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REVIEW: Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out by Ryan Love

 


Genre: LGBTQ+ | Fiction | Romance 

Release Date: Expected 13th April 2023

Publisher: HQ

Arthur and his wife have an announcement to make - they're separated. Not because they don't love each other, but because Arthur finally feels ready to tell his family, and his small-minded town that he's a gay man. And now, in his 70's, he wants the chance to finally live as himself. 

His family is shocked - especially his 21 year old Grandson Teddy who has just started to accept his own sexuality, especially when it comes to his beautiful but problematic co-worker, Ben. Teddy isn't ready, how could he be when it took his Grandad decades to say it out loud? He isn't ready to deal with his overbearing Mother and worry about what everyone will think, especially after how they treated Arthur. But for now, he knows there's one man he can turn to as tries to navigate this new chapter of this life - they can do it together. 

Just remember that every day you aren't being true to who you are is a day wasted. I know I am very blessed to have had a good life, but you deserve to have the best life, the one you really want.

A tender and beautifully told story about self-discovery and self-expression - a testament that there's no time limit to finding yourself no matter how lost you get. 

As I'm sure anyone else in the LGBTQ+ Community knows, coming out isn't a one-time thing. We're always coming out to people, and even to ourselves as we learn more about who we are. And I am so excited for the day we no longer assume our kids are straight and coming out isn't a thing, but in the meantime I have wonderful books like this to find catharsis and companionship in.

Arthur was a total delight - society often forgets about the gay men and queer people who lived through the generations before us, and this journey with him was so bittersweet. I felt his pain in mourning for his life before, the one he'd built but the joy at his new one. His relationship with his wife was breath-taking and honestly left me in tears. The love and respect, the understanding and support between them was beautiful, especially as we learn more about their formative years together.

Then we have Teddy, a confused, chaotic Kid trying to find his place in a world that is already confusing and chaotic. I could almost feel the tension in my shoulders as he tried to hold up the weight everyone was placing on him and expecting him to hold up. But he was just a young man, trying to find out what he wanted his life to be. Both of their perspectives had such personality, and both were undeniably endearing from the get-go. At first, their stories are distinct, their voices clear and eventually the two strands came together to be one - one story about family, about coming together, about connections. 

A few laughs, some tears and a lot of heart - this isn't just a story about coming out, but about coming face-to-face with ourselves and I absolutely loved it. 


⭐⭐⭐⭐


I was gifted an advanced reviewers copy of this title in return for an honest review. 

cw: loss/grief, homophobia, references to conversation therapy, illness. 

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