This Must Be the Place

What happens when a closeted ex-jock, living his sexuality in secret with one-night stands, takes a desirable, confident hookup home and things don’t go quite as planned? Jane Darius explores just that in this fun, charming, feel good romance. 'This Must Be the Place' is one of those books that has you grinning and your soul exploding with happiness from beginning to end.

This story is book two in Nick and Ben’s journey, but it is actually the chronological beginning, so reading this first is the way to go. When you’re done you can catch their short holiday adventure in 'Love Light', which I promptly intend to do!

Jane Darius’ writing is superb, captivating in its ease, spreading out imagery effortlessly. At its opening you can absolutely picture the flirt coming on to the bartender. Darius literally had me laughing out loud when Ben Seaborn sets his drunk gaze on Nick McDaniel and leans over the bar saying, “’I like your curls. Are they springy?’”

Yep – Bens a little… matter-of-fact! And his charm has no bounds, such as the morning after, when their liaison didn’t go quite how either expected. During conversation Nick asks Ben if being dumped has anything to do with his reason for stumbling into the bar, Ben says, “’Not exactly, but that is, in itself, a tale of woe and unpleasantness.’” Then as he’s leaving and Nick asks if he needs anything else, Ben replies with he’s good, “’Though the walk of shame without the shame is gonna feel weird.’”

The door closes and the seed is planted in Nick’s mind, the desire is there… for more. As Darius describes his bigoted upbringing in a way that truly made me want to sob, you know it won’t be easy. Given his past, is Nick ready to change his whole life? Is he ready to truly be himself? Or will his hiding destroy anything hopeful blossoming with Ben?

As each man decides to take a chance and things progress, the intimacy these two share is so profound it deeply impacted me. I must say this is the most affection I have ever felt reflected in sex scenes and it had me scrambling to read them again, simply for the emotion conveyed. But this closeness leaves Nick even more confused and Ben afflicted as a hopeless romantic.

One man conflicted by a hate filled upbringing and the fear of discovery. Another haunted by complex emotions from a solitary childhood and the fear of being alone. Can they find their “place” together?

With lots of humor infused from the men themselves, and Ben’s charismatic besties, the lighthearted moments give Nick and Ben, as well as the reader, much needed relief. And believe me, there are many jovial notes that reflect just how perfect these guys are for each other - such as the moniker Ben gives Nick. It’s absolute perfection, and how he gets it is an utter reflection of how these two began.

Darius does something I’ve never seen done before. In the last chapter she mingles the two men’s thoughts and voices! At first I wasn’t so sure, but as I reread it I found I rather enjoyed getting a conclusion from both minds at the same time, rather than a replay from either point of view.

From what I can find, this is Jane Darius’ first full length book and I’m completely blown away! With profound statements such as this, from main characters contemplating the world’s bigotry, how could you not be? “’It’s stupid, isn’t it? They’re doing everything they think they’re supposed to do, but we’re happy and they’re not. So what we’re doing has to be a sin. Instead of looking inward, they’d rather wage a war.’”

There’s something intimately familiar about 'This Must Be the Place' which makes it a pleasure to read. Every movement, every look, every conversation - perfectly timed. A captivating story of learning to accept one’s sexuality and how that not-so-walk-of-shame can end up as so much more! It’s a book I will return to time and again, whenever I want to reminisce - about the joy of first meetings, first kisses, first times, first love and how that love can open two people’s souls to be free.

This reader will definitely be waiting for more from Jane Darius!