Timing Paperback – April 25, 2016

This very surprising, sweetly structured, and sometimes annoying book hits the mark like an old Chinese restaurant menu: Take one from Column A, Cole (sweet), the adorably hunky blond farm boy who initiates this romance by accidentally spilling coffee all over the man from Column B, Tom (sour), the minor league journalist borderline loser who has no confidence in himself but is determined to make a go of it.Problem is that Cole is an optimist and Tom is a pessimist by nature. However, they flip their personalities after multiple encounters that turn Tom into the optimist and Cole into the pessimist--and it's Tom's optimism which turns Cole's sudden pessimism around. Got that?This all takes place is a suburb of Manchester, England, where Cole and his aunt Belinda live on a huge, debt-ridden and crumbling family farm, and where Tom rents a flat near his best friend Ricky (aka flamboyant transvestite Miss Kitty Litter) while commuting to Manchester where his dreadful boss at the local newspaper treats him like crap. When Cole takes a job at a gay pub in Manchester to make enough money to help straighten out the farm, he and Tom get into several encounters and situations which lead to a fairly torrid, if hesitant, romance.What I liked about this book is that Cole and Tom came alive on every page, and even though I thought Tom was a jerk for most of the book, he has some redeeming values, though this book is carried by Cole. The sub characters are very sharply drawn--Cole's boss at the bar, Rox, is a hoot, and his aunt Belinda is the soul of the earth. I was not happy with Ricky, however, for several reasons, but he is important to the plot and does fit in when and where it counts.Author Ashley John is new to me. I stumbled upon this one and was extremely happy I did because he is a wonderful writer with a sharp sense of personality and how life travels. In this book he has created unique characters, a unique setting, a unique plot, a unique denouement and epilogue which kept me interested from the first spilled coffee until the last kiss. Nicely done.

Timing was a pleasant read. While I enjoyed it for the most part, I didn't love it. Something seemed to be missing for me. I really liked Cole, a very salt of the earth young man who was raised on a farm by his kindly grandmother, who gave him his solid values. Tom is a journalist who plays it safe and get no respect for his efforts at work. He gives his job his all, but his ass of a boss can't even get his name right after 6 years of working overtime and giving his all to the newspaper. They meet by accident when Cole accidentally spills coffee on Tom as they both rush to work at the train station. Tom is beginning to hate his job, and Cole is on his way to his first day of training at a gay bar, a job he only takes because the farm is in danger of foreclosure, and he desperately needs the extra money the bar job will bring in. The romance unfolds slowly, as it should. The effort to save the farm begins to drag a bit in the middle of the story, and Tom makes some bad decisions since he is afraid to take a chance. Always playing it safe almost derails the budding young love. The book's pace really picks up toward the end, and all in all, this was an enjoyable read.

Timing is a sweet story about perfect timing and timing gone wrong. Cole and Tom are a good couple with a solid future. Cole's Auntie is a smart lady and helps them through the rough patches. All Cole has to remember is promises made while drunk aren't worth anything. So he shouldn't have gotten so upset at least not for more than a day. But such is the romance novel. They all go through the same pattern, meet, fall in love, break up over something stupid and make up. But this one is nicer than most, therefore the four stars. Could have been five if Ricky wasn't so awful. I suppose deep down he means well and he did apologize for that one thing but I was tired of him from the start. He's worst than a cliche of a drag queen. He is too insensitive and too loud. His drag name is just plain gross. He also had a hand in their break up and part of the reason Tom was fired. Even though things worked out in the end, a person of his age should know better. Like when to keep their mouth shut. When to not barge into a date. And when to listen, like when a friend says he had enough. I didn't care for this character at all, so I took down a star.

Brilliantly written novel. The story line was very strong and the characters were well developed bringing you into the story. "Timing" is so the topic throughout this story and Ashley incorporates it so well throughout. Cole is a young gay farm boy who goes to work at a bar to bring in money to help support his Aunt and himself. The farm has been failing for a good while, but Cole is determined to hold on to it. On his way to work his first day he spills his coffee on Tom who is a journalist at the area papers, and the two seem to have and immediate attraction, only to go their separate ways and to meet later on again that day at Cole's employment. Ricky, Tom's best friend, bets Tom that he won't get laid by Ricky's birthday. Little did Tom know. When Cole serves them, he accidently spills his drink on Tom again. This only causes a bonding and a series of events bringing these two together. This is a great story of love and fated timings that bring these two men in a wonderful relationship. Sex is a sweet additive, but not overpowering. Really enjoyed this story. Job well done.

A great story to read give it ago I’m glad I did I love it coming from a farming back ground what the story show of a farm is true, even down to birthing the dogs every step they did. I understood Cole in the story to. It’s a love story, in a real life story it could happen.

The plot is full of holes, coincidences and weird characters who l simply could not imagine in Todmorden or any other country town. That said it was a reasonable light read. Nothing that would stick in the mind.

I have just finished this book. I read it in one sitting. Excellent. A well written love story. The characters are likeable and well rounded. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

Good story notice the word bathroom used instead of toilet anoying.

first time reading this author and really enjoyed it ..... great read and in the end the man gets his man ....