MishyJo

4.25 Warm Fuzzy (but not sappy sweet) Stars

Joe and Ed have been together for 2.5 years. They live together. They are seemingly committed. But they haven't ever bothered to DTR (define the relationship). Joe, it appears, has never really even considered his feelings for Ed. Ed, on the other hand, has probably thought about it but is okay keeping his feelings unexpressed.

Then a new opportunity presents itself to the couple and their lives undergo a big change. Suddenly they are relying on each other more and more. It becomes harder for them to deny that they share real feelings for each other and that the relationship is more than just a convenience and great sex. Each man slowly admits to himself that he needs the other, but they continue to resist saying those three magic words.

There were a lot of things I loved about this book. It was a book about being in love rather than falling in love. I have said it before, I love those books where the initial infatuation has passed but the fire is still burning strong. The issues of struggling with family and community acceptance were beautifully handled. Maybe it all worked out a bit too perfectly for real life, but that's the beauty of fiction. The story line was fairly unique and didn't feel like this was a book I have already read a dozen times before with slightly different nuances.

Here is the only thing that bugged me. I knew they were in love. Everyone around them knew they were in love. Why didn't they know it? The reluctance of the men to DTR was the basis of this story, but the reason behind it was never really explained. I would have liked to have known what it was in their lives that stopped them from embracing the full reality of their relationship for so long.