As a gay man living alone, Tom’s monotonous day takes an unexpected turn when straight delivery driver Matt arrives at his door. Matt is grappling with the meaning of life, while Tom finds himself grappling with the meaning of Matt. „Special Delivery,“ a debut novel by Arnold Miles, explores the challenges and joys of exploring friendship, intimacy, and sexuality.
Narrated by Nathan Wolfe
Spontaneous and surprising find on Netgalley
I recently focused one of my latest papers on queer visibility in publishing. After that, I rejoice even more than before whenever I see a new addition to the LGBTQ+ genre on Netgalley. So I barely hesitate but still quickly check out the synopsis before requesting new books in it. I’d never heard of this author before, nor is there a publisher noted to give us any idea of the people behind this publication. I nonetheless decided to give this Covid production a shot and did not regret it.
Starts like a horny fantasy but goes deep in more than one sense
From the beginning, we get to know Tom as a very sex-positive person. He freely looks out for some pleasure without strings after the Covid isolation. When he meets Matt, this does not immediately change but his interest in the postman is sparked. They meet over time and become friends before exploring the possibility of more. Matt thereby makes some remarks that present him as rather the opposite of Tom, being rather hesitant with sexual encounters. He nonetheless slowly dares to utter what he would wish for. The conversations between the open-minded Tom and the rather private Matt are surprisingly smooth and entertaining, presenting content and boundaries like rarely any other book I’ve experienced so far. They also help Matt to understand his own attraction more (demisexual representation!).
Spicy but also emotional
The tension between the two of them arises early on, especially in Tom’s imagination. As we follow the story from his point of view, Matt is a riddle for most of the book, only slowly opening. He does so first verbally and eventually also physically, allowing his own ideas to take shape. Seeing him dare to discuss his own struggles and desires was almost as entertaining and delightful as their eventual sexual encounters. I love their relationship for being a friendship at first, which turns into a friendship plus of sort before allowing the idea of more. There is in fact no real conflict, just honest discussion of both their needs and their joint negotiation of their relationship. I really enjoyed it!
In conclusion,
This short book is proof that there can be a lot of spice and sex without the loss of plot. It also shows an amazing balance of conversation, fun, and physical encounters. Without any drama, these two characters negotiate their relationship after loss and isolation as much as within their friendship. A very surprising but definitely recommended read.
