It was love at first sight.They were soulmates.It was forever.But they were only sixteen.Too innocent. Too naïve.Too ignorant about the world around them.Besides, nothing lasts forever.With their fairy-tale future torn to shreds, both boys need to learn to find their own way in an unforgiving world.Gavin Buchanan is thrown into a life he didn’t want, molded to do a job he always feared. He must … do a job he always feared. He must learn to get by, but with only his brothers in arms to lean on and secrets so deep they eat at his core every day, he struggles. How long until life in the Marine Corps turns this gentle, tender-hearted man into someone no one recognizes?
Owen Wallace is adrift and going through the motions. Every time he tries to stand tall and put the past behind him, life kicks him down. There is only so much a person can take before they turn bitter and jaded. It wasn’t supposed to be this way.
Their souls are bound to each other.
Nothing will keep them apart.
It will take time, but they just need to find their way home.
Triggers for PTSD
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Nicky James never disappoints! Her books are always jam-packed with emotion, steam, and intensity. This book kept me on the edge of my seat THE ENTIRE time! If you love gay romance with angst and a hard fight for a happily ever after, then this book is for you! Five GAVIN IS MY HERO stars!
Another brilliant Nicky James book (an audio review)
I always rave about Nicky James books so I’ll start this review a little differently. Nicky uses a couple of great narrators, and Nick J. Russo is one of them. He delivers solid performances I always enjoy listening to. He made this book that much better.
Which means the book was amazing.
And broke my heart. And then mended it back together.
Young love is just that – young love. It rarely survives into adulthood because it’s based on the feelings and hormones of teenagers. Odds are always stacked against the young lovers. I wanted this book to be different. I wanted Owen and Gavin to make it. I knew they wouldn’t, but I hoped I was wrong.
I was not. The circumstances of the separation broke my heart. I knew they’d eventually wind up back together, but I wondered what they’d have to endure in the meantime.
Upon finishing high school, Owen heads off to college, dedicated to being a journalist.
Gavin joins the military and tries to hold on to his sanity.
Neither man does well. They make friends, only to later lose them. Their paths cross several times, but it’s never the right time. They continue on with their lives, but never thrive. They were meant to be together and until that happens, neither will reach fulfilment.
Now, this story starts back in the early 2000’s, meaning the military stuff takes place during DADT (Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell). Anything that holds people back from being their authentic selves is a bad thing. When it was repealed, many LGBTQ members of the military rejoiced. Didn’t end prejudice, but it did allow them to serve openly. Proudly.
Back to Owen and Gavin. Sometimes hard-won love means more and I sure celebrated when they finally got their happy ending. I did have my doubts, but this is a Nicky James romance, so I knew I’d be satisfied. As her writing is so eclectic, I have no idea where the next audiobook will take me. Can’t wait to find out.
This book was on my TBR since it was released and I was so eager to read it, while at the same time I was just too scared to go in. I read some reviews and one thing they all agreed on: the angst. Sometimes there’s days I have to protect myself and my poor heart and I don’t want to go into books with so much angst, because it would HURT just too much to be able to cope with it.
But there are other days I seem to crave it. Honestly, I still haven’t figured out yet how that works, but in the end: I needed this book!! I just hadn’t realized it yet. Yes, I guess I’m weird that way 😉
When I finally decided to read it, it was just the right time, I guess. I’d been reading some m/m romances on the heavier side, and maybe that was just the building up that I needed to be able to read this one.
And yes, there was a lot of angst, but it’s a Nicky James book, so I don’t expect less. I was already trying to be prepared for that emotional roller coaster, for all those feelings of sadness and grieve and hurt, but still…when they washed over me, my heart still ached so much for Gavin and Owen. It was painful to watch Gavin’s life fall to pieces, to see him forced into a life he didn’t want at all and then ended up holding onto it because it was the only thing he knew. I was so glad for him to have found a lifetime friendship there with Niko, a wonderful guy to befriend, and I think he saved Gavin in more than one way.
And then, of course, there was Owen. He didn’t know why Gavin left him, what happened, why Gavin disappeared all together. But it had broken his heart into so many pieces, it would never be able to heal again. He built walls around himself so no one would be able to do that to him again. But in the end, he was so lonely. Ten years after Gavin disappeared, he still couldn’t let him go. What Niko was to Gavin, that’s what Lorenzo was to Owen. He kept him sane, he kept him grounded. Until he couldn’t anymore.
The only way I manage to read books such as these, is knowing there will be a HEA. Or a HFN. Otherwise I couldn’t deal with all the angst. I think that goes for a lot of people who read romance. Somehow it’s even more satisfying when the MC’s have to work hard for it, and so, the more angst, the more emotional the HEA when finally reached.
So, if the angst doesn’t scare you off too much, I highly recommend this book, because even though it’s the kind of book you might want to avoid, it’s also the kind of book that you, once you have the courage to pick it up, don’t want to end either.
Gavin and Owen will stick with me for a long time still. I loved them both.
Audio review
Gavin and Owen meet in high school when Owen writes an article about Gavin’s football playing in the school paper.
I loved hearing their relationship grow and strengthen into young love. It was really sweet and touching.
There were so many feels in this story. I really felt the joy, the love and especially the heartbreak and trauma that both Gavin and Owen wrnt through. In pure Nicky James style, she slowly cut out my heart with a blunt rusty knife before she slowly began to piece it together again.
The narration was perfection. Nick J. Russo brought these men to life in such a way I felt like I knew Gavin and Owen and was right there beside them as they journeyed through life.
An amazing story about the resilience of love and friendship, of pain and healing.
Highly recommend!!
I’m reviewing the audio edition. This is again why I have this author on auto buy. How she is able to write such heartbreaking and heartwarming stories is just amazing to me.
This starts about a couple teen age guys who discover each other. This intro to their story is so heartwarming. But coming out isn’t everything anyone would hope for, especially when its your relatives who hold so much power over a child. The power Gavin’s dad uses over him is madding. The effect this has over both of these guys lives plus those around them is unforgivable. As the author takes the story down the path each guy travels made me cry more than once. I have to say the laughs are less, yet the pull between these two kept me hopeful till the end. I completely ignored sleep and a couple other things until I knew the end. The only negative part I found in the story is Gavin’s mom. Too little too late. I want to thank Nick J. Russo for his narration. He made these characters and emotions alive.
I love all of Nicky’s book but after reading this one, I must say it is her best to date. This was such a thorough story starting when Owen and Gavin first meet as teenagers. We get all the feels constantly being pulled in and throw out again, a few unexpected times, times when I was balling my eyes out and then laughing with joy at the immense love these guys had. I would definitely recommend this book if you love friends to lovers, second chances, military, and a complete story that spans over 17 years!
When I first started reading this book I figured I’d be riding the emotional rollercoaster, I just didn’t realize I’d be sitting in the front seat. The connection between Owen and Gavin was almost palpable at times for me. So sweet, so intense, so heartfelt. Owen and Gavin’s story was not an easy one and I found my heart in my throat quite a few times, and yes, I even shed a few tears. Nicky James has a knack for writing stories that make you feel, and this one is no different. It’s been a few days since I read it and I’m still thinking about it. If you like a military romance, hurt/comfort with a lot of angst, then this one is for you. This story deals with PTSD so it may be a trigger for some, and I would recommend reading the author’s note at the beginning before diving in. I loved this one!
OMG… this book.. it’s everything!!!
Long Way Home follows the lives of soulmates, Gavin and Owen, over a span of 16 years.
As with all of Nicky James’s book, Long Way Home takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. The journey that these two men take will leave your heart aching.
Gavin and Owen met in high school and thought they had their whole lives ahead of them. Little did they know that not everything last forever.
Long Way Home is a second chance romance and in true Nicky James style, she visits mental health.
This book is aptly titled as Gavin and Owen’s journey back to each over, their home, isn’t an easy one!
If you’re looking for a book with true in depth character development, angst and ALL THE FEELS, then you will not regret Long Way Home.
Congratulation Mrs James on another amazing read!!!
I love a good angst-filled book, especially when it features a poignant story. Long Way Home has one of the more angst-driven plots that I have read in a long time. I got choked up, my heart clenched, and I shed tears a number of times while reading this…but it was oh so good and the ending made it worth all the pain.
Military romances are a funny thing for me. I love them, especially if the author captures the different facets of the military experience and life. However, because they’re personal for me, I’m also fairly critical. Though there were a few details in Long Way Home that didn’t quite ring true, the author portrayed the myriad of emotions Gavin and Owen experienced in an honest and accessible way. So many of these moments were palpable and I found myself completely invested in the characters’ stories and reluctant to put my e-reader down. I loved that the chemistry and bond Gavin and Owen shared was always evident. From the time they were teens through all the heartbreak, I never doubted this couple or their love for one another. If you don’t mind some heart pain on your way to a happy ending, Long Way Home is hands down one of my favorite reads of the year.
*eARC received via LesCourt Author Servies. The PA and author had no influence over this review.*