A More Perfect UnionRating: 5 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Anthology


On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States made a monumental decision, and at long last, marriage equality became the law of the land. That ruling made history, and now gay and lesbian Americans will grow up in a country where they will never be denied the right to marry the person they love.

But what about the gay men who waited and wondered all of their lives if the day would ever come when they could stand beside the person they love and say, “I do?”

In this anthology, four accomplished authors – all married gay men – offer their take on that question as they explore same-sex relationships, love, and marriage. Men who thought legal marriage was a right they would never have. Men who, unbelievably, now stand legally joined with the men they love.

The first story in the anthology is Flames by J. Scott Coatsworth. Alex and Gio have been together for ten years. The story starts off with Alex coming home in a bad mood to Gio making a special dinner. After a fight, Alex storms out and goes and ties one on before crashing at a motel for the night. When he awakes, he learns that Gio has been seriously injured and is in a coma. Arriving at the hospital, Alex learns that because they are not legally married, he has no rights to be at his lover’s bedside and that his lover’s mother can (and does) ban him from being there. With the assistance of a sympathetic nurse, Alex is able to sneak in and spend the nights with Gio, telling him stories.

The second story is Jeordi and Tom by Michael Murphy. In this story, Jeordi and Tom don’t have much except their love for each other. When Jeordi is injured at work and hospitalized, his family tries to keep Tom from his side. As the two try to get married, they realize that their hometown in Kentucky isn’t going to follow the law of the land and the two are forced to head to Washington, DC in the hopes of getting married.

The third story is Destined by Jamie Fessenden. In this story, readers are given an insight into Jay and Wallace as they first meet til they say their “I do’s.” Jay and Wallace meet when Jay gets lost and asks Wallace for directions to a pagan study group that Wallace is also headed to. Later, the two meet again, but Jay is with Doug, his boyfriend. Despite Jay and Doug having issues, Jay doesn’t encourage Wallace. It isn’t until Jay confronts Doug about cheating that Jay even considers starting something with Wallace. As the two fall in love, they move towards building a life together and the stumbling blocks they face as a gay couple.

The fourth story is Someday by B.G. Thomas. In this story Lucas finds his soulmate when he is all of 5 years old and Dalton teaches him to tie his shoes! Unfortunately, he has to convince everyone, including Dalton (who is determined to be straight), that his dream of them marrying each other is real. I will warn readers that Dalton is probably going to irritate the heck out of you and make you wish that Lucas could learn to fall in love with someone else – but I promise, give him a chance and you will be smiling with tears dripping down your cheeks when he gives his vows!

What readers will find in each and every one of these stories is a tale about how each of these couples fight against the forces that try to keep them apart from one another – whether that be the medical establishment, parents/families, customs, and beliefs people have about those who identify as gay.

My only complaint – and it is a minor one – is that I would have liked to have seen stories about how couples who’ve waited for this landmark decision raced to make their commitments to one another official rather than have stories that seemed to argue why gay marriage was needed.

I thought this book was a great way to commemorate the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision! If you love a happy ending, you’ll want to read these

A review copy of this book was provided by Dreamspinner Press.

Wendy sig