The official website of A. B. Gayle - Author and Editor
Share this:
  • Home
  • Latest News
  • My Books
  • Free Reads
  • Blogs
    • Tyler Knoll's Blog
    • Interviews
    • Reviews
  • Man 'em up Dude
    • Leather + Lace >
      • Chapter 1: Stand Back
    • Red + Blue >
      • R+B - Reviews & Blogs
    • Caught >
      • Caught - Reviews & Blogs
    • Initiation
  • SciFiRomance
    • WIP - Nature
  • Mainstream
    • In Search of the Perfect PinotG!
    • The Lost Diary of Thomas Kendall
  • Coming Soon
    • WIP - Home+Away
    • WIP - Pride+Prejudices
    • WIP - Truth+Lies
  • Bio
    • Links
  • Editing Info
    • Editing Special Forces

Always, Ollie.

1/15/2016

0 Comments

 
Ollie AlwaysOllie Always by John Wiltshire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had heard that a lot of this book drew on the author's own experiences, so at times I was distracted by wondering which bits were autobiographical and which just drew on thoughts and experiences.

In the end, I relaxed and took the story as it came. And there were many things to like about this book. First off, the scene where he manipulated the "meeting" was hilarious as were the books titles that followed.

Then there is Ollie. I felt for him trying to find a place for himself given the overwhelming (even if loving) presence of his mother. It's like I imagine many children of celebrities feel and why so many of them have troubles finding their own paths in life.

I loved how Ollie eventually found a way to come to terms with his Oliver namesake via Freddy.

And of course there is a dog. And a loveable one at that. I loved the way he leaned on people and how Ollie unabashedly used him to further his goals.

Don't expect lots of hot sex scenes, this is more two men finding a way to be together. Tom/Skint is a proud man. I loved the scene in the shearing shed he'd been living in, and the way Ollie reacted.

There were definitely echoes of Nik in Ollie and Ben in Tom, but these were more real and hence, more fragile versions.

This was the narrator discovering that "Once the me, me, me of life had ceased, hearing other people's pain became a great deal easier."

There were lovely digs at the reality of living in picture postcard New Zealand's remoteness. The temperature of the water, the cost of living.

I highlighted a couple of sections, but will probably see more when I re-read it as it is definitely worth it.
Tom did release Ollie's hand then, but only apparently to pat the dog. Ollie began to see a pattern here-stressful question...dog. He foresaw Bartleby being very well patted for a few more days and nights yet.
And this: As he says "He hadn't proved himself entirely reliable since he'd met Tom over shit, and parted over vomit."

It's lovely to have another stand alone from John even though I am waiting with bated breath for Book 8 of More Heat than the Sun.

This is not the gut wrenching high octane emotions or dramatic events. This is life. I absolutely loved the way Ollie fantasized about a "rose-cottage, sugar-coated fantasy" where he could "Cook them both breakfast and slip into Tom's room, be welcomed into bed with a grumpy but secretly very-pleased-to-see-him pat of encouragement on the sheets to crawl in alongside Tom and they could sit there eating, perhaps reading the papers..." OR... and you'll have to read it to discover the alternative.

And if JW is wondering what book to write next, those children's books sounded good. Kids books without the moral message or at least have it very well hidden. We need more books with heroes like Miles/Freddy. Raoul Dahl made a fortune with books bucking the "system" perhaps there is room for more. Or maybe we need a series of adventures with three legged Bartleby and his pedigree-in-disguise mutt partner. Gay dogs. Yep, I'd buy that!



View all my reviews
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    A.B.Gayle

    This is a collection of reviews I've posted at Goodreads and
    interviews authors have granted me.

    Plus from time to time, I'll share my take on writing and marketing. This will be done under the Tyler Knoll banner, because nothing is better for curing the headache these things can be for us.

    Archives

    August 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    June 2010
    March 2010

    Categories

    All
    Alexis Hall
    Ash Penn
    Barry Lowe
    Bev Dentham
    Brad Vance
    Bryl Tyne
    Chainmale
    Chaos Magic
    Christopher Koehler
    C.H. Scarlett
    C.J. Cherryh
    Clare London
    Damon Suede
    Darla Sands
    Desert Run
    Dirk Vanden
    Don Bastien
    Don Schecter
    Drag Queen
    Duck
    Dusk
    Erotic Horizons
    Habu
    Hank Edwards
    Heidi Cullinan
    Heights Of Passion
    Hot Head
    Hourglass
    Interview
    Isolation
    Jane Davitt
    Jay Lygon
    Jeff Mann
    John Preston
    John Wiltshire
    Josh Lanyon
    J.P. Barnaby
    Julie Bozza
    K.A.Mitchell
    Keith Fennell
    Kim Dare
    Lisa Henry
    Lyn Gala
    Margie Church
    Marshall Thornton
    Mel Keegan
    Mimosa
    Morticia Knight
    Mr Benson
    Opinion
    Out Of The Box
    Patric Michael
    Phillip Mackenzie Jr
    Quotes
    Redemption Reef
    Reversal
    Review
    Reviews
    Robert Reynolds
    Robert Rodi
    Ryan Field
    Scott Terry
    Stray
    Syd Mcginley
    T.A. Webb
    Thom Lane
    Trey #3
    Tyler Knoll
    Vancouver Nights
    Wild Raspberries
    William Maltese
    Writing

    RSS Feed

    Follow this blog
Picture
The copyright to all the material published on this site is owned by A.B. Gayle.