More than this is a story about two men having a relationship, it felt to me as though it was about families and the mistakes we make when we love people... and when they hurt us. Both the main characters in this book have tumultuous histories with their families, things they don't want to discuss, and at the same time, they are almost immediately drawn to one another.

There are some intense and authentic feelings about the suicide of a character in this book. No doubt it will be difficult for some people to read, but it's well done. I've experienced that kind of loss myself and the instant dread combined with the "wishing" that it would all go away and not be real felt very credible. I liked the exchange of emails between Rob and Jasper and the way that they revealed a little each time. I suppose I just wished that the "getting to know each other" phase had been a bit longer.

These two characters do manage to resolve some issues by the end of the novel but I suspect there is much more work for them both to do. There's very little resolution in terms of Rob's relationship with his remaining family members. Perhaps the author has a sequel in mind. I am still very curious about Rob's family and all the convoluted things that have happened in their past.

At times, I found the relationship moved a bit quickly for me. There were moments when a character would seem reluctant then his emotions would whiplash back to the complete opposite and I had trouble keeping up with it. Early in the novel, Jasper remarks that he's been in love before and is surprised that Rob hasn't been; later in the novel, they seem to be saying the exact opposite.

All in all this well-written and it gets 3-stars from me. ( )