Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Josh’s idea of a romance is curling up alone and reading a novel with a happily ever after. His flat is his safe haven—the walls covered with stories and poems, a thousand words that help him cope, and his living room ceiling is a map of the universe.

Angus may be shy and inexperienced, but he's incapable of hiding anything, especially his attraction to his older neighbour.

When Josh admits to Angus that he’s gay, he doesn't expect Angus’s reaction. Angus’s obvious interest terrifies Josh. For years he’s managed to keep the world at arm’s length and avoid getting too close to anyone. Well, anyone except Eleanor, Angus’s mother, who helped Josh rebuild his life after he was hospitalised for depression. But Josh still thinks he’s broken. His past has left scars he’s convinced are too deep to heal. Despite Josh’s defenses, Angus begins to mean more to him than just the cute boy next door. If Josh can take a risk and let someone into his isolated world, he might have a chance for a real life happy ending.

First edition published by Dreamspinner Press, June 2015.

Book Review

This is one of those books that are almost entirely driven by the amazing characters the author created. Both Josh and Angus are complex men with significant issues, and face an uphill battle if they want to make a go of a relationship. In fact, they can’t even begin to do that until they figure out the problems that stop them from having a life. Add to that a set of truly wonderful secondary characters, with issues and contributions of their own, and what you end up with is a novel about overcoming adversity that I think is well worth reading.

Josh has suffered from severe depression, and it was amazing to see how he coped. But the fact that he has managed to survive, as wonderful as it seems, is based on a few coping mechanisms that shut him off from truly living. I so badly wanted for him to succeed, to be able to fall in love - something that scared him to death before he met Angus. Josh grows tremendously over the course of the novel, and I loved it! It did take a little while for me to get into the story, to understand Josh a bit better, but that is to be expected with an unusual character like him. And like in real life, I found that the more difficult people to get to know often end up as the more worthwhile, loyal friends.

Angus starts out shy and scared, but he too grows and deals with his past so he can move forward. He is inexperienced in matters of the heart, but once he wants something or someone, and that happens to be Josh, he is unstoppable and determined in the best sense. Angus is supportive, coaxing, and pushes at just the right times for Josh to realize exactly how much Angus wants to be with him.

If you like stories about complicated characters who have significant issues to deal with, if you want to know more about a man who has learned to survive but has stopped living, and if you’re looking for a read that is likely to make you think, and cry, and rejoice with the characters as they battle their demons, then you will probably like this novel. It is not just a great character study, but also a wonderful adventure showing the strength of the human mind.

 

 

 

 

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

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 227 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	25-July-2018
Price	$4.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FXPCC7V