Sometimes family chooses you. At forty, Vincent “Vinnie” Fierro is still afraid to admit he might be gay–even to himself. It’ll be a problem for his big, fat Italian family. Still, after three failed marriages, it’s getting harder to ignore what he really wants. Vinnie attempts some self-exploration in Chicago’s Boystown bars, far from anyone who knows him. Naturally, he runs smack into someone … smack into someone from the neighborhood.
Between working two jobs, going to school, taking care of his grandmother, and dealing with his mother’s ongoing substance abuse, Trey Giles has little time for fun, let alone dating someone who swears he’s straight. Yet after one night of dancing cheek-to-cheek, Trey agrees to let Vinnie court him and see if he truly belongs on this side of the fence–though Trey intends to keep his virginity intact.
It seems like a solid plan, but nothing is simple when family is involved. When Vinnie’s family finds out about their relationship, the situation is sticky enough, but when Trey’s mother goes critical, Vinnie and Trey must decide whose happiness is most important–their families’ or their own.
more
I absolutely adored this book! I got such a pure enjoyment from reading it, just couldn’t put it down. I loved the slow yet steady relationship between Vinnie and Trey, the care they took with each other’s feelings and wants. Big Italian family was a big draw for me. I love reading romance with big slightly, okay a lot, intrusive families and this was just that. Vinnie’s coming out was one of the highlights for me. Both men’s feelings were so relatable and the struggle both had in their lives felt real and heartfelt. I enjoyed reading about emotional turmoil and Trey’s inner strength as well Vinnie’s gentle care when Trey needed it the most.
The dynamics between them was a very good surprise as well as chemistry. The authors wrote them together realistically and it was so hot and passionate. I actually enjoyed the wait since both Vinnie and Trey got to experience romance, dating and had time to fall in love. Awwww. It was so good. I genuinely enjoyed this story from beginning to the end.
I’ve now read this book three or four times. There is something honest about it. It’s not a fluffy read–the alcoholism and grief is real. It makes me cry. Yet, it makes me happy too seeing how a family can band together in a crisis, how sometimes people can surprise you, how hard it can be to hope for anything, how afraid people are to not do what is expected of them…
I have been reading romance and erotica for over forty years; I started quite young reading books my parents probably shouldn’t have let me read. I have read books with every kind of sex, gender, pairing, age, culture, nationality, kink, skin color, romantic combination, religion, species, subgenre…anything I could find. This book is just a great, solid romance novel. I raised my rating because, with all the books out there in the world, I keep reading this one.
Sweet and fun story that made me swoon, smile, and fall in love. The characters were fun and adorable, with great chemistry… The story had drama , humor, and romance. The narration was well done and added entertainment value to the experience. Definitely a recommendation!
One of the best mm books I’ve read in a long time it was sweet and romantic and steam and very entertaining.
Audiobook review: 3-3.5 stars for the story, 4 stars for the narration
Family Man marks the first time I’ve read a book by either of these authors, as well as the first time I’ve listened to this narrator. Gay-for-you/ out-for-you stories are always tricky for me but between the sample and positive reviews, I decided to give it a chance. Overall, Family Man was a good story with a very good narrator. While there were a few plot details that gave me pause, it was the execution and writing style that I struggled with most.
A May-December gay-for-you romance, Family Man had plenty of sweet moments between the characters and with secondary characters, while also offering some angsty issues Vinnie and Trey had to work through. I really liked the approach of the younger man being out and the older hero having the sexual identity awakening. I also liked that this was a slow burn, virgin romance because it gave both men time to develop before wading into physical intimacy, which inevitably made it more believable. The narrator did a good job injecting personality into his performance and it was easy to differentiate between characters, and all in all Family Man was an enjoyable listen.
Despite the unique characters, interesting storylines, and good narrator, the writing style felt stilted with awkward transitions. This wasn’t helped by each character’s point-of-view written in a different perspective. I don’t have a first person vs third person preference when it comes to reading, but Family Man is the first book I remember both used, with Vinnie’s side written in third person and Trey in first person. I’m not sure whether this was a co-writing thing, but it did seem clear when one author picked up and stopped again, and generally left the book feeling disjointed. That said, the story was a good one and the narrator definitely kept me engaged. I think Family Man is worth trying for fans of gay-for-you stories because it is pretty unique in regards to that trope.
*Reviewed for Alpha Book Club*
3.5ish*
This one was kind of a struggle for me. I really liked Trey- I felt for him with everything he had to deal with, especially the nightmare that was his mother. He’s a sweetheart who’s trying to do the best for everyone, while not having much leftover for himself. Vince was another story. I tried not to think badly of him, because I can’t imagine being almost 40 and finally coming to terms with who you really are, but it was hard. I kept waivering back and forth with my feelings towards him- he’d do something awesome and sweet, and then he’d pull back and frustrate me to no end. Again, I’d have to remind myself his world was kind of in an upheaval. But still, I wanted him to own his feelings for Trey!
I did love how Vince was able to finally fully embrace who he was, and that it wasn’t a long, drawn-out angst fest. He did it for himself, but his feelings for Trey were really the catalyst. I appreciated everything he did for Trey. I enjoyed the dynamic between the 2, and I was really happy they found their way to their HEA.
Family Man is a delightful read. With a well-constructed plot, endearing characters, and dialogue that’s witty and easy to follow, Family Man was a pleasure to read.
Just WOW! Family, love, acceptance, grief, hope it’s all here. Vince is the older, bigger, more ‘macho’ of the two and he learns to see who he really is and to not be defined by others’ opinions of what it takes to make a man. He’s not the ‘girl’ in the relationship or less manly because he’s not a top. I loved how sweet, gentle and caring he is with Trey. It was amazing to see him come out to his family for Trey’s sake. Trey’s life is full of stress and pain. He’s trying to keep too many things afloat all on his own. His love for his Gram makes me smile. The pain and betrayal he feels towards his mom was so real. I loved Vince’s family and how they all rallied for Trey when Vince called. The ending was superb.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will probably purchase the Audible audio book also. I have read the book at least three times . . . and probably will again!
I read this as a digital library book. This is a nearly-perfect love story between a young man with too many responsibilities and an older man with a family and a secret he’s afraid to confront. The only flaw is some repetition. It’s more a flaw for me because I read this in two days. But I read it in two days because I loved it, so. There you go.
Were I the author, I’d have made a Content Warning: addiction from the child of an addict’s POV. I can see where if you suffer/suffered that special hell, you might want to avoid this story.