What do you think?
Rate this book
The River Leith
Memory is everything.
After an injury in the ring, amateur boxer Leith Wenz wakes to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it’s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach’s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can’t explain.
For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach's choices may come back to haunt him.
Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.
After an injury in the ring, amateur boxer Leith Wenz wakes to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it’s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach’s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can’t explain.
For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach's choices may come back to haunt him.
Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.
ebook
First published May 15, 2014
163 people are currently reading
1260 people want to read
About the author
Leta Blake
65 books1,775 followersAuthor of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and fan favorites Training Season, Will & Patrick Wake Up Married, and Slow Heat, Leta Blake has been captivating M/M Romance readers for over a decade. Whether writing contemporary romance or fantasy, she puts her psychology background to use creating complex characters and love stories that feel real. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her writing and her family life.
If you'd like to be among the first to know about new releases, you can sign up for Leta's newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bdn32H
If you'd like to be among the first to know about new releases, you can sign up for Leta's newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bdn32H
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 412 reviews
September 4, 2017
I have so many reviews to write, but I need to get my thoughts out about this one first.
I hated this book. There, I said it, and I am not taking it back.
I hated this book. There, I said it, and I am not taking it back.
December 29, 2019
This book was probably my favorite of the amnesiac tropes, though the premise was awfully simplified and pretty unrealistic, which the author freely admits. Very emotional, subtlety hot, and moderately angsty, it was a well-balanced, excellent read.
I half put it in the sexuality discovery story category, and half want to put it on my butt-virgins shelf, because even though Leith was in a gay relationship for a year, he has no memory of that time. When he awakens from his coma, he fully believes that he is straight and that the date is three years prior. I LOVED watching him realize (or re-realize) his same sex attraction, and see him getting all of those "firsts" again. It was perfect for a lover of first times (What? I'm pervy like that!).
I also really liked that Zach wasn't perfect. I know some readers will not read this book because Zach does some things that are morally ambiguous, but I didn't fault him. What would it feel like to have your best friend and lover ripped away from you? I wouldn't know, but it broke my heart to see Zach put through that experience.
I loved the anger, the rawness of the story, and the passion. It was a great read from that respect.
My only issue, causing me to dock a star, is that I found the whole, "I'm keeping the truth from you because I know best for you," plot element to be extremely frustrating. I was pissed at the doctors and all of Leith's friends for the unnecessary pain that they put him through.
All in all, this was a very well done story for those that love second chances and don't mind being put through a gamut of emotions.
**Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**
I half put it in the sexuality discovery story category, and half want to put it on my butt-virgins shelf, because even though Leith was in a gay relationship for a year, he has no memory of that time. When he awakens from his coma, he fully believes that he is straight and that the date is three years prior. I LOVED watching him realize (or re-realize) his same sex attraction, and see him getting all of those "firsts" again. It was perfect for a lover of first times (What? I'm pervy like that!).
I also really liked that Zach wasn't perfect. I know some readers will not read this book because Zach does some things that are morally ambiguous, but I didn't fault him. What would it feel like to have your best friend and lover ripped away from you? I wouldn't know, but it broke my heart to see Zach put through that experience.
I loved the anger, the rawness of the story, and the passion. It was a great read from that respect.
My only issue, causing me to dock a star, is that I found the whole, "I'm keeping the truth from you because I know best for you," plot element to be extremely frustrating. I was pissed at the doctors and all of Leith's friends for the unnecessary pain that they put him through.
All in all, this was a very well done story for those that love second chances and don't mind being put through a gamut of emotions.
**Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**
December 14, 2016
4.5 HEARTS--An amnesiac amateur boxer who loses the last three years of his memories? And we're talking forgetting major memories like having a lover or that he was gay.
Seriously?
And guess what? So was this story!
Now do I think everyone will love it? No, I do not. It touches some tough topics, some that are deal breakers for sensitive readers. But I think this story has heart and should be tried.
Also, if you're coming into this thinking you're getting another Training Season, don't. This book is nothing like it. Do expect a tale of two damaged men trying to muddle through real life and mistakes when an unexpected nightmare becomes a reality.
This story was angst filled but not so much you will need to curl up in a ball and weep. It was more of wearing perplexed faces while lightly moaning about the feelz...or maybe that was just me. Leith and Zach...they stomped on my heart a little but it's still beating.
Leith, the NYC amateur boxer that has his whole life ahead of him, a loving boyfriend, a loving older brother and great friends. Leith didn't have a cookie cutter life, in fact, his childhood was rough with an alcoholic father and depressive mother. Add in he's an ex-con and bisexual...it makes for an interesting life resume. But his Southern boyfriend, Zach makes it all better. Then an illegal move during a boxing match changed his life and the lives of those who love him forever.
Both main characters face a difficult road after the accident, Leith is an amnesiac and has a quick temper. Zach has to be regulated to best friend status because those three years Leith is missing also includes coming out of the closet and having a boyfriend. The struggle of Zach trying to protect Leith makes my throat close just typing about it. (Picture coming out of the closet twice.) Man, the author can dose you with the angst. And it was oh so good.
The setting? I have to gush about the setting because it read super authentic. New York City done right!!! And the book showcased boroughs other than Manhattan!! I'm sure there are other readers who get excited when a setting is their hometown and actually read like the author has been there. Thank you!
Who saved this story? Leith. The story is told from his POV. Being in his head, experiencing relearning himself and his reactions-oh...that was the frosting on my angst cake. Loved him to pieces. I ached when he ached. I believed his reactions and enjoyed being inside his head. I think he was more fleshed out than Zach. Not saying Zach is a villain but sometimes he came off selfish then Leith would come back, do something that changed my perspective and I got over any anger towards Zach (mostly).
And if we never got to read Zach's thoughts through his vlogging, I'd have rated this book lower. The vlog adds more depth to Zach and lets the reader experience his pain before, during and after Leith's incident. It helped me understand the kind of person he was and why he reacted the way he did. I also loved the two texting each other in the first half. Man, that was romantic as hell. I read these two fall back in love all over again. I think the texts were my favorite part. I believed their bond, even with Leith not knowing who Zach was...their bond is undeniable.
Overall, this was a kind of deep, second chance romance with characters that read like real people, faced real couple problems and left me kind of happy. It's bittersweet and a few parts weren't easy to read. But I rather read about main characters that work for a happy ending than about a perfect couple where life drops sugar turds of perfectness.
Why do I recommend? This is not medical term heavy--don't worry about the story being bogged down with terms and diagnoses. This story focused more on the damage, how a couple weathered the storm, how they test their bonds and how they persevere -not overcome with a fairy tale ending. Is this a HEA? I'd like to think so. I think these two will be in it for the long run. I know I will have these two in my head for a while which makes for the better types of main characters in my book.
I drank from the river Leith and I'm feeling a little banged up but overall...great.
P.S. Sometimes music plays in my head while reading (I should get it checked out, I know.) But two songs came to mind so much, so I'll share:
Lauryn Hill - "When It Hurts So Bad"
Justin Timberlake - "Amnesia" (go figure, right? The song is dope, though.)
ARC provided for an honest review
Seriously?
And guess what? So was this story!
Now do I think everyone will love it? No, I do not. It touches some tough topics, some that are deal breakers for sensitive readers. But I think this story has heart and should be tried.
Also, if you're coming into this thinking you're getting another Training Season, don't. This book is nothing like it. Do expect a tale of two damaged men trying to muddle through real life and mistakes when an unexpected nightmare becomes a reality.
This story was angst filled but not so much you will need to curl up in a ball and weep. It was more of wearing perplexed faces while lightly moaning about the feelz...or maybe that was just me. Leith and Zach...they stomped on my heart a little but it's still beating.
Leith, the NYC amateur boxer that has his whole life ahead of him, a loving boyfriend, a loving older brother and great friends. Leith didn't have a cookie cutter life, in fact, his childhood was rough with an alcoholic father and depressive mother. Add in he's an ex-con and bisexual...it makes for an interesting life resume. But his Southern boyfriend, Zach makes it all better. Then an illegal move during a boxing match changed his life and the lives of those who love him forever.
Both main characters face a difficult road after the accident, Leith is an amnesiac and has a quick temper. Zach has to be regulated to best friend status because those three years Leith is missing also includes coming out of the closet and having a boyfriend. The struggle of Zach trying to protect Leith makes my throat close just typing about it. (Picture coming out of the closet twice.) Man, the author can dose you with the angst. And it was oh so good.
The setting? I have to gush about the setting because it read super authentic. New York City done right!!! And the book showcased boroughs other than Manhattan!! I'm sure there are other readers who get excited when a setting is their hometown and actually read like the author has been there. Thank you!
Who saved this story? Leith. The story is told from his POV. Being in his head, experiencing relearning himself and his reactions-oh...that was the frosting on my angst cake. Loved him to pieces. I ached when he ached. I believed his reactions and enjoyed being inside his head. I think he was more fleshed out than Zach. Not saying Zach is a villain but sometimes he came off selfish then Leith would come back, do something that changed my perspective and I got over any anger towards Zach (mostly).
And if we never got to read Zach's thoughts through his vlogging, I'd have rated this book lower. The vlog adds more depth to Zach and lets the reader experience his pain before, during and after Leith's incident. It helped me understand the kind of person he was and why he reacted the way he did. I also loved the two texting each other in the first half. Man, that was romantic as hell. I read these two fall back in love all over again. I think the texts were my favorite part. I believed their bond, even with Leith not knowing who Zach was...their bond is undeniable.
Overall, this was a kind of deep, second chance romance with characters that read like real people, faced real couple problems and left me kind of happy. It's bittersweet and a few parts weren't easy to read. But I rather read about main characters that work for a happy ending than about a perfect couple where life drops sugar turds of perfectness.
Why do I recommend? This is not medical term heavy--don't worry about the story being bogged down with terms and diagnoses. This story focused more on the damage, how a couple weathered the storm, how they test their bonds and how they persevere -not overcome with a fairy tale ending. Is this a HEA? I'd like to think so. I think these two will be in it for the long run. I know I will have these two in my head for a while which makes for the better types of main characters in my book.
I drank from the river Leith and I'm feeling a little banged up but overall...great.
P.S. Sometimes music plays in my head while reading (I should get it checked out, I know.) But two songs came to mind so much, so I'll share:
Lauryn Hill - "When It Hurts So Bad"
Justin Timberlake - "Amnesia" (go figure, right? The song is dope, though.)
ARC provided for an honest review
May 19, 2020
Easy read, hot and oh so good tension. *sigh*🥰
The River Leith was not too heavy in angst but enough to get me totally invested, which is what I need right now. If the story doesn't grab me by the feels, my mind wanders.
The River Leith was not too heavy in angst but enough to get me totally invested, which is what I need right now. If the story doesn't grab me by the feels, my mind wanders.
September 30, 2014
Written May 18, 2014
4 1/2 Stars - a sentimental so incredibly romantic tear-dripping second chance book - hooray what a delight to read
The novel The River Leith is new fresh contemporary M/M romance I just finished my ARC read of.
Oh yay, how very happy I was when the writer Leta Blake was so kind and sent me an copy (I nicely asked for) of her new book a week ago. (I bounced around out of luck.) You all know how much I loved her last novel Training Season (5 huge stars from me) . ~ What could now this be? Something equally touching and wonderful to read?
..And, is wasn't at all like LB's last book but yet so heavenly good to read with an interesting topic ones again. I the romance loving, as always so easily affected, fragile sob-girl... - I just L.I.K.E.D it so very much.
As true as it is now being said; This sentimental story will this lady remember and rave about long forward. Very heartbreaking, sad and more than a little melancholy about life's harsh realities.
***********************************************************
The River Leith is about a young former boxer and the effects on him and his loved ones life after an serious boxing injury which leads to permanent damage with memory loss.
Leith (23) wakes up in a hospital bed to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. His older brother is there for him but Leith can't even remember that their father passad away a couple of years ago. He is so very scared and kind of angry. His life is a mess and he don't even know how he actually is anymore. ~ Several important years of his adult life has been stolen.
Quite soon is a "stranger", Zach, introduced as Leith's best friend. For Leith, he is a complete stranger, but a sad and very pleasant guy. But who is really Zach?
Leiths brother and their friends all hides the truth from Leith. They all want to protect both Leith and Zack from pain and upestting feelings. Leith doesn't even know he has been gay this last years and they all fear he is going to be awfully upset (he identifies himself as straight) and even more confused and shaken when he finds out who Zach actually is. ~ But maybe isn't that the right thing to do? (My opinion: No, no, no. Don't withhold truths.)
***********************************************************
Zach, the forgotten lover (poor soul... - I cried most tears for his sake), on the other hand is struggling with a lot of emotions and 'dark' sad feelings. In the end he finds some release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. ~ Though is it really there (???), for strangers on the net, he should confess his feelings?
As so often I asked myself the universal question: Why do not men talk with us ...or with each other. Why don't they say what they feel within themselves. What they want, think, dislikes etc etc? Life would be so much easier if they opened up a bit more. So also here for Leith and Zack.
***********************************************************
The River Leith began with bang on, and took off right from the first page and my interest awoke instantly. As you probably already understand; this is a romantic tearjerker. ~ Just to imagine that your beloved companion no longer remember you is terrible. First, you have feared that an awful boxing incident would lead to his death and now he's alive but you are kind of 'dead' (.. or at least an unknown stranger) for him.
I enjoyed, agonized much (.. stupid boys do such stupid things) and became both angry and annoyed with the characters. But I was hoping the whole time. I still shudder - it is so very enchanting tenderly told.
Slightly unique in fact.... The River Leith is different from many other steamy M/M stories (I read in any case). The River Leith is more than a just another romance. It is a novel about bad luck, sorrow, a new life - with much romance (and SMEX so don't fear you will not miss anything).
***********************************************************
Like most books will this story also be at it's very best to be read with new innocent eyes. The twists and surprises here will be so much better then.
***********************************************************
Satisfied and very pleased with this book I now look forward to more romances written by Ms. Blake's clever pen. ~ Recommended sincerely to all of you who need to cry (both flowing fast and slow dripping ..) more than a dash and you who really like books about second chances and new hope.
I LIKE - gosh yes, lots!
~~~~~~~~
*) From Wikipedia about the Lethe River:
**ARC kindly provided by the author May 10, in exchange for an honest review.
~~~~~~~~
Big thanks to Leta Blake! I'm so grateful that you gave me the great trust to read and ARC review your new book.
4 1/2 Stars - a sentimental so incredibly romantic tear-dripping second chance book - hooray what a delight to read
The novel The River Leith is new fresh contemporary M/M romance I just finished my ARC read of.
Oh yay, how very happy I was when the writer Leta Blake was so kind and sent me an copy (I nicely asked for) of her new book a week ago. (I bounced around out of luck.) You all know how much I loved her last novel Training Season (5 huge stars from me) . ~ What could now this be? Something equally touching and wonderful to read?
..And, is wasn't at all like LB's last book but yet so heavenly good to read with an interesting topic ones again. I the romance loving, as always so easily affected, fragile sob-girl... - I just L.I.K.E.D it so very much.
As true as it is now being said; This sentimental story will this lady remember and rave about long forward. Very heartbreaking, sad and more than a little melancholy about life's harsh realities.
***********************************************************
The River Leith is about a young former boxer and the effects on him and his loved ones life after an serious boxing injury which leads to permanent damage with memory loss.
‘If he was Lethe*, a river of forgetting, and Zack was about remembering, what did that mean?’
Leith (23) wakes up in a hospital bed to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. His older brother is there for him but Leith can't even remember that their father passad away a couple of years ago. He is so very scared and kind of angry. His life is a mess and he don't even know how he actually is anymore. ~ Several important years of his adult life has been stolen.
Quite soon is a "stranger", Zach, introduced as Leith's best friend. For Leith, he is a complete stranger, but a sad and very pleasant guy. But who is really Zach?
Leiths brother and their friends all hides the truth from Leith. They all want to protect both Leith and Zack from pain and upestting feelings. Leith doesn't even know he has been gay this last years and they all fear he is going to be awfully upset (he identifies himself as straight) and even more confused and shaken when he finds out who Zach actually is. ~ But maybe isn't that the right thing to do? (My opinion: No, no, no. Don't withhold truths.)
***********************************************************
“(...) Things like...how soft his hair felt when I mussed it, and the way he smelled, and the rumble of his voice in his chest when I lay with my head on it at night...”
Zach, the forgotten lover (poor soul... - I cried most tears for his sake), on the other hand is struggling with a lot of emotions and 'dark' sad feelings. In the end he finds some release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. ~ Though is it really there (???), for strangers on the net, he should confess his feelings?
As so often I asked myself the universal question: Why do not men talk with us ...or with each other. Why don't they say what they feel within themselves. What they want, think, dislikes etc etc? Life would be so much easier if they opened up a bit more. So also here for Leith and Zack.
***********************************************************
The River Leith began with bang on, and took off right from the first page and my interest awoke instantly. As you probably already understand; this is a romantic tearjerker. ~ Just to imagine that your beloved companion no longer remember you is terrible. First, you have feared that an awful boxing incident would lead to his death and now he's alive but you are kind of 'dead' (.. or at least an unknown stranger) for him.
I enjoyed, agonized much (.. stupid boys do such stupid things) and became both angry and annoyed with the characters. But I was hoping the whole time. I still shudder - it is so very enchanting tenderly told.
‘He's different, it's true, but I'm so in love with him that I'm surprised I haven't floated away on a cloud.’
Slightly unique in fact.... The River Leith is different from many other steamy M/M stories (I read in any case). The River Leith is more than a just another romance. It is a novel about bad luck, sorrow, a new life - with much romance (and SMEX so don't fear you will not miss anything).
***********************************************************
Like most books will this story also be at it's very best to be read with new innocent eyes. The twists and surprises here will be so much better then.
***********************************************************
Satisfied and very pleased with this book I now look forward to more romances written by Ms. Blake's clever pen. ~ Recommended sincerely to all of you who need to cry (both flowing fast and slow dripping ..) more than a dash and you who really like books about second chances and new hope.
I LIKE - gosh yes, lots!
~~~~~~~~
*) From Wikipedia about the Lethe River:
**ARC kindly provided by the author May 10, in exchange for an honest review.
~~~~~~~~
Big thanks to Leta Blake! I'm so grateful that you gave me the great trust to read and ARC review your new book.
April 24, 2015
Leta Blake's follow up to her M/M romance fan favorite Training Season is the heartbreaker The River Leith. But the love in this book shines just as strongly as it did in Training Season.
MC Leith Wenz wakes up in the hospital after being in a coma for two weeks and realizes he has lost the last three years of his memories. He learns he suffered his coma-inducing injury from a blow to the head in a legal, amateur boxing match. The last thing he remembers about his life is being in prison after being caught in an illegal underground fighting ring. Now he lives half way across the country with his brother and all new friends, who are now strangers.
Leith's doctors feel he needs to recover his memories at his own speed, so his friends tell him only bits and pieces of their relationship with him. This is especially hard and extremely painful for Leith's boyfriend, MC Zach Stephens. Leith's memory of being gay is gone too, as he only realized it and accepted it when he met Zach. Zach now lives every day with Leith seeing him as a new friend only, not the love of his life and with no passion or sexual attraction.
People, this book is SO DAMN GOOD! The feels... It is all about this feels! I don't want to give anything away, so no more plot points, just prepare yourself for a roller coaster ride, bring some hankies, and watch out for the wild mood swings along with these boys, but it's all good and we do get a lovely HEA in the end.
I can highly recommend this book to all M/M romance readers who can handle some tears. It is a sweet tale of two men put into a horrible situation, but who manage to find each other anyway.
January 13, 2016
***4 Stars***
...memory is the sum of us, the total, and if it is divided, then we are lost.
I don't even know where to begin with this book. So much emotion, so much anger....flawed characters, frustrating circumstances, unfairness, confusion, sadness, hope, betrayal, love....you name it, it was here and I felt it.
The book opens with Leith's frustrations. It's been two weeks since he awoke from his coma. Two weeks since his boxing career basically ended with an illegal blow to the back of the head. Two weeks since he almost lost his life. Two weeks since he reveled in the fact that he was alive, but sat in confused despair at the fact that he'd lost the last 3 years of his life. Amnesia. That's what the doctors say....with most likely no hope of ever regaining the memories of those years.
He must learn secondhand from those closest to him, his brother and roommates, what happened in those three years. He has to grieve his father's death...again. He learns the real circumstances of his mother's passing...again. He must readjust to life outside of prison...again. He confronts the feelings of his breakup with his girlfriend...again. And the list goes on.
But then his brother brings in his "best friend" Zach, and all kinds of feelings start bubbling up. No one seems to know him as well as Zach and he feels a peace and comfort when he's with him. Something he hasn't felt since he woke up. But why does Zach look so apprehensive? Why is he so sad? And tired? Why does Zach's presence light up Leith's entire world, while Zach looks at Leith with so much pain and sadness that he looks like he'd almost rather be anywhere but with Leith? Leith has no memory of Zach. He thinks he's still straight. He has no memory of meeting Zach, building a friendship, falling in love, sharing a life, planning a future together....nothing.
Ooooh man, how do I even go about reviewing this book. There's so much that I loved and so much that made me want to bang my head against a wall.
Let's start with one of the things that I absolutely loved....the way the author chose to tell this story. The book is told entirely from Leith's POV....BUT....Zach is a vlogger (a video blogger), and his vlogs are added in between chapters showing the reader what Zach is going through, what his thoughts are, how he's feeling and what he's suffering through during Leith's recovery. Without these vlogs....Zach would be an absolute selfish asshole in my eyes.
You see, Zach does something here that is an absolute no-go for me. If I would have known it was included in the book, I most definitely wouldn't have picked it up. I'll put it under a spoiler. And here's some additional information about that, but nothing that will give too much away.
I was completely devastated by this turn of events. There was already so much going on, but to add this as well....it broke my heart. It made me hate Zach and it make me ache for Leith even more.
But somehow, with each passing vlog, I slowly began to understand Zach. Was he a flawed character? Hell yes! Was I pissed as hell at him? Fuck yeah! Would I forgive him? After processing everything....yes. You see, Zach fell into an old bad habit. He was scared and hurt and devastated and mad at the world for the unfairness of it all. His boyfriend lived....but he wasn't the same. Zach loves Leith with every fiber of his being...but the Leith that he has now isn't his Leith and he doesn't know how to deal with that.
I'm happy, and I love him, and I miss him every second of every day. Crazy isn't it?
Zach is bitter and angry and sad and confused and happy and grateful. He gets to look into the living and breathing face of the man he loves....a face he woke up to every morning for a year, a face that now holds the eyes of a stranger. A stranger who is so much like the man he loves, yet so completely different.
Some days I feel like he died after all.
Leith's mind may not remember Zach, but his heart and body does. He yearns for Zach and desperately wants to spend as much time with him as he can. Through tentative and heartbreaking text messages, the two men begin to reconnect. But at the end of the day, Zach is still a stranger to him. A stranger that he's falling in love with....a stranger that he feels he's loved all along. Leith is filled with anger and jealousy at his old self. A man who had all of his memories. The old Leith knew inside jokes, favorite quotes and foods, touching secrets and unforgettable nights.....only they have been forgotten. All of it.
He wanted to know how the old Leith had met Zach...He knew that for Zach, it was the beginning of the story that ended with losing his lover - the one who'd died when Leith lost his memories.
This was a thought-provoking book for me. How would I handle being in either Leith or Zach's shoes? What would I do? How would I feel? It really makes you think about how your experiences shape your life, shape the very essence of who you are as a person. Does the mind control the heart or the other way around? Are they independent of each other? Can they be? Would we ever want them to be? And in the end, which one do you trust most?
I may not agree with everyone's actions in this book (especially with how much they kept away from Leith in the beginning) and may have gotten frustrated one too many times at the lack of communication going on (sometimes it's better to know than to hide too much trying to spare someone's feelings), but I'll freely admit that even with all of that, I enjoyed the wave of emotions I rode throughout this entire story....flawed characters and all.
This book pushed my buttons, but at the end of the day I understood both Leith and Zach's actions. I may not have always agreed, but I understood why. And with flaws and all, they ended up right where they were supposed to be.
Sometimes it took divine courage to let go and end up in an ocean of the unknown.
This ended up being a beautiful second chance love story. A story about learning to trust your heart. A story about learning to be honest with not only those you love, but with yourself. A story of love lost and found.
August 20, 2016
Another good Leta Blake read. I'm not sure this one was my favorite, but it was definitely good.
This is actually my second amnesia read, having read Garrett Leigh's first. This one was done well. I liked how it all played out, for the most part. Didnt care for the
I liked that we got Zach's POV through his vlog. And I've always said I think having your spouse/significant other/etc not remember who you are would be the absolute worst. Completely devastating and crushing.
I liked that this one was shorter, but it also meant things were a bit rushed and not as developed as I might prefer. Still, a really good, recommended read.
This is actually my second amnesia read, having read Garrett Leigh's first. This one was done well. I liked how it all played out, for the most part. Didnt care for the
I liked that we got Zach's POV through his vlog. And I've always said I think having your spouse/significant other/etc not remember who you are would be the absolute worst. Completely devastating and crushing.
I liked that this one was shorter, but it also meant things were a bit rushed and not as developed as I might prefer. Still, a really good, recommended read.
September 2, 2015
5 Enduring Heart-wrenching Stars
I cannot even begin to express just how much I loved this book. It completely delivered for me with it's gut wrenching emotional portrayal of Leith and Zach's story.
Leith was a successful boxer until that day when an illegal punch to the back of his skull changed everything. He has zero memory of the past three years. It's as if time stopped and started again.
This book was such an emotional ride for me. The development, the mistakes
and the finale... The book is in Leith's POV but Zach's vlogging gives us insight to his emotional pain he endures when the love of his life no longer knows who he is.
And Zach and Leith together...mmm
Absolutely loved!
Overall HIGHLY recommended.
How hard would it be to stay with someone that completely forgot about you and might very well not remember a thing about you? What would you do? How would you think?
I cannot even begin to express just how much I loved this book. It completely delivered for me with it's gut wrenching emotional portrayal of Leith and Zach's story.
Leith was a successful boxer until that day when an illegal punch to the back of his skull changed everything. He has zero memory of the past three years. It's as if time stopped and started again.
“Time was like a river, and memory was a current. Time flowed on without ceasing, no matter what or who tried to get into its way. But memory was changeable, and even losable. Like a current it could carry a person far away from their starting point, leaving them somewhere they might never have intended to be.”
This book was such an emotional ride for me. The development, the mistakes
and the finale... The book is in Leith's POV but Zach's vlogging gives us insight to his emotional pain he endures when the love of his life no longer knows who he is.
And Zach and Leith together...mmm
Absolutely loved!
Overall HIGHLY recommended.
May 16, 2014
Wow..just...wow.
I cannot even begin to express just how much I loved "The River Leith". I tore through the book in a few hours because it captured me from the first page and did not let me go. This book completely deserves my ever elusive 5 star rating and its home on my "M/M favorites" shelf with it's gut wrenchingly emotional portrayal of Leith and Zach's story.
Because of the unusual way that the tale was told (through vlogging, a bit of texting, and just plain ol' good writing) I felt like I was immersed in Leith's life as he tries to overcome amnesia brought on by an illegal hit in a boxing match. I also came to know Zach's side of the narrative by the ingenious usage of vlogging as a story telling device. I felt like I was there with them and it was moving and passionate and all kinds of good.
Warning: Some people will hate that but I found it to be completely believable, even if it wasn't necessarily something I would do.
Here's the thing though, how hard would it be to stay with someone that completely forgot about you and might very well not remember a thing about you? What would you do? How would you think? I like that Leta Blake touched on some of the harder hitting emotional aspects of this type of story, especially with , even if she glossed over some of the medical aspects (which she readily admitted to at the end in an author's note). I also love how her characters feel like men, not just women in men's bodies. I applaud her for going a different route than the tried and true romance formula and, lastly, I'd like to let her know that, after Training Season and this one, she now has a reader for life (or for as long as I continue to love her story telling).
P.s. I didn't really cry while reading this (I'm pretty cold hearted), I just felt as if I should, hence the gif.
I cannot even begin to express just how much I loved "The River Leith". I tore through the book in a few hours because it captured me from the first page and did not let me go. This book completely deserves my ever elusive 5 star rating and its home on my "M/M favorites" shelf with it's gut wrenchingly emotional portrayal of Leith and Zach's story.
Because of the unusual way that the tale was told (through vlogging, a bit of texting, and just plain ol' good writing) I felt like I was immersed in Leith's life as he tries to overcome amnesia brought on by an illegal hit in a boxing match. I also came to know Zach's side of the narrative by the ingenious usage of vlogging as a story telling device. I felt like I was there with them and it was moving and passionate and all kinds of good.
Warning: Some people will hate that but I found it to be completely believable, even if it wasn't necessarily something I would do.
Here's the thing though, how hard would it be to stay with someone that completely forgot about you and might very well not remember a thing about you? What would you do? How would you think? I like that Leta Blake touched on some of the harder hitting emotional aspects of this type of story, especially with , even if she glossed over some of the medical aspects (which she readily admitted to at the end in an author's note). I also love how her characters feel like men, not just women in men's bodies. I applaud her for going a different route than the tried and true romance formula and, lastly, I'd like to let her know that, after Training Season and this one, she now has a reader for life (or for as long as I continue to love her story telling).
P.s. I didn't really cry while reading this (I'm pretty cold hearted), I just felt as if I should, hence the gif.
May 12, 2021
Leta Blake and a story about memory loss, what can go wrong? Apparently a lot. 😑😑
You know a book is not to your liking when you start comparing and that's what happened with this one. We have a boxer who got an illegal hit to the head, that caused him to loose his memories or to be exact 3 years of his life, in wich he discovered he was bisexual and had a relationship with a man named Zach, he doesn't know it of course so it was really interesting until here. Then Zach enters the picture and I didn't like him, he was selfish and put his feelings first, wich I understand is a difficult situation to be in, but Leith does not remember a thing and thoughts like, spoiler ahead btw:
"I feel betrayed. Can you believe that? He’s injured—he could have died—and he lost his memory, and I feel betrayed? But that’s how I feel. Like if he loved me enough there would have been nothing—nothing in the whole damn world that could erase me from his mind" Are really ugh!!
And I UNDERSTAND this are all valid feelings, but what I don't like it's that he acted purely on them, he wasn't realistic and even though Leith needed him he just simply wasn't there for him. And then he... SPOILER fucking cheated on him. So nop! No no no, I come from Pieces of You where Dallas was hurt as hell but he was an adult about it and was a slave for his guy even though his guy couldn't remember him. I also come from Remember Me When, where Ollie did everything he could to be there for Reid.
So nop, no can do. 😄😁😌😔😑
You know a book is not to your liking when you start comparing and that's what happened with this one. We have a boxer who got an illegal hit to the head, that caused him to loose his memories or to be exact 3 years of his life, in wich he discovered he was bisexual and had a relationship with a man named Zach, he doesn't know it of course so it was really interesting until here. Then Zach enters the picture and I didn't like him, he was selfish and put his feelings first, wich I understand is a difficult situation to be in, but Leith does not remember a thing and thoughts like, spoiler ahead btw:
"I feel betrayed. Can you believe that? He’s injured—he could have died—and he lost his memory, and I feel betrayed? But that’s how I feel. Like if he loved me enough there would have been nothing—nothing in the whole damn world that could erase me from his mind" Are really ugh!!
And I UNDERSTAND this are all valid feelings, but what I don't like it's that he acted purely on them, he wasn't realistic and even though Leith needed him he just simply wasn't there for him. And then he... SPOILER fucking cheated on him. So nop! No no no, I come from Pieces of You where Dallas was hurt as hell but he was an adult about it and was a slave for his guy even though his guy couldn't remember him. I also come from Remember Me When, where Ollie did everything he could to be there for Reid.
So nop, no can do. 😄😁😌😔😑
May 20, 2014
Understood that a major trauma in someone’s life will also affect their loved ones. In this case it was brain injury sustained during a boxing match which caused partial amnesia.
That said-Zach’s narcissistic choice to video blog his life and Zach’s role of the poor pitiful victim which justified Zach to commit adultery because he we was having trouble coping with the amnesia did not make for entertaining reading.
BTW- for those not familiar with the story, Zach was not the victim of the brain injury. He was the pathetic boyfriend.
On a personal note-I did appreciate the way the author described the horror and wreckage adultery causes (one extra star for that).
Sorry Tam.!!!!
That said-Zach’s narcissistic choice to video blog his life and Zach’s role of the poor pitiful victim which justified Zach to commit adultery because he we was having trouble coping with the amnesia did not make for entertaining reading.
BTW- for those not familiar with the story, Zach was not the victim of the brain injury. He was the pathetic boyfriend.
On a personal note-I did appreciate the way the author described the horror and wreckage adultery causes (one extra star for that).
Sorry Tam.!!!!
June 4, 2014
Likey and no likey.
What do we remember and how? My favorite part of this story was how Leith solved the mystery of his own life. Thing that pissed me off about the story--that Leith had to solve the mystery of his own life. WTF?! There were some choices made that set up the trajectory of this story and frankly, I was a little gobsmacked by them.
Guy loses set period of time and rather than explaining what he's missing they decide to let him stumble around alone trying to sort it all out. Thanks for nothing. Fuck with friends like that who needs enemies. Weak and vulnerable, yes, please hobble me further so I can cause potential emotional damage to myself and loved ones. *Shakes head*
I feel just as manipulated as Leith and wholly understood the associated rage.
What do we remember and how? My favorite part of this story was how Leith solved the mystery of his own life. Thing that pissed me off about the story--that Leith had to solve the mystery of his own life. WTF?! There were some choices made that set up the trajectory of this story and frankly, I was a little gobsmacked by them.
Guy loses set period of time and rather than explaining what he's missing they decide to let him stumble around alone trying to sort it all out. Thanks for nothing. Fuck with friends like that who needs enemies. Weak and vulnerable, yes, please hobble me further so I can cause potential emotional damage to myself and loved ones. *Shakes head*
I feel just as manipulated as Leith and wholly understood the associated rage.
January 30, 2019
Talk about a perfect blend of angst and romance.
-Memory loss
-Hurt/comfort/healing
-Dual POVs
-Bisexual discovery
-Emotional
-Angsty
-Passionate'
-Heartbreaking
-Achingly beautiful
-Romantic af
I loved this book from beginning to end.
If you haven't read The River Leith:
Buy it.
Read it.
5 Stars
July 17, 2016
Loved it! So I was watching Bourne Identity and suddenly needed to read a book with a main character that has amnesia, this book satisfied that craving to perfection.
Leith and Zack have been together for about one year when Leith looses his last 3 years of memory after a boxing accident. Leith doesn't even know he's bisexual when he wakes up from his coma.
What I loved was how well both Leith's and Zack's confusion, anger and grief was portrayed.
The book is purely from Leith's POV except for Zack's video blogs, but I feel like I felt both mens pain and love equally. It was beautiful!
What was better than all the feelings was that this book was not desperately heavy, at no point did I want to break down and cry. Both men did what they had to do to make they're new relationship work and, for the most part, acted with both their hearts and brains.
Obviously there are alot of tender moments here, but also so very hot sex (which should also be obvious, because... Leta Blake).
Completely recommend this to anyone who enjoys the amnesic trope, or just a heart felt love story.
Leith and Zack have been together for about one year when Leith looses his last 3 years of memory after a boxing accident. Leith doesn't even know he's bisexual when he wakes up from his coma.
What I loved was how well both Leith's and Zack's confusion, anger and grief was portrayed.
The book is purely from Leith's POV except for Zack's video blogs, but I feel like I felt both mens pain and love equally. It was beautiful!
What was better than all the feelings was that this book was not desperately heavy, at no point did I want to break down and cry. Both men did what they had to do to make they're new relationship work and, for the most part, acted with both their hearts and brains.
Obviously there are alot of tender moments here, but also so very hot sex (which should also be obvious, because... Leta Blake).
Completely recommend this to anyone who enjoys the amnesic trope, or just a heart felt love story.
July 9, 2016
First Read:05/2014
Second Read:07/2016
This was me at the end of the book
I don't know where to start, I might be one of the few who will read this who won't get mad at the betrayal in the story. I understand, I get it, it was wrong, but the circumstance were there. We start off with Leif Wenz who is a amateur boxer who lands himself in a coma after an illegal blow to the brain, he wakes up with the last 3 years of his life gone, wiped out, obliterated however you want to put it gone! He has retrograde amnesia, and his memories, thoughts, feelings everything is gone. He doesn't know the love of his life who is a guy name Zach. Poor Zach, I applaud Leta Blake, because Zach's character to me did everything right, I honestly felt where he was coming from in all his actions. It has to be hard to be around your significant other without them knowing who you are. Time, is the only think that will fix them, and in the beginning, I didn't agree with what Zach wanted to do but I understood. The man he feel in love with is gone, it's basically him being was someone new in a familiar body. I won't give much away from the plot because it's not something I can put in words to describe how I feel.
Second Read:07/2016
This was me at the end of the book
I don't know where to start, I might be one of the few who will read this who won't get mad at the betrayal in the story. I understand, I get it, it was wrong, but the circumstance were there. We start off with Leif Wenz who is a amateur boxer who lands himself in a coma after an illegal blow to the brain, he wakes up with the last 3 years of his life gone, wiped out, obliterated however you want to put it gone! He has retrograde amnesia, and his memories, thoughts, feelings everything is gone. He doesn't know the love of his life who is a guy name Zach. Poor Zach, I applaud Leta Blake, because Zach's character to me did everything right, I honestly felt where he was coming from in all his actions. It has to be hard to be around your significant other without them knowing who you are. Time, is the only think that will fix them, and in the beginning, I didn't agree with what Zach wanted to do but I understood. The man he feel in love with is gone, it's basically him being was someone new in a familiar body. I won't give much away from the plot because it's not something I can put in words to describe how I feel.
November 9, 2021
1.5 stars ⭐️ DNF @ 49%
Amnesia is one of my fav tropes. But here I'm struggling to finish the story.
Needless to say, this is my least favorite book by Leta Blake.
I really didn't know what I was getting into when I started this book. Because I have a habit of not reading the blurb. But I was too happy to know that this was an amnesia book but the bubbles popped quickly when I came to know that the one of MCs was being a jerk. I certainly know that it was really difficult for Zach and Leith to cope with this situation. But the cheating. NOPE.
Zach frustrates me. I think I don't want him, the doctor, and Leith’s friends to withhold information from Leith. It's not fair. This is the exact time someone wants to be honest with Leith. Otherwise how he can recover the memory of his three years? Leith is certainly struggling. Everyone is looking at him, and wishing when he gains his memory but there isn't anyone who supports him by telling the truth. He has to go through everything by himself.
Amnesia is one of my fav tropes. But here I'm struggling to finish the story.
Needless to say, this is my least favorite book by Leta Blake.
I really didn't know what I was getting into when I started this book. Because I have a habit of not reading the blurb. But I was too happy to know that this was an amnesia book but the bubbles popped quickly when I came to know that the one of MCs was being a jerk. I certainly know that it was really difficult for Zach and Leith to cope with this situation. But the cheating. NOPE.
Zach frustrates me. I think I don't want him, the doctor, and Leith’s friends to withhold information from Leith. It's not fair. This is the exact time someone wants to be honest with Leith. Otherwise how he can recover the memory of his three years? Leith is certainly struggling. Everyone is looking at him, and wishing when he gains his memory but there isn't anyone who supports him by telling the truth. He has to go through everything by himself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2014
I think every romance writer has an amnesia plot bunny somewhere in mind. The results range from excellent to really far-fetched, but this was one of the good ones. Leith Wenz wakes up in hospital, only to discover that he has been in a coma for days following a head injury, and his memory of the last three years is gone. The father he expects to see at his bedside has been dead for some time. And several new people he doesn't recognize at all appear to be close friends, particularly a man named Zach.
If you posit that it's plausible that a therapist might keep vital personal information secret from an amnesia patient, ostensibly to reduce his culture shock, then you have the opening of this book. Leith wakes adrift in a future with no connection to his remembered life. His brother Arthur is there for him, but three years of life are missing. No one will tell him the details. And as he tries to rebuild, with or without hope of regaining that past, he is by turns confused, angry, and very lonely. As befits an ex-boxer, the anger sometimes boils over, in less-than-productive ways.
In Zach's V-log entries we get the other side of the coin, the pain of a man whose beloved is right there at hand, and yet remembers nothing of their time together. He might as well be another attractive and yet remote stranger. Zach vibrates between holding on and running away to start over. Is it better to reforge a new relationship with Leith, that may never encompass what they once had. Or to call their past dead and try to move on? Zach makes some bad choices, but when he can see past his own pain, his heart is in the right place.
As the author says, this book benefits from a little suspension of disbelief. Still it rings psychologically more true than many other amnesia stories. I really liked that neither MC was perfect, and that both made some significant mistakes. The undercurrent of love from the connection they still have is warm and feels real.
If you posit that it's plausible that a therapist might keep vital personal information secret from an amnesia patient, ostensibly to reduce his culture shock, then you have the opening of this book. Leith wakes adrift in a future with no connection to his remembered life. His brother Arthur is there for him, but three years of life are missing. No one will tell him the details. And as he tries to rebuild, with or without hope of regaining that past, he is by turns confused, angry, and very lonely. As befits an ex-boxer, the anger sometimes boils over, in less-than-productive ways.
In Zach's V-log entries we get the other side of the coin, the pain of a man whose beloved is right there at hand, and yet remembers nothing of their time together. He might as well be another attractive and yet remote stranger. Zach vibrates between holding on and running away to start over. Is it better to reforge a new relationship with Leith, that may never encompass what they once had. Or to call their past dead and try to move on? Zach makes some bad choices, but when he can see past his own pain, his heart is in the right place.
As the author says, this book benefits from a little suspension of disbelief. Still it rings psychologically more true than many other amnesia stories. I really liked that neither MC was perfect, and that both made some significant mistakes. The undercurrent of love from the connection they still have is warm and feels real.
July 26, 2017
Shortie Review. Knew this was going on my best of the best shelf after just 15%. Chock full of emotion and feelz, how would I have coped with what Zach had to deal with?? Hopefully, I'll never have to find out. Leta Blake, you're a wonderful writer, and now have your own bookshelf after just three stories. This one was MAGNIFICENT!! 5 stars
February 25, 2017
Loved Leith, but Zach made me a wee bit crazy at times.
Definitely worth a read. : )
Definitely worth a read. : )
April 28, 2022
Quick summary
Leith Wenz, an amateur boxer, takes an illegal punch in the ring. When he finally wakes in the hospital, he's lost the last three years of his life. Unfortunately, a LOT happened during that time...like his discovery that he's bi-sexual, his lover, Zach and his freedom.
What really works
The story is told from Leith's point of view, giving insight as to just how frightening and frustrating it might be to not remember important people and events in your life. What's equally riveting is to also have the perspective of those loving the person who doesn't remember them. Blake uses Zach's vlog to convey his feelings and point of view and it's an effective device that doesn't weigh down the story as a typical narrative might have. What's even more brilliantly portrayed is how Leith's memory of details are missing but the residual emotional effects aren't. First example, though he doesn't remember Zach, Leith is inexplicably drawn to him, which is confusing given he believed himself to be heterosexual three years ago.
Imagine having to experience a sexual reawakening all over again but not really understanding or trusting those feelings. Combine that with the balance needed to not tell an amnesiac too much, allowing him to discover or recover memories on his own as much as possible and the complexity of the situation is compounded.
The bottom line
The strength of Leith's and Zach's emotional bonds are what sustain Leith and help him find his way forward, even though they're sorely tested. This is a pretty amazing story that stretched my imagination and the limits of my knowledge about the impact of brain injuries on relationships. I'm glad I read this book, which is still a vivid memory after two months.
(I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review)
Leith Wenz, an amateur boxer, takes an illegal punch in the ring. When he finally wakes in the hospital, he's lost the last three years of his life. Unfortunately, a LOT happened during that time...like his discovery that he's bi-sexual, his lover, Zach and his freedom.
What really works
The story is told from Leith's point of view, giving insight as to just how frightening and frustrating it might be to not remember important people and events in your life. What's equally riveting is to also have the perspective of those loving the person who doesn't remember them. Blake uses Zach's vlog to convey his feelings and point of view and it's an effective device that doesn't weigh down the story as a typical narrative might have. What's even more brilliantly portrayed is how Leith's memory of details are missing but the residual emotional effects aren't. First example, though he doesn't remember Zach, Leith is inexplicably drawn to him, which is confusing given he believed himself to be heterosexual three years ago.
Imagine having to experience a sexual reawakening all over again but not really understanding or trusting those feelings. Combine that with the balance needed to not tell an amnesiac too much, allowing him to discover or recover memories on his own as much as possible and the complexity of the situation is compounded.
The bottom line
The strength of Leith's and Zach's emotional bonds are what sustain Leith and help him find his way forward, even though they're sorely tested. This is a pretty amazing story that stretched my imagination and the limits of my knowledge about the impact of brain injuries on relationships. I'm glad I read this book, which is still a vivid memory after two months.
(I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review)
Read
August 9, 2016Yes. My Loves {retch}. Please-pass-puke-bag-pronto. Yeah. No. Just going to do my household a favor and stop at the 20% mark..I'm much too cynical for this shit.
(IMO) Completely and ridiculously angst-heavy, headed for a miscommunication-meltdown for trite conflict-ville. Amazingly I surpassed my eye-rolling record w/this. Not my thang. And Zach is written like some virtual attention-seeking douchebag..self-absorbed-vlog-whore character..and wtf purpose he would have for vlogging IDEK. He has about as much appeal as a torn hangnail.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zach is pale. His eyes are red-rimmed, and he a several-days-old beard. (just (1)one of the misedits encountered @20% in)
ZACH
Hello, my loves.
He clears his throat.
I’m sorry for the delay in posting a vlog. I know— I promised to do a new one every week, and now… Now it has been two… two very long weeks. Sometimes each hour has felt like ten years, or an eon, or forever. Just endless. Endless.
His lips tremble, and he blinks rapidly.
Allow me to explain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-.- Really..like who t'fuck cares. Nobody. Allow me to introduce his dumbass to my right fist. ^That's^ just not my level of cray-cray. But it might be yours..and if so..by all means enjoy.
(IMO) Completely and ridiculously angst-heavy, headed for a miscommunication-meltdown for trite conflict-ville. Amazingly I surpassed my eye-rolling record w/this. Not my thang. And Zach is written like some virtual attention-seeking douchebag..self-absorbed-vlog-whore character..and wtf purpose he would have for vlogging IDEK. He has about as much appeal as a torn hangnail.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zach is pale. His eyes are red-rimmed, and he a several-days-old beard. (just (1)one of the misedits encountered @20% in)
ZACH
Hello, my loves.
He clears his throat.
I’m sorry for the delay in posting a vlog. I know— I promised to do a new one every week, and now… Now it has been two… two very long weeks. Sometimes each hour has felt like ten years, or an eon, or forever. Just endless. Endless.
His lips tremble, and he blinks rapidly.
Allow me to explain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-.- Really..like who t'fuck cares. Nobody. Allow me to introduce his dumbass to my right fist. ^That's^ just not my level of cray-cray. But it might be yours..and if so..by all means enjoy.
February 16, 2017
***4.5 Stars***
Compared to the hectic and stressful times we are living in, three years appear to be nothing. If your memory of three years is completely erased, though, it could change your life forever. Suddenly you realize how important such a short period can be. You have forgotten about events that took place in that time. Your own habits. Your surroundings. People you have met and people you have lost. The person you love more than anything else in the world.
You feel like a stranger in your own life.
Leith, an amateur boxer, who got a blow to the head during a fight, awakes from a coma and has to deal with the aftereffects of this fateful day, when he learns that he cannot remember the last three years. His old life is fed to him bit by bit, but some things he has to recover on his own. When Leith is introduced to Zach, his supposedly best friend, he also has to deal with certain feelings he develops for him over time. Feelings he cannot really comprehend. You might imagine his shock when he discovers that said feelings apparently have already been there.
This was my second book by Leta Blake and even though I have to admit that I loved Vespertine a bit more, I enjoyed this story immensely.
The River Leith virtually vibrates with emotions. It's safe to say that they are oozed page by page and I can guarantee you that some tissues will be required when you read it. Umm, well, I hope those who have already read the book won't consider me a wimp, so let us rather agree that I needed them. ;-)
You practically feel the anger and the frustration radiating from Leith sometimes, when he is not able to regain his memory or when there are situations too heavy for him to deal with.
You feel the pain and the despair of Zach, having the love of his life in front of him and still somehow gone.
You feel the small glimmer of hope blossoming in Zach everytime there seems to be an improvement in Leith's health.
And you feel the love both men have to rediscover, tentatively at first...
... but soon getting stronger and stronger again.
I loved the sometimes mythical and philosophical undertone of the story and how it played out in the end. I don't have a medical degree of any kind, so I cannot evaluate how authentic the amnesia topic is handled by the author, but what is important to me is that it felt this way. That's all I need to feel this story.
Highly recommended!
This review has been posted on Dirty Books Obsession
Sometimes it took divine courage to let go and end up in an ocean of the unknown.
Compared to the hectic and stressful times we are living in, three years appear to be nothing. If your memory of three years is completely erased, though, it could change your life forever. Suddenly you realize how important such a short period can be. You have forgotten about events that took place in that time. Your own habits. Your surroundings. People you have met and people you have lost. The person you love more than anything else in the world.
You feel like a stranger in your own life.
Leith, an amateur boxer, who got a blow to the head during a fight, awakes from a coma and has to deal with the aftereffects of this fateful day, when he learns that he cannot remember the last three years. His old life is fed to him bit by bit, but some things he has to recover on his own. When Leith is introduced to Zach, his supposedly best friend, he also has to deal with certain feelings he develops for him over time. Feelings he cannot really comprehend. You might imagine his shock when he discovers that said feelings apparently have already been there.
This was my second book by Leta Blake and even though I have to admit that I loved Vespertine a bit more, I enjoyed this story immensely.
The River Leith virtually vibrates with emotions. It's safe to say that they are oozed page by page and I can guarantee you that some tissues will be required when you read it. Umm, well, I hope those who have already read the book won't consider me a wimp, so let us rather agree that I needed them. ;-)
You practically feel the anger and the frustration radiating from Leith sometimes, when he is not able to regain his memory or when there are situations too heavy for him to deal with.
You feel the pain and the despair of Zach, having the love of his life in front of him and still somehow gone.
You feel the small glimmer of hope blossoming in Zach everytime there seems to be an improvement in Leith's health.
And you feel the love both men have to rediscover, tentatively at first...
... but soon getting stronger and stronger again.
I loved the sometimes mythical and philosophical undertone of the story and how it played out in the end. I don't have a medical degree of any kind, so I cannot evaluate how authentic the amnesia topic is handled by the author, but what is important to me is that it felt this way. That's all I need to feel this story.
Highly recommended!
This review has been posted on Dirty Books Obsession
Read
August 14, 2015I'm not going to rate this, because it would not be fair to the author. This book is not badly written. No instalove, no serious editing issues. I just call BULLSH!T on the story.
If you are in a relationship with a person (i.e. you live together, you confirm that you are in love, and you are NOT in an agreed open relationship) and you have sex with someone else - that's CHEATING. Extenuating circumstances can't change that.
Candice wrote a review that pretty much summed up my feelings after reading the last page: Candice's Review
I cannot honestly say what I would have done in Zach's shoes. But if I take into account that:
I could have possibly gotten past the infidelity if I felt there was true remorse.
Leith deserved better.
If you are in a relationship with a person (i.e. you live together, you confirm that you are in love, and you are NOT in an agreed open relationship) and you have sex with someone else - that's CHEATING. Extenuating circumstances can't change that.
Candice wrote a review that pretty much summed up my feelings after reading the last page: Candice's Review
I cannot honestly say what I would have done in Zach's shoes. But if I take into account that:
I could have possibly gotten past the infidelity if I felt there was true remorse.
Leith deserved better.
February 18, 2019
A few days after finishing this book, I've had to come back and modify my review. I've never done this before, however, it's been bugging me more and more as the days go on. So, here are my thoughts on this one.
***This may be slightly spoilerish***
I've read very few romance novels with the amnesia trope. It's one of my favorites but I don't run across it very often. This one pulled at my heartstrings. But I had some issues with the plot itself.
I didn't understand why things were being kept from the MC who just woke up with the last 3 years of his memories missing. I understand not overwhelming him during the first minute he's awake. But major life points were purposefully kept from him. In my non-medical opinion, he should have been told everything right up front. The only one who possibly had a right to keep anything from him was his doctor. I DID NOT LIKE THE DOCTOR. I disagreed with his actions and process and I scratched my head at his yoda(ish) monologues because I couldn't make heads or tails of them.
His brother? GRRRR Why not reveal a traumatic event right as the MC is leaving the hospital after having kept so much from him all these days?
The side characters? I'm not sure what real purpose they served.
Last, but certainly not least, the "boyfriend". I tried so hard to empathize. But no can do. I simply couldn't imagine myself in his shoes and reacting the way he did. I tried and tried, but I wasn't having any fun at his pity party.
The story as a whole was somewhere between ok and liked it. So, 2.5 stars, but I'm rounding down because of typos.
***This may be slightly spoilerish***
I've read very few romance novels with the amnesia trope. It's one of my favorites but I don't run across it very often. This one pulled at my heartstrings. But I had some issues with the plot itself.
I didn't understand why things were being kept from the MC who just woke up with the last 3 years of his memories missing. I understand not overwhelming him during the first minute he's awake. But major life points were purposefully kept from him. In my non-medical opinion, he should have been told everything right up front. The only one who possibly had a right to keep anything from him was his doctor. I DID NOT LIKE THE DOCTOR. I disagreed with his actions and process and I scratched my head at his yoda(ish) monologues because I couldn't make heads or tails of them.
His brother? GRRRR Why not reveal a traumatic event right as the MC is leaving the hospital after having kept so much from him all these days?
The side characters? I'm not sure what real purpose they served.
Last, but certainly not least, the "boyfriend". I tried so hard to empathize. But no can do. I simply couldn't imagine myself in his shoes and reacting the way he did. I tried and tried, but I wasn't having any fun at his pity party.
The story as a whole was somewhere between ok and liked it. So, 2.5 stars, but I'm rounding down because of typos.
July 29, 2019
Amnesia, segundas oportunidades y protagonistas que no son perfectos. Me ha durado un suspiro, me ha gustado la pareja y me ha parecido un libro muy muy entretenido.
July 23, 2014
4.5 Sweet Second Chances Stars!
Loved. This. Book!
Leith was a successful boxer until the day an illegal punch to the back of his skull rendered him with amnesia. He has zero memory of the past three years...everything prior to then is crystal clear. It's as if time stopped and started again.
Leith
Who are these people? How did I get here? I know Arthur, my brother, but everyone else visiting me in this rehab. facility is a stranger. They all are happy I'm alive, act as if we're tight but they're all strangers. Arthur says I've lost three years. I have to relive our father's death, catch up with the education I lost, the job I've been working, the friends that I've made. I don't know the old Leith. Just this shell of a person I woke up as...and I'm angry and confused. Arthur tells me Zach is my best friend, tells me to hug him, but there's something about the way Zach looks at me...It stirs something odd in me. I'm straight. I remember chicks. But what's with this guy? I can't admit I'm confused to my reaction to him. He's my friend. They'd have told me otherwise, right?
Zach
He doesn't remember me. Leith is gone! My best friend. My lover. He looks at me as if I'm a stranger on the street. I'm mourning the loss of everything my world centered upon. I can't cope. I visit but not frequently. So I do a video blog. Somehow telling complete strangers how I feel makes it more bearable. But how do I get us back? Sometimes Leith looks at me like a sliver of something is peeking through...does he feel our connection? I don't want to confuse him. He needs time. Everything is new for him...but I just want the old Leith back. But he's gone...and I'll take what I can get. Even if it kills me.
This book was such an emotional ride for me. The author does a great job putting you in the shoes of both Leith and Zach. The book is in Leith's POV but the video blogging Zach records gives us insight to his emotional pain he endures when the love of his life no longer knows who he is. Amnesia is an ugly brain injury and the author doesn't sugar coat the feelings of helplessness and loss both the patient and their love ones endure in it's wake.
Leith and Zach have a connection that appears to defy his affliction. Leith only has memory of being straight, but he knew from Zach's first visit, the smell of his cologne, that he was more than just a pal. But everyone kept him in the dark, fearing exposing him to too much too fast. It's a journey he starts alone, and with the help of a great psychiatrist, supportive brother and friends, and Zach...he will find his way back. The old Leith is gone but he will rebuild a life...he has no choice.
The River Leith is an angsty, emotional story that touched me on many levels. I tend to sway toward more smutty MM reads, but rest assured, this book has a nice sexy dose of that too! It's emotional but very hot at the same time. It's refreshing to find a story with a second chance at love when the cards are stacked so high against them. I can only hope stories like this in real life could end this way...
A book I'd highly recommend to fans of emotional but also HOT MM reads!
And I thank you!
Advanced reader's copy received by Romance Beckons via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
May 9, 2014
Amnesia is one of my very favourite tropes, and Leta Blake knocks it out of the park here with delicious angst and drama. Leith and Zach's struggle to come to terms with the new reality where Leith can't remember knowing Zach at all -- let alone being madly in love with him -- is gripping. My heart broke for both the characters and I rooted hard for their happy ending.
The book is told from Leith's POV, but Blake uses vlog transcripts as a clever device to give us insight into Zach's perspective as well. His anger, confusion and hurt comes across vividly. I loved that Zach and Leith are flawed people who make mistakes, and that there are no easy solutions to their predicament. I also loved that the slow burn of UST isn't rushed. If you're looking for mindless sex from the get-go, this isn't the book for you. But when the sex does happen after a long buildup, it's so much more meaningful -- and smokin' hot!
The supporting characters, especially Arthur and Dr. Thakur, are quirky and well drawn. Also, the author includes a note at the end of the book saying that she downplayed the medical realities of head injuries and amnesia for the sake of having fun with a time-honoured romance trope. I certainly have no problem with that, and was able to settle in for the ride with no concerns about the realism of head injuries (which, let's face it -- don't make for very good escapism!).
Full disclosure: I worked as the editor on this book. The first time I read it, I'd opened the file to just take a glance. I ended up spending the new few hours gobbling up the story in one gulp! It was completely captivating. Two thumbs up!
The book is told from Leith's POV, but Blake uses vlog transcripts as a clever device to give us insight into Zach's perspective as well. His anger, confusion and hurt comes across vividly. I loved that Zach and Leith are flawed people who make mistakes, and that there are no easy solutions to their predicament. I also loved that the slow burn of UST isn't rushed. If you're looking for mindless sex from the get-go, this isn't the book for you. But when the sex does happen after a long buildup, it's so much more meaningful -- and smokin' hot!
The supporting characters, especially Arthur and Dr. Thakur, are quirky and well drawn. Also, the author includes a note at the end of the book saying that she downplayed the medical realities of head injuries and amnesia for the sake of having fun with a time-honoured romance trope. I certainly have no problem with that, and was able to settle in for the ride with no concerns about the realism of head injuries (which, let's face it -- don't make for very good escapism!).
Full disclosure: I worked as the editor on this book. The first time I read it, I'd opened the file to just take a glance. I ended up spending the new few hours gobbling up the story in one gulp! It was completely captivating. Two thumbs up!
September 25, 2022
If, like me, you love amnesia stories, and you like a good cry with your romances, you will love this book. This was very emotional, but the angst was covered in a lot of sweetness, making it more palatable.
I loved Leith so much. He was so confused, and so hurt. I loved Zach, and I loved that he wasn’t strong or perfect. Far from it.
Why not 5 stars?
The vlog entries bothered me, it felt like an invasion of privacy. And the doctor annoyed me so much, with his weirdly religious conversations. The ending also left me a little disappointed, I think I was hoping for more tears and angst and it didn’t deliver. 🤷♀️
But overall I loved this! ❤️❤️❤️
I loved Leith so much. He was so confused, and so hurt. I loved Zach, and I loved that he wasn’t strong or perfect. Far from it.
Why not 5 stars?
The vlog entries bothered me, it felt like an invasion of privacy. And the doctor annoyed me so much, with his weirdly religious conversations. The ending also left me a little disappointed, I think I was hoping for more tears and angst and it didn’t deliver. 🤷♀️
But overall I loved this! ❤️❤️❤️
August 1, 2021
Reread of one from my all-time-greats shelf! This is my favorite by Ms. Blake. She takes the amnesia trope and completely twists it into something new and fresh. I was on the edge of my seat (again!) the entire time. Leith and Zach are such an amazing couple.
A couple things to address for my fellow readers:
1. Does Leith get his memory back? It's one of the things I loved about this book.
2. I've seen a couple reviews talk about possible cheating. Let me say this. Cheating is a very hard limit for me, and I will say that there was .
Cannot recommend enough! So many emotions will hit you! The feelz in this book!
A couple things to address for my fellow readers:
1. Does Leith get his memory back? It's one of the things I loved about this book.
2. I've seen a couple reviews talk about possible cheating. Let me say this. Cheating is a very hard limit for me, and I will say that there was .
Cannot recommend enough! So many emotions will hit you! The feelz in this book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 412 reviews