Rating: 4 stars
Buy Links:  Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novel

Darryl is feeling trapped. He’s living in an abusive relationship, and he’s been dragged down until he has virtually no self esteem left. One day, thanks to a broken air conditioner, windows that won’t open further than a few inches, dried out contact lenses, and realizing what an ass his boyfriend (Chris) really is, Darryl snaps. Before he has time to grasp what he’s doing, he’s packed his things to leave. He’s also packed a lot of Chris’ stuff into trash bags and tossed them down the stairs of their apartment building…and then left in Chris’s car.

A series of cirumstances lands Darryl in Glasgow, Scotland. By now, he’s calling himself Ford, but he’s got no friends, no job, and no place to live. Soon after he arrives, though, he meets someone who sets him up with a job, makes some new friends, and begins to carve out a nice life for himself. Ford also meets a nice young man named Callum, and they begin a nice relationship. There are some ups and downs, and maybe a misunderstanding or two, but things are going really well. Ford even comes face to face with Chris to gain some closure, and everything comes together quite neatly.

Escaping from Him was a decent book. I wouldn’t classify it as a “romance,” though. It brought me to mind of an autobiography. It was simply a tale of a man’s life…from the time he actually began to live it. Yes, Ford and Callum find each other and fall in love, but I didn’t feel that was the central part of the story. I consider the whole thing to be a coming of age novel. Ford was very young when he met Chris, so when he finally left and moved to Scotland, he was older, but it took him awhile to become wiser. I really liked how one meeting with another older man in a pub turned into Ford finding a family of his own. That’s how he decribes it. Family. Everyone in their little group watches out for each other, and it’s really sweet. They’re the kind of people I wish I knew personally. Ford’s friend, Lena, from Switzerland is adorable, and everyone should have someone like that in their lives. She fit in well with Ford’s new friends perfectly, as did Callum.

All in all, this was a nice way to spend an evening…charming, quirky characters, next to zero angst, a city that has almost as much going on as the characters, and a nice little romance. I recommend it for anyone who’s looking for a light read that will make them smile. Definitely pick it up.