Title: Love and Salvage: Loving Emmett
Series: N/A
Author: Mathew Ortiz
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (154 pages)
Publisher: Mathew Ortiz (October 17th, 2013)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.5Hearts
Reviewer: Eli/Mandingo
Blurb: Tatesville was a quiet little town just east of Atlanta, home to the Gaither clan. Emmett Gaither loved his family and his life. It was perfect. Being the only gay son had its challenges but his family stood by him and loved him all the same. He never dreamed that his world would be turned upside side by the new banker in town. The sexy blonde man made Emmett’s blood boil. But he wouldn’t be interested in a redneck man like Emmett? Would he?
Alex King had lived a gypsy life. Leaving the northwest, he thought he wanted to live in the bustling city of Atlanta. Still he wasn’t happy, so he jumped on the change to move to a quieter life in Tatesville. He was sure he’d never meet a good guy in the little southern town. Imagine his surprise when one of his customers wanted to fix him up with her SON! Had he move to the Twilight Zone? If so, he was happy to live there when the customer’s tall, dark and handsome walked into his bank…now what?
Review: I started reading and felt like I’d stepped into the written version of a reality show. Mr. Ortiz has a very vivid way of writing which makes the reader feel that they are sitting in the room and watching the interaction that is happening on the page. While the setting may be a small town – the real setting is The Gaither family – everything in this story is spawned from the members or interaction of the family. The Gaither clan is a fascinating one – they would make a great addition to TLC or another such network, right beside the Duck Dynasty family. As a result of his writing style, the characters are sharply drawn and thus three-dimensional in nature. So thumbs up on the writing style.
Unlike many m/m main characters, Emmett and Alex are not broken men; lonely and with their insecurities, but certainly not broken –that was a welcome change. They are well-adjusted men who meet and grow to like and then love each other. They must, however, deal with the outside world which presents itself in the way of jobs, friends, and of course the prejudices that come with them. The men demonstrate beautifully what it means to resolve to make a relationship work and what has to happen for that to occur. The men are vastly different, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t a good fit. Check! On character and plot development.
The supporting cast of the story are also very entertaining, a trait Mr. Ortiz excels at as seen with other series books he’s written. In this story, he clearly outlines the other stories that may be spawned from this tale, by weaving several interlocking tales. This is an exceptional plot tool not just for spawning stories and characters, but ensuring that the reader gets a 360 degree view of the characters by seeing their full lives and how they interact with the world they live in. I look forward to reading more from this author, especially more about the Gaither clan who are loud, colourful and the perfect setting for any story. It’s nice to know that we’ll see Emmett and Alex again. Round of applause on use of secondary characters to advance the plot line!
And to conclude – There is of course a major conflict in the story. It happens close to the end and helps to propel the readers and the main characters towards the HEA, because love must always conquer all. Kudos to following the time-honoured tradition of how to ensure that the reader is hooked and notions of the romantic standard are followed.
When all is said and done, Emmett and Alex are great characters, we enjoy their love story and their journey, we root for them and when the story is done, we are happy and satisfied.