Neil Dalton’s foundation is already cracking. Grief, guilt, and PTSD have ruled his life since a terrible crime tore his world apart last year, and he’s dreading a holiday visit with the family he simultaneously needs and resents. Then someone from his past shows up and rattles that shaky foundation right out from under him.
First a war nearly destroyed Jeremy Kelley, then his family threw him … threw him out when he needed them the most. Now he’s barely holding on emotionally. He spends his last dollar to get to Chicago and prays his former best friend won’t leave him out in the cold.
Neil and Jeremy spend the holidays with Neil’s family in their hometown of Omaha. They struggle to deal with families, flashbacks… and feelings that haven’t even begun to fade since their last failed attempt at more than friends. As they try to repair their fractured psyches and rebuild damaged bridges, they rely on each other more than ever, but they can’t deny the mutual attraction that’s existed since before they were both emotionally battered and scarred. If they couldn’t make it work back then, how in the world can they pull it off now?
This book was previously published and has been lightly revised.
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Truly an emotional page turner that sheds light on not only the heartbreaking turmoil those with PTSD go through but also the need for love and support no matter how old you are. Neil and Jeremy were once best friends but with time and life getting in the way they drifted apart. But Jeremy seeks Neil out when his family disowns him and the two push through family avoidance and hatred to come out the other side. L.A Witt has a beautiful way to allow the reader into the life of the gay couple and they feel every hurt and find joy in every triumph. Simple put this was a beautiful read.
I ate this book like Eoghan likes to eat ice cream. Incidentally, now eating ice cream reminds me of some extremely steamy moments in this book. Loved it.
Typical romance novel with gay characters. The parental issues were very real and triggering.
I tend to read many books at once, so it often takes me a bit to finish a tome. This book was not my typical cozy novel. I started reading a chapter or so every few days, but I was intrigued and could feel the story’s intensity – it was intense enough that I needed to wade into the book slowly, for it is decidedly not shallow fiction. About halfway through, however, I just couldn’t put it down. It was also at about the halfway mark where I just kept the tissues handy. A gay male, I relate to the familial rejection and angst this can bring. I appreciate how the author deals with PTSD, survivor’s guilt, and grief; they’re dealt with respectfully and beyond a superficial level, all while leaving room for hope and healing. There are some very poetic and touching lines in this book – the kind you want to underline and read again from time to time. This is the sort of book I needed when I was a couple of decades younger, back when it was hard to find gay-themed reading materials easily and in the open, and when the internet was only in its infancy. I ended up having a crush on both Neil and Jeremy, the protagonists, and I only crush on literary characters when the tale pulls me in and touches my heart. This book really came alive for me, and I’m still mulling it over in my mind days after finishing it. Whilst there are sadness, heartbreak, frustration, despair, silent pain, and uncertainty in the book, there are also hope, tenderness, sexual attraction bordering on the spiritual, sweet longing, and, ultimately, a beautiful ending which happens to also be a new beginning. It’s not a story of unrequited love, but a story of love perhaps unspoken and denied for years. Neil and Jeremy grew up together, went their own ways, and finally reunited as lovers well into adulthood after each had lived through tragedy and grief. It’s moving that they experienced so much whilst apart, then found each other again, realizing they’ve loved each other for years and now can contribute to each other’s healing, committing to do whatever it takes to make their relationship last this time. They’d been pulled apart more than once before, but they found each other again when it was needed most. This is a triumph for the author, L A Witt.
Really Good
This was a wonderful story on friendship, heartache, love and acceptance. Neil’s going through the loss of his partner the year before and dreading going home for Christmas. Jeremy just got out of the Army and his parents disowned him because his ex outed him. He goes to his only friend. Can they help each other with both their nightmares and find love.
Former lovers who have tried and tried to make it work, eventually make it work.
Not sure why a guy fresh out of the military after serving overseas would only have enough money for a bus ticket. . . seems like he’d have some savings after a few tours. Even if he hadn’t been broke, showing up where he knew he would be taken in would be credible. Small detail. Overall story was solid.
Despite the main characters pushing thirty, the interaction and dialogue is disappointingly juvenile. The story-line has its interesting moments if you can hurdle past interrupted thoughts on a seemingly never ending chain of ellipses.
Very good story for the most part
Good read. Two people, each fighting their own battles, trying to come to grips with what is between them. Very good building of characters, deep flowing story lines and giving insight into what is going on with each and how they are coping with themselves and each other. Wish I could have given this one a 4.5 rating.
This was not one of my favorite LA Witt books. It was very difficult to get into and to have any hope that either main characters situation would get better. If you’re up for angst and a dragged out depressing story read this book of you prefer humor and a lighter story, read one of LA Witt’ s other books.