William Jack Sibley

Original review here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2013/02/sighs-too-deep-for-words-blog-tour.h...

Sighs Too Deep For Words is a story that follows a man named Lester who has just been released from prison. He is at a loss in the new world and is trying to adjust. His first priority though is to surprise a woman named Laurel. Lester and Laurel have been writing each other back and forth for the past four years while he was in jail. He loves her and he knows she loves him too, so a surprise visit will be a great way to finally meet. But Lester is let down when he finds out Laurel may not be who he thought she was. She may be a he. That he being her minister brother Philip who isn't quite out of the closet yet and not really comfortable with himself. As you can imagine, Philip is not Lester's favorite person right now. So Lester has to figure out how to make Laurel want him and yet still try to figure out where he fits in the scheme of things.

This is going on my favorites list of 2013. Goodness gracious what a great read. The characters, the dialogue, and the story came together so beautifully. This book will make you go through every emotion possible. It was such a roller coaster ride. Full of laughs, deceit, misunderstandings, and downright craziness.

I absolutely loved the characters. Lester was a great lead character. He was definitely trying to find his place in the world after being in jail. While he was in jail, things definitely happened and it may have changed him even though he doesn't want to admit it. I loved following him on his journey along with the people he met. I loved Otis. He had me laughing so hard, but I love how much we learn about his son and where he fits into the story which I found interesting. Then we have the Wheelwrights. Oh my goodness is this one hell of a family. Yvonne is the mother. I have to admit, I didn't think I would like her. I thought she was one of those snooty moms that care for nothing but their looks. But I was wrong. She knew things and never let them bring her down or tear her a part. Well mostly anyway. Then we have dad named Bob who loves his boats. So much so, that it seems he has neglected his family. But he is dealing with some huge issues of his own that I didn't expect. But again, I couldn't hate him. I felt sorry for him.

Then we have their children, Melanie and Daniel. They are both wild and eccentric and easily the most fun characters in this book. Daniel is gay and doesn't hold back. He knows what he wants and he goes after it. Melanie is the same way, but she shouldn't be considering she is set to be married. She is getting all of her angst out before she ties the knot to someone she may not love. It seems more like she wanted him for his money and his lifestyle not much. She definitely has her own revelations in this book that she needed to make. My goodness, the stunts this girl can pull will have you in shock and/or just laughing nervously out loud. I love how Lester's meeting with them changes things big time. They both were crushing hard on Lester. I won't even mention where that goes.

I just love how things played out. Philip wasn't ready to get out of the closet given his occupation, but he really was lonely. All he had was his sister who happens to be a lesbian herself which Lester doesn't know about yet. It was nuts to say the least. But Lester's arrival starts such a domino effect, it was amazing. They weren't kidding about that six degrees of separation thing, were they? I won't lie, the meetings between these characters were just a little too convenient, but given where it ended up, I won't complain. Well except with Bob's predicament. I wanted a little more tension there even if the ending is still the same. I think everything should have been laid out first and see where it went then. He got let off a bit to easy for my taste. Nonetheless, I won't spoil you guys, just know I loved the ending.

This is a must read for me. The story kept me enthralled. It was just very human. You don't really see gay, straight or in between. You don't see religion, society, lies, mistakes, or secrets. You see all that makes them human. The things they have to face. The inner demons they all have to battle themselves and admit to those closest to them no matter how much it may hurt. I just loved this read. It is definitely a more adult look at the modern day family and modern life, but still manages to be a little light so it doesn't feel like some Lifetime movie (Good Lord nooooooooo!) This is such a beautifully written book. It is heartfelt, thought-provoking, and emotional. This will leave you smiling. Highly recommended.… (altro)

When I first started this book I had low expectations. Hecate had also gotten a copy to review and finished it before me. She didn’t like it all too well and it made me a little worried but then again she can be rather picky with her reading (it’s true don’t hate me!)

I was actually excited to read this book because it was LGBT related and the plot line looked really interesting. The story was interesting enough but by the time I was reading the last half of the book I wasn’t sure where the story was going to go. I was hoping it end in this happy romance and everyone get’s with the person they want, etc. etc. But as a real word type of novel I knew this wasn’t going to go exactly the way I wish it would – c’est la vie.

I was really happy by the end though, just the last page made everything fit perfectly. Sure it wasn’t what I was expecting but the feeling behind the words and the characters made the ending page perfect for me. This is a love story, not the typical one our society has written where the guy get’s the girl at the end or what not. This is a real life love story. The one where a guy learns what love is all about. It takes all these strange life events to realize that the person he loved most was there all along.… (altro)