Wow So this was the neediest most pining yearnyest saddest book I have ever read but also the most beautiful book Its literally like poems or journal entries Just wow Stunning Read it in one sitting All the pining yearning and hurty sad boi energy level 100 Phenomenal
Man. After reading this book, I feel like I just got hit by a bus. And I mean that in a mostly positive way.
🚨slight(?) spoilers ahead🚨
I saw another review that described this book as one long poem, and another that described it as feeling like journal entries. And I think both ring very true. I don’t think this style of writing is going to be for everyone, but I found myself very enthralled by it. I do think that sometimes there’s a difference between brevity and a lack of detail. And I do think that some sections of the book worked with focusing more on the emotion in the prose, but other sections I think needed to be expanded upon.
I think I enjoyed this book because it was written very beautifully and it brings to light how scary and consuming love can be, especially loving someone that is so convinced they aren’t worth loving. I thought the two main characters were very compelling, especially Rowan. And when I was first done with this book, I left it feeling very upset with Cassian and his decisions made throughout the book and how he treated Rowan.
But Rowan was just as guilty of being toxic in their relationship just as much as Cassian was. Being overly obsessed, pouring all of himself into one person, letting his own happiness begin and end in one single person. They were both very unhealthy individuals, and this was a very hard fought happily ever after. And there were times in this book where I thought they weren’t going to reach it, and there were times in this book where I kind of hope they didn’t reach it because they were really not good for one another in a big portion of the book.
In the end, I really appreciated that the author was not shying away from this sort of toxic love/obsession/codependency in these two boys. I think the author did a really great job of showing that both of them weren’t perfect. They were flawed, frustrating individuals. And even though the book was really hard to read at times, it was also very quick to get through. I think I finished it in like two hours. I think it goes to not only the smooth writing style, but it is very engrossing.
I do wish we had gotten more scenes of dialogue. A lot of this book is very, very heavy in the prose. There are full chapters where we don’t get a single scene of dialogue, which I found to be very interesting. And usually, I’m a very big: “show, don’t tell” person, but in this book, the telling that we get is so poetic and so deeply emotional, that it’s not that far of a stretch from being shown.
I also wish we had gotten maybe a few more moments of levity in this book. It is VERY emotional, and very matter-of-fact in the way that it describes the hard moments in the book. We get glimpses of humor here and there, and I wish we had gotten a few more of them because MAN this book is almost unrelentless in its emotional quality. Never to the point where it gets overwhelming, and I think again you can lend that to the prose, but I do wish we just had a few more moments of happiness in this book.
I really did like this book overall, and I’m hoping that this is the author’s writing style and it’s not just specific to this book. There’s another book by this author that I’m curious to read so I’m hoping it’s just as good as this one!
You Guys, OMG The Emotions This Book Brought Me Are Just Crazy. To & Casian Are Just Such A Beautiful Couple Who Had So Many Ups And Downs To Overcome But It Was So So Worth It For The Ending Cause That Ending Was Absolutely Beautiful. I HIGHLY Recommend You Guys To Read This Book If You Love Very Emotional Angsty MM Romances Like I Do Because Oh This Book Took Me So Many Emotions Bit Oh The Journey Was Worth It. READ IT!!!! And I Need More Books By Carmen ASAP!!!!!💕
Some characters stay with you forever, and Rowan is definitely one of them. Rowan and Cassian’s story was filled with so much emotion, pain, vulnerabilities, love, and healing that it completely shattered my heart in the best way. Rowan… I truly felt you.🥹🤍💙 I absolutely loved this book and already need more stories from this author .🫶🏻
6 ⭐️! I am going to think about this for quite a while, which makes it a 6 star read for me. It destroyed me in the best way possible.
Blue immediately gave me Oleander vibes, which is one of my all time favorites. So I knew I was in for a wilde ride and an emotional read. There was so much heartache and tears but it was worth it in the end. They do get their HEA they worked so hard for.
This book was mostly single POV, which made me connect to Rowan really well. I felt like I knew him personally and I just wanted to protect him. I screamed at him sometimes to just tell Cass FU and leave but I also wanted him to understand Cass a little better and be there for him and show him all the love - so yeah, I went through all the emotions with him. Their is so much more to say about the kind of person he is and his family and his love for Cass etc. but I would go on and on.
I knew what Cass was going through pretty much since the start. I just felt it. I fully understand why he was acting the way he did, which doesn't mean I think it's ok how he treated Ro, but still. I really just wanted to give him the biggest hug and convince him that it's ok to open up and accept the love he was given. I am so glad Ro and his family never gave up on him fully and that he (almost) always found the window to be open.
It was written so uniquely, almost like poetry. It was a fast read because there was so much space between sentences but there was still enough of the story. You truly felt the love they had for each other. Their was also some spice in there but that was definitely not the main focus which I liked with this story. The timing of their first time might also put some people off but I truly think that it was the right time for them after everything they went through. They both needed that connection at that moment.
BLUE I had thought that this was a new author to me, but then I noticed that I have read another one of her books “We Were Fine” which I could not put down! Carmen’s writing style is unique, and if you give it a chance you will love how her words flow almost like poetry. This story follow’s, Ro and Cassian. They boys meet when they are 8 years old, when Cassian’s family moves in next door. Ro knew right away that meeting Cassian was going to change his world forever. The story follows the boys through the years, and all the tragedy they both go through. My heart hurt for both boys. Ro, my sweet boy. All he wanted to do was be there for Cassian. Not understanding why Cassian would push him away, and thinking it was his fault, and that something was wrong with him. Cassian, going through so much after losing a parent. Him trying to protect Ro, by pushing him away so his home life would not touch him. Guys, the push and pull of this book had me sitting on the edge of my seat. The angst, the years of will they or won’t they moments had me reading faster to see how it ends. I don’t want to give anything away, just know the ending is perfection it just takes a bit to get there☺️💙🩵. Carmen, you wrote a beautiful book, and I cannot wait to see what’s next ❤️Thank you for allowing me to be an early reader.
I have read more than my fair share of books. I finished most, others took me time to go back and try again. I have laughed, cried and cheered with many a character. So when I say that his book has ripped my soul out, it truly did. There are no other words for it. In saying that, when I get the nerve up I'll read it again, even knowing the feelings I'm going to go through. You feel so much for both Rowan and Cassian and you are sucked in from the begining seeing their friendship and love grow. You are with them through their highs and lows and cheer them on regardless.
It has been a while since i've read a story from only one characters viewpoint (bar 1 chapter) which I feel made you feel what Ro was going through so much more as you don't get to know Cassian's whys unless he says them to Ro. You don't see the other side of the coin.
Do yourself a favour and allow yourself a weekend to read this with no distractions and a box of tissues. Emerse yourself in feeling this book and your reactions to it.
Looking forward to reading more from Carmen, just need time to rebuild my soul first.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I was able to read this as an arc reader. And this book with everything without going out and spoilers, this is an MM romance. Cassian and Ro’s love story. And what made this a five star read for me was yes it does have a happy ending, but it’s a journey to get through that happy ending was raw and it wasn’t cookie cutter didn’t fit into a square and I think that’s why I love this book so much because life isn’t perfect and love isn’t realistically always going to be good. You’re going to get hurt you’re going to be sad not everything‘s gonna be your fault or their fault sometimes it’s just life getting in the way and this book started this morning and finished same day. If I didn’t have to go be productive I would’ve read it in one setting. I cried I laugh I got mad. I cried some more, but it does have a happy ending, but going through all those emotions made you appreciate the happy ending even more because of real realistic and it’s Not cookie cutter. This could be someone’s life, this is Cassian and Ro’s story but some many people can relate to them. This is by far one of my favorite books of the year. This book will sit with me long after I finished it.
Wow. Wow, wow, wow. This was my first book by Carmen and it will not be the last. I felt every emotion possible reading this - anger, joy, sadness, happiness, contentment, I mean the list goes on. Truly the whole gambit. This was beautiful. It was more than a romance, it’s two broken people, learning how to exist being broken loving each other, what that means separately and together, while also learning to love and how to leave each other, and trying to heal alone and together at the same time. I mean, this is a master class in learning how to look beyond your own grief, your own broken parts, to see how someone else, who is also broken, chooses to show how they love you among their own broken parts.
Roman’s epiphany in chapter 33, was like my own. I truly felt like I was feeling it all with him and that’s never happened to me in a book before. I’ve always been intuitive and can see how books will play out. Not this. I’m truly in awe of this novel. 💙
This book had me in my feelings from start to finish. So sweet, with all the yearning.
Cassian is so beautifully broken, and Ro would have carried all of that pain for him if Cassian had only let him. Their dynamic absolutely wrecked me in the best way.
The pacing is spot on. I loved getting to know these characters starting at age 8, watching their sweet, connection form before life tears it apart. That childhood foundation made everything that came after hit so much harder.
This is friends to lovers done right. I read it in half a day, completely absorbed. My only complaint is I wish it was longer. The resolution felt a little rushed after all that buildup. I would have happily read this story for another 100 pages.
That said, I am officially a fan. I cannot wait to see what Carmen Wilder writes next, because I will be devouring it instantly.
Loved this. Highly recommend if you are craving emotional, heartfelt romance.
I absolutely loved this book. One of my favorite things about it was that I could hear the writers voice in the writing the entire time, which made it feel so personal and real and special. The story was just so sweet and beautifully written. It wasn’t just about coming of age and finding yourself, it also touched so deeply on relationships with parents, grief, loss, love, and joy all at the same time in such a natural way.
I laughed, I cried, and I genuinely did not want it to end. And the ending… without giving any spoilers, it was perfect. The kind of ending that stays with you after you close the book.
It was such a fast, beautiful read, and I’m just so proud of you. Truly such a special story.
ARC READ: I absolutely adored this story it broke my heart multiple times. I was beginning to wonder if there was going to be a HEA. It kept me on the edge of my seat right to the last page. My poor Cassian. And my poor long suffering Rowan. You’ve both been through so much.
The way this story was formatted was unique. It made it feel like you were kind of reading journal entries. I gave it 4.5 ⭐️. I feel like some of the parts could have been a bit more detailed. Like I wasn’t sure at first who was in hospital, Rowan or his dad, or why. I mean we can assume or guess.
But I loved it so much. Thank you for letting me ARC read it xxx
Couldn’t stop once I started. Rowan and Cassian are 8 when they become next door neighbors. They are instantly close friends. The majority of the book is from Rowan’s POV during those years. The story follows them throughout their childhood, teenage years, college life, and in their twenties. Their story tells the highs and lows of friendship, unknowingly enabling toxic behavior, healthy supportive home life versus unhealthy home life.
Check your triggers. MM Childhood Friends to Lovers Hard earned HEA Toxic Relationship Always Ever You
This book was an emotional read. I think I cried throughout most of it. I enjoyed the way it was written... made it seem to hit a little harder. I had to take the afternoon/evening off starting my next book and even today (Monday) I am still feeling so much about this book. Go into this book knowing the triggers and keep yours present... I went in fully knowing but was still hit so hard by a few. Truly such a good book.
I received a copy of this book before release. This book was very emotional for me. I cried, I laughed, I jumped for joy, then I cried again. This book had me in an emotional grip the entire time and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. I can’t even describe in words what I felt for Rowan and Cassian. Their pain felt so real. Cameron Wilder is an amazing author and never fails to leave me in tears, both happy and sad ones.
Here I am, 4:30 am, crying because I finished a book which I find absolutely beautiful and painful
I felt the characters' pain; it made me suffer and laugh with them.
Should I read it again? -Absolutely yes hahaha but when I'm emotionally well again 🚩 If he decided tomorrow that he was done with me... I'd still be here. Wait. Because I love him. I'm gay, I'm sixteen, and I'm in love with my best friend, who almost kissed me but didn't. And I think I always will be.
This was a very beautiful story of best friends turned to lovers. When Roman was 8, Cassian moved in next door. Through the years Roman realized what he felt for Cassian was so much more than friendship. Both boys went through a lot and have their own set of baggage, but always found their way back to each other. This definitely makes your heart feel allllll the feels.
Waste of time, this just a poem in long form. Nothing happens really...except maybe good marketing on tiktok. I'm pissed I was sold this book, i've never come across something more boring yet compared "To Catch A Firefly" by the own author, like are you kidding me? Ugh. I'm pissed my time was wasted.
God, I'm a sucker for pain 🥲 Boy, did I crie with this one. I really really felt the pain of Rowan 😭 Jesus christ that was hard. A única coisa que me custou um bocado foi o estilo da escrita. Nunca tinha lido nada assim e não gostei muito. Mas a gente sente mesmo a dor que o Ro está a passar. And God, it hurts
Blue is the first book I have read by this author and I am looking forward to reading more. This was such a beautiful and emotional read about childhood friends Roman and Cassian. I really enjoyed reading to their hard earned HEA.
I just read this in one sitting. I cried so much while reading 😭💕 I really wished I could hug both of them. The characters were amazing, and the longing between them was so strong. Rowon and Cassian really pulled me through their emotions. Overall, I really enjoyed the book.
4,5 ⭐️. Honestly, I can’t think of a better activity than a good midnight cry:))). I didn’t like the writing style at first, but in its own way, it kept its pace and I couldn’t stop reading. Loved it!!
4.5. This book reads almost line a journal. But I felt all of the emotions and cried through a lot of it. This is a story of two boys broken in different ways and seeing them try to find their way to protect each other.