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Rewind #1
Rewind
The day Enzo Chevalier lost his hearing, everything changed. Forced to rebuild his future and fight for his dreams, Enzo refused to let anything take him down...until the man of his life walked out on him and shattered his heart.
Florian Beaudry had his whole life figured out. His business was flourishing and everything was settling down at last. Or so he believed...until he walked in on his girlfriend and best friend.
Still on the rebound and unable to trust another man, Enzo never expected a chance encounter with Florian. The one person he thought he would never see again. The one person he missed the most.
Were they truly meant to get a second chance or were they doomed from the start?
REWIND is a bisexual romance novel set entirely in France. Though part of a series, it is a standalone story without a cliffhanger.
Warning for readers triggered by homophobia and biphobia as well as emotional abuse.
Check the Interactive Pages in the book for the complete glossary, maps, list of characters, and more...
Florian Beaudry had his whole life figured out. His business was flourishing and everything was settling down at last. Or so he believed...until he walked in on his girlfriend and best friend.
Still on the rebound and unable to trust another man, Enzo never expected a chance encounter with Florian. The one person he thought he would never see again. The one person he missed the most.
Were they truly meant to get a second chance or were they doomed from the start?
REWIND is a bisexual romance novel set entirely in France. Though part of a series, it is a standalone story without a cliffhanger.
Warning for readers triggered by homophobia and biphobia as well as emotional abuse.
Check the Interactive Pages in the book for the complete glossary, maps, list of characters, and more...
350 pages, ebook
First published March 18, 2019
About the author
Rowan Shaw
6 books353 followersRowan Shaw is the queer author of REWIND, a bisexual romance series set entirely in her home country, France.
Her writing is own voices when it comes to bisexuality, queerness, and French culture.
Addicted to reading and writing, Rowan can usually be found with a book in her hands or sitting in front of her computer, typing while listening to music from the 80's.
***
You can find her on various social media:
Twitter: @rowanshawauthor
Instagram: @rowanshawwrites
Facebook: @rowanshawwriter
Pinterest: @rowanshawwriter
Her writing is own voices when it comes to bisexuality, queerness, and French culture.
Addicted to reading and writing, Rowan can usually be found with a book in her hands or sitting in front of her computer, typing while listening to music from the 80's.
***
You can find her on various social media:
Twitter: @rowanshawauthor
Instagram: @rowanshawwrites
Facebook: @rowanshawwriter
Pinterest: @rowanshawwriter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
April 9, 2019
The flashbacks and OTT caricature villains didn't do this book any favours.
2.5 stars
2.5 stars
February 20, 2019
This was lovely. This is a very well done story about young love ripped away by tragedy only to have a chance encounter that leads to a beautiful second chance at love.
It was lovely but it was not easy. The entire feel of the read was a bit melancholy. It wasn’t dark (although some of it was pitch black) or even really sad (even when it was very sad) but there was just a tone to it that didn’t let it feel easy, breezy.
It worked though. The tragedy from their youth could not be taken lightly or even be recovered from completely. It would have changed both of these boys without everything else that came after. And believe me, a lot came after.
Some of it was almost too much for me. Some of the subject matter was difficult to read. Some of the people were beyond evil and I couldn’t stand their parts. I hurt and hoped.
It was very well done though. It took the sad, bad and at times criminal and twisted it with relief, love and acceptance. Hope and happiness.
This was a perfect blend of the grit of real life and my kind of super-hot and super-sweet romance.
If anyone deserved another shot it was these boys.
I think this is a debut? Wow.
I can’t wait for the next one!
**ARC provided by the author via A Novel Take Promotions in exchange for an honest review.**
It was lovely but it was not easy. The entire feel of the read was a bit melancholy. It wasn’t dark (although some of it was pitch black) or even really sad (even when it was very sad) but there was just a tone to it that didn’t let it feel easy, breezy.
It worked though. The tragedy from their youth could not be taken lightly or even be recovered from completely. It would have changed both of these boys without everything else that came after. And believe me, a lot came after.
Some of it was almost too much for me. Some of the subject matter was difficult to read. Some of the people were beyond evil and I couldn’t stand their parts. I hurt and hoped.
It was very well done though. It took the sad, bad and at times criminal and twisted it with relief, love and acceptance. Hope and happiness.
This was a perfect blend of the grit of real life and my kind of super-hot and super-sweet romance.
If anyone deserved another shot it was these boys.
I think this is a debut? Wow.
I can’t wait for the next one!
**ARC provided by the author via A Novel Take Promotions in exchange for an honest review.**
March 15, 2019
**3.5 stars**
It’s a nice contemporary MM romance with a second-chance love trope. Enzo and Florian are both in their mid-twenties and each dealing with a past relationship that went sour. When they meet after an eight-year separation, they click right away again, remembering their shared past, learning who they have become, getting some light about what set them apart and what kind of struggles they overcame or have still to deal with.
It’s done nicely, with a satisfying pace for me and some good steam. And along this sweet romance with endearing characters, each in their own way, with their flaws but also with their strengths, some issues are addressed such as the bias against the hearing-impaired community, homophobia, and bi-erasure.
I felt some parts could have been more developed so that I could be more drawn by this romance, and my sappy side prefers an HEA rather than an HFN, but it was a pleasant read nonetheless, especially as I got really fond of the character of Enzo.
My only niggle : no sense of places. If not from a few mentions of the story being set in Nancy (a beautiful city located in the North-East of France) or some French words sometimes used, I might not have noticed the MCs are French nor that the story takes place in France. It was mostly nondescript on that front.
ARC of “Rewind” was generously provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
It’s a nice contemporary MM romance with a second-chance love trope. Enzo and Florian are both in their mid-twenties and each dealing with a past relationship that went sour. When they meet after an eight-year separation, they click right away again, remembering their shared past, learning who they have become, getting some light about what set them apart and what kind of struggles they overcame or have still to deal with.
It’s done nicely, with a satisfying pace for me and some good steam. And along this sweet romance with endearing characters, each in their own way, with their flaws but also with their strengths, some issues are addressed such as the bias against the hearing-impaired community, homophobia, and bi-erasure.
I felt some parts could have been more developed so that I could be more drawn by this romance, and my sappy side prefers an HEA rather than an HFN, but it was a pleasant read nonetheless, especially as I got really fond of the character of Enzo.
My only niggle : no sense of places. If not from a few mentions of the story being set in Nancy (a beautiful city located in the North-East of France) or some French words sometimes used, I might not have noticed the MCs are French nor that the story takes place in France. It was mostly nondescript on that front.
ARC of “Rewind” was generously provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2019
What a shining gem this is!!
Florian was hurt in his past and his self esteem is low. His ex took advantage of that, misused him, threw him away and now he feels even lower.
Enzo lost his hearing eight years ago and recently also his partner who moved on without him.
When Enzo meets Florian in a bar we get to understand they have a history together and that goes back eight years.
So here’s their story. Be prepared for a beautiful and heartbreaking journey!
When the puzzle pieces slowly turn into a picture, we get to know what happened with them and why Florian disappeared without a word, why there is a deep scar on Enzo’s cheekbone and soul, and the scar on Florian’s soul may even seems deeper.
First I thought Enzo was a softy but ha! he is a teacher with a clear vision about teaching deaf children and volunteers at more than one job, he has his opinions and stand tall for them. He got a mouth so witty I loved it! Florian, dear Florian, what he has to go through, my heart hurts.
This story was absolute amazingly written, detailed environments and detailed with all the feelings. I felt all the emotions. This journey was clear and had a beautifully build up, every time a piece was revealed my mind shuddered, I was speechless. The alternating between past and present was so well done. Also seeing it all through Enzo and Florian’s state of mind was ultimate moving.
The author takes us in an excellent way into the world of the deaf. Enzo voices it all so well, we can understand some ins and outs how he lives with his deafness, it’s all fascinating. I always wanted to learn ASL and now even more.
The whole story was so realistic, the natural way of rebuilding a relationship, flawed characters, failing lovers and failing friends and families, also a lot of good discussions about life and the purpose of it. Last but not least we can enjoy some delicious bed-bathroom-shower-couch scenes. The moments where beautiful French words were spoken was incredible romantic.
A widely written story, in a comfortable pace, wonderful developed, it had a clear intelligent vision and beautiful woven sentences. It had touching passages, witty comments and a good sense of humor. There are heartbreaking moments, all deeply moving illustrated.
The story is about second chances, annoying and cruel ex partners, lovely friends, trust, letting go, giving over and finally be free to stand up for who you are and love the one you love.
Highly recommended!
Florian was hurt in his past and his self esteem is low. His ex took advantage of that, misused him, threw him away and now he feels even lower.
Enzo lost his hearing eight years ago and recently also his partner who moved on without him.
When Enzo meets Florian in a bar we get to understand they have a history together and that goes back eight years.
So here’s their story. Be prepared for a beautiful and heartbreaking journey!
When the puzzle pieces slowly turn into a picture, we get to know what happened with them and why Florian disappeared without a word, why there is a deep scar on Enzo’s cheekbone and soul, and the scar on Florian’s soul may even seems deeper.
First I thought Enzo was a softy but ha! he is a teacher with a clear vision about teaching deaf children and volunteers at more than one job, he has his opinions and stand tall for them. He got a mouth so witty I loved it! Florian, dear Florian, what he has to go through, my heart hurts.
This story was absolute amazingly written, detailed environments and detailed with all the feelings. I felt all the emotions. This journey was clear and had a beautifully build up, every time a piece was revealed my mind shuddered, I was speechless. The alternating between past and present was so well done. Also seeing it all through Enzo and Florian’s state of mind was ultimate moving.
The author takes us in an excellent way into the world of the deaf. Enzo voices it all so well, we can understand some ins and outs how he lives with his deafness, it’s all fascinating. I always wanted to learn ASL and now even more.
The whole story was so realistic, the natural way of rebuilding a relationship, flawed characters, failing lovers and failing friends and families, also a lot of good discussions about life and the purpose of it. Last but not least we can enjoy some delicious bed-bathroom-shower-couch scenes. The moments where beautiful French words were spoken was incredible romantic.
A widely written story, in a comfortable pace, wonderful developed, it had a clear intelligent vision and beautiful woven sentences. It had touching passages, witty comments and a good sense of humor. There are heartbreaking moments, all deeply moving illustrated.
The story is about second chances, annoying and cruel ex partners, lovely friends, trust, letting go, giving over and finally be free to stand up for who you are and love the one you love.
Highly recommended!
March 18, 2019
A Joyfully Jay review.
2.5 stars
I am often up for trying out a new author and while the outline of this story was good, it never fully came together for me. The story opens with Florian and Enzo in present day as they are both coming out of messy breakups. Both of their exes were portrayed as awful, yet both Florian and Enzo continually gave them the benefit of the doubt and both exes were too present in the story.
When the men meet again, we quickly learn they had a history, but the chemistry wasn’t there between them from the start. The story read as disjointed to me as flashbacks were added in to show what happened to both Enzo and Florian and the flow of it was not a smooth read.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
2.5 stars
I am often up for trying out a new author and while the outline of this story was good, it never fully came together for me. The story opens with Florian and Enzo in present day as they are both coming out of messy breakups. Both of their exes were portrayed as awful, yet both Florian and Enzo continually gave them the benefit of the doubt and both exes were too present in the story.
When the men meet again, we quickly learn they had a history, but the chemistry wasn’t there between them from the start. The story read as disjointed to me as flashbacks were added in to show what happened to both Enzo and Florian and the flow of it was not a smooth read.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
March 27, 2019
3.5 stars rounded up
Overall, this was an enjoyable read for me. I really loved Florian and Enzo together and they were both great characters.
But what brought this down for me was ultimately - except for a few characters here and there - the secondary characters. I know MC's are the most important part (which is why I ultimately still liked this book and rounded up instead of down) but a lot of the secondary characters were almost written...kinda of cartoon villain like.
Florian walks in on his girlfriend fucking his best friend, and the first thing she does when she sees him is smirk sadistically. Immediately it was like...okay, what the fuck. I know there are people who don't feel bad about cheating, but are they ever almost freaking evil about it? I don't know. It was off putting.
Then she's blaming Florian for her doing it - second strike. Although not unusual for people to do that too, it was the way she did it. How nonsensical she was. - then she ultimately blamed it on his bisexuality which was just...bleghhh.
And again, I know there are biphobic people, but...it doesn't make sense that she knew since before they got together, they were together for over 3 years, and she was that biphobic and homophobic, and they lasted for 3 years...how? In a flashback we see her being biphobic and horrible to Florian and it's like...how did he stay with her for 6 more months? It just pissed me off.
And of course Enzo's ex-boyfriend was horrible too. He'd been cheating on Enzo as well probably the whole - again, 3 years - they were together, and he grew up with a deaf mother but was horribly ableist and thought deaf people should accommodate to the hearing world, not that hearing people should try to change their attitudes and understand what deaf people go through and be kind and respectful. Like wow...I feel sorry for his mother if she had to deal with this attitude of his all these years.
Enzo's best friend Patrick got better near the end of the book, but he never apologized for the biphobic shit he said earlier in the book at all, so fuck him.
And I know LGBT+ people face homophobia and so on everyday, in small or big ways and it's never easy, but it felt...almost excessive in this book? I know that's weird to say, but it seemed almost everyone they met or knew outside of a few friends said either homophobic or biphobic shit, and it was pretty obvious, in your face phobic shit too. At one point Florian and Enzo run into these girls and one of them says she has a cousin who is gay and do they know him??
And I know shit like that happens, I know people have those attitudes...but they are literal strangers to this random girl and she would think they know each other? Really?? I mean...if this has ever happened to someone, then never mind - and if that has...then wtf is wrong with people? You have never met this person - in Paris at that, a huge city- before and you think they'll know your gay cousin? Ugh people I swear to god.
And I'm not trying to say that things are so amazing and perfect and LGBT+ don't face this shit, they absolutely do. But it felt like one thing after another in this book and I was like...are there no good people around these two??? There was only like two or three friends of theirs that were cool and understanding. Even Patrick, who should have been awesome, was biphobic, so....(and yes he comes to like Florian and try to help them get back together, but still...never apologized.)
Enzo's sister was okay, but we only saw her in like two scenes. Enzo's parents were cool about his sexuality as well, but then with what they did with no real explanation as to why after the attack happened...they were another set of assholes in this book but for a different reasons. There was no hope for Florian's parents...
I was just...these two seemed to get completely beat down with no respite and I don't want to go and say everything is peachy for LGBT+ people, but still...I feel like there are good people out there and not everyone is so bad. Or maybe we could have just gotten more people around these two great characters who were supportive and nice and kind, is all I'm saying, if that makes sense.
But anyway, Florian and Enzo themselves were awesome and I loved them together. They were both so good to each other and so in love with each other. They had great chemistry too and they really are what saved this book for me, and thankfully they were the main focus so they drown out all the other nasty secondary characters.
So I rounded up for their great relationship, but there was just too much that bothered me for me to give this a full 4 stars. I would recommend this just for Florian and Enzo's relationship, but just be prepared for the assholes all around them when going into this.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read for me. I really loved Florian and Enzo together and they were both great characters.
But what brought this down for me was ultimately - except for a few characters here and there - the secondary characters. I know MC's are the most important part (which is why I ultimately still liked this book and rounded up instead of down) but a lot of the secondary characters were almost written...kinda of cartoon villain like.
Florian walks in on his girlfriend fucking his best friend, and the first thing she does when she sees him is smirk sadistically. Immediately it was like...okay, what the fuck. I know there are people who don't feel bad about cheating, but are they ever almost freaking evil about it? I don't know. It was off putting.
Then she's blaming Florian for her doing it - second strike. Although not unusual for people to do that too, it was the way she did it. How nonsensical she was. - then she ultimately blamed it on his bisexuality which was just...bleghhh.
And again, I know there are biphobic people, but...it doesn't make sense that she knew since before they got together, they were together for over 3 years, and she was that biphobic and homophobic, and they lasted for 3 years...how? In a flashback we see her being biphobic and horrible to Florian and it's like...how did he stay with her for 6 more months? It just pissed me off.
And of course Enzo's ex-boyfriend was horrible too. He'd been cheating on Enzo as well probably the whole - again, 3 years - they were together, and he grew up with a deaf mother but was horribly ableist and thought deaf people should accommodate to the hearing world, not that hearing people should try to change their attitudes and understand what deaf people go through and be kind and respectful. Like wow...I feel sorry for his mother if she had to deal with this attitude of his all these years.
Enzo's best friend Patrick got better near the end of the book, but he never apologized for the biphobic shit he said earlier in the book at all, so fuck him.
And I know LGBT+ people face homophobia and so on everyday, in small or big ways and it's never easy, but it felt...almost excessive in this book? I know that's weird to say, but it seemed almost everyone they met or knew outside of a few friends said either homophobic or biphobic shit, and it was pretty obvious, in your face phobic shit too. At one point Florian and Enzo run into these girls and one of them says she has a cousin who is gay and do they know him??
And I know shit like that happens, I know people have those attitudes...but they are literal strangers to this random girl and she would think they know each other? Really?? I mean...if this has ever happened to someone, then never mind - and if that has...then wtf is wrong with people? You have never met this person - in Paris at that, a huge city- before and you think they'll know your gay cousin? Ugh people I swear to god.
And I'm not trying to say that things are so amazing and perfect and LGBT+ don't face this shit, they absolutely do. But it felt like one thing after another in this book and I was like...are there no good people around these two??? There was only like two or three friends of theirs that were cool and understanding. Even Patrick, who should have been awesome, was biphobic, so....(and yes he comes to like Florian and try to help them get back together, but still...never apologized.)
Enzo's sister was okay, but we only saw her in like two scenes. Enzo's parents were cool about his sexuality as well, but then with what they did with no real explanation as to why after the attack happened...they were another set of assholes in this book but for a different reasons. There was no hope for Florian's parents...
I was just...these two seemed to get completely beat down with no respite and I don't want to go and say everything is peachy for LGBT+ people, but still...I feel like there are good people out there and not everyone is so bad. Or maybe we could have just gotten more people around these two great characters who were supportive and nice and kind, is all I'm saying, if that makes sense.
But anyway, Florian and Enzo themselves were awesome and I loved them together. They were both so good to each other and so in love with each other. They had great chemistry too and they really are what saved this book for me, and thankfully they were the main focus so they drown out all the other nasty secondary characters.
So I rounded up for their great relationship, but there was just too much that bothered me for me to give this a full 4 stars. I would recommend this just for Florian and Enzo's relationship, but just be prepared for the assholes all around them when going into this.
July 19, 2019
This is my first time reading this author, and I can say that they have done a wonderful job on shining the light on the bigoted attitude towards bisexual people within LGBTIQ community as well as out of it. Told from dual POV, this story is about two young men who find each other despite the tragic accident that tore them apart years ago. It's light-hearted, slightly angsty, funny and steamy read about second chances, having courage to come out and love oneself no matter what.
Florian is at crossroads. After walking in on his best friend in bed with his girlfriend, he starts questioning his decisions and his judgement. A chance meeting with a boy who was his first love makes him believe that he has a second chance at his happy ever after. Only Enzo is not a boy anymore but a man with his own pain that needs time to heal.
Enzo has been dealt a hard blow in life. But he got back up and made his dreams come true except for that someone special to love him. Since his break up with a no good cheating boyfriend that he can't get over still, he feels adrift. But what he does not expect while out with his best friend is to run into one boy he never forgot, one boy who left him when he needed him the most. But past lies can not be hidden forever, and what he discovers rocks him to his core. Even though he lost his hearing and Florian, Florian didn't escape unscathed either.
After both young men find out the truth, they can not deny the feelings that never went away. So they both decide to explore what can be between them. It was heart-warming to see how nice and understanding Florian was. I really liked Enzo's strength to stand up for himself at the crucial moment. And despite minor tribulations, both men soon saw that they couldn't imagine living without each other.
It was sweet, romantic and s*exy read. What would have made it great for me personally, would have been more exposure to the deaf community because Enzo was pretty much around hearing people more than non-hearing. I wished to see him immersed more into it. Another sore point for me was the feeling that all the nasty characters got away scot-free after everything that happened to both Enzo and Florian. I feel like there was no closure on this point either for the guys or for me. But despite all that, I enjoyed their refreshing banter, French sights and all the side characters that added to the book's loveliness. I recommend it. Copy provided for honest and unbiased review
Florian is at crossroads. After walking in on his best friend in bed with his girlfriend, he starts questioning his decisions and his judgement. A chance meeting with a boy who was his first love makes him believe that he has a second chance at his happy ever after. Only Enzo is not a boy anymore but a man with his own pain that needs time to heal.
Enzo has been dealt a hard blow in life. But he got back up and made his dreams come true except for that someone special to love him. Since his break up with a no good cheating boyfriend that he can't get over still, he feels adrift. But what he does not expect while out with his best friend is to run into one boy he never forgot, one boy who left him when he needed him the most. But past lies can not be hidden forever, and what he discovers rocks him to his core. Even though he lost his hearing and Florian, Florian didn't escape unscathed either.
After both young men find out the truth, they can not deny the feelings that never went away. So they both decide to explore what can be between them. It was heart-warming to see how nice and understanding Florian was. I really liked Enzo's strength to stand up for himself at the crucial moment. And despite minor tribulations, both men soon saw that they couldn't imagine living without each other.
It was sweet, romantic and s*exy read. What would have made it great for me personally, would have been more exposure to the deaf community because Enzo was pretty much around hearing people more than non-hearing. I wished to see him immersed more into it. Another sore point for me was the feeling that all the nasty characters got away scot-free after everything that happened to both Enzo and Florian. I feel like there was no closure on this point either for the guys or for me. But despite all that, I enjoyed their refreshing banter, French sights and all the side characters that added to the book's loveliness. I recommend it. Copy provided for honest and unbiased review
June 26, 2019
Important update at 59%:: "// This author is breezing through this story, as if going through the paces, just to get through them! I don't see much development in terms of the MCs themselves, and it's a shame! I'm not feeling the chemistry at all, though it's clear they do want and love one another! It's just ... this feels way too "wham, bam, thank you, ma'am", and the story is suffering for it! I'm thinking this is a debut novel and MEH!! This story could be good if the author actually took the time to develop the plot and flesh out the characters! Also, why set or make a point of mentioning this story takes place in France, if you're not going to insert geographical descriptors that are decidedly FRANCE?!!? Tell us about France, make your reader FEEL like they're in France, present a clear distinction between France and every other country they could possibly be in! Throwing in random words in French for "dear" and "sandwich" are NOT going to fucking cut it; it just sounds lazy, sloppy, obnoxious, and ignorant!!! France is an energy, it's an ambience, it's an atmosphere, it's history! As far as this book is concerned, it could have been set ANYWHERE and the reader wouldn't have noticed a difference!! Meh, I am not impressed and while I'll probably skim through the 2nd book because I own it - had I known then what I know now, I'd never have bought it or had such faith in this series!! The writing is very bland, lacklustre, unimpressive, and quite juvenile!! I am totally and completely done with this author - life is too short to waste on shitty writing!! I wish we didn't have such a wave of crappy authors trying to be a part of the M/M community >:-o!!!
March 8, 2019
I love a second chances story and this one was breathtaking. Written just beautifully.
"Enzo, I never moved on."
Gah!
Enzo and Florian were best friends and lovers in high school. They were sneaky about their relationship until they were caught in public and assaulted. Neither of them were the same after.
The story is told in third person with dual POV's, which is my favorite, so bonus for me!
After the assault, Enzo becomes deaf. His life is impacted and altered with this new condition and the way he embraces this and overcomes it is just magical. He was so heroic. The character of Enzo was written so amazingly well, he was so full of humility. I fell in love with him instantly.
Florian was full of past pain and had so much lingering hurt, it was awesome to see how much he grew and opened up when he was in Enzo's presence. Their relationship was so inspiring.
I really loved so many things about this story. The characters were so sincere and lovely. The writing was engaging and meaningful. It was just a great tale full of feeling and joy.
*Galley copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to http://gaybook.reviews/ *
"Enzo, I never moved on."
Gah!
Enzo and Florian were best friends and lovers in high school. They were sneaky about their relationship until they were caught in public and assaulted. Neither of them were the same after.
The story is told in third person with dual POV's, which is my favorite, so bonus for me!
After the assault, Enzo becomes deaf. His life is impacted and altered with this new condition and the way he embraces this and overcomes it is just magical. He was so heroic. The character of Enzo was written so amazingly well, he was so full of humility. I fell in love with him instantly.
Florian was full of past pain and had so much lingering hurt, it was awesome to see how much he grew and opened up when he was in Enzo's presence. Their relationship was so inspiring.
I really loved so many things about this story. The characters were so sincere and lovely. The writing was engaging and meaningful. It was just a great tale full of feeling and joy.
*Galley copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to http://gaybook.reviews/ *
February 28, 2021
Very beautiful second-chance love story based in France.
We get to meet Florian and Enzo who are both struggling with leaving cheating exes. Their chance meeting at a bar starts a relationship back-up.
Through flashbacks we learn all about their past and see them rekindle a love they both thought lost.
We get to meet Florian and Enzo who are both struggling with leaving cheating exes. Their chance meeting at a bar starts a relationship back-up.
Through flashbacks we learn all about their past and see them rekindle a love they both thought lost.
Read
March 17, 2019ARC from A Novel Take PR
DNF @ 54%, so no rating.
I always say that you can tell so much about the main characters by who they surround themselves with. Well aside from the token 'one good friend,' both of these men have surrounded themselves with such jerks. And the whole 'woe is me' for being broken up with when you should have done the breaking up ages ago is overdone. I don't need characters who are feeling bad for themselves and presented as having to fight the world to be together. I feel like I've read it 8000 times, and it's just not my thing. There is enough of an obstacle between these men with their shared past. A more in depth look at that could have been interesting. A good potential plot, but it fell flat for me.
DNF @ 54%, so no rating.
I always say that you can tell so much about the main characters by who they surround themselves with. Well aside from the token 'one good friend,' both of these men have surrounded themselves with such jerks. And the whole 'woe is me' for being broken up with when you should have done the breaking up ages ago is overdone. I don't need characters who are feeling bad for themselves and presented as having to fight the world to be together. I feel like I've read it 8000 times, and it's just not my thing. There is enough of an obstacle between these men with their shared past. A more in depth look at that could have been interesting. A good potential plot, but it fell flat for me.
Want to Read
July 24, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/24/2019)! 🎁
February 9, 2019
I found “Rewind” by Rowan Shaw to be an excellent debut novel and I am definitely looking forward to reading more by Ms Shaw. I really liked both Enzo and Florian’s characters, and how they were given a second chance. Both of them grew as characters and as a couple. I loved that Enzo didn’t let being deaf stop him and loved it when Florian finally accepted himself. I felt that it made them stronger as a couple and as individuals. Although I did find it slow in the beginning but once I got into it, I didn’t want it to end. I can’t wait for Raphael and Adrian’s book which is next, called “Return”. And maybe a story later on featuring, Patrick, Enzo’s friend. If you’re looking for a story that flows well and features a second chance love story, pick up “Rewind” and give Enzo and Florian a chance.
I give this story 4 stars.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
I give this story 4 stars.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
May 7, 2019
Second chance romance with positive bi rep? Yes!! I really enjoyed this book.
March 18, 2019
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5 stars
🔥🔥🔥🔥 Heat Level: 3.75
Wow, what a story! So much heart, incredible!
I loved this story. An epic second chance romance, eight years in the making. Rowan’s writing is a joy to read, easy flow and so much detail and heart in each word! As a fellow bi/queer person, I appreciate her attention to detail of what being bi can entail and the biphobia/homophobia elements were so real, it felt like real life, which in many ways is very saddening. That being said these elements could be triggering for some readers. The book also features (youth) homelessness, parent abandonment, homophobia, hate crimes, HoH/Deaf discrimination, parental lies, features a physical attack and alludes to sickness and working on the street which could be triggering to some readers. Please read carefully.
Enzo and Florian are perfect together! They happen upon each other at the near perfect time in their adult lives and they realize their passion and love for each other never faded! I must say I hate when parents interfere/lie/make decisions for their children in the name of ‘what’s best’ and this is featured heavily in Enzo’s situation. Enzo and Florian are 18 when they are attached violently (for PDA) and the encounter leaves Enzo deaf. Enzo’s parent’s lie to him and say Florian now wants nothing to do with him and hasn’t called or came to visit. This is of course not true and the parents simply want someone to blame, which is ridiculous! Florian is disowned by his parents after the attack and forced to live on the streets until a friend finds him and his family takes him in. Rowan does an incredible job create the emotions around these situations, I felt the frustrations, dislike, outrage, confusion, betrayal etc for each character!
While the story is not overly long is is an incredible journey and epic second chance for Enzo and Florian. The love these two characters share flies off the page and you can’t help but fall in love with them too. A wonderful story of life, it’s challenges and its ups and downs, with loveable characters and talented writing; it’s a story you’ll fall in love with. A highly recommended read and I very much look forward to more stories from France by Rowan! Loved it!!
Thanks for reading! For great stories, reviews and more please visit https://bookstattoosandtea.wordpress.com 📚
🔥🔥🔥🔥 Heat Level: 3.75
Wow, what a story! So much heart, incredible!
I loved this story. An epic second chance romance, eight years in the making. Rowan’s writing is a joy to read, easy flow and so much detail and heart in each word! As a fellow bi/queer person, I appreciate her attention to detail of what being bi can entail and the biphobia/homophobia elements were so real, it felt like real life, which in many ways is very saddening. That being said these elements could be triggering for some readers. The book also features (youth) homelessness, parent abandonment, homophobia, hate crimes, HoH/Deaf discrimination, parental lies, features a physical attack and alludes to sickness and working on the street which could be triggering to some readers. Please read carefully.
Enzo and Florian are perfect together! They happen upon each other at the near perfect time in their adult lives and they realize their passion and love for each other never faded! I must say I hate when parents interfere/lie/make decisions for their children in the name of ‘what’s best’ and this is featured heavily in Enzo’s situation. Enzo and Florian are 18 when they are attached violently (for PDA) and the encounter leaves Enzo deaf. Enzo’s parent’s lie to him and say Florian now wants nothing to do with him and hasn’t called or came to visit. This is of course not true and the parents simply want someone to blame, which is ridiculous! Florian is disowned by his parents after the attack and forced to live on the streets until a friend finds him and his family takes him in. Rowan does an incredible job create the emotions around these situations, I felt the frustrations, dislike, outrage, confusion, betrayal etc for each character!
While the story is not overly long is is an incredible journey and epic second chance for Enzo and Florian. The love these two characters share flies off the page and you can’t help but fall in love with them too. A wonderful story of life, it’s challenges and its ups and downs, with loveable characters and talented writing; it’s a story you’ll fall in love with. A highly recommended read and I very much look forward to more stories from France by Rowan! Loved it!!
Thanks for reading! For great stories, reviews and more please visit https://bookstattoosandtea.wordpress.com 📚
March 16, 2019
A great story, hard to believe it's this author's debut novel.
I really loved this story. Friends to Lovers and Second Chance stories are my favorites and this one is great. Enzo and Florian were dating in high school and then something horrible happened that tore them apart. And the thing about that is neither of them knew exactly what was going on.
They meet again, unexpectedly, and the spark of attraction is still there but both of them are on the rebound and don't know whether or not to trust their feelings. They rekindle their friendship and things progress from there.
The story had just the right balance of angst and romance. While there was dark content in the story, I thought the author handled it well. I've read very few books with deaf characters and I loved how Enzo was portrayed as a confident young man who didn't let his hearing loss hold him back.
Rewind also contains an interesting cast of secondary characters and I'm looking forward to reading the next book by Ms. Shaw.
Advanced Reading Copy provided by A Novel Take PR but this review was voluntary and not influenced receipt of the ARC.
I really loved this story. Friends to Lovers and Second Chance stories are my favorites and this one is great. Enzo and Florian were dating in high school and then something horrible happened that tore them apart. And the thing about that is neither of them knew exactly what was going on.
They meet again, unexpectedly, and the spark of attraction is still there but both of them are on the rebound and don't know whether or not to trust their feelings. They rekindle their friendship and things progress from there.
The story had just the right balance of angst and romance. While there was dark content in the story, I thought the author handled it well. I've read very few books with deaf characters and I loved how Enzo was portrayed as a confident young man who didn't let his hearing loss hold him back.
Rewind also contains an interesting cast of secondary characters and I'm looking forward to reading the next book by Ms. Shaw.
Advanced Reading Copy provided by A Novel Take PR but this review was voluntary and not influenced receipt of the ARC.
March 4, 2019
I really enjoyed this debut novel by Rowan Shaw. The main characters, Enzo and Florian, are both sympathetic characters, flawed yet relatable.
Second chance romances don't always work for me, but this one was beautifully written and nicely executed.
Where I struggled a little bit was in the characterizations. In regards to their personal lives, Enzo and Florian have similar emotional wounds that are both recent. Because of this, I had a hard time distinguishing between them until about 40% into the novel. My other niggle is with Enzo's relationship with his mom... This plot point never got resolved, and by the end of the book, I'm left wondering what happened there.
But despite this, I found myself engrossed in the novel and in Enzo and Florian's personal struggles. Enzo especially was so loveable, and I loved watching his character evolve. He lives with a disability and I thought the way the author depicted it in his every day life was very well done. It really opened to my eyes to some of the pushback people with this disability receive in real life. Florian, too, had a great character arc, and while neither Enzo or Florian have had it easy in life, the way they bring happiness out in each other was lovely to watch.
Overall, an enjoyable novel that's well-written and engaging. Thank you to A Novel Take PR for the ARC.
Second chance romances don't always work for me, but this one was beautifully written and nicely executed.
Where I struggled a little bit was in the characterizations. In regards to their personal lives, Enzo and Florian have similar emotional wounds that are both recent. Because of this, I had a hard time distinguishing between them until about 40% into the novel. My other niggle is with Enzo's relationship with his mom... This plot point never got resolved, and by the end of the book, I'm left wondering what happened there.
But despite this, I found myself engrossed in the novel and in Enzo and Florian's personal struggles. Enzo especially was so loveable, and I loved watching his character evolve. He lives with a disability and I thought the way the author depicted it in his every day life was very well done. It really opened to my eyes to some of the pushback people with this disability receive in real life. Florian, too, had a great character arc, and while neither Enzo or Florian have had it easy in life, the way they bring happiness out in each other was lovely to watch.
Overall, an enjoyable novel that's well-written and engaging. Thank you to A Novel Take PR for the ARC.
April 2, 2019
This is, by far, the best bi representation I have ever read. And I have read A LOT of them. Rowan did an amazing job portraying the internal struggles of a bisexual person, as well as hardships every person with disabilities face every single day.
Enzo is a sweet and kind man. It is difficult being gay and disabled, but he doesn’t let that stop him from living his life the way he wants. In moments he is maybe too kind and forgiving, but people like that do exist. And for everyone complaining about his behavior toward his ex boyfriend, you obviously never have been in an abusive relationship or witnessed one.
I loved Florian. He lives in constant war with himself. He defies bisexual stereotypes. Rowan had painted every emotion a bi person goes through. As for his relationship with his girlfriend, again, look around you and see what a manipulator does to their victim. All of that is so realistically portrayed.
This is a true own voice story.
I highly recommend this book, and if I could, I would give it 10 stars. I might be biased, but bi rep without erasure and stereotyping is extremely important to me. And I got that with this book.
January 12, 2020
DNF. I only made it through the first chapter and I can telling the writing isn't for me. Florian is already getting on my nerves and I feel like the GF should be ending all her lines with the "noblewoman's laugh".
March 23, 2019
So everyone knows I absolutely adore M/M Romances, right? I mean this shouldn't be a shocker at this point. I love a good M/M Romance honestly. I like the angst, the connections, the struggles - it just gives me feels. And REWIND definitely had me gushing at the synopsis, sign me up for the second change love! We're going in...
Oh the characters, lets see if I can do this without rambling. Enzo was definitely a cutie, very much naive innocent cutie pie. Yep, that is how I am going to describe him entirely. Honestly even though I can say I really did enjoy his character I still felt he was rather lack luster, not memorable. Not in necessarily a bad way, but just simply wasn't eye catching. I did love his personal struggles both with his ex which played a huge hindrance on his self-esteem but also himself and his friend. But again, with that being said, he was simply someone who lacked a back bone, for obvious reasons yes, but I still felt there was more of a growth or potential for his character that wasn't entirely evolved until sixty percent of the novel. With that being said he did finally step up his game, having his voice heard, especially considering his disability. It just made his character shine more, just would have preferred more of that strong willed male character through more of the novel and not so much as the backbone to the ending of the book.
As for Florian, ah, where to start. I think I am the hugest critic when it comes to the first person who is introduced and Florian is that character today. He was more or less the most annoying character. I think what most annoyed me with his personality is how he handled many situations. He complained and then he sulked, he pushed people away thinking he could solve the problem himself by removing himself, and honestly this is just a horrible personality trait in my opinion. It added more drama that in my opinion was unnecessary. On top of this, the secondary characters that surrounded the build of Florian's situation was ultimately lack luster and redundant. The constant reminder of his bad choice in friends was adamant and his girlfriend, seriously what was her continued purpose again? It just baffled me how back and forth his character was with the growth, it honestly took a good while for his character to really push away from this persona and really shine.
Now that I think of it... there seems to be a trend with Florian and Enzo - both surround themselves with absolute toxic people. Both have friends who say they are looking out for them but really just seemed to drag their characters down. Interesting. Didn't really pick up on that until I started rambling... go figure. I think that added to their growth, really it did.
One thing I will admit is their chemistry and connection was great. Florian may be an annoying character but him with Enzo made me swoon. Mix in all their angsty drama from past and present, it was a whirlwind of a romance. So one thing I should mention is that Enzo and Florian knew one another previously, as in high school buddies and first time lovers, at least in the experimental sense discovering themselves and their sexuality. But it didn't end well, for either. Florian holds a lot of guilt for what happened with Enzo, the boys ganging up on them, Enzo losing his hearing, Florian views himself as a threat towards Enzo, feeling like he can't protect his love. I think I liked this about their characters more than anything else, this is really what developed their growth for themselves and for the romance itself. They really depending on the other's acceptance.
I REALLY enjoyed this about their romantic growth. I think this was actually the entirety of my enjoyment if I am being honest. I liked how they developed together emotionally and mentally. It was very beautiful. They overcame so much from their past just by rekindling their feelings.
Overall, I enjoyed a lot about REWIND. Enzo and Florian were decently developed characters with a hot shade of internal struggles. Regardless of my personal pet peeves with the characters I still admit that this was worth the read. I can honestly never pass up a second chance romance with angst. It was great. I cannot wait to get my hands on RETURN, I have a feeling it will be a good one.
Oh the characters, lets see if I can do this without rambling. Enzo was definitely a cutie, very much naive innocent cutie pie. Yep, that is how I am going to describe him entirely. Honestly even though I can say I really did enjoy his character I still felt he was rather lack luster, not memorable. Not in necessarily a bad way, but just simply wasn't eye catching. I did love his personal struggles both with his ex which played a huge hindrance on his self-esteem but also himself and his friend. But again, with that being said, he was simply someone who lacked a back bone, for obvious reasons yes, but I still felt there was more of a growth or potential for his character that wasn't entirely evolved until sixty percent of the novel. With that being said he did finally step up his game, having his voice heard, especially considering his disability. It just made his character shine more, just would have preferred more of that strong willed male character through more of the novel and not so much as the backbone to the ending of the book.
As for Florian, ah, where to start. I think I am the hugest critic when it comes to the first person who is introduced and Florian is that character today. He was more or less the most annoying character. I think what most annoyed me with his personality is how he handled many situations. He complained and then he sulked, he pushed people away thinking he could solve the problem himself by removing himself, and honestly this is just a horrible personality trait in my opinion. It added more drama that in my opinion was unnecessary. On top of this, the secondary characters that surrounded the build of Florian's situation was ultimately lack luster and redundant. The constant reminder of his bad choice in friends was adamant and his girlfriend, seriously what was her continued purpose again? It just baffled me how back and forth his character was with the growth, it honestly took a good while for his character to really push away from this persona and really shine.
Now that I think of it... there seems to be a trend with Florian and Enzo - both surround themselves with absolute toxic people. Both have friends who say they are looking out for them but really just seemed to drag their characters down. Interesting. Didn't really pick up on that until I started rambling... go figure. I think that added to their growth, really it did.
One thing I will admit is their chemistry and connection was great. Florian may be an annoying character but him with Enzo made me swoon. Mix in all their angsty drama from past and present, it was a whirlwind of a romance. So one thing I should mention is that Enzo and Florian knew one another previously, as in high school buddies and first time lovers, at least in the experimental sense discovering themselves and their sexuality. But it didn't end well, for either. Florian holds a lot of guilt for what happened with Enzo, the boys ganging up on them, Enzo losing his hearing, Florian views himself as a threat towards Enzo, feeling like he can't protect his love. I think I liked this about their characters more than anything else, this is really what developed their growth for themselves and for the romance itself. They really depending on the other's acceptance.
I REALLY enjoyed this about their romantic growth. I think this was actually the entirety of my enjoyment if I am being honest. I liked how they developed together emotionally and mentally. It was very beautiful. They overcame so much from their past just by rekindling their feelings.
Overall, I enjoyed a lot about REWIND. Enzo and Florian were decently developed characters with a hot shade of internal struggles. Regardless of my personal pet peeves with the characters I still admit that this was worth the read. I can honestly never pass up a second chance romance with angst. It was great. I cannot wait to get my hands on RETURN, I have a feeling it will be a good one.
March 18, 2019
Alright…
I had a hard time with this one. While the story itself is good, and I enjoyed the romance aspect between Florian, who just finds his girlfriend in bed with his best friend, and she’s so catty about it, it’s disgusting… and Enzo, an ex from high school who’s still hung up on his emotionally and verbally abusive ex boyfriend who both work at a school for the deaf, since Enzo himself is deaf… they meet again in a club while both are trying to lick their wounds and move on.
The way in which their friendship/relationship ended back then was kind of hidden and little bit confusing to me. I don’t understand why it was something that wasn’t talked about more, but, it didn’t take away from the story, other than it caused a little bit of friction I guess.
The two of these guys were cute together. I enjoyed watching them get to know each other all over again and reminisce here and there about the past…. But what irritated me to no end, is the terrible terrible terrible people that just kept getting away with being terrible people!
Enzo’s ex who was so awful… I’m not kidding, he turned my stomach. He was so condescending and belittling to Enzo, and nobody ever done anything about it. He’s a sociopath who lacks any kind of emotional or moral compassion.
And Florian’s ex literally ruins every part of his life, with his ridiculously ignorant friends, his job, and eventually his relationship with Enzo, which also irritated me to no end, because why not lean on your man when you need him? Why let anyone take your relationship from you… that’s exactly what everyone wanted. Ugh, I just couldn’t with that.
So, definitely frustrating for me, especially because although Florian’s ex has somewhat a nice change of decency when she feels badly about all the havoc she inflicted on his life, only slightly, because she didn’t stop it, OR the ex best friend of Florian’s that went so far beyond any type revenge that he had no right to… she was just a disgusting person, and Florian didn’t karmically kick her in the teeth, he just ran to her when she summoned him, because why? She didn’t deserve that…. As a matter of fact, the things she deserved I won’t even mention because I’m having a hard time remembering that she’s a fictional character and I don’t know if I wanna acknowledge that level of craziness from myself.
So, yeah… it was a hard read for me. Angsty and just ridiculous in some parts that I never felt were justifiable…. And I just have such a pet peeve for people who get away with being terrible people. We have enough bad in the world, I don’t wanna read about it too, and these people were the worst!
Apart from that, it did have a happy ending for the couple and I was glad for that. They really did make a cute couple, and I love second chancers. I feel like Raphael is going to be just as angsty, so I might skip the next one… but if you like a realistic, angsty read, don’t pass this one up. It just sadly wasn’t my kind of read, and that’s on me.
3 stars from me
I had a hard time with this one. While the story itself is good, and I enjoyed the romance aspect between Florian, who just finds his girlfriend in bed with his best friend, and she’s so catty about it, it’s disgusting… and Enzo, an ex from high school who’s still hung up on his emotionally and verbally abusive ex boyfriend who both work at a school for the deaf, since Enzo himself is deaf… they meet again in a club while both are trying to lick their wounds and move on.
The way in which their friendship/relationship ended back then was kind of hidden and little bit confusing to me. I don’t understand why it was something that wasn’t talked about more, but, it didn’t take away from the story, other than it caused a little bit of friction I guess.
The two of these guys were cute together. I enjoyed watching them get to know each other all over again and reminisce here and there about the past…. But what irritated me to no end, is the terrible terrible terrible people that just kept getting away with being terrible people!
Enzo’s ex who was so awful… I’m not kidding, he turned my stomach. He was so condescending and belittling to Enzo, and nobody ever done anything about it. He’s a sociopath who lacks any kind of emotional or moral compassion.
And Florian’s ex literally ruins every part of his life, with his ridiculously ignorant friends, his job, and eventually his relationship with Enzo, which also irritated me to no end, because why not lean on your man when you need him? Why let anyone take your relationship from you… that’s exactly what everyone wanted. Ugh, I just couldn’t with that.
So, definitely frustrating for me, especially because although Florian’s ex has somewhat a nice change of decency when she feels badly about all the havoc she inflicted on his life, only slightly, because she didn’t stop it, OR the ex best friend of Florian’s that went so far beyond any type revenge that he had no right to… she was just a disgusting person, and Florian didn’t karmically kick her in the teeth, he just ran to her when she summoned him, because why? She didn’t deserve that…. As a matter of fact, the things she deserved I won’t even mention because I’m having a hard time remembering that she’s a fictional character and I don’t know if I wanna acknowledge that level of craziness from myself.
So, yeah… it was a hard read for me. Angsty and just ridiculous in some parts that I never felt were justifiable…. And I just have such a pet peeve for people who get away with being terrible people. We have enough bad in the world, I don’t wanna read about it too, and these people were the worst!
Apart from that, it did have a happy ending for the couple and I was glad for that. They really did make a cute couple, and I love second chancers. I feel like Raphael is going to be just as angsty, so I might skip the next one… but if you like a realistic, angsty read, don’t pass this one up. It just sadly wasn’t my kind of read, and that’s on me.
3 stars from me
March 25, 2019
Rewind is a beautiful, thoughtful, second-chance romance centered around two heroes who are sure to win your heart!
I honestly loved just about everything about this story... both Florian and Enzo are likeable, complex characters who feel like real people and, by the end of the story, like friends. I was rooting for them to find happiness together from the start, and enjoyed every step of the sometimes slow, sometimes passionate, and always heartfelt path they took to get there.
Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE books that take me somewhere I've never been, and one of the biggest reasons I was excited about this story was its setting in France. I personally loved that aspect of the story, and am grateful to Shaw for giving me this chance not only to visit as a tourist, but to "live" Enzo's and Florian's lives with them through the course of the story. I also loved the chance to experience the LGBTQ+ community and the Deaf community in France. While the book definitely never felt preachy or intentionally "educational," I did learn a lot, and that's something I definitely enjoy in a read!
Now, there is a lot of homophobia and biphobia in particular in this book, including some violence. There's nothing gory or overly explicit, but that is something to be aware of. I don't personally think it's a negative, because of course these things do happen in the real world, and while it's also nice to have books that DON'T deal with these issues, I also like it when other books DO get down and dirty and take a look at some of the not-so-pretty things that LGBTQ+ (in this case, gay and bi specifically) people do still face all over the world. I'm mainly including this because it could be triggering for some readers, but I felt that it was respectfully handled, and if you're in a good mental health place to deal with it, I though it was a well-written if sometimes realistically uncomfortable subplot.
Honestly, though, the main draw for me was the two main characters. I loved the mutual respect and consent that was at the core of their relationship, and the way the sex scenes managed to be both steamy and character-building. (To be honest, I often skim over sex scenes that are there purely for titillation... that's entirely my quirk as a reader of course, but it's hard for me to really get into sex for the sake of sex.... I really enjoyed these sex scenes though, because they were definitely explicit without going over the edge into "how many adjectives for bodily fluids can we find?" territory, while ALSO providing a great way to see the characters interact, and to really paint a fuller picture of their emotional AND physical relationship.)
So, no, this wasn't a light and fluffy read, but it wasn't really an angst-fest either. It felt to me like a realistic romance that has a little fluff and a little angst... but a LOT of love between the two main characters through it all. And after all, when you pick up a romance, isn't that mostly what you're here for? I absolutely can't wait for the next book in the series!
I honestly loved just about everything about this story... both Florian and Enzo are likeable, complex characters who feel like real people and, by the end of the story, like friends. I was rooting for them to find happiness together from the start, and enjoyed every step of the sometimes slow, sometimes passionate, and always heartfelt path they took to get there.
Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE books that take me somewhere I've never been, and one of the biggest reasons I was excited about this story was its setting in France. I personally loved that aspect of the story, and am grateful to Shaw for giving me this chance not only to visit as a tourist, but to "live" Enzo's and Florian's lives with them through the course of the story. I also loved the chance to experience the LGBTQ+ community and the Deaf community in France. While the book definitely never felt preachy or intentionally "educational," I did learn a lot, and that's something I definitely enjoy in a read!
Now, there is a lot of homophobia and biphobia in particular in this book, including some violence. There's nothing gory or overly explicit, but that is something to be aware of. I don't personally think it's a negative, because of course these things do happen in the real world, and while it's also nice to have books that DON'T deal with these issues, I also like it when other books DO get down and dirty and take a look at some of the not-so-pretty things that LGBTQ+ (in this case, gay and bi specifically) people do still face all over the world. I'm mainly including this because it could be triggering for some readers, but I felt that it was respectfully handled, and if you're in a good mental health place to deal with it, I though it was a well-written if sometimes realistically uncomfortable subplot.
Honestly, though, the main draw for me was the two main characters. I loved the mutual respect and consent that was at the core of their relationship, and the way the sex scenes managed to be both steamy and character-building. (To be honest, I often skim over sex scenes that are there purely for titillation... that's entirely my quirk as a reader of course, but it's hard for me to really get into sex for the sake of sex.... I really enjoyed these sex scenes though, because they were definitely explicit without going over the edge into "how many adjectives for bodily fluids can we find?" territory, while ALSO providing a great way to see the characters interact, and to really paint a fuller picture of their emotional AND physical relationship.)
So, no, this wasn't a light and fluffy read, but it wasn't really an angst-fest either. It felt to me like a realistic romance that has a little fluff and a little angst... but a LOT of love between the two main characters through it all. And after all, when you pick up a romance, isn't that mostly what you're here for? I absolutely can't wait for the next book in the series!
March 16, 2019
3.5/5⭐
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
Rewind is the debut novel of new author Rowan Shaw. An LGBT second chance love story about two men broken by the same trauma and finding peace in each other after being reunited.
The main characters, Enzo and Florian, were real and flawed. Florian struggled with his bisexual identity, because his friends and family just didn't understand how he could enjoy both sexes. He carried around a ton of guilt over the incident with Enzo, and he never really forgave himself. I gravitated more toward Enzo, after what he went through, he was so strong, brave and proud. Yes, he had lasting effects of that horrible day both physical and emotionally but that didn't stop him from trying to live his best life. He taught sign language and spent all his free time volunteering and helping others in any way he can. Also, he was adorable when he would get shy and bashful. I think my absolute favorite aspects of the story was how Florian not once saw Enzo's being deaf as a disability and embraced it as a part of him. Besides the easy friendship between the two of them, the sexual chemistry between them was passionate and loving.
The story itself was heartbreaking at times. The struggles both these brave men faced are real issues for many people in the world. As someone who accepts and embraces people sexual preferences, it blows my mind that others can be so ignorant and hateful. The dialogue seemed a bit forced and choppy at times but overall I think the author did a good job telling these characters' story.
Rewind is the first standalone in the universe that author Rowan Shaw has created, and I am looking forward to reading the books to come.
"When my mouth crashed against his, I was caught in a wave of memories."
"He pulled me into a kiss so desperate and passionate, it shot shivers all the way down my spine."
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
Rewind is the debut novel of new author Rowan Shaw. An LGBT second chance love story about two men broken by the same trauma and finding peace in each other after being reunited.
The main characters, Enzo and Florian, were real and flawed. Florian struggled with his bisexual identity, because his friends and family just didn't understand how he could enjoy both sexes. He carried around a ton of guilt over the incident with Enzo, and he never really forgave himself. I gravitated more toward Enzo, after what he went through, he was so strong, brave and proud. Yes, he had lasting effects of that horrible day both physical and emotionally but that didn't stop him from trying to live his best life. He taught sign language and spent all his free time volunteering and helping others in any way he can. Also, he was adorable when he would get shy and bashful. I think my absolute favorite aspects of the story was how Florian not once saw Enzo's being deaf as a disability and embraced it as a part of him. Besides the easy friendship between the two of them, the sexual chemistry between them was passionate and loving.
The story itself was heartbreaking at times. The struggles both these brave men faced are real issues for many people in the world. As someone who accepts and embraces people sexual preferences, it blows my mind that others can be so ignorant and hateful. The dialogue seemed a bit forced and choppy at times but overall I think the author did a good job telling these characters' story.
Rewind is the first standalone in the universe that author Rowan Shaw has created, and I am looking forward to reading the books to come.
"When my mouth crashed against his, I was caught in a wave of memories."
"He pulled me into a kiss so desperate and passionate, it shot shivers all the way down my spine."
3.5/5⭐
March 15, 2019
I received a free copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
4 Somber Stars
Rewind is Rowan Shaw's debut novel, which captured me with the blurb from the start.
I was looking for something unique in a sea of sameness. A deaf character intrigued me, wanting to see how the author wrote him. The locale was a nice change of scenery, especially the French peppered in, without it coming off as confusing for those who don't speak the language. I'm also a sucker for second-chance romance, so I forgave myself for taking a break from working to read this novel.
The overall emotion for the novel left me feeling sad for some reason. Somber. While it wasn't a difficult read, or overly emotional, there was some mildly dark content (hate-driven speech and events), so I wouldn't call it light and fluffy either. I add this, simply because mood matters when reading a novel- choosing a book to fit the mood, so to speak.
Enzo and Florian both come off as angsty and brooding to me, with good reason, so the balance wasn't there that I generally enjoy. The past connected them, but in the present, it's similar situations that place them in each other's paths. To me, it was as if they never would have been together had others not betrayed their trust, which made it hard for me to buy into the present relationship.
Where the novel shined for me was in the past, back when Enzo and Florian were teenagers. While I appreciated what was occurring in the present, the past intrigued me more. Maybe it's my great love of the young adult genre, but I felt the past was written better than the present. Tighter, more emotion. Had the book only taken place in the present, I wouldn't have been able to buy into their relationship.
I did have a difficult time with the Point-of-View switching up between the two characters, both in first-person, especially when combined with going back and forth from present to past. This offered some confusion for me, where it took a bit to distinguish who and when. Another issue for me was the pacing, story flow, sometimes slowing to a crawl.
Recommended to fans of MM romance, especially those who would like to try an new author and experience something unique. However, I caution due to the novel negativity impacting my mood by the content. I wasn't necessarily triggered, but some may be.
4 Somber Stars
Rewind is Rowan Shaw's debut novel, which captured me with the blurb from the start.
I was looking for something unique in a sea of sameness. A deaf character intrigued me, wanting to see how the author wrote him. The locale was a nice change of scenery, especially the French peppered in, without it coming off as confusing for those who don't speak the language. I'm also a sucker for second-chance romance, so I forgave myself for taking a break from working to read this novel.
The overall emotion for the novel left me feeling sad for some reason. Somber. While it wasn't a difficult read, or overly emotional, there was some mildly dark content (hate-driven speech and events), so I wouldn't call it light and fluffy either. I add this, simply because mood matters when reading a novel- choosing a book to fit the mood, so to speak.
Enzo and Florian both come off as angsty and brooding to me, with good reason, so the balance wasn't there that I generally enjoy. The past connected them, but in the present, it's similar situations that place them in each other's paths. To me, it was as if they never would have been together had others not betrayed their trust, which made it hard for me to buy into the present relationship.
Where the novel shined for me was in the past, back when Enzo and Florian were teenagers. While I appreciated what was occurring in the present, the past intrigued me more. Maybe it's my great love of the young adult genre, but I felt the past was written better than the present. Tighter, more emotion. Had the book only taken place in the present, I wouldn't have been able to buy into their relationship.
I did have a difficult time with the Point-of-View switching up between the two characters, both in first-person, especially when combined with going back and forth from present to past. This offered some confusion for me, where it took a bit to distinguish who and when. Another issue for me was the pacing, story flow, sometimes slowing to a crawl.
Recommended to fans of MM romance, especially those who would like to try an new author and experience something unique. However, I caution due to the novel negativity impacting my mood by the content. I wasn't necessarily triggered, but some may be.
June 22, 2019
This is the first book I have read from this author and now she has a new fan. I have never read an m/m book before and I’m glad I did. I fell in love with these men right from the beginning. This is the first book of the Rewind Deut. I could not put this book down for anything. It only took me a couple of hours to devour this amazing book.
Enzo’s life changed the day he lost his hearing. He had to start his life all over. Enzo has to fight for everything that he wants and needs. He doesn’t let anyone or anything tear him down except the man that broke his heart long ago. Enzo now has a new life and man that doesn’t treat him right. He is in complete shock when he runs into Florian. Enzo feels that chemistry from all those years ago. Florian has a great business. He has the best life but things start to crash down around him. Florian is also shocked when he sees Enzo but their history is not good. Deep down Florian feels something for Enzo but is it too late?
I absolutely loved this book. The storyline has it all romance, suspense, and forgiveness. You can’t help but to fall in love with these characters. Enzo is a good man that has some difficult times in his life. He has walls up that is from his past. Florian is very handsome with a good head on his shoulders. He knows what he wants but is it right for him. These characters have some steamy scenes that might not be for some readers. This talented author brought up some strong issues but she wrote them in a very tasteful manner. I can’t wait to see what is next for these unforgettable characters.
Enzo’s life changed the day he lost his hearing. He had to start his life all over. Enzo has to fight for everything that he wants and needs. He doesn’t let anyone or anything tear him down except the man that broke his heart long ago. Enzo now has a new life and man that doesn’t treat him right. He is in complete shock when he runs into Florian. Enzo feels that chemistry from all those years ago. Florian has a great business. He has the best life but things start to crash down around him. Florian is also shocked when he sees Enzo but their history is not good. Deep down Florian feels something for Enzo but is it too late?
I absolutely loved this book. The storyline has it all romance, suspense, and forgiveness. You can’t help but to fall in love with these characters. Enzo is a good man that has some difficult times in his life. He has walls up that is from his past. Florian is very handsome with a good head on his shoulders. He knows what he wants but is it right for him. These characters have some steamy scenes that might not be for some readers. This talented author brought up some strong issues but she wrote them in a very tasteful manner. I can’t wait to see what is next for these unforgettable characters.
March 12, 2019
I was given a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
This was a lovely surprise. It’s a second chance romance about two high school lovers who meet again as adults. I fell in love with both Florian and Enzo immediately and I was quickly caught up in their world.
Enzo is a fascinating character. A proud member of the Deaf community, he is a successful teacher and a passionate man whose confidence has been knocked by his ex boyfriend. I love the combination of strength and vulnerability. Florian is a struggling businessman whose confidence has been destroyed by his ex girlfriend. I love the way these two wrestle with life’s big ideas.
There is something beautiful about Enzo and Florian’s teenage relationship and I think the story is at its best when the men reflect on the past. The connection between these two as adults is also special and I love the way they reconnect with each other.
I loved the French setting. There is just enough French scattered through the story to infuse it with a wonderful Gaelic charm without thoroughly confusing English speaking readers.
I enjoyed this story but I do have some reservations about this book lie with the actual writing. There are some beautiful passages (the flashbacks to Enzo and Florian’s teenage relationship are wonderful) but also some choppy, awkward conversations that don’t flow easily. I don’t feel like the supporting characters are very consistent - for example, Florian’s ex made my head spin and her actions are a little bit too OTT to be believable. There are a few plot threads that ramble without direction and the overall story arc gets a little bit lost at times.
This was a lovely surprise. It’s a second chance romance about two high school lovers who meet again as adults. I fell in love with both Florian and Enzo immediately and I was quickly caught up in their world.
Enzo is a fascinating character. A proud member of the Deaf community, he is a successful teacher and a passionate man whose confidence has been knocked by his ex boyfriend. I love the combination of strength and vulnerability. Florian is a struggling businessman whose confidence has been destroyed by his ex girlfriend. I love the way these two wrestle with life’s big ideas.
There is something beautiful about Enzo and Florian’s teenage relationship and I think the story is at its best when the men reflect on the past. The connection between these two as adults is also special and I love the way they reconnect with each other.
I loved the French setting. There is just enough French scattered through the story to infuse it with a wonderful Gaelic charm without thoroughly confusing English speaking readers.
I enjoyed this story but I do have some reservations about this book lie with the actual writing. There are some beautiful passages (the flashbacks to Enzo and Florian’s teenage relationship are wonderful) but also some choppy, awkward conversations that don’t flow easily. I don’t feel like the supporting characters are very consistent - for example, Florian’s ex made my head spin and her actions are a little bit too OTT to be believable. There are a few plot threads that ramble without direction and the overall story arc gets a little bit lost at times.
March 17, 2019
4 Stars
I love second chances and this was a lovely story. I loved both Florian and Enzo, although I’ll admit I wanted to shake Florian at times, still, they were both sweet, young men. Once I discovered what had torn them apart in the first place, my heart broke for them both, but I’m glad I was able to take this journey of healing and rediscovery with them and watch them fall in love all over again.
Although set in France, really, except for one trip to Paris and a few French phrases, this story could have been set in any town, in any country. It was well-written, but the flashbacks could be jarring at times.
Florian and Enzo were sweet together and they had great chemistry. They were a little sex crazed in my opinion, but, well, they are young so.. haha
This was an enjoyable story. I’m curious about Raphael and Adrien and I’ll be looking out for their story. Definitely recommendable!
*copy provided by author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*
July 25, 2019
A really good MM read
5 stars.
This is contemporary MM romance with a HEA. There's angst. The other mc has been injured badly as very young, years ago, in a homophopic attack. That might be a trigger for some as well as that both mc's meet again in a situation where they both have been the victims of cheating.
It's a part of a series, the first title, but it can well be read also as a standalone. It all wrapped up nicely by the time the title was finished. I really enjoyed this one! It was an easy fast read, effortless to read. The writing was great, it flowed well. Not heavy to follow at all but effortless. There were flashes to the past, but in this book it didn't bother me at all which isn't always assured. I liked the both characters and how they treated each other. It was so well written, I never felt like scrolling by or being uninterested. Neither had the author tried to cram too much into one title of this length. Nothing felt rushed or sloppy. It simply felt balanced, all cool and clear, no glitches, to describe best. A pleasant read as a book despite angst.
5 stars.
This is contemporary MM romance with a HEA. There's angst. The other mc has been injured badly as very young, years ago, in a homophopic attack. That might be a trigger for some as well as that both mc's meet again in a situation where they both have been the victims of cheating.
It's a part of a series, the first title, but it can well be read also as a standalone. It all wrapped up nicely by the time the title was finished. I really enjoyed this one! It was an easy fast read, effortless to read. The writing was great, it flowed well. Not heavy to follow at all but effortless. There were flashes to the past, but in this book it didn't bother me at all which isn't always assured. I liked the both characters and how they treated each other. It was so well written, I never felt like scrolling by or being uninterested. Neither had the author tried to cram too much into one title of this length. Nothing felt rushed or sloppy. It simply felt balanced, all cool and clear, no glitches, to describe best. A pleasant read as a book despite angst.
August 17, 2019
Rowan Shaw is a new to me author, so going into this story was both exciting and nerve wracking. A new book and author, yay! But will I enjoy it? Although this story was both heartbreaking at times, and infuriating in others, it was an enjoyable read.
Heartbreaking, because of the obstacles and betrayal each of the MCs are going through and went through. Infuriating, because their actions at times never made sense to me. These actions being their feelings and dealings towards both their cheating exes.
Despite all this, when the story focused on the main characters, it was cute, sexy and downright enjoyable. I only wish that there was a bit more structure to the book as a whole. I found it at times to be hard to follow and quite frequently all over the place.
Overall, it isn't my favourite or most enjoyed mm romances, but I will continue with the series.
Heartbreaking, because of the obstacles and betrayal each of the MCs are going through and went through. Infuriating, because their actions at times never made sense to me. These actions being their feelings and dealings towards both their cheating exes.
Despite all this, when the story focused on the main characters, it was cute, sexy and downright enjoyable. I only wish that there was a bit more structure to the book as a whole. I found it at times to be hard to follow and quite frequently all over the place.
Overall, it isn't my favourite or most enjoyed mm romances, but I will continue with the series.
April 12, 2019
Rewind is the debut novel by Rowan Shaw. This M/M romance was something a little different then I have read before. Rowan’s writing was so truthful and emotional that I wanted to fight alongside these characters.
We all know there are still people in the world that don’t understand the LGBT community or the hearing imparted but they need to learn to shut their mouths about things they don’t understand. But this book is more than that, it about LOVE. LOVE is LOVE no matter what or who you are. Love is also more than hearing or being deaf.
Florian and Enzo are two men looking for a second chance at love and this was a beautiful journey of that love. It broke my heart to read what happened to this couple while they were still in High School. And how their own family treated them, is something no children should have to go through. Can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
We all know there are still people in the world that don’t understand the LGBT community or the hearing imparted but they need to learn to shut their mouths about things they don’t understand. But this book is more than that, it about LOVE. LOVE is LOVE no matter what or who you are. Love is also more than hearing or being deaf.
Florian and Enzo are two men looking for a second chance at love and this was a beautiful journey of that love. It broke my heart to read what happened to this couple while they were still in High School. And how their own family treated them, is something no children should have to go through. Can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
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