Country

by Jeff Mann

Brice Brown sings about loyalty and broken hearts, the earnestness of being a proud Southerner, yet his popular country music lyrics are misdirection because Brice has kept hidden his attraction to men for all his life. But when a former lover--and band member--goes to the press with the truth, Brice finds himself sick of all the lies and returning to the sanctuary of his West Virginian hometown. The neighbors who used to be proud of the "local boy made good" turn on him. His record label cancels contracts, his wife files for divorce, and he finds himself disgraced and despondent. But then Brice learns from a fan that there is a compound in central West Virginia run by a man who has helped troubled gay youth overcome their self-loathing. Brice takes a chance at redemption and finds the retreat in the woods. The owner, only a few years older than Brice is a kind hearted soul and does not turn him away and offers a friendly ear and comforting words. Conway Twitty once said, "Listen to advice, but follow your heart." And the man's nephew, Lucas, who serves as the handyman at the compound is a tempting young man, simmering with resentment at his past, angry at how he sees his future will be. And Brice thinks that Lucas is attracted to him but both men are hurting. Can they rise above the condemnations the world has given them and find something meaningful...together?

Genres: M M Romance, Fiction, Romance, LGBT, Audiobook

399 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 25, 2016

About the author

Jeff Mann’s poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in many publications, including Prairie Schooner, Shenandoah, Laurel Review and The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide. He has published three award-winning poetry chapbooks, Bliss, Mountain Fireflies, and Flint Shards from Sussex; two full-length books of poetry, Bones Washed with Wine and On the Tongue; a collection of personal essays, Edge: Travels of an Appalachian Leather Bear; a book of poetry and memoir, Loving Mountains, Loving Men; and a short fiction volume, A History of Barbed Wire, which won a Lambda Literary Award. He teaches creative writing at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Reviews

[Shile (Hazard's Version) on-hiatus · Rating 3 out of 5]

5++++ stars for the Audiobook
3.5 stars for the story

I don't even know how to write a review for this one. It was good, the narrator was amazing, the story was long, some parts were good and some not so good. The writing is good, though the jury is still out on the use of 1st and 3rd Person POV. It was confusing at times but i got used to it.

I liked Brice, his personality is great and he is very likable. It was refreshing not to have your typical, chiseled chin, runway model, 10 abs MC.

The sex scenes were hot, Brice and Lucas got some erotic kink going on.

Lucas and Phil were also great side characters.

Religion played a big part in this story, i felt like the author had a lot to say and he did, It was too preachy. Homophobia, Gay bashing and all that stuff, were constantly present and i felt it took me away from the story at times. The reference and view of the Confederate flag made me cringe.

I will read other books by this author.

[LenaRibka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Update:

I'm soo glad that this book made a finalist of the 29th Annual Lambda Literary Award in the category Gay Romance. And my review was the first one posted on GR!!! Congratulations, Jeff!




-------------------------------


I am not a country music fan, but I am a big fan of Jeff Mann's writing. Country is my fourth book by the author, the previous three I have read before (Fog: A Novel of Desire and Retribution , Purgatory: A Novel of the Civil War and Salvation: A Novel of the Civil War ) belong to my favorite books in a gay fiction genre. I read and listened to them, and I can’t recommend them highly enough.

If you are looking for an exceptional writing style and unique story-line, and you have never read anything by Jeff Mann before, then he is your man, because he writes books that you’ll never forget, doesn’t matter how they made you feel, they are simply special + he writes the best gay SEX scenes!. They are INCREDIBLY HOT.



Country is different, comparing to the other books by Jeff Mann, it is softer, tender, less provocative, more mainstreamed (?!).
It is a heartbreaking and beautiful love story of two fellow souls, with different backgrounds and different lives who found each other in an extremely complicated situation, and learn to trust, to care and to love each other. But be prepare: this book will make you ANGRY and sad. Because of homophobia and bigots, the main protagonists have to confront. Homophobia that is justified by religion. The worst art EVER. I’ve never imagined Homophobia could exist in this form in one of the most progressed countries regarding LGBT rights. Really really sad.


A short insight into the story:



The time for his outing couldn’t be worse for Brice Brown, a forty year old country star. A new label is eager to release his next CD, his new tour is about to start shortly, and his fans loves him more than ever. The interview of his ex-bass player Zac to one of the most popular country music magazines where Zac tells about his love affair with Brice Brown hits the country music world like a bombshell. From one day to the other a carefully built image of a married country star, his hard-won fortune collapses like a house of cards. From one day to the other, from all beloved and admired Brice Brown becomes the most hated person, the worst sinner of the South. From one day to another he loses everything: his prosperity, his wife, his manager, his fans, and the most worst for him - his career as a singer. To find a piece with himself Brice leaves everything behind, flees Nashville and tabloid reporters by returning to his hometown in West Virginia. Only instead of piece and understandings he finds even more hatred and hostility. He is devastated and drowns his concerns and despair in the alcohol. In this awful situation Brice learns accidentally that deep in the mountains of West Virginia there is a facility for troubled gay youths running by a wealthy gay man.



He accepts an invitation. And as the future will show, this decision is not only the best that he could make, but also is of fateful significance. It is where he meets Lucas, a young nephew of the owner of the facility.

The whole book I would divide in three parts:

The first part is the coming out story and all the sudden consequences Brice has to deal with directly after the news about his homosexuality has been spread.

The second part is his retreat into his hometown to lick his wounds and learn to deal with his new "I". A very sad and depressing part- fears, hopelessness, despair and solitude prevail it. And a lot of buzz. Alcohol to forget and to escape.



The third part when he meets Lucas. It is my favorite part. I adore it. The romance between Brice and Lucas is so intense, emotional and HOOOOT. The both men, even if they recognized they were gay pretty early in their lives, have never had a relationship with a man, for various reasons.

To see them coming closer and opening to each other, step by step, was the best in the book. Jeff Mann can create a magical atmosphere of intimacy- authentic, intense and compassionate. It reflects in every small detail, in dialogues, in gesticulate, in said and unsaid thoughts. AND Of COURSE in SEX!



My only problem with Country was the narrating style the author chose. To write from the third person's POV was not totally wrong, though my preferable one is the first person's POV. What didn't work for me was the mixture out of two different POVs. I found the thoughts of Brice presented in the first person's POV (and in the italic font) that popped up now and then, while the whole story was told from the third person's POV, totally irritating. I had a feeling, the author couldn’t decide what kind of narrating would be the best and decided to use both.

There are many good moments in this books, and a very satisfying ending. Another great book by a very talented author.
READ IT, GUYS!!!

[Pavellit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never thought that I could really enjoy reading erotica as a part of MMs. Before (Ella Frank's works) instead of enjoying it I found myself skimming the pages. But this rural, masculine, skipping-the deodorant vibe here is a nice change. The sexual tension, flirting, dirty talk and dialogs that followed are unforgettable and kept making me grin, to say the least. Southerners are different. They are hairy guys with bears, guys with strongly built and a bit chubby bodies, who like living in a small and cozy places, drinking, cooking, eating, cursing, scratching their crotches and armpits, jack-off fantasizing, caring so much about what the world thinks about them, using their religion as a free pass to being nasty, and last but not least, listening to country music. They may not be too perfect nor too good looking, but they need love, sex, and romance too.

Despite the heavily religious theme, the chasm between religion and homosexuality, I found this to be a good read because of Mann's skilled,written with love and care, erotic prose. The real draw is the rough-edged country boy, Brice. He gave me a show. I’ve never been one of those mountain men, I’m not attracted to those men, but I, uh, got a pretty vigorous sex drive by a 'brawling, ornery country' boy. Actually, two, one of them Daddy (Does an age gap of 13 years(40-27) really mean all that much older?). I hated all the crap and ignorant homophobic people he had to cope with. And, I felt triumphant when he found love, acceptance of himself , hope, and new tunes pouring out of him- country songs with openly gay lyrics. Here we go a little bit of ‘Country Boy.’ I hope you like it.  

'Wake me, boy, with your hot hunger,
And then I’ll love your mouth with mine,
caress thorny ink, your ginger beard,
taste maple sap, your virile wine,  
your country muscles, hill-bred and fine,
torso forests, scents of mountain pine.'
....................................................................
'I taste tattoos beneath my tongue,
grip your blade inside my fist,
burning, burning inside my fist.'

My negatives are few but are, for me, real. Thanks God I wasn't on any diet. Lots of tasty food and booze. Oh, and of course: man, no need to be mentioned every time when Brice...... had a full bladder. Lol! There was only one little niggle I had with the story. I'm not a religious person and I can't even fathom that nearly everyone in small country towns attends church, but I got an indirect sense of mockery with church values, which might be offensive for some readers. Religion is for those who feel that they need it. Some of us don't. But there will always be a need for religion, just not a religion that makes hate a part of its doctrine. Part of what it does is help them (us) to be moral and without it, they might lose their (our) capacity for caring, for love.

I liked this book so much and by now I know I shall read any other book Jeff Mann writes because I get caught in the webs he spins with his stories. Нis view of the American Civil War would be quite interesting, especially after today's events which pulled back the curtain.

[Juxian · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a lovely, lovely book. Maybe it didn’t break my world, as some other Jeff Mann’s books did, but I still was happy to read it. It’s beautiful, sexy, tender and full of hope.
For me, it was consisting of two halves: the first one with Brice losing everything and falling deeper and deeper into darkness – and the second one where he finds love and his new life starts. I liked both of them but the second one really made this book a fabulous read for me. The first part was necessary to get to know Brice, to see him in the most difficult situation – and to see him overcome it.
I liked Brice very much. It was so easy for him to turn bitter, mean or vengeful. But through everything he stays caring, generous, forgiving and a gentleman. He is not perfect, he is very human – prone to self-pity and comfort-eating – but there is a core of him that stays strong. And that’s why I was so happy for Lucas meeting him. Because Brice is not just a talented man, a star (or a former star) – he is a very decent person, a man Lucas can rely on. Well, I was happy for Brice that he met Lucas, too, of course, because they both are such darlings.
And yes, after they meet – the story bloomed for me :) Because with it everything I love about Jeff Mann’s books started :) Beautiful sex (his books give me kinks I didn’t know I could enjoy… like hairy, fleshy men :) oh, lovely). And sweetness. And tenderness. And men talking. Men who don’t grunt manly and keep silent about their feelings until they drive themselves into a corner. I loved every conversation Brice and Lucas had, in and out of bed, I loved how open they were about their feelings and their insecurities, and how they tried not to hurt each other.
It makes me feel sad when I think how much darker their lives would be without each other – and the more beautiful it is that they met and found each other. Normally I don’t like endings where the main characters live separately and meet, like, on the weekends. It’s one of the things that might really sour a happy ending for me. But here… strangely, I felt I didn’t mind it at all. The important thing was that Brice and Lucas had each other in their lives, and were each other’s strength, and it didn’t mean they had to fall asleep in each other’s arms *every* night.
I loved how balanced the gains and the losses are in the end. Yes, Brice will never become a star again, will never gather stadiums again, will never be rich again. But he and Lucas have each other, and Brice can write again, and write honestly, and it is perfect.
Well, and apart from sex and love, there are so many other lovely things in this book. Like cooking and eating. Man, it’s just as sexy as sex scenes :) I was googling all those things they were eating - and drooling. I think Jeff Mann should write a cooking book with the recipes from his books (I mean some other writers did, didn’t they?) – I would be happy to have it.
Okay, and there is the drinking part, which I loved, too, even though, I think, if a reader took a drink every time the characters were drinking, it would be the fastest drinking game in the world. But okay, the characters are big guys, they can handle all that alcohol :)
And lovely poetry that was not just a placeholder but really made me believe Brice was a great country singer. And the feeling of history, and the beauty of nature. And wonderful secondary characters, especially Wayne. And Phil, and Grace and Amie, too. It was another beautiful balance in the book – even though there were so many who were hideous and cruel, there were people who were strong and kind, and made life worth living.
Loved the cover, too, it expresses everything important about the book so well.

[Ulysses Dietz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Country
By Jeff Mann
Lethe Press,2016
Four stars

It was so interesting to read this book on the heels of having read J.D. Vance’s plodding memoir ”Hillbilly Elegy” for my (straight) men’s book group. (The straight part was an accident—I was invited by another gay man, and so assumed….) Jeff Mann is, from what I can tell, the same kind of Southern rural boy that his characters Brice and Lucas are. I’m also guessing that he’s my age, since, given the time setting of the book, Brice would be exactly my age. This is a book written today, set in the near past—but a near past dramatically different. It is also a book about an aspect of the “gay community” for whom those of us who live in East Coast liberal bubbles rarely spare a thought. I’m really glad to have read this book, because it allowed me a look into a worldview very different from my own. It is a worldview that produced voters who brought the current president to power; but it is also full of poetry and beauty and the love of nature.

And food. Oh my God, the food!

“Country” is not really about the country music industry, even though Brice Brown is the whipping boy of everything wrong with that industry as the central theme of this story. This book is not about Nashville, but about the cultural and geographical roots of the music that Nashville has promoted the way Detroit produces automobiles. “Country” is about living a lie and seeking to abandon that lie for something real and authentic. It is about conservative evangelical Christianity and the irreparable damage it causes to young people who find out they’re not straight. Ultimately it is about finding the courage to go on when your only other option is despair.

Brice Brown is a big country star, until his own shame at his love for men blows up in his face and ends it all. The narrative follows Brice through a series of psychological and geographical stages, moving from Nashville, to his home town of Hinton, West Virginia, to a remote valley in the West Virginia hills where an outrageous aging queen runs a refuge for country children rejected by their families for being gay. It is here that Brice meets Lucas Bryan, thirteen years his junior, whose own tale of injustice and violence has left scars that make Brice’s seem paltry.

Jeff Mann spins a great yarn, but more importantly, he builds key characters who manage to represent all the good that exists in these red-state hills of our America. Brice doesn’t even try to defend himself, simply acknowledging his own shame and fear as unavoidable in the world he inhabits, as he pushes himself to break free. Brice is not an entirely admirable guy. He’s weak and driven by his appetites. But his epiphany—forced upon him because of the damage he caused someone else, someone he should have loved—is powerful. His road from self-pity to self-reliance is rocky, and sometimes exhausting. But it’s a good tale, well told.

It’s clear that Mann is writing for a gay male audience (or perhaps the straight female m/m audience as well) and thus the book is centered as much on Brice’s sex life as it is on his emotional/romantic evolution. I’m not objecting, but I merely note that this pretty much guarantees that all the straight men who read J.D. Vance’s “Hillbilly Elegy” will never read “Country.” And that’s too bad, because they might learn something, if they were brave enough to go there.

[A.B. Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two brawling, ornery country boys who waded through a lot of crap to find one another.”

The above quote from the book sums it up pretty well. Set initially in the latter part of the 1990's the story revolves around the homophobia and dread of being gay in the "country" back then. Small town bigots, people using Old Testament religion to justify their hatred make this a pretty harrowing read at times. But the two men survive even if scarred mentally and physically.
To balance this is a vivid picture of life in the Appalachians. The good people, the scenery, the food. Boy, the food! I'd never heard of half the dishes they cooked or talked about, but I kept getting these urges to get up and eat!
I found the degree of homophobia hard to stomach, and I hope that times have changed and gay people are accepted better than they obviously were back then. It was bad here too, but stories of gay bashing rarely made the mainstream press, but it did happen as shown by this recent article.
http://www.starobserver.com.au/featur...
Living in Australia, where country music is a niche market and the press isn't so invasive, I found it hard to connect with the celebrity music side of this story. Maybe the fact it was written in third person past tense contributed to my difficulty. Usually Jeff writes in first person present and does it so well. Here, the italicised thoughts jumped out at me rather than flowed as they usually do in his writing.
Once I got used to it, and the story was less in Brice's head as he stopped wallowing in his misery and started interacting more with others, the dialogue and action flowed much better.
There were some great moments. The one of Annie calling down fire and brimstone on the preacher brings a smile to my face whenever I think of it.
If you've read his essays and stories, a lot of the themes will be familiar.
Packed full of all the things that are important to Jeff, Country is a homage to the music and era it is set in. Makes you want to give credit to all those who survived it and those who were allies.

[Nile Princess · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Anything by Jeff Mann is an automatic buy for me. Was in the mood to re-read this one, and jotted a few notes (review) this time.

If you've read anything by JM, you know he loves good food, liquor and aromatic men. That man loves some musky man loving lol. I loved that he tackled the very real issues of homophobia in country music, and rural parts of the country. As usual, I loved his writing, and this book had awesome supporting characters, but a few things detracted from five stars for me.

1) The speaking rhythm seemed off. The characters constantly addressing each other as 'buddy', and 'friend seemed weird. It felt weirdly formal.

2) Why was a 27yr old man constantly referring to his mother (in the third person) as Mommy? It was creepy.

3) The book got preachy at times, and I skipped/skimmed those parts. I skimmed the whole confrontation with the reverend. I also skimmed the song lyrics. I tend to always skip song lyrics and poetry in books. The references to the Confederate flag...I don't agree, but I know many Southerners feel as JM does so I didn't take it personally.

4) Uncle Phil was entertaining but some of his stories were too long. It dragged the pacing.

5) Not a detraction, just a note. I've removed this from my Daddy kink shelf. Yes, Lucas calls Brice Daddy at times, but it was more of a 'Big Daddy' reference done teasingly.

3.5 stars and I'll probably read this book when I'm in the mood for JM again. Now, I'm off to read one of his other books that I liked more.

['Nathan Burgoine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an advance reading copy of this one, and though any of you who follow my blog know I adore Jeff Mann, I have to say I was nervous about this one: it features a bunch of things I don't necessarily connect with: country music, rural culture, and living a closeted life. But I shouldn't have worried.

Following a big name Country star, Brice Brown, who is outed in the late 90's, the exploration of homophobia is bang-on perfect, and all the more vicious given both the time and the culture. Jeff Mann's voice is so lyrical and clear I had zero trouble connecting with a man so very unlike me, and yet found my empathy evoked. I also liked that Brice is by no means a perfect man—he's as much a product of his culture as those who throw hate at him from within it, and beyond self-loathing there are a few moments of pot/kettle that are deftly written. Brice is flawed, and that made it all the easier to connect with him. Mann explores depression, too, which is a welcome change, and there's a sense of realism to the entire novel that keeps it from being a "happily ever after with rainbows" that would completely break the suspension of disbelief.

And, of course, the food. Some day I will learn not to read a Jeff Mann book while hungry. I don't even know what half the dishes are, but I eat so damn much while he describes them.

[cat reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book made me question audience a lot while I read. It's unabashedly meant for a gay/gay-accepting audience with graphic sex scenes early on, yet the message of prejudice is so forcefully pushed throughout the story, it makes me wonder at times if the author understands his audience. Or maybe it's me. There is something to be said for being able to articulate a personal need for acceptance and a certain wish-fulfillment in living through a character what one wishes they could say in their own lives. The problem I have is feeling like Mann is preaching to the choir instead of moving into deeper issues.

I will say that the masculinity of Mann's writing is refreshing. This can be a contentious statement in a genre given to controversy; however, I doubt my humble review will bring down any firestorms. :p But to clarify: m/m romance is a genre with a great many female writers and a strong female audience. While the writers in this field often do a better job of writing men than most romance authors, there is, on occasion, a tendency to soft focus romance. That's not a criticism, either. With thousands of novels and millions of readers, let each enjoy what they will. And I don't want to stereotype. Writers like Jordan Castillo Price have a very masculine voice while Andrew Grey writes soft focus romance, so when I speak of tendencies, I'm mean tendencies, not absolutes. Brice's reaction to Zach's prison story is very telling though. It's definitely a gay man's response, which is good to read at times.

Also, instead of swimming suit model characters in their early 20s, we get more of an older bear as a protag. It's refreshing in the way a romance with two characters in their 40s to 60s is refreshing. I enjoy some diversity in the field, and a bear who enjoys the meatier, more visceral aspects of sex is fun.

I like Brice's imperfections though there are times I wanted to facepalm at his short temper. Most celebrities learn how to deal with the press with a few notorious exceptions, so Brice is realistic while still being destructive. Still, I like that he has a journey, that he struggles with his identity, his addiction to fame, that he has justified anger with Zach, that he deals with depression and doesn't always make the best decisions. Lucas is much the same with his hot and cold attitude, one that is well-earned given his history.

Some characters are well thought out, like Brice's best friend and ex-wife, both of whom don't fall into typical patterns. Unfortunately, those characters are few in a wash of caricatures of hateful, Bible-thumping Southerners. Zack's mom? You going to hell. The preacher Brice meets in his home town? You going to hell. About a dozen different, random people? You going to hell. Plus I'm going to beat you.

The novel could have used some tightening up. Reading somebody's shopping list is not interesting. Spending whole chapters with a person who does nothing but drink, sleep, and sit at home depressed is not interesting. It becomes dead time. I started skimming until plot happened again. We also spend far too much time with Brice's best friend along with a few other side characters. Trim the fat off of those scenes and get to the plot already! Oy. There's just too much homophobia hammered over and over, which brings me back to the issue of audience as mentioned.

Overall, it's a decent book. I like the characters and the romantic progression, but the novel is not without flaws. As a final note on irony, I don't know if I love or hate that Brice defends country music and Southern culture at the beginning as a 'big F.U.' to the elitist snobs that I guess define the rest of the country, according to Brice anyway, and yet! It's that same populist culture that tears him down throughout the rest of the novel. There's a nice little tie-up at the end when he talks about his identity as both a gay man and Southerner, how he chose neither but accepts both, that's poetic.

[Matthew Dye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but flawed

So, while I found it to be a cute story, it is difficult to recommend. The characters are generally well rendered, however there are some baffling choices from the author.

In the first place, it doesn't really seem as though the author understands how people talk. There is dialogue uttered in this work that no human would ever say. It reminds one of the 17th century précieux and betrays a plane bias for overwrought, clunky dialogue. It definitely seems as though the author is overly enamored with his vocabulary. This would be forgivable as artistic license if it weren't so often used. The author seems unable or unwilling two very his style four different voices. The result is every single character sounds effectively the same.

There is also a troubling fetishization of the South, ostentatious masculinity, and - most troubling and alarming - the Confederacy. The author seems determined to valorize and Incredibly toxic version of masculinity, the very masculinity that is currently killing men in Appalachia and the South. He even goes so far as to attempt to rehabilitate the Confederate flag as a symbol of "heritage" not "racism." While, again, this can be dismissed as part of the process of character building within fiction, to go unopposed demonstrates either ignorance on the part of the author, as the Confederate flag was from its very Inception the embodiment of racism, or ambivilance to the flag's nature and history. Either way, It's troubling.

[Michael Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a songwriter and a singer, being physically a bit of a bear myself, and having spent a few years in Nashville and most of my life in the Appalachian Mountains (NC and TN), I identified a great deal with fallen star Brice Brown in Jeff Mann’s COUNTRY. I’m not sure how much experience Mann has with the inner workings of the Music City star machinery, but, when Brice Brown’s former guitarist and former secret lover Zac outs the singer as gay, what happens to Brown in the Music Row offices of his record and management companies rings true. The same holds for what happens to Brice through the initial stages of his attempted homecoming and subsequent encounters with country music fandom. He is one moment welcomed with the balm of love and the next confronted with the venom of fear. This continues, and he deals with it as well as he’s able to the last page.

Brice’s story is driven not only by his experiences but also by the people who surround him with expected hostility and sometimes surprising nurturing. While I never quite latched on to the character of Lucas (but liked him well enough), I found myself appropriately pleased or mortified to be in the company of all the other characters in COUNTRY. Brice’s sister Leigh, his longtime friend Wayne Meador, Lucas’s uncle Phil, the ladies of Radclyffe’s Roost, and several other minor characters are a delight; Lucas’s “Mommy,” her Reverend Davis, the four Pickens Road attackers, and assorted journalists and music business folk are terrors—and not exaggeratedly so, I think. Readers should welcome each of them as living representatives of the company that we all keep or suffer at one time or another.

Some picking up COUNTRY may feel the need to skim the male-to-male erotica that enters the story early and plays a significant part in the story’s language and action throughout, right to final page, but I encourage them not to do so. While often quite visceral, the many erotic passages are part of the genre, part of the experience of the novel. More importantly, I believe, this is the life of these characters. If possible (and it might not be for some), readers ought to try and see through the rough nature of Brice and Lucas’s lovemaking to the men who are desperate to become, for the first time in their lives, their true selves and to be truly in love. As readers, we need not strain to imagine what is at stake for them, as Jeff Mann’s COUNTRY has imagined it so beautifully for us.

[Chiara D'Agosto]

DNF 60%

This book defeated me. I resisted for as long as I could, but still, here I am. I've lost this battle.

It started out well. I liked it. I was on the verge of liking Brice. If he had evolved into a well-rounded character, I might have. But he never does!! Coming from West Virginia, the confederate flag (ew) and being gay are NOT PERSONALITY TRAITS. Amazing, eh. I kinda needed more from a MC. Plus, Brice was just... cringy. Like, c'mon, stop saying things like "he looks like a porn star" ABOUT EVERY FUCKING ATTRACTIVE MAN YOU MEET. No, Brice, stop. And stop referring to ADULT MEN as BOYS. I understand this is a kink for somebody, I am not here to kinkshame. But here the dynamic wasn't really there, it's just Brice being a bit of a creep. Ew.

Up until 60%, the plot was so repetitive, and the dialogue so clunky and unrealistic I wanted to throw my kindle off the window. Massive batches of infodumps and repetition are just thrown into dialogues between minor characters, in such a boring way. I mean, it's not like you should avoid infodump just in narration. You should avoid it, fullstop. It's fucking boring.

I resisted because I was waiting for Lucas to show up and for their story to develop. I was looking for a romance after all. But this was incredibly underwhelming. They meet, Brice goes all creepy with his mental shenanigans, Lucas is withdrawn for a couple of chapters, and then they go out for a S. Valentine's date together, and they up in a sort of like Hugh Hefner's grotto massaging each other's thighs. Jeeeez. Lucas then goes on telling a sob story about his time as a rent boy and his time in prison. It should have been heartbreaking (ofc!!) but this character is SO FLAT. FLAT AS CARDBOARD. So flat I honestly couldn't care less what happened to him in the past or in the present. He's just there to give Brice an hard-on and being sad and fragile but also masculine and hairy and ew. I stopped reading a bit after that because I couldn't do it anymore.

AND I SWEAR TO GOD IF EVERY SEE THE ADJECTIVE FURRY USED IN AN EROTIC SENSE AGAIN I WILL START TO SCREAM

[Cathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being a good old country boy is not a personality. Being gay is not a personality. Combining the two still didn't give Brice proper characterization. I picked up this book because the premise sounded promising, and I finished it because I was curious to see how it ended, but the whole middle of it was pretty dull. Also, I was just drowning in exposition the whole time. I don't need shopping list after list of what people eat. And I don't need to know the main characters ex wife's cousin's husband's name. This could have been half the length if the exposition have been more reasonable and that would have made for more fluid story. And I worry at the real challenges in a story like this were not given their full credit. Lucas was actively raped in prison, and seems to think he can tough it out. Brice keeps mixing painkillers and alcohol, and no one says anything about that. Both of them have contemplated suicide. And then Brice actually shoves Lucas (who has a history of being abused) and they both laugh it off! It's all very messed up. By falling in love with each other, they think this fixes them. They need support groups, and therapy, and actual self-realization, not another person, not a romance.
A lot of the side characters in this book were not treated as actual people either. It was mostly black-and-white in terms of how people accepted or violently rejected a gay country singer, and even though this was set in the mid-90s, most people wouldn't even be bothered. The author had a point to make, though I'm still not clear what that was, but he did a lot of preaching from his soapbox to the choir in order to try achieve his message.
I think there was potential in this novel's premise, but I don't think it was executed very well, and I'm disappointed.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This is another really good M/M story by author Jeff Mann. Not nearly as dark and steamy as some of his others (ie. "FOG") but rather just a good read about a famous country star who is exposed as gay which in the fanatically religious south puts him on the wrong side of the Bible and ruins his career, income and almost his heart. He's really saved when he meets Lucas (not until well into the book), a young man also ruined by gay bigots (including his mother), who was in prison for several years (and abused) and is trying to put his life back together. There is definitely a older/younger vibe to the story that warms the reader's heart.

Lots of religious references (both good and bad), a little steam, and a lot of soul searching which might lead one to believe this would get a little tedious, but it never did for me.

[Hemmel M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narration is clumsy, like an emotional stunted man suffering from a toxic-maculine uobringing. The sound quality is appalling.
Add to that this is a story from 2016 and I have no patience anymore for ignorant bigotry.

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

My friend Lena swears by Jeff Mann so I was looking forward to reading him. I think that starting my journey with Country was not a good choice though. Some thoughts as to why:

- This is a story about Brice, homophobia, bourbon, alcohol and southern food. Paula Deen should have had a walk in part. Don't take me wrong I am a girl who loves her food but I love eating it not reading about others eating it or drinking it. So a little less of that would have been great, as well as a little less bacon grease (just a health point here). I'd say that had the story been edited more, made more compact, I would have enjoyed it more.

- I love that this was not the usual handsome, cute MC that thrive in my GR feed, I love to explore others. However Daddy kink and me are not bosom buddies so I had a couple of eyerolls. I must be missing something because sometimes I think that certain words in romance/erotica are written to try and trigger certain physical reactions in us and I just end up staring. I must need further Pavlovian indoctrination.

- I am not American so when I say Christian, which I am, I do not envelope myself in the same American label for that word which apparently means, fundamental, hell fire and brimstone, uncompassionate and unchristian types. This story is full of the latter. Chockful in fact.

However my friend assures me that I should continue on my Jeff Mann journey and she does not usually steer me wrong so I am still on for his Civil War books.

[Kelly (Maybedog)]

In just the first few pages, the character pissed me off twice and some other issues have me concerned.

First by making a point about much he greatly preferred white men and then by saying the Confederate Flag was just a symbol of southern pride (southern white pride) and saying Fuck you to the man or whatever. You can call it whatever you want but it was the symbol of men who wanted to own other people and make them slaves. White people who wanted to own Black people. You can dress it up however you like it, it doesn't change it's origin which is not that far back in our history.

You don't get to stand on your soapbox and protest gay oppression ad nauseum, which he supposedly does according to reviewers, and completely ignore the oppression of Black people in this country. In 1992, about the same time this book takes place, Garth Brooks wrote his song about how when everyone is free, then we all shall be free. (I know this idea isn't remotely his, I feel that it's apropos who and when.)

On top of that, the main character pops pain pills and drinks heavily and that apparently isn't ever addressed. I love a good addict but at least talk about the issue even if it's not resolved.

[Gary Garth McCann · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Country we see both the isolation of being in the closet and the isolation of being openly gay but despised by your non-gay community, cut off from your livelihood, physically threatened, and emotionally abused till you’re suicidal. The significance of the novel lies in the fact that in many parts of the world, even many parts of America, some people face this choice.
Outed country music star Brice Brown might not be welcome in some parts of his home state of West Virginia, but he eventually finds a welcome in the arms of Lucas, a young man initially ambivalent toward Brice owing to his own painful history.
The prose is photographically perfect, scene after scene so real, the intimacy so uncensored, you feel almost like an intruder. But then you remember that you were invited into this frank slice of life in two men’s lives as they come to grips with each other and the world around them.

[Elisa Rolle · Rating 5 out of 5]

2017 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Country Jeff Mann
1) This is a gritty tale of love. It’s not the typical "boy meets boy, boy likes boy, boy chases boy, and both boys fall in love with each other" story. Mann weaves a tough tale of two different people. Brice is a unlkeable character in moments, and Brice unknowingly seeks approval and forgiveness when he returns back to his small town where he is not looked upon favorably. Maybe he seeks a new break in life. That’s at least the gist of why he returned to a place still homophobic. While there he meets the person, Lucas, who changes his course in life. Fairly erotic; not the typical HEA story, but it has teeth. 

[John Crowe-Lockerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most truly romantic books I have ever read! A beautiful love story, filled with hardships, determination, strong friendships, true love lost, true love found, and redemption! Only Jeff Mann could write a novel like this!

[Deeze]

At 50% I'm calling it quits. Just not feeling anything other than bored and disinterested with these two.

[Mike Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big and hearty tale of Brice, a gay country singer who comes out, faces his homophobic fans and his career's collapse, and starts a relationship with a troubled young man, Lucas, whom he meets a the estate of a wealthy philanthropist.