Confronted by his wife over the lack of sex in their lives, Colin blurts out that he is gay.  Waking up the next morning and finding his wife gone, having left him and their autistic son, stuns Colin in Roxy Harte’s Actually, I’m Gay.  Never spending a lot of time with Kerrigan, his son, Colin is at a loss on what to do.  After Colin brings him along to the office so he can do a presentation he has scheduled, Colin’s partner tells him to take time off to sort out his problems and suggests a summer camp for Kerrigan.  After checking out the camp, Colin enrolls Kerrigan but cannot let go of him.  Complicating his marital situation is the attraction he feels towards the camp director/owner, Beau.  What is Colin to do—save his marriage or discover himself as a gay man?

I liked Colin.  He is willing for Marissa, his wife, to have affairs but he does not want to have sex with her nor father another child.  Part of his hesitation is that Kerrigan has autism and he is afraid to have another autistic child.  Marissa wants a child she can relate to and who will relate to her.  She is a worse villain than Alexis Carrington.  You love to hate her.  She is a very unsympathetic character.  Beau is cool.  He always knows what to do.

A lot occurs in Actually, I’m Gay.  A longer story would have given a smoother transition to everything that is happening in Colin’s life and more time to resolve some of the issues but Ms. Harte does a credible job regardless.  Colin is learning to be a father since he was the breadwinner and rarely at home. Ms. Harte is very sensitive when dealing with Kerrigan’s autism.  She teaches us that Kerrigan can be taught but that a routine is necessary for him.  Colin also has to deal with his wife’s desire for a divorce and her return to the same workforce he is in.  Her new personal life does not include Colin or Kerrigan.  Colin also is falling in love with Beau, who questions Colin’s sincerity.  Is Colin in love or experimenting with him?  Colin’s life is being threatened and it affects the camp.  The solutions to all these events are believable.

I look forward to reading more works by Ms. Harte.  I also want to read longer works.  I like her style of teaching without preaching, showing and not telling.