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Last Summer
Michael Thomas Ford delivers a triumphant first novel about a group of gay men looking for love, losing the past, and finding themselves in the bars and on the beaches of Provincetown.
Josh Felling has always been a romantic--up until the moment his lover Doug announced that he'd had an affair with a guy from their gym. Now, with his life playing out like a very bad movie of the week, Josh impulsively heads to the Cape for a few days--long enough to figure out where his relationship--what's left of it--might be going. But the summer has other plans for Josh, and his trip to P-town will bring bigger changes than he ever imagined.
With its windswept dunes, lazy summer days, and starry nights filled with possibilities, Provincetown holds special appeal for those who call it home. . .and for those who come seeking its open welcome. People like Reilly Brennan, son of an old P-town family, whose days are caught up in wedding plans, even as his nights are increasingly taken over by heated fantasies about other men. . .Wide-eyed, blond-haired, All-American Toby Evans, an escapee from the Midwest ready to spend the summer in the equivalent of gay boot camp for anyone who will tutor him. . .Elegant Emmeline, age unknown, a southern belle straight out of Faulkner, with a mean drag act and almost enough money for her permanent gender transformation. . .Ty Rusk, one of Hollywood's hottest new stars hiding an ages-old secrets about to explode.
Weaving in and out of these and other lives like the concierge of a Grand Hotel, Josh is in for the summer of his life, a time of turning points and bridges burned, of second chances and new beginnings, of renewal and hope that will bring him closer to becoming the man he needs to be.
"This is a cut above more mainstream gay fiction offerings, thanks to Ford's crisp prose and snappy, contemporary dialogue. . ..the sandy, barefoot-friendly setting morphs all the melodrama into a satisfying beach book--and a pleasant fiction debut for Ford."--Publishers Weekly
Josh Felling has always been a romantic--up until the moment his lover Doug announced that he'd had an affair with a guy from their gym. Now, with his life playing out like a very bad movie of the week, Josh impulsively heads to the Cape for a few days--long enough to figure out where his relationship--what's left of it--might be going. But the summer has other plans for Josh, and his trip to P-town will bring bigger changes than he ever imagined.
With its windswept dunes, lazy summer days, and starry nights filled with possibilities, Provincetown holds special appeal for those who call it home. . .and for those who come seeking its open welcome. People like Reilly Brennan, son of an old P-town family, whose days are caught up in wedding plans, even as his nights are increasingly taken over by heated fantasies about other men. . .Wide-eyed, blond-haired, All-American Toby Evans, an escapee from the Midwest ready to spend the summer in the equivalent of gay boot camp for anyone who will tutor him. . .Elegant Emmeline, age unknown, a southern belle straight out of Faulkner, with a mean drag act and almost enough money for her permanent gender transformation. . .Ty Rusk, one of Hollywood's hottest new stars hiding an ages-old secrets about to explode.
Weaving in and out of these and other lives like the concierge of a Grand Hotel, Josh is in for the summer of his life, a time of turning points and bridges burned, of second chances and new beginnings, of renewal and hope that will bring him closer to becoming the man he needs to be.
"This is a cut above more mainstream gay fiction offerings, thanks to Ford's crisp prose and snappy, contemporary dialogue. . ..the sandy, barefoot-friendly setting morphs all the melodrama into a satisfying beach book--and a pleasant fiction debut for Ford."--Publishers Weekly
432 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2003
24 people are currently reading
756 people want to read
About the author
Michael Thomas Ford
61 books803 followersMichael Thomas Ford is the author of more than 75 books in genres ranging from humor to horror, literary fiction to nonfiction. His work for adult readers includes the best-selling novels What We Remember, The Road Home, Changing Tides, Full Circle, Looking for It and Last Summer, and his five essay collections in the "Trials of My Queer Life" series. His novel Lily was a Tiptree Award Longlist title and a finalist for both the Lambda Literary Award and the Shirley Jackson Award. He is also the author of the Sickening Adventures series of books featuring popular contestants from RuPaul's Drag Race.
As a writer for young adults he is the author of the novels Suicide Notes, Z, and Love & Other Curses, and under the name Isobel Bird he wrote the popular "Circle of Three" series. His work has been nominated for 14 Lambda Literary Awards, twice winning for Best Humor Book, twice for Best Romance Novel, and once for Best Mystery. He was also nominated for a Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker Award (for his novel The Dollhouse That Time Forgot).
As a writer for young adults he is the author of the novels Suicide Notes, Z, and Love & Other Curses, and under the name Isobel Bird he wrote the popular "Circle of Three" series. His work has been nominated for 14 Lambda Literary Awards, twice winning for Best Humor Book, twice for Best Romance Novel, and once for Best Mystery. He was also nominated for a Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker Award (for his novel The Dollhouse That Time Forgot).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
June 21, 2017
Audible
4,5 stars!
It was like reading many books at once, having being introduced to so many different fates and so many different people in one place.
It's why reading Lust Summer was like watching a soap opera, but I don't mean it negatively, not at all!
The story takes place in Provincetown in Massachusetts, during summer time.
You'll find many wonderful (and also not) characters: openly living gays and lesbians, gays in the closet, normal people and celebrities, as well as a transgender drag queen(who saves money for the last step), a seventeen year old teen who run away from his parent house after coming out.
You'll see long-life lasted relationships and cheating-dramas, people who are on holiday and people who live in this small town, people with relationship problems and people with a mid-life crisis, losses and self-discovery, touching moments and a satisfied HEA for all participants.
An enjoyable summer tale.
I think, I've just read my second favorite novel by Michael Thomas Ford. I really very much enjoyed this book (audible) as well as a wonderful narrating by Blake Somerset.
Highly recommended!
August 9, 2011
When handed this book and told it was a gay romance novel I admittedly thought great just what I dont want. Though being that I had nothing to do for several hours and my friend had kindly brought this book to me I figured what the hell.
I am so glad that I did. So far from what I would call a romance novel. It is more a book that dives into the lives of multiple characters as the struggle with things very real to them. From the unfaithful partner and deciding to forgive or walk away, to a man transitioning into womanhood, two a boy who is outcast by his religious family when he comes out, to closeted characters being brought out and to one deciding if she should allow herself to have the baby that she so wants.
This book is packed full of things that really make you think. What would anyone of us do in these situations? How awesome to find a book written of the gay life style that makes me proud to be gay. That reminds us that not all of us fit into the mold that society puts us under. We are real people with real issues struggling like everyone else to find our place and purpose in this world.
I would recommend this book to anyone. I am looking forward to reading his other books.
I am so glad that I did. So far from what I would call a romance novel. It is more a book that dives into the lives of multiple characters as the struggle with things very real to them. From the unfaithful partner and deciding to forgive or walk away, to a man transitioning into womanhood, two a boy who is outcast by his religious family when he comes out, to closeted characters being brought out and to one deciding if she should allow herself to have the baby that she so wants.
This book is packed full of things that really make you think. What would anyone of us do in these situations? How awesome to find a book written of the gay life style that makes me proud to be gay. That reminds us that not all of us fit into the mold that society puts us under. We are real people with real issues struggling like everyone else to find our place and purpose in this world.
I would recommend this book to anyone. I am looking forward to reading his other books.
July 15, 2013
A beautiful story with an engaging cast of characters. Last Summer is an excellent read especially for the summer. The story follows the lives of a group of people who are visiting or living in Province Town during the summer months. For each person this summer is a time of change, self realisation and growth. The story has an excellent way of weaving around events in the life of each of the main characters, and it is well paced and deeply engrossing. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
March 27, 2008
To be honest, gay fiction has not been at the top of my "to read" list. The few efforts I have read have been pretty dismal. This book is certainly an exception. It's not great literature perhaps, but it is indeed a fine effort. Sure, there are problems -- straight people here are almost non existent or closet gays. Then again, this is fiction. I'll be reading more of this author.
September 12, 2019
Un romanzo leggero, estivo, scritto bene, anche se alcuni personaggi sono un po’ troppo prevedibili. L’autore riesce a creare tante storie che si intrecciano insieme, in un racconto che ti tiene compagnia, con un finale un po’ troppo prevedibile.
December 2, 2018
Last Summer (odd title, since the book is set in the present) is very much in the vein of Tales of the City (without the silly mystery plotlines) and as such is perhaps not hugely original as far as "gay books" of that era go. It is certainly more diverse than most, however, featuring lesbians, PoCs, a trans character and even straight people. Elements of the plots are a little predictable (ironically, a criticism made of the book one of the characters is trying to write) and at least one storyline could have been dispensed with.
Despite all this, the book is very enjoyable to read and is pleasantly entertaining. The writing and language are of a decent standard, which is unfortunately not always the case for that type of book. I'll come back to Mr Ford's oeuvre.
Despite all this, the book is very enjoyable to read and is pleasantly entertaining. The writing and language are of a decent standard, which is unfortunately not always the case for that type of book. I'll come back to Mr Ford's oeuvre.
March 11, 2011
I really enjoyed this book, which reads like a collection of interwoven short stories. The characters were as diverse as the stories they starred in; each story special in its own way.
You feel the anger and betrayal of Josh, even if it seems it's long overdue. You experience the doubt and yearning long suppressed by Reilly. Toby and his innocence makes you want to cry for him.
The lives and loves and antics of all written in Last Summer leave a reader satisfied and longing for such a summer.
You feel the anger and betrayal of Josh, even if it seems it's long overdue. You experience the doubt and yearning long suppressed by Reilly. Toby and his innocence makes you want to cry for him.
The lives and loves and antics of all written in Last Summer leave a reader satisfied and longing for such a summer.
July 14, 2010
Life, love and hot sex are woven into a summer in Provencetown. This is Ford's first try at a serious look at gay life and the human spirit. A good read but a familiar one as stories go.
September 3, 2017
Not my favorite Michael Thomas Ford, but still made for a fun end of summer listen.
April 9, 2023
The perfect beach read. It follows a group of friends, told in different POVs, over the course of a summer holiday in Provincetown. Romance, heartbreaks, hopes, joys and tears, the book takes you through all of the emotions. I love all the POV characters, and would love to spend more time with them if there’s a sequel.
August 9, 2023
Weer een mooi verhaal van Michael Thomas Ford, opnieuw verteld vanuit verschillende perspectieven. Verraad, verdriet, liefde, overspel, vriendschap, vooroordeel en zelf gekozen familie, alles komt voorbij. Soms een beetje voorspelbaar en qua grappen gedateerd maar ik heb er desondanks van genoten.
April 27, 2009
This is the first novel written by a humor essayist that I have been reading lately. It brings the reader to Provincetown on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Known to be a queer-haven and vacation getaway, P-town welcomes a series of characters destined to become intertwined as they search for some summer fun and a chance to get away from their troubles, perhaps redefining themselves in the process.
Bostonian Josh Felling is on the run from his 8-year relationship after learning that his partner Doug has recently cheated on him with a guy from the gym. Josh's friend Bryan connects him with some friends in P-town who own a B&B and are willing to let him use the cabin in the back to get his life back in order.
It is there that Josh (and the reader) meet local handyman Reilly Brennan, who is on the verge of marrying his fiancée Donna. It is a merger that seemed fated as their families have been looking to be tied in wedded bliss for generations. The problem is that Reilly may not be as ready to get married as everyone, including himself, thinks.
America's next big film star Ty Rusk plans to make the most of his newest filming project set in New York to take the opportunity to visit his producer and lover, Reid Truman, who will be vacationing on the Cape. The question is whether they can keep their relationship (and Ty's sexuality) a secret, particularly when a local girl with dreams of making it big sees their secret as an opportunity to escape her small-town life and make it big.
A local transgendered singer named Emmeline is looking to take the final step into womanhood if she can just save up enough money, but things turn particularly interesting with the arrival of Toby Evans, who has been kicked out of his home in the Midwest when his parents learned that he is gay. She becomes a mother to him just as her own mother is forced to move in after a stroke. The parallels between her relationship with her mother and Toby's with his parents are interesting.
Emmeline works at Jackie's, one of the town's prime night spots. Jackie, a 40-year-old African American lesbian, is coming to terms with her recent breakup and finds herself considering motherhood, particularly if she can find the right guy to take on the role of father.
Then there is Marly, whose husband and daughter have gone off to Paris on business. She manages the local arts center, and is also in charge of a summer arts camp that brings in famous writers and artists from across the country for week-long workshops. It is through this that she meets Garth, a well-known music photographer that would give Annie Liebowitz a run for her money. She slowly finds herself drawn to him, but she can't help but wonder if it is love or loneliness. Will she act on it?
As with the gay community, it quickly becomes clear that families are not only defined by blood and DNA. While the story is complex with the large number of plots and characters, each is well-drawn and carefully developed in a way that makes the reader feel like he is really in a community full of people. Each confronts his or her challenges realistically and grows, though not always in the way that he or the reader would want. That just ads to the realism.
A quick warning to the reader is that the book does get intense when it comes to romance. Readers are taken along as characters get intimate, but it is not done lasciviously. Each time, it adds to the development of the characters involved and adds to the plot.
I am looking forward to Ford's next novel. I have always been a big fan of William J. Mann, and this is right up with that level of writing.
Bostonian Josh Felling is on the run from his 8-year relationship after learning that his partner Doug has recently cheated on him with a guy from the gym. Josh's friend Bryan connects him with some friends in P-town who own a B&B and are willing to let him use the cabin in the back to get his life back in order.
It is there that Josh (and the reader) meet local handyman Reilly Brennan, who is on the verge of marrying his fiancée Donna. It is a merger that seemed fated as their families have been looking to be tied in wedded bliss for generations. The problem is that Reilly may not be as ready to get married as everyone, including himself, thinks.
America's next big film star Ty Rusk plans to make the most of his newest filming project set in New York to take the opportunity to visit his producer and lover, Reid Truman, who will be vacationing on the Cape. The question is whether they can keep their relationship (and Ty's sexuality) a secret, particularly when a local girl with dreams of making it big sees their secret as an opportunity to escape her small-town life and make it big.
A local transgendered singer named Emmeline is looking to take the final step into womanhood if she can just save up enough money, but things turn particularly interesting with the arrival of Toby Evans, who has been kicked out of his home in the Midwest when his parents learned that he is gay. She becomes a mother to him just as her own mother is forced to move in after a stroke. The parallels between her relationship with her mother and Toby's with his parents are interesting.
Emmeline works at Jackie's, one of the town's prime night spots. Jackie, a 40-year-old African American lesbian, is coming to terms with her recent breakup and finds herself considering motherhood, particularly if she can find the right guy to take on the role of father.
Then there is Marly, whose husband and daughter have gone off to Paris on business. She manages the local arts center, and is also in charge of a summer arts camp that brings in famous writers and artists from across the country for week-long workshops. It is through this that she meets Garth, a well-known music photographer that would give Annie Liebowitz a run for her money. She slowly finds herself drawn to him, but she can't help but wonder if it is love or loneliness. Will she act on it?
As with the gay community, it quickly becomes clear that families are not only defined by blood and DNA. While the story is complex with the large number of plots and characters, each is well-drawn and carefully developed in a way that makes the reader feel like he is really in a community full of people. Each confronts his or her challenges realistically and grows, though not always in the way that he or the reader would want. That just ads to the realism.
A quick warning to the reader is that the book does get intense when it comes to romance. Readers are taken along as characters get intimate, but it is not done lasciviously. Each time, it adds to the development of the characters involved and adds to the plot.
I am looking forward to Ford's next novel. I have always been a big fan of William J. Mann, and this is right up with that level of writing.
June 13, 2007
As posted in [http://www.amazon.com]:
"Last Summer" is one of the best gay novels I've read even though the plots are fairly simple. But, hey, sometimes simple is best, right?
I enjoyed this book because it is diversed with characters that are gay, lesbian, transgendered and questioning. Josh escapes to P-Town from Boston after learning that his lover, Doug, has cheated on him. Toby escapes P-Town from his conservative and close-minded family after coming out to them. Ty and Reid, a Hollywood star and producer, escapes there as well, away from the public eye, so that they can just be themselves.
Meanwhile, Jackie, a native of P-Town, is thinking about having a baby after her lover has left her. However, she just needs to decide whom to ask for the "donation". Emmeline dreams of being a full woman, yet cannot afford that final surgery and adjusts to dealing with her ailing mother, whom she hasn't seen nor spoken in years.
Little by little, over the summer, each of these characters cross paths as they deal with their own and each other's issues. Love. Lust. Infidelity. Betrayal. Coming out. Acceptance. Blackmail. Family. Friendship. They're all in the book.
Like I said, it's a good book which you'll enjoy. I enjoyed it so much that I'm already reading another book of his.
"Last Summer" is one of the best gay novels I've read even though the plots are fairly simple. But, hey, sometimes simple is best, right?
I enjoyed this book because it is diversed with characters that are gay, lesbian, transgendered and questioning. Josh escapes to P-Town from Boston after learning that his lover, Doug, has cheated on him. Toby escapes P-Town from his conservative and close-minded family after coming out to them. Ty and Reid, a Hollywood star and producer, escapes there as well, away from the public eye, so that they can just be themselves.
Meanwhile, Jackie, a native of P-Town, is thinking about having a baby after her lover has left her. However, she just needs to decide whom to ask for the "donation". Emmeline dreams of being a full woman, yet cannot afford that final surgery and adjusts to dealing with her ailing mother, whom she hasn't seen nor spoken in years.
Little by little, over the summer, each of these characters cross paths as they deal with their own and each other's issues. Love. Lust. Infidelity. Betrayal. Coming out. Acceptance. Blackmail. Family. Friendship. They're all in the book.
Like I said, it's a good book which you'll enjoy. I enjoyed it so much that I'm already reading another book of his.
October 24, 2014
I’m so glad the guy I’m seeing loaned this to me (even if it did throw off my schedule a bit) and I was even happier to find out that I have a Jane Austen fan-fiction novel on my shelf he wrote, Jane Bites Back. I was hesitant to read it with the whole vampire thing, but I’m looking forward to it now I’ve read this one!
I’m confused (and sad) about why there aren’t more reviews of this awesome novel on Goodreads! On the other hand, I’m glad that there aren’t that many reviews because people would idiot responses (including gifs) about it and then I’d just be grumpy. Not only did I love this book because of Ford’s incredibly witty and hilarious one-liners, but I enjoyed it because of how many of the books he listed/referenced that I’ve read. From Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to Maupin’s Tales of the City , I’ve clearly earned my “gay-card,” according to some of the characters.
Click here to continue reading on my blog The Oddness of Moving Things.
I’m confused (and sad) about why there aren’t more reviews of this awesome novel on Goodreads! On the other hand, I’m glad that there aren’t that many reviews because people would idiot responses (including gifs) about it and then I’d just be grumpy. Not only did I love this book because of Ford’s incredibly witty and hilarious one-liners, but I enjoyed it because of how many of the books he listed/referenced that I’ve read. From Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to Maupin’s Tales of the City , I’ve clearly earned my “gay-card,” according to some of the characters.
Click here to continue reading on my blog The Oddness of Moving Things.
June 26, 2019
Qué libro tan espantoso. De verdad, no estoy siendo cínica: ¿cómo le puede gustar a nadie esta visión tan edulcorada de la vida? ¿Quién se la cree? A ver, que no es que piense que todas las novelas tengan que ser un A Little Life, pero Last Summer es el otro extremo; es tontorrona, ultraconservadora, correctísima, melodramática y simplona. Con escenas sexuales sacadas de escenarios de peli porno y buenorros hetero que ¡por supuesto! son gays en realidad.
A mí me caería mejor Ford si no usase la literatura para meternos doblado lo que piensa. ¿Por qué no dice "Pues sí, soy un romántico empedernido y me rechifla la correción política". Ahí no me meto, diría yo "Pues pa ti toa". Pero que sea necesario escribir un novelón (400 páginas, caballeros) lleno de "Mirad, chicos, así es como debéis pensar" me repatea.
Pues tonta yo, que piqué el anzuelo. Ahora, en la piedra de Ford esta menda no vuelve a tropezar.
A mí me caería mejor Ford si no usase la literatura para meternos doblado lo que piensa. ¿Por qué no dice "Pues sí, soy un romántico empedernido y me rechifla la correción política". Ahí no me meto, diría yo "Pues pa ti toa". Pero que sea necesario escribir un novelón (400 páginas, caballeros) lleno de "Mirad, chicos, así es como debéis pensar" me repatea.
Pues tonta yo, que piqué el anzuelo. Ahora, en la piedra de Ford esta menda no vuelve a tropezar.
November 23, 2014
Though it's been nearly 30 years since I was last in P-Town, prior to that I had spent parts of ten summers there. I wasn't expecting much more than a light bit of fluff from the book, and now that I'm done I'm wondering why I should give it less than five stars and can't think of a reason. I know most of the characters. I know the daily routine of brunch, beach, tea dance, dinner and nightlife. The book wasn't at all a cliche for me, more an old feeling of total comfort and freedom. I'll be reading Ford's other books for sure.
February 9, 2021
A poignant and witty summerly soap, predictable as Josh's book in the book. But that's perfectly alright: the prospect of everything settling in a positive way gave me a relaxed reading experience.
Ford has conceived a set of diverse, vivid and extraordinarily endearing characters, whose stories slowly weave together. The characters are definitely the strong point of the book and after having finished reading you feel as if you had lost some friends. I would wish for more Emmelines, Joshs, Tys and Tobys out there in the real world.
Absolutely worth a read.
Ford has conceived a set of diverse, vivid and extraordinarily endearing characters, whose stories slowly weave together. The characters are definitely the strong point of the book and after having finished reading you feel as if you had lost some friends. I would wish for more Emmelines, Joshs, Tys and Tobys out there in the real world.
Absolutely worth a read.
August 1, 2011
This is an author that I have really come to enjoy reading. I started reading his work several years ago in an anthology I believe and picked up some of his other books. This book is not only on my virtual bookshelf but one that I have kept on my physical bookshelf.
Read
March 22, 2013Really enjoyed this novel; this first I've read of Michael Thomas Ford. Excellent beach reading - soap opera saga!
February 6, 2014
Loved this book, as I love all of Michael Thomas Ford's books.
February 3, 2014
Currently my 2nd favorite by Mr Ford, right after Full Circle.
February 9, 2022
*Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars*
The second book that I have read by Ford, and this one was even better then the other one that I read, given that this was also one of his earlier works. While I have attempted to read another one of his books that was more a family drama, I have found that Ford does better when he is working witn an ensemble cast of characters. This story is centered around Provincetown (P-Town) and its queer friendly beachfront that has an eclectic cast of characters that have converged upon the beachfront for differnet reasons. Some are here to vacation, while others are escaping from their lives that have taken drastic turns. Still, some are coming to find themselves while others who have lived there are taking steps to change their lives.
One thing that is fascinating reading Ford's older work now is seeing how many other media (shows and books) have used or played on tropes that he wrote about in this book. I almost felt like I was watching a limited series - it was campy, dramatic, but heartfelt and touching. My favorite characters to read about were Josh, Toby, Jackie and Emmeline. I felt that these characters had the most growth, and I would love to read more about what happened in their lives moving forward.
Though the age of the book was shown (circa 2003) and I felt that there were some things that were just rushed and not really covered as the book wrapped up with our chosen found family, the book while having romance and infidelity, also had some touchig moments that was more about other relationships being developed and how people can still be helpful and nice to each other.
The second book that I have read by Ford, and this one was even better then the other one that I read, given that this was also one of his earlier works. While I have attempted to read another one of his books that was more a family drama, I have found that Ford does better when he is working witn an ensemble cast of characters. This story is centered around Provincetown (P-Town) and its queer friendly beachfront that has an eclectic cast of characters that have converged upon the beachfront for differnet reasons. Some are here to vacation, while others are escaping from their lives that have taken drastic turns. Still, some are coming to find themselves while others who have lived there are taking steps to change their lives.
One thing that is fascinating reading Ford's older work now is seeing how many other media (shows and books) have used or played on tropes that he wrote about in this book. I almost felt like I was watching a limited series - it was campy, dramatic, but heartfelt and touching. My favorite characters to read about were Josh, Toby, Jackie and Emmeline. I felt that these characters had the most growth, and I would love to read more about what happened in their lives moving forward.
Though the age of the book was shown (circa 2003) and I felt that there were some things that were just rushed and not really covered as the book wrapped up with our chosen found family, the book while having romance and infidelity, also had some touchig moments that was more about other relationships being developed and how people can still be helpful and nice to each other.
June 16, 2021
This book should have been a quick, breezy read, the perfect melodrama for the summer months. In reality, it took me nearly two weeks to finish because I could never truly get into it. There are so many paper-thin characters in this damn thing that I almost needed an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of them. The author certainly didn’t help matters by writing the characters in exactly the same way so that they all sounded and acted alike. And it also didn’t help that the author is only interested in gay characters who want to assimilate to straight culture, settle down with a partner, have a family, and look dismissively at those “other” gays who aren’t straight-passing or who are more interested in hooking up. There’s a moment when one of the characters (I don’t remember who, it literally could have been any of them) praises another character for writing gay men who are so real, unlike the caricatures on “Will and Grace.“ My eyes rolled so far back in my head I was worried they would stay like that forever. As if this author had any of the comedic chops of the writer on that show (and, no, his stale quips about Cher and other celebs were not clever in the slightest), or knew how write anything but the most predictable plot for these characters. “Last Summer” was a slog to sit through and a disappointing way to start Pride month.
October 7, 2022
This book has a great set of memorable characters. As a gay man, I’ve known my share of characters like Josh, Reilly, Toby and Jackie. I love how the author weaved all the characters together. Yes, some of the pop culture references are outdated as the book was written in 2004 but this book can still hold up in todays standards. I appreciate the author’s commentary about gay relationships and these are still true today.
As I got closer to the end of the book, I didn’t want the book to finish. The same way the characters were saying goodbye to summer, I felt I was saying goodbye to them as well. It’s rare to find a book that makes you want to stay with the characters even the last words are read.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in LGBTQ novels. It’s well written and the characters are rounded and realistic. Unlike today’s gay romance novels that try “too” hard to be edgy, Michael Thomas Ford creates characters and situations that keep you invested in the plot.
As I got closer to the end of the book, I didn’t want the book to finish. The same way the characters were saying goodbye to summer, I felt I was saying goodbye to them as well. It’s rare to find a book that makes you want to stay with the characters even the last words are read.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in LGBTQ novels. It’s well written and the characters are rounded and realistic. Unlike today’s gay romance novels that try “too” hard to be edgy, Michael Thomas Ford creates characters and situations that keep you invested in the plot.
September 30, 2025
I was looking for books set in or about Provincetown and came across this one. Overall, it was an enjoyable summer read, a throwback to life before smart phones and Prep. This novel would have been better without the author's pervasive heteronormative moralities and posturing. In matters of monogamy ("my longtime boyfriend cheated, my life is over and he's a monster!"), unprotected sex (bad!), and inclusivity (the only character of color is also the only lesbian and look out because she wants some gay semen to make a baby!), this book leans a little bit log cabin conservative, even for the time in which it was written. But it's also a reminder of the way life was before marriage equality, what we gained and what's still worth fighting for; the lives and communities and families we carve for ourselves out of thin, albeit oppressive, air.
July 14, 2021
This is flawed and very, very dated, but I absolutely loved it. As someone who goes to Provincetown every year, I thought Ford did a great job evoking the feeling of the place, if not exactly evoking the near-magic of the town's physical presence (that comes mostly from fictionalizing locations and streets).
June 9, 2024
ALTHOUGH A GOOD SOLID READ MAINLY ABOUT GAY MEN I THOUGHT AT TIMES THERE WAS WAY TOO MANY CHRACHTERS AND MINOR STORIES THAT CONFUSED THE ISSUE A BIT, BUT NEVER THE LESS A GOOD SOLID READ AND HELPED ME RELAX AND PASS THE TIME AWAY ON A NIGHTMARE FLIGHT FROM LAS PLAMAS IN GRAN CANARIA TO MANCHESTER AIRPORT ON A RIYAN AIR FLIGHT.
August 1, 2025
I didn’t think I’d enjoy this, but it was sweet and heart warming. Yes, the characters are one dimensional, the plot a little too easy breezy cover girl, but it covered a full gamut of themes and topics and created some nice characters who you rooted for. Possibly a bit too saccharine but I think I’m glad it was in the end!
August 11, 2017
The prose and the narrative is not as strong as other novels from MTF; but that doesn't make it less enjoyable. You'll fall in love with the idea of extended families.
November 4, 2019
Rich character development. I loved the ending.
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