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Sidecar
Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
The year is 1987. The boys wear pink Izod shirts, the girls wear big hair, everyone has a stash box, and AIDS is just an ugly rumor rumbling like a thunderstorm from the cities. A teenage runaway wanders the side of the road, a heartbeat away from despair, and is rescued by a long-haired angel on a Harley.
But that's just the beginning of their story.
Josiah Daniels wanted peace and quiet and a simple life, and he had it until he rescued Casey from hunger, cold, and exhaustion. Then Joe's life is anything but simple as he and his new charge navigate a world that is changing more rapidly than the people in it. Joe wants to raise Casey to a happy and productive adulthood, and he does. But even as an adult, Casey can't conceive of a happy life without Joe. The trouble is getting Joe to accept that the boy he nurtured is suddenly the man who wants him.
Their relationship can either die or change with the world around them. As they make a home, negotiate the new rules of growing up, and swerve around the pitfalls of modern life, Casey learns that adulthood is more than sex, Joe learns that there is no compromise in happy ever after, and they’re both forced to realize that the one thing a man shouldn’t be is alone.
The year is 1987. The boys wear pink Izod shirts, the girls wear big hair, everyone has a stash box, and AIDS is just an ugly rumor rumbling like a thunderstorm from the cities. A teenage runaway wanders the side of the road, a heartbeat away from despair, and is rescued by a long-haired angel on a Harley.
But that's just the beginning of their story.
Josiah Daniels wanted peace and quiet and a simple life, and he had it until he rescued Casey from hunger, cold, and exhaustion. Then Joe's life is anything but simple as he and his new charge navigate a world that is changing more rapidly than the people in it. Joe wants to raise Casey to a happy and productive adulthood, and he does. But even as an adult, Casey can't conceive of a happy life without Joe. The trouble is getting Joe to accept that the boy he nurtured is suddenly the man who wants him.
Their relationship can either die or change with the world around them. As they make a home, negotiate the new rules of growing up, and swerve around the pitfalls of modern life, Casey learns that adulthood is more than sex, Joe learns that there is no compromise in happy ever after, and they’re both forced to realize that the one thing a man shouldn’t be is alone.
10 pages, Audible Audio
First published June 29, 2012
41 people are currently reading
1966 people want to read
About the author
Amy Lane
204 books3,488 followersAmy Lane dodges an EDJ, mothers four children, and writes the occasional book. She, her brood, and her beloved mate, Mack, live in a crumbling mortgage in Citrus Heights, California, which is riddled with spiders, cats, and more than its share of fancy and weirdness. Feel free to visit her at www.greenshill.com orwww.writerslane.blogspot.com, where she will ride the buzz of receiving your e-mail until her head swells and she can no longer leave the house.
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October 14, 2012
4.5 stars. ****** Review completed October 14, 2012
I want you. I want to hold you. I'm suddenly, terrifyingly, overwhelmingly possessed with the idea of what your mouth would taste like under mine, and I don't know how to say it or even to think it.
Yes, I know, it's not a Fu Manchu mustache...but you get the gist…
Sidecar is an epic because the story of Joe and Casey spans twenty-five years of their lives. It's a quiet love story and yet very thoughtful, evocative, powerful and at the same time wonderfully penned by Amy Lane.
"I was stupid. If I'd known you, I would have made you love me first."
Casey, a gay sixteen-year-old homeless kid was walking along a street when he heard the roar of a motorcycle behind him. The biker dude is Joe. He is bisexual. Joe is a very big man, six feet five inches tall and he is sporting a rather frightening Fu Manchu mustache with a matching soul patch as well as a whole lot of very long, dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. Despite Casey's apprehensiveness, Joe can convince him to come home with him. He offers him a warm place to sleep and food. Taking in homeless strays is nothing new for Joe. He works as a nurse in a hospital and knows how to take good care of frightened and wary young strays. Joe grew up in a big and very loving family and was taught to do good works, to give something back. It is his life task.
There were moments in this book that moved me beyond words, i.e. the scene featuring
Nobody touched people in this wing; nobody hugged them or kissed them on the cheek. But Joe had been brought up to believe that human touch was part of healing and that you could not ease the body without easing the spirit. Just because he didn't expect God to show up and make it all better didn't mean he believed simple human contact wasn't a gift Joe had in his power to bestow.
Human touch.
Admittedly, I am one of those readers who are not fond of facial hair either, however, I couldn't help it and root for Joe, such a kind-hearted, altruistic and generous man. Joe is a very honest man and he doesn't want to commit to anyone unless he is sure. He is on the lookout for a special man or woman to share his life with. Even though he always thought that Casey was too young for him, he just had to cave in eventually. And he fell very hard for Casey.
But you never said he was like a son to you, because he never was. You never said he was like blood and meant it, because he wasn't, and you knew that. You only promised to protect him, not to look at him like a wax mannequin, perfect and beautiful but not warm to the touch.
Their lovemaking was beautifully intense, fierce and passionate. Oh my, I so loved their first real kiss when I hit the 58 % mark because it was so possessive in its intensity. Their hunger and need for each other was utterly palpable and really well done. Well, it takes time till they come together, hence it's so worth the wait though. Really, it is. In fact, it was very believable because Joe didn't want to start a sexual relationship with a minor. With that said, it was a very long yet stirring process that took years to make him realize that he was in love with Casey. But in the end it made everything so much better.
On a personal note
It renders me speechless that so many children are kicked out of their homes by their parents because they are gay. Because they are not what parents want them to be. But real love is unconditional--there are no ifs, no buts. You love your kids the way they are, with all their strengths and flaws and first and foremost you as a parent are there to protect, nurture, guide and cherish them. Having said that, a sexual orientation is never about a flaw--it just is as well as love simply is.
Why not five stars?
Joe calling Casey "kid" irked me a lot. His name is Casey after all, and even though they became lovers he did continue to call him "kid". Additionally, some parts of Sidecar dragged a bit.
Sidecar was my first read by Amy Lane and one thing's for sure, it was by far not my last. Without a shadow of a doubt I would recommend this story to readers who would like to give the m-m genre a try. By reading Sidecar you'll be introduced to a wonderful genre in a very beautiful, sensitive and emotional way.
Life is not a matter of milestones, but of moments.
I want you. I want to hold you. I'm suddenly, terrifyingly, overwhelmingly possessed with the idea of what your mouth would taste like under mine, and I don't know how to say it or even to think it.
Yes, I know, it's not a Fu Manchu mustache...but you get the gist…
Sidecar is an epic because the story of Joe and Casey spans twenty-five years of their lives. It's a quiet love story and yet very thoughtful, evocative, powerful and at the same time wonderfully penned by Amy Lane.
"I was stupid. If I'd known you, I would have made you love me first."
Casey, a gay sixteen-year-old homeless kid was walking along a street when he heard the roar of a motorcycle behind him. The biker dude is Joe. He is bisexual. Joe is a very big man, six feet five inches tall and he is sporting a rather frightening Fu Manchu mustache with a matching soul patch as well as a whole lot of very long, dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. Despite Casey's apprehensiveness, Joe can convince him to come home with him. He offers him a warm place to sleep and food. Taking in homeless strays is nothing new for Joe. He works as a nurse in a hospital and knows how to take good care of frightened and wary young strays. Joe grew up in a big and very loving family and was taught to do good works, to give something back. It is his life task.
There were moments in this book that moved me beyond words, i.e. the scene featuring
Nobody touched people in this wing; nobody hugged them or kissed them on the cheek. But Joe had been brought up to believe that human touch was part of healing and that you could not ease the body without easing the spirit. Just because he didn't expect God to show up and make it all better didn't mean he believed simple human contact wasn't a gift Joe had in his power to bestow.
Human touch.
Admittedly, I am one of those readers who are not fond of facial hair either, however, I couldn't help it and root for Joe, such a kind-hearted, altruistic and generous man. Joe is a very honest man and he doesn't want to commit to anyone unless he is sure. He is on the lookout for a special man or woman to share his life with. Even though he always thought that Casey was too young for him, he just had to cave in eventually. And he fell very hard for Casey.
But you never said he was like a son to you, because he never was. You never said he was like blood and meant it, because he wasn't, and you knew that. You only promised to protect him, not to look at him like a wax mannequin, perfect and beautiful but not warm to the touch.
Their lovemaking was beautifully intense, fierce and passionate. Oh my, I so loved their first real kiss when I hit the 58 % mark because it was so possessive in its intensity. Their hunger and need for each other was utterly palpable and really well done. Well, it takes time till they come together, hence it's so worth the wait though. Really, it is. In fact, it was very believable because Joe didn't want to start a sexual relationship with a minor. With that said, it was a very long yet stirring process that took years to make him realize that he was in love with Casey. But in the end it made everything so much better.
On a personal note
It renders me speechless that so many children are kicked out of their homes by their parents because they are gay. Because they are not what parents want them to be. But real love is unconditional--there are no ifs, no buts. You love your kids the way they are, with all their strengths and flaws and first and foremost you as a parent are there to protect, nurture, guide and cherish them. Having said that, a sexual orientation is never about a flaw--it just is as well as love simply is.
Why not five stars?
Joe calling Casey "kid" irked me a lot. His name is Casey after all, and even though they became lovers he did continue to call him "kid". Additionally, some parts of Sidecar dragged a bit.
Sidecar was my first read by Amy Lane and one thing's for sure, it was by far not my last. Without a shadow of a doubt I would recommend this story to readers who would like to give the m-m genre a try. By reading Sidecar you'll be introduced to a wonderful genre in a very beautiful, sensitive and emotional way.
Life is not a matter of milestones, but of moments.
April 30, 2013
Opening Line: “The Kid was cold.”
SIDECAR was one of those books that I couldn`t stop reading yet wanted to put away and slowly savour because I just didn`t want it to end. I absolutely loved Casey and Joe and I`m fast approaching phonebook status with author Amy Lane, you know if she wrote a phone book I`d read it cover to cover, probably cry at the end then write a gushy fangirl review all about it. Everything she writes just grabs me by the guts, sometimes destroys me, always makes me sigh and smile and generally leaves me a hot tear streaked mess. Sidecar was no exception.
This is amazing and rare story; encompassing twenty-five years of love and well, life. And because of the length of time we get to spend with our characters this also becomes more than just a story, this is a lifetime, this is every little heartache and hope and triumph. This is epic. Thanks for the ride Amy!
Ponytailed, Harley riding, bear of a man Joe Daniels is on his way home from his job as a pediatric nurse when he comes across a visibly distraught teenager on the side of the road. Joe has picked up his share of runaways over the years in this remote area, feeding them and giving them a safe place for a few days until they head out into the world again. He’s assuming this 16 year old will be the same but Casey is about to change everything.
At first Casey is wary of accepting the big hippie bikers offer, knowing some of the shit he`s had to do over the past few months just to get a meal. But he`s also reached the end of his endurance; he’s exhausted, dirty, hungry, lice riddled and reeling from the recent abuse of a trucker. He can either go back to the bridge he almost jumped off or he can go with Joe.
Casey’s story is not a revelation, on the run because his parents couldn’t accept him being gay; now all he needs is a break, just a place to make a start for himself. He`s found it with Joe and so much more. Joe doesn`t want anything from him (definitely not sex even though Casey offers) he just wants Casey to have a chance to grow up without judgement and become a good man. So Casey doesn`t leave, with Joe as his legal guardian he goes back to school, gets a job, helps remodel the house, they get a dog, he dates a few boys and life goes by.
At 27 Joe is pretty settled in his life, he works at the hospital, he likes his seclusion, he loves having Casey around and he dates a few girls and a few boys. Their relationship works, for several years it works but Casey is growing up and he`s never hidden the fact that he wants Joe. So far Joe’s been able to play it off, telling him he`s just a kid and doesn’t know what he wants and that’s where the conflict comes in because suddenly Casey isn`t a kid, suddenly, overnight (well 6 years) Casey is a man and Joe can no longer deny what s been growing between them. How it hurts now to see him with his silly boyfriends.
Gawd the moment Joe realizes that he`s in love with Casey, that he wants him is so perfect and so beautiful and so well written it makes you want to cry. I`ll be honest though I had my doubts as to whether Lane could pull off this transformation taking them from a pseudo father son relationship to lovers but I needn’t have worried and YES, Finally, the payoff for their first time together is so worth the long wait.
”I want you. I want to hold you. I’m suddenly, terrifyingly, overwhelmingly possessed with the idea of what your mouth would taste like under mine, and I don’t know how to say it or even think it.”
And still their story goes on. Joe wants a child, same sex adoption wasn`t really a thing in the nineties so that’s a problem, Joe also wants Casey to travel, to see the world and experience everything before he settles down. Casey just wants Joe and time marches on, in the blink of an eye 25 years has passed and that is life. Cheers.
I want to mention that Amy has also included a song title for each chapter, relevant to when it takes place and what our characters are going through. And because this starts in 1986 –the year I graduated (!) I had an absolute blast with this playlist, bringing back lots of memories for me, when I had super big hair and Corey Hart was the bomb.
319jb5+
*Originally reviewed for my friend D over on PANTS OFF REVIEWS http://pantsoffreviews.blogspot.com/ check it out :)
SIDECAR was one of those books that I couldn`t stop reading yet wanted to put away and slowly savour because I just didn`t want it to end. I absolutely loved Casey and Joe and I`m fast approaching phonebook status with author Amy Lane, you know if she wrote a phone book I`d read it cover to cover, probably cry at the end then write a gushy fangirl review all about it. Everything she writes just grabs me by the guts, sometimes destroys me, always makes me sigh and smile and generally leaves me a hot tear streaked mess. Sidecar was no exception.
This is amazing and rare story; encompassing twenty-five years of love and well, life. And because of the length of time we get to spend with our characters this also becomes more than just a story, this is a lifetime, this is every little heartache and hope and triumph. This is epic. Thanks for the ride Amy!
Ponytailed, Harley riding, bear of a man Joe Daniels is on his way home from his job as a pediatric nurse when he comes across a visibly distraught teenager on the side of the road. Joe has picked up his share of runaways over the years in this remote area, feeding them and giving them a safe place for a few days until they head out into the world again. He’s assuming this 16 year old will be the same but Casey is about to change everything.
At first Casey is wary of accepting the big hippie bikers offer, knowing some of the shit he`s had to do over the past few months just to get a meal. But he`s also reached the end of his endurance; he’s exhausted, dirty, hungry, lice riddled and reeling from the recent abuse of a trucker. He can either go back to the bridge he almost jumped off or he can go with Joe.
Casey’s story is not a revelation, on the run because his parents couldn’t accept him being gay; now all he needs is a break, just a place to make a start for himself. He`s found it with Joe and so much more. Joe doesn`t want anything from him (definitely not sex even though Casey offers) he just wants Casey to have a chance to grow up without judgement and become a good man. So Casey doesn`t leave, with Joe as his legal guardian he goes back to school, gets a job, helps remodel the house, they get a dog, he dates a few boys and life goes by.
At 27 Joe is pretty settled in his life, he works at the hospital, he likes his seclusion, he loves having Casey around and he dates a few girls and a few boys. Their relationship works, for several years it works but Casey is growing up and he`s never hidden the fact that he wants Joe. So far Joe’s been able to play it off, telling him he`s just a kid and doesn’t know what he wants and that’s where the conflict comes in because suddenly Casey isn`t a kid, suddenly, overnight (well 6 years) Casey is a man and Joe can no longer deny what s been growing between them. How it hurts now to see him with his silly boyfriends.
Gawd the moment Joe realizes that he`s in love with Casey, that he wants him is so perfect and so beautiful and so well written it makes you want to cry. I`ll be honest though I had my doubts as to whether Lane could pull off this transformation taking them from a pseudo father son relationship to lovers but I needn’t have worried and YES, Finally, the payoff for their first time together is so worth the long wait.
”I want you. I want to hold you. I’m suddenly, terrifyingly, overwhelmingly possessed with the idea of what your mouth would taste like under mine, and I don’t know how to say it or even think it.”
And still their story goes on. Joe wants a child, same sex adoption wasn`t really a thing in the nineties so that’s a problem, Joe also wants Casey to travel, to see the world and experience everything before he settles down. Casey just wants Joe and time marches on, in the blink of an eye 25 years has passed and that is life. Cheers.
I want to mention that Amy has also included a song title for each chapter, relevant to when it takes place and what our characters are going through. And because this starts in 1986 –the year I graduated (!) I had an absolute blast with this playlist, bringing back lots of memories for me, when I had super big hair and Corey Hart was the bomb.
319jb5+
*Originally reviewed for my friend D over on PANTS OFF REVIEWS http://pantsoffreviews.blogspot.com/ check it out :)
July 4, 2012
Once again, Amy Lane has written about two men who just walked into my heart and took up residence there. At the beginning of the story, Casey is a 16-year-old, forced out on his own and just about out of hope, strength and reasons to go on for another day. Being found by Josiah saves his life, and gives his heart a new pole-star, someone whose strength and goodness are bedrock deep. But Joe is all too aware of the age-difference between them, and is determined to raise Casey to stand on his own feet and move independently out into the world. In his determination not to take advantage of a battered and needy boy, Joe spends a long time not seeing the man Casey becomes.
This book adds new meaning to the word "slow" in the realm of relationship development. Casey fights a mix of inferiority complex and stubborn pride. Joe is not only determined to keep his hands off "the kid", but is also bi and has a deep longing for children which pushes him to date women rather than men. Watching these guys love each other as they date other people is a frustrating, enthralling, nail-biting and heart-bruising experience. But because this is Amy Lane, the eventual payoff in growth, in maturity and in deeply abiding love is sweetly satisfying. Another book for my favorites shelf.
This book adds new meaning to the word "slow" in the realm of relationship development. Casey fights a mix of inferiority complex and stubborn pride. Joe is not only determined to keep his hands off "the kid", but is also bi and has a deep longing for children which pushes him to date women rather than men. Watching these guys love each other as they date other people is a frustrating, enthralling, nail-biting and heart-bruising experience. But because this is Amy Lane, the eventual payoff in growth, in maturity and in deeply abiding love is sweetly satisfying. Another book for my favorites shelf.
October 20, 2012
Wow...Wow!! Amy Lane has got the Midas touch, because this book is GOLDEN!!
“He's mine after this. You want to talk to him, you talk to me first. You want to see him, you'll have to see me. He was a class act, showing up here today. You don't deserve that sort of class.”
I'm doing the Yippee Skippee and fist pumping for my boy Joe!! What a man! He's everything that is good and right in this world! Casey was in it to win it, and he won Joe's heart! It was only a matter of time. Casey had Joe's love from the beginning, they just had to grow into their relationship and what a sweet journey it was! What a prize to win...unconditional love from a most remarkable man!
Heartwarming, heart-wrenching, real life circumstances from a time I remember all to well. Amy Lane blends the good with the bad and gives us a love story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. If you haven't read a book by her, I recommend that you do, and Sidecar is a good place to start!
“He's mine after this. You want to talk to him, you talk to me first. You want to see him, you'll have to see me. He was a class act, showing up here today. You don't deserve that sort of class.”
I'm doing the Yippee Skippee and fist pumping for my boy Joe!! What a man! He's everything that is good and right in this world! Casey was in it to win it, and he won Joe's heart! It was only a matter of time. Casey had Joe's love from the beginning, they just had to grow into their relationship and what a sweet journey it was! What a prize to win...unconditional love from a most remarkable man!
Heartwarming, heart-wrenching, real life circumstances from a time I remember all to well. Amy Lane blends the good with the bad and gives us a love story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. If you haven't read a book by her, I recommend that you do, and Sidecar is a good place to start!
March 24, 2019
**** 4.5 stars ****
A truly beautiful and moving story.
Here's to the few Josiah's we have out there.
A truly beautiful and moving story.
Here's to the few Josiah's we have out there.
March 20, 2019
Audio - 5 ++ stars
Story - 5 ++ stars
Story - 5 ++ stars
March 3, 2017
4.25 stars
What can I add that nobody else have written? I don't think there's any. So, I'm just going to break down this book to the "likes" and "dislikes" again.
Likes:
+ The EPIC love story (well, it spans for 25 years, so for me that's EPIC)
+ The way Amy Lane writes how Casey and Joe are so right and absolutely belong to one another, readers will never have a chance to doubt them. Not even a slightest bit (PS: the poignant time when Casey and Joe separated for awhile, reminds me of the emotion I get from Giselle Ellis' Take My Picture).
“You left, and I thought I could hear my heartbeat in the house. If it wasn’t for the dogs, I could have heard it echoing in our little valley. I missed you. I missed you so badly it was like I couldn’t breathe. Like my heartbeat just expanded, squashed my lungs, stopped up my chest. I woke up in cold sweats, missing you....
*dies*
+ The concept of humanity ... how Joe in the goodness of his heart, taking a stray like Casey, and other strays as well, make me believe that yes, people, humanity exists.
+ The adopted cats. The adopted dogs. Though the dogs are more written that the cats (cue me, pouting).
Dislikes
+ Personally, Towards the end, 1-2 chapters () makes the story feels a bit too long. Like it's written 'just because'.
What can I add that nobody else have written? I don't think there's any. So, I'm just going to break down this book to the "likes" and "dislikes" again.
Likes:
+ The EPIC love story (well, it spans for 25 years, so for me that's EPIC)
+ The way Amy Lane writes how Casey and Joe are so right and absolutely belong to one another, readers will never have a chance to doubt them. Not even a slightest bit (PS: the poignant time when Casey and Joe separated for awhile, reminds me of the emotion I get from Giselle Ellis' Take My Picture).
“You left, and I thought I could hear my heartbeat in the house. If it wasn’t for the dogs, I could have heard it echoing in our little valley. I missed you. I missed you so badly it was like I couldn’t breathe. Like my heartbeat just expanded, squashed my lungs, stopped up my chest. I woke up in cold sweats, missing you....
*dies*
+ The concept of humanity ... how Joe in the goodness of his heart, taking a stray like Casey, and other strays as well, make me believe that yes, people, humanity exists.
+ The adopted cats. The adopted dogs. Though the dogs are more written that the cats (cue me, pouting).
Dislikes
+ Personally, Towards the end, 1-2 chapters () makes the story feels a bit too long. Like it's written 'just because'.
July 4, 2012
Casey stood at the top of the bridge, looking straight ahead. He was tired, cold and most of all, worn out from being used. It was either walk straight on across and face the future, or jump. And as much as he was tempted, the teen kept his eyes straight and marched into an unknown future. He was determined to keep going till he dropped if necessary.
And drop he did.
Josiah Daniels - Joe - was riding his motorcycle home, not thinking about anything in particular, when he ran across the young man. One look and he knew the boy needed his help. Whether he would take it was another thing. Offering first his jacket to the freezing boy, then a job, he earned a tentative amount of trust from the boy. Even though he knew Casey would think he had to pay him back with sex. Joe had seen enough Casey's to know the drill. He's clean him up, feed him and hopefully set him on a better track.
Joe was a nurse, not so common for a man in the 80s. And Casey was a throwaway - a kid caught having sex with another boy and thrown out by his parents for being gay. Together, they manage to tentatively build a friendship and a home together.
Amy Lane, bless her, has crafted a beautiful love story here. This is a twenty-five year love story that begins with a single step into trust. Trust that holding out a hand and letting a stranger lift you up won't cost you your dignity. Trust that opening your home to a young runaway won't leave you robbed and betrayed.
And eventually, trust that giving your heart to another man you watched grow from a boy into a wonderful man is good, right and safe.
Casey is a character like no other. Wise but young, naive but street-smart, he lost out on being loved and was rejected by his parents. Once he got to know Joe - really know the man - there was no one else for him.
And Joe - just my favorite kind of Amy Lane creation. All heart but so damned dense when it comes to matters of the heart. He is a thinker and a worrier, but about so many of the wrong matters. But when he lands where he needs to, Oh God, there is nothing better...
This book enchanted me from the beginning. The walk down memory lane (I was a young adult in the 80s and this whole story reminds me so much of my own life) was bittersweet and left me laughing, then holding back tears. The early days of HIV/AIDS, when people were afraid to let someone infected be around their kids, the music, the ideals.
At heart, this is about being a romantic and believing in love and giving back. Opening your heart and your home and your mind and soul and helping kids that need someone to tell them it IS gonna be better. Not just say the words, but take the actions.
Ms. Lane gets it. She gets love means hope and strength and trust and perseverance. And to quote the Stones, "You can't always get what you want, but if you try, sometimes, you might get what you need".
I hope we all do.
Tom
And drop he did.
Josiah Daniels - Joe - was riding his motorcycle home, not thinking about anything in particular, when he ran across the young man. One look and he knew the boy needed his help. Whether he would take it was another thing. Offering first his jacket to the freezing boy, then a job, he earned a tentative amount of trust from the boy. Even though he knew Casey would think he had to pay him back with sex. Joe had seen enough Casey's to know the drill. He's clean him up, feed him and hopefully set him on a better track.
Joe was a nurse, not so common for a man in the 80s. And Casey was a throwaway - a kid caught having sex with another boy and thrown out by his parents for being gay. Together, they manage to tentatively build a friendship and a home together.
Amy Lane, bless her, has crafted a beautiful love story here. This is a twenty-five year love story that begins with a single step into trust. Trust that holding out a hand and letting a stranger lift you up won't cost you your dignity. Trust that opening your home to a young runaway won't leave you robbed and betrayed.
And eventually, trust that giving your heart to another man you watched grow from a boy into a wonderful man is good, right and safe.
Casey is a character like no other. Wise but young, naive but street-smart, he lost out on being loved and was rejected by his parents. Once he got to know Joe - really know the man - there was no one else for him.
And Joe - just my favorite kind of Amy Lane creation. All heart but so damned dense when it comes to matters of the heart. He is a thinker and a worrier, but about so many of the wrong matters. But when he lands where he needs to, Oh God, there is nothing better...
This book enchanted me from the beginning. The walk down memory lane (I was a young adult in the 80s and this whole story reminds me so much of my own life) was bittersweet and left me laughing, then holding back tears. The early days of HIV/AIDS, when people were afraid to let someone infected be around their kids, the music, the ideals.
At heart, this is about being a romantic and believing in love and giving back. Opening your heart and your home and your mind and soul and helping kids that need someone to tell them it IS gonna be better. Not just say the words, but take the actions.
Ms. Lane gets it. She gets love means hope and strength and trust and perseverance. And to quote the Stones, "You can't always get what you want, but if you try, sometimes, you might get what you need".
I hope we all do.
Tom
August 7, 2024
4,75 stars.
Amazing mm romance novel. At times heartbreaking, at times tender.
Beautiful plot and execution, realistic feeling characters.
Flawless character development and relationship development.
I hurt with both Joe and Casey, their hea was well earned and heart warming. It definitely wasn't smooth sailing to get there, so I appreciated that there was a big portion of the story dedicated to their time as a couple, navigating these new dynamics.
I loved that the book opened with a chapter "now", with two middle aged men (Casey in his thirties and Joe in his mid forties) taking in a lost and frightened teenager, offering him a safe place... and the whole book after that chapter showed how they had gotten to that point.
The age gap (and related issues) were handled by the author with care and impressive dedication.
Be aware that for part of the book Casey and Joe have other partners. Usually I hate that, but in this case it was necessary to let me believe that Joe's love for Casey changed with time (over 6 years, from Casey at age 16 coming into Joe's life, to Casey being a 22 year old man).
Although there were a few things that felt unbelievable to me (that first social worker? so many homeless teenagers?) I'll concede that they might be realistic/possible in the US, as awful as it is.
This is not a light and fluffy read, but it's full of love and hope.
TW:
parental neglection, homophobia, mentions of rape of a minor (off page), death because of abortion not executed by a doctor (off page), death of a premature baby and grief over its death, terminally ill AIDS-patient.
Amazing mm romance novel. At times heartbreaking, at times tender.
Beautiful plot and execution, realistic feeling characters.
Flawless character development and relationship development.
I hurt with both Joe and Casey, their hea was well earned and heart warming. It definitely wasn't smooth sailing to get there, so I appreciated that there was a big portion of the story dedicated to their time as a couple, navigating these new dynamics.
I loved that the book opened with a chapter "now", with two middle aged men (Casey in his thirties and Joe in his mid forties) taking in a lost and frightened teenager, offering him a safe place... and the whole book after that chapter showed how they had gotten to that point.
The age gap (and related issues) were handled by the author with care and impressive dedication.
Be aware that for part of the book Casey and Joe have other partners. Usually I hate that, but in this case it was necessary to let me believe that Joe's love for Casey changed with time (over 6 years, from Casey at age 16 coming into Joe's life, to Casey being a 22 year old man).
Although there were a few things that felt unbelievable to me (that first social worker? so many homeless teenagers?) I'll concede that they might be realistic/possible in the US, as awful as it is.
This is not a light and fluffy read, but it's full of love and hope.
TW:
parental neglection, homophobia, mentions of rape of a minor (off page), death because of abortion not executed by a doctor (off page), death of a premature baby and grief over its death, terminally ill AIDS-patient.
September 16, 2012
Jesus. Maybe I'm hormonal or something, but this was a breathtakingly beautiful story. Quiet, lovely, poignant, and, at times, heartbreaking. But, all of it in the very best way. This is the story of two people making a life together over many years, and the normal--and not so normal--changes that occur in a relationship. I keep coming back to that one word: beautiful. It's so simple, and yet so true. What you put out into the world, you (hopefully) get back. Lovely, real, honest, imperfectly perfect human beings in this story. The story begins in 1987, and is as much a love letter to that time period as it is between Joe and Casey. The combination is perfection and drew me in unlike anything I've read in quite some time. If you grew up during that time, you will especially love this story. It will find a place in your heart, and on your keeper shelf, for so many, many reasons. I cannot recommend this highly enough! Even for those who have never read male/male before. It's truly a story that transcends genres and boundaries. Give it a chance. I can't help but believe you will never regret it.
December 8, 2021
3.75 stars ⭐️ The story was lovely and emotional. I really did like both Casey and Joe. I loved how they met, and how they spent their lives facing every problem and happiness together. Joe was older than Casey, but he was a good friend and lover to Casey. Their love was perfect and precious. Joe was such a generous man, and without Joe, Casey couldn't make the life he now had.
But the story was too long, and it could have been written excluding some events here. The latter part of the book was a bit mediocre and dragging.
But the story was too long, and it could have been written excluding some events here. The latter part of the book was a bit mediocre and dragging.
August 6, 2014
This book enchanted me from the beginning a breathtakingly beautiful story encompassing twenty-five years of love and real life issues, but all of it in the very best way, an honest story about two souls that found each other by destiny, but were meant to be together!
It's truly a story that oversteps barriers and genres; the pace was wonderful and very believable, watching the friendship and love build between Joe and Casey is phenomenal. And the added bonus for me is the age gap, and the trip through the 80s and early 90s songs… love it!
Casey, he is so lost, so alone. Once he got to know Joe, really know him, there was no one else for him.
Josiah Daniels or Joe, he is my favourite. The scary biker is ALL HEART; He is the most amazing, thoughtful, caring and sensible man I have ever met or read about. When they finally are together … there are no words!
Amy Lane, has crafted another beautiful love story, I cannot recommend this highly enough!
It's truly a story that oversteps barriers and genres; the pace was wonderful and very believable, watching the friendship and love build between Joe and Casey is phenomenal. And the added bonus for me is the age gap, and the trip through the 80s and early 90s songs… love it!
Casey, he is so lost, so alone. Once he got to know Joe, really know him, there was no one else for him.
Josiah Daniels or Joe, he is my favourite. The scary biker is ALL HEART; He is the most amazing, thoughtful, caring and sensible man I have ever met or read about. When they finally are together … there are no words!
Amy Lane, has crafted another beautiful love story, I cannot recommend this highly enough!
September 28, 2017
4.5 stars - this was really lovely. Joe, oh beautiful Joe, the wonderful man who loved his sister, who cared for vulnerable souls and who fell in love with Casey even though he tried not to. Casey the adorable persistent young man who was saved by Joe at 15 ... almost considering the end of his life and yet that juncture really marked the beginning of what would eventually be a wonderful life. Joe & Casey were the most compassionate, empathetic fabulous people. I loved them for their heart & soul. This was a really great book ❤️
July 4, 2012
By The End Of This Book I Was In Love
Sometimes when you read a story it hits all the right notes. Sidecar did more than hit all the right notes. It sang like a world class opera star.
Casey is 16, lost and abandoned. Two months ago his parents kicked him out for being gay. He's got nothing but the clothes on his back and the shoes on his feet. He's prostituted himself for food and when we meet him he's just getting out of yet another abusive situation.
On the side of a rural road a motorcycle stops and a tall, mustached, long haired angel named Josiah Daniels offers Casey his leather jacket and a new life. Josiah, Joe, and Casey don't know it yet but that moment is the start of something truly epic.
By 50% into the story Sidecar had made its way onto my Top 5 Stories of The Year list. That first half of the book is the story of how Joe and Casey form their own little family. Joe gives Casey guidance, support, structure and unconditional love as Casey grows up.
I was concerned about how Amy Lane was going to work taking Joe and Casey's relationship from something parental to that of lovers. I shouldn't have been worried at all. Joe is never Casey's parent. He never tries to be. He's an adult who's become Casey's protector and who makes Casey want to grow up to be a solid and exceptional man.
For that first half of the book we watch Casey and Joe share a life as friends and form an unbreakable bond.
Casey knows he loves Joe both as a friend and as the man he wants to spend the rest of his life with from the beginning. Joe makes it crystal clear that anything romantic is off limits. Non negotiable. Joe doesn't even think to think of Casey romantically until one day when Casey is grown and Joe sees him. Joe is properly knocked off his feet by that moment. I cheered because I knew something great was about to happen.
The romance between Joe and Casey didn't progress without any bumps in the road and I loved that. It was very real which made it all the more satisfying. Casey acts a little too rashly, Joe is solid but a little hesitant. When these two finally come together it felt completely destined.
One thing that was great about this book is that the reader gets to see a lot of Joe and Casey's Happily Ever After. They don't just get together and the story ends. A good chunk of the book is these two men together romantically and making a life for themselves. I was in Heaven. The way Casey and Joe loved each other made me fall in love with them.
By the end of the book Sidecar had become my favorite book that the year has had to offer me thus far. With this book and Gambling Men: The Novel Amy Lane's writing is really impressing me this year. I cannot wait to see what's next.
Sometimes when you read a story it hits all the right notes. Sidecar did more than hit all the right notes. It sang like a world class opera star.
Casey is 16, lost and abandoned. Two months ago his parents kicked him out for being gay. He's got nothing but the clothes on his back and the shoes on his feet. He's prostituted himself for food and when we meet him he's just getting out of yet another abusive situation.
On the side of a rural road a motorcycle stops and a tall, mustached, long haired angel named Josiah Daniels offers Casey his leather jacket and a new life. Josiah, Joe, and Casey don't know it yet but that moment is the start of something truly epic.
By 50% into the story Sidecar had made its way onto my Top 5 Stories of The Year list. That first half of the book is the story of how Joe and Casey form their own little family. Joe gives Casey guidance, support, structure and unconditional love as Casey grows up.
I was concerned about how Amy Lane was going to work taking Joe and Casey's relationship from something parental to that of lovers. I shouldn't have been worried at all. Joe is never Casey's parent. He never tries to be. He's an adult who's become Casey's protector and who makes Casey want to grow up to be a solid and exceptional man.
For that first half of the book we watch Casey and Joe share a life as friends and form an unbreakable bond.
Casey knows he loves Joe both as a friend and as the man he wants to spend the rest of his life with from the beginning. Joe makes it crystal clear that anything romantic is off limits. Non negotiable. Joe doesn't even think to think of Casey romantically until one day when Casey is grown and Joe sees him. Joe is properly knocked off his feet by that moment. I cheered because I knew something great was about to happen.
The romance between Joe and Casey didn't progress without any bumps in the road and I loved that. It was very real which made it all the more satisfying. Casey acts a little too rashly, Joe is solid but a little hesitant. When these two finally come together it felt completely destined.
One thing that was great about this book is that the reader gets to see a lot of Joe and Casey's Happily Ever After. They don't just get together and the story ends. A good chunk of the book is these two men together romantically and making a life for themselves. I was in Heaven. The way Casey and Joe loved each other made me fall in love with them.
By the end of the book Sidecar had become my favorite book that the year has had to offer me thus far. With this book and Gambling Men: The Novel Amy Lane's writing is really impressing me this year. I cannot wait to see what's next.
May 1, 2013
4.5 Stars--Didn't you ever read about a couple in a novel, you read about their happy ending, you get an epilogue and you're satisfied but you want to know if they really make it in the long run?
How about reading a 25 year span of the simple yet epic love of Casey and Josiah "Joe" Daniels?
We are introduced to their end and got to learn their tumultuous start between Casey, a 16 year old gay runaway and 28 year old Quaker RN and dogooder, Joe. Casey, a Virgo and ever the smart mouth (I'm team Casey all the way because us Virgos must stick together) was hands down my favorite of the two men. He's loved Joe from the beginning and no matter what came their way (and with such a large time span and the setting spanning the late 80's and 90's, it's quite a bit)
There's mention of VD, boyfriends cheating, a trip to Europe, helping runaways find a new life, death, 80's rock bands to name a few. Interested yet?
No?
Well believe me I never planned on reading this book because of the cover (Thank goodness to Kukko for selecting) I shall never doubt an Amy Lane novel again. Judging a book by its cover - that I still need to work on.
Drama? Yeah there's drama. Love? This book is saturated.
If you haven't read this yet, give it a chance. Joe and Casey's love story is pretty epic, plus it's like a fun way of reliving the 80's and 90's.
How about reading a 25 year span of the simple yet epic love of Casey and Josiah "Joe" Daniels?
We are introduced to their end and got to learn their tumultuous start between Casey, a 16 year old gay runaway and 28 year old Quaker RN and dogooder, Joe. Casey, a Virgo and ever the smart mouth (I'm team Casey all the way because us Virgos must stick together) was hands down my favorite of the two men. He's loved Joe from the beginning and no matter what came their way (and with such a large time span and the setting spanning the late 80's and 90's, it's quite a bit)
There's mention of VD, boyfriends cheating, a trip to Europe, helping runaways find a new life, death, 80's rock bands to name a few. Interested yet?
No?
Well believe me I never planned on reading this book because of the cover (Thank goodness to Kukko for selecting) I shall never doubt an Amy Lane novel again. Judging a book by its cover - that I still need to work on.
Drama? Yeah there's drama. Love? This book is saturated.
If you haven't read this yet, give it a chance. Joe and Casey's love story is pretty epic, plus it's like a fun way of reliving the 80's and 90's.
September 13, 2012
This started out good, but kinda dragged a little in the middle but then packed a whole lot of emotion into the end.
I loved reading about how Joe met Casey and how their life together worked out. Mostly this was an easy read with just a couple of teary moments when Casey and Joe try to help another run away, but mainly this was all about Joe and Casey.
Their story was sweet and a pleasure to read but it could easily of ended at about 200 pages. Personally I think I would of been just as happy with it ending there. The final 60 or so pages were totally heartbreaking and so not what I wanted to read in my fantasy book life. I get that sad things happen in life and maybe this was meant as a realistic style read, but for me personally I hated that part.
For those worrying rest assured that Casey and Joe get their well deserved HEA. I just wish everyone else got one too.
I loved reading about how Joe met Casey and how their life together worked out. Mostly this was an easy read with just a couple of teary moments when Casey and Joe try to help another run away, but mainly this was all about Joe and Casey.
Their story was sweet and a pleasure to read but it could easily of ended at about 200 pages. Personally I think I would of been just as happy with it ending there. The final 60 or so pages were totally heartbreaking and so not what I wanted to read in my fantasy book life. I get that sad things happen in life and maybe this was meant as a realistic style read, but for me personally I hated that part.
For those worrying rest assured that Casey and Joe get their well deserved HEA. I just wish everyone else got one too.
November 9, 2012
2.5 stars
So close. So close to maybe kinda liking this book.
It had tons of potential. I liked the writing early on, it was pretty and simple. And the characters were charming. The evolution of Joe & Casey’s relationship was sweet and I enjoyed being a part of it through the years. I can see how and why so many people loved this one.
I’m just not one of those people…
By the halfway mark, I found myself wondering if we were ever going to leave “Everything-Is-Perfect-And-Life-Is-So-Awesome-Ville”. The book just became so DULL and slow. I was getting antsy and wanted to scream “move it along already”!!! The summary of the book makes it sound 10x’s more exciting than it actually was.
For having the reputation of writing angst-ridden books, I feel like Amy Lane went out of her way to score negative on the angst-o-meter. And yet again, I finish one her books feeling annoyed.
PS – lots written about Joe’s fu man chu ‘stache. Bad, yes. But, the COMBO of it all is the worst: man-pony, fu man chu ‘stache, soul patch, soft middle, a huge bulbous penis with a small tip…oh, but a big heart. Huh…yeah, you got me drooling over this one…
February 20, 2016
THIS BOOK!
I read this book last summer and never wrote a review. Why? Well, there's no way anything I write would do it justice. So all I will say is- read it- you won't regret it. It is a beautiful book. 5+ Stars.
I read this book last summer and never wrote a review. Why? Well, there's no way anything I write would do it justice. So all I will say is- read it- you won't regret it. It is a beautiful book. 5+ Stars.
July 24, 2014
Golden, Perfect, Epic ...
25 years. Epic love...
I knew I was in for an amazing ride...
Joe and Casey's wonderful, thoughtful and powerful epic story spans twenty-five years of their lives.
Casey is a 16-year-old, forced out on his own and just about out of hope to go on for another day... being found by Josiah.
Josiah, whose strength and goodness are so deep, not just saves Casey's life but gives his life and heart a new meaning... But Joe is also very aware of the age-difference between them, and is determined to raise Casey to stand on his own feet and move independently out into the world. In his determination not to take advantage of a battered and needy boy, Joe spends a long time not seeing the man Casey becomes.
Casey fights a mix of inferiority complex and stubbornness. Joe is not only determined to keep his hands off "the Kid", but is also bi and has a deep longing for his own children which pushes him to date women rather than men.
Watching these guys love each other as they date other people is a helpless, frustrating, and heart-wrenching experience. But the eventual payoff in growth, in maturity and unconditional love is wonderfully satisfying.
Amy Lane is brilliant and I am a huge fan.
Amazing. Loved. Need more stars.
"I’ve loved him since I’ve known him... He just finally stopped fighting."
25 years. Epic love...
I knew I was in for an amazing ride...
Joe and Casey's wonderful, thoughtful and powerful epic story spans twenty-five years of their lives.
Casey is a 16-year-old, forced out on his own and just about out of hope to go on for another day... being found by Josiah.
"Casey would remember that ride behind Joe forever."
Josiah, whose strength and goodness are so deep, not just saves Casey's life but gives his life and heart a new meaning... But Joe is also very aware of the age-difference between them, and is determined to raise Casey to stand on his own feet and move independently out into the world. In his determination not to take advantage of a battered and needy boy, Joe spends a long time not seeing the man Casey becomes.
Casey fights a mix of inferiority complex and stubbornness. Joe is not only determined to keep his hands off "the Kid", but is also bi and has a deep longing for his own children which pushes him to date women rather than men.
Watching these guys love each other as they date other people is a helpless, frustrating, and heart-wrenching experience. But the eventual payoff in growth, in maturity and unconditional love is wonderfully satisfying.
"Casey laughed through his tears, because he had to. Because that was the two of them, and that was how they would always be."
Amy Lane is brilliant and I am a huge fan.
Amazing. Loved. Need more stars.
July 25, 2013
As a child of the 80s, I *knew* I was going to love this book. The music references, the IBM 386 computer with a modem, the acid washed jeans! Plus, it’s an Amy Lane, which is almost a 100% guarantee for a good love story. Seriously, this is my third Amy Lane book this month and all three have been 5+ stars! Her writing is amazing. It just sucks you in and wraps you up in the world of her characters and makes you sad when the story is over. She has become one of those authors for me (like Colleen Hoover and Kristen Ashley) that I will read absolutely anything she publishes from now until forever.
Casey is a teenage runaway that Joe found wandering on the side of the road. Casey’s parents kicked him out when they found out he was gay and he had been f*cking and sucking his way across California (I know, ewwww!). Joe is an angel in disguise… 6’5” tall, long black hair, Fu Manchu mustache with matching soul patch, riding a Harley, and an affinity for rescuing strays.
This story takes place over many years as Casey grows from an immature 15-year-old who is in love with Joe to a mature young man who is still in love with Joe. Their story is beautiful and heartwarming and I absolutely loved it!!!
Casey is a teenage runaway that Joe found wandering on the side of the road. Casey’s parents kicked him out when they found out he was gay and he had been f*cking and sucking his way across California (I know, ewwww!). Joe is an angel in disguise… 6’5” tall, long black hair, Fu Manchu mustache with matching soul patch, riding a Harley, and an affinity for rescuing strays.
This story takes place over many years as Casey grows from an immature 15-year-old who is in love with Joe to a mature young man who is still in love with Joe. Their story is beautiful and heartwarming and I absolutely loved it!!!
September 13, 2012
Joe is the salt of the earth type, solid and good and he wants to give Casey the world. All Casey wants is him. I love Joe. He worries about everything; he plans and builds, and doesn’t count Casey’s feelings as true because of their age difference. He never wants Casey to have a second of regret and that means in all things, especially with him. He wants Casey to fly. But Casey will fly right back home to Joe because he's been planning to build his life around the man since the second he discovered that really; the big scary biker is the best man on the planet. To be the owner of Josiah Daniels’ heart is a prize worth winning and Casey never has any doubts about where he belongs. The fun is in getting Joe to realize it. Sometimes the road is hard and full of heartbreak, but the love that’s forged is a joy to see.
February 15, 2015
When Amy Lane is on her game, she churns out stories like this. I love this book. It's heartbreaking, uplifting, sad, and romantic. About halfway through, I had to stop reading for about six hours while I helped rearrange my son's room and put a desk together, and the whole time I was in this haze of melancholia because Casey and Joe weren't in a good place in their story. When an author is capable of making me feel depressed on behalf of his or her characters, that's real talent.
November 23, 2024
This is THE sweetest thing I have read in a while....My only regret is that I could read about only 6 years of Joe and Casey but I wanted to know about all those 25 years too....I never wanted this book to end...BUT I am also blaming myself for keeping this book in my TBR for years...I am so confused but so much in love with this book. Wanna keep re-reading it and would love to read anything else like this too.
March 26, 2016
BR with Nikki!
Sidecar took me back to my own teenage years through my mid twenties. The hair and the clothes and the music just transported me back to high school and the beginnings of my adult life. Each time a time-frame was mentioned, I would be taken back to a memory of my own. The thing I love most about reading is being able to travel back in time or anywhere the author can imagine. It's a beautiful thing. So, even though I'm not terribly nostalgic for the 1980's, I did enjoy this trip quite a lot.
Though the story begins in present time (2011 or so), we're quickly taken back to 1987 and Casey is a sixteen years old and living on the streets after his parents threw him out after catching him with another boy. For two months, Casey did what he had to do to get some distance from his home and get any food or shelter he could manage. And the men he encountered along the way, up until Joe, should die slow, painful deaths. After getting away from the most recent one, Casey starts walking. He's cold and filthy and he has barely eaten in days, but it's still a better option than staying with "Big Daddy". And that's when Joe found him.
Joe is twenty-seven and a nurse. He was raised to help those less fortunate and those are lessons he took to heart. He was raised Quaker, but he lost his faith in God a long time ago, when it seemed that God couldn't be bothered to help those in need. Instead, Joe does what he can to make the world a better place. It was why he became a nurse - which in the 1980's was still very much looked upon as being a woman's job - and it's why he picks up homeless kids and feeds them and cleans them up, before calling social services to either get them back home, or at least get them a permanent place to stay.
Joe never thought that Casey would the one he would keep. And while, at first, Casey said he wouldn't pay Joe with sex - and Joe was adamant that sex was not on the menu, anyway - after getting to know Joe, Casey was definitely attracted and he pushed for a sexual relationship, unsuccessfully. It wasn't until Casey was 20 that Joe realized that he no longer saw a kid when he looked at Casey. And when they finally got together, it was so damn beautiful (and hawt), but mostly beautiful.
Sidecar is about finding hope and maybe even a little bit of faith. It's also about making the world a better place than you found it and helping those that need it. And it's about sharing that journey with someone you love, who loves you back. It's a beautiful story from beginning to end.
Very very recommended.
Sidecar took me back to my own teenage years through my mid twenties. The hair and the clothes and the music just transported me back to high school and the beginnings of my adult life. Each time a time-frame was mentioned, I would be taken back to a memory of my own. The thing I love most about reading is being able to travel back in time or anywhere the author can imagine. It's a beautiful thing. So, even though I'm not terribly nostalgic for the 1980's, I did enjoy this trip quite a lot.
Though the story begins in present time (2011 or so), we're quickly taken back to 1987 and Casey is a sixteen years old and living on the streets after his parents threw him out after catching him with another boy. For two months, Casey did what he had to do to get some distance from his home and get any food or shelter he could manage. And the men he encountered along the way, up until Joe, should die slow, painful deaths. After getting away from the most recent one, Casey starts walking. He's cold and filthy and he has barely eaten in days, but it's still a better option than staying with "Big Daddy". And that's when Joe found him.
Joe is twenty-seven and a nurse. He was raised to help those less fortunate and those are lessons he took to heart. He was raised Quaker, but he lost his faith in God a long time ago, when it seemed that God couldn't be bothered to help those in need. Instead, Joe does what he can to make the world a better place. It was why he became a nurse - which in the 1980's was still very much looked upon as being a woman's job - and it's why he picks up homeless kids and feeds them and cleans them up, before calling social services to either get them back home, or at least get them a permanent place to stay.
Joe never thought that Casey would the one he would keep. And while, at first, Casey said he wouldn't pay Joe with sex - and Joe was adamant that sex was not on the menu, anyway - after getting to know Joe, Casey was definitely attracted and he pushed for a sexual relationship, unsuccessfully. It wasn't until Casey was 20 that Joe realized that he no longer saw a kid when he looked at Casey. And when they finally got together, it was so damn beautiful (and hawt), but mostly beautiful.
Sidecar is about finding hope and maybe even a little bit of faith. It's also about making the world a better place than you found it and helping those that need it. And it's about sharing that journey with someone you love, who loves you back. It's a beautiful story from beginning to end.
Very very recommended.
January 21, 2022
There aren't enough words to express how much I loved this book and the characters of Casey and Joe. It had to be one of the most heart wrenching, yet most beautiful stories I have ever read in some time. Thank you, Amy Lane, for this treasure. I would have expected nothing less from you. The story covered 25 years with these two wonderful men that loved one another and made a life together in a time when it wasn't generally accepted. They dared to build a future and even raised a child...a baby that was one of twins born to a 15-year-old crack mother who didn't want anything to do with her tiny boys...one of whom died a few days after birth. Casey had been one of Joe's boys he rescued when Casey was 16 years old and had been thrown out of his parents' house. Joe was a nurse that worked 14-hour days and spent his weekends and evenings searching the freeways for people that he found struggling from cold, or heat, and hunger...both boys and girls. Casey was the only one he kept, and that decision took a great deal of soul searching on is part, but Casey refused to leave. The story is extremely character driven. It's filled with emotions that you know are real. It's an m/m romance, and yes there is sex...but the story itself and especially the last few chapters will have you reaching for the box of tissues.
December 23, 2013
This vaccillates somewhere between 1* and 2*, I rounded up for length, but it's really more like a 1.4 or 1.5.
I feel downright obnoxious for first disliking Mary Calmes' books and writing style, and now I also turn down Amy Lane's. But a turn-down this is.
Still, I'm not into melodrama, nor into odes to faith or gods or family values. I really dislike having my emotions played with in a cheap push-button manner (dead babies, dead dogs, cast out youngsters etc.), and artificially piled on angst and drama. Everything was quite over the top, contrived, came hammering home with a 2-by-4 and was rolled up in a treacly sweetness which gave me indigestion and bored me completely. I skim-read from roughly 30% onwards, I was that disinterested in the characters.
Then, I have nothing against sweet romance. I also like well-written hot or erotic romance, but I can't abide reading unerotic sex. Most of the sex in this book was highly non-erotic to me.
It wasn't helpful that Joe had a too me rather non-sensical chip on his shoulder about age and what it entailed. Neither did it help that both were described in ways which turned me off rather than on. No, it wasn't (only) the bulbous peener, but also usage of childish language like "tummy" during sex scenes.
I still don't get why currently everyone and their old auntie have to write rimming into their books, but in this one here this was done in such a manner that Casey clearly gave Joe a whopping case of urethral infection right along with this (tongue to penis/slit from inside arse). That wasn't a turn-on at all. In fact, I had to swallow a few times.
It's also not very erotic to get a running commentary of ailments people have, often enough ailments I haven't ever heard before (razor burn, icecream-headache), but then maybe British men are just so much hardier? No idea. The whole god/faith/AIDS/babies glob, sorry, uninterested, especially the way as presented. Completely not interested.
As I said, I rounded up for length, and for a few scenes which poked out from the general soup, and that is unfortunately how this book felt to me: like a lengthy soap opera. :/
I feel downright obnoxious for first disliking Mary Calmes' books and writing style, and now I also turn down Amy Lane's. But a turn-down this is.
Still, I'm not into melodrama, nor into odes to faith or gods or family values. I really dislike having my emotions played with in a cheap push-button manner (dead babies, dead dogs, cast out youngsters etc.), and artificially piled on angst and drama. Everything was quite over the top, contrived, came hammering home with a 2-by-4 and was rolled up in a treacly sweetness which gave me indigestion and bored me completely. I skim-read from roughly 30% onwards, I was that disinterested in the characters.
Then, I have nothing against sweet romance. I also like well-written hot or erotic romance, but I can't abide reading unerotic sex. Most of the sex in this book was highly non-erotic to me.
It wasn't helpful that Joe had a too me rather non-sensical chip on his shoulder about age and what it entailed. Neither did it help that both were described in ways which turned me off rather than on. No, it wasn't (only) the bulbous peener, but also usage of childish language like "tummy" during sex scenes.
I still don't get why currently everyone and their old auntie have to write rimming into their books, but in this one here this was done in such a manner that Casey clearly gave Joe a whopping case of urethral infection right along with this (tongue to penis/slit from inside arse). That wasn't a turn-on at all. In fact, I had to swallow a few times.
It's also not very erotic to get a running commentary of ailments people have, often enough ailments I haven't ever heard before (razor burn, icecream-headache), but then maybe British men are just so much hardier? No idea. The whole god/faith/AIDS/babies glob, sorry, uninterested, especially the way as presented. Completely not interested.
As I said, I rounded up for length, and for a few scenes which poked out from the general soup, and that is unfortunately how this book felt to me: like a lengthy soap opera. :/
January 15, 2023
4.5 stars
Casey comes into Joe's life at the age of 16. Casey was kicked out of his parents house after they found him with a boy. Casey was on the verge of giving up but Joe came to the rescue and took him in. From the moment Casey met Joe he started falling. Casey had to work to make Joe see him as an adult and not the kid he met.These two were it for each other.
This was a beautiful love story. Joe is a good man with a big heart. So happy he and Casey got a HEA. I enjoyed it very much.
Casey comes into Joe's life at the age of 16. Casey was kicked out of his parents house after they found him with a boy. Casey was on the verge of giving up but Joe came to the rescue and took him in. From the moment Casey met Joe he started falling. Casey had to work to make Joe see him as an adult and not the kid he met.These two were it for each other.
This was a beautiful love story. Joe is a good man with a big heart. So happy he and Casey got a HEA. I enjoyed it very much.
September 4, 2016
Wonderful! WONDERFUL!
This book was like a great long journey. I loved every single paragraph I read. The writing is so flawless and captivating.
Casey and Joe are two wonderful men. Their story started out in difficult circumstances, but despite everything, somethings are meant to be. Some things are just written in the stars.
This is a unique story that will entertain you while reading it and the ending is so sweet and cute. I mean if a book starts with:
"For some of us (raises hand), 1987 was a very good year".
how could it not be good? 1987 was a great year! I know it! I was born then :P
I liked how their relationship developed. Joe is the most amazing spirit in existence. He let Casey grow up, let him made his own mistakes and choices, and he always always loved him. I loved seeing them longing for each other and I adored how magnificent they were together. Their love is unmeasurable. There are heart breaking moments, but the feels.... The feels are so beautiful.
"Casey, I can not conceive of a world where I did not want you."
.....................
“You left, and I thought I could hear my heartbeat in the house. If it wasn’t for the dogs, I could have heard it echoing in our little valley. I missed you. I missed you so badly it was like I couldn’t “breathe. Like my heartbeat just expanded, squashed my lungs, stopped up my chest. I woke up in cold sweats, missing you. "
I recommend this book to all those who like a sweet slow building and slow burning romance. I'll sure be checking more works from this author.
This book was like a great long journey. I loved every single paragraph I read. The writing is so flawless and captivating.
Casey and Joe are two wonderful men. Their story started out in difficult circumstances, but despite everything, somethings are meant to be. Some things are just written in the stars.
This is a unique story that will entertain you while reading it and the ending is so sweet and cute. I mean if a book starts with:
"For some of us (raises hand), 1987 was a very good year".
how could it not be good? 1987 was a great year! I know it! I was born then :P
I liked how their relationship developed. Joe is the most amazing spirit in existence. He let Casey grow up, let him made his own mistakes and choices, and he always always loved him. I loved seeing them longing for each other and I adored how magnificent they were together. Their love is unmeasurable. There are heart breaking moments, but the feels.... The feels are so beautiful.
"Casey, I can not conceive of a world where I did not want you."
.....................
“You left, and I thought I could hear my heartbeat in the house. If it wasn’t for the dogs, I could have heard it echoing in our little valley. I missed you. I missed you so badly it was like I couldn’t “breathe. Like my heartbeat just expanded, squashed my lungs, stopped up my chest. I woke up in cold sweats, missing you. "
I recommend this book to all those who like a sweet slow building and slow burning romance. I'll sure be checking more works from this author.
January 21, 2013
When I am feeling jaded with whats going on around me I will just pick up this book to renew my faith in human nature. I like to think that Amy based this on people she knew and that 'Joe and Casey' are out there , still soul mates, still so very much in love and still saving their " strays ".
I laughed and cried and adored every single word in this novel.
" ...life with Casey would tend to be that way for Joe - moments of gorgeous, shining faith and moments of agonizing, painful doubt. Joe was young in his way too. It would take him years before he recognised the ebb and flow of true love "
" Joe just sat there, still caught, not sure what to do with this sight of Casey as an adult, and beautiful, making his blood sing under his skin, making him shiver, making him ache, just by smiling in the sun "
Simply .......... beautiful!
I laughed and cried and adored every single word in this novel.
" ...life with Casey would tend to be that way for Joe - moments of gorgeous, shining faith and moments of agonizing, painful doubt. Joe was young in his way too. It would take him years before he recognised the ebb and flow of true love "
" Joe just sat there, still caught, not sure what to do with this sight of Casey as an adult, and beautiful, making his blood sing under his skin, making him shiver, making him ache, just by smiling in the sun "
Simply .......... beautiful!
October 13, 2012
I really really loved this book. A beautiful love story that lasts 25 years, an amazing accomplishment in books. Joe and Casey were really a beautiful couple, I was not sure how to feel when I finished. The book really did show a mature relationship, how to survive and how to love. The age difference was not a big deal to me, sometimes it is but there are a few treasures that come along and like this somehow I know age is only a number. :)
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