Uneven

... and this is why I read fiction. Because a good story teller can take me into someone else's world and make me empathize or maybe even identify with situations and life experiences not only outside the scope of my experience but way out of my personal interest or predilections. I shouldn't be surprised, this is [a:Anah Crow 2225255 Anah Crow https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1314820532p2/2225255.jpg].Rase Illion, a forty-something captain of industry finds himself no longer able keep the tight lid he's had on his deepest darkest desires, “He'd hated what he was for so long, he didn't know who he'd be if he didn't.” and is overwhelmed and giddy by what it entails.The reason for his downfall comes in the form of the angel Gabriel or in his case his namesake Gabriel Chariton, a maybe stockboy/poolboy/lawyer who bursts into Rase's life as a harbinger of change and revelation, much like the angel himself.The blurb for this book and the many other reviews have pretty much covered what happens or the gist of the story but what the story is about is something else entirely probably best summed up by Rase's son Takis when Rase reveals he's gay:“The best thing that can happen to anyone is that they get to be themselves.”The relationship between Rase and Gabriel is anything but uneven, rather they satisfy each other's needs on a visceral level. That these two engage in sexual practices that are perhaps outside normal or common, that there's a significant age difference is beside the point. What matters is two people who are the Yin to the other's Yang. This is the beauty of a writer like Anah Crow. A great prose stylist? No. Can the text use some polishing, editing, proofreading etc. Sure. Did I care about any of these things? Absolutely Not. I believed and was drawn in by Rase & Gabriel and read this in an almost breathless tear. I'm sure I'll be doing a reread of this in the very near future.I found that the story developed at a credible pace and the ending without grand declaration but yet brimming with hope had me in mind of [b:Katrakis's Sweet Prize 9301855 Katrakis's Sweet Prize Caitlin Crews https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1349073095s/9301855.jpg 13565306] where actions and not words speak the feelings of the MCs. Thank you Cupcake!