Cardeno C More than Everything

[Ulysses]

I thought this book would make me squirm. But it didn't, because the central character, Charlie Rhodes, is such a sweetheart, and anchors this unconventional love story with his good-natured banter.

The idea that someone could have his heart broken twice by the age of 25, and then find his happy ending a decade later with the very men who broke his heart in the first place has a certain tortured logic. Cardeno C manages to handle this so as to make it believable, presenting the first two relationships through photo-album flashbacks, and then tying up all the loose ends in a gratifyingly tidy way. It works. The youthful fragility of his relationship with Scott; the cultural hang-ups that taint his time with Adan - they make sense and they reflect some painful truths.

This really falls into one of those distinct "schools" within the larger M/M world: it is a book written very clearly for women readers. As a very romantic gay man, I like this genre, but there are aspects to it that might not appeal to all gay male readers. It is fascinating that the M/M world has evolved so rapidly and into such a complex variety of writing and narrative styles.