“If people did not love one another, I really don’t see what use there would be in having any spring.” ― Victor Hugo
Title: Spring Affair (Seasons of Love: Book One)
Author: B.G. Thomas
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages/Word Count: 350 Pages
Rating: 5 Stars
Blurb: Sloan McKenna is going through a tough time. His beloved mother has recently passed away, leaving him her house and beautiful garden. But should he keep the house? Sell it? To make matters worse, he’s in love with one of his best friends, Asher, a man who can’t (or won’t) love him back.
Sloan’s neighbor, Max Turner, is married to an ambitious woman with far-reaching dreams, including moving the family to France. But Max is happy teaching at the local college and living in their nice, quiet town. Then he discovers his fourteen-year-old son is not only gay, but out and proud as well. That throws him into complete disarray, for more than one reason….
When Max’s wife leaves on a two-month business trip to Paris, circumstances throw the two men together. As they become friends, Sloan finds himself falling in love with Max, who is completely unavailable… just like Asher. As for Max, he is discovering that both his son’s coming out and his new friendship with Sloan are stirring up feelings he thought buried long ago. Spring is a time for rebirth—Is there any way the two men can find happiness and a new beginning?
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Review: This is my first book by this author and it definitely won’t be my last.
There comes a time in life when you just have to be who you are, let go of people who aren’t good for you and live your life. This is true for the two main characters in this story. Sloan just lost his mother and is holding a flame for a man who will give him nothing back in return. Max is the gorgeous, married next door neighbor who, for the past twenty years, has been keeping his attraction for men deep down. So what happens to Max when the wife is gone for two months? He discovers his son is gay, and his sexy gay next door neighbor is the only one he can talk to. Well, it’s going get a little interesting.
I am absolutely in love with this book. The reader is thrown into the lives of the two main characters, Sloan and Max. I loved being inside both of their heads, knowing what they were thinking throughout the story. I really enjoyed reading the journey these two men take together. Their deepening friendship as the story progresses is beautiful and endearing. The self discoveries are at times earth shattering, but necessary.
I loved Sloan’s character. He’s really just meandering through his life. His mother’s death has really affected him and throughout the story he’s “seeing” her, remembering their talks together and slowly letting her go. Sloan is a very sweet guy with a lot of love to give. We find out early that he keeps giving it to the wrong people. He wants the happily ever after, that special someone who loves just as deeply as he does.
I loved the change we see in Sloan from the beginning to the end. I really liked how the author kept an easy going flow during the entire story. I for one loved not feeling as though our characters were rushed. These things take a while to figure out. It really felt like the author let the characters tell their tale in their own time. His feelings for Max leave him bewildered and frustrated, but safe. Max is married, and there is no way Sloan will get involved with a married man, no matter how strong the attraction. His inner dialogue here is funny and sad all at the same time. But he has his standards, there’s no way in hell Sloan is going to give in to what he really wants, and he doesn’t until….well again, you’ll just have to read it to find out. I loved seeing Sloan’s “a ha” moments when he finally realizes he deserves so much more than he’s been allowing himself.
Max’s reevaluation of his life begins with the discovery that his son, Logan, is gay. I loved how the author handled the conversation here between father and son. Instead of letting his father invoke his fears upon him, Logan has it figured out. There is something Logan says at this point which I absolutely loved. He told his father he was “proud to have been chosen”. Of course this sets off a chain reaction for Max as he begins to take a deeper look at himself. The deep POV with the inner dialogue comes in handy for the reader here. We see Max struggle for some clarification of what his life has been, the feelings and memories he’s been keeping deep down inside just to be “normal”. I felt the author did a great job with this aspect to the story. It wasn’t so much flashbacks as it was Max trying to figure it all out. He’s been married for twenty years, and even though they haven’t been as close as they could be, he still loves his wife and adores his son. But he’s starting to have feelings for Sloan, too. What does this all mean, and what does it mean for his marriage and the life he’s built?
The secondary characters were phenomenal. It was interesting to watch their interactions with each other, and read their dialogue. At times they were hilarious and other times just downright aggravating. You’ll know what I mean when you read the book. Max’s wife started out being the typical bitchy character we come to expect in this genre, but she turns out to be someone who will surprise you in the end. I’m told the author is planning for some of these characters to have their own books. I will definitely be reading those. I’m hooked.
Overall, this story is all about letting go and living free. Free of guilt, free of lies, and most of all being free to be who you are. Max and Sloan are at a crossroads in their lives, but with a little help from one another, they find their way. I highly recommend this for everyone.
You can buy Spring Affair (Seasons of Love: Book One) here:
