Verdict: Despite some awkward paragraph cuts and typos towards the beginning of the book, this is a compelling read about an important topic.

This is the story of Mary Cate Randolph, a privileged, naïve woman in her thirties, who meets and eventually marries Nick Hamilton, the tennis pro at her country club. She loves him, but he is interested in someone else.  Mary Cate’s experience with Nick pushes her to seek out a new start, but what Mary Cate discovers is that you can’t run away from love or life. Appropriately titled, Amo, Amas, Amat, which is the Latin conjugation of the verb to love, this book is about love triangles and connections in life and love.

Set in the 1980s, this book successfully presents the difficulties of homosexuals trying to live with their homosexuality in a time when homophobia was rampant. Author Carter Taylor Seaton’s characters are realistic and their plights heartfelt; and she effectively portrays the overtly hostile and brutal attitude towards homosexuals at that time, and how the fear of HIV brings together and divides society.

Amo, Amas, Amat is about how Mary Cate casts off her home-grown fears, ignorance and negative behavior towards homosexuality so she is able to see the true essence of a person beyond sexual preference. By doing this, Mary Cate is able to glean a better understanding of her issues and find the courage to meet the challenges that face her with strength and dignity. Despite some awkward paragraph cuts and typos towards the beginning of the book, this is a compelling read about an important topic.

Reviewed by Maya Fleishmann for IndieReader