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Love Means... No Shame (Farm #1)

by Andrew Grey (Goodreads Author)

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 1,323 ratings · 147 reviews

Geoff is in the city, living the gay life to the hilt, when his father's death convinces him to return to the family farm. Discovering a young Amish man asleep in his barn, Geoff learns that Eli is spending a year away from the community before accepting baptism into the church. Despite their mutual attraction, Geoff is determined not to become involved with him, but Eli h...more

Paperback, 234 pages

Published September 1st 2009 by Dreamspinner Press (first published 2009)

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Oct 20, 2009 Erotic Horizon rated it 5 of 5 stars

4.75 Stars

Geoff is living the life of a young man with few responsibility and full of hormones - and with all the tail he can get in the city, he’s living the life of riley.

The bubble burst on Geoff life of burning the candle at both ends when his dad dies. Coming home to the ranch is alot of things now for Geoff – but most importantly it’s the fact that his dad is no longer there – that is, one of his dad’s. He has two and with a few carefully placed words and some home truth he soon agrees to...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Dreamer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, kindle, m-m-romance, erotica, cowboy, angst, made-me-cry

For all those who've not seen Weird Al's 'Amish Paradise' - enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOfZL...

3.5 stars here. A somewhat bland but likeable m/m romance. Geoff leaves Chicago to return to the family farm upon the death of his (gay) father. He falls for Elijah, a 20 year old Amish boy who is spending a year away from his community.

'If he were honest with himself, he really did like Eli... a lot. The way he looked in the saddle, the way he smiled, the way those eyes danced when he was h...more

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Oct 22, 2011 Wade rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I think this is a wonderful book. I love the message. I love the characters. And I love Andrew's style of writing. I read it a few years ago and since then several more times. I own it in paperback. I think Eli's character is my favorite. I loved his tenderness.

I think everyone who deals with predudice and fear should read this book. I think Andrew spells out LOVE in a poignant way. It was a book that meant a lot to me the first time I read it. The theme of "no shame" stupid out in a personal w...more

6 likes · like · see review

Mar 21, 2013 ♥Robin ♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to ♥Robin ♥ by: Elishia

Shelves: nbrc-reading-2013, 2013-book-challenge

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book especially being a "newbie" to this genre. I was not expecting to find such an intriguing,beautifully written love story with such loving,well developed,likeable characters.

Andrew Grey has a way of drawing the reader in,pulling on the heart strings while tap dancing on the emotions of one's soul. He does a fantastic job of delivering a great story while teaching some very important life lessons about learning to love yourself, as well as those who lo...more

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Oct 08, 2011 Perpetua rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 30, 2012 Leenchen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: when-a-man-loves-a-man

Kurzbeschreibung

Als Geoff die väterliche Farm nach dessen Tod übernimmt, liegt seine Zukunft scheinbar klar vor ihm: ruhig, beständig und langweilig. Doch spätestens als er unverhofft auf Eli trifft, ist es aus mit der Ruhe, denn dieser ist Mitglied der Amish-Gemeinschaft, deren Welt nach ganz anderen Regeln spielt. Regeln, die die wachsende Zuneigung zwischen Geoff und Eli nicht dulden...

Inhalt:

Geoff lebt in einer amerikanischen Großstadt sein Leben als schwuler, gutaussehender Mann. Nur selten...more Kurzbeschreibung

Als Geoff die väterliche Farm nach dessen Tod übernimmt, liegt seine Zukunft scheinbar klar vor ihm: ruhig, beständig und langweilig. Doch spätestens als er unverhofft auf Eli trifft, ist es aus mit der Ruhe, denn dieser ist Mitglied der Amish-Gemeinschaft, deren Welt nach ganz anderen Regeln spielt. Regeln, die die wachsende Zuneigung zwischen Geoff und Eli nicht dulden...

Inhalt:

Geoff lebt in einer amerikanischen Großstadt sein Leben als schwuler, gutaussehender Mann. Nur selten verbringt er die Nacht allein, hat ein One-Night-Stand nach dem anderen, doch all das ändert sich, als sein Vater stirbt und er zurückkehren muss in sein früheres Leben.
Mit Hilfe des Lebensgefährten seines Vaters bringt er die Farm unter seine Fittiche und eines Tages begegnet er Eli, einem jungen Amish, der für ein Jahr aus der Gemeinde ging um die Welt außerhalb kennenzulernen. Geoff zieht es zu Eli hin, aber er reißt sich zusammen, schließlich erlaubt Elis Weltansicht keine homosexuellen Ansichten. Umso überraschter ist er, als es Eli ist, der ihm Avancen macht.

Fazit:

Die Geschichte ist irgendwie wieder eine typische homosexuelle Liebesgeschichte. Mindestens die Hälfte der agierenden Personen sind schwul, zum Teil verheimlicht, zum Teil offen. Es gibt Leute, die das nicht leiden können und es gibt Leute, die das voll und ganz unterstützen.
Einzig neu hierbei war der Konflikt mit der amishen Gemeinde, welche Andersdenkende und deren Familien einfach ausschließt, bis sie selber weggehen. So ist es also kein Wunder, dass Geoff und auch Eli immer diesen Gedanken im Hinterkopf haben. Aber auch da gibt es in der Geschichte meines Erachtens inhaltliche Probleme: Eli geht zu direkt, zu aggressiv und viel zu erfahren an die ganze Sache heran. Wenn er wirklich (bis auf eine kleine Ausnahme) keine Erfahrung hat, wie kommt es, dass er so unnatürlich "ruhig" mit allem umgeht? Das war im Prinzip das, was mich mit am meisten beim Lesen gestört hat.
Auch sonst wirkte die Geschichte eher platt und ermüdend, was aber nicht an der Übersetzung liegen soll, im Englischen wären die Bücher ebenso platt.
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Nov 14, 2011 Natalia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't know what it is about this entire series, but I read the entire thing after reading this one. In my opinion this is the best book of the series and all the others more-or-less copy the same formula. I love the premise of an safe haven for gays on Geoff's farm, I absolutely adore Eli's contradictory personality (he has tremendous depth, perhaps the most of any character), and I liked the tension throughout the story.

Geoff, the son of a gay couple (his mother died when he was young), has t...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Melanie~~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: lendable-kindle, format-kindle-or-mobi

I really liked this story. I thought it was gently told. I do think that Eli's acceptance and progression were somewhat unrealistic given his upbringing, but as escapist reading, this fit the bill. I actually teared up at the end when (view spoiler) even though I'd already read the third book of the series (before I knew it was a series) and knew things worked out.

There were at least two incidences where the completely wrong word was used and a few incidences of do...more

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Nov 25, 2012 Loves To Dive rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars
Geoff Laughton spends every night in bed with a different man, and his days as a staff accountant for a chain of retail stores. He enjoys his work, his job not so much but thankfully his best friend Raine makes the place tolerable. He is beginning to question his lifestyle when he receives a phone call from his dad’s partner Len, telling him his dad, who had been sick with cancer, died and he should come home to the farm.

After the funeral Len tells Geoff his dad left the farm to Geoff...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Phoenix rated it 3 of 5 stars

Good story. The writing however is annoying. The author is very often redundant. For instance he will have 2 paragraphs with the characters discussing how they got the planting done then a third paragraph saying they got the planting done (Yeah we get it. the planting was done. Can we move on.) He might have been making a big deal about it because Geoff is taking over his fathers farm/business and isn't sure at first he's up for the task, but still. Planting is done. Got that the first 2 times....more

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Jun 20, 2012 Whitney rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was excited to read Love Means…No Shame because I loved Andrew Grey’s previous book Bottled Up. Plus, I’ve read nothing but good reviews about it. All lot of people had an extreme emotional reaction to it. Even Jan Irving, author of The Janitor, was in tears over it.

Now, I’m not saying I didnt like it, but LMNS didnt live up to hype. It was lacking something I can’t put my finger on. There wasn’t enough…something. I guess I would’ve liked to see Eli experience more of modern life. I know the A...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Kerry sullivan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: gay-fiction

I have to admit I read book 7 in this series first and now I am hooked!! I bought this one as soon as I had finished book 7 and have now bought book 2 the minute I finished this one. I fell in love with all of them and want to know how they all get together. Geoff and Eli are just beautiful together and the simplicity of them is what makes them so special.

Andrew Grey writes so you become part of the tapestry of the story, you love, laugh and cry with them and feel like they are family. each of...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Librarian Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a classic Andrew Grey story - sweet, insta-love at first sight, leave any brutal reality checks at the door, get swept along with the "how will Geoff and Eli finally accept their love for each other" - you know, the kind of stuff you read romance stories FOR. My daughter hooked me on romances, because once I figured out they ALL had happy endings (it's REQUIRED, you know) I knew I'd found my guilty pleasure.

Once I got past those icky Regency romances and found M/M romance, I found that s...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Jaime rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, romance

I’ve read a lot of gay cowboy romances, but this one stands out for being more, well, romantic! Usually, it’s lust at first sight, hot sex and finally the requisite “I love you” (whether believable or not). This book surprised me by going nearly halfway through before the characters become lovers. It was actually refreshing.

Geoff returns to his family farm after his father dies and realizes this is where he always wanted to be. So, he sets about taking over the business. One day, he finds a man...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Richard rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: gay, romance, western

I’d probably actually give this one 2.5 stars.

I liked this book, but it didn’t stand out for me. Everything is a bit … undercooked. The author has created interesting and engaging characters, but I feel like we could have gone deeper into them, and the story would have been so much richer for it. I’ll draw a comparison between Elijah being Amish, and his family disapproving of gay relationships; and Levi from Marie Sexton’s “Between Saints and Sinners” whose family is Amish and disapprove of gay...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Tracy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m

This is a sweet love story that manages to avoid being sappy. It's, I think, a "journey" story, in that both the main characters, Geoff and Eli, are on a journey toward a partnership, and away from...not childhood, exactly, although Eli is in some ways very childlike in his innocence. Eli is Amish, and on rumspringa (a traditional time of seeing the outside world, before committing to the Amish community and way of life.) The Amish are not very open or accepting of, well, anything different and...more This is a sweet love story that manages to avoid being sappy. It's, I think, a "journey" story, in that both the main characters, Geoff and Eli, are on a journey toward a partnership, and away from...not childhood, exactly, although Eli is in some ways very childlike in his innocence. Eli is Amish, and on rumspringa (a traditional time of seeing the outside world, before committing to the Amish community and way of life.) The Amish are not very open or accepting of, well, anything different and unusual, and being gay definitely qualifies. And Geoff is 24 (I think; I didn't mark it so I can't easily find his age in my book), a bare few years older than Eli's nearly 20, and only 6 months out of college (possibilities: I'm wrong about his age; a late start to college, or a Master's degree. Doesn't matter which; either way, he's still very young.) Geoff, after 6 months in Chicago and having 2 dads (yep, his biological father was gay and in a permanent relationship; how I wish I could just say "married"), comes across as far older than sheltered Eli.

They're both coming of age emotionally; Geoff as he comes to terms with losing his father to cancer and taking on the responsibility of running the farm as well as falling in love for the first time ever, and Eli learning that in the world outside the Amish community, it's more acceptable for two men to be in love, and that, just maybe, he can live that way, too. Geoff's wisdom beyond his years comes out when he explains to Eli that love is the most important consideration, rather than what's believed/accepted by the community at large, and that, yes, gays sometimes are still treated poorly by the English (non-Amish) community.

After numerous spiteful remarks and ugly rumors spread by Geoff's Aunt Janelle (who we find out is resentful because she thought she was in love with Len, who's Geoff's "other dad") and an incident outside a restaurant in which Eli watches as Geoff is physically attacked, Eli decides he has to return to his family to spare them the shame that would be visited on them by their community if it's discovered that he's gay. Both suffer, but some timely intervention by his mother convinces Eli that ultimately, he needs to think of his own happiness, and he leaves the community to make a life with Geoff.

I loved and hated that Eli was so very stunned on several occasions to see Geoff doing things for others for no apparent gain to himself. It's saddening that others see our culture as so selfish, and also that other cultures can be so small-minded as to blind themselves to any good that can come from others' ways of life. And, in some ways, Geoff was almost Too Good To Be True; he fought back against Aunt Janelle, but almost not enough, and that was it. The worst that could be said about him was that he was awfully free with his body for the 6 months he was in Chicago before his dad died. And let's be honest; for most of us that's not really looked down on that much these days.

My favorite line is from Geoff, speaking to Eli: "I don't love you because you're beautiful. You're beautiful because I love you."(less)

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Jun 06, 2011 chanceofbooks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-keepers, 2011-read

Dreamspinner Press's anniversary freebies yielded me a lot of free and ultra-cheap reads, but this offering from Andrew Grey stood as being worth the cover price, even if one didn't happen to snag a free copy. Grey gives readers one of the most accessible entries into the world of M/M romance with a story that's both super sweet and sexy, without being explicit. Amish m/m romance set in the Heartland may seem like a punchline rather than a tag line, but it really works here.

Our two heroes are y...more Dreamspinner Press's anniversary freebies yielded me a lot of free and ultra-cheap reads, but this offering from Andrew Grey stood as being worth the cover price, even if one didn't happen to snag a free copy. Grey gives readers one of the most accessible entries into the world of M/M romance with a story that's both super sweet and sexy, without being explicit. Amish m/m romance set in the Heartland may seem like a punchline rather than a tag line, but it really works here.

Our two heroes are young: Eli is almost 20 and Geoff is like 23 or 24. Eli is on his "break" year from his Amish community when Geoff discovers him sleeping in his barn. Geoff has just returned from the big city after inheriting his father's farm. Geoff has one of the most unique backstories I've encountered in any type of genre fiction: his father had a male partner following the death of Geoff's mother. Thus, despite being in a very rural area, Geoff has a number of supportive people in his life. I liked this because it gave Eli more structure to cling to as he came to terms with his own sexuality and feelings for Geoff.

The romance develops slowly with a sweet, halting courtship as Eli slowly adjusts to life in the "English" world, and Geoff gets over the fact that Eli is younger, inexperienced, and technically an employee. If Eli were female, this would fit right into the Harlequin American line and the sensuality never edges much beyond a Blaze level. If you've read Linda Lael Miller or Sandra Hill (she's got a couple of Romantic Suspense novels set in an Amish community), the sensuality level is similar. It's sweet, not explicit. The c-word is absent, and while they do engage in all the activities two men are likely to get up to behind closed doors, it's all described in euphemisms that have a lot more to do with emotion and less to do with tab A into slot B. If you're interested in m/m romance, but don't read erotica and don't want to be shocked, this is a perfect choice as it's all about the journey of discovery the characters are on and their quest to be authentic. The sensuality level only enhances this journey. This is also a quick read (about as long as most category books or a long novella), which also makes a great way to try on the m/m genre. The lively cast of secondary characters also made this a fun read--Geoff's second "dad" is a key character as well as Geoff's other relatives and other farm employees. Despite the relatively young age of the heroes, I didn't doubt in their HEA at all. (less)

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Dec 02, 2010 Indie Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: rainbow-reviews, fiction, indie-reviews, lgbt, romance

Love Means ... No Shame by Andrew Grey is a touching story of loss and love, family and belonging. It is very well written with strong characters and fluid narration that pulls the reader completely in from the start.

...more Love Means ... No Shame by Andrew Grey is a touching story of loss and love, family and belonging. It is very well written with strong characters and fluid narration that pulls the reader completely in from the start.

The central focus of the story is the relationship between Geoff and Eli who come from two very different worlds and cultures. Grey takes his time in growing their relationship by exploring many of their differences in a thoughtful and respectful manner. As Geoff gets to know Eli he realizes that many of the everyday things he takes for granted, such as orange juice and riding in a car are completely foreign to Eli. Eli is spending a year away from his community because he is questioning many aspects of his upbringing and as the story unfolds he accepts that he is gay. If this were known in Eli’s community he would be shamed and banished, as would his family. While Geoff doesn't understand or agree with these beliefs and practices he is very respectful of Eli as Eli struggles to come to terms with his true self versus his upbringing and religion.

Geoff and Eli slowly get to know one another, first as friends and then through courtship with a slow build-up to the sexual aspect of their relationship. Grey writes Geoff and Eli’s relationship with sweetness and romanticism but also with a sense of realism. Their relationship is not without difficulties. Both Geoff and Eli must deal with mean-spirited members of Geoff’s family and homophobia with some serious implications. Also, as Eli’s year away from home nears its end, he is torn and must make a life-altering decision as to whether he will stay with Geoff, the man he loves, or return to his family and community to lead a life that although is familiar and expected, would ultimately be a lie.

A cast of well-rounded and interesting secondary characters support the main story and characters. There’s Len, the life partner of Geoff’s biological father who he considers his other father, Geoff’s loving aunt Mari, Joey the boy that Geoff takes on as a part-time ranch hand and discretely looks after, and Geoff’s best friend Raine. Grey inter-weaves primary and secondary characters, their feelings and relationships adding a richness and depth to the overall story, but also creating a sense of family among the characters. Although Geoff has lost both his biological parents he’s not alone. He is blessed with a loving and supportive chosen family to which Eli has also become a member.

This story is written with heart. It is both bittersweet and uplifting, and reminds us that love can be generous and selfless and that a true family and sense of belonging don’t necessarily require blood ties.

If you are looking to sink into a well written, poignant, sweet and romantic reading escape then I highly recommend Love Means ... No Shame by Andrew Grey.

NOTE: This review was originally published online by Rainbow Reviews on September 27, 2009.

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Apr 11, 2010 Mara Ismine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, contemporary, male-male, romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. An ARE Earth Day freebie. I wanted to like this more, but the itchy parts made it difficult. It did have me in floods of tears so probably should have scored higher, but it got knocked down for a few reasons.

The first thing was a personal peeve - Geoff goes out clubbing, drinking and picking up strange men several times a week, but he and his friend Raine hang out and quote:"...doing a little shopping. Since they were both fairly broke, they looked more than shopped..." - I get very tetchy with...more

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Apr 12, 2010 mlady_rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks__free, ebooks__mobipocket, genre__contemporary_romance, sex__m_m, 2010, best_of__m_m, fiction__loosely_bound_series, in_retrospect__forgettable, series_status__abandoned

I was pleasantly surprise to really enjoy this book. I say surprised, becasue I've had a bad run of luck with eBooks that I get for free. This one was a treat.

Geoff, who grew up on a farm, is getting weary with life in the big city (Chicago). He's an accountant, so work is isolating. He only has one good friend. And his sex life is made up of a chain of one night stands. When his father succumbs to cancer, he goes home to his family farm, and finds himself back in pace with life again. He inheri...more

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Mar 02, 2010 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

Geoff was living the city life of partying, meaningless one night stands, and a mundane career until his dad’s life partner Len calls to inform him his dad lost his battle with cancer. Geoff returns home for his father’s funeral and ultimately decides to stay home and take over the farm. When one door closes, another opens; in this case the door is hinged to a closet and in the form of a young Amish man Geoff finds asleep in his barn. And so our love story begins.

Eli is on his year away from hi...more

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Feb 26, 2011 David Sullivan rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 04, 2010 Luvflix rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, pick-it-for-me-challenge, farm

3.5 stars.

If you want a sweet, heart felt romance, this is a great pick. Centering around Geoff who is a sleep 'em and leave 'em kind of guy from the city, he takes over the family farm after the passing of his dad. I adored the relationship between him and his dad's partner, Len; their caring for each other during their grief was beautiful. And you always have to have a good side kick and Geoff's friend from the city, Raine, had the dry, jaded attitude that you would expect from a city kid.

Ent...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Runell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: glitebooks

Though this is technically the first in the Farm series, I decided to read this one after Love Means . . . Courage, and I'm glad I did because everything just made more sense to me going into this one than it probably would have if I had read them in chronological order.

It was really nice to see Geoff all grown up from being the cute little boy to being a man that both Cliff and Len could be proud of.

In Love Means . . . No Shame we find Geoff living it up in Chicago working as an accountant, and...more

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Nov 20, 2011 karlakolumna rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, mm-contemporary, dont-like

2 stars, at best.

Story and its message are nice/OK --> "Love conquers it all!" plus "Noone needs to feel ashamed about loving and caring for another human being."
That is, of course, very true and one can just hope, that all these ignorant and intolerant people out there will figure this out rather sooner than later.

But all in all: Nothing new here, the book and the story were just OK, but what bothered me (besides from this story not being very original, new and inventive) was that the writin...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Tami rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 17, 2013 Lily Pilly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-romance, cute-romance, mm-romance, kindle, family-feel-good, favorites, western-romance

Geoff and Elijah's story was simply beautiful. This story was about a man who just lost his father , his other father who is left behind grieving and a young Amish male who is spending his year out of his community (can't spell the proper word so I won't offend anyone with my bad spelling).
Andrew Grey wrote this story with great sensitivity and thoughtfulness filled with warmth, gentleness, and elegance. I felt deeply sad and tearful when Geoff was beaten... I felt tearful when Elijah felt he h...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Beacullen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

I just finished this book and its definitely one of those books you cant stop thinking about. At first I wasn't sure about it at all. Geoff is an average guy, not happy in his job, has a great friend Raine. Then his dad dies and leaves the family farm to him. He decides to move back from the city and take it on. Then Eli shows up. He's a young Amish man that is on Rumspringa and . spending the next year out in the world trying to decide if he'll stay with the Amish or move on. Their love of hors...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Phaney rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

2012 Review:

So! I decided to re-read the first three of this series before I continue. This was number one.

I mostly stand by what I wrote about it the last time. It’s a nice story, a little slow at times, and a little sad too, although this time I managed to avoid crying, but mostly because I was prepared and did not read those bits too slowly. Loss through death is always a big issue for me.

In fact, I am still skipping the prequel entirely because of that reason, although I think later in the s...more

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Mar 19, 2010 Jenre rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, romance, contemporary

This is a review where I get to eat my words! I've read several Andrew Grey books and stories in the past and had pretty much come to conclusion that whilst I appreciate that he's a well loved author with a large, loyal fan base, his writing just doesn't appeal to me and I wasn't going to read his books any more. Then someone suggested that I read Love Means...No Shame, and so I decided to give the author one more chance. I'm glad I did because I really liked this book.

The story begins with our...more This is a review where I get to eat my words! I've read several Andrew Grey books and stories in the past and had pretty much come to conclusion that whilst I appreciate that he's a well loved author with a large, loyal fan base, his writing just doesn't appeal to me and I wasn't going to read his books any more. Then someone suggested that I read Love Means...No Shame, and so I decided to give the author one more chance. I'm glad I did because I really liked this book.

The story begins with our hero, Geoff, who works as an accountant in Chicago. He spends his days crunching numbers and his nights out on the town picking up anonymous men for one night stands. Then one day he gets a call from his father's partner, Len, to say that his father has died. Geoff then comes back to the place where he was brought up to pick up the running of the farm. It's a sad time for him and Len, but things get easier especially when Geoff finds a young Amish man, Eli, sleeping in his barn and offers him a job. As the two men get to know each other their feelings grow, but Geoff is not certain whether Eli will leave his Amish family and stay with him permanently.

If I was asked to describe this story it one word it would be 'charming'. I was charmed by the whole book, the characters and the plot from start to finish. This was a book about a couple of good guys who find love with each other. There are a few potholes on their road to love, but mainly this was a gentle tale of meeting, falling in love and then settling into a HEA. The characters of Geoff and Eli are perfect for each other. Geoff has spent the last few years living it up in Chicago, sleeping around and looking for the next distraction. When he returns to the farm he is worried that he will find the pace of life dull, but instead settles into a hard working routine of learning about running a business. When Eli comes into his life, the gentle, peaceful man steals his heart with his naivety about the life of a 'white man' and his innocence when it comes to sex. This led to a number of tender and beautiful sex scenes between them, which were emotionally fulfilling for me as a reader, as well as hot.

Another part that I liked a great deal was in Geoff's relationship with Len, his Dad's partner. There's a lot of respect between them and their shared grief over Cliff's death helps both men through that difficult time. Cliff is never relegated to 'the dead guy' and forgotten after the first few page, but rather both Geoff and Len's memories of Cliff are dealt with at different points in the story. This made Cliff just as real as a character as some of the other secondary characters in the book. The emotional intensity of some of the scenes between Len and Geoff brought tears to my eyes on a number of occasions, a sign that Andrew Grey has done his job well.

This was also a book which taught me a little of the Amish community, of which I am woefully ignorant. I liked that it was an important aspect of Eli's personality and that I got to learn much about the way he had been brought up and the expectations placed on him. I also liked that it made him a kind, hard-working man and compared to some of the 'white men' we come across in the book much more civilised. It made the choices that Eli makes later in the story all the more believable for me, when you compare his sweet, gentle way of looking at the world with the cruelty of others.

If there were any niggles in the book, then I thought that maybe the character of Geoff's evil aunt was a little too overdone. Geoff is also rather too good to be true at times, especially for such a young man and I was rather sceptical at the expert way that he managed the expansion of the farm, as well as negotiations with neighbours, given his lack of business experience. Also (and this is really minor) at one point in the book Geoff and Eli go for a ride with one of the farm hands, Joey, and then he is mysteriously forgotten about. None of these niggles were enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book too much.

If you're looking for a sweet, but not overly sweet, story of two nice men who fall in love then you can't go wrong with this book. I enjoyed it a great deal and recommend it to those who like emotional, romantic stories. This is the first of a series and I'm very much looking forward to reading the other two books which are now on my TBR pile.(less)

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Quotes from Love Means... No Shame

“You always say that I’m beautiful. Will you still love me when I’m old?"
Geoff’s hand made small circles on his stomach.
"Elijah." Geoff rarely called him that, and he turned his head to look into Geoff’s eyes. "I don’t love you because you’re beautiful. You’re beautiful because I love you.” — 21 people liked it

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