Last year I had the distinct pleasure of enjoying His Kind of Woman by Nona Raines. It was a lovely read, a truly romantic tale that demonstrated a wonderful understanding of what it means to be different. While it took on such difficult topics as family rejection, bullying, and coming out, it still managed to be positive and uplifting.

With Her Kind of Man, we get the long-awaited next chapter in the romance between Roy and Venetia – although new readers are welcome to jump right in.

Although it is clear they are both very much in love, things are not perfect between Venetia and her man, largely because their romance is still under wraps. Roy is the kind of man who does the wrong thing for the right reasons, and it drives a pretty deep wedge into the tale. In an effort to protect Vee and the kids of her SPECTRUM youth group, he has kept their entire relationship a secret from the guys at work. In his defence, some of the truckers he works with are homophobic and violent, but when the truth comes out, he does a very buy levitra generic poor job of explaining himself.

Raines continues to explore the themes and threads of the first book here, forcing Roy and Vee to decide what they want from each other, and from a relationship. She’s never enjoyed such a substantial relationship, and he’s still coming to terms with her gender and what it means for his sexuality. Both have fears to confront, and a lot of them begin with the elephant in the room – the death of Roy’s brother, about who neither is willing to talk.

Needless to say, there is some pain to this second story, and more than a few uncomfortable moments to be dealt with. Harsh words are spoken, and relationships are strained. It’s sad, but tragedy is a part of life, and ultimately it makes the romance that much sweeter. While there’s no tidy happily-ever-after, you do get the sense that Roy and Vee come out of the story stronger, more in love, and more committed for having faced their fears, and that’s all we can ask for.

Her Kind of Man
Nona Raines. Loose Id LLC, (77p) ASIN B017TIWFIK