Let me add to the avalanche of praise being heaped upon this book. I was so excited to see that the next installment in this series had just become available - an excitement that, most fortunately, was well-rewarded, indeed. There are few other authors who manage to depict the relationships between men as accurately, poignantly and beautifully as Ms. Reese.
This is the third in the Halfway House series. Halfway House is an old Victorian restored and run by two gay men. Convicts whose sentences are almost up come to Halfway House to smooth their transition from prison back into the real world.
The "guests" of Halfway House are all empathetic, complex, well-drawn characters seeking something more than a transition - a new life built on redemption, respect, honor and the possibility of love. These are men who have made big mistakes, so there are major obstacles ahead of them, including both temptation and bad guys galore. There's a host of equally robust secondary characters, including the owners of Halfway House, the families of the "guests", the police and parole officers who work with the offenders and the other men they meet along the way. The remarkable Ms. Reese explores all of this with believability and authenticity, and without melodrama or hoary old Gay Romance memes. That's because she's a talented and confident writer who gets to the very heart of her characters and moves the reader along without artifice, manipulation or purple prose. "A Restored Man" is a long book, but the pace is breathtaking and the pages seem to fly by.
The two main characters are Cole, a funny and energetic young man completely devoid of any filters. Hence, he is as honest as he is annoying. He's just finishing up his sentence for car theft. As part of the Halfway House work requirement, he goes to work for Ty Calloway, the owner and manager of a huge automotive shop that features repair, customization, restoration and a highly respected automotive design studio. Talk about foxes and hen houses - though the assignment does make some sense, offering Cole the opportunity to channel his passion and expertise for automobiles in a potentially legal, productive and rewarding direction. It could also be the start of a great career.
This fortuitous assignment brings together two young men whose lives have been terribly damaged by the loss of people they love, and the guilt they both feel for the events that took those lives. Cole is part of a huge Italian/Cuban family with brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews, in-laws, a veritable neighborhood of people who still love the irrepressible guy who can't keep his mouth shut, but has an uncanny gift of making everyone around him smile. Ty has only his brother, Aidan, the hard-nosed cop who seemed to detest Cole on sight. He also has the loyal technicians, painters and metal-smiths who populate his automotive business, the one he inherited after his father's tragic death. It's surprising that two men surrounded by so many people could feel so alone and unloved, but that's what guilt often does - isolates you from those who care about you the most. This passionate story is about how these two terribly mismatched people provide each other with exactly what they need to find the light and life, again. Which. of course they do. After all, the single most important message of Halfway House is hope.
Ms. Reese paints vivid settings with an economy of words; dialogue, with charming banter; and the sex scenes are hot, though tasteful and used, without exception, to reveal the growth of the relationship between the men. This is Gay Romance writing at its best. Nothing terribly earth-shattering, nothing all that unique, just a few hundred pages of a couple of fascinating characters growing and loving - what more can you ask?
My only complaint about this book is that Ms. Reese is just not getting the editing she deserves. This novel is much cleaner than a host of other gay-themed novels I've read recently, but was not without its flaws, including the apparent obligatory misuse of apostrophes in plurals, a few grammatical errors and the use of entirely wrong words (a workbench is described as a "bench table" several times) and the molds used to form fiberglass car parts called "moldings", as though they were the trim around doors, floors and ceilings. There were not enough errors to be distracting, but since the writing, plot and characters were so close to perfect, it seems a shame that the editing wasn't.
In any case, I can honestly recommend "A Restored Man", without reservation, and with all my heart. It's a beautiful book about beautiful, strong men. If you're in the mood for a good read, some serious character development and a few hours with two men deeply in love, don't miss "A Restored Man".
Your audiobook is waiting!
Enjoy a free trial on us
- Click above for unlimited listening to select audiobooks, Audible Originals, and podcasts.
- One credit a month to pick any title from our entire premium selection — yours to keep (you'll use your first credit now).
- You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
- $14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel online anytime.
Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company
A Restored Man: The Men of Halfway House, Book 3
Audible Audiobook
– Unabridged
Read & Listen
Switch back and forth between reading the Kindle book and listening to Audible audiobook.Add the audiobook for a reduced price of $7.49 after you get the Kindle book as part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription.
People who bought this also bought
Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
Related to this topic
Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
Only from Audible
Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
Top reviews from other countries
iris
Review on A Restored Man (The Men of Halfway House Book 3) Jaime Reese
Reviewed in Germany on July 17, 2016
