Title: Bigger Love
Series: Big Love: Book Two
Author: Rick R. Reed
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: 200 Pages
Category: Contemporary, New Adult
At a Glance: If you’ve read and enjoyed Rick Reed’s work in the past, then you’ll surely love this story as well. Reed has such a descriptive flair and talent for setting a scene, it’s impossible not to be in the moment when you’re reading one of his books.
Reviewed By: Jules
Blurb: Truman Reid is Summitville High’s most out-and-proud senior. He can’t wait to take his fierce, uncompromising self away from his small Ohio River hometown, where he’s suffered more than his share of bullying. He’s looking forward to bright lights and a big city. Maybe he’ll be the first gender-fluid star to ever win an Academy Award. But all that changes on the first day of school when he locks eyes with the most gorgeous hunk he’s ever seen.
Mike Stewart, big, dark-haired, and with the most amazing blue eyes, is new to town. He’s quiet, manly, and has the sexy air of a lost soul. It’s almost love at first sight for Truman. He thinks that love could deepen when Mike becomes part of the stage crew for Harvey, the senior class play Truman’s directing. But is Mike even gay? And how will it work when Truman’s mother is falling for Mike’s dad?
Plus Truman, never the norm, makes a daring and controversial choice for the production that has the whole town up in arms.
See how it all plays out on a stage of love, laughter, tears, and sticking up for one’s essential self….
Review: In Bigger Love, Rick R. Reed’s sequel to 2016’s Big Love, Truman Reid gets his day in the spotlight at last. Anyone who read Big Love undoubtedly fell in love with Truman, the scared, bullied freshman who, with the support and encouragement of his mom and teachers Seth Wolcott and Dane Bernard, blossomed and learned to love himself and be proud of who he was. But that story was Seth and Dane’s story…Bigger Love is Truman’s story. And, it truly is his. Sure, there’s another boy, the love interest, and there’s his amazing mom, Patsy, and Mr. Wolcott and a few others—but, really, the book is about Truman’s growth, and how he sees the world, and what he wants for himself.
It’s Truman’s senior year now, and while he still gets the occasional jeer and taunt, things are largely much better for him than they were a few years ago. He’s been out and proud since the middle of freshman year, and most of the students of Summitville High have gotten used to Truman’s flamboyance, if you will. They mostly turn the other cheek at his gender-fluid style of dress and the bit of makeup he likes to wear. But, when he makes a controversial decision during the school production of Harvey (which was a pretty cool plot twist), things come to a head with a handful of bigots, and Truman is forced to turn his bravery up even a few more notches.
If you’ve read and enjoyed Rick Reed’s work in the past, then you’ll surely love this story as well. Reed has such a descriptive flair and talent for setting a scene, it’s impossible not to be in the moment when you’re reading one of his books. He’s great at his craft, and his passion always shows through in his words. And, while I’m sure all of his stories are personal on some level, I read a blog post of his recently in which he discussed his very personal inspiration for this book in particular that made it even more poignant.
Truman’s character and spirit are amazing. I adored his constant courage and determination. And, I loved this bit from a scene after his first performance in the play:
He looked back, turned a little in the mirror. Where before he saw scrawny, he now saw lithe. Skinny and bony morphed into trim and maybe even, if he would allow it, boyish. Yes, he was a pretty boy. But pretty boys can rock pretty – and they can be fierce.
Truman was fierce, without a doubt. <3
All of that being said, though, I have to admit that I didn’t care for Mike. I get that he was dealing with some deep-rooted self-loathing, and that he didn’t have a good example in his father, and grew up with small-town mentality, etc.…But, I still struggled with his character and thought Truman deserved better. Also, I wish there had been more relationship development. I might have been more sympathetic to Mike or he might have had a chance to grow on me had he been more prominent in the book or had more on-page time getting to know Truman.
The many people who I’m sure are excitedly waiting for Truman’s story after reading the first book are sure to be pleased it’s here at last! But, it’s not necessary to read Big Love first if you just want to dive straight in to this book. You will have no problem embracing Truman; this one totally works as a standalone as well.
You can buy Bigger Love here:
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