Somewhere Only We Know

Title: Somewhere Only We Know
Author: William Neale
Cover Artist: Deana C. Jamroz
Publisher:Buy Link Somewhere Only We Know (Valentine’s Day 2012 from MLR Press)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 108 pages/31,000words)
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

A Guest Review by  Sammy

Review Summary: A sweet romance that explores the themes of trust and taking a risk on love at first sight.

Blurb:  Grayson Wagner is a classical pianist who was unemployed, hungry, and on the brink of being homeless until he’s hired by a big-hearted former country music star as her new piano player. Gray loves his job but his new life is threatened when a near fatal accident delivers him into the brawny arms of Jacob Kent, a reclusive park ranger. Their physical attraction quickly turns into much more. But can their love survive Jacob’s secret? Or, a shocking revelation that threatens to tear down the very house that love built?

Review:  Before I begin my review I want to take a moment to acknowledge the contribution of William Neale to the m/m fiction community. As many of you know, William Neale passed away recently, leaving behind a wealth of fans and friends who will miss him.  Prior to this novel, I had never read any of Mr. Neale’s work.  I do so regret that after posting this review I will not have an opportunity to chat with this author.  As a reviewer, I’m often delighted when an author stops by to either enlighten me on any questions I may have had regarding their work or clarify their choices that I may have challenged.  Mr. Neale was, by all accounts, a highly respected man and author, generous to all he met, and beloved by many readers.  I am sorry I missed the opportunity to meet him in person but feel that I have had a glimpse of the kind and caring man he was through his writing.  And so, I respectfully submit to you my review of Somewhere Only We Know.

In my memory, I do not think I have ever felt the need to give a disclaimer prior to a review…until this book.  I want you to read some of the author’s own words before I comment:

“Not everyone wants or appreciates a feel-good story.  As for me, reading has always been a wonderful escape from reality.”

And so dear reader, I begin with this:  I approached this book as the author asked me to–with a bit of whimsy in my heart and the foreknowledge that this was a fantasy of a romance.  There was not going to be a great deal of real angst; there was not going to be any murky happy for now ending; there was most definitely not going to be any broken or wounded people left standing at the end of this novel.  Forearmed with this knowledge, I dove in to what has to be acknowledged as perhaps one of the sweetest love stories I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

Gray was penniless, homeless, unsure of where his next meal was going to come from and driving a car that was, quite literally, living on borrowed time.  Sounds desperate you say?  Oh read on…it gets worse!  Within moments of beginning this novel, our poor mc’s car explodes and Gray barely has time to get his few worldly possessions free of the blazing inferno that was once his car.

Now he is stranded without a cell phone–he couldn’t pay the last bill, plus it’s in the burning car!  No winter coat, did I mention it had snowed and was bitterly cold?  Oh yeah and it was in the car as well!  So there he is, his clothing in a heap on the muddy, snowy ground, freezing, starving, stranded.  I know, i know you are thinking but wait, didn’t she claim this was a sweet romance without angst?   It is trust me!  For within just a short time, Gray is saved by local law enforcement.

His rescuer drives him on into town and he makes it in time for the first day of work with the indomitable country singing sensation Denise Dailey–we’ll come back to her later!  At this point in my reading, I realized I was smiling–this was fun, lighthearted.  I liked this!

Finally settled in his new job, Gray, although a classically trained pianist, takes to performing country music like a duck to water!  He is given room and board, a new wardrobe, 3 square meals a day with no strings attached–simple perks of the job!  He adapts nicely, making friends and begins to slough off both the nagging memory of his father’s condemnation of his chosen profession and lifestyle and the hurt of a former relationship that ended badly!

On one of his first outings, he goes hiking, slips on a rock and ends up in the arms of the hunkiest ranger this side of the Rockies!  It is insta-love!  But it is sweet insta-love–these men are kind to each other, giving and loving.  Mr. Neale writes his characters with heart and soul–who love and respect each other and themselves.  They are selfless in many ways and honest, to a fault.  You start to form a bond with them, as any good novel does with the reader.  You feel like you want to have them over for coffee–want to become their friends!

At this point I should mention that there were two bits within the novel that gave me a slight problem–hence the 4.5 as opposed to 5 star rating.  The first was Jacob, the ranger, and his reactions to his first time with a man, Gray.  While I can buy into the panic Jacob felt at his first experience of having sex with a man, and even the morning after when he ran away, I was not entirely comfortable with the swift resolution to his panic.  It was too quick, too convenient.  I wanted to stop the novel at this point and ask that Jacob be given a few weeks to wrestle with his feelings as opposed to a few days.  This “coming out/first time” was such a big moment–I felt it deserved a bit more analysis than the few pages dedicated to it.

The second little niggle was the character of  Denise Dailey.  I liked her.  Mr. Neale wrote her as a brassy, Dolly Parton-wannabe who had no delusions that she would ever be that famous.  She was content in her own skin, with her life as a performer.  But, it is the skin she wore that gave me pause.  Unfortunately we will never know Ms Dailey’s real identity–as there will not be a sequel to this story, which was so blatantly set up by the end of this novel.  But that was not the concern I had.  No, I actually did not care for the “mystery” surrounding this character.  For such a brassy persona…a take no nonsense kind of girl, it rubbed me the wrong way that she would “hide” her true identity.  While others reading this novel may disagree, I simply thought it was out of character for her to be limited in that way.

Apart from those minor concerns, this was honestly a delightful book!  Mr. Neale set out to give his readers a romance, a sexy, sweet, happy ever after story and he did so with remarkable panache!  I wish I could speak about the end of this story–the song on which the title of the novel is based is one of my favorites by a band named Keane.  The resolve of this story-the moment on stage when everything came together–well, dear readers, that was simply priceless.  I teared up!  I did!  It was just perfection on the page in my opinion!

So then, that leaves me with only this:  Mr. Neale, thank you for this lovely book…for this moment of fantasy…for this incredibly sweet encounter with your imagination and your heart.  Rest well dear author!  Your legacy lives on in every page of beautiful prose your hand has written.