Truman Reid is Summitville High’s most out-and-proud senior. He can’t wait to take his fierce, uncompromising self away from his small Ohio River hometown, where he’s suffered more than his share of bullying. He’s looking forward to bright lights and a big city. Maybe he’ll be the first gender-fluid star to ever win an Academy Award. But all that changes on the first day of school when he locks … locks eyes with the most gorgeous hunk he’s ever seen.
Mike Stewart, big, dark-haired, and with the most amazing blue eyes, is new to town. He’s quiet, manly, and has the sexy air of a lost soul. It’s almost love at first sight for Truman. He thinks that love could deepen when Mike becomes part of the stage crew for Harvey, the senior class play Truman’s directing. But is Mike even gay? And how will it work when Truman’s mother is falling for Mike’s dad?
Plus Truman, never the norm, makes a daring and controversial choice for the production that has the whole town up in arms.
See how it all plays out on a stage of love, laughter, tears, and sticking up for one’s essential self….
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Small-town teen braves hatemongers to be true to himself: inspiring
I could not put down this moving continuation of Truman’s story and read it in one sitting.. Young Truman debuted as a high school freshman in Big Love, another great Rick R. Reed MM romance based in a high school in a small Ohio town. Truman first exhibited his bravery in Big Love, and, though it’s not necessary to fully enjoy this story which takes place during the fall of his senior year, I recommend reading the earlier standalone as well.
Truman is the star of the book, longing for Mike, a boy who’s new in town and apparently unobtainable and uninterested. Truman is so brave because he’s often terrified or hurt by other people’s reactions to his unique style and attitude yet he pushes through his fears to earn respect and acceptance. He’s got some great people in his corner, most particularly his mother Patsy and a mentoring teacher.
The social setting of the story helped elevate this book out of the ordinary for me. Truman and his friends are struggling, working class people, with few hopes for more than a high school education, from a Rust Belt town. I read alot of MM novels; though many deal with small-town prejudice, few broach the issue of life on the lower margins and the economic and social disappointments that can contribute to the rage vented against those who dare to be different and special like Truman.
I give Reed high marks for creating a love story with complex, flawed characters. So many emotions and, in the end, a young man who risks even a budding relationship to stand in his own truth.
Thanks to publishers NineStar Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
I haven’t read Big Love. Some people may say I should. I enjoyed this book on it’s own merits, without having met Truman in the first one.
The angst of being a teen, dealing with bigotry and hatred and being able to fight through and still be yourself and love yourself was, to me a very huge point in this book. Truman was proud of who he was thanks not only to two men who saved his life but to his mom who is , in my opinion , a great mom. She loves everything about her son…even his inability to be on time for the bus some of the time. She is his rock, his go to and his biggest fan.
It took me some time to like Mike . The attitude he needed adjusted sat wrong with me but I understood as a teen , he himself is unsure and confused a bit. But once he knew who and what he wanted and what was as stake , he stepped up in a big way. I try not to give too much of the plot away. I want other readers to experience this book as I did , first hand.
There are other characters that surprised me and made me so very happy to meet. Others, at a certain point made me say “Oh my gosh..I knew it!”
Such a great story. Rick does a great job getting a hold of feelings and giving them a savage twist at time. The end of one chapter had me…..well it’ll become obvious to the reader what I am talking about.
I was given an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review of the book.
Truman Reid’s senior year starts out with a new crush, the hot guy on the bus, but then he doesn’t set eyes on him again for a few weeks. That’s ok with Truman, as school keeps him busy. Just when he decides to audition for the school play, he runs into the new crush, who signed up as a stage hand. Mike’s parents decided to not only divorce but also move back to their hometown. Now labeled the new kid, and trying to fit in but at the same time hiding who he really is, Mike knows that Truman is just his type, but is he willing to step out and not be a “normal” boy? When Truman is asked to step up and take the lead in the play, will Truman be able to do what he knows he was born to do, be an actor…. even if it means playing the lead female part?
I found myself really enjoying this story, and feeling all the feels for Truman. All that Truman has had to go through in the past and the fact that he still refuses to hide just who he is, and if you don’t like it don’t look attitude that he has, just makes you totally in his corner. I did NOT read the first book in this series, and I probably should have, but I can’t change that now. I LOVED that there were a few naughty moments in this story, I was really not expecting that so that was a very nice surprise. I give this 4 stars.
Rick R Reed’s Bigger Love is a fun read about young men finding love, finding themselves and learning to take a stand that their true self does not need to hide. Truman and Mike are great characters with an entertaining story. One out and proud and forced to deal with the fear of bigots, the other in the closet and facing fear of being outed. Angst, laughter, tears and sweet moments can be found in these pages, perfect mix for a young adult story.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.
Bigger Love is Truman’s story. I was hoping he would get one as he was quite an important factor in the first book. But you can read this book without reading the first, however the first is amazing and heartfelt and you really should read it!
I am going to tell you a little about Truman. He is a fierce young man. He is starting his senior year, out and proud, putting his past behind him. He doesn’t have a lot of friends, just Alicia and his dog Odd Thomas that is getting very old. Truman is small, and loves to wear women’s shirts or bright colors and prints or tshirts with cute sayings. He dreams of being an actor and wen the chance to be in the school play Harvey opes up he tries out. Instead of a part he gets chosen to be student director. Then there is a really big pivotal twist here.
Truman’s mom is the best mom ever. She is very supportive and protective of Truman. She now has a boyfriend George.
George has a son Mike that lives across town with his mom. Mike is gay, he was out back home but here he decides to try to fit in but Truman keeps catching his eye and heart.
I loved Truman in this book as much as I did in the last. Maybe even more. I do wish we got more Seth and Dane though we did get a little Seth as the play director. I wish he and Dane had a bigger part. I didn’t connect to Mike as much as I wanted to but Truman did have to have a love interest.
I wish there had been more romance BUT, I love how the story had such a realistic feel. I could see all of this happening in real life. There was nothing fantasy or dream romance about it.
The epilogue was touching, a bit tear-jerking, yet we did get a HFN ending which is true to form for young adults as they have lots more growing to do. Who knows Maybe we can get more of Truman perhaps a Biggest Love HINT HINT, MR Reed…PLEASE!
If you like YA romance, stories with a realistic feel, strong fabulous characters, hard choices growing up, some hot man-sex and just an allover touching, charming story, I highly recommend this one!