Love Rules

Beach Reading #7

by Mark Abramson

BOOK 7 IN THE BEACH READING SERIES

“Always toward absent lovers love’s tide stronger flows,” wrote the Roman poet Sextus Propertius two thousand years ago. Tim Snow is faced with temptation and mystery in the latest volume of Mark Abramson’s Beach Reading series when his boyfriend goes traveling. But is it absence he’s feeling or hormones?

The entire cast of quirky characters is back for Book Seven. Artie’s performing career has him traveling more. Aunt Ruth tries to wean herself from San Francisco into married life in Hillsborough. Tim’s family—both adopted and blood—are beset by drama amid a rash of armed robberies in the neighborhood. There’s a sexy new cop on the Castro beat, and people are getting shot. Nick is in Europe with his grandmother and Tim is left behind to figure out the rules of a 21st century gay relationship. Can—and should—Tim resist Cupid’s arrows for such hotties as the sexy cop or the guy he just met at the bar? And what about the teenage British gymnast he’s met on the Internet who’s asked for an ominous birthday gift? Tim has to decide if honesty is always part of the rules of love.

What’s love got to do with it? Maybe everything.

Genres: LGBT, M M Romance

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 3, 2012

About the author

Mark Abramson was a bartender and producer of events such as "Pier Pressure" and "Men Behind Bars" before writing the "Beach Reading" series set in San Francisco's Castro District. He is also working on a memoir called "Castro Street Diaries." "

Reviews

[Don Bradshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few surprises but mostly a feel good read being back with the family at Arts.

[Gavin Stephenson-Jackman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been quite some time since I read the earlier books in this series and although the characters all came back to me very easily and I enjoyed the story I was still a little disappointed in it too. This final episode just didn't have the same drive of mystery and suspense as the previous books.

[Thomas Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Abramson's BEACH READING series tells the stories and follows the lives of a group of friends, centered around Arts, a fictional restaurant in San Francisco's Castro district. The focus is on Tim Snow, the psychic waiter from Minnesota, and his beloved Aunt Ruth, but as the series has progressed, the lives of the other characters have been fleshed out as well. I have enjoyed each installment, but the latest entry, LOVE RULES, rates as a favorite. LOVE RULES is something of a return to form in that Tim’s psychic abilities, though growing stronger with each successive installment, have always had an ambiguity to them. That all changed with the sixth volume, CALIFORNIA DREAMERS, when a side effect to Tim’s new HIV med was that his psychic abilities grew stronger, allowing him to communicate telepathically and to interact with ghosts. It was a fun installment, giving Abramson new boundaries to the world he’d created, but I was happy to see the ambiguity return in LOVE RULES, grounding the narrative in a familiar reality.

LOVE RULES is less plot-driven than it is character-driven, which is one of its strengths. Tim is in the midst of an extended separation from his longtime boyfriend Nick, who is traveling on a book tour with his mystery writer grandmother. Much of the book deals with Tim negotiating his relationship with Nick during Nick’s absence. And it is not Tim negotiating with Nick so much as it is Tim negotiating with himself, trying to determine his own “love rules,” wrestling with what is allowed and what is desired when it comes to love, sex, and fidelity. Abramson explores Tim’s situation honestly and realistically, so we see the seriousness of honoring an important relationship, but we also see the humor that goes along with the modern world of dating and relationships.

In addition to Tim’s story, we also follow Art co-owner Artie whose revived career as cabaret singer Artie Glamour has been going strong, presenting new problems for him and his partner Arturo. Aunt Ruth is around, though she takes more of a supporting role this volume. On top of that, there is a rash of robberies in the Castro, adding to the mix. It is summer time and LOVE RULES makes for a great beach read.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always with "Beach Reading" novels it was great to meet up with old friends again. I found this one though did not keep my attention as much as the others, it seemed disjointed somehow. I don't think the storyline was as strong as in the previous books and the "mystery" of the armed hold ups was definitely secondary to Tim's angst about whether to get laid or not while Nick was in Europe. Perhaps the hold ups were a distraction from what the book really was about and it did bring up other issues like Britlad being a "Virus chaser" - a totally bizarre reality which is hard to comprehend.
The book however still had its' moments like what happened to Artie in LA and Tim being a modern day Florence Nightingale! Overall not the best book in the series whether it is paving the way for the next book remains to be seen but the characters are so strong I shall definitely be there reading it as soon as it is out.

[GothicGuru · Rating 4 out of 5]

The worst thing about this series is I don't want to wait for the next book. These characters feel like people I should be seeing regularly, having brunch with, going shopping, drinking wine with. I feel homesick when I don't have a new book to read.

[Hans Van veen vermeulen]

It was hard to stop reading because you wanted to know how it would end.
I like the comple series. I am waiting now at the next book "Seersucker"
Hopefully it will be on the shelfs soon

[Eyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the characters, but I had some niggles with this one.

[Jim Calderaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Least liked in series, too predictable and not enough 'mystery'