Trip of a Lifetime is an interesting mix between a mystery, and a romantic love story. Set against the background of Tuscany, Italy it also provides some very interesting and enjoyable scenery. The focus of the story is firmly on Alex and Gavin getting to know each other, but the mystery and illegal shenanigans, including a kidnapping and blackmail, were great ‘icing on the cake’ as far as I’m concerned.

Alex is taking the trip of a lifetime – thinking it will be a wonderful holiday, Little does he know he’ll be getting a lot more than he bargained for. He is far more resilient than he believed, and surprises his best friend as well as his worried mother with how well he deals with it all. Of course, getting to know Gavin is a huge part of the attraction during this adventure. Never having had any luck with men, Alex is surprised and delighted at the turn of events with ‘his Scotsman’.

Gavin is a businessman and used to being in control. Suddenly finding himself powerless does not sit well with him, but he is used to finding solutions for difficult problems, so he manages to deal. Integrity and honesty are very important to him, and he is just the man to pull Alex out of his self-imposed shell. In return, Alex manages to attract Gavin enough that he will consider major changes in his own life.

The message behind this story, about never giving up, being true to yourself, and enjoying happiness without asking too many questions, is one I really liked. Reading it as an entertaining story with a great mix of mystery, adventure and developing love made it even better. If you like stories with some excitement (but not too much), if average guys suddenly dealing with less-than-normal situations are your thing, and if you appreciate travel and hearing about different places and what life abroad might be like, you will probably like this book.




NOTE: This book was provided by Total-E-Bound for the purpose of a review on Queer Magazine Online. ( )