A review by readbyryan
Idlewild by Jude Sierra

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

IDLEWILD is a gay romance novel published in 2016. Asher is trying to revive his failed restaurant in downtown Detroit in the wake of his husband’s sudden death. Tyler is a recent graduate and needs money while he decides what to do next with his life and starts to work at the resurrected Idlewild. Tyler is in a relationship and and Asher is grieving but they become friends and work hard to reopen the restaurant as the tension between them grows.

When I first heard about this M/M romance novel set in a restaurant in Detroit, I knew I had to read it. I grew up in Michigan and spent many years in the Detroit area. I knew the downtown location on Woodward well, since I worked for a time at the bankruptcy courts downtown. I also love restaurants as a setting for fiction. This book checked all the boxes for me. I loved both Asher and Tyler as characters. The novel explores the age differences and the race differences between them. I thought the author did a good job highlighting some issues without preaching or ignoring the problems in Detroit. The book has steamy moments but they’re not prolonged or detailed. The book is well written. I found the use of the present tense a bit distracting while reading and think that past tense would be easier to read. Overall, I recommend this book.▪️