Rough Canvas is one of the best books I’ve ever read and it’s also my first M/M read. I am going to try my best to make justice to this AH-MAZING book with my review…
This is the story of Marcus & Thomas. They had been together in the past but they took different paths about a year ago.
Marcus is the Dom but he is also my favourite character in the book. You think he is strong, he knows how to control every situation but he is NOT. He’s got a heart too and you will end up loving him. He is also a smart ass and I have bookmarked most of the book with his sentences…
“What you want is for me to bend you over this fence and fuck you hard, fill you where you’ve been empty for far too long
Thomas is the farm sweet boy. He loves Marcus but he also loves his family so he is trying to keep them happy hiding his feelings.
“It doesn’t always get to be about what you want. Life sometimes is making the best of what you’re given
***May contain spoilers***
Elaine, Thomas mother, does not accept Thomas sexuality and she wants Thomas to marry a woman, Daralyn.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake. Nothing is going to make your boy straight, Elaine. I didn’t drag him into anything. But you’re absolutely right. This is a battle for his soul, and while you may think I’m Lucifer, you sure as hell aren’t God. This isn’t about you or me. It’s about the gift that defines his soul more than you or I will ever hope to do. If he doesn’t have that for himself, neither of us will have anything”
I need to say that I loved the way Marcus always tried to convince Elaine about how amazing her son was. He got so passionate about Thomas and he always protected the artist in Thomas.
Marcus offers Thomas a way to continue his art career and help his family. But the deal is Thomas has to spend a week with him in the Berkshires.
"One week when you'll try to get me back in your bed"
"Oh, there won't be any trying on that one, Thomas. We both know that's not what's in question. You'll be in my bed "
Thomas obviously accepts Marcus’ deal…
If you only had one week to have something you always wanted that you could never have again, would you take it?
Yes. He would. Even knowing that walking away from it at the end of the week was more than he could bear.
Thomas has to fight his demons because in my opinion he doesn’t even accepts himself so there is no way he is gonna make his family accept him for who he is, an extraordinary person.
“Fuck you.”
“You do that well enough on your goddamned own. Run. Run from it all you want. Go home to your little farm and pretend there are all these noble reasons to be there rather than the truth, which is you’re a coward. Afraid to face who you are and what you want”
It’s a hard book, specially chapters 8 & 9 as Baba told me, I am not going to deny it, but it was also very FUNNY…
“How do you go about it with your little fiancée your mother wants to chain you to?”
“You leave her out of it”
“Your mother I will gladly leave out of any discussion involving sex. However, with respect to this girl… have you made out? How did you get it up? Who would you fantasize about to make her think it was all about her?”
“You arrogant son of a –“
“That’s what I thought”
”If I wanted to be psychoanalized every time I made a nasty comment, I’d go straight and find myself a girl”
“Remember, shampoo followed by conditioner. Use the ones in the black bottles.”
“God, I forget sometimes how gay you are”
As the week goes by their feelings get more and more intense…
”No matter what happens, Marcus. With Daralyn, with any of it, you’re the only man I want. Now or forever. The only man I’ll ever let inside me again”
“Then give me your pain Master. I can bear it as long as I know your lips will touch every mark when you’re done, signing it as your work”
Marcus is always proving his love for Thomas, in every single way, even if Thomas is not ready to fight the whole world to protect their love.
I loved when they met Cathy & Walter, God, I loved Cathy!
”Does your family live in the area, Mr…?”
“Just Marcus will do, ma’am. My family’s in this room.”
“When you know you’re worth loving, you can be a little imperfect”
And what about Julie Ramirez ? What a great character!!!
“I keep hoping you’ll come up to my place and just stand next to my bed naked and hold the vibrator. Now if you and Thomas did it… hmmm…like Thomas would hold me on his lap…he’d be naked too, of course, and you’d do the vibrator thing, and it would be like a real fantasy.”
I don’t blame you Julie, I’ve been dreaming the same since I started the book! ;)
I loved when Julie and Marcus were talking about Thomas and Marcus told her there was no way in hell he was going to give up on them. Aretha Franklin’s Ain’t no Way opening line was helping…
Ain't no way for me to love you
If you won't let me
Ain't no way for me to give you all you need
If you won't let me give all of me
I loved Marcus sooo much, I know I have already said that but I can’t help it, he is a perfect hero.
"Years from now, when you've done what you think they wanted you to do and you're coming home every night to sit in your recliner with your beer gut and your passive aggression drowning in cable, you'll be hating that girl you married. The family you thought you loved. And you still won't be enough, because what they want is for you to be truly happy BEING SOMEONE YOU WERE FUCKING NEVER MEANT TO BE! "
And Thomas finally told Marcus about his feelings, aloud…
”I love you, Master. Love you… Come for me. Please.”
Love you… God, finally accepting it was as bad as dying
”Accepting what people are, what they can’t change and loving them with every part of yourself anyway. That’s what love is about.”
As their story comes to an end we get to know more about Marcus life and that was a hard part, I loved him more if possible after knowing about his past…
”If you stop loving someone, it’s easier to forget them.”
“It’s hard, especially for a Dom, to realize that to get what you really want you have to give up control completely, just hoping to hell that Fate doesn’t kick your balls into the back of your throat.”
”You’re mine pet. Mine to protect and love”
“Same goes. I’m yours Master”
What a beautiful LOVE story, if you haven’t read it yet, go enjoy it NOW!
***Thanks Haven ladies, I loved reading this with Sammy & Laci!. Thanks Baba & Blacky for your support while reading this PERFECT BOOK***
