Hard Truths

by Alex Whitehall

Overview

Isaac didn't expect to find love at his family's Christmas dinner, but that was before he met his sister's new fake boyfriend. Tall, muscular, and tattooed, Logan is what Isaac would love in a partner--and also everything his parents would hate in one. Not that they know Isaac's gay.

That doesn't stop him from dating Logan--unbeknownst to his parents, and with his sister's approval after she fake dumps him. The pair dive into a whirlwind romance of motorcycle rides, cheesy puns, and hot sex. They meet each other's friends and fill their time with happiness and laughter. It's all perfect.

Until Isaac suggests they move in together, and Logan asks Isaac to come out to his parents. Isaac wants to, but he's scared; he doesn't want to lose his family. Unfortunately, he can't see that his real family has been right beside him all along.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626498471
Publisher:	Riptide Publishing
Publication date:	10/01/2018
Pages:	212
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.48(d)

Editorial Reviews

07/23/2018
In Whitehall’s adequate contemporary romance, Isaac, a closeted web designer, finds himself attracted to his sister’s fake date, Logan—a pierced, tattooed, and “olive-toned” man who claims to be an ex-con, intended to scandalize Isaac’s bigoted parents—at their family’s Christmas dinner. After Logan hits on Isaac, the men make a date, and Isaac gets to know Logan, who’s actually a fellow graphic designer. Their initial love connection is sweet, culminating in a passionate kiss that eventually leads to hot sex and Isaac’s first motorcycle ride. But their relationship suffers, too, because Isaac is afraid to come out to his parents. Logan doesn’t want to move in with Isaac if their relationship can’t be public, causing additional pressure on their otherwise storybook love affair. Whitehall (Magic Runs Deep) builds up Isaac’s justifiable fears at the expense of failing to sufficiently develop the supporting characters, especially Logan. The drama that ensues—some of it violent—is often contrived. Whitehall makes the salient, albeit expected, point about friends being “family” for LGBTQ folks rejected by their parents, but the central romance isn’t very satisfying. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly