Have you ever woken up and expected to see destruction everywhere?In 48 hours, I lost everything. I came home to find my girlfriend of four years with another man. The next day a plane crash ripped my family away from me, shattering me in the process. In many ways, I died that day, too. The fun-loving man who’d lived in the fast lane and loved his career in the film industry was gone. Left was a … Left was a forty-year-old shell that dwelled at the bottom of a bottle.
Only one person knew what I was going through. My sister’s stepson, who hadn’t been on the plane. Julian knew what it was like to lose everyone he loved, too. He’d stopped showing up at reunions when he was a teenager, so I didn’t know him very well. But I told him at the memorial service he could come out and visit me in LA whenever. One day he did, and I guessed it was as good a day as any to start picking up the pieces and see what was left of us.
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Cara Dee is one of those authors that always makes me feel, even if those feelings aren’t always positive, I know I can count on her to leave me with my emotions all over the place.
Noah was a story so shrouded in grief that when Noah and Julian finally started to overcome the grief, they shared it was as if we had to work for it. We didn’t get those beautiful moments easy and with every comforting moment of cuddling, or words uttered in the cover of darkness it was as if Cara was giving you small parts of their soul.
A good comfort/hurt story is something I crave almost weekly, but this story was so much hurt with comfort that at several points I wasn’t even sure I would make it through the grief. Losing everyone you love in an instant will shatter anyone but to the two men in this book who had already been going through their own troubles it was much worse. When Noah & Julian were finally over the bulk of their grief their relationship was the next step to tackle. It wasn’t easy at times and the feelings Noah had of betrayal and the worry that Julian had over being abandoned were all very logical.
Huge props to Cara Dee for not having these two fight at 80% only to have one of them come back with a huge grand gesture of love to set everything up with a huge perfect bow. Yes, a huge sappy HEA gives me all the feels, but some stories don’t call for it and this one didn’t. The ending was serious nothing short of perfect, after everything that Noah and Julian went through finally getting to their ending was more than I thought it could be.
Noah was the story a story of unexpected love after loss and what happens when the person you never expect burrows into your heart so deep they become a part of who you are.
AN EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE
So much tragedy. Poor Noah and Julian, my heart really did bleed for them.
Such an emotionally charged story.
I loved the plot and character building.
What an amazing world Cara Dee has created.
Highly Recommended
Love, love, loved it!
Guys this story broke me, it is such an emotional and heartbreaking read.
Noah and Julian come together in the most heartbreaking way, they both lost their family in the same plane crash. Noah is Julian’s Step Uncle and have been basically estranged since Julian was younger yet this tragedy brings them together again.
The relationship starts off as just one person who understands what the other is going through, and they seem to make each other push forward and start living again. Then as they become closer is when maybe, just maybe Noah and Julian believe there can be something between them.
This story is amazing and I am going to recommend anyone that loves a fantastic age gap, hurt/comfort and some incredibly fantastic character that you give this story a read. You will not be disappointed.
Noah has been gone for two months working and all he wants to do is see his girl and spend some down time at home and then go on a trip with his family, which are all planning a trip to Disney World just a few days after he gets home. First thing on the agenda is spending time with his girl, then in a couple days they leave to go spend time with the fam. As usual though life never goes as expected.
– I loved that the first glimps into Noah is his dedication to family and the ones he lives, he might work a lot but he loves his loved ones deeply.
Since he came home a day early it seemed his girl Emma was not expecting him and he caught her sleeping with another man. Noah will not out up with the cheating or listen to the excuses. So he tells her to leave they are done he wants nothing to do with her and will never forgive her. With all of the Emma things happening he no longer feels like going on the family trip filtering dozens of why and how questions about his very recent failed relationship. Then the ultimate tragedy happens to his family in their way to Disney and Noah’s life will never be the same.
-I loved that he stuck his ground with they tyrant Emma..ugh I didn’t like her at all what a troll. I felt so sorry for him however because the hits just keep coming, you can feel how broken he truly is and its devastating.
After the loss of his family Noah is devastated. The only surviving member of the family is his sister’s grown step son Julian who just left uni and is now all alone. Since their untimely deaths Julian has been living with his grandparents, not wanting to go home to Berlin, and just can’t take it anymore. Between his grandmother’s tears and his grandfather working to keep everything together he just wants a place he can feel how he feels without judgments. So he decides to take Noah up on his offer, and goes to LA. Each just needing someone to understand how they feel, and eventually they did find a way to start to move on but the pain was still there and they tried to help each otherget past it.Then they start feeling different toward each other and Noah tries to avoid it but eventually it comes to a head and things happen. After one night they decide it’s not the best idea to go any further that maybe they are being codependent and they shouldn’t add something else on top. So Julian decides it’s time to make a life not move or anything but find his own friends and activities.
-Technically Julian and Noah are not related at all. He is the son of Noah’s sisters husband, but none the less he still has been part of the family. Those roles would be hard for people to see past,but you can feel the love is deep and not in a family way at all. These two truly have a deep connection with each other but are not sure how to get past the roles they have always known and how to get people to understand and accept them and a couple not what they “were”.
9 Months Later
Noah started back to work this time as a producer instead of assistant producer. This time his film takes him to Paris and Julian is now helping with music and working as Noah’s PA. Both have tried to move on from their attraction. Julian was dating Niky and Noah was “dating” everyone, but the front they put up gets too hard. Finally they decide to nave past the age and the taboo of it and see what happens. This stress going great at first. They truly do live each other and stress great together, but as usual when someone sees you doing good they always try and mess it up….
-Though it was a struggle to work part all that had been thrown their way they did it..together. No matter what people thing and how they feel Noah and Julian knew their love was real and for them everything. As taboo as it might be it was their they and tougher they were perfect!!!
Amazing amazing story..another Cara Dee great!!
This reaches deep into loss, grief and depression. Yet with all of that pain, Cara Dee provides a beautiful story on life and love. It is one I already know I will reread.
Both Noah and Julian are amazing characters that come to life. There is a slow build to the story and to the characters, which I appreciated. I like the build and tension, it seems genuine to me that way. Aside from the excellent character development, the author does an exceptional job at world building, truly shading all the details in so effortlessly. The integration of secondary characters and the depth of those truly assist making her work exceptional.
I love the fact that the story is not one-dimensional. The author’s books all go that step further where they create masterpieces. It’s more than just a love story. Cara Dee does an excellent job really delving into a plot and into characters to the point it all feels real.
There are also some very hot scenes with a slight hint of taboo. Add that to everything else? Perfection.
5 Stars! Highly recommend.