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Trusting Love (2014)

by Mari Evans(Favorite Author)

3.35 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

1627989560 (ISBN13: 9781627989565)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Dreamspinner Press

review 1: This is a great debut novel for Mari Evans ...Laurie is a volunteer at the animal shelter and in his last year of high school ... A young man mature for his age and with a lot of courage trying to stand from a really short but difficult existence ... Sam is the new veterinary at the shelter and the clinic in town. The two of them meet while working there and there is an attraction but Sam just refuses to do anything because at that point Laurie is still under age.When Laurie's eighteen birthday comes around things start to change but it takes a difficult situation for Sam to give them an opportunity.Things start to develop between them ... I like the fact that Sam is very much patient with Laurie ... Understand him and tries his best to take care of him ...But nothing is e... moreasy and words can sometimes be said that even though you don't mean them they still hurt ...But it took the last person you would have thought to help to fix that ...Sam and Laurie deserved the chance to be happy and to love each other ... Something they did from the heart ...Great book to read ...
review 2: There are a couple of things you need to know about this book. First, it's a total tearjerker, so be forewarned. Second, it's slow-build, very, very slow-build. Third, but not really all that important, is that there's a significant age difference between the main characters, about a decade's worth, so not quite as steep as May-December. Plus, Laurie is a virgin, while Sam is more experienced.Laurie is young and enthusiastic about his work at an animal shelter, but he's also still in school and shy and inexperienced about a lot of things. Yet, he's had to grow up sooner than most of his peers due to abuse, which makes him moody and unpredictable in behavior, one minute high, one minute low. Sam, the new doctor at the shelter, is older, wiser, steadier, and more patient, but also more aloof, always keeping a distance between him and Laurie who has a big crush, using the age difference as an excuse for not furthering things between them. It takes an act of violence against Laurie for Sam to take action and protect the boy he's starting to fall in love with. But the road is long and filled with emotional turmoil, challenges of all kinds, and obstacles in the forms of miscommunications, hostile friends, rape attempts, and so forth. This story's got it all.The relationship between Laurie and Sam is slow to start. First they're coworkers, then friends, then sort of roommates, then kind of mentor and novice, and finally lovers. It's a rough road. In fact, this story is so jam-packed with emotional upheavals, it's amazing the two men don't spontaneously combust. Plus, a fair warning, Laurie is a crier. I don't mind a man whose not afraid to show how he feels, but some readers do, hence the warning. Since he's a teenager, I understand there's a lot of stuff going on inside him, joy and sorrow, so….The writing style is effective in depicting small nuances, and is quite descriptive in everything. We are present in every thought, feeling, and act the men share. A whole world of intimacy is brought before us. As a reader, I was swept away by the romance, by the depth of sensations shown here. There's subtle humor, there's erotic tension, there's danger and suspense, and there's realistic, slow falling in love, often quite heartbreaking. Yes, sometimes the pace slowed down quite a bit with inner reflections and such, but it didn't bother me much. And yes, at times Sam seemed too distant, other times too close, always ready to accept blame for anything that happened to Laurie, like an ideal boyfriend for a teenage boy, but again, this didn't take away my enjoyment of the story. Sam's reticence is explained to my satisfaction, though I'm sure some readers would've preferred more background and depth to his character.But most of the tale is told from Laurie's point of view, as this is basically his journey, overcoming his past, his insecurities, all that jazz. And finally, sure, there was some telling instead of showing, but Ms. Evans is a new author, starting her craft (and I suspect a long career in writing), so I'll make an allowance for that. Especially since the overall message of the story is hopeful and positive, showing that the past does not reign supreme over the present. Trusting in love is as important as trusting in yourself. People who love slow romances, overcoming adversities, and hurt/comfort themes will adore this. I personally can't wait to read more by Ms. Evans. less

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