Second Hand

It's official: I'm moving to Tucker Springs

This is book 2 in the series, I'm guessing the reading order doesn't really matter, but I'm reading in order because ... no good reason.

Here we have El and Paul's story. El, short for Emanuel, is the pawnshop owner and Jason's friend from Where Nerves End, and Paul is a clueless guy who has moved to Tucker Springs for a girlfriend who has now ditched him for another man.

Paul goes to El's shop, at first to buy a gift in an effort to win back his girlfriend, later to get rid of her stuff, and later, though perhaps unconsciously, to see El. Paul is not the brightest bulb, in fact he can be quite dim, oblivious, and down right obtuse. Alas, the heart wants what it wants and El's heart wants Paul. I can see that. I've loved things and people that maybe I shouldn't or whose appeal wasn't apparent to others but, but I had a ball while it lasted. End of TMI.

I liked that, like in the previous book, the story wasn't insta-anything. El is intrigued and perhaps reluctantly attracted as soon as he meets Paul, but he does have a life and so does Paul. They each have ordinary jobs and money woes like everyone else. No one owns a dungeon or has some crippling childhood trauma, the closest thing is El's smoking and Paul's failure to get through veterinary school. I liked that though El's family is clearly Latino, perhaps Mexican, there was no stereotyping. They have many of the same ordinary problems we face in modern America: hoarding, loss, and looking for love when it's in front of us. Yes El's abuela makes tamales but no one has a problem with him being gay. They love him as he is and want him to find a nice boy! Meanwhile Paul is that character we like to complain about when we read fiction: he vacillates, is maybe weak, and wants to ride the safe train. But being honest: who among us isn't like that?

In his secret heart Paul has always had an attraction for boys but after some teenage experimentation let himself be led, uncomplainingly, down conformity lane because he thought it would be easier to be “normal”. I'm not sure where Paul got this idea from as his mom turns out to be an adorable kick-ass lady, who has been reading up on “the literature” for whenever Paul decides to come out and even suggests gay porn viewing for Paul. Maybe Paul is just a shy boy (he totally is) who needs someone to show him love. Luckily El is the right man for the job and he does it with panache. He's patient, he's willing to put Paul first, and isn't afraid to be a little cunning, to play a little dirty to get his man. I loved it. Paul is no rocket scientist but he's sweet, loves animals, and once he gets a taste of El jumps feet first into the pool. No morning after regrets ... not really. He does have those few minutes of maybe mourning? the life plan he'll no longer be on and that's fine. Ultimately this story is about dreaming new dreams when your first ones no longer fit.

Like in the previous book, there were no grand declarations, but there surely were deeds that said I Love You loud and clear. Sweet.

The audio is once again by Iggy Toma and he doesn't disappoint.