“Holding onto the past can hurt more than letting it go.”People say six years is long enough to mourn the death of his husband but for Ross Miller, the pain is as fresh as if it happened yesterday. He’s left his glittering Hollywood life behind, yet guilt still dogs his steps, no matter how far he runs. Trapped by his past and needing to escape his well-meaning friends, he rents a cabin in the … the secluded Adirondack mountains. A reclusive man moves in next door and piques Ross’s interest, but his persistent attempts at friendship are rebuffed. That doesn’t stop him because the one rule Ross Miller has always lived by is to never take no for an answer.
Novelist Arden Wainwright has given up. He can’t pretend a happiness he knows he’ll never find again. Solitary days turn into years, and he remains frozen, unable to take a breath. At his wit’s end, he retreats to the mountains, but it does little to stir his creativity. He continues to hide from life and avoids his overly nosy neighbor, who insists on planting himself at Arden’s doorstep at every turn. Making friends is the last thing Arden wants, but annoying or not, he can’t get the damn man out of his mind.
Finding peace in their isolated surroundings, the two lonely men forge an unlikely friendship where they realize they’re more alike than different and better together than apart. With Ross’s help, Arden begins to rebuild the shattered pieces of his life, while Arden gives Ross the strength to face his fears and find his way home. When love comes calling you can choose to hide from hurt, loss, and pain, but if you take a chance and open the door, you might discover that running from your heart is the last thing you’ll want to do.
This book can be read as a stand alone but you may remember Ross, Foster’s best friend from Broken Silence, Book One of the Rock Bottom series.
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Story: 5 Stars
Audio: 5 Stars
Narrator: Mr. Michael Pauley
The narration is highly charged! This is a very deep emotional story and Mr Pauley’s character interpretation was electric. I felt hearing Dominic speak added more layers to his written version. The opening scene is a bitter fight between one of the central married couples and sets the pace for this brilliant performance. I love this book to pieces and I promise Mr. Pauley will bring them into life! Ross, Arden, Ezra and all the wonderful characters were distinct and worked beautifully. If you enjoyed the book, treat yourself to this perfect audio!
Storyline:
An all-encompassing tear jerker, that is melancholy at times and very sentimental. It was wondrous to find a cautious joy start to emerge from the pages as the story progresses.
Ross Miller, a talented producer, is still mourning the accidental death of his beloved husband six years ago. He carries a huge guilt that is greatly misplaced. Arden Wainwright, a successful novelist, has no reason to enjoy life anymore after the death of his husband and young son. His sorrow has gutted him, causing his will to live to be almost nonexistent and even though it has been five years, Arden feels the loss as if it happened yesterday.
Both men can’t get past the cavernous empty void that fills them and seek solitude in the Adirondack Mountains. Fate seems either cruel or ironic as they happen to be temporary neighbors in this rustic hideaway which secludes them from real life. They choose to hold a bleak form of reality where their constant mourning of the most important people in their lives prevents them from moving on. Arden has almost completely retreated from everyone and has not had a physical relationship since his husband passed. Ross has hidden his true self from the world and he deals with his overwhelming pain with meaningless sex.
At first, Arden appears as if he is never going to get past his devastation until you slowly see him emerge from his self-imposed coma as he forces himself to feel again. Ross, who appears to have moved on using a cheerful facade as a disguise, is still in the same miserable place he was in when his husband Dom died. Arden seems to be the stronger willed of the two when at first appearance you would have guessed the opposite.
As you delve deeper into the story, you realize the men have a lot more in common than their losses. As their friendship grows, both Ross and Arden begin to take small steps towards living in a world without feeling the regret of surviving without their loved ones. Between betrayal and misconceptions that appear from their past, the two have to deal with a huge emotional fallout. Can these endearing men move beyond their past and truly start to live a life with a future?
This book was a wonderful addition to the series and their problems and grief felt so genuine and not manufactured. It was so nice to catch up with Foster and Justin from the first book. While this can be read as a stand-alone I would suggest you read Broken Silence to get a deeper feel for Ross. Thank you, Felice, for this deeply moving novel.
GRIEF CAN LAST FOREVER IF YOU’RE ALONE
I received this book for free and am giving my honest and voluntary review
Ross meets Arden while he’s hiding away from society, mourning the loss of his husband. He’s been mourning for six years and can’t seem to find himself. Enter Arden, a man with the same issue of mourning a dead husband. Each man mourns in their own way but can’t seem to get past it. Revelations change things somewhat but still they grieve. Read for a HEA and some interesting moments involving grief.
Heartbreakingly Good…
I absolutely loved Ross and Arden’s story. I found myself pulled into their story from the start, reaching for the tissues and I didn’t want to put it down. There was so much feeling in their journey. I loved that Ross didn’t give up on being friendly with Arden, even when Arden didn’t seem to want to be bothered. Ross helped Arden see there was still light in the world, and he didn’t need to hide anymore. In turn, when Ross hit his rock bottom, Arden was right there to prop him up and help him find his way. Even several days later, I find myself thinking about their story. If you’re looking for an emotionally wonderful read that will break your heart, but gently put you back together, this is the story for you. It’s a story of heart break, and finding love again when one thought it could never be found once more. I know this is a story that will stay with me for a long time.
I want to shout: What an impressive story. The author did a good job creating a bubble where grief lives, where all the perspectives are so different, like living in a parallel world. More than once I was in tears over emotional parts. It was all so very real!
When two mens’ lives collide under heavy circumstances it can’t be better described other than it makes the earth move.
Ross has withdrawn himself from his dear friends, away from the glitter of his Hollywood life. He is mourning after the loss of his husband six years ago, he can’t and doesn’t want to get attached again with life.
Arden has lost his reason to live when everything he loved got killed in a car accident five years ago. Mourning, grieving, he runs from his life, to live in a cabin far away in an isolated place in the mountains, not able to write another book anymore. Ross is his nearby neighbor. Arden doesn’t want anything to do with him. Only Ross is persistent to get involved and to open up the grumpy withdrawn man.
What was revealed before my eyes was something special, very special.
Both men have deep scars and a story to tell. At times it was hard. I even had to stop reading further. The way they try to survive and overcome was so well developed.
“But maybe there’s someone who can live inside the other piece of your broken heart.”
A dear place in this story is taken by some beautiful friends reaching out and accepting the fact that everyone grieves at their own pace.
There are stories where I try to visualize the characters by looks. In this story, I didn’t. I just saw souls, souls who are hurt, with walls around them to protect, sometimes with a crack to let the light in, sometimes they grow big and radiate glowing light and, sometimes they deflate into nothing. With all this, mostly they want to live and feel.
The way they seek each other and come closer was an emotionally cautious one.
The whole process they went through was wonderfully described, I felt it all! Their interactions were one of a kind. Both men were beautifully developed throughout the whole story. To see through the exterior into their souls was breathtaking and very emotional! To see them laugh and make love was the icing on the cake.
It was heartwarming to see everything come around. I highly appreciate the fact the author gave them peace, to make it all good and right. I know it is fiction, only it felt so real. The road they had to walk was as heavy as lead, they’ve come far and had to go deep, but thank goodness they made it. I was immensely content they got their deserved HEA.
The author did a tremendous job to give this story the right balance.
I was heavily impressed by this story!
Two hearts that have been broken by death. Ross’s persistence to win Arden’s friendship then eventually his heart. Together they learn how to live and love again. I loved this story and can’t wait until the next one.
Wow!! Just Wow!! What an emotionally touching and inspiring story. Ross and Arden’s story was not only heartbreaking, but it was uplifting. When Ross and Arden meet they are both still trying to put their lives back together after having suffering losses that no one ever wants to experience, but ones that we all will eventually experience, the loss of loved ones. Each man is dealing with his loss in a very different way: Ross blames himself for the loss of his husband and feels guilty about the loss while Arden just feels loss and wants to be left alone completely. However, due to each man’s separate decision to seek solace in the quiet of the mountains, as well as Ross’ persistence once he decided to find out more about his reclusive neighbor who also looks as though he could use a friend, the two finally met, and a friendship blooms, which then turns into something so much more and so much more special.
Running From My Heart will have you utterly captured and engrossed from the moment you open the first page and begin to take Ross and Arden’s journey towards a newfound happily ever after, which they both absolutely deserve. You will laugh, cry, and cheer for these guys on their journey, but most of all, you will fall in love with them and their trials and tribulations, and rejoice in their ability to overcome. Running From My Heart is an absolutely beautifully written book. Felice Stevens does not disappoint, and of course, you will get to catch up with some of your beloved characters from her other books. Happy reading, and just congratulations to Felice Stevens on yet another beautifully crafted story about overcoming and finding happiness and joy in love and life.
Ross and Arden have both loved and tragically lost (and yay for two MCs in their forties). For years they have lived day-to-day, grieving and cutting themselves off from life in their own ways. A chance meeting that doesn’t make the best first impression is the catalyst for them developing a friendship based on common ground. As the two grow closer, their beliefs that neither of them could ever love again start to slowly crack.
Despite their similar pasts, the two are very different in their personalities and how they deal with things. I love the way Ross poked and cajoled Arden into getting out of his house and the way Ross encourages Arden to face everything he left behind. I especially enjoyed watching Arden go from sullen and morose to funny and finding joy again. The two are a great couple and I couldn’t wait for them to finally get together.
There were some unexpected twists and I am thrilled at finding out that one of the secondary characters will be getting a spin-off book. I have to admit that I really had a problem with Arden’s sister-in-law and spent a good part of the story wondering if she would eventually be the star of a Discovery ID episode. Foster and Justin make a few appearances here, but you don’t need to have read any of the other Rock Bottom stories to enjoy this one.
A gorgeous story about grief, moving forward, love and forgiveness. It was emotional without becoming bogged down with sadness. I will admit to shedding quite a few tears at the ending of the story, which was just beautiful. Another winner from Felice Stevens.
I loved the story of Ross and Arden finding love again. Ross lost his husband in a tragic surfing accident, and Arden’s husband and son were killed by a drunk driver. Ross and Arden had each spent the last several years grieving, unable to get over the loss of their loves. Meeting in the Adirondacks, the men did not experience love at first sight, but they did connect in a way that neither had done with anyone else. Watching the walls come down and their hearts begin to slowly heal, made me incredibly happy.
I loved these men, and I hurt with them. I was angry with certain other characters, while also feeling sorry for them. This author creates characters so true to life, there isn’t a black and white version of good or bad. One of the people who made me angry here will be a main character in the next book, and I am not ashamed to say that I want him to find true love. I want him to realize how wrong he was in the past, and to truly appreciate the gift that love can be. I was so invested in all the people who played important roles in this story, though my heart was completely owned by Ross and Arden. I hope to see their relationship grow in the future. They are a couple who will stay with me for a long time, and I expect to read this book again and again, to fall in love with them all over. I love and recommend this wonderful story.
Running From My Heart is the third book in the Rock Bottom series but can be read as a standalone. I haven’t read any of the others, and it certainly didn’t have an impact on my enjoyment of it.
Ross and Arden are both drowning in grief, but dealing with it in very different ways. Arden has shut himself away from everyone and everything, whereas Ross is King of the One-Night-Stands. They are doing what works best for them. But then they meet in a grocery store and both their lives change for the better, although not painlessly.
This is a very emotional read as the two of them certainly go through the wringer. They have personal revelations that both help and hinder them in their recovery from such soul-destroying grief. I will admit to shedding a tear or two as the baby Osprey, but enough of that!
I have no idea if there were any errors in this book, but I don’t think there were as I usually get jolted out of the storyline. With this book, I was completely engrossed from start to finish. The story is smooth, the pacing is perfect. There is a fantastic cast of characters, both main and supporting, that help bring this story to life. I definitely want to read book one, Foster and Justin’s story, even though I know from this book they have their HEA.
Absolutely fantastic and definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books!
This book is a roller coaster ride. Felice Stevens at her best. From the first until the last page, the emotions keep pouring out. From heartbreaking and bittersweet to uplifting and hopeful, she takes the reader through all the highs and lows in this slow-burn romance in which two men grab their chance of a second love.
Ross and Arden are beautiful characters. Broken, flawed, real. Both early forties, both widower, both hurting. But they handle their grief differently. Whereas Ross is outgoing, going for one-night stands, and hiding behind corny jokes, Arden closes himself off from the outside world and retreats in himself, living in darkness.
Felice Stevens has a way with words of describing their heartache. You feel the pain, the hurt, and then the hope. You see those little sparks of attraction growing into full-blown love despite the guilt and broken trust. It’s beautiful to see that two grieving men find their home with each other and dare to love again, to live again.
In a romantic story, you’re always anxious to read those three special words. Well, here they are a bit more than three, but one of the most beautiful declarations of love I’ve ever read.
I loved how the ospreys became a metaphor for their journey. Just like the birds leave the safe warmth of their nest, spread their wings, and fly out into the world, the two men overcome their grief. They face their fears. They don’t leave the past behind but give it a place in their future.
Undoubtedly one of the most moving love stories I’ve read this year. Ross and Arden’s journey is all about love, love lost and new love found, and it really resonated with me. Arden’s loss especially hit me very hard. The sorrow and grief both MC’s are struggling to overcome is almost palpable and seeing them find the strength to live and love again after such heartbreaking loss was incredibly touching and inspiring.
I liked that the author didn’t rush the healing process and that Ross and Arden became friends before becoming lovers, after a bit of a rocky start. The trust that gradually built between them was a wonderful thing to read.
I loved the writing style, its imagery but also its realism, and of course the well-rounded secondary characters. Note to self: must read Julian and Foster’s story asap. I also very much enjoyed how the author described the nature and wildlife surrounding the cabins in the Adirondack mountains, the ospreys first and foremost, and their importance to Ross and Arden’s journey.
Heartwarming read. Absolutely recommend.