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S**N
One of the best M/M romances that I’ve read
Being a romantic at heart, there’s nothing I like more than a really good M/M romance novel. The problem with many is they lack in the romance department. I realize that every good romance needs a certain amount of angst to make the happy ending even sweeter, but with many books of this genre, the angst is overwhelming and overdone; sometimes making the ending unbelievable and other times just making the book difficult to read because there’s too much unhappiness to get to the happy ending. Some of this genre involve three ways or cheating in the storyline, which in my opinion, is a romance killer. I’m not saying that there shouldn’t be angst but I prefer when the main characters are committed and battle it together.All of that said, let’s talk about this novel. Yes, it is long however, I wouldn’t have changed a thing about it and I was sad when i got to the end because I wanted more of Josh and Ezra’s happy ending. I found both main characters to be extremely likable—even Ezra at the beginning when he wasn’t being nice to Josh. I absolutely loved how their romance progressed and, other than one small section of the book, they faced the challenges together. While I really enjoy the stepbrother and enemies to lovers troupes, here those seemed like just side notes and not the main focus of their challenges. I thought the pacing was great even with the book’s length. While I felt many emotions reading this book, including anger and sadness, by far the overwhelming emotion I felt was happiness at their connection. There is a lot of expression of love and emotion in this book between and by the main characters. Some readers may feel it is too much but I certainly did not. I loved that they were true and faithful, and their connection was a soul connection that was able to withstand the threat caused by Ezra’s trauma. Well done. Sequel please!
K**)
Josh and Ezra were destined for each other
This story is as sweet and beautiful as it is raw and painful. The layers of each character that are peeled away as the story is laid out will somehow simultaneously break you down and glue you together.Ezra, the gorgeous broken boy, comes on to the scene in quite a dramatic fashion. Joshua Miller, the sweet do gooder, is just biding his time in backwoods Alabama. He’s counting down the days until college, convinced that’s when his life will really begin, when his life is turned upside down. He was just minding his business in his fishing boat when an angel literally fell from the sky - or jumped from a bridge. Semantics. Isn’t this the way the best love stories always start? This entire scene around the bridge really is a beautiful metaphor for their entire relationship. One of them always throwing themselves into the thick of it with no remorse and the other pulling them out gasping for air, but alive.I’m not going to give a whole synopsis for the book, I believe you should just fully immerse yourself in the story. I would be absolutely remiss if I did not talk about the amazing writing that Ellis James did though. The descriptions of the scenery alone are so beautiful and captivating that it’s hard to believe they are just words on a page. Every effort was made to make the reader feel like they were in rural Alabama and it paid off. I’m from southern Georgia and I could feel the clay between my toes on the lake side, smell the pine trees and hear the cicadas as I was reading. I could practically see the heat waves rising off of the street after an afternoon rain shower. Hanging out and enjoying the eerie calm that is so beautiful in an old cemetery is an intrinsically southern right of passage. I understood and felt every bit of it. If the scenery is described this well, you can only imagine what James does to your emotions. You will feel everything down to your bones. It’s a visceral ride that doesn’t let go once the book is over. All of this to say, yes, this book is 700 pages, but every word has a place and purpose in the story. The craft that Ellis James shows in this book is unforgettable.As far as the boys go, you will have no choice but to love these characters. None. There may be times when you want to deck Ezra or shake Miller but it’s because you love them. You will have zero doubts that there have never been two characters more deserving of loving each other. They are a perfect match in every way and even when the world around them tries to make it impossible, their souls are so intertwined that there is no real way to separate them. I love them individually (Millsy is my new number one book boyfriend) but together they’re ✨magic✨ and unstoppable. Joshua and Ezra’s love reminds me of the Japanese art of Kintsugi. Their story may be one of broken men, but they are fused back together with gold and ultimately made stronger and more beautiful than before
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2 days ago
2 months ago
