| Title | : | Smoky Mountain Dreams |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 425 |
| Publication | : | First published November 12, 2014 |
After giving up on his career as a country singer in Nashville, Christopher Ryder is happy enough performing at the Smoky Mountain Dreams theme park in Tennessee. But while his beloved Gran loves him the way he is, Christopher feels painfully invisible to everyone else. Even when he's center stage he aches for someone to see the real him.
Bisexual Jesse Birch has no room in his life for dating. Raising two kids and fighting with family after a tragic accident took his children's mother, he doesn't want more than an occasional hook-up. He sure as hell doesn't want to fall hard for his favorite local singer, but when Christopher walks into his jewelry studio, Jesse hears a new song in his heart.
Smoky Mountain Dreams Reviews
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Yay! Always fun to have new
Leta Blake to read! And her newest M/M romance
Smoky Mountain Dreams has more angst than you can shake a stick at, just as we have come to expect from Ms. Blake.
Spoilers abound in this one, so I will be purposely vague. Failed making-it-to-the-big-time country crooner Christopher Ryder meets and starts a relationship with failed-being-a-gay-man Jesse Birch, who owns and operates his own jewelry design studio. There are so many things in the path to their happily-ever-after that it is almost comical. I mean, poor guys! You really will root for these boys from the word, "Go."
Give yourself some time, because this is a longer book coming in at just over 400 pages. Unfortunately, I'm not putting this one on my favorites list because of two pet-peeves. It still gets 5 stars, because it's awesome and I loved the book, but the pet-peeves were enough to keep it off my list. Again, totally my issues! Most likely won't be yours. I'm going to spoiler tag just to be 100% sure I don't ruin anyone's enjoyment of the book.
This is a great book folks! It ends in the holiday season and is chalk full of warm 'n fuzzy holiday cheer. I can HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Smoky Mountain Dreams to read by your Christmas tree.OMG, I forgot to mention the sex! *head/desk* Where is my brain? These two were outstanding in the sex department. And after reading this, you'll never look at your or your mother's or grandmother's or anyone's string of pearls the same again. *clears throat*
This review is also posted at
Gay Book Reviews
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Wow, that was one long story, folks!
I'd have to rate the book at around 3.25 stars, with most of the story being to my liking, but other aspects not quite as much.
The biggest reason that this story wasn't insta-love for me -- besides the slower pace and rather immense length -- was that it was one of those stories where life gets in the way of the MC’s spending more than a stolen moment here and there together.
My very strong preference with romances is that they meet, spend lots of time together getting to know one another, *showing* me that they’re both falling in love along the way, without the majority of the (many, many, many) pages being spent in their own heads, worrying about everything under the sun.
As for the steamy bits, lawdy, there was soooooooo much (hot, kinky) sex on page when they were together. But for me it began feeling repetitive, so I fully admit to skimming past the orgasms in hopes of seeing more time with them cuddling, talking, being, just... becoming.
I really liked both characters, more so when they weren't 'nekkid', and watching their story unfold, but even by the last page of the book, there was still no resolution with the wife. I would've greatly appreciated some sort of epilogue seeing not only that the new family was thriving, but also that Marcy had finally found her peace.
Don’t get me wrong, I liked it quite a bit, but if I read 400+ pages, I want something like "Wolfsong" or "The Lightning-Struck Heart." Something a bit more "candy canes and pine cones and epic and awesome," to quote TJ Klune.
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I felt sorry for the book that followed my Red Dirt Travis and Charlie binge!
But this book nailed it.
A bit angstier then I prefer. But the angst was done well if that makes sense. Conflicts were resolved maturely and quickly.
There were times this book made we want to bust in to tears and other times I found myself laughing.
And the sex. Leta Blake can write some sex. Sex that at times errs on the side of kinky.
As I go through Leta Blake's catalog of books, I'm discovering I'm a big fan. The writing, the story building, the characters it just sucks you in.
My one complaint, the books tend to be long. But lucky for me I read this one during a ten hour car ride home.
Loved it! Highly recommend! -
Time of death... somewhere during all the religious fervor in Chapter 19 - NR
There are a ton of fantastic reviews for this one and truth be told, I'm kind of disappointed with myself that I just can't anymore since undoubtedly there is some fluff in store that could potentially turn me into even more of a squishy marshmallow. But...
I don't doubt the veracity of the content of this story given the setting but everyone's conviction is what wore me down. Were it just one family member/couplet, fine. But EVERYONE is so dogmatic about their beliefs, aggressively so, that it's just making me sad. I don't want to be sad.
That coupled with the ex-wife thing worked together to dwindle my enjoyment down to non-existent.
The sex was undeniably hot and there is a connection between Jesse and Christopher but that alone isn't enough to sustain me through almost 15 hrs of listening time.
No complaints about John Solo. He really gives it his all.
I'd encourage everyone to read other reviews before deciding on this one since the majority of them are favorable, making me the outlier here. -
3.8 stars ⭐️ I'm still thinking about this story. This is such a long story, and I've mixed feelings about it. I always have a soft spot for musician guys in books. Here, our Christopher is a singer and performer at Smoky Mountain Dreams.
I'm discovering that Leta Blake is becoming one of my fav authors. Her storytelling, writing style, character development, and the amount of angst and steamy in stories just work for me. But here, I can see that her usual angst was at a lower level but I would have liked it more if this book had been full of angst and tensions.
Jesse was the biggest fan of Christopher, and he was rich, not to mention down to earth guy. Dealing with the traumatic event with his wife he became a lone father for two kids.
Given that Christopher hadn't any fan known to be, Jesse seemed a pretty special guy for Chris.
Jesse and Christopher were such endearing characters. I loved both of them without barriers. Their sexual interactions were so intense and scorching hot. I read every one of them without skipping. 😁
“when you look at me, I feel like you actually see me. No one ever sees me, but you do. I feel like you always have.” In that moment, with Jesse’s weight pressing him down, Christopher felt more grounded and seen than maybe he ever had.”
But one time, Jesse acted like a douche, and Christopher went so easy on him. I was pissed off with Jesse. I didn't like it when Chris easily forgave him, and I wanted Jesse to understand Chris was such a precious partner to him by putting up with Jesse’s mess without complaining. -
DNF @ 30%
I'm really sorry because I know this book is well-loved by many people, but if I have to listen one more second to how handsome the other one is - gorgeous cock, perfectly shaped hole, amazing sparkling green eyes etcetera blabla - or what Gran has to say (in Christopher's mind) I'm going to throw something and I fear for the safety of my precious MP3 player.
John Solo did a good job here, but I still can't be bothered to listen to this book for eleven more hours. -
Emotional Flux
I gotta say, this one was…tricky.
I was happy.
I was mad.
I was anxious.
I was sad.
And then I was sobbing. I always give bonus points for tears shed during a book.
I certainly shed some here. Actually, recalling a single four-letter word will make my eyes wet....still.
And regardless of my niggles…that’s something.
As for my complaints…..
~The straight-for-you twist kinda irked me. Yeah, I wasn't a fan of that dip in the plot. I get it, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.
~The holy rollers were too much….definite thumping going on here.
~Some of the scenes felt a bit redundant, which added to long feeling. Like during a convo between two characters, one of them would think something and then the other would say it. It was unnecessary. A little trimming might have been nice.
~I felt like I was reading a six hundred page book crammed into four hundred. There was a sprout of something here…and then nothing else. I wanted more of Jesse’s sensory sixth sense, I wanted more of the BDSM potential that was touched on but never developed, I wanted all the little threads to come together.
....I know I just said there was too much and then too little...and I know that doesn't make sense, but that's just how it felt.
~A particular sex scene felt icky…and it wasn’t just me, the guys thought it was icky too. Soo why was it there?
~The ending wasn't perfect, which is okay (though to be honest, I like neat and tidy endings best) but I would rather know a sequel was coming to calm the itch of the unknown.
Now then, let’s get to the good stuff, shall we?
The characters (most of them) were absolutely lovely.
I really enjoyed both Christopher and Jesse, but I also adored many of the secondary cast. From Gran to Will to Amanda, they were solid, strong, and lovable.
Christopher's a musician losing his voice. His muse is almost silent.
Jesse's a grieving artist, desperate to feel alive again, to hear the music once more.
He falls in love with Christopher's voice before he has a chance to fall in love with the man himself.
*sigh*
Insurmountable challenges must be scaled.
But the fall is worth every step of the climb.
The emotional pull was…intense.
Without a doubt, I was vested and engaged.
The intimacy and the passion and the falling…loved it!
The uphill journey was not an easy one, but I was happy to trek through the rough and tough parts so I could enjoy the soaring.
ohh and, the pearls? Yowza!
*4 moody-maudlin-moving stars* -
I loved this story so much. It's at turns sweet, angsty and super sexy. It was such a pleasure to edit this book, and it's my favourite of Leta's work so far. I rooted for Christopher right away. He's a kind, unassuming, average kind of guy, and I wanted to put him in my pocket. His self-esteem isn't the highest (and oy, what a nightmare 90% of his family is!), and it was wonderful to see him blossom as he grows closer to Jesse, who isn't your typical M/M romance hero. He's bisexual and is a single father to two children. He's closed himself off to the possibility of love after the tragedy of losing his wife, but his chemistry with Christopher is undeniable.
As always with Leta's work, this book doesn't shy away from delving into messy emotions. The characters make mistakes, and I love them all the more for it. They're flawed humans, and not cardboard cutouts. And as always with a Leta Blake novel, there's a healthy serving of heat! Christopher and Jesse are smokin' hot together. There's one scene in Jesse's office featuring pearls that made me feel thusly:
By the end of the book, this was me:
This story is perfect to curl up with as we head into the holiday season! I'm already bugging Leta for a sequel. :D -
This book is a sneak attack of awesome! Stellar. Definitely gets 5 stars on the reread.
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Rereading this one that I gave 5 stars to a couple years ago. Let's see if I still love it, cuz I sure as hell don't remember much of the details. -
A cozy tale to enjoy during the inhospitable months.
The character interactions are the strongest part of this story. Each one is developed and imbued with their own personality and resonance. Christopher is sweet, from a homophobic, fire and brimstone family. He's a talented, but not gifted musician; Jesse is his new muse.
Jesse, a single father of two who still has to bury his wife. Reformed rebel and dilettante wanting to give his children more warmth and comfort than he received. Along with his sister and his in-laws, Will and Brigid have a good support group.
Double serving of family drama as both Jesse and Christopher become involved and their lives entangle. This is a character driven story. Past tragedy plays a crucial role. Like the characters we all have to decide, the future or the past? Where do you want to live? How does one move on? What keeps us bound?
For Jesse that is a big issue for him and the kids. Will has already moved on. Brigid needs more, and there comes the cranes and wishes. Brigid's actions and decisions are one of the most touching parts of this story. You might cry, but it'll make you happy, too. Christopher's interactions with her are wonderful and they made me smile.
This book tries to do a little bit of everything and that makes it seem undirected. Almost like the author wanted to please and check as many boxes as possible. First, the kink seems forced. The breath play out of no where was a little disturbing with no prelude or discussion between the characters and the mild dominance unnecessary in their relationship. I didn't understand why it appeared and then disappeared. Second, stylistically, it's a mishmash with a little bit of paranormal, a dash of BDSM, and a healthy dose of angst so that it comes across unfocused or more generously, a smorgasbord.
The environment plays a significant part and lends a bucolic air as Christopher and Jesse fall in love. It is the calm in the swirling distractions of life. There are a lot of secondary characters clamoring for attention: Gran, the kids, Jesse's sister-in-law, Christopher's family, Gareth, Amanda and other friends. Life is messy and complicated is a theme and the clutter of characters supports that idea.
Overall, highly emotional read that deals with the tangled mess of living.
Favorite quote:“If expressing what you want and feel means you can’t be a man, then this society has a really fucked-up view of masculinity."
Guest Review
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Smoky Mountain Dreams is a story of learning to heal and learning to let go of the past so you can embrace the present and the future. Jesse a gay leaning, bisexual man who comes from money and is the designer of some really beautiful custom jewelry. He's rather in limbo, though, because his wife, while not dead, isn't exactly living either, and because his wife neglected to update her healthcare paperwork after they were married, Jesse doesn't even have a say. So, he has spent the last five years learning how to be a single father and trying to find some closure that just won't happen.
Christopher is a musician who didn't make it in Nashville when he was younger. He's got loads of self worth issues that are no doubt caused by his complete waste of oxygen mom and stepdad. We're talking full on religious (think Westboro Baptist) crazy. Thank goodness Christopher had his Gran. She was a reasonable sort and she not only accepted who he was, but she encouraged him. In fact, I'm pretty sure she saved his life. I loved the 'conversations' that Christopher would have with his Gran in his head when she wasn't around. She had such a wonderful influence on him and I wish I had a Gran like her.
So, with all this other stuff going on, with Jesse's wife and Christopher's batshit crazy family, Jesse and Christopher are embarking on what could be a really wonderful relationship and OMFSM are the sexytimes some of the hottest I've read -- I will never look at a strand of pearls the same way again!.
Jesse's children did add complication, of course, but Jesse is a wonderful father and Christopher will be, too, I think. Brigid did act like a petulant child who was resentful that an usurper was coming in and taking her father's attention, at first, and I found that to be very realistic. It took time for Christopher to win her over. And Christopher was so wonderful with her, even when she was being a little bitch to him. He understood and exercised more patience than I think most people would have. He seemed to have an idea of what was going on with her and found a way to relate to her and he helped her to relate to him in a very clever way. It was quite special.
There are layers to this story that I'm still thinking about, and I expect that I will continue to think about them for some time. I loved the sub-story of the cranes. I've never read the story where Brigid got the idea for making the cranes, but I kind of want to now. I would definitely recommend this book and I look forward to its sequel. -
3.5 stars
I liked it. I didn't love it, I did feel like it's missing that usual Leta Blake spark. I must reiterate I love Leta Blake both of her previous books
&
have been 5 star reads for me.
This sex was scorching, let me tell you those pearls scene, I might need to borrow that, but it was too much of nothing for the rest. Okay I found myself wanting to put it down around 30%, it was going extremely slow. I can admit the whole description of Smoky Mountain Dreams was too freaking much. It was confusing with the entire description of it, and I couldn't care less, I'm sorry.
Another that pissed me of was the parents, and again I don't know what it's like to be gay or come out of the closet. So I don't know those feelings but I do know I won't be abused for anyone mother, father, sister, or brother. He couldn't possibly be a grown ass man and have to deal with that every holiday. No one was on his side but his brother in law and how long did that take. I hate his mother, she doesn't deserve him. What makes a man put up with that? I just couldn't deal with the same issues throughout the book.
Then the other mc is having hard time with his children, and his family situation. It was draining, I believe in God but these people just destroyed the reading for me. It definitely isn't one of my favorite Leta Blake's story, but I'll continue to support her. -
Great story. Loved the two MC's. It's a hits-you-right-in-the-heart kind of story. A story I will definitely revisit in the future. Loved it.
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Freebie at the zon.com right now:
https://smile.amazon.com/Smoky-Mounta... -
A pleasant, well-written romance about Christopher, a singer/songwriter who has downsized his dreams, meeting Jesse, a man with two pre-teens whose wife was lost to an accident several years ago. The sources of conflict surrounding that situation are novel enough to add some interest to the book, particularly the situation with the daughter (although I thought the resolution was a bit fast and easy.) A good read if you like slow, mostly steady romantic development with extended family drama. This book does not have any kink (unlike
Training Season, the author's probably best-known book which had lots) and also has less quirkiness and emotional intensity. -
In my opinion this book was too long for the story. It felt like the author had to struggle to beef it up with more details and more angst, which left me cold after awhile. I do like that the story started out slow and easy, but then it petered out and became slightly boring at about 75%. I was hoping for another
Training Season or
The River Leith. Those two books were like a bracing slap to my face while this one ended up being like a timid tap on my shoulder. Siiiiiiggghhhh... Too bad.
The sex scenes, though?
HOT and not to be missed. To me, Leta Blake writes sex scenes like a dude, and I love that about her. It's a strong and enduring love, so I'm looking forward to the next one. -
3,5 más o menos...
Me ha gustado, las interacciones de Chris y de Jesse son de altísimo voltaje, eso vaya por delante, es sólo que hay una algunas cosas que, para mi, deslucen el resultado final: la primera el toque de culebrón (esos líos familiares... meh), la segunda... que es insta-love, bien llevado y narrado, pero insta-love al fin y al cabo (seamos serios en un mes ya está metido en tu casa con tus hijos ¬¬) y la tercera, el rollo religioso, que en algún momento agota.
A pesar de todo, es una lectura que recomiendo por ejemplo para cambiar el pulso entre libros más densos, la Blake sabe lo que se hace, en mi ya tiene una nueva fan :) -
3.4 smoky mountain stars
Pearls
Mountains
Hot guys
Lots of drama...
Liked it but didn't love it.
The MCs were lovable.
The sex was scorching, let me tell you those pearls scene and some others... Yum.
Yes that was that...
What didn't work for me? I found myself wanting to put this book down quite a few times as it was going extremely slow. The whole story with the parents, issues with children and constant was draining. Also in my opinion this book was too long for the story. -
No doy puntuación. Esta autora me suele gustar, pero me estaba aburriendo, quizás me ha pillado en mal momento, no lo sé.
-
Pearls of wisdom, IMO, this writer showed great wisdom in the use and the beauty of pearls and other WRITERS', should TAKE NOTES! That was truley the best part of this book.
The Book...and what I loved...and other stuff too~
Part 1, A wonderfully slow building of character and romance.
Part 2, A laborious read, but, bears sweet friut post-labor.
A very long love story, albeit with laborious Christian driven angst of which I thought I would strongly dislike.
Man oh man it's a lot...issues with family, with children, issues that delve in not, new, yet always intresting.
THE PEARLS!
Wow! Man oh man that scene was original, and pretty darn awesome. I loved it!
THE ENDING
Unfoutaneley it was unresolved~ -
Absolutely fantastic. I don't really have words but I felt all the feels. The characters are extremely likable and even when they make mistakes, they are big boys about it and apologize. The book went a different direction that I thought it would and when I saw the conflict taking shape, I was really impressed.
So, so so well done. Leta Blake is one of my fave romance authors. THE RIVER LEITH is still one of my top 2014 reads and this is right up there with that.
I want a story about everyone at Smoky Mountain Dreams. GARETH! :D -
**** Wow, this book is intense, amazing, and drama laden, with magnificent - off the charts - M/M sex scenes, plus a lot of family interaction. ****
**** The main characters are deeply wonderful. **** Christopher is blonde, green-eyed, slim and is a singer/songwriter, plays guitar and piano, and works at the Smoky Mountain Dreams resort.
He goes to Jesse's jewelry shop to order a locket for his Gran. Shop owner handsome Jesse, is rich, world travelled, has brown hair, dark eyes, and "sees" Christopher immediately.
Their relationship grows slowly, but the sex flares up sizzling right away.
Christopher is amazed and later tells Jesse: "because when you look at me, I feel like you actually see me. No one ever sees me, but you do..." We have wild joy and love, fears, meddling family, intense loving, deep thoughts, and maybe hope. Lots of angst and drama, but so well written, I'm not going to say it was a bad thing. aside from that... I liked the story very much.
"God is love. Prejudice and hatred is an act of man. -Tooji "
It was difficult to decide on what PICS to put up, because there are so many things in this story...
And we finally get to know what the "cranes" are for.
Highly recommend. ENJOY !!!!
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3 I wish I cried stars.
I guess everyone truly does read a book differently.... And the definition of angst for me...
Mare's angst: crying, blubbering, butterflies, nervousness, sniffles, heart racing, emotional, terrified, what's coming next. WTF where is this going. OMG moments. Heart stopping. Connections.... intense connections.
The true definition of angst:
angst
äNG(k)st/Submit
noun
a feeling of deep anxiety or dread, typically an unfocused one about the human condition or the state of the world in general.
"adolescent angst"
synonyms: anxiety, fear, apprehension, worry, foreboding, trepidation, malaise, disquiet, disquietude, unease, uneasiness
So I guess in a way my angst and the real angst are similar...right?????
Smoky Mountain Dreams....
SMD was really more of the real angst that Mare's angst. And although it dealt with some really tough matters, one that would probably make lots of people tear up, it just didn't hit Mare'sangstmetre as I had prayed.
It was a nice story. I liked it but I also found that I could walk away from the book for hours at a time and then come back to it.
It had some touching moments. But I had a lot more moments of wanting to just shake the characters in the book. All of them. Not just 1 but all.
The sex was hot.
But some of the scenes seemed out of touch with the theme of the story.
But again the sex was seriously hot.
And I also thought that the ending was just a little... abrupt?
Here's hoping we get a book 2 because I feel some serious issues were left unattended, such as
Mare~Slitsread -
I like Leta Blake’s writing, and this book was well-written for sure (aside from five or six minor editing errors). Overall the book didn’t work for me. It touched my emotions and made me cry, but not in a good way.
Its hard to for me to rate this; hard to juxtapose the good in it with parts that personally bothered me. In the end, the way Jesse perpetuates the idea that all too many people already seem to hold--that bisexuals are never happy with just one person, even when they love them--makes it impossible for me to give this book as high a rating as maybe it deserves.
A well-written book that I wanted to like but just really couldn't... I still gave it 3 stars but I really had a hard time with Jesse. -
My Review:
Wow...third time's the charm. I think with this book, Leta Blake just made it onto my auto-buy-author list. This is the third book of hers that I've read and it's the third book of hers that I've loved.
I swore I wasn't going to get sucked into this book. I have too much on my TBR pile already and when I started it, I was 85% point of the review book that I was reading...which was also VERY good. But I read a mention about this book on Facebook so I went over to Amazon to check it out. I wasn't sure about the story line, so I started reading the kindle sample...just to see if I wanted to buy it to add to my TBR, NOT to read it. From that point on, I didn't set my kindle down again except for must-do things like take my child to school. Yep, I was sucked in and sucked in quickly.
So what was it about this book that was so good? Two words...Christopher & Jesse. Both of these guys tore and shredded at my heart strings and while their stories are VERY different, they are also so alike in that they are alone in this world. Yeah, they both have people in their corner, but no one that's THE ONE. The one that they know they can rely on no matter what. Neither of them have that and it's a lonely existence.
For Jesse, that hasn't always been the case. For most of his life, he had Marly. She was his best friend from a very young age. He was also always gay, but on an overseas trip, things changed between them in a bit of a twist...bisexual for you...and she got pregnant. He absolutely loved her, but 5 years ago she was in a car wreck that left her in a vegetative state. Now he lives a lonely existence concentrating on his two children and his jewelry-making business.
Christopher, on the other hand, has never had anyone but his Gran. He's an entertainer at the Smoky Mountain theme park. He's the back-up. And in his own words, he's always been pretty much second choice in everything. When he talks about this, it breaks my heart. But Jesse has season passes to the park and has a bit of an obsession for Christopher. So it's pure luck when Christopher comes to Jesse's jewelry shop to get a piece made for his grandmother.
These two together...LOVED them. Just in that they are so freaking good together. But there are SO MANY complications in their lives. Jesse has a whole family, including...hello, a wife and kids. His daughter is having serious issues dealing with her mother's state. She's a 12 yo girl who needs her mother and doesn't understand that she may be there in body, but she isn't in any other way. There's also the complication of the fact that Jesse's gay or bi...that's not an easy thing for kids to understand. For Christopher...wow, his family is just plain nuts and not in any way good. Religious fanatics that tear him down and reject him for being gay every single they are around them. Those scenes shredded me to read. I just want to hold and protect him from their horrible venom.
And then there's the thing that they do extremely well...wowzer, the scenes in this book are incredibly hot. Jesse is a jewelry maker and let's just say he has amazing skills when it comes to pearls. And all joking aside, it is an incredibly sexy book, but I loved the way the two guys connected over their creative arts in such a sensual way. Jesse makes and designs jewelry, but he's also a really intuitive person. He sees emotion in everything, including his jewelry. It's almost like auras, but he reads them in everything including spaces which was an interesting twist to the book. And then Christopher is a song-writer. I loved the way his music would come to him at surprising moments.
The book was just plain good. It moved me and entertained me and I didn't want to stop reading from the moment I started it. It's a really beautiful story about letting go and learning to love. And ultimately it's a story about two men finding a family within each other. I loved it! Leta Blake- remember her name and add her to your TBR list NOW!!! -
Audio Rating: No Change
Still a delightful and relatively drama-free story; character driven plots are a lot harder to pull off but LB is definitely one of those authors that do it well.
One thing I keep vacillating on, so I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't like stories about musicians that are heavy on the lyrics or song-writing aspect, and if they're rock stars I don't want heavy handed, repeated scenes of them performing. I don't mind one or two - and I absolutely LOVE it when the narrator can actually the sing the part. It's relatively easy to imagine the jewelry made but I have a harder time with the performance aspect. So, yeah, I wish we'd had that. (And yet I strongly dislike most musicals. I'm so weird.)
Very glad I listened to this one as a re-read, even if the narration wasn't particularly special or distinctive. I just appreciated a book I'd previously liked very much via a different medium.
Original Rating: 4.3 Stars
A
M/M Romance Group Team Spin
Spellapalooza Challenge read. (Go Team 6 -
Living In Spin!!!)
See
my updates for comments. (Beware spoilers). -
Hands down the best m/m romance I've read yet. Furthermore, one of the best romances I've ever read, period. The characterization was fantastic, the story well fleshed out, the motivations and obstacles believable. I was really rooting for Christopher and Jesse, and I felt every hurt and loss each of them suffered with an intensity reserved for only my favorite literary protagonists.
-
Currently *FREE* on Amazon, 2020-09-21!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
This books has many ratings and interesting reviews on Goodreads - gonna give it a try I guess!
I haven't read an M/M romance with a single dad involved for quite some time!
Not one of the tropes I usually go for, but this one sounds good. -
BR, December 9th with Julie and Matty..
2,5 stars
First of all, Matty, chapeau for reading this in one day!!!
Second, I’ll will refer more to
Julie’s review because we really read this together…. And my gawd, did we struggle…… But we were adamant to finish this sucker!!!!
So, yesterday night at 2.30 AM , after 3 days and 424 ffff pages , Ms Blake thought that it was quite enough and there were no more pages!!!
That really pissed me off!!! You reckon after 400 pages, an author should be able to have enough time to deliver her readers closure…. There was so much unresolved, it still makes me want to smack something… And I’m not a violent person at all…
This book had such great potential.
Here we have a country singer from Nashville
I have a weakness for broken spirits.. So I was good with Christopher, been brought up in a broken home. His mother and farther divorced at a young age. His mother remarried with a homophobic-fanatic-bible-quoter-asshole. His whole life he has learned to make himself invisible and he yearns for someone to “see” him. He yearns for a family who would love him the way he is.
Here comes Jesse… Jesse, a father of two kids, secretly a big fan of Christopher, the singer!!!
They meet when Chistopher walks into Jesse’s jeweler shop to have a jewel made for his grandmother.
Now, these guys were just a pair of horn dogs!!! They really loved sex. And dirty, kinky sex!!!
Did this bother me? Uuhm no….. That probably makes me a pervy-horn-dog as well?
Cause I was rooting for them boys!!!
”What do you see?” Jesse asked.
“Mountains, Trees, Sunset.”
“I see the prettiest heartshaped ass with the sweetest, hottest hole in the entire world. I’ve got a better view.”
“Don’t worry about it. Just let go and feel good, Chris. Open your hole up for me.”
And the pearl scene…. Damnnnn....
After reading this scene, you will never think the same again about your grandmother’s string of pearls….
A bit too much? Maybe…. But, hey whatever makes them happy!!!
So far, so good….
you, would think!!!!
The BIG flaws….
I did not believe the whole bisexual thing with Jesse. I thought that Jesse was just gay… He never felt attracted to other women other than his wife Marcy. I had a lot of trouble with understanding him actually having a sexual relationship with her.
And obviously it didn’t work out for both of them. Jesse felt sexually unsatisfied and that did no good for their marriage…
Loved the kids!! Heartbreaking to learn that Bridget needed to fold 2000 crane birds in order to get her 2 wishes… She so wanted her mother back in her life!!
I loved Christopher’s role in helping Bridget.
’I’ll work with you on the cranes if you like. I’ll go into it with my heart set on you getting what you need most. I believe you’ll get what you need, even if it’s not what you want."
The whole book there was this disagreement between Jesse and his sister in law, Ronnie that Marcy was kept alive even if she was “severly brain damaged”. And after 424 pages you would think that there would be a solution… NOT
Finally my last big complaint is that this book was to loooonnnng.
So, 5 stars -/- 2,5 stars (BIG FLAWS) =
