Title: Closets Are for Clothes
Author: Addison Albright
Publisher: JMS Books (Expanded 2nd Edition)
Length: 136 Pages
Category: Contemporary
At a Glance: I really enjoyed this coming out story that takes some interesting turns.
Reviewed By: Sadonna
Blurb: Mike’s life is carefully compartmentalized. He’s deep in the closet to his family back in Kansas, but lives life honestly and openly in Austin. He’s unnerved when Wes, his old university crush, turns up at his door in answer to a roommate advertisement, but quickly sees the potential … benefits of the arrangement. Wes has never doubted nor denied his sexuality. With the support of his family he’s an out and proud LGBT activist.
On the scale balancing his self-esteem on one side, and the love of his family on the other, Mike has to decide which weighs more. Is Mike being fair to his parents by not giving them the chance to know his real self? When the delicate balance of his life is disrupted, he decides he’s tired of living a lie. Will Wes understand his concerns, or will their fledgling relationship crumble under the strain of Mike’s uncertainty?
Review: Mike is living a successful life in Austin. After college he found a good job, and he has a nice set of friends that he has a fun time with. So what if he’s not exactly out at work, or with his family. His father had always made comments and quoted religious positions whenever Mike was at home and anything related to LGBT came up.
Wes has finished med school and is starting his residency in Austin. Mike had known of him in college—and had a bit of a crush—but they didn’t really travel in the same circles. But Mike knows it’s Wes as soon as he gets out of his car. When he gives him the tour, it gets a little strained and so Mike confesses that he knows who Wes is from undergrad days. But, it seems like things will work out fine and so Mike offers Wes the room.
Turns out Wes likes to cook and is a vegetarian. He’s got a couple of weeks before his rotations start, so he’s happy to do things around the apartment and also go out with Mike on the weekends to meet his friends and hang out a bit before he has to hit the grind of his job. They really hit it off and kind off tease each other—until finally, they crack. Turns out this could be a great roommates-with-benefits deal :)
Wes is very close to his family, and he’s a little surprised at Mike’s lack of communication with his, but he doesn’t really press it. Then Mike’s brother shows up out of the blue and catches Wes and Mike off guard. As it turns out, there is a bit more of a coincidental family connection between Wes and Mike as well. Also, Mike’s brother has suspected all along that Mike is gay, and he couldn’t care less. In fact, he encourages Mike to be honest with the rest of the family, but Mike is not convinced. But with the new family connection, Mike really needs to make a decision and follow through.
While unprepared and somewhat nervous, things come to a head during a weekend at home. Unexpected support comes from others, and Mike learns more about his family’s history. It turns out to be a very interesting weekend—for many, many reasons :)
I really enjoyed this story of coming out that takes some interesting turns. I totally understood Mike’s reluctance to upset the apple cart with this family despite what appeared to be supportive sibling and a burgeoning potential relationship with Wes. I really loved Mike’s brother, Wes’s family, and Mike’s friends as the secondary characters. I enjoyed seeing more post-that initial weekend at home, and I’m looking forward to the next book.
You can buy Closets Are for Clothes here:
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