Jamie Kincade's world is turned upside down when Sebastian, a young man who doesn't speak and who shares the ability to see ghosts that Jamie's had since childhood, enters his life. Jamie finds Sebastian fascinating on multiple levels, and is determined to help him learn to speak again. He can barely keep his thoughts--or hands--off Sebastian, who wants him and makes no attempt to hide it.
The age difference between them--Sebastian is almost 15 years Jamie's junior--is a problem for Jamie, but Jamie's reluctance isn't the only thing keeping them from focusing on the potential they might have as a couple; the collection of ghosts Jamie has been living with in relative harmony for more than a decade has no intention of leaving Sebastian alone now that he's here. Their desperate attempts to get Sebastian's attention are a distraction Jamie would be grateful for if they didn't upset Sebastian so much. Jamie is torn between wanting to send Sebastian away for his own good and wanting to drag him off to bed, and with Sebastian tempting him both deliberately and subconsciously, it can't be long before Jamie's self-control snaps...
I have so many mixed feelings for this story. I loved the beginning; Alexa Snow drew me in with her words, everything flowing and no jarring moments. The setting and the characters were shown so clearly. Beautiful.
My only problem? As the story continued, I wasn't connecting with the characters. I didn't get a good sense of who they were, or how they felt. Jamie's insistence on throwing up roadblocks between him and Sebastian was annoying, especially as he and Sebastian got to know each other better. Not that I really felt any chemistry between them. I wasn't feeling the tension, need, or want that I expected.
And then, the story itself stumbled for me, with moments of too much telling, and scenes where nothing really happened. At times, the present tense was too distracting, making the writing feel more mechanical. It wasn't consistent, though. I would be struggling with a part, but then a well written scene would catch my interest and I'd get caught up in the story again.
Things I liked were usually countered by something I didn't care for. I started to connect with Sebastian but Jamie continued to leave me feeling indifferent. The elements of hurt/comfort were touching, but sometimes the story was almost too sweet. I liked the paranormal aspect of the story, but it felt a little random at times. The introduction of the shadow ghost seemed to come out of the blue...why the wait, and why was time running out? I had so many questions about that and to have much of it happen off page was disappointing. I also had questions about Sebastian's on/off muteness, which threw me off.
Overall, I liked the story, but for me, it didn't live up to the potential of the blurb or that wonderful beginning.
Note: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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