My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Kelly Jensen is the queen of older MCs! Her characters aren’t youthful 20-somethings, going out partying and getting wasted and making the types of decisions one makes at that age when there’s time to correct course.
That’s not to say that Oliver and Nick, the stars of Sundays with Oliver, aren’t victim to making some questionable decisions. They are both going through major life changes and meet each other at this tumultuous time.
Nick’s autism (which I spotted straight away) was written with much care and authenticity. If you’ve ever watched the TV show Parenthood from the 2010s, picture Max as a grown up and you’ll have a good idea as to Nick’s personality.
Oliver is not autistic and it is interesting to witness his interactions with and reactions to Nick. He has some awareness of Nick’s particular quirks and I loved seeing how Oliver processes everything.
Oliver and Nick are complicated characters with interesting, and at times traumatic, backgrounds. Their family members are rich and also complicated additions to their story. Everyone has particular role in the men’s lives. There are no throw away characters to be found.
I very much enjoyed how the first impressions I had of some of the characters gradually changed as the story progressed. (I’m looking at you, Cam.) It’s fascinating to see through the eyes of one character, and then to have that impression flipped upside down.
Sundays with Oliver is emotional and delightful, and I’m thrilled this will be a series. (Gray needs some TLC!)
***Thank you to GRR for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.***