Review: Mapping the Forest by Brandon Witt

Happily ever after has no map, but sometimes fate sends a guiding light.

Gabe Rice, a seasonal ranger at the Rocky Mountain National Park, can’t seem to get his life on the right trail. He loves the rugged beauty of the land, and there is no place he would rather live than the mountain community of Estes Park. But after six years, Gabe is beginning to wonder if he’ll ever get a full-time position or find love. When Gabe sees Luis—and hears his gorgeous singing—he’s compelled to meet him.

Luis Martinez, the new owner of a hotel and steak ride business in Estes, left California and a career as a therapist for a fresh start in Colorado. But even the beauty of the mountains can’t help him forget the past or move forward. Unprepared for his strong attraction to Gabe, Luis is ready to run and hide from emotions he never thought he’d have again.

Suddenly the path ahead opens to a future that looks brighter for both of them, if they can find the courage to walk forward—together.

Some stories make you work for that HEA. But when you get there... it's glorious.

Mapping the Forest is one of those quieter romances. The pace is organic and natural. The characters are real and likable. You know the books that sneak up on you? You think everything is moving along nicely and then BAM! you're crying your eyes out? Yeah. That's Mapping the Forest.

The title is so apt for a story like this. Gabe and Luis had to really work to find their way to an HEA. They had to find their own path, making plenty of mistakes along the way. There was a lot for them to hash out. But they did. They were open and honest with each other from the get-go. It made for some awesomely awkward dates, but they kept going, full-steam ahead. That's not to say there weren't any fall-outs, because there were, but they knew what they had was special so they worked at it. I loved that about Gabe and Luis,

This one's a tearjerker. Not just a little misty-eyed, but tears rolling down my cheeks tearjerker. It was beautiful and heartbreaking. And really, all this emotion kind of snuck up on me. I knew it was sad. I knew nobody should have to experience what Luis did. But I didn't know I was feeling so much for them until I was clutching my kindle to my chest while in the fetal position. It was not cute.

The setting of Estes Park was amazing. I've only been there once, but through the descriptions I could easily picture the breathtaking landscape. Again... beautiful.

I do hope this is a series. There's a great cast of characters here and I would love to read more about them. I feel like just the surface was scratched with these guys and I want to know all the things.

So good. Mapping the Forest is just so good. I couldn't put it down and stayed up late in order to finish it. This one's a must read, Unicorns.

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more info on Goodreads and Dreamspinner Press. 

Review: Something Like Stories: Volume One by Jay Bell

Benjamin Bentley and many other beloved characters from the Something Like... series make their triumphant return in this collection of short stories and bonus material. Something Like Yesterday travels to the past where Eric Conroy attempts to find love against a backdrop of intolerance and political upheaval. In Something Like Fall , Ben meets Jace's family and tries to cope with many changes in the years that follow. Allison Cross finally gets her dues in Something Like Tonight , examining the relationships in her life during a girls night out. Something Like Eternity takes the series where it has never gone before as Victor Hemingway seeks out his ultimate destiny. Also included is a character guide and a timeline of key events thus far. Laughter and tears await you in this very special anthology!

Simply wonderful.  

Fans of Jay Bell's Something Like series are in for a TREAT. If you haven't read any of the series yet, I wouldn't suggest you start here. I don't think these stories would pack the same emotional punch without reading all six of the previous books first. And what an emotional ride it was! All four stories brought out The Feels. I had also just finished up listening to Something Like Autumn... so yeah. It was a tear filled day. 

To the stories!

In Something Like Yesterday Eric tells Tim of his past loves and heartbreak. I've always wondered about Eric's past and of his feelings for Tim. And now we know! And from Eric's POV, no less. While parts of his past were heartbreaking, he did have years in a relationship full of love. If anything, this proved his feelings for Tim even more. He wasn't bitter about his breakup with Gabriel, instead he was thankful that everything led to having Tim in his life.  He certainly didn't have the same kind of love for Tim as Gabriel, but there is no doubt that he loved Tim. 

Something Like Fall felt like a series of extra scenes from Ben's POV. It started with him and Jace visiting Jace's hometown, which resulted in Jace opening up about some things from his past he had kept from Ben. Which was great because I wondered how much Ben knew about Victor. Then the story moves forward to Ben saying goodbye to Jace. To say this scene was beautiful would be an understatement. The final section is all about Jason and how Ben and Tim cope with inviting him to live in their home. All the scenes were from very different points in Ben's life, but fit together so perfectly. 

Something Like Tonight was just fun. Of course it was also emotional, because duh. I can't seem to be around any of these characters without feeling all the feels. But it was mostly fun. Allison is worn out and tired. Tired of taking care of everyone else, so her wonderful hubby suggested she take a night out all by herself. Prior to her night out she happens to see Michelle and they decide to have their girl's night together. The drank, got into some shenanigans, and went home to their loving families. I loved seeing this side of Allison.

And then... and then came Something Like Eternity. Like I said earlier, I had just finished listening to Autumn the same day I read this, so there were tears. LOTS OF TEARS. Amazing, happy, hopeful, wonderful tears. Victor is in the afterlife. He's in the same afterlife Jay writes about in Hell's Pawn (another must read). Victor has made a space for himself here that feels like home. It resembles the clearing where he stayed by Jace's house. He starts to feel a pull, like a calling. He knows he's meant to be somewhere else, but can't pinpoint where that somewhere else should be. So he runs into some helpers. I'll let you read the story to find out who those helpers were, but Jay Bell took Victor's story to a place that I never even dreamed it could go. I'm in tears again as I'm thinking about Victor and the feeling of hope his story left me with. 

At the end there's a character guide and timeline, which is a fantastic addition. But now I have to go reread Hell's Pawn! Seems I missed a few things the first time around. 

I went in knowing I would love this and I did. The new POV's, how different all the stories were, revisiting these characters, everything. I loved everything.

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more info on Goodreads!

Review: One Perfect Night by Lisa Henry

Townsville, Australia, 1943.

Tanner is a captain in the US Army, stationed at a radio post on an island in the middle of nowhere.

Nick is a coastwatcher, a man whose voice Tanner has only heard before over the radio waves.

They meet in the middle of war, when nothing is certain but this: Tanner and Nick are owed one perfect night.

Lisa Henry is one of the most talented writers I have read in that she can turn her hand from light-hearted fluff, to something other-worldy, to something deep and angst filled seamlessly. I cannot say how much I admire this talent.

When Lisa offered up five copies to commenters of this book for a read to review I have to admit I jumped straight in without even checking out the book she was offering. That is how much faith I have in this author's writing. I should have remembered her penchant for pulverising my heart though...

This book is beautiful and poignant especially with the 70th anniversary of VE day (here int he UK) coming up. We here so much about war, both current and past, we know the facts and the figures and the atrocities that occurred - yet sometimes it is the little stories that truly bring it home how much devastation war can cause.

This story is about one perfect night. One perfect night in the midst of the second world war - and it was beautiful, it was a moment out of forever that could not be taken away from either of them. I won't lie and tell you this story has an hea, because it doesn't, and that is not what it is about. It's about that moment of brightness in the darkness. 

Though this story is short it packs a punch. It made me stop and think - it still makes me stop and think. What Nick and Tanner had in that moment, it was destined to never be more. Even if things didn't turn out how they did, at that time (I believe) homosexuality would not have been tolerated, so there was never going to be more than one perfect night. The night where two people from completely different worlds meet. Do I believe in soul mates? I think after reading this I do. Maybe a soul mate doesn't necessarily mean forever and ever, but instead just for now?

I don't know, but what I do know is that this is a story well worth reading. Lisa Henry will make you remember the little heartaches in the huge scheme of horror. She'll also make you remember the moments of perfection that seem all that much brighter because of the darkness surrounding them.

For more information check out Goodreads.
A copy of this book was given with a view to an honest review in return.

Audiobook Review: Something Like Winter (Seasons #2) by Jay Bell

There are two sides to every story. When you’re Tim Wyman, sometimes there are three.

Tim hoped moving to Texas would mean a new beginning but soon finds himself falling into the same tired patterns. Until he meets recklessly brave Benjamin Bentley, who introduces Tim to a world of love, sex, and warmth. Certain that society won’t understand what he and Ben have together, Tim struggles to protect their relationship, even if it means twisting the truth. Buried beneath his own deceptions, Tim must claw his way to the surface in the hopes of learning to fly.

To say this book is beautiful would be a gross understatement. 

There's just something about Tim's story that is so real and heartbreaking and humbling. 

As a teenager, he was confused and unsure about his attraction to guys. He knew it was there, but he certainly didn't think it meant he was gay. Let's not be hasty here.

But he met Ben, and I completely agree with Tim, Ben brings out the best in him. Tim was growing and learning and changing. He learned so much about himself through his time with Ben. But some things happened too fast for Tim. He lost control of the situation with Ben, and with that, lost the most important thing in his life. 

Tim moves forward, I wouldn't say he moves on, but definitely forward. He floats through life; he finds some successful relationships and some very damaging relationships along the way. His story was the most heartbreaking for me, he was so broken and so lost. Nobody was there to really love him except his best friend, Eric. He became Tim's closest friend, something he could trust and confide in. They were never anything more than that, but it was everything to Tim. 

Oh, Tim. Every time he thought he found something solid to hang onto, it was gone. He was again left alone. He was floundering. He was desperate. He made some great mistakes, but it was all in the name of love. That makes it sorta okay. Right? Right??!? 

I think so. 

Love is desperate and raw and messy and heartbreaking. Tim took all of that emotion, mashed it all together and made some really bad choices. But I'm pretty sure he'd do it again, if it meant getting Ben back. Ben was it for him. 

Throughout the 10 year or so span of these books Ben and Tim touch each others lives, coming in and out for brief moments but they were never able to find the right moment to be together. Well, in the end they finally found their moment. And it was beautiful.

All that and I didn't even mention the complete brilliance that is Kevin R. Free's narrating. He captured the essence of every character. He made me love characters that weren't particularly memorable for me before. Allison can step right on up as my #1 Book Girlfriend. 

Something Like Winter is more than worth the read and the reread. This was my second time, I originally read the ebook and have now listened to the audio. Next time (because there will so be a next time), I'll have to pick up a paperback.

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more info on Goodreads!

Review: The Glass House by Suki Fleet

At seventeen, Sasha is a little lost and a lot lonely. He craves friendship and love, but although he’s outwardly confident, his self-destructive tendencies cause problems, and he pushes people away. Making sculptures out of the broken glass he collects is the only thing that brings him any peace, but it's not enough and everyday he feels himself dying a little more inside. Until he meets Thomas.

Thomas is shy but sure of himself in a way Sasha can't understand. He makes it his mission to prove to Sasha that he is worthy of love, and doesn't give up even when Sasha hurts him. Little by little Sasha begins to trust Thomas. And when Sasha is forced to confront his past he realises accepting the love Thomas gives him is the only way to push back the darkness.

This book is basically Suki Fleet doing what Suki Fleet does best. That is taking broken characters and helping them mend. Making us, the readers, love them enough that they heal. I swear I am the WORST unicorn friend sometimes, because I barely give the others a look-in when a Suki Fleet novel comes in for review. The Glass House is another example of this author at her finest. So, sorry uni's, I think I gave you like five seconds to claim this one for review but...as Ann says, better ask forgiveness than permission and so please forgive me (I feel no guilt so guilty at claiming this fab read).

By the end of the first sentence I knew I was going to love Sasha hard. The wall he has surrounding himself is so thick and cold, like the glass he sculpts with, it's pretty much impenetrable. Sasha is the kind of person you know has so much depth if you can just get under his layers and I love how Suki manages to do this. It's not easy insta-reveal, but a slow, natural uncovering of this hurting being. 

We can tell his past is complex and hard and this has helped form the attitude he faces the world with. It would be so easy to make a character like Sasha a stereotype, but Suki Fleet manages not to do that. She makes him real. Every aspect of him...this is a trait she manages for all her characters. Whether I as a reader like them or not, they are all very real.

Again Thomas is a wonderful MC. He has warmth and light, and I love that he fought his natural shyness to get to know Sasha. I love that he wanted to see more than the superficial outer layer of Sasha, but instead needed to see through to the real him. As their friendship developed and slowly became more I relished how protective they became of each other. For neither of them was this an easy relationship - as friends or lovers - but they were invested in it and I loved that.

In his own way Thomas experienced loss of love as much as Sasha. The shiny, homely house and warm loving nan couldn't quite hide the fact that he was alone too in many ways. We look at Sasha and his circumstances and judge him as poor Sasha, look at the crap hand he's been dealt - and it really is. Thomas on the other hand, you see the good and not the pain of loneliness and parental absence. It feels like neglect to me, just in a different guise to usual.

I always like the setting of Suki's books and this was no exception. I find the cold, damp flat Sasha and his sister occupy so easy to imagine. The cold concrete and ugly seventies exterior. Soulless. Desolate. It fit so perfectly the character of Sasha and I could virtually smell the dampness and see the mould. This applied to to the warm little estate house Thomas and his nan occupy. Cosy, homely and full of love. In both cases the setting matched the character beautifully.

Talking of Thomas' nan - I ADORED her. With her paper-cutting and love. It's more than I can say for the parents' of the piece. Thomas', their important jobs (and they were important but still, they chose to have a child) and Sasha's sorry-excuse for a mother. I had no pity for her. Some people generate their own bad luck, and the healthy dose of self pity with every sentence she uttered made me hate her all the more.

It all fitted together so well - the characters, the setting, the storyline. Suki Fleet writes books with heart, with characters to love and to root for. The kind of book that stays with you long after you've read the last page. Recommended to everyone.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

To find out more, check out Goodreads.

Review: Well Traveled by Margaret Mills and Tedy Ward

Gideon Makepeace, a young man of twenty, knows who he is and what he likes: decency, men and women too, horse training, and fun... and in Livingston, Montana, in the lush autumn of 1895, he finds he likes a Lakota Sioux Indian better than he might ought to.

Jedediah Buffalo Bird is seriously wounded and seeking medical care, and Gideon helps Jed when some bigoted townsfolk might have done otherwise. Jed, who knows the wild far better than Gideon and feels indebted to him, agrees to repay him by being his guide to San Francisco.

Their trip takes them across thousands of wild miles, through the mountains men mine and the Indian reservations dotting the plains. Facing a majestic West, they learn from each other about white folks and Indians alike. Gideon’s interest in Jed is clear from the start, but will Jed give up the life he knows for a young, brash white man he has perhaps come to love? Or will he push Gideon away in favor of the peace of nature and the personal freedom of having nothing to lose?

 This was simply wonderful. There wasn’t one thing I didn’t love about it.

The relationships were real.
This issues were real.
The men were good men.
The banter was fun.
The setting played like a movie. I could see and feel everything.
The sex was hot.
The writing was superb.

What more could I want? Nothing. Really.

Set in the late 1800’s, Gideon Makepeace is about to head back to San Francisco to where his family is playing in a wild west show. On his way through town he finds Jedediah Buffalo Bird badly injured and in desperate need of medical care. Unfortunately, there aren’t many doctors willing to help an Indian. Gideon stops his travels to be a Good Samaritan to Jed and help him through his injury. I seriously adored Gideon and his charming ways. Really, Jed didn’t stand a chance against this man. I don’t think anyone would. He was just a genuinely kind person, willing to help out anyone who might be in need. So when he saw Jed needed help, he automatically offered. In return, Jed agrees to accompany Gideon in his journey west. Jed has some real prejudices against white men and has a hard time accepting that Gideon would just do something like this just because. But, of course, Gideon was able to charm him into seeing things his way and once Jed was better they were off to San Fran. 

 "Gideon...why did you come here?"
"'Cause this is where you are, Jed. And I’ve decided that that’s where I want to be - wherever you are."

Oh, their journey was wonderful to witness. There was nothing face paced or action packed about this novel. But there didn’t need to be. There were some interesting characters they met along the way and some important friendships were made. But, the focus was really on these two men and their unlikely, opposites attract type relationship. Gideon is a care-free white man who can charm the pants off anyone. Then Jed, an Indian who is a very quiet-natured, protective and cautious of everyone he meets. And yet they fit together so well and complimented each other perfectly.

I heart them. Completely.

 

Find out more info on Goodreads!

 

Review: A Forbidden Rumspringa (Gay Amish #1) by Keira Andrews

When two young Amish men find love, will they risk losing everything?

In a world where every detail of life—down to the width of a hat brim—is dictated by God and the all-powerful rules of the community, two men dare to imagine a different way. At 18, Isaac Byler knows little outside the strict Amish settlement of Zebulon, Minnesota, where there is no rumspringa for exploration beyond the boundaries of their insular world. Isaac knows he’ll have to officially join the church and find a wife before too long, but he yearns for something else—something he can’t name.

Dark tragedy has left carpenter David Lantz alone to support his mother and sisters, and he can’t put off joining the church any longer. But when he takes on Isaac as an apprentice, their attraction grows amid the sweat and sawdust. David shares his sinful secrets, and he and Isaac struggle to reconcile their shocking desires with their commitment to faith, family and community.

Now that they’ve found each other, are they willing to lose it all?

  
Simply wonderful.

I was so worried this would be overly angsty for no other reason than it would be easy to do so.

But, no. 

No, this was about Issac's journey to finding his own happiness. Taking his own rumspringa, regardless of the strict rules that govern his life.

When Issac is first assigned to be an apprentice for David he knew it was a bad idea. He knew being around David would worsen his already sinful thoughts about the other boy. As they continued to work together, Issac realized that his attraction may be reciprocated. 

Even though they both realized that they liked each other in that way, they couldn't risk it.  They danced around each other, a touch here and there, until finally... 

Finally.

*really bad explosion sound effects*

"Issac waited for the horror of what they'd done to reach him-to grip his soul in terror. Yet as they kissed and breathed each other in, sticky and sated with the oaks standing sentinal, Issac felt only a peace and wholeness he hadn't realized he'd been missing.

That it was a sin, he had no doubt. But it was the sweetest sin he'd ever known."

Coulda been the hottest frottage scene ever. I'm pretty sure it was. Their exploration of each other was worth the wait. Don't let the Amish theme fool you. David did done his research in the ways of sexytimes. He did good research. Mmmhmm. They didn't let their innocence hold them back at all. Even still, they were pretty clueless about relationships in general and learned how to love together.  

"'We don't have to do anything else if you don't want to.'

Issac took a deep breath. 'But I do. I want it so much.'

'So do I.' David kissed him softly. 'Touching you feels right. It feels... beautiful. It makes me so happy, Issac. If it's a sin, then I'll gladly call myself a sinner.'"

*dreamy sigh* Issac and David totally captured my heart and would not let go.

The weight they had to carry because of their feelings seemed almost unbearable. What they had to go through was heartbreaking. But I was so glad that they did it anyway and that I was able to be a witness. Ack. I'm such a goner for them.

"David had drawn his fingertips down Issac's cheek. 'This will be our own little rumspringa. They never have to know.'"

The fact that they had to hide completely was gut wrenching. It's not just them that would be made to suffer, but their families as well. Neither boy was willing to do that. Even though they risked everything for each other, they still put their families above themselves. Even in the end, they tried to be as selfless as they could.

I don't know anything about Amish culture. So, I can't say if the way they were depicted in The Forbidden Rumspringa was accurate. But I can say that it felt real. Every scene with their families felt genuine. Every interaction between the characters felt like it really could be happening. Hell, it felt like it was happening.

And the ending. I couldn't believe that the words on that next page were THE END. I'm pretty sure there was yelling involved, especially when I saw '2015', which feels like an eternity away. So, I went back. (I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who does this, right?) I went back to the last page and reread it over and over again. I wanted to make sure I soaked up everything I could about David and Issac and what they are about to embark on. The end was completely satisfying while making me completely crazy with wanting more. 

I'm so glad their story isn't over yet.

A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.

 Find out more info on Goodreads and BookLikes!

Review: Lending Light by Rose Christo

Sometimes my imagination bleeds into reality."

Eleven years ago a serial killer menaced the Nettlebush Indian Reservation. Rafael Gives Light is his son. A loner, Rafael relies on his startlingly overactive imagination to escape the distrust and vitriol of his peers.

In the summer of 2000 an exceptionally blond boy moves to Nettlebush. Rafael learns that the boy is his father’s last living victim. The boy wants to be friends.

On Friday I talked about my love for the first four Gives light books by Rose Christo and today I'm going to talk about the fifth book in the series, Lending Light. Lending Light takes us right back to the beginning of the story, it is, more or less, the same storyline as in Gives Light (though it doesn't follow quite as far into events as Gives Light). I have to admit, after reading the first four in the series, I was a little reluctant to go back to the beginning. I considered it would be interesting to see things from Raf's POV, but honestly, I kinda thought it was going to be boring. I'd seen all this before, I wasn't ready for a repeat. I needn't have worried - within the first few pages I was hooked.

Yes, I did know the story - the thing is however, Rose Christo is excellent at writing the characters. So the events might be the same but the feelings weren't. I thought I understood Raf from reading the first books...and I did, to a certain extent, but he shines in a whole knew light in this book.

In a way I might even have enjoyed this book all the more for having read the others, though I believe it could be read first or alone. Raf is a complicated boy - imagine wearing the face of a killer and being judged for it your whole life? Or at least feeling as if you're being judged for it. Imagine loving someone despite the fact that you know they did something horribly unforgivable. I love how Rose Christo explores the grey. How there is more to a human character than just good or bad, how we are ALL a mixture of both components.

Seeing the effects of a man's actions and the consequences on two people trying to find their way in life. Trying to discover who they are and who they love is just wonderful. It is eye-opening really. It made me think about how quick we are to judge or even label. It's understandable really, we're all just trying to make sense of the world around us but it's a reminder that whatever age we are we're always learning. Rafael is a wonderful, wonderful character and I really enjoyed seeing his world through his eyes. As much as Sky and he are intrinsically connected they are also totally separate entities. Raf, for all his anger and anti-social behaviour loves unconditionally and seeing these - feeling this - through him was so beautiful. Seeing Skylar through his eyes was just heart warming really.

As always Rose Christo creates a world that fascinates me. The descriptions are as divine as ever, these are books that you feel rather than just read. I would say to anyone who enjoyed the first book of the series but are worried about reading this, to give it a go, I'm willing to bet you won't be disappointed.

Find out more about Lending Light at Goodreads.

The Gives Light series by Rose Christo. Books 1-4.

Blurbs:
Gives Light:
"Skylar is my name, tragically."

Sixteen-year-old Skylar is witty, empathetic, sensitive--and mute. Skylar hasn't uttered a single word since his mother died eleven years ago, a senseless tragedy he's grateful he doesn't have to talk about.

When Skylar's father mysteriously vanishes one summer afternoon, Skylar is placed in the temporary custody of his only remaining relative, an estranged grandmother living on an Indian reservation in the middle of arid Arizona.

Adapting to a brand new culture is the least of Skylar's qualms. Because Skylar's mother did not die a peaceful death. Skylar's mother was murdered eleven years ago on the Nettlebush Reserve. And her murderer left behind a son.

And he is like nothing Skylar has ever known.

Looks Over:

"There's nothing wrong with trying to get to know my son's boyfriend."

Skylar knows he's lucky to have an open-minded father. It's not just that Skylar and Rafael are both boys. Between their families exists a dark and turbulent past: Rafael's father was the first serial killer in the history of the Nettlebush Indian Reserve, and Skylar's mother was his last victim.

Skylar is ready to put the past behind him. But Skylar's future is tenuous at best. Skylar is still a ward of the state, and foster care can take him away from the reservation at a moment's notice. Voiceless and powerless, Skylar learns firsthand what it means to be a Native American in the 21st century. And when Skylar stumbles across his father's best-kept, twelve-year-old secret, not even Rafael can shield him from the fallout.

St. Clair:
"I never want to hurt you. You get that, right?"

Skylar knows Rafael wants something very specific from him--and Skylar wants him to have it. Convincing Rafael is going to take some serious innovation. Skylar lost his voice twelve years ago to the Nettlebush Indian Reserve's first and last serial killer. That serial killer was Rafael's father.

Rafael's father, Skylar learns, isn't the problem. Something else happened when Skylar survived that blustery summer night. Something Skylar never thought twice about. Something Rafael can't look past.

The Supreme Court ruling on Kelo v. New London changes the face of US property laws, plunging the reservation into an insidious tug-of-war between the Bureau of Land Management and the Plains Shoshone who have called the soil home for centuries. History, Skylar realizes, is repeating itself. Their parents powerless, the law their enemy, Skylar and his friends are going to have to get creative if they want to keep what's left of their land.

Why the Star Stands Still:
"Your dad's Indian. Your mom's black. Why are you white?"

Skylar St. Clair's been getting questions like these all his life. Skylar's home is the Nettlebush Indian Reserve; his family, the hundreds of Plains Shoshone living there. Skylar can't help it if he better resembles his biological mother, a woman whose untimely death left him with more secrets than memories.

Skylar's father has been in federal prison for the past fifteen years. The summer of his release coincides with familial matters of a different nature: Skylar and his husband are trying to adopt a daughter.

Piecing together a fragmented family is no small task. All the patience in the world cannot contend with thirty-three years of reticence.

But love can.

My first question is...why have I not heard of Rose Christo before? How come this author isn't as well known as JK Rowling? Why is book one not a film. It would make the most amazing independent film. Just WHY??

Okay, so I'm reviewing the first four books of this series together, and then I'll review the fifth one separately. There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, I have only just found out about these books and literally read the series, so far, straight through. Secondly, they've been around for a while, but book five was released this month. And thirdly, the first four books are from Skylar's point of view and book five goes back to the beginning from Rafael's viewpoint.

So I'm going to try and leave the break down of each story to the blurbs and talk about what I loved about this series as a whole. And I did love it. I devoured it, have the worst book-hangover and could cry now I've finished with them.

Where to even start though. Okay, the Nettlebush Indian Reservation where the story takes place sounds so perfect, I want to live there and I HATE the heat. I have loved every second of learning about the culture, down to realising that Indian is not a racist term. I know I will be re-reading these and trying to understand more about this culture. I loved the ideals I was learning about and it seems, to me, so much better than the way in which we live here (in England). I love the gift culture. The communal meals. The schooling system....I really loved it all. Even the hunting, which I would hate to do, seems so much better than our way of breeding animals for food. Something about this culture just resonated with me. Would I be able to give up creature comforts I've grown up with? I really don't know, but it's definitely given me food for thought. 

As well as the setting I loved the characters, particularly Skylar and Rafael the MC's. I want to say their voices were so clear...which is odd, seeing as Sky doesn't have a voice. The connection between these two was so electric, it really was as if they were part of each other, that they'd found the rest of themselves when they met. And this is with the fact that Raf's father is the cause of Sky's lack of vocal chords. That Raf's father was the one who killed Sky's mum. The connection between these two was just beautiful. 

All the secondary characters were amazing too...and so real. With the set-up in this Indian reservation and the promotion of this culture through the story, it would have been so easy, so tempting to make the tribe members the good guys and westerners the bad guys, but this does not happen. I mean for a start Raf's dad is a serial killer. There is good and bad in all cultures shown. Everyone is human. It's not just about the characters and their actions, but the consequences of their actions both short and long reaching. It's about how the main characters strive to be better and how love helps them do this. I don't think there is a single character in this who didn't bring something to the story. I loved them all, my heart found a special place for Zeke though. I'd love to know more about him.

So the writing. Rose Christo writes some of the most beautiful sentences I have ever read. Wow, the imagery she uses is powerful, so perfect. The romance between Sky and Raf was gentle and amazing. It was love. Love from the inside out and it was refreshing to read about love without lust being an over-bearing component. So, so refreshing. The visuals Rose Christo painted with her words, of the land, of the history, of the character, of the beliefs, or the love....it was all perfect. I couldn't find a word out of place.

The books go from Skylar being sixteen to when he's an adult. Book four is set several years after the other three. Would I have liked one in the middle, one that showed the journey we know they took to get to the point they're at in book four. Of course I would, but not enough to moan about it or mark it down. The time jump was a shock for the first couple of pages...the story didn't lack for it though.

I've marked them all as five stars, because I read them all as one big book really. If I was nit-picking, one and two were my favourites, by a margin. I'm not marking them at less than perfect though because all the points above re the writing, characters and setting still count. The storyline may have an odd time jump in it, but I really can live with that.

I would recommend these books to everyone. From teens to adults. I know I'll read them again and again. I'm going to get the paperback versions - have you seen the beautiful covers? (St Clair is my favourite cover!!). I just hope you all love them as much as I do. What am I going to read now??

Find out more about Rose Christo and her books on Goodreads.

Cover Reveal: Rock by Anyta Sunday.

That's right...today we are revealing the cover for Anyta Sunday's new book! I may have squealed a little when this request came in...I am, as you all know, a HUGE Anyta Sunday fan. After I'd stopped doing the happy dance at the knowledge a new AS book would be published soon, I actually had a look at the cover.

Okay, if I'm honest I'll admit I was going to try to figure out what the book could be about, I didn't get very far though...because I just couldn't stop looking at how beautiful it was. It is absolutely stunning. I am in no doubt the story will match up to the beautiful cover but I have to say, even if I wasn't a huge fan of this author, I would most definitely have picked up this book.

Anyway, that's enough of my waffle...you can judge for yourselves....it's a beauty, isn't it?

Now it's just about the waiting...taps fingers impatiently for release.....

Review. (In)visible by Anyta Sunday.

Rune: Invisible
Scott: The only one who sees him . . .

A lonely boy falls in love with his closest and invisible friend.
A story about two boys struggling to be seen in each their own ways - and about friendship and love.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this story, it sounded a bit ...quirky. But I quite like quirky and I REALLY like Anyta Sunday, she's one of my all time favourite authors. So I opened it up and started reading and fell in love with this story.

We first meet Scott and Rune in their early teens when Scott and his dog save Rune from the suicide he was contemplating. By a quirk of...nature?...of something, we never really know what, Rune is invisible though animals can see him, so he is completely shocked when Scott speaks to him. Scott can see him, one lone person in the world who can.

Rune spends his time moving from place to place. He lives in abandoned buildings and uses an exchange system to get food without troubling his conscience, life is lonely and uncomfortable and he harbours a secret that hurts him to the core. He tells Scott straight away that he his invisible a fact that is easily proved when nobody else can see him but Scott. Living on a farm away from most people can be a bit lonely and Scott delights in having a friend and invites him to stay. Over the course of the summer the friendship grows, though Rune seems ready to go at the drop of a hat.

As well as friendship other feelings are slowly, slowly developing. Everything seems so idyllic - Scott even quite likes the fact that he alone can see Rune. Scott has a fabulous birthday and Rune promises him a wonderful day the next day...then disaster strikes and the two lose touch with each other. The second part of the story takes place four years down the line and after years of searching Scott finally finds Rune again.

Of course the road is never going to be completely smooth and each with their own secrets and burdens they have to learn to trust each other again. As ever Sunday's characters' and story telling are beautiful. There is a lot we didn't find out about Rune - but there at the time of reading we didn't need to know it. It wasn't relevant to the story being told - it just was.

I love her unconventional stories possibly even more than her contemporary tales. I mean this is contemporary in setting but has an almost whimsical, timeless quality to it. I would be reluctant to label it as fantasy though it certainly has fantastical elements to it. The setting - as beautiful as it was, especially the farm - is almost, almost, irrelevant to the story. It truly is a story of the interactions between the two MC's and the effect they have on each others lives. It is a story of the importance of others in our lives. It is a story of sacrifice. But most importantly it is a story about love. And love it I did.