Title: But I Never Said I Didn’t Love You
Author: Andy Dunn
Publisher: Musa Publishing
Pages: 206
Characters: Callum, Brian
POV: 3rd
Sub-Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Love-Triangle, Drama
Kisses: 3
Blurb:
Callum should have come out years ago, but getting married seemed like a better idea. When his coworker Brian begins to flirt with him, Callum starts to question his earlier decision. Shortly after his divorce, Callum and Brian start dating. Nothing serious. Just a laugh and a pint or three down at the pub.
Even though he’s uncertain how strong his feelings are for Callum, Brian encourages him to see other guys. This backfires in a rather unexpected way: Callum meets his second boyfriend Simon. Simon might just be a better suitor – he’s a bit more romantic and a lot less brash than Brian.
Review:
This book surprised me in several ways. From reading the blurb, I had a feeling this book would definitely have a uniquely told storyline. I figured there would be a love-triangle element to the story, but I didn’t realize it would turn out the way it did. Now, I’m not saying this is a bad thing at all, because it isn’t. All of the characters are interesting and very flawed people, who want to love and be loved, and like real life, sometimes it isn’t going to be with the one you believe is right for you all along.
Callum is coming to terms with his homosexuality. He’s getting divorced and is anxious to play the field and see which person is the right fit for him. His best friend, Brian, is thrilled about this because he’s more than a little interested in Callum ever since they’ve met. When Callum confides in Brian about his issues, Brian immediately takes him under his wing and the attraction that has simmered between them turns into a rapid boil. But Callum really wants to keep their relationship on a more casual level, and Brian wants more from his friend but is willing to do whatever it takes to keep him happy. Since Brian wants Callum to do what’s best for him, even if that means for Callum to explore his new sexual freedom. But when Callum becomes interested in another man, Brian begins to believe all of the encouragement and freedom he’s given Callum, just might backfire on him in the end.
I don’t want to spoil the book, so I won’t go that much more into the storyline. I will say that there are many twists and turns to Callum and Brian’s relationship that I thought was realistically portrayed, it wasn’t something that was always easy to read.
There were times I didn’t think that Callum was a very sympathetic character. I thought he could be very self-centered and sometimes oblivious to other peoples’ feelings; especially to Brian and Brian’s feelings about him. Please don’t get me wrong, Callum is not a bad man. He’s a likeable person and I enjoyed the banter he has with Brian. He’s just really coming to terms with making a huge change in his life, so he’s understandably looking out for himself.
I liked Brian a lot. He’s doesn’t always do the right thing and there were times I wanted him to stop being so supportive of Callum and to put himself and his feelings first. He’s a loyal friend and a very flawed but likeable hero and I enjoyed his character.
There were some funny and heartfelt moments written in this book that I liked a lot. It’s a fast-paced read that definitely kept my interest throughout the storyline, even if it wasn’t something I expected. This made But I Never Said I Didn’t Love You a refreshingly different read that I enjoyed. I admit I’m not sure how to rate it, because even though I liked the book, I did have trouble connecting with Callum’s character, so I personally never really warmed up to him in the end. I do think there will be many readers who will enjoy Callum’s journey to self-discovery and will appreciate the love-triangle that happens as the story progresses. They will also enjoy the camaraderie between the characters, and the easy-going and likeable style of how Andy Dunn writes, because I know I did. Andy Dunn is an author I will definitely look out for in the future and I hope to read something from him again. I’m honestly not sure that this book was really my cup of tea or not, but I’m still glad I read the book and I enjoyed the journey the author took me on.
Reviewed By: Gabbi
