gotten himself into as things go wonky at Spindrift.
Greg Herren proves himself to be an excellent writer again as he creates a Gay masterpiece that resonates with such classics as such work as Wuthering Heights and some of the most known writings of the late 1800s. Although of course now, however, I became away of the novel, Rebecca, I realize that the connection is really because it is also a repeat of that novel, but masterfully worked over to change the genders and make it resonate for a whole new population.
It is very short at only 226 pages, and I literally read it in one setting, and there was not the first time.
Once they return to the "family home" however they find secrets and more secrets. The previous spouses had secrets and those secrets still color thing in the wonderful mansion the new person is now living in. The difference is, however, is that the genders are changed. In Rebecca, it is a young woman who meets a very wealthy man and has to deal with his first wife's secrets and the shadows she has left on the family home. In Timothy, it is a gay relationship and the relationship was between two men who got married in Massachuets right after that states change in the law.
To get to Timothy, the guy meets the relating spouse and is quickly taken back to Spindrift after they married before a justice of the peace very quickly after meeting. Then they also go back to the family home, Spindrift, where the ghosts of the past come back to haunt them all over again. The story is actually told from the new husband's point of view and deals with his struggles to understand what he has gotten himself into as things go wonky at Spindrift.
Greg Herren proves himself to be an excellent writer again as he creates a Gay masterpiece that resonates with such classics as such work as Wuthering Heights and some of the most known writings of the late 1800s. Although of course now, however, I became away of the novel, Rebecca, I realize that the connection is really because it is also a repeat of that novel, but masterfully worked over to change the genders and make it resonate for a whole new population.
It is very short at only 226 pages, and I literally read it in one setting, and there was not the first time.
March 5, 2016
I loved the ending
True love can be muurrrddeeerrrrrrr! I may seem out of my mind, but I loved the happily ever after for my sweet little mouse.
Though the main characters are gay men, there is no erotica in this murder mystery.
Greg Herren is such an incredible mystery writer. So far, 'Sleeping Angel' is my favorite!! That story truly touched my heart.
I love that though many of his main characters are gay, he's able to create a great tale with fantastic characters and zero erotic scenes. I'd have purchased all his stories in one day if the price for them weren't so steep.
Good read!
True love can be muurrrddeeerrrrrrr! I may seem out of my mind, but I loved the happily ever after for my sweet little mouse.
Though the main characters are gay men, there is no erotica in this murder mystery.
Greg Herren is such an incredible mystery writer. So far, 'Sleeping Angel' is my favorite!! That story truly touched my heart.
I love that though many of his main characters are gay, he's able to create a great tale with fantastic characters and zero erotic scenes. I'd have purchased all his stories in one day if the price for them weren't so steep.
Good read!
July 11, 2013
I loved that Herren did something completely different here, with the gothic romance genre. It was a gripping story and pleasure to read. The typos throughout the book were killing me, but other than that this was a good read. It had all the suspense and drama you've come to expect and love from Herren, but with a unique voice and approach.
February 6, 2015
Once I got past the dull prologue I couldn't put it down.
July 5, 2017
I have read several books by Greg Herren. This is one of the best. It kept me on the edge of my seat until I finished it. An Excellent read.
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