Guilty Indulgence

ACTUALLY, I'M GAY is one of the best books that I have read this year. Roxy Harte wrote a beautiful love story that touched me in ways that I really didn't expect and gave me a whole new appreciation for parents of autistic children.

Colin tells his wife that he doesn't want to have more children with her because he is gay. When he wakes up the next morning, she is gone, leaving not only him but their 4-year-old autistic son. Colin is a corporate lawyer who has been basically absent in the day to day caring of his son and is at a loss as to how to deal with Kerrigan and still do his job. When his partner suggests a summer camp that is specifically designed for autistic children, he is reluctant but doesn't feel he has much of a choice.

Beau never thought he would be back running the camp that his grandfather started, but when his grandfather passes away and then a few months later his dad is killed in an accident, he steps in to do what he was brought up to do. He is used to dealing with difficult parents who have a hard time leaving their children in his care, but he has never had a reaction to one like he has to Colin.

The relationship that develops between Beau and Colin is antagonistic at first. The camp doesn't allow parents to be there except on visiting weekends, but Colin tries to get around that by renting the cabin across the lake. Beau tries to explain to Colin that his presence is hindering Kerrigan's progress. Colin has a hard time believing that he can ever care for Kerrigan on his own and takes his frustration out on Beau.

When the camp experiences some trouble and Beau thinks he might have to close it, Colin steps in and does what he does best. As a corporate lawyer, he is the go-to person if your company is having PR and legal problems. But the real reason behind the trouble comes from the last place neither man expected.

I fell in love with these characters and with their story, and while there were aspects of the story line that I had problems with, like Kerrigan's mother just leaving her child, I loved the relationship that was built between Colin and his son. Things do happen quickly between Colin and Beau, but I didn't have a hard time believing it. I was sucked into the story and was happy to go along for the ride. The way the author describes how an autistic person's mind works read very real to me. And as long as you don't have a problem with public sex, or on the side of the road sex, you should come along for the ride too. I give Actually, I'm Gay, 5 chocolate dipped strawberries!
This review originally posted for The Romance Reviews: http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=1240