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Tork and Adam #3
If I Should Stumble
IF I SHOULD STUMBLE
Book three in the Tork and Adam series
Love is sure and timeless and forever. It whispers over the morning coffee and the last thought before sleep. Love is beyond hope, and cruel as life.
Kaz has been in the UK for almost a year, but the days pass by in an endless round of alcohol and nothingness. He has a story but no words good or bad enough to tell it, until one day, he is assigned a new peer mentor who asks him to help train a sponsored running team. Something that was stretched as old parchment breaks inside, and memories begin to re-surface.
Zack is overjoyed when his friend Adam asks him to be part of the sponsored run team trying to make money for the local homeless shelter. All day he makes cakes to lighten people’s load, but something is missing from his life. Then he meets the boy with eyes like the desert, and with every step he runs, Zack’s light burns away the darkness in Kaz’s heart.
As the race heats gets nearer, Tork, Adam, Zack and Jo realise that under Kaz’s careful programme, they have a chance to qualify and set right some of the wrongs of this world.
This book features the characters Tork and Adam from The Invasion of Tork and The Invasion of Adam.
Book three in the Tork and Adam series
Love is sure and timeless and forever. It whispers over the morning coffee and the last thought before sleep. Love is beyond hope, and cruel as life.
Kaz has been in the UK for almost a year, but the days pass by in an endless round of alcohol and nothingness. He has a story but no words good or bad enough to tell it, until one day, he is assigned a new peer mentor who asks him to help train a sponsored running team. Something that was stretched as old parchment breaks inside, and memories begin to re-surface.
Zack is overjoyed when his friend Adam asks him to be part of the sponsored run team trying to make money for the local homeless shelter. All day he makes cakes to lighten people’s load, but something is missing from his life. Then he meets the boy with eyes like the desert, and with every step he runs, Zack’s light burns away the darkness in Kaz’s heart.
As the race heats gets nearer, Tork, Adam, Zack and Jo realise that under Kaz’s careful programme, they have a chance to qualify and set right some of the wrongs of this world.
This book features the characters Tork and Adam from The Invasion of Tork and The Invasion of Adam.
148 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2016
6 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
November 27, 2016
5 Stars.So good!
Once there was a boy,a sweet boy,who looked at other boys for longer than he should have
I've been putting off writing this review for days because I really don't know how to put into words how wonderful it is and how much it touched me.
Kaz is a runner in his home country.There's nothing more he enjoys than spending time with his beloved coach.When he's with coach he feels safe and protected until one day his world is shattered.He's told to run one last time and not look back.He must leave everything and everyone behind.
You don't get to find out which country he's from but it's obviously in turmoil and doesn't tolerate homosexuality.You aren't given any in depth detail about what he goes through but enough is included to make you understand the struggle he's been through.
He's now in the UK staying at the same group home as Tork.On the outside he's charming and polite but inside he's struggling.He has so many memories,feels guilt and shame and turns to a bottle of cider to blank everything out and just forget.
Tork is assigned as his mentor and refuses to give up on him.He's seen him running and persuades him to coach a running team Adam has started for the homeless shelter he volunteers for.This is where he meets Zack.
Zack,the boy with the soft hair and blue eyes who is very self conscious about his weight.But Kaz doesn't see an overweight boy when he looks at Zack.He sees someone kind and gentle and someone who is just there for him.
This book broke my heart a little bit.I just wanted to reach in and put my arms around Kaz.It's a beautiful story of memories,loss,hope,new friendships and boyfriends
Highly recommended.
Arc from Author
Once there was a boy,a sweet boy,who looked at other boys for longer than he should have
I've been putting off writing this review for days because I really don't know how to put into words how wonderful it is and how much it touched me.
Kaz is a runner in his home country.There's nothing more he enjoys than spending time with his beloved coach.When he's with coach he feels safe and protected until one day his world is shattered.He's told to run one last time and not look back.He must leave everything and everyone behind.
You don't get to find out which country he's from but it's obviously in turmoil and doesn't tolerate homosexuality.You aren't given any in depth detail about what he goes through but enough is included to make you understand the struggle he's been through.
He's now in the UK staying at the same group home as Tork.On the outside he's charming and polite but inside he's struggling.He has so many memories,feels guilt and shame and turns to a bottle of cider to blank everything out and just forget.
Tork is assigned as his mentor and refuses to give up on him.He's seen him running and persuades him to coach a running team Adam has started for the homeless shelter he volunteers for.This is where he meets Zack.
Zack,the boy with the soft hair and blue eyes who is very self conscious about his weight.But Kaz doesn't see an overweight boy when he looks at Zack.He sees someone kind and gentle and someone who is just there for him.
This book broke my heart a little bit.I just wanted to reach in and put my arms around Kaz.It's a beautiful story of memories,loss,hope,new friendships and boyfriends
Highly recommended.
Arc from Author
November 3, 2016
Once there was a boy, and he ran like the wind. He ran and ran, leaving his family, his beloved coach, his country, his life. Fueled by fear and desperation, the boy survived.
But his soul didn't.
Now Kaz lives in the same group home as Tork, who is his mentor. It's beautiful seeing Tork so in love with Adam, so kind, so ALIVE. We always knew Tork was amazing, and he just shines here. But even Tork can't help Kaz if Kaz doesn't want to be helped.
Kaz says please and thank you; he puts on a happy smile. He tries to live up to the demands and expectations. But inside there's pain; there are memories. Kaz loses himself in hard cider, wakes up covered in puke, stops showering.
And he finds things, things he needs: a baby carriage, clothes, pretty beads. Even water noodles. Those are important.
To save Kaz from getting kicked out for not following house rules, Tork has Kaz coach the running team he and Adam put together to raise money for the homeless shelter where Adam volunteers.
That's when Kaz meets Zack. And that changes everything.
Zack is light and sweetness. He's a big teddy bear come to life, and he just wants to hold Kaz and never let go. Zack is a chef and loves to eat. He's embarrassed to be so overweight, and when another team mocks his size, Zack melts. He thinks maybe somehow Kaz hadn't noticed before.
But Kaz doesn't see the fat. He sees ZACK. He adores Zack's big, beautiful body. Zack listens. He doesn't judge. He bakes little cakes just for Kaz. Always for Kaz.
This is Kaz's story. And it's a love story. It's heartbreaking. It will make you cry.
But Kaz doesn't tell us his story. There's no long narrative, no harrowing account of an 18-year-old refugee escaping a war-torn country because his gaze lingered just a little too long on boys, never the girls, just the boys.
But we know. We SEE. There are rooftops and longing, and the piles that make Kaz feel safe. There is the silence. And finally there are WORDS.
This book broke me. It made my heart feel really small and tight, like it might stop beating. Then it made my heart sing again.
Because Adam & Tork, friendship, and BOYFRIENDS.
Once there was a boy, and he ran like the wind. He ran and ran, and when he stopped running, he met another boy, a boy who smelled like home.
This book is a masterpiece. I loved it beyond measure. Read it. Then read it again.
But his soul didn't.
Now Kaz lives in the same group home as Tork, who is his mentor. It's beautiful seeing Tork so in love with Adam, so kind, so ALIVE. We always knew Tork was amazing, and he just shines here. But even Tork can't help Kaz if Kaz doesn't want to be helped.
Kaz says please and thank you; he puts on a happy smile. He tries to live up to the demands and expectations. But inside there's pain; there are memories. Kaz loses himself in hard cider, wakes up covered in puke, stops showering.
And he finds things, things he needs: a baby carriage, clothes, pretty beads. Even water noodles. Those are important.
To save Kaz from getting kicked out for not following house rules, Tork has Kaz coach the running team he and Adam put together to raise money for the homeless shelter where Adam volunteers.
That's when Kaz meets Zack. And that changes everything.
Zack is light and sweetness. He's a big teddy bear come to life, and he just wants to hold Kaz and never let go. Zack is a chef and loves to eat. He's embarrassed to be so overweight, and when another team mocks his size, Zack melts. He thinks maybe somehow Kaz hadn't noticed before.
But Kaz doesn't see the fat. He sees ZACK. He adores Zack's big, beautiful body. Zack listens. He doesn't judge. He bakes little cakes just for Kaz. Always for Kaz.
This is Kaz's story. And it's a love story. It's heartbreaking. It will make you cry.
But Kaz doesn't tell us his story. There's no long narrative, no harrowing account of an 18-year-old refugee escaping a war-torn country because his gaze lingered just a little too long on boys, never the girls, just the boys.
But we know. We SEE. There are rooftops and longing, and the piles that make Kaz feel safe. There is the silence. And finally there are WORDS.
This book broke me. It made my heart feel really small and tight, like it might stop beating. Then it made my heart sing again.
Because Adam & Tork, friendship, and BOYFRIENDS.
Once there was a boy, and he ran like the wind. He ran and ran, and when he stopped running, he met another boy, a boy who smelled like home.
Waking up, walks and trips, tickles, music . . . the twenty-four hours in a day to spend with someone else—all the things he never dreamed he could have. "Mm. What you do to me. I don't need to see your body to see you." [Kaz] began rocking gently, his head on Zack's shoulder. "You're the cook to all my flour."
This book is a masterpiece. I loved it beyond measure. Read it. Then read it again.
December 27, 2016
Wow... Just... spectacularly amazing. I love the authors' works. I enjoy the flawed characters, the level of strength they have and impart to the other, the real-life and painful struggles they go through, the supportive secondary characters, the flawless and flowy writing, the breathtaking events and the perfect portrayal, the deep character and relationship development, the engaging plots, and everything else. IF there is anything else.
The editing was almost perfect: I only found one teeny tiny mistake.
(Just one question: Is Kaz 'Kevin' from the previous book?)
The struggle and despair Kaz goes through feels so real. It was confusing at first what was happening, but when slowly all mysteries get unraveled and all hidden meanings behind his dialogues and actions get revealed, the story starts moving smooth as butter. Kaz's story made my cry, but his recovery made me smile so wide that my cheeks hurt.
Zack is such a cute boy and so self-conscious that he reminded me of myself. It was wonderful to see how he and Kaz both became each other's strength and took each other forward in life.
Reading more about Tork and Adam was just like icing on the wonderfully, sinfully delicious cake! I couldn't stop devouring all the words!
An amazing story, and an amazing series. I can't get enough of these authors' works... :)
The editing was almost perfect: I only found one teeny tiny mistake.
(Just one question: Is Kaz 'Kevin' from the previous book?)
The struggle and despair Kaz goes through feels so real. It was confusing at first what was happening, but when slowly all mysteries get unraveled and all hidden meanings behind his dialogues and actions get revealed, the story starts moving smooth as butter. Kaz's story made my cry, but his recovery made me smile so wide that my cheeks hurt.
Zack is such a cute boy and so self-conscious that he reminded me of myself. It was wonderful to see how he and Kaz both became each other's strength and took each other forward in life.
Reading more about Tork and Adam was just like icing on the wonderfully, sinfully delicious cake! I couldn't stop devouring all the words!
An amazing story, and an amazing series. I can't get enough of these authors' works... :)
November 17, 2016
OMMFG, so many questions!
*Where* was Kaz actually from???
What exactly did he go through going from *there* (wherever 'there' was) on his way to asylum in the UK?
What happened with his family?
What actually happened with the family that helped him in his time of need and why?
And he remembered those numbers for how long, but never used them? Not even the safer ones? Why? Ugh.
I needed details! All of them.
While I enjoyed this novella, it made me more than a little bit cray cray that so many questions were left answered. I hate that. Inquiring minds and all, right?
The story that I did get was nice and sweet and accepting, but for this one to have totally worked for me, I truly needed more details vs. quite so much 'vague.' : (
Also, when the "babe's" started, I felt a bit like, "Wait, hold up. When did we get to to the 'babe' stage???"
That felt like a huge familiarity and emotional jump for me, without sufficient justifiable reason on-page for it, so I really couldn't get fully on board with the supposed feelings behind Kaz and Zack's budding relationship.
What did leave me truly fulfilled with this third installment of the series was seeing how Tork had really come into his own. And that he had Adam (more or less) exactly where he needed/wanted him to be. And that they were still happily together and working toward a future together. : )
Overall, I'd rate this one at around 3.5 crazy-making stars, all things considered.
------------------------------------------------
My ARC copy of the story was provided by the authors in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
December 1, 2016
Maravilloso. Todos tenemos preferencias a la hora de leer un libro, en lo que buscamos, yo siempre busco sentimientos y aquí me han desbordado, todo tipo de sentimientos, no voy a contar nada de la historia, nunca lo hago, pero sí diré que he llorado con Kaz, he soltado carcajadas con Adam y he sentido mucho mucho amor en forma de "boyfriends" y de amistad con Kaz y Zach, con Adam y Tork, con Jo...
A veces es complicado decir si un libro está bien escrito, lo único que puedo afirmar es que los autores tratan temas extremadamente complicados con mucho respeto, delicadeza y con mucha honestidad, y con ellos construyen una historia donde nos enseñan cómo la vida puede ser una auténtica mierda y muy injusta, pero que hay sitio para la esperanza y para la buena gente.
Muy hermoso, tercero en la serie, no os lo perdáis.
A veces es complicado decir si un libro está bien escrito, lo único que puedo afirmar es que los autores tratan temas extremadamente complicados con mucho respeto, delicadeza y con mucha honestidad, y con ellos construyen una historia donde nos enseñan cómo la vida puede ser una auténtica mierda y muy injusta, pero que hay sitio para la esperanza y para la buena gente.
Muy hermoso, tercero en la serie, no os lo perdáis.
December 2, 2016
5+++ If I should stumble
Speechless......Some stories take your breath away....
Kaz dear sweet Kaz.... I wanted to hold him, comfort him tell him he belonged, tell him even I didn't know him yet I already loved him....
I don't want to spoil so I will talk a bit incoherent... Kaz has it hard....hard hard.
When he meets Zack his world turns around. Zack is the light in his darkness. Zack...you only can love him, he is warm and round and hairy and strong and he is the most beautiful man Kaz has ever seen.
Then there was Tork....strong, determined and Adam *smirk* I really love the way he behaves he is so real....And Jo witty with the bug that made me laugh.
They all had a goal and they want to reach it together
But damn....this slowly revealing hurts and is so emotional.
It will shake you to the core, realizing this reality.
Just before i started to read I was already emotional. But I broke down during reading..
All those emotions.....the way it is written down.....unbelievable...
When does a story reach the status 'Perfect' .....not when everything is going smooth or the characters are flawless. But when you feel the reality in your bones, when your heart squeezed, your neck hurts and fingers cramp, you gasp, when tears are running down and you can't read because the lines are blurred. That is what Perfect is for me, I felt it all. *sigh* *sob*
The title gives me shivers....very emotional.
There are beautiful souls hiding..Afraid to connect, to find their feet...in need....
Let us see them and look out for them and never let them down....everrrr......
Speechless......Some stories take your breath away....
Kaz dear sweet Kaz.... I wanted to hold him, comfort him tell him he belonged, tell him even I didn't know him yet I already loved him....
I don't want to spoil so I will talk a bit incoherent... Kaz has it hard....hard hard.
When he meets Zack his world turns around. Zack is the light in his darkness. Zack...you only can love him, he is warm and round and hairy and strong and he is the most beautiful man Kaz has ever seen.
Then there was Tork....strong, determined and Adam *smirk* I really love the way he behaves he is so real....And Jo witty with the bug that made me laugh.
They all had a goal and they want to reach it together
But damn....this slowly revealing hurts and is so emotional.
It will shake you to the core, realizing this reality.
Just before i started to read I was already emotional. But I broke down during reading..
All those emotions.....the way it is written down.....unbelievable...
When does a story reach the status 'Perfect' .....not when everything is going smooth or the characters are flawless. But when you feel the reality in your bones, when your heart squeezed, your neck hurts and fingers cramp, you gasp, when tears are running down and you can't read because the lines are blurred. That is what Perfect is for me, I felt it all. *sigh* *sob*
The title gives me shivers....very emotional.
There are beautiful souls hiding..Afraid to connect, to find their feet...in need....
Let us see them and look out for them and never let them down....everrrr......
November 3, 2016
If I Should Stumble is the third book in the Tork series. I love these authors. Love them. And while this story is not about Tork and Adam, we do see plenty of them, throughout, and they are still going strong. And Tork shines brightly - so good to see.
This book. This story hit me. My heart broke for Kaz and all he's been through. Forced to leave his country because his family knows. Because his coach knows. Because his life is in danger.
Kaz fled from a war-torn country. He left his family, friends, university because they sent him away. He's been in the UK for a good while, now, as a refugee and he feels lost. He feels alone. He's not processed anything and he feels loads of guilt, not just for leaving his family behind, but for things that happened on his way to sanctuary. He puts on a brave and cheerful face, but it's all surface. Underneath that facade, he is suffering greatly. He gathers things that were needed then, but weren't to be found. He builds a cave, a fort to house all his fears and regrets.
But not everyone understands, because he won't talk about it, and, even worse, he's been using alcohol to quiet the memories and the guilt, so he is in danger of losing his place at Citywise. Only Tork is keeping him in the program by volunteering Kaz to coach their charity running team, because he discovered Kaz was a runner in his home country and he knows how to train properly.
Zack is a member of the charity running team that Adam and Tork have put together. Zack isn't athletic, at all, but he wants to be part of a team and he wants to lose some weight, so here he is (my hero, because - go him!) ready to learn and train. Zack is in culinary school and also volunteers at the same shelter that Adam does. Cooking and baking is Zack's passion. And because he is overweight, Zack doesn't see himself as attractive and certainly doesn't think someone like Kaz would see him.
But Kaz loves Zack's body. And his personality. The whole package. He has trouble admitting it, at first, because back home, being gay could get you killed and even get your family killed. So he has kept his desires inside and has tried hard not to even think about it. Seeing Tork with Adam, being so free with their affections, helps Kaz learn that his love is a good thing.
The charity run gave them all purpose, not only as a team, but an individual purpose to improve themselves and make a difference in the bigger picture. Kaz needed the team as much, if not more, than the others. Kaz had lost his purpose under a mountain of regret and fear.
What I loved about If I Should Stumble was that, beyond the charity run, Kaz and Zack each needed something that the other was perfect at giving. Zack needed some self confidence and acceptance for himself and his body. And Kaz needed someone who could help him see who he really was. That he was worth loving. Both of them needed someone to see beyond the outer packaging to what lay inside themselves. And they found it, along with some happiness. Kaz still has a ways to go to process everything he has been through, but he'll do it now. For Zack, and for himself. He's finally ready.
----------------
ARC of If I Should Stumble was generously provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.
This book. This story hit me. My heart broke for Kaz and all he's been through. Forced to leave his country because his family knows. Because his coach knows. Because his life is in danger.
Kaz fled from a war-torn country. He left his family, friends, university because they sent him away. He's been in the UK for a good while, now, as a refugee and he feels lost. He feels alone. He's not processed anything and he feels loads of guilt, not just for leaving his family behind, but for things that happened on his way to sanctuary. He puts on a brave and cheerful face, but it's all surface. Underneath that facade, he is suffering greatly. He gathers things that were needed then, but weren't to be found. He builds a cave, a fort to house all his fears and regrets.
But not everyone understands, because he won't talk about it, and, even worse, he's been using alcohol to quiet the memories and the guilt, so he is in danger of losing his place at Citywise. Only Tork is keeping him in the program by volunteering Kaz to coach their charity running team, because he discovered Kaz was a runner in his home country and he knows how to train properly.
Zack is a member of the charity running team that Adam and Tork have put together. Zack isn't athletic, at all, but he wants to be part of a team and he wants to lose some weight, so here he is (my hero, because - go him!) ready to learn and train. Zack is in culinary school and also volunteers at the same shelter that Adam does. Cooking and baking is Zack's passion. And because he is overweight, Zack doesn't see himself as attractive and certainly doesn't think someone like Kaz would see him.
But Kaz loves Zack's body. And his personality. The whole package. He has trouble admitting it, at first, because back home, being gay could get you killed and even get your family killed. So he has kept his desires inside and has tried hard not to even think about it. Seeing Tork with Adam, being so free with their affections, helps Kaz learn that his love is a good thing.
The charity run gave them all purpose, not only as a team, but an individual purpose to improve themselves and make a difference in the bigger picture. Kaz needed the team as much, if not more, than the others. Kaz had lost his purpose under a mountain of regret and fear.
What I loved about If I Should Stumble was that, beyond the charity run, Kaz and Zack each needed something that the other was perfect at giving. Zack needed some self confidence and acceptance for himself and his body. And Kaz needed someone who could help him see who he really was. That he was worth loving. Both of them needed someone to see beyond the outer packaging to what lay inside themselves. And they found it, along with some happiness. Kaz still has a ways to go to process everything he has been through, but he'll do it now. For Zack, and for himself. He's finally ready.
----------------
ARC of If I Should Stumble was generously provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.
December 1, 2016
“But what if I should stumble?”
“You? You are a boy who will stumble. You will fall and need help, and feel despair. You are a beautiful boy, so you will stumble hard. But then, you will get up any way you can. If you have to, you will crawl. You pull yourself up, and one foot at a time, you go on. And one day…” [...]
“You will know love again, and be able to live it."
Listen up! This is an important story. It's the story of a boy who one night chased the headlights, leaving his home, his family, his coach, and his ravaged country behind. Because he looked at other boys a little longer, and now people know.
Kaz reaches a destination. He is safe now. But does he feel safe? Or just lost?
Kaz tries to fill in the empty spaces with stuff but it's not enough. He tries to hoard all the things that would have helped him back then but it's never enough. Kaz doesn't know how to fill the emptiness inside, how to forget the baby (oh god that baby), how to stop getting drunk. But there's one thing he still knows how to do well. He knows how to run!
When his mentor in the group home (it's Tork!) convinces him to help train a sponsored running team, Kaz feels motivated for the first time ever. It was beautiful seeing Tork and Adam again. Tork has blossomed into this amazing person we always knew he was. And Adam is still an adorable mess. I'm so happy we found these boys in such a great place.
And then there's Zack. Zack with his soft, plump stomach and sweet smile. Insecure but always reliable. Zack, who joins the running team and pushes so hard despite being mocked at.
I 've read a couple of books with overweight characters lately, but something always felt off. This story made me realise what it is. Kaz didn't fall in love with Zack because he's overweight. He didn't fall for him despite of him being overweight. Kaz loved Zack because he was Zack. Because he was always there to listen. Because he baked Kaz cakes and rushed to pull him back when he was teetering on the edge.
The narrative structure is brilliant here. In only 148 pages, with a little back and forth in time, and without actually describing Kaz's past the authors manage to tell Kaz and Zack's story. It blew my mind.
This book is important. It's important to you, or at least it should be. It's important to me, because it hits too close to home. Literally. Right outside my door. If you watch the news you know that Greece is right in the middle of the refugee crisis. Or in the end of it? Or maybe the beginning. I don't even know anymore.
But most of all, it's important to people like Kaz, and I feel like we 're failing them every day.
If I should stumble made me feel all the feelings. It's a story very close to my heart, that I will forever treasure. Very highly recommended.
~Review cross-posted on Gay Book Reviews.~
November 29, 2016
This book made my inner Grinch so happy.
I have been in one of the worst book funks of my life. Book are a lifeline for me,and I've been so unhappy that I wasn't loving what I was reading. If I Should Stumble reminded me of why I love reading so much.
It's the story of a young man forced to leave the world he knows, forcing him to be alone in a new country, and then finding himself with some help from new friends. This book was everything. It was heartbreaking, sweet, and heart lifting. I think Claire Davis and Al Stewart are a writing duo that is underrated. Why they haven't blown up more is beyond me. Anyhoo...
My highlights:
-The plot. I don't think I've ever read a story with this subject matter- different plot in romance is hard to find, so hats off to these guys.
-The characters. All of them. What an awesome group. Kaz was a lost soul that broke my heart, and Zack was this charming man with so much love in his heart to give. And their friends were as equally great.
-The relationship development between Kaz and Zack was such adorable and full hope. It almost felt like a ray of light. Seeing the change in Kaz- it just made me happy.
-The story had a nice pace.
-And the end- made me feel complete.
My only niggle is that there were some things left unanswered about Kaz's background and family. I kept waiting for some answers, but they never came.
As far as this being book 3 in the series- can it be read as a stand alone? Technically, yes. *whispers* I haven't read the first two Tork and Adam books. *hangs head in shame* I planned on reading all three back to back, but life happened. Did I feel lost? No. But there's no doubt in me that it would be better if you did. Tork and Adam play prominent roles in this story, so I did wish I'd read them first.
Final verdict... do I recommend this book? A resounding yes. I think Claire Davis and Al Stewart write poetry together. They wrote a story that is relevant today. They wrote a story about the average person. They wrote about loneliness. About heartbreak. But most importantly about love and healing.
4.5 Stars
I have been in one of the worst book funks of my life. Book are a lifeline for me,and I've been so unhappy that I wasn't loving what I was reading. If I Should Stumble reminded me of why I love reading so much.
It's the story of a young man forced to leave the world he knows, forcing him to be alone in a new country, and then finding himself with some help from new friends. This book was everything. It was heartbreaking, sweet, and heart lifting. I think Claire Davis and Al Stewart are a writing duo that is underrated. Why they haven't blown up more is beyond me. Anyhoo...
My highlights:
-The plot. I don't think I've ever read a story with this subject matter- different plot in romance is hard to find, so hats off to these guys.
-The characters. All of them. What an awesome group. Kaz was a lost soul that broke my heart, and Zack was this charming man with so much love in his heart to give. And their friends were as equally great.
-The relationship development between Kaz and Zack was such adorable and full hope. It almost felt like a ray of light. Seeing the change in Kaz- it just made me happy.
-The story had a nice pace.
-And the end- made me feel complete.
My only niggle is that there were some things left unanswered about Kaz's background and family. I kept waiting for some answers, but they never came.
As far as this being book 3 in the series- can it be read as a stand alone? Technically, yes. *whispers* I haven't read the first two Tork and Adam books. *hangs head in shame* I planned on reading all three back to back, but life happened. Did I feel lost? No. But there's no doubt in me that it would be better if you did. Tork and Adam play prominent roles in this story, so I did wish I'd read them first.
Final verdict... do I recommend this book? A resounding yes. I think Claire Davis and Al Stewart write poetry together. They wrote a story that is relevant today. They wrote a story about the average person. They wrote about loneliness. About heartbreak. But most importantly about love and healing.
4.5 Stars
November 15, 2016
There's no way I can write an adequate review for this book. Apologies, dear authors, but you have slayed me with this.
But I'll try. I'll try to tell you why you should run, as fast as Kaz runs inside the pages of this book, to get yourself a copy as soon as you possibly can. I'll try to tell you why I cried all the tears, why my heart is broken yet repaired, and why you should read this book.
Because there is a young man inside who needs you to listen to his story, even though he doesn't have the words to tell it to you himself. Because words. They can change your life in a moment, and Kaz only knows that too well.
Kaz can run. He can run fast, and he's told to run and not look back, to run and run and run toward the headlights because if he stops, they might catch him and kill him. Because they know. They know he's different, they know he's not like the others, and they hate him for it. They might not stop at killing just him, they might kill his family too. His parents. His sister.
So Kaz runs. He's been running from his war-torn, homophobic country, he's been running from his would-be killers, from the life he knew, where he had friends and university and Coach and family. Even now, in the UK in a refugee house, he's still running because the horrors he's seen along the way are haunting him.
He's alone, so alone. He's drowning in regrets, in guilt, in grief, in shame, and then he drowns the pain with cheap cider. And stuff - a broken stroller, beads, pool noodles, coats, single shoes - all the stuff he needed while he was running from the only home he ever knew, but didn't have, which would have helped him and helped to save the ones he couldn't save.
He puts on a happy face, smiles and says all the right things that people expect to hear. Outwardly, he's fine, adjusting to his new life, doing what he's told. Always a "please" and a "thank you", and "it's an awesome day" on his lips.
But inside, there's guilt. Grief. Shame. Terror. And pain, so much overwhelming pain.
But there's Tork, too. Tork who shines so brightly in this book, who's so supportive, who sees what Kaz cannot put into words. There's Adam too, who's still a bit of a dick, but who loves Tork.
And there's Zack, who doesn't think much of himself because he's overweight and likes to eat, but who also sees Kaz. Sees him, patiently offers his shoulder and his ear and his heart on his sleeve to the boy who's running from everything. Zack, whose soft body and sweet cakes get Kaz to slow down and then stop running. Get him to open up, to allow the words Kaz has held inside for so long to bubble out. Zack who stops the rooftops from spinning, Zack who rights the tilt of Kaz' world.
As much as Kaz needs Zack, so does Zack need Kaz. They find each other, and they're never letting go.
I cannot imagine the horrors Kaz has seen on his journey, nor would I want to. Innocent lives lost. Desperation that sends you into the waves again and again to try to save the child that slipped from your arms as you crossed a sea in a rickety overloaded boat. Running as fast as you can just to have a chance to live. And then not knowing how to stop running, because what you've seen will haunt you for the rest of your life.
So, this is my review. It isn't good enough, not even close, but I don't have better words. I will beg you though to get this book and read it. Maybe read it a few times. There aren't many I'd take with me to a deserted island, out of all the many books I've read, but this is surely one of them.
It's... everything.
** I received a free copy of this book from its authors. A positive review was not promise in retunr. **
But I'll try. I'll try to tell you why you should run, as fast as Kaz runs inside the pages of this book, to get yourself a copy as soon as you possibly can. I'll try to tell you why I cried all the tears, why my heart is broken yet repaired, and why you should read this book.
Because there is a young man inside who needs you to listen to his story, even though he doesn't have the words to tell it to you himself. Because words. They can change your life in a moment, and Kaz only knows that too well.
Kaz can run. He can run fast, and he's told to run and not look back, to run and run and run toward the headlights because if he stops, they might catch him and kill him. Because they know. They know he's different, they know he's not like the others, and they hate him for it. They might not stop at killing just him, they might kill his family too. His parents. His sister.
So Kaz runs. He's been running from his war-torn, homophobic country, he's been running from his would-be killers, from the life he knew, where he had friends and university and Coach and family. Even now, in the UK in a refugee house, he's still running because the horrors he's seen along the way are haunting him.
He's alone, so alone. He's drowning in regrets, in guilt, in grief, in shame, and then he drowns the pain with cheap cider. And stuff - a broken stroller, beads, pool noodles, coats, single shoes - all the stuff he needed while he was running from the only home he ever knew, but didn't have, which would have helped him and helped to save the ones he couldn't save.
He puts on a happy face, smiles and says all the right things that people expect to hear. Outwardly, he's fine, adjusting to his new life, doing what he's told. Always a "please" and a "thank you", and "it's an awesome day" on his lips.
But inside, there's guilt. Grief. Shame. Terror. And pain, so much overwhelming pain.
But there's Tork, too. Tork who shines so brightly in this book, who's so supportive, who sees what Kaz cannot put into words. There's Adam too, who's still a bit of a dick, but who loves Tork.
And there's Zack, who doesn't think much of himself because he's overweight and likes to eat, but who also sees Kaz. Sees him, patiently offers his shoulder and his ear and his heart on his sleeve to the boy who's running from everything. Zack, whose soft body and sweet cakes get Kaz to slow down and then stop running. Get him to open up, to allow the words Kaz has held inside for so long to bubble out. Zack who stops the rooftops from spinning, Zack who rights the tilt of Kaz' world.
As much as Kaz needs Zack, so does Zack need Kaz. They find each other, and they're never letting go.
I cannot imagine the horrors Kaz has seen on his journey, nor would I want to. Innocent lives lost. Desperation that sends you into the waves again and again to try to save the child that slipped from your arms as you crossed a sea in a rickety overloaded boat. Running as fast as you can just to have a chance to live. And then not knowing how to stop running, because what you've seen will haunt you for the rest of your life.
So, this is my review. It isn't good enough, not even close, but I don't have better words. I will beg you though to get this book and read it. Maybe read it a few times. There aren't many I'd take with me to a deserted island, out of all the many books I've read, but this is surely one of them.
It's... everything.
** I received a free copy of this book from its authors. A positive review was not promise in retunr. **
December 3, 2016
4.5 rounded up
I love this series, and I thought this was a compassionate and relevant look at a situation that really should never happen.
Full review at Prism , but if you haven't read the first two in the series - you should do The Invasion of Adam and The Invasion of Tork
Also sweeter because they're hone grown talents
I love this series, and I thought this was a compassionate and relevant look at a situation that really should never happen.
Full review at Prism , but if you haven't read the first two in the series - you should do The Invasion of Adam and The Invasion of Tork
Also sweeter because they're hone grown talents
December 8, 2016
It has taken me forever to review this book. Not because I didn't like it, not because it was like a million other things I've read. No, it was because every time I sat down to write a fucking review I couldn't think of the words. I was going to get it wrong.
This book addresses important things, things I feel very strongly about. It is wonderful and painful and kind of tears you apart and patches you back up again.
There are many themes that run through the Tork and Adam series. They're about isolation, about fear, they're about learning to trust and of seeing beyond our prejudices. I think this is the reason I probably latched on to the books the way I did.
This book passes the baton, both literally and figuratively, and whether it is the beginning of another chapter or the end of the series, I'm eternally grateful to the authors.
***
This book addresses important things, things I feel very strongly about. It is wonderful and painful and kind of tears you apart and patches you back up again.
There are many themes that run through the Tork and Adam series. They're about isolation, about fear, they're about learning to trust and of seeing beyond our prejudices. I think this is the reason I probably latched on to the books the way I did.
This book passes the baton, both literally and figuratively, and whether it is the beginning of another chapter or the end of the series, I'm eternally grateful to the authors.
***
December 4, 2016
*4,5 stars*
I haven't read any of the other Tork and Adam books, but this worked fine as a standalone. I did get enough information about the characters and what they went through before.
And boy, is this a stunning book!
The authors have done a stellar job putting us into Kaz's mind. What he is going through is excruciating - not so much in a physical way (although that's part of it) but mainly psychologically.
He is totally lost in a world he can barely grasp - a world with a different language, different sets of values, habits and expectations. And all this after he barely escaped a country where being gay was punishable by death, where being who he was might have meant the death of a family and the coach he loved.
It is heart breaking to see him struggle just to exist, how he fakes to be ok, how he doesn't give a toss what actually happens to him. Drinking seems the only thing that relieves him from the burden that's suffocating him steadily. Hording stuff is his only means of making sense of his situation.
I admit sitting through most of this choked-up. Kaz is in a state of utter desperation. Until he meets Zack. The slightly rotund chef with a big heart. And it was a beautiful thing to see them gel. How Kaz opens up to Zack. I loved that Kaz totally fancies the pants off Zack because he is on the chubby side. He likes his guys like that and while Zack and his kindness save Kaz from himself, Kaz showers Zack with genuine affection. They simply work.
This must be one of the most heart-warming stories I've read, and the message that there is hope even when it is not tangible at the time.
But I would have liked to see so much MORE. Zack and Kaz's first time together happened off page and - argh - I would have loved to see Kaz experience being loved and Zack being adored in body and mind. And I would have liked to find out how their relationship developed.
So.... maybe one day????
Great book, amazing story, so many feels!
Highly recommended!
I haven't read any of the other Tork and Adam books, but this worked fine as a standalone. I did get enough information about the characters and what they went through before.
And boy, is this a stunning book!
The authors have done a stellar job putting us into Kaz's mind. What he is going through is excruciating - not so much in a physical way (although that's part of it) but mainly psychologically.
He is totally lost in a world he can barely grasp - a world with a different language, different sets of values, habits and expectations. And all this after he barely escaped a country where being gay was punishable by death, where being who he was might have meant the death of a family and the coach he loved.
It is heart breaking to see him struggle just to exist, how he fakes to be ok, how he doesn't give a toss what actually happens to him. Drinking seems the only thing that relieves him from the burden that's suffocating him steadily. Hording stuff is his only means of making sense of his situation.
I admit sitting through most of this choked-up. Kaz is in a state of utter desperation. Until he meets Zack. The slightly rotund chef with a big heart. And it was a beautiful thing to see them gel. How Kaz opens up to Zack. I loved that Kaz totally fancies the pants off Zack because he is on the chubby side. He likes his guys like that and while Zack and his kindness save Kaz from himself, Kaz showers Zack with genuine affection. They simply work.
This must be one of the most heart-warming stories I've read, and the message that there is hope even when it is not tangible at the time.
But I would have liked to see so much MORE. Zack and Kaz's first time together happened off page and - argh - I would have loved to see Kaz experience being loved and Zack being adored in body and mind. And I would have liked to find out how their relationship developed.
So.... maybe one day????
Great book, amazing story, so many feels!
Highly recommended!
August 20, 2022
Seriously, I really need to know who you are! If anyone knows
Elf Is Not My Real Name
, please help me out here! I need to deliver hugs in person to say THANK YOU!! You made me really happy!!
***********************************************
I really wanted to write a review to do this book justice but I just don't have the time right now :/
I read it twice - started it again right after turning the last page - it was sooo good!!! So many emotions, so many tears, so much hope and love!!
I love the whole series and I will remember it for a very long time <3
***********************************************
I really wanted to write a review to do this book justice but I just don't have the time right now :/
I read it twice - started it again right after turning the last page - it was sooo good!!! So many emotions, so many tears, so much hope and love!!
I love the whole series and I will remember it for a very long time <3
March 20, 2017
Oh what a beautiful story this one.
And the hardest part of writing a review of a great story is, you'll never have a proper words to write.
At least in my case. I was just swooning and doing aah and ooh all the time.
You know the feeling?
December 9, 2016
If I Should Stumble is a beautifully sweet, slow-built romance. But it is so much more than that.
I think Ofelia Gränd said it well. It feels important.
It feels courageous.
I absolutely refuse to give anything about this story away. I will say that like with the other books in this series, we are given this lovely romance about seeing past our prejudices and that, as it unfolds, is more than a story about two characters. It also touches on something real. It lends a fictional name to what is sadly, a reality for countless people. In doing so, it may just change hearts and minds.
Easily one of my favorite books of 2016. The highest of recommendations.
I think Ofelia Gränd said it well. It feels important.
It feels courageous.
I absolutely refuse to give anything about this story away. I will say that like with the other books in this series, we are given this lovely romance about seeing past our prejudices and that, as it unfolds, is more than a story about two characters. It also touches on something real. It lends a fictional name to what is sadly, a reality for countless people. In doing so, it may just change hearts and minds.
Easily one of my favorite books of 2016. The highest of recommendations.
December 2, 2016
Other reviewers have said it better.. And it's hard to find the words to say just how amazing this book is so I'll just say please read it. Recommended.
August 13, 2018
This intense YA story reminds us of the risks refugees face, and the trauma that's often present in their past, even after they make it to our safer shores. Kaz arrived in the UK almost a year ago, from a place where being gay could mean a lynch mob at your door. He's safe now, but he doesn't feel safe. And along the way, he lost so much - his family, his running teammates, friends he found in mutual need, and the running coach who saved him by making him go.
Kaz is silent, and private, and he's taught himself to put a bright smile on top of his pain. He drinks to forget both his losses and how badly he's fitting in to his new life. The people who are trying to give him new skills don't understand why he's failing, why he can't seem to try harder, but he's on his last chance with the residence he's in. He figures he's going to fail, until Tork is assigned as his peer mentor. Tork sticks close, covers for him, and won't give up on him. And then one day, Tork volunteers him to coach his and Adam's charity running team. And something so integral to who Kaz once was threatens to break the walls he has erected around his past.
Zach was pleased but surprised to be asked by his friend Adam to be on the charity team. He has a great heart and wants to help, but he's a baker, and he's overweight and very far out of shape. He figures running is a lost cause, until Kaz arrives, with an enthusiasm and can-do attitude that won't take "I can't run" for an answer.
Both young men have something to offer that the other needs, but Kaz's traumas, and Zach's self-doubts, are a lot to overcome. This story was painful, and real, subtle, and lovely. It paints a clear and heart-opening picture, without filling in every detail. The emotions ring very true.
(Although listed as a book 3, this could be read as a stand alone, since the MCs of the first two are secondary.)
Kaz is silent, and private, and he's taught himself to put a bright smile on top of his pain. He drinks to forget both his losses and how badly he's fitting in to his new life. The people who are trying to give him new skills don't understand why he's failing, why he can't seem to try harder, but he's on his last chance with the residence he's in. He figures he's going to fail, until Tork is assigned as his peer mentor. Tork sticks close, covers for him, and won't give up on him. And then one day, Tork volunteers him to coach his and Adam's charity running team. And something so integral to who Kaz once was threatens to break the walls he has erected around his past.
Zach was pleased but surprised to be asked by his friend Adam to be on the charity team. He has a great heart and wants to help, but he's a baker, and he's overweight and very far out of shape. He figures running is a lost cause, until Kaz arrives, with an enthusiasm and can-do attitude that won't take "I can't run" for an answer.
Both young men have something to offer that the other needs, but Kaz's traumas, and Zach's self-doubts, are a lot to overcome. This story was painful, and real, subtle, and lovely. It paints a clear and heart-opening picture, without filling in every detail. The emotions ring very true.
(Although listed as a book 3, this could be read as a stand alone, since the MCs of the first two are secondary.)
February 5, 2017
The timeless quote by Charles Dickens, "We forge the chains we wear in life” is the wise line of the story . We as individuals make our own limitations, our own chains. Yet, there is always a hope. Even when you are 'all dead inside, from people shouting and throwing stuff when they caught you stealing food like you are the lowest, most disgusting person out there. And when you are starving. But not just for food. Homesickness detonates through your weary body. At the back of his mind, Kaz knows one day he will try to speak so the world never forgot. But in order to speak, he, too, has to control the memories or they will overwhelm him once more. He knows one day he will stumble, fall and need help, and feel despair. But then, he will get up any way he can. If he has to, he will crawl. He will pull himself up, and one foot at a time, and go on. And one day… ' he'll see in himself potential, courage, strength, love. The opportunity is there he just has to be the one to take it. He will do it for his coach. Breaking the chains he forges- piles of possessions barely reach halfway up to the ceiling, making him struggle to breathe- he becomes brighter and finding reason to shine brighter then before. The magic in it is when Zack comes and shine with him. Not for him and on him but with him!
December 14, 2016
I like these... it's a good reminder that compassion & companionship can be life changing.
December 2, 2016
https://justloveromance.wordpress.com...
4.5 stars
What if you had to run? Had to leave everything and everyone behind and flee for your life? What if the journey you had to take was so heartbreaking, you would gladly spend each day doing whatever it took to forget the faces and the voices of those who weren’t strong enough, fast enough…lucky enough. And what if you had to do it alone?
Kaz is a boy who likes other boys. He knows it. His family knows it. His coach knows it. But other people have noticed too, and they’re talking. And Kaz knows, words are dangerous.
“They know!”
Words to terrify. Words to end all sleep. Words that no denying could dint or change. Once you shared a laugh – lingered over a glance or went to the café with boys too many times – eventually they always found out.
Words that got you beat up.
Words that killed
Words – words – words.
So Kaz runs. Runs like his coach taught him to do on the track, when the possibility of an Olympic dream didn’t seem so far away. But two years on, in a new country, Kaz is still running. Only this time, he’s running from himself; from the memories of a journey so harrowing that the people who couldn’t run as fast or as far, haunt the very marrow of his bones.
But salvation is coming in the form of a charity race where Kaz is given the opportunity to coach four young men and women. Not only are they breaking down his defenses, they are giving him a chance to build friendships – build trust – and giving him his voice back. Now he just needs the courage to allow himself to love without fear and to finally stop running from his demons.
This could very well have turned out to be a depressing story about a young refugee struggling to adapt to his new country. But there is no preaching and no heavy-handed rebukes. Instead, in the authors’ deft hands, it’s full of gentle humour, compassion and characters that are entirely relatable.
If I Should Stumble brings back Tork and Adam, the MC’s from the first two books in this series (and if you haven’t read them, go now. You need to get to know how amazing they are first before you read this book). It’s lovely to see them, still together and going strong.
And then there is Zack, the young, chef in training with body image issues. Where others see reason to ridicule, Kaz sees something to treasure.
Zack was large and hairy – nothing like the physique-obsessed boys Kaz had trained with.
He’d always been drawn to bigger men with swelling arms and round stomachs – real men who didn’t waste time comparing protein shake flavours.
Kissable.
Kaz and Zack are opposite sides of the same coin. Even their names are practically a palindrome. Where Kaz is all bony and sharp angles, Zach is soft and curved. Where Kaz is deflection and shadows, Zack is open heart and clear intentions. Where Kaz denies himself all but the barest amount of sustenance, Zack enjoys cooking and eating with full flavour and gusto. Their strengths offset each other’s weaknesses. Their careful courtship is an absolute joy to read and I’m not sure I have come across two sweeter boys in romance this year.
There is so much to love about this book. I give full credit to the authors for being able to discuss important social issues without beating their readers over the head with IMPORTANT MESSAGES. Because even without the sermon, it’s not difficult to imagine the horrors that Kaz faced on his journey. After all, we’ve seen them in our nightly news reports. What we don’t often see, is the aftermath. Of how survivors must not only live with what they’ve seen, but acclimate to a way of life that is often strange and unfamiliar. This book portrays just a small portion of that struggle, and does it quite beautifully.
This book, this series, is highly recommended.
I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.
4.5 stars
What if you had to run? Had to leave everything and everyone behind and flee for your life? What if the journey you had to take was so heartbreaking, you would gladly spend each day doing whatever it took to forget the faces and the voices of those who weren’t strong enough, fast enough…lucky enough. And what if you had to do it alone?
Kaz is a boy who likes other boys. He knows it. His family knows it. His coach knows it. But other people have noticed too, and they’re talking. And Kaz knows, words are dangerous.
“They know!”
Words to terrify. Words to end all sleep. Words that no denying could dint or change. Once you shared a laugh – lingered over a glance or went to the café with boys too many times – eventually they always found out.
Words that got you beat up.
Words that killed
Words – words – words.
So Kaz runs. Runs like his coach taught him to do on the track, when the possibility of an Olympic dream didn’t seem so far away. But two years on, in a new country, Kaz is still running. Only this time, he’s running from himself; from the memories of a journey so harrowing that the people who couldn’t run as fast or as far, haunt the very marrow of his bones.
But salvation is coming in the form of a charity race where Kaz is given the opportunity to coach four young men and women. Not only are they breaking down his defenses, they are giving him a chance to build friendships – build trust – and giving him his voice back. Now he just needs the courage to allow himself to love without fear and to finally stop running from his demons.
This could very well have turned out to be a depressing story about a young refugee struggling to adapt to his new country. But there is no preaching and no heavy-handed rebukes. Instead, in the authors’ deft hands, it’s full of gentle humour, compassion and characters that are entirely relatable.
If I Should Stumble brings back Tork and Adam, the MC’s from the first two books in this series (and if you haven’t read them, go now. You need to get to know how amazing they are first before you read this book). It’s lovely to see them, still together and going strong.
And then there is Zack, the young, chef in training with body image issues. Where others see reason to ridicule, Kaz sees something to treasure.
Zack was large and hairy – nothing like the physique-obsessed boys Kaz had trained with.
He’d always been drawn to bigger men with swelling arms and round stomachs – real men who didn’t waste time comparing protein shake flavours.
Kissable.
Kaz and Zack are opposite sides of the same coin. Even their names are practically a palindrome. Where Kaz is all bony and sharp angles, Zach is soft and curved. Where Kaz is deflection and shadows, Zack is open heart and clear intentions. Where Kaz denies himself all but the barest amount of sustenance, Zack enjoys cooking and eating with full flavour and gusto. Their strengths offset each other’s weaknesses. Their careful courtship is an absolute joy to read and I’m not sure I have come across two sweeter boys in romance this year.
There is so much to love about this book. I give full credit to the authors for being able to discuss important social issues without beating their readers over the head with IMPORTANT MESSAGES. Because even without the sermon, it’s not difficult to imagine the horrors that Kaz faced on his journey. After all, we’ve seen them in our nightly news reports. What we don’t often see, is the aftermath. Of how survivors must not only live with what they’ve seen, but acclimate to a way of life that is often strange and unfamiliar. This book portrays just a small portion of that struggle, and does it quite beautifully.
This book, this series, is highly recommended.
I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.
December 5, 2016
Como siempre Al y Claire no decepcionan, estupenda novella.
December 3, 2016
I've been staring at the screen for quite a while now not knowing what to write. If I should Stumble is fabulous.
I went to check what I've read this year as to be sure I'm not lying when I say it's one of my absolute favourites for 2016 - it is one of my absolute favourite 2016 reads. But that's not why I can't find the words to write, what I'm struggling with is that I want to say that this book is important.
Kaz has a home, a family, and a coach who helps him run. Every day he runs with his coach by his side until one day when he is told to keep running and never look back. Kaz's world falls apart, breaks, shatters. He ends up in the UK, but even though he has a place to stay and people around him who care, he is lost. Like so many in real life who has been forced to leave everything behind he struggles to find a way to cope. Nothing works until Tork persuades him to help coach their running team.
It's through that team he meets Zack.
I don't know if it's because I teach Swedish as a second language to immigrant in RL and have met people just like Kaz that this book affects me the way it does. I've talked to young men who have had to run for their lives, one who got his boyfriend murdered by his own family simply because he loved a man. I've had students who have described the days they've spent hidden away in trucks and boats.
They are real people, Kaz might not be but he very well could have been. And this book is important because if it can touch people's hearts, if they can empathise with Kaz, then maybe they will be a little more understanding next time they met a real life Kaz.
This story will rip you apart; it did rip me apart.
I went to check what I've read this year as to be sure I'm not lying when I say it's one of my absolute favourites for 2016 - it is one of my absolute favourite 2016 reads. But that's not why I can't find the words to write, what I'm struggling with is that I want to say that this book is important.
Kaz has a home, a family, and a coach who helps him run. Every day he runs with his coach by his side until one day when he is told to keep running and never look back. Kaz's world falls apart, breaks, shatters. He ends up in the UK, but even though he has a place to stay and people around him who care, he is lost. Like so many in real life who has been forced to leave everything behind he struggles to find a way to cope. Nothing works until Tork persuades him to help coach their running team.
It's through that team he meets Zack.
I don't know if it's because I teach Swedish as a second language to immigrant in RL and have met people just like Kaz that this book affects me the way it does. I've talked to young men who have had to run for their lives, one who got his boyfriend murdered by his own family simply because he loved a man. I've had students who have described the days they've spent hidden away in trucks and boats.
They are real people, Kaz might not be but he very well could have been. And this book is important because if it can touch people's hearts, if they can empathise with Kaz, then maybe they will be a little more understanding next time they met a real life Kaz.
This story will rip you apart; it did rip me apart.
December 3, 2016
waiting for my lovelies to finish reading this.
Review on the blog very soon, in the meantime know that this is a brilliant addition to the Tork and Adam series and it tackles very serious issues in a realistic and sympathetic manner.
The series is also very deliciously British, gracefully devoid of overused clichés and the "miraculous ribbon on top of the perfect ending" which plagues many of its overseas counterparts.
Review is up on the blog
http://wp.me/p6pXMr-b7
Review on the blog very soon, in the meantime know that this is a brilliant addition to the Tork and Adam series and it tackles very serious issues in a realistic and sympathetic manner.
The series is also very deliciously British, gracefully devoid of overused clichés and the "miraculous ribbon on top of the perfect ending" which plagues many of its overseas counterparts.
Review is up on the blog
http://wp.me/p6pXMr-b7
December 3, 2016
Full of feels. Kaz and Zack. Tork and Adam. Loved. 5 stars.
April 15, 2018
I was so excited for this book…I bought it twice. (imma dork) Ha! And…..I’d happily buy it again. (it got a little lost on my kindle, please don’t judge…I’m a work in progress)
It was EVERYTHING and more.
This fantabulous penning duo blows me away with their words.
Every time.
I loved Tork and Adam and was infatuated with the first two books but this? This?! I’m still gazing at my kindle with a mixed sense of wonder and utmost respect.
I would link my reading experience with Davis and Stewart on the same wavelength as reading a Suki Fleet story. If you love Fleet’s writing, I am certain you will love Davis & Stewart’s stories too. And vice versus.
There are gaps…holes…you aren’t meant to know everything. And the beauty of it is, you don’t need to. It’s okay. You will discover what you need to. Sometimes, you don’t have to know all of the details to understand. To grasp what is important. And they tell us all of the necessary bits. *sigh* And it’s tragically beautiful.
Kaz is a refugee. I’m not sure where he’s from. It doesn’t matter…really. What matters is how his existence was cast away because of who he is. He was forced to flee, run for his life because…they knew. Such an innocent soul to have suffered so greatly. I want to squeeze him tight!
He has made his way to the UK and he is…surviving. Barely.
Numbing himself daily doesn’t equate to living. But he can’t talk. He can’t…remember. It’s too much. Then his new peer mentor, Tork, forces him to care. Even if it’s a minuscule amount, even if it’s a baby step, it’s enough to pull him back. Next thing he knows, he finds himself coaching a team of awkward runners with a golden purpose. They must race to raise money and awareness for the shelter. Running. This he can do. Or he used to. And when he meets Zack he thinks he might be able to stay on the path, even if he stumbles…again.
What's to like: As I mentioned, I’m a huge fan of Tork and Adam. They won me over with their memorable story and I have no doubt they are…a forever deal. But, it was nice to see them again. They are so swoony. And they make me laugh. This is the third book in their series but they take the backseat here. Kaz and Zack are up front. I was happy to let them drive. I kinda wish we knew a bit more about Zack but I was pleased with what he brought to the table. He was exactly what Kaz needed and for that, I loved him.
What's to love: I’ll be honest, I was completely focused on Kaz and holding onto hope that he would recover from his deep, festering wounds, that I was a bit blindsided by the romance. I liked Zack but I wasn’t truly expecting him to be so…much. He was everything Kaz needed. He’s longed to belong and find his place, which turned out to be at Kaz’s side. I loved the writing. Davis and Stewart marvel me with their eloquence. I loved the running team. I loved how Kaz found his confidence in coaching. I loved how they became a family. I just loved it. Gahhh, it’s brilliant.
Beware of: The road Kaz has traveled is far from easy. He has suffered and suffered severely. It’s going to be a long time before he’s at ease. The piles? Oh my heart! But he has love, strength and light to chase away the demons. This is New Adult so you can expect little to no steam. But that doesn’t diminish their connection in the slightest.
This book is for: If you haven’t met (and fallen) for Tork and Adam yet, I think it’s time you become acquainted. Then make your way to Kaz and Zack and please give them both my love. They deserve all the happiness in the world.
Book UNfunk
It was EVERYTHING and more.
This fantabulous penning duo blows me away with their words.
Every time.
I loved Tork and Adam and was infatuated with the first two books but this? This?! I’m still gazing at my kindle with a mixed sense of wonder and utmost respect.
I would link my reading experience with Davis and Stewart on the same wavelength as reading a Suki Fleet story. If you love Fleet’s writing, I am certain you will love Davis & Stewart’s stories too. And vice versus.
There are gaps…holes…you aren’t meant to know everything. And the beauty of it is, you don’t need to. It’s okay. You will discover what you need to. Sometimes, you don’t have to know all of the details to understand. To grasp what is important. And they tell us all of the necessary bits. *sigh* And it’s tragically beautiful.
Kaz is a refugee. I’m not sure where he’s from. It doesn’t matter…really. What matters is how his existence was cast away because of who he is. He was forced to flee, run for his life because…they knew. Such an innocent soul to have suffered so greatly. I want to squeeze him tight!
He has made his way to the UK and he is…surviving. Barely.
Numbing himself daily doesn’t equate to living. But he can’t talk. He can’t…remember. It’s too much. Then his new peer mentor, Tork, forces him to care. Even if it’s a minuscule amount, even if it’s a baby step, it’s enough to pull him back. Next thing he knows, he finds himself coaching a team of awkward runners with a golden purpose. They must race to raise money and awareness for the shelter. Running. This he can do. Or he used to. And when he meets Zack he thinks he might be able to stay on the path, even if he stumbles…again.
What's to like: As I mentioned, I’m a huge fan of Tork and Adam. They won me over with their memorable story and I have no doubt they are…a forever deal. But, it was nice to see them again. They are so swoony. And they make me laugh. This is the third book in their series but they take the backseat here. Kaz and Zack are up front. I was happy to let them drive. I kinda wish we knew a bit more about Zack but I was pleased with what he brought to the table. He was exactly what Kaz needed and for that, I loved him.
What's to love: I’ll be honest, I was completely focused on Kaz and holding onto hope that he would recover from his deep, festering wounds, that I was a bit blindsided by the romance. I liked Zack but I wasn’t truly expecting him to be so…much. He was everything Kaz needed. He’s longed to belong and find his place, which turned out to be at Kaz’s side. I loved the writing. Davis and Stewart marvel me with their eloquence. I loved the running team. I loved how Kaz found his confidence in coaching. I loved how they became a family. I just loved it. Gahhh, it’s brilliant.
Beware of: The road Kaz has traveled is far from easy. He has suffered and suffered severely. It’s going to be a long time before he’s at ease. The piles? Oh my heart! But he has love, strength and light to chase away the demons. This is New Adult so you can expect little to no steam. But that doesn’t diminish their connection in the slightest.
This book is for: If you haven’t met (and fallen) for Tork and Adam yet, I think it’s time you become acquainted. Then make your way to Kaz and Zack and please give them both my love. They deserve all the happiness in the world.
Book UNfunk
January 5, 2017
I'm always at a bit of a loss to explain just why I love these authors' books so much, but it boils down to a few key things: Romance as secondary to plot, other types of relationships as equally important, and complex issues and themes. The stories may not be epic-length novels, but they say everything they need to.
If I Should Stumble is incredibly well-written. It's emotional, and readers need to go in prepared for the heavy themes (particularly the struggles of refugees). But none of it is played up solely for the sake of tugging at heartstrings or preaching about current affairs. This is about finding hope even in despair and about learning trust even in the midst of fear.
What I like is that the story doesn't shy away from tough subject matter. Kaz's mental state is collapsing, and he's doing everything he can to keep from going under. His life has been brutal, and he's been forced to do battle to survive. His voice is unique, both in his perspective as a refugee and in the ways he tries to adapt and find his place in a society which is often hard to understand. Kaz's drinking and his hoarding are both achingly real and brilliant metaphors.
I love Tork's almost sideways kind of thinking and his shrewd mind in figuring out how to reach Kaz when others have mostly talked past or around him. Of course, I'm also thrilled to see that his "happily ever after" with Adam isn't just a fairy tale ending. Adam is a nice bit of snarky comic relief, and of course, he has layers too that we see peeled back. I'd love to know more about Jo as well; I get the sense there's more to her than we see here.
We only get to see Zack through Kaz's eyes, and I think that's fine. I'm not sure the story would have worked with alternating points of view. It could easily have become too much about him. I love Kaz's internal dialog about Zack and the sweet way their relationship moves. Maybe one day, we'll see how they turn out together the way we've gotten to see Adam and Tork.
There are so many levels to the storytelling that it's impossible to go through them all here. While there are adults who might object to the language, the brutality of Kaz's experiences, and the implied (though not ever explicit) sensuality, I am not one of them. I would not hesitate to give this to young adult readers. They can typically handle far more than we give them credit for, and there's so much depth in this story which deserves to be read and discussed.
For exceptional writing, characters who feel real, and hope shining through, this gets 5 stars.
If I Should Stumble is incredibly well-written. It's emotional, and readers need to go in prepared for the heavy themes (particularly the struggles of refugees). But none of it is played up solely for the sake of tugging at heartstrings or preaching about current affairs. This is about finding hope even in despair and about learning trust even in the midst of fear.
What I like is that the story doesn't shy away from tough subject matter. Kaz's mental state is collapsing, and he's doing everything he can to keep from going under. His life has been brutal, and he's been forced to do battle to survive. His voice is unique, both in his perspective as a refugee and in the ways he tries to adapt and find his place in a society which is often hard to understand. Kaz's drinking and his hoarding are both achingly real and brilliant metaphors.
I love Tork's almost sideways kind of thinking and his shrewd mind in figuring out how to reach Kaz when others have mostly talked past or around him. Of course, I'm also thrilled to see that his "happily ever after" with Adam isn't just a fairy tale ending. Adam is a nice bit of snarky comic relief, and of course, he has layers too that we see peeled back. I'd love to know more about Jo as well; I get the sense there's more to her than we see here.
We only get to see Zack through Kaz's eyes, and I think that's fine. I'm not sure the story would have worked with alternating points of view. It could easily have become too much about him. I love Kaz's internal dialog about Zack and the sweet way their relationship moves. Maybe one day, we'll see how they turn out together the way we've gotten to see Adam and Tork.
There are so many levels to the storytelling that it's impossible to go through them all here. While there are adults who might object to the language, the brutality of Kaz's experiences, and the implied (though not ever explicit) sensuality, I am not one of them. I would not hesitate to give this to young adult readers. They can typically handle far more than we give them credit for, and there's so much depth in this story which deserves to be read and discussed.
For exceptional writing, characters who feel real, and hope shining through, this gets 5 stars.
April 23, 2017
I love this series. Kaz's story broke my heart. Although the story is about Kaz, Tork and Adam are prominent in the book and I loved seeing how Tork is now. Adam... Still makes me shake my head, but smile too. Lovely story.
January 8, 2017
So i started reading the book and got through the prologue when someone left me a message saying i shouldn't read this, they didn't think i'd like it and it was very sad. So i stopped reading it and put it on the back burner. i read a few books and then was looking for something else to read and this kept haunting me. i decided, why should i let them dictate what i'll like or not like. So i picked it back up, and you know what....i couldn't put it down! i really liked this book. So real, so true, so great! i totally recommend reading this. It's about real love and real life, nothing made up, or a fantasy life. It's not sugar coated. So glad i listed to my gut! :)
ps. i mean no disrespect the the individual who thought i might not like it. i still love you! :*
ps. i mean no disrespect the the individual who thought i might not like it. i still love you! :*
January 18, 2017
Oh how I've missed Tork! More than I realised.
I even missed Adam, despite the fact that he's still as prickly as a hedgehog!
As for Kaz and Zack...
The writing...the emotion...the despair...the pain... the hope...
It's a living breathing thing.
It's beautiful.
If you read nothing else all year, read this. Read about Tork and Adam and then read this.
Just don't expect to have your heart left intact at the end of it.
I even missed Adam, despite the fact that he's still as prickly as a hedgehog!
As for Kaz and Zack...
The writing...the emotion...the despair...the pain... the hope...
It's a living breathing thing.
It's beautiful.
If you read nothing else all year, read this. Read about Tork and Adam and then read this.
Just don't expect to have your heart left intact at the end of it.
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