The William Neale Award for Best Gay Romance: Hard Tail by J.L. Merrow

[reviews_and_ramblings]

I greatly enjoyed this small town romance, the British flavor was delightful, so different from the more popular US/western romance, and yet, despite the common European background with me, the reader, so particular and original to make it a very interesting and whole reading experience, well beyond the "simple" romance.

Tim is in a precarious situation, downsized and looking for a job, after years of living the high-speed life of the City (London), he is plunged in the sleepy Southampton, no so glamorous like Brighton, not so small like other seaside small town, basically average, like Tim's opinion of his own persona. But there Tim is also far from his previous life, and maybe the constrictions that had him denying his homosexuality. With a new life in front of him, and new opportunities, Tim is also ready to admit his interest in Matt, and why not, trying to do something about it.

The novel is pretty much centered around Tim, Matt is a very nice character, but we have little chance to understand his reasons; maybe this is a reflection of Matt as a character, he is shy and silent, not really the chatty type. He could be more imposing than Tim from a physical perspective, but if I have to tag them, the domineering character is Tim, even if maybe he doesn't realize it. From being almost a wallpaper flower to his older brother, who is everything with an "er" at the end than Tim, Tim has to take the front stage and being there for Matt when Matt needs him. Being strong for him, when he has never been the same for himself.

Of all the character, I love Wolverine the cat, probably cause he was an orange tabby like my own cat, and like him, Wolverine decided Tim, and Tim's home, were his next home, and not viceversa; he found someone, and something he liked, and he decided to take it, home and owner, in one package.

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (April 2, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1619210576
ISBN-13: 978-1619210578
Amazon: Hard Tail
Amazon Kindle: Hard Tail



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