Blurb:
When Chris meets Kevin at his brother’s school, he instantly gets hot for teacher. He can only hope that the sexy guy is gay. Later, when Kevin shows up at the gym where Chris works, Chris is sure he’s got him hooked. A shared kiss is absolutely electric but then Kevin turns tail and runs. What the hell? Maybe he’s in the closet.

Yes, in fact, Kevin is in the closet, Deep in the closet. He has to be. He’s going to be a priest. While he’s very attracted to Chris, he simply can’t pursue it. Giving in to that attraction would ruin his life. Still, he can’t deny what he feels so instead he vows to stay away from Chris.

But steering clear is not so easy when what you’ve found is Almost Heaven.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Review:

Almost Heaven is a cute story with some likable characters. Chris is a fitness trainer that meets priest in training Kevin at a local prep school that Chris’ younger brother attends. The attraction is immediate and after briefly acting on it, Kevin is torn between his duty to the church and his desire for Chris.

This novella is fun and very easy to read. The tension is low and the conflict enough to keep the story going but it’s not very intense. Kevin is a 24 y/o virgin that’s committed to the church until his desires for Chris have him rethinking his path in life. Contrary to the blurb’s assertion that Kevin is deeply closeted, Kevin comes across very self aware and intelligent. He knows he’s gay and at this point in his life, doesn’t experience any angst or confusion about his status. He’s not sexually active since priests are supposed to pure rather than some shame or fear of his sexual status. It’s odd that he’s chosen to be a priest since Kevin doesn’t seem to convey any deep religious connection and even knows that gay men aren’t allowed in the church. It’s almost as if Kevin doesn’t know what to do with his life so he figured he may as well be a priest. Only when he finds someone he desires is Kevin forced to really evaluate his life.

On the flip side Chris is an amusing character, almost a guy’s guy with his muscle car and work out job. He’s pretty easy going and has a good relationship with his mother and younger brother. Chris doesn’t have much angst or drama in his life and his attraction to Kevin bothers him only in that Kevin is a priest and clearly off limits. However Chris and Kevin can’t stop thinking about each other and eventually get together. Kevin makes a smart choice based on his desires for his life, rather than his desire for Chris, and again I wondered why Kevin ever was training to be a priest to begin with considering what he wants out of life. Either way his relationship to Chris is a catalyst for change rather than the reason for change, which is nice.

The ending is quick and easy without resolving what Kevin’s going to do now with his life and the two move forward probably quicker than they should. I’m not convinced these two are in love yet but they could be so that’s a nice hopeful ending. This is a story I wish had been more developed and filled out since the supporting cast of Kevin’s family and Chris’ younger brother are pretty interesting and good additions. I wish the issues had been more weighty but as it is, this is a nice, easy, light read with good chemistry.