Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Love, like everything in the universe, cannot be destroyed. But over time it can change.

The hot Texas nights were lonely for Ben before he met Tim Wyman, the man he would one day marry. Now, twenty years later, everything is perfect. Isn’t it? As Ben struggles with guiding his adopted son toward happiness, he begins to question his own path in life. Tim is little help, pulled away by artistic success and faced with temptation, but true love should be able to overcome such obstacles… if only their struggles ended there. 

Something Like Forever is a love story spanning a lifetime and beyond as two men discover what it means to be friends, lovers, and so much more.

Book Review

“Loving someone takes courage: fearing it could end at any moment and yet having faith it will
last forever.” ~ unknown
    
'Something Like Forever' by Jay Bell begins with Tim and Ben on their honeymoon, lounging on a beach in Acapulco. Ben is watching William, Jason, and Tim playing in the water. Ben is thinking about all the important people and events of his life how they have influenced them and vice versa. Ben is tremendously happy, but, as all of us do from time to time, everyone wonders if there is something more they can do or if they have accomplished enough?

Ben wears his heart on his sleeve. He's generous to a fault. Ben wants to see everyone well and happy and works hard to help make that happen. Ben gives as much as he gets, unconditionally.  When things get rough, he's the first to dive in to help. Sometimes that means that he ends up in water over his head, but Ben is a survivor and always gets back up regardless of the situation. He's proven that many times over. Ben has gotten through situations in which others would have given up and has still been able to find the strength to carry on with his life. But don't mistake his kindness for weakness. Ben is not a pushover; far from it. He can be a brick wall or a rock if necessary. There are some things on which he does not compromise. One of these things is Jace. Ben loves Jace with all his heart. When Ben got back together with Tim, he made sure that Tim knew how much he loves him, but that he wasn't willing to let go of Jace. That doesn’t mean he has a picture on every surface of the house, but he does reserve the right to have at least one. It also means that he can grieve for Jace whenever necessary, even or especially with Tim. Somehow, they manage to keep this in perspective while continuing to grow in their relationship, making it stronger and clearer as the years went by. It is Ben's goal in life to keep his two loves separate but equal, and, for the most part, he finds a way to do just that without sacrificing any of the intimacy he has with Tim. Tim never doubts that Ben loves him just as much, showing great maturity on his part.

Tim has had to learn what Ben already knows. It's not that Tim is cold-hearted or indifferent, but his approach to life is different. Tim reacts before he thinks, not always being able to immediately recognize what he sees. His relationship with Eric changed him. It made him realize the person he wanted to be. Although it ended sadly, it taught him a lot about sacrifice, patience, and nurturing. Tim gave Eric all he could and was with him until the end. Tim changed a lot from the insecure boy that he was in high school where he first met Ben. His heart recognized Ben was his soul mate, but his head would not accept it. As the years went on, Tim learned to express himself more openly, not be so insecure. When Tim and Ben got back together, Tim promised himself he would do everything in his power to support and love Ben the way he deserved to be. One of the stories told in this book showed me how he has grown. When Maurice sends Tim to Japan to open a new gallery, he hesitates because he knows that Tim and Ben would be separated. After going back and forth, Ben, in his infinite wisdom, convinces Tim to go because he knows it is something Tim needs to do. While in Japan, temptation arises, but all Tim can think of is how much better his success would feel if Ben were there.

I realize that I've left a lot of characters and events out of this review, but, since there are over sixty-nine of them, I'm sure you will understand why I couldn't. That's not to minimize, in any way, their importance in Ben and Tim's lives and how they helped to shape their relationships with them. I focused on Ben and Tim because they are the heart of the 'Something Like' series. All other relationships, with the exception of Ben and Jace's, kind of fade into the background.

A wise man said that the measure of a man is not how successful he is, but what he gives out. In all three cases—Ben, Tim, and Jace did that admirably. I think this is the essence of the series, watching the characters learn that giving love is as important as receiving it; no one can be truly happy without love. Although this is the last book in the series, it's not the last of the story. I can go back and visit with any of the characters anytime I want to because I have them on my computer and in my heart... forever.

 

 

 

 

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Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 354 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	13-December-2017
Price	$5.99 ebook, $16.99 paperback
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Something-Like-Forever-Book-11-ebook/dp/B077WCB7JN