Title: Fate
Series: N/A
Author: Rob Rosen
Genre: Contemporary/Humor
Length: 263 pages
Publisher: MLR Press (November 18th, 2015)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts
Blurb: One man, four lovers, and just ten years to choose one set the Hollywood stage in this hilarious coming of age tale of family, friendship, and fate.
Eddie is in love. The problem is, Eddie’s in love with four men… four men simultaneously, that is. But who does Eddie love more? And can the heart feel for that many men equally? Ah, but it does have four chambers, so four seems the most logical choice… at least, of course, to Eddie.
Paula is Eddie’s famous mom. One by one, each of his lovers comes to work for her, their lives so connected that if one of them itches, another one scratches. But who will wind up with whom in this comedic tale of life and love and friendship? In the end, it’s up to fate to decide what none of them could possibly have seen coming.
ISBN: 9781608209965
Product Link: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=BR__FATE
Reviewer: Prime
Review: This book was a real dark horse for me – I didn’t realise that I would love it as much as I have. Fate is a fantastic coming of age book by Rob Rosen that follows one young man through life, love and gradually becoming part of a Hollywood fame engine.
As the blurb reads, the story is about Eddie. In fact, Eddie tells the entire story – superbly too, since I never once wondered what the other characters were thinking throughout the book. Eddie brings us through his formative years, but the story really starts when he turns fifteen and ends with Eddie in his mid-20s – the guts of the books is mostly when Eddie goes through college.
And now we come to the four men. I rarely ever like stories which have even a whiff of cheating in them, but I have to say, I was more than willing to overlook any issues regarding faith and loyalty with this one. I think because a) Eddie and his friends match so well, b) I’m guessing that these guys are confusing love and friendship for a good many years until they reach the point where they “grow up”.
The first of Eddie’s men is Brian. These guys have been friends since they day they were born. Both of them were born in the same hospital after their respective mother unexpectedly went into labour. The women, who were light years apart in so many ways, became friends and so did their sons, even when they were separated by both time and distance.
Brian doesn’t seem confused by his sexuality, but I think the best description is fluid considering the girlfriends he gets. Personally, by the end of it, I think that Brian is a bit of a dick but considering Eddie’s behaviour both Eddie and I, as the reader, decided to overlook that.
Then there was Curtis (real name John, its complicated). Curtis is Eddie’s college roommate and after realising they were both gay became friends with benefits, even when Curtis started seeing Aaron. Later on, Aaron also becomes one of Eddie’s men.
During college though, Eddie meets up finding Brian again and this is how he meets Trevor, a friend of Brian’s. Eddie cannot fathom the feelings he feels for each of the men and once all the characters are into play, the guessing game starts (though in the back of my mind what actually happens I thought would be the obvious solution).
And if that isn’t complicated enough, this is only half of the plot!
The other half revolves around Eddie’s comedienne mother, Paula, who maintains a happy family life with her husband and kids, Eddie and Elsie as well as going on the road to perform. As the years pass Paula gains more and more popularity until the point where her fame explodes into Hollywood madness and her whole family is sucked into the Hollywood Machine.
Nonetheless, she manages to keep her head – for the most part – and makes sure she has her husband (I can’t honestly recall reading his name) and kids nearby. Eddie’s father shies away from the fame and business side of things; rather he is his wife’s rock. Eddie on the other hand, who had joined his mother on the road throughout his childhood and was a popular part of her routine, begins to take the business side of things over. On their mother’s coat tails, one by one, after drifting apart from his men, they are each brought into the family fold.
There are plenty of other characters in this complex story, but you’ll just have to read it. Eddie is charming, just like his mother. It is difficult not to love them both because in a way both Eddie and Paula are the main characters, though they share the spotlight with at least another six characters. It’s a sweet fairytale of Hollywood with some relatable personal points when it comes to finding love and all the rest.
I’d like to think that this is a book that appeals to everyone, but if you like New Adult, Hollywood, great families, lots of sex and lots of sweetness this is the book for you.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *