“Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition.” ― James Baldwin
Title: Stuck in Oz (Tales from Kansas)
Author: Andrew Grey
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages/Word Count: 176 Pages
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Blurb: When Jeremy and Petey’s mother died, their house was taken to pay the debts she left behind, leaving them homeless. Afraid Petey will be put in foster care, they have no one to turn to but their Uncle Milt, so they pack up Jeremy’s beat-up car and leave San Diego for Wamego, Kansas.
They arrive in the middle of a snowstorm and stop at the local diner to contact their uncle, where they meet Nate. Nate and his aunt help them contact Uncle Milt, and he agrees to help.
Jeremy and Nate hit it off quickly, but Jeremy runs when he’s made to believe their new home isn’t permanent. Nate goes after him, finds him, and convinces him that he’s wanted. However, just as Jeremy and Nate begin to trust each other, Petey’s estranged father appears and threatens to tear Jeremy’s new life and fledgling family apart.
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Review: Jeremy lived his life taking care of himself and his young brother Petey. Their mother was a drunk, and he watched an endless parade of men go through the house. Some were good, some weren’t, but the fact remained that these men were infinitely more important to their mother than Jeremy and Petey were. When their mother died, Jeremy and Petey lost everything. The house was taken to pay debts, and there was no money except Jeremy’s own savings.
To keep Petey out of foster care, Jeremy takes him and runs to the only family they have. Their Uncle Milt lives in Wamego, Kansas, and he has agreed to let them stay. With Jeremy’s past it is hard for him to believe that this will be anything more than temporary, and with Milt’s lack of communication skills, Jeremy and Petey’s welcome isn’t made clear enough.
Luckily for Jeremy, he met Nate on his first night in town. He and Nate began dating soon after he arrived, and when Jeremy believed he had worn out his welcome with Milt and tried to leave town, Nate found him and brought him home. Luckily, Nate and Milt convince Jeremy that he is more than welcome and very much wanted in Wamego, and he decides to stay.
Once Jeremy decides to stay, he and Nate grow much closer. The two men begin to build a life together, and it turns out that Nate has his own lessons to learn from Jeremy as well. When the man who believes he is Petey’s bio-dad shows up in Wamego with blackmail on his mind, Jeremy shows his immense inner strength, and Nate realizes his own strength could use a little workout.
This book was definitely a treat, and I loved the innocence of Jeremy and Nate’s relationship. Milt and Nate helped Jeremy and Petey by taking them in and loving them, but Jeremy and Petey, in their own way, helped both Nate and Milt find their way also.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend this title and the other book in the series as well.
You can buy Stuck in Oz (Tales from Kansas) here:
