Intimation

Acclamation #3

by Vee Hoffman

Book 3 in the Acclamation series, Intimation chronicles the months following the end of Lent and Easter holiday and the increasing and intensifying intimacy between Michael and Dominic.

Moments stolen away from public sight, even when foreshadowed by Dominic’s approaching graduation and Michael’s intentions for the future, only serve to strengthen their feelings for each other. How long will they succeed in keeping up the pretence of innocence, amidst the secrets, the obstacles and the emotionally impossible?

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, M M Contemporary, Queer, LGBT

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 16, 2013

About the author

Author, enthusiast, and handsome devil living in Seattle.

Reviews

[Shirley Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

There I was reading when a treasure landed in my email account. Needless to say that the book I was reading was forgotten without a second thought. Really, how could I resist starting Intimation when I am so very emotionally invested in this couple.

Off I went, grabbed a Diet Coke, put my daughters to sleep and traveled to Ashebrook to visit my boys.

Dear readers, this book was as exhilarating as it was heart breaking.

Michael and Dominic have spent a great Easter holiday and continue to deepen their love. Although Michael continues to doubt his decision about pursuing Dominic, he is not sorry or ashamed of what has developed between them. He does worry about the impact his relationship with Dominic will have once it is revealed. He recognizes that it's something that can't be avoided, but he is such a tender-hearted man that he makes himself crazy over it.

"You are all that I have. You are the only love in my life." ~ Michael

Dominic has grown leaps and bounds since Acclamation . He has come to fully accept his sexuality and its place within his religious beliefs. He loves Michael with all that he is and even though he tries to be strong he still has some insecurities that come to the surface as he and Michael become more intimate.

I can't express to you how much I adored this book. It was a joy to see how far these characters have grown through their journey together. They are honest with themselves and with each other.

I've been with these men from the very beginning, yet I still continue to discover different layers to them.

One of the most surprising moments came at just 20% of my progress when I found myself a bit flabbergasted while tapping the hell out of my tablet. Just now I tried to count how many taps it took to get to the end of the scene that blew my mind, but I got so caught up with what was happening that I lost count. Oooops!

Anyhow, I'll just say that Michael had a very happy, happy birthday. Not to be missed. ;-)

"I just want to be everything you haven't dared to dream about." ~ Dominic

Until Sublimation , I had to assume much of what Dominic felt and thought about his relationship with Michael. And as much as I enjoyed that, it truly was nothing like what he expressed to Michael in this book.

Such openness and emotion!

There was a moment at around 45% that I've read a couple of times. And each time I have reacted differently. The first time I was speechless, finding myself reading it with my mouth hanging open. Immediately, I read it again and ended up crying. This time around I read it with a huge grin on my face.

"It's like you get me. And I love the way you get me, and the way you put that into words and into what you do. You try. All the time, you try." ~ Dominic

Even as I enjoyed all these intimate moments, Vee Hoffman continued to bring different elements to the story that kept me intrigued. Michael's thoughts went all over the place - from elation at being loved by Dominic, to worry over the outcome of their revelation all the way through to thoughts of his previous partner. Of course, most of his thought were about Dominic, but often times they were marred by thoughts of how their relationship would affect his friendship with Renee, Dominic's mother. All through the series, I've enjoyed his interactions with Renee, but it wasn't until this installment that I came to fear them. I could easily feel Michael's unease every time he came across Rene and although I understand where they are coming from, I want to spear him this kind of struggle.

"I've never loved someone this much. I keep expecting it to fall off, to even out and let me love you normal, tepid, but I don't. I just know, is all. That everything in my life, right now, is for you." ~Michael

If you have followed Michael and Dominic's story Intimation is truly something you have to experience for yourself. The many great moments ranged from the emotional to the intimate all through to the joyous and the heartbreaking. I gasped, I sighed, I sniffled, I swore. It's not everyday a book brings about so many reactions out of me. This book had it all and I want more!

Yes, Vee Hoffman continues to blow my mind. This is what I love about Vee's writing. It's real and thought-provoking, sensual and innocent, reflective and revealing. It leaves me wanting more, laughing with joy, crying with true emotion and leaves me completely immersed in this couple's story.

I received this title from Indie Inklings for exchange of my honest opinion and even if Vee Hoffman broke my heart and almost gave me a heart attack I would like to thank her and Alex Nicolaie for the opportunity to read and review this title.

[Brigi · Rating 5 out of 5]

*breathes in deeply* I finished reading this book half an hour ago and even though I kind of knew that it wouldn't end well, I am still shocked.

The beginning already bears a dark and heavy atmosphere, foreshadowing the end. It is dissipated quick enough, but throughout the narration there is always something that reminds the reader that life is not just sunshine and rainbows.

I probably say this after every book in the series, but I think this is my favourite so far. It was easy to read; however, this does not mean that the language is simplistic. It's just as beautiful as in the previous books, but I expect that by now I got used to Michael's way with words and got into the rhythm of his narration easily.

I don't want to spoil anything, but the scene in the church made me incredibly happy, even brought a few tears to my eyes. Shame it didn't last too long. I also want to join the group of people who want to beat up a certain character who spoke when he wasn't supposed to. :))

5/5 stars for the incredible emotional journey. Looking forward to the last book!

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. Fuck you Cole

2. I give this book endless stars. ENDLESS

3. I am in that sort of calm mood rn, were you don't really react, you're just numb. This is surprising compared to the violent reaction I had (extreme case of shaking hands/body, the fact that I am writing this at 04.25am may play a part too) when the happiness ended and heartbreak begun (see nr. 1).

4. Why must christmas be so far away? Argh, I am so happy I sneak peaked at the end when it was still public, so I know that the world will stop ending when the last book is out.

5. I hate Cole

6. I feel and relate with Michael, because I have the same reaction when in an argument. Freeze, be selfish, admit defeat, run.

7. I love this series so fucking much, despite ALL the heartbreak.

8. Set as spoilers for now

9. If I ever met Cole.......

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes books can make you stop and think and ponder on the deeper things in life.

Intimation is one such book.

It is written with such beauty and depth that it touches my soul in a deep and profound way. I read this and ponder on the very nature of love and what it means to me personally, as well as on a more general level. I love these characters, and it's an absolute joy and pleasure to journey with them.

We witness such heights of love and depths of terrible anguish in this exquiste book and I relish in being able to experience them in the hands of Vee Hoffman. Truly a gifted writer.

5 stars at the very least is what this deserves.

[Janneke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read the entire series and they were all books that I could not put down. The last one, just like the previous ones, make you want to keep reading to find out what is going to happen. I really did not have the time to read it, yet I forewent sleep to finish it anyway, it's that kind of book.

I'm not sure how to write this review without spoiling anything, so I'll mark it as spoilery instead. The end was heartbreaking, but necessary. I don't think the book would have been believable if it was one of those 'everyone lives happily ever after' books. Still, it broke my heart to read it and I'm, an hour after finishing it, still feeling that sort of aching sadness from the ending of the book. This also makes it quite hard to review, because you don't walk away with that happy feeling of finishing a book, instead, with that sad feeling of reading something painful. (Which is also a good indication of just how well Vee Hoffman manages to write - to the point that I ended up feeling ALL THE THINGS - even if they were sad.)

[Pan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everytime, this just leaves me a mess. I need the next one to feel better.

Reading this....again

[Johnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

10000000/10000000 stars!!

How could anyone not love this?

Cole is probably my most hated villain ever!!!!

Beautiful as always Vee.

[Kaje Harper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm breaking my own rules with this review, and I want to emphasize that this is my own personal take on this book. I'd give the first 95% 4.5 stars, and the ending 1 star. Not just because it's a cliffhanger (which it is, but I've given those 5 stars at times.) But because the final events in this book felt like a fundamental betrayal, to one character and to me as a reader.

When the fourth book comes out I may read it, hoping for redemption. Or I may not, and just set this series aside. Again I want to say that's just my reaction - this book gets a lot of great reviews from readers who feel differently. I'm going to rant (or explain, if you're being polite) behind a spoiler tag. This is a BIG SPOILER - don't read it unless that's okay. I do wish I'd waited to read this one. Being able to dive right into book 4 might have relieved some of the dismay with which I set this book aside.

This book began well, with Dominic moving out of his schoolboy phase. He's accepted to Oxford, finishing his exams, graduating. The relationship between him and Michael is continuing to find a more balanced footing, although there are moments when Michael treats Dominic as less than his equal, and there's a flash of Adult/child feel to it. But they begin the process of becoming a couple in truth, slowly introducing Dominic to people in Michael's life, and vice versa.

Looming over the whole process are the twin issues that have threatened them all along. First, Dominic's schooling. (And I never understood why Michael, now committed to leaving his teaching job, never talks about finding a job of some kind close to where Dominic will be living at Oxford. It seems like the obvious thing for a committed couple to do, but is never even on the table.)

Second, Dominic's wonderful but Catholic mother who trusted Micheal with her son. I had the first few flashes of apprehension when Michael tells Dominic to promise, promise, not to fight with his mother over their relationship, not to anger her by insisting on it. Effectively he tells Dominic to give him up, at least temporarily, if she demands it. Guilt speaking, sure, and the desire not to hurt her. But still, if he really was committed to Dominic and saw him as an adult, why would Michael grant his mother's feelings primacy over Dominic's own?

And that was the crisis that arose. And that was his response. When push comes to shove, when Dominic's mother finds out and goes ballistic, and treats Dominic like an erring child, so does Michael. He runs away. He gives Dominic over into her authority, even though Dominic is now eighteen. Michael doesn't fight for him, doesn't support him, and what's more he discounts Dominic's efforts to fight for himself. Dominic says, "Take me with you" and Michael says, "No, you have to stay with your mother," and drives away from him.

And that gutted me. It was a betrayal of Dominic at the most fundamental level, denying him the right to choose his lover over his mother. Denying Dominic's preferences the legitimacy of being an adult viewpoint, but rather treating him like a child begging the departing parent to take him, and being told to stay with the one who has custody. And in so doing, it was a betrayal of me as a reader as well. All that talk of how he would go to any length for this relationship, because it was real and true. All his fine words about how he saw Dominic as his equal, as man not boy, as a fitting partner and not a childish object of his adult lust, are made a lie by that reaction. For all the myriad of reasons he has to run, at the heart of it, if he really believed Dominic was his match, he would have to have let Dominic have a voice and a share in the decision. That he doesn't, shows that his guilt and his perceptions are not superficial things but bone deep, deeper than his consideration for Dominic's feelings.

Can he be redeemed in the next book? Perhaps. And if this scene had begun the next book, rather than ending this one, I would be inclined to find out. But between my pain for Dominic and my dismay at revisiting some of the interactions in the previous books in the light of this betrayal, I'm not sure I want to chance it. I've said I like flawed heroes, and here perhaps is my chance to prove it. And if Michael realizes what he's done fast enough... maybe. But can even Dominic be a big enough man to forgive him? And should he?

Rant over. Your mileage may vary. Michael's actions can be explained very well based on his past and his fears. So if they don't, to you, also show a fundamental lie at the heart of his claims about this so-called equality, then this will instead be a painfully angsty cliff-hanger ending for both men. I wish I could see it that way.

[Mich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really don't want to be dramatic....but I am in pain from the ending of this book. I made a huge knot in my hair from twisting it so many times around my finger. I need a hug... ::deep breathes::

[Pianisuparse · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 'I have been blown away by the intimacy and beauty Hoffman has brought to this couples journey. A journey which could have very well just been a big smut fest between a teacher and his student but it is so far from being that, nothing even remotely close. There is an intensity between Micheal and Dominic that I absolutely adore. I laughed, I cried. Such a worthwhile read. I'm so glad I've got the next book because I need to carry on' stars.

[Rai · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so beautiful, but the ending... made me cry so much, omg.
Freaking Cole, that arsebuttt.... That ending was sooooo depressing. I need more. T.T

Hope Dominics mom comes around.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't even know where to start in writing a review for this book. I guess one of the things that makes a book stand out from others is how is whether it challenges you, and makes you think of things differently. And this book certainly did, but I'm not sure how I feel about myself that it did so.

This events of this book take place after Easter, when Michael and Dominic fully consummated their sexual relationship, and continue through summer, when Dominic is expecting to get his acceptance into Oxford. Michael was still Dominic's teacher until the school year ended about midway through the book. They had already become adept at hiding their relationship from everybody, but now they start finding new ways to be together, with Dominic sneaking out of his home, and ultimately with friends covering for him so he and Michael can be together. The secrecy is wearing on both of them, especially Dominic, because he is by nature honest and loving and he feels guilty for deceiving his mother. They know that change and separation is imminent with Dominic going to university, and so they decide to come clean to Renee, Dominic's mother. About 2/3 of the book is the buildup to that moment.

Their romance is still new and exciting to both of them, and it continues to deepen as they learn about each other more fully. The words Ms. Hoffman uses to describe their connection, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical, are sublime and moving. I found myself seeing each of them through the other's eyes while reading, and it was beautiful.

To the point that I forgot that their relationship is fundamentally wrong. It should never have started or continued.

In some ways, I was almost thankful when Cole came in and accused Michael of being a pedophile and a monster. Because, if I wasn't caught up in the beauty of the writing, that is how I feel about Michael as well. I want to hold hard and fast to that line, because anything else feels like a slippery slope that could allow all kinds of abuse. In real life, that's what I believe. Is it right for me to drop that moral standard just because the book is so lovely to read, and the romance and connection so beautifully depicted, that I forgot that their relationship started as a criminal act?

So, I am confused. I was actually happy with the ending, which seemed like the right thing to happen at that moment (I felt some punishment was necessary). And yes, I am going to finish the series. But I think I will continue to feel guilty about liking and respecting it. And I hope that Ms. Hoffman writes other books in the future that don't make me feel so conflicted, that I can recommend wholeheartedly .

The writing -- stunning and gorgeous. The subject matter -- I still don't know what to think. If it was the author's intention to make readers question whether such a relationship could ever be acceptable, she succeeded. I reread my reviews of the first 2 books, and I think that she is leading me exactly where she wants me to go, and that this moral questioning was precisely what she intended.

[Dayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. As soon as I finished this I proceeded to read the rest of the series not stopping until they were all read. The writing took me to places in the world I've never been and made me look at parts of myself I'd never seen. This series will always be on my favourites list. And want to forget it all so I can discover it again. These characters will stay with me for a long time.

[Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart…..

This book started out with a cloud and that cloud continued to hover throughout the book. My heart could barely keep beating as I turned the pages. There were extraordinarily beautiful passages as Michael and Dominic’s relationship progressed. But the cloud was ever present. As I read the last page the cloud burst and the storm raged. And I did too. My heart stopped beating…I swear.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this and the last book in quick succession, so combined the reviews on it's review, Proclamation.

[Justin Fraxi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goddamn. Renee's reaction was way over the top. Of course I expected her to be upset, but you'd think her kid was 12 rather than 18...

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't stop shaking,wow.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well then, that was horrible. And wonderful. And horrible. The writing is so masterful, I wonder why this author only has this one series?

Often when reading romances, you just expect everything to work out. But this time there was apprehension woven through the language in such a way that you just knew it was going to end badly, long before the terrible revelation. Luckily, there's another book, so there's hope.

These books are so dense with prose that I usually need some time to recover between books, but this time I guess I'm going to have to hurry and move on to the next, only because I have to see what happens. I think the book hangover is going to be significant.