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Salvage Stories #2
Recovery
San Diego is a city of second chances for Jamie Carlson. His career as a photographer is taking off, and with the support of a loving surrogate family, he’s finally putting his party years behind him. The Bailey family helped him solve his drinking problem, but there’s no easy solution to staying sober now that Belle Bailey’s dying. Her last wish is a challenge Jamie can't overcome without help.
Solving problems is Daniel Priest’s specialty. More than twenty years older than Jamie, he’s successful and experienced. He makes his living resolving corporate crises—but his personal life has been far from perfect. Now that his marriage is over, Daniel’s determined to make up for lost time. One night with Jamie isn’t nearly enough for him.
Daniel’s offer of help is more than Jamie expects from a one-time hookup. Even so, fulfilling the last wish of his surrogate mom seems impossible. Repairing her damaged family as she requests means facing his own past as well. Jamie could risk his hard-won recovery by admitting why he hit rock bottom. If he wants a future with Daniel, he'll have to confront those reasons head-on.
Solving problems is Daniel Priest’s specialty. More than twenty years older than Jamie, he’s successful and experienced. He makes his living resolving corporate crises—but his personal life has been far from perfect. Now that his marriage is over, Daniel’s determined to make up for lost time. One night with Jamie isn’t nearly enough for him.
Daniel’s offer of help is more than Jamie expects from a one-time hookup. Even so, fulfilling the last wish of his surrogate mom seems impossible. Repairing her damaged family as she requests means facing his own past as well. Jamie could risk his hard-won recovery by admitting why he hit rock bottom. If he wants a future with Daniel, he'll have to confront those reasons head-on.
222 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 18, 2014
26 people are currently reading
536 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
October 25, 2015
powerful, and human: same difference.
a different novel than the truly outstanding Salvage, but no less the other side of the same coin.
and you can tell—with parallels, not just related characters and similar themes. with thoughtfully balanced details and developments in opposition, and in harmony also.
i thought this was a terrific followup, and another in the growing canon of an uncommonly sensitive and clever writer of romance fiction.
(for fun, view the covers of both books side by side.)
recommended.
a different novel than the truly outstanding Salvage, but no less the other side of the same coin.
and you can tell—with parallels, not just related characters and similar themes. with thoughtfully balanced details and developments in opposition, and in harmony also.
i thought this was a terrific followup, and another in the growing canon of an uncommonly sensitive and clever writer of romance fiction.
(for fun, view the covers of both books side by side.)
recommended.
October 9, 2016
I'm having a horrible, horrible problem with this book.
I've read 50% of it and I still can't get into it at all. At all.
I want to cry because I LOVE Con Riley so hard but I have zero motivation to continue. I keep forcing myself to read on but I think I'm going to throw in the towel for now.
I didn't feel much chemistry between Daniel and Jamie (actually, if it wasn't from the blurb I would still be convinced that Owen might become the love interest) and, as of now, the book lacks any romance in general. I think the focus of this story seems to be on family and tragedy and I'm not in the mood for that.
Also, the cancer subplot caused me to have a nervous breakdown yesterday. I became convinced two of my moles were a deadly form of melanoma, cried for an hour, and had my doctor-cousin drive over and check them out. Clearly I'm a well adjusted and normal individual...
Sorry my friends but I have to tuck this one back in for another day.
I've read 50% of it and I still can't get into it at all. At all.
I want to cry because I LOVE Con Riley so hard but I have zero motivation to continue. I keep forcing myself to read on but I think I'm going to throw in the towel for now.
I didn't feel much chemistry between Daniel and Jamie (actually, if it wasn't from the blurb I would still be convinced that Owen might become the love interest) and, as of now, the book lacks any romance in general. I think the focus of this story seems to be on family and tragedy and I'm not in the mood for that.
Also, the cancer subplot caused me to have a nervous breakdown yesterday. I became convinced two of my moles were a deadly form of melanoma, cried for an hour, and had my doctor-cousin drive over and check them out. Clearly I'm a well adjusted and normal individual...
Sorry my friends but I have to tuck this one back in for another day.
December 15, 2019
There are times that I crave easy lighthearted stories to whisk me away. Then there are times that I want to fight along with my new fictional friend to reach the end. Those are the books that leave me exhausted and drained with salty streaks on my face, reluctant to say goodbye. When I want to ‘work for it’ I pick up something from Riley’s bookshelf. More often than not, Con’s stories leave behind a scar on my heart, making its mark while taking a piece of me at the same time. If I’m honest, I was a bit nervous about this book. Despite it being the second book in the Salvage Stories it can easily stand on its own. But the thing is, I didn’t like Jamie in the first book. At all. My feelings may have warmed towards him by the end of the book but in no way was I looking forward to getting to know him better. I was wrong. I judged him harshly and unfairly. And I’m so glad that I didn’t dismiss him and this book. Recovery is a heartwrenching journey reminding us that love wields great power but forgiveness may hold even more.
I think it’s important to know this is a personal journey involving love in every form. I wouldn’t classify this a romance as much as I would say it’s a second chance at life. Speaking of, Jamie has had a hard life. He has fallen more than he has soared. He has hurt people he cares about and in turn, he has also been hurt. There are many reasons that Jamie found solace in the bottom of a bottle, but he’s desperately trying to break free from the clutches of his addictions. I would imagine that if asked, Jamie wouldn’t wish away or regret the rocky road he has traveled because of where it led him. Or more precisely to whom. AA not only brought Owen into Jamie’s life but also Owen’s family. Which in turn became his family. Owen’s wife, Belle, tucked Jamie neatly under her wing and gave him something he never had before. Unconditional love. It doesn’t take long before Jamie finds himself woven into this new family, not sure he belongs yet never wanting to leave. Belle is losing her fight with cancer. And if Jamie can grant her anything he will. But he never expected her final wish to be…impossible. Or is it? She has shown him how important forgiveness is (regarding his own misgivings) and if he can help his new family embrace each other free of blame, maybe he can fulfill her last wish.
Daniel enters Jamie’s life as the tremors underfoot are gaining strength. It was supposed to be a one-off but he couldn’t find the will to walk away. Daniel is considerably older but discovers how insignificant the number of birthday candles on their cake really is. When they are together, they fit. He is aware that some things in life are worth waiting for and he’s a patient man. And if there’s anything he can do to help ease the tight grip of grief crushing Jamie, he wants to do it. There’s a lot going on here. We have anger and remorse. Fear and sorrow. New beginnings and final goodbyes. But at the eye of the storm, Daniel loves Jamie and Jamie loves Daniel. Prepare for an emotional tsunami! Yet through my hiccups and tears, my heart raced and lifted. It was not at all what I expected yet has etched a permanent place in my heart. This time it was Alex that grated on my nerves but I can tell you I’ll be first in line for his story if it ever comes to fruition.
Beware of: Loss. Being prepared for death doesn’t ease it’s piercing pain. Recovery comes in many faces and forms. And love truly is blind when it comes to numbers.
This book is for: If you’re searching for an intense yet tender tale of overcoming life’s battles one step at a time, I’d love for you to meet Jamie and his family. If you do, give them a hug from me would you please? They could all use an extra squeeze.
Book UNfunk
I think it’s important to know this is a personal journey involving love in every form. I wouldn’t classify this a romance as much as I would say it’s a second chance at life. Speaking of, Jamie has had a hard life. He has fallen more than he has soared. He has hurt people he cares about and in turn, he has also been hurt. There are many reasons that Jamie found solace in the bottom of a bottle, but he’s desperately trying to break free from the clutches of his addictions. I would imagine that if asked, Jamie wouldn’t wish away or regret the rocky road he has traveled because of where it led him. Or more precisely to whom. AA not only brought Owen into Jamie’s life but also Owen’s family. Which in turn became his family. Owen’s wife, Belle, tucked Jamie neatly under her wing and gave him something he never had before. Unconditional love. It doesn’t take long before Jamie finds himself woven into this new family, not sure he belongs yet never wanting to leave. Belle is losing her fight with cancer. And if Jamie can grant her anything he will. But he never expected her final wish to be…impossible. Or is it? She has shown him how important forgiveness is (regarding his own misgivings) and if he can help his new family embrace each other free of blame, maybe he can fulfill her last wish.
Daniel enters Jamie’s life as the tremors underfoot are gaining strength. It was supposed to be a one-off but he couldn’t find the will to walk away. Daniel is considerably older but discovers how insignificant the number of birthday candles on their cake really is. When they are together, they fit. He is aware that some things in life are worth waiting for and he’s a patient man. And if there’s anything he can do to help ease the tight grip of grief crushing Jamie, he wants to do it. There’s a lot going on here. We have anger and remorse. Fear and sorrow. New beginnings and final goodbyes. But at the eye of the storm, Daniel loves Jamie and Jamie loves Daniel. Prepare for an emotional tsunami! Yet through my hiccups and tears, my heart raced and lifted. It was not at all what I expected yet has etched a permanent place in my heart. This time it was Alex that grated on my nerves but I can tell you I’ll be first in line for his story if it ever comes to fruition.
Beware of: Loss. Being prepared for death doesn’t ease it’s piercing pain. Recovery comes in many faces and forms. And love truly is blind when it comes to numbers.
This book is for: If you’re searching for an intense yet tender tale of overcoming life’s battles one step at a time, I’d love for you to meet Jamie and his family. If you do, give them a hug from me would you please? They could all use an extra squeeze.
Book UNfunk
January 28, 2023
5 stars from me. Just pure magic!! Timeless, quality writing from a wonderful storyteller. A beautifully intense, emotionally uplifting read of redemption and self-forgiveness, although I have to say that IMHO the romance between Jamie and Daniel almost takes a back seat, but is so skilfully interwoven by the storyteller with everything else that is going on in this magnificent tearjerker of a story, that it's seamless.
If you read Salvage [and if not why not?? 🤔], you'll know that Jamie had severe problems with drink...usually ending in random hook-ups, and for me was not a character you could like very much BUT not all of the reasons for that self-destructive behaviour were apparent in that story. We get full disclosure [as they say in the US] in this story...none of which I'm going to go into here, but Jamie was certain that no-one would want him for himself in view of his past UNTIL he met Daniel, who is over 20 years older than Jamie and has his own unfortunate story to tell.
All I can say is pass this book by at your peril !! There are strong messages regarding drink and rape, and the fact that having had too much of one certainly does NOT give anyone a green light to commit the other...male or female it's completely wrong!!
Many thanks to Con for the ARC...again 😁. Congrats and I told you I'd love it!!
July 15, 2016
An easy, fluffy read this was not.
This novel depicts the daily grind of recovery: the cravings, shame, and guilt.
For Jamie, booze was always the drug of choice. At the end of
Jamie, along with his sponsor Alec, visits Gabe and Gabe's dad, Coop, in Minnesota to make amends.
In this book, Jamie, still living in San Diego, has been sober for a while but still struggles with temptation and despair. Add death and grief, and recovery is a hard road indeed.
The emotional aspects of recovery and healing were handled with depth and sensitivity. This is not the Jamie we saw through Gabe's eyes in the first book. This sober Jamie is kind. He looks out for people; he's capable of giving and loving.
As Jamie grapples with losing someone close to him, his demons rear their ugly head. In the midst of this dark time, Jamie meets Daniel, a man almost twice his age, who is patient and understanding.
Because this book is told from Jamie's perspective, Daniel seems nearly too good to be true. I wanted to know more about Daniel's marriage and divorce, more about his attraction to Jamie. I couldn't quite see the connection, and the romance definitely took a back burner to the themes of healing and loss.
I've come to expect heartbreak and heavy themes from Con Riley's books. I've read the entire Seattle Stories series, but I was still surprised by the intensity and melancholy of this book.
I wanted to see more joy between Jamie and Daniel, a relationship based on laughter and common interests, not merely comfort.
This can most definitely be read as a standalone book. We get more about Jamie's childhood here than we do in book 1. While we may not see all the horrors of Jamie's past behavior, we see enough. Gabe is mentioned a couple times; Gabe's partner, Scott, not at all. It was actually a bit of a letdown not to get at least a hint of what they're up to.
I have no doubt that if there is another book in this series it will be about Alec's son, Owen, who was a big player in this book. This was as much a story about Alec and Owen, as it was about Jamie.
I have to give this book 4 stars, because it was beautifully written and tackled important issues, but I can't say that I enjoyed it very much. The relationship between Jamie and Daniel barely flickers; the steam is minimal, the romance an aside. There is tenderness, yes, and the epilogue brings closure, but I wish I had seen more of their love on the page.
This novel depicts the daily grind of recovery: the cravings, shame, and guilt.
For Jamie, booze was always the drug of choice. At the end of
Jamie, along with his sponsor Alec, visits Gabe and Gabe's dad, Coop, in Minnesota to make amends.
In this book, Jamie, still living in San Diego, has been sober for a while but still struggles with temptation and despair. Add death and grief, and recovery is a hard road indeed.
The emotional aspects of recovery and healing were handled with depth and sensitivity. This is not the Jamie we saw through Gabe's eyes in the first book. This sober Jamie is kind. He looks out for people; he's capable of giving and loving.
As Jamie grapples with losing someone close to him, his demons rear their ugly head. In the midst of this dark time, Jamie meets Daniel, a man almost twice his age, who is patient and understanding.
Because this book is told from Jamie's perspective, Daniel seems nearly too good to be true. I wanted to know more about Daniel's marriage and divorce, more about his attraction to Jamie. I couldn't quite see the connection, and the romance definitely took a back burner to the themes of healing and loss.
I've come to expect heartbreak and heavy themes from Con Riley's books. I've read the entire Seattle Stories series, but I was still surprised by the intensity and melancholy of this book.
I wanted to see more joy between Jamie and Daniel, a relationship based on laughter and common interests, not merely comfort.
This can most definitely be read as a standalone book. We get more about Jamie's childhood here than we do in book 1. While we may not see all the horrors of Jamie's past behavior, we see enough. Gabe is mentioned a couple times; Gabe's partner, Scott, not at all. It was actually a bit of a letdown not to get at least a hint of what they're up to.
I have no doubt that if there is another book in this series it will be about Alec's son, Owen, who was a big player in this book. This was as much a story about Alec and Owen, as it was about Jamie.
I have to give this book 4 stars, because it was beautifully written and tackled important issues, but I can't say that I enjoyed it very much. The relationship between Jamie and Daniel barely flickers; the steam is minimal, the romance an aside. There is tenderness, yes, and the epilogue brings closure, but I wish I had seen more of their love on the page.
May 20, 2014
Oh my God. Con Riley never ceases to amaze me. what can I even say about this book? It was beautiful and heartbreaking. the journey you take with Jamie and his surrogate family is so poignant and well written. Jamie is so much stronger than he gives himself credit for.
and Daniel. Steady, kind, genuinely wonderful Daniel was exactly what Jamie needed once he had his shit together. they were so perfectly matched I found myself envious of fictional characters.
This book comes on the heel of a string of meh reads and books I couldn't wrap my mind around due to some choice or another in the plot, but this... this wrapped around me and reminded me why I love this genre and fabulous writers like Con.
I recommend. so much. this and Salvage before it. This series is just fabulous.
and Daniel. Steady, kind, genuinely wonderful Daniel was exactly what Jamie needed once he had his shit together. they were so perfectly matched I found myself envious of fictional characters.
This book comes on the heel of a string of meh reads and books I couldn't wrap my mind around due to some choice or another in the plot, but this... this wrapped around me and reminded me why I love this genre and fabulous writers like Con.
I recommend. so much. this and Salvage before it. This series is just fabulous.
November 6, 2019
A year ago (almost to the exact day) I read my first Con Riley book and fell head over heels for her writing. This book, this wonderful book is the last of what she has published that I have read and it’s a bittersweet moment because I love her work and I want more. You hear that? I want and need more… sigh.
We meet Jamie in Salvage as Gabe’s best friend who hurts Gabe, though unintentionally, in ways that I did not like. When I realized Jamie would be getting a book, my first though was… son, you have some serious ‘splaining to do, because you pissed me off but knowing your issues, fuck dude. You know?
The age gap in this romance worked so well. We have Jamie who is young and yet has had so much happen to him and this invisible weight he carries around, his wounded soul is so much older. Then we have Daniel, almost twice the age of Jamie who is just coming out of his self-imposed closet and closer to a young man in his freedom from marriage and his newly possessed sexuality.
Daniel, holy hell I am in love with this man. He may be one of my most favorite characters from the author, or at least in the top… hell! Who am I kidding, I love them all but Daniel, he is something special, something sturdy and safe and something so very fucking sexy. Who knew ancient almost broken recliners could have such sex appeal? Not me but dayum if they aren’t something you’d want to take for a ride with Daniel. Mmm Hmm.
Pair him with Jamie in every way possible, and not just sexual and you get this amazing dynamic that had me sucked in from page one.
What I absolutely love about Con Riley’s books is, they are about life. Yes, they are romantic stories but the MC’s have lives and lives that are such a part of them that they are more the story than the romance. Now, that isn’t to say these books aren’t romantic, trust me they are, but the MC’s don’t get so lost in one another that the world fades into nothingness and that is what makes these books so emotional for me. Romance, finding that person that gets you in more ways than others, the one who could hurt you and yet you want comfort from, the one who comes to mind first, last and always during the mundane tasks of life or the ones that require you to dig deep into your reserve tank of strength and that one person you wouldn’t mind being around for more than a short period of time… that is love and romance is love and it’s why I love her romances.
Okay, that was totally talking in circles. I mean, I highlighted an entire page, a few times in this because it was just so much and too good not to recognize in some way. But you know? Right? You get it?
Anyway.
This book really is about recovery and not just from substance abuse. It’s recovery from mistakes, from imperfect childhoods, from questions unasked and truths not spoken, from shit that you brought on yourself but never to the level of pain you’ve been caused. Recovery, or reclamation or repossession, whatever you synonym you choose it’s simply about taken those coins from the well and taking them back. About taking them all back and moving forward with your life.
This book is about acceptance. It’s about accepting what you can and can’t change and totally having the strength to recognize the difference. It’s about accepting the family you were born into and the ones you enfolded you into theirs and made you an official member. Good lord. It’s just about being true to who you are, even when you are at your worst and knowing, someone out there will still be there, no matter what.
Though we meet Jamie through Gabe, this has absolutely nothing to do with his best friend, this is Jamie’s story and Jamie’s struggle and I couldn’t love the boy more. He made me cry so many times and the abundance of his love, strength and devotion makes me tear up writing this.
Oh yeah, I cried a lot in this. I know I am an emotional reader but I swear, the author pulled no punches with the feels in this. The emotions were overwhelmingly beautiful and again, I love Con Riley’s words so much that I want to marry them.
Sigh. So now I have read all that Con Riley has published and I need more of her work. I wonder if I can pester the heck out of her for Evan and Joel's book from the Seattle Stories?
I NEED THAT STORY .
NEED. IT.
We meet Jamie in Salvage as Gabe’s best friend who hurts Gabe, though unintentionally, in ways that I did not like. When I realized Jamie would be getting a book, my first though was… son, you have some serious ‘splaining to do, because you pissed me off but knowing your issues, fuck dude. You know?
…if you didn’t react, then what had happened to you didn’t matter.Jamie… he has had a rocky past with assault as a young man that led to his alcoholism. He was a bit of a jerk in Salvage but once I opened this book, I was hooked on him and wanted nothing but the very best in every way imaginable. I adored how Jamie saw the world through a lens, and not just the one attached to his camera. Jamie sees life in moments and the ones he does capture on film are stunning stories that come to life. He is this strong man who has no idea the depth of his strength though others around him see it and when he meets Daniel at a pivotal point in his questioning of his sobriety and being able to handle things sober at all, I was a goner.
The age gap in this romance worked so well. We have Jamie who is young and yet has had so much happen to him and this invisible weight he carries around, his wounded soul is so much older. Then we have Daniel, almost twice the age of Jamie who is just coming out of his self-imposed closet and closer to a young man in his freedom from marriage and his newly possessed sexuality.
Daniel, holy hell I am in love with this man. He may be one of my most favorite characters from the author, or at least in the top… hell! Who am I kidding, I love them all but Daniel, he is something special, something sturdy and safe and something so very fucking sexy. Who knew ancient almost broken recliners could have such sex appeal? Not me but dayum if they aren’t something you’d want to take for a ride with Daniel. Mmm Hmm.
Pair him with Jamie in every way possible, and not just sexual and you get this amazing dynamic that had me sucked in from page one.
“You like that?”
“So much.”
“How much, exactly? How much more do you want?”
“With you? I want everything you’ll give me.”
What I absolutely love about Con Riley’s books is, they are about life. Yes, they are romantic stories but the MC’s have lives and lives that are such a part of them that they are more the story than the romance. Now, that isn’t to say these books aren’t romantic, trust me they are, but the MC’s don’t get so lost in one another that the world fades into nothingness and that is what makes these books so emotional for me. Romance, finding that person that gets you in more ways than others, the one who could hurt you and yet you want comfort from, the one who comes to mind first, last and always during the mundane tasks of life or the ones that require you to dig deep into your reserve tank of strength and that one person you wouldn’t mind being around for more than a short period of time… that is love and romance is love and it’s why I love her romances.
Okay, that was totally talking in circles. I mean, I highlighted an entire page, a few times in this because it was just so much and too good not to recognize in some way. But you know? Right? You get it?
Anyway.
This book really is about recovery and not just from substance abuse. It’s recovery from mistakes, from imperfect childhoods, from questions unasked and truths not spoken, from shit that you brought on yourself but never to the level of pain you’ve been caused. Recovery, or reclamation or repossession, whatever you synonym you choose it’s simply about taken those coins from the well and taking them back. About taking them all back and moving forward with your life.
This book is about acceptance. It’s about accepting what you can and can’t change and totally having the strength to recognize the difference. It’s about accepting the family you were born into and the ones you enfolded you into theirs and made you an official member. Good lord. It’s just about being true to who you are, even when you are at your worst and knowing, someone out there will still be there, no matter what.
Though we meet Jamie through Gabe, this has absolutely nothing to do with his best friend, this is Jamie’s story and Jamie’s struggle and I couldn’t love the boy more. He made me cry so many times and the abundance of his love, strength and devotion makes me tear up writing this.
Oh yeah, I cried a lot in this. I know I am an emotional reader but I swear, the author pulled no punches with the feels in this. The emotions were overwhelmingly beautiful and again, I love Con Riley’s words so much that I want to marry them.
Sigh. So now I have read all that Con Riley has published and I need more of her work. I wonder if I can pester the heck out of her for Evan and Joel's book from the Seattle Stories?
I NEED THAT STORY .
NEED. IT.
May 24, 2014
This is Jamie's story; having read Salvage gave me a little added background, and I wasn't surprised by the themes that arose, but I think the book could be read as a stand alone too.
This is more a book about love, in all its forms, than a pure romance. Although Jamie does meet his (wonderful) man in Daniel, the story has a lot of hurt-comfort front and center, even in their relationship.
Jamie is dealing first and foremost with the family of his heart. Alex, the man who took him in when he hit bottom, and got him started on the road to alcohol recovery, is the father Jamie never had. His wife Belle is the mother Jamie's own should have been. And Belle's cancer is relapsing, bringing Alex, Jamie, and the couple's estranged son Owen together in the crisis. As often as not, Daniel is there trying to be Jamie's support and comfort, until Jamie can get to a place where he's ready for more.
I hadn't actually read the blurb for this, because I loved the first book and trust the author, so for a while I wasn't even sure which guy Jamie would end up with. But as he tries to bring Owen and Alex together, over the hurts inflicted by a decade of Alex's own alcoholism, it is Daniel whom Jamie turns to, and eventually trusts. And Owen becomes more and more his brother - as I'd have known, had I read. There are sparks of all kinds between Jamie and Owen, and a more steady burn between Jamie and Daniel. In a way, I wasn't sure at first what made Daniel so attracted to Jamie, but when he remained steadfast I had to believe it. And by the end I believed the love story too. I hope the author will give Owen a book someday, but Daniel was exactly who Jamie needed.
The family relationships, with deep, fractured and stressed love layered over pain, were wonderful to watch. The alcoholism, and the way it lies in wait, trying to ambush Jamie when he hits a low point, was very well done. The themes of recovering from your past, rising above childhood deprivation, and later abuse tug at the heart in a realistic, not melodramatic way. Recommended.
This is more a book about love, in all its forms, than a pure romance. Although Jamie does meet his (wonderful) man in Daniel, the story has a lot of hurt-comfort front and center, even in their relationship.
Jamie is dealing first and foremost with the family of his heart. Alex, the man who took him in when he hit bottom, and got him started on the road to alcohol recovery, is the father Jamie never had. His wife Belle is the mother Jamie's own should have been. And Belle's cancer is relapsing, bringing Alex, Jamie, and the couple's estranged son Owen together in the crisis. As often as not, Daniel is there trying to be Jamie's support and comfort, until Jamie can get to a place where he's ready for more.
I hadn't actually read the blurb for this, because I loved the first book and trust the author, so for a while I wasn't even sure which guy Jamie would end up with. But as he tries to bring Owen and Alex together, over the hurts inflicted by a decade of Alex's own alcoholism, it is Daniel whom Jamie turns to, and eventually trusts. And Owen becomes more and more his brother - as I'd have known, had I read. There are sparks of all kinds between Jamie and Owen, and a more steady burn between Jamie and Daniel. In a way, I wasn't sure at first what made Daniel so attracted to Jamie, but when he remained steadfast I had to believe it. And by the end I believed the love story too. I hope the author will give Owen a book someday, but Daniel was exactly who Jamie needed.
The family relationships, with deep, fractured and stressed love layered over pain, were wonderful to watch. The alcoholism, and the way it lies in wait, trying to ambush Jamie when he hits a low point, was very well done. The themes of recovering from your past, rising above childhood deprivation, and later abuse tug at the heart in a realistic, not melodramatic way. Recommended.
May 29, 2014
4.5 stars
It's hard to read a book when you constantly have to wipe your tears, but in this case it was worth the effort.
Sequel to Salvage, this book (as the previous one) is a rare example of MM romance beautifully written and perfectly crafted.
I'm not Jamie, but all over the book I've been by his side; I craved alchool when he did; I loved and hated Owen as much as he did; I felt pity and rage and sorrow for the horrible things happened in his past; I longed for Daniel's self-confidence and acceptance; I've seen the world through the lenses of his camera.
Kudos to the author for giving life to such a deep and unforgettable character. She dealt with tough topics with rare sensitivity and respect.
*I received a free copy of this title in exchange of nothing. Thank you Ms Riley for this beautiful and unexpected gift*
June 5, 2014
After the first book in this series, I unequivocally did not like Jamie. How wrong I was.
Con Riley covers so much ground here, without a misplaced word, deed or thought. There are no complex words here. Not an aperçu in sight. But the richness of this author's prose (and tone) is striking. And the themes -- I can't even list them all. To include just a few: . Did I miss anything? I'm sure I did. And yet, with the seriousness of everything happening to and around Jamie, the story is a new beginning and, truly, a recovery for him, and it is real and beautiful for the reader.
How did Con Riley do this in only 200 pages?
I only have one answer. Magic. She has some strange magic up her sleeve, or in her pen, or in her word processor. And thank god for that -- this is absolutely essential gay romance reading.
Con Riley covers so much ground here, without a misplaced word, deed or thought. There are no complex words here. Not an aperçu in sight. But the richness of this author's prose (and tone) is striking. And the themes -- I can't even list them all. To include just a few: . Did I miss anything? I'm sure I did. And yet, with the seriousness of everything happening to and around Jamie, the story is a new beginning and, truly, a recovery for him, and it is real and beautiful for the reader.
How did Con Riley do this in only 200 pages?
I only have one answer. Magic. She has some strange magic up her sleeve, or in her pen, or in her word processor. And thank god for that -- this is absolutely essential gay romance reading.
November 9, 2017
4.2 Stars
Ack. My heart kinda feels like it's been scooped out of my chest bit by bit with a tiny, rusty melon-baller, and yet I'm kinda glad for the ache?
This was a well-written tale focusing on a recovering alcoholic and wow, was it painfully real. I remember Jamie from the last book and holy shit, the character growth and development from that asshole to how he progresses here is beyond amazing. THIS is why I love flawed MCs; perfection is boring.
I do have to say that it took a while to get into the groove of the book. I got it a while back & forgot the blurb so for about the first 40% I wasn't even sure who the love interest was supposed to be. (Those jokes from Daniel about Jamie's relationship with Owen really threw me off as well.) I came back to GR to mark it as Currently Reading and scoped out the summary for a refresher (and to see if it was just me thinking it was a bit rough going). Just after that point everything started progressing really quickly and was much easier to follow. Of course, that's when shit started really hurting as well, so...
For most of that I kept thinking how Owen needed a book, too. He was resentful, but scared. Angry, but blamed himself for so much. Felt like he needed someone to show him some love, prop him up a little. Only, maybe not. Those last chapters had just the right amount of closure and he seemed emotionally more mature, healed and happy. And he only needed his family around for that.
And that's kinda how it was for Jamie, too. Sure, Daniel could have done that for him. Been the "fixer," the crisis manager & been that crutch or to protect & coddle Jamie...but Jamie needed to do it for himself - to take the time focusing on his sobriety and becoming a stronger person, the person he wanted to be. Someone he felt could be worthy of Daniel as a partner, not a child to be taken care of or an obligation. I loved that.
(Also, while the last scene with Belle was soul-crushingly beautiful I hope to all that might or might not be holy that I am never stuck like that; I'mma need it to be quick-like.)
Ack. My heart kinda feels like it's been scooped out of my chest bit by bit with a tiny, rusty melon-baller, and yet I'm kinda glad for the ache?
This was a well-written tale focusing on a recovering alcoholic and wow, was it painfully real. I remember Jamie from the last book and holy shit, the character growth and development from that asshole to how he progresses here is beyond amazing. THIS is why I love flawed MCs; perfection is boring.
I do have to say that it took a while to get into the groove of the book. I got it a while back & forgot the blurb so for about the first 40% I wasn't even sure who the love interest was supposed to be. (Those jokes from Daniel about Jamie's relationship with Owen really threw me off as well.) I came back to GR to mark it as Currently Reading and scoped out the summary for a refresher (and to see if it was just me thinking it was a bit rough going). Just after that point everything started progressing really quickly and was much easier to follow. Of course, that's when shit started really hurting as well, so...
For most of that I kept thinking how Owen needed a book, too. He was resentful, but scared. Angry, but blamed himself for so much. Felt like he needed someone to show him some love, prop him up a little. Only, maybe not. Those last chapters had just the right amount of closure and he seemed emotionally more mature, healed and happy. And he only needed his family around for that.
And that's kinda how it was for Jamie, too. Sure, Daniel could have done that for him. Been the "fixer," the crisis manager & been that crutch or to protect & coddle Jamie...but Jamie needed to do it for himself - to take the time focusing on his sobriety and becoming a stronger person, the person he wanted to be. Someone he felt could be worthy of Daniel as a partner, not a child to be taken care of or an obligation. I loved that.
(Also, while the last scene with Belle was soul-crushingly beautiful I hope to all that might or might not be holy that I am never stuck like that; I'mma need it to be quick-like.)
May 20, 2014
I actually finished this book two days ago. It's taken me until today to calm down and stop weeping every time I try and write my review....and think properly.
Let's get the stuff I didn't like out of the way first.
I loathed Jamie in Ms Riley's first novel in this series....I really, really loathed him.
Jamie is the protagonist in this novel (I adored him).
The sex: Sorry Con, I read the first few sentences and speed read, rapidly. In fact, I skimmed until I knew it was over, NOT because you write bad sex, more because I'd rather, in this novel, with those themes and emotional pull, I just felt it was irrelevant. I wanted a commencement of the sex and then..... and fade-to-black.
Now...Recovery, Reconciliation, Love, Hope, Acceptance....it's all there. I wept for the most part, which is always a good sign of terrific writing (pull those heart-strings and pull some more).
There are some fantastic observances in the writing here, I only wish I'd high-lighted them whilst reading so I could share them.
I wasn't keen on Daniel at first...too fast...too slick...desperate? By midway I could only respect him and by the last couple of chapters....well you have to read why he is a special person.
Loved it.
Owen's story next maybe?
Let's get the stuff I didn't like out of the way first.
I loathed Jamie in Ms Riley's first novel in this series....I really, really loathed him.
Jamie is the protagonist in this novel (I adored him).
The sex: Sorry Con, I read the first few sentences and speed read, rapidly. In fact, I skimmed until I knew it was over, NOT because you write bad sex, more because I'd rather, in this novel, with those themes and emotional pull, I just felt it was irrelevant. I wanted a commencement of the sex and then..... and fade-to-black.
Now...Recovery, Reconciliation, Love, Hope, Acceptance....it's all there. I wept for the most part, which is always a good sign of terrific writing (pull those heart-strings and pull some more).
There are some fantastic observances in the writing here, I only wish I'd high-lighted them whilst reading so I could share them.
I wasn't keen on Daniel at first...too fast...too slick...desperate? By midway I could only respect him and by the last couple of chapters....well you have to read why he is a special person.
Loved it.
Owen's story next maybe?
July 10, 2021
3+
Ponownie jestem wstrząśnięta, i zmieszana, i dodatkowo zmiksowana...
Ponownie przyznaję, że książka jest świetnie napisana...
Ponownie jednak mam swoje ale...
Od jakiegoś już czasu czytam romanse MM - bardzo szeroko rozumiane. Ale ta seria najzwyczajniej w świecie się do nich nie zalicza. To po prostu dramaty - obydwie części - w których przeważają żal, żałoba, wina, smutek, uzależnienie, więzy rodzinne lub ich brak oraz wysiłki w celu ich naprawy, próby uporania się z traumą, śmiercią, wypadkiem... I choć w tej części historia Jamiego i Daniela nie jest aż tak bardzo, bardzo w tle, jak w części dotyczącej Gabe'a i Scotta, to i tak naprawdę ciągle jest tylko tłem dla całej historii, jednym z mniej ważnych wątków.
Po raz kolejny blurb przy książkach CR wprowadza w błąd - bo sugeruje, że głównymi bohaterami tej historii są Jamie i Daniel. Owszem, Daniel pojawia się, nawet w miarę często, ale z całej piątki głównych bohaterów (tiaaa... Jamie, Owen, Alec, Bella i Daniel) wydaje się w sumie najmniej ważny w tym wszystkim. Bardziej jest szoferem, załatwiaczem i rozwiązywaczem (i tak, wiem, nie ma takiego słowa w języku polskim 😜) problemów rodzinnych, niż kimś, wokół kogo kręci się historia i kto powinien - wg opisu - być jednym z dwóch głównych bohaterów. Poza tym jest tak dobry, cierpliwy i wyrozumiały, że aż wydaje się nierealny...
Może to wszystko wina tego, że w obydwu częściach jest jeden POV - we wcześniejszej części Gabe'a, tutaj Jamiego. W tej historii może i dowiadujemy się nieco więcej o Danielu, niż we wcześniejszej o Scotcie, ale tylko dlatego, że to samo wychodziło od niego w trakcie rozmów. Ale to ciągle mało. Mało wiadomo o kimś, kto teoretycznie jest głównym bohaterem...
Natomiast sporo dowiadujemy się o Owenie, Alecu i Belli. Nie mówiąc już o Jamiem. Jamiego jest pełno zarówno w pierwszej części, jak i oczywiście drugiej. I tak - to zupełnie inny Jamie niż w historii Gabe'a. Trzeźwy, współczujący, poświęcający się dla innych... Dający się lubić, któremu daleko do tego szalonego, samolubnego bachora z wcześniejszej części. Ale przeszkadzało mi, że Gabe był wspomniany słownie kilka razy tutaj. Bo Jamie był naprawdę wielką częścią życia i historii Gabe'a. A tymczasem tutaj jest ledwo wspomniane o żalu Jamiego, że tak długo pozwalał sobie się opierać na swoim przyjacielu, który go tak często ratował z różnych sytuacji i że przez to mało nie stracił przyjaźni... A poza tym? Nie ma się najmniejszego wrażenia, jakby Gabe był dla niego ważny, bo nie odgrywa żadnej, żadnej roli tutaj...
Tak naprawdę to historia Jamiego oraz rodziny Bailey. To historia o gwałcie sprzed kilku lat, któremu usiłowało się zaprzeczyć poprzez zalewanie się w trupa i jeszcze większą ilość seksu. O próbie pozostania trzeźwym, która w jednym dniu jest łatwiejsza, a w innym po prostu trudna. O zerwanych więzach rodzinnych, które usiłuje naprawić umierająca Bella. O zmierzaniu ku pewnej śmierci ukochanej osoby i próbie radzenia sobie z tym. O poczuciu winy różnego rodzaju, które tarmosi każdego z naszych bohaterów.
To historia, którą ciężko się czyta, bo nie ma w niej praktycznie żadnych jasnych momentów, żadnej radości. Wszystko jest ciężkie od winy, od melancholii, od nadchodzącej śmierci, od złych wyborów. Jeżeli ktoś się zdecyduje czytać, to niech spróbuje ominąć upały, bo one powodują, że czytanie jest jeszcze trudniejsze...
Ponownie jestem wstrząśnięta, i zmieszana, i dodatkowo zmiksowana...
Ponownie przyznaję, że książka jest świetnie napisana...
Ponownie jednak mam swoje ale...
Od jakiegoś już czasu czytam romanse MM - bardzo szeroko rozumiane. Ale ta seria najzwyczajniej w świecie się do nich nie zalicza. To po prostu dramaty - obydwie części - w których przeważają żal, żałoba, wina, smutek, uzależnienie, więzy rodzinne lub ich brak oraz wysiłki w celu ich naprawy, próby uporania się z traumą, śmiercią, wypadkiem... I choć w tej części historia Jamiego i Daniela nie jest aż tak bardzo, bardzo w tle, jak w części dotyczącej Gabe'a i Scotta, to i tak naprawdę ciągle jest tylko tłem dla całej historii, jednym z mniej ważnych wątków.
Po raz kolejny blurb przy książkach CR wprowadza w błąd - bo sugeruje, że głównymi bohaterami tej historii są Jamie i Daniel. Owszem, Daniel pojawia się, nawet w miarę często, ale z całej piątki głównych bohaterów (tiaaa... Jamie, Owen, Alec, Bella i Daniel) wydaje się w sumie najmniej ważny w tym wszystkim. Bardziej jest szoferem, załatwiaczem i rozwiązywaczem (i tak, wiem, nie ma takiego słowa w języku polskim 😜) problemów rodzinnych, niż kimś, wokół kogo kręci się historia i kto powinien - wg opisu - być jednym z dwóch głównych bohaterów. Poza tym jest tak dobry, cierpliwy i wyrozumiały, że aż wydaje się nierealny...
Może to wszystko wina tego, że w obydwu częściach jest jeden POV - we wcześniejszej części Gabe'a, tutaj Jamiego. W tej historii może i dowiadujemy się nieco więcej o Danielu, niż we wcześniejszej o Scotcie, ale tylko dlatego, że to samo wychodziło od niego w trakcie rozmów. Ale to ciągle mało. Mało wiadomo o kimś, kto teoretycznie jest głównym bohaterem...
Natomiast sporo dowiadujemy się o Owenie, Alecu i Belli. Nie mówiąc już o Jamiem. Jamiego jest pełno zarówno w pierwszej części, jak i oczywiście drugiej. I tak - to zupełnie inny Jamie niż w historii Gabe'a. Trzeźwy, współczujący, poświęcający się dla innych... Dający się lubić, któremu daleko do tego szalonego, samolubnego bachora z wcześniejszej części. Ale przeszkadzało mi, że Gabe był wspomniany słownie kilka razy tutaj. Bo Jamie był naprawdę wielką częścią życia i historii Gabe'a. A tymczasem tutaj jest ledwo wspomniane o żalu Jamiego, że tak długo pozwalał sobie się opierać na swoim przyjacielu, który go tak często ratował z różnych sytuacji i że przez to mało nie stracił przyjaźni... A poza tym? Nie ma się najmniejszego wrażenia, jakby Gabe był dla niego ważny, bo nie odgrywa żadnej, żadnej roli tutaj...
Tak naprawdę to historia Jamiego oraz rodziny Bailey. To historia o gwałcie sprzed kilku lat, któremu usiłowało się zaprzeczyć poprzez zalewanie się w trupa i jeszcze większą ilość seksu. O próbie pozostania trzeźwym, która w jednym dniu jest łatwiejsza, a w innym po prostu trudna. O zerwanych więzach rodzinnych, które usiłuje naprawić umierająca Bella. O zmierzaniu ku pewnej śmierci ukochanej osoby i próbie radzenia sobie z tym. O poczuciu winy różnego rodzaju, które tarmosi każdego z naszych bohaterów.
To historia, którą ciężko się czyta, bo nie ma w niej praktycznie żadnych jasnych momentów, żadnej radości. Wszystko jest ciężkie od winy, od melancholii, od nadchodzącej śmierci, od złych wyborów. Jeżeli ktoś się zdecyduje czytać, to niech spróbuje ominąć upały, bo one powodują, że czytanie jest jeszcze trudniejsze...
May 28, 2014
Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews - 5 hearts
I had to put this book down three different times and take a break from reading. The first time was so that I could get some sleep (thankfully, a little goes a long way) and the next two times were because I couldn’t read through the tears that kept making my vision blurry.
Recovery is mostly a story about love and second chances. It’s about having the fortitude to recognize when to ask for help and when to forgive (one’s personal self and others). It’s also about death and life, and having the capacity to celebrate life even at death’s doorstep.
Recovery is a grueling process that takes time and baby steps (and the author made me feel the grit, desperation, and determination in that grueling journey). Jamie was fortunate to find the support he needed to start his own recovery in a surrogate family. As it turned out, the tables turned and Jamie became the key to bringing this family back together to deal with their own issues and begin their heartbreaking path towards recovery.
The romance between Jamie and Daniel took a very distinct back seat to the primary points in the story; however, that romance was beautiful and very skillfully intertwined with the main story. Daniel became another piece in the support system for Jamie, but also the ultimate reward for Jamie’s self-forgiveness. I found myself dealing with my own craving for more of them and yet having to admit that what was included was perfect in the context of the overall story.
This book was truly awesome – both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time, which in my humble opinion is a very difficult accomplishment to achieve. Absolutely recommended!!!
I had to put this book down three different times and take a break from reading. The first time was so that I could get some sleep (thankfully, a little goes a long way) and the next two times were because I couldn’t read through the tears that kept making my vision blurry.
Recovery is mostly a story about love and second chances. It’s about having the fortitude to recognize when to ask for help and when to forgive (one’s personal self and others). It’s also about death and life, and having the capacity to celebrate life even at death’s doorstep.
Recovery is a grueling process that takes time and baby steps (and the author made me feel the grit, desperation, and determination in that grueling journey). Jamie was fortunate to find the support he needed to start his own recovery in a surrogate family. As it turned out, the tables turned and Jamie became the key to bringing this family back together to deal with their own issues and begin their heartbreaking path towards recovery.
The romance between Jamie and Daniel took a very distinct back seat to the primary points in the story; however, that romance was beautiful and very skillfully intertwined with the main story. Daniel became another piece in the support system for Jamie, but also the ultimate reward for Jamie’s self-forgiveness. I found myself dealing with my own craving for more of them and yet having to admit that what was included was perfect in the context of the overall story.
This book was truly awesome – both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time, which in my humble opinion is a very difficult accomplishment to achieve. Absolutely recommended!!!
May 22, 2014
Wow. I tend to write my review as I’m going, I read a couple of chapters, write a bit, read some more, write, etc., then go over and over my review multiple times before I send it in. I just realized I’m 41% in to this book and I haven’t stopped to write at all! It is that good.
So here is my review!
If you have read Salvage, you’ll remember Jamie. He was the unwitting cause of a mess of trouble for Gabe Cooper and his family. It really wasn’t his fault, but he took the blame on himself and hauled Gabe off to San Diego. Where he proceeded to drink himself in to a mess. He was unofficially adopted and rescued by Alec Bailey and his family. Alec and Belle take Jaime in, sober him up, hook him up with a sponsor, help him get a place to live, and help get his photography career started. It all goes well until Belle develops cancer. Jamie puts his life on hold to help care for Belle, ostracizing Alec and Belle’s son Owen, whose kind of a jackass. As this book really gets going, Belle is dying, Alec is panicking, Owen is a grumpy bastard, and Grace, (Alec and Belle’s daughter) is hospital bound in LA. Jamie is daily struggling to stay sober. He meets Daniel at a party for Alec’s magazine, and falls purely in lust.
Daniel is twenty years Jamie’s senior, a wealthy, successful business man, in the business of crisis management. He deals with an issue at Alec’s party, hangs out for some drinks and meets Jamie. He is immediately attracted to the younger man, but has no clue what a mess he is walking in to. He’s hoping for a night of passion, but realizes quickly that Jamie is different. He sees there’s some drama going on and being a fixer, he wants to help. Which this family needs is such a bad way. Daniel tries to get close to Jamie in San Diego, but it just a bad time. He keeps in touch, but out of the way, until the Bailey family, including Jamie, end up in LA when Belle asks to be transferred to the same hospital her daughter is in. Jamie reaches out to Daniel, and he responds. As Daniel learns what is happening he steps in, in a way that they all need, not just Jamie. He is so smooth and subtle, helping when needed, backing off when needed. He’s just perfect.
I need to talk a little about the plot, but I’ll try not to give too much away. This is a story of redemption. These people all have some issues. Alec is an alcoholic. Jamie is a victim of a crime, and an alcoholic. Grace is pregnant, has no man, and a high risk pregnancy. Owen is a bitter man, angry with his father. Belle is dying. Daniel has an exwife, a daughter, and a bit of drama in his past, but he is the most stable of the bunch. Belle’s wish is for her family to work out their problems, thrive and survive. Jamie and Daniel make that happen. It takes a lot of work, some pushing, some luck, and some loss, but they do all get themselves together. It is an amazing story to watch. I kept forgetting how young Jamie was. His struggle is so hard, his emotions so raw. He wants and needs love, both from the Bailey family and Daniel. But it’s so hard to trust and let it happen. Daniel is just perfect for him. I wanted to be concerned about the twenty year age difference, but I really think Jamie needs someone more mature. I loved Daniel’s patience and steadiness. Just what Jamie, and the others as well, needed.
This was a very emotional book for me to read. Not because I could relate to any of it, but it was just so well written I was in there completely. Con Riley MADE me relate to these people. I felt Jamie’s pain and frustration, his desperate desire for a drink. And his stubbornness that he wasn’t going to have one. I cried when he told his story to Daniel, I cried over the Bailey family issues. I cried for Owen and Alec in a good way. I cried at the end cause it was so damn sweet!
Read Salvage, then read Recovery. They are both amazing stories. You won’t regret it!
A copy of this book was provided for reviewing. The original review posted at www.lovebytesreviews.com!
So here is my review!
If you have read Salvage, you’ll remember Jamie. He was the unwitting cause of a mess of trouble for Gabe Cooper and his family. It really wasn’t his fault, but he took the blame on himself and hauled Gabe off to San Diego. Where he proceeded to drink himself in to a mess. He was unofficially adopted and rescued by Alec Bailey and his family. Alec and Belle take Jaime in, sober him up, hook him up with a sponsor, help him get a place to live, and help get his photography career started. It all goes well until Belle develops cancer. Jamie puts his life on hold to help care for Belle, ostracizing Alec and Belle’s son Owen, whose kind of a jackass. As this book really gets going, Belle is dying, Alec is panicking, Owen is a grumpy bastard, and Grace, (Alec and Belle’s daughter) is hospital bound in LA. Jamie is daily struggling to stay sober. He meets Daniel at a party for Alec’s magazine, and falls purely in lust.
Daniel is twenty years Jamie’s senior, a wealthy, successful business man, in the business of crisis management. He deals with an issue at Alec’s party, hangs out for some drinks and meets Jamie. He is immediately attracted to the younger man, but has no clue what a mess he is walking in to. He’s hoping for a night of passion, but realizes quickly that Jamie is different. He sees there’s some drama going on and being a fixer, he wants to help. Which this family needs is such a bad way. Daniel tries to get close to Jamie in San Diego, but it just a bad time. He keeps in touch, but out of the way, until the Bailey family, including Jamie, end up in LA when Belle asks to be transferred to the same hospital her daughter is in. Jamie reaches out to Daniel, and he responds. As Daniel learns what is happening he steps in, in a way that they all need, not just Jamie. He is so smooth and subtle, helping when needed, backing off when needed. He’s just perfect.
I need to talk a little about the plot, but I’ll try not to give too much away. This is a story of redemption. These people all have some issues. Alec is an alcoholic. Jamie is a victim of a crime, and an alcoholic. Grace is pregnant, has no man, and a high risk pregnancy. Owen is a bitter man, angry with his father. Belle is dying. Daniel has an exwife, a daughter, and a bit of drama in his past, but he is the most stable of the bunch. Belle’s wish is for her family to work out their problems, thrive and survive. Jamie and Daniel make that happen. It takes a lot of work, some pushing, some luck, and some loss, but they do all get themselves together. It is an amazing story to watch. I kept forgetting how young Jamie was. His struggle is so hard, his emotions so raw. He wants and needs love, both from the Bailey family and Daniel. But it’s so hard to trust and let it happen. Daniel is just perfect for him. I wanted to be concerned about the twenty year age difference, but I really think Jamie needs someone more mature. I loved Daniel’s patience and steadiness. Just what Jamie, and the others as well, needed.
This was a very emotional book for me to read. Not because I could relate to any of it, but it was just so well written I was in there completely. Con Riley MADE me relate to these people. I felt Jamie’s pain and frustration, his desperate desire for a drink. And his stubbornness that he wasn’t going to have one. I cried when he told his story to Daniel, I cried over the Bailey family issues. I cried for Owen and Alec in a good way. I cried at the end cause it was so damn sweet!
Read Salvage, then read Recovery. They are both amazing stories. You won’t regret it!
A copy of this book was provided for reviewing. The original review posted at www.lovebytesreviews.com!
November 19, 2022
Utterly breathtaking.
This, my friends, this is how it's done. From the first words, this book pulled me in and wouldn't let go, not even now, two weeks later, as I still reel from the impact.
It's a breathtaking work of art, painted with words. It's a brilliant piece of imagery, full of pain and heartbreak, but also hope and love.
We first meet Jamie at the launch party for Alex's magazine and are immediately reminded that Jamie, like Alex, is a recovering alcoholic. Con Riley doesn't mince words when she lets us see inside Jamie's mind and the struggle not to drink, a struggle that is made ever harder because Jamie's heart-mother, Belle Bailey, is dying.
In this follow-up novel to the amazing "Salvage", we also get to meet a different Jamie. He's been sober a while, and this Jamie, unlike the one Gabe remembered, is kind and caring and aware.
Recovery is a difficult road, a journey that doesn't end, and it's ever harder to stay sober when the people you consider your real family are hurting. When you're about to lose the woman who took you in, gave you a place to live and cheered you on each step of your way.
When Jamie meets Daniel at the launch party, he is immediately attracted to the older man, but initially only sees him as a hook-up, a way to avoid the temptation of alcohol by using sex as a distraction.
Daniel, divorced and finally able to live the life he wants, has other plans for Jamie. When he finds out what's going on, he offers his help.
The brilliance of this book lies in the realistic exploration of human nature that Con Riley brings to the table. She made a fan out of me with the first book and only cements it here. The sensitive and realistic ways in which she writes the emotional aspects of this story, not just Jamie's and Daniel's, but also Alex's and Owen's, and intertwines them all are utterly breathtaking.
The overall tone of Jamie's mind is melancholy and pained, and this feeling carries through most of the book. There is depth to the character we didn't get to see in "Salvage", and I felt like crawling into the story to hold him and tell him everything would be okay. I cried with helpless rage as more of Jamie's backstory came out, and I marveled at the strength he doesn't even know he has.
The romance between Jamie and Daniel took more of a backseat, which worked beautifully in the overall story. It's a quiet, mature kind of romance, the kind I expected Jamie to have with a man nearly twenty years his senior. It didn't smack of a daddy complex, but instead seemed to be exactly what Jamie needed - someone wise and mature enough to let him be himself, without expectations, giving and kind.
I also thought that the author masterfully described the contentious relationship between Alex and his son, portraying Owen not as evil but hurting, estranged from his father whom he blames for much of the hurt during Alex's drinking years. And yet, it felt that there was more to it than that, something that the author kept from us. Until she doesn't, and Owen's behavior, and the eventual reconciliation, as fragile as it may be, makes perfect sense. Just as Jamie and Daniel, Owen was allowed to be multi-dimensional and real.
A deeply moving, realistic portrayal of family, pain and especially love in all forms. Exceptional!
Highly recommended. Keep your tissues close by.
While this is a companion novel to "Salvage", it can be read as a standalone.
** I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. A positive review was not promised in return. **
This, my friends, this is how it's done. From the first words, this book pulled me in and wouldn't let go, not even now, two weeks later, as I still reel from the impact.
It's a breathtaking work of art, painted with words. It's a brilliant piece of imagery, full of pain and heartbreak, but also hope and love.
We first meet Jamie at the launch party for Alex's magazine and are immediately reminded that Jamie, like Alex, is a recovering alcoholic. Con Riley doesn't mince words when she lets us see inside Jamie's mind and the struggle not to drink, a struggle that is made ever harder because Jamie's heart-mother, Belle Bailey, is dying.
In this follow-up novel to the amazing "Salvage", we also get to meet a different Jamie. He's been sober a while, and this Jamie, unlike the one Gabe remembered, is kind and caring and aware.
Recovery is a difficult road, a journey that doesn't end, and it's ever harder to stay sober when the people you consider your real family are hurting. When you're about to lose the woman who took you in, gave you a place to live and cheered you on each step of your way.
When Jamie meets Daniel at the launch party, he is immediately attracted to the older man, but initially only sees him as a hook-up, a way to avoid the temptation of alcohol by using sex as a distraction.
Daniel, divorced and finally able to live the life he wants, has other plans for Jamie. When he finds out what's going on, he offers his help.
The brilliance of this book lies in the realistic exploration of human nature that Con Riley brings to the table. She made a fan out of me with the first book and only cements it here. The sensitive and realistic ways in which she writes the emotional aspects of this story, not just Jamie's and Daniel's, but also Alex's and Owen's, and intertwines them all are utterly breathtaking.
The overall tone of Jamie's mind is melancholy and pained, and this feeling carries through most of the book. There is depth to the character we didn't get to see in "Salvage", and I felt like crawling into the story to hold him and tell him everything would be okay. I cried with helpless rage as more of Jamie's backstory came out, and I marveled at the strength he doesn't even know he has.
The romance between Jamie and Daniel took more of a backseat, which worked beautifully in the overall story. It's a quiet, mature kind of romance, the kind I expected Jamie to have with a man nearly twenty years his senior. It didn't smack of a daddy complex, but instead seemed to be exactly what Jamie needed - someone wise and mature enough to let him be himself, without expectations, giving and kind.
I also thought that the author masterfully described the contentious relationship between Alex and his son, portraying Owen not as evil but hurting, estranged from his father whom he blames for much of the hurt during Alex's drinking years. And yet, it felt that there was more to it than that, something that the author kept from us. Until she doesn't, and Owen's behavior, and the eventual reconciliation, as fragile as it may be, makes perfect sense. Just as Jamie and Daniel, Owen was allowed to be multi-dimensional and real.
A deeply moving, realistic portrayal of family, pain and especially love in all forms. Exceptional!
Highly recommended. Keep your tissues close by.
While this is a companion novel to "Salvage", it can be read as a standalone.
** I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. A positive review was not promised in return. **
June 19, 2014
We first meet Jamie in Salvage and his character was not written to endear him to us. He was selfish and manipulative and wasn’t a great friend to Gabe. With his story in Recovery comes the clarity of what he has been through, what has set him off on his path of destruction and what eventually leads him to become a better person.
His home life growing up has failed him completely and it is probably only thanks to Gabes father and family that he kept himself together as long as he did. There was the accident that altered the course of Gabes sisters life that was the beginning of his path of self destruction. His sense of failure in himself leads to drinking, not just the odd one, but enough that it becomes his crutch and his only way of making it through the day.
Alcohol can change you in the most shocking way. In Jamie it leads to a recklessness that ends up with him being raped. Too scared and ashamed to admit what has happened to him he turns even more to the alcohol that makes his existence palpable. It’s a never ending spiral of destruction that can only stop when Jamie takes ownership.
The Bailey family were his salvation in more ways than one. Alec, a recovering alcoholic, becomes a mentor to Jamie and his AA sponsor. His wife Belle becomes more of a mother to Jamie than his own ever was. He is shown love and compassion for perhaps the first time in his life. He also grows up a lot and realises, maybe without even knowing, that he doesn’t want to let his new family down. With that thought he can take each day as it comes.
This is a complex story and it feels almost as though the romance is just in the background. He meets Daniel at a critical time. Daniel is divorced and much older but very quickly becomes a friend and someone that Jamie can rely and lean on. Jamie has a fear of relationships only ever bothering with one night stands so it is lucky that Daniel is calm and patient.
Being an alcoholic is in no way easy for anyone. Add to that the pressure of someone you love and respect dying, a man who has been your mentor falling apart in front of your eyes, their son hating your very existence and an older man trying to make your life as easy as possible and it is only with great fortitude that Jamie manages to get out of bed in the morning. Every hour is fraught with the possibility that having a drink would make life much easier. This is when you realise that Jamie is much stronger than he thinks he is. He finds an inner strength that has him coping and fulfilling Belles dying wishes and also falling in love.
This book is very different from the first one. The writing is heartfelt, heart wrenching and leaves you wrung out. A lot of things happen that would make a lesser man cave but Jamie proves to himself and those who love him that he is strong and more than capable. Quiet and loving Daniel is a true rock for the younger man even if their romance has to take a back to seat to everything else going on. A great and very different addition to the Salvage Series. Surely it will be Owens story next?
His home life growing up has failed him completely and it is probably only thanks to Gabes father and family that he kept himself together as long as he did. There was the accident that altered the course of Gabes sisters life that was the beginning of his path of self destruction. His sense of failure in himself leads to drinking, not just the odd one, but enough that it becomes his crutch and his only way of making it through the day.
Alcohol can change you in the most shocking way. In Jamie it leads to a recklessness that ends up with him being raped. Too scared and ashamed to admit what has happened to him he turns even more to the alcohol that makes his existence palpable. It’s a never ending spiral of destruction that can only stop when Jamie takes ownership.
The Bailey family were his salvation in more ways than one. Alec, a recovering alcoholic, becomes a mentor to Jamie and his AA sponsor. His wife Belle becomes more of a mother to Jamie than his own ever was. He is shown love and compassion for perhaps the first time in his life. He also grows up a lot and realises, maybe without even knowing, that he doesn’t want to let his new family down. With that thought he can take each day as it comes.
This is a complex story and it feels almost as though the romance is just in the background. He meets Daniel at a critical time. Daniel is divorced and much older but very quickly becomes a friend and someone that Jamie can rely and lean on. Jamie has a fear of relationships only ever bothering with one night stands so it is lucky that Daniel is calm and patient.
Being an alcoholic is in no way easy for anyone. Add to that the pressure of someone you love and respect dying, a man who has been your mentor falling apart in front of your eyes, their son hating your very existence and an older man trying to make your life as easy as possible and it is only with great fortitude that Jamie manages to get out of bed in the morning. Every hour is fraught with the possibility that having a drink would make life much easier. This is when you realise that Jamie is much stronger than he thinks he is. He finds an inner strength that has him coping and fulfilling Belles dying wishes and also falling in love.
This book is very different from the first one. The writing is heartfelt, heart wrenching and leaves you wrung out. A lot of things happen that would make a lesser man cave but Jamie proves to himself and those who love him that he is strong and more than capable. Quiet and loving Daniel is a true rock for the younger man even if their romance has to take a back to seat to everything else going on. A great and very different addition to the Salvage Series. Surely it will be Owens story next?
March 3, 2023
Is this a good book about death, alcoholism, and found family? Yes. But it's just barely a romance, and that is the weakest part of the book. Daniel and Jamie spend so little time together on-page specifically and in the timeline of the story that their connection was pretty unbelievable. Being drawn to someone's art can only be taken so far and this was a step too far.
If you are looking for a book about dealing with alcoholism while watching someone you love dying then this book is what you want. That was handled well and painfully. But if you want a romance this just isn't that.
If you are looking for a book about dealing with alcoholism while watching someone you love dying then this book is what you want. That was handled well and painfully. But if you want a romance this just isn't that.
May 20, 2014
3.75 stars
This was a good story. The depiction of alcoholism and fighting to stay sober, growing up, finding family you choose and loving them and starting to love yourself was a bright and shining star in this book. This was truly about Jamie and his journey.
Belle's illness was heart wrenching and felt real.
Two things that didn't sit well with me.
The romance was a little lacking for me. I liked Jamie and I liked Daniel, I just didn't feel the chemistry between them.
The other issue that brought the rating down was sentence structure? There were several sentences that made no sense to me.
Beyond those beefs of mine this book is definitely a good story. Can't wait for Owens story! Oh don't give me that look, of course he's next!
Wait, he is right?
This was a good story. The depiction of alcoholism and fighting to stay sober, growing up, finding family you choose and loving them and starting to love yourself was a bright and shining star in this book. This was truly about Jamie and his journey.
Belle's illness was heart wrenching and felt real.
Two things that didn't sit well with me.
The romance was a little lacking for me. I liked Jamie and I liked Daniel, I just didn't feel the chemistry between them.
The other issue that brought the rating down was sentence structure? There were several sentences that made no sense to me.
Beyond those beefs of mine this book is definitely a good story. Can't wait for Owens story! Oh don't give me that look, of course he's next!
Wait, he is right?
February 27, 2015
More like 2.5 stars
Unless tomorrow I will think of a better version, here is my take of this book: it pulled me right into the story, I also didn't mind that the romance between Jamie and Daniel was rather toned down - as it was, it worked quite well for me:)
The more difficult aspect of this story for me was the way Jamie's connection to this family was written. For me it sounded as if Jamie's most important connection was with Belle. He came to them due to Alec, who was his sponsor at AA. So far so good. When we are pulled into the story, Belle is already severely ill for quite some time and it's her wish that Jamie takes photos along the way to commemorate her last months. Well, at first it sounds ok. Sadly, while following this story along I had the impression that Jamie really was only the documentalist, the one looking in from the outside. He fulfilled that assignment very well, out of love to Belle and the feeling to finally belonging to a family. For me as a reader, my interpretation was that in the end he still remained on the outside of the family. Yes, Alec helped him on his way to sobriety. Yes, he managed to stay sober during all the bad things happening along the way. And he found someone to build a relationship with. But for me this wasn't a result of him being a part of the family of Alec and Belle. I think it was much more like while he observed what happened with them he realized what was his wish in life and when it came across his path he was brave enough to seize it.
The epilogue didn't work for me at all and it looks like this author is hit-and-miss for me. Sadly this feels more like a miss.
Unless tomorrow I will think of a better version, here is my take of this book: it pulled me right into the story, I also didn't mind that the romance between Jamie and Daniel was rather toned down - as it was, it worked quite well for me:)
The more difficult aspect of this story for me was the way Jamie's connection to this family was written. For me it sounded as if Jamie's most important connection was with Belle. He came to them due to Alec, who was his sponsor at AA. So far so good. When we are pulled into the story, Belle is already severely ill for quite some time and it's her wish that Jamie takes photos along the way to commemorate her last months. Well, at first it sounds ok. Sadly, while following this story along I had the impression that Jamie really was only the documentalist, the one looking in from the outside. He fulfilled that assignment very well, out of love to Belle and the feeling to finally belonging to a family. For me as a reader, my interpretation was that in the end he still remained on the outside of the family. Yes, Alec helped him on his way to sobriety. Yes, he managed to stay sober during all the bad things happening along the way. And he found someone to build a relationship with. But for me this wasn't a result of him being a part of the family of Alec and Belle. I think it was much more like while he observed what happened with them he realized what was his wish in life and when it came across his path he was brave enough to seize it.
The epilogue didn't work for me at all and it looks like this author is hit-and-miss for me. Sadly this feels more like a miss.
May 20, 2014
J.D. Salinger once said, “What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though.” Salinger was right. It does not happen that often, but it does happen when the author is Con Riley. Once again, Riley has taken a complex idea and created an intense and emotional roller coaster of a story, and the only thing the reader can do is grab on tight and hang on for the ride.
This book is not just about two men falling in love, and it is not just about an alcoholic struggling with addiction and facing the inevitable death of his surrogate mother. Jamie Carlson is struggling with recovery and life.
Riley is marvelous storyteller. It is difficult to put down this book, unless the reader needs to grab some tissues. Although this book can be read without having read Salvage first, knowing Jamie’s background from that first book makes this second book more intense. The dialogue and sex scenes are intimate and help the reader better understand the characters’ motivations.
This is a partial review. Please see my full review on the Smoocher's Voice Blog: http://www.smoochersvoice.com/2014/05...
This book is not just about two men falling in love, and it is not just about an alcoholic struggling with addiction and facing the inevitable death of his surrogate mother. Jamie Carlson is struggling with recovery and life.
Riley is marvelous storyteller. It is difficult to put down this book, unless the reader needs to grab some tissues. Although this book can be read without having read Salvage first, knowing Jamie’s background from that first book makes this second book more intense. The dialogue and sex scenes are intimate and help the reader better understand the characters’ motivations.
This is a partial review. Please see my full review on the Smoocher's Voice Blog: http://www.smoochersvoice.com/2014/05...
June 13, 2014
I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway
After the excitement of actually winning something, for which I am so very grateful, I sat down and started reading. I ended up not moving from the lounge until I was done. I was captivated by this story. It had so many elements that I could relate to, that I felt that Ms Riley must have trawled through my brain for my memories to write me the perfect book. She took such sad elements, such as cancer and rape, and wrote a book full of redemption and love.
I am a sucker for this type of story, but not every author pulls it off perfectly, but thankfully this author did.
This is actually book two of a series, I haven't read the first one, (but I will be,) I had no trouble following this, and believe it can be read as a stand alone, although I don't see why you would want to miss a chance of reading any of this authors works.
I have had a few books of hers on my wish list, but after reading this, I know that the next time I stop off at amazon, I will be happily one-clicking more of her work.
After the excitement of actually winning something, for which I am so very grateful, I sat down and started reading. I ended up not moving from the lounge until I was done. I was captivated by this story. It had so many elements that I could relate to, that I felt that Ms Riley must have trawled through my brain for my memories to write me the perfect book. She took such sad elements, such as cancer and rape, and wrote a book full of redemption and love.
I am a sucker for this type of story, but not every author pulls it off perfectly, but thankfully this author did.
This is actually book two of a series, I haven't read the first one, (but I will be,) I had no trouble following this, and believe it can be read as a stand alone, although I don't see why you would want to miss a chance of reading any of this authors works.
I have had a few books of hers on my wish list, but after reading this, I know that the next time I stop off at amazon, I will be happily one-clicking more of her work.
July 8, 2015
I think I like this one a little more than the first. Jamie was a bit unlikable in the first book but I absolutely fell in love with him in this one. And Daniel was kinda perfect for him even with the age difference or maybe because of the age difference. There was no great conflict between the MCs just a nice solid love story. There was angst in the story though. Like bawl-baby type pain. Owen started out my least favorite person but I ended up loving him as well. The whole cast of characters was great and each one was necessary for the story. Pretty deep, no fluffy love story here and I really, really liked that!
June 13, 2014
When I read Salvage, the first book in the series, I was so not a fan of Jamie. What we got to see of Jamie was an irreverent brat who seemed to not take anything seriously, and he seemed like a user to the nth degree.
Once I got a bit into Recovery, I realized I couldn’t have been further from the truth in my opinion of Jamie. When Jamie experienced a brutal assault, he turned to alcohol to numb the pain in his soul, and it took Alec Bailey and his wife Belle to help Jamie begin to heal. The Bailey family has taken Jamie in and made him a member of the family, much to the consternation of their son Owen. Owen has never forgiven Alec for the years he was suffering from alcoholism, and he has no sympathy for Jamie.
While attending a launch party for Alec’s new magazine Jamie meets Daniel and there are some pretty serious sparks between them. Before he and Daniel can get to the good stuff, Owen interrupts their evening with devastating news about Belle. Jamie leaves Daniel, without a second thought, to run to the bedside of his surrogate mother, thinking he won’t see the man again.
When the extent of Belle’s sickness is revealed, she decides she is going to be with her daughter in L.A. to see the birth of her first grandchild. All the men put their own lives on hold to fulfill her last wishes, and Daniel is very pleased to find out that Jamie is not only in town but that he wants to spend some time with him.
Over the course of the book Jamie has to fight his alcoholism, find a way to say goodbye to the only mother he has ever loved, and figure out how to be the man Daniel deserves.
When I finished reading Salvage, I thought to myself, “That was a great book.” Then I read Recovery, and I found Ms. Riley had completely outdone herself. This was not only the story of a recovering alcoholic but the story of a man coming to terms with every facet of his life. Jamie works his steps in the program, and he has to come to terms with the mistakes he has made in the past and find a way not to repeat them in the future.
I sincerely hope you will give this book a try, but I feel I must warn you that there should be copious amounts of Kleenex on hand while you follow Jamie on his journey. This is definitely a must read book; you will kick yourself if you miss it.
Reviewed by Jackie at The Novel Approach
Once I got a bit into Recovery, I realized I couldn’t have been further from the truth in my opinion of Jamie. When Jamie experienced a brutal assault, he turned to alcohol to numb the pain in his soul, and it took Alec Bailey and his wife Belle to help Jamie begin to heal. The Bailey family has taken Jamie in and made him a member of the family, much to the consternation of their son Owen. Owen has never forgiven Alec for the years he was suffering from alcoholism, and he has no sympathy for Jamie.
While attending a launch party for Alec’s new magazine Jamie meets Daniel and there are some pretty serious sparks between them. Before he and Daniel can get to the good stuff, Owen interrupts their evening with devastating news about Belle. Jamie leaves Daniel, without a second thought, to run to the bedside of his surrogate mother, thinking he won’t see the man again.
When the extent of Belle’s sickness is revealed, she decides she is going to be with her daughter in L.A. to see the birth of her first grandchild. All the men put their own lives on hold to fulfill her last wishes, and Daniel is very pleased to find out that Jamie is not only in town but that he wants to spend some time with him.
Over the course of the book Jamie has to fight his alcoholism, find a way to say goodbye to the only mother he has ever loved, and figure out how to be the man Daniel deserves.
When I finished reading Salvage, I thought to myself, “That was a great book.” Then I read Recovery, and I found Ms. Riley had completely outdone herself. This was not only the story of a recovering alcoholic but the story of a man coming to terms with every facet of his life. Jamie works his steps in the program, and he has to come to terms with the mistakes he has made in the past and find a way not to repeat them in the future.
I sincerely hope you will give this book a try, but I feel I must warn you that there should be copious amounts of Kleenex on hand while you follow Jamie on his journey. This is definitely a must read book; you will kick yourself if you miss it.
Reviewed by Jackie at The Novel Approach
May 21, 2014
This story is heartbreaking and emotional and amazing. Let me start from the beginning... I really enjoyed and fell in love with the men featured in the first book of Con Riley's Salvage Series, "Salvage", Gabe and Scott. This second book, "Recovery" focuses on Gabe's best friend, Jamie Carlson. Poor sweet Jamie. We knew he was having a difficult time when we met him briefly in "Salvage". In this story, we journey through Jamie's life and see what he has been through and what he has to think about in order to make it through every single day. I loved his surrogate family, made up of his former AA sponsor Alec (who we also met in "Salvage") and his wife Belle, and their children, Owen and Grace (though I really wanted to strangle Owen a time or two). Jamie meets Daniel Priest at a party, and though it seems he tries his hardest to push him away, or at most treat him like a random hook-up of his past, Daniel stands firm in wanting more with Jamie. Daniel is stable, steady, and kind, and just what Jamie is seeking (though he doesn't realize this at first). I can't really say more without giving away too much of the plot. Suffice it to say, "Recovery" is excellent and highly recommended. I have been on a Con Riley reading rampage and thoroughly enjoyed her Seattle series also. Con is now an auto-buy author and I can't wait to see what's next in this series. Maybe Owen's story?
dnf
May 27, 2014Well this was a disappointment. I loved Salvage and I thought for sure Jamie's story was going to be great. But no so much. In fact, I had to force myself to read up to 50% in hopes it would become more interesting and some chemistry would magically appear between Daniel and Jamie.
Chemistry? What chemistry? If this book had any less of it, it'd put me to sleep. I didnt feel any connection between Jamie and Daniel, none what's so ever. And the fact that a 47yr old man would want to show off his love interest after just recently meeting him (not to mention just coming out of the closet)is just creepy. I have nothing against age difference as long as it's not too much. 15 years is all fine and dandy but more than 20 becomes too much for me. It makes me cringe and any sex happening between them becomes a no-no for me. And maybe, just maybe if the chemistry was off the charts it could have worked. But that was not the case here.
I thought for sure Owen and Jamie had more chemistry together (not necessarily sexual) and I found myself wishing Daniel would walk out of the picture so those two can be together. All in all, it was too sad (I'm talking about Belle and her fight against cancer) and the fact that Alec and Owen always fought seemed just staged somehow. I didnt really get the point of it all, other than to add some drama, but maybe it would've made more sense if I read the whole thing to the end.
Chemistry? What chemistry? If this book had any less of it, it'd put me to sleep. I didnt feel any connection between Jamie and Daniel, none what's so ever. And the fact that a 47yr old man would want to show off his love interest after just recently meeting him (not to mention just coming out of the closet)is just creepy. I have nothing against age difference as long as it's not too much. 15 years is all fine and dandy but more than 20 becomes too much for me. It makes me cringe and any sex happening between them becomes a no-no for me. And maybe, just maybe if the chemistry was off the charts it could have worked. But that was not the case here.
I thought for sure Owen and Jamie had more chemistry together (not necessarily sexual) and I found myself wishing Daniel would walk out of the picture so those two can be together. All in all, it was too sad (I'm talking about Belle and her fight against cancer) and the fact that Alec and Owen always fought seemed just staged somehow. I didnt really get the point of it all, other than to add some drama, but maybe it would've made more sense if I read the whole thing to the end.
November 21, 2015
A sad story with family loss and yet also one of family unity and finding hope.
September 30, 2016
İlk kitaptan çok daha güzel ve duygusaldı.
Salvage'da Jamie'ye o kadar gıcık olmuştum ki açıkçası biraz da ondan bekletmiştim bu kitabı... Pek hoşlanacağımı sanmıyordum. Ama beni haksız çıkardı..
Salvage'da Jamie'ye o kadar gıcık olmuştum ki açıkçası biraz da ondan bekletmiştim bu kitabı... Pek hoşlanacağımı sanmıyordum. Ama beni haksız çıkardı..
May 26, 2014
3.5 stars
June 23, 2014
4.5 Stars
A "Live Your Life, Buy The Book" Review
We briefly met Jamie in the first book of the series, Salvage, as Gabe's best friend since childhood. He was irresponsible, thoughtless and selfish to begin with, but was trying to make reparations for his past behaviour at the end of that book.
A "Live Your Life, Buy The Book" Review
We briefly met Jamie in the first book of the series, Salvage, as Gabe's best friend since childhood. He was irresponsible, thoughtless and selfish to begin with, but was trying to make reparations for his past behaviour at the end of that book.
In Recovery Jamie, at twenty-eight, has been sober for a year with the support of his original sponsor, Alec Bailey, and Alec's wife Belle - people Jamie has come to think of as the parents of his heart. The couple's grown son, Owen, has been semi-estranged from his father for years, in spite of Alec's years of sobriety. Owen seems incapable of moving past the hurts of his childhood due to his father's alcoholism. As a consequence, Jamie and Owen have a somewhat adversarial relationship. Jamie can see how much Alec loves his son and feels nothing but remorse for the pain his son endured during those years. Owen has little sympathy for Jamie, his perceptions coloured by his own childhood experiences with his father's alcohol abuse, hampering Jamie's attempts at reconciling father and son.
Not long after the Baileys welcome Jamie into their lives like a second son, Belle was diagnosed with brain tumour. Now almost a year later, they had all hoped that battle had been won, but the treatments have not worked as well as they had wished for and the prognosis is not good. This is the point where Recovery picks up the story.
It's during the launch party for Alec's new magazine publication that Jamie meets Daniel. They click from the beginning, even with an almost twenty-year age gap. It's an age difference that never really comes into play between them, even though Daniel's daughter from his almost thirty year marriage with his ex-wife is a year older than Jamie. That's written as very believable. They truly come together as equals and Jamie's past experiences and his battle with alcoholism give him a realistic maturity by this point in his life. Both Daniel and Jamie have little experience when it comes to dating, but they each recognise in the other the person they wish to spend their life with, although the realisation of it comes a little slower. It did feel as though the foundation of their developing relationship was comfort and sex and I found myself wishing that a couple of the sex scenes, as hot as they were, had been replaced with ones showing the reader the MCs getting to know each other on all levels, not just burning up the sheets. I had got a pretty good sense of who Daniel was even with the POV being only from Jamie, and I liked him, but I hadn't got much of a sense of Daniel and Jamie as a couple. They'd either been around one or more of the Baileys or, every time they'd been alone, it was about sex and not them just spending time together getting to know each other and interacting with each other in ways other than sex. I did finally get that scene, and even with how that particular scene ended, getting to see them just talking and interacting, letting each other and telling their pasts, was exactly what I was feeling the lack of so much previously.
For the most part, the writing was very good, but there was a bit of a propensity to jump over important events and then telling what happened after the fact which made the story feel a bit disjointed and over-explained at times. I liked the sub-theme of redemption between father and son with Alec and Owen. It was sensitively dealt with, becoming neither soap operish nor blasé. The majority of the book has a gentle, even pace that gathered all the plot threads together as it went, bringing them together nicely. The characters were good. I liked both the MCs, and the secondary character of Owen and his journey back to his father is interesting and, at times, heart-wrenching. I'm guessing Owen is being set up to be one of the MCs of the next book in the series. I hope so, anyway! Belle's battle with her cancer and how her family dealt with it was beautifully done. Her scrapbook was absolutely brilliant. Beautiful and brilliant. You'll have to read the book to see what I'm talking about, but I'm sure you'll agree when you do.
This isn't Jamie and Daniel's love story, although their romance is definitely there. It isn't even Jamie's story alone in some ways, even though it is told solely from his POV. It's Belle's story. And Owen's. And Alec's. It's about the things that tear families apart and the things that bring them back together. It's about battles fought, some lost and some won. It's about forgiveness and redemption and love. Above all else, this book is about love; in all its forms.
"He wondered as he wiped his eyes if a brand-new star - bigger and brighter than all the others - had just appeared among them."
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