Erryn reviews Gideon (Finding Home Book 3) by Lily Morton. Published May 12, 2019, 268 pages. The audiobook was released July 22, 2020, is 9 hrs and 43 mins and is narrated by Joel Leslie. A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Why I read it: I am loving this series.
Gideon Ramsay is so far in the closet he should be a talking faun.
A talented, mercurial, and often selfish man, Gideon has everything he should want in life. Fame, money, acting awards – he has it all. Everything but honesty. At the advice of his agent, Gideon has concealed his sexuality for years. But it’s starting to get harder to hide, and his increasingly wild behavior is threatening to destroy his career. Then, he’s laid low by a serious illness and into his life comes Eli Jones.
Eli is everything that Gideon can’t understand. He’s sunny tempered, friendly, and optimistic. Even worse, he’s unaffected by grumpiness and sarcasm, which forms 90 percent of Gideon’s body weight. And now, Gideon is trapped with him without any recourse to the drugs and alcohol that have previously eased his way through awkward situations.
However, as Gideon gets to know the other man, he finds himself wildly attracted to his lazy smiles and warm, scruffy charm that seem to fill a hole inside Gideon that’s been empty for a long time. Will he give in to this incomprehensible attraction when it could mean the end of everything that he’s worked for?
From the best-selling author of the Mixed Messages series comes a story about a man who needs to realize that being true to yourself is really just a form of finding home. This is the third book in the Finding Home series, but it can be listened to as a stand-alone.
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My review:
Gideon Ramsey is a spoilt actor with too much money and not enough sense. This book opens with him having a near-death experience and he still doesn’t get it. He has a brother who cares for him dearly, and two close friends who would do anything for him, but he sees none of that. He was almost a spoiler to the couple in the last book. I wasn’t even sure I liked him very much, but I knew he was getting his own book so I held off judgement.
This book is about Gideon’s redemption.
And his comeuppance, so to speak.
Although Gideon didn’t die, he does have the slight problem of needing to get from Italy to England without setting foot on a plane. And I can tell you driving is not an option. So his loving brother Milo books him on a cruise for pensioners that will land him safely back in the UK. Oh, and he gets a minder/nurse to keep him company.
Now, I liked Eli very much. He’s quite a bit younger than Gideon but has some miles on him. He’s got life experience and a good head on his shoulders. He calls Gid out on his bullshit repeatedly and, eventually, earns Gid’s trust. In fact, the cranky old guy starts to like his hot young nurse. There’s this one exchange where Gideon challenges Eli.
“The only way I see six o’clock in the morning is when I am coming home to go to bed.”
“Well, Mick Jagger, that wild way of life is over for the moment, so, instead, we’ve got Wake the Day Meditation.”
“Did you just compare me to a rock star who looks like a raisin on a pair of legs?” I blink. “Wake the Day Meditation?” I say in a tone of absolute disgust. “What the fuck is that? Am I to be responsible for the sun coming up on this ship too?”
Eli tosses a bundle of clothes at me. “I’m sorry to interrupt your messianic leanings,” he says, not at all apologetically. “Put those on and hurry up. We’ll have breakfast afterwards.”
I look down at the tight grey mull full-length leggings and black vest in dismay. “Surely there must be something else we can do,” I say and I can hear the desperation in my voice. “My brother’s the spiritual yoga person in our family.”
He stops and looks at me curiously. “Is he? Is he any good?”
“Very,” I say, hearing the pride in my voice. “He teaches a class in the village now.”
That would be Milo he’s referring to. I love the acerbic wit of this interaction. As with all Lily Morton books, there’s plenty of snark. I was in heaven.
Eli has scruples, though, and there’s no way he’s getting involved with a patient. So they part ways. But keep in touch. Gideon uses his time wisely, getting to know his brother better and, frankly, becoming a better person.
When they do finally get together…it’s magic. Oh, but one little hiccup. Gideon is a huge movie star who is very much in the closet. Eli has to decide if he’s willing to live there with Gid. When they are nearly outed, all comes to a head.
I really loved this book and I’m sorry to see the series end. I am hoping more of Ms. Morton’s books come to audio soon. And, of course, I have to mention the inestimable Joel Leslie’s fantastic narration. These books stand on their own, but Joel’s voice brings the men to life in the most wonderful way. This is a series I plan to return to again and again.
My rating:
10/10 Pots of Gold – Compares to 5/5 Stars
Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she got her Kindle.
She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams, and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing because how else would she get to spend her time with hot, funny men?
And finally, she believes that love conquers all. Except the heat index in July. Nothing can conquer that bastard.
Rainbow Gold Reviews 
I love the snark that’s evident from the first line of the description. This sounds like a series that I will enjoy…at some point as I tackle my TBR mountain range. Thank you for the review!
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