For years Grant Kessler has smuggled goods from one end of the world to the next. When business turns in a direction Grant isn’t willing to follow he decides to retire and by all appearances he settles down in a nowhere town called Durstrand. But his real plan is to wait a few years and let the FBI lose interest, then move on to the distant coastal life he’s always dreamed of.Severely autistic, … autistic, Morgan cannot look people in the eye, tell left from right, and has uncontrolled tics. Yet he’s beaten every obstacle life has thrown his way. And when Grant Kessler moves into town Morgan isn’t a bit shy in letting the man know how much he wants him.
While the attraction is mutual, Grant pushes Morgan away. Like the rest of the world he can’t see past Morgan’s odd behaviors
Then Morgan shows Grant how light lets you see but it also leaves you blind. And once Grant opens his eyes, he loses his heart to the beautiful enigma of a man who changes the course of his life.
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This is one of my all-time favorite MM romances, and I’ve read a LOT. It’s beautifully written, the characters grab you and don’t let go, the representation of someone on the spectrum is spot-on, and it just hits all the feels. With a gorgeous new cover, I hope this book will find new readers because it deserves to.
I started reading author Adrienne Wilder on a recommendation from a friend and immediately fell in love with his writing. I felt it was time to venture back and before I could say what book of Wilder I should read next, In the Absence of Light was shoved in my hands. Okie dokey, I decided to not read the blurb at all and just went for it.
Oh my gosh, I may never think of toothpicks the same again. Morgan and Grant, probably the most unlikely couple I could picture together. Morgan is just…Wow! Love him to pieces! Severely autistic, has uncontrolled tics, and that’s just the basics. It was really hard to not prejudge him on my own mental perceptions, just like Grant did. And then Hello toothpicks! Grant has an interesting business, a smuggler with ethics no less. Thanks to the FBI and Jeff (I’ll get back to him in a sec) he’s retired and puts up a front of settling down in a nowhere town. That is until the heat is off him and then he plans to live somewhere along the coast.
My emotions ran the full gambit on this one. Laughter, tears, anger, joy. I had moments of wanting to shake Grant. Here’s this beautiful soul in Morgan, and all Grant wants is that distant coastal life he’s always dreamed of. Thankfully, Morgan is quite persistent, talented, and…ummm…flexible. O.o I may never recover from how flexible he is. But besides that, he is the most unique character I have come across in ages. This is one character that months after you finish the book, you will think back on him repeatedly. The yes/no relationship that they go through affected me profoundly. I get Grant, really I do. He doesn’t want to get involved for many reasons, and I can see how Morgan being autistic is one of them. However, Morgan is quite the force to be reckoned with and Grant never stood a chance.
Now for Durstand, the locals and everybody else. Bonus! It’s a small town filled with quirky people, some of which that had tears of laughter streaming down my face. There’s Jeff, Grant’s former lover and also FBI. He was a hard one to peg. Was he good, bad, or just doing his job? The only thing for certain is I wanted to beat him! There are a few other characters I won’t go into details about because In The Absence Of Light has a bit of a drama/mystery side to it. A side that not only did I not see coming, but once I did, I could never have guessed the outcome. I’ll stop right there and let you figure it out on your own.
I’m going to call it right now and say without any doubt, In The Absence Of Light is going to be the best book I read this year. Period. End of discussion. If you are going to read one male/male romance this year, let it be this book. Not only will you NOT regret it, you will also be telling everybody you know this will be the best book they read this year.
Read. This. Book.
I received this book from The JeepDiva with the express purpose of an honest review. The opinions, contents, and rating of this review are solely mine
Stars – 5, Flames – 3.5
I loved the characters, the complicated plot and the romance. The explanation of autism, and it’s variations, was especially well done. The ending was perfect and I hope to see a book for Rubio and Jeff in the future. Their stories need to be told.
This book was everything. This was my first book by Adrienne, and she has definitely made me a forever fan. Loved everything about how she tackled autism and did not shy away from the characters reactions. I loved, loved Morgan!! He was so beautifully perfect in every way and did not apologize for his behaviors. It was so refreshing how honest he was and how he brought that out in Grant. Grant was very sweet to Morgan and together they were the whole package. I have not looked ahead to see any of Adrienne’s other books, but I have to hope perhaps she has a story out there for Jeff, as he turned out to be a good character and friend/ally in the end. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a beautiful read about two MC’s who have pasts to overcome and a future to build.
Exquisite. I have rarely read a novel this intensely emotional, even when, or maybe especially when, it isn’t overt. The use of light is captivating. The use of humor’s delightful. I laughed out loud several times. I want the author to contact me if he ever wants to edit out the typos. I’m not a professional, but they bug me so I notice, and I’d do it for free for this book. Typos and edit errors bug me, but I enjoyed the story too much to care beyond a mental correction.
Grant is our point of view character. His evolution through the story’s often understated. He is unaware that he has much to learn. Morgan has overcome more than most people by the time Grant meets him, but Grant can’t see past his tics and coping mechanisms. Every step in Grant’s understanding is made in humor and wonder and occasional pain, particularly when he blunders into the cobweb of assumptions. He’s also on the FBI’s radar via a past lover, and things get more complicated and dangerous from there.
(I laugh at criticism of the FBI procedural stuff. Unless you have been an agent, undercover, double-agent, and so on, what do you know? About as much as I do, via Criminal Minds. Which also gets it wrong, or so I hear. What’s in this story serves the plot, and skirts hard-core FBI anyway. You’ll see what I mean when you read it.)
The way Morgan’s autism is handled is beautiful. The encounter Grant has near the end, beautiful. You’ll see what I mean when you read it.
I loved this story. Oh, another reviewer didn’t like the sex scenes, and that’s a shame. Every one was important to their evolution in multiple ways. I’m sad that person didn’t understand what was happening.
Adrienne Wilder has opened up a new world and new perspective in this book. One of the characters is autistic and Adrienne does an excellent job of making him real. I found myself drawn into what his world is like and had a hard time putting the book down. If MM romance is not your reading preference, this book may change your mind.
A friend highly recommended this book and I’m glad I finally read it! It’s easily a 5 star read for me. With any Adrienne Wilder book, it’s best to have no expectations and just go along for the ride.
“In Morgan’s case, the light had let me see the tics, the muscle spasms, and his strange movements, and I’d been distracted by them. The dark took it all away and left me sitting next to a person, not a behavior, a human being, not perceived defects.”
Morgan is a force to be reckoned with and literally takes no crap from anybody. His antics are one of my favorite things in this book. Sure he’s autistic, but that’s not what defines him. He is a man with talents, dreams, and a big heart. Grant’s love for and adoration of Morgan is beautiful. He’s smitten with Morgan from the start, but like the imperfect human that we all are, he stumbles through building their relationship and understanding what he truly wants out of life. In The Absence of Light is full of all the emotions (no worries, it’s a HEA!) and may even challenge your preconceived notions.
Oh, and did I mention that Morgan is incredibly flexible? Read the book and you’ll see why that’s important. 😉
Wow, what a book!!! I loved it! I loved the characters, the story itself and the humor. Seriously, this book is hilarious! Yes, the subjects tackled here are serious and complex as the MCs themselves but it’s all interspersed with locals and their shenanigans. You have to love small towns and their citizens.
Morgan is such a positive and strong character. He is someone who against all odds lives his life to the fullest and defies expectations. Yes, he is quirky and unusual but he sees something that no one else can, he is real and genuine. I loved everything about him – his strengths, his vulnerabilities, his practical nature and this whole attitude he had – he never said he could NOT because he always COULD despite what anyone around him thought.
Grant despite him being an honorable criminal is very likable. He is loyal and trustworthy. Even though he puts his foot in his mouth way too many times to count: ONE WORD – TOOTHPICKS, he still tries to understand Morgan like no one ever tried before. He sees past all the outward issues inside him and loves Morgan not because he can seem normal but because of who he is even with all his issues and quirks. Their love story is quite beautiful with many bumps and set backs and I loved how Morgan handled them and Grant too.
Entire book was fast-paced with many plot twists, dangerous criminals and dirty agents. I loved every page and am so upset I kept putting reading it off for so long. Characters like Morgan and to an extent Grant inspire to see outside the box, to strive to be the best you can be despite what life gave you and be happy no matter what. Life gave Morgan lemons and he made lemon cake and sweet lemonade out of it! Absolutely hands down this book goes into one-of-the-best-books file for me and I highly recommend it!
I couldn’t have loved this book more- one of my top 5 read in 2018!
Love, love, love this book! An unexpected, beautiful, and powerfully written story. Grant comes to the small southern town of Durstrand expecting to lay low from the FBI until he can move on. Then bam! enter Morgan. Morgan is fun, wise, talented, gorgeous and oh… on the autism spectrum. The book being in Grant’s POV is crucial, as the reader sees and experiences his enthrallment, enlightenment and love at Morgan’s hand. There is poetic beauty to the writing as Grant learns to appreciate the light and shadows which form the very soul of Morgan, and as he realizes the depth of his feelings for him. The reader finds out about Grant’s past bit by bit, as it catches up with him and as it threatens his relationship with Morgan. And Morgan himself. This was delicious build up, as I kept wondering…”what exactly the heck is in Grant’s past?” Morgan is never written as a caricature, he is brilliantly portrayed as the extraordinary individual that he is. This book is an excellent combination of the human spirit, romance and suspense. The manner in which the author weaves together elements of Grant and Morgans’ pasts to form page turning intrigue is a marvel. I was biting my nails and rooting so hard for the two of them. I also highlighted many gorgeous passages. The sex/lovemaking scenes were erotic as hell, and lent much insight to Morgan’s character and to the growth of the relationship between he and Grant. I love Grant. I love Morgan. I love the town people of Durstrand for always having the guys’ backs. Such a rewarding and unforgettable read.