Special thanks to Netgalley and University of Nebraska Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*I did end up DNFing this book

I really could not get into this book, something about the writing style led to a lot of disconnect for me. I would like to try it again in the future, and will update this review if things change.

I really enjoyed the realness of the characters in this book, both the main character and his father who are living in a small town outside of Dayton, Ohio. The main character is a gay man who is beginning to regret his lack of a long-term relationship, who is lonely, and who is also dealing with his elderly, grieving, Fox News loving father who lives with him. It is really a story about change, and the courage it takes to change yourself to find a better, happier way of living. It is also a bit of a romance but in a realistic way. I would recommend this book.

Getting real with oneself, getting real in the Midwest, getting real with family and with romance, especially later in life. Tough conversations happen in this story, and if they strike a reader as impossible, maybe they can serve as portals of possibility.

Mike is a middle-aged gay man living in a small town in the Midwest. And just with that small bit of information, I had a connection to this story.

He’s spent his life avoiding relationships and just existed on hookups. But he’s realizing that there’s more to life that he wants. He wants someone to spend the rest of his life with. But that’s not easy to find, especially in a small town.

To make matters more interesting, Mike’s father lives with him. The two kinda mix like oil and water at times, but having each other is a good thing.

I really loved following Mike on his journey to find love, and the struggles when he found resistance from the man that has caught his eye.

As I enter my middle-age years, I find so many aspects of this book relatable. It was a wonderful read, that gives me hope for my own future relationships.

This is definitely one you should read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for this copy of the book.