Rate: 4.25 out of 5 stars
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 275
Published: March 28, 2016
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Oliver and Samuel’s relationship is fairy-tale perfect. They share a gorgeous house in Antwerp, go out with their friends every weekend, and count down the days to their dream wedding. But their happy ending is shattered one late night, and just like that, Ollie is left bereft and alone.
The months that follow are long and dark, but slowly Ollie emerges from his grief. He even braves the waters of online dating, though deep down he doesn’t believe he can find that connection again. He doesn’t think to look for love right in front of him: his bisexual friend Thomas, the gentle giant with a kind heart and sad eyes who’s wanted him all along.
When Thomas suddenly discovers he has a son who needs him, he’s ill prepared. Ollie opens up his house—Sam’s house—and lets them in. Ollie doesn’t know what scares him more: the responsibility of caring for a baby, or the way Thomas is steadily winning his heart. It will take all the courage he has to discover whether or not fairy tales can happen for real.
My View: It’s kind of hard to review a book when you had done nothing but cry half-way through it. Up to that part, the book deserves all the stars possible. The love between Oliver and Samuel was fairy-tale like. The one everyone would hope to achieve some day. They were meant to be, and they had a lifetime to be together, as friends, and later as lovers. I knew their relationship wasn’t the main one in the story, and I hope, at times, for the book to be a paranormal, so Oliver had a chance to say his goodbyes or to find a way to stay with Samuel.
And this love, it’s also the reason I didn’t give this story a perfect five. Why? Because I don’t think the promise of a relationship with Thomas, and the love they started building together was convincing enough. For me, it felt more as if they became a couple because it was convenient. I don’t have any problem with characters growing into a loving relationship, but I need to see, at least, a solid beginning. I wished the author had finished the story when they were discovering their strengths instead of giving them a quick HEA.
The secondary characters and plot point in this story were good, and the book had a good pacing. Many moons ago, I was an exchange student at UAntwerp (University of Antwerp) and had the opportunity to experience some of the places the author mentioned, as well as, their weather, transportation, and cultural diversity. The author did an amazing job with all the settings and the overall characterizations. It felt as if I was walking down the cobblestones once again.
This is an excellent story. All you need it’s a tissue box close by, and nobody around to witness the excessive crying. It’s beautifully written and worth every tear.
What I liked the most: The love between Oliver and Samuel.
I wanted more of: A love connection between Oliver and Thomas.
Who should read it: Those who believe in true love.
ARC provided by Riptide, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
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