Today I review The Marrying Kind by Jay Northcote. Jay popped by to leave an extract from the book and buy links, so you can see what I thought, read the extract and if it tickles your fancy head straight over to pick up your own copy!!Simples.
Nathan wants to put a ring on it, but is Owen the marrying kind?
Two years on from their first date, Owen and Nathan are living together and life is good—except they’re not on the same page about marriage.
A traditionalist at heart, Nathan wants it all: the wedding, the vows, and a pair of matching rings. Owen, on the other hand, believes marriage is old-fashioned and unnecessary. They don’t need a wedding to prove their commitment to each other. Love should be enough on its own.
All it takes is one moment of weakness on a night out to force the issue. Owen finds himself engaged after a half-drunk proposal, and Nathan’s enthusiasm sweeps him along. But as the big day approaches, the mounting tension finally combusts.
I know when I pick up a Jay Northcote story I'm going to enjoy it. I have to admit though, I was a teeny tiny bit apprehensive about reading this one. I love the thrill of characters first falling in love and think it takes real skill to write about established couples. Not that I think Jay doesn't have that skill, but...well, you know when you pick up a sequel and it's not quite all that? I was worried...I shouldn't have been though!
I loved reading the story of Owen and Nathan's continuing romance and the next steps towards marriage. I have to admit that some of it resonated so clearly with myself and my husband when we got married, he really is not one for weddings at all. All that fuss and money - not his scene. (We ended up getting married just the two of us in Austria and it was beautiful and romantic and I loved every second of it)). So I could understand Owen's feelings, as well as Nathan's.
I loved the fact that, despite their different worries, it was so clear throughout this story that they were still very much in love with each other. THAT is marriage. Different feelings but eventually working together to make it work. In fact this was what really resonated with me. The love I felt these two shared. I also liked the fact that Jay Northcote didn't resort to a big misunderstanding and go down that route. Okay, there were arguments - that's a part of life. There was ways things could have been resolved more easily...if we lived in a perfect world and I'm glad even this book world isn't perfect because it is real. And the reality is that love wins.
Somewhere about 70% my heart stopped for one icy minute. I wasn't sure, couldn't quite say how things would end...
But despite that (because of that?) I truly enjoyed this book. Nathan and Owen will stay with me for a while because at the end of the day they love each other and I love love. Another winner from this author, for me anyway.
A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.
Series info:
The Marrying Kind is a sequel to The Dating Game. It continues Owen and Nathan's story, so I recommend you read The Dating Game first. I have no firm plans for more stories about Owen and Nathan. The Marrying Kind has a definite happy ending, so please consider their story complete for now.
Excerpt:
Nathan glanced surreptitiously at Owen sitting beside him as Jack and Simon spoke their vows. Jack’s voice was quiet but sure, and Simon’s rang out clearly over the assembled crowd.
Owen’s gaze was fixed on the couple, and his eyes were suspiciously bright. As Nathan watched, Owen cleared his throat and wiped what Nathan assumed was a tear out of the corner of his eye.
Nathan suppressed a smile and turned his attention back to the groom and groom. So much for Owen’s protests that he didn’t see the point in weddings and that they were outdated, pointless events that were stupid even for straight couples unless they were religious. Even if he didn’t believe in the principle of marriage—gay or otherwise—it was nice to see he wasn’t totally immune to the emotion of the occasion. Nathan was going to enjoy taking the piss out of Owen later. But in the meantime, he reached for Owen’s hand and squeezed. Owen squeezed back.
Nathan’s eyes were moist too by the time they’d finished. The part where the celebrant said “I now pronounce you husband and husband” really set him off. Simon looked so utterly radiant after he and Jack finally stopped kissing and turned to face the wedding guests, hand in hand. Jack was flushed and awkward compared to Simon. He obviously wasn’t happy being the centre of attention, unlike his new husband, but his smile was genuine and the joy rolled off both of them, touching everyone in the room.
Nathan sighed. Owen’s hand was still in his. Their fingers were tangled together casually—just like their lives. They’d been in a relationship for over two years now, living together for half of that, and Nathan had never been happier. But looking at Simon and Jack, he wanted more. He wanted that. But he was afraid to ask Owen, because he was pretty sure what his answer would be, and it wouldn’t be the one Nathan hoped for.
Title: The
Marrying Kind
Series: Owen
& Nathan – part 2
Author: Jay
Northcote
Genre:
contemporary m/m romance
Length: 35,000
words approx
Release
date: Friday 17th April 2015
Publisher: self-published
(Jaybird Press)
Editor: Sue
Adams
Buy links:
Author Bio:
Jay lives
just outside Bristol in the West of England, with her husband, two children,
and two cats.
She comes
from a family of writers, but she always used to believe that the gene for
fiction writing had passed her by. She spent years only ever writing emails,
articles, or website content. One day, she decided to try and write a short
story–just to see if she could–and found it rather addictive. She hasn’t
stopped writing since.
Sold! I'm sure if Jay wrote a book on the fascination of train spotting or why your anorak has to be blue, I would read it (well maybe not the train spotting....)
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