Book Reviews

Book Blurb

When Broadway actor Jonah receives word that his uncle has passed away and named him the heir to a property in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Jonah’s plan is to settle the estate as quickly as possible and return to his life in New York City. Much to Jonah’s surprise, the inheritance includes the Ashford Cemetery—and its hunky groundskeeper, recent Bosnian immigrant Luka Pavelka.

 

Jonah soon discovers Luka is more than easy on the eyes. He sees into Jonah’s heart like no man ever before, and his job at the cemetery is all he has. If Jonah sells, Luka is left with nothing. Luka is there for Jonah when Jonah needs someone most, and there’s no denying the chemistry and connection between them. But Jonah has a successful career back in New York. Now he must decide if it’s still the life he wants….

 

Book Review

Inheritances happen all the time, but to be left a cemetery? That is pretty rare. It is also, in the case of Jonah, a life-changing event, and not just because managing a graveyard is more difficult than you might think. Jonah is an actor, trying to make it big on Broadway, and has always dreamed about spending his life on-stage. But then there is Luka, the cemetery’s groundskeeper, and suddenly Jonah has a big decision to make between his career and the man he has fallen in love with. It’s a classic dilemma but that doesn’t make it any easier for Jonah to figure out what is more important to him. As a result, this story is emotional, moving, and focuses on the kind of character growth and real-life changes that Andrew Grey is so good at portraying.

Jonah tells this story in first person, and it made his emotions immediate and real to me. He is pretty sure he knows what he wants, has been working hard to make a name for himself in theater circles, and has never considered that anything other than the theater could make him happy. Then he inherits an estate from an uncle he barely knew, gets to find out what life in a small town can be like, and meets Luka. Nothing turns out the way he expected. When he begins to dig into his family history and finds out more about his deceased uncle, has to consider long-term plans and what he wants to do with his life, and begins to be honest with himself, the picture is frighteningly different from what he always thought.

Luka is a recent immigrant from Bosnia with a somewhat sad past. He has not had an easy time in America, and Jonah’s uncle was the one who helped him get a job and begin to fit in. The more time Luka and Jonah spend together, the clearer it becomes that they have feelings for each other. Luka’s honesty, straightforward approach to life, and his kindness make Jonah realize what he is missing in NYC. Yes, he has friends there, but he has never connected with anyone as well as he does with Luka. Luka, in turn, is happy to have found someone who “sees him”, rather than assume he is stupid because his English is not yet very good. I loved watching both of them open up as they begin to get to know and trust each other.

If you like gentle romances between real men, if you want to find out more about cemetery management (which is not at all creepy and a lot more interesting than I expected), and if you’re looking for a read that offers a great love story, good character growth, and some touching moments, 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, print and audio
Length	Novel, 200 pages/61644 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	09-January-2018
Price	$6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle, $19.95 audiobook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/buried-passions-by-andrew-grey-9243-b