Reviewed by Vicki
TITLE: The Homeport Journals
AUTHOR: A.C. Burch
PUBLISHER: Wilde City Press
LENGTH: 272 pages
BLURB:
Fleeing New York City and an abusive partner, would-be writer Marc Nugent finds work at HomePort, the Provincetown mansion of Lola Staunton, a fabulously wealthy recluse. Aided by an attractive-but-unattainable artist and an all-too-available cross-dresser, Marc investigates accusations of rape and murder that have estranged Lola from a childhood friend for more than sixty years. Past and present converge when a long-lost journal reveals tales of infidelity, adultery, and passion that mirror the life Marc has recently abandoned. When his ex-lover arrives in search of revenge, Marc must confront his past, his notions of family, and his capacity for love.
REVIEW:
What an odd book! I’m not sure how to do this…
The Homeport Journals stars Marc Nugent, who has run away from his psycho boyfriend in New Yorks, and has ended up in Provincetown Massachusetts. He has no home, no job, nothing but a car and dreams of being a writer. He’s hoping this will be the place to hide and start over again. He is enjoying a cup of hot cocoa in a coffee shop, when he sees an old lady losing her groceries and runs to help. This charitable act changes his life forever. Dorrie (the old lady), takes him to Homeport, a mansion owned by Lola Staunton, a rich and eccentric elderly woman.
Lola is a collector of people. She hires them as staff, but they don’t really seem to do much for her. She’s got Helena Handbasket, her drag queen housekeeper. Cole, the repairman/artist. Marvin, an unspecified bad person. And finally Dorrie, the woman who introduced Marc to Lola, as her potential gardener. There’s also a cook, whose name I have forgotten! All of these people cater to the oddness that is Lola. She’s the last descendent of a very rich family, and has lead a sheltered and spoiled life. She likes her routine, including tea every afternoon. There is something between her and Dorrie, which turns out to be the big mystery of the book.
So Marc meets all of these folks, and begins to settle in. He runs errands for Lola, writes in the tower, and spies on Cole, the object of his lust. He’s got some serious issues in his recent past, that eventually come out, but are preventing him from pursuing Cole. The other thing curtailing his romantic interest, is that Cole is kind of an asshole and doesn’t want anything to do with him. This is the romance portion of this story, and it does eventually get there, but it is slooooow to develop. I was half way through the book and still trying to figure out if Marc and Cole were going to hook up. Mostly this book is about Marc trying to figure out what has kept Dorrie and Lola enemies for years and years. He beings going through the journals of Captain Staunton hoping to learn what the big family secret is. There’s also a bit about Cole and his reluctance to paint. Also the continuing drama of Marc and his ex-boyfriend. Lola’s money manager Charlotte pops in and out, helping Marc with his drama with the ex.
This all adds up to be a difficult story to follow, with lots of characters. I have to say I didn’t really get it. There’s nothing wrong with this book, the writing is ok, although something about the perspective was off for me. This is where I don’t have the technical knowledge to say what I didn’t like about it, but something didn’t work. The problem with the plot for me was that it was just so busy. There was so much going on I couldn’t figure out where to focus. I didn’t care much about the big mystery, and there wasn’t much romance between Marc and Cole. I wanted more passion and connection between them. The quirky characters were fun, to a certain extent, then they just got annoying. I can see the authors passion for Provincetown, it does sound like an interesting place to visit, and it probably is populated by a unique cast.
I don’t want to give a low rating to this book, I didn’t care for it but that doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with it, someone else may find it quite amusing and enjoyable. It’s not a bad book, just not a story that worked for me.
If you like a book with lots of quirky folks, a unique story, and an interesting setting you should give this one a try. If you are looking for a romance novel with lots of passion, it may not be for you.
RATING:
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