Currier, Jameson. The Forever Marathon. Chelsea Stations Editions. 2013. $18. 216p. PB. 978-1-937627-13-3.

Middle-aged Jesse and Adam have spent the last 24 years together growing out of love but staying together like a bad habit. Their constant bickering erupts into a two-day-long epic battle (or at least as epic as any fight in a long-term relationship). Adam finds himself stranded when his Porche breaks down and Jesse is gone for a day trip to New York City, where they met. Each man uses the circumstances of the day desperately flirting with younger, better-looking men as a ploy to re-experience a spark of passion, but jealous thoughts and passive-aggressive phone calls show that their thoughts are rarely on anything but each other.

Some readers may find peeking into the details of a lovers’ quarrel uncomfortably relatable. Others may think Jesse and Adam are like dinner guests you wish would just go home. It is unfortunate the main characters were not a more fascinating mess, but rather unlikeable and not worth rooting for. The abrupt ending made the story feel too similar to the couple’s fight–tedious and unresolved. Even so, the novel is a good addition to a library’s LGBT fiction collection.

Reviewer: Anna Fidgeon