The Long Way Home by Rachel Spangler

The Long Way Home Reviews

• 
  Jude in the Stars

  When I first read The Long Way Home, I gave it 3 stars. I’m moving it up to 4. Rory still gets a bit too much on my nerves but having read the other Darlington romances, I enjoyed the whole atmosphere a lot more, for some reason. Or maybe I’m just in a better mood, I don’t know. All I know is a 3 star rating feels unfairly low right now. All the more so as I feel, more and more, that Rachel Spangler is really good at shaping characters.
• 
  Tara

  Loved it. Rachel Spangler is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors. This is another great example of how there's just enough angst to add tension to a story without making it overwrought. I love how sweet her books are.
  
  2017 reread: I still really enjoyed it, but reading this after Perfect Pairing and shortly before Close to Home, it's clear that she's grown so much as an author.
  
  Full review:
  http://www.thelesbianreview.com/long-...
• 
  Ian

  As a young gay woman living in a small town, Rory faced prejudice. Her parents disowned her and she was forced to leave town. In Chicago she made a living talking about her experiences living in small town America, about facing prejudice and being made to feel like less of a person because she was gay.
  Now after 10 years she has accepted a job as a guest lecturer and returned to her home town.
  
  There is a lot this book could have been but isn't. There was a case just last week in the US where a lesbian couple were beaten up by a group of men. There have been cases where gay men and women have been murdered for no other reason than their sexuality. Gay men and women to this day face prejudice and discrimination. Laws are being passed which allow christian businesses to refuse to serve homosexuals.
  
  That is a story worth telling.
  
  But this book is just fluff. It's fairly mindless contemporary romance that tries to say something but is just too damned safe. It was entertaining enough so 3 Stars.
• 
  Harrow

  The Long Way Home was a lot better than i expected. In the beginning Rory's holier-than-thou attitude bothered me but even then it was hard to be mad at her. She is a quite flawed but refreshing character. Over time she grows a lot. The other MC Beth, had her own issues but was nowhere near the hot yet endearing mess that Rory seemed to be.
  
  The whole Raine vs Rory persona was quite unique. Raine was sort of a armour for Rory to protect herself emotionally.
  
  "You’re being sweet. Raine is self-centered. You’re being introspective. Raine is brash. You’re apologizing. Raine never apologizes for anything."
  
  
  Beth and Rory were so different yet fit so well together. All Rory did was make impulsive decisions while Beth was the complete opposite. The transition to romantic relationship was really well done. Nothing about the dialogues or their relationship felt artificial. They spend half the time making me go aww by being the sweetest to each other and half the time bickering which to my surprise i enjoyed immensely. It was very well written.
• 
  Luce

  Did not finish the audiobook.
  
  I got about 20% into the book and I had to stop. I. did.not.like.any.of.the.characters. Especially, Rory aka Raine who returns to her hometown. She says she was thrown out of her house when she was 17yrs old after she revealed that she was a lesbian. The way it was written, it sounded more like that her parents yelled at her and she left immediately, not giving them a chance to adjust to this news. I dunno, maybe later more details that led to her running away will be revealed.
  
  Because I didn't like the MCs I stopped reading. There are too many books on my "to read next" list to struggle with this one. I may come back to this book in the future.
• 
  Lexxi Kitty

  My third Spangler book read. Though I've read a fourth since I read this one here. Before July I'd read zero. Of the four Spangler books I've read, this is the second that included a college professor. And of the four I've read, this one has the character I least like. Raine St. James.
  
  Part of it is her superior than thou attitude. Her "I'm a real lesbian, you? You make me laugh, angrily, you? You are nothing more than a fake." attitude. And it's based on . . what exactly? Seriously? I read the book and kept waiting for the big reveal.
  
  Rory St. James was beloved. One of the most popular, maybe even the most popular teenagers in the small town of Darlington Illinois. One night, in a fit of whimsy, she confessed to being a lesbian. To her parents. The mother stammered in confusion. The father roared at her. Something like "there's no way you are gay!" So, Rory, being horrified by the response from her coming out, fled. To Chicago. Started calling herself Raine. Made a huge career out of being a 17 year old who got tossed out on her ear for being gay (she wasn't, she got yelled at and so she fled). At least that was the story I got. That dribbled out. I kept waiting for the extra little something or other to drop.
  
  So. Spends the next ten years harping on how horrible her coming out was, on being the big radical lesbian. On sleeping with groupies. While writing really really horrible articles about Darlington and it's inhabitants. Or, I mean, articles about how horrible small town Darlington is/was. Until people become tired of her stick, and she has to find something else. And apparently the only job opening is back in Darlington.
  
  Beth? I rather liked Beth. Except for one moment that confuses me. When she made some snide superior comments about . . what was her name? Patty? About how openly lesbian she is? She didn't seem to have any problem about how open Raine was, and rather wished she herself could be allowed to be open. Her partner and her fear of how the town would react, the town that supported her when she lost her parents, both kept her from being openly lesbian. But . . . why exactly would that lead her to being snide and superior about Patty? Heck, she wanted to warn Raine about Patty. Because . . . um . . because . . Patty . . . .was a lesbian? I couldn't figure that out. But, meh.
  
  Still. I liked Beth. And, to a certain extent, when she relaxes enough to be Rory, instead of Raine, I kinda of like Rory as well.
• 
  Edith

  To queer teens: Your anger is valid and righteous and yours to do with as you please. You don't owe forgiveness to anyone who has hurt you. You don't need to reconcile with horrible people to be a whole, happy adult. Blood means nothing. Family is who you choose. I'm so fucking sorry there are horrible authors like this who should be on your fucking side centering the feelings of bigots and telling you to sacrifice yourself for their sake.
  
  To the author: How fucking DARE you. Fuck this book. Fuck you.
• 
  Linda

  2nd book by the same author which I’ve now read. Loved the characters (even though the 2 MCs irritate me at times!), the plot and throughly enjoyed the book. From the book, you’ll get some insights when an individual come out from both perspectives - parents/family as well as the individual themselves. Like most, if not all, story, all’s well that ends well - of course in reality life isn’t that smooth sailing. Still a good read nonetheless!
  
  Ratings - 4 ⭐️
• 
  Megzz

  Boring. Predictable. Cliché. Full of close minded 2 dimensional characters who have extreme reactions to everything. Only Beth is somewhat likeable. Raine is an arrogant jerk.
  
  Couldn't finish it!
• 
  Kexx

  Loved this book, this writer. She inspires me in a way few do. Would really love to meet her characters. Total class. Thank you.
• 
  Karen

  This book surprised me by how much I enjoyed it. I felt like I could see parts of myself in both Rory/Raine and Beth, even though I’m nothing like either woman. Rory’s struggles and Beth’s fears just resonated, maybe because I grew up with conservative parents in what was then a small town. Neither character is perfect, but both confronted their assumptions albeit one step forward two steps back for much of the story. I was so engrossed I read it in a day.
• 
  Cookie

  Strange one. Liked book, hated characters just a little. Still, it is well written, and it kept my attention.
• 
  ♡umaimah♡

  Review (rant) that has nothing to do with how amazing this book is lmaooo Ok so I read this and I read Close To Home also and am I the only one that puts Raine and Kelly at the same level of “villainy” or maybe even worse? Like don’t get me wrong I wanted to slap some sense into Kelly too (lol) but I was bummed about how Raine is obsessed with this concept of pushing people out of the closet and how someone is not a real lesbian cause they are closeted. Maybe I’m more sensitive cause i’m from a community where it’s legal for me to get stoned to death for being a lesbian but Raine really made me angry.... she seems so blind to the dangers of homophobia to others that aren’t in safer spaces and its scary. Oh but lovely book Rachel I’ve read of your books in a week! You are AMAZING!!!!! I just wanted to rant about this on somewhere that wasn’t twitter. <3
• 
  M

  This is a really touching romance set in small town america and the changing attitudes to homosexuality.
  
  I enjoyed both the setting and the characters, particularly the emotional development of the main protagonist from outright fear, to nervous acceptance and finally a happy conclusion (hey, it's a romance - what were you expecting?!).
  
  Not having experienced small town USA for myself, the author's portrayal felt authentic and very sympathetic.
  
  The only part that did slightly jar was the closeted love rival, who I felt was a little 2 dimensional. However, as the villain of the piece, painting in broad strokes can be forgiven.
  
  All-in-all, a nice escapist weekend's read.
  
  Mags
  
  
• 
  Lisa

  I would have given it 4 stars, however, I had a problem with the constant judgement and criticism for characters not coming out.
  
• 
  Velvet Lounger

  Rory St James runs away from home when her parents react badly to her coming out. Fleeing to Chicago she creates a whole new persona for herself, Raine, who builds a life and a career out of the bitter anger and hurt. But 10 years on the world is bored of a 27 year old who is still angry with her parents. On the brink of being evicted and without an income, she is forced to take a job at Bramble College in Darlington, the town she has ranted against and vilified for her rejection.
  
  Beth Devoroux is the archetypal small town girl, the plain farmers daughter who has grown into a beautiful curvaceous woman. She seems content with her small town life as librarian at the college, darling of the town and a solid but extremely closeted relationship.
  
  Despite their shared teenage years they seem to have nothing in common, yet Beth is clearly drawn to the angry rebel Rory became. Can she reach out to her high school buddy or will their different experiences of small town life prove too big a barrier?
  
  ---------------
  
  Most of us grow up with a sense of fear at some level. Whether it is of being rejected by our parents, being bullied at school or threatened on the street. Being ’other’ as a kid is always a challenge even without rejection by our parents.
  
  Rory and Beth have reacted in different ways to that fear. Rory has run off, become a radical gay activist and turned her fear into anger so strong it has sustained her for 10 years. Beth has hidden who she is for fear of offending those who have loved and supported her, and that has been reinforced by an 8 year relationship with a woman who is homophobic in her self loathing and paranoia about being gay.
  What this story brings us is extremes; Rory and Beth are opposite ends of the scale, yet they come from the same place, have similar childhoods and families. What Ms Spangler explores is how our different perceptions of ourselves and those around us forge the people we become. Rory saw everyone as hostile, so she reacted with anger. Beth saw everyone as supportive – of a perfect image – so has tried to maintain their perception.
  
  The characters are well drawn and thought out. They have an internal integrity that holds throughout their struggles to recognize what life has done to them, who they have become and the compromises and price they have paid. Both fluctuate quite wildly at times, one minute clinging to the safety of façade they have built, the next tearing it down. The internal battles they both fight are what makes their growth honest and realistic.
  
  The supporting players from the midwestern town form a backdrop which is interesting. We have the stereotypical bigots, the born again town bitch, but also a couple of guys who knew Rory was gay and just accept it, but never dreamt Beth could also be that way. They are caring and supportive, but still stereotypical in their reactions to the tomboi and the femme.
  
  In the midst of all this social comment is a charming romance. Beth, unsure of what is happening in her heart, still fights to draw Rory from Raine and ultimately has the courage to face her own demons as the “perfect” darling of the town. Rory knows from the start how much she is attracted to Beth, but rejects her attraction to the closeted woman and fights tooth and nail to hold onto her brittle persona.
  
  Rachel Spangler bioComing home isn’t about a place, it’s about finding ourselves, growing out of the personas we create to shield our fears and into the power of being true to who we are.
  
  Brilliantly written, well constructed and an emotional page-turner, this is a book which will speak to all GLBT people.
• 
  Alealea

  Still on binge reading
  
  I liked both main characters and some more (the Dean, the church lady, the two High school old pals)
  
  I was a bit disturbed by the constant dissociation of Rory/Raine and not really in convinced by it.
  
  While reading, I was sceptic about the two women staying unaware of their mutual feelings. Then I remembered the three months I spend being clueless around my sweetie and we are three years ongoing on our happily ever after.
• 
  Heidi

  A romance full of self learning and growth! Not a real coming out story, but has elements of that. Enjoyable and well written.
• 
  Lisa R Smith

  I loved this book. That the setting is practically my own backyard added to my enjoyment. Raine (from Loraine) St. James (a great MC name) is an out and proud lesbian who has made her living writing and lecturing about her escape from a unsupportive family and a homophobic town. After ten years her star has faded a little, she is broke, and essentially unemployed. Her agent has been contacted by a small university to offer her a teaching/lecturing post. But guess where it is - her hometown.
  
  Instrumental in bringing Raine back home, is a beautiful librarian, Beth, who remembers “Rory” as a high school student and has followed her career. Raine has a hard time adjusting, but with Beth’s help, and finding old friends who welcome her home, Rory finds that maybe you can go home again.
• 
  Em Lewis

  This is a really good read
• 
  Catherine

  This is my second book of Rachel Spangler and I would say she is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. The main aspect of her books that I have enjoyed so far is the deeper meaning to her characters and story line. She really makes you think and analyse whilst you read, which I love to do.
  
  In the Long Way Home what I loved about this book was that you have two characters in different stages of life and somewhat different issues to the outside however as you continue to read you find that they are actually very similar in their issues. On one hand you have Raine the very out and proud outspoken lesbian and on the other we have Beth the kind and well liked closeted librarian of the town, they couldn’t seem more different. Throughout the book Raine would be seen as thinking she is superior to Beth because she is out. She often looks down on those who are closeted thinking they are not doing their bit towards the flight in equality. You have Beth who is more so closeted due to her relationship with Kelly who is very paranoid about being gay and also for the pressure of making everyone in the town happy.
  
  In the journey together we eventually find that both aren’t happy because Beth wants to share a future with her loved one and not hide in fear whilst Raine is too bitter about her past of being disowned as a teenage and people’s reactions to her being gay. Raine has basically created this new person and personality to give what she thinks they want of her instead of being true to herself.
  
  At the end of the day they both find that they need to start loving and accepting who they are in order to overcome their baggage and move forward in their future.
  
  What I liked about this message was often those that are out of the closest think this is the only step to being happy and free. Those that are closeted are judged and looked down on. Instead of the LGBT community supporting one another and appreciating everyone is different and in different situations, that everyone will walk the path to happiness and freedom in different ways and at different paces.
  
  Fantastic book and would highly recommend it.
• 
  Sue Online

  I give it a 4. I think I give it a 4 because it hit really close to home. It’s about small town mentality. One gal left because her parents kicked her out when she came out. Another is in the closet but has a girlfriend even more in the closet, and she refuses to be seen in public with her GF. Like my nephew who is really struggling against small town mentality and homophobia.
• 
  D. Leigh

  This is a great romance in one of my favorite settings, a college campus. The characters each have their own troubled pasts that leave them adequately conflicted to make you cheer by the time they work it all out. I've liked all of Spangler's books, but I think this one, her third is the best.
• 
  Emily

  Lesbian romance my mom accidentally picked up from the library. I don't know if it's being a lesbian, but just looking at the binding I knew. Not what I'd call a good book. Complete fluff, and most of the characters are actually caricatures.
• 
  AGC

  I enjoyed this book, the writing was decent and the characters interesting. The story was interesting but predictable.
• 
  Monica Burch

  This is probably my favorite book by this author.
• 
  Kennedy

  I pretty much enjoy every book in this genre set in academia. This was no different. Although the plot was a bit unbelievable, the characters and town made it worthwhile.
• 
  Jo Watkins

  Love finds a way
  
  You can find love where you least expect it and when you’ve over looked the one person who truly understands you .This happens to Rory St.James who leaves her small town home after coming out,After hitting the high life and losing it all she returns home to lecture in the small college.Beth the closeted librarian helps her settle back into small town life but after being out and proud for so long Rory finds it difficult especially when she finds out that Beth’s girlfriend friend is an old high school nemesis and won’t even acknowledge Beth in public.Tensions ensue,old friendships rekindle and you finally realise that the person you thought couldn’t really love you is the love you’ve been longing for all your life!!!