Product Description

It's not so easy being young, gay, and in love for the first time at the average high school. Senior Toren Grey cares more about his family and his grades than what brand of clothes he wears. He agrees with the majority consensus that he's a nerd. So he's quite surprised when resident bad boy Wesley Carroll speaks to him in the hall, stirring feelings that Toren has to hide. Disconcerted by Wes's free and easy ways, Toren can't deny the attraction between them. As he relaxes and gets to know Wes better, he finds there's more to the sexy rebel than his public image. Before long the young men are exploring new territory and falling in love, but life just isn't that simple. After they graduate, obstacles block their relationship at every turn: Wes working versus Toren in college, the virulent disapproval of parents, and everyday trials faced by any struggling young couple. Wes and Toren have to believe in each other... and never doubt that their love can conquer all.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #90917 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Customer Reviews

Wonderful Coming of Age Love Story
This is a great story that starts out when Wesley and Toren are still in high school and need to come to terms with the way they feel about each other. Having fallen in love myself in HS with my husband of 21 years, I know there is such a thing as a lasting young love. Of course, theirs is alittle different because they have to deal with being in high school and being gay. The story continues after they graduate and move in together and dealing with all that comes with living with another person. I hope this author continues to write. This is a wonderful love story and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes m/m stories. I would also recommend Crossing Borders by Z.A. Maxfield, Caught Running by Abigail Roux and all of the Heaven series titles by Jet Mykles.

Wes and Toren by J.M. Colail
This is a classical coming of age story with a bit less angst than usual. I'm really fond of teens story, I always say that in them I find an innocence and a sweetness that it's hard to find in a normal contemporary story. Teenagers are so eager for love, and the love so hard that it's impossible to not heart for them; problem is that I'm maybe a bit too realistic, and I always wonder if a story that starts when the boys are underage have really a chance to last.

This is the main reason why I liked this book, since it spans almost two years in the life of Wes and Toren, from when they are still in highschool till when they approach their adult life, with college and work and stuff like that.

Toren is a cute nerd little student; he is obviously gay, he has written it all over his face but he is so worried to come out: his parents got divorced since his father fell for a man when Toren was 12 yeard old, and since then he lives with his mother; he loves so much his mom that he fears to hurt her with the truth and so he represses his feelings. But then Wesley enters his life and he can't help to fall hard and love is impossible to hide. Plus Wes has not a supporting family and Toren becomes not only his lover but also all the family he has.

Probably Wes and Toren have to grew too soon and too fast, but as I said this is not an angst story: even if they went through some not nice events, mostly their story is made of tenderness and cuteness; there is clearly a yaoi imprint in it, but not so much as other western yaoi novel I read. Wes is clearly the top in the relationship, he assumes the role of the caretaker, the man of the family, the one who goes to work and comes back home to his little "wife". But he is not an authoritative man, he is not an absolute top, he is only a real good boy; and it's strange since in highschool he had the fame to be a bad boy, the one born in the wrong side of the city. But for most of it was only a role he played as reaction to what he was living at home, with parents that never once supported him, even before they knew he was gay.

Toren instead is the classical bottom, all blushing and tears, but he is not weak, he only needs to find a bit of courage to come out, and not only in a sexual way. But don't forget that Toren is 17 years old when the story starts, he is still mostly a boy and he has plenty of time to grew; I like that he is not forced to take steps he is not ready to do only since around him people don't understand. And I think that Wes, with his protective attitude, somehow helped Toren to walk at his own pace.

There is a lot of sex, and there is clearly the fascination of a woman author for two young boys in love, another legacy from the yaoi influence; not only that, there are also some female characters in the book that probably represent the author herself (actually the female are the strongest characters in the book). But the sex is also tender, as all the book, and so it's very nice to read it.

Wes and Toren-A Joyfully Recommended Title!!
Wesley Carroll and Toren Grey are high school seniors. Wes is the bad boy and Toren the nerd. When Wes starts talking to Toren then asking for help in school and giving him rides home, Toren is nervous and excited. Wes stars in all of Toren's secret fantasies. Things heat up between them, when Wes lets him know that he likes guys too, especially Toren, and soon lust turns to love. They're young and still in high school but they know what they want to be together forever. Forever is a long time though, and the road ahead of them isn't going to be easy.

Sometimes I'm in the mood for danger and excitement, car chases and serial killers, and other times, I just want to read about two guys falling in love. That's what Wes & Toren is. Despite age and grades, being from the wrong side of the tracks or having a prejudiced family, they fall in love and make it work. Wes and Toren are sweet and sexy and so in love it makes your teeth ache. I adore them. I love that they never change and that no matter what they do or don't do, they love each other unconditionally and wholeheartedly. Through thick and thin, good times and bad, and in sickness and in health, they love each other. You forget how young they are. It feels like they have been together forever. It's really, really nice. Wes & Toren is a beautiful and heartwarming story.


Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed