The Backlot Gay Book Forum discussion

When Nicky Hauser walks in on his restaurant-owner boyfriend having sex with a waiter, Nicky loses his lover, his job, and his home all in one night. Although he’s nearly thirty, he’s never settled on a true career, and he has nothing to show for his years with Tom. Depressed and unable to find work, Nicky ends up couch-surfing with friends until he lands a house-sitting gig for a wealthy family.

When Nicky’s clients discover that he loves to clean, demand for his services skyrockets. Word of mouth leads him to Spencer Cartwright, a busy computer consultant and a slob. Spencer and his wife divorced when he came out, but he’s never found the time or courage to settle down with a man. As Nicky sets Spencer’s house to rights, the two men find friendship. But Nicky’s past experiences make him wary of risking everything on love.

I've mentioned previously that I'm a big fan of Kim Fielding's work---have been ever since reading Stasis, which I thought was excellent. (I believe Stasis , along with the two additional volumes that complete the series, were her first published works, which makes the quality of the novels even more impressive.) I particularly enjoy her fantasy and paranormal stories, though she's dabbled in other genres as well. Housekeeping fits into the "other" category---nothing paranormal about this novella; it's a straightforward contemporary romance.

And it was.... okay. A pleasant diversion, certainly, but without that something special to really touch the heart, that indefinable ingredient which is to be found in her best work. I'm glad to have read it---I'm interesting in tracking down and reading every single thing she's had published---but I honestly don't have much to say about this one.

I'm a huge Kim Fielding fan too, so I had to buy this story during the Dreamspinner Press Thanksgiving sale. And I was so happy I did, because I thought this was about as close to perfect as a contemporary romance can get.

There was no major drama, other than the break-up that's announced in the blurb. There were no actors, rock stars, cops, doctors, spies, CEOs or kinky billionaires, no mysterious pasts, no annoying/harpy ex-wives, mothers, sisters, best friends, etc. And the part I really appreciated - there was no insta-love. This felt like a slice of life - a very realistic description of two ordinary men brought together by the right set of circumstances, whose mutual attraction develops and grows at a natural pace.

I know most people read fiction for the fantasy and drama, and this story doesn't quite live up to those expectations, but since I prefer realism, this really hit the spot. I loved how Nicky and Spencer slowly got to know one another, how each man's strengths complimented the other's weaknesses, and how their friends and families (mostly) gave them time and space to discover all this for themselves without pushing them into a relationship before they felt ready.

I'm sure this book won't launch a thousand tweets or chat room discussions, but for me "Housekeeping" was the literary equivalent of comfort food, a sweet, feel-good romance with a perfectly believable Happily Ever After ending. I'm already looking forward to re-reading it in the future.