BLURB
Patrick Mahoney has one goal in mind: get out of his native Fresno and find freedom in the rainbow and glitter-painted streets of San Francisco. As a college freshman, he’s sure he’ll finally have the chance to be himself, away from the judgmental eyes of his conservative hometown.
Josh Dirda’s never wanted to be tied down before, preferring the emotional ease of the one night stand. But when Patrick moves into the apartment that Josh shares with three friends, Josh is pulled in by Patrick’s sly wit and quietly creative spirit. As Patrick’s self-appointed tour guide, Josh can be Patrick’s introduction to the city he loves. But after a drunken Halloween hook-up crosses lines, Patrick and Josh must reckon with their true feelings—and decide whether they can let go of the ghosts from their pasts that haunt them
REVIEW - 5 Stars!
From the start, I was drawn into Calling Calling Calling Me, as the tone of this Natasha Washington novel had me mesmerized.
I love a good new adult novel, coming of age story, and this one definitely fits the bill. I find both Patrick and Josh, as well as their friends, to be well written personalities. The author uses dual points of view to develop these characters deeply. This book is filled with many fun and exciting things; first times, new city, new people, new experiences, and new love.
After horrible bullying during his teen years, Patrick finds himself running away to attend college in a new town, San Francisco. He wasn’t able to be openly gay in his conservative town, and it nearly broke his spirit. Moving in with some older roommates, he meets the intriguing Josh, who takes an interest in Patrick, and appoints himself as Patrick’s guide for the city.
Patrick’s feelings of freedom are genuine, and extremely accurate. On top of that, for the first time he’s also living where it’s okay to be gay, and it’s a whole new world for the young man, gifting the reader with some powerful scenes.
Josh, pansexual, has also faced his own issues, which have caused him to sleep around with any willing partner, instead of looking for love. With Patrick, he’s able to trust in love, allowing himself to be the man he wants to be. I find Josh’s slutty ways to be perfectly developed, and his growth throughout the story is fantastic and believable.
Both young men have life altering experiences in their pasts, which have shaped them into the men they are now. Some of these events will leave you crying and heartbroken for them.
Natasha Washington expertly makes San Francisco into a character of its own, including atmospheric descriptions with lots of historical information. As one who has never been there, I felt completely transported into the city and its ambience. Mentions of Harvey Milk and the Castro District perfectly help to describe this unique setting.
One of my favorite things about this story, though, is the strong, unbreakable bond that develops between Patrick and Josh. This adds tremendously to their relationship as it develops into more. Throughout their issues and setbacks, their strong friendship helps to bring them back together, leaving them stronger.
Calling Calling Calling Me is a character driven, coming of age story, which happens to include a romance. This is Natasha Washington’s debut into the world of contemporary romance, and it’s exquisite.
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