Only love can heal an impossibly broken heartThere’d forever been a thread running through Trevor Estes’s life—his son, Riley, strong and constant like a heartbeat. But when Riley is killed in combat, everything in Trevor’s life unravels into a mess he doesn’t know how to mourn.Then Jesse Byrne, Riley’s friend and platoon mate, arrives on Trevor’s doorstep with a box of Riley’s things. Jesse’s … doorstep with a box of Riley’s things. Jesse’s all-too-familiar grief provides an unlikely source of comfort for Trevor: knowing he’s not alone is exactly what he needs.
Trevor never imagined he’d find someone who fills his heart with hope again. As the pair celebrate Riley’s memory, their unique bond deepens into something irreplaceable—and something neither man can live without.
But diving into a relationship can’t be so simple. Being together means Trevor risking the last link he has to his son…leaving Jesse to wonder if he’ll ever be enough, or if Trevor will always be haunted by the past.
This book is approximately 120,000 words
One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!
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Gah… all the tears… I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s long and deals with grief, and love, and pain, and losing a son, and finding a path in life, and it was utterly beautiful.
*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley and I’m freely giving my honest review.*
One third in to the book I almost cried because how can this author let this wonderful father lose his son??????
Emotional and sweet romance about a fathers journey back to life after loosing his son. With the help off his sons friend he goes through the process of grieving, healing and accepting the situation.
* Wonderful storyline
* Realistically described characters I think we all can relate to.
* No unnecessary descriptions of surroundings
* Lots of dialogues
* The love scenes where tastefully described without being tacky and they were very sweet
* The build up towards a romantic relationship between Taylor and Jesse is described in a way that was vulnerable and raw and made me cry so many times.
If you crave a emotional story that has your nerves pinging and feelings thundering this story will leave you wanting to read more from this author.
Excellent 5 stars
This book. Wow, I’m still shaking off the hangover. Even though you know from the blurb that Riles is going to die, it still guts you when you happens. Watching his best friend and father deal with their grief and their slow lean into each other is so sweetly realistic. I cried so hard reading this book, but I also smiled and loved the characters. Fantastic book, but grab your kleenex first.
I loved it i was so emotional it made me cry alot
I’m not one to regularly cry over books, but this one got me more than a few times. Point of Contact hit all the emotions: pride, friendship, loyalty, fear, sadness, grief, and love- both new and everlasting. I knew this book would tear at my heart, which is probably why I delayed diving into it as soon as it landed on my device; but I had no idea just how much it would impact me and is my favorite book of the author’s to date (which is saying a lot). Point of Contact was incredibly touching. The author didn’t spare readers any of the pitfalls as she detailed the main characters’ grief and coming back from those dark places to find hope and move forward to make a new normal, while still honoring old memories and those lost.
The writing in Point of Contact was smooth, descriptive, and beautiful, the pacing measured. There was an ebb and flow of action, but every moment had a purposeful role in developing Jesse and Trevor’s characters and story. I especially loved the honesty in emotions and dialogue of both the main and secondary characters. I say honesty because not only was the emotion clearly written and palpable, but I’ve heard my husband and friends, who are combat veterans, say many of the same things. It was a window into an experience and Miss Hansen managed to expose vulnerabilities while showcasing strengths.
More than a slow burn romance, this was a gentle love story. By the time the two men got together, I was already thoroughly invested in both individuals. Their romance acted as an undercurrent to their personal growth stories rather than the main attraction. That isn’t to say their love story wasn’t poignant or heartwarming, because it was, it’s just that I see Point of Contact as much more than a beautiful love story. It’s a life-affirming, emotional survival story. There’s not an author I trust more to deliver a military story and romance with grace, dignity, respect, and integrity than Miss Hansen, and Point of Contact is a perfect example of why. This title will definitely be a top read of all time for me, let alone 2018, and I certainly recommend it to any reader who doesn’t mind shedding a few tears over a book.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Avid Reader –
4.5 stars
M/M Romance
Triggers: War, Death, PTSD
Whew! Get the tissues close by when you read this book. It is full of emotions that will eat at you.
Jesse is Riley’s best friend. They went through basic training together and have a bond that most brothers would envy. Riley grew up in a non-traditional home – he was raised by his father, who he knew was gay, but never truly had partners until Riley was an adult. Riley sees in Jesse behaviors that he also sees in his dad. But being the good and supportive friend he is, he allows Jesse to come to him. When they are deployed, their lives become more real – they are thrust into situations that, while they are trained for, they really shouldn’t be dealing with at their age.
Riley’s dad, Trevor, and his partner are hoping and praying that everything will turn out well for Riley. However, Trevor’s partner isn’t Riley’s dad, he’s mainly concerned with how Trevor will handle his son going off to war. You see the tension between them and wonder if they will truly last in their relationship.
Jesse and Trevor are trying to cope with all that has happened and in doing so, form a bond that not many others would understand. They both loved the same person in different ways. The title is so fitting for this story because it truly is their point where they come together.
It’s sad, honest, and gritty, as well as romantic and healing. These two find a way through grief and heartbreak to a place of peace and acceptance.
Angie –
This book was heart wrenching but so good. I don’t know if the author personally experienced this subject or someone close to them did, but I felt like I was experiencing it with Trevor and Jesse as it was happening. My heart hurt, I cried but I also found hope and love along the way with Jesse and Trevor and their journey. The epilogue was amazing, and I found myself smiling and crying at the same time. Beautiful, heartbreaking story that so many people have gone through; it gives us who haven’t, their perspective so we can be more sensitive and more supportive. I just loved this book and can’t say enough good things about it.
Sarah –
This was a messy cry book from start to finish. Riley, Trevor, and Jesse all feel horribly real and the author captures the suffocating intensity of Trevor’s grief with heart rending authenticity. This is a beautiful story but was a difficult book to read and a hard book to process.
The story unfolds on either side of Riley’s combat death. We get to know Riley as Trevor’s son and Jesse’s best friend and battle buddy. We see the joys, the playful moments, and the meaningful interactions before Riley dies and the knowledge makes Trevor and Jesse’s experiences after his death all the more poignant.
I really loved this story. I wasn’t sure about the age gap between Trevor and Jesse when I started the book and the best-friend’s-father thing still doesn’t sit perfectly with me. But ultimately, I understood Jesse and Trevor together. The two are bound together by horrific experiences and they fit each other beautifully. This is a special story. Readers will need to be in the right headspace for the book but it’s not a story I will soon forget.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Point of Contact by Melanie Hansen to read and review.
Loved this book. It’s a heart-stopper and a heartbreaker, but the healing for the characters (and the reader) is what it’s all about. If you like an age gap between your heroes and some major hurt/comfort, I recommend it. ***Things to know going in: the character the heroes are grieving is alive for the first third of the book, and his death is on the page. Content notes: combat injury and death, gore, parental and peer grief, breakdown of a longterm relationship, internal & external homophobia.
“Point of Contact” by Melanie Hansen
I love that when I’m reading a book, I don’t want to put it down, I just want to keep reading it. I love reading a book that I find myself thinking about it when I’m not reading it, and can hardly wait to get back to it. I love looking forward to getting back to reading it again because I am so immersed in the story that I almost can’t stand it to NOT be reading it.
I love that when I’m reading a book, I fall in love with the characters. I love when I can feel that I’m really getting to know them, seeing their strengths and their weaknesses and understanding the whys. I love really getting to know the depth of a person so that I can feel and know their heart.
I love that when I’m reading a book, I feel the realness of their reality. What they are going through, on the outside and on the inside. And seeing and feeling how they deal with it.
I just really love reading a book that makes me FEEL….the happy, and the sad. The laughter, and the tears.
I’ve read countless books that I cannot remember the title of, the names of the characters or what they were like, or even what the story was about. But this story? For me…..it was unforgettable.
I love that when I get to the end of a book, I feel satisfied. I love when a book feels finished, leaving no questions unanswered, and I always love a happy ending.
I really love when an author takes the time to tell the story right, and “Point of Contact” was all of the above for me. Melanie Hansen did a beautiful job of telling this story with heart and soul and depth, and I am so happy that I had the privilege of reading this wonderful book. 5 stars to you, Melanie!
This book add so much emotion with the loss of his son , And how his sons friend helped his father survive
Note: this review was written in March 2018 and posted here in September 2020.
Very deep, emotional story.
I read Point of Contact a few weeks ago but just couldn’t seem to find the words to write my review. It’s the first book I’ve read by Melanie Hansen but I sure look forward to reading more of her work.
If you like a “meaty” story, this one’s for you. The book spans a fairly long period of time and is broken down into before and after. The first section begins with us looking in on a party at Trevor’s house – his son Riley and his friends are having one last fling before they deploy. Section two beings 8 months after Riley’s death.
The blurb for the book is good so I recommend reading it. One of the things it doesn’t tell you is that there’s another relationship in the story (there’s no cheating) and it added another level of complexity to an already complex story. I also don’t think the blurb can convey how much feeling there is to this book – it broke my heart in more than one place. Even though I knew going it that Riley dies, reading how it all happened, and how it affected those who loved him, was tough at times and had me in tears more than once.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that is as complex as this one and I loved it. Melanie Hansen has crafted a story that grabbed my attention and held on to I from start to finish. It’s a very emotional read but well with the ride.
A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.
I love the slow building relationship in this book. Definitely a tear-jerker, but so worth it for the beautiful ending.
This is the first GLBT love story that I’ve read since Book one of Jon Garcia’s “The Falls”. The characters are sincere and well-developed. I was anxious about reading a gay romance like this because I’m always anxious that the narrative will be so over-wrought with innuendo that the characters might be lost on attraction. However, I have to hand to the author for humanizing the journey out of post trauma stress disorder and the gut-wrenching pain of losing a loved one to war. I wonder if this same author could write a narrative about any African-American male love interests with the same care and concern. Somewhere in between processing this narrative and finding closure about people I’ve lost, I learned that grief is necessary for moving forward. It’s tragic but both characters learn and grow and there is plenty of verisimilitude to illustrate that Trevor, Carl, Riley, and Jesse are real men inspired by people Hansen has actually met.
It was a painful and heartfelt story of loss as much as love. The sincerity of fatherly love described made even me drop some tears ( it’s not common for me to do so). There is realism to this story that romances often lack. I sincerely recomend it. It’s a read worty of time spent. Kudos to the author.
Loved this book, one that’s stays with me after finishing.
Well-developed complex characters. This story feels like a well-researched labor of love. Riley, Trevor and Jesse all are unique characters who have a specific and universal story.
I didn’t want to put this book down. Good read.
This review contains minor spoilers.
This book started out so strong. The writing is beautiful. Not being a parent myself, I can’t imagine what it must be like to lose a child, but thanks to Melanie Hansen’s excellent writing, I don’t feel as if I have to imagine because she portrayed that loss so heartbreakingly, brutally, and tragically through Trevor and his shattering pain. He was just so devastated, and I was devastated for him. I admit it, there were scenes that made my eyes leak. I loved that Hansen took the time to make me fall in love with Riley, so that his death hit me like a speeding semi despite knowing that it was coming. It would have been so quick and easy to have it happen early on and go straight to Trevor’s grief, but watching Riley become a war-hardened man and a damn good friend only to die so young??? Dammit, my eyes are leaking again!
And I thought Jesse was a beautiful character, so shutdown and walled off because of his personal and military-imposed closet, so afraid that if his secret got out, he’d not only lose his career but his brothers-in-arms. And After, so experienced with grief and loss that he could council someone else through death even while he dealt with his own pain.
Those factors alone are reason to pick up this book, find a comfortable chair, and tell the rest of the world to leave you alone for a few hours.
And I would have kept feeling that way had the book ended after about 250 pages, which is when Trevor and Jesse finally admitted their feelings and became a couple. For me, the story was pretty much over at that point with just a few loose ends to tie up. Unfortunately, the book kept going for another 70+ pages and Jesse and Trevor’s relationship just dissolves into sex scenes with a few fights thrown in. The fights seemed out of character for Jesse and were over so quickly that they seemed pointless. I thought the plot got a bit lost.
In the end, the story regains its earlier beauty in a series of annual trips to Riley’s grave where we learn what Trevor and Jesse have been up to and how their relationship has grown. Overall, it was a beautiful story and the writing was really beautiful…I could have just used a little bit less of it.
My advice: definitely read this book and definitely keep the tissues close.
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