Sean manages to find the beauty in everyone, including gruff and defensive Ryan. He refuses to be put off by the hard mask behind which Ryan hides. But convincing Ryan to open his heart is proving to be quite a challenge.
When someone from Ryan's past offers him what he wants most in the world, Ryan has a decision to make. Which voice will he listen to -- his heart or his head?
Reviewer: Shee Reader
Our story begins by introducing us to an abrasive young man who has suffered a terrible car accident and wears an horrific (to him) scar on his face. Ryan can barely look at himself in the mirror, and is fully accepting of his boyfriend Patrick pulling away, though if he’s honest with himself Ryan knows there was never any great love between them, even before the scar. As Ryan is gearing up for his first day in a new job, he meets a handsome guy walking by who introduces himself as Sean, a tattoo artist opening up a studio near by. The reader can see Sean is interested in Ryan, but Ryan’s lack of confidence won't let him see it for a while.
There isn’t a lot of dialogue, and we only see the story from Ryan’s point of view, which seems fitting as he has closed himself off from the world as his entire focus becomes his scar and how soon he could have surgery to improve the appearance of his face.
The development of the relationship between Ryan and Sean was stilted and realistic, but didn’t flow overly well. It became much more easy to become wrapped up in the writing as the book developed. It was definitely a slow-burn that was rather gripping as the story drew to a close. The inclusion of Patrick (the ex), a fight, travel and the promise of surgery made the book more exciting as i got past half way through!
Ryan’s best friend Charlene (Charlie) is a side character, but is quite a little spitfire. I liked her immediately. Ryan I didn’t really like at first, and Sean seemed a little soft and one dimensional. As the story develops, both men became much more likeable. Ryan becomes more aware of his faults and Sean seems in fact to have a backbone, which I liked. Meeting Ryan’s family at home in Ireland was fun, though there was talk of snow, and I’ve only ever seen rain in Ireland even in the depths of winter!
All in all, I enjoyed the book, it was an easy rolling tale, but it would have felt much more enticing if the start had been as enthralling as the end.
I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
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