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A Lighter Shade of Blue (Color of Love, Book 2)
By FE Feeley, Jr.
Published by the author, 2019
Four stars

The sequel to Into the Gray, FE Feeley follows the relationship between Aaron Roberts and David Collins that took tentative root in the first book. The author probes more deeply into the psychological underpinnings of these two men, particularly Aaron, whose true reason for leaving Harvard become apparent as the narrative progresses.

I confess, I read nearly the entire book without clicking on the fact that this was the same two men who featured in the first story � Feeley has written such a complete, fully-rounded novel that it can stand on its own as the first book did. The action starts about a month after the first book ends � still in winter, still in the greater Detroit suburb of Wyandotte. Christmas is approaching, and Aaron and David have been dating and getting to know each other. For both of them, it’s all good.

Then the course of love is (as it always seems to be) interrupted by an unexpected visit. An ugly confrontation causes a rupture in the happiness Aaron and David have been building. There is no physical violence � it is merely an exchange of words � but it leaves both men reeling and broken, forcing them to take a long look at what has happened in the past and to reevaluate what’s happening between them.

And that, simply said, is the arc of the plot. It seems slight, but it isn’t, far from it. Both the reader and the two main characters finally learn everything important about each other. It is a moment of reckoning, when Aaron’s psyche and David’s heart have to confront the complex truths of love in an imperfect world. Feeley handles it with empathy born of personal experience. He is not spinning fantasies; he is working with what he knows. His prose is sure, confident, painting portraits of his men with loving detail and close attention to the important details. These men matter to the author.

Because he has written this series for the m/m market, he has included the requisite scenes of physical intimacy. While never my favorite part of this genre, Feeley handles this with the same maturity he brings to the rest of his story. This is no mere coupling for the amusement of others; this is the connection between two men who are starting to understand that something is changing in their lives, that there is a chance for happiness that neither of them expected.

So, where will Aaron and David go now? What will the next color of love be?