Review: Heart and heartbreak--M/M romance with a twist
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 2, 2014
I received a copy of this book via Goodreads' Don't buy My Love program in exchange for an honest review.Chad is a nineteen y/o gay man whose father is an abusive drunk. He escapes the torment of his daily life--detached, depressed, unemployed, no boyfriend--with drugs and alcohol. One day his father beats him into unconsciousness. When he awakes, Chad needs to escape and can't turn to any of his few supports--knowing they will turn in his father--so he stumbles to the apartment of his former teacher (and lover) only to have Dion's boyfriend receive him.Jeremy wants to hate the wretched mess of a boy on his doorstep--but he only feels pity. This broken boy can't even stand, and it was Dion who cheated, not Chad. So, he takes Chad in, cleans him up and puts him to bed. When Dion comes home, Jeremy informs him of Chad's presence. Dion's worry and relief both aggravate and scare Jeremy--he can sense Dion's lingering concern and affection for a Chad. Did Jeremy do the right thing bringing a rival into his own home?See, ever since Dion broke things off with Chad and admitted to his affair to Jeremy, these men have been sleeping separately and living in a state of hostile truce. Three months of existing in the same apartment, no headway on rebuilding the relationship. Chad knows he's upsetting Dion's life and he leaves--only to nearly die of alcohol poisoning at a friend's house.Chad can't return home, and he doesn't want to impose on his aunt, but, strangely, he accepts Jeremy's offer to live with Jeremy and him. Jeremy seems bent on reforming Chad--and he can clearly see the love Dion has, still, for Chad. Truly, it seems that Jeremy is feeling an affection for Chad was well. It is the counsel of Jeremy's mother that Jeremy think outside the traditional constraints of relationships. Dion has love for both Chad and Jeremy, and the BIG CHOICE for Jeremy is to force Dion to choose a single lover (and perhaps lose Dion to Chad) or to convince Dion to include Chad as a partner and keep all three men together.It's quite the dilemma. I felt like it was handled with a lot of sensitivity and cautious introspection on Jeremy's part. His relationship has really been on the rocks, and yet, his love for Dion is strong. Likewise, Dion has been torn my guilt for months and is terrified for Chad's well being, as well as expecting a GOTCHA moment from Jeremy. He doesn't want to hurt either Chad or Jeremy, but can't help loving them. Chad really needs the unconditional love of someone, and he has been devastated since Dion broke off their tryst.I'm not sure if the resolution with Chad's father was poetic justice or convenience--wished we'd had a little more there. Also, there was no need for either a prologue or an epilogue--those should have been regular chapters as they were continuous with the story. A continuity edit is in order. It seems Chad is 19, almost 20, until the end of the book when he's 18. O_oI liked the flow--the pace was good, and we didn't drag through a bunch of days just to get to "the good stuff" but I really could have used a tiny bit more introspection from Chad and Jeremy leading up to, and regarding, their kiss. I felt Jeremy's feelings were a bit rushed, too impulsive, for the brooding character he is. On the whole, I really enjoyed the open mindedness of the story, and it's cast, and the careful and conscientious plotting. The story had a lot of heart to go with all its heartbreak.