Title: Equality
Series: Dublin Virtues #2
Author: Helena Stone
Genre: M/M Romance
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Release Date: 23 May 2017
Blurb
Love is love. But what if the fight for equality gets in the way of building a relationship?
Lorcan Barratt has never considered himself relationship material. After his parents made it perfectly clear they’d never welcome a partner of his into their home, he learned to love his own company and can’t imagine sharing his life with another. After a single passionate kiss with Eric Kavanagh—the night before he travels to Canada for three months—Lorcan’s no longer sure he wants to be on his own. The problem is, he has no idea what sharing his life with someone else might entail.
Eric Kavanagh grew up in a loving and supportive family and always assumed he’d end up in a committed relationship. Sure that he’s found the one, Eric doesn’t worry about the fact that Lorcan has no experience when it comes to love and relationships. They are good together, so what could possibly go wrong?
When both men get involved in the marriage equality referendum in Ireland, it appears to bring them even closer together until Lorcan’s insecurities get the upper hand and he shuts Eric out. Will the fight for a yes-vote cost them their relationship or will they be able to find a balance between the love they share and the need for equality?
Buy Links
Dublin Virtues Series
Patience (#1)
Renewal (#3)
Review
| Equality is the second book in the Dublin Virtues series and picks up three months after that final scene in Patience, where enigmatic Lorcan was found in a passionate embrace with Eric. Eric has been on a work assignment in Canada for the last three months but he has kept up an electronic connection with Lorcan. Now finally homeward bound he is eager to see if the chemistry he found with Lorcan is still there and they can progress towards a relationship. Lorcan is not one for relationships which is relative to his background and his sexuality. He likes his life to be black and white and keep it simple so to complicate it with a relationship would not help. This has always been his cop out but then he meets Eric and things get complicated. Going to pick up Eric from the airport has him anxious as to what will happen next. Yes they had the chemistry and yes they have kept in touch but will Eric want more and can he take that step and give more? Suffice to say the sexy twosome take off from that last explosive kiss and find they still feel the same about each other. But then things start to happen too fast for Lorcan to process in his need to be organised and in control mantra. To further complicate matters he has a lot of soul searching to do with his parent’s non acceptance of his sexuality, their religion and the huge focus on the marriage equality referendum in Ireland. He needs to find the balance and with all these new feelings towards Eric just has his mind all mixed up and his obsessive need to find control. I liked that the two main characters were opposites with Eric and his easy going vibe and his open and honest personality. Then on the other hand there is Lorcan with his closed off, secretive, keeping his feelings held back personality. It was obviously a case of opposites do attract. There was the usual bigotry against gays and not surprisingly it was Lorcan’s religious parents who could not accept his sexuality. They didn’t banish him but just requested he never flaunt it in front of them or bring any boyfriend to meet them. It was only through an inopportune meeting that his parents and boyfriend do actually meet (or was that down to Grandma?) that things start to ease with both sides of the equality argument looking at the bigger picture. I loved some of the common sense arguments put forward by the author. It had me cheering in parts. The loving acceptance was provided by Eric’s family and surprisingly Lorcan’s grandmother. The romance aspect did seem to be an insta love one, in that after only days (or so it seemed) they were boyfriends and then in love. This in itself was not an issue but I did think with all this internal dialogue Lorcan had going on there would be a lot more pulling away on his side in the first instance. He seemed to do this well after they were established. However this was a good addition to the series and I shall look forward to more. Four stars. *ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review |
Author Bio
Helena Stone can’t remember a life before words and reading. After growing up in a household where no holiday or festivity was complete without at least one new book, it’s hardly surprising she now owns more books than shelf space while her Kindle is about to explode.
The urge to write came as a surprise. The realisation that people might enjoy her words was a shock to say the least. Now that the writing bug has well and truly taken hold, Helena can no longer imagine not sharing the characters in her head and heart with the rest of the world.
Having left the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam for the peace and quiet of the Irish Country side she divides her time between reading, writing, long and often wet walks with the dog, her part-time job in a library, a grown-up daughter and her ever loving and patient husband.
Helena can be found in the following places:
Email: helenastoneauthor@gmail.com
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