Status Update

Status Update (2015) Annabeth Albert (#gaymers)

Noah Walters is trying to finish his book, so he can complete his sabbatical as expected and then get tenure. Teaching jobs in geoarchaeologist are few and far between, so even if he isn’t especially comfortable at the conservative college where he teaches, it’s a good job and he loves teaching. And he’s used to being alone, so it’s all okay.

Until it suddenly isn’t.

If there was any doubt remaining about Noah’s orientation, his instantaneous response to Adrian’s touch would have erased all suspicion.

Adrian Gottlieb is heading home for his sister’s wedding, and hoping to do some site-seeing on the way, except that spending in-person time with his long-distance boyfriend goes worse and worse until he’s stranded in his bare feet on a gravel lot in late November with just his cell phone as his so-called boyfriend drives off.

Also, there are dogs.

This story is so sweet and adorable it was precisely what I was needing.

First, Noah is everything.

Noah loved his job, but being “on” for a long lecture class could be exhausting, to say nothing of faculty functions.

He was raised in a conservative christian family with an abusive father, and teaches at a conservative christian college with a morality code. He knows he’s most likely gay, but since he’s terrified of losing both his job and his family, he’s never even considered having a boyfriend.

Second, Adrian is lovely. He works in video game design, and has a lovely and loving family, but sometimes they can be a bit much, and although the accept him, he often feels that he isn’t living up to their expectations, so he really doesn’t want to show up alone to his sister’s wedding.

Thirdly, the two of them are So. Adorable.

Noah plays the game Adrian is working on, and the two of them geek out regularly on bad movies and all kinds of things and I love it.

Shall we take our food and start the movie?”

“Yes, Alex, we shall. Will your next package be from Korban Dallas?”

Did I mention how adorable I thought this was? So very!

There is angst, because Noah is in the closet because of his job and his religious upbringing, but it’s also clear he doesn’t like being in the closet, and that he is curious about everything he’s been missing out on. Which means that the problems between the two are real problems and require work. When Noah comes out to his sister, I almost burst into tears.

“Have you really been staying away because you thought we’d reject you? You’re breaking my heart here.” Ruth’s voice wavered.

I also like that Noah’s faith is important an important part of him, even if he is conflicted about churches and religions. It’s obviously messed him up, but he isn’t willing to give up on faith just because his church made him hate who he was.

And I love that Adrian realizes he needs to accept himself.

“I love you,” Adrian said. “I love you for deciding to love yourself. Life’s too short to hate yourself.”

This really was the story I needed to read right now.

Publisher: Carina Press
Rating: 8.5/10

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