With The Distance Between Us we have the story of two long-time lover, Ethan and Rhett, who have decided to go their separate ways. What should be a quick separation, however, is complicated by both emotional and financial baggage. As a short term solution, they choose to take on a temporary boarder to help pay the mortgage - a young man by the name of Kieran. Sparks start flying from day one, of course, with both of the estranged lovers sharing time with their young boarder.
My biggest problem with the book is that there was very little to distinguish Ethan from Rhett - swap their names, and it really makes no difference to the story. I had hoped Kieran would turn out to have more depth, but he was pretty shallow and transparent . . . I knew where his character arc was going from the moment he entered the scene. Strangely enough for a work of gay erotica, the best part of the story is Ethan and Rhett's relationship with their daughter, which I thought was very sweet and well-grounded.
I must admit, I was a little disapointed with how the possibilities of their big old house were wasted. There was really nothing to distinguish it from any other house. There was no eccentric charm, famous history, or flamboyant decoration to give it any flair. Rooms were given names (bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, etc.) but there was no attempt to create a visual impression. This sounds horrible, I know, but the it comes across as a cheap TV soap opera that just reused sets left over from other productions.
I must say, however, that it was well written. The dialogue sounded natural - both the fights and the seductions - and the erotic elements were handled realistically. A few of the sex scenes were a bit overdramatic for my tastes, but they worked well within the context of the characters and what they were experiencing at the time.
All-in-all, an uneven effort that will very likely be appreciated by fans of the genre, but not a book that will win over any new or curious readers.
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