WOMEN'S FICTION - The Last Goodbye by Fiona Lucas

 

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Poignant, hopeful, and full of emotional power, an unforgettable story in the vein of P.S. I Love You about two people learning to love again after great loss, perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes and Josie Silver.

How can you move on if you can’t let go?

Spencer was the love of Anna’s life: her husband, her best friend, her rock. She thought their love would last forever.

But three years ago, Spencer was tragically killed in an accident and Anna’s world was shattered. How can she ever move on, when she’s lost her soulmate?

On New Year’s Eve Anna calls Spencer’s phone number, just to hear his old voicemail greeting. But to her shock, someone answers…

Brody has inherited Spencer’s old number and is the first person who truly understands what Anna’s going through. As her and Brody’s phone calls become lengthier and more frequent, they begin opening up to each other—and slowly rediscover how to smile, how to laugh, even how to hope.

But Brody hasn’t been entirely honest with Anna. Will his secret threaten everything, just as it seems she might find the courage to love again?

My Rating - 5 Stars!

The Last Goodbye is a gripping novel by Fiona Lucas. 

This is a story of heartache and grief. This is a story of pain, loss, and healing. This is a story of two people who each lost a member of their family, and suffered greatly as a result. 

It's thought provoking and extremely emotional. It takes the reader on one hell of a journey.

I definitely recommend this novel. 

BUT, if death of a spouse or family member is a trigger for you, SKIP this one. It's a tough read for sure. 

In the end, it's a great hurt/comfort romance that is full of learning to move forward after loss. It's wonderfully done. 

The Last Goodbye is riveting from the start. Fiona Lucas brings the reader through all the emotions in this stellar read. I am highly impressed. 

Sky Full of Mysteries by Rick R. Reed

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Blurb

What if your first love was abducted and presumed dead—but then returned twenty years later?

That’s the dilemma Cole Weston faces. Now happily married to Tommy D’Amico, he’s suddenly thrown into a surreal world when his first love, Rory Schneidmiller, unexpectedly reappears.

Rory has no memory of those years. For him, it’s as though only a day or two has passed. He still loves Cole with the passion unique to young first love.

But Cole has so many questions: where has Rory been and what happened to him two decades ago when he disappeared without a trace? He has never forgotten Rory, but Tommy has been his rock, by his side since Rory disappeared.

Cole is forced to choose between an idealized and passionate first love and the comfort of a long-term marriage. How does one make a decision like that? The answers might lie among the stars…

Review 

My Rating - 5+ Stars!

I don't really know how to describe Rick Reed's Sky Full of Mysteries. It's an extremely powerful tale, painfully heart-breaking, and absolutely riveting.  

It's a story of first love and the strength behind that first love. The anguish of mysterious disappearances. The fear of moving on. The continuation of holding onto hope. And pain. So much pain. 

The author expertly tells this amazing tale in two parts. The first half of the book focuses on Rory, his disappearance, and the aftermath for Cole. I was hanging onto every single word.

Then Rory returns! The second half is twenty years later, with Cole now married to Tommy, and Rory suddenly reappearing.

It's a thought-provoking novel, full of mystery, faith, and love. It's gloomy and depressing, yet also lovely, full of impressive discoveries about love.

One quote that I love and everyone can relate to is "That's the thing about life, though; we were never given the courtesy of a warning when something bad was about to strike."

I can't stop wondering who had it worse. The man who can't stop loving the man from his past? The man who is suddenly back with everything being completely upended? Every character suffers as a result of this one event. The author delves into Rory's parents and Tommy, both before he was with Cole and after. There is no way of avoiding the pain and suffering, it's only a matter of handling it.

I am blown away by this story. The emotions jump off the page throughout, fully ripping the readers heart out. It's a completely no-win situation, full of absolute agony. Yet, somehow, the author beautiful manages to tie things up in an impressively satisfactory manner. The book hangover is real with this one though. I can't stop thinking about it. I am torn between loving the ending, and hating it. 

Sky Full of Mystery is wonderfully written, spectacularly engrossing, and will leave the reader wanting to talk about it. Rick Reed has penned a story that will leave you struggling throughout, never really understanding how you want things to end up. It's masterful in it's strength to completely engross the reader throughout, as well as for days afterwards.

The Last Text by Alice Winters

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Blurb

Happy Birthday, Daniel. I was told not to send you another text, but I never was any good at listening. I love and miss you. I always will.

When I lost my partner of eight years, I felt like my world was crashing down around me. In order to feel some relief from the overwhelming emptiness, I’ve found myself sending him texts every year on his birthday, even though I know he will never answer. It makes me feel like there’s a piece of him still alive, at least in my heart.

I’m sorry, you must have the wrong number.

That is, until someone responds to my text. Jace is charming, sweet, and everything I could ever want. But how can I accept someone new in my life when Daniel’s only been gone two years? Even so, Jace starts to consume my world. It feels like I can finally breathe as he helps me understand that my life doesn’t have to revolve around my grief.

Soon, I find myself laughing again as he pulls me away from the hopeless cycle I’ve been caught in, and I love spending time with him, whether it’s playing video games together or discussing our comic book alter egos. But I still need to let go of this guilt and allow Jace to show me that I can love another without replacing what I’ve lost. Jace rewrites my entire world with every word and smile he gives me, and it’s becoming harder to not give in and hand him my heart. Maybe Daniel did respond after all.

The Last Text is a 37k word novella about overcoming loss, finding hope, and friendship that leads to new love.

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Damn! Alice Winter's The Last Text is an amazing story. A beautiful story of loss, grief, and healing, I was immediately drawn into Merrick's emotions.

After losing his boyfriend Merrick's drowning in his grief, unable to even think about moving forward. I expected a great story, as I love Alice Winter's writing, but this is move than I could have ever imagined.

I could feel every second of Merrick's pain, both in it's depth and it's power. Yet, as much as I feel his pain, I'm impressed with the light that Jace brings into his life. Not only does Jace help pull Merrick out of his pain, he also brings friendship, humor, and love back into his life.

If you've read this author before, you're well versed with her extreme talent at bringing humor into any situation. In this gem, she once again impresses and amazes with her ability to entwine so much humor into such a deep and strong story of lose and depression.

As for the storyline, holy crap, it's tough to explain how superb this one is. The way Merrick and Jace meet is unique, and the following relationship is well developed and full of emotion.

The Last Text is a phenomenal tale of a second chance at love. Alice Winters gifts us with this powerful story of overcoming loss through the power of a new friendship. This story is will take you on an emotional rollercoaster which will have you reading late into the night.

Loving Him (Hearts Intertwined Book 1) by Drea Roman

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Blurb

A successful large sculpture artist, Black has drive, focus, and a friendly backyard squirrel to keep him company. What he doesn't have is a personal life. Memories of a life shattering disaster make him close the door on any possibilities of love and affection. But when a sweet and charming new man breezes into his life, Black faces a choice. Keep hiding from his past or face the pain and risk his soul for love again.

Aubrey Davies designs parks all over the U.S. When he lands in Oakland, his life collides with that of a gorgeous artist who fascinates and confuses him. When Black blows hot, Aubrey revels in the fire. When Black blows cold, Aubrey bleeds from the freeze. Will Aubrey's steadfast love penetrate Black's final emotional walls? Or will both men shatter their hearts on the jagged rocks of Black's past, a past he so desperately wants to hide?

Loving Him is a 100k word contemporary mm romance and the first entry in the Hearts Intertwined series. Be ready for sexy movie references, a wise and mischievous squirrel, and a sweet HEA.

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Drea Roman's debut novel, Loving Him is a remarkable tale of love and loss. It's a riveting, emotional journey that is completing deserving of a time. Just be sure to have some tissues nearby. 

Black and Aubrey feel an immediate spark. But, as they get closer, Black's secret keep him from being able to give himself completely to Aubrey. 

Their story is one of a strong connection that's kept from being absolute due to pain, loneliness, want and fear. Black's inability to open up fully is gut wrenching. I could feel my heart breaking along with his and Aubrey's.

The bond that Black and Aubrey form over parks is important. I love the conversation of people not pausing to notice the beauty and not appreciating the work that's done to create such beauty. This is extremely true and profound.

Overall, this is a tale of a closed off man learning to open his heart again. Black's past has left him just surviving, but Aubrey's love can help him to actually live again.

Loving Him is an accomplished story addressing the power of grief, guilt and loss, as well as the power of love. I'm extremely impressed with this debut novel by Drea Roman, and I'm excited to see what else this author comes up with in the future.