Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Whenever his father asked Erik to accompany him to Pamplona for the San Fermín festival, he said no. Now his father is gone, and in a spur of the moment decision, Erik finds himself in another country to run with the bulls in his memory. Erik hasn’t booked a hotel, and he’s completely unprepared for a city bustling with people. No accommodations to be had, he’s resigned to sleeping in a park. Until help comes from an unlikely place.

 

David works in the tourism office, and Erik is surprised but grateful when he offers him his spare room, despite being a complete stranger. Faced with the choice of sleeping on the ground or the friendly offer of an extra bed, the decision is an easy one. The two of them get to know each other as David shows Erik what’s to love about Pamplona. For the first time in a long while, Erik feels something for another person, but that doesn’t change the fact that this is only temporary and he needs to go back home, does it?

 

 

First edition published by Dreamspinner Press, May 2017.

 

Book Review

Impulsive decisions and anxiety attacks don’t really go together, but Erik, who recently lost his father, is going to have to figure out how to deal with the decision. His story is about dealing with his father’s death, embarking on a new life, and finding what he never expected to be his – a boyfriend and lover on top of a better way of dealing with his own shortcomings. This is a story of hope, and it’s set in a wonderful city that comes alive with a lot of interesting and fun details, written by someone who obviously knows and loves Pamplona, Spain, a lot. While I can’t see myself going there to “run with the bulls” like Erik, it’s a nice addition to my “maybe one day” list of places to visit.

Erik is a writer, likes the quiet of a fairly lonely existence, and only travels to Pamplona to honor his now-deceased father who traveled there once a year for twenty years. What surprised me – and Erik! – is that he flies out without a detailed plan. So when he arrives and discovers there is not a single hotel room available, he panics. Luckily he has already met David, who works at the tourism office, and while David is a stranger, the two men hit it off well enough to explore what’s between them.

Their journey to friendship – and more – is slow and measured. Erik and David really communicate, and while there is definitely a physical attraction, it isn’t the only thing that sparks their curiosity. Throughout everything they do together as David shows Erik “his” city, they exchange information, ideas, and their thoughts. I loved how they got deeper and deeper involved, almost without noticing how serious they were getting within just a few days.

If you like slow-burn romances where emotional attraction and compatibility is as important as physical attraction, if you enjoy watching two men getting to know each other, and if you’re looking for a read that will make you smile and might just awaken your desire to travel to Spain, 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 the publisher for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 32000 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	11-November-2019
Price	$3.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://ninestarpress.com/product/the-sun-still-rises/