REVIEW : Any Given Lifetime by Leta Blake

Title : Any Given Lifetime
Author : Leta Blake
Genre(s) : contemporary gay romance, fantasy, paranormals, reincarnation
Publication Date : September 13th 2018
Rating : 4.5/5 Stars

He'll love him in any lifetime. 

Neil isn’t a ghost, but he feels like one. Reincarnated with all his memories from his prior life, he spent twenty years trapped in a child’s body, wanting nothing more than to grow up and reclaim the love of his life.

As an adult, Neil finds there's more than lost time separating them. Joshua has built a beautiful life since Neil’s death, and how exactly is Neil supposed to introduce himself? As Joshua's long-dead lover in a new body? Heartbroken and hopeless, Neil takes refuge in his work, developing microscopic robots called nanites that can produce medical miracles.

When Joshua meets a young scientist working on a medical project, his soul senses something his rational mind can't believe. Has Neil truly come back to him after twenty years? And if the impossible is real, can they be together at long last?

Any Given Lifetime is a stand-alone, slow burn, second chance gay romance by Leta Blake featuring reincarnation and true love. This story includes some angst, some steam, an age gap, and, of course, a happy ending.

“God only knows how you got here, how it is that you’re here with me. But you’re everything to me.” – Joshua 

“You’re the one who’s everything. I wouldn’t have come back to this miserable earthly plane for anyone else. You’re the reason for my existence. Joshua, you’re my everything. I’ll find you in any given lifetime. Never forget that.” - Neil

From time to time, I find books that successfully swallowed me - heart, body and soul. And this book had caught me from the first page and consume me to the last page.

I already caught by the blurb and the idea of the reincarnation had curious me even more.
I found it interesting enough on how the author starting the story right after the new Neil is born just few months after the old Neil dead. It intrigued me on how the author will set the time line and age gap that stretch between the two main characters with all the time jump that following the story. I know it’s a bit risky but at the same time it also curious me.

Following the young Neil growing and stuck in his new life, watching his frustration and anger for being ‘trapped’ in a child body with all the memories from his previous life, seeing the love of his life suffering from the grief for years with nothing he can do. Then seeing Joshua finally finding his new love in Lee and move on had completely broke my heart when you had emotionally attached to the story way too deep.

I like how the author let the readers know about Neil’s previous life through those simple talks between Joshua and Lee, one of Neil’s donor recipient who bravely came to Joshua because he feels so grateful for having his second chance in life because of Neil’s kindness and he want to know about Neil’s story to honor the gift. And who knows that everything that starting as a friendship turned out become something that bound them into the circle of fate?
And yes, I love Lee for his love and  understanding to Joshua and his undying love to Neil and their memories. He's like an angel sent by god to take good care of Joshua while Neil gone. A true angel...and my heart broke for him...

Overall the story was abso-fuckingly amazing good. The idea of reincarnation combined with a heartbreaking love story that separated two deeply loving souls  through years before fate then bring them back together again are fascinating. The character development was really extraordinary and the story-line was totally engaging and all perfectly bound by the good writing skills. And THAT what made the book really hard to put down.

But I feel a bit disappointed when the story suddenly moved from the completely slow burn into something a bit way too rush at nearly end of the book when finally Joshua realized who the young Neil is. I expected the emotionally WOWmazing moment when all the truth are finally revealed, but everything suddenly felt to rush, flat and kinda lost it magic. I didn’t get the climax like what I expected. And that what make this book didn’t get my full five stars. BUT still, I will gladly recommended this book as one of the  best book I’ve read this year because the story had successfully leave a very deep impression in me.

If you love reincarnation story, then you shouldn’t miss this book!

Recommended!