Reviewed by Dan

TITLE: Favorite Son

AUTHOR:     Will Freshwater

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 204 Pages

BLURB:

Born into a blue-collar family, John Wells beat the odds and came out a winner. As chief of staff to Patrick Donovan, a US senator and aspiring presidential candidate, he enjoys all the power and privilege of a DC insider. But while riding high on a wave of success, he’s blindsided by a series of betrayals from the people he trusts the most. In the space of a single day, John’s perfect life unexpectedly unravels when his career falters and his marriage implodes. Following a final, devastating blow, John assumes a new identity as “Peter” and flees to Provincetown, where a tight-knit community of eclectic characters slowly transforms him.

Peter finds himself drawn to Danny Cavanaugh, an enigmatic carpenter who is struggling to come to terms with his own troubled past. As they work together to renovate a local landmark, the two men forge an unlikely friendship that blossoms into love and becomes the foundation for a new life they hope to build together. But when a reversal of fortune pulls John back to DC, the treacherous world of politics he thought he’d left behind threatens to destroy his chance at true happiness.

REVIEW:

This book was like a breath of fresh air. This is exactly the kind of book I like to read. If you are looking for a sex filled romance, this isn’t it. I would describe this book as more a human interaction drama, where some characters just happen to be gay.   If you’re looking for page turning hot sex, this isn’t the book for you.  You probably won’t get the story or like it.  For those of us who like this kind of story, this one is excellent.

From page one we are drawn in the story of John Peter Wells. He is born a twin, but his brother Peter dies 3 days later.   Although we don’t hear much about his early life, we do see that he feels the loss of his brother, and that comes to light later in the book.

John is riding high. He is the chief of staff of a major senator who is being groomed for candidacy in the next Presidential election. In one day John’s idyllic life comes crashing down around his ears.   His career implodes, his partner betrays him, and he loses his closest friend. Wounded by the betrayals, John goes to jump on the ferry to Logan Airport, but instead jumps on the wrong ferry. On the spur of the moment he decides to take the ferry across to Provincetown to recover.

From the time he gets off the ferry, he feels welcomed in Provincetown. Somewhere during the ferry ride, he has decided to be Peter Wells and leave John behind for now. Finding that in off season the hotels that are open are all full, he luckily stumbles onto a gentleman who knows the perfect place for him to stay. The story moves on with him making friends, including a local carpenter Danny Cavanaugh and becoming a “local” by the time season arrives in Provincetown.

What will happen when Washington suddenly comes looking for him? Will he ever reconcile the John and the Peter sides of his life? What will happen when everyone in Provincetown finds out he isn’t who he said he was?

This is probably my favorite book that I’ve read this year. The author masterfully paints a picture of the characters and the locals. Having formerly lived in Boston, he made me homesick with some of the images like the Salt & Pepper Bridge. He used colorful descriptors which brought a picture to mind, for example a gull dropping a shell to break it and get into the meat inside. I loved everything about the book. Although we know there is sex in the background, this book doesn’t depend on it to carry the story at all. It was very refreshing to read a book that didn’t depend on the pages and pages of sex to hold it together.

Will’s book is fantastic. Do I sound like I’m raving? Well I am. I can’t believe this is his debut book. I highly recommend it and I look forward to many more.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon

Amazon UK

ARe