Trusting Love

by Mari Evans

Laurie Stallon isn’t like other high schoolers. After suffering years of abuse at his father’s hands, he now lives in a foster care facility and finds solace volunteering at the local animal shelter. Laurie’s had to grow up fast, and even though his eighteenth birthday is still weeks away, he’s more adult than most adults he knows. When he meets Dr. Sam Davies, the new shelter veterinarian, the attraction is instant. They become friends at work, but Laurie knows Sam will never go for someone like him. No matter how Laurie tries to prove his maturity to Sam, Sam continues to reject him as too young.Needing a distraction, Laurie goes out dancing for his birthday and finds his life in danger yet again. When Sam is called to the hospital, he realizes Laurie needs someone to care for him. Sam takes him home, and they slowly build a relationship. But more than their age difference works against them. Facing the disapproval of friends and the scars from Laurie's past, they'll need to put all their trust in love for a chance at a future together.

Genres: M M Romance, Abuse, Romance, Contemporary, Coming Of Age, High School, Young Adult

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 10, 2014

Reviews

[Rosa, really · Rating 2 out of 5]

Truly, sincerely, I thought I would like Trusting Love. It has all the classic signs of a woobie read. Laurie is 18 years old and has been abused by his father, emotionally abandoned by his mother, beaten up by boys at school and almost raped twice. Sam is the Perfect Boyfriend -- 27 years old, super good looking and built. He seems to have no needs of his own beyond taking care of his "baby."

However, it’s not really a woobie read. The author wasn’t trying to write that, instead she was attempting to write about two complicated men in love and the trust they must build together. Which is also one of my favorite themes. However, she doesn’t quite succeed at that – Sam still reads like the definitely uncomplicated Perfect Boyfriend and Laurie comes off like a regular 18 year old – convinced he’s an adult while frequently acting like a child. This might be interesting if it weren’t for the fact that we’re told, not shown, throughout the novel how mature Laurie is:

Sam admired that someone of Laurie’s age would be so devoted, so mature already.

Laurie is a good student, he works hard and he’s going to college -- he's also working at overcoming his past. However, when it comes to Sam we rarely see Laurie acting maturely. Instead, every time Sam explains they can’t be together because of their age difference, Laurie mopes, he sobs, he face drains of all color, he rushes out of various rooms. Finally faced with Sam’s rejection, Laurie goes to a nightclub and almost gets raped. Sam, of course, takes full responsibility for the situation – after all he made Laurie feel bad. Not that it’s Laurie’s fault either, but the whole event feels melodramatic. Laurie gets upset, bad things happen, Laurie’s traumatized and repeatedly calls out for Sam while in the hospital, Sam caves out of guilt and an attraction he can no longer deny, and 2 minutes later they’re in love and practically living together. The whole event feels like emotional manipulation – is a rape attempt the only way to get these two together?

However things do improve. Again we’re told that the more Laurie trusts Sam the more confident he grows. There’s even one scene where Laurie refuses to back down when Sam’s assistant, who has a crush on his boss, is a real asshole to Laurie:

Josh: Sam’s not your boyfriend. You’re just his toy of the month. He’ll get sick of your kindergarten ways in no time, and then I’ll be here to show him what a mature lover is all about.

Laurie: I’m sorry to be the one to break it to you, but Sam is not and will never be interested in you. He’s my boyfriend, my lover, and my partner, and there is nothing you can say or do that will make me believe otherwise.

Okay, Laurie is showing maturity by not getting upset – he’s standing up for himself. Very good. But 4% later Laurie and Sam have a nasty argument over Laurie going out dancing with his friends. Sam, afraid Laurie may nearly get raped again, is kind of an asshole – he refers to Laurie as immature and acts like he’s too young to avoid getting hurt. Sam doesn't portray the trust Laurie feels he deserves. But Laurie’s reaction to this is immature. He immediately packs his clothes, leaves and proceeds to sob when he's not living in a fog of numbness. He refuses to talk to Sam for months, until he discovers that Sam's a mess without him. Laurie, you had a shitty argument. If you’re so mature why are you dumping the “love of your life” because he isn’t perfect for five minutes? Sam, of course, takes full responsibility for their argument -- which doesn't bode well for their continuing relationship.

So I wasn’t too fond of this book. But, for all my complaints, I must say the author had me rooting for Laurie and Sam. I was annoyed but I was somewhat emotionally involved and I really wanted their happy ever after. It just would’ve been more satisfying if I’d enjoyed the majority of the novel.

Here's a corgi stampede. Always makes me feel better.



**Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semicolons~✡~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a contemporary, saccharine sweet novel about a 27-year-old veterinarian, Sam, and an 18-year-old animal shelter volunteer, Laurie, who connect and fall in love. Sam tries to fight his attraction to Laurie, because Laurie is so young, but Laurie has a huge crush on Sam and isn't easily swayed.

The age gap is one source of conflict in the story; the other is Laurie's past. Most of the book is about Sam playing white knight to Laurie's innocence. Laurie is not mature when it comes to Sam; he pouts and stomps around and puts himself in dangerous situations, for which Sam takes the blame.

The book read like a scripted after-school special. There are declarations of love and much teeth gnashing about Laurie's history. There are various silly small conflicts throughout and a Big Misunderstanding at the end.

Evans tried to write a book about a complicated relationship between two men, but this felt like a flat, not-fully-sketched soap opera. I didn't feel the connection between the MCs; the emotions felt forced and the characters one dimensional.

This is a book I should have liked but didn't. There was nothing spectacularly wrong with the writing, but I couldn't get lost in the story and was constantly aware of the awkward, stage-acted dialogue.

The story had potential. I liked how gentle and patient Sam was with Laurie and how caring Laurie was with the animals. The epilogue was cute, if expected, but the story was predictable, overly melodramatic, and, in the end, forgettable.

[Rhys Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm enjoying this book. It's a fun romp of complications and personalities. And the characters aren't perfect. Because God, people aren't perfect. It's nice to see that portrayed in between pages. Too often there are archtypes and stereotypes and assumptions of how a character should be portrayed... it gets old. I like a bit of snark in this. Totally having a good read.

[Chris-Wait-For-It-Awesome · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was supposed to be a tear-jerker.
Laurie was supposed to be a tragic character. And he was. Sort of. Kind of. It was just too... superficial. If you want to read a deep, gut-wrenching, overcoming all obstacles novel, then this one fails.
It was nice for a while but I just couldn't help but feel disappointed.
Well... moving on!

[Dionne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Laurie gets upset and pouts when Sam claims he is too young for Sam...completely proving him right. And what is with everyone wanting to beat up Laurie? I was only able to read about 40% of this book, then the eye rolling I was doing at how immature Laurie was got to me and I had to stop. I wouldn't date someone this immature if I was eighteen, let alone 27.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The character of Laurie was, I’m fairly certain, created just for me. A young, pierced, make-up wearing, snarky beauty. I have a weakness for them and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I think Laurie is equal only to Jay (Renae Kaye’s Loving Jay) when it comes to beautiful twinky perfection and just to add some extra icing to that cake Laurie has been bullied his whole life and desperately needs someone to love him. Well, that sounds awful doesn’t it? I’m not excited over someone having been bullied but Laurie’s attitude about it all is what I found rather intriguing. Aside from the fact he lives in a group foster home and has done since he was sixteen, he doesn’t seem all that different from any other teenager. He goes to school, he works part time and he uses his fake ID to go clubbing with his friends. But because most of the story is told from Laurie’s point of view it becomes clear that Laurie seems to see himself as inferior or abnormal somehow. And he doesn’t even realize it. It’s though he’s been told by people so often that there’s something wrong with him he just unconsciously accepts it as true and gets on with his life, not letting it bother him. Obviously, this huge inferiority complex does not make for an easy relationship.

My full review of Trusting Love can be found at Love Bytes
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2014/08/1...

[Chappy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 disappointed stars

This had a very immature feel to it with stilted dialogue and cheesy plot.

[Helena Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say? This is the sweetest of love stories. I dare anyone to meet Laurie and not want to adopt him, give him a huge hug and make sure he’s safe. Everything the boy has gone through and encounters in the story is enough to break your heart. It is completely understandable that he awakens all sorts of protective instincts in the 10 year older Sam Davies.

One of the things I really liked in this book is that Mari Evans made both characters multi-dimensional.

While Sam is clearly older, wiser and more emotionally stable than Laurie, he is by no means perfect. Occasionally, his emotions take over when reason should reign, which makes him a relatable character.

Similarly, it would have been easy, and believable, to write Laurie as a typical victim, either completely hiding in his shell or stand-offish. The fact that she gave him a sunny disposition to counteract his fears and insecurities made him all the more adorable as a character.

The fact that Laurie is in a lot of ways grown up for his age while Sam is not quite as grown up as he likes to think also makes the relationship between the two of them more believable.

I wasn’t quite as charmed with the way the book was written. I would have liked to have gone deeper into the characters. While all their thoughts and emotions are described in clear and at times beautiful language I often couldn’t ‘feel’ what they were going through. I am however willing to concede that this may be a result of personal preferences rather than the author’s ability to tell a good story and am sure that the tone of writing will work perfectly for other readers.

Summarizing this was a sweet and ultimately uplifting love story featuring two endearing yet realistic protagonists. This book is Mari Evan’s debut and I for one will be keeping an eye on what she’ll bring us next.

[Lisa J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laurie has been through a lot in his short 17 years -- multiple forms of abuse, a depressed mother, foster care, and bullying at school. Despite everything, he keeps a positive attitude. He loves animals and volunteers at an animal shelter, where he meets the new vet, who is 10 years his senior. Sam is understandably reluctant to admit an attraction to a boy who is still in high school. He and Laurie start dating once Laurie graduates and turns 18.

A lot is made of the age difference and how mature Laurie is for someone his age. True, he's been through a lot in his young life, but he still has a lot of growing up to do. He spends a lot of time blushing, giggling, sobbing, jumping to conclusions and running away. I rolled my eyes a few times at his dramatics. The breakup was ridiculous and unnecessary -- manufactured angst.

Overall, the book was sweet if not remarkable. Laurie and Sam were worth rooting for. Not much happens here besides Laurie being victimized over and over again. I was glad to see that sex with Sam wasn't used as a cure-all, and the MCs took their time before taking that step. And they talked about it too. It was also noted several times that Laurie was seeing a therapist.

One peeve: Every person is introduced in terms of their weight or body type, height and hair. Those type of details just bogged the story down. Example:

He spent some time talking to Jeanine, who was sweet and funny. She was a little on the thin side and a little too blonde to be natural, but sweet nonetheless.

What does her hair color and being thin have to do with her personality?

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should have loved this. I wanted to love this. I did not. My biggest problem with this book is the fact that we're told Laurie is so mature for his age (17/18) and Sam keeps saying Laurie's mature but every action he takes in the entire book proves that to be false. He acted like a typical whiny teenager which made the age difference that wasn't all that big seem much bigger which in turn made it feel a little squicky to me in places. Plus, why did everyone keep beating Laurie up? Once is enough, I think. I don't know, it just wasn't as good as I wanted it to be or even that it had the potential to be.

[jules0623 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Laurie's age made the age difference feel unbalanced and a little skeevy. No matter how mature we were told he was, he acted exactly like a (barely) eighteen year old would and I can't imagine a twenty eight year old finding that behaviour attractive (unless he has serious maturity issues himself). Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's a good idea.

[NancyM · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some people are more mature than their age - sadly, Laurie is not one of them. Throughout the book Sam is constantly saying that Laurie is mature and (mentally)strong for his age and Laurie, for his part, is constantly proving Sam wrong.

Laurie, if you're so mature then

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a sweet story.

[Amneris Cesare · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this story so out of line that I really am surprised I went up to the end of it. Laurie is always crying, sobbing, clinging to Sam and instead he wants to be considered adult and mature. He goes to a bar and almost gets raped (I had to focus on this a lot, because it is unbelievable that in a bar, gay or not, a boy who's almost fainted can get locked in a bathroom and attacked without no one who reports or call the bouncers) and then, after only a few weeks he wants a repeat? And why Sam, who's his lover do not offer to go with him to celebrate? Last but not least, they have an argument, bad as it is, and Laurie flies, cuts all communications, refuses to talk to Sam and Sam goes after him like a kicked puppy? Who's the grown-up and who's the teen ager here? Sorry, but a very weak story with no real pathos and justifiable angst.
Big no-no.

[Katy Beth Mckee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story has some strong emotional moments and may have abuse triggers. I love the strength of Laurie and his unwillingness to settle for less than the best for himself. When given the chance Sam is willing to admit his own fears and apologize for his part. But in some ways the real hero is Sam's friend that can admit his own mistake and open a door between the two.

[Crow NoYami · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did enjoy the book one thing that irked me was that every time Laurie got offending by someone calling him a child... he then proceeded to act like a child. Besides that I liked the book ^_^

[Susan Laine · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a couple of things you need to know about this book. First, it's a total tearjerker, so be forewarned. Second, it's slow-build, very, very slow-build. Third, but not really all that important, is that there's a significant age difference between the main characters, about a decade's worth, so not quite as steep as May-December. Plus, Laurie is a virgin, while Sam is more experienced.

Laurie is young and enthusiastic about his work at an animal shelter, but he's also still in school and shy and inexperienced about a lot of things. Yet, he's had to grow up sooner than most of his peers due to abuse, which makes him moody and unpredictable in behavior, one minute high, one minute low. Sam, the new doctor at the shelter, is older, wiser, steadier, and more patient, but also more aloof, always keeping a distance between him and Laurie who has a big crush, using the age difference as an excuse for not furthering things between them. It takes an act of violence against Laurie for Sam to take action and protect the boy he's starting to fall in love with. But the road is long and filled with emotional turmoil, challenges of all kinds, and obstacles in the forms of miscommunications, hostile friends, rape attempts, and so forth. This story's got it all.

The relationship between Laurie and Sam is slow to start. First they're coworkers, then friends, then sort of roommates, then kind of mentor and novice, and finally lovers. It's a rough road. In fact, this story is so jam-packed with emotional upheavals, it's amazing the two men don't spontaneously combust. Plus, a fair warning, Laurie is a crier. I don't mind a man whose not afraid to show how he feels, but some readers do, hence the warning. Since he's a teenager, I understand there's a lot of stuff going on inside him, joy and sorrow, so….

The writing style is effective in depicting small nuances, and is quite descriptive in everything. We are present in every thought, feeling, and act the men share. A whole world of intimacy is brought before us. As a reader, I was swept away by the romance, by the depth of sensations shown here. There's subtle humor, there's erotic tension, there's danger and suspense, and there's realistic, slow falling in love, often quite heartbreaking. Yes, sometimes the pace slowed down quite a bit with inner reflections and such, but it didn't bother me much. And yes, at times Sam seemed too distant, other times too close, always ready to accept blame for anything that happened to Laurie, like an ideal boyfriend for a teenage boy, but again, this didn't take away my enjoyment of the story. Sam's reticence is explained to my satisfaction, though I'm sure some readers would've preferred more background and depth to his character.

But most of the tale is told from Laurie's point of view, as this is basically his journey, overcoming his past, his insecurities, all that jazz. And finally, sure, there was some telling instead of showing, but Ms. Evans is a new author, starting her craft (and I suspect a long career in writing), so I'll make an allowance for that. Especially since the overall message of the story is hopeful and positive, showing that the past does not reign supreme over the present. Trusting in love is as important as trusting in yourself. People who love slow romances, overcoming adversities, and hurt/comfort themes will adore this. I personally can't wait to read more by Ms. Evans.

[The Novel Approach · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

This is a book I really wanted to like. The premise was intriguing and a bit dark. The first few chapters captured my attention, and I was really into the two main characters. There were some well fleshed out secondary characters as well, particularly Laurie’s group of girlfriends.

Once the couple got together, however, this book turned south for me, but not because I couldn’t tell the author cared deeply about the story and the journey of the characters. It was the writing and the lack of depth to the characters which took away form a good storyline.

Trying not to give away spoilers, I’ll touch on some of the things which didn’t work for me in this book.

• Perhaps the biggest issue was how much Laurie waffled back and forth from elated to depressed (almost as if he had manic-depressive disorder). His reactions were strong and unfounded based on the context of the situation. This is normal for an eighteen year old person, but not tremendously romantic or sexy.

• The age difference played a huge role in the book. Laurie was seventeen when we meet him, and Sam was twenty-seven. On Laurie’s eighteenth birthday, they kiss for the first time. My ick-factor definitely kicked in at that. Plus, Sam had experience and should have seen right away that Laurie needed some time to grow up. The fact he didn’t (or couldn’t) made it difficult for me to understand or care for his feelings too much.

• There was too much telling of how the characters felt and what their experiences were rather than showing. Too often one character or another tells us how they are feeling or how they think the other one is feeling, which robbed from the immediacy of the action and the impact of the events.

• The two characters fell into the category of cliché. Laurie was the young, innocent and immature boy who needed to grow up and trust love. Sam was the rock who had the patience of a saint. I wish they had been a bit more believable.

Overall, in reading this debut novel, I see promise in Ms. Evans’ future. Like I said before, she cares about her characters and their lives. That was evident all the way through. With some honing of her show-don’t-tell skills, some work on deep point of view (to make the actions and emotions jump off the page without her having to tell us how the characters feel (and perhaps creating characters who are more believable in the process), a good group of critique partners/beta readers and more practice, I believe Ms. Evans’ stories will develop in sophistication and will carry the reader on a more visceral journey. This book, however, didn’t accomplish that for me.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.75 stars

This book combines two of my favorite tropes in one place: age difference and virgin hero. I am a big fan of stories where we see a hero experience love and sex and relationships for the first time, and here we get all of those. Laurie is not only young, but his background of abuse, as well as his recent attack, means he has no sexual or relationship experience at all. I loved watching Sam introduce Laurie into both these wonders, while at the same time really taking things slowly. I appreciated that these men don’t rush into anything sexually, as that wouldn’t fit with Laurie’s past, but that they take things in small steps. So I think this was handled well and I really enjoyed this aspect of the story.

Laurie himself is a really interesting character. On one hand he has this troubled past that has forced him to grow up quickly. He lives essentially on his own in a group foster home. He works hard at the shelter several days a week and has great maturity in terms of his independence, dependability, and commitment. So a part of me could see how an older man like Sam could find him mature enough for both attraction and a relationship. On the other hand, in many ways Laurie is still a child. He is so quick to get upset, to storm out of the room or cry with disappointment when things don’t go as planned. He is hurt so easily, and when someone upsets him, he basically falls apart.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Marinieves · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great debut novel for Mari Evans ...

Laurie is a volunteer at the animal shelter and in his last year of high school ... A young man mature for his age and with a lot of courage trying to stand from a really short but difficult existence ...

Sam is the new veterinary at the shelter and the clinic in town.

The two of them meet while working there and there is an attraction but Sam just refuses to do anything because at that point Laurie is still under age.

When Laurie's eighteen birthday comes around things start to change but it takes a difficult situation for Sam to give them an opportunity.

Things start to develop between them ... I like the fact that Sam is very much patient with Laurie ... Understand him and tries his best to take care of him ...

But nothing is easy and words can sometimes be said that even though you don't mean them they still hurt ...

But it took the last person you would have thought to help to fix that ...

Sam and Laurie deserved the chance to be happy and to love each other ... Something they did from the heart ...

Great book to read ...

[Geri · Rating 1 out of 5]

That was like a frosting on a cake with wayy to much sugar in it.


Literally I got LoveSick



The MCs were the epithome of lovey dovey cheesy and annoying.

[SSneed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too sweet for words. The author must have met Laurie in a dream bc men like that just don't happen, even in someone's writing! Sam and Laurie were made to belong to each other. So happy to see an HEA. Will be looking for more by this author x

[Vnime · Rating 2 out of 5]

For me it has an incongruous plot. It is assumed that Laurie is a mature guy for his age, yet continually proves otherwise, it's very frustrating.

[Djenifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, but I thought the conflict was too mild to generate Laurie's reaction. And then for weeks to go by without contact and it all is forgiven with a phone call? A bit much for me to believe.

[Shirley (Secret Squirrel) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author had all the ingredients for a great book, but unfortunately it just didn't work out.

[Love Bytes Reviews]

This book was read and reviewed by Love Bytes Reviews.

[Gwendolyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Were they 18 and 27 or both 14 year olds? Ugh.

[Linda-Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry not for me.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as Laurie goes on and on about not being a child, he's pretty fucking childish...

The age gap really did not work for me. It was really hard to not DNF this story. It's not so much that the 10 year age difference bothers me, but the fact that Laurie is still in high school when he and Sam meet. It was all very creepy to me. His childhood, which was suppose to give us the impression that he's more mature because of all he's been through, just made him seem more vulnerable to me. He's been abused and nearly raped twice, getting into a relationship with such a unbalanced power dynamic like that made me feel very uncomfortable.

All that aside, the story itself was very fan fiction-y to me tbh. Nothing wrong with fan fiction, but you have to be in the "mood" for that kind of story, and I was not in the mood. I felt like the author set up that kind of heteronormative dynamic that you see a lot in MM romances, where one of the men is set up to be so obviously the "woman" of the relationship, as in much smaller, very effeminate, "pretty", only interested in bottoming, submissive, and the other man is set up to be the "man" of the relationship: stereotypically masculin , more of a top, older etc. That kind of narrative is not only offensive to some but kind of overdone...