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Title: Country

Author: Jeff Mann

Narrator: Randal Schaffer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-30-17

Publisher: Lethe Press

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Brice Brown sings about loyalty and broken hearts, the earnestness of being a proud Southerner, yet his popular country music lyrics are misdirection because Brice has kept hidden his attraction to men for all his life. But when a former lover - and band member - goes to the press with the truth, Brice finds himself sick of all the lies and returning to the sanctuary of his West Virginian hometown. The neighbors who used to be proud of the "local boy made good" turn on him. His record label cancels contracts, his wife files for divorce, and he finds himself disgraced and despondent.

But then Brice learns from a fan that there is a compound in central West Virginia run by a man who has helped troubled gay youth overcome their self-loathing. Brice takes a chance at redemption and finds the retreat in the woods. The owner, only a few years older than Brice, is a kind-hearted soul and does not turn him away and offers a friendly ear and comforting words. Conway Twitty once said, "Listen to advice, but follow your heart." And the man's nephew, Lucas, who serves as the handyman at the compound is a tempting young man, simmering with resentment at his past, angry at how he sees his future will be. And Brice thinks that Lucas is attracted to him but both men are hurting. Can they rise above the condemnations the world has given them and find something meaningful...together?

Members Reviews:

Another good Jeff Mann read.

4.5 stars. This is another really good M/M story by author Jeff Mann. Not nearly as dark and steamy as some of his others (i.e., "FOG") but rather just a good read about a famous country star who is exposed as gay which in the fanatically religious south puts him on the wrong side of the Bible and ruins his career, income and almost his heart. He's really saved when he meets Lucas (not until well into the book), a young man also ruined by gay bigots (including his mother), who was in prison for several years (and abused) and is trying to put his life back together. There is definitely an older/younger vibe to the story that warms the reader's heart.

Lots of religious references (both good and bad), a little steam, and a lot of soul searching which might lead one to believe this would get a little tedious, but it never did for me.

Two brawling, ornery country boys who waded through a lot of crap to find one another.â

The above quote from the book sums it up pretty well. Set initially in the latter part of the 1990's the story revolves around the homophobia and dread of being gay in the "country" back then. Small town bigots, people using Old Testament religion to justify their hatred make this a pretty harrowing read at times. But the two men survive even if scarred mentally and physically.

To balance this is a vivid picture of life in the Appalachians. The good people, the scenery, the food. Boy, the food! I'd never heard of half the dishes they cooked or talked about, but I kept getting these urges to get up and eat!

I hope that times have changed and gay people are accepted better than they obviously were back then.

Coming from a different country where, even if homophobia exists it has rarely been this vitriolic or pervasive and where the press isn't nearly so invasive, I found it hard at times to connect with this story. Maybe the fact it was written in third person past tense rather than first person present contributed to my difficulty.