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Two Tribes
Lambda Literary finalist 2023. Also nominated in five categories in the Goodreads M/M Romance Group Awards 2021-2022 and shortlisted for Best LGBT/Contemporary in the Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewers Choice Awards.
It's 1995, and troubled seventeen-year-old Matt Leeson harbours three passions: indie music, wartime history, and the posh boy he sits next to in maths class. Not in that order. One of those passions is closely guarded, along with a few other secrets Matt tucks away. Such as his abusive father, the cramped run-down flat he calls home, and the futility of his dreams to escape both.
Twenty-five years later, and plodding Dr Alex Valentine, recently divorced, is looking back on a life less lived. On his failed marriage and the dull bore he’s become, on the empty, lonely weekends stretching ahead. And, in a corner of his mind, wondering what could have been, if only a slender, raven-haired young man hadn’t so abruptly vanished all those years ago.
First love. Teenage love. It should be nothing more than an opening chapter, right? A short prologue even, before the real test of adulthood begins.
But what if that chapter never closes?
Trigger warnings: written with a light touch but please be kind to yourselves and observe trigger warnings for: death of a secondary character, depression, domestic abuse (off page), self-harm (off page), attempted suicide (off page)
It's 1995, and troubled seventeen-year-old Matt Leeson harbours three passions: indie music, wartime history, and the posh boy he sits next to in maths class. Not in that order. One of those passions is closely guarded, along with a few other secrets Matt tucks away. Such as his abusive father, the cramped run-down flat he calls home, and the futility of his dreams to escape both.
Twenty-five years later, and plodding Dr Alex Valentine, recently divorced, is looking back on a life less lived. On his failed marriage and the dull bore he’s become, on the empty, lonely weekends stretching ahead. And, in a corner of his mind, wondering what could have been, if only a slender, raven-haired young man hadn’t so abruptly vanished all those years ago.
First love. Teenage love. It should be nothing more than an opening chapter, right? A short prologue even, before the real test of adulthood begins.
But what if that chapter never closes?
Trigger warnings: written with a light touch but please be kind to yourselves and observe trigger warnings for: death of a secondary character, depression, domestic abuse (off page), self-harm (off page), attempted suicide (off page)
328 pages, ebook
First published August 5, 2022
73 people are currently reading
999 people want to read
About the author
Fearne Hill
28 books349 followersFearne Hill resides far from the madding crowds in the county of Dorset, deep in the British countryside. She likes it that way.
Her novel, Oyster, is a 2025 Lambda Literary Award winner. Two Tribes is a 2023 Lambda Literary Award finalist..
Her popular Rossingley series was nominated in nine separate categories of the 2021 Goodreads M/M Romance awards and received an Honourable Mention in the 2021 Rainbow Awards.
Be sure to follow her on Bookbub for the latest sales and releases! https://www.bookbub.com/profile/fearn...
Join her Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/11724...
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fearnehill_...
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/FearneHill
She also writes very brief and not especially insightful book reviews here on GR...
Finally, she also writes straight contemporary romance under the pseudonym Coco Chambers.
Her novel, Oyster, is a 2025 Lambda Literary Award winner. Two Tribes is a 2023 Lambda Literary Award finalist..
Her popular Rossingley series was nominated in nine separate categories of the 2021 Goodreads M/M Romance awards and received an Honourable Mention in the 2021 Rainbow Awards.
Be sure to follow her on Bookbub for the latest sales and releases! https://www.bookbub.com/profile/fearn...
Join her Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/11724...
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fearnehill_...
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/FearneHill
She also writes very brief and not especially insightful book reviews here on GR...
Finally, she also writes straight contemporary romance under the pseudonym Coco Chambers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews
September 28, 2022
A beautiful and tender love story that spans over almost three decades. Not a perfect 5 stars read. But I loved it so so much. Made me laugh. Broke my heart. Had me sobbing like a baby.
"Two tribes" is a coming of age story. A first love, second chance romance. Emotional and immersive, this book packs a heavy punch. It explores lots of sensitive topics. I wouldn't say all of those matters were handled well but I still loved how impactful and epic this love story was. Our main characters are Matt and Alex – one from the wrong side of the tracks, the other from the aspirational upper-middle classes. Their paths weren't supposed to cross. But somehow they form a very tender friendship, then comes longing and first-time fumbling and hormones and feelings-too-big-for-their-bodies and finally they fall in Love. Then they get estranged and reunite after 25 years! Their journey was so beautiful. I loved these characters. Specially, Matt. I found Alex annoying and frustating at times. He had internalized homophobia for the better part of the book. It totally ruined his character for me. However, everything turned out well by the end of the book. At least he never treated Matt poorly or made any offensive comment. So, I'm not complaining...much
Fearne Hill's prose is absolutely amazing. It grabs you by the heartstrings and lures you in. It fellt so vivid and emotional. I loved it. I really really enjoyed "Two tribes" overall. But it felt to me that the pacing wasn't smooth. I loved the first half. But the second half was quite underwhelming. It lefts a lot to be desired. I wanted more...I don't know exactly what I wanted from it. Only that it didn't leave me fully satisfied. So, 4 stars...
"Two tribes" is a coming of age story. A first love, second chance romance. Emotional and immersive, this book packs a heavy punch. It explores lots of sensitive topics. I wouldn't say all of those matters were handled well but I still loved how impactful and epic this love story was. Our main characters are Matt and Alex – one from the wrong side of the tracks, the other from the aspirational upper-middle classes. Their paths weren't supposed to cross. But somehow they form a very tender friendship, then comes longing and first-time fumbling and hormones and feelings-too-big-for-their-bodies and finally they fall in Love. Then they get estranged and reunite after 25 years! Their journey was so beautiful. I loved these characters. Specially, Matt. I found Alex annoying and frustating at times. He had internalized homophobia for the better part of the book. It totally ruined his character for me. However, everything turned out well by the end of the book. At least he never treated Matt poorly or made any offensive comment. So, I'm not complaining...much
Fearne Hill's prose is absolutely amazing. It grabs you by the heartstrings and lures you in. It fellt so vivid and emotional. I loved it. I really really enjoyed "Two tribes" overall. But it felt to me that the pacing wasn't smooth. I loved the first half. But the second half was quite underwhelming. It lefts a lot to be desired. I wanted more...I don't know exactly what I wanted from it. Only that it didn't leave me fully satisfied. So, 4 stars...
August 20, 2022
This book was amazing.
It's one of those "angst city until the very end" type of stories and I'm cool with that. After our boys go through an immeasurable amount of pain and angst, they finally, finally, get their happy ending and it felt so earned, so worth all the pain from before.
This is one of those stories that is wonderfully written. I could just feel how real Matt and Alex were. They were so so human, and I felt their pains and sadness and their happiness alongside them.
These two meet the last half of their last year of high school (or six form as the Brits call it), and it's from Matt's POV. He's 17 to Alex's 18, and after they have detention together, they befriend each other.
Only Matt comes from a toucher home life than Alex. He has an abusive father and a neglectful mother as a result of her being abused too, and they're poor, and Matt doesn't want Alex to know anything about his home life and where he comes from, even when Alex starts driving him home, he has him drop him off at least a half mile away from his home so Alex won't see it.
Alex comes from a solidly middle class family, with two great parents who actually love each other and care about their son.
Matt and Alex fall hopelessly in love with each other. Matt knows he's gay, but Alex is bisexual but doesn't even understand that someone can be bisexual. Before Matt, Alex thought he was straight because he genuinely liked girls.
So while Matt is dealing with all his shit, Alex is dealing with that.
And Alex is genuinely the kindest, sweetest guy and of course Matt falls for him. The part of them falling in love worked so well and flowed so seamlessly that it was so very believable when they told each other they loved the other. It was so wonderfully, perfectly done.
But of course, these are two 18 year olds, and 9/10....young love doesn't quite work out. Because eventually Alex is made aware of Matt's poorer living conditions (but not everything) and that he isn't going to college like Alex is.
They try to make it a little longer, into the start of Alex's first year at Uni - or the summer before he started, I can't be sure on the timeline of that part - but after one visit, things don't go well.
They might have made it, but then one of the secondary characters - who were also written so well in this, every one of them - who is Matt's best friend, and Alex is so busy at his new college life that he isn't there to pick up (this is in the 90's too, so no cellphones. Man, cellphones did do a lot for keeping better in touch with people, man) and Matt tries several times.
But then Matt is in his own personal hell and has been through so much, and he just...kind of disappears.
Then we get a timeline of ten years later, and we see that these two have been apart for so long. But Alex tried to find Matt for weeks after he disappeared, Matt found out about it too from Phil, his friend, but continued to stay disappeared to Alex.
The 2005 chapters of this were probably the hardest to read, for me, because not only are they apart the whole time and in such bad places and everything sucks, but near the end
That was frustrating, their missed opportunities at both times. But in the end I couldn't be too mad at it, because in a way it was good they didn't meet then.
Matt is in such a bad place emotionally and mentally, and we get a clear picture of his state of mind in the 2005 time. Alex also has his own problems, as he has a wife, but it's going bad, but then at the very end we learn she is pregnant, so he stays with her. If Matt and Alex had met again at that time, who knows if they would have been ready for each other then either.
Because 16 years later after that, that's when these men, who have never been able to really let go of the other, over a 26 year period, meet once again.
In their early, almost mid-40's, things are different this time.
Matt is better than he was, although things still aren't amazing for him. But he's more settled this time in his ways, and has a better handle of his mental problems than he did before. Not amazing or anything, but better.
Alex has a 16 year old kid, but also he's divorced (and free) from his now ex-wife, and is kind of in a rut, and fairly lonely.
His ex-wife has a new asshole husband, and his kid, Ryan, stays over with them primarily and comes to stay with Alex on the weekend sometimes.
Then while Alex, who is now a seasoned doctor, gets a new patient in surgery who was beat up, he later learns that patients is Matt, his first and only love, the boy he never forgot. Who is not a lot older as well and pretty surly but shows hints of the boy he once knew.
Old habits die hard with Matt, who takes off, but Alex doesn't want to lose him again, and he jumps at the change to find his address - through actual legal means of the hospital - and find Matt again.
From there they form a friendship again, and slowly work their way into more. These two broken men, who have taken a beating by life itself, find their happiness in each other again.
It's of course not the be all, end all, but it's so very precious and important. We see that near the end when Matt goes into a depressive episode, even with being so happy with Alex, and Alex is just...there for him, in the best way possible, and is so so supportive and waiting on the other side for when Matt gets better.
Maybe Alex and Matt wouldn't have been mature enough to handle Matt's bouts with the depression - they sure wouldn't have been able to get through Matt , so even though what happens with them as teens is heartbreaking and I wish they didn't lost 25 years with each other, in a way what happened led to them being able to be mature enough to handle a real relationship, with all the ups and downs, where they might not have been able to before.
It sucks, but it's also pretty amazing where these two end up. It's a hard, shitty journey to that coveted HEA, but these two get there, and it's beautiful and amazing and everything.
Seeing them fall in love - or back into love - all over again as adults was so amazing. And I just love love loved how close Matt got with Ryan, and how Matt's presence helped Alex gain back some closeness with his son as well.
It felt so natural for these two to fall back into being head over heels for each other. Even though there was decades between them seeing each other, and knowing each other, it didn't matter. They're the loves of each other's lives, and we see that with how just deeply in love they are, in the good times and the bad.
Even if they hadn't been mature enough to handle their relationship when they were younger, the love was always there. We see that as the years go by in this book, how even if things were messed up for them, they still loved the other. They both saw each other in others, in partners or potential partners they had. They still thought about each other on the regular.
Alex even thinks about how Matt "ruined him for everyone else" and that kind of shit just makes me swoon.
Part of me wishes the sex scenes had been more drawn out and less skipped over, but also a part of me just loved this so much, loved seeing these two together and happy, that I didn't mind it so much. The love, the chemistry, the passion, was palpable between these two, even without a full length sex scene. (Wouldn't have hurt to have it ;) But it's okay, I can get over it haha). I was really just so happy that they were so happy, once again.
These two have a hard, angst-filled journey to their much deserved HEA, but once they get there, it's amazing and heartwarming and it just made me melt and sigh happily at their love. Oh was that sucky angst worth it in the end. So worth it for these two to get their well deserved HEA.
I highly, HIGHLY recommend this. It's just absolutely amazingly done. And yes, I'm going to definitely be reading more from this amazing author.
What a story for me to start out on a new author with. Just absolutely amazing. Can't wait to read more! 😍🥰😘
It's one of those "angst city until the very end" type of stories and I'm cool with that. After our boys go through an immeasurable amount of pain and angst, they finally, finally, get their happy ending and it felt so earned, so worth all the pain from before.
This is one of those stories that is wonderfully written. I could just feel how real Matt and Alex were. They were so so human, and I felt their pains and sadness and their happiness alongside them.
These two meet the last half of their last year of high school (or six form as the Brits call it), and it's from Matt's POV. He's 17 to Alex's 18, and after they have detention together, they befriend each other.
Only Matt comes from a toucher home life than Alex. He has an abusive father and a neglectful mother as a result of her being abused too, and they're poor, and Matt doesn't want Alex to know anything about his home life and where he comes from, even when Alex starts driving him home, he has him drop him off at least a half mile away from his home so Alex won't see it.
Alex comes from a solidly middle class family, with two great parents who actually love each other and care about their son.
Matt and Alex fall hopelessly in love with each other. Matt knows he's gay, but Alex is bisexual but doesn't even understand that someone can be bisexual. Before Matt, Alex thought he was straight because he genuinely liked girls.
So while Matt is dealing with all his shit, Alex is dealing with that.
And Alex is genuinely the kindest, sweetest guy and of course Matt falls for him. The part of them falling in love worked so well and flowed so seamlessly that it was so very believable when they told each other they loved the other. It was so wonderfully, perfectly done.
But of course, these are two 18 year olds, and 9/10....young love doesn't quite work out. Because eventually Alex is made aware of Matt's poorer living conditions (but not everything) and that he isn't going to college like Alex is.
They try to make it a little longer, into the start of Alex's first year at Uni - or the summer before he started, I can't be sure on the timeline of that part - but after one visit, things don't go well.
They might have made it, but then one of the secondary characters - who were also written so well in this, every one of them - who is Matt's best friend, and Alex is so busy at his new college life that he isn't there to pick up (this is in the 90's too, so no cellphones. Man, cellphones did do a lot for keeping better in touch with people, man) and Matt tries several times.
But then Matt is in his own personal hell and has been through so much, and he just...kind of disappears.
Then we get a timeline of ten years later, and we see that these two have been apart for so long. But Alex tried to find Matt for weeks after he disappeared, Matt found out about it too from Phil, his friend, but continued to stay disappeared to Alex.
The 2005 chapters of this were probably the hardest to read, for me, because not only are they apart the whole time and in such bad places and everything sucks, but near the end
That was frustrating, their missed opportunities at both times. But in the end I couldn't be too mad at it, because in a way it was good they didn't meet then.
Matt is in such a bad place emotionally and mentally, and we get a clear picture of his state of mind in the 2005 time. Alex also has his own problems, as he has a wife, but it's going bad, but then at the very end we learn she is pregnant, so he stays with her. If Matt and Alex had met again at that time, who knows if they would have been ready for each other then either.
Because 16 years later after that, that's when these men, who have never been able to really let go of the other, over a 26 year period, meet once again.
In their early, almost mid-40's, things are different this time.
Matt is better than he was, although things still aren't amazing for him. But he's more settled this time in his ways, and has a better handle of his mental problems than he did before. Not amazing or anything, but better.
Alex has a 16 year old kid, but also he's divorced (and free) from his now ex-wife, and is kind of in a rut, and fairly lonely.
His ex-wife has a new asshole husband, and his kid, Ryan, stays over with them primarily and comes to stay with Alex on the weekend sometimes.
Then while Alex, who is now a seasoned doctor, gets a new patient in surgery who was beat up, he later learns that patients is Matt, his first and only love, the boy he never forgot. Who is not a lot older as well and pretty surly but shows hints of the boy he once knew.
Old habits die hard with Matt, who takes off, but Alex doesn't want to lose him again, and he jumps at the change to find his address - through actual legal means of the hospital - and find Matt again.
From there they form a friendship again, and slowly work their way into more. These two broken men, who have taken a beating by life itself, find their happiness in each other again.
It's of course not the be all, end all, but it's so very precious and important. We see that near the end when Matt goes into a depressive episode, even with being so happy with Alex, and Alex is just...there for him, in the best way possible, and is so so supportive and waiting on the other side for when Matt gets better.
Maybe Alex and Matt wouldn't have been mature enough to handle Matt's bouts with the depression - they sure wouldn't have been able to get through Matt , so even though what happens with them as teens is heartbreaking and I wish they didn't lost 25 years with each other, in a way what happened led to them being able to be mature enough to handle a real relationship, with all the ups and downs, where they might not have been able to before.
It sucks, but it's also pretty amazing where these two end up. It's a hard, shitty journey to that coveted HEA, but these two get there, and it's beautiful and amazing and everything.
Seeing them fall in love - or back into love - all over again as adults was so amazing. And I just love love loved how close Matt got with Ryan, and how Matt's presence helped Alex gain back some closeness with his son as well.
It felt so natural for these two to fall back into being head over heels for each other. Even though there was decades between them seeing each other, and knowing each other, it didn't matter. They're the loves of each other's lives, and we see that with how just deeply in love they are, in the good times and the bad.
Even if they hadn't been mature enough to handle their relationship when they were younger, the love was always there. We see that as the years go by in this book, how even if things were messed up for them, they still loved the other. They both saw each other in others, in partners or potential partners they had. They still thought about each other on the regular.
Alex even thinks about how Matt "ruined him for everyone else" and that kind of shit just makes me swoon.
Part of me wishes the sex scenes had been more drawn out and less skipped over, but also a part of me just loved this so much, loved seeing these two together and happy, that I didn't mind it so much. The love, the chemistry, the passion, was palpable between these two, even without a full length sex scene. (Wouldn't have hurt to have it ;) But it's okay, I can get over it haha). I was really just so happy that they were so happy, once again.
These two have a hard, angst-filled journey to their much deserved HEA, but once they get there, it's amazing and heartwarming and it just made me melt and sigh happily at their love. Oh was that sucky angst worth it in the end. So worth it for these two to get their well deserved HEA.
I highly, HIGHLY recommend this. It's just absolutely amazingly done. And yes, I'm going to definitely be reading more from this amazing author.
What a story for me to start out on a new author with. Just absolutely amazing. Can't wait to read more! 😍🥰😘
June 1, 2023
✰ 4 stars ✰
“If I could turn the clock back, my love, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
It was a strange coincidence that I stumbled across Two Tribes - stranger coincidence even more so, that I was just about to read Fearne Hill's latest release, as well. But, to find out that it had been selected as a contender for the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Romance intrigued me and convinced me that I should take a shot at it.
Fearne Hill's writing immediately takes you right to heart of early 90s vibes in England. The odes to the music, the lifestyle, the drive of living of that time resonated so well from the pages that it felt like I had been transported back to that time. ☺️ I loved how Matt and Alex met - I enjoyed how they got to spend time together - the little moments shared in the car - the math tutorials - the love of new music 0 the acceptance into Alex's family - the fear of judgment Matt held in view of his own family life.
Their quick-timed banter and easy steady flow in which Alex embraced Matt into his life - accepting him as a friend, despite their difference in the worlds they live left me with such a smile on my face. 😊 I loved being inside Matt's mind - troubled gay teen he may be, but he has such a big heart, an absolute sweetheart- showing kindness and care to the people that matter most to him in his own special way. He deserved all the hugs in the world - all the love that he so desperately needed. 🥺
“You can borrow this CD if you like. Don’t fucking scratch it, though.”
“I’ll treasure it under my pillow,” the sarcastic bugger replied. “A thoughtful gift from Matt Leeson, school hard guy with a secret soft centre.”
That smile again, innocent, and friendly. Stupidly, I found myself blushing. “Don’t fucking tell anyone.”
Maybe I just gravitate to that feeling of first love and young love, because, when the angst hit, my heart just broke for both of them. Matt was already so hopelessly smitten with Alex, but he knew that Alex wasn't gay - knew that there was no hope for them. He contended himself with accepting that - dividing his time between the two friends that meant the world to him and trying to bring Alex out of the shell he had built around himself. 💔💔 But, when that bridge was crossed - of knowing that there was a possibility that they could be something more - that things could change - and still have that crushed - it always breaks my heart. Because the journey up that roller coaster of feels is so long and hard - and when it plummets down, you know it's going to hurt - and hurt it did. 🥲
“I want to kiss you again,” he blurted. His eyes were shiny with unshed tears, his voice choked with horror. “That’s why I’ve been staying away from you. Christ, Matt. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I want to kiss you again.”
This is the story of first love and a second chance at love - and when we have a time jump that spans nearly ten years into their relationship, I was set for perhaps, some closure during those moments that could bring something more constructive to their relationship - but it didn't happen strongly enough for me. Again, maybe I'm in the minority, but I just wish that the time jump had not been so great like twenty years?
Without meeting - living their respective lives, perhaps clinging on to the notion that there's a future for the both of them and then to finally end up together - I didn't feel that it was addressed or developed enough in the story. It was a little too unlikely for me to believe - even harder for me to be convinced that Matt and Alex could so easily fall back into each other. If the time lapse had not been so vast - heck, even ten years would have made sense, but just this much made it less enjoyable for me. 😢
The first part I adored - I cherished the angst - I lived their feelings and I felt their lingering pain. But, the other two parts - the whole time jump - and all the emotions that came along with it - the steady fall back into each other - the too-long separation - I just could not vibe with it. 😐 I really tried - maybe, it could have been better if there could have still been a dual POV to the time jump. I mean, Matt has suffered a lot - you know from the past he has - and we never get to see how he felt about their reunion. That to me could have really benefited the story - added more substance to their meeting again - well, that's just my opinion. 😔
Despite my own personal grievances, Fearne HIll wrote a heart-wrenching beautiful story that captured what it means to love someone and then lose them from your life, only to find them again - no matter how long in time you have the chance to have them again in your life. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
“If I could turn the clock back, my love, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
It was a strange coincidence that I stumbled across Two Tribes - stranger coincidence even more so, that I was just about to read Fearne Hill's latest release, as well. But, to find out that it had been selected as a contender for the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Romance intrigued me and convinced me that I should take a shot at it.
Fearne Hill's writing immediately takes you right to heart of early 90s vibes in England. The odes to the music, the lifestyle, the drive of living of that time resonated so well from the pages that it felt like I had been transported back to that time. ☺️ I loved how Matt and Alex met - I enjoyed how they got to spend time together - the little moments shared in the car - the math tutorials - the love of new music 0 the acceptance into Alex's family - the fear of judgment Matt held in view of his own family life.
Their quick-timed banter and easy steady flow in which Alex embraced Matt into his life - accepting him as a friend, despite their difference in the worlds they live left me with such a smile on my face. 😊 I loved being inside Matt's mind - troubled gay teen he may be, but he has such a big heart, an absolute sweetheart- showing kindness and care to the people that matter most to him in his own special way. He deserved all the hugs in the world - all the love that he so desperately needed. 🥺
“You can borrow this CD if you like. Don’t fucking scratch it, though.”
“I’ll treasure it under my pillow,” the sarcastic bugger replied. “A thoughtful gift from Matt Leeson, school hard guy with a secret soft centre.”
That smile again, innocent, and friendly. Stupidly, I found myself blushing. “Don’t fucking tell anyone.”
Maybe I just gravitate to that feeling of first love and young love, because, when the angst hit, my heart just broke for both of them. Matt was already so hopelessly smitten with Alex, but he knew that Alex wasn't gay - knew that there was no hope for them. He contended himself with accepting that - dividing his time between the two friends that meant the world to him and trying to bring Alex out of the shell he had built around himself. 💔💔 But, when that bridge was crossed - of knowing that there was a possibility that they could be something more - that things could change - and still have that crushed - it always breaks my heart. Because the journey up that roller coaster of feels is so long and hard - and when it plummets down, you know it's going to hurt - and hurt it did. 🥲
“I want to kiss you again,” he blurted. His eyes were shiny with unshed tears, his voice choked with horror. “That’s why I’ve been staying away from you. Christ, Matt. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I want to kiss you again.”
This is the story of first love and a second chance at love - and when we have a time jump that spans nearly ten years into their relationship, I was set for perhaps, some closure during those moments that could bring something more constructive to their relationship - but it didn't happen strongly enough for me. Again, maybe I'm in the minority, but I just wish that the time jump had not been so great like twenty years?
Without meeting - living their respective lives, perhaps clinging on to the notion that there's a future for the both of them and then to finally end up together - I didn't feel that it was addressed or developed enough in the story. It was a little too unlikely for me to believe - even harder for me to be convinced that Matt and Alex could so easily fall back into each other. If the time lapse had not been so vast - heck, even ten years would have made sense, but just this much made it less enjoyable for me. 😢
The first part I adored - I cherished the angst - I lived their feelings and I felt their lingering pain. But, the other two parts - the whole time jump - and all the emotions that came along with it - the steady fall back into each other - the too-long separation - I just could not vibe with it. 😐 I really tried - maybe, it could have been better if there could have still been a dual POV to the time jump. I mean, Matt has suffered a lot - you know from the past he has - and we never get to see how he felt about their reunion. That to me could have really benefited the story - added more substance to their meeting again - well, that's just my opinion. 😔
Despite my own personal grievances, Fearne HIll wrote a heart-wrenching beautiful story that captured what it means to love someone and then lose them from your life, only to find them again - no matter how long in time you have the chance to have them again in your life. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
September 4, 2022
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.***
Two Tribes is a love story between two classmates that spans over 25 years. This story is a great combination of first love alongside second chances. Matt and Alex have an instant connection as school mates, but due to unforeseen complications outside their control, they are separated for more than two decades.
Their separation does not reduce their love, passion, and devotion to one another and fate brings both back together, making for such a heartwarming reunion that shows true love cannot be stopped.
Matt and Alex have such genuine feelings for one another, making for such a sweet story that I loved how hard-earned their HEA was.
Two Tribes is a love story between two classmates that spans over 25 years. This story is a great combination of first love alongside second chances. Matt and Alex have an instant connection as school mates, but due to unforeseen complications outside their control, they are separated for more than two decades.
Their separation does not reduce their love, passion, and devotion to one another and fate brings both back together, making for such a heartwarming reunion that shows true love cannot be stopped.
Matt and Alex have such genuine feelings for one another, making for such a sweet story that I loved how hard-earned their HEA was.
August 6, 2022
A very very enjoyable read and although the story deals with heavy issues and one would think it might be angsty and heavy it’s not. The book has a lightness that keeps it from being overwhelming but that is exactly what hasn’t worked for me. I think I needed a bit more angst or maybe I wanted it to be a bit longer ; I feel like I haven’t had enough of them as adults. I’d say that the first half of the book , the YA one , was a bit too long but it actually wasn’t..it was just right , so I concluded that the second part was the problem,it was too short for my liking. I wanted to know more about Matt , I haven’t got enough of him and he was such an interesting character,I just loved him . More..I wanted more of them. The writing is exquisite, as always and I can always count on this author to deliver something good, with interesting and unique characters.
February 25, 2023
How I wish I could bottle the feeling of reading a book that just works for you. That grabs you by the heartstrings and puts you through all the emotions. That makes you nostalgic for a time in your own life, while also feeling fresh and new and exciting. That absorbs your attention and energy so thoroughly you cannot bear to put it down. That you want to return to again, like home.
This is a first love, second chance romance, but it is so much more. It is the moving, funny, heartwrenching story of two boys – one from the wrong side of the tracks, one from the aspirational upper-middle classes, both of whose paths are already carved in stone – who fall head-first into friendship and longing and first-time fumbling and hormones and feelings-too-big-for-their-bodies and most of all, love. And the hopeful, heartfelt trueness of two men who find each other again, with compassion and fear and acceptance and vulnerability and trust and a magnetic physical and emotional connection. It is immersed in music – music that defined my own youth, the soundtrack of my own dreams and fumbling and longing and hormones and feelings-too-big-for-my-body – and evokes the old rituals of mixtapes and bootlegs and concerts in sketchy venues where you feel nothing other than young and alive and connected and free.
Matt – smart, biting, gay, brave, chameleon, survivor – narrates part 1, when he and Alex form the most unlikely of schoolboy friendships that develops into a secret passion and consuming love. His voice is incredible (although speckled with some offensive language typical of the ‘90s, including use of the r-word). We are immediately sucked into his world and his situation: his horrible home life; his resignation that – despite his obvious cleverness – going to university is impossible; his acceptance of his sexuality, at the same time that he hides it assiduously and worries it consigns him to either a lifetime of loneliness or an early death; his friends-slash-brothers, Phil and Brennan; his playfully antagonistic relationship with the one adult who believes in him, history teacher Mr. Cartwright; and of course, his intense crush on rugby-playing, assumes-he’s-straight, people-pleasing good-boy Alex, whose life and family Matt observes with a mixture of envy and detached anthropological fascination. This section is magical. It is dreamlike. It is crushing. Obviously, you know from the blurb that things go horribly wrong; but even so, my heart pounded and my breath caught in my throat as I hurtled through the chapters, relishing all the emotions and confusion of first love and feeling absolutely devastated when it all unravels. (The author provides a list of CWs at the beginning.)
Part two, ten years later, alternates POVs between Matt and Alex. It finds both men in a hard place. Alex, the successful one, the solid one, the one who is doing exactly as he was supposed to, is materially and professionally comfortable but emotionally a wreck -- isolated, closed off, and miserable. And Matt, our secretly sweet, sensitive survivor, who wears his struggles on his skin (CW for suicide attempt, off-page but immediate aftermath). But even amidst the darkness, there is light: Mr. Cartwright and his partner, Eric, who have become friends and surrogate fathers for Matt; and Phil, true blue, who never turns his back on his childhood mate. Matt is suffering, but he is not alone. And both he and Alex are, in their own ways, stuck.
And then, part 3, where we move fully into Alex’s POV. This is definitely a big tonal shift, as it must be: a newly divorced, professional man in his 40s who is co-parenting a teenager should not read the same as a sarcastic, clever schoolboy. So it’s an ask for the reader, but it’s so deftly done. For all his maturity, affluence, comfortable suburban habits, dad jokes, and middle-aged worries, Alex is also feeling the excitement and butterflies and passion and insecurities of first love, rediscovered. He and Matt are navigating a minefield of their own fears and desires and expectations and traumas and hopes, complicated by teenaged sons and ex-wives and elderly parents who have their own lives and dramas. This section is quieter, but just as moving as the intense, propulsive part 1. If part 1 is about falling, part 3 is about choosing: above all, choosing happiness, deliberately, openly, without shame or hiding. It feels true. It is wonderful.
The only thing I can wag a finger at is that there were some typos and formatting issues, especially in part 3. Nothing too dramatic or extensive (although there was one segue that should have had a section break but didn’t, which made me do a double take), but enough to be noticeable. But I loved this book so much that I can’t bring myself to knock down the rating for it.
And of course, hanging like a dark cloud over this book that opens with an author’s note referencing Section 28, which banned schools in England and Wales from referencing or “promoting” homosexuality, is the fact that it feels like we’re going backwards in many ways. As much as the ‘90s setting feels like a time capsule – the early-internet era really is the same, but different – there is a sense of melancholic “all that’s old is new again” here, and not in a good way.
But I don’t wish to end this review on a sad note. So instead, I’ll end at the ending: the epilogue. Oh, words cannot express. Because we all know that HEA does not mean happily ever always. We all know that love is not a magic fix; it does not erase or remove our struggles. But we all hope that it means that when things get bad, when the unfixable sinks its claws into you, you have someone to help you and hold you and say, “hang on, hang on, I’ve got you.”
Tears, yes, but smiles too. Does it get any better?
This book sparkles. It shines. I loved it.
______________________________________
Immediate reaction after reading
I LOVED THIS SO MUCH MY GOD EVERYONE PLEASE READ IT SO WE CAN UNGRAMMATICALLY CAPS-LOCKS SQUEE TOGETHER!!!!!!
rtc
😭💔🥵😍💜💜💜
This is a first love, second chance romance, but it is so much more. It is the moving, funny, heartwrenching story of two boys – one from the wrong side of the tracks, one from the aspirational upper-middle classes, both of whose paths are already carved in stone – who fall head-first into friendship and longing and first-time fumbling and hormones and feelings-too-big-for-their-bodies and most of all, love. And the hopeful, heartfelt trueness of two men who find each other again, with compassion and fear and acceptance and vulnerability and trust and a magnetic physical and emotional connection. It is immersed in music – music that defined my own youth, the soundtrack of my own dreams and fumbling and longing and hormones and feelings-too-big-for-my-body – and evokes the old rituals of mixtapes and bootlegs and concerts in sketchy venues where you feel nothing other than young and alive and connected and free.
Matt – smart, biting, gay, brave, chameleon, survivor – narrates part 1, when he and Alex form the most unlikely of schoolboy friendships that develops into a secret passion and consuming love. His voice is incredible (although speckled with some offensive language typical of the ‘90s, including use of the r-word). We are immediately sucked into his world and his situation: his horrible home life; his resignation that – despite his obvious cleverness – going to university is impossible; his acceptance of his sexuality, at the same time that he hides it assiduously and worries it consigns him to either a lifetime of loneliness or an early death; his friends-slash-brothers, Phil and Brennan; his playfully antagonistic relationship with the one adult who believes in him, history teacher Mr. Cartwright; and of course, his intense crush on rugby-playing, assumes-he’s-straight, people-pleasing good-boy Alex, whose life and family Matt observes with a mixture of envy and detached anthropological fascination. This section is magical. It is dreamlike. It is crushing. Obviously, you know from the blurb that things go horribly wrong; but even so, my heart pounded and my breath caught in my throat as I hurtled through the chapters, relishing all the emotions and confusion of first love and feeling absolutely devastated when it all unravels. (The author provides a list of CWs at the beginning.)
Part two, ten years later, alternates POVs between Matt and Alex. It finds both men in a hard place. Alex, the successful one, the solid one, the one who is doing exactly as he was supposed to, is materially and professionally comfortable but emotionally a wreck -- isolated, closed off, and miserable. And Matt, our secretly sweet, sensitive survivor, who wears his struggles on his skin (CW for suicide attempt, off-page but immediate aftermath). But even amidst the darkness, there is light: Mr. Cartwright and his partner, Eric, who have become friends and surrogate fathers for Matt; and Phil, true blue, who never turns his back on his childhood mate. Matt is suffering, but he is not alone. And both he and Alex are, in their own ways, stuck.
And then, part 3, where we move fully into Alex’s POV. This is definitely a big tonal shift, as it must be: a newly divorced, professional man in his 40s who is co-parenting a teenager should not read the same as a sarcastic, clever schoolboy. So it’s an ask for the reader, but it’s so deftly done. For all his maturity, affluence, comfortable suburban habits, dad jokes, and middle-aged worries, Alex is also feeling the excitement and butterflies and passion and insecurities of first love, rediscovered. He and Matt are navigating a minefield of their own fears and desires and expectations and traumas and hopes, complicated by teenaged sons and ex-wives and elderly parents who have their own lives and dramas. This section is quieter, but just as moving as the intense, propulsive part 1. If part 1 is about falling, part 3 is about choosing: above all, choosing happiness, deliberately, openly, without shame or hiding. It feels true. It is wonderful.
The only thing I can wag a finger at is that there were some typos and formatting issues, especially in part 3. Nothing too dramatic or extensive (although there was one segue that should have had a section break but didn’t, which made me do a double take), but enough to be noticeable. But I loved this book so much that I can’t bring myself to knock down the rating for it.
And of course, hanging like a dark cloud over this book that opens with an author’s note referencing Section 28, which banned schools in England and Wales from referencing or “promoting” homosexuality, is the fact that it feels like we’re going backwards in many ways. As much as the ‘90s setting feels like a time capsule – the early-internet era really is the same, but different – there is a sense of melancholic “all that’s old is new again” here, and not in a good way.
But I don’t wish to end this review on a sad note. So instead, I’ll end at the ending: the epilogue. Oh, words cannot express. Because we all know that HEA does not mean happily ever always. We all know that love is not a magic fix; it does not erase or remove our struggles. But we all hope that it means that when things get bad, when the unfixable sinks its claws into you, you have someone to help you and hold you and say, “hang on, hang on, I’ve got you.”
Tears, yes, but smiles too. Does it get any better?
This book sparkles. It shines. I loved it.
______________________________________
Immediate reaction after reading
I LOVED THIS SO MUCH MY GOD EVERYONE PLEASE READ IT SO WE CAN UNGRAMMATICALLY CAPS-LOCKS SQUEE TOGETHER!!!!!!
rtc
😭💔🥵😍💜💜💜
August 5, 2022
Wow, wow, and wow. The word ‘impressive’ doesn’t even cover the beauty of this story.
Even written with a light touch, this isn’t a light-hearted story, it’s harsh, awfully realistic, and at times right down painful, but there’s also an unquenchable light flickering, unconditional love and support.
I’m not sure how to review this, it’s an amazingly impressive story. My heart almost didn’t survive.
The story starts in 1995, we can follow Matt at seventeen, intelligent, secretly gay, with an awful home base, which certainly Alex can’t know about.
Matt and Alex are so different, where Alex has a warm, solid home, Matt gets laughed at for wanting to attend university, with an abusive dad like Matt’s. No fucking way!
Matt is hot for Alex and hates him for all the shine his upper-class life has.
Matt is a pretender, lying about a lot of things, the university he’ll never attend, his parents, his future.
Alex is head over heels (in his words ‘fallen arse over tit’) for Matt.
No one can know Matt likes boys more than girls. His mates would abandon him, his dad would kill him. There’s only Alex, sweet brave Alex, secretly they are together.
After a horrible night, depressed Matt vanished, leaving a confused and devastated Alex behind.
After we meet them in 1995 at seventeen, there’s a jump 10 years ahead. Did I say it was a harsh read?
After that, another jump, in the here and now, altogether twenty-five years later from where we started. Unexpectedly the two beautiful, scarred souls meet again, and feelings never faded. From this point, there’s the past, the present, and the future to look at.
“my mature, forty-plus-year-old heart skipped a rather immature beat”
It felt all so authentic, every timeframe had its charm, its music, pain and hopes. It was such a compelling story, stunningly written and impressively constructed.
I would love to peek into the author’s notes and timelines. I’m in awe of how she managed to create such an amazing emotional journey of twenty-five years. Thank goodness for the hea or else I’d thrown my iPad out of the window.
ALL the shining stars for this one. Right up to my 5++ shelf
Read and reviewed for LoveBytes - LGBTQ bookreviews
Even written with a light touch, this isn’t a light-hearted story, it’s harsh, awfully realistic, and at times right down painful, but there’s also an unquenchable light flickering, unconditional love and support.
I’m not sure how to review this, it’s an amazingly impressive story. My heart almost didn’t survive.
The story starts in 1995, we can follow Matt at seventeen, intelligent, secretly gay, with an awful home base, which certainly Alex can’t know about.
Matt and Alex are so different, where Alex has a warm, solid home, Matt gets laughed at for wanting to attend university, with an abusive dad like Matt’s. No fucking way!
Matt is hot for Alex and hates him for all the shine his upper-class life has.
Matt is a pretender, lying about a lot of things, the university he’ll never attend, his parents, his future.
Alex is head over heels (in his words ‘fallen arse over tit’) for Matt.
No one can know Matt likes boys more than girls. His mates would abandon him, his dad would kill him. There’s only Alex, sweet brave Alex, secretly they are together.
After a horrible night, depressed Matt vanished, leaving a confused and devastated Alex behind.
After we meet them in 1995 at seventeen, there’s a jump 10 years ahead. Did I say it was a harsh read?
After that, another jump, in the here and now, altogether twenty-five years later from where we started. Unexpectedly the two beautiful, scarred souls meet again, and feelings never faded. From this point, there’s the past, the present, and the future to look at.
“my mature, forty-plus-year-old heart skipped a rather immature beat”
It felt all so authentic, every timeframe had its charm, its music, pain and hopes. It was such a compelling story, stunningly written and impressively constructed.
I would love to peek into the author’s notes and timelines. I’m in awe of how she managed to create such an amazing emotional journey of twenty-five years. Thank goodness for the hea or else I’d thrown my iPad out of the window.
ALL the shining stars for this one. Right up to my 5++ shelf
Read and reviewed for LoveBytes - LGBTQ bookreviews
August 10, 2022
You cannot convince me that this book wasn't written expressly for me. Instead of having no words to describe how much I loved this book, I have way too many. I could write an entire thesis on my feelings alone, but I won't (you're welcome). Fearne Hill is an insta-buy author for me. I adored both the Rossingley and Surfing the Waves books and thought I knew what to expect with this one, but the second I saw her note about Section 28, followed by the trigger warnings, I had a feeling this book would be different, and boy was it.
This was a heart wrenching, yet beautiful, life/love story that spanned over 25 years. Epic journeys are my absolute kryptonite. The best way to sell me on a second chance romance is to show me where it started and the author used the entire first half of this book to do exactly that. But it was so much more than a romance. It was about two very different young men making their way to and through adulthood, at times against some pretty defeating odds. It was about social class, sexuality, loss, survival, fear, self-preservation, friendship, love and acceptance. It was heavy, but the witty intellectualism and self-deprecating humor that I've come to associate with this author's writing helped to lighten the tone. Doesn't mean I didn't cry my eyes out a few times, though.
My above mentioned thesis would outline in detail all of the things I loved about both Matt and Alex. I would dedicate full pages to each of their idiosyncrasies and how brilliantly they were handled as the characters got older. I would include a million quotes and highlight them in bright pink for emphasis. I would wax poetic about Matt's "inner gay diva" and how it made me feel each time she emerged. I would geek out over the use of song titles to name each chapter. And I would explain all the reasons why I'm going to read this book again and very nearly restarted it already. Instead of boring you with all that, I'll just say that I think this book is a treasure and I can't wait to read what this author writes next.
This was a heart wrenching, yet beautiful, life/love story that spanned over 25 years. Epic journeys are my absolute kryptonite. The best way to sell me on a second chance romance is to show me where it started and the author used the entire first half of this book to do exactly that. But it was so much more than a romance. It was about two very different young men making their way to and through adulthood, at times against some pretty defeating odds. It was about social class, sexuality, loss, survival, fear, self-preservation, friendship, love and acceptance. It was heavy, but the witty intellectualism and self-deprecating humor that I've come to associate with this author's writing helped to lighten the tone. Doesn't mean I didn't cry my eyes out a few times, though.
My above mentioned thesis would outline in detail all of the things I loved about both Matt and Alex. I would dedicate full pages to each of their idiosyncrasies and how brilliantly they were handled as the characters got older. I would include a million quotes and highlight them in bright pink for emphasis. I would wax poetic about Matt's "inner gay diva" and how it made me feel each time she emerged. I would geek out over the use of song titles to name each chapter. And I would explain all the reasons why I'm going to read this book again and very nearly restarted it already. Instead of boring you with all that, I'll just say that I think this book is a treasure and I can't wait to read what this author writes next.
April 5, 2024
This started off as a 4+ star read, despite the fact that I didn't think I'd be interested in the time span. I ended up liking the 150 pages set in 1995 more than the present day portion of the book. Music, fads, language, everything felt spot on for 1995, and the 2005 segment was good as well. Suicidal ideation, mental illness, the gritty and darker side of life was done well.
My main issues are how all of the women (and girls) are depicted in the book (not well, stereotypes, misogynistic views) and the ending was not fleshed out enough, especially considering the mental health of one of the MCs. Fix those two problems, it would have been close to a five-star read for me.
Excerpts to be added.
My main issues are how all of the women (and girls) are depicted in the book (not well, stereotypes, misogynistic views) and the ending was not fleshed out enough, especially considering the mental health of one of the MCs. Fix those two problems, it would have been close to a five-star read for me.
Excerpts to be added.
October 29, 2025
4.0 ⭐️
December 9, 2022
2.5
My rating may seem a little extreme, but I'm not budging, not even to round it up to measly 3 stars.
It’s been a long time since I’ve felt so betrayed by a book. This started out so good! Authentic 90s vibes, relatable MC who was also a good narrator (Matt), intense but not ott first love angst. The writing itself could’ve used some more polishing, but I was not complaining. It was shaping up to be a solid 4-star read.
But then, the first time skip happened (10 years), immediately following an extremely traumatic event (slash unimaginative af plot device), and I fell out of step with the characters. Realistic angst turned into pure, eye roll-worthy melodrama, and I just couldn’t connect with the MCs anymore. The narrative style changed, too (and I’m not talking about the POV change) — it became ‘telling,’ not ‘showing.’
Then came the second time skip (15 years this time!), and melodrama turned into CHEESE. I was this close to just saying fuck it and dnf-ing, but after my recent string of failures I felt obliged to see this through to the end. Ugh.
My rating may seem a little extreme, but I'm not budging, not even to round it up to measly 3 stars.
It’s been a long time since I’ve felt so betrayed by a book. This started out so good! Authentic 90s vibes, relatable MC who was also a good narrator (Matt), intense but not ott first love angst. The writing itself could’ve used some more polishing, but I was not complaining. It was shaping up to be a solid 4-star read.
But then, the first time skip happened (10 years), immediately following an extremely traumatic event (slash unimaginative af plot device), and I fell out of step with the characters. Realistic angst turned into pure, eye roll-worthy melodrama, and I just couldn’t connect with the MCs anymore. The narrative style changed, too (and I’m not talking about the POV change) — it became ‘telling,’ not ‘showing.’
Then came the second time skip (15 years this time!), and melodrama turned into CHEESE. I was this close to just saying fuck it and dnf-ing, but after my recent string of failures I felt obliged to see this through to the end. Ugh.
August 3, 2022
Since I read my first Fearne Hill book last year (To Hold a Hidden Pearl), and with every book I read after that, I've come to learn that she always delivers. She's never let me down on my expectations, and that shows just how talented and gifted she is. Because, let's be honest, when an author writes one great book, your expectations for the next one will only be higher. And higher again for the one after that. And I believe that's where Fearne Hill distinguishes herself as an author. Ever since her Rossingley series, she's firmly presented herself as one of the best in the mm romance genre. And if I had any doubts left (which I hadn't), with Two tribes, she's definitely deserved her spot on my favorite author's list.
This book has everything I want in my romance books: snarky banter, adorable mc's, tears and laughter. Troubled mc's who touch me deeply. Real life dialogues. A love story that spans decades and still feels real and valid. I found all this in this book and more. The writing is exquisite, the way the story grabs me from the beginning and sucks me in so that it's hard to put the book down...Yes, this book has all that! Makes it almost as perfect as can be, doesn't it? Oh, and don't forget about the music! Music is almost as precious to me as books, so what's better than a combination of the two?!
Two Tribes tells the story of Matt and Alex. It's the 90's and in the beginning of the book we find both of them as teenagers, attending the same school, though both have their own group of friends. They come from very different social backgrounds. Where Alex has everything he could dream of, including a nice car, a nice place to live, parents who love him, and a future where he goes to study, Matt has none of that. On the contrary. But he has two real good friends, and even though he's also gay (which was still something to be secretive about in the 90's), he pretends his way through life. A little lie here, another one there - it's the only way for him to pretend he's something he isn't, ashamed as he is of where he comes from. Because even though he's very smart, he already knows he won't be able to go to college and become something that matters.
Alex and Matt eventually bond over math. Matt is a math genius, and Alex isn't, but he needs it in order to go to the college he's applied for. So Matt helps him out. It's the start of a remarkable friendship, which eventually leads to something more. And even though Alex is still confused about his sexuality, he also knows he's found someone very special. But then he has to go off to college, and while he's away, an awful tragedy knocks Matt right off his feet and they lose contact.
I felt so much while reading this first part of their story - I laughed, I cried. I wanted to protect Matt, hug him and tell him he didn't have to face life all by his own. He's just the sweetest, most adorable character I met lately - one with a lot of layers underneath that cool exterior that he keeps up in order to survive. I loved how he played Alex, how he taught him about real music, about how to live a little and be a little less snobby. I loved how Alex reacted to that, how Matt was such a positive influence in his life.
It's one of the reasons why I felt it made sense that they never forgot about each other. That, when they meet again decades later, they never forgot how much they meant to each other. That the connection is still there and that they are able to pick up where they left off so many years ago. Life has thrown many curveballs at them in the years in between, specially at Matt, but this is one of those couples that are meant to be, and you already sense that from the first moment they meet. There's nothing you can do but root for them all the way, to cry with Matt when he loses everything, even if it was not much to begin with, to feel sorry for Alex. These two have left a deep impression and I'm sure they will take up free space in my heart for a long, long time to come.
Thank you, Fearne, for yet another beautiful story and for all the hours I enjoyed spending with Matt and Alex because of it. I'm looking forward to see what you come up with next.
I kindly received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest and unbiased opinion
This book has everything I want in my romance books: snarky banter, adorable mc's, tears and laughter. Troubled mc's who touch me deeply. Real life dialogues. A love story that spans decades and still feels real and valid. I found all this in this book and more. The writing is exquisite, the way the story grabs me from the beginning and sucks me in so that it's hard to put the book down...Yes, this book has all that! Makes it almost as perfect as can be, doesn't it? Oh, and don't forget about the music! Music is almost as precious to me as books, so what's better than a combination of the two?!
Two Tribes tells the story of Matt and Alex. It's the 90's and in the beginning of the book we find both of them as teenagers, attending the same school, though both have their own group of friends. They come from very different social backgrounds. Where Alex has everything he could dream of, including a nice car, a nice place to live, parents who love him, and a future where he goes to study, Matt has none of that. On the contrary. But he has two real good friends, and even though he's also gay (which was still something to be secretive about in the 90's), he pretends his way through life. A little lie here, another one there - it's the only way for him to pretend he's something he isn't, ashamed as he is of where he comes from. Because even though he's very smart, he already knows he won't be able to go to college and become something that matters.
Alex and Matt eventually bond over math. Matt is a math genius, and Alex isn't, but he needs it in order to go to the college he's applied for. So Matt helps him out. It's the start of a remarkable friendship, which eventually leads to something more. And even though Alex is still confused about his sexuality, he also knows he's found someone very special. But then he has to go off to college, and while he's away, an awful tragedy knocks Matt right off his feet and they lose contact.
I felt so much while reading this first part of their story - I laughed, I cried. I wanted to protect Matt, hug him and tell him he didn't have to face life all by his own. He's just the sweetest, most adorable character I met lately - one with a lot of layers underneath that cool exterior that he keeps up in order to survive. I loved how he played Alex, how he taught him about real music, about how to live a little and be a little less snobby. I loved how Alex reacted to that, how Matt was such a positive influence in his life.
It's one of the reasons why I felt it made sense that they never forgot about each other. That, when they meet again decades later, they never forgot how much they meant to each other. That the connection is still there and that they are able to pick up where they left off so many years ago. Life has thrown many curveballs at them in the years in between, specially at Matt, but this is one of those couples that are meant to be, and you already sense that from the first moment they meet. There's nothing you can do but root for them all the way, to cry with Matt when he loses everything, even if it was not much to begin with, to feel sorry for Alex. These two have left a deep impression and I'm sure they will take up free space in my heart for a long, long time to come.
Thank you, Fearne, for yet another beautiful story and for all the hours I enjoyed spending with Matt and Alex because of it. I'm looking forward to see what you come up with next.
I kindly received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest and unbiased opinion
August 5, 2022
One of the best books I've read this year, maybe the best, which is saying a lot, because I've read a lot of good books.
Fearne Hill has again created unique characters who tugged on my heartstrings from the beginning. We follow the characters from 1985, when they were 17 and 18, to 2005, to present, as they find each other, lose each other, and find each other again.
It's a standalone, so you don't have to have read any of her other work to dive in. (I do, however, recommend all her other books!)
Despite sensitive, sometimes dark and painful content that may not be for all readers, the book has a happy, hopeful ending. Trigger warnings for suicidal ideation, surviving suicide, death of a secondary character, and domestic abuse (an MC's parent).
This book was a perfectly paced roller coaster ride in the best of ways. I was laughing at the dry British wit for literally pages at a time, then teary-eyed, then out-and-out sobbing, and back to laughing. I simply loved this book!
PSA: If you're one of those Americans who can't handle reading British English, you may want to give this one a pass, because it's full of Brit terms. Please don't try to read it then give it a two-star review because you didn't understand it. It's set in England, and the characters SOUND like it, as they should.
Fearne Hill has again created unique characters who tugged on my heartstrings from the beginning. We follow the characters from 1985, when they were 17 and 18, to 2005, to present, as they find each other, lose each other, and find each other again.
It's a standalone, so you don't have to have read any of her other work to dive in. (I do, however, recommend all her other books!)
Despite sensitive, sometimes dark and painful content that may not be for all readers, the book has a happy, hopeful ending. Trigger warnings for suicidal ideation, surviving suicide, death of a secondary character, and domestic abuse (an MC's parent).
This book was a perfectly paced roller coaster ride in the best of ways. I was laughing at the dry British wit for literally pages at a time, then teary-eyed, then out-and-out sobbing, and back to laughing. I simply loved this book!
PSA: If you're one of those Americans who can't handle reading British English, you may want to give this one a pass, because it's full of Brit terms. Please don't try to read it then give it a two-star review because you didn't understand it. It's set in England, and the characters SOUND like it, as they should.
October 9, 2022
I’m a 90s bitch.
Grunge and frantic love turning
to contented joy.
Grunge and frantic love turning
to contented joy.
November 16, 2022
Dammit, this could have been such a good book.
It opens in 1995, when Section 28 -- UK anti-queer legislation -- was still in force and ... well, I was going to say "when homophobia was much worse than it is now," but who knows, really, what with all the raging authoritarianism in the developed West.
Anyway, Matt's gay and poor and has abusive parents; Alex has a prosperous, loving family and, as far as he knows until he meets Matt, is straight. (Spoiler, he turns out to be bi.) They become friends and then lovers, but between the British class system, the sudden violent death of Matt's best friend, the failure of cell phones to exist, and Matt's incipient mental illness (hello, Major Depressive Disorder, how well I know you), their relationship is severed, and they don't meet again for 25 years. Meanwhile Alex marries (unhappily) and has a son, while Matt suffers through mental health crisis after mental health crisis, surviving with the help of his close friend Phil and two older gay men who have become his surrogate parents. The lovers are reunited when Matt needs surgery after being queerbashed half to death: Alex is the anesthesiologist.
This is such a great setup, and to be fair Fearne Hill doesn't sugarcoat the class issues or Matt's difficulties. And both Matt (prickly, brilliant, kind) and Alex (self-deprecating, "dull" in his own eyes, braver than he thinks) are appealing, plus despite their differences it's possible to see them together, balancing each other's strengths and weaknesses as well as just plain liking each other. If only we could have skipped the drumbeat of misogyny and general gender-essentialist crap.
-- Matt's friend Brenner is loud and crude and can't get anywhere with girls. "My blood boiled that not a single girl could see through all the bravado and fucking give him some attention anyway." (Because of course it's girls' and women's job to Make Allowances for men's unpleasant behavior.)
-- "But we were teenage boys -- self-centred and egotistical headlined the job description."
-- "'We need to talk,' he announced. Four words guaranteed to strike dread into the heart of any teenage boy." (The person who says "We need to talk" is, you guessed it, a teenage boy. Also, obviously everyone who's not a teenage boy reacts to that sentence with complete equanimity, amirite?)
-- "... checking her handbag, her lipstick, and her hair, doing all those things women had to complete before actually exiting the bloody house." (Women! So annoying!)
-- The car Alex shares with his sister has stuffed animals and sequined pillows in the back seat. "Why the fuck did women do that to their cars?" (Uh. We do?)
-- " ... my wife's educated and, dare I say, nagging voice ..." (No comment.)
-- Alex and his wife have difficulty conceiving, even though, as he is at pains to make clear, he has A+++ sperm. "Samantha's sporadic eggs were deemed to be of below-average quality. And, oh my God, did she endeavour to make me feel all kinds of bad about that." (Hey, I'm sure a woman who badly wants a child and is having trouble conceiving might lash out from time to time, but Samantha does nothing but lash out. And nag, of course.)
-- Alex gets a blowie from Matt: " ... pleasuring me in ways my ex-wife had offered begrudgingly, and never with such gusto." (I can't even. Samantha also complains about Alex being boring in bed, which he later grudgingly admits might have had something to do with his pining for Matt, but those grudging blowies, definitely all her fault.)
-- Alex's son, Ryan, is sexually harassed by a girl, and OH THE INJUSTICE THAT CONSENT EDUCATION IS FOCUSED ON BOYS #girlscansexuallyharasstoo. (You know, this would have been a totally reasonable plot point -- it opens space for Matt to respond to Ryan's distress sensitively and for Alex to open the conversation about his own sexuality -- if not for being embedded in the book's matrix ["matrix," ha] of distaste and hostility toward women.)
But the story. I wanted the story so much that I stuck my metaphorical fingers in my metaphorical ears and kept on reading. To my disappointment, the resolution of Alex and Matt's relationship comes far too easily -- or rather, the long separation, and in particular Matt's suffering, doesn't seem to leave its traces on their feelings. Just to make things ~realistic,~ Matt has a bout of severe depression in the epilogue. All the items on the list of how people feel and (sometimes) behave during a depressive episode are checked, but that's it -- the boxes are checked. We don't really live through the episode with Matt and Alex. Or with Ryan, who was clearly growing close to Matt at the end of the main story.
Why is it so much more frustrating when a book squanders its potential than when it's just a piece of crap from the outset?
It opens in 1995, when Section 28 -- UK anti-queer legislation -- was still in force and ... well, I was going to say "when homophobia was much worse than it is now," but who knows, really, what with all the raging authoritarianism in the developed West.
Anyway, Matt's gay and poor and has abusive parents; Alex has a prosperous, loving family and, as far as he knows until he meets Matt, is straight. (Spoiler, he turns out to be bi.) They become friends and then lovers, but between the British class system, the sudden violent death of Matt's best friend, the failure of cell phones to exist, and Matt's incipient mental illness (hello, Major Depressive Disorder, how well I know you), their relationship is severed, and they don't meet again for 25 years. Meanwhile Alex marries (unhappily) and has a son, while Matt suffers through mental health crisis after mental health crisis, surviving with the help of his close friend Phil and two older gay men who have become his surrogate parents. The lovers are reunited when Matt needs surgery after being queerbashed half to death: Alex is the anesthesiologist.
This is such a great setup, and to be fair Fearne Hill doesn't sugarcoat the class issues or Matt's difficulties. And both Matt (prickly, brilliant, kind) and Alex (self-deprecating, "dull" in his own eyes, braver than he thinks) are appealing, plus despite their differences it's possible to see them together, balancing each other's strengths and weaknesses as well as just plain liking each other. If only we could have skipped the drumbeat of misogyny and general gender-essentialist crap.
-- Matt's friend Brenner is loud and crude and can't get anywhere with girls. "My blood boiled that not a single girl could see through all the bravado and fucking give him some attention anyway." (Because of course it's girls' and women's job to Make Allowances for men's unpleasant behavior.)
-- "But we were teenage boys -- self-centred and egotistical headlined the job description."
-- "'We need to talk,' he announced. Four words guaranteed to strike dread into the heart of any teenage boy." (The person who says "We need to talk" is, you guessed it, a teenage boy. Also, obviously everyone who's not a teenage boy reacts to that sentence with complete equanimity, amirite?)
-- "... checking her handbag, her lipstick, and her hair, doing all those things women had to complete before actually exiting the bloody house." (Women! So annoying!)
-- The car Alex shares with his sister has stuffed animals and sequined pillows in the back seat. "Why the fuck did women do that to their cars?" (Uh. We do?)
-- " ... my wife's educated and, dare I say, nagging voice ..." (No comment.)
-- Alex and his wife have difficulty conceiving, even though, as he is at pains to make clear, he has A+++ sperm. "Samantha's sporadic eggs were deemed to be of below-average quality. And, oh my God, did she endeavour to make me feel all kinds of bad about that." (Hey, I'm sure a woman who badly wants a child and is having trouble conceiving might lash out from time to time, but Samantha does nothing but lash out. And nag, of course.)
-- Alex gets a blowie from Matt: " ... pleasuring me in ways my ex-wife had offered begrudgingly, and never with such gusto." (I can't even. Samantha also complains about Alex being boring in bed, which he later grudgingly admits might have had something to do with his pining for Matt, but those grudging blowies, definitely all her fault.)
-- Alex's son, Ryan, is sexually harassed by a girl, and OH THE INJUSTICE THAT CONSENT EDUCATION IS FOCUSED ON BOYS #girlscansexuallyharasstoo. (You know, this would have been a totally reasonable plot point -- it opens space for Matt to respond to Ryan's distress sensitively and for Alex to open the conversation about his own sexuality -- if not for being embedded in the book's matrix ["matrix," ha] of distaste and hostility toward women.)
But the story. I wanted the story so much that I stuck my metaphorical fingers in my metaphorical ears and kept on reading. To my disappointment, the resolution of Alex and Matt's relationship comes far too easily -- or rather, the long separation, and in particular Matt's suffering, doesn't seem to leave its traces on their feelings. Just to make things ~realistic,~ Matt has a bout of severe depression in the epilogue. All the items on the list of how people feel and (sometimes) behave during a depressive episode are checked, but that's it -- the boxes are checked. We don't really live through the episode with Matt and Alex. Or with Ryan, who was clearly growing close to Matt at the end of the main story.
Why is it so much more frustrating when a book squanders its potential than when it's just a piece of crap from the outset?
August 19, 2022
4.5/5 stars. Two men fall in love as teenagers in 1995, then reconnect in the present after their lives have changed significantly.
The first half of the book takes place in 1995 through the POV of one character (Matt), there’s a brief interlude in 2005 told through both POVs, and then the second half of the book takes place in the present through the POV of the other main character (Alex). The 1995 portion was so evocative, full of relatable, powerful teenage feelings of love, anxiety, fear, hope, and despair. There’s an undercurrent of tension even during the happy times in this part, because there are just too many things waiting to get in the way of Matt and Alex’s relationship. And when they’re finally pulled apart, it’s devastating even though you knew it was coming.
The present-day portion wasn’t quite as powerful for me, though the picture painted of Alex’s life and all the changes wrought over 27 years was equally as realistic as the 1995 section. But so much of the present-day story is about Matt learning to trust and hope again, and showing all of that through Alex’s eyes diminished the impact. I did appreciate seeing Alex’s compassionate, empathetic reaction to Matt’s chronic depression, and loved that the happy ending is finding someone who can help you carry your burdens, rather than a fairytale promise of a burden-free future.
The first half of the book takes place in 1995 through the POV of one character (Matt), there’s a brief interlude in 2005 told through both POVs, and then the second half of the book takes place in the present through the POV of the other main character (Alex). The 1995 portion was so evocative, full of relatable, powerful teenage feelings of love, anxiety, fear, hope, and despair. There’s an undercurrent of tension even during the happy times in this part, because there are just too many things waiting to get in the way of Matt and Alex’s relationship. And when they’re finally pulled apart, it’s devastating even though you knew it was coming.
The present-day portion wasn’t quite as powerful for me, though the picture painted of Alex’s life and all the changes wrought over 27 years was equally as realistic as the 1995 section. But so much of the present-day story is about Matt learning to trust and hope again, and showing all of that through Alex’s eyes diminished the impact. I did appreciate seeing Alex’s compassionate, empathetic reaction to Matt’s chronic depression, and loved that the happy ending is finding someone who can help you carry your burdens, rather than a fairytale promise of a burden-free future.
August 3, 2023
3 stars
Matt & Alex meet in HS.
They are eachothers first loves.
There is a long separation due to life circumstances.
They move on and reconnect later in life and although time has passed they still remember how they once felt for one another.
This was a second chance romance. I enjoyed. This author is becoming one I look forward to reading more of.
Matt & Alex meet in HS.
They are eachothers first loves.
There is a long separation due to life circumstances.
They move on and reconnect later in life and although time has passed they still remember how they once felt for one another.
This was a second chance romance. I enjoyed. This author is becoming one I look forward to reading more of.
August 31, 2022
An absolutely beautiful emotional story that spans 25 years. Two tribes is a love story between our main characters Matt and Alex. With all the emotional ups & downs and pitfalls along the way.
Read
August 15, 2022Thank you for reading Matt and Alex’s story.
March 19, 2025
4.5 stars
”Playing mediocre football alongside him, I tumbled head over heels in love. What had begun as a teenage crush made way for all out fabulous adoration. Fancifully, I imagined us like tragic Whitney and Kevin in The Bodyguard (yeah, I’d watched it—Alex didn’t need to know), or Robin Hood and Maid Marion in Prince of Thieves (okay, so maybe I had a thing for Kevin).”
A second chance romance done right.
Budding first love.
A tragic multi-year separation.
So funny.
And yet incredibly sad.
Heartwarmingly beautiful.
”Playing mediocre football alongside him, I tumbled head over heels in love. What had begun as a teenage crush made way for all out fabulous adoration. Fancifully, I imagined us like tragic Whitney and Kevin in The Bodyguard (yeah, I’d watched it—Alex didn’t need to know), or Robin Hood and Maid Marion in Prince of Thieves (okay, so maybe I had a thing for Kevin).”
A second chance romance done right.
Budding first love.
A tragic multi-year separation.
So funny.
And yet incredibly sad.
Heartwarmingly beautiful.
May 21, 2023
This one didn't work for me (sorry to my friends who loved it) but I get how it may work for others, I'm just picky and overwhelmed by work. I fully agree with ancientreader's take on the latent misogyny so go read their great review (don't know how to link to it). I don't like YA so maybe the age of the MCs in part 1 was what didn't work for me. I also didn't get the music references which didn't help I'm sure.
The book is divided in three parts and I started skimming at the end of part 1. Read, I mostly skipped part two and don't really know what was the point of it since so much remained unsaid and was revealed in part 3. . So the MCs meet and fall in love in part 1, I didn't really feel or buy them falling in love because for a long time Matt was just obnoxious. We are told why (not shown): he is abused and neglected at home and suffering because he is in the closet. I get that but he still acted like a jerk to Alex for a long time, I kept wondering why Alex kept bothering to try to be friends with him. I mean Alex asks Matt not to smoke in his car and he does, intentionally to be a jerk... . Then they had a few cute scenes but it's Alex's turn to be adamant that "he is not gay" 🤦♀️. The "break up" was understandable but weird. Then the third part didn't convince me, they reconnect in a way that could have been cool but then everything went too fast. I wanted to DNF multiple times in the first part. I should also add that the epilogue wasn't it either.
The book is divided in three parts and I started skimming at the end of part 1. Read, I mostly skipped part two and don't really know what was the point of it since so much remained unsaid and was revealed in part 3. . So the MCs meet and fall in love in part 1, I didn't really feel or buy them falling in love because for a long time Matt was just obnoxious. We are told why (not shown): he is abused and neglected at home and suffering because he is in the closet. I get that but he still acted like a jerk to Alex for a long time, I kept wondering why Alex kept bothering to try to be friends with him. I mean Alex asks Matt not to smoke in his car and he does, intentionally to be a jerk... . Then they had a few cute scenes but it's Alex's turn to be adamant that "he is not gay" 🤦♀️. The "break up" was understandable but weird. Then the third part didn't convince me, they reconnect in a way that could have been cool but then everything went too fast. I wanted to DNF multiple times in the first part. I should also add that the epilogue wasn't it either.
August 27, 2022
That feeling when the main characters admit their attraction to each after a long while of pining and buildup and they finally fall into each other's arms, there's the love, the thrill and the happiness... and then you realize that you're only at 30% of the book, so there's shit bound to happen and you know it's coming and it's going to be tragic and painful yet you can't look away? That's what this book is.
One of those stories that break your heart into pieces, wipe the floor with them and stomp on them with heavy boots, only to eventually glue them back together all the careful way to the well deserved, lovely and precious HEA.
Great writing, really well done social and historic (and popculture!) context of the mid nineties and British classes. The best book by this author to date, I'll definitely keep following her.
One of those stories that break your heart into pieces, wipe the floor with them and stomp on them with heavy boots, only to eventually glue them back together all the careful way to the well deserved, lovely and precious HEA.
Great writing, really well done social and historic (and popculture!) context of the mid nineties and British classes. The best book by this author to date, I'll definitely keep following her.
August 14, 2022
I really loved this book. It was such a beautiful and heartbreaking read.
I’ve read stories by this author before and always found them on the enjoyable side but this, for me, is her best work yet. I could of happily read a couple more hundred pages about these 2!
I’ve read stories by this author before and always found them on the enjoyable side but this, for me, is her best work yet. I could of happily read a couple more hundred pages about these 2!
January 14, 2023
4+
UWAGA - mogą być spoilery w treści, zatem uważajcie się za ostrzeżonych 😜
There once lived an unhappy, seventeen-year-old boy who fell head over heels in love. He loved with a passion both spectacular and devastating in its intensity, and like all first loves, it should have been nothing more than an opening chapter. A short prologue even, before the real tests of adulthood began.
But what if that chapter never closed?
Historia Matta i Alexa, dziejąca się w przeciągu 25 lat, podana w trzech konkretnych okresach - 1995, 2005 oraz nazwanym "Now", czyli ewidentnie 2020.
Pierwsza część, czyli rok 1995 - najdłuższa, zajmująca pół książki, w której poznajemy 17/18-letnich Matta, Alexa i ich rodzącą się przyjaźń i pierwszą, nastoletnią miłość - jest REWELACYJNA. Zasługuje na cholerne 6 gwiazdek.
Wspaniałe wibracje lat 90-tych XX wieku. Popkulturowe umocowanie wymiata. Różnice klasowe są wyraźne i niezmiernie wiarygodne. Ale największą zaletą tej części jest POV Matta, który jest FAN-TA-STY-CZNY. Matt jest błyskotliwy, ponadprzeciętnie inteligentny, zbyt dojrzały jak na swój wiek, nie ma złudzeń co do tego, jak działa świat, jest cyniczny, ma ostry język, a jednocześnie jest nastolatkiem na granicy dorosłości, który ma swoje marzenia, którego hormony szaleją, który pozwala sobie mieć raz na jakiś czas jakąś małą nadzieję, który czasami stara się zapomnieć o świecie zatracając się w muzyce czy czasie spędzanym z Alexem. Jest bystrym obserwatorem i komentuje otaczający go świat bez upiększania i bez owijania w bawełnę. Zdaje sobie sprawę, że pochodzą z Alexem z dwóch różnych światów - on z klasy robotniczej, z ulicy komunalnych mieszkań i rodziny, gdzie ojciec uwielbia używać pięści na swoje rodzinie, zaś Alex z kasy średniej, z klasycznego domku z białym płotkiem, ze wspierającymi rodzicami, którzy interesują się każdym aspektem jego życia. Ale pomimo tego pozwala sobie raz na jakiś czas na nieśmiałe marzenia, że może jednak mają jakąś wspólną przyszłość.
Od dawna wie, że jest gejem, ale stara się to ukrywać, jak tylko może - wie, że w jego środowisku ujawnienie tego skończyłoby się notorycznym biciem i to nie tylko od ojca. A nie jest to dla niego łatwe, bo jest raczej drobny, szczupły, delikatny, niezbyt wysoki i dodatkowo śliczny. Choć ukrywanie i kłamanie stało się jego drugą naturą, cały czas się boi, że niechcący gdzieś coś zrobi/powie, co go zdemaskuje. Jest miłośnikiem historii, chciałby studiować, w szkole usiłują go do tego namówić, bo widzą, jaki ma potencjał, ale jedyna rozmowa z ojcem na ten temat kończy się wybiciem mu tego z głowy pięściami i stwierdzeniem "skoro ja jestem dobry do pracy na taśmie, to ty też". Dorosły już Alex pomyśli sobie w którymś momencie, że gdyby okoliczności były inne i Matt urodził się w innej rodzinie i innym środowisku, to nie on pisałby eseje dla studentów, ale oni pisaliby eseje o nim.
Tak, za Matta cholerne 6 dla tej części 💙
Druga część, czyli rok 2005, to już naprzemienny POV. Jest krótka i smutna. Obserwujemy osobne życia chłopaków, których pewne wydarzenie rozdzieliło te 10 lat wcześniej. Matta zżera depresja, budzi się w szpitalu po próbie samobójczej (nie pierwszej niestety), Alex jest nieszczęśliwy w małżeństwie.
Część trzecia dzieje się 25 lat później i zawiera tylko POV Alexa. Zupełnie inny od Matta. Alex jest spokojny, niemalże nudny - i dla siebie, i dla otoczenia. Jest anestezjologiem, prowadzi bezbarwne życie klasy średniej, jest rozwiedziony, ma 16-letniego syna. I któregoś dnia orientuje się, już na koniec operacji, że pacjentem na stole operacyjnym jest Matt - jego jedyna miłość...
Ta część jest dla mnie zdecydowanie za krótka. Zbyt pospieszna. Matt niezmiennie cierpi na depresję, ale jedyne jej przebłyski mamy w epilogu. Chciałabym więcej poczytać o ich ponownie odrodzonej miłości, która tak naprawdę nigdy nie została przez żadnego z nich zapomniana. Chciałabym więcej poczytać o tym, jak świadomość, że to jest właściwe, prawdziwe i niezmienne, zaczęła na nich spływać. Chciałabym więcej ich razem. Chciałabym, żeby ta część - nawet jeżeli tylko z POVem Alexa, była przynajmniej dwa razy dłuższa...
Dodatkowo, co mnie nieco zdenerwowało, to że nie ma w tej książce ani jednej pozytywnej postaci kobiecej. Matka Matta jest ofiarą przemocy - i jedyne, co ją interesuje, to co tym razem powiedzieć w szpitalu (drzwi, schody itd.). Na pewno nie interesują jej własne dzieci. Sam Matt określa ją jako "Jabba the Hutt". Denise, koleżanka Matta, z którą pracuje i regularnie uprawia seks jak przykrywkę - to apatyczna, nie ukazująca żadnych emocji nastolatka. Matka Alexa - teoretycznie wspierająca, kochająca matka - ale żywcem wyciągnięta z filmów o rodzinie z lat 50-tych, bezbarwna, wiecznie radosna, zupełnie nierealna. Żona Alexa - wiecznie narzekająca i pouczająca, odbijająca sobie na Alexie całą frustrację za to, że nie może zajść w ciążę, mająca zawsze rację i jak się pod koniec okazało, również zdradzająca. Nawet dziewczyna syna Alexa okazała się mściwą nastolatką. No naprawdę nie można było upchnąć choć jednej pozytywnej i prawdziwej kobiecej postaci w książce MM? 😕
I za to, i za zbyt krótką jak dla mnie część trzecią, odejmuję pół gwiazdki.
A Matta - cudownego, tak bardzo nieidealnego Matta, pokochałam z całego serducha 💙
UWAGA - mogą być spoilery w treści, zatem uważajcie się za ostrzeżonych 😜
There once lived an unhappy, seventeen-year-old boy who fell head over heels in love. He loved with a passion both spectacular and devastating in its intensity, and like all first loves, it should have been nothing more than an opening chapter. A short prologue even, before the real tests of adulthood began.
But what if that chapter never closed?
Historia Matta i Alexa, dziejąca się w przeciągu 25 lat, podana w trzech konkretnych okresach - 1995, 2005 oraz nazwanym "Now", czyli ewidentnie 2020.
Pierwsza część, czyli rok 1995 - najdłuższa, zajmująca pół książki, w której poznajemy 17/18-letnich Matta, Alexa i ich rodzącą się przyjaźń i pierwszą, nastoletnią miłość - jest REWELACYJNA. Zasługuje na cholerne 6 gwiazdek.
Wspaniałe wibracje lat 90-tych XX wieku. Popkulturowe umocowanie wymiata. Różnice klasowe są wyraźne i niezmiernie wiarygodne. Ale największą zaletą tej części jest POV Matta, który jest FAN-TA-STY-CZNY. Matt jest błyskotliwy, ponadprzeciętnie inteligentny, zbyt dojrzały jak na swój wiek, nie ma złudzeń co do tego, jak działa świat, jest cyniczny, ma ostry język, a jednocześnie jest nastolatkiem na granicy dorosłości, który ma swoje marzenia, którego hormony szaleją, który pozwala sobie mieć raz na jakiś czas jakąś małą nadzieję, który czasami stara się zapomnieć o świecie zatracając się w muzyce czy czasie spędzanym z Alexem. Jest bystrym obserwatorem i komentuje otaczający go świat bez upiększania i bez owijania w bawełnę. Zdaje sobie sprawę, że pochodzą z Alexem z dwóch różnych światów - on z klasy robotniczej, z ulicy komunalnych mieszkań i rodziny, gdzie ojciec uwielbia używać pięści na swoje rodzinie, zaś Alex z kasy średniej, z klasycznego domku z białym płotkiem, ze wspierającymi rodzicami, którzy interesują się każdym aspektem jego życia. Ale pomimo tego pozwala sobie raz na jakiś czas na nieśmiałe marzenia, że może jednak mają jakąś wspólną przyszłość.
Od dawna wie, że jest gejem, ale stara się to ukrywać, jak tylko może - wie, że w jego środowisku ujawnienie tego skończyłoby się notorycznym biciem i to nie tylko od ojca. A nie jest to dla niego łatwe, bo jest raczej drobny, szczupły, delikatny, niezbyt wysoki i dodatkowo śliczny. Choć ukrywanie i kłamanie stało się jego drugą naturą, cały czas się boi, że niechcący gdzieś coś zrobi/powie, co go zdemaskuje. Jest miłośnikiem historii, chciałby studiować, w szkole usiłują go do tego namówić, bo widzą, jaki ma potencjał, ale jedyna rozmowa z ojcem na ten temat kończy się wybiciem mu tego z głowy pięściami i stwierdzeniem "skoro ja jestem dobry do pracy na taśmie, to ty też". Dorosły już Alex pomyśli sobie w którymś momencie, że gdyby okoliczności były inne i Matt urodził się w innej rodzinie i innym środowisku, to nie on pisałby eseje dla studentów, ale oni pisaliby eseje o nim.
Tak, za Matta cholerne 6 dla tej części 💙
Druga część, czyli rok 2005, to już naprzemienny POV. Jest krótka i smutna. Obserwujemy osobne życia chłopaków, których pewne wydarzenie rozdzieliło te 10 lat wcześniej. Matta zżera depresja, budzi się w szpitalu po próbie samobójczej (nie pierwszej niestety), Alex jest nieszczęśliwy w małżeństwie.
Część trzecia dzieje się 25 lat później i zawiera tylko POV Alexa. Zupełnie inny od Matta. Alex jest spokojny, niemalże nudny - i dla siebie, i dla otoczenia. Jest anestezjologiem, prowadzi bezbarwne życie klasy średniej, jest rozwiedziony, ma 16-letniego syna. I któregoś dnia orientuje się, już na koniec operacji, że pacjentem na stole operacyjnym jest Matt - jego jedyna miłość...
Ta część jest dla mnie zdecydowanie za krótka. Zbyt pospieszna. Matt niezmiennie cierpi na depresję, ale jedyne jej przebłyski mamy w epilogu. Chciałabym więcej poczytać o ich ponownie odrodzonej miłości, która tak naprawdę nigdy nie została przez żadnego z nich zapomniana. Chciałabym więcej poczytać o tym, jak świadomość, że to jest właściwe, prawdziwe i niezmienne, zaczęła na nich spływać. Chciałabym więcej ich razem. Chciałabym, żeby ta część - nawet jeżeli tylko z POVem Alexa, była przynajmniej dwa razy dłuższa...
Dodatkowo, co mnie nieco zdenerwowało, to że nie ma w tej książce ani jednej pozytywnej postaci kobiecej. Matka Matta jest ofiarą przemocy - i jedyne, co ją interesuje, to co tym razem powiedzieć w szpitalu (drzwi, schody itd.). Na pewno nie interesują jej własne dzieci. Sam Matt określa ją jako "Jabba the Hutt". Denise, koleżanka Matta, z którą pracuje i regularnie uprawia seks jak przykrywkę - to apatyczna, nie ukazująca żadnych emocji nastolatka. Matka Alexa - teoretycznie wspierająca, kochająca matka - ale żywcem wyciągnięta z filmów o rodzinie z lat 50-tych, bezbarwna, wiecznie radosna, zupełnie nierealna. Żona Alexa - wiecznie narzekająca i pouczająca, odbijająca sobie na Alexie całą frustrację za to, że nie może zajść w ciążę, mająca zawsze rację i jak się pod koniec okazało, również zdradzająca. Nawet dziewczyna syna Alexa okazała się mściwą nastolatką. No naprawdę nie można było upchnąć choć jednej pozytywnej i prawdziwej kobiecej postaci w książce MM? 😕
I za to, i za zbyt krótką jak dla mnie część trzecią, odejmuję pół gwiazdki.
A Matta - cudownego, tak bardzo nieidealnego Matta, pokochałam z całego serducha 💙
July 31, 2022
I really enjoyed this new to me author. So, the beginning of the book is when Matt & Alex meet while in high school. Alex didn't know the how bad Matt's home life was. Check out the trigger warnings before starting this book. Then in the second part of the book we have them coming back together & realizing that the feelings that were just popping up when they were in school, were still there. We then get to see our MC's navigate a relationship. I did read this in one sitting as I couldn't put it down.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest opinion
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest opinion
August 11, 2022
I finished this book two days ago, and I'm still reeling in feelings. This is one of those books you read, and straight away you want to read it again, just because of how it makes you feel. The heartbreak and sorrow, the longing and the pain, all truly delicious. And I devoured every word with greedy gulps and deep satisfying sighs, because that is just how a Fearne Hill book rolls.
There are plenty of other reviews here to talk about the story line and the playlist and the 90ies in the UK and all the other things that make you want to read the book. If you are wondering why to pick this one up?
I'm not even going to try to explain it. Download it. Read it. You're welcome.
There are plenty of other reviews here to talk about the story line and the playlist and the 90ies in the UK and all the other things that make you want to read the book. If you are wondering why to pick this one up?
I'm not even going to try to explain it. Download it. Read it. You're welcome.
August 7, 2022
That was sweet.
Some angst.
Some angst.
December 21, 2022
What a journey!
This is basically a 3 part story.
Part one, 1995, Alex and Matt become friends in school and it turns into so much more. First experiences of love. Then devastation happens and Matt is adrift.
Part 2, 2005, Matt still is painfully adrift and Alex is too. This part hurt to read. It was short, thankfully.
Part 3, present day, Matt and Alex meet yet again under semi-dire circumstances.
I thought part 3 definitely should have been longer. We waited SO long for them to finally be together and it was rushed through. NGL, I was bitterly disappointed. They got their HEA but it didn’t tie up all the loose ends at all. Ugh. I needed the happy to be longer than the sad and that did NOT happen 😩😑😑
Also side note 📝 if you are going to make the characters wait to have sex with each other for 25 years, the sex should be longer than a minute.
Just saying 😵💫😵💫
This is basically a 3 part story.
Part one, 1995, Alex and Matt become friends in school and it turns into so much more. First experiences of love. Then devastation happens and Matt is adrift.
Part 2, 2005, Matt still is painfully adrift and Alex is too. This part hurt to read. It was short, thankfully.
Part 3, present day, Matt and Alex meet yet again under semi-dire circumstances.
I thought part 3 definitely should have been longer. We waited SO long for them to finally be together and it was rushed through. NGL, I was bitterly disappointed. They got their HEA but it didn’t tie up all the loose ends at all. Ugh. I needed the happy to be longer than the sad and that did NOT happen 😩😑😑
Also side note 📝 if you are going to make the characters wait to have sex with each other for 25 years, the sex should be longer than a minute.
Just saying 😵💫😵💫
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2022
Wow, I was not prepared for the emotional depth of these characters and the angst that resulted. Two Tribes is a story about two teenaged boys on opposite sides of the track, growing up at a time (1995) and place (UK) where queerness was very much frowned upon. Having been a teenager at that time myself, I identified with the attitudes, slang, and music of the era.
I really loved Matt's voice. Despite the desperation of his living situation, he was a clever narrator that had me laughing at his role-play fantasies and the sarcastic edge he gave to his interior thoughts and outward dialogue. It brought enough levity to make reading about his bleak situation more bearable. The author was also very careful about revealing his trauma off-page or after the event had occurred. I think that was a wise narrative choice and helped the tone of the story remain hopeful throughout.
I also liked seeing Alex through Matt's eyes. Matt was completely aware of the gaping chasm between them--their upbringing, their advantages (or in Matt's case, disadvantages), and their futures. He tried, in his adolescent way, to mitigate and mask those gaps, all in order to be "worthy" of someone like Alexander Valentine. Their love toward each other felt real, painfully real, and hopelessly doomed.
Alex was a bit clueless due to his rosy-hued upbringing, but I forgave him his innocence. I enjoyed reading the "second-chances" bit through his POV, so that we could see his own regrets and mistakes as well as him owning up to his role, however small, in Matt's unravelling. I was glad that they reconnected when they did too, when Matt was somewhat stable and having conquered (or at least wrangled) his demons. Fearne Hill did an excellent job in showing how time and maturity changes not only people, but their recollection and feelings about important life events. That said, Matt and Alex were the same people in their 40's as they had been as teenagers, just a bit more battle-scarred and wiser.
I highly recommend this book to any readers who enjoy complex characters and relationship angst with an ultimately happy ending. Matty and Alex will stick with you long after you finish their story!
I really loved Matt's voice. Despite the desperation of his living situation, he was a clever narrator that had me laughing at his role-play fantasies and the sarcastic edge he gave to his interior thoughts and outward dialogue. It brought enough levity to make reading about his bleak situation more bearable. The author was also very careful about revealing his trauma off-page or after the event had occurred. I think that was a wise narrative choice and helped the tone of the story remain hopeful throughout.
I also liked seeing Alex through Matt's eyes. Matt was completely aware of the gaping chasm between them--their upbringing, their advantages (or in Matt's case, disadvantages), and their futures. He tried, in his adolescent way, to mitigate and mask those gaps, all in order to be "worthy" of someone like Alexander Valentine. Their love toward each other felt real, painfully real, and hopelessly doomed.
Alex was a bit clueless due to his rosy-hued upbringing, but I forgave him his innocence. I enjoyed reading the "second-chances" bit through his POV, so that we could see his own regrets and mistakes as well as him owning up to his role, however small, in Matt's unravelling. I was glad that they reconnected when they did too, when Matt was somewhat stable and having conquered (or at least wrangled) his demons. Fearne Hill did an excellent job in showing how time and maturity changes not only people, but their recollection and feelings about important life events. That said, Matt and Alex were the same people in their 40's as they had been as teenagers, just a bit more battle-scarred and wiser.
I highly recommend this book to any readers who enjoy complex characters and relationship angst with an ultimately happy ending. Matty and Alex will stick with you long after you finish their story!
August 7, 2022
5+ stars
All that is Two Tribes is precisely why I fell so hard for Fearne Hill’s writing and why I never miss a release. An emotional story featuring high school loves who fall apart and reconnect decades later, Two Tribes is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. This is definitely one that will stick with me.
I have a soft spot for opposites attract romance, and I absolutely loved how the author presents Matt and Alex’s different experiences, how they shaped their futures, and how their love grew despite those differences. Matt’s story is not for the faint of heart, but I so loved how honest the whole book felt. There were no easy solutions or love conquering all storylines in Two Tribes. Instead, the author depicted the tragedies and celebrated the sweet moments in a beautiful way that is simply special and memorable.
Well written stories full of life, love, chemistry, and emotion will always capture my heart, and that’s precisely what happened as I fell under Matt and Alex’s spell while reading Two Tribes. If you love beautiful love stories that access the raw emotion of life and don’t shy away from angst and some tragic heartbreak, Two Tribes is one I would not hesitate to recommend.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn't a requirement. ***
All that is Two Tribes is precisely why I fell so hard for Fearne Hill’s writing and why I never miss a release. An emotional story featuring high school loves who fall apart and reconnect decades later, Two Tribes is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. This is definitely one that will stick with me.
I have a soft spot for opposites attract romance, and I absolutely loved how the author presents Matt and Alex’s different experiences, how they shaped their futures, and how their love grew despite those differences. Matt’s story is not for the faint of heart, but I so loved how honest the whole book felt. There were no easy solutions or love conquering all storylines in Two Tribes. Instead, the author depicted the tragedies and celebrated the sweet moments in a beautiful way that is simply special and memorable.
Well written stories full of life, love, chemistry, and emotion will always capture my heart, and that’s precisely what happened as I fell under Matt and Alex’s spell while reading Two Tribes. If you love beautiful love stories that access the raw emotion of life and don’t shy away from angst and some tragic heartbreak, Two Tribes is one I would not hesitate to recommend.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn't a requirement. ***
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