Ford is the classical good boy of a wealthy southern family. Third generation doctor, he has always followed the steps his parents have setted for him. But when he is expected to marry a good girl from a wealthy southern family he begins to question some of that steps. Cause almost by accident, he discovers that he is more attracted from men than women.

Told be truth, till almost his late twenties years, he pleases himself with the adoration from other men. Ford is an handsome man, wealthy, a doctor, and he is used to be spoilt first by his family and then by his friends and lovers.

First time he sees Dan, he is impressed by the angel voice of the man singing a Christmas carol. But Dan is a shy man and probably in that moment Ford is not ready for love, and so neither of them make a move. An year after they have the change to meet again and this time Ford finally makes that move. But as always Ford takes the lead and dictats how their relationship should be. Dan, even if shy and average plain jane, is not willing to loose himself in Ford's aurea.

The relationship between them is not simple: even if Ford, step by step, tries to find his way out of the closet, he never claims that Dan is his lover, he uses direct words like "he sleeps with me", but he never one calls him other than my friend. On the other hand Dan comes from a very poor family and he is very stubborn in searching to prove his independence: accept to live with Dan and risk to cancel all his independence's claims is a very hard step. Plus Dan has a critical illness that put at risk their life together: from one part Dan tries to hide the problems his illness affects him, cause it's one more thing that puts him on an inferiority level from Ford, on the other hand Ford, even if conscious and caring of Dan's illness, sometime regrets the boundaries that cause them.

The story travel in two time levels: the main story tell us the journey of Dan and Ford to spend Christmas with Dan's family, and between loving and conformtable family's pictures, we read how Dan and Ford's meet, of all the problems they have to overcome to be together, how always love is never put in question, but that they will succeed. The two time levels converge in one common ending, that could be an happily ever after, and could be not: not all the open issues in their relationship are straightened...

Comfort and Joy is a beautifully written story centred on Ford, a tall handsome and wealthy young doctor, and his boyfriend Dan, a hospital administrator. Although shy, Dan is confident with his sexuality, whereas Ford is self-conscious and reluctant to concede he is gay. I addition to getting used to living together, they face the problem of acceptance of their co-habiting by their respective families. The story lingers on their developing relationship, and Grimsley succeeds in conveying the depth of their feelings for one another, along with the troubling doubts, and the angst created by parents’ attitude. Comfort and Joy is a beautifully told warm and moving tale. ( )