Sometimes You Just Know by Bill VanPatten
In Bill VanPatten’s new romance novel, Sometimes You Just Know, we meet the protagonist, Arnie Violet, who has never truly felt confident in himself. With an alcoholic mother who passed away while he was in college and a father who left him at the age of 10, Arnie has never really felt loved or wanted.
Now, at the age of 30, Arnie finds himself working at advertising and design firm, Bright Ideas, with little to no success in relationships and few friends. But when Arnie meets 18-year-old Peter Jordan, there is an instant attraction between the two of them. Peter is outgoing, self-assured and confident. He is everything that Arnie is not.
But when he finds out that Peter is his boss’s nephew, alarm bells start to ring in his head and the self-doubt kicks in. “What was it that this 18-year-old really saw in him?” he wonders. Could a relationship between the two seemingly different individuals work?
Overcoming the Past and Learning to “Lean Into It”
Having spent most of his youth caring for his mother, Arnie has not had the time or the best luck with relationships. So when Peter begins to take an interest in him, Arnie is hesitant. After all, there is a large age gap between the two and Peter just so happens to be the nephew of Harold, Arnie’s boss.
When Arnie befriends bartender and former family counselor, Adam, Arnie confides in him about his childhood, his insecurities regarding his job, and his current dilemma with Peter. His anxious thoughts plague him: “My boss. If Peter and I started something and it didn’t work out, don’t you think that would be awkward? Peter’s his nephew. I’d feel awkward at work.”
To this, Adam encourages Arnie to lean into life. “You gotta let go of the past, buddy, and point your head toward the future. Just lean into it,” he says. He reminds Arnie that he is not his parents. He can overcome the past.
Though it takes Arnie a while to let go of the past and feel comfortable in his relationship with Peter, Arnie is finally able to take Adam’s advice and lean into life. Peter ultimately brings Arnie out of his shell and helps him to find confidence and joy in his life, even when they have their own struggles as a couple.
VanPatten expertly tells the captivating story of Arnie’s journey to self-confidence, finding the value in himself, and meeting people who see the best in him. Adam convinces Arnie to be confident in himself and in the fact that Peter truly does like him. Harold, Arnie’s boss, urges Arnie to be confident in other areas of his life, such as work. When his self-doubt creeps in, Harold is there to remind him that he is a talented designer. If only Arnie can learn to “just lean into it” and trust in his abilities, he will have his friends there to remind him that he is talented. He is loved. He is wanted.
Lovable and Relatable Characters
VanPatten writes his characters in such a way that you will not be able to stop yourself from falling in love. From Arnie’s initial shy and awkward personality, to Peter’s outgoing personality, to Harold’s fatherly affection, and Adam’s welcoming nature, there is something to love about every character and the dynamics that are built between them. Sometimes You Just Know reminds us that family can be found. It can be chosen. And some of the most meaningful friendships can be formed in some of the most unlikely places.
With many heartwarming, awkward, funny, and even heartbreaking moments, Sometimes You Just Know is a rollercoaster of emotions as we follow Arnie on his journey of love and self-discovery.
Formerly a professor and scholar of language acquisition and bilingualism, Bill VanPatten writes fiction in English and Spanish. His first novel, Seidon’s Tale, received the 2019 Kops-Fetherling International Books Silver Phoenix Award for Best New Voice in Fiction. His second novel, Looks Are Deceiving, has garnered positive reviews from Kirkus, Reedsy Discovery, Prairie Book Reviews, Writer’s Digest, Readers’ Favorite, SPB, Indie Readers, among others. It recently won the Bronze Medal for LGBTQ fiction from Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards. His third novel, A Little Rain, has also garnered praise. He also has three collections of short stories, the most recent being There Go I. As an #OwnVoices author, gay and Latino characters are central in his fiction. Bill lives in the Central Valley of California. Visit him at www.billvanpatten.net.
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