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The Gardener
Adam is an introvert. He lives alone and he's doing everything he can to keep it that way. "I prefer plants to people," he tells his only friend, Donna. "It's just the way I am." An accountant by day, he spends his free time tending his impressive garden and reading grim 19th century novels from the private library in his Victorian house. His cautious, predictable life is governed by a set of sensible rules, just the way he likes it. One winter day, a young man shows up to ask about the apartment for rent above the garage. Adam quickly decides Sam is not a suitable applicant, no matter how polite and attractive he is. Unless, just once, Adam bends his rules. How bad could it be? Adam would never let things get out of control . . . would he?
What follows is a humorous emotional roller coaster involving social awkwardness, gardening, classic literature, flirting, doughnuts, office politics, a southern lady, pickup trucks, ice cream, dish washing, sex, a stern Scotswoman, great meals, homophobia, arson, the police, psychotherapy, a renovation project, and a guy who calls everyone "dude." Did I mention murder? And what about that handsome guy at the office who compliments Adam's ugly necktie? What does he want? Nope . . . Adam would never lose control of his life! With a full cast of well-developed characters, The Gardener depicts a journey of self-discovery that explores the many variations of love, relationships, commitment, fidelity, and family.
~~~~~~
This is a full-length contemporary M/M novel written by a gay man with twenty-five years of experience as a mental health professional helping gay men deal with depression, anxiety, relationship problems, and other issues. I did not write this novel to make money. While much of the story is humorous, it could be classified as a “dark romance.” It does not follow the predictable formulas of most romance novels because I don’t like romance novels. This is more of a love story than a romance.
If you can’t cope with the full range of human emotions, or if you don’t like to read about fictional characters who make choices you wouldn’t make, or if you are someone who wants trigger warnings for anything other than flashing lights that might cause seizures, you probably shouldn’t read this book. Romance is easy. Real love is not for the faint of heart.
(There are no flashing lights in this novel.)
What follows is a humorous emotional roller coaster involving social awkwardness, gardening, classic literature, flirting, doughnuts, office politics, a southern lady, pickup trucks, ice cream, dish washing, sex, a stern Scotswoman, great meals, homophobia, arson, the police, psychotherapy, a renovation project, and a guy who calls everyone "dude." Did I mention murder? And what about that handsome guy at the office who compliments Adam's ugly necktie? What does he want? Nope . . . Adam would never lose control of his life! With a full cast of well-developed characters, The Gardener depicts a journey of self-discovery that explores the many variations of love, relationships, commitment, fidelity, and family.
~~~~~~
This is a full-length contemporary M/M novel written by a gay man with twenty-five years of experience as a mental health professional helping gay men deal with depression, anxiety, relationship problems, and other issues. I did not write this novel to make money. While much of the story is humorous, it could be classified as a “dark romance.” It does not follow the predictable formulas of most romance novels because I don’t like romance novels. This is more of a love story than a romance.
If you can’t cope with the full range of human emotions, or if you don’t like to read about fictional characters who make choices you wouldn’t make, or if you are someone who wants trigger warnings for anything other than flashing lights that might cause seizures, you probably shouldn’t read this book. Romance is easy. Real love is not for the faint of heart.
(There are no flashing lights in this novel.)
562 pages, Paperback
First published September 23, 2015
185 people are currently reading
359 people want to read
About the author
Charles Reeza
1 book58 followersCharles Reeza is a psychologist living in the mid-western United States. Though he is a deeply committed introvert, he has been known to go out to breakfast once in a while. He likes waffles. He has enough people in his life, thank you very much.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 97 reviews
March 10, 2024
⛔️ Spoilers
TW for cheating.
Excellent book up until the 75% mark where we find out that the sweet loving Sam is actually a big hypocrite who gets jealous when a guy breaths next to Adam but who later confesses that he cheated on Adam from day one. And not with one guy but with lots and lots and lots of guys succeeding in giving Adam chlamydia.His reasons were that he’s young (21) horny and he had a body to kill for and he feels flattered by all those guys’ attention. All very valid of course, how can he not cheat??? 🙄) Adam forgives him of course, he made him pinky swear that he won’t do it again and that was it. Well, a few days later Adam catches Sam sucking his best friend’s dick .🤣🤣 Later they separate for a while and Adam gets together with a very sweet guy who has been pining after him for a long while . But you think Adam appreciated him? No , because Adam was just as hypocritical as Sam and guess what!! He cheats on Carl with Sam!!!! 🤣🤣🤣 Though it shouldn’t have surprised me because let’s not forget that he excused Sam’s behavior and the way he treated all those guys he used for sex but he clutched his pearls when Henry did the same and called him disgusting. I’ve never seen an author to hate his characters so much. How can you write such a wonderful book only to get bored and make a mess out of your characters so late in the story? Like, I know ppl cheat , it happens and it doesn’t always mean they don’t love their partners and ok , Sam was young but come on!! And you know what bothered me the most ? It was that Adam mentioned an open relationship because he understood Sam couldn’t keep it in his pants but Sam absolutely refused.
Such a waste of a good book. I would have given it 1 star because I was so pissed off but the first 75% were really good. Good writing, witty dialogues , lovely sex scenes , good secondary characters (well good up to one point because after that they were all guilt tripping Adam to take Sam back because yes, Sam was a whore but he loved Adam. His friend Dave told him that being so handsome like himself and Sam is a curse because they can’t resist fucking around and that he’s lucky he doesn’t have the face to attract guys because that way he can afford to be faithful 🤣🤣🤣 And that he is lucky to have had a hot guy like Sam even for a day. 😁 And this from a man in his 60. Could this book be more disgusting? To tell the whole honest truth the author tries to redeem Sam, though how the fact that Sam goes away for a while and talks to a liberal pastor can be called redeeming I don’t understand. That and finding all sorts of emotional and psychological excuses for his cheating (in the end they settled for “he’s fucked up but he loves you) and trying to make us root for them again but how can the reader trust Sam again? When he’ll get settled into the relationship, when the spark gets a bit muted and the routine will settle like in every relationship who can tell he won’t get restless and cheat again? Thus the hea was unbelievable and unconvincing imo.
Unfortunately the book was also a tad too long on top of the fact that it tried very hard to show that gay guys and men in general are horny sluts and “🤷🏻♀️What can you do, boys will be boys” 🙄
I won’t press the spoiler button because ppl need to know that there is Cheating with capital letter in this book. Like A LOT.
TW for cheating.
Excellent book up until the 75% mark where we find out that the sweet loving Sam is actually a big hypocrite who gets jealous when a guy breaths next to Adam but who later confesses that he cheated on Adam from day one. And not with one guy but with lots and lots and lots of guys succeeding in giving Adam chlamydia.His reasons were that he’s young (21) horny and he had a body to kill for and he feels flattered by all those guys’ attention. All very valid of course, how can he not cheat??? 🙄) Adam forgives him of course, he made him pinky swear that he won’t do it again and that was it. Well, a few days later Adam catches Sam sucking his best friend’s dick .🤣🤣 Later they separate for a while and Adam gets together with a very sweet guy who has been pining after him for a long while . But you think Adam appreciated him? No , because Adam was just as hypocritical as Sam and guess what!! He cheats on Carl with Sam!!!! 🤣🤣🤣 Though it shouldn’t have surprised me because let’s not forget that he excused Sam’s behavior and the way he treated all those guys he used for sex but he clutched his pearls when Henry did the same and called him disgusting. I’ve never seen an author to hate his characters so much. How can you write such a wonderful book only to get bored and make a mess out of your characters so late in the story? Like, I know ppl cheat , it happens and it doesn’t always mean they don’t love their partners and ok , Sam was young but come on!! And you know what bothered me the most ? It was that Adam mentioned an open relationship because he understood Sam couldn’t keep it in his pants but Sam absolutely refused.
Such a waste of a good book. I would have given it 1 star because I was so pissed off but the first 75% were really good. Good writing, witty dialogues , lovely sex scenes , good secondary characters (well good up to one point because after that they were all guilt tripping Adam to take Sam back because yes, Sam was a whore but he loved Adam. His friend Dave told him that being so handsome like himself and Sam is a curse because they can’t resist fucking around and that he’s lucky he doesn’t have the face to attract guys because that way he can afford to be faithful 🤣🤣🤣 And that he is lucky to have had a hot guy like Sam even for a day. 😁 And this from a man in his 60. Could this book be more disgusting? To tell the whole honest truth the author tries to redeem Sam, though how the fact that Sam goes away for a while and talks to a liberal pastor can be called redeeming I don’t understand. That and finding all sorts of emotional and psychological excuses for his cheating (in the end they settled for “he’s fucked up but he loves you) and trying to make us root for them again but how can the reader trust Sam again? When he’ll get settled into the relationship, when the spark gets a bit muted and the routine will settle like in every relationship who can tell he won’t get restless and cheat again? Thus the hea was unbelievable and unconvincing imo.
Unfortunately the book was also a tad too long on top of the fact that it tried very hard to show that gay guys and men in general are horny sluts and “🤷🏻♀️What can you do, boys will be boys” 🙄
I won’t press the spoiler button because ppl need to know that there is Cheating with capital letter in this book. Like A LOT.
October 31, 2022
So ... 'The Gardener' is a perfect novel. How's that for a review? Seriously ... just perfect! I deliberately took my time reading it VERY slowly to savor each delicious word ... re-reading paragraphs and pages over and over ... in order to make it last as long as possible. And I will absolutely be reading it again! This story screams Netflix series! That's the good news. 😊
The bad news is this is the only novel Mr. Reeza has blessed us with ... and, apparently, there won't be another one, at least not in the near future. I see he's mentioned the possibility of a sequel after he retires from his "real" job. I can see where trying to follow up THE perfect novel might be too terrifying to attempt, though. Please, sir ... I want some more! 🙏
This story is an epic love story with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in! No ... I stand corrected. Actually there is quite a lot of kitchen sink. Honestly, there is a ridiculous amount of dish washing being done ... literally! I mean, is dish washing a thing now? 😳 Do people not use dishwashers anymore? But I digress.
Fun, quirky, suspenseful, infuriating, shocking, delightful, and beautifully real. Do yourself a favor and make this book a priority! You'll be so glad you did. If you don't, you'll never know what you missed. If you do, you'll know what you would have missed if you hadn't! 😁
The bad news is this is the only novel Mr. Reeza has blessed us with ... and, apparently, there won't be another one, at least not in the near future. I see he's mentioned the possibility of a sequel after he retires from his "real" job. I can see where trying to follow up THE perfect novel might be too terrifying to attempt, though. Please, sir ... I want some more! 🙏
This story is an epic love story with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in! No ... I stand corrected. Actually there is quite a lot of kitchen sink. Honestly, there is a ridiculous amount of dish washing being done ... literally! I mean, is dish washing a thing now? 😳 Do people not use dishwashers anymore? But I digress.
Fun, quirky, suspenseful, infuriating, shocking, delightful, and beautifully real. Do yourself a favor and make this book a priority! You'll be so glad you did. If you don't, you'll never know what you missed. If you do, you'll know what you would have missed if you hadn't! 😁
August 7, 2021
After reading the first few pages my heart dropped ... and thought I have another 500 plus pages to go!! I think the lean writing style written from Adam's POV took me a little by surprise but I eventually adjusted in for the long ride. And what a ride it proved to be. My affection for both Adam and Sam slowly crept up on me ... and lo! I became very invested in where these two would take their relationship. The white peony featured on the book cover as well in the tale is .
Don't be deceived/put off by all that initial sweetness - these characters turned out to be waaaay more complex and broken than can be imagined. Their relational arc was definitely not smooth sailing; the little secrets and deceptions (and subsequent consequences) were believable and not overwrought. I do have a few reservations regarding
The author packed in a myriad of changing circumstances, social upheaval, career and professional bumps, neighborhood hate and prejudice (and support) ... so much went on for these guys within a span of a calendar year! A wealth of delightful and well-crafted secondary characters were also introduced to support our MCs ... Dave, Donna, Flora, Agnes, Carl, Greg - I love them all. In the end, this read proved to be quite a 'semi-rough diamond', so 5 solid well deserved stars overall.
Don't be deceived/put off by all that initial sweetness - these characters turned out to be waaaay more complex and broken than can be imagined. Their relational arc was definitely not smooth sailing; the little secrets and deceptions (and subsequent consequences) were believable and not overwrought. I do have a few reservations regarding
The author packed in a myriad of changing circumstances, social upheaval, career and professional bumps, neighborhood hate and prejudice (and support) ... so much went on for these guys within a span of a calendar year! A wealth of delightful and well-crafted secondary characters were also introduced to support our MCs ... Dave, Donna, Flora, Agnes, Carl, Greg - I love them all. In the end, this read proved to be quite a 'semi-rough diamond', so 5 solid well deserved stars overall.
October 8, 2015
This is a book that left me with really mixed feelings. I loved a large majority of it and the writing was wonderful. It made me laugh, cry, and rage in series.
Adam is the main character whose point of view we read this from. He's a man who has shut himself off from the world and from his emotions, essentially going through the same routine every day of going to work and tending to his garden. He's so messed up and seeing him grow and emerge from his self-imposed isolation was wonderful.
Sam is a much younger man who rents an apartment from Adam. He changes Adam's life in so many ways. He's a large part of why Adam tries to reconnect with the world around him. Sam is a big, strong guy who can't seem to quit growing and getting stronger. This makes him see himself as a freak, but Adam loves him as he is. At first glance he seems to be the strong/well adjusted one in the relationship.
If I haven't mentioned it, the characterization in this book is top notch. I developed real feelings for the two main characters as well as for the secondary characters (of which there are several).
The majority of this book is about Adam rejoining the world after essentially living in almost complete isolation for 12 years after the death of his parents. Always a loner and a bit shy, his parents' unexpected death left him traumatized and unable to connect with the world around him. Then Sam shows up on his doorstep. The beginning of Sam and Adam's relationship was beautiful. They danced around each other for quite some time before finally coming clean about their mutual attraction. For a large majority of the book, their relationship was beautiful. Adam worked hard to show Sam that he was appreciated and loved. Sam worked hard to show Adam that he was not a repulsive freak and that he was equally loved.
So why did I only rate this mostly amazing book at only a 3/5? Well, the answer to that lies around the 75%-80% mark. I loved flawed characters and both of these guys were far from perfect, but what happened here between the two characters was just too much for me and kind of ruined my view of their relationship. It was harder for me to like the last quarter of the book in the way that I did the first three quarters. These guys went from being two lovable, but flawed characters who struggled with jealously, insecurity, co-dependence, and anger issues to two people that I really didn't like that much anymore.
So, overall a very good book that was kind of ruined by the last quarter for me. I think a lot of people would read this book and rate it 5/5. I rated it 3/5 because of my own personal dislike for the actions that the characters took, but I would still recommend this book because it is beautifully written and the characters are lovable (up to a point).
Adam is the main character whose point of view we read this from. He's a man who has shut himself off from the world and from his emotions, essentially going through the same routine every day of going to work and tending to his garden. He's so messed up and seeing him grow and emerge from his self-imposed isolation was wonderful.
Sam is a much younger man who rents an apartment from Adam. He changes Adam's life in so many ways. He's a large part of why Adam tries to reconnect with the world around him. Sam is a big, strong guy who can't seem to quit growing and getting stronger. This makes him see himself as a freak, but Adam loves him as he is. At first glance he seems to be the strong/well adjusted one in the relationship.
If I haven't mentioned it, the characterization in this book is top notch. I developed real feelings for the two main characters as well as for the secondary characters (of which there are several).
The majority of this book is about Adam rejoining the world after essentially living in almost complete isolation for 12 years after the death of his parents. Always a loner and a bit shy, his parents' unexpected death left him traumatized and unable to connect with the world around him. Then Sam shows up on his doorstep. The beginning of Sam and Adam's relationship was beautiful. They danced around each other for quite some time before finally coming clean about their mutual attraction. For a large majority of the book, their relationship was beautiful. Adam worked hard to show Sam that he was appreciated and loved. Sam worked hard to show Adam that he was not a repulsive freak and that he was equally loved.
So why did I only rate this mostly amazing book at only a 3/5? Well, the answer to that lies around the 75%-80% mark. I loved flawed characters and both of these guys were far from perfect, but what happened here between the two characters was just too much for me and kind of ruined my view of their relationship. It was harder for me to like the last quarter of the book in the way that I did the first three quarters. These guys went from being two lovable, but flawed characters who struggled with jealously, insecurity, co-dependence, and anger issues to two people that I really didn't like that much anymore.
So, overall a very good book that was kind of ruined by the last quarter for me. I think a lot of people would read this book and rate it 5/5. I rated it 3/5 because of my own personal dislike for the actions that the characters took, but I would still recommend this book because it is beautifully written and the characters are lovable (up to a point).
March 5, 2021
Adam and Sam's story was one of the best I have read in a long time. The reasons: 1. It is not a typical romance. 2. It is way realistic. 3. It is not about a false narrative of a couple being faithful to each other through out their relationship 4. It is about real love and forgiveness 5. It is not predictable 6. It is fool for thought 7. Love scenes written with good taste 8. Solid friends for the main characters. 9. The right pace 10. Great characters development, and the list goes on. I wish this amazing author would create another beautifully written story, because he is truly in a league of his own. I enjoyed reading Adam and Sam's tremendously. Highly recommend! Enjoy!
November 28, 2022
I haven’t enjoyed a book this much in a long time. Loved the characters, the storytelling, the things it made me feel. So many excellent reviews have been written already that I don’t think I could add anything new. If you’re lucky enough to find yourself reading this love story, just know that you’re in for a wild ride (and I mean that in the best way possible)!
A special “thank you” to the friend who recommended this to me. 🤗
A special “thank you” to the friend who recommended this to me. 🤗
February 16, 2021
A Treasure
I mean wow this is a long book. I savored it though. Like a good boxed wine lol. Sam was magnificent in his character flaws for the handsome hero. Adam was precious in his temper and quirkiness. Together they are magic. The sub characters are all wonderful. Donna god love her, absolutely hilarious. It's been a long time since I read a book I loved this much. I will re-read this more than once; I know because it's that's good. I want to thank the author for sharing his story with me. I would give it 100 stars if I could.
I mean wow this is a long book. I savored it though. Like a good boxed wine lol. Sam was magnificent in his character flaws for the handsome hero. Adam was precious in his temper and quirkiness. Together they are magic. The sub characters are all wonderful. Donna god love her, absolutely hilarious. It's been a long time since I read a book I loved this much. I will re-read this more than once; I know because it's that's good. I want to thank the author for sharing his story with me. I would give it 100 stars if I could.
January 31, 2021
Loved the characters that were introduced through out the story.
This is a great weekend book to read. You will love the main characters in this love story but the supporting characters are great and it is funny also. Delightful!
This is a great weekend book to read. You will love the main characters in this love story but the supporting characters are great and it is funny also. Delightful!
May 14, 2016
For me this is about community
It takes a village to bring up a reclusive gay man, and this is a village full of fleshed out wonderful characters.
It takes a village to bring up a reclusive gay man, and this is a village full of fleshed out wonderful characters.
August 6, 2020
Best story I’ve read this year.
It’s getting more and more difficult to find books this enjoyable. I absolutely couldn’t put it down. The characters were wonderful and fit together in the best way. I was nervous when the cheating started, but it worked out rather well. Kudos to the author!!
It’s getting more and more difficult to find books this enjoyable. I absolutely couldn’t put it down. The characters were wonderful and fit together in the best way. I was nervous when the cheating started, but it worked out rather well. Kudos to the author!!
October 13, 2021
October 13, 2021 second review
Since I can not write two separate reviews, just add another one here.
I read the book again during my business trip these days. After reading several other books in between, still my mind wanders around the "garden". Not other books are bad, just feel more attracted to this one. It makes me feel that lots of other romance books like "Blümchenkaffee" (a cup of thin coffee usually from a granny, the flower pattern on the bottom of the cup can be seen).
During my second reading, I continue to ask the question that what "honesty" and "predictability" do to a relationship. These are two complete different things and also difficult topics. When i think of my own relationship, fortunately I kept acting straightforward and unfolded myself completely in front of my boyfriend. And I felt so lucky that my boyfriend was a good person and did not take advantage of it.
I felt Adam is the honest one and always predictable, which is also a boring personality. But in real life, this makes a relationship or friendship work. Sam takes the advantage of it, then it breaks everything.
Karl is my second favorite in the book. He is also predictable, in a good way.
-----------
September 17, 2021 first review
The book is one of the best I have ever read.
I like the details, so vivid and real. It reminds me so much of our daily routines. Rich as wine, thick as honey, bitter as lemon, sweet as donut.
I feel grateful to spend time to read it. No one in the book is prefect, and their imperfection makes it good.
-About Adam
This is the person I want to fall in love with (my bf will get jealous). I am so attracted to his character. The self development is well presented in a progressive way. Funny, venerable, smart, sometimes funky indifferent and stubborn, but mostly autistic. I really like the development of his personality, emotion and beauty. I can easily fall in love with this kind of person.
- Sam
I have a mixed feeling of him. 80% like and 20% dislike. I consider the character is genuine and fucked up. On his journey of self exploration and approval, it is understandable and likeable. I personally did not have this experience, but can imagine that I could be even worse in his situation. I would have terminated the relationship with proof of dishonesty at the fist place, but how can I blame someone that is so much in love and tolerates the mess as Adam. I sympathize his situation, and probably could not be so hard and strict with him myself.
From Sam, I feel the urge to cherry more of my boyfriend.
-Donna
I wish I could have a female friend like her. But I don't. She is the charm and pain. I like her a lot because of her boldness and frankness. She has such a good heart for friends and at the same time be a good mom. I like her impulsion when she beats the boy who bulled her son. She saved Adam and Sam. I appreciate her. Probably she is the women I would like to marry if I was straight.
-Karl
I am confused.
I feel pity for him. This is the person you can rely on. And also a good material to get old with. Just because of Sam, I have to not to like him together with Adam.
Sometimes, I couldn't understand that Adam did not feel the passion of being settled with him. And I do not agree with Karl that to gave up with Adam and pushed him back to Sam. If I were him, which I wish, I would try all I have to keep Adam and make him happy.
Also I like others. Most of the characters are vivid and has his/her own picture rather than a flat face or a name.
Wish there will be books more from you!!
Since I can not write two separate reviews, just add another one here.
I read the book again during my business trip these days. After reading several other books in between, still my mind wanders around the "garden". Not other books are bad, just feel more attracted to this one. It makes me feel that lots of other romance books like "Blümchenkaffee" (a cup of thin coffee usually from a granny, the flower pattern on the bottom of the cup can be seen).
During my second reading, I continue to ask the question that what "honesty" and "predictability" do to a relationship. These are two complete different things and also difficult topics. When i think of my own relationship, fortunately I kept acting straightforward and unfolded myself completely in front of my boyfriend. And I felt so lucky that my boyfriend was a good person and did not take advantage of it.
I felt Adam is the honest one and always predictable, which is also a boring personality. But in real life, this makes a relationship or friendship work. Sam takes the advantage of it, then it breaks everything.
Karl is my second favorite in the book. He is also predictable, in a good way.
-----------
September 17, 2021 first review
The book is one of the best I have ever read.
I like the details, so vivid and real. It reminds me so much of our daily routines. Rich as wine, thick as honey, bitter as lemon, sweet as donut.
I feel grateful to spend time to read it. No one in the book is prefect, and their imperfection makes it good.
-About Adam
This is the person I want to fall in love with (my bf will get jealous). I am so attracted to his character. The self development is well presented in a progressive way. Funny, venerable, smart, sometimes funky indifferent and stubborn, but mostly autistic. I really like the development of his personality, emotion and beauty. I can easily fall in love with this kind of person.
- Sam
I have a mixed feeling of him. 80% like and 20% dislike. I consider the character is genuine and fucked up. On his journey of self exploration and approval, it is understandable and likeable. I personally did not have this experience, but can imagine that I could be even worse in his situation. I would have terminated the relationship with proof of dishonesty at the fist place, but how can I blame someone that is so much in love and tolerates the mess as Adam. I sympathize his situation, and probably could not be so hard and strict with him myself.
From Sam, I feel the urge to cherry more of my boyfriend.
-Donna
I wish I could have a female friend like her. But I don't. She is the charm and pain. I like her a lot because of her boldness and frankness. She has such a good heart for friends and at the same time be a good mom. I like her impulsion when she beats the boy who bulled her son. She saved Adam and Sam. I appreciate her. Probably she is the women I would like to marry if I was straight.
-Karl
I am confused.
I feel pity for him. This is the person you can rely on. And also a good material to get old with. Just because of Sam, I have to not to like him together with Adam.
Sometimes, I couldn't understand that Adam did not feel the passion of being settled with him. And I do not agree with Karl that to gave up with Adam and pushed him back to Sam. If I were him, which I wish, I would try all I have to keep Adam and make him happy.
Also I like others. Most of the characters are vivid and has his/her own picture rather than a flat face or a name.
Wish there will be books more from you!!
May 4, 2021
HAVING YOUR CAKE AND EATING IT TOO, OR "IT'S JUST SEX, DUDE."
It took me a bit of time to warm-up to this story about two deeply flawed gay men. It is told from the viewpoint of Adam, a recluse and a thirty year old virgin. He's afraid of his own shadow, self-loathing, and possesses zero self esteem. He loves only his garden and pretty much fears and hates all of humanity. The other protagonist is Sam, or "Samson," an Adonis with unnatural strength, too physically beautiful to behold with a very sweet personality to boot. How could you not love this guy and lust for him too? Through happenstance, they meet and manage to build a friendship that becomes something much more, helping both of them overcome their inadequacies.
While Reeza does a good job developing these two characters along with some of the prominent supporting cast, other characters, mostly the "bad ones" are pretty much two-dimensional and predicable stereotypes. Reeza paints them only as disgusting and evil and they get their comeuppance in relatively short order. In fact, conflicts are so quickly resolved with outcomes deeply satisfying to a gay reader, you're both happy and a bit puzzled as to where the story is going. Despite a lot of tears (there seems to be a lot of crying by the characters in this story), midway through the book our now lovers are so happy in their new life together you think, wait, this can't be the ending I'm only halfway through the book!
Well of course, the happiness is interrupted by events which Reeza skillfully knits together from the given circumstances he's already created in the first half of the book. While advertised as a male romance, there are no obnoxiously graphic sex scenes in the book. Sexual acts are largely left to the reader's imagination which I thought was very effective. Still, sex becomes the cause and effect of the couple's problems and Reeza does manage to put the happy outcome of the story in doubt as you read the final chapters.
It's a fairly lengthy book which I liked as it gave me time to become fully immersed in Adam and Sam's lives. There is a lot of very funny dialog that is true to life. Reeza got me to care. Despite any perceived flaws, you know it was a good book when you come to the end and you're sad it's over.
It took me a bit of time to warm-up to this story about two deeply flawed gay men. It is told from the viewpoint of Adam, a recluse and a thirty year old virgin. He's afraid of his own shadow, self-loathing, and possesses zero self esteem. He loves only his garden and pretty much fears and hates all of humanity. The other protagonist is Sam, or "Samson," an Adonis with unnatural strength, too physically beautiful to behold with a very sweet personality to boot. How could you not love this guy and lust for him too? Through happenstance, they meet and manage to build a friendship that becomes something much more, helping both of them overcome their inadequacies.
While Reeza does a good job developing these two characters along with some of the prominent supporting cast, other characters, mostly the "bad ones" are pretty much two-dimensional and predicable stereotypes. Reeza paints them only as disgusting and evil and they get their comeuppance in relatively short order. In fact, conflicts are so quickly resolved with outcomes deeply satisfying to a gay reader, you're both happy and a bit puzzled as to where the story is going. Despite a lot of tears (there seems to be a lot of crying by the characters in this story), midway through the book our now lovers are so happy in their new life together you think, wait, this can't be the ending I'm only halfway through the book!
Well of course, the happiness is interrupted by events which Reeza skillfully knits together from the given circumstances he's already created in the first half of the book. While advertised as a male romance, there are no obnoxiously graphic sex scenes in the book. Sexual acts are largely left to the reader's imagination which I thought was very effective. Still, sex becomes the cause and effect of the couple's problems and Reeza does manage to put the happy outcome of the story in doubt as you read the final chapters.
It's a fairly lengthy book which I liked as it gave me time to become fully immersed in Adam and Sam's lives. There is a lot of very funny dialog that is true to life. Reeza got me to care. Despite any perceived flaws, you know it was a good book when you come to the end and you're sad it's over.
February 4, 2021
I love this book you have to read it
I have to thank this author, I am now going to look up every book he has written an read them all. It was the perfect good, sad , happy, real, I felt what they felt , I was right there with them. I loved all the characters , I laughed so much out loud! Í didn't want it to end but had to finish it. I'm sad it's over an I miss them already, I hope I'll get to feel them again ... So awesome...
I have to thank this author, I am now going to look up every book he has written an read them all. It was the perfect good, sad , happy, real, I felt what they felt , I was right there with them. I loved all the characters , I laughed so much out loud! Í didn't want it to end but had to finish it. I'm sad it's over an I miss them already, I hope I'll get to feel them again ... So awesome...
February 17, 2021
Wow....just wow
I was really impressed with the authors story telling and character development. This is not a quick read or the faint of heart. I was happy, pissed, and sad. Stories should make you think and get lost. I didn't always agree with what happened but I understood why the mixed feelings and that's what made the story great.
I was really impressed with the authors story telling and character development. This is not a quick read or the faint of heart. I was happy, pissed, and sad. Stories should make you think and get lost. I didn't always agree with what happened but I understood why the mixed feelings and that's what made the story great.
July 31, 2021
I started off loving this book, felt apprehensive mid-way and finally ended up loving it even more. I loved the way it made you think about what constitues a HEA. It made me reflect on events from many years ago and how I might have reacted differently if I had read this novel beforehand.
I loved the abrasive relationships between Adam and Donna, Agnes and Flora and Dave and Sam, the complex feelings and interactions between all the characters. I enjoyed the time taken to create the characters and the pace at which their storylines crossed and this made it all the more painful when relationships started to change.
Definitely a book to enjoy, to re-read at leisure and I hope another will be forthcoming at some point as this novel has so many interesting characters and themes.
I loved the abrasive relationships between Adam and Donna, Agnes and Flora and Dave and Sam, the complex feelings and interactions between all the characters. I enjoyed the time taken to create the characters and the pace at which their storylines crossed and this made it all the more painful when relationships started to change.
Definitely a book to enjoy, to re-read at leisure and I hope another will be forthcoming at some point as this novel has so many interesting characters and themes.
April 2, 2020
Beautiful
I absolutely loved it. It was beautiful, heart breaking and took me on one heck of an emotional roller coaster ride but came together perfectly in the end.
I absolutely loved it. It was beautiful, heart breaking and took me on one heck of an emotional roller coaster ride but came together perfectly in the end.
December 18, 2024
Absolutely loved this book. The characters were so fun. I found myself excited to dive back in at the end of each day, so I could hang out with my new friends Adam and Sam.
Read
February 15, 2022Desisto a la mitad del libro, y son más de 500 pg, así que creo que le he dado una gran oportunidad, pero es que no pasa nada. Todo muy simple e infantil.
Si bien imagino que el protagonista, o ambos, están dentro del aspectro autista, me he quedado sin paciencia para saberlo con seguridad.
Si bien imagino que el protagonista, o ambos, están dentro del aspectro autista, me he quedado sin paciencia para saberlo con seguridad.
April 15, 2021
What a book. This is how you do gay fiction. I loved Adam his journey to being a more sociable person and accepting love was good. I disliked the Sam that was slowly emerging throughout the book but the person he finally became was worth the long read. This book consumed me and it was read in 24 hours. It’s a long book but the characters are well rounded and the story is worth hanging in for. Nothing is rushed and you get to see where the story is going. It’s a very relatable story with one main message are we worthy of love.
March 29, 2021
A book that lives in your head
This is a very different kind of gay novel, aside from it's length. I found myself feeling like I was living in their lives while this story lived in my head. Since I am gay, I was able to handle all the sexual content, which sometimes felt over done, but the description of the characters,
the complexity of the story, and the sense of realism was so engaging, I was thrilled! And surprised when I was at the end!! 😂 Sequel please!
This is a very different kind of gay novel, aside from it's length. I found myself feeling like I was living in their lives while this story lived in my head. Since I am gay, I was able to handle all the sexual content, which sometimes felt over done, but the description of the characters,
the complexity of the story, and the sense of realism was so engaging, I was thrilled! And surprised when I was at the end!! 😂 Sequel please!
July 9, 2021
I have just finished this book and it was so damn good - no hot sex scenes (pretty much fade to back) but I found it so entertaining - I would love to read more by this author but it looks as if this is their only book Published if 2015. Adam is a wonderful character and the surrounding characters are all so funny and real... 5* for me..
November 5, 2018
There's always an odd connotation attached to a romance novel - somehow, most of which involve it being a light read, or meaningless, or something to pass the time; and I admit, I generally feel the same way. With a lot of things, though, there are remarkable examples that do not fit the norm, that stand out from their peers. The Gardener is one of those examples.
The character development is stunning. You don't just view the characters from an outside perspective - you actually sympathize, empathize, and identify with parts or all of their emotional and mental journeys through the story. I loved Adam, as frustrating, detached and clueless as he could be; Sam, the Great Dane puppy with his energy and enthusiasm, tempered by his struggle to be seen as more than the sum of his parts; Flora, the Grand Dame, Agnes (who I think was my favorite as we have similar humor), and even the less savory characters evoked a response. None of them was a filler with no purpose.
Add to the characters what I consider a unique scenario, an enduring and appropriate allegory in the garden, and a few unforeseen but engaging plot twists, and you have yourself a recipe for a great book that I consider an excellent work of fiction with romantic themes rather than just a "romantic novel." You may not see a difference between those two designations, but give this a read and compare it to other books with similar themes, and I think you'll see what I'm talking about.
I am hopeful Mr. Reeza takes another leap of faith and writes more. He has a guaranteed purchase in this customer!
The character development is stunning. You don't just view the characters from an outside perspective - you actually sympathize, empathize, and identify with parts or all of their emotional and mental journeys through the story. I loved Adam, as frustrating, detached and clueless as he could be; Sam, the Great Dane puppy with his energy and enthusiasm, tempered by his struggle to be seen as more than the sum of his parts; Flora, the Grand Dame, Agnes (who I think was my favorite as we have similar humor), and even the less savory characters evoked a response. None of them was a filler with no purpose.
Add to the characters what I consider a unique scenario, an enduring and appropriate allegory in the garden, and a few unforeseen but engaging plot twists, and you have yourself a recipe for a great book that I consider an excellent work of fiction with romantic themes rather than just a "romantic novel." You may not see a difference between those two designations, but give this a read and compare it to other books with similar themes, and I think you'll see what I'm talking about.
I am hopeful Mr. Reeza takes another leap of faith and writes more. He has a guaranteed purchase in this customer!
March 24, 2022
Picked up a Kindle version of this book from Amazon and was so glad I did. I moved into Adam and Sam's story for a few days (it is rather lengthy at 560 pages, but that is not a complaint), as it is one of those tales you really don't want to end too soon. Some of the reviews on Amazon say it is boring or not believable, but I did not find it to be either. Rather, every character, including, especially, the two leads are authentically drawn and the large supporting cast, villains also, are truly memorable and of purposeful inclusion. The book is written in a conversational style with familiar phrases that make it feel as if the author is speaking directly to you and not through a veneer of faux literary tropes. Some of the reviews mentioned a tendency toward repetitiveness but I did not find that a problem. In a work of this length it is sometimes necessary to remind the reader of relevant occurrences and it is a romance after all involving people that suffer personal issues. It is never overdone. A highly recommended read that I intend to revisit.
April 23, 2021
I’m almost speechless at this book.
Tortured is a word that comes to mind. My emotions flew everywhere, not knowing whether to love or hate a character in a given moment. The character development was something else, a pace that filled every page perfectly. I’m not one to fear a lengthy read and I’m so glad I found this one.
I’m finding it really hard not to write an essay in response - there’s too much to comment on. I felt everything - happiness as Adam felt it, rage as Sam felt it and my own heartache and anger at how situations played out, almost screaming at the characters to respond differently - why have you done that, why would you say that!? Being unfaithful is just the ultimate dealbreaker for me. A tough pill to swallow at that point. I felt so passionately with my agreement and disagreements as to how the story progressed. Sure, in my own mind, that man should not get a second, third chance even. By the end? Travelling that long road of discovery with Adam - I yearned for the happy ending. I could not believe, that I too, forgave Sam. Don’t get me wrong - everyone had their faults and all fell into place because of such causes but what I love, love, love about this book - I truly fell into their world. Really fell. Standing at work, thinking about what will happen next, what they must be thinking. What a beautiful and cruel luxury to be so taken into another world. And the ending? Perfectly appropriate. I must stop and quite genuinely take a minute to process this book. With my own introverted ways, it’s struck a bit of a chord too. I knew I was completely taken with this passage:
“Early in the story, I read this passage: “When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real." "Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit. "Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt." "Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?" "It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand." I was hooked. I kept reading, and when I finished I was a blubbering mess. At the end, inside the back cover, Donna had written, “Sam made you Real, not just to him, but to everyone. Please don't let him go.”
I sobbed. I mean, I sat there on my beanbag and shook, sobbing my heart out with Adam. Not much in this world draws me in like that. To reach that moment, you need to live every page with them...and I’m so glad I did.
Thank you for this disjointing, awkward, harsh but mind-altering read. This will stay with me for a long, long time.
Tortured is a word that comes to mind. My emotions flew everywhere, not knowing whether to love or hate a character in a given moment. The character development was something else, a pace that filled every page perfectly. I’m not one to fear a lengthy read and I’m so glad I found this one.
I’m finding it really hard not to write an essay in response - there’s too much to comment on. I felt everything - happiness as Adam felt it, rage as Sam felt it and my own heartache and anger at how situations played out, almost screaming at the characters to respond differently - why have you done that, why would you say that!? Being unfaithful is just the ultimate dealbreaker for me. A tough pill to swallow at that point. I felt so passionately with my agreement and disagreements as to how the story progressed. Sure, in my own mind, that man should not get a second, third chance even. By the end? Travelling that long road of discovery with Adam - I yearned for the happy ending. I could not believe, that I too, forgave Sam. Don’t get me wrong - everyone had their faults and all fell into place because of such causes but what I love, love, love about this book - I truly fell into their world. Really fell. Standing at work, thinking about what will happen next, what they must be thinking. What a beautiful and cruel luxury to be so taken into another world. And the ending? Perfectly appropriate. I must stop and quite genuinely take a minute to process this book. With my own introverted ways, it’s struck a bit of a chord too. I knew I was completely taken with this passage:
“Early in the story, I read this passage: “When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real." "Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit. "Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt." "Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?" "It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand." I was hooked. I kept reading, and when I finished I was a blubbering mess. At the end, inside the back cover, Donna had written, “Sam made you Real, not just to him, but to everyone. Please don't let him go.”
I sobbed. I mean, I sat there on my beanbag and shook, sobbing my heart out with Adam. Not much in this world draws me in like that. To reach that moment, you need to live every page with them...and I’m so glad I did.
Thank you for this disjointing, awkward, harsh but mind-altering read. This will stay with me for a long, long time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2025
(SORRY, THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW)
This book is amazingly thought-provoking. Even for an 83-year-old, like me, who has been in a gay relationship with the one partner for 52 years, it had lessons. Sam is a great character. The author obviously loves him with all his faults and flaws, and so do I. We are all flawed and less than perfect human beings. I shared a similar strict religious upbringing to Sam's, although fortunately my parents were not as lacking in love as his were. They never understood "my lifestyle" or accepted it during their lifetime and my dad especially could barely be civil to my partner. And like Sam, I had my cheating moments (too many of them) during our long relationship. Despite all that, we stayed together, but we had our periods of misunderstandings and lack of communication with each other. We always weathered the storms though, because we truly loved each other - just as Sam and Adam do right from the beginning.
Adam was harder to love for the reader than Sam, and sometimes (like many of his friends), I felt like shaking him because he was so unaware and repressed. He has some lovely qualities though; his treatment of the straight young man Greg, whom at first no one else except Sam seems to like, and his relationship with Carl the handsome policeman is exemplary.
I loved that the book was so long and so detailed. I actually felt really hurt (almost personally) when Adam and Sam broke up. Although Adam's reaction to Sam's continued infidelity was understandable, I felt like it shouldn't have happened. If only they'd been able to sit down and argue it out after a few days of separation, they might have resolved things much more quickly. It did keep the reader's interest going and I suppose unresolved tensions are part and parcel of a true-to-life novel.
I liked too that there was such an interesting group of secondary characters. The only one who didn't ring quite true to me was Flora (almost too good and too wise to be true), but Agnes was a true gem. So many modern gay male novels are too short, show little character development, have story lines which are not true-to-life, and have unbelievable endings. None of these criticisms can be directed at this quite exceptional novel. Like other reviewers, I too hope the author produces another novel before too much longer. He is a great writer and understands gay males and human nature in general so well.
This book is amazingly thought-provoking. Even for an 83-year-old, like me, who has been in a gay relationship with the one partner for 52 years, it had lessons. Sam is a great character. The author obviously loves him with all his faults and flaws, and so do I. We are all flawed and less than perfect human beings. I shared a similar strict religious upbringing to Sam's, although fortunately my parents were not as lacking in love as his were. They never understood "my lifestyle" or accepted it during their lifetime and my dad especially could barely be civil to my partner. And like Sam, I had my cheating moments (too many of them) during our long relationship. Despite all that, we stayed together, but we had our periods of misunderstandings and lack of communication with each other. We always weathered the storms though, because we truly loved each other - just as Sam and Adam do right from the beginning.
Adam was harder to love for the reader than Sam, and sometimes (like many of his friends), I felt like shaking him because he was so unaware and repressed. He has some lovely qualities though; his treatment of the straight young man Greg, whom at first no one else except Sam seems to like, and his relationship with Carl the handsome policeman is exemplary.
I loved that the book was so long and so detailed. I actually felt really hurt (almost personally) when Adam and Sam broke up. Although Adam's reaction to Sam's continued infidelity was understandable, I felt like it shouldn't have happened. If only they'd been able to sit down and argue it out after a few days of separation, they might have resolved things much more quickly. It did keep the reader's interest going and I suppose unresolved tensions are part and parcel of a true-to-life novel.
I liked too that there was such an interesting group of secondary characters. The only one who didn't ring quite true to me was Flora (almost too good and too wise to be true), but Agnes was a true gem. So many modern gay male novels are too short, show little character development, have story lines which are not true-to-life, and have unbelievable endings. None of these criticisms can be directed at this quite exceptional novel. Like other reviewers, I too hope the author produces another novel before too much longer. He is a great writer and understands gay males and human nature in general so well.
April 15, 2021
This novel has everything a novel needs and nothing it doesn't. It has characters and a plot - as a bonus, it has ENGAGING and INTERESTING Characters and an totally viable believable realistic plot! It has a central character with complexity and great qualities as well as real issues. It has a Flawed Hero. It has VILLAINS , of both the brutal and the slimy varieties. It has sidekicks, supportive friends and friendly enemies.
There are no quirky pets. Some people may find that disappointing, but while I am actually very fond of dogs and cats, I do not think every single darned book in creation needs some kind of obligatory Quirky Animal Companion.
There was a peony, but peonies lack much social talent.
It has wonderful secondary and supporting human characters - old neighbors and friends, both old and new. Co-workers, bosses and flirtations pizza delivery boys.
I have rarely read a novel that engaged me so well, from beginning to end, with such emotionally wrenching RANGE. I did indeed - literally - laugh out loud. And I did indeed - literally - cry.
I both wanted to hug our Hero, and occasionally slap the back of his head SO HARD.
Darn it.
In other words, I really really liked this book. I think it is well written, well done, well - everything. It's even well EDITED, which these days, seems to be a lot less common than one might think.
It's also a rarity: a complete story arc contained within the covers of a single work.
Please read this. I think you will like it too.
There are no quirky pets. Some people may find that disappointing, but while I am actually very fond of dogs and cats, I do not think every single darned book in creation needs some kind of obligatory Quirky Animal Companion.
There was a peony, but peonies lack much social talent.
It has wonderful secondary and supporting human characters - old neighbors and friends, both old and new. Co-workers, bosses and flirtations pizza delivery boys.
I have rarely read a novel that engaged me so well, from beginning to end, with such emotionally wrenching RANGE. I did indeed - literally - laugh out loud. And I did indeed - literally - cry.
I both wanted to hug our Hero, and occasionally slap the back of his head SO HARD.
Darn it.
In other words, I really really liked this book. I think it is well written, well done, well - everything. It's even well EDITED, which these days, seems to be a lot less common than one might think.
It's also a rarity: a complete story arc contained within the covers of a single work.
Please read this. I think you will like it too.
August 28, 2022
There is so much to love about this book, but the first person narration by Adam hooked me immediately: it was just so convincing and immediate. It wasn't always easy to read, but it was one of those books where you feel like you are really getting a glimpse into someone else's thoughts and feelings. And being so introverted, smart but socially inexpert to the extent that Adam seemed incredibly naive and sheltered, it was a really unique point of view. I was glad that there were several scenes where we got to see Adam figure out how to realize his naïveté and use it to his advantage - he wasn't a cut and dried character.
Adam and Sam are such believable characters, both with a lot of flaws. I feel like a lot of people might not get past some of the content warnings that could be listed in a review of this book, which is unfortunate. There are difficult subjects in this book. I know sometimes it's easier to read romances where it is primarily external constraints that put pressure on the main characters. There are certainly external constraints in this book - like homophobia - but largely this book is about their internal struggles, who they are, and their pasts. Adam and Sam both do and say things that are wrong, as do other characters in this book. Very little is idealized or stylized, but there is so much realness and heart that it will be difficult to find a book to follow it.
Adam and Sam are such believable characters, both with a lot of flaws. I feel like a lot of people might not get past some of the content warnings that could be listed in a review of this book, which is unfortunate. There are difficult subjects in this book. I know sometimes it's easier to read romances where it is primarily external constraints that put pressure on the main characters. There are certainly external constraints in this book - like homophobia - but largely this book is about their internal struggles, who they are, and their pasts. Adam and Sam both do and say things that are wrong, as do other characters in this book. Very little is idealized or stylized, but there is so much realness and heart that it will be difficult to find a book to follow it.
August 7, 2021
Wow, it has been a long time since I read a MM book that I enjoyed this much!
This is by far the most realistic (but not boring) depiction of a couple getting together and hitting bumps in the road that I've read for ages - and possibly the first time I've read dialogue in a romantic novel that actually felt like something real people would say! Most of them have sappy dialogue that makes me cringe, or dialogue that is just too witty and snappy to feel real. This one hit the sweet spot.
I was so happy at how long the story was, it felt like I was living in the head of Adam and I fell in love with him and many of the other characters - I really felt like I knew where they were coming from and felt all the emotions alongside them.
And I loved how the drama unfolded - again, in a way that felt real unlike many other MM books I've read where it feels over the top, or follows a predictable storylike plot arc. This one felt like being dropped into someone else's life for a few months, and experiencing all the euphoria and heartache along with them.
I'm disappointed that it seems there's only one book written by this author - I would like to read more books in this style.
This is by far the most realistic (but not boring) depiction of a couple getting together and hitting bumps in the road that I've read for ages - and possibly the first time I've read dialogue in a romantic novel that actually felt like something real people would say! Most of them have sappy dialogue that makes me cringe, or dialogue that is just too witty and snappy to feel real. This one hit the sweet spot.
I was so happy at how long the story was, it felt like I was living in the head of Adam and I fell in love with him and many of the other characters - I really felt like I knew where they were coming from and felt all the emotions alongside them.
And I loved how the drama unfolded - again, in a way that felt real unlike many other MM books I've read where it feels over the top, or follows a predictable storylike plot arc. This one felt like being dropped into someone else's life for a few months, and experiencing all the euphoria and heartache along with them.
I'm disappointed that it seems there's only one book written by this author - I would like to read more books in this style.
December 11, 2023
I was initially skeptical of something labeled a romance that is nearly 600 pages long, but every page in this book is worth it. It doesn’t rely on typical romance tropes, and it’s well-paced and filled with enough interesting new plot points and supporting characters that the story never dragged or felt stagnant.
I was completely invested in Adam and Sam, and the community they were building. I never knew what was coming next (even though I had previously read a spoiler about the reason for conflict toward the end - but there were aspects of how that played out that still caught me off guard), but there was the perfect amount of tension as cracks in the relationship slowly begin to present themselves. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, which is a feeling I simultaneously love and hate.
There are parts of this book that are difficult to read, but they feel realistic and authentic to how imperfect real relationships are. Adam and Sam are both deeply flawed, but still likable and lovable as characters in their own way, but also as a couple. And after everything they went through, I was still rooting for them.
I was completely invested in Adam and Sam, and the community they were building. I never knew what was coming next (even though I had previously read a spoiler about the reason for conflict toward the end - but there were aspects of how that played out that still caught me off guard), but there was the perfect amount of tension as cracks in the relationship slowly begin to present themselves. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, which is a feeling I simultaneously love and hate.
There are parts of this book that are difficult to read, but they feel realistic and authentic to how imperfect real relationships are. Adam and Sam are both deeply flawed, but still likable and lovable as characters in their own way, but also as a couple. And after everything they went through, I was still rooting for them.
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