Milt Grabaur has left his life, home, and teaching career in Ohio to start anew. The Summer Winds trailer park in Palm Springs, butted up against the San Jacinto mountain range, seems the perfect place to forget the pain of nursing his beloved husband through Alzheimer’s and seeing him off on his final passage.Billy Blue is a sexy California surfer type who once dreamed of being a singer but now … singer but now works at Trader Joe’s and lives in his own trailer at Summer Winds. He’s focused on recovery from the alcoholism that put his dreams on hold.
When his new neighbor moves in, Billy falls for the gray-eyed man. His sadness and loneliness awaken something Billy’s never felt before—real love.
When a summer storm and flash flood jeopardize Milt’s home, Billy comes to the rescue, hoping the two men might get better acquainted… and maybe begin a new romance.
But Milt’s devotion to his late husband is strong, and he worries that acting on his attraction will be a betrayal.
Can they lay down their baggage and find out how redemptive love can be?
more
A well-told tale of loss and the fear of moving on
4-4.5stars
I found this another highly moving and evocative read by an author whose works I’ve only recently come to know and love. Author Rick R. Reed does not skirt around the tough issues in life. He is particularly adept at describing grief and the longing for shared moments missed. And although the journey may take time and some mistakes along the way, his characters eventually make it through to a positive and uplifting ending.
In this story, recently-widowed Milt has also come through an extended period of caregiving for his failing husband Corky. He picks up stakes and transplants himself to the other side of the country to escape his grief and start fresh but it’s not working. The eruption of a violent storm and handsome Billy Blue into his life pushes him out of his solitary sorrow. Billy appears to him “like an angel” and I really liked Billy, a man who’s seen the error of his ways and realized the necessity for a radical change. Billy’s own past was rough and he is dealing with it with grace. His support meetings that helped him keep on the sober path were relevant but slowed the pace of the action a bit. Billy’s positivity, patience and empathy, described with such an adroit hand, made him a heroic and eminently lovable character.
Told in alternating point of view between Milt and Billy, this story packed some major life issues and touches of spirituality in with the slowly-brewing romance. It never gets explicit, focusing on their emotional growth and connection. Really well done!
Thanks to publishers NineStar Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
I enjoyed this quiet, sometimes painful story of Milt and Billy, neighbors becoming friends and slowly finding peace and love together. Both men were struggling to overcome their pasts, which the author provided detailed information on via flashbacks. Both men had people who loved and supported them, though I would have loved to see Milt find a support group or even a counselor.
I was expecting a great story from this author, and that’s what I got. I loved Billy and Milt, and I wanted them to be happy. I would be thrilled to see a follow-up with more of Billy’s singing. I’d love for him to show himself what sober Billy Blue could do with an audience. Even without that, I was satisfied with this book. Nicely done, Mr. Reed!
The more books I read by this Author, the more I love his writing. This one deals with some heavy topics, the death of a spouse and a recovering alcoholic…BUT at no time did it feel depressing. It’s more about coming to terms with the past, moving forward and letting love in again.
Milt wanted a fresh start when his husband died and chose to move to Palm Springs. He’s kind of just existing, living in a trailer with his beloved dog for company. He certainly didn’t expect to have his world turned upside down by a sexy blonde surfer type.
Billy hit rock bottom when his drinking got out of control. Now in recovery, he’s desperately trying to get his life back on track. He’s been watching Milt for a while, although Milt seems to be oblivious of his interest. A summer storm one night sees the two men’s worlds colliding but is Milt willing to let go of the past and love again?
The Author perfectly portrays the two men’s struggles. It’s an extremely slow burn which totally worked. Both Milt and Billy are highly likable, well-developed characters who find each other at just the right time in their lives.
I recommend this book!
Billy and Milt both live on a trailer park at Palm Springs. Billy already lives there and Milt chose this place for a new start. Billy saw the new man arrive and was instantly smitten by the lonely, silent guy. He watched him with his dog and when there is a flood and Milt shout for help Billy is there to help him.
When Milt tells his story about his life with his deceased husband to Billy, Billy’s heart sank more and more. He can never compete with this husband. Instead, they build a friendship.
With the look-backs on both men’s lives, we get to know them, what they’ve been through. The devastating situations they’ve been through, both in their own way.
Billy’s life was and is so emotional, and Milt was going through a very hard time, I shed more than once tears for them.
Milt was not available at all. He was grieving.
Billy makes a decision… if Milt doesn’t want to start anything with him, he’ll just leave this place. Because staying here would hurt too much.
The struggle both men had, one with his constantly nagging addiction and one with a massive hole in his heart was palpable on every page. Chapter after chapter we get to know more and more about them. It was an emotional journey.
The way this all was written was incredibly kind and with so much dedication, I felt so involved. Even after finishing I’m still flooding with emotions.
It’s not a light fluffy read, it’s profound and thoughtful, it has a respectful approach to both men with their complex characters and circumstances, it’s all wonderful developed and captivating.
Blue Umbrella Sky is about coping with grief after losing someone you. Milt lost his husband to Alzheimer and had to take care of also. Billy is a recovering alcoholic who is attracted to Milt. Rick Reed did a tremendous job with the book. You can feel the struggle that both are suffering throughout the book. At sometimes the book is so intense and very emotional that you feel their pain coming off the pages. The book is so well written that you can’t do anything but read it in one sitting.
Milt has just lost his husband from Alzheimer’s. He is in mourning and decides to move to Palm Sorings in a trailer park. He adopts a dog and works on a novel. Our avoids his neighbors not ready to make new friends. One day it rains and his trailer floods. A young neighbor up the hill is his savior maybe in more ways than one.
Billy Blue is younger than Milt. He is a recovering alcoholic and works at Trader Joe’s. He has been wanting to meet the new man and the flood is like an excuse from Heaven. Maybe it is.
This is such a good story. There is lots of angst on both sides. It is a slow burn and friends to lovers story. We also get to see Dane from Big Love. . I adored the storyline. And Ruby Milt’s dog which also had a sad story but good outcome.
My only issue with the story was there was some hopping around. At times it would go back to Milt’s past with Corky, or a dream. Or we might get Billy’s past. I enjoyed their backstory just wish perhaps it was dated or said so many years ago or something to let us no we were delving back.
I also would have like a touch more romance or a more solid ending to seal the romance but all in all I reallly enjoyed watching these two grow.
This was a great hurt/comfort story about two men, both in different places in life, hoping to move forward at the same time, together.
Milt was a happily married man for a long time. His husband, Corky, was affected with Alzheimer’s and died recently. Without a real plan, Milt just had to get away. The hot desert of Southern California called to him and he answered. Living in a trailer with his dog, he was doing okay. He didn’t think he needed anyone until it rained and his trailer flooded. And then his life changed.
Billy tried for six months to get his new neighbor to notice him. Pulled all the stops. Then one rainstorm later, he’s crying out for help. And Billy gets his chance.
The tale was told through dual POV’s with frequent flashbacks for both. I loved the idea of getting to know each character through their own experience, but I found sometimes that the flashbacks detracted from the story and were sometimes confusing.
The overall feel of the romance was heart-warming. Through Billy’s experience with AA and dealing with his own ghosts and his patience for Milt while he struggled with the loss of his companion and a promise that was made, I could feel that it was real. It was well written and planned. A feel good story with a great HEA.