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Fox Lake #2
Nights Without Night
Isadoro and Iván have known each other all their lives. They were raised together in La Portera, between the orange trees and water reservoirs, under an endless blue sky. That’s where Iván’s love for Isadoro grew, too. From the earth and water, organic and helpless.
Isadoro leaves for the military when they are both eighteen, but a thread remains. Phone calls, Skype sessions, rests between tours…it’s never quite enough.
After eight years, Isadoro comes back. An already complicated situation is tangled further as they rekindle the “benefits” part of their friendship. The heat between them has always been undeniable, and now it scorches through them.
All seems well in the beginning, but nothing is ever so simple. Iván’s love cannot simply banish the insomniac shadows of the past, but perhaps they can face what the night brings—together.
Please note: This story contains themes of affected mental health following the return from military combat. However, the ultimate focus of the story is on hope and recovery.
This story also contains explicit scenes of a sexual nature.
Nights Without Night can be read as a standalone but contains background characters from the Fox Lake series.
PREVIEW
My skin knows his hands. It knew them when we were small and we play-fought in the orange-scented earth. It knew them when they pulled me after him or helped me up. It knew them when I was a teenager and wanted him fatally, with hormones and friendship and a coalescing love. It knew them when they turned purposeful and wise to the secrets of my body, to its ripples and its wants and all its warm places. It knew them even when they were gone, imagining them in another landscape but still mine, a phantom limb. And it knows them now, relearning my plains and tides, the depths that are still there for him.
Isadoro leaves for the military when they are both eighteen, but a thread remains. Phone calls, Skype sessions, rests between tours…it’s never quite enough.
After eight years, Isadoro comes back. An already complicated situation is tangled further as they rekindle the “benefits” part of their friendship. The heat between them has always been undeniable, and now it scorches through them.
All seems well in the beginning, but nothing is ever so simple. Iván’s love cannot simply banish the insomniac shadows of the past, but perhaps they can face what the night brings—together.
Please note: This story contains themes of affected mental health following the return from military combat. However, the ultimate focus of the story is on hope and recovery.
This story also contains explicit scenes of a sexual nature.
Nights Without Night can be read as a standalone but contains background characters from the Fox Lake series.
PREVIEW
My skin knows his hands. It knew them when we were small and we play-fought in the orange-scented earth. It knew them when they pulled me after him or helped me up. It knew them when I was a teenager and wanted him fatally, with hormones and friendship and a coalescing love. It knew them when they turned purposeful and wise to the secrets of my body, to its ripples and its wants and all its warm places. It knew them even when they were gone, imagining them in another landscape but still mine, a phantom limb. And it knows them now, relearning my plains and tides, the depths that are still there for him.
207 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 18, 2018
21 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
Marina Vivancos
28 books917 followersWhen Marina was a child she couldn’t sleep. Night after dissolving night she just couldn’t sleep. Nothing much worked – until she started making up stories in her head. Suddenly, the transition into unconsciousness was a smooth dive into calm waters.
Marina is currently in a period of sleepless upheaval, and she hopes writing down the stories in her head will cast the same spell it did years ago.
You can find her being malhumorada on Twitter.
Marina is currently in a period of sleepless upheaval, and she hopes writing down the stories in her head will cast the same spell it did years ago.
You can find her being malhumorada on Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
October 2, 2018
4.25 stars. You know that feeling… The one when you find a new-to-you author and fall madly in love? You immediately seek out her other works and dive into them, only to find that she’s a one-trick pony and the others are just like the first? And you’re disappointed and heartbroken?
I am so very glad that didn’t happen to me this time.
I had no expectations going into Sicken of the Calm several days ago, and I’ve well documented my infatuation there. But my expectations for this one? Yeah, they couldn’t have been higher.
First, a little about my preferences... What I care about is characters. I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy an exciting plot beyond personal development and relationships, but it isn’t compulsory for me. I am quite happy for all the words, pages, and energy to be devoted to the evolution of a gripping emotional journey or relationship struggle, rather than some convoluted side plot that I’m not there for anyway. So YMMV.
If you want a plot overview, the blurb is great. ;) Iván and Isadoro already have a well-established and deep intimacy when the book begins. They have known and loved each other forever, in all the ways that love can be defined, and yet the relationship itself has never been defined. Their camaraderie and dialogue was priceless and hilarious. Sometimes there was even joking and laughter during the sex, and I don’t have words to explain how much I love that.
But the story goes dark, too. The author deftly depicted the mental health struggles that Isadoro was dealing with. She portrayed Iván’s struggle with it equally impressively... how it’s all-too-common to let your own needs get sidelined when you’re with someone in that situation... it can be illogically shameful to even HAVE needs when faced with someone else's trauma like that. I identified with each of them, both empathetically and experientially, to the point that it was painful at times. But fortunately the story was well balanced, with enough humor and light incorporated to make that bearable.
Here are the things to be aware of that may be drawbacks to some: While it’s not the primary conflict, there is a failure-to-communicate element. And there is a lot of sex, proportionally. It was the MCs' way of expressing their feelings and intimacy when they were unable to do it any other way. But if that’s something that aggravates you, it might be an issue. And there were a handful of editing errors (although far fewer than in the first book).
Marina Vivancos isn’t just an auto-buy author for me — she’s an auto-“I’ll be taking two days off when her new book comes out” author.
I am so very glad that didn’t happen to me this time.
I had no expectations going into Sicken of the Calm several days ago, and I’ve well documented my infatuation there. But my expectations for this one? Yeah, they couldn’t have been higher.
First, a little about my preferences... What I care about is characters. I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy an exciting plot beyond personal development and relationships, but it isn’t compulsory for me. I am quite happy for all the words, pages, and energy to be devoted to the evolution of a gripping emotional journey or relationship struggle, rather than some convoluted side plot that I’m not there for anyway. So YMMV.
If you want a plot overview, the blurb is great. ;) Iván and Isadoro already have a well-established and deep intimacy when the book begins. They have known and loved each other forever, in all the ways that love can be defined, and yet the relationship itself has never been defined. Their camaraderie and dialogue was priceless and hilarious. Sometimes there was even joking and laughter during the sex, and I don’t have words to explain how much I love that.
But the story goes dark, too. The author deftly depicted the mental health struggles that Isadoro was dealing with. She portrayed Iván’s struggle with it equally impressively... how it’s all-too-common to let your own needs get sidelined when you’re with someone in that situation... it can be illogically shameful to even HAVE needs when faced with someone else's trauma like that. I identified with each of them, both empathetically and experientially, to the point that it was painful at times. But fortunately the story was well balanced, with enough humor and light incorporated to make that bearable.
Here are the things to be aware of that may be drawbacks to some: While it’s not the primary conflict, there is a failure-to-communicate element. And there is a lot of sex, proportionally. It was the MCs' way of expressing their feelings and intimacy when they were unable to do it any other way. But if that’s something that aggravates you, it might be an issue. And there were a handful of editing errors (although far fewer than in the first book).
Marina Vivancos isn’t just an auto-buy author for me — she’s an auto-“I’ll be taking two days off when her new book comes out” author.
September 3, 2018
I liked this one a lot more than the first book in the series. What I'll do in this review is besically compare the two as they have many similarities (being written by the same person and all) and at the same time it's easy to detect the differences and the growth in the writing style.
I struggled a lot until I reached the end of the first book and was sceptical about going through the same thing with this one. It turns out I shouldn't have worried at all as "Nights Without Night" read a lot more smoothly than "Sicken of the Calm".
There was some story here even though it read more as a diary without a certain plot than a book with a purpose. It still had more development, it was more interesting and the charcters were more fleshed out. The theme was a friends-to-lovers one, but the road to the "lovers" part was twisted and tangled up. I was lost at times about what they were feeling or why they did the things they did. It was pretty apparent that they were in a relationship and I couldn't figure out why they kept insisting they were nothing.
The title is pure brilliance and fits the story like a glove. It's an intriguing one, right? There is a solemn tone to most of the book, as the subject is a difficult and important one, and this title captures the beginning of it all.
It can be read as a standalone even thought the couple from the first story appears in some scenes.
Note: This story deals with PTSD and depression so look for the trigger warnings before reading it.
* A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the author/publisher via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review. *
I struggled a lot until I reached the end of the first book and was sceptical about going through the same thing with this one. It turns out I shouldn't have worried at all as "Nights Without Night" read a lot more smoothly than "Sicken of the Calm".
There was some story here even though it read more as a diary without a certain plot than a book with a purpose. It still had more development, it was more interesting and the charcters were more fleshed out. The theme was a friends-to-lovers one, but the road to the "lovers" part was twisted and tangled up. I was lost at times about what they were feeling or why they did the things they did. It was pretty apparent that they were in a relationship and I couldn't figure out why they kept insisting they were nothing.
The title is pure brilliance and fits the story like a glove. It's an intriguing one, right? There is a solemn tone to most of the book, as the subject is a difficult and important one, and this title captures the beginning of it all.
It can be read as a standalone even thought the couple from the first story appears in some scenes.
Note: This story deals with PTSD and depression so look for the trigger warnings before reading it.
* A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the author/publisher via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review. *
September 20, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
Best friends to lovers with secret pining ? Gimme gimme, I lick it’s mine!
Ladies and gentlemen, the blurb from a quote:
I want to protest, but… “It’s casual. We’re just…you know. It’s casual,” I try. There’s a beat of silence.
“So…You’re having a casual relationship with the childhood friend you’ve been in love with since forever and that’s currently trying to adjust to civilian life after doing, what, five tours?”
“Eight, not counting the two years of Special Ops training. Those tours are shorter,” I say.
“Fuck, eight tours? Jesus. Well, Iván, that all sounds…fucking stupid.”
“Fuck!” I groan, thumping the back of my head against the couch.
I’m developing a simple delight by these names with Spanish origin, because Isadoro, aka Isa and Iván, just melts me completely 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠
They are so in love it almost blinds us reading, god. Don’t fight babies, just kiss and experiment more, and more and a bit more just to get it right. Because their need for each other is 📢 OBVIOUS!
You,” he says quietly, a breath of air.
4.5 ⭐️ I nuzzle against him, mind blank.
“Me, what?” I mumble.
“You,” he repeats simply and kisses me again.
My heart aches for Isa and the horror he went through… You go to war, but unfortunately, war comes back with you… pobre baby,yo te cuido❤️🩹 I wanted to have Isa's POV desperately.... to see his struggle, his fears, and what he thinks and feels to understand him better. I think it would increase the quality of the reading, and I feel that the absence of this POV is not necessary. We could get more information about them growing up, those "experiments, “and why Isa went to the army, it’s not very clear his choice.
What I’m loving about this and Marina's general writing is that there's pearls she leaves here and there. just small precious and imperfect ❤️ I love their healing process, how they are each other's safe haven, how they complete each other, and how they love each other always🥹
I feel Isadoro’s fingers against mine. Without looking, I take his hand.
I breathe.
Isadoro fucks me through it and then further still until his hips are stuttering. He buries his face in the back of my neck and I hear my name there, to be buried between skin and hair forever.
In my heart I keep:
The boat⛵
The knots🪢
The dog shelter🐕
The drawings🎨
The grounding⚓🐾
The kissing 💋
The love making ❤️
The fucking 🥵
The healing ❤️🩹
The dream 🏡
I'll repeat myself, but, his book would be infinite if we had double pov🤷🏻♀️ it pains me to remove that half star, because other than that, this is eternal for me 🫶
Best friends to lovers with secret pining ? Gimme gimme, I lick it’s mine!
Ladies and gentlemen, the blurb from a quote:
I want to protest, but… “It’s casual. We’re just…you know. It’s casual,” I try. There’s a beat of silence.
“So…You’re having a casual relationship with the childhood friend you’ve been in love with since forever and that’s currently trying to adjust to civilian life after doing, what, five tours?”
“Eight, not counting the two years of Special Ops training. Those tours are shorter,” I say.
“Fuck, eight tours? Jesus. Well, Iván, that all sounds…fucking stupid.”
“Fuck!” I groan, thumping the back of my head against the couch.
I’m developing a simple delight by these names with Spanish origin, because Isadoro, aka Isa and Iván, just melts me completely 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠
They are so in love it almost blinds us reading, god. Don’t fight babies, just kiss and experiment more, and more and a bit more just to get it right. Because their need for each other is 📢 OBVIOUS!
You,” he says quietly, a breath of air.
4.5 ⭐️ I nuzzle against him, mind blank.
“Me, what?” I mumble.
“You,” he repeats simply and kisses me again.
My heart aches for Isa and the horror he went through… You go to war, but unfortunately, war comes back with you… pobre baby,yo te cuido❤️🩹 I wanted to have Isa's POV desperately.... to see his struggle, his fears, and what he thinks and feels to understand him better. I think it would increase the quality of the reading, and I feel that the absence of this POV is not necessary. We could get more information about them growing up, those "experiments, “and why Isa went to the army, it’s not very clear his choice.
What I’m loving about this and Marina's general writing is that there's pearls she leaves here and there. just small precious and imperfect ❤️ I love their healing process, how they are each other's safe haven, how they complete each other, and how they love each other always🥹
I feel Isadoro’s fingers against mine. Without looking, I take his hand.
I breathe.
Isadoro fucks me through it and then further still until his hips are stuttering. He buries his face in the back of my neck and I hear my name there, to be buried between skin and hair forever.
In my heart I keep:
The boat⛵
The knots🪢
The dog shelter🐕
The drawings🎨
The grounding⚓🐾
The kissing 💋
The love making ❤️
The fucking 🥵
The healing ❤️🩹
The dream 🏡
I'll repeat myself, but, his book would be infinite if we had double pov🤷🏻♀️ it pains me to remove that half star, because other than that, this is eternal for me 🫶
August 15, 2024
just so lovely…..heart wrenching and heart melting😫🥺 i mean duh tho, it’s marina vivancos, queen of both. i wish i could elaborate, but my reading slump is turning into a reviewing slump soo😔 but MV never does me wrong💕
September 22, 2018
I really do love this author. I like her storytelling style and the way she romanticizes the way things were and doesn't sugar coat the way things are... I feel like her writing is lyrical and after reading all three of her current books, I will say that she will be an autobuy for me as long as she keeps up this level of vivid imagery and depth of character.
As much as I've enjoyed all 3 books and have had to very carefully pick the next book to read after it because I can't go to a cookie cutter author after a book like this because it'll be that much more obvious how mediocre it is.... MV has to be careful not to fall into too much of a formula. I'm seeing one already and I hope she is able to find a way to break away from the concept of clueless boys in love with each other for YEARS without communicating effectively. That trope added to the mental health layer that seems to go with all her books works well, but can't be the only way she writes a book or they are all going to simply blend together and dilute how lyrical her writing is.
One thing to keep - All the MC's have unique ethnic backgrounds that are their lived lives. That has to stay. We need so much more of this.
Don't miss this one.
As much as I've enjoyed all 3 books and have had to very carefully pick the next book to read after it because I can't go to a cookie cutter author after a book like this because it'll be that much more obvious how mediocre it is.... MV has to be careful not to fall into too much of a formula. I'm seeing one already and I hope she is able to find a way to break away from the concept of clueless boys in love with each other for YEARS without communicating effectively. That trope added to the mental health layer that seems to go with all her books works well, but can't be the only way she writes a book or they are all going to simply blend together and dilute how lyrical her writing is.
One thing to keep - All the MC's have unique ethnic backgrounds that are their lived lives. That has to stay. We need so much more of this.
Don't miss this one.
August 19, 2021
Beautiful writing
Beautiful story of love and friendship. Childhood friends that turned into more. This book was an intense journey into finding the love and life you want.
It had a lovely HEA and now I want a novella about it.
Highly recommend this book!
Beautiful story of love and friendship. Childhood friends that turned into more. This book was an intense journey into finding the love and life you want.
It had a lovely HEA and now I want a novella about it.
Highly recommend this book!
December 31, 2022
4.5
I’m not crying, you’re crying!!
What a beautiful story. Mariana Vivancos really has a way with words.
This book pulled me in from the first page and kept ahold of me until the very last one.
Excellent way to finish my 2022 reads ❤️
I’m not crying, you’re crying!!
What a beautiful story. Mariana Vivancos really has a way with words.
This book pulled me in from the first page and kept ahold of me until the very last one.
Excellent way to finish my 2022 reads ❤️
October 23, 2022
Hot and sad and good.
Depression is like treacle.
So is love. They cling.
Depression is like treacle.
So is love. They cling.
June 18, 2018
Isadoro and Ivan grew up together and spent their youth together. When Isadoro returns after leaving the military, Isadoro is not the same. The changes in him are to be expected after serving in the war, but it still rattles Ivan. Over the years, they would see each other from time to time. And each time, Ivan saw Isadoro changing more and more. At one point, during the years, Ivan was actually expecting to see none of the old Isadoro eventually. He actually feared that even is his body came back, his soul wouldn't.
When he does come home, the changes are drastic. It is clear to Ivan that whatever trauma Isadoro has suffered is quiet and deep. And, unfortunately, he is correct.
As Isadoro and Ivan rekindle the sexual side of their relationship, it is to help Isadoro start to find the sexual side of himself again, with someone he trusts. Of course, neither one bothers to confess their true feelings to the other. Neither confesses that they feel alone when the other isn't around.
One beautiful side part of this story is the artwork. The descriptions of the artwork are poetic. And it is during this part that Ivan is told to know his '"worth and charge accordingly.'" This line just stuck with me. What a wonderful piece of advice.
As for the art show itself, wow, just wow! I don't want to spoil this for anyone, but it is just wonderful, touching and emotional.
One of the main themes in this story is the effects of war and PTSD. It is definitely not easy to read any of these parts. The author does a fantastic job of writing Isadoro's PTSD in a raw and realistic manner.
I absolutely love this book and highly recommend it!
When he does come home, the changes are drastic. It is clear to Ivan that whatever trauma Isadoro has suffered is quiet and deep. And, unfortunately, he is correct.
As Isadoro and Ivan rekindle the sexual side of their relationship, it is to help Isadoro start to find the sexual side of himself again, with someone he trusts. Of course, neither one bothers to confess their true feelings to the other. Neither confesses that they feel alone when the other isn't around.
One beautiful side part of this story is the artwork. The descriptions of the artwork are poetic. And it is during this part that Ivan is told to know his '"worth and charge accordingly.'" This line just stuck with me. What a wonderful piece of advice.
As for the art show itself, wow, just wow! I don't want to spoil this for anyone, but it is just wonderful, touching and emotional.
One of the main themes in this story is the effects of war and PTSD. It is definitely not easy to read any of these parts. The author does a fantastic job of writing Isadoro's PTSD in a raw and realistic manner.
I absolutely love this book and highly recommend it!
November 8, 2018
I really enjoyed this one as well. I don't know what it is. I mean like the first one these are not extraordinary stories but there is just something about these characters that is making me really like them.
March 26, 2021
At this point I think i'll just read anything Marina Vivancos writes.
This was beautiful.
This was beautiful.
September 3, 2018
This story was told from the point of view of Iván living with and loving Isadoro who came back from war. It was a very beautiful perspective and the hard parts were not sugarcoated. The story flowed organically and even though it was very character driven I was never bored. I love the writing style of this author and I am looking forward to more stories.
January 16, 2024
4.5 stars!
Okay but how is this so gut-wrenching yet ridiculously tender? I loved that Iván was such a detailed narrator, speaking his thoughts as vividly as if he just painted them. Guess that made sense since he's an artist. His emotions from beginning to end spoke heavily of yearning so strong it's amazing how it hadn't eroded with time.
From Iván's perspective, Isadoro was someone unattainable, a man only in his dreams. But from my perspective as a reader, Isa's feelings were kinda obvious given the hints. But because Iván firmly believed his feelings were unreciprocated, he tended to brush those off. And the way he lilted every time he longed for his best friend, it's like it hurt me just the same.
This was emotionally heavy as the story dealt with a person dealing with a seemingly severe case of ptsd. What a rough patch for Isa and Iván. But I welcomed that though, the more the characters suffer the more they're endeared to me. When the world collapsed around them is when I want to root for them most.
I loved the innocent flashbacks from their childhood. They were a fresh break from all the heavy stuff. I also liked that scenes of them talking nonsense were added, it made the story less convoluted.
I almost forgot about Ezra and Joaquin! Took me a while to realize who they were lol. It's always fun to read cameos by other characters from the same series.
We get no happy ending until the lastest chapter. Times like this was when I hoped this was longer, or at least an extra epilogue. Would've loved to get a glimpse of Isa and Iván's domestic life at their new house.
Bull all in all, I didn't have much complaints. This was a fantastic read.
Okay but how is this so gut-wrenching yet ridiculously tender? I loved that Iván was such a detailed narrator, speaking his thoughts as vividly as if he just painted them. Guess that made sense since he's an artist. His emotions from beginning to end spoke heavily of yearning so strong it's amazing how it hadn't eroded with time.
From Iván's perspective, Isadoro was someone unattainable, a man only in his dreams. But from my perspective as a reader, Isa's feelings were kinda obvious given the hints. But because Iván firmly believed his feelings were unreciprocated, he tended to brush those off. And the way he lilted every time he longed for his best friend, it's like it hurt me just the same.
This was emotionally heavy as the story dealt with a person dealing with a seemingly severe case of ptsd. What a rough patch for Isa and Iván. But I welcomed that though, the more the characters suffer the more they're endeared to me. When the world collapsed around them is when I want to root for them most.
I loved the innocent flashbacks from their childhood. They were a fresh break from all the heavy stuff. I also liked that scenes of them talking nonsense were added, it made the story less convoluted.
I almost forgot about Ezra and Joaquin! Took me a while to realize who they were lol. It's always fun to read cameos by other characters from the same series.
We get no happy ending until the lastest chapter. Times like this was when I hoped this was longer, or at least an extra epilogue. Would've loved to get a glimpse of Isa and Iván's domestic life at their new house.
Bull all in all, I didn't have much complaints. This was a fantastic read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2021
4.25 stars - I just really like Vivancos’s prose style. Some people might find it overwrought, but I'm generally a fan of poetic metaphors and dreamy reminiscences, if done well. This one has some serious subjects in it, with one of the MCs having just left the military after 8 years of active service. He definitely has some form of PTSD and that leads to some anger issues and depression. It’s lovely and lyrical, but also hard. I very much enjoyed it, but would recommend you go in knowing that there will be some tough stuff. (Also, the forthright cousin from Sicken of the Calm is back, and she just tells it like it is. Big fan of hers.)
August 18, 2025
3.75 just not quite 4 stars. This still had the same trademark tenderness in the relationship, but I didn't relate to the characters as much maybe? This is about two childhood friends who were everything to each other. Isadoro leaves for the army and comes back 8 years later, traumatised. Iván is helpless and only wants the man he has always loved to really *come back* from war, and this is the story of them finding their way back to each other. It was still very soft and tender and everything I like from Marina Vivancos' stories, but it didn't resonate with me as much as some of her other books did.
October 10, 2024
The ending was *EXTREMELY* frustrating, but I'm also glad I had this to get me out of a slump. I loved it until they completely blew past the giant reveal like a lifetime of miscommunication required no processing at all!!! Very unsatisfying, boys.
September 10, 2018
Somehow, this made perfect sense. When comparing all three of her books, it is only right that Nights without Nights felt again very similar to In This Iron Ground - in a way, the third book seems like a combination of the two, taking their best features and expanding them.
Language was amazing as always (feeling the urge to highlight things in the book is something I no longer feel that much so it always warms my heart when I feel it again).
I prefered Ivan and Isa to Ezra and Joaquin - they were both great (and, to be honest, had really similar personalities) but they had a seriousness and... reality? That those two lacked.
To expand on that a little, romance books often has this annoying but expected quality of silly reasoning - at the start of the book, there is this big, bad reason the two protagonists cannot be with each other and this reason(s) are supposed to look imposing and impossible. At the end, however, these reasons are suddenly called stupid and unreasonable - sometimes by the characters themselves. The barriers are artificially build and they collapse easily, and maybe that is how it works but I just feel so frustrated and feel like rolling my eyes when they make such a big deal out of it or have a very serious argument only to forget about it in the next scene.
The kind of problems I like are the inevitable, the ones were there is want and need but even if both of them try so hard, it is not enough. That is a reason I believe in. I am afraid I am not fond of characters that are too stupid to realize they are in love (really can´t stand miscommunication issues) so Isa being so broken was simply heart-breaking - no unnecessary drama just for the sake of drama.
Language was amazing as always (feeling the urge to highlight things in the book is something I no longer feel that much so it always warms my heart when I feel it again).
I prefered Ivan and Isa to Ezra and Joaquin - they were both great (and, to be honest, had really similar personalities) but they had a seriousness and... reality? That those two lacked.
To expand on that a little, romance books often has this annoying but expected quality of silly reasoning - at the start of the book, there is this big, bad reason the two protagonists cannot be with each other and this reason(s) are supposed to look imposing and impossible. At the end, however, these reasons are suddenly called stupid and unreasonable - sometimes by the characters themselves. The barriers are artificially build and they collapse easily, and maybe that is how it works but I just feel so frustrated and feel like rolling my eyes when they make such a big deal out of it or have a very serious argument only to forget about it in the next scene.
The kind of problems I like are the inevitable, the ones were there is want and need but even if both of them try so hard, it is not enough. That is a reason I believe in. I am afraid I am not fond of characters that are too stupid to realize they are in love (really can´t stand miscommunication issues) so Isa being so broken was simply heart-breaking - no unnecessary drama just for the sake of drama.
August 1, 2025
This is a really good book. One thing Isa and Iván can do is fuck. And fuck they do so intimately and beautifully. Told from Iván perspective, they are art, poetry in motion when they fuck. There is a story being woven, past lives future and present intertwining, yet something still missing from the equation. That is Iván thinking that this is only what he deserves, this fucking this intimacy but never being that person for him despite being that person for him. Yet reading this m, I felt like I was getting only half their story. I saw them in childhood and then adults. Never the in between years when they experimented. Apparently they fucked a lot then too, maybe we intimate during the shore leave without sex. We are given this story that Isadora is this lady’s man that only experimented with Iván.
He could never reveal that he loves him. I am thoroughly confused when Isa declares his love, cause I want to know what stopped him before. Where was he looking to never have found that reflecting in Iván. He’s fucked other men during his tour, so he’s bisexual. Something he hides from Ivan. I feel like the author wanted to write friends to lovers with unrequited love, yet missed some of the steps. The story begins with them being friends who’ve already fucked. I was waiting on a misunderstanding to be cleared, a talk to happen between them. I feel like I’ve read the second part of their story rather than the first.
He could never reveal that he loves him. I am thoroughly confused when Isa declares his love, cause I want to know what stopped him before. Where was he looking to never have found that reflecting in Iván. He’s fucked other men during his tour, so he’s bisexual. Something he hides from Ivan. I feel like the author wanted to write friends to lovers with unrequited love, yet missed some of the steps. The story begins with them being friends who’ve already fucked. I was waiting on a misunderstanding to be cleared, a talk to happen between them. I feel like I’ve read the second part of their story rather than the first.
February 12, 2020
I'm liking it, but MAN is it tough.
Ivan has been in love with Isadoro basically their entire lives, but thinking Isadoro is straight, and most importantly not wanting to ruin an important life-long friendship, Ivan has never told Isa his feelings. In the The present day they are about 26?, Isa has finished 8 years of military service and is adjusting to civilian life sharing an apartment with Ivan.
What makes it so gut-wrenching is that it's all from Ivan's pov, and that means you get every memory flashback of Isa kissing someone else, having sex with someone else, whatever. It is PAINFUL, because Ivan is so in love. The MCs also hook up in their teens. Ivan thinks it was teenage experimentation for Isa, but he does it because he is willing to take any scrap of attention from the boy he loves. So the same pattern repeats in the present day, they start hooking up and Ivan knows he will end up heartbroken, but does it anyway. He can't say no to any little affection from Isa.
It is sick but understandable in a way, if you've ever been in love in a "complicated" situation, a situation that was not straight-forward, you might understand how compelled Ivan is.
It's almost too painful to read. I have to take a break and come back to it.
Ivan has been in love with Isadoro basically their entire lives, but thinking Isadoro is straight, and most importantly not wanting to ruin an important life-long friendship, Ivan has never told Isa his feelings. In the The present day they are about 26?, Isa has finished 8 years of military service and is adjusting to civilian life sharing an apartment with Ivan.
What makes it so gut-wrenching is that it's all from Ivan's pov, and that means you get every memory flashback of Isa kissing someone else, having sex with someone else, whatever. It is PAINFUL, because Ivan is so in love. The MCs also hook up in their teens. Ivan thinks it was teenage experimentation for Isa, but he does it because he is willing to take any scrap of attention from the boy he loves. So the same pattern repeats in the present day, they start hooking up and Ivan knows he will end up heartbroken, but does it anyway. He can't say no to any little affection from Isa.
It is sick but understandable in a way, if you've ever been in love in a "complicated" situation, a situation that was not straight-forward, you might understand how compelled Ivan is.
It's almost too painful to read. I have to take a break and come back to it.
December 13, 2022
I don’t know how to properly rate this book. I love how Vivancos writes, and I normally devour every single word. But I found myself skipping some of the sex scenes, and the prose while beautiful made this book not work as a romance as much as it should.
Mild spoilers below
I didn’t buy the friends to lovers storyline. You have been hooking up, acting like a couple inside and outside the house and somehow you don’t think he loves you? How the trauma was handled was very good, and the pain is very real and hits you very much in the feels. But there are mentions of Trump, American military policies and those things take me out of the story completely and just make me mad.
Mild spoilers below
I didn’t buy the friends to lovers storyline. You have been hooking up, acting like a couple inside and outside the house and somehow you don’t think he loves you? How the trauma was handled was very good, and the pain is very real and hits you very much in the feels. But there are mentions of Trump, American military policies and those things take me out of the story completely and just make me mad.
December 9, 2018
Me gustó muchísimo menos que el anterior. Creo que se mete en "camisa de once varas" con el tema del estrés postraumático y no sabe por dónde salir y uno como lector no conecta ni con la problemática ni con cómo los personajes están influenciados por dicho trauma.
Así como en el primer libro aplaudí que sólo hubiese un punto de vista, a lo mejor éste si necesitaba doble POV para que empatizase más con la historia y los protagonistas.
Así como en el primer libro aplaudí que sólo hubiese un punto de vista, a lo mejor éste si necesitaba doble POV para que empatizase más con la historia y los protagonistas.
November 11, 2020
#SpoilerWarrior
Jesus. What was this book? That was...beautiful character building. In this instance, you get out of the book exactly what the author put into it. Heart. Trauma. Hope. Acceptance. Pain. Pain pain pain.
It was a hard read. It’s not light and fluffy. It is so worth it.
For all of the sex, it doesn’t detract from the story at all.
What is with Vivancos and her perfect ability to capture the human experience.
I love.
Jesus. What was this book? That was...beautiful character building. In this instance, you get out of the book exactly what the author put into it. Heart. Trauma. Hope. Acceptance. Pain. Pain pain pain.
It was a hard read. It’s not light and fluffy. It is so worth it.
For all of the sex, it doesn’t detract from the story at all.
What is with Vivancos and her perfect ability to capture the human experience.
I love.
February 10, 2024
4,5 🌟🌟🌟🌟⭐️
5 ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
5 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
A story to keep close to your heart: heartfelt, tender, poetic, erotic.
With darkness and light.
The only thing that always feels strange to me was why they couldn’t see that they were made for each other.
Sometimes I wished the story to had a dual point of view, to see their relationship with the eyes of Isadoro, but then again we wouldn’t want to know all he had seen while in the military.
5 ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
5 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
A story to keep close to your heart: heartfelt, tender, poetic, erotic.
With darkness and light.
The only thing that always feels strange to me was why they couldn’t see that they were made for each other.
Sometimes I wished the story to had a dual point of view, to see their relationship with the eyes of Isadoro, but then again we wouldn’t want to know all he had seen while in the military.
April 6, 2025
Childhood friends, hilarious banter, lots of moments that feel truly like people who have known and loved each other since they were young, serious darkness associated with veteran readjusting to civilian life, artist mc, sailing
Writing was a bit unusual for Marina, felt a bit more forced and flowery than usual, especially at the beginning. Definitely not my favorite of her books, but still good.
Writing was a bit unusual for Marina, felt a bit more forced and flowery than usual, especially at the beginning. Definitely not my favorite of her books, but still good.
August 17, 2025
I usually really enjoy Marina Vivancos’ writing, but this one just didn’t click for me. I couldn’t connect with the characters, and the story felt like it meandered without much purpose. I found myself skimming through long stretches—detailed descriptions of military ops, commentary on art, even the sex scenes, which started to feel repetitive and overly drawn out. Maybe it was just a little too deep and philosophical for my taste, but I just felt meh about the whole book.
February 26, 2022
Vivancos does write beautifuly - a sort of melancholic, dreamy recounting of a bittersweet tale. And while I thought that the issues with trauma were handled well, I ultimately felt the relationship had the same core elements as the first book, and overall not that interesting. More of a character study than a compelling romance
December 30, 2018
5 'Well the first book was obviously not a fluke cos this was awesome in a completely different way too. This book had a heavier feel about it than the first but it dealt with some heavy duty issues and the author did it so well. Loved these characters and their journey' stars.
February 26, 2021
An Enjoyable Read
This is a lovely story. Very different from the other three I've read by this author (1 written before this and 2 written after). This was less about the sexual relationship between the characters and far more about the emotional connection.
This is a lovely story. Very different from the other three I've read by this author (1 written before this and 2 written after). This was less about the sexual relationship between the characters and far more about the emotional connection.
March 9, 2021
Yes, I like almost everything about this. The miscommunication is too much at times. But everything else is sheer beauty.
The mental health issues are handled with care and depth and not solved by magic dick. Thank you for this, Ms. Vivancos.
The mental health issues are handled with care and depth and not solved by magic dick. Thank you for this, Ms. Vivancos.
April 8, 2022
I love this author's writing. The language is always so lovely.
For this book, though, I felt like there was too much sex, and after a while I started kind of skimming those scenes.
Then I removed an entire star for the use of the word "clean" to mean "STI free".
For this book, though, I felt like there was too much sex, and after a while I started kind of skimming those scenes.
Then I removed an entire star for the use of the word "clean" to mean "STI free".
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