Stained Glass

4.75So I took a few days to digest this, almost as many as it took me to read it, and have to say it was a win. Just manage your expectations.First off this isn't, IMO, a romance. It is however a love story, and not just one between the main MC, but rather between a group of friends that are chosen family. In fact this book could very well have one of those Victorian titles with a subtitle: Stained Glass or How, after a horrible thing happened, Lawrence ‘Laurie' McKenna's friends helped piece him back together, especially Andy, so that he could finally get his HEA with Jeff, his person. And that's what happens.If you're a big fan of the MCs being in each other's pocket, this might not be for you. The lion-share of this book deals with Laurie overcoming, or learning to live with the horrible end of his most recent relationship. Part of that is Laurie's almost paralyzing depression and spiraling alcoholism. Luckily Jeff, his onetime foster brother, and eternal crush comes to rescue him from drowning. But Jeff can't stay. It turns out that Jeff too, besides being an unconditional friend, has always wanted Laurie, and seeing him broken is the one thing he can't be strong for. He decides, and Laurie's dads and friends agree (and so did I), that Laurie needs time, space, and distance to not only process what happened his boyfriend & Dom committed suicide in his apartment and all that what came with it, but to put himself back together into some semblance of life. As a result the MCs are geographically together for perhaps 20% of the book or less, but I didn't mind. Jeff is always present through their group of friends, phone calls or text, and in Laurie's mind. What this book does authentically and perfectly is present a group of friends, who've been in each other's lives since college (I think their all in their early to mid thirties), how the relate to each other, sometimes agreeing, sometimes arguing, but always from a position of love. Andy, Laurie's college roommate, moves in as a sort of sober companion and all around life saver. Heroes come in every shape. Andy is a hero. And each of the other friends are full fledged and believable characters too. I could see a whole series about them and their lives. Overall I loved how the story was rolled out. We learn things about the characters, like for example that Laurie has two dads, in an organic way, via casual conversations among people who know each other and not in some expository TELL and not showing kind of way. If you are in any way squeamish or are looking for something lite, this is not it. [a:Jaime Samms 2631049 Jaime Samms https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1489519729p2/2631049.jpg] deals unflinchingly with addiction and the trauma of a horrifying experience. I appreciated it. I hate Magic-D solutions to real problems. I liked that Laurie lived in a real world which came with friends, work, and sexual experiences other than with each other. They're in their 30's!!! When Laurie is finally back on his feet and Jeff comes back all the swoons. I completely believed in their ultimate HEA. Canadian style. This isn't a cookie cutter romance and I loved it. A couple of things refrained me from giving this a full 5 stars. 1) Absurdly, Laurie himself. I wanted to smack him one too many times. I know he's going through a lot but, but he was trying. Apparently, going by how his friends spoke of him this wasn't his usual M.O. I hope so, for Jeff's sake. 2) I was a bit perplexed about Laurie's relationship with Nash it only spanned 6 months in which Laurie discovered, hitherto unknown sub tendencies and it just seemed like he went so far into that in a fairly short period of time for a person who'd never been in the lifestyle. I dunno. Also I would've liked to know more about what was going on with Nash. I came off thinking that he he was ill, in some way. 3) Why, if everyone and their mother knew that Jeff and Laurie were it for each other, why had they almost non-danced around it for so long? I have questions. I'd like answers. But you can ignore all my quibbles and enjoy a book that doesn't adhere to any guideline of what a romance should be and succeeds in telling a wholly true love story.