Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: Trapped in Oz
SERIES: Tales From Kansas #3
AUTHOR: Andrew Grey
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 156 Pages
BLURB:
Martin Long has plans and dreams, but they are derailed when his parents move and must sell their house. In need of a place to stay, fast, he answers an ad for a roommate, and even though the house needs work, the owner seems nice so Martin agrees to move in. Gary Hunter is barely making ends meet, with mysteriously disappearing tips at work and tuition to pay. Disowned by his family and left with a house in need of repair, Gary desperately needs the extra set of hands along with the money. When Gary confesses that his family disowned him for being gay, Martin makes his own confession that opens a world of possibilities. But Gary has paid a heavy price for being who he is, and Martin’s unwillingness to open up to his family puts strain on the fledgling relationship.
REVIEW:
Although this book in the third in the “Tales from Kansas” series, it is a standalone story and requires no background. It is billed as a Novella and is a quick read. I buzzed through easily in one evening. One warning…I wanted to stop reading and go to sleep, but the story kept me in its clutches and wouldn’t let me go until I had finished it!
I really enjoyed meeting Martin and Gary. Martin is the typical, couple years out of high school American kid, living at home, saving to do some traveling and working at his job. He makes enough money to be autonomous, but it is easier to live with Mom & Dad for now, especially since he has the second floor to himself. Then he gets the startling news that his Dad has gotten a promotion which will require the Dad and Mom to move to Houston, and his parents don’t want him to come with them. Not for any bad reason, but because he has a good job, with an education assistance program that will help pay for college.
Once Martin burns through his list of friends and finds no one looking for a roommate, his Mom suggests the newspaper, and the last call he makes reaches Gary. Gary is a kind of shy, quiet, withdrawn guy who has been beaten down by his past history. Questionable choices, including coming out to his parents who then disowned him, have caused him to have a fairly low self-worth. He is also in financial straits trying to keep up with owning his own home since his current roommate has just moved out.
Enter Martin. What ensues is a sweet story of two young men, getting to know each other, dealing with “the closet”, and dealing with their increasing feelings for each other.
I very much enjoyed this story. I recommend this book and will definitely be reading more of Andrew Grey’s books in the future!
RATING: 
BUY LINKS: