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Faith, Love & Devotion #1
Faith & Fidelity
New York City Vice Detective Evan Cerelli has lost his wife, the only person he ever loved and slept with. He's trying to get on with his life, build a life for his children. Former Homicide Detective Matt Haight is a ladies’ man, all sex/no commitment. He's depressed, having a midlife crisis, and not sure where his life is headed.
The two find friendship in the bottom of a shared bottle. When the friendship turns to love, it shakes two straight men to the core and flips their lives inside out. Kids, families, careers that are not gay-friendly -- can all the love in the world overcome the obstacles to faith and fidelity?
The two find friendship in the bottom of a shared bottle. When the friendship turns to love, it shakes two straight men to the core and flips their lives inside out. Kids, families, careers that are not gay-friendly -- can all the love in the world overcome the obstacles to faith and fidelity?
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 23, 2008
216 people are currently reading
7939 people want to read
About the author
Tere Michaels
38 books1,026 followersTere Michaels unofficially began her writing career at the age of four when she learned that people got paid to write stories. It seemed the most perfect and logical job in the world and after that, her path was never in question. (The romance writer part was written in the stars—she was born on Valentine’s Day.)
It took thirty-six years of “research” and “life experience” and well… life… before her first book was published but there are no regrets (she doesn’t believe in them). Along the way, she had some interesting jobs in television, animation, arts education, PR, and a national magazine—but she never stopped believing she would eventually earn her living writing stories about love.
Her home base is a small town in New Jersey, very near NYC, a city she dearly loves. She shares her life with her husband, her son—who is also her personal trainer—and an exceedingly spoiled cat. Her spare time is spent watching way too much sports programming, going to the movies and for long walks/runs in the park, reading, and doing yoga.
Nothing makes her happier than knowing she made a reader laugh or smile or cry. It’s the purpose of sharing her work with people. She loves hearing from fans and fellow writers and is always available for speaking engagements, visits, and workshops. Send her a message through her contact page or connect with her on Instagram (@TereMichaels) and Facebook.
She teaches regularly at SavvyAuthors, as well as running a private consulting and developmental editing business.
It took thirty-six years of “research” and “life experience” and well… life… before her first book was published but there are no regrets (she doesn’t believe in them). Along the way, she had some interesting jobs in television, animation, arts education, PR, and a national magazine—but she never stopped believing she would eventually earn her living writing stories about love.
Her home base is a small town in New Jersey, very near NYC, a city she dearly loves. She shares her life with her husband, her son—who is also her personal trainer—and an exceedingly spoiled cat. Her spare time is spent watching way too much sports programming, going to the movies and for long walks/runs in the park, reading, and doing yoga.
Nothing makes her happier than knowing she made a reader laugh or smile or cry. It’s the purpose of sharing her work with people. She loves hearing from fans and fellow writers and is always available for speaking engagements, visits, and workshops. Send her a message through her contact page or connect with her on Instagram (@TereMichaels) and Facebook.
She teaches regularly at SavvyAuthors, as well as running a private consulting and developmental editing business.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,043 reviews
January 22, 2015
*Woah! Price drop to $0.99 at most places today! 1/22/15*
**3.5 stars**
Tere Michaels, I have one question for you. Where. Is. My.
This book is extremely hyped by my Goodreads friends. I think for many readers, it is one of their intro books into the genre of M/M romance and I can see why that is. It is angsty yet easy to relate to, and it feels very realistic. I think that the emotions that Evan goes through ring very true. His concerns as a father... well, those really hit home for me. This book has a nice, honest quality that I enjoyed. Evan and Matt also make a very lovely couple and I found myself rooting hard for them.
My main gripe, other than that listed in my above spoiler, is the constant POV changes. Good god, I counted 6 (6!!!) points of view in this book. That is 4 too many for my taste. I found it to be more than a little distracting.
If the book was stylistically just a little different, it would have been a home-run. As it stands, it ranks somewhere between "liked" and "really liked" for me. I have the next two in the series already loaded on my Kindle, but they are pushed down a bit as lower priority reads for me right now. Still a worthwhile read but not quite what I was expecting. Perhaps it is partially my fault for expecting it to be completely epic.
**3.5 stars**
Tere Michaels, I have one question for you. Where. Is. My.
This book is extremely hyped by my Goodreads friends. I think for many readers, it is one of their intro books into the genre of M/M romance and I can see why that is. It is angsty yet easy to relate to, and it feels very realistic. I think that the emotions that Evan goes through ring very true. His concerns as a father... well, those really hit home for me. This book has a nice, honest quality that I enjoyed. Evan and Matt also make a very lovely couple and I found myself rooting hard for them.
My main gripe, other than that listed in my above spoiler, is the constant POV changes. Good god, I counted 6 (6!!!) points of view in this book. That is 4 too many for my taste. I found it to be more than a little distracting.
If the book was stylistically just a little different, it would have been a home-run. As it stands, it ranks somewhere between "liked" and "really liked" for me. I have the next two in the series already loaded on my Kindle, but they are pushed down a bit as lower priority reads for me right now. Still a worthwhile read but not quite what I was expecting. Perhaps it is partially my fault for expecting it to be completely epic.
April 19, 2020
2.5 stars
Wounded widower and depressed ex-cop meet – angst guaranteed.
Evan Cerelli had lost his wife in a car accident, and had been left alone with four children. It’s been a year, and he is still in deep grief, suffering in pain and misery, living only for his kids.
Matt Haight is a former cop, a ‘casual sex / no commitment’ type of guy. But he is tired of the one-night stands, depressed and lonely, and he hates his job.
When Evan and Matt meet, they recognize something familiar in each other.
They find unexpected acceptance and open up for each other. The weekly meetings for a beer quickly turn into a deep friendship.
And though both of them were heterosexual in all their lives, they start to have romantic and erotic feelings for each other.
The story is told from both of the main characters’ point of view (and from a couple of more, but later about that). Evan is broken: what happened to him is tragic, of course, and it is also very recent (IMO). BUT this time span is given, so let’s get over it. If the author made him capable of developing romantic feelings for someone else other than his wife, I think he is ready to move on. Still, he behaves like he is not, and he still punishes himself for Sherri’s death.
Then it turns out that it is all because that the other person is a man. Evan’s fear of possible homophobic reactions takes over, and he
Of course, everyone makes mistakes, and I really don’t want to hold it against him, because it is the part of the plot… but I didn’t like Evan. My rational self sympathized with him and felt for him, but the emotional one just couldn’t connect and get to love him.
I liked to be in Matt’s head. He was surprised more by falling in love than the fact that it was for a man. Of course, his desires for another man shocked him first, but the love issue was the bigger hit.
I was pretty okay with the plot up until about 88%. But from that (from ) the story turns into a cheap melodrama. And what pisses me off the most is that after all the angst we don’t even get a proper ending. It’s rushed, gappy, and told rather than shown.
We have two adults here, don’t we?
The reunion is awkward and tentative, and far from satisfying. Where are the beautiful words, redemption, sweet absolution, the reassurance of their love for each other, and most importantly, the hot make-up sex???
And
Random other problems
- Jumping / quickly changing / too many / unnecessary viewpoints.
- Too much melodrama:
- A longer time span would have been more believable.
- Lots of things are told rather than shown.
- The non-communication was pissing me off at the end.
- The ending altogether was pissing me off.
- The sex scenes were lukewarm and awkward; there wasn’t even REAL sex…
It was not all bad though, there were some great moments (see my quotes), but I don’t think I will continue this series for now. Maybe later I’ll give the second book a try.
My favorite quotes.
Wounded widower and depressed ex-cop meet – angst guaranteed.
Evan Cerelli had lost his wife in a car accident, and had been left alone with four children. It’s been a year, and he is still in deep grief, suffering in pain and misery, living only for his kids.
Matt Haight is a former cop, a ‘casual sex / no commitment’ type of guy. But he is tired of the one-night stands, depressed and lonely, and he hates his job.
When Evan and Matt meet, they recognize something familiar in each other.
Over the din of conversation Evan caught Matt's eye and shrugged at his friends’ nonsense, smiled again. He wasn't exactly sure why he was reaching out to this man— maybe force of habit. You see someone sitting that far down in the gutter, you lend him a hand.
Matt Haight let the conversational buzz and beer settle into his bones; it'd been a long time since he'd been drinking with anyone else around. And Evan Cerelli — well, there was something in his expression that Matt recognized. Neither one of them was entirely comfortable here, but, in the same breath, where else were they supposed to be? So Matt smiled back.
They find unexpected acceptance and open up for each other. The weekly meetings for a beer quickly turn into a deep friendship.
It was the highlight of his week, sitting in the near-dark, just talking, listening, drinking. They created a little cocoon of their misery, a safe haven in which to feel like a piece of garbage. To be tired and bitter and a failure, with no apologies. How exactly that moved to daily “shoot the shit” phone calls, he couldn't exactly say.
And though both of them were heterosexual in all their lives, they start to have romantic and erotic feelings for each other.
He couldn't pinpoint when he'd started noticing the little things, like the odd silver-blue color of Evan's eyes, or the way he moved... in control. He tried not to spend too much time dwelling on any of it, because it posed a much larger question than Matt was willing to ponder.
Of course the not pondering didn't help the situation once the dreams began.
The story is told from both of the main characters’ point of view (and from a couple of more, but later about that). Evan is broken: what happened to him is tragic, of course, and it is also very recent (IMO). BUT this time span is given, so let’s get over it. If the author made him capable of developing romantic feelings for someone else other than his wife, I think he is ready to move on. Still, he behaves like he is not, and he still punishes himself for Sherri’s death.
Evan sighed. “I would have made a fantastic martyr right?”
“Jesus would've given you a medal himself.”
Then it turns out that it is all because that the other person is a man. Evan’s fear of possible homophobic reactions takes over, and he
Of course, everyone makes mistakes, and I really don’t want to hold it against him, because it is the part of the plot… but I didn’t like Evan. My rational self sympathized with him and felt for him, but the emotional one just couldn’t connect and get to love him.
I liked to be in Matt’s head. He was surprised more by falling in love than the fact that it was for a man. Of course, his desires for another man shocked him first, but the love issue was the bigger hit.
A few weeks ago he would have never imagined being in this state, being aroused and emotional and so... go ahead Matty, he thought wildly, admit it... So fucking in love he could barely function.
The words were still frightening but their power has lessened. Every time he confirmed and confessed his love for Evan, the rightness of it was reinforced.
I was pretty okay with the plot up until about 88%. But from that (from ) the story turns into a cheap melodrama. And what pisses me off the most is that after all the angst we don’t even get a proper ending. It’s rushed, gappy, and told rather than shown.
We have two adults here, don’t we?
The reunion is awkward and tentative, and far from satisfying. Where are the beautiful words, redemption, sweet absolution, the reassurance of their love for each other, and most importantly, the hot make-up sex???
And
Random other problems
- Jumping / quickly changing / too many / unnecessary viewpoints.
- Too much melodrama:
- A longer time span would have been more believable.
- Lots of things are told rather than shown.
- The non-communication was pissing me off at the end.
- The ending altogether was pissing me off.
- The sex scenes were lukewarm and awkward; there wasn’t even REAL sex…
It was not all bad though, there were some great moments (see my quotes), but I don’t think I will continue this series for now. Maybe later I’ll give the second book a try.
My favorite quotes.
October 6, 2011
Opening Line:"Matt Haight sat in his car, watching the entrance of the Stag Bar with butterflies in his stomach."
I don’t even know how to put into words how much I loved this story and I’m having trouble writing a review that will do it any form of justice. I can tell you that author Tere Michaels has so hooked me with her unforgettable characters, heart wrenching love story and poignant writing that I’m now looking into spending several hundred dollars on an e-reader just so I can find out what happens next because for some reason the following two books aren't available in print form yet.
I think what struck me most about FAITH AND FIDELITY was the fact that this is about two men is completely incidental to the story. This is so much more than just a gay romance and truthfully all the same sex issue does here is add another degree of difficulty to Matt and Evan’s already complicated struggle to find happiness. This could be the story of any couple that’s taken a few hard knocks from life then along with their skeletons managed to find their soul mate. I should warn you that if you’re looking for graphic and gratuitous sex scenes every second page with a cheesy plotline to carry them along you’ll be disappointed. What you will find however is an emotional journey between two men that never expected to find love with anyone much less another man. This story is heart wrenching, beautiful, funny, compassionate, intimate, sad, realistic, tender and ultimately unputdownable. Honestly one of the best romances I’ve ever read.
As you can guess this isn’t a light-hearted read however I was immediately drawn in, starting with the tragic death of Evan’s high school sweetheart wife. Sherri’s the only person Evan’s ever loved or slept with and with her gone he’s now somehow got to find the strength to get up each day, continue with his job as a New York City Vice Detective and raise four children. Within the first chapter we’re also introduced to Matt; a 40 something former homicide detective and ladies man who’s having a minor mid life crisis of his own. Lonely and depressed Matt quickly becomes the perfect non-judgemental drinking buddy for Evan, each finding a form of solace in the others despair.
Matt and Evan’s relationship starts out as honest friendship. Somewhere along the way though the lines begin to blur and a mutual physically attraction takes hold, shocking confusing and exciting both men. There are some very sweet scenes here as each tries to deal with these new feelings of desire and learns how to be with another man, because as much as they want each other neither of them knows how to scratch the itch. The sex scenes here are explosive and sexy without being explicit and I enjoyed their path to discovery. On some level I could even relate because we’ve all faced the exciting and unknown at one time or another.
Before long Matt and Evan have fallen in love and must face the reality of what effect their relationship is going to have on children, friends and coworkers, however its Evan’s still palpable grief that causes the most damage during this time and brings in a third party. Damn if this part of the book didn’t read like a suspense and brought me to tears as events moved forward, backed off and went forward again. All with this white knuckled reader saying no, no, no, don’t do it. I just didn’t foresee this happening.
I also just have to mention how awesome all the secondary characters are here, adding realistic levels of depth to an already incredible story that I can‘t recommend enough. Cheers I’m off to buy my e-reader.
I don’t even know how to put into words how much I loved this story and I’m having trouble writing a review that will do it any form of justice. I can tell you that author Tere Michaels has so hooked me with her unforgettable characters, heart wrenching love story and poignant writing that I’m now looking into spending several hundred dollars on an e-reader just so I can find out what happens next because for some reason the following two books aren't available in print form yet.
I think what struck me most about FAITH AND FIDELITY was the fact that this is about two men is completely incidental to the story. This is so much more than just a gay romance and truthfully all the same sex issue does here is add another degree of difficulty to Matt and Evan’s already complicated struggle to find happiness. This could be the story of any couple that’s taken a few hard knocks from life then along with their skeletons managed to find their soul mate. I should warn you that if you’re looking for graphic and gratuitous sex scenes every second page with a cheesy plotline to carry them along you’ll be disappointed. What you will find however is an emotional journey between two men that never expected to find love with anyone much less another man. This story is heart wrenching, beautiful, funny, compassionate, intimate, sad, realistic, tender and ultimately unputdownable. Honestly one of the best romances I’ve ever read.
As you can guess this isn’t a light-hearted read however I was immediately drawn in, starting with the tragic death of Evan’s high school sweetheart wife. Sherri’s the only person Evan’s ever loved or slept with and with her gone he’s now somehow got to find the strength to get up each day, continue with his job as a New York City Vice Detective and raise four children. Within the first chapter we’re also introduced to Matt; a 40 something former homicide detective and ladies man who’s having a minor mid life crisis of his own. Lonely and depressed Matt quickly becomes the perfect non-judgemental drinking buddy for Evan, each finding a form of solace in the others despair.
Matt and Evan’s relationship starts out as honest friendship. Somewhere along the way though the lines begin to blur and a mutual physically attraction takes hold, shocking confusing and exciting both men. There are some very sweet scenes here as each tries to deal with these new feelings of desire and learns how to be with another man, because as much as they want each other neither of them knows how to scratch the itch. The sex scenes here are explosive and sexy without being explicit and I enjoyed their path to discovery. On some level I could even relate because we’ve all faced the exciting and unknown at one time or another.
Before long Matt and Evan have fallen in love and must face the reality of what effect their relationship is going to have on children, friends and coworkers, however its Evan’s still palpable grief that causes the most damage during this time and brings in a third party. Damn if this part of the book didn’t read like a suspense and brought me to tears as events moved forward, backed off and went forward again. All with this white knuckled reader saying no, no, no, don’t do it. I just didn’t foresee this happening.
I also just have to mention how awesome all the secondary characters are here, adding realistic levels of depth to an already incredible story that I can‘t recommend enough. Cheers I’m off to buy my e-reader.
March 3, 2014
This is another really shitty book review.
"Tedious. Oh, the angsty, angsty, angsty men. But some good bits if you can tolerate that kind of thing."
Seriously. That's all I wrote.
Helpful, right?
You should probably flag this.
"Tedious. Oh, the angsty, angsty, angsty men. But some good bits if you can tolerate that kind of thing."
Seriously. That's all I wrote.
Helpful, right?
You should probably flag this.
August 8, 2019
August 2019
Audio: 3 Pants Off
Not the narrator I would have picked for this amazing book, but not a horrible job. Matt and Evan are one of my fave couples out there and their story means so much to me, so not even mediocre narration could diminish how much I love this story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Always and forever 5++++ ⭐️s
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~
^^BLOODY AWESOMENESS!^^
What can I say about this book, it has everything I love about M/M lovin. Guys with no previous experience about all that is man love, real men no wet behind the ears young boys, plus it has heart and leaves you with a tear in your eye, then makes you smile because its that bloody good.
THE RUNDOWN- Evan just lost his wife and he is feeling the pain. The book begins with him getting ready for the funeral and its so heartbreaking; instantly leads you to tear up. His pain and anguish is so real you instantly want good things for him.. What then follows is Evan's descent into depression and the fake smile he has permanently glued to his face. What does one do when they have literally lost the live of their lives and you have four kids to raise all by your lonesome. His friends are treating him like glass and he just wants the pain to end. What he never expected is his saviour to come in the form of Matt Haight. Matt has known his fair share of pain, and he is like the lone man always from the outside looking in. A frienship sparks new ideas and it also starts to heal.
EVAN- He is just so believable in his pain, he was a loving husband and a so-so father. Now with his wife gone he just feels like a failure, and he blames himself for her death. As a cop he knows about protection and he failed the one person he swore before god and man to protect. Evan is like an eggshell he is one crack away from spilling his yolk. Life has no meaning and the ache in his heart is eating at him slowly.
MATT- Is the epidemy of lonely, he gets his kicks from one night stands and putting himself in the category of a ladies man. Ostracized from the police force because he nailed some crooked cops, he leaves and moves on to personal security.All this changes when a frienship leads him to some truths about himself and he realizes how very alone he has been.
PLOT- Its very simple in all its complexity, two men with no previous desire for men start falling in love. Let me tell you its no easy road, Evan has a whole lot to overcome such as telling his children, and coming to terms with the fact, that he might be happy without his wife. It's an emotional rollercoaster for both men, where one is willing to put his all, and the other is scared of losing everything.
FEELINGS- Loved it, so sweet and genuine. It's a slow moving grind that makes it so authentic Evan has real issues that makes the story line all that better. Matt is bloody awesome and sexy, the things he says just blows my mind. Evan is sweet, almost childish in his discovery of a new love. Together they are explosive, I had a girl boner through the entire book. There is no actual sex in the book, but the foreplay is all sex on the beach, and lust like teenage necking, a new discovery in feelings and a feirce passion. So good y'all, Evan and Matt don't disappoint.
March 15, 2013
FOUR SWEET STARS
This sweet and romantic book tells us the story of Evan. Evan lost his wife a year ago and was left with his four kids. He is still missing her every single day of his life and he doesn’t want to meet anyone.
You grieve with every fiber of your being when the thing you love most is ripped out of your life
Evan’s colleagues, Helena & Vic, try to keep him busy, they want him to have a normal life so he goes out with them one night and he meets Matt. Matt is an ex cop and he is kinda lonely. He doesn’t have many friends so when he meets Evan he realizes they can have fun together (nope, not that what you are thinking). They are both straight or at least they think they are.
But Matt can’t stop thinking about Evan when they are not together even if he doesn’t know what that means.
Pretended that he wasn’t thinking of Evan when his hand finished the job his dream had started
Matt meets Evan family and he falls in love with all his kids and the kids love him back! They have fun together but Matt seriously can’t hide his feelings anymore… So the inevitable happens and they kiss.
Evan doesn’t want to hide what they have but is not easy for him. He feels bad for his kids, his colleagues, his neighbours, everyone!. But first of all he needs to know what he really feels for Matt.
I want something I can’t have that you want to give me. I think. Maybe.
Things get more intense between them and Matt doesn’t know how to handle the situation, he wanted ALL with Evan but he didn’t want to scare him.
There’s no way I’m sleeping anytime soon with the feeling of him on my skin and, woo boy, in my mouth. I’ve never been so fucking scared in my whole entire life. This is a man and I want him and I think maybe I lo… Nope, not going there, and oh shit, what the hell am I supposed to do now?
Sex scenes were not very explicit, they were VERY HOT but not what I am used to read. Anyway, I think this book was more about accepting the homosexuality in your life and it was very good.
They learned to love each other, to cope with life loving each other. It was not easy but boy, it was worth it.
They were funny yet hot together and Evan’s kids were adorable.
I think this is a great M/M book for beginners and I would recommend it to everyone!
Don’t give us someone else to love if they’re going to leave.
BR with my LOVELY Stella
September 30, 2024
3.5 Stars
In a mad dash to clear out some of my older, unread paid books, I figured it was finally time I tackled Faith & Fidelity, which has been sitting on my kindle unread for close to 7 years, and which, by all accounts, seems to be one of those earlier M/M hits that so many readers loved when they were first exploring the genre.
I might be late to the party but I was quite quickly engaged in this story of loss, grief, sexual awakenings and new hope, following the unexpected but passionate affair between widowed father of four, police officer Evan Cerelli, and disgraced cop turned security expert Matt Haight.
The dead spouse aspect is always one I’m wary of in my romance reading, and rightly so, especially in cases like this where the grief, heartbreak and (irrational) guilt of one MC (Evan) casts such a sorrowful tone on the entire story. I certainly have to be in the right mood for such, and thankfully I was when I read this one. Although it’s not a theme I like reading about in my stories—at least not often—I thought it was handled very well here. But as expected it was the crux of most of the turmoil and angst that came after, which again, one has to be in the right mood for.
I’ve read in a few older reviews that this story was a bit on the melodramatic side and I can see why readers felt that way. Some extreme things happened and some even extremer (is that a word?) reactions were had by certain characters throughout that had me equal parts captivated and frustrated. I’ll say, though, that most of the drama and angst kept me entertained—and it definitely kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next.
It definitely helped that I adored Matt’s character, so very much, particularly loving how his bisexual awakening played itself out and how he whole-heartedly dedicated himself to the happiness of Evan and his kids as the story progressed. Speaking of whom, I appreciated the way that the four children were depicted, which isn’t always something I can attest to as a teacher reading about children in fiction. I also respected the adult females in Evan’s life, in the forms of his cop partner Helena (badass woman extraordinaire) and her doting mother. In my books, a great support cast can always go a long way in easing most other issues I may have with a story and more trying themes (like the dead spouse here).
Having said that, I will admit that I found the events at the 76% mark to be completely unwelcomed and unnecessary, causing in me a slight loss of some of the building respect I had at that point for Matt and Evan’s love. . Up to that point, aside from my frustration with Evan and his clearly unstable emotional state, I was really enjoying the story and I thought it played out damn well as a double GFY/bi-awakening M/M romance.
In a mad dash to clear out some of my older, unread paid books, I figured it was finally time I tackled Faith & Fidelity, which has been sitting on my kindle unread for close to 7 years, and which, by all accounts, seems to be one of those earlier M/M hits that so many readers loved when they were first exploring the genre.
I might be late to the party but I was quite quickly engaged in this story of loss, grief, sexual awakenings and new hope, following the unexpected but passionate affair between widowed father of four, police officer Evan Cerelli, and disgraced cop turned security expert Matt Haight.
The dead spouse aspect is always one I’m wary of in my romance reading, and rightly so, especially in cases like this where the grief, heartbreak and (irrational) guilt of one MC (Evan) casts such a sorrowful tone on the entire story. I certainly have to be in the right mood for such, and thankfully I was when I read this one. Although it’s not a theme I like reading about in my stories—at least not often—I thought it was handled very well here. But as expected it was the crux of most of the turmoil and angst that came after, which again, one has to be in the right mood for.
I’ve read in a few older reviews that this story was a bit on the melodramatic side and I can see why readers felt that way. Some extreme things happened and some even extremer (is that a word?) reactions were had by certain characters throughout that had me equal parts captivated and frustrated. I’ll say, though, that most of the drama and angst kept me entertained—and it definitely kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next.
It definitely helped that I adored Matt’s character, so very much, particularly loving how his bisexual awakening played itself out and how he whole-heartedly dedicated himself to the happiness of Evan and his kids as the story progressed. Speaking of whom, I appreciated the way that the four children were depicted, which isn’t always something I can attest to as a teacher reading about children in fiction. I also respected the adult females in Evan’s life, in the forms of his cop partner Helena (badass woman extraordinaire) and her doting mother. In my books, a great support cast can always go a long way in easing most other issues I may have with a story and more trying themes (like the dead spouse here).
Having said that, I will admit that I found the events at the 76% mark to be completely unwelcomed and unnecessary, causing in me a slight loss of some of the building respect I had at that point for Matt and Evan’s love. . Up to that point, aside from my frustration with Evan and his clearly unstable emotional state, I was really enjoying the story and I thought it played out damn well as a double GFY/bi-awakening M/M romance.
May 4, 2013
This was a heartbreakingly beautiful love story. I could feel the anguish of Evan throughout the whole story, the guilt, the guilt, the guilt. But seriously, how could something so beautiful be so wrong. Evan loses his wife - he is straight, he has four great kids, some fairly shitty in-laws - but hey, I suppose I should give them a bit of slack as they did also lose their daughter. He meets Matt, sweet, sweet Matt, who is also straight..... or so they think. They strike up a great friendship and then their feelings become more clouded as they begin to have sexual feelings for each other. It was a very well written story. I don't often read too many M/M books as sometimes they are a little too graphic for lil' ol' me but this was beautifully written and all I could feel was the love and devotion between these 2 guys. It finishes sort of at the beginning of their "proper" relationship and it will be interesting to see how it all pans out. Thought the secondary characters were great also, Evan's work partner, Helena - hope she gets her HEA and Vic, his boss. A truly wonderful, tender love story.
November 8, 2015
I am finally - after re-reading it almost a year later - up to writing a review to my favorite book in the m/m romance genre. I am glad this wasn't the first book I've read in the genre, because I'm afraid I would have found many other novels lacking the depth and emotions that Faith & Fidelity conveyed. I seriously think that this story and these characters have raised a new level of expectations for me.
I would hardly even call this book fiction. It's so crystal-clear-realistic that I was wondering where the Matts and Evans are in real life, because I'm sure they exist. They might not be gorgeous, hot cops like these guys are (thanks for that, Ms Michaels, I'm not complaining, LOL), but the circumstances of their lives, their fears and obstacles are certainly found in many real-life rainbow families all over the world.
I remember the first time I read it, I had some mixed feelings about both guys being formerly straight men. Interestingly, I am acquainted with a gay man who used to be married with children and has 'gone gay' in his mid-30s, so the realism is certainly there. I am not too fond of pure Gay-For-You stories and I remember I feared that this was what Faith & Fidelity is about.
It's not, though. These guys are indeed attracted to men, even if they were straight before. A confusing concept to a gay man who was never straight, LOL (me).
But thanks to Jim for making that statement clear ;-)
I am talking in riddles, sorry. I've been having this story on my mind for almost a year, remembering it with fond feelings. It's actually THE book of choice that I give to friends and family as a gift, just to make sure that if I they only read one gay romance in their life, it should be this one.
But this was supposed to be a review, so let's review a bit:
Evan Cerelli, who recently lost his beloved wife in a freak car accident, is totally overstrained trying to cope with his demanding job as a cop and raising his 4 children. He would do anything for his family and they are actually the only reason for him to go on with his life.
Matt Haight is a former cop and now advisor in a small security company, living an unhappy life as a middle aged man who was forced to leave the NYPD after he gave testimony against a fellow cop and lost the respect of his colleagues. Not to mention that his love life is a serious mess after two decades of one night stands and failed attempts at (straight) relationships.
They meet each other at a mutual colleague's retirement party and start a friendship that consists mostly of drowning their sorrows in alcohol and bitching about their miserable lives - until Matt notices things about Evan that he never noticed about another man before.
Determined to help his friend Evan with his difficulties and mental issues - and getting along great with Evan's kids (who grow fond of dad's 'best friend' rather quickly, unaware of what's going on beneath the surface), Matt suddenly realizes that just being a friend might not be enough for him. And to his surprise, Evan doesn't reject him.
However, despite Evan's feelings for his friend - and lover, he fears that this new relationship may endanger his family. Losing his children is Evan's greatest fear. So when the decision between outing himself to his family (and colleagues, in-laws, neighbors,...) or ending the only 'thing' that brought Evan happiness since his wife's death comes due, it seems that love does indeed make blind. And not always in a good way...
Every single character in this story is just brilliant. Evan's cop partner Helena is actually THE most life-like female character I ever came across in this genre. No matter how great a romance might be, the female side characters are sometimes a little off the mark for me. Either they're hardcore feminists (which is especially funny in historical romances, LOL) or weak damsels without much background. Helena is a breathing person, just like Matt and Evan are.
In the first book, the children are not really in the centre of the story, but this is remedied in the subsequent books when the four Cerelli kids will play bigger roles and turn their dad's (dads'? ;-) world upside down.
And even though it might seem superficial, I really want to point out that the exploration of the sexual side of their relationship is extremely tastefully done. No lube in bed side drawers waiting for action (like in most romance novels). These guys have no clue about any of the stuff that men do in bed. They're discovering things as they go along. That's another first in my books, and it's the reason why I adore this story so much. It's truly about love. Well, surprise ;-)
So 5 stars doesn't even come close to doing this book justice.
I would hardly even call this book fiction. It's so crystal-clear-realistic that I was wondering where the Matts and Evans are in real life, because I'm sure they exist. They might not be gorgeous, hot cops like these guys are (thanks for that, Ms Michaels, I'm not complaining, LOL), but the circumstances of their lives, their fears and obstacles are certainly found in many real-life rainbow families all over the world.
I remember the first time I read it, I had some mixed feelings about both guys being formerly straight men. Interestingly, I am acquainted with a gay man who used to be married with children and has 'gone gay' in his mid-30s, so the realism is certainly there. I am not too fond of pure Gay-For-You stories and I remember I feared that this was what Faith & Fidelity is about.
It's not, though. These guys are indeed attracted to men, even if they were straight before. A confusing concept to a gay man who was never straight, LOL (me).
But thanks to Jim for making that statement clear ;-)
I am talking in riddles, sorry. I've been having this story on my mind for almost a year, remembering it with fond feelings. It's actually THE book of choice that I give to friends and family as a gift, just to make sure that if I they only read one gay romance in their life, it should be this one.
But this was supposed to be a review, so let's review a bit:
Evan Cerelli, who recently lost his beloved wife in a freak car accident, is totally overstrained trying to cope with his demanding job as a cop and raising his 4 children. He would do anything for his family and they are actually the only reason for him to go on with his life.
Matt Haight is a former cop and now advisor in a small security company, living an unhappy life as a middle aged man who was forced to leave the NYPD after he gave testimony against a fellow cop and lost the respect of his colleagues. Not to mention that his love life is a serious mess after two decades of one night stands and failed attempts at (straight) relationships.
They meet each other at a mutual colleague's retirement party and start a friendship that consists mostly of drowning their sorrows in alcohol and bitching about their miserable lives - until Matt notices things about Evan that he never noticed about another man before.
Determined to help his friend Evan with his difficulties and mental issues - and getting along great with Evan's kids (who grow fond of dad's 'best friend' rather quickly, unaware of what's going on beneath the surface), Matt suddenly realizes that just being a friend might not be enough for him. And to his surprise, Evan doesn't reject him.
However, despite Evan's feelings for his friend - and lover, he fears that this new relationship may endanger his family. Losing his children is Evan's greatest fear. So when the decision between outing himself to his family (and colleagues, in-laws, neighbors,...) or ending the only 'thing' that brought Evan happiness since his wife's death comes due, it seems that love does indeed make blind. And not always in a good way...
Every single character in this story is just brilliant. Evan's cop partner Helena is actually THE most life-like female character I ever came across in this genre. No matter how great a romance might be, the female side characters are sometimes a little off the mark for me. Either they're hardcore feminists (which is especially funny in historical romances, LOL) or weak damsels without much background. Helena is a breathing person, just like Matt and Evan are.
In the first book, the children are not really in the centre of the story, but this is remedied in the subsequent books when the four Cerelli kids will play bigger roles and turn their dad's (dads'? ;-) world upside down.
And even though it might seem superficial, I really want to point out that the exploration of the sexual side of their relationship is extremely tastefully done. No lube in bed side drawers waiting for action (like in most romance novels). These guys have no clue about any of the stuff that men do in bed. They're discovering things as they go along. That's another first in my books, and it's the reason why I adore this story so much. It's truly about love. Well, surprise ;-)
So 5 stars doesn't even come close to doing this book justice.
December 18, 2018
After hanging around on my TBR list for quite some time...this one finally got read :P
I liked the premise of the story, though I was a bit worried about the whole dead spouse thing...
Now as much as I enjoyed this one, there were also a lot of things I didn't. The POV for one. I was so confused as to who's pov I was reading at the time. They just kept jumping back and forth like a flash and when more pov's were introduced it got, it got even worse... It was a bit messy, to be honest.
Evan wasn't my most favorite person and even though I loved Matt, I hated the fact that he jumped into the first available pants he saw when things got hard (<-lol). The fact that it was another guy made it that much worse for me...
I guess I will give the second book a go, though I have got to say that I am not all that interested in reading James' story. It not that I didn't like the dude, I am sure he is a cool guy, but the James in this book, kind of took me out of the story and I resent him a bit for that :P
So we will see.... Full review to come...at some point ;)
I liked the premise of the story, though I was a bit worried about the whole dead spouse thing...
Now as much as I enjoyed this one, there were also a lot of things I didn't. The POV for one. I was so confused as to who's pov I was reading at the time. They just kept jumping back and forth like a flash and when more pov's were introduced it got, it got even worse... It was a bit messy, to be honest.
Evan wasn't my most favorite person and even though I loved Matt, I hated the fact that he jumped into the first available pants he saw when things got hard (<-lol). The fact that it was another guy made it that much worse for me...
I guess I will give the second book a go, though I have got to say that I am not all that interested in reading James' story. It not that I didn't like the dude, I am sure he is a cool guy, but the James in this book, kind of took me out of the story and I resent him a bit for that :P
So we will see.... Full review to come...at some point ;)
March 7, 2020
This novel is about two men who have each suffered a traumatic loss, Evan with the death of his wife and Matt with the loss of his career with the NYPD and the 'family' that goes with that role. When they meet they recognise that loss in each other and are drawn together. Their friendship soon blossoms into love which they both acknowledge to each other. However, whilst Matt is free to pursue the relationship without outside pressures, Evan worries about the impact on his four children, his colleagues and his in-laws and eventually pulls away leaving Matt devastated.
The story starts off a bit slow but picks up and is great. I did not like the ending. It dropped off leaving lots of things hanging.
The story starts off a bit slow but picks up and is great. I did not like the ending. It dropped off leaving lots of things hanging.
May 30, 2016
I'm gonna be the odd one out. Again. Because even though most of my GR friends love this story, it was just meh for me.
So. Evan and Matt. They're both heteros. At a certain point, they realise they are attracted to each other. Then they realise they love each other. OK. I can buy that provided it's done well. But I didn't buy it here. Not really.
I got the emotional/bonding part; both men needed someone to lean onto, someone to count on. They became good friends through their commiseration. Fair enough.
Friends is one thing. Lovers though? Errrr ... not so much. The romantic part lacked depth; it felt inadequate and rushed. Where was the spark? The built-up? Plus, I had so little info on Evan's romantic feelings I seriously thought he would blow Matt off. Then I learned he reciprocated, but only because I was told. I didn't feel it.
Also, maybe it was due to the prologue, or due to Evan's grief over his wife's death (which was there throughout the book and often overshadowed his feelings for Matt), but it felt more like “Evan's story” than “Evan and Matt's” story.
Then there was that other guy, James.
The writing was clumsy and there were some issues with the POV shifts. Also, in my opinion, there were too many POVs in the story. Matt and Evan's were more than enough. I didn't feel I got anything substantial from Evan's little son's POV or that of Evan's partner, for instance. There were also typos and grammatical errors, the formatting was poor, the punctuation all over the place. I lost count of how many redundant ellipses there were (yes, Kate, you were right), the use of spaced hyphens instead of em dashes grated on the nerves of my inner editor, the unnecessary extra line breaks confused me.
I mentioned Evan's partner and remembered another issue. Her name was Helena. And his sister-in-law was called Elena. Yep. Helena and Elena. I had to stop and think who was who sometimes (when the context didn't help) and it was irritating. Very poor choice in names if you ask me.
Overall, it was a decent story—I’ve read much worse—but all the raving reviews had me going in with high expectations. Sadly, they weren’t met.
So. Evan and Matt. They're both heteros. At a certain point, they realise they are attracted to each other. Then they realise they love each other. OK. I can buy that provided it's done well. But I didn't buy it here. Not really.
I got the emotional/bonding part; both men needed someone to lean onto, someone to count on. They became good friends through their commiseration. Fair enough.
Friends is one thing. Lovers though? Errrr ... not so much. The romantic part lacked depth; it felt inadequate and rushed. Where was the spark? The built-up? Plus, I had so little info on Evan's romantic feelings I seriously thought he would blow Matt off. Then I learned he reciprocated, but only because I was told. I didn't feel it.
Also, maybe it was due to the prologue, or due to Evan's grief over his wife's death (which was there throughout the book and often overshadowed his feelings for Matt), but it felt more like “Evan's story” than “Evan and Matt's” story.
Then there was that other guy, James.
The writing was clumsy and there were some issues with the POV shifts. Also, in my opinion, there were too many POVs in the story. Matt and Evan's were more than enough. I didn't feel I got anything substantial from Evan's little son's POV or that of Evan's partner, for instance. There were also typos and grammatical errors, the formatting was poor, the punctuation all over the place. I lost count of how many redundant ellipses there were (yes, Kate, you were right), the use of spaced hyphens instead of em dashes grated on the nerves of my inner editor, the unnecessary extra line breaks confused me.
I mentioned Evan's partner and remembered another issue. Her name was Helena. And his sister-in-law was called Elena. Yep. Helena and Elena. I had to stop and think who was who sometimes (when the context didn't help) and it was irritating. Very poor choice in names if you ask me.
Overall, it was a decent story—I’ve read much worse—but all the raving reviews had me going in with high expectations. Sadly, they weren’t met.
December 22, 2012
2.5 stars
I have a love / hate relationship with this book.
I really, really like the MC’s. As broken and lost and hurting as they are, Evan and Matt are good men who deserve happiness…and each other. I liked how we got to see them meet, befriend each other, and eventually realize their attraction and love for one another. That’s enough to make me feel ok about having read the book.
But, there were a few things that absolutely drove me bonkers and irritated the CRAP out of me and made me want to literally scream:
I’m undecided if I will go on and read the rest of the series. I have no connection or desire to know more about James, in all honesty. But, I may want to read more about Evan and Matt. I just don’t entire trust the author not to ruin it w/ lame story arcs and a confusing writing style.
May 28, 2012
This book had me captivated from the first passage and took me on a path of discovery with Evan and Matt.......both lost, confused and disillusioned, both finding comfort in the most unlikely of situations.
This truly is a love story at it's best......and it is a credit to your writing Ms Michaels that I too was so emotionally involved in this journey with them and the great cast of their family and friends.
However I did get to the last page and think 'is that it'........but knowing there are two more books in the series, I am off to download!!
This truly is a love story at it's best......and it is a credit to your writing Ms Michaels that I too was so emotionally involved in this journey with them and the great cast of their family and friends.
However I did get to the last page and think 'is that it'........but knowing there are two more books in the series, I am off to download!!
September 30, 2014
★★★★★ 5 Huge Stars for a warm and tenderhearted novel which is feeling like a "True Life" story about male love.
Often, I love stepping into a sort of fairy tale world and "live with" heroes and heroines in the Romances. What's happening is hardly likely or very credible with it being a romantic, exciting and often sexy world. I love alpha males, the noble lords, the beautiful women or tough girls, the paranormal unreal, suspense, adventure and puzzles to be solved or just a beautiful world of luxury and glamor. Sometimes, it's however, wonderful to read a story that feels like it might actually be an everyday true love story from reality. This is such a story, this two men could be my neighbors (if I had the good fortune to live in NY), colleagues (if I become a police) or any of my friends (well you never know ...).
The police Vice Detective, Evan Cerelli, father of four children and widower then little more than a year, is still in mourning. He met his beloved wife at school and loved her immeasurably. Through friends of friends, he becomes acquainted with, the few years older and former Homicide Detective, Matt Haight. Matt is dejected, bitter over life and his lost loved job, but most of all - he is so lonely. This two men become beer-drinkers buddies and meet at a pub one night a week to drown their sorrows of life. Both men have always considered themselves as completely straight. As the friendship deepens, new, unexpected and unfamiliar feelings forward.
There is uncertainty, attraction, emotion, fear and guilt. It is steaming hot, heartbreakingly tender and painfully real. I read and my heart reaches out to these two gentlemen and their struggle to deal with love for another person of the same sex - all in addition to family, children, prejudice and fear of being different.
How do you tell your four children, who recently lost their beloved mother, that your best friend is not ONLY a good friend but also the person that you love and want to live with? How do you respond to friends and colleagues and explain that you might ALSO be called bisexual or gay and realized it now as mature adult? Questions that Evan and Matt must deal with.
At 300 pages and a few months, it's the "ups and downs". It's the first tentative kisses and caresses (gay sex premiere for Matt & Evan - how do you do?), there are also fights and harsh words and I have to get my tissues and sometimes I get a little stab in the heart. This is however, as I started with, a nice real life story and things are, sooner or later, resolved.
Not to forget are all the other nice (credible) characters in this novel. Evan's three daughters and little son are gorgeous. They invite immediately Matt into their family home and it's pizza, DVD movies and much laughter. A life Matt missed and longed so much for. Friends and colleagues are all sympathetic, and I look forward to the stand alone continuation in book #2 in this series about Matt's new acquaintance, the police James, and his story.
Strong, comprehensive and incredibly well-written story. Two gorgeous men who are showing emotions, dealing with problems and makes me shiver with pleasure. Hot and sweet...
Recommended to anyone who likes to read about guys who love guys.
I Like - "true love & life" on 300 well written pages.
Often, I love stepping into a sort of fairy tale world and "live with" heroes and heroines in the Romances. What's happening is hardly likely or very credible with it being a romantic, exciting and often sexy world. I love alpha males, the noble lords, the beautiful women or tough girls, the paranormal unreal, suspense, adventure and puzzles to be solved or just a beautiful world of luxury and glamor. Sometimes, it's however, wonderful to read a story that feels like it might actually be an everyday true love story from reality. This is such a story, this two men could be my neighbors (if I had the good fortune to live in NY), colleagues (if I become a police) or any of my friends (well you never know ...).
The police Vice Detective, Evan Cerelli, father of four children and widower then little more than a year, is still in mourning. He met his beloved wife at school and loved her immeasurably. Through friends of friends, he becomes acquainted with, the few years older and former Homicide Detective, Matt Haight. Matt is dejected, bitter over life and his lost loved job, but most of all - he is so lonely. This two men become beer-drinkers buddies and meet at a pub one night a week to drown their sorrows of life. Both men have always considered themselves as completely straight. As the friendship deepens, new, unexpected and unfamiliar feelings forward.
There is uncertainty, attraction, emotion, fear and guilt. It is steaming hot, heartbreakingly tender and painfully real. I read and my heart reaches out to these two gentlemen and their struggle to deal with love for another person of the same sex - all in addition to family, children, prejudice and fear of being different.
How do you tell your four children, who recently lost their beloved mother, that your best friend is not ONLY a good friend but also the person that you love and want to live with? How do you respond to friends and colleagues and explain that you might ALSO be called bisexual or gay and realized it now as mature adult? Questions that Evan and Matt must deal with.
At 300 pages and a few months, it's the "ups and downs". It's the first tentative kisses and caresses (gay sex premiere for Matt & Evan - how do you do?), there are also fights and harsh words and I have to get my tissues and sometimes I get a little stab in the heart. This is however, as I started with, a nice real life story and things are, sooner or later, resolved.
“I wish to God I had an answer for you right now. All I know is that…I’m not turning this car around. I’m going home with you…and we’ll see what happens from there.”
~~~~~~~
“Tell me to stop,” Matt whispered. “Last chance.”
Not to forget are all the other nice (credible) characters in this novel. Evan's three daughters and little son are gorgeous. They invite immediately Matt into their family home and it's pizza, DVD movies and much laughter. A life Matt missed and longed so much for. Friends and colleagues are all sympathetic, and I look forward to the stand alone continuation in book #2 in this series about Matt's new acquaintance, the police James, and his story.
“Words just confused things -- when they held each other like this, it made so much more sense.”
Strong, comprehensive and incredibly well-written story. Two gorgeous men who are showing emotions, dealing with problems and makes me shiver with pleasure. Hot and sweet...
Recommended to anyone who likes to read about guys who love guys.
I Like - "true love & life" on 300 well written pages.
August 25, 2018
There's a lot to like here. I really felt the connection between Matt and Evan, both as friends and as lovers. But I knew going in that this book wouldn't exactly be my cup of tea -- any story featuring children and family drama is a story I normally go well out of my way to avoid.
But I read it because it was recommended to me during my ongoing search for m/m with demisexual MCs. It never explicitly uses the term "demisexual" (just as you'd expect for a book originally published in 2008), but I think the recommendation was spot-on. Here's why:
For the first 40 years of his life, Evan had only ever experienced sexual attraction toward one person -- the woman he married (and with whose death the book starts). A year later, as he becomes friends with Matt, to his huge surprise he feels sexual attraction for a second time -- and it's doubly astonishing to him, because this time around it's for a man.
So in that regard the book was a success for me. I was able to grit my teeth and speed-read past the stuff that irritated me most, primarily Evan's angsty self-flagellation to the tune of "what if the in-laws find out I'm in love with a man and try to take the kids away."
But what turned out to really matter to me about this book was that it triggered an insight as to why I don't want to read m/m with children as characters. Clarification: I do read YA occasionally, and even MG, so I already knew the issue wasn't children, per se. The issue was parents. I don't want to read romance with adult MCs who have children at home, MCs who are actively parenting.
And when I say "I don't want to," I mean: I don't want to read about parents in the way other people don't want to read about cheating.
It kills the romance for me. Drops it dead in its tracks.
Evan's high-octane angst over kids vs. lover helped me realize why. It's because what I want from a romance is to see the MCs become the most important people in the world to each other. And if someone is raising kids, that's not an option for him. The kids are going to come first. So for the parent, his "Mr. Right" always needs to come second. He'll have to be fit in around the kids' lives -- if possible. So, the childless partner finds The One, but the parent finds Mr Second Place. Mr He's Important But Not THAT Important. Mr Some Guy That Maybe Can Fit Into My Life But If Not Then Oh Well What Can You Do.
Wow, romantic much? Not to me. 😠
So, thank you book, and thank you Mymymble for recommending it. It turned out to be an enlightening read.
But I read it because it was recommended to me during my ongoing search for m/m with demisexual MCs. It never explicitly uses the term "demisexual" (just as you'd expect for a book originally published in 2008), but I think the recommendation was spot-on. Here's why:
For the first 40 years of his life, Evan had only ever experienced sexual attraction toward one person -- the woman he married (and with whose death the book starts). A year later, as he becomes friends with Matt, to his huge surprise he feels sexual attraction for a second time -- and it's doubly astonishing to him, because this time around it's for a man.
So in that regard the book was a success for me. I was able to grit my teeth and speed-read past the stuff that irritated me most, primarily Evan's angsty self-flagellation to the tune of "what if the in-laws find out I'm in love with a man and try to take the kids away."
But what turned out to really matter to me about this book was that it triggered an insight as to why I don't want to read m/m with children as characters. Clarification: I do read YA occasionally, and even MG, so I already knew the issue wasn't children, per se. The issue was parents. I don't want to read romance with adult MCs who have children at home, MCs who are actively parenting.
And when I say "I don't want to," I mean: I don't want to read about parents in the way other people don't want to read about cheating.
It kills the romance for me. Drops it dead in its tracks.
Evan's high-octane angst over kids vs. lover helped me realize why. It's because what I want from a romance is to see the MCs become the most important people in the world to each other. And if someone is raising kids, that's not an option for him. The kids are going to come first. So for the parent, his "Mr. Right" always needs to come second. He'll have to be fit in around the kids' lives -- if possible. So, the childless partner finds The One, but the parent finds Mr Second Place. Mr He's Important But Not THAT Important. Mr Some Guy That Maybe Can Fit Into My Life But If Not Then Oh Well What Can You Do.
Wow, romantic much? Not to me. 😠
So, thank you book, and thank you Mymymble for recommending it. It turned out to be an enlightening read.
February 7, 2017
~3.5 stars~
I think this book shows a very realistic struggle of two men, who identified as heterosexual for all their lives and suddenly have to come to terms with their attraction to another man. What's happening to me, how can that be, how do I explain this to my kids, what will my friends / colleagues / neighbors think, is this real?
As if that's not enough, both Evan and Matt have to deal with other life-altering events that happened to them prior to their meeting. Evan has lost his wife and the mother of his four children. He has fallen into a depression, struggles with the responsibility of raising his kids as a single parent, and can't deal with his guilt for being attracted to another person.
Matt has lost his job as a cop and thus most of his friends and his purpose in life. He has somewhat of a drinking problem and rather drifts through life without really accomplishing anything satisfactory.
In the end, both men find in each other what they were missing and looking for but the transition from friendship to relationship didn't come without difficulty.
IMO, the L-word came a bit early and the resolving of the tension at the end was a bit too easy. But I guess both men had enough trouble to deal with at this point so why not cut them some slack. I also would have like to see them discovering their sexual relationship a bit more but in the end, I think the way it was handled here was true to the newness of the situation. Them being more forward or suddenly being experts without any fumbling or uncertainty would have felt unrealistic.
I think this book shows a very realistic struggle of two men, who identified as heterosexual for all their lives and suddenly have to come to terms with their attraction to another man. What's happening to me, how can that be, how do I explain this to my kids, what will my friends / colleagues / neighbors think, is this real?
As if that's not enough, both Evan and Matt have to deal with other life-altering events that happened to them prior to their meeting. Evan has lost his wife and the mother of his four children. He has fallen into a depression, struggles with the responsibility of raising his kids as a single parent, and can't deal with his guilt for being attracted to another person.
Matt has lost his job as a cop and thus most of his friends and his purpose in life. He has somewhat of a drinking problem and rather drifts through life without really accomplishing anything satisfactory.
In the end, both men find in each other what they were missing and looking for but the transition from friendship to relationship didn't come without difficulty.
IMO, the L-word came a bit early and the resolving of the tension at the end was a bit too easy. But I guess both men had enough trouble to deal with at this point so why not cut them some slack. I also would have like to see them discovering their sexual relationship a bit more but in the end, I think the way it was handled here was true to the newness of the situation. Them being more forward or suddenly being experts without any fumbling or uncertainty would have felt unrealistic.
November 19, 2017
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Learn to live again*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
There were some obvious mistakes in this book. Specially when it comes to the ages of the characters, because that changed more than once throughout the book... The story centers police officer Evan Cerelli (34? 35?) and disgraced former cop turned security consultant, Matthew ‘Matt’ ‘Matty’ Haight (42? 45?).
Maybe that was the connection then. You grieve with every fiber of your being when the thing you love most is ripped out of your life.
Evan lost his wife a almost a year ago and his life has been bleak ever since. He's keeping himself a live and fighting for his kids; Miranda (16? 17? <--- changed three times!), Kathleen (how old?), Elizabeth (8) and her twin brother Danny (8), but he's stopped living and is just surviving for his kids.
“You become a cop and they teach you about protecting people and keeping them safe. But they don’t tell you how it rips your heart out when you realize you can’t do it. You can’t save everybody.”
Until he met Matt, that is. Shock befalls both of them, who has been straight all their lives, only to find themselves extremely attracted towards one another. But can Evan let go of the past, and start living again? Overall, the book had potential. But the wrongs, and the too little build up just didn't work for me. I liked the characters, but I felt like an outsider that was missing too much to fully get into the story. Also, what kind of ending was that? There was also the missing
Words just confused things -- when they held each other like this, it made so much more sense.
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Contemporary Romance (M/M)
Series: - Series (Standalone?), Book One.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Matthew ‘Matt’ ‘Matty’ Haight
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Unsure.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Unsure.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 2.5 stars.
June 13, 2013
Faith and Fidelity is the beautiful story Evan and Matt. Evan, who is dealing with the loss of his high school sweetheart and mother of his four children. Matt, who is depressed after having been forced out of his job at the force. Their journey is one that will touch you. You feel their anguish, confusion, and above all their love for one another in every page. 5 Beautiful Stars!
August 12, 2010
I didn’t plan to read this book. It was just that I forgot my book at home and I was in the train, bored, with another hour to go. So I thought I’d read a few chapters of this story on my ereader and continue the other book when I got home.
No chance. From the first page: I was hooked.
Faith & Fidelity is the beautiful story of Matthew Haight, Ladies Man Extraordinaire, and Evan Cerelli, Poster Boy for Suburban Normalcy, finding love. But it’s also more than that. It’s about loss, sacrifice, death, guilt and allowing one self a new chance for happiness.
This book took me on an emotional roller coaster. It made me laugh, made me cry, made me angry. I loved the way Michaels handled the romance between the two guys. I’m sad the sex seemed a little glossed over, but she did create a very realistic development of their relationship. From tentative friendship, to trusted companionship, to full blown love. With all the shock, doubts and angst to go with it.
I loved both Evan and Matt. You can’t help but feel for them and invest in them. Same goes for the secondary characters: Helena, Vic and Evan’s kids. They were wonderful.
The only thing I wasn’t too happy about was the ending. It felt a bit rushed and I would have liked to see more of it, in stead of being told what happened. I needed more. But I heard the third book of this series is a revisiting of Evan and Matt, so I can't wait to read that one!
All in all: this is a wonderful story of two men finding love and it’s the perfect opportunity for those who are curious about m/m romance, but want to start out slow.
A great read: 5 stars.
No chance. From the first page: I was hooked.
Faith & Fidelity is the beautiful story of Matthew Haight, Ladies Man Extraordinaire, and Evan Cerelli, Poster Boy for Suburban Normalcy, finding love. But it’s also more than that. It’s about loss, sacrifice, death, guilt and allowing one self a new chance for happiness.
This book took me on an emotional roller coaster. It made me laugh, made me cry, made me angry. I loved the way Michaels handled the romance between the two guys. I’m sad the sex seemed a little glossed over, but she did create a very realistic development of their relationship. From tentative friendship, to trusted companionship, to full blown love. With all the shock, doubts and angst to go with it.
I loved both Evan and Matt. You can’t help but feel for them and invest in them. Same goes for the secondary characters: Helena, Vic and Evan’s kids. They were wonderful.
The only thing I wasn’t too happy about was the ending. It felt a bit rushed and I would have liked to see more of it, in stead of being told what happened. I needed more. But I heard the third book of this series is a revisiting of Evan and Matt, so I can't wait to read that one!
All in all: this is a wonderful story of two men finding love and it’s the perfect opportunity for those who are curious about m/m romance, but want to start out slow.
A great read: 5 stars.
Read
December 11, 2021
dnf @ 20%.
October 22, 2008
Ok, I was going to give this just 1 star because after so many pages filled with the apprehensions of the two men (it's Novel Plus length), that is all the book is. There's not even "full-length" sex - just a few BJs and coming in their hands. Both sex and romance are sacrificed to fill page after page with the men's ambivalence towards their relationship.
I settled for 2 stars instead of just one because the issues Matt and Evan deal with are altogether too real - how do you handle telling your children you're in love with a man? But I couldn't give more than 2 stars because I DID buy a romantic fiction, not a non-fictional account of a formerly-straight couple's struggle with homosexual feelings. As a result, I felt terribly cheated when the story ended with just Matt and Evan deciding to play it one day at a time as far as handling Evan's family is concerned.
Loose Id should have categorized this story as a 'gay fiction' the way 'women's fiction' is distinct from 'romance' then I would have known what I was buying.
I settled for 2 stars instead of just one because the issues Matt and Evan deal with are altogether too real - how do you handle telling your children you're in love with a man? But I couldn't give more than 2 stars because I DID buy a romantic fiction, not a non-fictional account of a formerly-straight couple's struggle with homosexual feelings. As a result, I felt terribly cheated when the story ended with just Matt and Evan deciding to play it one day at a time as far as handling Evan's family is concerned.
Loose Id should have categorized this story as a 'gay fiction' the way 'women's fiction' is distinct from 'romance' then I would have known what I was buying.
February 3, 2019
Widower Evan Cerelli is drowning in a sea of grief until his friendship with an ex-cop Matt Haight becomes a lifeline. What happens when two straight men begin developing feeling for each other? This was their awkward and terrying journey as they tried to figure out what this means.
Great story, although it's not done. Greet writing, Evan has great kids and friends. I just loved this one
Great story, although it's not done. Greet writing, Evan has great kids and friends. I just loved this one
February 14, 2021
2.5 Stars
Overall Opinion: Arggg! Super frustrated with that ending. Or should I say non-ending! They reunite and I’m left with so many unanswered questions it’s not even funny. No closure. I was also expecting this angst-fest but really just got a lot of guilt talk and no experiencing them going through the process of them working it all out. And I won’t even get started on the H1’s choices at 80% (see cheating spoiler below)! Disappointing.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Matt and Evan’s story. Matt is in a rut after leaving the police force and he meets Evan at a old partner’s retirement party. Evan is still grieving the loss of his wife while being a single dad to four kids and struggling with his grief. They both connect with the sad loneliness they see in each other and start up a friendship. After more time together they realize that their feelings run deeper than friends and the lines start to blur even though neither of them had ever been attracted to another man. There are some sad moments, some drama, and some sexy times...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Matt and Evan in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good until the end. I never skimmed.
Instalove: No. Friends to lovers
H1 (Hero #1) rating: 3 stars. Matt. I liked him until his behavior during their separation.
H2 (Hero #2) rating: 3.5 stars. Evan. He was a good dad.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Alright. They have some tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: Yes
Cheating: Yes IMO
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: Horribly abrupt ending. HFN
Safety: This one should be either Safe or Not Safe for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences
Overall Opinion: Arggg! Super frustrated with that ending. Or should I say non-ending! They reunite and I’m left with so many unanswered questions it’s not even funny. No closure. I was also expecting this angst-fest but really just got a lot of guilt talk and no experiencing them going through the process of them working it all out. And I won’t even get started on the H1’s choices at 80% (see cheating spoiler below)! Disappointing.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Matt and Evan’s story. Matt is in a rut after leaving the police force and he meets Evan at a old partner’s retirement party. Evan is still grieving the loss of his wife while being a single dad to four kids and struggling with his grief. They both connect with the sad loneliness they see in each other and start up a friendship. After more time together they realize that their feelings run deeper than friends and the lines start to blur even though neither of them had ever been attracted to another man. There are some sad moments, some drama, and some sexy times...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Matt and Evan in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good until the end. I never skimmed.
Instalove: No. Friends to lovers
H1 (Hero #1) rating: 3 stars. Matt. I liked him until his behavior during their separation.
H2 (Hero #2) rating: 3.5 stars. Evan. He was a good dad.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Alright. They have some tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: Yes
Cheating: Yes IMO
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: Horribly abrupt ending. HFN
Safety: This one should be either Safe or Not Safe for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences
November 30, 2012
**** Buddy Read with Cindi ****
I don't usually read books this short, they tend to fall a little flat for me. Not enough time to develop the characters or the story line, but this book was brilliant.
I loved the prologue. I thought that Michaels did an amazing job at making me care for a character so much in such little time. I was crying for Evan and I didn't even know him yet.
Everything was explained so honestly, I felt like I was feeling his pain...
'They let him touch her hand and kiss her icy lips. It wasn't Sherri at all, and he felt like he was cheating to be grieving for this corpse.'
It was sweet that Evan and Matt came together over their shared pain. They are both ghosts in their own lives.
Evan over the devastating loss of his wife, and Matt who learnt the hard way that honesty and being a good man, can come at a very steep price.
I also liked the fact that we skipped quite a few months, but it was done so well I felt like I hadn't missed one second.
Their friendship is so beautiful to watch, knowing that they are each other's anchor. The person they want to talk to every day and vent to when they need an outlet.
When they're together things are so clear, so perfect. They know that they love each other and want things to go further between them.
The romance was set at a perfect pace. It was completely realistic, and I loved every intimate second of it :)
Evan's kids were incredible. I loved the POV we got from Evan's son, Danny (who I think is only like six), the way he notices the change when Matt is around.
'And Danny's dad was in a great mood, he laughed and smiled and told jokes. It was almost like when Mommy was alive, because everyone was happy and they were all together. But now Mommy lived in Heaven with God, and instead Matt was there, and Danny thought that was just fine.'
That bought a tear to my eye :)
Helena (Evan's Partner at work) was great.
I adore her, the way she was taking such good care of Evan, after Sherri was gone. Even though her fussing annoyed him to death, I think he really needed someone to help him make it through every day.
She really made me laugh too, like when she and Evan were in the hospital after a particularly shitty day at work.
'Helena stuck out her tongue at him. "You can be magnanimous -- you're going home with your cute boyfriend."
Even blushed. "Helena..."
"You get takeout...sex...action movies... I'm going to have to watch Rogers and Hammerstein musicals and eat broccoli."
She seemed like a really good friend.
This was such an emotional book, and much better than I had hoped. I will definitely read the next book in the series.
I don't usually read books this short, they tend to fall a little flat for me. Not enough time to develop the characters or the story line, but this book was brilliant.
I loved the prologue. I thought that Michaels did an amazing job at making me care for a character so much in such little time. I was crying for Evan and I didn't even know him yet.
Everything was explained so honestly, I felt like I was feeling his pain...
'They let him touch her hand and kiss her icy lips. It wasn't Sherri at all, and he felt like he was cheating to be grieving for this corpse.'
It was sweet that Evan and Matt came together over their shared pain. They are both ghosts in their own lives.
Evan over the devastating loss of his wife, and Matt who learnt the hard way that honesty and being a good man, can come at a very steep price.
I also liked the fact that we skipped quite a few months, but it was done so well I felt like I hadn't missed one second.
Their friendship is so beautiful to watch, knowing that they are each other's anchor. The person they want to talk to every day and vent to when they need an outlet.
When they're together things are so clear, so perfect. They know that they love each other and want things to go further between them.
The romance was set at a perfect pace. It was completely realistic, and I loved every intimate second of it :)
Evan's kids were incredible. I loved the POV we got from Evan's son, Danny (who I think is only like six), the way he notices the change when Matt is around.
'And Danny's dad was in a great mood, he laughed and smiled and told jokes. It was almost like when Mommy was alive, because everyone was happy and they were all together. But now Mommy lived in Heaven with God, and instead Matt was there, and Danny thought that was just fine.'
That bought a tear to my eye :)
Helena (Evan's Partner at work) was great.
I adore her, the way she was taking such good care of Evan, after Sherri was gone. Even though her fussing annoyed him to death, I think he really needed someone to help him make it through every day.
She really made me laugh too, like when she and Evan were in the hospital after a particularly shitty day at work.
'Helena stuck out her tongue at him. "You can be magnanimous -- you're going home with your cute boyfriend."
Even blushed. "Helena..."
"You get takeout...sex...action movies... I'm going to have to watch Rogers and Hammerstein musicals and eat broccoli."
She seemed like a really good friend.
This was such an emotional book, and much better than I had hoped. I will definitely read the next book in the series.
April 20, 2019
4.5 Lovely Stars
What a devastating way to start a story!
Evan has lost the love of his life, his wife and the mother of his children when she was killed in a tragic accident. So understandably he is lost for along time afterwards and is finding his job as a police officer and looking after his four children very hard.
Matt has also suffered loss but has had a little more time to deal with it. Matt used to be a cop then became a private investigator, he seems to be a bit lost though and not happy with the way things are.
Matt and Evan started getting together once a week for drinks and it started helping both of them work through their problems. Neither Evan or Matt had ever been with a man and it was a massive shock to both of them as they both began to have strong feelings for each other.
It was so cute and a little awkward listening to these men fumble through their first few steamy scenes and as they work through these intense new emotions.
Then Evan was shot while on duty and the implications of their budding relationship come to the surface. Evan has four children and inlaws who are also grieving and a little intense. It all causes poor Evan to step away from Matt and spiral into depression. He suffered with such a strong feeling of guilt over so many things that it crushes him.
I was so upset when Evan walked away and even more so that Matt didn't fight a little harder to stay but I was happy with how both men worked to get back together. I liked how the children were considered in all decisions and I thought it was so sweet when Matt went shopping for them.
This was a lovely sweet read that I really enjoyed. There was some steamy scenes but not many which was a shame but didn't take away from how lovely this story was. It proves you can find love after loss and it can be found in the most unlikely place.
What a devastating way to start a story!
Evan has lost the love of his life, his wife and the mother of his children when she was killed in a tragic accident. So understandably he is lost for along time afterwards and is finding his job as a police officer and looking after his four children very hard.
Matt has also suffered loss but has had a little more time to deal with it. Matt used to be a cop then became a private investigator, he seems to be a bit lost though and not happy with the way things are.
Matt and Evan started getting together once a week for drinks and it started helping both of them work through their problems. Neither Evan or Matt had ever been with a man and it was a massive shock to both of them as they both began to have strong feelings for each other.
It was so cute and a little awkward listening to these men fumble through their first few steamy scenes and as they work through these intense new emotions.
Then Evan was shot while on duty and the implications of their budding relationship come to the surface. Evan has four children and inlaws who are also grieving and a little intense. It all causes poor Evan to step away from Matt and spiral into depression. He suffered with such a strong feeling of guilt over so many things that it crushes him.
I was so upset when Evan walked away and even more so that Matt didn't fight a little harder to stay but I was happy with how both men worked to get back together. I liked how the children were considered in all decisions and I thought it was so sweet when Matt went shopping for them.
This was a lovely sweet read that I really enjoyed. There was some steamy scenes but not many which was a shame but didn't take away from how lovely this story was. It proves you can find love after loss and it can be found in the most unlikely place.
March 11, 2013
Oh.My.GAWD! This book!
Such an emotionally charged book and oh what a beautiful romance.
This is one of those books that will stay with me for a good long while. It was heartbreaking, emotional, and yet utterly beautiful. I found myself near tears at some parts, and flat out crying at some others.
I mean, reading Evan's story and heartbreak...oh...
Beautifully written romance. I couldn't help but get emotionally involved in the story and the characters. Matt and Evan both had demons that they were dealing with, and pain that they were learning to live with and their story was an emotional roller coaster.But watching them go through it together and help each other move on was worth getting on the ride.
Such an emotionally charged book and oh what a beautiful romance.
This is one of those books that will stay with me for a good long while. It was heartbreaking, emotional, and yet utterly beautiful. I found myself near tears at some parts, and flat out crying at some others.
I mean, reading Evan's story and heartbreak...oh...
Beautifully written romance. I couldn't help but get emotionally involved in the story and the characters. Matt and Evan both had demons that they were dealing with, and pain that they were learning to live with and their story was an emotional roller coaster.But watching them go through it together and help each other move on was worth getting on the ride.
March 22, 2014
Read in January 2012.
Evan Cerelli is a widower and single Dad of 4 kids. After the death of his wife in a car crash he can barely put his life back together, he’s just a shadow of his former self. Matt Haight is a playboy and ex-cop. Working for a security company, he feels a big loss for the only job he ever loved. The two find friendship in the bottom of a shared bottle...
It’s very lovely to see how their deep friendship unexpectedly grows into something new, exciting, yet frightening at the same time. Both are shocked by their feelings as neither has ever felt this for another man before.
I’m pretty sure that Evan and Matt’s story is the best gay-for-you book I've ever read, I was hooked from the first page. The wonderfully written story made me cry and laugh, broke my heart and put it together again. Tere Michaels takes us through the struggle of two men who simply know they are in love with each other but have to adapt to the change in identity, learn to be together as a couple and as a family unit.
If you’re looking for a m/m story that’s more than just an erotic tale, this is the book for you. I can't recommend it enough for the amazing romance between these two men and the depth of emotion it will pull from you.
Note: Faith & Fidelity is the first book of the Faith, Love, & Devotion series.
Evan Cerelli is a widower and single Dad of 4 kids. After the death of his wife in a car crash he can barely put his life back together, he’s just a shadow of his former self. Matt Haight is a playboy and ex-cop. Working for a security company, he feels a big loss for the only job he ever loved. The two find friendship in the bottom of a shared bottle...
It’s very lovely to see how their deep friendship unexpectedly grows into something new, exciting, yet frightening at the same time. Both are shocked by their feelings as neither has ever felt this for another man before.
I’m pretty sure that Evan and Matt’s story is the best gay-for-you book I've ever read, I was hooked from the first page. The wonderfully written story made me cry and laugh, broke my heart and put it together again. Tere Michaels takes us through the struggle of two men who simply know they are in love with each other but have to adapt to the change in identity, learn to be together as a couple and as a family unit.
If you’re looking for a m/m story that’s more than just an erotic tale, this is the book for you. I can't recommend it enough for the amazing romance between these two men and the depth of emotion it will pull from you.
Note: Faith & Fidelity is the first book of the Faith, Love, & Devotion series.
July 9, 2016
Satisfying. Comfortable. Entertaining. Realistic.
I won't say much as this book got tons of great reviews out there. I'm definitely one of those who have enjoyed the ride!
From the heart gripping prologue.. up to the very last page of satisfying ending. I have not found any dull moment!
This book let me experience the thrill and excitement of exploring a new found unfamiliar territory of being in love with a man for the very first time as Evan and Matt navigate through it..
All the freaking out, hesitation, guilt, risks, guarded moves and uncertainties as they try to make do and understand what they have in front of them adds up to make this story as realistic as it could be. It was very...real.
If you haven't read this yet. What the hell are ya waiting for? This right here is a treat.
Hats off Ms. Michaels,
5 stars!
I won't say much as this book got tons of great reviews out there. I'm definitely one of those who have enjoyed the ride!
From the heart gripping prologue.. up to the very last page of satisfying ending. I have not found any dull moment!
This book let me experience the thrill and excitement of exploring a new found unfamiliar territory of being in love with a man for the very first time as Evan and Matt navigate through it..
All the freaking out, hesitation, guilt, risks, guarded moves and uncertainties as they try to make do and understand what they have in front of them adds up to make this story as realistic as it could be. It was very...real.
If you haven't read this yet. What the hell are ya waiting for? This right here is a treat.
Hats off Ms. Michaels,
5 stars!
July 2, 2017
*** 3.5 Stars ***
Tere Michaels’ Faith & Fidelity was like a slice of life served up in book form. It was raw, honest, humbling, and incredibly emotional (I was in tears by page 4). It included some characters that I absolutely loved, and one or two that I wanted to bitch slap every time they appeared. It had a tendency to kick you in the teeth when you were least expecting it, and yet had the ability to surprise you with its brilliance and joy just as quickly. And – like life – it didn’t unfold exactly the way I expected it to.
Interestingly, Faith & Fidelity was the first MM novel that I’ve read in which both main characters identified as heterosexual at the beginning of the story. A widower, Evan had married his childhood sweetheart at an early age, then spent the next two decades with her, raising their four beautiful children and living a pretty Norman Rockwellian existence. He’s never kissed – let alone loved – anyone but Sherri in his entire life. Matt, on the other hand, has always been a bit of a ladies’ man; he’s drifted from woman to woman, enjoying the hell out of them, but never finding anyone that could hold his interest beyond a few months. One thing’s for certain - neither man has ever looked at another guy with lustful thoughts running through his head.
I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t read the author’s blurb, do a Scooby Doo head tilt, and wonder how the heck Michaels was going to be able to make this particular gay-for-you scenario work convincingly. Thankfully, she gave the relationship between the characters time to develop naturally so that nothing about their initial friendship, that slide into attraction, or those first tentative romantic moments felt forced. It definitely had its rocky moments (I personally thought the use of the “L-word” came a little quickly), but in the end, I’d say that she did a spectacular job of weaving a story in which these two wounded alpha males could come together believably.
*snicker* Come together. I didn’t even do that on purpose! :D
In all seriousness, though, this book was a difficult, emotional read. Like a masochist, I enjoyed it, but I can’t deny that the entire thing – right from the beginning to the end – was pretty heavy. Between Evan’s grief and depression and guilt over his dead wife, Matt’s loss of his job and his reputation (not to mention his slight drinking problem), the internal struggles of both men as they discovered they weren’t exactly the person they thought they were, and the subsequent pressure of worrying about how everyone else in the universe was going to react to these changes, I don’t know if there were any moments of true levity for our characters. There were just moments that hurt a little less.
It physically hurt my heart to read about the turmoil that Matt and Evan went through in this book, but I also think that’s exactly the sort of thing that makes a book worthwhile. I mean, if I’m not moved, or entertained, or in some way changed by what I read, then what the hell’s the point?!
As much as I came to love and empathize with both main characters, I have to say that there were points in the novel in which Evan drove me batshit crazy. Having never experienced it personally, I can’t possibly understand the level of grief that comes with losing one’s spouse (or what that grief might do to a person). However, the man has four children to take care of…
There were a couple of minor typos and punctuation errors in the book, but nothing that couldn’t be overlooked. Well… okay… Michaels’ often improper use of the em dash drove me bonkers, but whatcanyado (I’m picky like that)?!
Verdict: This book was equal parts love and heart break for me. I highly recommend it, but I caution readers to pick it up with an open mind, some patience for our bumbling MCs, and a box of tissues nearby (this one’s a tear jerker)!
Tere Michaels’ Faith & Fidelity was like a slice of life served up in book form. It was raw, honest, humbling, and incredibly emotional (I was in tears by page 4). It included some characters that I absolutely loved, and one or two that I wanted to bitch slap every time they appeared. It had a tendency to kick you in the teeth when you were least expecting it, and yet had the ability to surprise you with its brilliance and joy just as quickly. And – like life – it didn’t unfold exactly the way I expected it to.
Interestingly, Faith & Fidelity was the first MM novel that I’ve read in which both main characters identified as heterosexual at the beginning of the story. A widower, Evan had married his childhood sweetheart at an early age, then spent the next two decades with her, raising their four beautiful children and living a pretty Norman Rockwellian existence. He’s never kissed – let alone loved – anyone but Sherri in his entire life. Matt, on the other hand, has always been a bit of a ladies’ man; he’s drifted from woman to woman, enjoying the hell out of them, but never finding anyone that could hold his interest beyond a few months. One thing’s for certain - neither man has ever looked at another guy with lustful thoughts running through his head.
I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t read the author’s blurb, do a Scooby Doo head tilt, and wonder how the heck Michaels was going to be able to make this particular gay-for-you scenario work convincingly. Thankfully, she gave the relationship between the characters time to develop naturally so that nothing about their initial friendship, that slide into attraction, or those first tentative romantic moments felt forced. It definitely had its rocky moments (I personally thought the use of the “L-word” came a little quickly), but in the end, I’d say that she did a spectacular job of weaving a story in which these two wounded alpha males could come together believably.
*snicker* Come together. I didn’t even do that on purpose! :D
In all seriousness, though, this book was a difficult, emotional read. Like a masochist, I enjoyed it, but I can’t deny that the entire thing – right from the beginning to the end – was pretty heavy. Between Evan’s grief and depression and guilt over his dead wife, Matt’s loss of his job and his reputation (not to mention his slight drinking problem), the internal struggles of both men as they discovered they weren’t exactly the person they thought they were, and the subsequent pressure of worrying about how everyone else in the universe was going to react to these changes, I don’t know if there were any moments of true levity for our characters. There were just moments that hurt a little less.
It physically hurt my heart to read about the turmoil that Matt and Evan went through in this book, but I also think that’s exactly the sort of thing that makes a book worthwhile. I mean, if I’m not moved, or entertained, or in some way changed by what I read, then what the hell’s the point?!
As much as I came to love and empathize with both main characters, I have to say that there were points in the novel in which Evan drove me batshit crazy. Having never experienced it personally, I can’t possibly understand the level of grief that comes with losing one’s spouse (or what that grief might do to a person). However, the man has four children to take care of…
There were a couple of minor typos and punctuation errors in the book, but nothing that couldn’t be overlooked. Well… okay… Michaels’ often improper use of the em dash drove me bonkers, but whatcanyado (I’m picky like that)?!
Verdict: This book was equal parts love and heart break for me. I highly recommend it, but I caution readers to pick it up with an open mind, some patience for our bumbling MCs, and a box of tissues nearby (this one’s a tear jerker)!
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