Back to Normal is the classic gay tale of out and proud meets closet case with a twist. Greg Capello, an about to be out- of-work teacher and part-time waiter is so far in the closet he got married, a serious mistake on his part. Now divorced, Greg is fighting terrible headaches and dealing with the ghost of his Aunt Coco, a resident in his head for the past twelve years. He’s also dealing with a very strong attraction to Finn Sparks, his new boss at the restaurant where he moonlights. Finn is definitely out and proud. Most of his adult life he’s been a love-and-leave kind of guy.
The first time Finn sees Greg he’s immediately attracted. Greg’s lean physique and handsome good looks make Finn’s mouth water. He tries to keep his cool, at his sister Hayden’s insistence. Finn and Hayden are the new owners of the restaurant where Greg works. Hayden, twin sister, is certain Finn is heading for trouble by becoming involved with an employee.
Both Finn and Greg try to maintain a boss and employee relationship, as the renovations for the new restaurant get under way, but it clear that they are attracted to each. Greg is seriously fighting the attraction until a physical and emotional breakdown force him to come to grips with being gay and psychic. Greg’s resident ghost has always made him reluctant with people, but Aunt Coco may just save his budding relationship with Finn.
Back to Normal is a fun read. Wren Boudreau peoples her story with some great characters: Aunt Coco, the resident ghost in Greg’s head, who just happens to be lesbian; Finn’s grandmother, Miri, the Celtic pagan; and Greg’s detective brother, whose smart enough to know how to help Greg face his future. Back to Normal gets 4.5 stars for the pacing of the story and the quality of the writing. This one is a keeper.
Stars: [rating=5]
Review originally appeared on Rainbow Reviews
Publisher: Loose Id
Image courtesy Loose Id