Sometimes, death can feel like the only escape.It’s been a year since Alex stopped living. He exists. He breathes. He pretends to be like everyone else. But, he doesn’t live. Burdened by memories, he dreams of the day when he can finally be free. Until that time comes, he keeps everybody at bay. It’s been easy so far. But he never factored in, meeting a man like Austin.Hard-working mechanic … Austin.
Hard-working mechanic Austin has always gone for men as muscular as himself. So, it’s a mystery why he’s so bewitched by the slim, quiet man with the soulful brown eyes who works in the library. The magnetic attraction is one thing, but the protective instincts are harder to fathom. Austin’s sure though, that if he can only earn Alex’s trust then the two of them could be perfect together.
A tentative relationship begins. But Alex’s secrets run deep. Far deeper than Austin could ever envisage. Time is ticking. Events are coming to a head, and love is never a magic cure. Oblivious to the extent of Alex’s pain, can Austin discover the truth? Or is he destined to be left alone, only able to piece together the fragments of his boyfriend’s history, once its already too late?
Trigger warning: Please be aware that this story deals with suicidal ideation. If this is a subject you find uncomfortable, then I would not recommend you reading this book.
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–Original Review (October 2018)–
I’ve had this author on my to read list ever since her spring release caught my eye, so when I had a chance to read this hurt/comfort romance, I jumped on it. Edge of Living was incredibly well done- gripping, heartbreaking, romantic, and very much a memorable book I’d recommend to any fans of this genre. That said, this is an emotional book, so heed the trigger warnings because it does get intense.
Edge of Living primarily focuses on the present time as Alex struggles to deal with grief and depression a year after tragedy struck. There are a significant amount of flashbacks that give a clear picture of the events from the past, but the flow never felt interrupted like often is the case with this writing style. I loved the patient pace that held throughout the book. It allowed the tension and emotion to build steadily, pulling the reader in and refusing to let go. I also liked that despite the devastating moments and heartbreaking thoughts that threatened to pull Alex under, there was a consistent thread of hope woven into the story.
Alex and Austin were extremely likable characters. They both had depth with sufficient backstories to define their personalities and keep me invested in them individually and as a couple. The romance was really the only part that kept this from a full 5 stars. While I liked how these men worked together and that their relationship never felt one-sided, the speed at which it developed struck me as odd. Albeit sweet, Austin’s commitment and understanding for Alex was suspect, particularly given how fast and unwavering it was after a brief meeting. The steadfast connection hinted at insta-love and didn’t feel as honest or measured as the rest of the book. Regardless, I settled in and thoroughly enjoyed the story and was oh so happy when this couple got they’re well deserved HEA. I’d undoubtedly reread and recommend Edge of Living, and I’ll definitely be reading more from this author in the future.
–Second Read/ Audiobook Review (March 2020)–
Edge of Living was the first book I’d read by this author and I haven’t missed a release by her in the year and a half since. I was excited to hear this title would become an audiobook and even more excited when I heard it would feature a new-to-me narrator. The narrator did an amazing job bringing this emotional, angst filled romance to life, reminding me of all the reasons Edge of Living made me fall in love with this author’s style and why it continues to be at the top of my list of recommended reads. His accent and fluid delivery fit the book perfectly, with an even tone that held all the emotion of the scenes without it feeling overdramatized.
There’s always an inherent risk with new narrators, especially when they are performing a favorite book, but I was impressed with this audiobook and very happy to revisit characters who had so much heart and a story that was incredibly memorable. If you like hurt/comfort romances that give you heart pangs as much as it warms your heart, I’d highly recommend Edge of Living.
To be honest, it took me a couple of days after reading Edge of Living to sit down and write a review. The insight into Alex’s mind is as jagged as his emotional state and I wasn’t sure after reading the prologue that I would continue. But I did and I’m glad. Although the subject matter is definitely dark and I might not have understood Alex’s thoughts and actions, especially jarring after you get a glimpse of how Alex was just a year previous, I did enjoy the journey of his life after he met Austin. Austin was patient and loving, and although it seemed at times that Alex wouldn’t make it through his swirling thoughts and nightmares, he does because Austin was there for him. The relationship between the two men grow stronger as the story continued and while you get an understanding that trauma doesn’t completely go away, Alex learns to live with it and Austin is there with him every step of the way. An intensely emotional read!!
This was a beautiful, beautiful book. Alex is so broken and sufferings from a trauma he endured from his previous love interest. He is broken and it is difficult to read how dark his thoughts get and how much he has endured and is still enduring. Austin just wants to get to the know the beautiful worker at the library, but he becomes so much more. Alex is not Austin’s usual type, but he is drawn to him, and wants to get to know him, the problem is there is not getting to know someone who is a shell of who they used to be and is only living to finish up something important to them. Trigger warning regarding suicidal ideologies. It is a tough read, but it is a beautiful story and one I believe you should read. You will fall in love with both Austin and Alex and want them to get there HEA, which they do in the end. I loved this book and the only reason it is short a star is due to the prompt ending. I wanted more. I wanted to see what they went through or see what was to come in the future. Narration was performed by Chris Humphreys and he did an amazing job.
Edge of Living is a beautiful and tragic book with a happy ending. It does deal with some difficult and horrific subject matters, so please read the trigger warning in the blurb.
I was at first unsure about this book. The prologue was incredibly melancholy and I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into, but by the time I had finished chapter one I was hooked on this story. Alex is a man who’s been shattered. His entire world has been destroyed and he has no idea nor desire to fix it. Until the day he meets Austin and everything begins to change slowly. Soon romance blooms between Alex and Austin, and the hope for a future slowly begins to bloom.
I don’t want to delve too deeply into the plot and give away any spoilers. H.L. Day does such a wonderful job with revealing all the puzzle pieces of Alex’s broken life that I just can’t ruin it. It’s such an enthralling and gorgeous book that had me both tearing up and laughing from sheer relief at the outcome of certain events. Throughout the book there’s such a strong sense of love and tenderness that outweighs all the sorrow, and it’s that love that leads this book to it’s wonderful happy ever after.
The audiobook was narrated by Aldric March who has a lovely voice. Aldric voiced all the characters perfectly, and made each character sound distinct so it was easy to tell who was who throughout the narration. He also poured so much emotion into his performance that I felt every feeling that characters went through. It was incredibly well done.
I highly recommend this book. It’s beautiful and touching with a lovely romance, steamy sex, and two characters who are able to overcome unimaginable obstacles.
You might think that this is simply a dark story that somehow turns out well by reading the blurb and a few reviews, but it’s much more than that. Alex is a man who has suffered a staggering, unimaginable loss and is simply going through the motions of living. He’s been reduced to a shadow of his former self, almost erased by this tragedy, and can only focus on one very short term goal. Then he meets Austin, who truly sees him, who is ignorant of his past but wants to connect with him, and whose urge to protect and care for Alex is something that he can’t completely understand himself. What seems like an inevitable progression toward a tragically unavoidable outcome will keep you interested all the way through, and the HEA that is promised in the blurb is more like a triumph of the human spirit and the curative powers of selfless love. Highly recommended.
This is my review of the audiobook:
Alexander’s story broke my heart. He went through a horrible event, we know from the beginning. We just don’t know the details until they are slowly doled out in flashbacks. Meanwhile, we know from the very beginning of the book that he has a plan to end his life. Alex walks around in a fog, a mere shadow of the man he once was. Then he meets Austin.
Austin is a great character. He’s caring, hard working, and incredibly patient and gentle with Alex. He is also a bit blinded by love, but I like that about him. It’s lovely to see the cracks Austin is able to make in Alex’s frozen heart.
The narrator’s performance was perfection. I don’t think any of the many narrators I adore could have done any better. I hope he continues along this path, as I’d love to hear more from him.
The combination of a wonderful story and a fabulous narrator make it easy to rate this story highly, and I have no qualms about recommending this audiobook to others. Be aware though, it does include violence and suicidal thoughts.
***Audiobook Review***
So, I’m a bit torn on how to review this one. I can’t say I liked it but that doesn’t mean it’s not a well written or good book. Just keep in mind these are only my opinions on the story and I prefer lighter reads. I decided to just rate it with 3 stars to place it right in the middle of the rating scale.
First, let me say I’m not sure this can be classified as a romance. While Alex and Austin do forge a relationship, there is very little romance involved, and they are a dysfunctional couple at best. Alex gives away nothing of his history and Austin knows very little about him. Austin is physically attracted to Alex and feels a need to protect him although he doesn’t know why. Austin can tell something is ‘off’ about Alex, Austin’s brother attempts to warn him that something is different about Alex, but Austin ignores it all and continues obliviously in the relationship. And they have sex…A LOT…so it seems to me the relationship is almost purely physical, but Austin still feels a deep connection to Alex. This made me feel a little icky honestly, especially since we didn’t know the details of Alex’s past.
Speaking of Alex’s past…this went much darker than I expected. I went into the book with the Goodreads trigger warning which is as follows:
“Trigger warning: Please be aware that this story deals with suicidal ideation.”
That is NOT a sufficient warning…AT ALL. The details of Alex’s past are gruesome, and I don’t know that I would have read/listened to this if I had any idea just had bad it was.
Also note, Alex’s history is told primarily through flashbacks.
There is a bit of a side story with Austin’s friend Wilko and his sexuality and a possible relationship with Austin’s brother which is left as a dangling plotline. They may have a book floating around out there…I haven’t looked, although I *might* be interested in reading it.
I dreaded the ending because I wasn’t sure it would be happy, but it was wrapped up neatly with a bow that niggled a little after such a darkly grisly story. Everything fell into place a little too perfectly for Austin to discover everything he needed to in order to save the day and guarantee an HEA.
While the vocal performance was really good – the distinct voices of each character, the emotions of the story (and that can’t have been easy), the anger in the antagonist was spot on – there are parts of this book that made the transition to audio difficult due to POV switches without warning and jumps between past and present without an obvious shift division.
I really struggled to finish this book but not because it wasn’t good, because it was utterly devastating. First off, a trigger warning for those who may be uncomfortable reading about depression and suicidal thoughts – this is the focus of the story and what Alex is going through. I liked how there were descriptive flashbacks interspersed into the story – they fit in nicely and it increased the suspense until we finally found out what happened to Alex in the past. Lets just say there were lots of tears.
With his sweet and caring nature, Austin is a light in this otherwise upsetting story. Despite feeling incredibly protective of Alex, he never pushes him and is willing to go at Alex’s pace. Although some may feel surprised that Alex gets into a relationship at this stage in his life, and at how quickly their feelings (especially Austin’s) seem to progress, I didn’t feel that way at all. Alex and Austin have such a strong connection and I really think nothing could capture this better than the response Austin gives Alex when he’s questioned why he likes him, “my soul likes your soul”. I thought that was one of the most beautiful lines I’ve ever read! Austin manages to crack through Alex’s walls and it was heartbreaking waiting to see if Alex would be able to trust in that enough.
However, don’t let the sensitive content drive you away from this story. I can promise that there is a well-fought and much-deserved HEA. Thus, whilst this book did leave me feeling wrecked, the tears accompanying the uplifting ending were most definitely happy tears. For a well-written, and heart-breakingly beautiful story, I highly recommend giving Edge of Living a read! A definite 5 stars!
Edge of Living by H.L Day is a wonderful book that will take you on an emotional journey, through dark dark spaces and angst, through sweetness of falling in love and offering comfort from hurt… there is a love story but above that is the story of a man struggling with anxiety, depression and suicidal tendencies. We see him just existing, we see the man who has fallen inlove withhim realize how strong the struggle truly is and we get to see a coping and healing begin.
Alex is a shell, just existing… no longer knowing how to thrive in the world when haunted by a past and with negative thoughts. But there is still his beautiful soul there and Austin immediately recognizes something in this man that calls to him. Some readers may not feel that instalove/attraction can exist in such a situation but I believe and this story makes me want to believe even more. To believe that even when you feel so broken and haunted and suffocated, that you deserve to find love and that the person for you can still see you, the real you. I personally know this kind of love exists, so I had no problem believing their connection was strong, solid and true.
Through the use of flashbacks, the author reveals the past that haunts Alex. We also get to see things through both characters points of view, giving us a chance to know each man more intimately and understand the emotions behind actions, and words. See their Hope’s and their fears and their love.
The story is well written and intriguing. It captures your attention and your heart, and even when it gets hard to read the dark parts you have to continue and see what unfolds. In my opinion this is a must read.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.