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Honeymoon Cottage
It’s 1962, and Dale Parker has been on his own for two years, ever since his small-town family disowned him on the suspicion of homosexuality. He works as a waiter in a Southern California coastal restaurant, but his life is going nowhere he has no real education and has never had a real relationship. So when he finds himself falling in love with Rey Durán, one of his customers, he knows he’s in over his head.
Rey is nearly twice Dale’s age and a descendant of one of the original Spanish land grant families in California. He’s had plenty of disappointments in love, and that’s what he’s come to expect. He loves Dale, but Dale is a young, poor, uneducated Anglo—how can their differences be anything but insurmountable?
Determined to overcome the obstacles and prove himself to Rey, Dale sets out to finish his education and settle down. He wins over Rey’s family, starts learning Spanish, and adopts a culture vastly different from his own. But as Dale matures, Rey becomes less sure of his own commitment—which could lead to the heartbreak he’s been expecting all along.
Rey is nearly twice Dale’s age and a descendant of one of the original Spanish land grant families in California. He’s had plenty of disappointments in love, and that’s what he’s come to expect. He loves Dale, but Dale is a young, poor, uneducated Anglo—how can their differences be anything but insurmountable?
Determined to overcome the obstacles and prove himself to Rey, Dale sets out to finish his education and settle down. He wins over Rey’s family, starts learning Spanish, and adopts a culture vastly different from his own. But as Dale matures, Rey becomes less sure of his own commitment—which could lead to the heartbreak he’s been expecting all along.
- GenresM M RomanceHistorical
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 14, 2013
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51 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 24, 2013
Set in the 60's, not a time period I usually read about, but this one sounded good, so I gave it a go.
Dale was kicked out by his father on the assumption that he might be gay, he's 17 and not even done with high school. But this kid has drive and a very strong work ethic.
He sees the 19 yr older Rey and was instantly attracted. They keep running in to each other and soon start dating.
Now, there is really very little to no homophobia in this story ( with Dale's family and his status in the draft being the exceptions) and there was also very little to no hiding their orientation either. And not only that, there seem to be an awful lot of gays in this family/town...and tons of acceptance.
I decided to shrug and just go with it, it's nice actually when that isn't used as a plot device.
Dale falls hard and fast and not without a few tears along the way for Rey. There is a lot of details in this book, a lot of them repetitive. It reads almost like a real life account.
I can't say how often one of the characters wakes up at in the middle of the night and has to pee, or how they brush their teeth or go to dinner or what they eat at a meal. Tons of detailed conversations, things like that. I do think that could and should have been reduced.
All in all there was no conflict ( yes Rey is concerned about the age difference and brings it up a lot and there is one other issue ) but other than that, these guys are close to perfect. There is a huge family that is involved in every day lives, tons of parties, meals, details, lots and lots of details..which plants are being planted, mowing the lawn, peeing, teeth brushing, calling on the phone, going to work etc.
Lots of ' I love You's in this story, meddling relatives and general every day stuff. It wasn't bad, but not really exciting. I guess if you are looking for a simple easy May/Dec story, this one might work.
Dale was kicked out by his father on the assumption that he might be gay, he's 17 and not even done with high school. But this kid has drive and a very strong work ethic.
He sees the 19 yr older Rey and was instantly attracted. They keep running in to each other and soon start dating.
Now, there is really very little to no homophobia in this story ( with Dale's family and his status in the draft being the exceptions) and there was also very little to no hiding their orientation either. And not only that, there seem to be an awful lot of gays in this family/town...and tons of acceptance.
I decided to shrug and just go with it, it's nice actually when that isn't used as a plot device.
Dale falls hard and fast and not without a few tears along the way for Rey. There is a lot of details in this book, a lot of them repetitive. It reads almost like a real life account.
I can't say how often one of the characters wakes up at in the middle of the night and has to pee, or how they brush their teeth or go to dinner or what they eat at a meal. Tons of detailed conversations, things like that. I do think that could and should have been reduced.
All in all there was no conflict ( yes Rey is concerned about the age difference and brings it up a lot and there is one other issue ) but other than that, these guys are close to perfect. There is a huge family that is involved in every day lives, tons of parties, meals, details, lots and lots of details..which plants are being planted, mowing the lawn, peeing, teeth brushing, calling on the phone, going to work etc.
Lots of ' I love You's in this story, meddling relatives and general every day stuff. It wasn't bad, but not really exciting. I guess if you are looking for a simple easy May/Dec story, this one might work.
July 28, 2013
This is one story that does not really fit into a box. It's historical, but you could classify it as fantasy too. For a lot of people this book wouldn't be enjoyable. It's very surgery sweet with a May/February romance. Added to that a lot of male characters are gay. I think this would be like Talia Carmichael's series'. There are so many gay men, I actually liked it.
Dale is 18 years old and on his own when he meets Rey, a man in his late 30's. With almost 20 years between them a relationship begins. It was very sweet, very romantic and very sweet. One thing was the age of consent is 21? I always thought it was 18! Maybe I'm not familiar on American law and the history. Anyway, that causes an issue when Rey finds out exactly how old he is.
We see the relationship develop. In so many ways it was insta-love. It was all before the 20% mark, which I loved. No other way for me to describe it. I love stories where the MC's fall in love fast. Dale was so devoted it was funny. It could get repetitive, and if you don't like the story it will bug you. So many times things were repeated. I happened to overlook that in favor of the lovely story line.
Things were very open. We meet a lot of gay couples who are openly gay. Sometimes it didn't feel like a historical romance. Rey's family were very accepting of gay people. Dale's family kicked him out. Although from the small bits we learned in the book it was no loss. I was kind of glad we didn't have to read a lot about that, just enough to learn the important things.
One thing bugged me somewhat and I almost knocked the rating down because of it. Fans of May/February romance might like this. You would have to love the sugary sweet nature of the book and the lack of the historical feel of the book.
Recommended if you want something very sweet and romantic!
Dale is 18 years old and on his own when he meets Rey, a man in his late 30's. With almost 20 years between them a relationship begins. It was very sweet, very romantic and very sweet. One thing was the age of consent is 21? I always thought it was 18! Maybe I'm not familiar on American law and the history. Anyway, that causes an issue when Rey finds out exactly how old he is.
We see the relationship develop. In so many ways it was insta-love. It was all before the 20% mark, which I loved. No other way for me to describe it. I love stories where the MC's fall in love fast. Dale was so devoted it was funny. It could get repetitive, and if you don't like the story it will bug you. So many times things were repeated. I happened to overlook that in favor of the lovely story line.
Things were very open. We meet a lot of gay couples who are openly gay. Sometimes it didn't feel like a historical romance. Rey's family were very accepting of gay people. Dale's family kicked him out. Although from the small bits we learned in the book it was no loss. I was kind of glad we didn't have to read a lot about that, just enough to learn the important things.
One thing bugged me somewhat and I almost knocked the rating down because of it. Fans of May/February romance might like this. You would have to love the sugary sweet nature of the book and the lack of the historical feel of the book.
Recommended if you want something very sweet and romantic!
March 5, 2013
This was a different kind of book, set in the 1960′s in a slightly different universe. There was still prejudice against homosexuals but it was very mild and had almost no effect on the characters. It was a little disconcerting until I made the mental adjustment to this having a fantasy element. Once I did that I was able to enjoy it. It’s slow paced and mostly deals with their everyday lives and their development as a couple. Told primarily from Dale’s perspective it occasionally switches to Rey’s and even, a few times, secondary characters’ as well. The author did this smoothly and kept it with Dale as the strongest voice only switching when there needed to add more clarity or allow you to see behind the scenes.
I enjoyed the men in this story. They were a sweet couple with a reasonable amount of angst to overcome; that was very logical and realistic. Dale is young, barely 18 when the story starts and so very alone when he first meets Rey. Having been on his own for a while and unable to finish high school before he left home, Dale’s options were limited. I liked his drive to go back to school and make a better life for himself. Dale’s very mature and hard working. He knows how to plan for the future but live in the moment and enjoy the blessings in his life. He’s a mixture of savvy and naive without being jaded that is very enjoyable. He’s been hurt and mistreated but not truly damaged.
Rey is sweet with Dale. It would be hard in many ways to be so much older than your lover. It would take a strong and confident man to maintain such a relationship as the years passed.
Family plays a huge part in this story. Rey’s large family provided a lot of sweet moments and were important in our couple’s daily life. I enjoyed the relationships that developed between Dale and Rey’s family. He needed that love and acceptance so much.
In many ways it was unrealistic and the characters simple and too perfect but in a charming way that left you feeling like it was an escape to a happy and safe place where these men lived in a bubble. This is a book about a simpler time and it read that way. A sweet and easy read that will leave you feeling content and happy for these gentle men.
Reviewed by: Nina
I enjoyed the men in this story. They were a sweet couple with a reasonable amount of angst to overcome; that was very logical and realistic. Dale is young, barely 18 when the story starts and so very alone when he first meets Rey. Having been on his own for a while and unable to finish high school before he left home, Dale’s options were limited. I liked his drive to go back to school and make a better life for himself. Dale’s very mature and hard working. He knows how to plan for the future but live in the moment and enjoy the blessings in his life. He’s a mixture of savvy and naive without being jaded that is very enjoyable. He’s been hurt and mistreated but not truly damaged.
Rey is sweet with Dale. It would be hard in many ways to be so much older than your lover. It would take a strong and confident man to maintain such a relationship as the years passed.
Family plays a huge part in this story. Rey’s large family provided a lot of sweet moments and were important in our couple’s daily life. I enjoyed the relationships that developed between Dale and Rey’s family. He needed that love and acceptance so much.
In many ways it was unrealistic and the characters simple and too perfect but in a charming way that left you feeling like it was an escape to a happy and safe place where these men lived in a bubble. This is a book about a simpler time and it read that way. A sweet and easy read that will leave you feeling content and happy for these gentle men.
Reviewed by: Nina
March 10, 2013
I will date myself but part of the appeal in getting this book is that it is set in 1962 the same year I was born. I had no idea what to expect. Dale is young but on his own since his family kicked him out. He meets Rey and feels attracted but Rey wants to be caution and careful. I liked the way that the story builds slowly and doesn't feel the need to rush to the end. I loved Rey's family and how caring they were for those they had come to care about. It's a good reminder that men loving each other is not a new thing but how much more cautious they men had to be and they little ways they could communicate without words.
July 23, 2015
This very long book reads more like a time line than a novel. It follows a relationship but has no actual plot structure that I could discern.
The writing isn't terrible, but it seemed like the author left his comfort zone a bit. The couple came off to me as a twelve year old girl's dream romance (complete with one character being a twelve year old girl in man's clothing) but the sex scenes were very male- centered in both language and structure. It left me feeling a bit squicked. Dale is portrayed as the ultimate ingenue, completely innocent and demanding of manly chivalry. So why the "top/bottom" trope? To prove that an innocent underage ingenue is a real man? Why? If demanding chivalry doesn't unman a character, why does a devotion to bottoming? The switch from trope to trope made no sense. The ingenue trope claims that a man is not made by masculine cultural norms, while the top/bottom trope claims that the female role is submissive by definition. Using both together with no insight just made the couple seem confused.
So basically, this is what happens when you pack every heteronormative gay romance formula together and combine it with unromantic sex. I didn't hate it, but it didn't appeal to my love of sweet romance OR my love of raw, male- centered erotica.
The writing isn't terrible, but it seemed like the author left his comfort zone a bit. The couple came off to me as a twelve year old girl's dream romance (complete with one character being a twelve year old girl in man's clothing) but the sex scenes were very male- centered in both language and structure. It left me feeling a bit squicked. Dale is portrayed as the ultimate ingenue, completely innocent and demanding of manly chivalry. So why the "top/bottom" trope? To prove that an innocent underage ingenue is a real man? Why? If demanding chivalry doesn't unman a character, why does a devotion to bottoming? The switch from trope to trope made no sense. The ingenue trope claims that a man is not made by masculine cultural norms, while the top/bottom trope claims that the female role is submissive by definition. Using both together with no insight just made the couple seem confused.
So basically, this is what happens when you pack every heteronormative gay romance formula together and combine it with unromantic sex. I didn't hate it, but it didn't appeal to my love of sweet romance OR my love of raw, male- centered erotica.
March 12, 2013
2.5 stars. It was just ok. The characters were kind of of a cliche.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews