3 BR Stars with CC!!

Definitely, this ranks high with some of the angstier works from Ford (ie.the Cole McGinnis series), and by no means was this an easy listen despite Tremblay’s narrating genius.

Jake has been through hell, mostly in the form of a crazy, fucked-up, abusive father with antiquated notions, not only surrounding homosexuality, but also the roles that women and men should maintain. I could not reconcile at all this man’s pure evil and hatred toward his supposed love ones, and I sure as shit couldn’t reconcile Jake’s misplaced loyalty towards his father, regardless of every awful thing he put Jake through.

So yes, Jake is a lot messed up in the head. He feels unworthy and pretty much just wants to opt out and never return to his miserable existence, mostly because he feels his sexuality is wrong and is slowly suffocating under extreme guilt and shame. That is, until a chance meeting with Dallas. Unafraid, seemingly untouched by the hatred that can visit upon some, Dallas is not naive. He’s had his share of a few tangles and tragic situations, but he’s been lucky enough to have had a ton of loving support, and hiding who is he is not even an option. When Dallas buys a property across the street from where Jake works, it’s very fortuitous that Jake’s welding expertise is exactly what Dallas needs to get his business up and running. Dallas sees beyond the gorgeous facade and knows that there’s a gawd awful, horrifying past the shy, skittish man is trying to hide from, and he simply only wants to help Jake. Despite the fact that the attraction between these two is instant, it’s gonna take a helluva lot more than that for them to find their happy ending.

If hurt comfort is your thing, then this one has it in spades.

Overall, Ford doesn’t deviate much from her formula. As always, there’s a ton of pretty words, and this time around, plenty of painful ones to counteract them. This is simply a story about a man finding himself and realizing that who he is, isn’t wrong.

There’s no crazy action, no big mystery to solve, just two people falling in love, however scary and painful and exhilarating that may be. The conflict here is mostly all internal, with the slow undoing of doubt and fear to ultimately find one’s worth and inner peace. If that’s not what interests you, then there’s other Ford stories that will surely entice. Admittedly, not my favorite of her works, and though Ford is no stranger to angst, some aspects of this (mainly Jake’s dad) were too much for me to bear, and thus, the rating reflects that. However, I still enjoyed this listen, because again… Tremblay.

Thanks to the author/publisher for the audio in return for a honest review

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3.5 stars ( )

Jake has one heck of a character arc. Do read the forward, it is short and worth the kind and tender entreaty before you begin that first chapter. And Dallas, of course he is exactly who Jake needs but nothing is so straightforward.

I read this almost straight through. It's overly descriptive and verbose, and though Ford is good at characters and emotions, there was enough repetition to prompt the subtraction of a star. That, and a bit of plot left hanging, unless I missed something. Always possible. ( )

There's This Guy by Rhys Ford is an incredibly uplifting and extremely emotional journey of healing.

Jake Moore is an exceptionally gifted metal worker but his highly dysfunctional and abusive childhood leaves him feeling utterly hopeless and unable to accept every aspect of himself. He is heavily guilt-laden over his perceived role in his mother's death and despite the horror inflicted upon him by his father, Jake cannot turn his back on the man now that he is dying. His life is at an incredibly dark place and when Jake meets Dallas Yates and his delightful friend Celeste, he does not feel worthy of love let alone friendship or comfort.

Dallas is Jake's complete opposite in every way. He has a loving, supportive family who accept every facet of his personality and his life. He is quick to welcome people into his life and his heart and he is extremely upbeat and outgoing. His optimism is refreshing and despite his sunny outlook on life, Dallas knows not everyone can be fixed and he is well aware his relationship with Jake might not ever progress beyond friendship.

Although Jake is not ready to embrace his sexuality, his fledgling friendship with Dallas is a glimmer of light in his somewhat grim and rather hopeless life. Dallas respects Jake's boundaries and his inability to talk about his past, but when he inadvertently stumbles onto one of his new friend's most shameful secrets, he finally begins to breach his defenses. Quickly realizing the depth of Jake's problems, he encourages him to seek professional assistance to help him deal with the trauma from his childhood. The changes in both Jake and the men's relationship are gradual and realistic as Jake finally begins to come to terms with his haunting past.

There's This Guy is an absolutely heartwarming romance but it is Jake's recovery from his emotional wounds that makes the novel such an outstanding read. Rhys Ford handles difficult subject matter with a great deal of sensitivity. The storyline has an amazing amount of depth and there are no quick or easy fixes for Jake's issues and his subsequent recovery from his traumatic past. The characters are richly developed and multi-faceted with realistic backstories and experiences. While there is plenty of chemistry between Dallas and Jake, it is their emotional connection that makes their relationship so believable. A heartfelt and moving novel that I highly recommend to fans of the genre.
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Let me warn you: this book starts with an emotional punch to the gut that almost knocked me out, and it gets worse from there. Much worse. Jake has to go through hell dealing with physical and emotional abuse, a tyrannical, abusive, dying father, flashbacks, suicidal tendencies… But as painful as it was to see him struggle, I loved watching him slowly, slowly pick up the pieces and change from a suicidal wreck to a man who can be honest with himself about who he is, one who accepts and even likes himself, and who finds a partner who is everything Jake never admitted he wants. It is an emotional journey of epic proportions and while it left me emotionally drained like few novels do, I also think it is one of the most rewarding books I have read in a long time. Well worth the “effort” of dealing with my own reactions – close to tears as I came on more than one occasion.

Jake has more baggage than one man should have to carry. Fear and angst define and limit him despite the fact his heart yearns to be free. His mother, while helping him deal with his father’s abuse when Jake was a child, made it clear that being gay is an abomination. Jake’s father – where do I even start? He is a selfish, tyrannical piece of work who doesn’t even deserve to be called human, as far as I am concerned. Jake is gay, but due to his parents’ indoctrination, he feels guilty, unworthy, and immoral about it to the point of rejecting himself. And as if all of this is not bad enough, Jake also struggles financially (much of it due to the fact that he feels he has to pay for his father’s care in a hospice). No wonder Jake is ready to end it all! Jake is attracted to Dallas as soon as he sees him, then works with him on the restoration, but his initial reaction sums up the issue in a nutshell: “Dallas Yates was everything Jake needed to deny himself.” Talk about a challenge!

Dallas comes from a very different background. He has a family who loves him, is well-off financially, and he specializes in challenging projects. When Dallas is looking for a place to restore and turn into a club for his best friend’s drag show, he ends up buying a dilapidated Art Deco building close to where Jake works. At first it is Jake’s physique that attracts Dallas, but as they bond over restoring the building to its former glory, then become friends, Dallas begins to fall in love and want more than a physical relationship. It is slow going mostly due to Jake’s issues, but Dallas never gives up and I admired him for his perseverance and insistence on therapy for Jake, as much as for the loving way in which he helps Jake deal with his issues.

Jake and Dallas could be poster children for what a slow burn romance looks like. And this is exactly as it should be because Jake has so many emotional barriers to work through before he can accept himself, never mind a relationship with a man – something he has grown up to believe is unacceptable and depraved. Dallas is amazingly patient and supportive, but he has glimpsed the man, the artist, Jake could be once he frees himself from others’ opinions of how he should lead his life. And Dallas is determined to help Jake be everything he can be. In that sense, Dallas is like a sculptor who helps free Jake’s soul from all the debris stopping Jake from being a happy, productive guy.

If you’re ready for an emotional roller coaster that will leave you wrung out but feeling uplifted with a sense of great hope, if you think that men who are their own worst enemies deserve help and support when digging themselves out of mental and emotional hell, and if you’re looking for a read that is honest about the issues and the struggle some gay men face when they strive to overcome the damage abusive parents and a lifetime of suppressed feelings have done, then I can wholeheartedly recommend this novel. It’s well written, emotionally powerful, and an extraordinary story all rolled up in one breathtaking experience. And the ending couldn’t be more perfect and made it all more than worth it.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )