Logan Meredith

Both previous stories in this series have been full of drama, emotions, tough decisions, and realistic issues. But I was still not ready for the level of obstacles the two main characters in ‘Open Hearts’ face. They have a tough situation to deal with anyway – both have lost a partner – and are in dire need of starting over, but then they go and make it worse. I was ready to tear my hair out more than once!

Asim is a tormented man. He is a Muslim who denies his heritage because gay men are not accepted in his family or culture. He has never come out, but still refuses to enter into an agreed marriage waiting for him at home after he graduates, and decides to run away and becomes a firefighter. As a consequence, he loses his family. Then he loses his lover in the 9/11 attack, and the resulting emotional problems manifest in nightmares and self-doubt bordering on self-hatred for being gay. He is a complicated character and, after suffering so much, I wanted him to have a happy ending. He has to change and grow a lot before he can get there, and it takes him a very, very long time to do it. Anyone who likes flawed characters is bound to like him, but it was a close call for me.

Ángel has his own set of problems. He may be out and proud, but he too has lost the man he loved and is now left to raise Gracie, their daughter by a surrogate, on his own. While part of his struggle is around dealing with wanting to be a stay-at-home dad and people not accepting him because he is "too flamboyant", the thing that holds him back is the feeling that he will betray his deceased husband if he allows himself to fall in love with Asim. Moving on after losing a partner is never easy, but for Ángel, it seems almost impossible for the longest time. As long as he doesn’t allow himself to find happiness, there is no chance he and Asim can make it.

If you like tormented characters and lots of drama, if you think that a path to love that is full of obstacles makes it all worthwhile, and if you’re looking for a read about realistic characters with painful pasts to learn to live with before they can move on, then you might like this novel.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (más)

Relationships are hard work, and some of them require more attention than others. Couples who have an open relationship, like psychologist Victor (who made a short appearance in book one) and spa-owner Derek, face quite a few additional pitfalls. In this case, Derek is a man opposed to monogamy for many reasons that make sense to him, but not necessarily to Victor. Victor likes to play, but he is ready to settle down and would not mind revising their agreement. The key to the problem is their different way of defining intimacy, and when Antonio enters their lives – via Derek’s bed – it all comes to a head. Ironically it is Victor’s interest in Antonio’s well-being that causes several “explosions” from Derek. The struggle these three men go through is full of drama, scary revelations, and a past that won’t stop haunting Antonio no matter how hard he tries to forget it all.

Victor loves Derek to distraction and has so far dealt well with Derek’s need to play with other men – both on his own and with all three of them present. From the very start, Antonio is different and Victor struggles with his need to protect the younger man. Victor worries about how others see him, stemming mostly from issues with his father and his own past.

Derek is all about keeping their relationship open; anything to avoid tying himself down only to find out he “has to” cheat – like his father did. But seeing Victor so worried about a stranger makes Derek lose it. “Just sex” is okay with him, mostly when he initiates it, but seeing something that might be an emotional involvement develop between Victor and Antonio makes Derek feel totally insecure.

While both Victor and Derek are falling in love with Antonio, neither wants to admit it and both struggle with the implications. The situation brings up a whole range of problems with their relationship, and they end up so upset that they can’t even talk about it, causing even more issues.

Antonio has his own problems, and finding out what they are as the story unfolds was heartbreaking. Antonio needs all the support and love he can get, and he quickly falls for both Victor and Derek – except he doesn’t want to come between them. He has a way of looking at things that manages to bring all three of them closer together, but none of that matters if his past catches up and destroys everything Antonio has worked so hard for.

If you like stories about complicated characters with tons of issues, if three men struggling to figure out how they fit is your thing, and if you’re looking for a read that doesn’t shy away from real problems and looks at romance and love from an unbiased and somewhat unusual perspective, then you will probably like this novel.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (más)

Before reading this book I would have never been able to see why a fear of donuts can make sense – if there is such a thing as a fear making sense at all. Of course none ever does, but the explanation for why Seth stays the heck away from donuts made my heart break for him. Jude has not had it easy in the relationship department either, and I felt for him too. While there is a definite attraction between these two wounded men when they first meet, for a very, very long time it doesn’t look as if they stand a chance. The way they deal with their issues and the obstacles that keep popping up is portrayed with a high degree of realism, and it was one of the things I liked about this novel. Theirs is not an easy romance and there is lots of angst and drama before it’s all said and done on the final page.

Seth has had a tough life – beginning with losing his father at a young age, to his first real boyfriend being horrifically cruel to him, all the way to his mother dying on his high school graduation day. No wonder he suffers anxiety attacks! Considering this and the fact that he has never sought professional help, he is amazingly well adjusted. He loves his job as a second-grade teacher and is very good at it, he has a best friend who may be pushy but has his best interests at heart, and the occasional hookup is all he needs. Or so he thinks. Once he meets Jude, all kinds of unexpected things start to happen, and Seth’s carefully protected world starts to crumble and he begins to see that not all is as well with him as he had believed.

Jude is the youngest of six boys, lost his father when he was still in college, and got dumped by his boyfriend unexpectedly just before they were supposed to move to New York together. Jude wants a family, is not into one-night stands, and Seth and his issues baffle him. But he is interested and fascinated enough to stick with it – even though Seth does not make it easy for him. Not on purpose, of course, but Jude still struggles. It’s a good thing he has a huge, supportive family to help him when needed. I loved how each brother has a separate role and Jude knows exactly which of them to go to for advice with a particular question or problem. And the mother – she is something else!

In the gradual healing Seth goes through as he and Jude begin to build trust and work on their relationship, Jude is Seth’s original incentive to start working on his issues. But as time progresses, and Seth is beginning to see how important it is to get better just for his own benefit, his motivation changes. I was relieved to see that – since it is much healthier and speeds up Seth’s progress. Jude’s patience is not endless, which is only natural, and teaches Seth that he has to learn to compromise as well. But Jude is the right support for Seth – just as Seth turns out to be the right guy to fulfill Jude’s dreams.

If you like realism in your romances, if you believe that two wounded men can help each other recover from past hurts, and if you’re looking for a read that is emotionally tough yet very rewarding, then you will probably like this novel.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (más)