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Idlewild
Asher Schenck and his husband John opened their downtown gastropub at the start of Detroits revival. Now, five years after Johns sudden death, Asher is determined to pull off a revival of his own. in a last ditch attempt to bring idlewild back to life, he fires everyone and hires a new staff. Among them is Tyler Heyward, a recent college graduate in need of funds to pay for medical school. Tyler is a cheery balm for Ashers soul, and their relationship quickly shifts from business to friendship. When they fall for each other, it is not the differences of race or class that challenge their love, but the ghosts and expectations of their respective pasts. Will they remain stuck or move toward a life neither of them has allowed himself to dream about?
267 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2016
19 people are currently reading
876 people want to read
About the author
Jude Sierra
7 books110 followersJude began her writing career at the age of eight when she immortalized her summer vacation with ten entries in a row that read “pool+tv”.
As a sucker for happy endings and well written emotional arcs and characters, Jude is an unapologetic bookaholic. She finds bookstores and libraries unbearably sexy and, to her husband’s dismay, is attempting to create her own in their living room.
She is a writer of many things that hope to find their way out of the sanctuary of her hard drive, and many that have found a home in a fanfiction community.
She is currently working on her Master of Arts in Writing and Rhetoric and managing a home filled with her husband, two young sons, and two cats. Her first novel, Hush, was published in 2015 and her second novel, What it Takes, was published in January of 2016. She has an upcoming novel, Idlewild, coming in October of 2016
As a sucker for happy endings and well written emotional arcs and characters, Jude is an unapologetic bookaholic. She finds bookstores and libraries unbearably sexy and, to her husband’s dismay, is attempting to create her own in their living room.
She is a writer of many things that hope to find their way out of the sanctuary of her hard drive, and many that have found a home in a fanfiction community.
She is currently working on her Master of Arts in Writing and Rhetoric and managing a home filled with her husband, two young sons, and two cats. Her first novel, Hush, was published in 2015 and her second novel, What it Takes, was published in January of 2016. She has an upcoming novel, Idlewild, coming in October of 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
February 5, 2017
Asher es viudo, y tras cinco años intenta sacar a flote el restaurante, Idlewild, que tenía con su marido. Para eso contrata a nuevos cocineros y camareros, entre los que se encuentra Tyler, encantador, diez años más joven, siempre preocupado por agradar a todo el mundo, con muchas dudas sobre su vida y siendo negro y de una parte de la ciudad más humildre, con un background totalmente distinto. Asher y Tyler se enamoran siendo testigos de ello el restaurante, Idlewild, y la ciudad de Detroit, que es un protagonista más.
Hay partes que me han gustado, algunas mucho, pero hay otras que no tanto y que han impedido que cayese totalmente rendida. Lo mejor es cómo se construye la relación de Asher y Tyler, los dos están muy bien perfilados, son interacciones están llenas de tensión y emotividad, es fácil que salga algún suspiro. Fundamentalmente Tyler, es quien te roba el corazón con su nobleza y vulnerabilidad. La forma de escribir de la autora es bastante intimista, con mucho detalle a la hora de explicarnos cómo se sienten sus personajes. Hay varios momentos muy sexys, aunque el sexo es mayormente fuera de página y en las partes que somos testigo el punto fuerte es la tensión emocional, muy bonitas.
Ha habido momentos durante la lectura que me veía sonriendo y pensando que qué bonito que era lo que estaba leyendo, pero ha habido puntos que no han terminado de convencerme. En primer lugar, la narración en presente, me hace mucho más complicado entrar en la historia, aunque supongo que eso dependerá de gustos de cada uno. Por otro lado, entiendo el amor de la autora por Detroit, yo siento el mismo por Madrid, y si bien su historia me parece interesante, a veces parecía que estaba leyendo un manual de historia de la ciudad, en ocasiones dentro de conversaciones entre los protagonistas que me hacían salir de lo que estaba leyendo. Lo mismo ocurre con las conversaciones entre Asher y Tyler sobre las diferencias entre nacer negro o blanco y los privilegios, por mucho que estuviera de acuerdo con lo que leía, la impresión que me queda es que la autora me está aleccionando. Tanto en las cuestiones sociales como históricas la sensación es que la autora quería decir eso y lo metió como pudo. Y no es cuestión de que no me gusten los aspectos históricos o sociales, estudié Historia en la Universidad, pero no me ha terminado de gustar cómo lo ha introducido Jude Sierra. Por terminar con los puntos negativos hay un aspecto de la relación de Asher y Tyler al final que no me gustó, no me pareció coherente, Asher y Tyler llevan varios meses juntos, está claro que están enamorados, ya he comentado que buena parte del sexo es fuera de página, algo con lo que no tengo ningún problema, como si no hay ningún sexo, no es importante para mi el ser testigo de ello, pero después de meses juntos tienen una conversación
Aunque al final no haya sido perfecto para mi, lo recomiendo, bien escrito, historia bonita, personajes bien construidos y adorables, lo he disfrutado mucho. Seguro que leeré más de la misma autora
Hay partes que me han gustado, algunas mucho, pero hay otras que no tanto y que han impedido que cayese totalmente rendida. Lo mejor es cómo se construye la relación de Asher y Tyler, los dos están muy bien perfilados, son interacciones están llenas de tensión y emotividad, es fácil que salga algún suspiro. Fundamentalmente Tyler, es quien te roba el corazón con su nobleza y vulnerabilidad. La forma de escribir de la autora es bastante intimista, con mucho detalle a la hora de explicarnos cómo se sienten sus personajes. Hay varios momentos muy sexys, aunque el sexo es mayormente fuera de página y en las partes que somos testigo el punto fuerte es la tensión emocional, muy bonitas.
Ha habido momentos durante la lectura que me veía sonriendo y pensando que qué bonito que era lo que estaba leyendo, pero ha habido puntos que no han terminado de convencerme. En primer lugar, la narración en presente, me hace mucho más complicado entrar en la historia, aunque supongo que eso dependerá de gustos de cada uno. Por otro lado, entiendo el amor de la autora por Detroit, yo siento el mismo por Madrid, y si bien su historia me parece interesante, a veces parecía que estaba leyendo un manual de historia de la ciudad, en ocasiones dentro de conversaciones entre los protagonistas que me hacían salir de lo que estaba leyendo. Lo mismo ocurre con las conversaciones entre Asher y Tyler sobre las diferencias entre nacer negro o blanco y los privilegios, por mucho que estuviera de acuerdo con lo que leía, la impresión que me queda es que la autora me está aleccionando. Tanto en las cuestiones sociales como históricas la sensación es que la autora quería decir eso y lo metió como pudo. Y no es cuestión de que no me gusten los aspectos históricos o sociales, estudié Historia en la Universidad, pero no me ha terminado de gustar cómo lo ha introducido Jude Sierra. Por terminar con los puntos negativos hay un aspecto de la relación de Asher y Tyler al final que no me gustó, no me pareció coherente, Asher y Tyler llevan varios meses juntos, está claro que están enamorados, ya he comentado que buena parte del sexo es fuera de página, algo con lo que no tengo ningún problema, como si no hay ningún sexo, no es importante para mi el ser testigo de ello, pero después de meses juntos tienen una conversación
Aunque al final no haya sido perfecto para mi, lo recomiendo, bien escrito, historia bonita, personajes bien construidos y adorables, lo he disfrutado mucho. Seguro que leeré más de la misma autora
March 26, 2017
2 = it was ok
Atención, opinión impopular.
Sé que hay muy buenas valoraciones de este libro pero lamentablemente, no ha sido mi caso, no he enganchado con la historia, me ha costado horrores terminarlo y me ha resultado bastante aburrido. Una pena, porque le tenía ganas.
Atención, opinión impopular.
Sé que hay muy buenas valoraciones de este libro pero lamentablemente, no ha sido mi caso, no he enganchado con la historia, me ha costado horrores terminarlo y me ha resultado bastante aburrido. Una pena, porque le tenía ganas.
December 13, 2016
4.5 Stars.
Mired in grief over his dead husband John, Asher's trying to restart his life by restarting their restaurant, IDLEWILD. His depression and grief caused him to pull back the reins, and his staff had gotten lax and disaffected in those five years. So, he fires his staff, sells his condo and pours all that money into hiring all new personnel, from busboys to chefs. Tyler, a young, intriguing black man has the kind of spark that catches peoples eye--even Asher.
Tyler's been dating Malik for a couple years, but they've been off-and-on, and Tyler's pretty sure that Malik's not as captivated, no matter how much Tyler tries to catch his eye. They're in different places in life, too. Malik's still in college, and Tyler's newly graduated--and revising his career plan which had included med school. Taking the job at Idlewild opens Tyler in a way he'd been looking for. He senses the energy of the place, and thrives in the community he forms in the restaurant. Malik isn't happy--he thinks all the folks "revitalizing" Detroit's Downtown are doing a disservice to the people who'd lived here for decades, whose efforts are often overlooked.
When Malik feels that Tyler's a bit too enchanted with his boss, Asher, he cuts out--it's not personal. Malik wants to be free, and he recognizes that there's a good chance Tyler and Asher could build a solid relationship. Asher's responsive to Tyler's needs, and they seem to connect very well--but each man's putting up a brave front. Tyler wants to be whatever his partner needs, often overlooking his own needs in the process. Meanwhile, Asher still hasn't come to terms with the loss of John, he's a shell of a man; Tyler's breezy personality is so attractive to him, yet brings on the guilt, too.
I really enjoyed the book, which has a lovely cadence to the prose. The story had more issues regarding class than race, with Tyler educating Asher that "lack" isn't necessarily "deficient" and privilege isn't always the best filter for decision-making. The class-struggles of urban Detroit are similar to those I've observed growing up in/near Chicago, so this was very relatable, for me. Tyler's developed a facade of being a bright spark, to hide his innate insecurity, which was bittersweet to experience. I was really glad to see him open up and tell Asher how he truly felt, and how Asher's unwillingness to move on from John was a life of survival, not actual living. Asher isn't sure he can give himself fully to another man--especially such a young one as Tyler; he thinks Tyler's just biding his time before finding a younger, more suitable, partner. Nonetheless, these guys are sweet with each other. They are also hungry, and desperate to find a person who can fill their emptiness. The resolution is comforting and lovely, with both Asher and Tyler expressing their needs, and building a much stronger rapport. The success of Idlewild isn't an accident, and it seems Asher's new life is one John would have been proud to share.
Mired in grief over his dead husband John, Asher's trying to restart his life by restarting their restaurant, IDLEWILD. His depression and grief caused him to pull back the reins, and his staff had gotten lax and disaffected in those five years. So, he fires his staff, sells his condo and pours all that money into hiring all new personnel, from busboys to chefs. Tyler, a young, intriguing black man has the kind of spark that catches peoples eye--even Asher.
Tyler's been dating Malik for a couple years, but they've been off-and-on, and Tyler's pretty sure that Malik's not as captivated, no matter how much Tyler tries to catch his eye. They're in different places in life, too. Malik's still in college, and Tyler's newly graduated--and revising his career plan which had included med school. Taking the job at Idlewild opens Tyler in a way he'd been looking for. He senses the energy of the place, and thrives in the community he forms in the restaurant. Malik isn't happy--he thinks all the folks "revitalizing" Detroit's Downtown are doing a disservice to the people who'd lived here for decades, whose efforts are often overlooked.
When Malik feels that Tyler's a bit too enchanted with his boss, Asher, he cuts out--it's not personal. Malik wants to be free, and he recognizes that there's a good chance Tyler and Asher could build a solid relationship. Asher's responsive to Tyler's needs, and they seem to connect very well--but each man's putting up a brave front. Tyler wants to be whatever his partner needs, often overlooking his own needs in the process. Meanwhile, Asher still hasn't come to terms with the loss of John, he's a shell of a man; Tyler's breezy personality is so attractive to him, yet brings on the guilt, too.
I really enjoyed the book, which has a lovely cadence to the prose. The story had more issues regarding class than race, with Tyler educating Asher that "lack" isn't necessarily "deficient" and privilege isn't always the best filter for decision-making. The class-struggles of urban Detroit are similar to those I've observed growing up in/near Chicago, so this was very relatable, for me. Tyler's developed a facade of being a bright spark, to hide his innate insecurity, which was bittersweet to experience. I was really glad to see him open up and tell Asher how he truly felt, and how Asher's unwillingness to move on from John was a life of survival, not actual living. Asher isn't sure he can give himself fully to another man--especially such a young one as Tyler; he thinks Tyler's just biding his time before finding a younger, more suitable, partner. Nonetheless, these guys are sweet with each other. They are also hungry, and desperate to find a person who can fill their emptiness. The resolution is comforting and lovely, with both Asher and Tyler expressing their needs, and building a much stronger rapport. The success of Idlewild isn't an accident, and it seems Asher's new life is one John would have been proud to share.
November 30, 2016
ude Sierra’s third book, IDLEWILD, is many good things. Richly written yet deeply practical. The characters’ brightest moments are had while doing inventory or cleaning up or pouring drinks. The book brings wonder to everyday details and ordinary things.
The book is deeply linked to a place, Detroit. I’ve never been there but Sierra clearly has and knows its shifting heart. From the beginning I was right there with her.
Most of all, IDLEWILD is full of characters. I first fell for Tyler, with his complicated way of fitting in with everyone. I love his femininity and the way he moves. He knows who he is and part of knowing himself is being a different self in different places or circumstances. He is quick and generous and inclusive, and he brings people with him. He is full of love. But he’s also secretive and pushes things out of his mind. There’s a kind of self-protection in his charisma. He loves these certain confident still kinds of people but in his way he’s more certain than anyone.
And Asher is this wonderful foil for all that movement, but a human of his own too. Smart and kind and competent and grieving, Asher holds himself together for the sake of something larger than he is. He works and tries and lets everything inside crumble up. But he keeps going. I loved watching him work and seeing him discover he was willing to risk and open up again.
The book is warm to all its characters, secondary too. Sierra is kind to people’s histories and the way they hurt and make errors.
Why you should read it?
1) Like Sierra's previous works, it’s deeply complicated and at the same time warm and full of sparkly-lights fun
2) Restaurants are interesting, restaurants being rebuilt are especially interesting.
3) Sierra’s characters spring from the page to ordinary beautiful life. These are not cookie cutter people, they’re the layered, ridiculous, extraordinary people that surround us in real life.
4) That cover.
The book is deeply linked to a place, Detroit. I’ve never been there but Sierra clearly has and knows its shifting heart. From the beginning I was right there with her.
Most of all, IDLEWILD is full of characters. I first fell for Tyler, with his complicated way of fitting in with everyone. I love his femininity and the way he moves. He knows who he is and part of knowing himself is being a different self in different places or circumstances. He is quick and generous and inclusive, and he brings people with him. He is full of love. But he’s also secretive and pushes things out of his mind. There’s a kind of self-protection in his charisma. He loves these certain confident still kinds of people but in his way he’s more certain than anyone.
And Asher is this wonderful foil for all that movement, but a human of his own too. Smart and kind and competent and grieving, Asher holds himself together for the sake of something larger than he is. He works and tries and lets everything inside crumble up. But he keeps going. I loved watching him work and seeing him discover he was willing to risk and open up again.
The book is warm to all its characters, secondary too. Sierra is kind to people’s histories and the way they hurt and make errors.
Why you should read it?
1) Like Sierra's previous works, it’s deeply complicated and at the same time warm and full of sparkly-lights fun
2) Restaurants are interesting, restaurants being rebuilt are especially interesting.
3) Sierra’s characters spring from the page to ordinary beautiful life. These are not cookie cutter people, they’re the layered, ridiculous, extraordinary people that surround us in real life.
4) That cover.
December 1, 2016
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
Simply put, this is a beautifully written book. It’s a genuine and almost leisurely journey of two men who grew up in the same city, yet come from completely different places. At first, it’s the story of Asher. He fell forever in love with John and when John’s life was cut short, in many ways, Asher’s life was as well. Asher is barely hanging on. He thinks he’s moved through the stages of grief, yet he’s cut off his family, he’s distanced himself from his friends, and his business is on life support. Although he doesn’t think he will ever find love again, he’s open to the possibility, yet he doesn’t think it ever will truly happen.
Tyler bursts into Asher’s life and brings the sun back into his world. The story then also becomes Tyler’s. Tyler has been in a relationship with Malik and on paper they should fit, except they don’t. Tyler’s relationship with Malik illuminates what’s not working in Tyler’s life with detail that’s both subdued as well as bright. Tyler has always felt the need to bend to be what he thinks everyone else wants him to be. At times, he’s hesitant in his own skin as he either feels not dark enough in Malik’s world and then not light enough in Asher’s. Tyler and Asher start as co-workers and then become friends. The air around them crackles and sparks when they are near, they both feel it, but it’s not until Tyler ends his relationship with Malik that the men truly stoke the flames.
This book is wildly romantic while being sweet and seductive. Sierra’s prose is art-like as she paints the picture of the intense desire between Asher and Tyler and her words become the lyrics to the music of their story. There are so many gorgeous lines and their first kiss is something that should be experienced first hand with context as all of their intimate time together is exceedingly sensual. It’s a slow build of a story between the city, the restaurant, and the men. It’s also not an easy story as there is tension and anxiety tightly wound around them. The men tread lightly through hope as well as deeply shuttered grief breaking through to an intense, overwhelming intimacy that leaves the men raw and exposed as they are deconstructed by turns throughout the book.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
Simply put, this is a beautifully written book. It’s a genuine and almost leisurely journey of two men who grew up in the same city, yet come from completely different places. At first, it’s the story of Asher. He fell forever in love with John and when John’s life was cut short, in many ways, Asher’s life was as well. Asher is barely hanging on. He thinks he’s moved through the stages of grief, yet he’s cut off his family, he’s distanced himself from his friends, and his business is on life support. Although he doesn’t think he will ever find love again, he’s open to the possibility, yet he doesn’t think it ever will truly happen.
Tyler bursts into Asher’s life and brings the sun back into his world. The story then also becomes Tyler’s. Tyler has been in a relationship with Malik and on paper they should fit, except they don’t. Tyler’s relationship with Malik illuminates what’s not working in Tyler’s life with detail that’s both subdued as well as bright. Tyler has always felt the need to bend to be what he thinks everyone else wants him to be. At times, he’s hesitant in his own skin as he either feels not dark enough in Malik’s world and then not light enough in Asher’s. Tyler and Asher start as co-workers and then become friends. The air around them crackles and sparks when they are near, they both feel it, but it’s not until Tyler ends his relationship with Malik that the men truly stoke the flames.
This book is wildly romantic while being sweet and seductive. Sierra’s prose is art-like as she paints the picture of the intense desire between Asher and Tyler and her words become the lyrics to the music of their story. There are so many gorgeous lines and their first kiss is something that should be experienced first hand with context as all of their intimate time together is exceedingly sensual. It’s a slow build of a story between the city, the restaurant, and the men. It’s also not an easy story as there is tension and anxiety tightly wound around them. The men tread lightly through hope as well as deeply shuttered grief breaking through to an intense, overwhelming intimacy that leaves the men raw and exposed as they are deconstructed by turns throughout the book.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
February 9, 2017
Eventually I will review this but today is not the day. It was beautiful, emotional and felt real.
August 10, 2017
3.5 - 4.0
Two vulnerable men, in very different ways, with very different armor. One is young, one a bit older, one Detroit-raised, one Suburbanite, one light and one serious....both are acting the part.
Their story and development was ultimately successful. You really rooted for them, and I liked and appreciated both characters.
What kept this from a solid 4 star for me was the part that was preachy: the two different Detroits. I understand it was part of a mechanism to contrast characters and also an homage, a truly earnest one, on the city itself. Problem is, it failed a bit. These tidbits usually revealed themselves in conversation, and this is where no 1st person account hurt the book. These would be better sights and feelings than weird snipes and tension between characters.
It was easy to invest in the characters but less so in the attempt to intricately weave Detroit into the book as a another character. Kudos for trying.
Two vulnerable men, in very different ways, with very different armor. One is young, one a bit older, one Detroit-raised, one Suburbanite, one light and one serious....both are acting the part.
Their story and development was ultimately successful. You really rooted for them, and I liked and appreciated both characters.
What kept this from a solid 4 star for me was the part that was preachy: the two different Detroits. I understand it was part of a mechanism to contrast characters and also an homage, a truly earnest one, on the city itself. Problem is, it failed a bit. These tidbits usually revealed themselves in conversation, and this is where no 1st person account hurt the book. These would be better sights and feelings than weird snipes and tension between characters.
It was easy to invest in the characters but less so in the attempt to intricately weave Detroit into the book as a another character. Kudos for trying.
May 3, 2018
Awwww! This was my very first steamy male-male romance and I adored the emotional connection that these two men had. The restaurant storyline was great, and I loved the Detroit setting. Can’t wait to read more from this author!
September 22, 2018
4.5 Stars
That is some damn fine writing. This character driven romance is so saturated in time and place, its simply shines.
It holds the tensions and joy of falling in love while singing the song of Detroit. Jude Sierra thinks carefully about privilege, race and class in this restaurant set urban love story.
Troy and Asher have a age gap between them as well the grief from the death of Asher's husband and Troy's settling into his full self.
This love builds slowly and the craft of storytelling and character is on full display.
The plot left me a little hungry in places for scenes we didn't get mainly after Troy and Asher fully commitment to being together. We all worked so hard to get there that I felt more time in the HEA would have really made this a knock out read but its pretty outstanding as is.
That is some damn fine writing. This character driven romance is so saturated in time and place, its simply shines.
It holds the tensions and joy of falling in love while singing the song of Detroit. Jude Sierra thinks carefully about privilege, race and class in this restaurant set urban love story.
Troy and Asher have a age gap between them as well the grief from the death of Asher's husband and Troy's settling into his full self.
This love builds slowly and the craft of storytelling and character is on full display.
The plot left me a little hungry in places for scenes we didn't get mainly after Troy and Asher fully commitment to being together. We all worked so hard to get there that I felt more time in the HEA would have really made this a knock out read but its pretty outstanding as is.
December 6, 2016
I’ve been looking forward to this novel for months; I was immediately on board when I saw the cover and read the blurb. I’ve realized I have a ‘thing’ for books set in restaurants, or with chefs as main characters. I mean, I knew I liked food! Ha! But, who knew I had a such a fascination with the restaurant biz? I’ve thoroughly enjoyed almost every food-focused or restaurant-setting book I’ve read, and Idlewild was no exception. In fact, this book was so much more than I even expected it to be.
One of the first things that struck me after finishing the book, and as I began to think about my review, was how strong the focus was on just the MCs. There are secondary characters of course, but the bulk of the book is just Asher and Tyler. The fact that they could basically carry the story on their own says something about the strength of the character development. Jude Sierra does such a great job of engaging and gaining commitment from her readers. This book is definitely a slow burn. But, it’s such a lovely, satisfying slow burn.
At the opening of the story, Asher is making a big push to save his restaurant, which has been flagging since the death of his husband. The restaurant, Idlewild, was a long-time dream of John’s, which eventually became Asher’s dream as well. They opened it in the downtown district of Detroit because they both wanted to be a part of the city’s revival. I loved, loved everything in the book having to do with Detroit’s history and the ongoing struggle of ALL the citizens to revive the city, and make people see that effort. And, I loved this:
“Asher finds Detroit so lovely. That loveliness is proof that he’s not alone in his desire to resurrect this city from the ashes of its history.”
‘Resurrect this city from the ashes of its history.’ Such an amazing line. I have to admit I have a renewed appreciation for the Motor City. Reading this book was very eye-opening.
As part of his new plan for the restaurant, Asher does a complete turnover of the staff, and one of his new hires is the charming and vivacious Tyler Heyward. Tyler is sort of an enigma to Asher. He thoroughly enjoys his company—not to mention the strong attraction he feels—but Tyler is somewhat of a chameleon. He seems to have many faces, and Asher isn’t sure if he ever really sees Tyler’s true self.
“At home he was lighthearted and silly and loveable. He didn’t demand attention. With his friends at Affirmations, the LGBT community center, he was femme and funny, the laugh of the party and everyone’s pet. At school he was quiet: the achiever; tones spoken a little lower, clothes a little baggier and the line of his shoulders held differently.”
For some reason, Tyler feels that in order to keep people in his life, rather than be himself, he needs to be whatever they are looking for. Whatever they need. He has done this for so long that now, at twenty-three years old, he’s at the point where even he isn’t sure who he really is or what he really wants. He does know that he loves the restaurant, though. At Idlewild he has found a place where he is needed and valued, and it’s something he feels very strongly about being a part of. He feels ‘right’ there.
I loved that the connection Asher and Tyler start to forge is initially about the restaurant, and how, without even realizing it at first, they begin to rebuild it together. This is monumental for both of them, but obviously even more so for Asher, who has always had John in his mind when it came to Idlewild. Asher isn’t the only one with past relationship baggage, however. Tyler has a boyfriend in the beginning of the book, but for various reasons, within a few months of Tyler working at the restaurant, they break up. Even though the break-up is fresh, Tyler realizes that things haven’t been working with Malik for a long time. If they had been, he wouldn’t have so quickly found room in his heart for Asher.
I loved these guys together. I loved the development of the relationship, and how much they learned from each other and enriched each other’s lives. They were also incredibly sexy. Asher was so confident and sexy in the bedroom, and Tyler was so vulnerable and eager to benefit from Asher’s experience. Things started to fall apart for a small stretch in the last twenty percent of the book—at least, Tyler’s character felt like it did—but the author completely turned it back around for the last ten percent. The end was fabulous; I loooved where Tyler and Asher ended up.
Sierra’s prose is so lovely and rich. She has such a pretty way of getting the story told. If you guys are like I was, and haven’t read anything by Jude Sierra yet, Idlewild is a wonderful place to start. I think you’ll be glad you picked it up.
Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach Reviews
One of the first things that struck me after finishing the book, and as I began to think about my review, was how strong the focus was on just the MCs. There are secondary characters of course, but the bulk of the book is just Asher and Tyler. The fact that they could basically carry the story on their own says something about the strength of the character development. Jude Sierra does such a great job of engaging and gaining commitment from her readers. This book is definitely a slow burn. But, it’s such a lovely, satisfying slow burn.
At the opening of the story, Asher is making a big push to save his restaurant, which has been flagging since the death of his husband. The restaurant, Idlewild, was a long-time dream of John’s, which eventually became Asher’s dream as well. They opened it in the downtown district of Detroit because they both wanted to be a part of the city’s revival. I loved, loved everything in the book having to do with Detroit’s history and the ongoing struggle of ALL the citizens to revive the city, and make people see that effort. And, I loved this:
“Asher finds Detroit so lovely. That loveliness is proof that he’s not alone in his desire to resurrect this city from the ashes of its history.”
‘Resurrect this city from the ashes of its history.’ Such an amazing line. I have to admit I have a renewed appreciation for the Motor City. Reading this book was very eye-opening.
As part of his new plan for the restaurant, Asher does a complete turnover of the staff, and one of his new hires is the charming and vivacious Tyler Heyward. Tyler is sort of an enigma to Asher. He thoroughly enjoys his company—not to mention the strong attraction he feels—but Tyler is somewhat of a chameleon. He seems to have many faces, and Asher isn’t sure if he ever really sees Tyler’s true self.
“At home he was lighthearted and silly and loveable. He didn’t demand attention. With his friends at Affirmations, the LGBT community center, he was femme and funny, the laugh of the party and everyone’s pet. At school he was quiet: the achiever; tones spoken a little lower, clothes a little baggier and the line of his shoulders held differently.”
For some reason, Tyler feels that in order to keep people in his life, rather than be himself, he needs to be whatever they are looking for. Whatever they need. He has done this for so long that now, at twenty-three years old, he’s at the point where even he isn’t sure who he really is or what he really wants. He does know that he loves the restaurant, though. At Idlewild he has found a place where he is needed and valued, and it’s something he feels very strongly about being a part of. He feels ‘right’ there.
I loved that the connection Asher and Tyler start to forge is initially about the restaurant, and how, without even realizing it at first, they begin to rebuild it together. This is monumental for both of them, but obviously even more so for Asher, who has always had John in his mind when it came to Idlewild. Asher isn’t the only one with past relationship baggage, however. Tyler has a boyfriend in the beginning of the book, but for various reasons, within a few months of Tyler working at the restaurant, they break up. Even though the break-up is fresh, Tyler realizes that things haven’t been working with Malik for a long time. If they had been, he wouldn’t have so quickly found room in his heart for Asher.
I loved these guys together. I loved the development of the relationship, and how much they learned from each other and enriched each other’s lives. They were also incredibly sexy. Asher was so confident and sexy in the bedroom, and Tyler was so vulnerable and eager to benefit from Asher’s experience. Things started to fall apart for a small stretch in the last twenty percent of the book—at least, Tyler’s character felt like it did—but the author completely turned it back around for the last ten percent. The end was fabulous; I loooved where Tyler and Asher ended up.
Sierra’s prose is so lovely and rich. She has such a pretty way of getting the story told. If you guys are like I was, and haven’t read anything by Jude Sierra yet, Idlewild is a wonderful place to start. I think you’ll be glad you picked it up.
Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach Reviews
May 11, 2017
Sometimes you unexpectedly find a book that reaches deep into your chest, grabs your heart, and gives it a few warm squeezes to remind you that yes books can touch us! They can pull on our heartstrings! And they can reach that once untouchable spot that connects us to what we're unsure of—if who we truly are as a person is knowable. Idlewild hits each of these points and more.
Jude Sierra touches all the right notes with this novel: dealing with grief, self-acceptance, love, pride, adversity, and diversity. And she manages to do it through characters that are relatable on levels I don't often see. The main character, Asher, is faced with rebuilding his life after grieving over the death of his husband. It's far from easy, as with anything revolving around death. His beginning struggles are painful, but he is very likable and layered in beautiful ways. And his ability to accept that he's flawed and is still learning is a great counterpart to a few other characters who haven't seen the depth of their flaws or struggle to look past their own fight. Asher's tenderness (while in the face of indifference) in dealing with his employee, and eventual love interest, Tyler is also wonderfully crafted. Sierra doesn't just hand you a romance and say, "Now enjoy your cake too." She makes the reader question and crave and root for these two characters to figure out their inner struggles in order to become something greater.
Tyler is the real joy of this story. As a gay POC, it is rare that I read a character who I can relate to on such a raw level. On the surface, Tyler is cheery and optimistic, the perfect counterpart to Asher. But underneath that is a man I know too well—a young, gay, African American male who isn't macho but is slowly becoming comfortable with his softer, gentile spirit. Tyler is comfortable in his sexuality. He isn't the alpha male or "exotic" eye-candy POC character who is often misrepresented through speech or action. Instead, Tyler is vulnerable and flawed and struggling with the person he is to everyone else versus the person he is internally.
""Tyler was an actor at almost every moment, a patchwork of personas, a chameleon and a bone-deep people-pleaser."
This character description by Sierra brought me to tears. Why? Because Tyler is me, and to finally see a POC who reminds me of so many young, gay men I have encountered throughout my life is refreshing and heartbreaking. For once, I didn't feel alone in the person I am. I didn't feel weak because I wasn't dominant or rough or the typical broad-shouldered hero of so many romance novels.
Another wonderful character is Malik, who encompasses so many traits of a man on a mission. A man who is fighting to be accepted and understood. Who wants others to hear his voice. To see his city, Detroit, the way he sees it. He is unaccepting of privilege and the uninformed people who pretend to understand his plight. It is, unfortunately, to his detriment at times, but Sierra takes a character who can easily be seen as an antagonist and fleshes him out to a scarred individual trying to grow into his adult-self.
Along the way, Sierra also crafts some brilliant female characters in Tyler's mom and sisters, along with Claudia, a waitress at Asher's restaurant (the titular Idlewild) who has a sassy bite to her no-nonsense attitude. Each female character provides a strength that sometimes the male characters lack. They are independent individuals and remind me so much of the women who helped craft the person I am.
At the heart of Sierra's great story is Detroit. Sierra paints the city I know from childhood, grimy and gray and hopeless, into a beautiful and gritty-without-ugly cityscape. She takes you through a journey of the rich history that is often overlooked due to Detroit's reputation. Sierra makes you root for the city's success!
The romance between Tyler and Asher is a welcome treat. Yes, the difference in race and class and, at times, experience is there, but those are minor compared to the challenges they face from their pasts. It's clear from the start that this road will be as pot-hole riddled as Detroit's streets. But it's not without heart or joy or a bright, refreshing look at how love can be a teacher as well as a healer.
Needless to say, Idlewild is a book that doesn't follow tropes or guidelines or even maps to a simple love story. In fact, it's a romance about life and Detroit as much as it is about Asher and Tyler ... and that alone makes it worth the read.
Jude Sierra touches all the right notes with this novel: dealing with grief, self-acceptance, love, pride, adversity, and diversity. And she manages to do it through characters that are relatable on levels I don't often see. The main character, Asher, is faced with rebuilding his life after grieving over the death of his husband. It's far from easy, as with anything revolving around death. His beginning struggles are painful, but he is very likable and layered in beautiful ways. And his ability to accept that he's flawed and is still learning is a great counterpart to a few other characters who haven't seen the depth of their flaws or struggle to look past their own fight. Asher's tenderness (while in the face of indifference) in dealing with his employee, and eventual love interest, Tyler is also wonderfully crafted. Sierra doesn't just hand you a romance and say, "Now enjoy your cake too." She makes the reader question and crave and root for these two characters to figure out their inner struggles in order to become something greater.
Tyler is the real joy of this story. As a gay POC, it is rare that I read a character who I can relate to on such a raw level. On the surface, Tyler is cheery and optimistic, the perfect counterpart to Asher. But underneath that is a man I know too well—a young, gay, African American male who isn't macho but is slowly becoming comfortable with his softer, gentile spirit. Tyler is comfortable in his sexuality. He isn't the alpha male or "exotic" eye-candy POC character who is often misrepresented through speech or action. Instead, Tyler is vulnerable and flawed and struggling with the person he is to everyone else versus the person he is internally.
""Tyler was an actor at almost every moment, a patchwork of personas, a chameleon and a bone-deep people-pleaser."
This character description by Sierra brought me to tears. Why? Because Tyler is me, and to finally see a POC who reminds me of so many young, gay men I have encountered throughout my life is refreshing and heartbreaking. For once, I didn't feel alone in the person I am. I didn't feel weak because I wasn't dominant or rough or the typical broad-shouldered hero of so many romance novels.
Another wonderful character is Malik, who encompasses so many traits of a man on a mission. A man who is fighting to be accepted and understood. Who wants others to hear his voice. To see his city, Detroit, the way he sees it. He is unaccepting of privilege and the uninformed people who pretend to understand his plight. It is, unfortunately, to his detriment at times, but Sierra takes a character who can easily be seen as an antagonist and fleshes him out to a scarred individual trying to grow into his adult-self.
Along the way, Sierra also crafts some brilliant female characters in Tyler's mom and sisters, along with Claudia, a waitress at Asher's restaurant (the titular Idlewild) who has a sassy bite to her no-nonsense attitude. Each female character provides a strength that sometimes the male characters lack. They are independent individuals and remind me so much of the women who helped craft the person I am.
At the heart of Sierra's great story is Detroit. Sierra paints the city I know from childhood, grimy and gray and hopeless, into a beautiful and gritty-without-ugly cityscape. She takes you through a journey of the rich history that is often overlooked due to Detroit's reputation. Sierra makes you root for the city's success!
The romance between Tyler and Asher is a welcome treat. Yes, the difference in race and class and, at times, experience is there, but those are minor compared to the challenges they face from their pasts. It's clear from the start that this road will be as pot-hole riddled as Detroit's streets. But it's not without heart or joy or a bright, refreshing look at how love can be a teacher as well as a healer.
Needless to say, Idlewild is a book that doesn't follow tropes or guidelines or even maps to a simple love story. In fact, it's a romance about life and Detroit as much as it is about Asher and Tyler ... and that alone makes it worth the read.
January 11, 2017
"It happens. Love is a constant practice and it's not always easy".
A slow burner romance, about friendships, family, forgiveness, second chance love, vulnerability and being true to yourself.
Wow. Didn't expect this at all. I initially requested this book to read based off the cover. I hadn't heard about Jude Sierra or anything, and I'm so happy that I read this book. My thoughts are all over the place seeing as I just finished reading it and wanted to get a review done immediately. The one thought that keeps repeating itself in my mind is vulnerability. I haven't felt vulnerable from reading a book in a long time. Sierra writes so beautifully, and the best thing about this story was the complete utter focus on Asher & Tyler. It's like standing in a whirlwind situation, but being laser focused on one specific thing. It's how I would describe the authors complete devotion to these two.
I'm in awe on how much I love both guys. Tyler is super vulnerable in this story, but he shines so bright, and he's so sweet that hurts when he hurts. Every description on him being able to change or adapt to someone's else standard was like a knife in my stomach. From the very beginning, I was compelled by him. I really did like seeing all the different sides to Tyler. He is a sweet guy, and reading about him wanting things to work, or settling because he wanted to be loved just put my emotions in over drive. There were glimpse of the real Tyler. They came out when he passionate about something, and his city was something he was definitely passionate about. Another thing that I feel in love with was the author's descriptions about Detroit. It's like a 3rd home for me, seeing as I have family there and drive there quite often. I've never seen Detroit how they see it. I don't know if it's because I'm a tourist. I see Detroit as something completely different, but reading it from their experience has left me wanting to visit this magical place. Jude has done a really great job of equating daily present events, thoughts, and feelings about this city into something magical. You don't fall in love with just Asher & Tyler, but being in the city and witnessing from there experience makes you want to almost be there.
Asher, Asher, Asher. He's grieving in the beginning of this story. He's a widower at a young age, and the death of his husband is to much to handle. He's lost focus on important things, and even letting himself go. It takes him a few years to realize that life is moving on around him, and their dream of Idlewild is slowly dying. He decides to take the bull by the horn so to speak and give life back into Idlewild. While doing that he makes himself believe that he hasn't forgotten John, but he's over it. This story was extremely character driven. I mean its a really good story where everything you can think of the author covers it. From every little response, reaction, feeling and the initial meeting of Tyler its there.
I didn't like the tense it was written in at first, but after awhile I couldn't make myself put it down. I didn't expect so many emotions to come up while reading this. I have love for both guys, and I would have like to see more even at the end of them. I wanted to see the parents reactions and first meetings!! Argh, I feel a little cheated. Gah, Jude if you read this review, could you write a follow up novella please. I really want to see more of these two, and thank you for writing Asher & Tyler's story. I think this story will stick with me for the rest of the year.
December 18, 2016
3.5 stars
The writing is lovely -- has a poetic tone to it. I appreciated that despite the romance involved interracial couple, age-gap, as well as slight class differences, but it didn't 100% focus on it.
Unfortunately, after Asher and Tyler get together which is about half-way through the book, I felt like the book got aimless. I didn't know what the end game was, what the author was trying to tell next. I ended up skimming a lot. Also the author seemed to want to involve the city of Detroit as a secondary character, but it didn't come to me as natural.
Until Asher and Tyler get into their big argument -- about Asher who hasn't truly let himself grief of losing his husband, of dealing with everyone else who reminded him or related to John in the past life ... about Tyler who seems to do what everyone wants or expects him to do, of being a chameleon, the in-between man, and never really presents his true self -- THEN, it picked up for me again. It meant something again. The part where Tyler talks to his mother and Asher starts clearing John's stuffs made me teary eyed.
So all-in-all it was a lovely read.
The writing is lovely -- has a poetic tone to it. I appreciated that despite the romance involved interracial couple, age-gap, as well as slight class differences, but it didn't 100% focus on it.
Unfortunately, after Asher and Tyler get together which is about half-way through the book, I felt like the book got aimless. I didn't know what the end game was, what the author was trying to tell next. I ended up skimming a lot. Also the author seemed to want to involve the city of Detroit as a secondary character, but it didn't come to me as natural.
Until Asher and Tyler get into their big argument -- about Asher who hasn't truly let himself grief of losing his husband, of dealing with everyone else who reminded him or related to John in the past life ... about Tyler who seems to do what everyone wants or expects him to do, of being a chameleon, the in-between man, and never really presents his true self -- THEN, it picked up for me again. It meant something again. The part where Tyler talks to his mother and Asher starts clearing John's stuffs made me teary eyed.
So all-in-all it was a lovely read.
December 6, 2016
I loved this book. It's smart, as layered as you're willing to read into it, and is a touching, tender romance. It's also a love letter to the city of Detroit, which is just awesome for so many reasons (a touchy subject, which Ms. Sierra doesn't shy away from. Gentrification, classism, racism, and none of this with a heavy hand).
Utterly gorgeous writing, fast-paced as Ms. Sierra expects the reader to infer and keep up (a breath of fresh air, let me tell you). My full review can be found on my blog here. http://laura-stone.com/books-you-need...
TL;DR? GO BUY THIS/CHECK IT OUT FROM YOUR LIBRARY. Breathtakingly lovely.
Utterly gorgeous writing, fast-paced as Ms. Sierra expects the reader to infer and keep up (a breath of fresh air, let me tell you). My full review can be found on my blog here. http://laura-stone.com/books-you-need...
TL;DR? GO BUY THIS/CHECK IT OUT FROM YOUR LIBRARY. Breathtakingly lovely.
Read
December 4, 2016Review to come.
July 12, 2020
2.5
I found a lot about this book so great. We see Detroit as a culturally thriving city and from the perspectives of two very different men. Tyler is androgynous, young, he’s had plans that have folded as he’d gone through college. He tries to be what he feels people need and sometimes loses himself. Asher is a little older, he’s a widower and he’s trying his hardest to run the restaurant he’d opened with his husband. He hasn’t dealt with his husbands death in a healthy way. But when they meet, they realize they bring a joy to each other’s life, they bring a new perspective on each other’s world and it takes a long time for the two of them to realize they can honestly be themselves with each other.
However, the writing didn’t work for me, like it did for so many others. These two men, vibrant and fascinating, got lost to me, as things felt over explained and began to get a bit boring. I found myself skimming a lot, which is never a good sign. Detroit didn’t feel like a character, felt more like an argument for why we should love it. I was being told everything and I just didn’t feel that love of the city these men inhabited on a gut level. I felt the author’s note had more heart and love than the story itself.
I feel bad, and I wanted to love it. Sorry.
I found a lot about this book so great. We see Detroit as a culturally thriving city and from the perspectives of two very different men. Tyler is androgynous, young, he’s had plans that have folded as he’d gone through college. He tries to be what he feels people need and sometimes loses himself. Asher is a little older, he’s a widower and he’s trying his hardest to run the restaurant he’d opened with his husband. He hasn’t dealt with his husbands death in a healthy way. But when they meet, they realize they bring a joy to each other’s life, they bring a new perspective on each other’s world and it takes a long time for the two of them to realize they can honestly be themselves with each other.
However, the writing didn’t work for me, like it did for so many others. These two men, vibrant and fascinating, got lost to me, as things felt over explained and began to get a bit boring. I found myself skimming a lot, which is never a good sign. Detroit didn’t feel like a character, felt more like an argument for why we should love it. I was being told everything and I just didn’t feel that love of the city these men inhabited on a gut level. I felt the author’s note had more heart and love than the story itself.
I feel bad, and I wanted to love it. Sorry.
December 6, 2016
Sierra’s prose is so lovely and rich. She has such a pretty way of getting the story told. If you guys are like I was, and haven’t read anything by Jude Sierra yet, Idlewild is a wonderful place to start. I think you’ll be glad you picked it up.
See my full review at: http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co... !!!
See my full review at: http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co... !!!
abandoned
May 14, 2017DNF @ 48%
Not rating because the story is fine, it's just not for me. There's not enough conflict/tension for my taste, and now that the two MCs are finally getting together, I'm at a point where I want this to end.
Not rating because the story is fine, it's just not for me. There's not enough conflict/tension for my taste, and now that the two MCs are finally getting together, I'm at a point where I want this to end.
March 21, 2017
IDLEWILD is the story of a Detroit restauranteur/widower who figures out how to rescue himself from isolation and loss after the tragedy of his husband’s death. (If that sounds like a metaphor for Detroit itself, well, maybe it is.) It’s also the story of a young guy trying to find himself, working his butt off to become someone he likes, and figuring out who he is. (If that also sounds like a metaphor for Detroit, so be it.) It’s the story of very different worlds meeting and working together, trying to resolve differences and make something great. And it’s kind of literally the story of Detroit itself, too, at least as a backdrop.
Asher and his partner John had opened Idlewild, a restaurant in the heart of Detroit, as their dream. But when John died suddenly, Asher wound up digging himself into Idlewild and losing almost everything—he’s since become estranged from John’s family and almost never leaves Idlewild (he lives above the restaurant, and when he’s not upstairs, he’s downstairs). He mourns alone, and works alone, even though there are lots of people around; as a result, he loses almost the entire staff who’d worked for him when John was alive, and must start fresh. He hires a new staff, which includes Tyler, a young guy from Detroit who’s trying to figure out his own direction. With Tyler comes renewal in all forms—both the restaurant and Asher are revitalized. Tyler goes through his own sort of revival when his life turns in directions different from what he’d originally planned. Though it only serves as a backdrop, Idlewild itself seems to be the key to all this change: it’s place where things happen, where new beginnings are possible.
What’s lovely in this novel is its care: both Asher and Tyler are drawn so sympathetically (a middle-aged man who’s grown prematurely old from tragically losing a man he loved, Asher struggles between past and future; Tyler is a younger guy trying to figure out where he stands between the privileged-but-sincere Asher and his justifiably-angry-and-less-privileged ex). Such great attention is given to their characters and histories. These guys make sense, and the reader can understand why they think the way they do.
The complexities these characters face are real, and extend beyond the personal. Or, rather, the complexities weave together the personal and the social/political, which is what makes them complexities in the first place. It also makes them good problems for narrative, since they’re not immediately and easily solved.
Asher and his partner John had opened Idlewild, a restaurant in the heart of Detroit, as their dream. But when John died suddenly, Asher wound up digging himself into Idlewild and losing almost everything—he’s since become estranged from John’s family and almost never leaves Idlewild (he lives above the restaurant, and when he’s not upstairs, he’s downstairs). He mourns alone, and works alone, even though there are lots of people around; as a result, he loses almost the entire staff who’d worked for him when John was alive, and must start fresh. He hires a new staff, which includes Tyler, a young guy from Detroit who’s trying to figure out his own direction. With Tyler comes renewal in all forms—both the restaurant and Asher are revitalized. Tyler goes through his own sort of revival when his life turns in directions different from what he’d originally planned. Though it only serves as a backdrop, Idlewild itself seems to be the key to all this change: it’s place where things happen, where new beginnings are possible.
What’s lovely in this novel is its care: both Asher and Tyler are drawn so sympathetically (a middle-aged man who’s grown prematurely old from tragically losing a man he loved, Asher struggles between past and future; Tyler is a younger guy trying to figure out where he stands between the privileged-but-sincere Asher and his justifiably-angry-and-less-privileged ex). Such great attention is given to their characters and histories. These guys make sense, and the reader can understand why they think the way they do.
The complexities these characters face are real, and extend beyond the personal. Or, rather, the complexities weave together the personal and the social/political, which is what makes them complexities in the first place. It also makes them good problems for narrative, since they’re not immediately and easily solved.
January 3, 2025
• Format - kindle
• LGBTQ+ Romance
• Widower
• Age gap
• Spice rating 2/5
Setup:
Asher opened a restaurant, Idlewild, in downtown Detroit with his husband John. Following John's sudden death 5 years ago, Asher kept going through the motions, not realising that his grief was isolating him and that the restaurant was failing. He suddenly understands that he has to make a change and closes the restaurant for a reboot, replacing all the staff in the process.
Enter Tyler, a recent college graduate who has decided not to pursue a career in medicine. He has a special spark about him and Asher hires him despite his lack of experience. Tyler is in a relationship with Malik but they are drifting apart. Tyler finds that working in a restaurant suits his personality and his organising nature is ideally suited to help Asher sort out his business. As they work more and more closely together they find their attraction for each other growing.
My thoughts - caution spoilers:
This is a beautifully written book, the prose is soothing and melodic. I couldn't imagine anything horrible happening whilst reading it.
Asher and Tyler are a lovely couple and the supporting characters are lovely too. I particularly liked Claudia who was difficult to get to know but turned out to be just so sweet.
I do think it tried to do a bit too much. There were so many themes. Race, difference, grief. confusion over future career, family issues. It ended up being a smidge shallow on all fronts.
And amusingly I struggled with some cultural differences. I'm from the UK and so didn't know anything about Detroit and its history. I got a few hints from the text but did feel that some knowledge was assumed.
And secondly, in the UK you cannot just sack and replace your whole staff. Employment law will only let you fire folk if their job is permanently redundant or if you can prove that they are not doing their jobs properly over a protracted period of time and with help and support. And so it jarred with me that lovely Asher would just get rid of all of his staff without any consideration of the impact on them.
The prose is so lyrical though, so definitely worth a read.
• LGBTQ+ Romance
• Widower
• Age gap
• Spice rating 2/5
Setup:
Asher opened a restaurant, Idlewild, in downtown Detroit with his husband John. Following John's sudden death 5 years ago, Asher kept going through the motions, not realising that his grief was isolating him and that the restaurant was failing. He suddenly understands that he has to make a change and closes the restaurant for a reboot, replacing all the staff in the process.
Enter Tyler, a recent college graduate who has decided not to pursue a career in medicine. He has a special spark about him and Asher hires him despite his lack of experience. Tyler is in a relationship with Malik but they are drifting apart. Tyler finds that working in a restaurant suits his personality and his organising nature is ideally suited to help Asher sort out his business. As they work more and more closely together they find their attraction for each other growing.
My thoughts - caution spoilers:
This is a beautifully written book, the prose is soothing and melodic. I couldn't imagine anything horrible happening whilst reading it.
Asher and Tyler are a lovely couple and the supporting characters are lovely too. I particularly liked Claudia who was difficult to get to know but turned out to be just so sweet.
I do think it tried to do a bit too much. There were so many themes. Race, difference, grief. confusion over future career, family issues. It ended up being a smidge shallow on all fronts.
And amusingly I struggled with some cultural differences. I'm from the UK and so didn't know anything about Detroit and its history. I got a few hints from the text but did feel that some knowledge was assumed.
And secondly, in the UK you cannot just sack and replace your whole staff. Employment law will only let you fire folk if their job is permanently redundant or if you can prove that they are not doing their jobs properly over a protracted period of time and with help and support. And so it jarred with me that lovely Asher would just get rid of all of his staff without any consideration of the impact on them.
The prose is so lyrical though, so definitely worth a read.
January 19, 2022
IDLEWILD is a gay romance novel published in 2016. Asher is trying to revive his failed restaurant in downtown Detroit in the wake of his husband’s sudden death. Tyler is a recent graduate and needs money while he decides what to do next with his life and starts to work at the resurrected Idlewild. Tyler is in a relationship and and Asher is grieving but they become friends and work hard to reopen the restaurant as the tension between them grows.
When I first heard about this M/M romance novel set in a restaurant in Detroit, I knew I had to read it. I grew up in Michigan and spent many years in the Detroit area. I knew the downtown location on Woodward well, since I worked for a time at the bankruptcy courts downtown. I also love restaurants as a setting for fiction. This book checked all the boxes for me. I loved both Asher and Tyler as characters. The novel explores the age differences and the race differences between them. I thought the author did a good job highlighting some issues without preaching or ignoring the problems in Detroit. The book has steamy moments but they’re not prolonged or detailed. The book is well written. I found the use of the present tense a bit distracting while reading and think that past tense would be easier to read. Overall, I recommend this book.▪️
When I first heard about this M/M romance novel set in a restaurant in Detroit, I knew I had to read it. I grew up in Michigan and spent many years in the Detroit area. I knew the downtown location on Woodward well, since I worked for a time at the bankruptcy courts downtown. I also love restaurants as a setting for fiction. This book checked all the boxes for me. I loved both Asher and Tyler as characters. The novel explores the age differences and the race differences between them. I thought the author did a good job highlighting some issues without preaching or ignoring the problems in Detroit. The book has steamy moments but they’re not prolonged or detailed. The book is well written. I found the use of the present tense a bit distracting while reading and think that past tense would be easier to read. Overall, I recommend this book.▪️
November 1, 2018
Oof. I did not care for this story - so maybe more like 2.5 stars? I got real bored reading it, but pushed through anyway (thank you, Goodreads reading challenge).
The good: it’s very bizarre reading a book set in your hometown. And while I didn’t grow up in Detroit proper, it was very cool to see all the things that I was familiar with (cider mills! Eastern Market! Joe Louis Arena! [omg rip Joe]).
The not so good: maybe it’s because I live here, but I felt like Sierra spent so much time trying to convince her readers why Detroit is so great (and it is), instead of on the story between Tyler and Asher. It just felt like a lot of posturing and explaining when I wanted to know more about them.
In getting to know them though? Kind of boring. Sierra repeats herself so much through her writing, it was kind of frustrating. I would have rather seen more of their relationship and how they interacted vs a bunch of prose on what they thought and how Detroit fit into all of it.
I think that in reading the book’s description, I wanted this to be a different story, so that’s on me. But ultimately, pass (however, I appear to be in the minority, so take with that what you will).
The good: it’s very bizarre reading a book set in your hometown. And while I didn’t grow up in Detroit proper, it was very cool to see all the things that I was familiar with (cider mills! Eastern Market! Joe Louis Arena! [omg rip Joe]).
The not so good: maybe it’s because I live here, but I felt like Sierra spent so much time trying to convince her readers why Detroit is so great (and it is), instead of on the story between Tyler and Asher. It just felt like a lot of posturing and explaining when I wanted to know more about them.
In getting to know them though? Kind of boring. Sierra repeats herself so much through her writing, it was kind of frustrating. I would have rather seen more of their relationship and how they interacted vs a bunch of prose on what they thought and how Detroit fit into all of it.
I think that in reading the book’s description, I wanted this to be a different story, so that’s on me. But ultimately, pass (however, I appear to be in the minority, so take with that what you will).
March 20, 2018
An elegant slow-burn romance
I enjoyed this book, but sometimes the flow of it was really hard for me to read, just did not work for me. I think part of that was all the flash back aspects; the entire tense changed during rememberings and I don’t know that it worked for me.
As to the story, it is a wonderful slow-burn with several layers of angst. I have a lot of complicated feelings around Tyler and how he is so chameleon that he seems to almost lose himself at times. Asher’s arc is very grief-centric, especially looking at ways he avoids feeling and actually moving forward.
Content warnings: on page sex (including oral, anal; not explicit), Black MC who helps white MC recognize privilege and social disparities, MC’s husband dies by car accident, boss/employee romantic/sexual relationship
I enjoyed this book, but sometimes the flow of it was really hard for me to read, just did not work for me. I think part of that was all the flash back aspects; the entire tense changed during rememberings and I don’t know that it worked for me.
As to the story, it is a wonderful slow-burn with several layers of angst. I have a lot of complicated feelings around Tyler and how he is so chameleon that he seems to almost lose himself at times. Asher’s arc is very grief-centric, especially looking at ways he avoids feeling and actually moving forward.
Content warnings: on page sex (including oral, anal; not explicit), Black MC who helps white MC recognize privilege and social disparities, MC’s husband dies by car accident, boss/employee romantic/sexual relationship
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2018
May review later. Still thinking about this one.
Content Warnings:
Content Warnings:
April 20, 2018
This is the kind of book that's so endearing you end up remembering the good things and forgetting the less-than-perfect bits. Great characters, sweet, soft love story. I just really liked it.
September 14, 2018
A very gentle romance, I really loved it. Particularly as someone from Michigan who lived/worked/went to school in Detroit for several years.
dnf
June 14, 2018No rating -- DNF @ 23%. I couldn't get into the story because it's written in the third-person present. I don't recall that being used in any other book I've read, and it came across the way an eight-year old tells a story about what her friends did at school today, as if the events were happening at the same time as she was stating them. Too distracting.
December 9, 2016
As a reader, there's nothing better than picking up a book by an author who has been on your wish list (for longer than they should have been!) and having that book be everything you wanted. Jude Sierra's, Idlewild, was all that I expected and more. Like most Interlude Press books, the cover grabbed my attention as soon as I saw it then the blurb had me waiting anxiously for the release. I love books set in a place I've never been and when the backdrop is also a restaurant, well, I knew I was in for something special. And boy, I sure got it with this gorgeous, romantic, and gentle book.
Asher Schenck is floundering ... in life and his business. He's still grieving over the death of his partner and husband five years ago and their restaurant, Idlewild, is his last tangible connection the man he loved so passionately. Too bad that passion has withered with his suffocating grief and Idlewild is on the brink of failure. As a last ditch effort, Asher fires his entire staff and starts over from scratch. Enter the charming and enigmatic Tyler Heyward. He's young and beautiful and full of joy and light and he's exactly what Asher needs in order to move forward out of the darkness he's found himself during the past five years. With Tyler's effervescent personality, Asher begins to fall in love with his restaurant again, as well as his city ... and of course with Tyler himself. Watching these two move from boss/employee to best friends to lovers was truly a beautiful thing. Sierra's prose is gorgeous and full of emotion that is so palpable it jumps off the page. There's not a lot of heat going on in Idlewild, instead it's this slowly building thing that is tangible, so much so you can feel the threads connecting these two on a soul deep level. There's sex, and it's hot-- Asher seriously knows his way around in the bedroom--but it's MORE than that. It's about touch and intimacy and connection. Despite the ten year age difference between the much worldlier and experienced Asher and the somewhat naive Tyler, these two men fit together and just work. Of course their relationship is not without it's issues, and both Asher and Tyler have plenty they need to work out for themselves before they can truly commit to one another but Jude Sierra doesn't let our two heroes wallow in their angst for too long. Thank goodness!
I have to say not only is this book about a love affair between two men who are both broken in their own ways, but it's also about Detroit itself. The landmarks and the history of the city play such an important role in Idlewild. The way that both men view their beloved and beleaguered city was something so very refreshing. Sierra's descriptions had me feeling like I was right there with them looking at buildings, smelling food from the food trucks, or seeing people walking through Downtown. I just really dug this book, y'all. It was quiet and full of so many feels. Asher broke my heart and then Tyler, man he had so many layers. There are a few important secondary characters sprinkled throughout the book, but the main focus of Idlewild is on Asher and Tyler, and they more than deserved the spotlight. It's unusual for me not to miss more interaction between characters other than the main ones, but it just shows how brilliant Jude Sierra's storytelling is that I didn't even miss that aspect. I devoured each page of Idlewild and was really quite sad to get to the end. If that's not the mark of a good book, I don't know what is!? Don't miss this one guys, you definitely need this book in your life.
Asher Schenck is floundering ... in life and his business. He's still grieving over the death of his partner and husband five years ago and their restaurant, Idlewild, is his last tangible connection the man he loved so passionately. Too bad that passion has withered with his suffocating grief and Idlewild is on the brink of failure. As a last ditch effort, Asher fires his entire staff and starts over from scratch. Enter the charming and enigmatic Tyler Heyward. He's young and beautiful and full of joy and light and he's exactly what Asher needs in order to move forward out of the darkness he's found himself during the past five years. With Tyler's effervescent personality, Asher begins to fall in love with his restaurant again, as well as his city ... and of course with Tyler himself. Watching these two move from boss/employee to best friends to lovers was truly a beautiful thing. Sierra's prose is gorgeous and full of emotion that is so palpable it jumps off the page. There's not a lot of heat going on in Idlewild, instead it's this slowly building thing that is tangible, so much so you can feel the threads connecting these two on a soul deep level. There's sex, and it's hot-- Asher seriously knows his way around in the bedroom--but it's MORE than that. It's about touch and intimacy and connection. Despite the ten year age difference between the much worldlier and experienced Asher and the somewhat naive Tyler, these two men fit together and just work. Of course their relationship is not without it's issues, and both Asher and Tyler have plenty they need to work out for themselves before they can truly commit to one another but Jude Sierra doesn't let our two heroes wallow in their angst for too long. Thank goodness!
I have to say not only is this book about a love affair between two men who are both broken in their own ways, but it's also about Detroit itself. The landmarks and the history of the city play such an important role in Idlewild. The way that both men view their beloved and beleaguered city was something so very refreshing. Sierra's descriptions had me feeling like I was right there with them looking at buildings, smelling food from the food trucks, or seeing people walking through Downtown. I just really dug this book, y'all. It was quiet and full of so many feels. Asher broke my heart and then Tyler, man he had so many layers. There are a few important secondary characters sprinkled throughout the book, but the main focus of Idlewild is on Asher and Tyler, and they more than deserved the spotlight. It's unusual for me not to miss more interaction between characters other than the main ones, but it just shows how brilliant Jude Sierra's storytelling is that I didn't even miss that aspect. I devoured each page of Idlewild and was really quite sad to get to the end. If that's not the mark of a good book, I don't know what is!? Don't miss this one guys, you definitely need this book in your life.
February 10, 2017
Asher is reopening Idlewild, the restaurant he neglected during the last difficult years, years where after losing his husband, he let himself be swallowed by the grief and overlooked his business. Asher is hiring new people, Tyler is one of waiters. He has decided to take a break from med school and work doing something he actually like. What both of them aren’t expecting is the strong friendship that born between them.
Idlewild by Jude Sierra is a very good story, it packs a lot of feelings, real ones, the emotions come out through the pages so clearly. I liked how it is paced and I adored how I was able to see the love Tyler and Asher had for each other even before they realized it.
This is a book relation focused, there are some second characters, well defined too, but they don’t play huge roles in the plot, the focus remained spotted on the MCs and their initial friendship and it follows them in the discovery of a new unexpected love later. We see them deal with life, with their fears and the happiness found in each other arms.
I liked how John and Malik were presented and often mentioned, as it could have been in real life; because ex boyfriends and dead husbands can’t be forgotten in the span of a moment like too often happens in books, while in RL you hurt, suffer and recover with time and the help of your beloved ones. And I saw exactly this in Idlewild, although maybe Asher isn’t really ready yet to go on, but he’s there, and Tyler is just waiting for him.
The only little negative note I want to make and the reason why I didn’t give the novel the five full stars, is the use of the present tense as verbal form, I’m usually not a fan of it but in this particular case it bothered me quite a lot because it seems it clashed with the writing. I can assure you the book is very well written but to me it wasn’t perfect just for the verbal form.
I feel to recommend Idlewild, especially if you are looking for a real story, with real characters and a real setting. I quite enjoyed it and I’m now interested in reading more by Jude Sierra.
The cover art by CB Messer caught my eyes at first sight, it’s well done and fits the story.
Idlewild by Jude Sierra is a very good story, it packs a lot of feelings, real ones, the emotions come out through the pages so clearly. I liked how it is paced and I adored how I was able to see the love Tyler and Asher had for each other even before they realized it.
This is a book relation focused, there are some second characters, well defined too, but they don’t play huge roles in the plot, the focus remained spotted on the MCs and their initial friendship and it follows them in the discovery of a new unexpected love later. We see them deal with life, with their fears and the happiness found in each other arms.
I liked how John and Malik were presented and often mentioned, as it could have been in real life; because ex boyfriends and dead husbands can’t be forgotten in the span of a moment like too often happens in books, while in RL you hurt, suffer and recover with time and the help of your beloved ones. And I saw exactly this in Idlewild, although maybe Asher isn’t really ready yet to go on, but he’s there, and Tyler is just waiting for him.
The only little negative note I want to make and the reason why I didn’t give the novel the five full stars, is the use of the present tense as verbal form, I’m usually not a fan of it but in this particular case it bothered me quite a lot because it seems it clashed with the writing. I can assure you the book is very well written but to me it wasn’t perfect just for the verbal form.
I feel to recommend Idlewild, especially if you are looking for a real story, with real characters and a real setting. I quite enjoyed it and I’m now interested in reading more by Jude Sierra.
The cover art by CB Messer caught my eyes at first sight, it’s well done and fits the story.
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