Mathieu Beresford was so close to seeing his dream come true.The thirty-eight-year-old captain of the Buffalo Surge had led his team to the final round of the playoffs with his aggressive defensive play and leadership. During the first game of the championship series, he was taken down, and his leg snapped upon impact with the boards. From his hospital bed, Mathieu watched his team go on to win … team go on to win it all.
Adrift in anger, resentment, and the new direction of his life, he returns to his mansion along the St. Lawrence River. Alone and sulking, Mathieu is not prepared for Indigo Neu to enter his life. The genderflux twenty-year-old botany major signs on to play nursemaid, confidant, and groundskeeper over the summer and slowly leads Mathieu out of his confusion––one tender smile and touch at a time.
The deeper Mathieu falls, the more he wonders if being lost might not be so bad after all.
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This book is not without faults or annoyances, there’s a few, but I chose to ignore most of them.
I probably fell in love with this book the same time when Mathieu (not Matthew) first laid eyes on Indigo, and that was the very beginning. The joy and freedom that boy showed was contagious. Mat’s feelings for Indigo ran very deep and I loved how he described his emotions. It was an instantaneous attraction on both sides and I wouldn’t say it was a slow burning romance, but they certainly took their time. There’s plenty of meaningful looks and touches, and aw the cuddles and tiny kisses on each others cheeks. *happy sigh*
I don’t think this was the first time I read about a genderflux person, though I can’t recall where I might have come across such a representation, but I’m pretty sure the label itself wasn’t mentioned. Indigo Neu is such a beautiful person inside and out, according to Mathieu of course. 🙂 Oh and I just love their names, great choice.
There’s a 20-year age gap between them, and Indigo’s father is also Mat’s friend and caretaker. I don’t think Dad was upset enough when the cat got out of the bag. He was hurt by the revelation that his friend was hooking up with his son all along, but if I were him, I would’ve been way more angry. I didn’t like the conversation between Mat and Dad.
Mat’s nurse was annoying. I believe that there are people who would take it upon themselves to try and show others the ‘right path’, you know… pray the gay away, and all that shit. Nurse was tasked to help Mat while his leg was healing, but she took it waaay too seriously.
I didn’t like contrast between the lovey-dovey romance that was going on and this negative bullshit. Mat and Indigo’s growing relationship was so sweet and tender, and then this woman just had to ruin it with her God-speech. Ugh!
Fortunately the story didn’t focus on her hatred much.
I love reading about Canada, that’s one of my dream destination. And thanks to Vicky Locey, I discovered a new area, The Thousand Islands, on the Canada/US border in the Saint Lawrence River near Lake Ontario. It sounds so picturesque and lovely based on the author’s illustration. *happy sigh no.2.*
All in all, even with the faults, I really liked it.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Faced with the end of his hockey career, Mathieu goes home to heal. His long time friend brings his 20 year old son to help Matt around. But Matt is not prepared fro how he feels about Indigo, especially as he has managed to keep his sexuality a secret. But Indigo is a unique young man, genderflux, out and proud. Can Matt recover enough to play again, can he and Indigo be happy in secret?
Ordinarily, I would say here that I wanted to hear from both main characters. Indigo does not have a voice here, and ORDINARILY that would be a major gripe of mine.
BUT!!
I actually rather enjoyed this, with only Matt having a say! I made a new shelf for it and everything!
Matt is deep in the closet, he knows it, and up to now, has just made do. Breaking his leg, and going back to Canada and meeting the now grown up Indigo again makes Matt question a lot of things. And as time goes on, he realises that maybe being in the closet is not a good thing, especially when he wants Indigo in his life, and Indigo wants to be in that life, but Indigo will NOT be a dirty secret.
I loved that Matt has a dawning revelation about Indigo. His feelings grow, over time, but Indigo was all in, right from the start! Loved that his NEIGHBOUR, of all people, had Matt sussed, right from way back when they first met, but his AGENT, who knew him so much longer, had not a clue! I loved that Indigo’s dad, Matt long time friend, was, while not totally against Matt and Indigo being together, he was “don’t hurt my boy, or I’ll break the other leg” on Matt. Papa Bear at his very best!
I loved that, when called on it, Indigo gives Matt a deadline, and Matt delivers! Loved the way he does that!
I read another series by this author, The Point Shot trilogy, and I said in that review, that I loved it because it was single person point of view, so Ms Vocey has a way of negating my dislike of single person points of view, with strong minded, loud voiced characters! I need MORE of this author, I really do!
There are a few pages of hockey commentary, I skipped those, I’m not any kinds of sports fan, at all, but I didn’t feel I missed anything by doing so. Just don’t hate me!
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
To truly appreciate others you have to accept yourself. Mathieu Beresford is hurt at a pivotal moment in his hockey career and all he wants to do is hide away from the world. That’s not the only thing he wants to keep hidden though. But one look at the vibrant Indigo has him taking a hard look at who he is and what he wants. Except he’ll have to dig deep, really deep, to find the courage to accept every piece of himself if he wants to give Indigo everything they deserve.
Indigo is fierce, sweet, and definitely not a pushover. I do think he was young and his immaturity showed at times. The one issue I have with him is his willingness to be a secret and then when that’s tested he not only shows his hurt, but he acts as if it wasn’t something he was prepared for. His youth and hurt made him react on a grand scale. I won’t say I disagree with what he did, because I don’t, I just think that there was some perspective and empathy that was missing. Coming out should always be done by and for the individual and I don’t think it should be forced. Indigo gave Mat quite a large push in that direction, but one that was sorely needed.
Mat wasn’t exactly what I expected. I anticipated getting a bear in temperament and a damaged man that needed to sort through a myriad of issues, but what I wasn’t expecting was his acquiescence to the harpy of a nurse. To laugh at her ridiculousness and be understanding of her views didn’t show emotional maturity to me, it showed cowardice and weakness. He eventually made it right but it shocked me that he would put up with it for so long. He was also a colossal a-hole regarding Indigo when the pressure was on.
I would have loved to have an alternating POV but we only get Mat’s thoughts. It became a bit depressing and a little annoying at times to be constantly brought back to his weakness over and over again but he was the one who needed to make the most changes so I can understand focusing on him and his experiences instead. Overall, though, the story was so very good. There was incredible passion and the steam was hot, hot, hot! Mat’s grand gesture was so great; it really worked beautifully to lead us to the best epilogue ever. Such a fantastic story!
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Ruthie –
This is the first in a new series – and I am looking forward to future installments.
The story of a closeted hockey player is not unheard of, but we do get some interesting issues being raised about how far Mat can cope with homophobia when it is not addressed directly at him – and it would seem that he has no ability to defend the very man he cares about the most. Something which may just cost him a happy future.
As the author throws tests at him, in the form of both his agent, and most definitely his nurse, it is the lying to a very loyal friend which made me sit up and really question his moral code and just how deep this cave is that he created for himself. It is sad, and yet, I am sure based on fact, as perceptions are going to take still longer to adjust.
I wish that Indigo had been able to give us his viewpoint, as I have no doubt he had some interesting thoughts at times, which may have swayed our view of why he was so patient and forgiving.
There is no doubt, a loving romance here, but behind a door which Mat needed to be opened much sooner. I hope that we get to see how life progresses for them in the future.
Sarah –
3.5 stars
I think I may have hit saturation point this year with m/m hockey romances. And this was another story I could quite easily play tired trope bingo with. Aging NHL player. Tick. Handsome and wealthy. Tick. Closeted and unhappy. Tick. Career threatening injury. Tick. Honestly, there isn’t much that separates Mat and Indigo’s book from so many others.
Told entirely from Mathieu’s perspective, this is the story of an aging hockey player falling for a much younger man as he recovers from a potentially career ending injury. If Mat is a hockey cliché, Indigo is at least a more original character. The genderfluid young man is fascinating, honest, and real. I kept wishing for a dual narrative where we heard his voice because I did grow tired of Mat’s self-pity after a while.
Off the ice, Mat is a broody and reflective introvert. There are moments when this is charming, but especially after he starts to recover, there are too many moments where he just needed to get over himself.
This is an entertaining read but as it focuses on Mat’s off-season recovery, some of the banter and playfulness I usually enjoy in sports romance is missing. This story stays serious and there are times it does get a little bit sentimental and soppy.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Lost in Indigo (Colors of Love #1) by V.L. Locey to read and review.
This story is both beautiful and surprisingly simple – in a good way. Mathieu is coping with being older and injured, his professional hockey career possibly coming to an end. When he meets beautiful young Indigo, he finds his bright light in the darkness. Indigo helps Mathieu find other things – happy moments – to take his focus off his misery. Mat is not one who just accept change though. He isn’t willing to come out as gay and admit that Indigo is more than his employee, because he isn’t yet ready to give up on his career or become the first professional player to come out. If Mat doesn’t have hockey, what will he do with his life?
This story is all about the relationships in Mathieu’s life, with his lover, his agent, his caretaker/friend of twenty years (Indigo’s father), his neighbor (beard?), and his homophobic nurse. All these people in his life help Mat figure out over time where he wants to take his life and how he plans to get there. There is love, romance, devastation, anger, and wonderfully intimate scenes. The one thing there is surprisingly little of is hockey, which is very different from what I’m used to from this author. Guess what? It’s my new favorite, the most beautiful story I’ve read from her; and I can’t express enough just how many emotions it evokes. I am beyond happy to recommend this book!
I was going to say a few of my favorite quotes from this book, but then that would ruin them for you. I want you to experience them, as I did, in the context of the story.
In this story Ms. Locey not only gives you a deeply closeted, hot hockey player..Mat , but also an equally hot, gardener and soon to be botanist….Indigo , who is out and proud and has amazing fashion sense.
We get to meet a wonderful woman whom I’d love to actually meet and a nasty, nasty woman who, on many occasions I wanted to throw out the nearest window..you’ll find out why and I am positive, agree with me. Also in this book we get humor, fan -on -high worthy scenes, sarcasm, homophobia in disguise, hotness, beautiful scenery, denial and …well I will leave it at that.
To say this book, in my opinion, is great is an understatement. I laughed, teared up, swore, fanned myself and yelled loud enough to startle my cat, all while reading this.
I highly recommend this story.
I was given an Advanced Readers Copy for my honest review of this book.