Written in the Waves

Streams of Water #1

by Michal Guter

"When the end draws near, and life leaves you,
I’ll be here, waiting to save you."

When Logan Vaughn nearly drowned off the coast of Hawaii, fate intervened in the form of a stranger named Adrian. A former Navy lieutenant, Adrian gave Logan more than just the gift of breath renewed; he offered him a heart filled with love and unlocked a profound happiness that Logan had never before dared to dream.

Brought together by fate and united through an inexplicable, illogical true love, Logan and Adrian set off on an unforgettable journey across continents. As Adrian embraces a fearless truth, Logan remains ensnared in a life of denial.

On a fateful night, everything vanished. Time stood still, and the lives of both transformed from a sweet dream into a horrific nightmare, pulling them back to a dark place they both feared to return. Yet now, they find themselves alone, living a colorless existence, with only a bracelet wrapped around Logan’s wrist, giving him the strength to breathe when the air has all run out.

"Maybe, in the place where endings fold into beginnings, where time is soft and love is not something to be lost—maybe there, I will find you again."

Written in the Waves is the first book in The Streams of Water Duet, a lyrical, heart-wrenching MM love story of soulmates who meet at the edge of death, fall in love across oceans, and learn that the current of true love never stops pulling.

Genres: M M Romance, Friends To Lovers, Romance, LGBT, Contemporary

689 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 15, 2026

About the author

Dr. Michal Guter is a criminologist, victimologist, academic, and author with a deep passion for exploring masculinity, trauma, male sexual assault victimization and rape and resilience. She is also a dedicated teacher and researcher, often found at her computer working on either a book or an academic article, it really depends on the day. Addicted to coffee and in love with words, Michal has published in peer-reviewed journals and finds joy in reading dictionaries and grammar books just for fun, and occasionally turns to graphic design as another form of storytelling. But most of all, she loves to read stories, and you’ll rarely find her without a novel or audiobook close at hand.

Reviews

[patrícia]

I’ve spend the last 3 days breathing Adrian and Logan. They lived in me even when I wasn’t reading, I’ve dream of them, of their love, their connection, their waves… I’ve been completely immersed in this book, the writing it’s a work of art, it flows, it keeps you captive, which means you smile, swoon, but you rage, cry, hate, want to murder, strangle and hug with the same intensity.

It’s not over, and I’m glad because I need the next book, that those 676 pages be pure, unadulterated, premium groveling, because Logan you were…. I have no words for you at the moment.

Thank u Sarah for important inputs, this has op drama that may keep readers away, it’s hard and it hurts, it served a purpose, but it hurts.

I’m rating this 5 stars, because how could I not? Im removing my original rating and wait until the end of book 2 ... But it a temporary rating, I need book 2 to fix me, because friends, I’m wrecked…I think this is a 4.5 not rounding up, i still feel Logan motives were not solid enough for all the pain he caused.

“Together, they were thalassic, carrying in their veins the same ancient tides, the same saltwater that bound them inseparably to each other—the same currents that spoiled and sanctified them in a single rhythm. And when Logan left, it was in vain; for the blood in his body would keep dragging him back toward the ocean of his existence, only now his ocean had a name: Adrian.”

Content warnings include, but are not limited to:
Mild depression
Mild dissociation
Mild isolation
Cheating (not between main characters)
Minimal intense emotional conflict
Coming out
Mild internalized homophobia
Repression and living closeted
Mild use of alcohol as an emotional escape
Death of a parent (off-page, in childhood)
Explicit sexual content

❣️Book Safety & Content
Other Person Drama: Yes, while they are separated Logan marries a woman, and hookups several times with a man.
Third-Act Breakup: Yes, 2 years
Role Dynamics: Versatile
POV: dual POV in close third person, so the narration follows both MC and goes very deeply into their thoughts and emotions.
Format: Duet, this is book 1
Ending: Open-ended
Angst Level: High
Spice Level: Medium
Communication: Some miscommunication
Pining: Intense

[Danielle M]

Best book of the year. No question.

This book redefined MM romance for me. I feel like calling it an MM Romance would not be enough to describe what this book is. This is an epic. This is almost cinematic!
I went into this book completely blind, and I’m honestly still recovering. This is a debut novel, but you would never guess it. Not for a second.
The story follows Logan and Adrian, and we meet Logan after he has already run away. The narrative moves back and forth in time, which I’ll admit is usually not my favorite structure, but here it works. More than works. It adds tension, depth, and emotional weight, and it slowly peels back the reasons behind Logan’s disappearance in a way that makes you understand, as the chapters progressed, the emotional reasons behind it.
What truly sets this book apart is the writing. It’s rare to come across writing like this anymore, especially in romance. Yes, the book is long, and yes, it could technically be shorter, but I didn’t mind at all. The length creates an atmosphere. It lets you live inside the story instead of rushing through it. The pacing matches the emotional journey, and that’s something so rare today. The writing is phenomenal. Intimate, lyrical, and so immersive. I didn’t just read Logan, I was Logan. I felt his turmoil, his fear, his longing. I sobbed, I ached, I laughed, and I cried, by the middle I was completely wrecked. I felt like I was spiraling with him, I could actually feel how much he missed Adrian. And in the chapters, they are together? I was them. I was absolutely and madly in love.
The love story itself feels incredibly unique. Logan and Adrian are deeply intertwined in a way that feels rare and honest. When they’re apart, Adrian writes letters, poems, and songs to Logan, and those parts nearly broke me (take this for example: “My heart, it hasn’t beat the same since you left”.) Reading them felt invasive in the most beautiful way. Some of those passages were genuinely painful to get through because of how real and raw they felt.
The separation is brutal. It’s lonely, suffocating, and heartbreakingly authentic. In the present timeline, we follow Logan, who is utterly lost, living a closeted, miserable life, while Adrian exists mostly through memory and through his writing. That contrast is devastating and incredibly well done.
I have never read a love like this. I have never felt this kind of emotional intensity from a book. This story didn’t just hurt, it consumed me. I’m honestly grateful the second book is already out, because I bought it after the first ten pages of book one. It was that good.
This isn’t just a romance. It’s an experience. And it will ruin you in the best possible way.
100% recommend!

[Jenni]

”From the first moment?”
”From the first moment, ahuv sheli.”

Logan, WHYY. After all that, after everything??? How could you 😭 You didn't just break Adrian's heart—you broke all of ours.

Logan is exactly the kind of character whose actions frustrate me so much in MM books but luckily this book has so much else to offer that I didn't feel like burning it at the stake. And luckily, we also have Adrian 🥹💙

This is truly beautiful; the writing is deeply meaningful and we see and almost can feel every moment as Logan and Adrian fall in love. There are so many beautiful passages in this book. This is the slowest of slow burns—and I love it.

But, this book was also a lot. At one point, I even wondered if I'd be able to finish reading this or if I should just give up. For me, that "can't stop reading" feeling didn't really kick in until more towards the end of the book, but I saw the potential and significance earlier—it just took a while for me to get in, get used to the writing.

I also struggled with the third person writing style and the fact that the POVs aren’t separated—instead, it's more sentence by sentence type of telling. But at the same time, we get a sense of how both of them are feeling in every moment, which is good for the depth.

I don’t want to be that person who says "tHe BoOk wAs tOo LoNg", but I guess I am, because: this didn’t have to be so long 😬 I’m not saying I would like to cut out any actual moments between Adrian and Logan (or anyone else) but some of the content/inner monologue in between. It is clear that this is a lyrical story, and I kept that in mind, but at times, this was too repetitive, and there were several parts I wanted to skim -or where my attention began to wander.

For example, I feel like the following sentence or something like it was repeated like a million times in the book:

”Their connection was an endless ocean—immense and resolute, each moment a lively dance like the cresting waves they rode side by side.”

So many ocean references that I was like, ’their love is like an ocean, we get it already!!’ 😂

Even though I liked this, it was a bit of a tiring read, so I feel like I need to take a little break before I move on to the second part so that I can give it the attention it deserves—but I wouldn't miss it for the world.


🌊🌊🌊🌊


”And maybe, in the place where endings fold into beginnings, where time is soft and love is not something to be lost—maybe there, I will find you again.”


”He was prepared to offer Logan his heart, fully aware of its impending shatter. When the moment arrived, Adrian would make it effortless for Logan to break his heart, for he would do anything—absolutely anything—for him. Logan possessed his heart wholly, each bruised and battered fragment of it, and Adrian had no desire to reclaim it.”

[James Collins]

This is not just a book, it is a masterpiece.
An easy 10-star read.

I was in a horrible reading slump, the kind where nothing held my attention, and I devoured this in a few days. I just couldn’t put it down.
This is a romance, and also a poetic journey. The writing is so emotional, and almost every page felt like it meant something. The slow burn is done so beautifully. This isn’t a romance like the ones I’m used to, I felt how deep the connection between them was, how intertwined they became.
We meet Adrian and Logan in Hawaii. Logan is alone and struggling, and he nearly drowns. Adrian, who has a military background, runs to save him. From there, they slowly become friends, and then something more. There is so much tension between them, emotional and physical, and it builds in a way that feels natural and real.
The story moves between two timelines: the past, when they are together, and the present, when they are not. The past felt like an endless summer, surfing, laughing, falling in love. It was warm and tender and honestly made my heart ache in the best way. Their chemistry was there from the start, with dialogue felt genuine, moving between a beautiful banter of them fighting and joking, and emotional, deep conversation up until the awaited “I love you” (that I nearly threw my phone from how excited I was at that part!).
The present timeline was really hard to read. In a good way, but still painful. Adrian isn’t fully there in the present, but you still feel his longing through memory and reflection. Knowing what they were, and seeing where they are now, hurt. Seeing Logan with Adrian versus Logan without him, especially through the back-and-forth timelines, added a layer of depth that really hurt. One moment you’re in this warm summer of surfing and kissing and falling in love, and the next you’re sitting in Logan’s loneliness. The contrast was devastating.
The book is written in third person, which usually isn’t my favorite, but it worked surprisingly well here. The openings of each chapter give you such an intimate look into their emotions that it never felt distant.
The pacing is slow, but in a way that lets you really live with the characters. You get time to sit with their pain, their love, their fear. I felt completely inside their emotional world. It’s marketed as a slow burn, but it doesn’t feel like a typical one. Because the story moves between past and present, you already know they end up separated, and that makes the memories of their time together even harder. When you finally get their full summer romance, it feels almost cruel, in the best storytelling way.
Logan absolutely broke me. He felt so human, so flawed, so scared and confused. I cried with him more than once. His reactions felt messy and real, and that made him incredibly relatable.
The plot also surprised me. I’d never read a surfing romance before, and a lot of the things I expected to happen just… didn’t. The story kept going in directions I didn’t see coming.
And the poetry. There are so many poems and songs throughout the book, not just one or two. Usually that wouldn’t work, but here it completely did. They added so much emotional depth, and I honestly don’t see writing like this very often anymore.
If you like emotional romance, especially if you enjoy Tal Bauer’s style, I really think you’ll love this.

[AnnaKitt]

“It was either take me to you or take my life. I’ve left that decision to be made by the waves.”

It was the first book in the Streams of Water duet, but I guess I already know both are going to stay with me.
It’s long.
And probably under normal circumstances, I’d call it a 4⭐ read because of that.
But I can’t.
Because this isn’t “long” in a wasteful way.
It’s long because of how deeply it immerses you. Because of the level of detail, the care and the intention behind every single word.
This book feels like a poem.
Honestly, I could probably quote half of it.
The writing, especially when it comes to emotions, is just on another level.
I don’t think I’ve ever read love described like this before. Not just told, but explored in so many layers, in so many different ways.
It’s all-consuming, big, overwhelming.
And at the same time it is made up of the smallest, most precise feelings. You’re not just reading it, you’re living it.

“Even a moment without Adrian’s lips on him felt like a crime against nature, something that should be outlawed, condemned, erased from the possibility of existence.” 


What also stood out to me was the narrative style. It’s third person, but not in the usual way where chapters belong to one character or the other. Instead, it flows between them, like you’re inside both of them at once.
It’s very close, very intimate third-person POV, and I don’t think I’ve experienced it quite like this before. It worked beautifully.


The shifts between past and present were also handled really well, and again, ridiculously poetic, fluid, and never overwhelming, even though the emotional intensity is high throughout.

The atmosphere is just crazy.. You can feel it. The humidity in the air, the salt, the sun on your skin. The level of sensory detail is honestly insane.


But what stayed with me the most was the emotional depth - the longing, the yearning, the way every feeling is stretched, examined, and felt to its fullest extent.
So yes, it’s slow.
But it’s also devastatingly beautiful.

“Sometimes I wish I could go back… back before I knew you. Just to find some way to cross paths sooner. To change the wind, the waves, anything… just to reach you earlier.”

I loved it. I loved them both.
Still, I will say this: Logan. I don’t understand him.
Maybe I’m being unfair. Maybe I don’t fully grasp the weight of his fear and pressure. But to me, a love this big should overpower everything, and I struggled with ALL his choices because of that.
So now I’m waiting for the redemption!!

And ZACK!
I did not see that coming. At all. Respect.

[Carol (§CoverLoverGirl§)]

‘Written in the Waves’ by Dr. Michal  Guter is an MM Love Story, it is part 1 of a duet, with  ‘Echoes in the Tide’, continuing the story in part 2. Maybe they have a Doctorate in Creative Writing because this writer uses the most beautiful descriptive words to describe scenery, emotions, nature, and their characters. They even make no apology for the use of such poetic, flowery language, but it is a Lot. It is a heartbreaking tearjerker, and should come with free boxes of tissues and a health warning. It is just over 900 pages on my Kindle, exactly my kind of book lengthwise.

Logan 24 years old, comes from an extremely wealthy family, with a father who expects him to do exactly what he’s told. Since he was a young child, his father withheld his attention for long periods of time when Logan displeased him, and showered more attention on his siblings to show Logan what he was missing out on. Under pressure now to join the family company after he graduated, he makes a break for it and takes his surfboard and duffle bag and flies to Hawaii to enjoy the only love of his life, surfing the big waves.

Adrian, is an Israeli ex soldier also chasing the waves in Hawaii and running away from an incident that broke him. Occasionally a few of his ex comrades join him on his travels. He meets Logan for the first time when he is giving him CPR and the ‘kiss of life’ after rescuing him from a monster wave during a storm at sea.  There is do doubt, these two have an instant connection and they spend the next few months inseparable, going from Hawaii, the Philippines and Australia, always chasing the waves. I’ve never come across a pair whose love for each other is so powerful it leaps off the pages to take your breath away, even before their first real kiss.

Emotionally, this story broke me so many times, at one point I bit my hand to stop a scream because of Logan’s stupid behaviour when he got drunk at a bar. He made me so angry with him so many times.

It’s best to go into ‘Written in The Waves’ blindly, with a minimum of details re plot etc. and let it take you along for the emotional rollercoaster. I’m not a fan of the Chapters jumping back and forth between timeframes of past and present, happy times and heartbreaking times, it played with my heartstrings too much.

This story is so huge on so many levels, especially the dept of emotion, high passion and full of so much detail and sense of place, I felt it must be something the author lived through first hand in order to have written this book with such depth of emotions and heartbreak. Apparently it took them 10 years to complete and their hard work paid off. It is a real book lovers book. The kind of book you jump into and don’t want it to end.


Because of the number of of times I took breaks to recover, it took several sittings to get through and much as it broke me, I wouldn’t want to have missed the opportunity to read ‘Written in The Waves’, and as soon as my emotions settles down, I’ll be reading Part 2, ‘Echoes in the Tide’ because I desperately need to know how Adrian is doing.

[AngstLover-Jing]

I didn't even get past the first chapter, so I’m not leaving a rating. ‼️But consider this a warning: the writing is aggressively flowery. If you struggle with Tal Bauer’s purple prose, this is basically that on steroids. You've been warned!

[MarieJen]

Absolutely stunning! Forever in my heart

I just finished Written in the waves. And wow… I spent three days with Adrian and Logan and I am in total awe of this author and the deep, beautiful and emotional book she has written
It is one of those rare, soul-stirring reads that lingers long after the final page, wrapping itself around your heart. Every page is turned into poetry, every description is achingly tender and there is a deep feeling of intimacy that you - the reader - feels privileged to witness, to be part of.
This romance was really heart wrenching and profoundly moving. The author warns you that it isn’t for everyone as it is a long, slow burn book and will end in the second book, Echoes in the tide. This story may indeed have ruined me for any other romances. I fell head over heels into this love story and its exceptionally beautiful writing. Ended up returning the kindle unlimited book and bought it instead. To keep forever.

[Haley Klein]

Such a beautiful love story with big emotions. Cannot recommend enough. 6+ stars.
This duet sets the bar high for character development and romance.

[Emmalee Dean]

I don’t even know where to start with this review without just giving blatant spoilers. I’ll just say this, this duet hurt me, the amount of times I cried should be studied. I think I will think about Logan and Adrian until the end of time. What an incredible 6 star duet. I am still speechless and will probably come back to write a proper thought out review.

Incredible. Just….incredible.

[Peter H.]

Wow. What an epic book. I really loved this book - it is long - but so worth it. (There are 2 that need to be read back to back) I became so invested in the characters I truly could not put it down. I really hated for it to end! Very emotional (in the best way) and left me feeling like I KNEW the characters. That is the best way a book can grab me. One of my favorites ever!

[Ashlynn Elizabeth]

I won't rate since I didnt finish it but this book is full of very flowery language and long repetitive descriptions. Just an FYI for readers incase that isn't your preferred . very very slow start, descriptive but no plot

[Jennifer Surly]

This is a two book series. It is beautifully written and once you begin you will not be able to stop. My favorite love story I have ever read.

[Deborah A.]

Wow😢

Starting the story with Logan leaving was torture. I really had a hard time reading each chapter knowing how this book was ending. I know their story continues but it didn’t stop my tears. Adrian burning his guitar and the photo album broke my heart and I hated how Logan pushed him to that point. I think my heart will need a break before I read book 2.

[MWLgal]

Welcome to the story of two broken men who navigate a relationship, clawing their way around one another, not quite confident to show the other their worth. Logan and Adrian are two astounding individuals whose greatness, joy, and love cannot be hidden. You are entering a world created by a master author. Dr. Guter knows what she’s doing when she crafts a sentence. She carefully plucks out words probably massaging the sentence over and over and over again. It’s lyrical, it’s poetic. The setting is so astounding and she makes you feel like you are part of it, but you’re not. You just have to watch. At one point I realized this is not just emotional for me. It’s physical. You can feel it in your body. Take the journey with these two men, you will not regret it. This is not your typical reading experience. You will not read it and then move on with your day. You will think about Logan and Adrian, you will worry about them. You will wonder how they’re feeling, how they’re able to make it without the other, how they’re able to make it through the unknown. I cannot recommend this duet enough. I read it a couple weeks ago and it took me a while to come back to write this review. I rarely ever write reviews. I give a star rating and move on, but Dr. Guter, Logan and Adrian deserve it. Very important to check the trigger warnings. Welcome to a unique reading experience that will affect you like no other.

[Ava Rose]

4.5⭐️

If yearning were a book, it would be this book. Adrian saving Logan's life was the start of so much more. Michal writes with such a beautifully poetic style that you can feel every ache, every kiss, every missed opportunity & every unspoken desire. It is written with clever phrasing and lots of lyrical similes.

What is just as tragic as nearly dying at the start is the denial involved by Logan; I ended up feeling so sorry for his wife. How devastating that he was scared to be himself and had to shut down his emotions to be the man he was expected to be. Yet clearly, it was gnawing away at him internally.

By contrast, when he opens up, the warmth and love he has to share is both all-consuming and powerful. Watching love unfurl will always be beautiful in books but Michal has an elegant writing style I really adore; anyone who loves poetic/lyrical words will too.

This really is a beautiful love story full of yearning and ache and if you like those 2 things, along with a long slow build MM romance you will really enjoy this.

[Maltida]

What stood out to me most about Streams of Water is how soft yet powerful it sounds. A simple act of saving a life turns into an unexpected love that stretches across continents and that’s the kind of slow-burn emotional story I adore. The idea of Logan holding onto a bracelet because it’s the only piece of Adrian he has left? That hit me right in the chest. There’s an ache to this story, but also so much hope like love isn’t gone, just waiting to rise again like waves returning to the shore. If the full book carries the same depth and poetic tone as the description, it’s going to break hearts in the most beautiful way.

[Lily]

Streams of Water sounds like such a beautifully emotional story the kind you can already tell will hurt in a good way. I love that it begins with a rescue at sea and grows into something deep and life-changing for both characters. Logan and Adrian’s relationship feels like it’s built on gratitude, vulnerability, and a kind of soul-level connection you don’t see every day. The idea that fate brought them together only to pull them apart makes the story even more compelling. It sounds like a love that never really lets go, even when life gets messy and painful. Honestly, I’m already invested and the book isn’t even out yet.

[Tamera]

I just finished this duet a couple days ago. It is both a time and an emotional commitment, but oh so so worth it. It’s emotionally rough at times and I found that I periodically had to just step away for a bit which is out of character for me. I think it is a beautiful story, and I thought the writing style was beautiful also. I actually purchased the books on Amazon after reading them as thought if they ever went off of KU I wanted to still have access to them as I’m sure at some point in life it will be a reread. I cannot say enough good words about this duet. 😊

[Diana]

I have mixed feelings about this book. For starters, there were so many overwhelmingly positive reviews without a single criticism, which is strange because there are two things I absolutely hate in MM romances, and it’s odd that no one else seems to mind them. I’m talking about the protagonist sleeping with a woman, depicted explicitly on the page. in my MM (even if he’s thinking about the other male lead) and the same with another man who isn't the other lead (even if, again, he’s only thinking about the other lead). For me, that is a hard "no." This isn't a spoiler, and it should be listed under trigger warnings so that readers like me, who hate that sort of thing, can avoid reading the book.

There are spoilers from this point on...
I don't forgive infidelity in romances unless it's justified, and here it isn't. Logan leaves Adrián without any solid or justifiable reason, just fear. He leaves Adrián and sleeps with another man; the book even describes how they meet and get intimate. And during the two years they are apart, even though he only thinks about Adrián, he carries on with his life; if Zack hadn't told him to go find Adrián, he would have stayed with Zack. Because Logan is too selfish. And if he hadn't found him at that moment, Adrián would have died without ever seeing him again.

To me, that isn't an unforgettable or unbreakable love story.

Nor does the story delve deeply into the fear Logan feels regarding his father, a fear that seems so real to him but not for ours. He leaves Adrián and returns to his life, yet you don't truly see the pressure his father might be exerting on him to fulfill his duty. You don't buy into his feelings because no one is actually pressuring him. Meanwhile, Sandy and Zack are mere playthings in his hands; he toys with everyone. He gives no thought to others' feelings, he is selfish. And the way he treats Adrián on the wedding day... that is unforgivable in a romance.

And then there’s the prose, so repetitive it becomes tedious, stating the same thing across multiple paragraphs, so that by the time you reach the dialogue, you’ve forgotten what was being discussed. I also find it odd that the prose is highly poetic and convoluted, yet the dialogue is sometimes very poor, a mismatch that doesn't quite square with the pretentious nature of the writing.

In any case, we must remember that she is a debut author, and she surely poured his heart and soul into the story...

Now that I think about it, it reminds me a bit of "The Sea Ain't Mine Alone" by C.L. Beaumont... surfing, Hawaii, love at first sight, Adrián's past, involving a involuntary killing and his time in the army, Logan constantly stuck in his own head with internal monologues, and the story slowing down due to repetitive prose and endless descriptions of the ocean...

[bonbonreads]

This is one of those books that will stay with you forever … this book absolutely broke me .

The story is poetically written, about 2 young men who meet because one suffered a near drowning while surfing and is saved by the other, during lifesaving CPR.
Their connection is immediate , their story starts out as friends and the chemistry ignites from there .
The time line goes to future and past and brings you right into the traumatic bad decisions, fear of coming out , trying to live a life for others , heart break and losing your one true love , even if it was by choice to protect them.
The vivid details of their adventures feels like you are immersed in their story , living their dreams with them .
The emotions described , the new love developing , that ties them to one another is the start of a raw emotion journey .
The way they love and nurture and make one another happy by actions and beautiful memories made that will stay with you .
The letters they write , journaling their feelings will make you cry and sob , feeling their , regret , love , sorrow . Soul mates who are eachother life saver …
There are hints and little details that you don’t not want to miss by reading to fast . This was by far the best MM romance I’ve read . I would give it 10 ⭐️s
It wrecked me so bad , I had to re - read it after only 6weeks of the first read . I am glad I did , because experiencing for the 2nd time , I didn’t rush to know .. I lingered in their love story .
everyone should be loved like Adrian loves Logan, the way soulmates love .

[Tonya Druckenmiller]

DNF at 51%. I was so hopeful after seeing so many positive reviews. But there is just too much “fluff” around the language in this book. A little too poetic. If I wanted to read poetry, I would read a poetry book. And if I had to read the words “whiskey-colored eyes” one more time, I was going to gouge my eyes out—and then factor in Logan’s drink of choice, which you guessed it, is whiskey. Just not a lot of creativity there. It was boring, redundant, and I’m moving on.

[Brittany]

The love between Logan and Adrian is epic. The slow burn and pining was really well done. This one ends on a cliffhanger and was intense. I was so angry with Logan, and really felt for Adrian. Logan made some really dumb choices.

[Amy Malek Concepcion]

Written in the Waves

I know with romance duets the first book will always leave you heartbroken (and book two will put it back together, eventually). But this book really hit me, eliciting all those emotions. I think I know where book 2 will go so let’s see if I’m right.

[Bronwyn]

One of the most beautiful books I have ever read - the tears and the joy and the heartbreak and love. All the feels and I am now reading the second book and will return with my review for that. Highly recommend this book

[eluok]

Fuuu, that was long. I’m breathing for Adrian’s soul. 😭Yeah… Logan was scared, miserable, yada yada… anyway, I can’t imagine how Adrian could possibly forgive him after all that. But well… we’ll see. 👀

[MCCAIN MCMURRAY]

Passionate, engrossing, disturbing

This is not the usual happily ever book. It is intense deeply felt story of desperate love that can’t be because one of the main characters has a lot of family baggage and is not mature enough to deal with it. It is still a hard book to put down. The disturbing part is watch that main character self destruct. And so unnecessary but that’s the story.

[its_a_bookish_life_for_me]

DNF @ 15%
book is beautiful so far but has head hopping without distinct switch so it's throwing me off. i'll try again at a different time

[Jenna Lee]

IT DIDN’T RAISE THE BAR. IT BROKE THE DAMN THING.
That book. That book was so good that it changed something in me. I think it changed the way my brain chemistry works, and it requires everything from you.
I have never, in my entire life, read anything even similar to this. I’ve been a reader for years, and I’m only now discovering Goodreads, but I think this book just makes every other book pale in comparison.
This is a classic.
An MM classic? A romance classic? I honestly don’t know anymore. It is just a classic.
That book is in a league of its own. It’s not even playing the same game as other books.
You read it, and you feel it in your body. It made me tear up. It made me choke up. It made me mad. It made me ridiculously happy. And somewhere along the way, I genuinely forgot what the real world was supposed to look like. I was so completely inside this story that coming back out of it felt strange.
It portrayed one of the most beautiful, tender gay love stories I have ever read. A love that feels enormous and intimate at the same time. The kind that makes you ache because you feel like you shouldn't be allowed to witness something that private.
I felt the words so strongly in my body that it took me a while to write this review. I wrote it in stages, and again and again I came back and changed things as I went. I needed time to really find the words for what this book did to me, to understand it enough to explain it. And only now, after reading it twice, do I feel ready to post this.
Could it be shorter? Yes. Could it have benefited from tighter editing? Also yes. But somehow, I think that adds to its overall charm. There is something so overly human about it. So tender. So true. So real. So raw.
you feel it in your soul, in the smallest particles of your being, you feel those words!
And maybe that’s exactly why it needed to be long. It needed to be poetic. You needed all of Adrian’s letters. You needed that entire love story. You needed the time to understand what Logan went through. Some stories can be told with fewer words.
This one needed the words.
Every word carves itself into your body and into your skin. You see them. You feel them. You are there with them.
It pulls at your soul. It pulls every heartstring you have. The author uses words to play with your feelings like you’re an instrument, and she does it so damn well. Every word is weaponized to work over your emotions to make you experience the book rather than simply read it.
Look, you are there.
You are watching them. You are living beside them. You are falling in love with them. You are hurting with them. And you cannot do anything except keep reading.
This book is a bodily experience.
And it’s not just that it’s in a league of its own—it redefined what that league even needs to be called. This book is the epitome of excellence in writing. It didn’t just raise the bar. It broke that thing.
The book is so lyrical and poetic that I could highlight the entire thing, but there was one passage I kept coming back to again and again:
“Because I live in the memory of us. And sometimes, it’s the only place I still feel alive. The distance is here now, wide as oceans, and I reach for you still. With every gust of wind against my skin, I search for the scent of you. And sometimes— if I breathe deep enough— You return.”
I mean... what am I supposed to do with that?
Brace yourself for this book
You can only read it once for the first time. Do not waste that. Be ready for the ride. Be ready to tear up, choke up, get angry, smile like an idiot, and forget for a while that a world exists outside these pages.
Be ready for a love story so tender and so consuming that when you finally look up, reality feels a little less real.
And be ready for a book that might ruin other books for you, because now you know what they could make you feel.
MM classic. Romance classic. Whatever.
It’s a classic.
Read this book before you die.

[Jamie]

A fresh and powerful masterpiece.
I honestly have no words for how breathtaking this book was. Just… wow.
It’s written so beautifully, it broke something inside me. This felt like a genuinely fresh take on MM romance. There’s something almost Shakespearean about it, the intensity of the emotions, the way love and longing, and loss present in the story and the devotion the MCs have for each other. I was a little intimidated by the length at first, but the pages flew by. I never once felt how long it was because I simply couldn’t stop reading. And honestly, this book should be long. The poems, the songs, the depth, it all adds layers that completely pulled me in and tore my heart apart in the best way. It was painful and beautiful and overwhelming all at once.
The emotional delivery, the poetic and lyrical writing, they just don’t make books like this anymore. I’ve never read a gay love story with this level of depth. I was an emotional wreck by the end. This book absolutely shattered me, and it far exceeded every expectation I had. The characters are so compelling, they grab you immediately, make you love them, make you root for them, and then take you on a brutal emotional rollercoaster. I cried so much reading this.
And oh… my Adrian. He was the first to fall in love with Logan, and seeing how he fell, was breathtaking. He was so deeply attuned to Logan, so connected to him, it felt almost otherworldly. He literally said: “I’ll take a breath just to give you mine.” This is soulmate-level love and companionship!!!
What made this even more powerful is the way the story unfolds across different points in time. When they’re together, their love feels cosmic, they are soulmates. And when they’re apart, you’re forced to be in darkness and watch Logan fall apart. Logan is such a fascinating character, deeply complex, but presenting himself as emotionally flat. He’s utterly captivated by Adrian, even though he believes he shouldn’t be. At first, it might seem like Logan doesn’t love Adrian enough, but on some level, I think he may love him even more. He’s terrified of that love, and that fear shapes everything he does.
Watching Logan try to live a life without Adrian, seeing his grief, the way he shatters and struggles, makes it painfully clear just how deeply he loved him. There’s such a strong dissonance between what he feels and how he acts, and it’s handled incredibly well. You see him constantly battling himself, fighting his demons, trying and failing to adapt to a world without Adrian. His family, his upbringing, the expectations placed on him, all of these forces collide and push him toward the choices he makes, even when they destroy him.
I’m so excited that there’s a second book, because I’m not ready to say goodbye to this story or these characters. I’m really excited to see what book two brings, especially knowing it focuses on their reunion. After all the heartbreak, distance, and emotional devastation, I can’t wait to see how they find their way back to each other.