Family Man by Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton

Family Man by Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton
Stars: 4/5

Length: 262 pages
Blurb
Sometimes family chooses you.

How does a man get to be forty without knowing whether he’s gay? That’s a question Vince Fierro is almost afraid to answer. If he is gay, it’ll be a problem for his big, fat Italian family. Still, after three failed marriages, he can’t help but wonder if he’s been playing for the wrong team.

There’s only one way to settle it, once and for all—head for Chicago’s Boystown bars, far from anyone who knows him. Naturally, he runs smack into someone from the neighborhood.

Between working two jobs, going to school, taking care of his grandmother, and dealing with his mother’s ongoing substance abuse, Trey Giles has little time for fun, let alone dating someone who swears he’s straight. Yet after one night of dancing cheek-to-cheek to the sultry strains of Coltrane, Trey finds himself wanting to help Vinnie figure things out—no promises, and no sex.

It seems like a simple plan, until their “no-sex” night turns into the best date of their lives and forges a connection that complicates everything.

Overall
Beautiful in its simplicity, heartwarming, and sometimes painful, this novel was a thick blanket on a cold night.

Review
While the trope of “not realizing you’re gay until 40” may seem far-fetched, Cullinan and Sexton do an admirable job of showing how Vince of the great big Italian family got there. There are still some moments that made me roll my eyes, but most of those were in humor at his family. In the first few pages we see of his family, their classic accents almost seemed offensive, but beyond that first scene, they don’t really leave that impression (possibly because those family members don’t talk as much).

While the main romance plotline is good, what really made this story for me was the build between the main story and the side stories (specifically two older characters, which was so sweet!). There is a lot going on in Trey’s life, and when dealing with an in-the-closet boyfriend, it almost seems impossible for him and Vince to get together. But because of all the things that surround these two men (including all those things that cause problems), they are able to be together. That’s what made this special: the family. (And yes, I realize that’s the title and all.)

While this is very much a traditional romance in some ways, in other aspects the romance is secondary. Obviously to family, but also the struggle of identity, dealing with family members who have addiction problems, finances, asking for help, and being honest with yourself. It made for a very touching tale.

That being said, I found the last scene to be perfect and yet oddly too much. It works (especially for Vince’s character), but it also was a bit too cheesy for me. But that’s kind of what I love about the rest of the story, so it didn’t negatively alter my opinion of the novel.

Dance With Me by Heidi Cullinan

Dance With Me by Heidi Cullinan
Stars: 4.5/5

Length: 240 pages
Blurb
Ed Maurer has bounced back, more or less, from the neck injury that permanently benched his semi-pro football career, but every time he turns around, dance instructor Laurie Parker is in his way. But when a bargain lands him as an assistant in Laurie’s ballroom dancing class, everything changes.

As Laurie and Ed lose themselves in dance, their lives continue to spin around them: Ed’s injury makes it clear he’s nowhere near recovery, Laurie feels the pressure by friends and family to perform once more, and the community center that has become such an important part of both their worlds threatens to close. Alone, they haven’t had the strength or spirit to face what life has hurled at them. But as the turns of their personal paths lead them time and again to one another, Ed and Laurie begin to think that if they dance this dance together, they might be able to succeed.

Overall
A slow-building story that took two men who had to overcome their past--and their present--and gave them the strength to have each other. It was a lovely, sweet story that hit home for me.

Review
First off, I would recommend this book to anyone who is going or has gone through rehabilitation for a life-changing injury (as long as it's still not raw in your heart) and for anyone who knows one of these people. Ed's struggle and epiphany are hard to swallow, but read incredibly true.

Being that I'm still in some rehabilitation for an injury, sometimes it was difficult to read what Ed was going through, but there were lines that clawed especially deep. For those who need someone else to understand what it's like--even if it's just reading about that person--or those who need help understanding what it's like because of someone in their life: read this story.

Some of my noted quotes:

"It was like all the fear got buried in some weird subbasement inside him when things were good, because until the pain hit, he honestly thought he was okay."

"[His pain] wasn't a punishment. It wasn't a gift. It just was. His pain was his life. It wasn't all his life was, not always."

"But what I am done with is waiting for when things are better. I'm done waiting for the pain to be all gone. I'm done trying to keep it at bay."

That aside, this has an incredibly sweet couple who verbally spar in the beginning, but eventually come to understand each other. The turn from advasary into friends was nice, and the subtle blossoming of friendship into something more was even better. Yes, that tale has been told before, but this book doesn't focus on that change, but allows it to happen in the background.

We also get to see both men with weaknesses and opportunities to overcome those weaknesses, as well as the need to rely on their partner for strength. It was a perfect balance in the relationship, which lended to the believability of the relationship.

However, it also meant the story took time to develop each character's struggle, strength, and failure or victory. That, of course, means some parts seem to drag, just a little, as the reader waits for the next surprise. It also made for a longer telling, which wasn't bad, but it was a surprise.

The various cast of characters added good flavor to the two men, creating drama, but never being unrealistic, either. They were, in general, all good people, but they weren't cardboard cutouts. They could be mean (intentionally or not), they could be selfish, and they could be helpful in the way that kids just don't want their parent to be helpful. In other words, they were wonderfully human. I always appreciate when even the 'bad guy' gets the depth that most every human has.

So overall, a pretty perfect story that didn't get 5 stars because of the slow bits that were too noticeable to let slide.

Dirty Laundry by Heidi Cullinan

Dirty Laundry by Heidi Cullinan

Length: 71,400 words (259 pages)
Blurb
The course of true love doesn’t always run clean. But sometimes getting dirty is half the fun.

Entomology grad student Adam Ellery meets Denver Rogers, a muscle-bound hunk of sexy, when Denver effortlessly dispatches the drunken frat boys harassing Adam at the Tucker Springs laundromat. Thanking him turns into flirting, and then, much to Adam’s delight, hot sex over the laundry table.

Though Denver’s job as a bouncer at a gay bar means he gets his pick of geek-sexy college twinks, he can’t get Adam out of his head. Adam seems to need the same rough play Denver does, and it’s damn hard to say no to such a perfect fit.

Trouble is, Adam isn’t just shy: he has obsessive compulsive disorder and clinical anxiety, conditions which have ruined past relationships. And while Denver might be able to bench-press a pile of grad students, he comes from a history of abuse and is terrified of getting his GED. Neither Denver nor Adam want to face their dirty laundry, but to stay together, they’re going to have to come clean.

This title is part of the Tucker Springs universe.

Overall
Sexy kink with tons of psychology and mental health issues, and all well handled. Maybe it’s the concussion talking, but this was a winner!

Note: I normally don’t review Riptide books because of conflict of interest (and I usually read them for work-related duties). I had nothing to do with this one (since I was concussed and out of work), and I’m not rating it (because it’s unfair). However, this was the first new book I read after my concussion, still during my recovery period, and I’m otherwise lacking reviews.

Review
Since the car accident and concussion, I was scared of returning to reading and reviewing, afraid I couldn’t give an honest, unbiased review after my brain hurty. This was the first new book I picked up after the accident and it eased me into reading new content and reviewing.

I really had no idea what to expect from this story, aside from my previous experience with Denver (in Second Hand) and the blurb that told me kink and laundry were happening. I was too out of it (due to said concussion) to really go in with any expectations, which I think worked in my favor. It was a wonderful surprise.

The characters are sweet, but super sexy, especially in the beginning when we get the heaviest hitting kink. What’s really awesome with the kink is the reader doesn’t just get sexy-time, but gets to really see inside their heads (especially Adam’s) to understand what is working so very well in the situation. But the scenes also balance out not just being about Adam’s emotions and they become the erotic explosion that they are meant to be.

The story being told isn’t incredibly complex, but it is a gigantic character study. Which as you know totally gets me hot and bothered when reading ;) Adam has his issues, Denver has his, and they both have friends who are incredibly understanding, mainly because they have worked through (or are working through) their own issues. Seeing the progression of these two men and their friends is just heartbreaking and heartwarming.

Be forewarned, that while this is a well-paced novel, the front half has more sexy sex than the latter half, which was the only slightly jarring part about it. But the reasons for this are good and necessary, so it’s not bad, but some readers may want to know ahead of time. Otherwise, I definitely recommend picking this one up for a read, especially for those who like kink and psychology.