Willow Bend - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
Can two men from different worlds cut the ties binding them to heartaches past and present, and make a life together? For Paul Gordon, the little town of Willow Bend, South Carolina is the perfect place to start over. A place where he can move on after his lover's death, alone and anonymous. Cory Saunders is just trying to survive. Between working two jobs and caring for his ailing mother, it's all he can do to keep his head above water. When Paul and Cory meet, their mutual attraction is undeniable. When the intense physical attraction starts to blossom into something deeper, neither wants to admit to what's happening. Cory doesn't have time for a relationship, and Paul isn't sure he's ready for one. But sometimes, what you thought you couldn't have turns out to be exactly what you need. Warning: this title contains explicit male/male sex and graphic language.

Customer Reviews: Read 18 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Erotic Overlaod! November 27, 2006
12 out of 19 found this review helpful

I looked at the cover, and I was like, not in this life time! But a week later I ran out of books and I was like, I have a few bucks to blow. Hay-seus! Nothing could have prepared me for this. Wow! There is good sex, great sex, mind blowing sex, then there is this. Everything just clicks. I expected nothing from this book with its ugly cover, but it dropped kicked me over the mountain doubt into the river of pure satisfaction. I was so pleased with this book. I still cannot believe it.

4 out of 5 stars

Poignant and heartwarming romance April 9, 2007
11 out of 13 found this review helpful

This is a quiet, low-key, somewhat sad and very heartwarming story about two very decent characters.

After his long-term lover dies in an accident, painter Paul Gordon feels the need to get away and start from scratch somewhere else, somewhere he won't have to live with the constant memories. He decides to move right across the country from Seattle and settles in the small town of Willow Bend in South Carolina.

One of the first people he meets there is the handsome waiter at the good restaurant in town, Cory Saunders. Cory makes him feel a spark of attraction, something he'd been unsure he'd ever feel again. As for Cory, he returns Paul's attraction, but his life isn't easy. He's got his hands full with his mother, who's in a coma and requires around-the-clock care, as well as with earning enough money to be able to pay for that care and her treatment.

And that's what this book is about, really. There's nothing exotic or over-the-top happening, just the heartbreak and hope of regular life. And the two characters' issues are just as normal: Paul is still getting over the sorrow of losing the man he'd thought he'd be with forever, while Cory is dealing with the situation with his mom. But the fact that these issues were so commonplace didn't make them any less powerful, because the feelings involved rang true. With Cory, for instance, I was struck by the way he was so conflicted about how he feels about it all. My heart broke for him because he was so disturbed by how at times he feels he'd actually prefer it if she died, not just to end her suffering, but because he's just soooo tired. A very human feeling, that, especially because it's so obvious that he adores his mother and he'd sacrifice his life for her.

The romance was lovely. I liked the tenderness of Cory and Paul's relationship, and again, I loved how normal the conflict between them was, and how true it rang, at the same time. The main issue among them is money, that Cory lacks it and has to practically break his back to make ends meet and yet, won't accept Paul's offers for help, even though Paul intends them as something very far from the charity Cory fears they might be.

When they solve their problems, this is a relationship that I really felt would last forever, both because of how maturely they dealt with their issues and because these two together are much more than just hot sex. And speaking of the love scenes, they were both hot and sweet, but I did feel they were a little too numerous. After a while, some of them weren't really adding much to the story. In fact, having so many of them didn't fit the tone of this sweet, sad story. I wonder if this has something to do with gay romance having the Erotica label tacked on it, whether the story is about sex or not?

Another minor problem was that Blue seems fond of dropping pronouns, especially at the beginning of the story. This wasn't as heavy as in other stories I've read, but there were quite a few "Want you"s and "Need you"s, and I kept rewriting the dialogue in my mind.

All in all, a lovely story. Even the setting was heartwarming. Willow Bend is almost fairy tale-like in how everyone is so open-minded and tolerant, and how people care about each other. Other than one bigot (who actually doesn't do any more than glare a bit), everyone's good and kind and caring, and that's just what this book is like.

5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding book!!!! February 20, 2007
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

I bought Willow Bend a couple of weeks ago along with some unrelated DVDs because I wanted a gay novel to read. It wasn't until this past Sunday, however, when I actually opened the book for the first time...and I didn't close it until I had devoured all 203 pages in one sitting. Willow Bend is one incredible book! The sex scenes are unbelievably erotic, yet they mesh perfectly with one helluva good story and involve some very well-developed characters. I can't remember the last time ANY book affected my emotions as much as this one did. I can't recommend it enough.

The one question I have relates to the author, Ally Blue. Is that a pseudonym for a gay man, or did a straight woman (the book is dedicated to "my husband") really write this book? If it's the latter, then I'm REALLY impressed because the descriptions of the sexual liaisons between the two main characters is nothing short of utterly phenomenal.

5 out of 5 stars

A truly romantic read September 22, 2006
8 out of 11 found this review helpful

Ally Blue has a way of drawing the reader in and sending them on an emotional rollercoaster. All her books are a must read and Willow Bend is no exception. It's a beautifully crafted story. The characters are so real you will hate to leave them. I felt like I knew these characters, they made my smile, cry and laugh. The sex scenes are erotic and will leave you breathless, but the truly outstanding thing about this story is the development of the Cory and Paul's relationship and how they help each other over the death of loved ones. This is a very romantic and realistic love story. Also recommended: Laura Baumbach's A Bit of Rough; Sean Michael's Tripire; Chris Owen's Bareback

5 out of 5 stars

A must read M/M romance writer ! June 1, 2006
7 out of 9 found this review helpful

Willow Bend is a lovely gay romance about finding love in the midst of death, the death of a beloved spouse and the death of a beloved parent. I love Ally Blue's works (4 e-books thus far in Loose-id and Samhain). She explores her guys' feelings deeply, emphasizing on the emotional content of their relationship and Willow Bend is no exception. And of course there is the hot sex. All of you into M/M erotic romance should not miss Ally's works. I for one am glad to have one of her stories available in good old fashioned paperback.

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