Author: Rick R. Reed
Narrator: Michael Pauley
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Run Time: 6 hours and 6 minutes
Category: Contemporary
At a Glance: Unfortunately, Michael Pauley’s narration of this story really tested me, so I urge you to get the print or e-book of Big Love instead.
Reviewed By: Amy
Blurb: Teacher Dane Bernard is a gentle giant, loved by all at Summitville High School. He has a beautiful wife, two kids, and an easy rapport with staff and students alike. But Dane has a secret, one he expects to keep hidden for the rest of his life—he’s gay.
But when he loses his wife, Dane finally confronts his attraction to men. And a new teacher, Seth Wolcott, immediately catches his eye. Seth himself is starting over, licking his wounds from a breakup. The last thing Seth wants is another relationship—but when he spies Dane on his first day at Summitville High, his attraction is immediate and electric.
As the two men enter into a dance of discovery and new love, they’re called upon to come to the aid of bullied gay student Truman Reid. Truman is out and proud, which not everyone at his small town high school approves of. As the two men work to help Truman ignore the bullies and love himself without reservation, they all learn life-changing lessons about coming out, coming to terms, acceptance, heartbreak, and falling in love.
Review: I have read many of Rick R. Reeds books, and I’m always curious about them, as he has a voice that is different from other authors that I read.
This particular story starts out quite sad, as the main character, Dane, ties to help Truman, who is one of Dane’s students. Dane then gets a phone call, and this begins a roller coaster of a trip—losing his wife and raising two children on his own while dealing with coming out.
Seth is a new teacher who’s instantly attracted to Dane. Through sparks flying, and life, we see these characters fall in love. The hidden gem in this story to me, though, was Truman. I was interested in the two main characters but kept hoping to see Truman come back into the story.
Narration: Michael Pauley is a narrator that I am familiar with, and in the past I haven’t had such a problem with him. Unfortunately, his narration of this story really tested me. It was awful and I feel like I lost a lot of the emotion of the story because of it. He has a monotone voice that hit the syllables and cadence all wrong.
Rick R. Reed is a great author, so I urge you to get the print or e-book of Big Love instead.
You can buy Big Love here:
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