Title: Choices
Series: Waiting for Forever, #1
Author: Jamie Mayfield
Genre: YA/Contemporary Romance (contains strong anti-gay violence)
Length: Novel (304 pages)
Publisher: Harmony Ink *Dreamspinner Press (Published June 6th 2013)
Heat Level: Moderate to Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Blurb: Part One: The Throwaway Boy
As the country’s religious and secular leaders battle over equality in the abstract, Brian McAllister and Jamie Mayfield live in the crossfire. In their little town of Crayford, Alabama, loving another boy is the worst kind of sin. Best friends since childhood, they explore their love and each other in Jamie’s backyard tree house as they hide from the world. They happily plan for the future together—until their lives are rocked when their secret is exposed and Jamie’s family intervenes.
When hatred turns to violence in their sleepy little town, Brian tries to cope with the loss of his best friend, who is stolen in the night. In desperation, he turns to Adam, a new friend with a shared pain. Can Adam fill the hole left by Jamie’s absence? The answer will change everything.
Adapted from the award-winning Little Boy Lost series by J. P. Barnaby.
Product Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3878
Reviewer: Tams
Review: Brian and Jamie have been best friends since they were children. Brian is a foster child that has been in and out of several horrible foster homes until he was placed with the Schrieber’s when he was 11 years old. He and Jamie have been best friends since that day. Over time, friendship has grown into stronger feelings of desire and love, but neither boy has told the other. Until one day in their shared tree house, Jamie throws caution to the wind and kisses Brian.
This isn’t an insta love relationship, these two young men now 17 years old have been falling in love for close to 6 years. Due to their strict religious families, they haven’t shared their feelings for fear of rejection and hatred. When they finally open up and are honest with each other about how they feel, it is beautiful and touching. It’s what comes after that will break your fucking heart!
This was a hard book to read, I must warn you. The story of Brian and Jaime is beautiful, endearing, emotional, and tragic. Mayfield wrote a prolific story of the reality that is growing up gay in a small town with narrow-minded people. I mean, Brian isn’t even safe at school! I have to wonder how much of this book is reality since the author gave a main character his name.
This really is a powerful read that shows what some young gay men have to endure for being who they are. Brian is ostracized for being gay, and not only is he bullied and ultimately critically injured at school by his peers, but the adults gang up on him. I was floored by the reaction and treatment this young man received at the hands of the very people who are supposed to protect him. His foster parents, local martial arts teacher, and a fellow gay teacher are his only allies. When Jamie’s parents find out the truth behind the relationship between them they force Jamie out of Brian’s life and eventually place him in one of those “we cure the gay” programs that I think should all be blown off the map!
There is a positive in this story as well thankfully. Watching Jamie and Brian grow closer in the beginning and ultimately loving each other completely was my favorite part. Mayfield captured the true pain and pleasure of their first sexual encounter flawlessly. After Brian was hurt he was very bitter and withdrawn, rightfully so, but he came through it and learned how to protect himself in the end. I loved the addition of Adam and how he feels the same way about Brian that Brian feels about Jamie. I can’t wait for the next book to see how the trifecta that is Brian, Jamie and Adam plays out.
If you are looking for a fluffy young love story, pass on this one. If you are looking for a reality based love story where heroes’s have to fight not only to be together, but also to be true to themselves, grab it NOW! As hard as it was to read at times, I still loved this book overall and highly recommend.