Buried Passions is the perfect warm feels, smile on my face story that Andrew Grey does so well. He gets into the hearts of his characters, and delivers a sweet romance with crazy hot chemistry. There’s always conflict and a bit of controversy in an Andrew Grey novel, and I found the way he addresses such here intensely meaningful. Buried Passions is a winner, and the only way I can imagine it being any better is having Joel Leslie read it to me!
Broadway performer Jonah Hughs is in between shows when he gets the news his deceased uncle has passed away, and he’s the sole inheritor. Cash, a house and car, basically everything you’d expect and… wow, a historical cemetery complete with its own hunky groundskeeper. Well Jonah’s no fool and figures he’ll make the best of it, a nice break from city life in small town Carlisle, Pennsylvania; plus, why should he resist such appealing eye-candy?!
My favorite part of Buried Passions is seeing how this somewhat jaded, New York City dweller describes life and the people around him. His observations of life in The Big Apple, and performers in general, is spot on and absolutely hilarious. Then when he gets to the rural landscape and the people there, well it’s just too good. Andrew Grey always finds little quirks in his characters and develops them into such realistic people. It’s seriously funny, and Grey doesn’t miss a thing.
I love the voice Joel Leslie uses for Jonah. He throws in these hilarious little flourishes that completely crack me up. Listening to Jonah describe eating buffalo wings, “‘I ate them with relish, using ranch dressing instead of blue cheese… they were messy and amazing, and by the time I was done, my mouth tingled and I was satiated… at least for food.’” Can’t you just hear Joel Leslie performing that? He definitely has Jonah figured out.
This is one of the things Andrew Grey does so well. He never runs out of descriptive phrases that spark my senses (he actually had me craving buffalo wings). Seriously though, he paints a picture with words in a way that make his books so much fun to read.
Where Buried Passions really gets going is when Jonah starts to connect with Luka Pavelka, the groundskeeper for the cemetary. Jonah’s used to floating from one hookup to the next, and when Luka explains how they’re making love, not just having sex, it comes straight from Luka’s heart and it is absolutely lovely. As Jonah gradually accepts the intimacy Luka provides it changes the way he thinks about his life.
The longer he stays in Carlisle, PA, the more conflicted Jonah becomes. He realizes what he’s missed by not getting to know his estranged uncle, and the wonderful places and people that make up this small town. Does he truly miss the crazy rat race of NYC and all the pressures that go with it? Is having success as a performer the most important thing? At least for Jonah, maybe it’s not as simple as the old saying “home is where the heart is”; maybe being part of a community, adding value, and being loved is what truly makes a home.