When this story opens, we find journalist Todd Smith has been shot…for the second time. He starts to reminisce about his life, about finally graduating from college, leaving home and being excited to be living with his best friend, Kevin. This is supposed to be a start of a new journey for him, and newfound freedoms. Until he is shot.

Author Todd Allen Smith take us on a journey of anguish, heartache, physical pain, and the many different emotions that become part of Todd’s life. He moves from place to place, from employment to unemployment; he comes out to family and friends, moves back home; and he faces the murder of a very close friend and the outcome of various relationships as well as the nightmares that follow the shootings and hate crimes and then never finding the guilty parties. When Todd reunites with Kevin, he sees a new side to his friend, and Todd finds a new love, but the mental stress takes a dramatic toll on the relationship.

Once I got into this memoir, I had to pause and remember that this is a true story about Todd Smith, the author. I thought the structure may have been a little bit better if it had been set up like a diary, it may seem lengthy and drawn out, but this is his life story, and I imagined it was probably very difficult for him to put pen to paper for this. I want to say that a lot of what is said in this novel is the story of a young man growing up and facing everyday life and tragedy. Getting shot—not just once, but twice—is not something many of us have faced, or ever will. I have to give Todd Allen Smith a lot of credit for being brave enough to write and share his story.

Reviewed by Maryann

3.5 stars

I originally saw Murder, Romance, and Two Shootings featured on Netgalley crossposted in both the LGBTQIA and romance categories. The blurb sounded really interesting and I suppose going in I was expecting a romantic suspense or even more of a hurt-comfort story. Though this title does include some of the main character’s romantic relationships over the years, it’s worth noting that it’s really a memoir, and the incredible story it tells is in fact true. Overall, I was interested just not fully invested for the majority of the book. This was partially due to my incorrect assumptions based on the categories the book appeared in as well as the title, but probably was more a result of the author’s style.

The writing in Murder, Romance and Two Shootings is a bit clunky and the dialogue often felt stilted. Given the author’s journalistic background, the fact-by-fact style versus the rounded storytelling popular in fiction isn’t all that surprising, but it is jarring and made it more difficult to stay connected to the characters and story. These days I don’t read many nonfictional titles and I’ve rarely read memoirs, so admittedly I can’t compare the style within genre; I just know I found it difficult to really settle in with this book. That said, the story itself was interesting- exposing vulnerabilities, experiences, and ultimately strengths that are important to hear and understand. I appreciated how raw and stripped down some scenes and emotions were, particularly those when Todd struggled with coming out, recovering from his injuries, and dealing with relationship issues. The author made it impossible to not empathize with Todd’s experiences- whether they were personably relatable or not. Although I did struggle with the style, I’m glad I read Murder, Romance, and Two Shootings, and I suspect readers who enjoy memoirs featuring unique experiences and struggles may enjoy it as well.