Title: Hometown Secrets
Author: Dawn Flemington
Genre: Contemporary/Cowboy & Western
Length: Novel (257 pages)
Publisher: Loose Id (November 18th 2013)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts
Reviewer: Cat
Blurb:An old secret. A new secret. A surprising secret. A dirty secret.
Coming to terms with his sexuality, Pete Stubbs has found his ‘Mr. Wonderful’ and wants to celebrate his happiness by coming out. Yet admitting he is gay to his family is taking more courage than he originally thought, especially when his mother stuns him with her unexpected homophobic hatred. He starts to wonder if his coming out will be more selfish than freeing.
Out and proud Asher Gilford is tired of always being the ‘throw away boy’. He deserves to be loved by a man who’s not ashamed to be with him. Though his current lover reassures him it’s only that ‘more time is needed’ before they can go public, Asher fears he’s becoming someone’s ‘dirty little secret’ yet again.
When a church sponsors Pete and Asher for a charity event, it explodes a series of startling secrets within their hometown. As Pete watches life crumble around him, he realizes that by remaining in the closet, he could lose more than his family. If he doesn’t step up, he could lose Asher.
Purchase Link: http://www.loose-id.com/hometown-secrets.html
Review: I absolutely fell in love with this book and author on the first page, no, the first paragraph.
It began with a question to Pete from his fifteen-year-old nephew Trenton-Lee about what makes a man a cowboy. Instead of answering Pete ask him who all else, he has asked and what they said. This was a unique way to introduce several characters, by telling who Trenton Lee asked and their answer and what Pete replied about each person’s answer. It’s such a fabulous setup. Then immediately Pete’s dad summons him into the house at his mom’s request. Here we meet the mother and her views on homosexuality are made quite clear with the church committee when they ask Pete to do the cowboy games for the church group and we are told about a new character, Asher the preacher’s nephew that is openly gay. Pete’s also getting mysterious texts from his new lover during this period.
I absolutely loved this intrigue and mystery. I loved all these characters. There are a lot of them not all good. I really like the mix of emotions and that it’s not a story where the entire town accepts everyone and the romance goes storybook smooth. Nope, not in this one. It is very beautifully written with lots of emotion on both Pete and Asher’s part. We also get some insight on Pete’s father and his young nephew plays an important role also. The story has a very realistic feel and I absolutely love the action and the descriptions. I could see the things going on. It felt like I was living this story and not reading it. I am a fan and really hope that this will become a series.
There were a few things that I felt were unresolved and hope that it’s because there is another series. I would have liked to have known who the clown was and why the preacher had Asher putting him up. At one point I had an epiphany and thought I figured out who he was and why he was there, but that never was address and after a point he was never mentioned again. I thought for sure he was going to have a role somewhere near the ending. But since I really felt or hoped that this all leads to another book I still felt this story was amazing and heart-warming. I also loved the hot mansex, although there is quite a bit it’s sensual and very tasteful.
If you like, westerns, bullies, cowboy games, cowboys, music teachers, farmers, coming out stories, some angst and sensual mansex this is for you.
I am going to do something a bit different here. This is the link to the excerpt you really should read thishttp://www.loose-id.com/hometown-secrets.html#product_tabs_Excert