Something like thunder
This isn't a coming out story. Nor is it the tale of a lonely heart seeking companionship. This is about survival. My name is Nathaniel Courtney and I'm a survivor. Instead of letting the cruelty of others wear me down, I grew strong. I didn't allow hard truths (secrets of where I come from) challenge my identity. I even weathered the softer, more subtle hardships of the heart. Love is a Trojan horse, sneaking through the gates, forcing you to let down your guard, and leaving you ransacked and vulnerable. I emerged from that war not unscathed but as a new man. The only mistake I ever made was letting the right guy get away. Now I've got one more chance. I've been fighting my whole life, and this is the final battle, because if I fail now ... I won't. You'll see. Just sit down and listen to my story, Kelly Phillips, and when I'm done, please don't walk away. When I'm finally through, take this weary solider into your arms so we can find peace together.
Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of LGBTQ+, Fiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What the reading experience may hold
A fuller profile for choosing with more confidence—not just another copy of the preview.
LGBTQ+ · Fiction
Use these as starting points rather than limits; the most memorable books often stretch beyond their catalog labels.
Catalog signals suggest warfare and conflict. These notes may not be complete; consult a publisher or reader-supplied guide when detailed warnings matter.
These notes are inferred from available catalog information and may not be complete. Check a publisher or reader-supplied guide if you need comprehensive warnings.
Dark tone · Steady pace
Best when you want to settle into a longer reading experience.
A good fit if…
Readers who want a thoughtful experience and enjoy noticing the connections beneath a book’s surface story.
This book's DNA
A visual estimate based on this edition's categories, description, and length. Select a star to explore the signals.
This signal is descriptive, not a rating. It helps compare the kind of reading experience this edition may offer.
Spoiler-Free Emotional Arc
A broad estimate of the book’s emotional rhythm, shown without story events or outcomes.
This visualization is an interpretive estimate based on catalog description, categories, tone, pace, and content signals. It does not describe specific scenes.
A quick reading snapshot
Edition facts and catalog signals to help you decide whether this book fits what you want to read next.
- ISBN-13
- 978-1-5117-7493-2
- Language
- English
- Edition record
- OL26960203M
A more thoughtful way into this book
This guide uses the edition details and category signals above to help you choose deliberately. It does not replace the author's work or a full review.
Best when you want to settle into a longer reading experience.
Begin with its place in LGBTQ+, then notice where the book resists that label.
Read for connection, not completion.
Mark one passage that sharpens the book's central concern and one that complicates it. That tension often reveals more than a quick summary.
Three questions to carry with you
- What does the central character want, and what do they misunderstand about that desire?
- Which detail or relationship changes how you interpret the story?
- What feeling or question does the book leave with you after the plot moves on?
Editorial framework by Wesley Bryan, BookenDeX Founder and Editor.
More LGBTQ+ books
These matches combine shared categories with author, publication-era, and reading-length signals.
Tash hearts Tolstoy
by Katie Ormsbee
Why it fits: shares Fiction and LGBTQ+, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.
The Book of Luke
by Lovell Holder
Why it fits: shares Fiction and LGBTQ+, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.
Timekeeper
by Tara Sim
Why it fits: shares LGBTQ+ and Fiction, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.
Whiskey & Sin
by Emily Rath
Why it fits: shares LGBTQ+ and Fiction, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.
World Only Spins Forward
by Isaac Butler, Dan Kois
Why it fits: shares LGBTQ+ and Fiction, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.
Alice isn't dead
by Fink, Joseph (Fiction writer)
Why it fits: shares Fiction and LGBTQ+, a similar publication era.