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The Coil

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 246 ratings · 61 reviews

Sandwich-maker Mattie Green has one goal: escape San Diego, move to New York, and attend art school. But to make this a reality, he needs to get his GED—not easy, since he can’t read or write. Until he can, he’s stuck working at the diner and selling himself on the side.

Mattie’s legitimate job isn’t without perks. Every day the quiet, sophisticated Simon Castle comes by t...more

ebook, 286 pages

Published October 10th 2012 by Dreamspinner Press (first published October 9th 2012)

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Best M/M Romance Published in 2012

214th out of 583 books — 1,183 voters

The Gentleman and the Rogue by Bonnie Dee

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May 23, 2013 Mandy*reads obsessively* rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, pre-ordered, ebook-owned, abuse, angst-galore, cry-me-a-river, cinderfella, hurt-comfort-disability, jerk-mc, pets, rent-boy, sniffle, sweet, kid-kids-and-more-kids

Ok, where to start..
I really enjoyed the author's other books so when i saw she was coming out with this one and a rent boy story on top of that, I knew I had, had, had to have it!
I think loving her other books so much I had a preconceived notion going into this and they were promptly blown away.

I loved Mattie, he is absolutely wonderful, vulnerable, strong , pragmatic, idealistic and just plain sweet!
I am also very happy he has Ty as a BF, he needed someone who was really in his corner and te...more Ok, where to start..
I really enjoyed the author's other books so when i saw she was coming out with this one and a rent boy story on top of that, I knew I had, had, had to have it!
I think loving her other books so much I had a preconceived notion going into this and they were promptly blown away.

I loved Mattie, he is absolutely wonderful, vulnerable, strong , pragmatic, idealistic and just plain sweet!
I am also very happy he has Ty as a BF, he needed someone who was really in his corner and telling him uncomfortable things without judgment! *sigh* I so wish Ty had been the love interest!
Jamie, sweet Jamie, he plays a major role in this book, both on page and as a plot device.
Now Simon...hmm..I am very conflicted about him. I admired him, he is a great father and a good man, he was also a selfish and immature at times, I thought. I found it ironic that he kept harping on the 7 yr. age difference, since he often acted like a spoiled teenager. He wanted it all, but only on his terms and says things without thinking about the repercussions.
(view spoiler)
Now Simon redeemed himself in the end, I thought his decision to do what was best for Mattie was great, I just had a huge problem with the way it was done.
(view spoiler)

Now, despite my niggles I still liked this story and I might have made Simon sound worse than he is, I just liked Mattie so much that I had trouble with him being happy with the scraps he was thrown, until he wasn't anymore! Thank goodness, and ironically Simon really helped Mattie see that!

I also have to add that I love the title of this book and when Mattie explains it...I know exactly what he means and it was such a great metaphor. (less)

22 likes · like · see review

Oct 25, 2012 R.B. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to R.B. by: Deeze

Shelves: m-m, contemporary, romance, kids, disability-illness-disorder, hurt-comfort, rent-boy, favorites

Damn that was great.

Mattie and Simon both have to make hard choices in their life.

Mattie is an illiterate young man and artist working low paid job, hooking occasionally to have extra cash so he can pay for his reading and writing classes and painter’s supplies, dreaming about acquiring GED and studying at an art school in New York. He is so sweet and compassionate, determined to make his life only better.

Simon is single parent living his life for his wonderful little son Jamie, who’s autistic....more

12 likes · like · see review

Oct 13, 2012 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: author, rent-boy, artist

2.5 stars. I mildly liked this book.

It's only the second book by this author I've read. I thought that this would be like The Ghost on My Couch, so I was ready for cute and sweet, but this was completely different.

If I want dark and angsty then I want dark and angsty. I found this had too much angst to be adorable, but not enough to be a hair-rending tearjerker. It was wishy-washy (even Mattie's prostitution was wishy-washy) and I get the feeling that Gilbert was trying to write in a way that d...more 2.5 stars. I mildly liked this book.

It's only the second book by this author I've read. I thought that this would be like The Ghost on My Couch, so I was ready for cute and sweet, but this was completely different.

If I want dark and angsty then I want dark and angsty. I found this had too much angst to be adorable, but not enough to be a hair-rending tearjerker. It was wishy-washy (even Mattie's prostitution was wishy-washy) and I get the feeling that Gilbert was trying to write in a way that didn't come naturally, because she thought that was what people wanted her to do.

One thing I particularly didn't enjoy was the structure of the book. The story takes place over three and a half years. The opening is at the end of those three and a half years, then we skip backwards to the beginning to see how the MCs got there. So immediately there is no tension, no suspense, because we can see exactly what happened, and we only have to learn the details of how we got there.

Also the characters were fairly bland. It seems to me that Mattie only likes Simon because he has no self-esteem and this is the first person who ever treated him halfway decently. And I do mean half-way decently, because Simon is a huge jerk, and I am uncomfortable about why Mattie keeps forgiving him and going back. I think it's because Simon is his only option. In a different book Simon would be the bad guy who the true love rescues Mattie from.

And although Simon annoys me with how he treats Mattie, that's all we get, that's his entire personality. He's a weird blank space. I don't understand why Simon even likes Mattie: he seems to be convenient for Simon, because he won't press for more than Simon can offer.

With these guys there's the sense that they are both the easy option for the other, rather than Ghost on my Couch, where there was a sense that these two men had actually found the one person who would love them and treasure them for themselves.

Also, Mattie's whole schtick is that he's an artist, but nowhere do we hear about what he paints. What kind of art is it? Details help me create a world in my mind when I read the book, and would tell me a lot about the kind of person Mattie is supposed to be.

Simon's son is autistic, and it's nice to see an autistic character, but it does mean there's a certain lack of emotion when he is involved in scenes. However, he was very well-written, and this was the best feature of the book.

(less)

15 likes · like · see review

Oct 17, 2012 Ami rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-contemporary, mm-family-kids, mm-romance-or-erotica

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I had one thing going for me when I picked up this story. I was spoiled by friends who read this first (and yes, I did look for the spoilers). For me, it's a GREAT thing because it helps managing my expectation. It makes me enjoy the story more because I'm not getting blindsided with anything. And you know what? I LOVE this!

Mattie
Mattie is wonderful! I love his determination to get GED, to get out from his poor situation, and keeping his eyes of going to New York. He's funny and sweet and endea...more

17 likes · like · see review

Oct 14, 2012 Susan65 rated it 4 of 5 stars

The ending was AMAZING. So many parts of this story drove me crazy but the epilogue made all the badness, sadness and craziness just go away.

I need to think before i finish my review but i wanted to put it out there that the ending was spot on.

Update:

Strong story about a single dad raising an autistic child who's reluctant to bring a man into his son's life. Simon is a successful writer who adopts his sisters newborn after she dies in childbirth. His partner, who doesn't want to be a parent, le...more

8 likes · like · see review

May 23, 2013 Meggie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: family, romance

Simon behaved like an ass couple of times, but at least he made the right decision and showed a true love for Mattie at the end, which helped me to like him a bit more. Mattie was a kind, good hearted young man and I'm happy he found himself while studying Art. The end is predictable but totally sweet, Mattie fulfilled his dreams and got Simon and Jamie, his family back, sweat HEA.

1 like · like · see review

Feb 21, 2013 Baywin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, m-m

The Coil is a quiet, understated romance between two very human individuals. Mattie is the heart of this novel, with his earnest desire to better himself each day despite the heartbreaking obstacles he constantly faces. The product of a neglectful upbringing, he puts himself through adult reading and writing courses and studies for his GED with the hopes of becoming a student at an art institute in New York. His lack of a high school diploma prevents him from seeking higher paying employment and...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Macky rated it 3 of 5 stars

This novel fell into a category that I've come cross a few times, it held a lot of promise but sadly on finishing it I was left feeling a bit underwhelmed. Like a lot of books it starts off great, a good hook at the beginning in its prologue and introductions to some good characters. There are some serious subjects to explore like autism and a single gay parent having to cope with it and of course as mentioned in the books description - prostitution and what makes a person turn to that! Unfortun...more This novel fell into a category that I've come cross a few times, it held a lot of promise but sadly on finishing it I was left feeling a bit underwhelmed. Like a lot of books it starts off great, a good hook at the beginning in its prologue and introductions to some good characters. There are some serious subjects to explore like autism and a single gay parent having to cope with it and of course as mentioned in the books description - prostitution and what makes a person turn to that! Unfortunately both subjects didn't have the impact I thought they would, especially Matties foray into prostitution. Apart from one iffy moment with one of his ' clients ' and Simons jealousies the whole subject seemed pushed in the background and Matties own background didn't seem bleak enough to put him in that position, OK he was short of money but he had a job and a roof over his head, the despair needed to push somebody into doing something as dark as that just wasn't present in Mattie as a character!At the beginning Jamie who is a high functioning autistic 4 year old, features heavily and is a lovely little character who pulls your heartstrings but when Simon ( his dad) and Mattie get together he disappears into the background more and we hear about him but don't see as much of him afterwards. Don't get me wrong he's ' there ' but he doesn't feature when Simon and Mattie are together as he's with his teacher and Simons friend Sarah - a very nice character. In fact Mattie meets him once in the beginning at the cafe but doesn't again until fairly near the end. Towards mid story I got a little bored with it because it seemed to lose momentum and got bogged down with too many relationship issues between Simon and Mattie whose romance was a bit hit and miss for myself. I liked Simon and understood why he worried so much about his and Jamie's future but he also came over as a bit selfish sometimes, especially regarding Mattie , who was a very endearing and likeable person. There were moments that I enjoyed very much but overall I was disappointed hence the 3.5* rating. Very well written and some great characters but some of her subjects were underused and she could have pushed the boundaries a little more on others. Readable but not a keeper.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 27, 2012 Top 2 Bottom Reviews Interviews and More rated it 5 of 5 stars

http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/

Get your hankies ready. I had no idea when I started reading The Coil by LA Gilbert that I was going to experience a range of emotions. From the first page until the last word, I was immediately swept up into the lives of these two characters. Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t stop. Before I knew it, it was hours later when I finished the book. I was totally unprepared for how much I would grow to care about these two heroes and truly hated it wh...more http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/

Get your hankies ready. I had no idea when I started reading The Coil by LA Gilbert that I was going to experience a range of emotions. From the first page until the last word, I was immediately swept up into the lives of these two characters. Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t stop. Before I knew it, it was hours later when I finished the book. I was totally unprepared for how much I would grow to care about these two heroes and truly hated it when the book came to an end.

The blurb states correctly that Simon’s life is complicated. Ever since his sister died in childbirth, he’s had custody of his nephew (now his son) Jamie and life as he knew it has changed. In the span of four years he’s lost his partner and suffered from writer’s block, and he’s found out his sweet son is a high functioning autistic and because of this, life has become one big routine for him. He’s totally devoted to his little boy and makes extra efforts to keep his son happy while he continues to nurture Jamie and help him grow. One of the things he does for himself is going daily to a diner by his son’s school. He drinks his coffee and writes what he can, all the while keeping a steady eye on a young and handsome cook there, Mattie.

Mattie is struggling to make ends meet. He has a dream of attending art school in New York, but because of some tragic circumstances in his life, he was forced to drop out of school and can barely read. Now he barely makes the rent, so he not only works for minimum wage at the local diner, he’s forced to some other things he’s not proud of to have enough money to survive and to go towards GED classes. But there are two things that keep Mattie happy, his art and watching the sexy customer, Simon, come into the diner daily to work and to eat.

Once the two men actually start talking, sparks fly between them. There is an easy friendship that develops between them and the intense attraction they feel for each other soon finds them swept up into an affair. Mattie knows he loves Simon, but Simon wants to keep their budding relationship going at a slow pace. Simon doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize Jamie’s happiness and his past hurts is keeping him from giving into the feelings he has for Mattie. Will Mattie be able to convince Simon to take a chance on him?

I intentionally left A LOT out of my description of the book. There are many things and personal growth that both Simon and Mattie go through as the story progresses. Also, Simon’s son, Jamie, plays a big part in the book and in the relationship between the two heroes. He’s definitely a focal point in every decision they make. What I liked about this was I thought it was a realistic, refreshing take on how important children’s safety and happiness is in our lives. Both Simon and Mattie look out for Jamie and both strive to keep him healthy, safe and loved. I liked how Jamie’s mental condition was not swept under the rug, instead the author met this straight on and I appreciated the sacrifices each character made to keep the little boy happy.

Now there were times I wanted to shake Simon. He’s a little short-sighted sometimes and allows fear to rule over his heart, but all in all he’s a very likeable and loveable hero. He makes sacrifices to keep both Jamie and Mattie happy as well as for them to continue to grow into the more confident people they turned out to be.

I mentioned in the beginning of my review that I experienced a range of emotions while I read this book and this is very true. There were some sweet, heartfelt moments that made me smile. Bittersweet moments where it made me cry and there were even a few moments when I was angry and frustrated with the heroes in the book. Because of this, The Coil is a beautifully told love story that will live long in my heart long after I finish the book. It’s one of those stories that I know I will re-read time and time again.

I loved this book. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it is definitely not my last. As soon as I finished writing a review for this, I’m going to check out LA Gilbert’s other works and I’m really looking forward to reading them. If you are looking for a book that will not only bring tears to your eyes while also leaving a smile on your face, The Coil is definitely a book you should consider. I loved this beautifully told love story and I can’t recommend it high enough.

Reviewed By: Gabbi(less)

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Oct 26, 2012 A rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I'll admit that the reason I was attracted to the book was because there was a rent boy involved. I'm a bit of a lover of taboo subjects -- a BDSM polyamorous relationship between a rent boy and a couple of brothers would be a dream read for me. But the reason that I ended up loving this book -- and by loving this book, I mean LOVING this book -- is for the complete opposite reason. Sure, there was a bit of a rent boy aspect (though much more minor than you would think), but I loved this book be...more

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Oct 13, 2012 Deeze rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, more-story-than-sex, pick-me-up, tissues-needed, would-read-again

I’ve read this authors previous two books, The Ghost on my Couch and Witness, and enjoyed them both very much. But this book takes it to a whole new level.

To say I enjoyed this book is a complete understatement.

This book had everything I love in my romance stories, a geeky guy, a really hot guy that’s insecure and a kid. But this had so much more. This had a real story, a real love story.

The feelings of both Mattie and Simon are laid bare. I admit I spent a fair portion of this book wiping my e...more

16 likes · like · see review

Oct 17, 2012 Akanksha ❤ rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who wants to read a heart warming book. :)

Shelves: m-m, favorite, baby

Awww fuck, where to begin :') :')
I abso-fucking-lutely LOVED the book :D

The story was amazing, the characters were amazing.. This book is amazing, and its not only for people who like m-m but for anyone who just wants to read an absolutely heart warming book. The sex was not graphic or even detailed. It was just mentioned. Thats it, so I guess people who dont read m-m too can read this book. So seriously, do read. Its beautiful, pure and amazing.

Simon, I seriously wanted to bitch slap you at lea...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 16, 2012 JustJen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, mm

I was very hesitant when I started this story. I was a little disappointed that the story actually starts by jumping back three years to explain the events leading up to the prologue. When the prologue ended, I was ready to see what happened next. But I trudged on.

So, we go into the story, and there is a lot about the autistic kid, Jamie and how Simon's life handles that responsibility. For me, there was a bit too much focus on Jamie. I realize that he is a major factor to the story, but I just...more

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Nov 25, 2012 Susan Laine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely beautiful. This will tear your heart out for sure. A shy writer who believes love has passed him by; his autistic son; and the sandwich maker who adores them both from afar.

The relationship takes time to get started, and Simon and Mattie get to know each other slowly, secrets hidden out of shame and fear. These two men are not alone in their happy little bubble of slowly falling in love, however. No, the outside world intervenes time and again, very realistically, but you love all of...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Bookwatcher ~Mary MooCow~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: disability, glbt-gay, glbt-family

"No less, just different"

The plot
Mattie and Simon will be the narrators of this lovely story.
Mattie struggle to live with a minimum payment. Of course it's not enough to pay his rent, live... And get his GED. He want to learn to read and, to apply to an art school and move to NY. Desperate to be someone, be more than he is, be an artist, Mattie will have to gain extra cash... Being a male prostitute.
Simon is a successful writer, but also very unhappy. No, not about his son (his nephew, he adopt...more

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Nov 18, 2012 ReadingAgent rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this one because Mattie (who is totally wonderful) and Simon felt completely real to me. No big misunderstandings, no big secrets revealed. Just two men trying to deal with the curve balls life has thrown them. Yes, they do have communication problems, but who doesn't? It got a tiny bit preachy at the midway mark, and the last quarter of the book seemed a bit unrealistic. But all in all, a nice wrap-up of the story.
Also, I loved all the secondary characters: Ty (Mattie's best frie...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Natalie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: rent-boys, beautiful-covers, broke-my-heart

3.5 stars. I love this author, and Witness is probably among my top five favorite m/m romances ever. This book feels like L.A. Gilbert really took to heart all the reviewers who said Witness was too nice and decided to pile on the angst. Part of me liked it, and the other part feels conflicted.

What I loved: Mattie. What a sweetheart. I really ached for him as he struggled with making ends meet and earning his GED.

What I was lukewarm on: Simon. Simon was a harder nut to crack. It was harder to un...more

10 likes · like · see review

Mar 01, 2013 Katyna rated it 2 of 5 stars

I might actually have enjoyed this book more if I could have suspended my disbelief on 3 notes:

1. A prostitute that only gives blowjobs - highly improbable (and he's all angsty and whiney and ashamed about it)

2. A writer that is able to support himself, send his kid to a private school and live in a very nice house after writing only 2 books

3. Having to pay for adult education literacy classes.

I was really, really trying hard to enjoy this book, but I kept saying, "Oh come on! This is ridiculou...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Alli rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, m-m

The way the issue of autism and the traits of high functioning autism were really well done, I could relate to many of the things Simon went through. The only issue I had was right at the beginning where autism was described at a disease. Autism isn't a disease. Calling it a disease makes it sounds like it is something that is curable, if I took autism from my little one he wouldnt be who he is. This really confused me as Simon went to to explain autism to Matting in an entirely different way.

Ma...more

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May 06, 2013 Tricia rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was intrigued by this book at the very beginning, the author's writing is enchanting, descriptive and full of feeling. The story is a compassionate telling of attraction between two very different protagonists coupled with the complications of single parenting a child of special needs. One character is successful financially; the other is younger and financially desperate. This leads to conflict concerning judgement of one by the other and the resulting low self esteem of the not-so-lucky love...more

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May 06, 2013 Melissa Anderson added it

This is a true tearjerker full of ups an downs. The synopsis doesn't really capture all this story is. It is filled with amazing characters (Ty you've the best) an is a compelling read. I've been lucky this month because this is yet MaxiScan MS509 OBD2 Scanner Code Reader Obdii Eobd another book that's been lingering on my to read list (I hate when novels start in the future then flash to the past ) but I'm glad I accidentally purchased it because it is a great read. Recommended. 4.5 stars.

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Oct 28, 2012 Ijeoma rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really like LA Gilbert's other stories and will continue to read anything she writes. It is a good story, but alas not a big favorite for me this time round. I started out really liking this story until it got to the end and then I just felt irritated.

SPOILER FROM HERE.

The angst at the end with Mattie going off to college was too unrealistic for me. In these days of globalisation, social media and global communication why would they split up for 3 years and make themselves miserable when all...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Gabbi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: angst, dreamspinner-spotlight-for-top-2-bo, favorites, gay-romance, may-december, opposites-attract, rent-boys, sweet-romance, top2bottom-reviews, baby-makes-three, la-gilbert

Get your hankies ready. I had no idea when I started reading The Coil by LA Gilbert that I was going to experience a range of emotions. From the first page until the last word, I was immediately swept up into the lives of these two characters. Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t stop. Before I knew it, it was hours later when I finished the book. I was totally unprepared for how much I would grow to care about these two heroes and truly hated it when the book came to an end.

The blurb st...more Get your hankies ready. I had no idea when I started reading The Coil by LA Gilbert that I was going to experience a range of emotions. From the first page until the last word, I was immediately swept up into the lives of these two characters. Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t stop. Before I knew it, it was hours later when I finished the book. I was totally unprepared for how much I would grow to care about these two heroes and truly hated it when the book came to an end.

The blurb states correctly that Simon’s life is complicated. Ever since his sister died in childbirth, he’s had custody of his nephew (now his son) Jamie and life as he knew it has changed. In the span of four years he’s lost his partner and suffered from writer’s block, and he’s found out his sweet son is a high functioning autistic and because of this, life has become one big routine for him. He’s totally devoted to his little boy and makes extra efforts to keep his son happy while he continues to nurture Jamie and help him grow. One of the things he does for himself is going daily to a diner by his son’s school. He drinks his coffee and writes what he can, all the while keeping a steady eye on a young and handsome cook there, Mattie.

Mattie is struggling to make ends meet. He has a dream of attending art school in New York, but because of some tragic circumstances in his life, he was forced to drop out of school and can barely read. Now he barely makes the rent, so he not only works for minimum wage at the local diner, he’s forced to some other things he’s not proud of to have enough money to survive and to go towards GED classes. But there are two things that keep Mattie happy, his art and watching the sexy customer, Simon, come into the diner daily to work and to eat.

Once the two men actually start talking, sparks fly between them. There is an easy friendship that develops between them and the intense attraction they feel for each other soon finds them swept up into an affair. Mattie knows he loves Simon, but Simon wants to keep their budding relationship going at a slow pace. Simon doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize Jamie’s happiness and his past hurts is keeping him from giving into the feelings he has for Mattie. Will Mattie be able to convince Simon to take a chance on him?

I intentionally left A LOT out of my description of the book. There are many things and personal growth that both Simon and Mattie go through as the story progresses. Also, Simon’s son, Jamie, plays a big part in the book and in the relationship between the two heroes. He’s definitely a focal point in every decision they make. What I liked about this was I thought it was a realistic, refreshing take on how important children’s safety and happiness is in our lives. Both Simon and Mattie look out for Jamie and both strive to keep him healthy, safe and loved. I liked how Jamie’s mental condition was not swept under the rug, instead the author met this straight on and I appreciated the sacrifices each character made to keep the little boy happy.

Now there were times I wanted to shake Simon. He’s a little short-sighted sometimes and allows fear to rule over his heart, but all in all he’s a very likeable and loveable hero. He makes sacrifices to keep both Jamie and Mattie happy as well as for them to continue to grow into the more confident people they turned out to be.

I mentioned in the beginning of my review that I experienced a range of emotions while I read this book and this is very true. There were some sweet, heartfelt moments that made me smile. Bittersweet moments where it made me cry and there were even a few moments when I was angry and frustrated with the heroes in the book. Because of this, The Coil is a beautifully told love story that will live long in my heart long after I finish the book. It’s one of those stories that I know I will re-read time and time again.

I loved this book. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it is definitely not my last. As soon as I finished writing a review for this, I’m going to check out LA Gilbert’s other works and I’m really looking forward to reading them. If you are looking for a book that will not only bring tears to your eyes while also leaving a smile on your face, The Coil is definitely a book you should consider. I loved this beautifully told love story and I can’t recommend it high enough.(less)

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May 23, 2013 Tina rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Gigi

Shelves: contemporary, m-m

What the FUCK just happened here? Why have I NEVER read anything by L.A. Gilbert before??? Who failed me and did not recommend this book to me??? OMG!

It was fuckin' fantastic and kept me up until 2 am this morning to finish it. I cried so many times because it was just so, so heartbreaking. For both Simon and Mattie. I mean really, so much pain and crap these two had to deal with.

Simon was a real shit to Mattie several times and man, I wanted to smack him right upside the head. And my heart just...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Fehu rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: profession-the-arts, pants-off-reviews, hurt-comfort, genre-m-m-contemporery, gay-couple-with-children

The story was a balance act, I expected the deep and angsty but it always balanced just short before it could become a tearjerker read, so there I was racing to where the book began to know how it would end.

Mattie and Simon first meet in the cafe where Mattie works, and where Simon comes to write but they truly meet at an art gallery party, it's where the sparks fly and some secrets are uncovered. While I loved Mattie, I'm ambivalent about Simon and disappointed that after the promising beginnin...more The story was a balance act, I expected the deep and angsty but it always balanced just short before it could become a tearjerker read, so there I was racing to where the book began to know how it would end.

Mattie and Simon first meet in the cafe where Mattie works, and where Simon comes to write but they truly meet at an art gallery party, it's where the sparks fly and some secrets are uncovered. While I loved Mattie, I'm ambivalent about Simon and disappointed that after the promising beginning, we are thrown back in time. The whole flashback issue might also be the reason why I didn't really get into this story, I wanted to read about the present setting.

First of all, I like the stories by this author and this one is also quite nice, not in the style that I was expecting from her previous books, but still good. My niggle with this book was that the prologue is in the present time, so we know there are three years of separation between the lovers, we know who the lovers are and actually I would have loved to read the whole story told in the present time and not in a flashback, I dislike those, a lot!

So it was frustrating to go back and see the beginning when all I wanted to know was, what happens now when Mattie and Simon meet. Mattie loves art and dreams to go to New York to study in an art school. To do that he has to get his GED first and to make a living to get there, which is not an easy task, with a low paying job. He wants a stable relationship, but again his second job - being a rentboy on the side - doesn't make it easy. Simon is a successful writer working on his next book and caring for his autistic son. They are two very different characters but seem to be just what the other needed, if they hadn't met at the wrong time. Simon's first priority is his son and I loved how the author really did some research on autism and it was made one of the central theme and was not just mentioned in passing but actually worked into the storyline. I thought that was the most interesting part of the book. Simon is a fantastic father and it was a pleasure to see him interact with his son. Some good questions were raised, like how people perceive difference, while Simon's son is young people are more tolerant of his behavior but what would happen when he grows older? I thought that was a very interesting point the author made.

This is one of the books, where I ended up liking some of the supporting characters as much, if not more than the protagonists. Ty for example is Mattie's best friend and had a lot of potential, I would have love to read more about him (and I liked how protective he was about Matt). While I liked Simon as a father, as a lover he was inconsiderate and honestly I do understand not wanting to expose your child to every date but I thought he was taking his sweet time and holding Mattie at an arms range for a long time. I wish Matt would have told him of sooner and the whole separation issue was a totally stupid idea, if you ask me.

It was frustrating to read the story and wait for the separation, especially because Simon seemed a bit immature and Mattie a lot insecure, which left issues they had to fester. Sometime the story felt drawn out, mostly because I started reading more or less knowing how it was going to end in the flashback and just wanted to get to the good point, which ended up being the last part of the story.
Review originaly writen for pants off reviews.(less)

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Feb 02, 2013 Shelby P rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, a-to-z-challenge, kids, disability

I could not find anything wrong with this story except for a few "then" vs "than" improper usage. Mattie's situation was truly believable. I understood why he was in a low paying job. I read another story where the guy was struggling and a reviewer didn't understand why the guy didn't jsut work another job to better his life. Mattie didn't have many options being illiterate and no high school diploma.

Although Mattie hooked, I like that he had standards and he was always safe. I like how Mattie a...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really great story would have been a 5 star but one part of the book annoyed me (view spoiler) but aside from that this book was a beautiful read and I loved how Jamie was written, I don't usually like books with children as main characters in them but I just wanted to read more and more about Jamie, he w...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Denise rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

This book was wonderful, it showed Simon and Mattie's relationship grow at a steady pace. There was no rush to the story, it showed us all their emotions and their ups and down. Simon was a good man that is totally devoted to his autistic son but because of the struggles he had due to his son or by being gay is has built high walls to protect himself for fear of being hurt. In comes Mattie who is exactly what Simon needs, he's kind, loving, patient, understanding but also a prostitute. This is...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Deirdre rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved it. Lots of tears and smiles. My grandmoms ' name was Mattie Green so that character had a special place in my heart before I even began reading. I fell in love after getting to know him. Simon made me angry a lot, but he redeemed himself, I'm just sorry Mattie got hurt in the process. Jamie was a great kid and the author put a real human face on autism. Making it understandable. Read this book with a box of tissue!

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Nov 01, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a mushy read. I was totally teary-eyed much of the time. Sooo well written, the emotion just flows right off the page. And the characters are so well rounded and complex, just 3-dimensional, and real. I picked it up without really having any expectations and I was blown away by how invested I got in the characters and the story. I loved it and it had such depth that I was sad when it ended.

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Dreamspinner Press: The Coil by L.A. Gilbert	1	8	Oct 10, 2012 08:50am

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About L.A. Gilbert

L.A. Gilbert currently lives in a small British town where not much of anything ever really occurs. Jumping from job to job, she has no real qualifications in anything and is blithely proud of it. Between spectacularly failing driving test after test, she generally spends her free time reading about beautiful gay men, if not attempting to write about them. She is perhaps not the most outgoing of p...more

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