Book Reviews

Book Blurb

For Rone Forrester, life as a high school student is a roller coaster ride. Though he’s intelligent, good-looking, and athletic, true happiness eludes him. He’s lost his mother to cancer, his hypercritical father is a tyrant, and he spends most of his free time taking care of his little brother, Eli. And to make matters worse, Rone begins to have romantic feelings for his best friend, Carson Harrington.

When Rone is inadvertently outed, his life swirls into turmoil. His father’s homophobia and Rone’s embarrassment at the thought of facing Carson force him to flee to Los Angeles, where he hopes to find a safe haven. Instead, he quickly learns that every moment is dangerous for a homeless teenager. As time passes, Rone navigates through multiple challenges, makes friends who love him for who he is, works hard to achieve his goal of becoming a pediatric surgeon—with all its inherent triumphs and tragedies—and overcomes a failed relationship. Ultimately, his journey teaches him that in order to fulfill his dreams, he has to come to terms with his past.

Book Review

“A heart truly in love never loses hope but always believes in the promise of love, no matter how long the time and how far the distance.” ~ Anonymous

After Rone, of 'Sometimes Love Lasts' by Jake Wells, was seen kissing his best friend, Carson, whom he secretly loved, his bully of a father beat him badly and left him where he fell. Rone was convinced that his brash action had pushed Carson away forever and that his abusive father would surely kill him if he stayed. Rone makes a life-changing decision, runs away, and does whatever he can to hide from his father. The most difficult part of going is leaving his five-year-old brother, Eli, behind.

It isn't too long before Rone begins to regret not putting more thought into his running away. He's soon faced with the reality of not having a high school education making it almost impossible to get a job. Rone misses Eli and Carson desperately, but tries to tamp down the feelings by reminding himself of why he couldn't stay. Fortunately, Rone makes a rather unlikely but nonetheless loyal friend, Madge, the woman who runs the hotel Rone wanders into looking for a room to rent. She recognizes that Rone isn't your typical runaway and takes him under her wing, ultimately helping him work toward his goal of being a pediatric surgeon.

Rone, who was an A student before he ran away, finishes high school, college, and works hard through his medical courses and training. Even with all the good things that happen, it only takes one 'failure' to throw him back to before he ran away, hearing his voice telling him he's a failure and he will never amount to anything. Rone has a few failed romances. One in particular is with Mateo who lies to Rone and cheats on him. This breaks his heart, causing Rone to be more lonely than ever. Rone can't help but wonder about Carson, how he is, and what he's doing now. He finds it difficult to believe how much he still loves and misses him. Rone wonders if he will ever find someone he loves more than Carson.

This is an endearing story about a young man who runs away from a life of disappointment and pain and, fortunately, is able to overcome adversity and still able to make his dreams come true. If you enjoy reading stories about new beginnings, love that lasts, and happy endings, then you may enjoy this book. Thanks, Jake, for allowing me to follow Rone's journey to happiness.

 

 

 

 

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, 246 pages/91021 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	13-May-2016
Price	$6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/sometimes-love-lasts-by-jake-wells-6749-b