Covet Thy Neighbor by L.A. Witt

Covet Thy Neighbor

by L.A. Witt

 Tattoo artist Seth Wheeler thinks he’s struck gold when Darren Romero rents the apartment across the hall. The new guy is gorgeous, witty, and single, plus he’s just the right blend of bold and flirtatious. Perfect.

Except then Darren reveals that he moved to Tucker Springs to take a job as the youth pastor at the New Light Church. Seth is not only an atheist, but was thrown out by his ultra-religious family when he came out. He tends to avoid believers, not out of judgment but out of self-preservation.

But Darren doesn’t give up easily, and he steadily chips away at Seth’s defenses. Darren is everything Seth wants in a man . . . except for that one massive detail he just can’t overlook. Is Darren’s religion the real problem, or is it just a convenient smokescreen to keep him from facing deeper fears? It’s either see the light, or risk pushing Darren away forever.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review via Netgalley.

 

I thought that I had had enough of light and fluffy romance for a while.  Even M/M, which is usually more complex and therefore interesting, can get old after a while.  When I saw the synopsis for this one I knew I had to give it a try. 

 

An atheist tattoo artist and a youth pastor, both men?  I can honestly say I never thought I'd read a book with that kind of pairing. I'm all for new experiences, so I requested it.

 

Seth was my favorite character in the Tucker Springs series.  He was funny, with a sarcastic streak that came though loud and clear throughout the entire book.  He was also genuinely kind and I found it very easy to like his character.  He seems like the kind of guy you could either drink a few beers and laugh with, or tell him all your deepest secrets and he would listen closely.  He would be the perfect friend.  The story is written in first person from Seth's POV, so we get a good long look into his soul.  It's really quite beautiful.

 

Darren is like a study in opposites.  There were times when I thought his character was unbelievable and that he was doing things no minister would.  Smoking pot and one-night stands just does not seem believable for a minister character.  But then I got to thinking: would I really want him to act any differently?  This is a romance, after all.  A fictional story created for the sole purpose of entertainment.  In this case, I think I'm glad reality took a short smoke break.

 

Their relationship was very interesting because of the entire minister/atheist/gay dynamic.  There was so much going on and so many emotions flying around.  I think it was a very well-written story about how love can always win in the end.