“This exquisite novel . . . is a page-turning account about a gay couple whose dream come true relationship is threatened when one partner begins to succumb to the effects of mental illness. This unconventional love story is sexy, literary, and extremely touching.”—Rigoberto González, Lambda Book Report
“A touching, introspective story which in places moved me near tears. It is extremely well written and the characters are incredibly believable. I am looking forward to reading more from this obviously very talented author.”—Dirk Kriete, ScotsGay Fringe
“DeSimone does a masterful job of asking the questions that this story requires: What is love? What is attraction? What is commitment? Is it all a matter of brain chemistry, hormones, and hard-wired, reflexive responses? ... The novel’s pages seem to evaporate as a result of DeSimone’s easy, unforced style.”—EDGE
“Adept storyteller. ... Chemistry is a well-written account of a gay couple’s descent into co-dependence and mental illness.”—Chroma: A Queer Journal
Lewis DeSimone’s debut novel, CHEMISTRY, a love story set against the backdrop of mental illness, examines questions of identity in a time when personality can be altered by a pill. While the chemistry of sexual attraction brings the main characters, Neal and Zach, together, a different kind of chemistry threatens to tear them apart. As Zach struggles with clinical depression, his moods varying with his medication, Neal finds himself questioning both the relationship and his own sense of himself.