What if your first love was abducted and presumed dead—but then returned twenty years later?That’s the dilemma Cole Weston faces. Now happily married to Tommy D’Amico, he’s suddenly thrown into a surreal world when his first love, Rory Schneidmiller, unexpectedly reappears.Rory has no memory of those years. For him, it’s as though only a day or two has passed. He still loves Cole with the passion … with the passion unique to young first love.
But Cole has so many questions: where has Rory been and what happened to him two decades ago when he disappeared without a trace? He has never forgotten Rory, but Tommy has been his rock, by his side since Rory disappeared.
Cole is forced to choose between an idealized and passionate first love and the comfort of a long-term marriage. How does one make a decision like that? The answers might lie among the stars…
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Sky Full of Mysteries is a beautiful story. It begins in 1997, with Rory and Cole, both in their mid-twenties, and in the beginning of their first true-love relationship. They are passionate about one another, in a way that only a “first love” romance can be. Not long after they move in together, however, Rory is abducted (yes, by aliens) and disappears. Cole is left devastated. Twenty years go by, and Cole manages to move on. He gets married to Tommy and they have a wonderful life together, but Cole never forgot Rory or the love they shared. When Rory inexplicably returns, Cole is forced to make a decision between his first love and his life’s love.
It was an emotional roller coaster, and the last several chapters left me in tears. I loved how both of Cole’s relationships were so perfect, but in different ways. I also found it refreshing to read a romance book that didn’t have the enemies-to-lovers theme, and that the relationships presented felt very real.
I truly loved how the characters each stayed true to what they believed was right. Even with Cole’s dilemma at the end, I believe he made the right decision. The ending was bittersweet, but it was perfect for this book.
This is something else. Sit, read and be amazed by this mystical journey!
Cole can’t deal with it. He is devastated and shattered, Rory, his lover and partner, just disappeared without a trace, as if he was removed from the earth.
The process of grieving and despair is heavy. It’s almost unbearable, but lives go on and he has to start living again.
Beautiful memories pass by where they meet each other, in their twenties, where they start living together, where they are happy and in love. Both men lovable, passionate, kind and endearing.
There are hurtful, painful moments where Cole realizes again these are all memories.
Every step Cole takes he wears Rory with him.
Seasons pass by and it seems Rory has vanished forever.
Years pass by, a decade, a decade and a half, two. Time just keeps ticking.
Cole is lucky to find new love.
After twenty years suddenly Rory is back, strangely he hasn’t aged.
In a blink of a second Cole’s whole life is in a split.
This whole story was, I’m not sure how to express, exceptional, complete, compassionate, at times awfully realistic, many emotional layers can be found, all lay thick on the pages.
The mystery was well woven into the story, not prominently but still, it was palpable.
For Tommy, Cole is the love of his life. For Cole, there are two. It fit well.
While reading the blurb I anticipated a certain kind of story and was surprised by the difference from what I expected.
For me the end was perfect, even though I still had questions. While reading I already filled in the gaps and had expectations, I shouldn’t have. When I’m honest I think having questions at the end is one of the charms of this story. Read with an open mind. But all things aside, the end was perfect to me.
This author is one of my favorites, something about the style of writing always makes me emotional. All stories are written with a wide perspective, layered, intriguing, and creative. Somehow, they always make me shiver inside, not from angst, but it’s the wholeness that thrills me.
An extraordinary story, I’m in awe!
Really moved me
This is only the second Rick R. Reed book I’ve read and I can’t understand why I did not know about his writing before. Sky Full of Mysteries packs such emotional power and by the end my eyes were moist and I just had all the feels for the joy, passion, pain and disappointments all three men – Tommy, Cole and Rory – went through. I really loved it.
It’s a book told sequentially in two time periods twenty years apart and I appreciated that, except for some clear reminiscing, Reed did not jump back and forth between time periods. The guys are all sympathetic and likable; Rory actually managed to surprise me with the depths of his empathy. The number of secondary characters is kept to a minimum and this allowed the story to totally focus on the three principal characters: just perfect in my opinion
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
This story was tragically beautiful. It broke me in ways, especially with the vulnerable heart I’ve developed lately. I cried for Cole, as he learned to live with the loss of his soulmate. The devastation of not knowing what happened to Rory, or even if he was alive or dead, was a horrible thing. I felt sad for Tommy, as he fell in love with a man who was still tied to his past love. And I was heartbroken for Rory, as he woke up in a world he didn’t recognize and tried to understand the unimaginable. These men were all good and kind and loving, and I wanted an easy solution when that was clearly impossible.
The paranormal element was integral to the story, but it was not the focus of the story. The feelings of the main characters were always at the center of the narrative. I loved these men so much! The conclusion was full of love and pain, and I cried yet again. But this ending felt true and believable.
This book will stay with me, and I know I will read it again, crying all the while. I have to recommend it, because this needs to be read and appreciated by many. This author deserves all the praise for his beautifully written tale. My aching heart is grateful.