American Scholar by Patrick E. Horrigan was different from what I expected. I was captivated by part of the synopsis because the author made it seem that James Fitzgerald (one of the main characters) had this idyllic life of marriage and career, which unfortunately gets upended when he receives a letter from his ex-boyfriend’s sister at one of his book signings. I expected this earth-shattering love triangle between James, his ex, and his current husband ending in an unclear solution. Instead, the story focuses on James’ life during the 80s and the 2010s, with pertinent information surrounding HIV and AIDS. Readers get a complex love story and historical facts.
The entire book focuses on James’ time with his ex and then provides readers with a bit of insight into his current marriage. I was disappointed. I skipped some pages and lost interest in this book halfway through. I only continued reading because I thought the author would mention the letter and things would heat up, but sadly, they didn’t. As I re-read my review, I can say the author delivered on the love triangle because James was caught between his love for his ex and his current husband, but in the end, it wasn’t reciprocated the way he thought it should’ve been.
I was expecting a romance-filled thriller with twists and turns, and I didn’t get that. As I stated, looking back over everything, the author delivered what he was supposed to; it was just not how I expected. This book is for the LGBTQ+ community and those who like historical tidbits sprinkled in their reading. I’m here for the mystery, thriller, suspense, erotica, and LGBTQ+ reads if it’s good, but this one is a no for me.
American Scholar is available everywhere books are sold.
Morgan Lee Reviews 