Family Man

Reviewed by Jenn for Diverse Reader

This is a book that I've read before and loved. I was very happy to settle in with Vinnie and Trey again.

Vincent "Vinnie" Fierro is a thrice divorced, forty-year-old Italian man. He comes from a big, fat Italian family that would never understand that Vinnie is starting to question whether or not he is gay.Vinnie decides to test the waters and see if he's attracted to men by going to Chicago's Boystown. The last thing he wants needs or expects is to run into someone from the neighborhood.

Trey Giles never has time for fun or going out and finding time for a relationship would be impossible. Trey is a responsible young man, he works two jobs, goes to college, takes care of his grandmother and has to deal with his mother's ongoing substance addictions. Going out for a night of dancing is a rare treat, spending the evening dancing up close to Vinnie...incredible. Trey always thought Vinnie was straight, but they can't deny their attraction to each other. Trey decides to let Vinnie court him and help Vinnie to figure out if he's truly gay. Trey has no intentions of giving up his virginity though, no matter how strong the attraction is.

Secrets are hard to keep in their neighborhood and soon Vinnie's family learns of their relationship and the truth about Vinnie. Before they can deal with the fallout from the Fierros, Trey's mom's situation becomes critical. Trey and his grandmother, who has always been treated like family at Emilio's, Vinnie's family restaurant. The Fierros will pull together to help Trey and his grandmother care for Trey's mother. That's what family does, they take care of each other. Eventually Trey and Vinnie's relationship will have to be dealt with, but for now..family first.

As I said, going back and spending time with Trey and Vinnie again was a real treat. This may be a romance between Trey and Vinnie, but at its heart, this book is about family and community. I love that, I love being taken to a place where people put aside differences to be there for each other. Family is an ongoing theme throughout this book and it's done so well.

Family Man wasn’t at all what I was expecting in a story written by Marie Sexton and Heidi Cullinan. This is such an intimate look into the lives of two completely different men. Both men’s current existence, based so much on what has happened to them over their lives, is gradually revealed as the story progresses.

Of course I expected a happy ending, but the twists and turns of how these two get there is riveting.

There’s a lot going on in Family Man. Between Vinnie’s journey of self discovery (he’s almost 40 and has never had a satisfying relationship with a woman) and Trey dealing with how his mother’s addictions have taken over his life, the authors set the stage for these two to come together perfectly.

One thing I thought was interesting and very well done is the alternating points of view. Trey is always done in the first person while Vince’s part of the story is always in the third. I was pretty far into the book before I really noticed this, and it struck me how differently I related to the characters just from this one trick. I feel like I got to know Vince more slowly, insights into his character were gleaned over time, and I wasn’t completely convinced he was on the level for awhile. I’m guilty of judging him based on his appearance and typecasting him from his family and their role in the community. As his history is revealed, I started to take him seriously. There’s a lot more to him than meets the eye.

Trey’s character is clear right from the start. He’s a 25 year old man who is bound by his circumstances. He can’t live away from his mother and grandma, he can’t afford to finish school, and he has to work two jobs to make ends meet. He’s drowning under all these pressures and still trying to carve a little life out for himself as well. Doing Trey in the first person lent an intimacy to his character, and the authors totally pull it off.

The man Vince has known, the boy from the block, Trey outwardly appears happy and secure. As these guys get to know each other, and Vince sees what’s really going on, his need to take care of others totally takes over.

I really appreciate the way Trey’s mother’s addictions are dealt with in this story. Trey refuses to allow her to use the crutch of calling it a “disease” or an “illness”. He’s been the victim of her selfishness his whole life and just can’t tolerate it any longer. Living with her keeps him from being “normal” and has destroyed his and his grandmother’s lives. Her repeatedly broken promises have made him afraid to trust and let others get close to him.

The point Trey makes about alcoholics and addicts, how allowing them to call what they have a disease, really hit me. Trey explains that a disease is something that can’t be helped, but an addict has a choice and keeps making their decision over and over again. They choose to dismiss the other people in their lives in favor of their addiction. Growing up with this as a constant factor in his life has really hurt him, and Trey’s story broke my heart.

This is such a sweet, slow-burn of a love story, beautifully crafted with the alternating points of view and all the fun glimpses of life in Chicago.

I fell in love with Vince’s large, traditional Italian-American family and all the humor that went with it. The insight into Trey’s heart and everything he has to deal with in his world really touched me. Family Man is far more than a contemporary romance.