Loss, Lakes, & Love

by A.R. Welch

Heavy anxiety with an unhealthy dose of depression, that’s what rules Riley’s life. There is no hope, and his days drag on as melancholy as the skies overhead. He should be dead.

Yet, this divine city won’t let him go. Or perhaps it’s an old friend? Or her? Nevertheless, he’s still here.

As another day of work ends at his favorite bookstore, the emptiness back home is too strong to endure. Fate intervenes, and at the bar, a man takes his seat. Will this be another hollow hole dug into his heart? Will he destroy himself inside before love can blossom? Can he bear the isolation? And can they survive the crushing presence of that brutal fortress?

Regardless, a halo will shine, defeating the night.

ebook

Published January 31, 2025

About the author

A.R. Welch is a gay author who writes stories with queer characters. He has lived and traveled throughout the Midwest and Mountain West, which are where many of his contemporary stories are set. Long evening walks are a particular joy of his, and he'll never turn down a golden sunset. He lives with his husband and their entitled but adorable dog.

Reviews

[Dace ჯ]

I really enjoyed this closed-door gay romance set in the Midwest. It's written in the third person, but you really feel in the head of the protagonist Riley. He is abandoned by his parents because he is gay, and he moves from Des Moines to Minneapolis. He is taken in by his landlord, a very nice elderly lady Mrs. Davis, and he makes a friend Brent, who unfortunately takes his life. Riley is lonely, depressed and suicidal when he meets Dylan at a bar.

I liked that this romance was not centered around their meet-up and falling in love like most romances are, but it was mostly about the ups and downs of a fresh relationship - dealing with different schedules, tastes, annoying habits, meeting parents for the first time etc. Dylan works on his Ph.D. and it's stressful and challenging - I think everybody who has pursued advanced studies will relate to it. I also liked that the romantic interest had a belly and was snoring.

It's my second book by the author and I think I've got used to his style and appreciate it more this time. It feels he is not completely serious about his writing and plays with the form (there were some lines in rhyme), though not with the topics he addresses. The same as Marsha, You're Fired, Loss, Lakes, & Love has a strong sense of place, love for Minneapolis and a lot of local recommendations.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Heidi H.]

A.R. Welch has poured his heart out in his latest novel. This story follows Riley, a young, gay man who wrestles with loneliness and mental health issues. So much of it dating back to an abusive family.

The book's prose is often poetic in nature. Sometimes it almost feels as though we could be in Riley's mind, wandering through the noise of his internal thoughts. Although this is told in third person POV.

Readers ultimately get a story of perseverance, friendship, love, and triumph. The journey isn't easy and may not be perfect, but it's worth taking the next step.

If you are ready for a moving story of love through loss, and overcoming hate and loneliness, get this book!

Closed door spice level: 🌶️ (1/5)

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Nichole Beauchamp]

Things I enjoyed about this book - the inter-generational friendship between Mrs Davis and the MC, the setting, exploration of depression, loneliness and the impact of family abuse, the power of love. I have a lot of sympathy for the alienation the MC experiences, and friends in the LGBTQ+ community who have gone through the stated themes of self-harm and suicidal thoughts. But I felt the prose was overwritten and the plot dragged on in places. some of the dynamics seemed overly simplistic - like the relationships w Dylan's fellow PhD students. I wanted to enjoy it but at times I struggled to keep reading. I think it is heartfelt and an important story.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.