Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Theatre headliner Trevor Rowland is at the peak of his career when disaster strikes. In one fell swoop, he loses his eyesight, his fame, and his boyfriend, who absconds with most of his money. Trevor must take on a flatmate, hardworking East Ender Jack Burrows, to afford the rent. Anger and bitterness have taken up residence in his heart—but Jack shines light into the shadowy corners with his relentlessly sunny disposition.

 

Jack introduces Trevor to a local drag club and convinces him he can enjoy the stage again. Trevor’s defences slowly come down as Jack becomes much more than a barely tolerated roommate.

 

But will Trevor’s fragile trust be destroyed when it appears he’s been manipulated yet again by a man he’s come to care for? Will he reclaim his life or crawl back into a shell of defeat? Trevor must learn to trust not only a man, but himself, once more.

 

 

A Perchance to Dream title.

 

Book Review

A hard-luck story, where the main character has to fight his way back to happiness after a disaster, is great at showing what’s really important. Trevor had it all before a cruel Fate took everything away from him. Now he has to learn not just how to deal with being blind, out of work, and poor, but he also has to face the emptiness of his personal life. Depression would be a logical consequence, but his flatmate, Jack, refuses to let Trevor wallow in his misery. Set in contemporary London, this novel describes Trevor’s journey back to happiness, and I loved watching him change and grow.
 
Trevor is pretty ready to give up and spend the rest of his life being miserable. I guess what he has been through could easily make him do exactly that, but there is also a lot he has left going for him. He is still an actor who likes getting into a role, he has a great voice, and lots of people remember him from his days on the “big stage”. It takes Jack’s relentless prodding to get Trevor to see that and it is not an easy or quick process, but ultimately it was very rewarding to see Trevor come out of his shell, try new things, and be open to the changes his new circumstances have wrought.

The setback is probably as unavoidable as it is terrible. With Trevor already having been manipulated and taken advantage of by his previous boyfriend, his certainty that Jack has done the same was understandable, if somewhat misplaced. I could see why Trevor may have felt the way he did, but I also shook my head because, as an outsider, it was easy for me to see how Trevor’s past colored his perceptions and the truth was a very different beast. It takes Trevor some time to deal with his lack of self-confidence and pessimism about being an attractive partner, and I was rooting for him all the way.

If you like stories about men who have to start rebuilding their lives after disaster strikes, if you enjoy artists and their tendency for “drama”, and if you’re looking for a read with a lively setting, a focus on character growth, and lots of entertaining moments, then you might like this novella.

 

 

 

 

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
Length	Novella, 112 pages/39895 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	18-January-2017
Price	$4.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/the-mighty-have-fallen-by-bonnie-dee-8056-b