Book Reviews

Book Blurb

No matter what he tells himself, wealthy NYC architect Liam has never been able to forget his first love, Ben. But as he approaches midlife and realizes something is missing, can he forgive himself for the worst mistake he ever made—the one that left a hole no amount of career success can fill? Or will fear keep him from the full life he really wants?

 

Liam and Ben were childhood sweethearts, then college boyfriends. But when Liam cheated on Ben, Ben forced himself to cut ties and move on. He’s still living in the small town where they grew up, teaching, but it’s not the life he imagined for himself as a younger man. Still, when Liam returns, he can’t risk his heart again. He certainly can’t allow himself to love Liam again after fighting so hard to get over him.

 

Neither man wants to let go of the past and face their apprehension at starting over. They don’t want to fall in love a second time—but sometimes love happens whether it’s wanted or not.

 

Book Review

Two men with unfulfilled dreams, neither one willing to admit that what they need is each other, and a second chance obscured by the fear of risking more heartbreak. These ingredients make for one of my favorite tropes, and Kate Sherwood manages to weave them into a very entertaining and emotional story I just could not put down. There is something to be said for the complexity of older characters and getting to know Liam and Ben as well as their hang-ups was an interesting journey. And I really loved the pacing of the story, the few “fateful” guiding events, and the amazing secondary characters who helped Liam and Ben figure out what was what.

Liam is a successful architect, but his bosses’ recent move at work to put a younger architect in charge of a project he desperately wanted has all kinds of alarm bells going off in his head. Work has been his escape, success is like a drug for him, and now that he is forced to rethink a few things, he discovers that all is not well on the personal front. He has sort of known this all along but has been too busy to do something about it. A drive to clear his head has him ending up in the small town he grew up in – and suddenly he has to confront his past – including the fact that he “ran away” because he wanted a grand adventure and to be important in the big city. Much of Liam’s crisis is self-inflicted and may look overly dramatic to an outsider, but his feelings are real for him and dealing with them is almost like a second coming of age – an emotional one.

Ben is fiercely protective of his heart, and I can’t blame him after what Liam put him through. But it is fifteen years later and he still has not managed to get over Liam or the damage he has done. Ben is now a teacher, but he lacks self-confidence and sees himself as uncool. He meets Liam again and it totally freaks him out – not something that would happen if he had moved on. Ben lashes out in his anger and to hide his fear, and it’s not a pretty picture. Even though I felt for Ben, the way he behaves because he wants to “make Liam pay” is not very mature. Not very productive either. Ben is as much a drama queen as Liam, in his own way, and while much of it was amusing, I have to admit it annoyed me more than a little.

Liam has much to regret and even though he was told to leave Ben alone fifteen years ago, which he did without question, Liam realizes the mistake he has made once they get reacquainted. Ben needs closure or a fresh start to be able to move on, and it takes him almost the entire length of the book to do the necessary growing up to realize what he wants and then go for it. Both men may be in their thirties, but neither has been able to mature emotionally the way you might expect. They clearly needed each other to get there – and it was not an easy journey yet quite compelling.

If you like lots of drama, if you want to watch men in their thirties grapple with their past, and if you’re looking for a read that is entertaining yet offers emotional depth, then you will probably like this novel.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 206 pages/70043 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	26-June-2018
Price	$6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/all-that-glitters-by-kate-sherwood-9696-b