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Forces of Nature: Hurricane Reese, Typhoon Toby, Earthquake Ethan, by R.L. Merrill
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Hurricane Reese
Typhoon Toby
Earthquake Ethan
By R.L. Merrill
Published by Celie Bay Publications, 2018-2024
Four stars
I loved this trilogy of stories, each involving a single character whose romantic drama overlaps with the stories of the other two—and all of them revolve around the creation of a musical stage show called “The Boy on the Corner.” The metaphoric forces of nature of the titles are part of the story, and tag each main character like a personal insignium.
This is a very Hollywood-centric trilogy, focused on young men (two gay, one pansexual) who have devoted their lives to song, dance, and drama. Reese Matheson is a Tony-winning pop star, Toby Griffiths is his co-writer and longtime best friend; while Ethan Bradley is the pretty boy who accidentally cause a massive mess in London because of a few photos in the tabloid press.
Each of these stories is quite different from the others—because these men are quite dissimilar, and have specific problems that are connected but not congruent to those of their friends. Reese has his beloved grandfather—himself a famous “Rat Pack” pianist, slowly succumbing to dementia. Toby has a horrific past episode of abuse about which none of his friends know; and Ethan has gone from stardom to near-homelessness thanks to his naivete in tangling with the British paparazzi.
Each character—and the love interest assigned to them (Jude, a healthcare worker; Spencer, a psychotherapist; and Arthur a successful talent manager)—tells his personal story as the narrative churns forward to the emotional climax we all want. The author does it very well, getting us to like these men without letting them off the hook entirely. They are not flawless angels, but they are not “just” victims, either. Their emotional complexity and interesting personalities draw you into their messy lives.
This is not just about romantic love between three pairs of men; it’s about broader circles of friendship and family love that bind disparate characters together.