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To Ghosts & Gravity
Five years ago, Kit Meyer lost his best friend.
And then he lost himself.
Now, he’s surviving the in-between. Recovering from addiction and living in his van, too scared to consider a future outside his fragile bubble of healing. Kit writes letters to a boy who will never respond, clinging desperately to the ghosts of his past.
It takes two years of running before he’s brave enough to seek out the nostalgic comfort of his childhood summer haven.
He thinks he’s going to soak up the last bits of memory there, alone. He has no idea the truths waiting for him among those trees…or who else found solace in the cabin nestled by the lake.
What happens when love grows teeth from pain left to fester?
Grief consumed his past and mellowed his present, but no amount of time could dampen the love Kit still feels. Maybe he could have it, too, if only he were strong enough to stand still.
And then he lost himself.
Now, he’s surviving the in-between. Recovering from addiction and living in his van, too scared to consider a future outside his fragile bubble of healing. Kit writes letters to a boy who will never respond, clinging desperately to the ghosts of his past.
It takes two years of running before he’s brave enough to seek out the nostalgic comfort of his childhood summer haven.
He thinks he’s going to soak up the last bits of memory there, alone. He has no idea the truths waiting for him among those trees…or who else found solace in the cabin nestled by the lake.
What happens when love grows teeth from pain left to fester?
Grief consumed his past and mellowed his present, but no amount of time could dampen the love Kit still feels. Maybe he could have it, too, if only he were strong enough to stand still.
- GenresM M RomanceMental Health
397 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 13, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 30, 2026
6 ⭐️
spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
format: ebook
stunning. fucking. debut.
i might come back and add more later when i’m not actively still crying and snotting all over the place.
but this gives jessie walker’s every breath after meets c.s. autumn’s that one moment and if you’re asking yourself: “wow. wouldn’t that be traumatizing?” the answer is yes. i will never recover.
spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
format: ebook
stunning. fucking. debut.
i might come back and add more later when i’m not actively still crying and snotting all over the place.
but this gives jessie walker’s every breath after meets c.s. autumn’s that one moment and if you’re asking yourself: “wow. wouldn’t that be traumatizing?” the answer is yes. i will never recover.
May 11, 2026
”He's here; he wouldn't have missed this.”
For some reason, it’s hard to gather my thoughts on this book. The beginning and the end were absolutely perfect. But then, I feel like something was missing in the middle (well, we know what was missing😭).
I love, LOVE books that take you into the story right from the start—in this case, from the age of 6. This quickly draws the reader into the lives of Kit, Bowen, and Brett. At some point, though, you start to get this underlying feeling that you have to brace yourself for something.
I was ready for this book to tear me apart and then put me back together, but it didn't turn out quite that way—I was surprised that it wasn't as heartbreaking and devastating as it could have been. Don’t get me wrong, it does make you cry, but also at the same time it was kind of lighthearted and humorous too? But I think I liked it this way.
“You cannot look at me like that over breakfast.”
”Like what?”
”Like you're the feral raccoon and I'm a strawberry Pop-Tart.”
So yeah, my initial feelings (I had a feeling this would be 5 star read) about the book faded a bit after a really promising start, but maybe in a way, this reading experience of mine also reflected the fact that things were no longer the same after what had happened. But the book wasn't bad by any means; it was still really good, a touching story that dealt with grief and its impact on people and relationships, and about finding the way back to oneself and to one another. For me, this just didn't quite reach the 5-star level, more towards 4, maybe 4.5.
I just felt like the connection to and with the characters kind of faltered in the middle, and a lot of important issues were left unaddressed or unspoken between the characters. I wouldn't have minded if the book had been a little longer to get there.
I’d like to talk a lot more about this book and its characters, but I want to keep this review spoiler-free, so I'll leave it at that.
For a debut, this was absolutely amazing, and I'll definitely be reading more from the author in the future (hopefully).
For some reason, it’s hard to gather my thoughts on this book. The beginning and the end were absolutely perfect. But then, I feel like something was missing in the middle (well, we know what was missing😭).
I love, LOVE books that take you into the story right from the start—in this case, from the age of 6. This quickly draws the reader into the lives of Kit, Bowen, and Brett. At some point, though, you start to get this underlying feeling that you have to brace yourself for something.
I was ready for this book to tear me apart and then put me back together, but it didn't turn out quite that way—I was surprised that it wasn't as heartbreaking and devastating as it could have been. Don’t get me wrong, it does make you cry, but also at the same time it was kind of lighthearted and humorous too? But I think I liked it this way.
“You cannot look at me like that over breakfast.”
”Like what?”
”Like you're the feral raccoon and I'm a strawberry Pop-Tart.”
So yeah, my initial feelings (I had a feeling this would be 5 star read) about the book faded a bit after a really promising start, but maybe in a way, this reading experience of mine also reflected the fact that things were no longer the same after what had happened. But the book wasn't bad by any means; it was still really good, a touching story that dealt with grief and its impact on people and relationships, and about finding the way back to oneself and to one another. For me, this just didn't quite reach the 5-star level, more towards 4, maybe 4.5.
I just felt like the connection to and with the characters kind of faltered in the middle, and a lot of important issues were left unaddressed or unspoken between the characters. I wouldn't have minded if the book had been a little longer to get there.
I’d like to talk a lot more about this book and its characters, but I want to keep this review spoiler-free, so I'll leave it at that.
For a debut, this was absolutely amazing, and I'll definitely be reading more from the author in the future (hopefully).
April 23, 2026
6⭐️
If I could give this 6 stars I would. I read a lot, a lot of mm, a lot of heartbreaking, heartwarming books. Books about love and loss, about addiction. It’s not often I get a visceral reaction from a book. It really has to touch me somewhere deep. I have to be able to feel the pain, anxiety, heartbreak and love from the characters. This book checked all those boxes. I cried for a pain I felt within these beautifully broken boys. I cried for Kits anxiety that I felt so deeply through his thoughts and words. I stumbled upon this book by chance. Just scrolling and I am so glad I did. This will be one of those books I never forget, characters I will think about for years to come, one I reread because I can’t stand to be away from the beautiful thoughts and words from these boys. Heart was broken and slowly healed. It took time to get there but the trauma to hea was so worth it. I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. I stayed up way too late, immersed until my eyes couldn’t stay open. I woke up picking up my kindle just itching to see where this went.
If I could give this 6 stars I would. I read a lot, a lot of mm, a lot of heartbreaking, heartwarming books. Books about love and loss, about addiction. It’s not often I get a visceral reaction from a book. It really has to touch me somewhere deep. I have to be able to feel the pain, anxiety, heartbreak and love from the characters. This book checked all those boxes. I cried for a pain I felt within these beautifully broken boys. I cried for Kits anxiety that I felt so deeply through his thoughts and words. I stumbled upon this book by chance. Just scrolling and I am so glad I did. This will be one of those books I never forget, characters I will think about for years to come, one I reread because I can’t stand to be away from the beautiful thoughts and words from these boys. Heart was broken and slowly healed. It took time to get there but the trauma to hea was so worth it. I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. I stayed up way too late, immersed until my eyes couldn’t stay open. I woke up picking up my kindle just itching to see where this went.
May 8, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Six-Star Read
This book was absolutely breathtaking. Just… stunning. And so deeply human. I’ve genuinely been struggling to put into words just how much this story affected me, because it’s not just a love story… it’s something so much bigger than that.
It’s heavy and heart-wrenching in the most honest way. It captures grief that never really leaves, addiction and coping and falling apart in ways that feel painfully real, and love that doesn’t disappear even when everything else does. It’s about memory and how it lingers, how loss changes you, and how difficult it can be to find your way back to yourself after everything has been broken open. But more than anything, it’s about connection and forgiveness. About the way people stay with you even when everything changes, even when everything hurts, even when time keeps moving forward.
And that childhood connection?? It completely destroyed me. I absolutely love when a story lets you see characters from such a young age and watch them grow up together, because it makes everything hit so much harder. You feel the bond between them so deeply, even in the quiet moments, even when nothing dramatic is happening. It all just means something.
And the truth is, I pretty much cried through most of the story. It pulled me in that deeply and completely broke me. I felt everything they were feeling… the writing was so incredibly immersive.
This is one of those books that doesn’t just end when you close it. It lingers. It stays. And I know it will stay with me for a very long time… I’ve been recommending this book to anyone who will listen, because I just want other people to experience it too.
This book was absolutely breathtaking. Just… stunning. And so deeply human. I’ve genuinely been struggling to put into words just how much this story affected me, because it’s not just a love story… it’s something so much bigger than that.
It’s heavy and heart-wrenching in the most honest way. It captures grief that never really leaves, addiction and coping and falling apart in ways that feel painfully real, and love that doesn’t disappear even when everything else does. It’s about memory and how it lingers, how loss changes you, and how difficult it can be to find your way back to yourself after everything has been broken open. But more than anything, it’s about connection and forgiveness. About the way people stay with you even when everything changes, even when everything hurts, even when time keeps moving forward.
And that childhood connection?? It completely destroyed me. I absolutely love when a story lets you see characters from such a young age and watch them grow up together, because it makes everything hit so much harder. You feel the bond between them so deeply, even in the quiet moments, even when nothing dramatic is happening. It all just means something.
And the truth is, I pretty much cried through most of the story. It pulled me in that deeply and completely broke me. I felt everything they were feeling… the writing was so incredibly immersive.
This is one of those books that doesn’t just end when you close it. It lingers. It stays. And I know it will stay with me for a very long time… I’ve been recommending this book to anyone who will listen, because I just want other people to experience it too.
May 7, 2026
Love 🖤
Heartbreaking. I feel like young love is always heartbreaking to some degree. This story was no different but it was also so full of love. Kit and Bowen were missing all the hints. Brett was absolutely hysterical. Such a goofball and impossible not to love. Worth the read for sure.
Heartbreaking. I feel like young love is always heartbreaking to some degree. This story was no different but it was also so full of love. Kit and Bowen were missing all the hints. Brett was absolutely hysterical. Such a goofball and impossible not to love. Worth the read for sure.
May 5, 2026
Can't believe this was debut!
This book is heartbreaking, beautiful, steamy, heartfelt and swoony all at the same time. The childhood nostalgia was captured perfectly. The grief was captured perfectly. The bone deep connection between the MCs was captured perfectly. Such a great book.
This book is heartbreaking, beautiful, steamy, heartfelt and swoony all at the same time. The childhood nostalgia was captured perfectly. The grief was captured perfectly. The bone deep connection between the MCs was captured perfectly. Such a great book.
May 7, 2026
I am a puddle. I cried. Multiple times. Eyes are red and puffy. I can’t breathe out of my nose. But it’s fine because this book was so damn good 🥹
Fuck.
6⭐️
Fuck.
6⭐️
May 5, 2026
STUNNING
Watching Kit and Boe dance around each other and then get to the end was stunning. I laughed, I sobbed, and I read it again. I can already tell its one of my favorite books of the year.
Watching Kit and Boe dance around each other and then get to the end was stunning. I laughed, I sobbed, and I read it again. I can already tell its one of my favorite books of the year.
April 29, 2026
4.5 stars. Overall this book was fantastic. If you want something that will hurt your heart all the way through but still give you a HEA then I recommend! I would have liked the MCs to communicate a bit better but overall this was a great debut and will read more by the author.
May 11, 2026
this book knocked me on my ass.😭😭💔
4.75✨
I loved it SO MUCH. But I'm hurting right now...❤️🩹
4.75✨
I loved it SO MUCH. But I'm hurting right now...❤️🩹
May 1, 2026
Every single star in the universe.
I laughed as hard as I cried. And then I cried even harder.
What an absolutely stunning novel.
My book of the year. Hand down.
The morning after finishing this book I decided to run it back bc obvi I’m a self inflicting sadist. Anyway I read the first letter to B and immediately started sobbing again.
I laughed as hard as I cried. And then I cried even harder.
What an absolutely stunning novel.
My book of the year. Hand down.
The morning after finishing this book I decided to run it back bc obvi I’m a self inflicting sadist. Anyway I read the first letter to B and immediately started sobbing again.
May 2, 2026
♾️⭐️
I will forever think about the characters in this book.
I will forever think about the characters in this book.
May 2, 2026
what a debut!! this was absolutely stunning
April 30, 2026
This book was just so beautiful. I felt every emotion and I loved the characters. This was so simple yet so heartfelt and touching. I cannot wait to read more from this author.
April 30, 2026
Hi. So this was everything. Tore my heart out. Stitched it back together. I loved every second. THE LAST CHAPTER? Cruel. Just cruel. I immediately want to reread it again.
April 25, 2026
Wow this book was everything, I just happen to come across this on good reads and wow I’m glad I did. This is probably one of my favorite books I have read this year. No words can describe how much I loved this book and these characters will stay with me forever. Thank you Kat for writing a story that dealt with real life problems, reading them go through it and fighting every day to over come it. This is a book about a friend group growing up together, new confusing feeling, death,heartache, heartbreak, and healing. I have never read this author, but please Kat keep them coming.
April 27, 2026
Absofuckltely Beautiful Emotional
The moment I started reading I started crying didn't stop crying, cried through every chapter. Words can't express beautiful this love story is. I loved how it was kept which "B" it was until we found out. That was priceless!
The moment I started reading I started crying didn't stop crying, cried through every chapter. Words can't express beautiful this love story is. I loved how it was kept which "B" it was until we found out. That was priceless!
April 19, 2026
The emotional distress this book caused 😭
Their hea was a hard journey.
From childhood to adulthood, the good the bad, and all the in between.
Two stubborn souls who wouldn’t just open up. (Hate that… ughhh)
But I loved this book.
🌙💙☀️
Their hea was a hard journey.
From childhood to adulthood, the good the bad, and all the in between.
Two stubborn souls who wouldn’t just open up. (Hate that… ughhh)
But I loved this book.
🌙💙☀️
April 15, 2026
This book was amazing, I cannot recommend it enough. I was having trouble finding anything that kept my interest when I found this on Love Bytes list of new books. This is the author’s debut novel and I will definitely be reading any and all future works by this author. Beautifully written , could not put it down. Just Wow, loved every heart breaking moment . Beautiful hard earned HEA
Read
May 9, 2026Let me just start off by saying this was an amazing debut. I’m so picky when it comes to writing style, and this author is definitely somebody whose future releases I’ll be waiting for.
However, I can’t say I actually enjoyed reading it. A lot of that came down to Kit. I understood his grief, but at times I found him selfish in it.
I struggled to fully believe in their love because while I understood Kit grieving his best friend, I couldn’t understand why he completely self-destructed because of it, especially when Bowen had also lost his own twin and didn’t spiral to the same extent. I know grief is complicated and everyone handles it differently, but because this was a romance, it often felt like Kit completely ignored the person who was supposed to be the love of his life, someone who was still alive, breathing, and desperate for his attention. It just didn’t feel fair to me.
Even during their first time together, Kit couldn’t look at Bowen’s face, and he spent such a long time unable to truly look at him at all. It was honestly sad, and I felt so sorry for Bowen because it almost felt like he stopped existing to Kit too, even though he. Was. Right. There.
The romance itself just wasn’t satisfying for me personally, but that’s okay, everyone has different reading experiences, and that doesn’t take away from this being a beautifully written story.
However, I can’t say I actually enjoyed reading it. A lot of that came down to Kit. I understood his grief, but at times I found him selfish in it.
I struggled to fully believe in their love because while I understood Kit grieving his best friend, I couldn’t understand why he completely self-destructed because of it, especially when Bowen had also lost his own twin and didn’t spiral to the same extent. I know grief is complicated and everyone handles it differently, but because this was a romance, it often felt like Kit completely ignored the person who was supposed to be the love of his life, someone who was still alive, breathing, and desperate for his attention. It just didn’t feel fair to me.
Even during their first time together, Kit couldn’t look at Bowen’s face, and he spent such a long time unable to truly look at him at all. It was honestly sad, and I felt so sorry for Bowen because it almost felt like he stopped existing to Kit too, even though he. Was. Right. There.
The romance itself just wasn’t satisfying for me personally, but that’s okay, everyone has different reading experiences, and that doesn’t take away from this being a beautifully written story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2026
I just finished this book and wow… I’m honestly not okay 🥺 It completely shattered my heart, then slowly stitched it back together again. The emotions it pulled out of me were so deep that I’m still feeling a little raw BUT in the best way possible ❤️
If this is the author’s debut, what an incredible start. You can really feel how much of herself she poured into this story. The pacing was beautiful too, yeah, it’s a longer book, but I appreciated every single page. It gave everything the time and space it needed to fully unfold.
We’re taken all the way back to the beginning, getting to see those soft, innocent moments between the boys, and then we follow them through love, heartbreak, loss, and addiction. At its core, it’s really about finding your way back to yourself and to each other 💔➡️❤️
I ended up reading it in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down. It made me cry more than once, but it also left me smiling especially anytime Brett showed up. He was such a beautiful character, full of warmth, love, and light ☀️
Watching Kit struggling, healing and finally finding his way back to Bowen ❤️ I imagined Brett cheering😅
This is one of those books that will stay with me ✨
If this is the author’s debut, what an incredible start. You can really feel how much of herself she poured into this story. The pacing was beautiful too, yeah, it’s a longer book, but I appreciated every single page. It gave everything the time and space it needed to fully unfold.
We’re taken all the way back to the beginning, getting to see those soft, innocent moments between the boys, and then we follow them through love, heartbreak, loss, and addiction. At its core, it’s really about finding your way back to yourself and to each other 💔➡️❤️
I ended up reading it in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down. It made me cry more than once, but it also left me smiling especially anytime Brett showed up. He was such a beautiful character, full of warmth, love, and light ☀️
Watching Kit struggling, healing and finally finding his way back to Bowen ❤️ I imagined Brett cheering😅
This is one of those books that will stay with me ✨
May 15, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
I’m having a hard time gathering my thoughts around this book. I think I came into this book with really high expectations, expecting it to break my heart and heal it again, but it didn’t really do that.
Don’t get me wrong. There were beautiful moments within the book. There was a lot that I did like about the story, but overall, I ended up feeling like the pacing and the tone of the book was a little bit all over the place. For example, I thought the beginning (I love a childhood friend-to-lovers that starts at a young age) and end were the strongest parts, but the middle lost me a bit, pacing and tone-wise.
I also felt that the grief that the characters go through was kind of glossed over, and I wish the writer had spent more time with both POVs on what they were feeling and how they overcame such a difficult time. We really only get one POCV, and I guess I know why, having finished, but I think it would have been more impactful to have both. Additionally, didn't feel that the chemistry and connection between the two MCs was as strong in the middle as it was in the beginning.
I do think that for a debut, it was well done overall!
I’m having a hard time gathering my thoughts around this book. I think I came into this book with really high expectations, expecting it to break my heart and heal it again, but it didn’t really do that.
Don’t get me wrong. There were beautiful moments within the book. There was a lot that I did like about the story, but overall, I ended up feeling like the pacing and the tone of the book was a little bit all over the place. For example, I thought the beginning (I love a childhood friend-to-lovers that starts at a young age) and end were the strongest parts, but the middle lost me a bit, pacing and tone-wise.
I also felt that the grief that the characters go through was kind of glossed over, and I wish the writer had spent more time with both POVs on what they were feeling and how they overcame such a difficult time. We really only get one POCV, and I guess I know why, having finished, but I think it would have been more impactful to have both. Additionally, didn't feel that the chemistry and connection between the two MCs was as strong in the middle as it was in the beginning.
I do think that for a debut, it was well done overall!
May 2, 2026
Download this book right now!
OMG - just stop, stop whatever you are doing and download this book right now!
think I cried my way through this entire book more than once. I had to keep putting it down just to gather myself, and I was still crying through the epilogue. They were bittersweet tears, but that’s exactly what makes this story so powerful.
It’s honestly hard to believe this is a debut novel. It feels so assured, so beautifully written, and so emotionally layered that it reads like the work of a much more experienced author.
If I can recommend just one book this year, it would be this one. Don’t overthink it, don’t read too many reviews, and don’t even read the blurb—just pick it up and read it.
OMG - just stop, stop whatever you are doing and download this book right now!
think I cried my way through this entire book more than once. I had to keep putting it down just to gather myself, and I was still crying through the epilogue. They were bittersweet tears, but that’s exactly what makes this story so powerful.
It’s honestly hard to believe this is a debut novel. It feels so assured, so beautifully written, and so emotionally layered that it reads like the work of a much more experienced author.
If I can recommend just one book this year, it would be this one. Don’t overthink it, don’t read too many reviews, and don’t even read the blurb—just pick it up and read it.
April 18, 2026
I wish I could give this book all the stars. I haven't quite finished. I am at the last chapter and am in tears. I need a minute before I can read the last of this book and probably some time to sit with it before I give more of a review but this story is worth the read. The whole thing was hard... for me at least. I cried all throughout. I wondered to myself how can I get so attached to characters?? It's more than that too but.. I need a minute. Thank you, Kat Marlowe for this. It is so heart-wrenching and truly honest.
May 6, 2026
This is one of the most heart-wrenching books I've read - and I totally loved it.
I've cried so much as I was rooting for the characters to overcome their shared trauma and pain and finally find each other.
The last few chapters were beautiful and full of hope.
Easily 6 Stars
I've cried so much as I was rooting for the characters to overcome their shared trauma and pain and finally find each other.
The last few chapters were beautiful and full of hope.
Easily 6 Stars
May 7, 2026
📖 These characters are a part of me now. I LOVED this book! Childhood best friends to lovers. Their loss broke my heart into a million tiny pieces and their struggle to find themselves again was everything. Will be reading many many more times.
May 15, 2026
A wonderful look into grief and love.
It’s so good. Wonderfully written and emotional, exploring the pain of grief and unresolved emotions. I don’t think I will recover. I’m still sobbing. Help.
It’s so good. Wonderfully written and emotional, exploring the pain of grief and unresolved emotions. I don’t think I will recover. I’m still sobbing. Help.
May 10, 2026
weeping
May 11, 2026
If I could I would give this book all the stars in the sky. Beautiful story, bitter sweet
May 12, 2026
I could not put this down. I started late last night and barely stopped to sleep. If you love
💜pining
💜friends to lovers
💜hurt comfort
READ IT!!
💜pining
💜friends to lovers
💜hurt comfort
READ IT!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews