Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: All The Lovers
AUTHOR: Harry F. Rey
PUBLISHER: Deep Desires Press
LENGTH: 227 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 11, 2020
BLURB:
Still hung up on ex-boyfriend Shawn, Nick tries, tries, and repeatedly fails to find a meaningful connection in a parochial gay society still defined by closets and cruising. With fabulous best friend Mylo and straight-laced flatmate Jenna by his side, Nick’s journey to self-discovery forces him to confront not only his own demons, but those of all his lovers as well.
All The Lovers is a sexy, hilarious, and eye-opening chronicle of Nick—a working class teenager from the North of England exploring love and sex in a pre-Grindr world.
REVIEW:
This is an interesting book, a character study of a nineteen-year-old gay, British man navigating a lonely existence following a break-up with the man he thought he’d be with forever. There are cringe-worthy parts I detested, but the realness, the rawness, of it overpowered the bad. This isn’t a romance novel, although the ending is romantic and rewarding. I had a problem in that Nick isn’t a sympathetic character until about forty percent into the story. However, once the author broaches various social issues and Nick becomes more self-aware, my empathy for him grew exponentially. So while I didn’t like the book much at first, I oddly couldn’t put it down. I had to see if there was any kind of HEA, and perhaps more importantly, if there was any growth in Nick’s character.
Even after a year, Nick is struggling to get over the heartbreak of his fall-out with ex-boyfriend Shawn, who he thought was the love of his life. He’s miserable and alone, pining for Shawn, but Shawn lives across the Atlantic in Canada and there’s no hope for reconciliation. We follow Nick along on his attempts to find a meaningful relationship, although online hook-up apps might not be the answer. One guy he discovers has been seeing someone else the whole time they dated; a couple were closeted; one older, successful man succumbs to his internalized homophobia and Nick can’t tolerate that. A friendship with another man turns romantic and seems like a possibility for success until Nick sabotages it with unwise choices he makes.
Nick learns something about himself from his experiences with each of these men, and from his clandestine visits to the saunas and dark alley hook-ups, from his best friend, Mylo, and from reflections upon his time with Shawn, who taught him what it means to be gay. There are a lot of jerks among these characters, but one wonderful standout is Mylo, who blossoms despite overwhelming adversity and serves as an out-and-proud role model for many.
When Harry F. Rey tackles social issues facing gay men and incorporates them into the storyline, that’s when the book is at its best. Public censure, internalized homophobia, gender expectations, the fear of violence, and the heartbreaking reality of an HIV diagnosis are all touched upon. I appreciated that the HIV parts were informative and educational without feeling like an info dump.
It’s the scenes in the saunas I really didn’t care for, when Nick, on multiple occasions, services six or more men with blow jobs. I don’t have any problem with Nick’s behavior and I feel the scenes are important in driving the narrative forward and understanding Nick’s state of mind. And I love books with plenty of hot sex, but I like it associated with positive feelings. This felt lascivious and depressing, and like I was an unwitting voyeur into Nick’s desperation. I would’ve preferred hearing about his trips to the saunas without the explicit details. Similarly, while they didn’t bother me, I found little to enjoy in Nick’s meaningless exploits around town.
At first, I thought All the Lovers wasn’t for me, but I was challenged in a positive way and I’m very glad I read it. The theme is universal – loneliness and the desire for connection. I feel like I was gifted a glimpse into what reality is like for many young, gay men. Life isn’t all about the successful CEOs, billionaires, rock stars, and happy-go-lucky fake boyfriends we read about in many gay romance novels. In the end, Nick is a likable character and my heart went out to him. I’m so glad he was rewarded with the happily ever after he fought so hard for and deserves.
RATING: 
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