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Loading... When Love Is Not Enoughby Wade Kelly
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. 4.5 stars. ( ) (Author provided a copy for an honest review - thank you for the opportunity!) Wade Kelly's [b:When Love Is Not Enough|12399401|When Love Is Not Enough (Unconditional Love, #1) (Bittersweet Dreams)|Wade Kelly|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1313820935s/12399401.jpg|17380724]" is a story about two men finding love through grief, the recent death of Jimmy- best friend of Matt and fiance of Darian. The author gives us a view of what these three young gay males went through for a six year period. And Wade Kelly, he gave wrote about various emotional subjects: suicide & the aftermath, rape, drug addiction, abuse (both psychological and physical), homophobia, children of divorce, hell there was even a little racism too. A lot of subjects, a lot covered, messages portrayed. This is Wade Kelly's first book and it shows. I'm not a reader that gets hung up on proper punctuation and the like. A good story will win over every time. The start of this story was rough. I had to read the beginning a few times to understand that it was two separate voices and understand the switching thoughts. Once I got it, following along wasn't that difficult. I liked using Jimmy's diary as a guide into these three lives - Jimmy's, Matt's & Darian's. Relationships are tested between the three young men, sex is had, horrible instances happened. During these six years were some of the worst and happiest moments of their lives. I think Matt and Jimmy's friendship was portrayed the best when comparing to Matt's & Darian's or Jimmy's & Darian's relationship. And some of their reactions, like first time having sex, young love were more believable than others, like Darian texting Jimmy while high with "Noooooooooo...". At times the dialogue didn't match to the character. I'm not giving this book an automatic five star rating because the author discussed hot button topics as bigotry, homophobia, abuse, etc. and included said topics in this novel. The story, while good, didn't leave as much as an impact on me as it did with fellow readers. I do think Wade Kelly should continue writing, you have good ideas. Matt and Darian's romance...eh, I don't know. I guess Matt and Darian could find insta-love through such an emotional period. I think I would have believed more in their relationship if maybe we got to see them interact further down in the future as an epilogue instead of the next day after declarations are made. But it's not based on Matt turning from a 'man-slut' to being faithful (it can happen) but there was so little time these two men had together, it felt more like an extended week-long screw when the lust is still hot, birds tweets are a little sweeter, coffee smells a little better. I get the HEA/HFN now references from other reviewers. I liked the idea of two men piecing their way into love while grieving for an integral person in their life. But there was something missing to me. The story's impact wasn't that strong. Jimmy's mother was a bad mother, her last words to Jimmy- horrible. But Jimmy knew his mother to be this way. He expected it when coming out. I'm sure the impact even expecting it was devastating but his extreme he went to... Who's to say how you or I would react in the situation or their frame of mind. But Jimmy didn't seem that he was so anxious to please his mother, he completed whatever she demanded of him, accepted whatever she dished out with little quibble. So other than him just stating it out of the blue to Matt, there weren't any references in his journal entries, his tool of his innermost thoughts. Kelly's writing tone reminds me of Andrew Grey (which is funny when I read Kelly's shout-out to Grey in the story)/Shawn Lane/Etienne. So if you are a mega fan of theirs, I think you will eat this book up. Will I read anything else from this author in the future? Sure. I'd like to see what else this author might write about. The ideas are interesting enough. How do I rate it? The major events written were fine (ex. the death, coming out). The filler in between was not as solid (ex.Jimmy's feelings of not pleasing his mother or character's dialogue). I was on the fence with rating this but I figured the middle is where it will be, so 2.5 STARS." I wanted to read this story in a positive way, even if it’s really hard knowing from the beginning that Jimmy/Jamie lost his battle with himself and the pain he felt. This is the story of three boys and their becoming men; Matt and Jamie are best friends as teenagers, sharing everything, even the more deepest secrets, like the fact that Matt is gay. But actually the sharing is only on Matt’s side, Jamie is too scared to be open with Matt, something that probably could have helped both of them, since also Jamie is gay. But in a way, I think Jamie’s fate was to leave and help Darien. Jamie’s parents divorce and when Jamie goes to stay with his father he is Jimmy, and Jimmy meets and falls in love with Darien. Where Matt is a well-build jock type, who apparently doesn’t need Jamie’s help and love, Darien is an emo kid, a misfit at school, someone who comes to depend from Jimmy. Darien is completely focused with Jimmy, and what Jimmy doesn’t want to say, Darien doesn’t force him. Jamie/Jimmy is leading a double life, Darien knows it, while instead Matt is completely in the black. Through Jimmy’s diaries we hear his voices, and probably we learn to care for him, but as I said, I want to read them in the only possible positive way: Jimmy is the link between Matt and Darien, two people who would have never met if not for him. And if not for Jimmy, probably Matt would have not the courage to come out and be able to love Darien. If someone question Darien’s ability to love Matt so soon after he has lost Jimmy, it’s probably better to remember that Darien is a “dependent” guy, i.e. he needs someone stronger near him, Darien is an artist, a sensitive guy, easily hurt. In a way, Matt is a better match for him than Jimmy, and that is the reason why I want to think Jimmy’s mission was to bring them together. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1615819843/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Unconditional Love: Book One A six-year downward spiral into a world of lies and deception leads to the end of one man's life when self-discovery crosses the line between being the perfect son or following his heart. Jimmy Miller never intended to lead a double life starting the day he fell in love with Darian, but his parents' divorce, fighting in school, and constantly keeping secrets for his closeted best friend and protector, Matt, force his hand. Jimmy finds the demands too great to withstand and ends it all prematurely, leaving behind an angry best friend and a shattered lover. Matt and Darian cling to one another in the aftermath of their loss, forging a new friendship immediately tested by the truths of their relationships with Jimmy that are hidden in the pages of Jimmy's journals. Will Matt and Darian discover what truly happened to their friend? And will this tragedy birth something beautiful between them as they learn the balance between life, family, and friendship when love is simply not enough? No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyRatingAverage:
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