Feel at Home by Elle Brownlee at Dreamspinner Press
Genre | Gay / Contemporary / Millionaires/Billionaires / Romance |
Reviewed by | Bob-O-Link on 30-December-2024 |
Genre | Gay / Contemporary / Millionaires/Billionaires / Romance |
Reviewed by | Bob-O-Link on 30-December-2024 |
Solitary photojournalist Philip Conyers is out of money and out of time.
One year after pausing his work chasing stories across the globe to buy and fix up his dream house, a series of events has him flat broke, creatively clogged, and out of options. Philip must sell—and then is stuck as months pass without any offers.
Enter tech millionaire Zak Springer. He needs space and quiet away from New York City to think up the next big idea, and Philip’s upstate place is the perfect retreat. He wants to rent it for six months, price is no object, and oh yeah, Philip is welcome to stay. What can Philip do but agree?
Living with easygoing Zak proves interesting for Philip, a dedicated loner. Despite their different circumstances, Zak understands him in a way no one ever has, and the attraction that simmers between them is undeniable. With their days together numbered, Philip decides it’s safe to indulge in a fling—until he realizes he never wants this life in his dream house with his dream man to end. Can Philip open his heart as well as his home, or is he doomed to lose them both?
Philip, a roving photographer/newsman, is in a financial crisis. He is introduced upfront as expecting to sell his home, and he tells his friend, Tom, that he’ll need space to “store my crap” in Tom’s barn. The tale, which in all candor is quite the well-constructed soap opera, takes place in a rural upstate New York town. Philip’s current money shortfall is partially due to funds he gave to his wastrel and barely connected mother. It’s an interesting character facet and an exemplar of author Brownlee’s skillful description of Philip mostly through his relationships with others – such as Tom, his boyhood friend, who has grown from a football playing farm boy into a burly dadbod. Former roommates, while Tom was personable and quite social, Philip hid from Tom to avoid parties and such. Contrasted to Tom, Philip was a string bean, lean but strong, doing odd jobs and day labor. He was also quite solitary, bookish, and reserved.
Philip is down in the dumps. A talented photographer without current inspiration, he has just returned an advance on an expected book deal and is somewhat lost. He’s attempting to lease out his quirky cottage, and the author makes us aware of Philip’s sadness at the risk of losing his dream and emotional attachment. A potential buyer appears and Philip watches him, secreted at a distance but attuned to the buyer’s demeanor and physical reactions. The potential sale painfully includes furniture, such as the first bed (with a hand carved headboard) which was actually Philip’s. Then the sale fails!
On thin facts, author Brownlee builds some significant characters. Note the mixed relief and sadness of Philip. There is a balanced sense of pervasive abandonment – Philip of the house, and the world of Philip.
In a literary coup de main, the original buyer reappears. In apposition to Philip’s distant observance of him, the man – Zak Springer – is described in sufficient detail as to convey his attractiveness. Philip doesn’t want to sell, but needs to, and so a six-month lease is agreed which will allow Philip continued occupancy and the ability to stay, travel, or whatever.
The situation is set, and there follows a wonderful series of events and conversations that turn ‘Feel at Home’ from a soap to a fascinating saga. There is a side discussion about cracking the facade of straight boys; the reaction to Zak’s examination of Philip’s displayed photos; the narrative flows as Zak and Philip make sharing the house a working project – showering one after the other, eating dinner – generating familiarity without overt intimacy. The novel also presents joint projects for the home, and combating harsh weather events – and such other things which reflect real life.
And, for sure, a lovely seduction – the first time with passion but not overly detailed, quickly followed by inherently erotic encore, and, next morning, after agreeing on safe ground rules – one more to seal the deal. Wow!
As the novel is romantic, and not merely pornographic, we share in Philip’s niggling suspicion that this might be a “one and done” but for the prompt establishment of ground rules permitting further adventures into unfamiliar passion!
Here we should take note that an attraction of adult oriented lit, which as polite youngsters we might have called dirty books, is their social impropriety, their adventure into unfamiliar territory. Does adult mean merely emotional stimulation? What about physical reactions? Do they present education or, fore-fend, miseducation? How many of my own generation gained greater sex knowledge from reading, let us say, Harold Robbins’ ‘The Adventurers’ – a best-selling roman a clef based on the life of Porforio Rubirosa – a 1950’s Caribbean diplomat and frequent well-wed spouse than in high school sex ed (though it was at some risk of intellectual priapism)?
The quality of the writing is evidenced by the humanizing of Philip and Zak as they work with local kids and neighbors. Even their sex is grown-up and humanized. Example: On the eve of Philip making a business trip – “Will you miss me?” Zak: “Loads … Maybe I’ll do the kitchen.” Philip: “If that’s the case, I should have left sooner.” Zak: “… is there anything I can do before you leave?” Philip: “F—k me so I still feel you days from now.”
Now, reader, consider what’s at hand. Some occasional gay lit – usually of the grossest in nature, start early and with super-heated coitus. But more usually, the trope in romance iconography is to descriptively bring on sex step by more detailed intimate steps. Think of it as a literary seduction versus a porn attack. ‘Feel at Home’ is well-paced from intro to development of principals, to joint interest in real estate to step by step physicality.
Huzzah to author Brownlee for an excellent plot and sensitive relatings. The novel concludes with narrative events replete with drama and delicious language (here reserved by your reviewer for your personal reading pleasure).
The book is a wow.
DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Publishing for the purpose of a review.
Format | ebook |
Length | Novel, 181 pages/64219 words |
Heat Level | |
Publication Date | 17-September-2024 |
Price | $6.99 ebook |
Buy Link | https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/feel-at-home-by-elle-brownlee-12514-b |