Annery
A SOLID 3.5
A fairly low angst tale about two young men who lived a through horrible parents and a very traumatic experience and yet somehow managed ‘find' each other.
I liked the unfussy writing and how the characters read true to their age and the time & age they live in. Maybe Aidan's time in jail seems a bit glossed over but the story isn't about that part of their story. I liked how it didn't turn into a whole song & dance about ‘Aiden suddenly discovered he's gay' and instead on how Sebastian & Aiden make the journey from their past to the present they deserve.
Insidious and terrifying like a ticking clock. I loved it. I also did the audio by [a:Cambell Scott 8650261 Cambell Scott https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and he was brilliant. I've seen Kubrick's movie adaption a number of times (I think it's cinematic gold) but had not read the book. There are differences (as there should be, they are completely different mediums) but the tone & theme are in sync. In any case this is just what the doctor ordered for Halloween
3.5I hadn't done one of these (literary fiction) in a good long while, I'd never read anything by [a:Richard Ford 7849 Richard Ford https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1334959824p2/7849.jpg] before, and, as a plus, I also did the audio by NTM narrator [a:Holter Graham 473481 Holter Graham https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1360520905p2/473481.jpg]. Yowza!Starting backwards, the audio merits all the stars
I know very little about Romanian history, and before reading this, absolutely nothing about Norman Manea but somehow, years ago, this memoir came to be on my bookshelf. I've been sipping it since April and I have to thank whatever bug prompted me to get this book. I'm sure I don't know enough about the writer or the times to contribute any opinion of merit but I did learn a lot, was greatly entertained by Mr. Manea's writing style, and here are a few quotes that resonated with me:
“Nazism defined its purpose in clear terms, kept its promises, rewarded its faithful, and annihilated its victims without hesitation, without offering them the chance to convert or to lie. In contrast, the Communism of universal happiness encouraged conversion lying, complicity, and was bit reluctant to devour even its most faithful. The thought police, so essential to the system, imposed a truth serving the Party. Between the increasingly irreconcilable promise and the reality, the field was open for suspicion, perversion, and fear.” “Memory must keep watch so that the horror is not repeated, we have been told over and over. We must hold on to identity, shared memory, race, ethnicity, religion, ideology. Having finally landed on the planet of pragmatism, you thought you might escape your past and your identity and become just a simple entity, a Gertrude Stein, the American in Paris, dreamed - only to find that Thursday's atrocities have become grist for the mottoes on Friday's T-shirts, an instantly marketable product for the collective memory.”“Suffering does not make us better people or heroes. Suffering, like all things human, corrupts, and suffering peddled publicly corrupts absolutely.”
3.5I've been on an Ashe binge (likely to continue) and I thought this collab with [a:C.S. Poe 13832392 C.S. Poe https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1537378902p2/13832392.jpg] would be a good step to the side. It was a happy marriage of their two styles. Murder brings together two screwed up guys: Sam is out of the army but dragging a plethora of issues; Rufus is existing in a sort of arrested development after an unhappy childhood. Good times. Given their personal issues and the span of the narrative the ending isn't even a HFN, understandably so. Luckily book 2 is already out and I'm diving right in. It was also an excuse to try out a new narrator, [a:Garrett Kiesel 21076557 Garrett Kiesel https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. I liked him, his voice(s), and it's always good to have a new voice, however, and maybe it's more of a production issue, the pacing can use some improvement.
Thanks to ARO for putting this little gem in my sights. Neil Patrick Harris narrates this short story about a man on a solo trip to Venice after an unexpected divorce.
IMO opinion whatever his ex's other problems his opinion about Paul's neediness isn't too far off the mark. Nothing wrong with that but I was hoping and praying the poor dog didn't get ensnared and collared.
All in all a nice way to fill out an hour + change and NPH brings the goods.
Reread/First Listen 7/8/22 - 7/9/22
What to say that I didn't say before? Nothing of value save that I did the audio this time around and [a:J.F. Harding|8279965|J.F. Harding|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] is a master. All the feelings were felt and then some. *sigh
I forgot to mention last time that GA seemingly has a heart and we get some levity via Russell, a Goth kid who learns his posturing is no match for a master like Tean
**Re-read/listen 7/2/22 - 7/4/22 **I'll add no more to my original review but to say that [a:J.F. Harding 8279965 J.F. Harding https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] will bring the strongest souls to their knees.(it would seem like July is my prescribed month for this boo
It might be a 3.00 for others but I couldn't go there
If we're GR friends you know that I'm a murder/mystery fan and when it comes to m/m I'm an unapologetic fan of the Hazard & Somers, Jake & Adrien, Vic & Jacob type of couple/mystery. Characters that feel real and stories that verge off the beaten path even when it's unflattering or painful for the MC. This is a long winded way of saying that maybe this wasn't for me but I read it and these are my two cents. There might be some spoilers but ... I can't bring myself to care. Sorry.
Seth Keegan owns a diner (which he improbably runs by himself) in Buck Valley, a town I'm surmising is meant to be near or about Appalachia. I think he may be in his late 20's early 30's??? Steve Lark (same age as Seth) owns a hair salon located next to Steve's diner.
Seth's father is a moonshiner up in the mountains (probably what's called a Holler) and when he discovered Seth & Steve kissing (as teenagers) he broke Seth's arm, Seth ran away to town, got taken in by the man who owned the diner, and upon his death inherited said diner.
Steve (long blond shiny locks) is the well loved son of “hippies”, and the grandson of mysterious, rich, Manhattan penthouse dwellers. He came back from the Big City to open a hair salon where ALL the women go and love him.
The book opens with a seventeen year old boy, Jimmy, being found dead, and said death declared a suicide by the local good-for-nothing sherif. Steve, due to possibly having watched too many Murder, She Wrote episodes, knows it's not a suicide and convinces Seth that they should investigate, as one does. That's fine. I'm okay with a ride and things like this likely do happen. My issues were ....
For starters there's entirely too much info dump about the town, the who, the what etc for a story that's less than 70 pages long. The town seems to be bipolar in the sense that Seth has always been afraid to be too outwardly gay (though everyone knows he is) afraid of how he'll be treated and yet they all love and flock like bees to honey to perfect Steve. Maybe this is on Seth? At 9:45 a.m. on a weekday there are four people (women?) waiting to get their hair done with Steve. Really? What time do these people get up? Is this some resort town where people have leisure time and are early risers? By their proximity to secretive and secluded moonshiners I'd say not. More likely dead or dying former mining towns where people are scraping by everyday. These are all ignorable minor niggles. The resolution of the “case” and subsequent events were laughable at best.
If you're planning on reading this (and why not, it's 67 pg. & on KU) go no further.
It came as no surprise that Jimmy was in fact murdered but the identity of the murderer & his motives were IMO some cheap Silence of the Lambs rip off. A guy who Steve had hooked up with on an app was stalking him, he turned out to be a serial killer who takes shoes as trophies, somehow interacted with Jimmy on said app and killed him (but didn't take the shoes?), kidnaps Steve, Seth (inadvertently, through some conniving from his father) goes to rescue him, gets kidnapped too, they escape and while running in the woods Seth is worried about ticks and Lyme disease!, they get to Seth's parents house, where Seth's mom takes them in, gives them first aid, as they'd been tortured for DAYS!!! by the kidnapper, lends them a car, and proceeds to kill the serial killer herself. It also turns out that despite years of abuse for being gay or just existing Seth's Pa isn't all bad. He set Seth on the path of a serial killer so that Seth could rescue Steve but really because he didn't want the possible attention from the authorities once the killer got too prolific as the killer's lair was in their neighborhood on the mountain. The whole thing is utterly ridiculous but the salt on the wound, for me, was this acceptance of Ma & Pa Keegan like all of their brutality, how they purposely kept Steve's brother Casey as an illiterate brute so that he could do the grunt work for Pa's moonshine business, Pa beating both brothers senseless whenever the mood struck was just water under the bridge. Something never acknowledged as wrong. Ma allegedly just stood by helpless, which is belied by how she economically & quickly dealt with the serial killer. In the end Seth is thrilled when they show up in town, for the first time ever, clean & dressed, to patronize his diner. He calls it acceptance. I'd say it's closer to Stockholm syndrome.
HOUSEKEEPING: Not that I care but there isn't any sex or anything close (maybe a kiss?) on page. Apparently the author publishes their sexy times separately.
As usual YMMV
I'm all about chronological order and this is little story about Jem & Tean, before they ever meet, going on some pretty bad first dates or not not going, however the case may be. It's a good tease for this NTM couple. They seem to be diametrically opposites but we know how that goes. Also according to the author it takes place around the same time as [b:Pretty Pretty Boys 36623175 Pretty Pretty Boys (Hazard and Somerset, #1) Gregory Ashe https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511094676l/36623175.SY75.jpg 58383961]. Though this is set in Colorado I'll be on the lookout for any H&S crossover, even if the characters don't know it.
Thank you ARO 5.00This is a lesson in trusting your friends, who seemingly know you better than you know yourself, and taking a chance on authors who've been good to you. Neither horror nor NA are preferred genres for me and yet ... I was a happy camper.I took this on as an audio review and on that front I couldn't be happier. [a:Blake Lockheart 21609388 Blake Lockheart https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], a NTM narrator, did a fantastic job creating characters with his voice and breathing life into a SCREAM style story. Sampling the audio and a friendly nudge, where what got me to read/listen to this. I'm not mad. His voice pleasantly reminded me of [a:Jason Clarke 61221 Jason Clarke https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1442452932p2/61221.jpg], could it be him branded for M/M narrations?THE STORY: For four (4) years Emory Jones and his family have been coming from Ohio for a yearly two week vacation at the seaside resort town of Longboat Key, Florida. Their neighbors during these summer idylls have always been the Nichols family, a blessing and a curse for young Emory as he's harbored a secret (maybe not so secret) crush on Connor, the Nichols' only son. Connor is twenty (20), a former HS football star, current college student, and all around nice guy. He's always treated Emory like a beloved pet or an amusing younger brother, this year things are different, Emory is different. He's turned 18, finished HS, gotten into NYU, and shot up to six feet, something that irks his fraternal twin Liz to no end. To add insult to injury, and at Liz's suggestion, he's grown out his hair and is now officially hot. Connor notices. Big time. At first there's some bumbling about because neither knows about the other's attraction. Emory in particular, who's still growing into his ‘new' body, and was bullied in HS, can't see himself as appealing to someone like Connor, the almost hyper masc jock, and much less fathom that Connor isn't straight. He's not. While navigating this new relationship Connor & Emory become embroiled or rather are the only ones interested in the disappearance of a local homeless man. It would seem that some super natural occurrences at a local abandoned resort are germane to the case which falls into Emory's, and to a lesser extent Connor's, wheelhouse. They're both fans of scary movies and Emory, an aspiring writer, is never without one or two horror classics by his side. THOUGHTS:I've read four books by [a:Sara Dobie Bauer 7226363 Sara Dobie Bauer https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1594654164p2/7226363.jpg]. Loved two of them, BIG TIME, one was okay, and the other was a pretty decisive no. I came up with an unscientific thesis that her Ohio set books or characters were catnip for me and that the others were not. TINAHM happily marries both aspects: Emory is from Ohio, Connor is from upstate New York, and the story takes place in Florida. Win. Another aspect of SDB stories, which she holds true to here, is the characters, their physicality. Connor is big, strong, and protective, but also sensitive and caring. Emory is thin, tall, almost gangly looking, impossibly beautiful, and seemingly frail but with an unbreakable hidden inner strength. It works for me. I'm happy to say that the supernatural or horror aspect is kind of light and doesn't really come into play until the latter part of the story. The bulk of it deals with Connor & Emory navigating this budding romance, which I'm happy to say has very little to no angst, no undue histrionics, and no villains opposed to the couple on the basis of their sexuality. In standard NA style there's some heavy petting but sex is off page, which is fine. I didn't miss or need it. The relationship is sweet and snarky and completely adorable but only covers the two weeks of vacation. I'd be curious to see them some years down the road, hoping they've made it and matured and grown together. As a plus the author surrounds the MC with a nice supporting cast not least of which are both sets of parents which made me happy. There are good, great parents out there and it's nice to see them celebrated.My ignorable niggle is one I have with most NA or just MM in general (which is what I tend to read). The MC tend to have frames of cultural references which IMO don't seem to match them, their age: Golden Girls, X-Files, Lady and the Tramp etc are all things that roll off the tongue quite easily for Emory & Connor. I know they're film buffs and perhaps pop culture enthusiasts but I just spent a week with my 20+ y.o. niece & nephew and 80's & 90's references required some explanation. They weren't averse to learning, just didn't know them. Maybe they're outliers?In any case enjoy a sweet, funny, and well developed story delivered in fantastic AB form. You're welcome. I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review Lots more on the blog
I delayed writing this review because given the blurb & the cover I really, really, really wanted to love it or at least like it very much. Alas it was not to be ... “if wishes were horses ...
It starts off okay but that lasts about a nanosecond.
Addie's daughter, whom he has raised on his own because his husband left/divorced him some twenty years ago, has graduated college, gotten hitched, and is moving away. Apparently ALL this time Addie has been a single, (not even a hook-up) devoted mother hen with zero outside interests. We don't even know what he does/did for a living. As the tearful goodbye scene is playing out on Addie's front porch two suitors, like salivating dogs, are watching from across the street. Addie's milk shake brings all the boys to the playground and these two, one hateful & obsessed (Nick), one a perfect Prince Charming (Malachi), have been waiting for their chance with this devoted damsel father.
I don't want to pile on this but to me it just read like a flipped MF with very traditional characters in that 50's style. Addie is almost a blushing virgin, Nick is obsessed with her him, and Malachi is the strong man who will solve any and all problems. The insta is lightning fast and their small Georgia town seems to exist in an alternate universe (which I wish were true) where a gay man raising a daughter alone is normal?
This is at page 8 of a 77 page short story/novella. Addie has just woken up to Malachi mowing her his lawn because ... that's the kind of guy he is and has the hots for our fair Addie. Addie brushes her his teeth, puts her his hair in a “man bun”, and runs out to the porch with a cool glass of water:
Shutting off the mower, Malachi made his way over to Addie. “Hello Beautiful. You're looking lovely this morning. What's your secret for waking up this pretty?” Addie's eyes widen, blushing at the compliment.“Please Mr. Douglass,” His blush deepening as he continued. “Men are handsome. Women are beautiful.” “True, but with all that curly red hair and green eyes; not to mention the freckles covering that pretty brown skin, you look beautiful to me.” Addie looked down. He'd forgotten he was wearing his sleep pants. “And it's Malachi remember? How about keeping me company while I work. We won't be able to talk but I get to look at you as much as I want.”Addie nodded.Setting the glass on a small table; Malachi led Addie to a large rattan chair. Settling him comfortably, Malachi went back to work.”
That scene happened at Addie's house. Addie is not sick or disabled. Hallmark hasn't had anything this syrupy in ages. Needless to say I-Love-Yous, wedding bells, and deranged/obsessed villains are forthcoming.
On the technical front there's lots of head hopping from character to character and some tense problems (should've been past but no “ed” was added) that can be fixed with better editing.
PRO: it's a NTM author and it was on KU.
As usual YMMV
3.5
This is the second book in the Farthingdale Ranch series and while reading Bk.1 is absolutely not necessary it kind of does set the tone for the theme(s) of the story and the world it inhabits: redemption and acceptance. Perfectly admirable and yet ... I was underwhelmed?
Jasper is thirty-two (32), outwardly the curmudgeonly blacksmith/farrier of the Farthingdale Ranch but in fact he harbors a heart of gold, one with strong caretaker tendencies. That's a lucky break for Ellis Bowman, twenty-four (24), a recent parolee whom the ranch has taken on as part of a work release program which awards tax incentives which the ranch sorely needs. Ellis arrives at the ranch exhibiting a kind of selective mutism, unable to speak due to recent trauma suffered in prison and his personal life. Fortunately, he's assigned to be Jasper's apprentice/helper and Jasper, having been in the army and seen this kind of PTSD in colleagues, quickly grasps a way of communicating with Ellis and allowing him space to breathe.
I really liked these aspects of the story, the care and sense of comfort Jasper readily provides for Ellis, an absolute stranger. It may be Utopic, thinking that humans can and do deal with each other in such a way, but one can dream. Also, this being a romance, there is an attraction but it's not a thunderbolt & lightning immediate thing. In fact IMO the sexual part of the relationship between Jasper & Ellis starts off as more of a comfort thing for Ellis, something he learned to do in prison to make himself feel better while keeping the peace with fellow inmates. No spoilers but Ellis does have a bit of an oral fixation. Jasper, though surprised, is willing to accommodate him. I enjoyed their carnality quite a bit. They were a good match.
I liked that Ellis, at least in his own mind or the author's narrative, isn't ashamed or shy about admitting to the sexual encounters he had while in prison, that some were involuntary but necessary for survival, and that, right or wrong, he came to crave these “relationships”. I also liked that there was no “Ellis was wrongfully convicted for a crime he didn't commit” aspect. I appreciate the honesty.
What didn't work so well for me:maybe slightly spoilerish?
Ellis's whole journey from teacher to convicted drug dealer to parolee having served two years in prison seemed to be a lot for someone who's only just twenty-four. The timeline doesn't bear any kind of scrutiny.
Like the first book everything happens in a week which is way too brief a time for all of what transpires in the book relationship wise for Jasper & Ellis and everyone else in the ranch.
There's also an unnecessary debacle with the town villain which adds nothing to the story save maybe to show that the ranch will go to bat for Ellis, which is fine, but going back to the narrative time thing, I don't know that he'd earned that yet.
If you're not fussy or just want a warm, cuddly, “there's good in the world & everyone finds their person/place” read this could fit the bill quite nicely. Just squint a bit.
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first read from this author and it's sort of a spinoff of her Love Across Time series, more specifically [b:Honey from the Lion 41583257 Honey from the Lion (Love Across Time, #2) Jackie North https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1535769843l/41583257.SY75.jpg 64906418] but you don't have to know anything about those, I didn't. Jamie is an almost 21 year old “drifter”, who's left un unhappy life in Colorado and come to Wyoming hoping to become a ranch hand at Farthingdale Ranch. There are a couple of problems with this plan: Jamie has no experience ranching, Farthindale isn't a cattle ranch but a dude ranch, and Leland Tate, the ranch manager, is a stickler for the rules. It would seem that we're headed to angst city but actually this is a tender, low-steam, age-gap story where there are no villains and the only impediment to the MC being together, Leland's stance that he can't/shouldn't engage in a relationship with an employee, is overcome pretty quickly. Everyone at the ranch is more than accepting of Leland & Jamie as a couple, they encourage it, and play at being matchmakers. Leland is protective and Jamie at times reminded me the damsels in distress of historical MFs of yore. He's been discarded by his parents, his former house & work mates were awful to him, and he doesn't have a friend in the world. Luckily he's landed in a place where everyone is moral and good. To me the story read as more aspirational rather than true (I'm a bit of a cynic) and I felt that an inordinate amount of narrative was expended on detailing the ins & outs of life on the ranch or describing in the minutest of detail someone walking across a room. The book is 300 pages and other than some stray thoughts there isn't any romantic contact between the MC until page 200 which is fine as the span of the story is less than two weeks, but maybe some trimming would've come in handy. My other issue was that Jamie, in keeping with his damsel persona, seemed to be entirely too laking in any strong say so about anything. Everything is done on Leland's timetable. I guess it makes sense in an age-gap story but ... at least Jamie was somewhat assertive when it came to sex? In any case this is a mellow and romantic story which can be enjoyed knowing that nothing bad is going to happen and that there are no devils lurking around the corner.
I'm trying to really finish series I've started and I ran into this little short. I really liked the Out of Uniform series. A variety of couples with different dynamics, stories all about family, and really good audio narrators to boot. This short is a visit with Wes & Dustin from [b:Wheels Up 35176579 Wheels Up (Out of Uniform #4) Annabeth Albert https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1501661257l/35176579.SY75.jpg 56511214] who are/were my least favorite couple from this universe and my same niggles continue. I still think Wes is punching way above his weight class but
If you want a break from life's noise without venturing into fantasy [a:Lane Hayes 7125719 Lane Hayes https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1601401159p2/7125719.jpg] is always a good choice and [b:Following the Rules 57589040 Following the Rules (The Script Club, #1) Lane Hayes https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1618613499l/57589040.SY75.jpg 90189504] keeps up the streak. This is the first in a new series featuring a group of geeky brainy friends and their journeys to HEA. It is tangentially an off-shoot of the Starting From series but can totally stand on it's own. Simon is a football player who's been sidelined because of concussions. The time off has led him to reevaluate what his future looks like. In the meantime he's finishing his college degree, albeit online, but needs a little help. Thankfully his brother George sets him up with one of his brainiac friends to help and tutor. Said friend is Christopher who goes by Topher to his friends, super smart and lives for any kind of knowledge & research. His kryptonite? Jocks. The relationship between the MC develops pretty quickly from student/tutor to discovery or experimentation for Simon & fantasy come true for Topher to sexual & emotional gratification for both MC. Despite the speed the progress feels organic. There's also minimal drama which feels true to who these characters are, their backgrounds, their families, and the time and place they live in. The sexy times where hot & sweet at once and I was overall pleased. I think you will be too. My one niggle is unimportant and not relevant to the story so you can/should completely ignore it. I add it under a spoiler tag because I use GR as my book/reading diary. a couple of times Simon is referred to as Si and my bilingual brain wondered why someone was saying yes in Spanish? Maybe it was just me or maybe use Sy?
4.5What a breath of fresh air! A whodunit/procedural set at a unique historical time and and told from the POV of two improbable protagonists. #shoppinginyourbookshelvespaysoffIt's 1939 and Madrid, the last holdout during the Spanish Civil War, has finally fallen to Franco's Nationalist forces. The Guardia Civil is tasked with rounding up the remaining Republicans or Reds who are still in hiding and trying to bring the rest of the citizenry into the ¡Viva España! fold. By fear or persuasion. During Holy Week a Guardia turns up dead and Sergeant Tejada is tasked with finding the culprit. Not being a trained detective Tejada stumbles through an investigation, gets a lot wrong, has cause to question many of his closely held beliefs, ultimately finds the culprit, and a version of justice is achieved. One of his blunders causes his polar opposite, Gonzalo Llorente a fugitive Red, to start his own line of inquiry. No joy. Using this two opposite sides of what is ultimately the same coin allows [a:Rebecca Powell 1172410 Rebecca Powell https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] to show a nuanced & rounded picture of not only the Spaniards of the era but human beings in general. Absolute villains or saints are scarce on the ground and most people are composed of both light & shadow. I really liked this and I particularly liked Tejada as an antihero protagonist. I'd be interested in following his adventures. suggested reading about post-war Madrid [b:La colmena 61773 La colmena Camilo José Cela https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1402830817l/61773.SY75.jpg 1176253]
2.5 rounded up because ... maybe I'm being cranky
It pains me to say that the development of this did not meet my expectations. At all.
It would seem like a story written for me: opposites attract (city slicker & bull riding cowboy), second chance, size difference etc. Even the opening chapters hooked me! Alas the joy was short lived. It took me far too long (as I had little interest in picking up my reader) and quite a bit of skimming in the second half to finish a relatively short book. Maybe if this were a 100 pg. or less novella it could've worked better? I don't know.
THE PLOT: Beck & Sky met when Beck was still finishing law school and Sky was making a name for himself in the bull riding rodeo circuit. They fell madly in love/lust, the kind that's highly physical, and quickly got hitched. Four years later Beck is establishing himself in his career and wants Sky to stick around for longer than it takes him to heal from his latest encounter with a bull. There's also some jealousy over a “friend”. After a heated argument Sky leaves, Beck tells him to not come back and ... that's it. Sky doesn't return and radio silence ensues for four years (4). Yep, FOUR YEARS!!!
I'll go back. The first couple of chapters gripped me. Beck gets a call at the end of the day saying his estranged husband is laying at death's door in a hospital and that if he wishes to say his goodbyes in person he better get there quick. Beck races from Vermont to Maryland in a desperate drive because despite everything he still loves Sky. Meanwhile Sky is so banged up and bandaged that he's unrecognizable. He's also in an induced coma. I was all in. How were these two going to make it back to a better THEM after such a long separation, how was Sky going to cope with being dependent (physically) on others? What were the core reasons for the break up?
Turns out that the separation was primarily over a BIG nothing Beck thinking Sky is cheating with a fellow rodeo friend Something that could've been talked out. Instead we get a four year separation in which neither party even tries to contact the other, and be aware that this story takes place now, so we are to believe that there is zero texting, FB, IG, Twitter, or any of the myriad iterations for communication we currently have. In another fantastical turn neither takes any steps towards a legal or formal separation and here's the BIG ONE: they've both remained celibate. You read it right. Not one hookup in four years. My eyes rolled so hard they almost popped out of my orbital socket. It also struck me as prudish wishful thinking.
Anyway ... I could've lived with all of that but once Sky wakes up (not a spoiler) all we get is crickets about everything worth knowing and the MC saying “I love you” or how much they love each other, and having, quite frankly dangerous sex for someone in Sky's physical condition, every other page or chapter. I was exhausted and bored.
As always YMMV and it gives no joy to not like this.