Finding Faith

Rating:
Summary: Review of Finding Faith by Cheri
Review: Taylor Connolly is a hotshot employment lawyer, who wins a high-profile sexual harassment case levied against one of the biggest companies in town. The fact that he is down-to-earth and non-pretentious makes him sweet and loveable. It does not hurt that he is nice to look at and has a good sense of humor, too. Taylor has everything going for him. He is on top of the world until he arrives home to find his lover of two years in the arms of another man?laying on his pillow no less!

Taylor's defense mechanism is to run. He ends up on the doorstep of his best friend and confidant, Genevieve (Gen) Pouissant. Gen invites Taylor to move in with her until he gets his life back together. Taylor takes to living in her charming, friendly small town and soon grows to love it, especially when he gets a crush on a cute baker and post-grad student named Tom McEwan. Taylor and Tom become fast friends and each longs to take it a step further, but neither one has the nerve to make the first move.

Taylor is not one to care whether or not anyone knows he is gay, but he does not want to jeopardize a possible relationship with Tom. It could be that Tom does not want to be outed in their small town. The more time they spend together, the more Taylor wants Tom to be part of his life.If only he could tell him.

Taylor decides to buy his own house in town and enlists the help of a realtor named Faith Roberts. Faith wants more from Taylor than a commission. She is after this handsome, Jaguar-driving bachelor and is relentless in her efforts to win his favor.

Meanwhile, well-meaning friends introduce Taylor to Neil Gardener, a wealthy, self-confident, super model type of guy, who is not only out, but he is more than interested in Taylor. Neil makes it hard for Taylor to resist him, complicating his feelings for Tom.

Andrew Barriger's debut novel, Finding Faith, is fast-paced, fun to read, and thoroughly enjoyable. I love Barriger's use of language, his delectable desserts, loveable characters, and suspenseful story, not in a murder mystery sort of way, but in the who will Taylor end up with? sort of way. According to author and reviewer, Ronald L. Donaghe, "Another mark of a good writer is to create a setting so believable, that the readers might be tempted to find it on the map." Donaghe also writes, "In fact, readers will be able to smell the food coming out of the oven, taste the meals set before them, hear the music played, maybe even recognize the characters coming down the street." I really loved reading this book and cannot wait to read Finding Peace, and any other books authored by Andrew Barriger.


Rating:
Summary: Quite Good, But Obviously a First Novel
Review: Taylor Connolly is a nice guy. He works hard and treats his boyfriend right, even though they have a few relationship problems. So when he walks in and finds his boyfriend of two years having sex with another man - in his bed - Taylor has had enough. He lets the ex take whatever he wants and moves the rest to a small town that is still close enough for him to commute to work. His gay city friends told Taylor that this was a bad move, small towns aren't exactly known for their open-minded attitudes, after all, but Taylor is ready for a drastic change.

At first, Taylor expected to meet opposition when it became known that he was gay, but the town was surprisingly accepting. Especially Tom, the local baker. Before long, Taylor finds himself thinking about Tom all of the time and his morning jaunts to the bakery became the highlight of his day. As Taylor and Tom became closer friends, Taylor knows that he is ready to have a relationship with Tom, but Tom is straight, isn't he? As Tom struggles to accept his newfound sexual attraction to another man, Taylor's friends set him up with a handsome, wealthy gay guy who is just Taylor's type. Now Taylor has some difficult decisions to make - including just how drastic of a life change he wants to make...

This was a solid first book for a new author, but it was not as fabulous as I expected from the glowing reviews here. I liked Taylor and Tom as characters and would have liked to get to know them a little better, but felt that I identified with them. The secondary characters were pretty sketchy, though, with the author using them to advance the plot and then dropping them when their usefulness was gone. The plot is very simple and has a nice, rhythmic feel to the way it slowly unfolds, but can be a little too simple at times as the author has to string out a couple of plotlets to give the book length. It would have been nice to have a few subplots developed that would keep the reader's interest piqued. Also, I would have enjoyed a little more description of settings and events, rather than such a big focus on cars, clothes and food, but I could tell the author was trying. If you are looking for a quick, easy read that doesn't require too much thought, this is a nice choice.

Rating:
Summary: Quite Good, But Obviously a First Novel
Review: Taylor Connolly is a nice guy. He works hard and treats his boyfriend right, even though they have a few relationship problems. So when he walks in and finds his boyfriend of two years having sex with another man - in his bed - Taylor has had enough. He lets the ex take whatever he wants and moves the rest to a small town that is still close enough for him to commute to work. His gay city friends told Taylor that this was a bad move, small towns aren't exactly known for their open-minded attitudes, after all, but Taylor is ready for a drastic change.

At first, Taylor expected to meet opposition when it became known that he was gay, but the town was surprisingly accepting. Especially Tom, the local baker. Before long, Taylor finds himself thinking about Tom all of the time and his morning jaunts to the bakery became the highlight of his day. As Taylor and Tom became closer friends, Taylor knows that he is ready to have a relationship with Tom, but Tom is straight, isn't he? As Tom struggles to accept his newfound sexual attraction to another man, Taylor's friends set him up with a handsome, wealthy gay guy who is just Taylor's type. Now Taylor has some difficult decisions to make - including just how drastic of a life change he wants to make...

This was a solid first book for a new author, but it was not as fabulous as I expected from the glowing reviews here. I liked Taylor and Tom as characters and would have liked to get to know them a little better, but felt that I identified with them. The secondary characters were pretty sketchy, though, with the author using them to advance the plot and then dropping them when their usefulness was gone. The plot is very simple and has a nice, rhythmic feel to the way it slowly unfolds, but can be a little too simple at times as the author has to string out a couple of plotlets to give the book length. It would have been nice to have a few subplots developed that would keep the reader's interest piqued. Also, I would have enjoyed a little more description of settings and events, rather than such a big focus on cars, clothes and food, but I could tell the author was trying. If you are looking for a quick, easy read that doesn't require too much thought, this is a nice choice.

Rating:
Summary: Best Book Ever!
Review: This book takes you into the life of Taylor Connolly. Having lost his boyfriend, he seeks help from his best friend Gen Pouissant.He leaves the city to get far enough away from his ex-boyfriend, but still close enough to keep his job. Just coming out of a 'long-term' relationship, he wasn't expecting to meet someone like Tom McEwan. Was he ready to be in a relationship so close to his recent breakup?

The book tells you what happens between Tom and Taylor and shows you which choice they both make.You will love this book.I read it in one day and I laughed so hard and maybe added a couple of "awwwwwww" 's in their too.I can't wait to see what happens next in Finding Peace, and I recomend this book to everyone.

Rating:
Summary: Exquisite comedy
Review: This is a most pleasant book to read, with gentle comedy on provincial life, homely characters you'll symphatize with, and a beautiful writing. You can feel the Author is in his prime, and his subsequent novel are more mature. But this first book reveal a young Author to follow. Maybe some will say this is a "consolatory" novel. What's wrong with that? I prefer to think of it as a consoling novel: somewhere there's people who values friendship, understanding, tolerance and good will. I've loved this book!