Blurb
Forty-six-year-old Eddie Hightower has a problem. He’s all alone. The only thing that saves him from facing that stark reality is the fact that he isn’t really alone at all. He has a house full of pets and a refuge full of stray unwanted animals he spends every waking hour trying to place in homes. While he loves what he does with all the joy in his heart, that same poor aging heart is still missing something. And Eddie knows exactly what it is. Romance.
But wait. Cue the music. Suddenly, beyond all hope, it happens. In the small desert town of Spangle, California, where Eddie lives, comes a sad young stranger with piercing gray eyes. They are the palest, most stunningly beautiful eyes Eddie has ever seen. Poor Eddie Hightower is swallowed up in their silver depths and disappears without a gurgle. The stranger’s name is Gray Grissom. Gray, like his eyes. Without hesitation Eddie opens his doors—and his heart—to the lost young man. After all, that’s what Eddie does. He finds homes for strays. But this is one stray Eddie intends to keep for himself.
But wait. Cue the music. Suddenly, beyond all hope, it happens. In the small desert town of Spangle, California, where Eddie lives, comes a sad young stranger with piercing gray eyes. They are the palest, most stunningly beautiful eyes Eddie has ever seen. Poor Eddie Hightower is swallowed up in their silver depths and disappears without a gurgle. The stranger’s name is Gray Grissom. Gray, like his eyes. Without hesitation Eddie opens his doors—and his heart—to the lost young man. After all, that’s what Eddie does. He finds homes for strays. But this is one stray Eddie intends to keep for himself.
Review
My Rating - 4 Stars!
Strays and Lovers is a good May to December romance by John Inman. It just so happens to include a whole lot of animals too.
Eddie, who's closer to 50 than to 40, runs an animal refugee. Gray meanwhile, is 20 years his junior, but he certainly helps Eddie to feel less lonely.
When they first meet, Eddie can easily see the sadness in Gray. He's ashamed and embarrassed by his past, full of pain and fear. He's definitely a survivor, he just doesn't realize this.
Eddie and Gray are two men who are definitely better off together than alone. Each man fills a hole in the other's life and heart.
I found the story to start off with a slow start. But, soon the pace and the story picked up. It is most definitely a relationship-driven story.
Strays and Lovers has an ending that's super sweet, and you can just feel the love jumping off the pages.
