Happy Thursday Scribblers, I hope you’re all having a great week. A special thank you and shout out to all the Veterans, thank you for your dedication and service to the our country. This week I’m back again with another book review. This times I reviewing a debut novel by author Jole Cannon (find him here) titled Larger Than Love (find the book here). Let’s get started.
Blurb:
Bernard feels like an outsider in the gay community. Thirty-five, chubby, and hairy, he doesn’t fit the image of the stereotypical gay man. Failed relationships in his past solidify the idea he is destined to be alone.
Rory is struggling with his identity. At thirty-five, he is still single. When he reunites with his childhood friend, his religious convictions and the desire to be with a man clash as he must choose between what the Church taught him is right and what his heart desires.
The two men are forced to face their fears and make a choice. Live alone and accept their fate or take a leap and challenge what they believe.
My Review:
Lovely Story. Great Debut Novel
Larger than Love is author Jole Cannon’s debut novel and, for a new author, this is a wonderful story. Reading through the book and getting to know the individuals in the story, I saw a lot of my first novel in this book. Which is to say, I noticed that the dialogue read very stilted to me in parts (this is something I had to work on as well). However, dialogue aside, this was a charming story, and I enjoyed getting to know the characters. I loved reading about people that are not from all the typical tropes. Bravo Cannon for tackling body image in your first go around.
This novel is a fun and frustrating read, which I’m not quite sure how to feel about. I’m not sure if the author had personal experiences he reflected in the story or not, so I can’t fault him for items that didn’t seem quite real to me. We all know people or have experienced people like Rory’s Mother, however she seemed way over the top to me, especially for someone who lives in Silicon Valley (yes, I’m counting Gilroy as part of the Silicon Valley). I’m not saying people like her don’t exist, especially in the 1990s, but I could see her more in the Southern US or even in a state like Utah. Also, some of the other characters, as lovely as they were, seemed a little to ‘perfect’ and ‘supporting’ of both Rory and Bernard. Not saying that couldn’t be the case, however, they didn’t quite feel real to me.
The other area I’m going to nit-pick is the setting. As someone who lives in San Jose and has been to Gilroy his whole life. If you are going to set your story here, then please give the reader a more detailed description of the setting. The South Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area is not well known outside of the San Francisco Bay Area and could use help when it comes to gaining more recognition. If you are going to point out locations, then point them out. Don’t shroud them in mystery or generic description. If you are going to have the characters go to Christmas in the Park, then call it Christmas in the Park. Don’t refer to the event in some obtuse way that people won’t have any idea of what you’re talking about. Same if they were going to the Holiday Lights at Vasona Park. If the story were set in New York, you wouldn’t say they went to a big Christmas Tree in Manhattan. You’d say they went to the Rockefeller Center for skating and to see the Christmas Tree. Things like this really annoy me and I find it more and more unforgivable in writing.
Overall, this was a lovely story with a beautiful message. The writing was good, and the characters were mostly relatable. This book appears to be part of a greater universe. However, the story is fully standalone and if I didn’t know that this novel is Book 1, I wouldn’t have noticed. I’ll be interested to see what’s in store for Book 2 and if Cannon is going to use other characters from this story.
This novel is worth the read especially if you enjoy romance and want to see characters that are outside the typical trope.
That’s all I have for today. Until next time have a great week.