ORIGINAL SPANISH VERSION BELOW

Today I came to work with only one and a half hour of sleep, I couldn't stop reading this book.

Taylor, I have read all that you have authored and your work is, IMO, original, modern in the best sense of the word, worked scrupulously and with marvellous endings that leave me with a sensation of plenitude and hope.

The story is absorbing. The conflicts are solid and consistent with the period and the location. In respect of the protagonists and the most important secondary characters, when they have fears or preventions these are completely reasonable. And the characters react and solve situations with common sense and intelligence.

I like specially Cedric's assertiveness, from it can be inferred that his OCD doesn't imply weakness or pusillanimity.

What? That for moments does it look like (only does it seem) the life is a bowl of cherries? Perhaps, but I like it! A little bit of fairy tale is welcome.

As I see it, this love story talks fundamentally of acceptance -of oneself, of the other people, of disagreeable situations or morons that we cannot change and with regard to them we can spare the effort-. Also talks of fight and overcoming.

It was a wonderful, touching and joyful reading. It goes straight to my hallelujah-shelf


Oh My, Oh God, translating is a tough job, more than writing right in English. :P

SPANISH ORIGINAL VERSION
¿Porque primero en castellano mi reseña? No tenía mucho tiempo, fue apenas llegué a la oficina y quería poner en negro sobre blanco todo lo que me había parecido el libro antes que el paso de las horas lo fuera esfumando, por eso dejé del lado mi costumbre de escribirla directamente en inglés

Vine a trabajar con sólo una hora y media de sueño, no pude dejar de leer este libro.

Taylor, todo lo que he leído de ti (vale decir, todo lo que has publicado) es original, moderno en el mejor sentido de la palabra, trabajado con esmero y con unos cierres maravillosos que me dejan un regusto a plenitud y esperanza.

La historia es atrapante,. Los nudos y conflictos que se plantean en esta historia son sólidos y congruentes con la época y la localización. Respecto de los protagonistas y los personajes secundarios más importantes, cuando tienen temores y prevenciones los mismos son absolutamente razonables y los personajes reaccionan y resuelven situaciones con sentido común e inteligencia,

Me gustó especialmente la personalidad asertiva de Cedric, de ella se desprende que su trastorno obsesivo-compulsivo no implica debilidad ni pusilanimidad.

¿Qué por momentos parece (sólo parece) que se viera la vida color de rosa? Quizás, ¡pero me encanta! Una pizca de cuento de hadas es bienvenida.

A mi entender esta historia de amor habla fundamentalmente de aceptación -de uno mismo, de los demás, de situaciones desagradables o personas estúpidas que no podemos cambiar y en las cuales no vale la pena malgastar esfuerzos-, lucha y superación.

Fue una lectura cautivante, conmovedora y gozosa. Va directo a mi estante hallelujah. ( )

I never thought I'd love this book as much as I did. I wasn't completely sure what to expect from the blurb, but let me say that the reality far exceeded my expectations.

What I got was a beautiful, romantic love story between two very different characters. Each one brings their own form of baggage. Granted, Cedric's is basically a container load of baggage; with his OCD, his fear of germs and all this other bits and pieces. But Kevin isn't free and clear of issues either. He has only recently admitted to himself that he is gay. He is divorced and shares custody of his three kids...and is worried how this revelation will impact on all of this.

The story truly focuses on the building of a very tricky relationship...how to deal with the OCD...the obsessive cleanliness that Cedric needs and the effect the meds he is taking have on his body. It's very hard work and the author manages to convey this beautifully. There is no belittlement of any issue. Nothing is dismissed, or magically overcome. In fact it feels so real that while I just wanted to grab Cedric and hug him tight I was also very aware that he wouldn't appreciate it because of his fear of germs... and that is what I love. Characters so vivid that they seem real. Situations that you can picture in your head and scenario's that seem to play out in front of your eyes. This book had all of that and more! ( )

A substantial book, both in length and theme. Cedric's issues with regards to OCD were handled with great care and compassion without glossing over the turmoil for him or for Kevin, the man he falls in love with. So good but also absolutely exhausting to read at times! ( )

"And he wasn't a twat anymore"

What a wonderful way to end a book with a British character lol.

It was nice seeing a little humanity injected into what, assumedly, would be a very robotic, unlikeable man in perhaps another author's care. I mean, British AND debilitating social anxieties. Poor guy! It was delightful and nail-biting to watch Cedric's progression.

Definitely recommend this book. When it comes to having a character "come out", it generally goes one of two ways in LGBT fiction (that I've noticed, ymmv) either they get completely ostracized and made into a pariah, or are accepted with ooey-gooey barfingly sentimental love. This book managed to ride somewhere in the middle and I loved it. Especially since it was so similar to what happened when my bro-bro came out. There were real world, financial and interpersonal consequences, but when the dust settled, the people that mattered most just straightened their collars and got on with life, while the others (not so) politely fucked off.

*AHEM* Where did that soapbox come from? *Steps down and quietly kicks it away*

Anyways, I really liked this book because it had me reading certain parts through my fingers, and I always love it when a book makes me look like an idiot on my lunch break. Keeps things interesting.

SammiSue ( )

I don't know how to write this review. What I really want to write doesn't really make for a very helpful review. It would go something like, "Just read the damn book, already! You'll love it, trust me." But since that won't help you out if you're wondering what to read next I'll try to be more specific.

Things I loved about [b:Disasterology 101|16082174|Disasterology 101|Taylor V. Donovan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1350048246s/16082174.jpg|21881779]:
1. Cedric, quirks and all, is brave, funny, sensitive, and just like Kevin knows, Cedric is stronger than he realizes. And don't forget hot. Yup, definitely hot.
2. Kevin. What to say about Kevin. I have to admit, there were times I had to remind myself that Kevin was thirty-six years old. His character just seemed to be so innocent at times. But even that fit within the story, since he was just then admitting his sexuality to himself and was just starting to make his way as a gay man. It was nice to see a MC who wasn't a manwhore.
3. I loved reading about Cedric's OCD. It was fascinating to realize that OCD was more than just a funny episode of "Monk" (God, I loved that show).
4. Ava and her adorable little lisp whenever she said, "birfday."

What I didn't like:
Only two things worth mentioning. One, there was a bit more inner dialogue than I usually care to read. They did a lot of thinking about their problems and it could sometimes get a bit bogged down. And two, Cedric's problem with erectile disfunction was wrapped up a bit more neatly than I anticipated while reading the lead up. I would have liked to see a bit more of them working together about it.

But seriously, read the book, love the book.
P.S. I bet Cedric just loves his eReader since he doesn't have to deal with all those pesky germs at the library.
( )