My Big Fat Southern Gay Wedding (A Southern Thing)

Wow, this story is so wonderful. Jack and Andrew, truly in love letting nothing get between them. Their story is a sadly difficult one with too much angst on each other's side of families. Their parents being so closed minded just / about ruined the boy's lives but once again LOVE conquered all. And love is love no matter who the people are. Things story is pure, beautiful, breathtaking, goose-bumpleing (made that one up), heart thumping and romantic love between 2 men and may not be for everyone. So be, forewarned. As a very liberal woman and grandmother I must recommend this story. If it sounds like your cup of tea, go for it. I did and I'm glad I did. Enjoy.

I cant begin to tell anyone reading this review just how amazing this series is, i am not an avid reader, in fact this is the only book let alone series that has ever kept my attention, hell attention bad choice of words, obsession with Jack and Andrew i actually finished all three books with in 2 weeks and thats working 60 hours a week, they are so addictive, i never could have imagined a book could make me cry and rejoice so many times, after finishing book one i immediately purchased two and three. Treat yourself to a wonderful storyline. I promise you will love Sara's beautiful story of these boys.

I've read all three books in this series, and quite enjoyed all of them. This book completes the story for Jack and Andrew, and gives them a much-needed happy ending. Some of the characters we've met have changed quite a bit over the course of the book, and I think for the most part it has been done in a believable matter. One of the things I appreciate about this series is the factually accurate way that the author has dealt with sex scenes, providing information on issues such as safety, consent, and being tested for STDs in a way that is organic to the story and NOT overly preachy. My only real complaint about this book was that part of the ending was a little too "everyone's totally accepting/look how many other people there are in similar situations" but after the last two books, these two are due some happiness. I did like that the author did not totally redeem or condemn some characters, but gave them more nuanced endings.

This a series that you need to read ... The journey between Jack and Andrew is one that will change your view of how people who are gay have to overcome many obstacles which makes things more difficult than life should be. Also is a journey of acceptance , love and must of all forgiveness not only for the people who did you wrong but for yourself. Jack suffered a lot ... But never gave up hope. Andrew had to do things to survive that most of people wouldn't think of doing. The way to their final destination was ... Hard ... But their love never waiver. Jack and Andrew ... Hold their own and love each other through all. They learned and they accepted others who help them to that ultimate destination ... Their vows , their love and their own family.

I finally got through this third book in this"A Southern Thing" trilogy, feeling emotionally wrung out and having shed a few tears along the way. Call me a big softie but I fell totally for Jack and Andrew, torn between love and despair and worrying about them as if they were my own. A truly inventive and beautiful story showing up the terrible evils of warped views of some areas of what some see as Christianity. Well done Sara!

I wish it were easier to write this review. On the one hand, it's a very important book. On the other hand, it's a bit disappointing. At least to me, and I'm obviously in the minority. Let's deal with the first issue: this is not a book. Nor is it the third in series or a sequel to the other too. My Big Fat Southern Gay Wedding is the third chapter in a book of almost 900 pages. And I give credit to Ms. York for pricing each of the three "books" appropriately. The total is entirely appropriate, if not generous, for a book that's quickly closing in on a thousand pages. I've seen quite a few short stories in the Kindle Store that charged a lot more for less than 50. The good: This is an important and epic story. It touches on one of the greatest issues of our times - the role of hate in the political process, religion, and denying LGBT Americans their rights under the Constitution. Like thousands of other children of so-called "religious Christian" families, both main characters were badly scarred, and almost destroyed, by the bigotry of their families and their churches. Too many of our young LGBTQ kids end up dead or on the streets as a result of this hate-mongering. What could possibly cause a mother and father to turn on their own child just because of who he or she is and whom he or she loves? They don't deserve to be parents. Yet, pastors rage from the pulpit, every day, against their children, telling their families to beat them, throw them out or send them to a "reparative" Christian program to force them to become straight - which, of course, is impossible, so the kids and families face failure, self-hate and, all too often, suicide. I can't believe ANY spiritual person who truly believes that loving is evil. Ms. York apparently agrees, making no attempt to diagnose or explain the hatred of the parents in this book. Quite rightly, she just acknowledges that they exist and chronicles the terrible damage they do to their kids, families, communities and the core message of Christ to love one another. In the hands of a master, this would be an astonishing and stunningly important work of fiction. The bad: And that's where I have my problem with these three chapters: Ms. York was extremely inconsistent in her writing, research and editing. Surely, there were moments when I was moved to tears. There were many more moments when my anger at these inexcusable bigots forced me to walk away from the book, sometimes for days at a time. And, as I feared it would (especially in this chapter - My Big Fat Southern Gay Wedding), it often devolved into M/M romance melodrama. And that's a shame. At first, I thought I might be reading a Young Adults novel, the prose and dialog being so simple and simplistic. I can't tell you how many hundreds of pages were dedicated to "I love you" and "I miss your kisses" following the typical romance novel "insta-love" that occured the first time the two closeted boys saw each other across a room. The writing is hardly poetic and, all too often repetitive, to the point that, occasionally, I stopped to ask myself "is anything ever going to happen here?". In addition, there were a number of times when critical plot points were so implausible that I was tempted to put down the book. For example, how does an 18-year-old get put into foster care? There is no state in this nation where kids do not age out on their eighteenth birthday. They are adults, and they get to make their own choices. And though Ms. York may have been completely right is suggesting that, due to long-term abuse, both boys may have suffered from some form of arrested development (continuing to rely on parents who are starving and abusing them well past the age of majority), this is just a legal fiction. Yet she has one of her main characters returned to his abusive parents after being put into foster care, for his own protection, by a DA who believes in "family reunification". First of all, there would never be a DA involved in anything like this. Family reunification is a concept of social workers and family court, not of a criminal prosecutor. The idea that ANYONE would force an 18-year-old to move back with his parents is just ridiculous. And without that, where does the book go? Why does a kid hated by his parents, whom he, in turn, fears and hates, go back to live in the parents' home, knowing what is coming? Stockholm syndrome, perhaps? Or "battered child" syndrome (if such a thing exists)? Or is it just that Ms. York needed a device to force one of her main characters to suffer in order to propel her plot? She should have made him 17. And then there is that silly bit about how one of the main characters has a fetish for wearing red or pink ladies panties? Or one of the characters' young brothers (only 7) appears to be a cross-dresser (not transgender) who wants to be a princess? And, insultingly, how even those who "love" the kid characterize him as being "very very gay", as opposed to his big brother who "doesn't even look or act gay"? I didn't know that there was such a thing as "shades of gay". My last issue is the editing. There's a huge number of pages in this book, so I guess a few bobbles might be forgiven, but when, oh when, will gay fiction writers finally realize that there are NO apostrophes in plurals? On top of that, there were a number of sentences missing verbs or pronouns, and a few in which the order was reversed as in "He went the store to". This is a longstanding complaint of mine, the disrespect to readers by authors and publishers who just can't seem to manage to edit their work thoroughly is inexcusable. In conclusion, you might want to read this book for its theme and its messages, which are powerful, valid and important. But I must admit my disappointment in the writing - it's not exactly poetic. If nothing else, A Southern Thing, is a difficult slog, but those who appreciate angst in big doses just might enjoy slogging through all this to get at the still-compelling story of two engaging characters who, eventually, find their happily-ever-after.

I was blown away by not just this book, but the whole trilogy. As a mother of two, I have a hard time grasping the concept that a parent could do something so horrific to a child as Andrew and Jack's parents did. I love that even though they went through so much that these two men finally got their happy ending. If you haven't read the first two books, do that now!! Then get your copy of this one! I loved all three books! Jack and Andrew forever!!!!

this book is the last One of three Books with One sweet background and i love it it is so cute i habe readen alle three Books in 4 hours it is so good that i could Not stop reading it

This series from start to finish took me on a journey I wasn't expecting. I went through so many emotions and ended up crying tear of sadness as well as joy. Sara York captured the realities young people still go through today perfectly! I fell in love with Jack and Andrew and also a few other characters but this was all down to the authors amazing ability to make you feel part of the storyline. These characters will stay with me for a long time and I will certainly be recommending this series to everyone I know. The writing is superb as is the storyline! I can not express just how wonderful this series is, I can only say it's a must read that I can not recommended highly enough!!

Well that was a journey. To follow jack and Andrew through there tough times and to see them come out the other side with there love and family intact was truly heartwarming. An amazing series. Will defo read more by Sara York : )

Nachdem wir seit 2 Bänden mitgelitten haben, können wir das Happy End genießen. Klarer Favorit in der Buchreihe. Dieses Buch sollte bei keinen M/M Liebhaber fehlen

I have to say the only reason I didn't give this the full 5* was the ending.. I have enjoyed this series immensely, devouring each book as soon as it became available. I laughed, I cried, and I fell a little bit in love with Jack, Andrew and Billy ( would love Billy to get his own book!!!) But I have to agree with some of the other reviewers, the ending did slightly devalue the experience for me. # spoiler# it just felt too twee, too Hollywood, almost negating the struggles these boys had gone through everyone was forgiven and all the bad guys went to jail, ....and they all lived happily ever after