Release Day Review ~ Mild to Wild in Massachusetts by Paul Walkingsky
Title: Mild to Wild in Massachusetts
Author: Paul Walkingsky
Release Date: April 12, 2017
Category: Contemporary, States of Love
Pages: 74
Brett has spent twenty-seven years trying to be perfect for the Mormon grandparents who raised him. Unfortunately, doing so has meant missing out on lots of life experiences—and denying a major part of who he is. Now that his grandparents are gone, Brett is ready to make up for lost time, break out of the sedate façade he’s always presented, and do something he would have never considered before: attend a gay men’s spiritual retreat in rural Massachusetts.
While trying to infuse some spice into his life with workshops like Erotic Massage, Body Painting, and Drag 101, Brett meets Boston nurse Karl, and it’s hard to deny the connection between them. But will Brett’s lack of experience and Karl’s insecurities end their romance before it can really begin?
It might be a spiritual retreat, but Brett must learn to embrace his physical reality if he’s going to grab on to his chance at love.
States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.
3.5 Stars
Left by his hippy mother to be raised by his Mormon grandparents, Brett has spent most of his 27 years hiding from who he is. He has gone through life with his head down, as to not draw attention to himself or the fact that he is gay. Now that his grandparents have passed on, Brett has decided with some urging from a family friend, that maybe it's time to go out and discover who he really is and start living his life.
This was definitely a coming of age story, not in the sense that Brett is young, well, 27 is still young, but in the sense that he is truly naive when it comes to living his life as a member of the gay community. Brett has never dated or acted on his sexuality. This isn't so much a love story as it is a story of self-discovery. Brett attends a retreat in Massachusetts and discovers what it's like to be comfortable in his own skin, while surrounded by other members of the LGBT community.
This was a quick and easy read. I enjoyed watching Brett come out of his shell and peel away the layers of the armor he'd built around him over the years. The secondary characters and the workshops Brett takes part in were all very entertaining to read about.
I haven't really mentioned a love interest, because truly this wasn't a love story. There is no declaration of love or happy endings here, in fact, the book ends rather abruptly. I'd love to see what the future holds for Brett and perhaps Karl? This was a well-written and enjoyable read. Recommendable.
*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement.*
No comments:
Post a Comment