Review: Unquiet (Resilient Love #3) by Melanie Hansen

Loren Smith has been in love with Eliot Devlin almost his entire life. During their turbulent childhood and teen years, Loren didn’t always understand Eliot, and sometimes he could be a challenge, but Eliot was the only one to ever truly ease Loren’s deep loneliness and accept him. When Eliot’s increasingly erratic and self-destructive behavior culminates in a suicide attempt at seventeen, Loren is devastated.

Upon meeting again by chance nine years later, Loren is enjoying a successful career as a police officer while Eliot’s life has been a constant struggle for stability. In and out of mental hospitals, with a rap sheet a mile long, he continues to be buffeted by the twin storms of mania and depression. Loren’s love and protectiveness for Eliot are deeply ingrained in him, however, and their feelings for each other are quickly rekindled.

Loren has issues of his own he’s dealing with, and trying to understand and cope with Eliot’s bipolar disorder isn’t easy. They believe they’re meant to be, and Eliot brings a fulfillment to Loren’s life that no one else will ever match. But as they both come to realize, love by itself can’t cure all.

I have loved every story in this series by Melanie Hansen and this was no exception. Like the others it can be read as a standalone but to those who are reading the series cameos from the couples from books one and two are nice.

This is a book that gets you right in the feels. I thought the start to book two was devastating, but this rivals it - though not in the same way. The friendship between Eliot and Loren was lovely. It was intense in that way that childhood friendships can be, all consuming in a way friendships rarely are as adults. The adults in the lives of these children fail to see the darkness and light that controls Eliot's actions, which means the two boys are doing the very best they can in the circumstances.

The most I know about bi-polar, or manic depression, is from watching a Stephen Fry documentary several years ago. Parts of it stayed with me though. The manic part of manic depression can be a real high from what I recall. Majorly productive particularly in the arts. Sufferers feel amazing, if not in control, during these highs, but high highs are followed by low lows. The lowness of depression is an all consuming blanket that rhyme nor reason nor a 'perfect' life can control. Drugs can, but they take away the highs and blunt the productiveness. It has been a awhile since I saw the documentary but I understood the reluctance those with this condition had at times to take medication. It is the same struggle Eliot has.

I felt this book was really well written. It didn't glamorise or cartoonify depression or bi-polar. It didn't come up with a simple cure. It didn't - thank god - decide that love, or worse a good shag, could suddenly fix depression. It didn't paint the relationship as perfect. It didn't make Loren an unnecessary hero. It did, however, show that love is a good basis for a relationship even if it alone is not enough. It's a foundation, but the walls still take time and work to make strong. There are no guarantees, even with love.

This was a great story with truly interesting characters and storyline. Heart wrenching, but also heart-warming, I recommend this to everyone who likes a little angst and a happy ever after.

To find out more, see Goodreads.
A copy of this story was given in exchange for an honest review.