I had been looking forward to this book for a couple of months. It did not disappoint.
Title: True
Series: Tales of the Circle #1
Author: Timothy Warren
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: May 12, 2020
Heat Level: 5/5
Pairing: M/M
Length: 206 pages
Genre: MM Romance,
Tags: Cowboy, City, Politics, Washington DC, Montana, Winter
Synopsis:
Most people would love Alec’s life… great job… hot boyfriend… and a beautiful brownstone in DC’s gay mecca, Dupont Circle. But within a single night, things change…
His best friend, Demarco, supports Alec’s bold decision of seeking a new perspective… a change that begins across the country, in a cabin atop Beulah Mountain.
Alec was not looking for a man… wanted nothing of the sort. But a strong-willed cowboy named Tyler enters his life as spontaneous as the snow of Montana’s winter.
Unpredictable as a mountain storm, Alec and Tyler soon find themselves entwined in a fierce love affair… raw, real, and unlike any other Alec has ever had.
But Tyler belongs to Montana.
Will their passion be enough to keep them together? Will Alec learn to forgive his past missteps and accept that he deserves the happiness that can only come from a man so genuine… so giving… and so TRUE?
My Review:
The best books you get to read are those where the characters are true to life. They are readily identifiable. The characteristics displayed from the book’s players are the same ones you can say, “Hey, I know so-and-so who is just like that!”
I think that is one of the magical talents really talented authors use when webbing their stories together. They allow us to relate to the people in their stories. Warren has achieved this in the first book of “The Tales of the Circle” series, True.
Alec, our main character, is a columnist for a major newspaper and has a successful career. He’s got a huge heart, a forgiving nature, and a tendency to try and fix the broken people around him. I think we all know someone just like this. The good hearted man who makes all the wrong love choices.
After Alec catches his current boyfriend – who’s a real piece of work – cheating on him, he decides to make his life, and dream of writing a book about music his main priority. He books a trip to a mountain cabin in the secluded town of Melody, Montana – much to his best friend, Demarco’s shock – in order to complete his project.
Except his life in the capital of Washington, DC keeps calling him back, and the book he’s attempting to write isn’t the project he thought it would be.
I have to say, Demarco was one of my favorite characters, which is saying something, because there were a cast of truly wonderful people. Demarco is a highly paid, very discrete, sex worker catering to the closeted politicians in DC. And he is quite a comedian! There’s a reference made to “Government Hooker” which is one of my most loved songs by Lady Gaga. Tip of the hat to Warren for including that little nugget.
The tale centers around Alec’s city-boy style trying to adapt and fit in to the wintry mountain town’s way of life and rural customs, all while navigating a true prince charming – complete with horse – a cowboy named Tyler.
The format of the book is typical M/M Romance, where the two men meet, find a connection, and then a conflict arises they must try to resolve. In the end, a happily ever after is revealed and all is well, and this story fits that to a “T”. If you need comfort, and feel-good, and a mountain man who is nothing short of the epitome of good country manners, this is the book for you.
Of special note: The townsfolk of Melody, Montana are diverse and memorable, as well as accepting – something I certainly didn’t expect – probably stemming from my own biases that gay life in rural settings is particularly difficult. I think the overall protectiveness of the community to Tyler’s happiness is one of the most heart-warming things I’ve read in a while, and gave me hope for humanity. Given the dumpster fire of the last 14 months on the world stage, I need some hope, and happiness.
This book has that in spades, and cowboy hats, and small town bars where your prince charming serenades you with countrified pop songs.
Want some “Cowboy, take me away”? Go get this book.
My Rating:
Purchase Links:
Meet the Author:
Timothy Warren lives in the Atlanta suburbs with his husband and their pets. When he is not writing, he is writing in his head… which often leads to strange looks from his spouse.
He loves writing about things that make him smile–the chemistry between men, in particular. Sex plays a big part in these relations, but love wins out more so with his enjoyment of telling these stories… as in life.
“I like to write about men being men and falling in love with men. And I love a happy ending.”
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This review has been published in the Scottish LGBTQIA+ magazine Scene Alba. Click HERE to see!
J.P. Jackson 