All for You by Andrew Grey
Another dip into the romance genre gets so-so results. 'All for You' starts with Reggie relaxing with his friends in a bar, glad to be away from his new job and the small town its in, if only for one night. As the friends reminisce and tease each other, Reggie notices a nervous young man - clearly new to the gay scene - getting intimidated by an older, drunken man. Reggie comes to rescue and hangs out with Willy for the evening, but gently declines going further. It seems to much like taking advantage.
Reggie is in his early thirties and has been hired as sheriff to reform the police department in small, conservative Sierra Pines. A routine arrest of a show-boating teenager - who happens to be the mayor's son - brings him under the scrutiny of the local reverend, who is used to getting his own way. It turns out that WIlly is that reverend's son. Uh-oh.
For good reasons Reggie doesn't want to get involved with anyone in town and has, without telling any lies, kept his being gay a secret. Willy seems pretty eager to get him to break the rules, however.
The novel has an accelerated timeline - two or three weeks, tops - and this is a sweet romance of two people falling head-over-heels. I know this is the genre, but it all seemed a little too perfect, and too fast, to be completely satisfying. Sex written down is ridiculous no matter what you do (prove me wrong kids - prove me wrong!), so I didn't find much fault there. The supporting cast was fairly weak, Willy's mother and boss being the only ones who have more than one significant scene, and there's a little bit of police-action thrown in at the end for color, but it doesn't land.
I'll keep trying, its a genre I'd like to promote more.
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