HUSBANDS
by Brigham Vaughn
Pages:
143
Date:
19/04/2015
Details:
No. 4 Equals
ARC
/ Kindle
The
blurb:
“Russ is ready to make a lifelong commitment to
his partner. That means marriage to him, but Stephen grew up believing that was
out of the question. With marriage equality still not recognized in Georgia,
Stephen is only concerned about the legal protection available to them.
Someone from Stephen’s past reappears and drives a wedge between them as Russ and Stephen struggle to agree on their future. Russ tries to understand Stephen’s complex feelings about marriage, but the differences in their background stresses the relationship further. Can the relationship they've built overcome the issues they face?”
Someone from Stephen’s past reappears and drives a wedge between them as Russ and Stephen struggle to agree on their future. Russ tries to understand Stephen’s complex feelings about marriage, but the differences in their background stresses the relationship further. Can the relationship they've built overcome the issues they face?”
My thoughts:
Husbands starts with a bang and throws you straight into the angst. We
are with Russ as he deals with the devastation he feels when Stephen doesn’t
enthusiastically accept his marriage proposal. To say it pulled me straight
back into Stephen and Russ’s world would be a gross understatement.
I’ve come to love Stephen and Russ while reading Equals,
Partners
and Family
(click the titles for my thoughts on those books) and couldn’t wait for them to
achieve their official happy ever after. They didn’t make it easy on themselves
or on me.
After the prologue we see Stephen and Russ happy
together and I have to admit this threw me for a little while. For some reason
I assumed chapter one would take up the story where the prologue ended and it
took me a chapter or two to figure out we had actually moved back to an earlier
time in their relationship. But, on reflection, I’m glad the story was told the
way it was. Seeing Stephen and Russ’s journey to that heartbreaking moment in
full detail meant both men’s reactions made perfect sense.
What I really like about these books, and what
makes me admire Brigham Vaughn’s writing so much, is that she writes about
realistic and recognisable relationships in which the partners go through
issues we can all recognise and relate to. There’s nothing contrived about the
issues Stephen and Russ run into and that means their problems and the way they
deal with pull all the harder on the reader’s heartstrings.
Husbands deals with every question the previous three books may have
left the reader with- there’s no lose thread left by the end of the book.
Stephen's fifteen year old issues with Jeremy are dealt with, Russ faces the
mother who deserted him and both men have to come to terms with what commitment
means to them and how they view the future, especially taking into account the
age difference between them.
Like the previous three books, Husbands
is at times rather hot too. Being together for over a year hasn’t diminished
the physical attraction between Russ and Stephen; if anything, the strengthening
of their relationship has also improved their sex life. The scene where Russ
introduces Stephen to the delights of phone sex was as charming as it was
scorching. But, if I’m honest, the physical contact that really got to me were
the tiny touches, the quick squeeze of a hand or thigh to show support or
acknowledge the other’s presence. They, more than anything, showed how well
matched this couple is.
No, their journey to wedded bliss was anything
but a smooth ride. It was a fascinating, at times heartbreaking, but ultimately
uplifting story though. Having become rather attached to these two men I am
very grateful that Husbands, while the last book in the series, isn’t quite the
end of their fictional life. They are set to make an appearance in Connection;
a spin-off novel to be published later this year. All I can say is; bring it
on.
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