Author : Felice Stevens
Series : Rock Bottom book three
Genre(s) : contemporary gay romance
Release Date : October 6, 2019
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"Holding onto the past can hurt more than letting it go."
People say six years is long enough to mourn the death of his husband but for Ross Miller, the pain is as fresh as if it happened yesterday. He’s left his glittering Hollywood life behind, yet guilt still dogs his steps, no matter how far he runs. Trapped by his past and needing to escape his well-meaning friends, he rents a cabin in the secluded Adirondack mountains. A reclusive man moves in next door and piques Ross’s interest, but his persistent attempts at friendship are rebuffed. That doesn’t stop him because the one rule Ross Miller has always lived by is to never take no for an answer.
Novelist Arden Wainwright has given up. He can’t pretend a happiness he knows he’ll never find again. Solitary days turn into years, and he remains frozen, unable to take a breath. At his wit’s end, he retreats to the mountains, but it does little to stir his creativity. He continues to hide from life and avoids his overly nosy neighbor, who insists on planting himself at Arden’s doorstep at every turn. Making friends is the last thing Arden wants, but annoying or not, he can’t get the damn man out of his mind.
Finding peace in their isolated surroundings, the two lonely men forge an unlikely friendship where they realize they’re more alike than different and better together than apart. With Ross’s help, Arden begins to rebuild the shattered pieces of his life, while Arden gives Ross the strength to face his fears and find his way home. When love comes calling you can choose to hide from hurt, loss, and pain, but if you take a chance and open the door, you might discover that running from your heart is the last thing you'll want to do.
This book can be read as a stand alone but you may remember Ross, Foster's best friend from Broken Silence, Book One of the Rock Bottom series.
“Life took away the love I never planned to lose, but it also brought me you....The love I never thought I’d find again.”
🌱🌱🌱
I always curious about Ross's story since his first appearance as Foster best friend back then. The sadness and mysterious vibes he gave had raised my curiosity right away. Made me wondering, what story he has? And my heart instantly feels, it must be the heartbreaking one…
I’m fully aware of what kind of story I will put myself into this time when I started this book, but I didn't expect that this book will hit me with not just one, BUT TWO heartbreaking story!
And of course I didn’t prepare myself to be hit by double heartbreaking moments in one shot!
Being hit this hard, I must admit it shattered my heart into pieces along with Ross and Arden while I’m reading their story.
Both Ross and Arden drowning in their own grief, but how they dealing with the grief are different. Arden shut himself from people and the world, and grieving in silence, and Ross? He sleeps with a lots of men just to ease his pain, hide behind his cheerful happy face and ‘running’ from the regrets that keep chasing him from the past...
Fate then brought them meet as neighbors when they isolated themselves from the world.
From neighbors to friends, both Ross and Arden slowly found out that they both shared similar wound due to the loss of the people they love. If someone will understand the hurt and grief Arden has been through, it would be Ross. Because for years Ross also struggling with his own grief and regrets. And that what make they both understand the sorrow and regrets that eat them alive…
But after that small incident at the groceries store, their life started to change…
I love the dynamic in this story. I cried when they trying to deals with their grieving and I also laughs with their casual & fun banters. Their ups and downs emotions and how they both cope with their loss and grief by supporting each other are the wonderful things that ache my heart but also successfully warm my heart.
I know Felice’s abilities in wrecking the readers heart with her beautiful broken stories, but being hit twice in one time?
Ma'am – that’s cruel. But still, the masochistic side in me keep craving for her sad-angsty story even more...
Justin’s poem is one of the scene that hit me so bad beside ‘the baby osprey burial’ scene. When I thought that there’s no more tissues needed since everything seems to finally fall into the happy moments part, then Justin’s poem hit me hard. Then all the feels I felt from the beginning rushed back and put me back into another meltdown. This is the reasons why I ‘hate’ and love you at the same time, Felice!!!
Arden and Ross's story definitely will be my fave story from this series so far. They’re beautifully made for each others!
Oh, last but not least...
Well I can't denied that I’ve been curious about ‘that guy' while I’m reading Arden’s story, I ‘hate’ him at first but then I feel sorry for him and want to know more about him. So when I found out that he will have his own story, I must admit it surprise me and also excited me at the same time! Hopefully through his point of view I can understand more about him and what he’d been through….
And I really can’t wait for Ezra story too, I can smells another hints of heartbreaking story in him!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Felice Stevens has always been a romantic at heart. She believes that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending around the corner, Her characters have to work for it, however. Like life in NYC, nothing comes easy and that includes love.
Felice has written over twenty books in the gay romance genre. Her books been translated into German, French and Italian. Her novel. One Call Away, part of her Soulmates series, was mentioned in Buzzfeed as one of the best “Out for You” gay romances of 2017.
Felice lives in New York City with her husband and two children. Her day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of red wine. She recently retired from the practice law and now daydreams of a time when she can sit by a beach somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there are bound to be a few bumps along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.
