Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5
Romeo Bradly and Julius Shepherd moved to Blissville for the same reason: a fresh start. Romeo was looking for a school district where he could make a real impact in the lives of students and faculty, and Julius was eager to teach one of his passions to the best and brightest at a school with a nationally ranked science program. But the sleepy little town offered them much more than they’d bargained for—quirky people, unlikely friendships, and an all-consuming attraction that turns them inside out.
When unexpected circumstances threaten to cancel the school play, Romeo’s theater background and Julius’s musical expertise make them the perfect pair to save the day. Working together so closely makes it harder for the men to ignore their growing feelings. After all, the heart knows what it wants and doesn’t care about age gaps, race, or professional conflict of interest. Romeo and Julius will learn that they have far more in common than they realize, and their differences will make them stronger if they give love a chance.
Their commitment to each other and the play will be tested when outside forces target them as a couple and exert pressure to cancel the production. Romeo and Julius vow to prove their love can conquer any challenge and will burn strong well beyond the curtain call.
Inside Out is a whimsical, May/December romance featuring a man learning to love again and a man falling in love for the first time. It is the sixth book in the Road to Blissville series and can be read as a standalone book or part of the series.
I had no idea when I picked up a book called Unscripted Love set in a small town called Blissville about a veterinarian and a writer looking for love how deeply I would come to love this series and a small fictional place that exists nowhere else but in Aimee Nicole Walker’s imagination and this series. Should it actually exist, my bags would be packed, the boxes stacked, and the car running, ready for the move I’d make without hesitation. You see, over the course of; as of Inside Out, six books, I know Blissville as intimately as any of these characters. I want to have my hair done at the Curl Up and Dye, walk the quaint, beautiful tree lined streets with my dogs, meeting my neighbors, heading over to Books and Brew. There I’ll have my coffee, choose from any number of pastries, get a baked doggie treat from Mae or her brother and go outside to sit at a table. Maybe I’ll read the local paper, get caught up on the gossip, learn how to get mustard out of my clothes, and find out how the Blissville Bulldogs are doing as well as all the other local school sports teams. If I don’t feel like cooking? Always head to the Dinner for some of the best home cooked food in the area and see friends as well. The charm and magic of Blissville runneth over, book after book, couple after couple. Inside Out is one more wonderful novel in this series that captivates me.
If you are looking for angst, there’s a little but this is mostly a character and relationship based story, which I loved. Told in alternating povs, each man is new to Blissville, having accepted new jobs in the Blissville school system recently. Both are making adjustments in their lives, not only in location, but emotionally as well. There are differences in age, type of support system, even race in our main characters, but the author shows that they also have so much in common from the very beginning that their very differences add flavor to a romance that not only works but is perfect for each other.
There is a wonderful story thread about a student play called Inside Out that has multiple meanings here. The play itself becomes as real as the three students who wrote and fight to put it on, that I almost wished it too was as authentic as it came across. I certainly wanted to listen to the score.
And by the end, I was so happy. Not just with the wonderful romance and love of Rome and Julius, but with Howard, who’s friendship with Rome helped to lift him out of his mourning and back into life. And with meeting Priscilla, the Dragon who guarded the desk of the Superintendent and much more, Rome’s sister and family, Julius’ mother and younger brother, on and on. When you enter a Blissville story, you enter a community of people you will soon take to heart, Inside Out is no exception. The end result is that it left me happy, content, and wanting a swift return to a place I so wish was real.
You don’t need to read these stories in order but in doing so it’s like gathering a group of friends that you see again and again in each tale. I think it’s just lovely and I highly recommend them all.
Cover Art: Jay Aheer. I really like this cover with the clasped hands, touching and works.d
Sales Links: Amazon
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 222 pages
Published January 14th 2019 by Chasing Rainbows Press LLC
ASINB07MTLPZZ4
Series Road to Blissville #6
Road to Blissville Series
Forty-eight-year-old Ben Thompson is a librarian, a passionate book lover, and a man who embodies the definition of a bear. He’s also lonely after the loss of his long-term partner. Young ex-gymnast Jason Barnes piques his interest, but Ben quickly realizes there’s more to Jason than his good looks. While Jason visits the library almost every day, he never checks out a book.
