Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: April 15, 2016
Publisher: Jaybird Press
Length: 189 pages
Description: Imperfect harmony can still be beautiful…
John Fletcher, a former musician, is stuck in limbo after losing his long-term partner two years ago. He’s shut himself off from everything that reminds him of what he’s lost. When his neighbour persuades him to join the local community choir, John rediscovers his love of music and finds a reason to start living again.
Rhys Callington, the talented and charismatic choir leader, captures John’s attention from the first moment they meet. He appears to be the polar opposite of John: young, vibrant, and full of life. But Rhys has darkness in his own past that is holding him back from following his dreams.
Despite the nineteen-year age gap, the two men grow close and a fragile relationship blossoms. Ghosts of the past and insecurities about the future threaten their newfound happiness. If they’re going to harmonise in life and love as they do in their music, they’ll need to start following the same score.
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OUR REVIEW
Imperfect Harmony is the lyrically written character-driven story of two men with very sad pasts. One is a man in the middle of his life, conventional, set in his ways, and still recovering from the loss of his partner of twenty years. The other is a young man, a little flamboyant, a lot him, who is struggling to rebuild his life after a regrettable accident takes the life of his bandmate and partner. Neither one feels ready to move on, but both need to.
When John first meets Rhys at choir practice, his reaction is telling.
"Oh, um... I'm John." John floundered, pinned by the bright blue of Rhys's eyes and expectant smile. His heart beat faster, and long-forgotten neural pathways lit up as he felt a surprising flicker of interest in another man for the first time in years.
As the title would imply, it is their mutual love for music that brings these two musicians together. It is what ultimately heals their souls.
John started slowly, quietly. Rhys recognized the tune although he couldn't place it. Haunting and heartbreakingly beautiful, the music grew to fill the room. It cut through Rhys making the lump grow in his throat and tears prickle in his eyes. The melody wasn't in a minor key, yet there was somehow loss woven into every note--sadness, and a yearning that was almost unbearable.
But there was hope too, and as John drew out the final notes, Rhys was left breathless, wanting, and full of too many emotions to name.
The relationship between John and Rhys begins with friendship, two people in need of companionship. Music is the glue that bonds them. The story itself moves slowly, mimicing the build of the romance (slow burn).
Imperfect Harmony is very realistic. I felt as though Rhys and John could be two guys know. I loved that. My only minor quibble is that I felt the story lacked a little intensity. Overall, this novel is excellent proof of how love and music can help us to overcome the worst of ordeals.
OUR RATING: 4 stars!
(04/15/2016)
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: March 13, 2016
Publisher: MLR Press, LLC
Length: 74 pages
Description: When their son goes missing on a camping trip, Brook and Casey are given a chance to make amends for their past mistakes with each other.
Following a volatile break-up with his partner, Casey has been raising his son, Ryan, mostly on his own. While Ryan is on a camping trip in the Adirondacks, Casey and Brook make another attempt to work through their differences, with disastrous results. But when Ryan and his friend disappear in the mountains, Casey and Brook travel together to find him. The tension leads to an opportunity to listen to each other, reconcile their history, and recover the love they once shared.
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OUR REVIEW
What Once Was Lost takes place 18 months after the 6-year relationship between the two main characters ends quite spectacularly with a case of cheating. I won't go into the details of it here, but I will say that as the story progresses, it becomes clear that there was blame on both sides and that the cheating was the result of some pretty awful manipulation by the third-party. I found the choice of main characters interesting. It's nice to read stories about people who don't have perfect relationships.
Regardless, we are eighteen months later and Casey has custody of the couple's teenage son, Ryan, who is actually the nephew of Casey and Brook. At this point, I felt like I'd missed something in the story. I don't know of the author has another book about when Casey and Brook first got together, but it sounds like it would be quite interesting. As it stands, the current relationship between Casey and Brook is, as with most separated couples dealing with visitation, very acrimonious.
In confusion, Casey slammed the door shut.
"Open the damn door, Case," the man on the other side said.
Casey growled and opened it again. "What the hell are you doing here, Brook?"
"I came to get my kid for the weekend because you failed to drop him off."
"We talked about this weeks ago." Casey glared at Brook. "Ryan's going camping with Annie, Chuck, and their kids. You knew about this."
"Maybe I decided the answer is no." Brook crossed his arms. "You never gave me the choice--you just told me what was going on, same as always. I'd like a say in what happens this time."
"Not gonna happen. Also, you have no business showing up at my door. We agreed to a neutral location for a reason."
Despite the hard feelings and anger, both men still have strong feelings for each other. And in an effort to at least be civil for the benefit of their son, they agree to talk while he is away on his camping trip. One thing leads to another and soon those feelings explode, but is this a new beginning or revenge? You be the judge!
Casey's stomach rolled, and he stepped forward with a low growl, causing Brook to press himself against the counter. He hauled his fist back, ready to strike.
"I needed you to feel something for me again!" Brook yelled. "Not that empty place where I didn't know if you even wanted me anymore."
Brook was breathing hard as he looked directly into Casey's eyes, silently pleading with him in a way that brought a new feeling to Casey's gut. Something snapped, and instead of bringing his fist forward to punch Brook, Casey grabbed his shirt and leaned in to crush their mouths together. The kiss wasn't tender; it was bruising and desperate, and Casey poured all his rage and grief and longing into it.
As mentioned in the description, Ryan and his friend goes missing on his camping trip, both Brook and Casey go look for him. When night falls and the boys haven't been found, Brook and Casey go to a motel--yes, a motel. This is the perfect opportunity for the two of them to talk and begin a reconciliation. Trouble is--is this the right time? Some readers might not think so. On the plus side, the chemistry between the two men is powerful and the sex is hot.
The writing in What Once Was Lost is very good. It's smooth, the dialogue is natural, and the emotions are real. And so even while, at times, I was lost, and ,at others, I found the plot to be a little unbelievable, I still enjoyed the story.
OUR RATING: 4 stars
(4/4/2016)
