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À la dérive
How do you save a drowning man when that drowning man is you?
Jake Moore’s world fits too tightly around him. Every penny he makes as a welder goes to care for his dying father, an abusive, controlling man who’s the only family Jake has left. Because of a promise to his dead mother, Jake resists his desire for other men, but it leaves him consumed by darkness.
It takes all of Dallas Yates’s imagination to see the possibilities in the fatigued Art Deco building on the WeHo’s outskirts, but what seals the deal is a shy smile from the handsome metal worker across the street. Their friendship deepens while Dallas peels back the hardened layers strangling Jake’s soul. It’s easy to love the artistic, sweet man hidden behind Jake’s shattered exterior, but Dallas knows Jake needs to first learn to love himself.
When Jake’s world crumbles, he reaches for Dallas, the man he’s learned to lean on. It’s only a matter of time before he’s left to drift in a life he never wanted to lead and while he wants more, Jake’s past haunts him, making him doubt he’s worth the love Dallas is so desperate to give him.
Jake Moore’s world fits too tightly around him. Every penny he makes as a welder goes to care for his dying father, an abusive, controlling man who’s the only family Jake has left. Because of a promise to his dead mother, Jake resists his desire for other men, but it leaves him consumed by darkness.
It takes all of Dallas Yates’s imagination to see the possibilities in the fatigued Art Deco building on the WeHo’s outskirts, but what seals the deal is a shy smile from the handsome metal worker across the street. Their friendship deepens while Dallas peels back the hardened layers strangling Jake’s soul. It’s easy to love the artistic, sweet man hidden behind Jake’s shattered exterior, but Dallas knows Jake needs to first learn to love himself.
When Jake’s world crumbles, he reaches for Dallas, the man he’s learned to lean on. It’s only a matter of time before he’s left to drift in a life he never wanted to lead and while he wants more, Jake’s past haunts him, making him doubt he’s worth the love Dallas is so desperate to give him.
Kindle Edition
First published March 17, 2017
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About the author
Rhys Ford
79 books1,890 followersRhys Ford is an award-winning author with several long-running LGBT+ mystery, thriller, paranormal, and urban fantasy series and is a two-time LAMBDA finalist and a multiple Gold and Silver Medalist by the Florida Authors and Publishers President’s Book Awards. She is published by Dreamspinner Press, DSP Publications and Rogue Firebird Press.
She shares the house with Harley, a gray tuxedo with a flower on her face, Badger, a disgruntled former alley cat, and Gojira, a mercurial Tabico as well as a ginger cairn terrorist named Gus. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep of a 1979 Pontiac Firebird named Tengu and enjoys murdering make-believe people.
She shares the house with Harley, a gray tuxedo with a flower on her face, Badger, a disgruntled former alley cat, and Gojira, a mercurial Tabico as well as a ginger cairn terrorist named Gus. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep of a 1979 Pontiac Firebird named Tengu and enjoys murdering make-believe people.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 284 reviews
February 27, 2017
Okay, I finished it. Do I get my bonus points now?
Guys, feel free to ignore my review because it seems like EVERYONE loves this one but me. But, honestly, There's This Guy was a struggle to get through, which pains me to admit because I'm a big Rhys Ford fan.
Right off the bat, I knew I would have issues with this one. I mean, holy purple prose, Batman. The writing was trying just so hard, and I wanted it to work for me, but I felt extremely removed from the story.
And there is angst and there is ANGST, and this book was for sure the second kind. Abusive childhood, physical abuse, verbal abuse, flashbacks to some pretty gruesome scenes as well as suicidal thoughts and tendencies... I was just done with this book, almost from the start.
I know most will view this as an epic hurt/comfort love story, but I really didn't see the love. It felt like a very lopsided relationship, and I didn't feel the emotions develop organically. Plus, the first mention of love came WAY too early, in my book, and I thought that chemistry was lacking.
There were parts that appealed to me, but mostly I was just ready to be done with the story. I pushed on after wanting to DNF half way, but it didn't improve much for me in the second half.
Another one for the "everyone else loves it" shelf.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
Guys, feel free to ignore my review because it seems like EVERYONE loves this one but me. But, honestly, There's This Guy was a struggle to get through, which pains me to admit because I'm a big Rhys Ford fan.
Right off the bat, I knew I would have issues with this one. I mean, holy purple prose, Batman. The writing was trying just so hard, and I wanted it to work for me, but I felt extremely removed from the story.
And there is angst and there is ANGST, and this book was for sure the second kind. Abusive childhood, physical abuse, verbal abuse, flashbacks to some pretty gruesome scenes as well as suicidal thoughts and tendencies... I was just done with this book, almost from the start.
I know most will view this as an epic hurt/comfort love story, but I really didn't see the love. It felt like a very lopsided relationship, and I didn't feel the emotions develop organically. Plus, the first mention of love came WAY too early, in my book, and I thought that chemistry was lacking.
There were parts that appealed to me, but mostly I was just ready to be done with the story. I pushed on after wanting to DNF half way, but it didn't improve much for me in the second half.
Another one for the "everyone else loves it" shelf.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
March 19, 2017
Absolutely stunning.
Look, it’s no secret that I love Rhys Ford’s books. I know what I’m in for when I pick up one of her stories. Most of my reviews sound the same and reiterate everything I love about her words. They usually have some form of the phrase “everything you would come to expect in a Rhys Ford book” in them. Well, not this time. I did not expect this. I never would have dreamed she would deviate from her norm and delve into something other than her usual murder and mayhem.
And I was blown away.
Jake, oh my dear, sweet, messed up Jake. I just want to wrap him up in a blanket and hold him and keep him safe from the world! He’s had the shittiest life. An abusive father, a mother who told him he was going to hell for being gay and his first attempt at a relationship ending in betrayal and pain have caused him to retreat so far into himself he can’t find his way out. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel. Hell, as far as Jake is concerned, there is no tunnel.
Jake doesn't seem depressed so much as lost. The only thing he has in life is his metalworking. His creations are an outlet for his rage and the lack of control he perceives he has in his own life. His life is full of ugliness and he doesn't see any way to have any beauty so he creates it, it's the only thing he has any control over.
It’s no surprise to me that he latches on to Dallas so quickly. I mean, who wouldn’t want someone, in your darkest hour, when you feel like there is no hope left, to come along and hold your hand through it. To show you that your world is not full of darkness and shadowy grays but instead there is color and light. That you are worth something.
Dallas… well, Dallas is damn near perfect. At least, he’s perfect for Jake. Dallas is a fixer. You know the kind, always have their hands in a project and seem to gravitate towards broken down or distressed things and have the inherent need to build them back up or repair them. When he spies Jake across the street from his newest venture into property flipping he’s entranced. As they slowly get to know each other over the course of several weeks, Dallas discovers that instead of wanting to ‘fix’ Jake he just wants to be by his side, offering his support and friendship while Jake learns how to repair himself.
Damn, Rhys sure knows how to weave words into some beautiful prose. Even the ugly words are beautiful. If there's one thing she excels at, it's descriptors. I've always been able to fully picture a scene or a character she describes. Normally when I read the main characters are just some vague, faceless body that I don't even think about picturing. Either that or I end up picturing them as whoever is on the cover. But not with Rhys. I know exactly how Jake looks, how he moves and even what his facial expressions are. Dallas describing men, and Jake in particular, is a thing of beauty. I can totally picture Jake in my head, right down to his smile.
This book grabbed hold of me, slapped me across the face and made me its bitch. I did nothing else while reading it, well, except email Red back and forth. I have 172 emails with Red about this book. I have 68 notes and highlights I made while reading. There is so much more I want to say about this book, I could write a thesis and still not touch on all the points that I want to make. Having read every one of Rhys's books I feel I can say with certainty that this is her masterpiece. Though this book won’t be for everyone I urge you to give it a try. It just may be the best book you’ve read all year.
I know it was mine.
Look, it’s no secret that I love Rhys Ford’s books. I know what I’m in for when I pick up one of her stories. Most of my reviews sound the same and reiterate everything I love about her words. They usually have some form of the phrase “everything you would come to expect in a Rhys Ford book” in them. Well, not this time. I did not expect this. I never would have dreamed she would deviate from her norm and delve into something other than her usual murder and mayhem.
And I was blown away.
Jake, oh my dear, sweet, messed up Jake. I just want to wrap him up in a blanket and hold him and keep him safe from the world! He’s had the shittiest life. An abusive father, a mother who told him he was going to hell for being gay and his first attempt at a relationship ending in betrayal and pain have caused him to retreat so far into himself he can’t find his way out. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel. Hell, as far as Jake is concerned, there is no tunnel.
At some point in Jake Moore’s life, someone made him… less.
Jake doesn't seem depressed so much as lost. The only thing he has in life is his metalworking. His creations are an outlet for his rage and the lack of control he perceives he has in his own life. His life is full of ugliness and he doesn't see any way to have any beauty so he creates it, it's the only thing he has any control over.
It’s no surprise to me that he latches on to Dallas so quickly. I mean, who wouldn’t want someone, in your darkest hour, when you feel like there is no hope left, to come along and hold your hand through it. To show you that your world is not full of darkness and shadowy grays but instead there is color and light. That you are worth something.
Dallas… well, Dallas is damn near perfect. At least, he’s perfect for Jake. Dallas is a fixer. You know the kind, always have their hands in a project and seem to gravitate towards broken down or distressed things and have the inherent need to build them back up or repair them. When he spies Jake across the street from his newest venture into property flipping he’s entranced. As they slowly get to know each other over the course of several weeks, Dallas discovers that instead of wanting to ‘fix’ Jake he just wants to be by his side, offering his support and friendship while Jake learns how to repair himself.
There’s a beauty inside of Jake I want the world to see.
Damn, Rhys sure knows how to weave words into some beautiful prose. Even the ugly words are beautiful. If there's one thing she excels at, it's descriptors. I've always been able to fully picture a scene or a character she describes. Normally when I read the main characters are just some vague, faceless body that I don't even think about picturing. Either that or I end up picturing them as whoever is on the cover. But not with Rhys. I know exactly how Jake looks, how he moves and even what his facial expressions are. Dallas describing men, and Jake in particular, is a thing of beauty. I can totally picture Jake in my head, right down to his smile.
This book grabbed hold of me, slapped me across the face and made me its bitch. I did nothing else while reading it, well, except email Red back and forth. I have 172 emails with Red about this book. I have 68 notes and highlights I made while reading. There is so much more I want to say about this book, I could write a thesis and still not touch on all the points that I want to make. Having read every one of Rhys's books I feel I can say with certainty that this is her masterpiece. Though this book won’t be for everyone I urge you to give it a try. It just may be the best book you’ve read all year.
I know it was mine.
February 20, 2017
There's This Guy starts out very dark and is a super slow burn of a romance, and I was very much appreciative for that slow burn in this case. It's a heavy story and Jake, especially, needed the time. And I loved it, I really did.
Jake (or Jacques) Moore is a pretty screwed up guy. He grew up in an abusive household, being told by his mother that being gay was an abomination, and his father, well...his father was abusive before he knew and was homicidal, after. Growing up in that kind of environment is hard on the soul and Jake never felt worthy of anything more. And the one time he reached for something more, he got slapped hard by life and that is something he never forgot. So Jake is in a dark place that he has no idea how to leave.
In between Jake's moments of darkness, he is a welder, by trade. He specializes in historic restorations and he's an artist. I knew a metal sculptor, once, and she could do amazing things with metal and a blow torch. Jake is like that, and if it weren't for that outlet, he'd probably have succumbed to the darkness, long ago. As it is, Jake's life has been on hold while his father's life drags on in hospice and though the old man isn't worth the oxygen he breathes, Jake won't let him die alone.
Dallas Yates has had a very different life. He's from a family that loves him and accepts him and he's never wanted for anything. His current project, a drag club on the outskirts of WeHo, is how he meets Jake, because the building's original metalwork needs to be restored. Dallas and his best friend, Celeste, have their work cut out for them to get the building to where it needs to be before they will be ready to open Bombshells.
From the very start, there's an attraction between Dallas and Jake, but their romance takes time because Jake is pretty broken and isn't ready to face who he is. They become friends, and Dallas recognizes that a friend is what Jake needs most, aside from therapy, which he encourages. I was happy for that because Jake needed more help than a friend, or boyfriend could provide. No magic dicks here (thank you, Rhys).
There's This Guy starts out in a dark, heavy place, but as the story progresses, the feeling gets lighter as the weight on Jake's soul lessens. But do not expect anything fluffy, here. This story is anything but fluffy. And as Jake sees that he is not only worthy of love, but actually loved, it's beautiful. I've enjoyed many, many books by this author, and in my opinion There's This Guy is her best work to date.
-----------------------------------------
ARC of There's This Guy was generously provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
Jake (or Jacques) Moore is a pretty screwed up guy. He grew up in an abusive household, being told by his mother that being gay was an abomination, and his father, well...his father was abusive before he knew and was homicidal, after. Growing up in that kind of environment is hard on the soul and Jake never felt worthy of anything more. And the one time he reached for something more, he got slapped hard by life and that is something he never forgot. So Jake is in a dark place that he has no idea how to leave.
In between Jake's moments of darkness, he is a welder, by trade. He specializes in historic restorations and he's an artist. I knew a metal sculptor, once, and she could do amazing things with metal and a blow torch. Jake is like that, and if it weren't for that outlet, he'd probably have succumbed to the darkness, long ago. As it is, Jake's life has been on hold while his father's life drags on in hospice and though the old man isn't worth the oxygen he breathes, Jake won't let him die alone.
Dallas Yates has had a very different life. He's from a family that loves him and accepts him and he's never wanted for anything. His current project, a drag club on the outskirts of WeHo, is how he meets Jake, because the building's original metalwork needs to be restored. Dallas and his best friend, Celeste, have their work cut out for them to get the building to where it needs to be before they will be ready to open Bombshells.
From the very start, there's an attraction between Dallas and Jake, but their romance takes time because Jake is pretty broken and isn't ready to face who he is. They become friends, and Dallas recognizes that a friend is what Jake needs most, aside from therapy, which he encourages. I was happy for that because Jake needed more help than a friend, or boyfriend could provide. No magic dicks here (thank you, Rhys).
There's This Guy starts out in a dark, heavy place, but as the story progresses, the feeling gets lighter as the weight on Jake's soul lessens. But do not expect anything fluffy, here. This story is anything but fluffy. And as Jake sees that he is not only worthy of love, but actually loved, it's beautiful. I've enjoyed many, many books by this author, and in my opinion There's This Guy is her best work to date.
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ARC of There's This Guy was generously provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
March 24, 2017
If you like Hurt/Comfort with plenty of struggle before reaching a sweet HEA - look no further. This is a story about the redemption of a broken, shattered soul though love.
Be aware the story opens when Jake Moore has reached a point of such despondency and internalized anguish that he literally has the barrel of a gun in his mouth and is contemplating ending his life (I really struggled whether to put this in the review, but suicide attempts are triggers for some, so after deliberation, I'm leaving it in). The irony is he's waylaid from his plans by the same man who basically gave him the most reason to do it.
Rhys Ford wrote a story that literally sent me into sobs, multiple times. I'm not kidding. This was probably one of the most draining stories I've read in decades. There were times when I wondered why I was still reading and I even had to put it down for a while and watch a comedy to recharge before coming back to it.
Jake is the product of horrific abuse and lives with immeasurable pain and grief. But after meeting Dallas Yates, he is drawn through Dallas's friendship, and later love, through redemption and into the light.
I would classify this as heavy angst, with a lot of hurt/comfort/healing. It is a contemporary romance with a lot of heavy emotion at times - so be prepared to have your tissues handy. While it was well written, and the characters well-fleshed out, it was pretty emotionally overwhelming for me for more than half of the story, which, I'm not going to lie, did affect my enjoyment overall.
But, even though this was hard to read sometimes, and even though it almost broke me at others, I was so happy when I reached the lovely HEA.
Advanced Review Galley copy of There's This Guy provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
Be aware the story opens when Jake Moore has reached a point of such despondency and internalized anguish that he literally has the barrel of a gun in his mouth and is contemplating ending his life (I really struggled whether to put this in the review, but suicide attempts are triggers for some, so after deliberation, I'm leaving it in). The irony is he's waylaid from his plans by the same man who basically gave him the most reason to do it.
“I’m just tired, Dal. I just want to… be. I’m tired of… running, but there’s so much crap I can’t fucking deal with. Not now. I want to… fuck… I can’t… but I want to. With you. I just need someone to know. Someone I know won’t hurt me with it.”
“Then that’s how it’ll be, then. You’ve got me, Jake. However long you need me with you.”
Rhys Ford wrote a story that literally sent me into sobs, multiple times. I'm not kidding. This was probably one of the most draining stories I've read in decades. There were times when I wondered why I was still reading and I even had to put it down for a while and watch a comedy to recharge before coming back to it.
“Yeah, I want to wash away the filth that dick father of his smeared on him. I want to scrape off the stink and guilt he’d been raised in, but not because I need to but because he and I….
“It isn’t just for me. Yeah, I want him. I want to hold him and share a sunset without him tensing up with fear. I want him not to flinch when I touch him, and I want him to touch me without having to analyze it or look to see who is around.” Dallas paused, searching for the words he needed to describe the delicate furls of emotion Jake brought out in him. “God, you need to see his smile when he doesn’t care who is looking and how he scowls when he’s working because he’s beating the world into submission. There’s a beauty inside of Jake I want the world to see. That’s what I love, C. I love that beauty and those dimples and the rough of his hands on my shoulders when he feels safe enough to put them there.”
Jake is the product of horrific abuse and lives with immeasurable pain and grief. But after meeting Dallas Yates, he is drawn through Dallas's friendship, and later love, through redemption and into the light.
You’re special, beautiful, sweet, talented, and so damned gorgeous you make my teeth ache...
I would classify this as heavy angst, with a lot of hurt/comfort/healing. It is a contemporary romance with a lot of heavy emotion at times - so be prepared to have your tissues handy. While it was well written, and the characters well-fleshed out, it was pretty emotionally overwhelming for me for more than half of the story, which, I'm not going to lie, did affect my enjoyment overall.
But, even though this was hard to read sometimes, and even though it almost broke me at others, I was so happy when I reached the lovely HEA.
“You peeled away the dark I lived in, and if I cry, it’s because I’m happy… so damned happy, Dal.”
Advanced Review Galley copy of There's This Guy provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
July 1, 2017
Buddy Listening Review w R *A Reader Obsessed*
I think this may be the most contradictory book experience I've ever had. No sense in mincing words, I came to this party for Tremblay but I think maybe I should've read the blurb or other reviews. Everyone and their cousin has been singing his praises since forever and they should because the dude is amazeballs. There were points in this story where I had my headphones working, in my bublé and I would catch myself thinking, "this can't be just one dude! NO WAY!" but it was. The only nitpick I have is Dallas's Texas drawl. I live in the sticks and even I don't know anyone with a drawl that heavy, but still. AMAZEBALLS.
But this story, y'all.
It was a G-R-I-N-D. Hurt/comfort is hit or miss for me to begin with and there wasn't near enough comfort after a metric ton of hurt from my perspective. As the hurt began to level up and expand it's like it took on a life of its own. The Pain Cloud hung over all of LA and wasn't picky about its victims. The word gratuitous wafted through my head a few times toward the end.
There are no warnings on this book that I could find, but there are suicidal ideations, flashbacks of past abuse, domestic violence, homophobia, and mentions of rape so if you're triggered easily exercise caution, because this book is heavy and painful from start to epilogue.
Dallas and Jake both tell this story. They have vastly different backgrounds. Jake's is one of abuse and neglect as the only child of homophobic parents and a monstrous father. Dallas's is one with loving parents and siblings who showered him with affection and support. Jake's now completely alone with his father in end stage dementia. He has no friends and keeps himself at arm's length from everyone in his life. He's existing on a clock timer because he can see no light at the end of the tunnel. Dallas has oodles of friends and never met a stranger. Jake is way waaaaaaayyyyy in the closet whereas Dallas is out and proud and opening a drag bar in Jake's neighborhood which is what brings them together.
I do really appreciate the message of this story-that the efforts of one person can sometimes mean the difference between the life or death of another and believe me I know this story deserves to be heard, but the long and the short of it is it was too depressing for me. My emotions were pummeled by the narrative. There is a hard fought HEA and it's clear Dallas and Jake love each other, though there is part of me that thought Jake's shift from closeted to in a relationship with Dallas was quick but I also was grateful for those few precious moments when they weren't in the middle of the perpetual shitnado.
I empathized with Jake and his predicament, though. I know he hates his father but he's also the only family he's got left even if he is a miserable excuse for a human being and I think there's part of him that's naively holding out hope that the SOB will tell him he's sorry or that he loves him. Something. Anything.
Celeste is the only real bright spot. I hearted her snarky, bedazzled ass. The prose is evocative and flows. Ford can most definitely craft a sentence that will take your breath away. I wish I could say that I was held in its sway but more than once I considered DNFing. I was beyond ready for it to be over despite Tremblay's amazeballsness which actually makes this difficult to rate. Tremblay's performance is easily 5 Heart worthy, but this story is not one I'll reread. Obviously, YMMV and I'd encourage anyone considering it to read other reviews before making a decision.
A review copy was provided.
I think this may be the most contradictory book experience I've ever had. No sense in mincing words, I came to this party for Tremblay but I think maybe I should've read the blurb or other reviews. Everyone and their cousin has been singing his praises since forever and they should because the dude is amazeballs. There were points in this story where I had my headphones working, in my bublé and I would catch myself thinking, "this can't be just one dude! NO WAY!" but it was. The only nitpick I have is Dallas's Texas drawl. I live in the sticks and even I don't know anyone with a drawl that heavy, but still. AMAZEBALLS.
But this story, y'all.
It was a G-R-I-N-D. Hurt/comfort is hit or miss for me to begin with and there wasn't near enough comfort after a metric ton of hurt from my perspective. As the hurt began to level up and expand it's like it took on a life of its own. The Pain Cloud hung over all of LA and wasn't picky about its victims. The word gratuitous wafted through my head a few times toward the end.
There are no warnings on this book that I could find, but there are suicidal ideations, flashbacks of past abuse, domestic violence, homophobia, and mentions of rape so if you're triggered easily exercise caution, because this book is heavy and painful from start to epilogue.
Dallas and Jake both tell this story. They have vastly different backgrounds. Jake's is one of abuse and neglect as the only child of homophobic parents and a monstrous father. Dallas's is one with loving parents and siblings who showered him with affection and support. Jake's now completely alone with his father in end stage dementia. He has no friends and keeps himself at arm's length from everyone in his life. He's existing on a clock timer because he can see no light at the end of the tunnel. Dallas has oodles of friends and never met a stranger. Jake is way waaaaaaayyyyy in the closet whereas Dallas is out and proud and opening a drag bar in Jake's neighborhood which is what brings them together.
I do really appreciate the message of this story-that the efforts of one person can sometimes mean the difference between the life or death of another and believe me I know this story deserves to be heard, but the long and the short of it is it was too depressing for me. My emotions were pummeled by the narrative. There is a hard fought HEA and it's clear Dallas and Jake love each other, though there is part of me that thought Jake's shift from closeted to in a relationship with Dallas was quick but I also was grateful for those few precious moments when they weren't in the middle of the perpetual shitnado.
I empathized with Jake and his predicament, though. I know he hates his father but he's also the only family he's got left even if he is a miserable excuse for a human being and I think there's part of him that's naively holding out hope that the SOB will tell him he's sorry or that he loves him. Something. Anything.
Celeste is the only real bright spot. I hearted her snarky, bedazzled ass. The prose is evocative and flows. Ford can most definitely craft a sentence that will take your breath away. I wish I could say that I was held in its sway but more than once I considered DNFing. I was beyond ready for it to be over despite Tremblay's amazeballsness which actually makes this difficult to rate. Tremblay's performance is easily 5 Heart worthy, but this story is not one I'll reread. Obviously, YMMV and I'd encourage anyone considering it to read other reviews before making a decision.
A review copy was provided.
October 21, 2018
Audio - 5+++ stars
Story - 4 heavy, serious, angsty stars
Of course my first successful read by Rhys Ford would be a standalone. :-(
Story - 4 heavy, serious, angsty stars
Of course my first successful read by Rhys Ford would be a standalone. :-(
March 17, 2017
What a beautiful lyrical story.
I loved the writing. I'm not gonna say it was flowery, but it did tend to be very 'extensive':
The shock was still there, simmering and burbling, a cauldron of wicked shame and guilt waiting to be sipped at, but its scorch eased back, its toxic splash soothed away by Dallas’s weight on his back.
You make me crazy, and you make me laugh, and I feel so damned empty when you’re not around. I’m trying hard to be just your friend because that’s what you need, someone to be here with you when the shit starts to swallow you up. It would fucking kill me if you weren’t here. You’re worth more than… anything. I need to feel your smiles against my soul , and I hate you can’t see that.
I usually don't like books that make me read passages twice, because I didn't understand them the first time, but I mostly did not have any issue with this story.
Dallas Yates is a an entrepreneur who purchases old buildings, renovates them and them leases them to people who open a club or cafe in that building. His newest purchase is an old industrial building that needs lots of work done. He hires a good-looking welder from a shop next door who helps him with the metal works in his building - and falls hopelessly in love with the beautiful muscled Jake Moore.
Jake is a dreamboat. His actual name, Jacque, and his soft French accent, a heritage of his Canadian family, combined with his muscled body honed from hard metal work make him a gay man's dream come true. But what Dallas doesn't know is the fact that Jake was heavily abused by his father and knew little love in his life, experiencing pain and humiliation for being gay in his own family.
On the verge of taking his own life, Jake sees a light in his life for the first time when his handsome employer takes a liking to him. Their slow friendship is the first step toward healing Jake's tortured soul.
I totally liked the first 75% of this story. My biggest issue was Jake accepting the role of a victim far too easily, not even questioning Dallas when the guy started his very own 'love therapy' with him.
Dallas on the other hand was far too perfect. Without a single flaw, the open-minded, sophisticated and successful Dallas throws himself into his friendship with Jake the same way he throws himself into one of his old buildings: Intending to fix it!
With Dallas being the perfect understanding boyfriend with a therapeutic streak and Jake the willing victim of mental and physical abuse, this story flowed a little too easily for my taste.
The only moments of tension were external side plots that a) did not serve a clear purpose in my opinion () or b) were never resolved ().
So despite the beautiful and imaginative writing and two very likable characters, the story had some flaws that I couldn't overlook.
3 stars!
I loved the writing. I'm not gonna say it was flowery, but it did tend to be very 'extensive':
The shock was still there, simmering and burbling, a cauldron of wicked shame and guilt waiting to be sipped at, but its scorch eased back, its toxic splash soothed away by Dallas’s weight on his back.
You make me crazy, and you make me laugh, and I feel so damned empty when you’re not around. I’m trying hard to be just your friend because that’s what you need, someone to be here with you when the shit starts to swallow you up. It would fucking kill me if you weren’t here. You’re worth more than… anything. I need to feel your smiles against my soul , and I hate you can’t see that.
I usually don't like books that make me read passages twice, because I didn't understand them the first time, but I mostly did not have any issue with this story.
Dallas Yates is a an entrepreneur who purchases old buildings, renovates them and them leases them to people who open a club or cafe in that building. His newest purchase is an old industrial building that needs lots of work done. He hires a good-looking welder from a shop next door who helps him with the metal works in his building - and falls hopelessly in love with the beautiful muscled Jake Moore.
Jake is a dreamboat. His actual name, Jacque, and his soft French accent, a heritage of his Canadian family, combined with his muscled body honed from hard metal work make him a gay man's dream come true. But what Dallas doesn't know is the fact that Jake was heavily abused by his father and knew little love in his life, experiencing pain and humiliation for being gay in his own family.
On the verge of taking his own life, Jake sees a light in his life for the first time when his handsome employer takes a liking to him. Their slow friendship is the first step toward healing Jake's tortured soul.
I totally liked the first 75% of this story. My biggest issue was Jake accepting the role of a victim far too easily, not even questioning Dallas when the guy started his very own 'love therapy' with him.
Dallas on the other hand was far too perfect. Without a single flaw, the open-minded, sophisticated and successful Dallas throws himself into his friendship with Jake the same way he throws himself into one of his old buildings: Intending to fix it!
With Dallas being the perfect understanding boyfriend with a therapeutic streak and Jake the willing victim of mental and physical abuse, this story flowed a little too easily for my taste.
The only moments of tension were external side plots that a) did not serve a clear purpose in my opinion () or b) were never resolved ().
So despite the beautiful and imaginative writing and two very likable characters, the story had some flaws that I couldn't overlook.
3 stars!
Read
February 17, 2018Sorry, guys, but I'm DNFing. I'm keeping my resolution. It's just not working for me. The writing is either stilted and awkward on one page or it's way too long and purple-prosey on the next. And the subject matter is SO heavy. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing if the relationship building is paying off. But it's not. DNF at 50%.
December 28, 2019
3 BR Stars with CC!!
Definitely, this ranks high with some of the angstier works from Ford (ie.the Cole McGinnis series), and by no means was this an easy listen despite Tremblay’s narrating genius.
Jake has been through hell, mostly in the form of a crazy, fucked-up, abusive father with antiquated notions, not only surrounding homosexuality, but also the roles that women and men should maintain. I could not reconcile at all this man’s pure evil and hatred toward his supposed love ones, and I sure as shit couldn’t reconcile Jake’s misplaced loyalty towards his father, regardless of every awful thing he put Jake through.
So yes, Jake is a lot messed up in the head. He feels unworthy and pretty much just wants to opt out and never return to his miserable existence, mostly because he feels his sexuality is wrong and is slowly suffocating under extreme guilt and shame. That is, until a chance meeting with Dallas. Unafraid, seemingly untouched by the hatred that can visit upon some, Dallas is not naive. He’s had his share of a few tangles and tragic situations, but he’s been lucky enough to have had a ton of loving support, and hiding who is he is not even an option. When Dallas buys a property across the street from where Jake works, it’s very fortuitous that Jake’s welding expertise is exactly what Dallas needs to get his business up and running. Dallas sees beyond the gorgeous facade and knows that there’s a gawd awful, horrifying past the shy, skittish man is trying to hide from, and he simply only wants to help Jake. Despite the fact that the attraction between these two is instant, it’s gonna take a helluva lot more than that for them to find their happy ending.
If hurt comfort is your thing, then this one has it in spades.
Overall, Ford doesn’t deviate much from her formula. As always, there’s a ton of pretty words, and this time around, plenty of painful ones to counteract them. This is simply a story about a man finding himself and realizing that who he is, isn’t wrong.
There’s no crazy action, no big mystery to solve, just two people falling in love, however scary and painful and exhilarating that may be. The conflict here is mostly all internal, with the slow undoing of doubt and fear to ultimately find one’s worth and inner peace. If that’s not what interests you, then there’s other Ford stories that will surely entice. Admittedly, not my favorite of her works, and though Ford is no stranger to angst, some aspects of this (mainly Jake’s dad) were too much for me to bear, and thus, the rating reflects that. However, I still enjoyed this listen, because again… Tremblay.
Thanks to the author/publisher for the audio in return for a honest review
Definitely, this ranks high with some of the angstier works from Ford (ie.the Cole McGinnis series), and by no means was this an easy listen despite Tremblay’s narrating genius.
Jake has been through hell, mostly in the form of a crazy, fucked-up, abusive father with antiquated notions, not only surrounding homosexuality, but also the roles that women and men should maintain. I could not reconcile at all this man’s pure evil and hatred toward his supposed love ones, and I sure as shit couldn’t reconcile Jake’s misplaced loyalty towards his father, regardless of every awful thing he put Jake through.
So yes, Jake is a lot messed up in the head. He feels unworthy and pretty much just wants to opt out and never return to his miserable existence, mostly because he feels his sexuality is wrong and is slowly suffocating under extreme guilt and shame. That is, until a chance meeting with Dallas. Unafraid, seemingly untouched by the hatred that can visit upon some, Dallas is not naive. He’s had his share of a few tangles and tragic situations, but he’s been lucky enough to have had a ton of loving support, and hiding who is he is not even an option. When Dallas buys a property across the street from where Jake works, it’s very fortuitous that Jake’s welding expertise is exactly what Dallas needs to get his business up and running. Dallas sees beyond the gorgeous facade and knows that there’s a gawd awful, horrifying past the shy, skittish man is trying to hide from, and he simply only wants to help Jake. Despite the fact that the attraction between these two is instant, it’s gonna take a helluva lot more than that for them to find their happy ending.
If hurt comfort is your thing, then this one has it in spades.
Overall, Ford doesn’t deviate much from her formula. As always, there’s a ton of pretty words, and this time around, plenty of painful ones to counteract them. This is simply a story about a man finding himself and realizing that who he is, isn’t wrong.
There’s no crazy action, no big mystery to solve, just two people falling in love, however scary and painful and exhilarating that may be. The conflict here is mostly all internal, with the slow undoing of doubt and fear to ultimately find one’s worth and inner peace. If that’s not what interests you, then there’s other Ford stories that will surely entice. Admittedly, not my favorite of her works, and though Ford is no stranger to angst, some aspects of this (mainly Jake’s dad) were too much for me to bear, and thus, the rating reflects that. However, I still enjoyed this listen, because again… Tremblay.
Thanks to the author/publisher for the audio in return for a honest review
March 27, 2017
Rhys Ford's writing is very rich and cinematic. I enjoyed every sentence. The writing is so strong. It's almost overwhelming, for some it might be, but I loved it. The story is pretty dark. Jake is a very troubled soul with lots of baggage. As a reader, I had to endure his suffering too. There were rough sections of the book. At the same time, I also got to experience his turn of the tide too. Meeting Dallas was turning point for Jake. Dallas was so good for Jake. To begin with they are just friends. I loved that Dallas saw Jake's need to have a friend first. Their relationship grew and developed into something more, but not until Jake was ready for it, he had to heal first. I loved Jake's passion and sense of art with his metal, and how great that worked out for him in the end.
This was a rough story. I didn't feel particularly happy reading it, but it was so beautiful. The writing was wonderful. I can't wait to get this in audio narrated by Greg Tremblay. I'm so happy for Jake finding happiness in his life, and Dallas being the guy he found it with.
This was a rough story. I didn't feel particularly happy reading it, but it was so beautiful. The writing was wonderful. I can't wait to get this in audio narrated by Greg Tremblay. I'm so happy for Jake finding happiness in his life, and Dallas being the guy he found it with.
January 27, 2024
I'm so disappointed that I could cry! The first half of this book was a 5 star read and I was thinking to myself that this will be one of those books where I knew it would be a 5 star read right from the start. But then the whole thing fizzled out. The main problem boils down to this: the author did a great job creating an MC dealing with severe mental health issues and the author also did a great job showing what the MC's daily life was like and why having the love interest show up made such a huge difference in his life. Unfortunately, the author didn't make the recovery part of the MC's arc interesting and thus, the second half of the book was a weird mish-mash of irrelevant plot points, purple prose and vague references to the MC getting better off page. *screams into the void*
The first half of the story was incredibly dark and very, very heavy. The first scene introduces us to Jake as he sits at his kitchen table and .
Jake's life has been misery from day one and the author doesn't shy away from sharing the details.
Listing it all out like that would normally put the angst into the 'Way Too Much' category. But to my delight, I felt the author did a great job making the situation feel realistic and making me resonate with Jake, to the point where I sobbed right alongside Jake multiple times. I think this was due to two things: the poetic and beautiful writing style that stretched out the information delivery so it didn't feel overwhelming, and the author making sure to parcel the information out between more light hearted things (like how Jake met Dallas and Dallas' renovation work). The beautiful writing worked really well for discussing Jake's mental state and what he struggles with because using metaphors and rich language had a bigger impact on me than the author just constantly saying 'Jake was really, really sad'. Some examples:
xxxx
Most of all, he was scared of living. That much he knew. He'd dipped his toe into its raging waters once, and his world became a storm of hellfire and anguish.
xxxx
It [holding hands to offer comfort] was a human thing to do, something he'd [Dallas] done countless time before with friends and even strangers, but Dallas held back. Jake Moore trembled and shook under his skin, as fragile and delicate as antique glass, overheated by emotion and stress.
xxxx
We spend a lot more time in Jake's head than we do Dallas' and the author did such a great job conveying Jake's emotions that I was as overwhelmed as Jake was when Dallas started gently knocking on the brick walls Jake had built around himself. The way Dallas used his kindness and positive attitude to make Jake feel at ease was something that felt very natural and I completely understood why Jake often cried when he was with Dallas and felt comfortable sharing details about his past. I'm usually the first person to berate a book if the characters are acting overly emotional and constantly crying, but that's why I loved this book. The author's writing style and approach to Jake made his emotional reactions to things feel completely realistic to me.
It also helped that Jake doesn't spend his life wallowing in self-pity. The guy has no idea how to deal with the massive amount of trauma he's carrying around with him but he's separated the parts of his life that he doesn't know how to fix from the parts that he feels confident handling. He's a very talented welder who takes his job seriously and is good enough to handle tricky historical restoration projects. He's a kind, polite man who's always ready to offer a hand if somebody needs help and he's very grateful whenever somebody shows him any kindness and he does his best to return it.
The best demonstration of who Jake is was seeing him interact with his father.
The story did feel quite lopsided because Dallas is just Mr. Perfect and asides from a minor plotline near the end, Dallas is always in the caregiving role. I prefer having stories be a bit more balanced, but I loved the way the author portrayed Jake and he had so much to deal with throughout the story that I didn't mind in this case.
Another thing I was really excited about was seeing Dallas' reaction when he understands the full extent of the trauma Jake is dealing with. To my pleasant surprise, Dallas immediately identifies that Jake's issues are way too severe for Dallas or other random people to deal with on their own. I have certain views about talk therapists and mental health medication but in Jake's case, I completely agreed with Dallas that Jake needed professional help.
Then we get to the second half of the story and everything fell apart. *excuse me while I go cry*
Either the author didn't want to showcase Jake's recovery arc or they had trouble with the research because we're randomly informed that Jake has been going to therapy and we only get one on-page therapy session that was mostly done through telling instead of showing. As for Dallas and Jake's relationship - we're also told instead of shown that they go on many dates and grow closer and more comfortable with each other. I did appreciate that the first sex scene happens after they've been together for months, but . Listen - if I'm reading a smut scene and I have trouble figuring out when exactly characters orgasm because there are multiple times in the scene where it sounds like it's happened, that's not good.
The purple prose was also a problem in the non-smut parts. While the beautiful, poetic language served a really great purpose in the first half, it was just a way to pad the word count in the second half. Another filler tactic that the author employed was adding in tons of irrelevant details and even irrelevant plotlines. There were small examples, such as the author pointing out the changing hairstyles of side characters or writing out an entire conversation between two very minor side characters (the cops at the station) that had nothing to do with the story. Then there were bigger time wasters, like the whole thing with .
My biggest disappointment is that we don't get to see Jake's emotional recovery, which defeats the entire purpose of the story. I was very in tune with Jake's emotions in the first half, since they controlled the entire story but that wasn't the case in the second half. We were supposed to believe that Jake was getting better because we're told he is. It felt like we spent the first half of the book in Jake's head and the second half, we were just a random bystander and that was a big disappointment.
Overall, this story was a mixed bag for me. I loved the author's approach to the intense angst and heaviness in the first half so I'm definitely going to check out more of the author's work, but I felt the author dropped the ball in the second half.
The first half of the story was incredibly dark and very, very heavy. The first scene introduces us to Jake as he sits at his kitchen table and .
Jake's life has been misery from day one and the author doesn't shy away from sharing the details.
Listing it all out like that would normally put the angst into the 'Way Too Much' category. But to my delight, I felt the author did a great job making the situation feel realistic and making me resonate with Jake, to the point where I sobbed right alongside Jake multiple times. I think this was due to two things: the poetic and beautiful writing style that stretched out the information delivery so it didn't feel overwhelming, and the author making sure to parcel the information out between more light hearted things (like how Jake met Dallas and Dallas' renovation work). The beautiful writing worked really well for discussing Jake's mental state and what he struggles with because using metaphors and rich language had a bigger impact on me than the author just constantly saying 'Jake was really, really sad'. Some examples:
xxxx
Most of all, he was scared of living. That much he knew. He'd dipped his toe into its raging waters once, and his world became a storm of hellfire and anguish.
xxxx
It [holding hands to offer comfort] was a human thing to do, something he'd [Dallas] done countless time before with friends and even strangers, but Dallas held back. Jake Moore trembled and shook under his skin, as fragile and delicate as antique glass, overheated by emotion and stress.
xxxx
We spend a lot more time in Jake's head than we do Dallas' and the author did such a great job conveying Jake's emotions that I was as overwhelmed as Jake was when Dallas started gently knocking on the brick walls Jake had built around himself. The way Dallas used his kindness and positive attitude to make Jake feel at ease was something that felt very natural and I completely understood why Jake often cried when he was with Dallas and felt comfortable sharing details about his past. I'm usually the first person to berate a book if the characters are acting overly emotional and constantly crying, but that's why I loved this book. The author's writing style and approach to Jake made his emotional reactions to things feel completely realistic to me.
It also helped that Jake doesn't spend his life wallowing in self-pity. The guy has no idea how to deal with the massive amount of trauma he's carrying around with him but he's separated the parts of his life that he doesn't know how to fix from the parts that he feels confident handling. He's a very talented welder who takes his job seriously and is good enough to handle tricky historical restoration projects. He's a kind, polite man who's always ready to offer a hand if somebody needs help and he's very grateful whenever somebody shows him any kindness and he does his best to return it.
The best demonstration of who Jake is was seeing him interact with his father.
The story did feel quite lopsided because Dallas is just Mr. Perfect and asides from a minor plotline near the end, Dallas is always in the caregiving role. I prefer having stories be a bit more balanced, but I loved the way the author portrayed Jake and he had so much to deal with throughout the story that I didn't mind in this case.
Another thing I was really excited about was seeing Dallas' reaction when he understands the full extent of the trauma Jake is dealing with. To my pleasant surprise, Dallas immediately identifies that Jake's issues are way too severe for Dallas or other random people to deal with on their own. I have certain views about talk therapists and mental health medication but in Jake's case, I completely agreed with Dallas that Jake needed professional help.
Then we get to the second half of the story and everything fell apart. *excuse me while I go cry*
Either the author didn't want to showcase Jake's recovery arc or they had trouble with the research because we're randomly informed that Jake has been going to therapy and we only get one on-page therapy session that was mostly done through telling instead of showing. As for Dallas and Jake's relationship - we're also told instead of shown that they go on many dates and grow closer and more comfortable with each other. I did appreciate that the first sex scene happens after they've been together for months, but . Listen - if I'm reading a smut scene and I have trouble figuring out when exactly characters orgasm because there are multiple times in the scene where it sounds like it's happened, that's not good.
The purple prose was also a problem in the non-smut parts. While the beautiful, poetic language served a really great purpose in the first half, it was just a way to pad the word count in the second half. Another filler tactic that the author employed was adding in tons of irrelevant details and even irrelevant plotlines. There were small examples, such as the author pointing out the changing hairstyles of side characters or writing out an entire conversation between two very minor side characters (the cops at the station) that had nothing to do with the story. Then there were bigger time wasters, like the whole thing with .
My biggest disappointment is that we don't get to see Jake's emotional recovery, which defeats the entire purpose of the story. I was very in tune with Jake's emotions in the first half, since they controlled the entire story but that wasn't the case in the second half. We were supposed to believe that Jake was getting better because we're told he is. It felt like we spent the first half of the book in Jake's head and the second half, we were just a random bystander and that was a big disappointment.
Overall, this story was a mixed bag for me. I loved the author's approach to the intense angst and heaviness in the first half so I'm definitely going to check out more of the author's work, but I felt the author dropped the ball in the second half.
Read
March 19, 20175 Hearts!!!
Last night I finished this book. I stayed up past by bedtime because I couldn't’ stop reading. I went to bed with the biggest smile on my face and less than 5 hours later was up, still energized and happy from the ending and ran longer and faster than my training told me to. Why am I telling you all of this, because this book... GAVE. ME. LIFE.
There’s this feeling I get with books when I connect with them and I connected immediately with Jake when we meet him. No, I haven’t been in that exact situation but I felt Jake at that moment. I felt his desperation and his will all at the same time. Those conflicting emotions live within me on a daily basis and their antagonism is relentless, yet such a powerful force. You have to forgive me with this review, it may get a bit personal but, I took this story personal.
I have to say that if you compare this Rhys Ford story to any of her pervious works, you are doing yourself and her a grievous fault. This is totally a Rhys Ford book and yet the purity of emotions that go deep into the level of hurt/comfort is outstanding. There are no action packed sequences or supernatural things happening in this book, the only magic you get here is the epic romance between Jake and Dallas. This is profound and emotional Rhys Ford, turned up to 11.
Jake, man do I ever get you dude. I just want to hug you and wrap you in bubble wrap so no one can hurt you and I just want to stand behind you with my hands on your shoulders letting you know I’ve got you back in any and everything you. You sir are amazing, inside and out and so fucking strong, you really don’t even know it. I was with you my dear Jake as you went through the phases of dealing with your dad. I got you, even when I didn’t want to and boy, I didn’t want to plenty of times.
Jake Moore is a wonderful and broken man. A man so deep in the closet he wears his Levi’s until they are so thin and fit perfectly to his body, because he can’t find anything else inside the darkness. I know, I am talking in circles but it’s hard for me to review this without giving anything away. Jake is special and it totally takes someone just as special to see that all he needs is a friend and then maybe more.
I adored the holy hell out of Dallas Yates. I love that he is this big goofy guy who loves his life and his best friend Celeste. He has a good life, a good family that loves him and teases the hell out of him but one moment of seeing the guy across the street from the new building he is buying and Dallas is lost. You can see from the beginning how the hurt/comfort will work with these two but then you are tossed upside down because Ford makes this even more than the traditional hurt/comfort. Yeah, she goes deep down with the darker side of humanity with this story and you feel every atrocity committed against these characters and you want to rage at it.
I have to admit, this book hit me personally on a few levels. I know what it’s like to grow up abused by a parent, both physically and mentally only to have to turn around as an adult and take care of that parent due to dementia. It’s a pretty fucked up situation when you have someone continually insulting you, even if they think you are someone else while in front of them, and have to care for that person. For me, it’s my mother and while she wasn’t the best parent and the root of a lot of issues I have with myself, her mental health has become something that is now my responsibility and seeing Jake having to deal with his asshole father, hit home like a belt to the ass.
You know what? This book should be a huge trigger for me and yet it's not because of the way the author writes it. I am in love with this story and I should have had a knee jerk reaction to that first part with Jake but instead, it made me involved from the first page. I am a reader who feels way too fucking much and this should’ve made me run away, but I couldn’t. Romance like this needs to be read, respected and revered for being perceived outside the norm of the author.
This isn't instant anything. Everything you get, everything the MC’s get is fought for with blood, sweat, come and tears. Yes, Jake and Dallas have instant attraction to one another but anything else is so damn slow that I had blue balls. I think when a book deals with issues like the one Ford throws at us, it can make people uncomfortable because it's not a book where you can forget what's on the page. It's a deeper level of romance for me, one that goes above and beyond what we're used to. Rhys Ford doesn't shy away from making shit real and in your face to see how strong a connection can be that ultimately leads to an epic romance.
The fact that Dallas takes his time with Jake, allows Jake to set the pace of where things go and when was beautiful. Dallas knows that until you love yourself, you can’t love anyone else and while he loves the bones off Jake, he wants that same thing back. But Dallas also knows that if love isn’t something Jake can give him, he’ll still be there as a friend because that is what Jake needs most. And Jake, he knows what he needs to do, to let go of his past and move on but knowing and doing are two very different animals indeed.
I have to make two points.
One: The way we meet Dallas’s BFF Celeste was awesome. I will just say I love that we meet her and know her before we even are aware what letter she claims under the rainbow, but I think that’s how it should be. She is who she is, and I love that moment where Jake tells her just that… it filled my heart with pure joy.
Two: Rhys Ford has the best descriptions of a scene, people and actions in this book that it has me waxing poetically to Jenni Lea about a damn bench! Seriously, this book is cinematic and so full of stunning imagery that it belongs on film somewhere.
Back to me attempting to review this. I guess it’s obvious that I loved the hell out of this book. I think each issue brought up was handled wonderfully, respectfully and never with kid gloves. You can bring things to a story and make them real without walking on egg shells over the subjects. I think this book needed to be more present and laid bare so that the reader feels the rawness of everything Jake and Dallas go through along with those they care about. Jake and Dallas have a truly romantic love story that is all about the hurt/comfort and there are so many poignant and pretty moments between them I was hugging my Nook so that I could hug them. That end was pure perfection and while I was beyond happy, I wasn’t ready to let go of them but I knew they had each other and would be okay.
So yup. This story is simply amazing and I honestly cannot recommend it enough.
******
See the group review on the blog...
Last night I finished this book. I stayed up past by bedtime because I couldn't’ stop reading. I went to bed with the biggest smile on my face and less than 5 hours later was up, still energized and happy from the ending and ran longer and faster than my training told me to. Why am I telling you all of this, because this book... GAVE. ME. LIFE.
There’s this feeling I get with books when I connect with them and I connected immediately with Jake when we meet him. No, I haven’t been in that exact situation but I felt Jake at that moment. I felt his desperation and his will all at the same time. Those conflicting emotions live within me on a daily basis and their antagonism is relentless, yet such a powerful force. You have to forgive me with this review, it may get a bit personal but, I took this story personal.
I have to say that if you compare this Rhys Ford story to any of her pervious works, you are doing yourself and her a grievous fault. This is totally a Rhys Ford book and yet the purity of emotions that go deep into the level of hurt/comfort is outstanding. There are no action packed sequences or supernatural things happening in this book, the only magic you get here is the epic romance between Jake and Dallas. This is profound and emotional Rhys Ford, turned up to 11.
Jake, man do I ever get you dude. I just want to hug you and wrap you in bubble wrap so no one can hurt you and I just want to stand behind you with my hands on your shoulders letting you know I’ve got you back in any and everything you. You sir are amazing, inside and out and so fucking strong, you really don’t even know it. I was with you my dear Jake as you went through the phases of dealing with your dad. I got you, even when I didn’t want to and boy, I didn’t want to plenty of times.
Dallas Yates was everything Jake needed to deny himself.
Jake Moore is a wonderful and broken man. A man so deep in the closet he wears his Levi’s until they are so thin and fit perfectly to his body, because he can’t find anything else inside the darkness. I know, I am talking in circles but it’s hard for me to review this without giving anything away. Jake is special and it totally takes someone just as special to see that all he needs is a friend and then maybe more.
I adored the holy hell out of Dallas Yates. I love that he is this big goofy guy who loves his life and his best friend Celeste. He has a good life, a good family that loves him and teases the hell out of him but one moment of seeing the guy across the street from the new building he is buying and Dallas is lost. You can see from the beginning how the hurt/comfort will work with these two but then you are tossed upside down because Ford makes this even more than the traditional hurt/comfort. Yeah, she goes deep down with the darker side of humanity with this story and you feel every atrocity committed against these characters and you want to rage at it.
He wasn’t going to think about his father. He couldn’t. Ron Moore belonged in a box on a shelf Jake only took out when it rattled for attention, and the guilt of putting him back there every day was getting too heavy to carry.
I have to admit, this book hit me personally on a few levels. I know what it’s like to grow up abused by a parent, both physically and mentally only to have to turn around as an adult and take care of that parent due to dementia. It’s a pretty fucked up situation when you have someone continually insulting you, even if they think you are someone else while in front of them, and have to care for that person. For me, it’s my mother and while she wasn’t the best parent and the root of a lot of issues I have with myself, her mental health has become something that is now my responsibility and seeing Jake having to deal with his asshole father, hit home like a belt to the ass.
You know what? This book should be a huge trigger for me and yet it's not because of the way the author writes it. I am in love with this story and I should have had a knee jerk reaction to that first part with Jake but instead, it made me involved from the first page. I am a reader who feels way too fucking much and this should’ve made me run away, but I couldn’t. Romance like this needs to be read, respected and revered for being perceived outside the norm of the author.
This isn't instant anything. Everything you get, everything the MC’s get is fought for with blood, sweat, come and tears. Yes, Jake and Dallas have instant attraction to one another but anything else is so damn slow that I had blue balls. I think when a book deals with issues like the one Ford throws at us, it can make people uncomfortable because it's not a book where you can forget what's on the page. It's a deeper level of romance for me, one that goes above and beyond what we're used to. Rhys Ford doesn't shy away from making shit real and in your face to see how strong a connection can be that ultimately leads to an epic romance.
Take care of yourself. That’s number one. In all things.
The fact that Dallas takes his time with Jake, allows Jake to set the pace of where things go and when was beautiful. Dallas knows that until you love yourself, you can’t love anyone else and while he loves the bones off Jake, he wants that same thing back. But Dallas also knows that if love isn’t something Jake can give him, he’ll still be there as a friend because that is what Jake needs most. And Jake, he knows what he needs to do, to let go of his past and move on but knowing and doing are two very different animals indeed.
I have to make two points.
One: The way we meet Dallas’s BFF Celeste was awesome. I will just say I love that we meet her and know her before we even are aware what letter she claims under the rainbow, but I think that’s how it should be. She is who she is, and I love that moment where Jake tells her just that… it filled my heart with pure joy.
Two: Rhys Ford has the best descriptions of a scene, people and actions in this book that it has me waxing poetically to Jenni Lea about a damn bench! Seriously, this book is cinematic and so full of stunning imagery that it belongs on film somewhere.
Back to me attempting to review this. I guess it’s obvious that I loved the hell out of this book. I think each issue brought up was handled wonderfully, respectfully and never with kid gloves. You can bring things to a story and make them real without walking on egg shells over the subjects. I think this book needed to be more present and laid bare so that the reader feels the rawness of everything Jake and Dallas go through along with those they care about. Jake and Dallas have a truly romantic love story that is all about the hurt/comfort and there are so many poignant and pretty moments between them I was hugging my Nook so that I could hug them. That end was pure perfection and while I was beyond happy, I wasn’t ready to let go of them but I knew they had each other and would be okay.
So yup. This story is simply amazing and I honestly cannot recommend it enough.
******
See the group review on the blog...
July 13, 2019
E-book or audio, I love this book...
I had the good fortune to review this back in March of this year when the e-book was released and when the opportunity to review the audiobook narrated by Greg Tremblay became available I was all over that baby. I love this book...the story simply melts my heart.
Whether it's a song or a favorite sweater, the car we drive, or the person we snuggle up to in bed a night we love who and what we love and there just doesn't have to be a rhyme or reason for it and I love this book.
And as is the case more often than not with a book that I loved my review was long and as far as I'm concerned my feelings about this one haven't changed so, if it's not broke let's not fix it...
Original Review: There's This Guy by Rhys Ford
Now about the audio portion of this review...as I said it's narrated by Greg Tremblay and quite honestly he's awesome and while I've listened to a few books narrated by Mr. Tremblay, I think this one might very well be my favorite. I love the voices that he gave to the characters especially Dallas and Jake. Dallas had a bit of a slow southern drawl in his tone with a an underlying silky smoothness to it that at times just had me sighing in contentment, I loved Dallas's voice.
Let's see if I can explain Jake's voice. Interestingly enough Jake's voice was my favorite and for a big convoluted reason that I'm not going to bore you with...we're going to suffice it to say I am Canadian I've spent time in most of our provinces and while I found Jake's accent to be more reminiscent of someone from the Maritmes than Quebec...I care not. I loved the sound of Jake's voice and I love how expressive it was because that far more indicative of the french Canadian language no matter what part of Canada it's found in. So did I feel like Jake's accent was reflective of someone who spent time growing up in Montreal...maybe not so much, did I like it...hell yeah! because it still felt Canadian but most of all it felt right for the character. 'There's This Guy' started with 5 stars and for me the audiobook finished with 5 'I love it even more' stars.
For my buddy read besties who haven't read this one yet and you know who you are. I found a song for this one, I guess I'd have to say it's Dallas's song for Jake...
I Knew I Loved You by Savage Garden
If you want to know why this song you'll need to read the book, lol!!!
*********************
An audiobook of 'There's This Guy' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I had the good fortune to review this back in March of this year when the e-book was released and when the opportunity to review the audiobook narrated by Greg Tremblay became available I was all over that baby. I love this book...the story simply melts my heart.
Whether it's a song or a favorite sweater, the car we drive, or the person we snuggle up to in bed a night we love who and what we love and there just doesn't have to be a rhyme or reason for it and I love this book.
And as is the case more often than not with a book that I loved my review was long and as far as I'm concerned my feelings about this one haven't changed so, if it's not broke let's not fix it...
Original Review: There's This Guy by Rhys Ford
Now about the audio portion of this review...as I said it's narrated by Greg Tremblay and quite honestly he's awesome and while I've listened to a few books narrated by Mr. Tremblay, I think this one might very well be my favorite. I love the voices that he gave to the characters especially Dallas and Jake. Dallas had a bit of a slow southern drawl in his tone with a an underlying silky smoothness to it that at times just had me sighing in contentment, I loved Dallas's voice.
Let's see if I can explain Jake's voice. Interestingly enough Jake's voice was my favorite and for a big convoluted reason that I'm not going to bore you with...we're going to suffice it to say I am Canadian I've spent time in most of our provinces and while I found Jake's accent to be more reminiscent of someone from the Maritmes than Quebec...I care not. I loved the sound of Jake's voice and I love how expressive it was because that far more indicative of the french Canadian language no matter what part of Canada it's found in. So did I feel like Jake's accent was reflective of someone who spent time growing up in Montreal...maybe not so much, did I like it...hell yeah! because it still felt Canadian but most of all it felt right for the character. 'There's This Guy' started with 5 stars and for me the audiobook finished with 5 'I love it even more' stars.
For my buddy read besties who haven't read this one yet and you know who you are. I found a song for this one, I guess I'd have to say it's Dallas's song for Jake...
I Knew I Loved You by Savage Garden
If you want to know why this song you'll need to read the book, lol!!!
*********************
An audiobook of 'There's This Guy' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 21, 2017
This is an emotional ride, I had to let it sit before reviewing and have only now followed it with the audio. The audio adds to the experience, Greg Tremblay brings each character alive delivering the story so naturally that it's easy to immerse yourself and forget it's one man reading. Kudos sir.
-- --
Hurt/Comfort - There's a lot of possible triggers here - suicidal thoughts, dementia, bereavement, childhood/domestic abuse, past rape. It's powerful from the start and could be a hard book to read. Trauma doesn't miraculously go away, therapy is saught.
Poor Jake is very alone at the start and hitting his lowest, through the book he blooms with support and love from Dallas, we see him come to accept himself and his abilities, finding he has a family far better than the one he was born to.
There are hard times with his father, family responsibilty and a promise warring with the ugly truth of the man. It felt very real. However ugly the thread, being cut loose can be a scary thought. And Jake is a good sweet man, a man who does his best, regardless. In some way he's still a child wanting to be loved.
Dalla has a lot of love to give. He's a sweetheart, a fixer who wants to make things right. His appreciation of Jake was very clear but he was willing to put that aside to be what was needed, luckily Dallas proves to be exactly what Jake needed.
As always with a Ford the side characters are a joy to meet, colouring the pages with their personality without overtaking the story. In a book heavy with pain Celeste is a ray of fabulously turned out sunshine.
The language has a touch of meladrama about it which suits the moments and situations. Like shaking off a heavy bad dream the characters reaching for something better. There are lines that grabbed me and a few sniffles along the way, some of them happy.
It leaves me smiling, feeling touched, hopeful, and in need of something fluffy!
-- --
Hurt/Comfort - There's a lot of possible triggers here - suicidal thoughts, dementia, bereavement, childhood/domestic abuse, past rape. It's powerful from the start and could be a hard book to read. Trauma doesn't miraculously go away, therapy is saught.
Poor Jake is very alone at the start and hitting his lowest, through the book he blooms with support and love from Dallas, we see him come to accept himself and his abilities, finding he has a family far better than the one he was born to.
There are hard times with his father, family responsibilty and a promise warring with the ugly truth of the man. It felt very real. However ugly the thread, being cut loose can be a scary thought. And Jake is a good sweet man, a man who does his best, regardless. In some way he's still a child wanting to be loved.
Dalla has a lot of love to give. He's a sweetheart, a fixer who wants to make things right. His appreciation of Jake was very clear but he was willing to put that aside to be what was needed, luckily Dallas proves to be exactly what Jake needed.
As always with a Ford the side characters are a joy to meet, colouring the pages with their personality without overtaking the story. In a book heavy with pain Celeste is a ray of fabulously turned out sunshine.
The language has a touch of meladrama about it which suits the moments and situations. Like shaking off a heavy bad dream the characters reaching for something better. There are lines that grabbed me and a few sniffles along the way, some of them happy.
It leaves me smiling, feeling touched, hopeful, and in need of something fluffy!
April 21, 2017
I really enjoyed this book, while it had angsty, emotional moments there was enough light to keep it balanced. I loved the persistence of Dallas and the perception of Celeste - who slowly coaxed Jack back into life, from his emotional world of hurt into something a little more honest and real.
March 19, 2017
It would be really easy to focus solely on Jake and his journey from despair to happiness. He's in so much pain that it's impossible not to feel and sympathize with and want to protect him from. He's such a good guy and that makes it so much worse. His pain is something you feel in your heart as you read. But what's amazing for me in this book is Dallas. In Dallas, we have one the healthiest characters I've read in a long time. He has a scene where he's in a graveyard speaking to his ex who died and I expected guilt, I expected pain and instead he's having a discussion. Dallas tells him that he wishes he'd come to him, talked to him, and he's sorry for the choice that HE made. Dallas knows it has nothing to do with him, that others make choices that he has no control over, and because of that, I just knew that Dallas would be able to get through to Jake. I saw how strong he was, how truly together, how he was that explosion of color that Jake needed in his monochrome life.
I love Jake--love him!--he needs so much nurturing and hugging and protection and I wanted him to have that and I ached for him to let Dallas be that person for him. But I love Dallas even more for his tenacity and his understanding and his unconditional love. Even if Jake can't be what Dallas wants, that's okay, Dallas will still be there, stalwart and true. It's a beautiful book that made me smile and cry in equal parts. Not to be missed.
I love Jake--love him!--he needs so much nurturing and hugging and protection and I wanted him to have that and I ached for him to let Dallas be that person for him. But I love Dallas even more for his tenacity and his understanding and his unconditional love. Even if Jake can't be what Dallas wants, that's okay, Dallas will still be there, stalwart and true. It's a beautiful book that made me smile and cry in equal parts. Not to be missed.
March 19, 2017
Rhys said she wrote this as her first contemporary novel, as opposed to the murder mysteries and fantasy of her other books. She succeeded in that respect, creating a strong hurt/comfort story, written in her inimitable style. Dallas did remind me of the MC's in her other books. He was witty, warmhearted, intelligent and compassionate. Renovating a building for a new club, he is immediately attracted to Jake, even from glimpses across the street to where Jake works as a welder. Jake is attracted to Dallas too but does not want to be, at all. Jake has had a bleak, brutal life, with the early loss of his loving but narrow-minded, abused mother and left alone to care for a vicious, hateful father at the end of his life. His life has little meaning left and he is living in limbo, thinking he has only one choice in changing it.
The opening paragraphs are a little disturbing. Fortunately Dallas's character, as well as his BFF Celeste, bring a lighter tone with the kind of banter and snark I'm accustomed to from a Rhys Ford book. However, I felt a little lost in an excess of detail and dialogue at times. I didn't get a strong sense of how Jake and Dallas really fell in love until later in the book, when it was pretty much a done deal. There was too much of how Dallas saw Jake and not enough of Jake himself. I wanted to see more of them spending time together in the beginning. There was too much telling IMO.
I guess Rhys could not resist throwing a dead body into the story. It gave us a few quick cameos of characters from other books but I felt it was an unnecessary subplot and wish the page time had gone to Jake and Dallas. I do appreciate that one of Dallas's goals was getting Jake to therapy. I would have liked a better idea of the MC's ages, too. There was an incident with Jakes mother that I see as a loose thread in the plot, unless this is setting up for a series but I don't recall that mentioned.
Still, I can never truly dislike Rhys's stories. The descriptive, evocative wording makes it so easy to visualize settings and people. The dialogue exchanges between Celeste and Dallas and Dallas and his family were funny and it had a beautiful and touching ending too. It is fairly low steam and very slow burn but I expect that from Rhys. Enjoyable and recommended for hurt/comfort romance readers.
The opening paragraphs are a little disturbing. Fortunately Dallas's character, as well as his BFF Celeste, bring a lighter tone with the kind of banter and snark I'm accustomed to from a Rhys Ford book. However, I felt a little lost in an excess of detail and dialogue at times. I didn't get a strong sense of how Jake and Dallas really fell in love until later in the book, when it was pretty much a done deal. There was too much of how Dallas saw Jake and not enough of Jake himself. I wanted to see more of them spending time together in the beginning. There was too much telling IMO.
I guess Rhys could not resist throwing a dead body into the story. It gave us a few quick cameos of characters from other books but I felt it was an unnecessary subplot and wish the page time had gone to Jake and Dallas. I do appreciate that one of Dallas's goals was getting Jake to therapy. I would have liked a better idea of the MC's ages, too. There was an incident with Jakes mother that I see as a loose thread in the plot, unless this is setting up for a series but I don't recall that mentioned.
Still, I can never truly dislike Rhys's stories. The descriptive, evocative wording makes it so easy to visualize settings and people. The dialogue exchanges between Celeste and Dallas and Dallas and his family were funny and it had a beautiful and touching ending too. It is fairly low steam and very slow burn but I expect that from Rhys. Enjoyable and recommended for hurt/comfort romance readers.
April 13, 2020
5 stars audio
5 heavy stars story.
5 heavy stars story.
March 16, 2017
3.5 stars – Rhys Ford’s There’s This Guy is the sort of book that I wish the author had written as a longer story than it is. It best fits the trope of healing/comfort, and the primary plotline pulls the reader in from the very first scene. However, the progression of the novel and some of the author’s stylistic choices made the romantic aspect fail to click quite as well for me as I had hoped it would.
The main focus of the story is the angst around Jake Moore’s relationship with his abusive, domineering father. Jake’s entire life has been defined by the horrible actions of the man, but with his father now on his death bed, Jake’s internal darkness leaves him stuck between the pain of his past and an unknown future of being broken and alone. Dallas Yates is the new owner of the building across the street from the metalworking shop where Jake works, and the first time their eyes meet is enough for Dallas to know he wants to know the man better. The friendship that forms between them is a salve on Jake’s tortured soul, but no matter how much love and support Dallas can give him, it might not be enough to save him from his demons.
It would be an understatement to say that There’s This Guy contains a lot of drama and, with it, a great deal of emotion. This heavy tone is set immediately in the first scene, one which is uncomfortable enough that I almost reconsidered my decision to read the book. There author really doesn’t let up on the intensity much as the book progresses either, but fortunately, the characters are developed enough early on so that they aren’t lost in the quagmire of the drama. Underneath all the pain, Jake has the soul of an artist, and while he knows exactly why he’s miserable, he can’t find a way out from it. Dallas’s need to help those he cares about equips him well for being just what Jake needs, even though he worries that he may not be enough and could well end up destroyed if that’s the case.
Because of all this drama, though, I found it difficult to get pulled into the romantic pairing Jake and Dallas were forming. The tone that’s set from that first scene leaves very little time for the majority of the book to do anything other than be worried about and feel sorry for Jake while hoping that things will get better for him. While this doesn’t quite fit into the category of romances I refer to as “misery romance,” it’s terribly close, primarily because Jake’s turmoil colors every bit of the interaction between him and Dallas.
It also means that the romance is, out of necessity, slow to develop, as Jake is in no position for most of the book to deal with anything more than just a friendship. Though it’s easy to feel their connection and the desire waiting to envelop them together, the tenor of the story doesn’t let up until the very end of the novel, and even then I wasn’t quite convinced that Jake’s growth had got to the point for my concern to be assuaged enough to feel the romantic part.
I wonder if some of this might have been remedied with some extra scenes that weren’t so heavy on the drama. Even the subplots that are separate from Jake’s father-related issues are such that they seem to be there mainly for extra dramatic effect, something the book really doesn’t need more of. And often, these extra subplots felt like they were just extra instead of being integral to the main storyline. So perhaps my earlier assessment that the story isn't long enough is wrong; I needed it to be more focused on building the relationship between Jake and Dallas instead of on throwing ever more drama their way.
There’s This Guy is my first exposure to Rhys Ford, and perhaps this wasn’t the best place for me to start, as I’ve heard so many good things about her work. Even though this one didn’t work for me from a romantic standpoint as well as other books I’ve read, it’s easy for me to see from the way she writes that a different sort of plot could quite well be the only thing I would need in order to enjoy her books. That being said, this story is something that will appeal to many readers, especially those whose heart strings are pulled harder by reading about characters with painful pasts and how they move beyond them. In order for me to get full satisfaction out of such a story, though, I need more of the pure romance so that the resolution feels like something worth celebrating instead of just being grateful that the characters make it out alive.
The author and/or publisher generously provided me a complimentary copy of There's This Guy in exchange for this fair and honest review.
Follow Me: Reviews by Tammy & Kim | Facebook | Twitter
The main focus of the story is the angst around Jake Moore’s relationship with his abusive, domineering father. Jake’s entire life has been defined by the horrible actions of the man, but with his father now on his death bed, Jake’s internal darkness leaves him stuck between the pain of his past and an unknown future of being broken and alone. Dallas Yates is the new owner of the building across the street from the metalworking shop where Jake works, and the first time their eyes meet is enough for Dallas to know he wants to know the man better. The friendship that forms between them is a salve on Jake’s tortured soul, but no matter how much love and support Dallas can give him, it might not be enough to save him from his demons.
It would be an understatement to say that There’s This Guy contains a lot of drama and, with it, a great deal of emotion. This heavy tone is set immediately in the first scene, one which is uncomfortable enough that I almost reconsidered my decision to read the book. There author really doesn’t let up on the intensity much as the book progresses either, but fortunately, the characters are developed enough early on so that they aren’t lost in the quagmire of the drama. Underneath all the pain, Jake has the soul of an artist, and while he knows exactly why he’s miserable, he can’t find a way out from it. Dallas’s need to help those he cares about equips him well for being just what Jake needs, even though he worries that he may not be enough and could well end up destroyed if that’s the case.
Because of all this drama, though, I found it difficult to get pulled into the romantic pairing Jake and Dallas were forming. The tone that’s set from that first scene leaves very little time for the majority of the book to do anything other than be worried about and feel sorry for Jake while hoping that things will get better for him. While this doesn’t quite fit into the category of romances I refer to as “misery romance,” it’s terribly close, primarily because Jake’s turmoil colors every bit of the interaction between him and Dallas.
It also means that the romance is, out of necessity, slow to develop, as Jake is in no position for most of the book to deal with anything more than just a friendship. Though it’s easy to feel their connection and the desire waiting to envelop them together, the tenor of the story doesn’t let up until the very end of the novel, and even then I wasn’t quite convinced that Jake’s growth had got to the point for my concern to be assuaged enough to feel the romantic part.
I wonder if some of this might have been remedied with some extra scenes that weren’t so heavy on the drama. Even the subplots that are separate from Jake’s father-related issues are such that they seem to be there mainly for extra dramatic effect, something the book really doesn’t need more of. And often, these extra subplots felt like they were just extra instead of being integral to the main storyline. So perhaps my earlier assessment that the story isn't long enough is wrong; I needed it to be more focused on building the relationship between Jake and Dallas instead of on throwing ever more drama their way.
There’s This Guy is my first exposure to Rhys Ford, and perhaps this wasn’t the best place for me to start, as I’ve heard so many good things about her work. Even though this one didn’t work for me from a romantic standpoint as well as other books I’ve read, it’s easy for me to see from the way she writes that a different sort of plot could quite well be the only thing I would need in order to enjoy her books. That being said, this story is something that will appeal to many readers, especially those whose heart strings are pulled harder by reading about characters with painful pasts and how they move beyond them. In order for me to get full satisfaction out of such a story, though, I need more of the pure romance so that the resolution feels like something worth celebrating instead of just being grateful that the characters make it out alive.
The author and/or publisher generously provided me a complimentary copy of There's This Guy in exchange for this fair and honest review.
Follow Me: Reviews by Tammy & Kim | Facebook | Twitter
October 4, 2017
Boy was this a hard read. Emotionally. But it's also a really sweet read. Poor Jake...I just want to hug him. GIVE HIM ALL THE GOOD THINGS. Which is all Dallas wants to do so I approve. Dallas was a great support for Jake. Not pushy but there to nudge. I could've done without the added mystery. The emotional angst was enough drama. I loved Dallas's BFF whose name I can't remember at the moment. Her relationship with the guys was great. All her moments being accidentally charmed by Jake made me smile. I really enjoyed this.
February 13, 2018
Jake Moore hat ein Leben hinter sich, das wünsche ich meinen ärgsten Feind nicht, weil kein Kind verdient, was sein bösartiger Vater und zum Teil auch seine Mutter ihm angetan haben. Das Ergebnis davon ist ein seelisch völlig verkorkster Erwachsener, der kurz davor steht, sich die Waffe seines Vaters in den Mund zu schieben und seinem jämmerlicher Dasein ein Ende zu bereiten.
Doch dann kauft gegenüber jemand ein Haus und dieser Jemand schleicht sich schneller in Jakes Gedanken, als er überhaupt die Chance hat, dagegen anzukämpfen, denn Dallas ist all das, was er selbst sein könnte. Sein wollte. Was er sich aber nie getraut hat. Dallas lebt ein Leben als offen schwuler Mann und er geht direkt und ehrlich auf die Menschen zu. Damit ist Jake vor allem anfangs völlig überfordert, aber er bemüht sich redlich, nichts falsch zu machen, besonders als er Dallas' Schwester Celeste kennenlernt.
Was folgt ist eine herrlich ruhig erzählte Geschichte über Liebe, Hoffnung, Träume, eine mögliche Zukunft und vor allem über zwei Männer, die einander so dringend brauchen, dass ich mir beim Lesen irgendwann nur noch wünschte, sie mögen am Ende gemeinsam in den Sonnenuntergang reiten. Und Rhys Ford hat mir diesen Wunsch erfüllt.
Ich vergebe begeistert die volle Punktzahl, setze eine dicke Leseempfehlung obendrauf und bedanke mich recht herzlich beim Dreamspinner Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar.
Doch dann kauft gegenüber jemand ein Haus und dieser Jemand schleicht sich schneller in Jakes Gedanken, als er überhaupt die Chance hat, dagegen anzukämpfen, denn Dallas ist all das, was er selbst sein könnte. Sein wollte. Was er sich aber nie getraut hat. Dallas lebt ein Leben als offen schwuler Mann und er geht direkt und ehrlich auf die Menschen zu. Damit ist Jake vor allem anfangs völlig überfordert, aber er bemüht sich redlich, nichts falsch zu machen, besonders als er Dallas' Schwester Celeste kennenlernt.
Was folgt ist eine herrlich ruhig erzählte Geschichte über Liebe, Hoffnung, Träume, eine mögliche Zukunft und vor allem über zwei Männer, die einander so dringend brauchen, dass ich mir beim Lesen irgendwann nur noch wünschte, sie mögen am Ende gemeinsam in den Sonnenuntergang reiten. Und Rhys Ford hat mir diesen Wunsch erfüllt.
Ich vergebe begeistert die volle Punktzahl, setze eine dicke Leseempfehlung obendrauf und bedanke mich recht herzlich beim Dreamspinner Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar.
February 25, 2018
4.5* Tendenz zu 5*
https://elmaliest.wordpress.com/2018/...
https://elmaliest.wordpress.com/2018/...
March 16, 2017
This is my first book by this author and it won’t be the last. It’s a story of breaking free, redeeming yourself in your own eyes, and moving on. Finding love when you least expect it. Finding happiness when you’ve resigned yourself to bleakness.
It should come with a number of trigger warnings though which I didn’t see: suicidal tendency (mostly the first chapter where he’s holding a gun in his own mouth), verbal abuse, mentions of physical and emotional abuse (i.e. isolation), murder, and rape (they’re described from the character’s point of view in retrospect, not in detail during the read).
There are books with just angst, and then there’s this book where it’s so heavy it’s actually difficult to breathe sometimes. That is why my review will primarily focus on Jake's character development because that's what this book was about for me.
This writer captured me with the first page. It starts off with Jake in his apartment and a gun in his mouth. From the first page onwards we're faced with how far down Jake is. How bleak his life is, and how much he hates himself.
It’s heartbreaking and shocking and I couldn’t not keep reading. Because you see how broken he is, how much he hates himself, and you want to wrap him up in a blanket and give him a cup of hot cocoa.
Jake is going to break your heart because he has been through so much.
Having to grow up in the environment he has. A promise to his mother binding him to a man that acts as the anchor holding him in the water and drowning him with every moment he spends there.
He’s lonely and it isn’t until Dallas walks into his life that he starts living.
He’s been drowning. There’s no doubt in my mind that one of these days he would have pulled the trigger.
All it takes is one moment of ‘fuck it’ and it’s done. He would have died in that apartment and God knows when someone would have found him.
He felt as though he didn’t have anyone in his life he could count on to notice.
Dallas becomes Jake’s life raft, and he’s there for him when Jake needs someone most.
He’s insecure. Beaten down so many times, dealt so many shit hands in life that it’s a miracle he’s still even there.
It shows how strong he is. To keep going despite everything, even if he has come close to ending his life many times.
Stuck. Unable to face who he is because the one time he did, he lost everything.
Jake changes. He grows. He’s a beautiful person, and not just because of how hot he supposedly is.
It’s the moment Dallas fell for him, that Jake completely won me over.
You root for Jake and every step he takes towards moving past the ghosts that haunt and suffocate him. Dallas is a great protagonist, but the focus of this book really was Jake. The development of their relationship goes hand in hand with Jake’s. The life that Dallas brings into his life, the secondary characters such as Celeste and Dallas’ mom just add more to the story.
Overall this was a book I liked reading. There’s a lot of heavy subject matter in it, though, so I don’t think it’s for everyone and it’s best to consider the triggers I mentioned above. It’s about how Jake grows and learns to love himself and allow himself to love others. I liked this author’s writing style, and although the pacing felt a bit off - considering how much has happened in that span of time I’m willing to overlook it.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
Reviewed by Kudrat from Alpha Book Club
It should come with a number of trigger warnings though which I didn’t see: suicidal tendency (mostly the first chapter where he’s holding a gun in his own mouth), verbal abuse, mentions of physical and emotional abuse (i.e. isolation), murder, and rape (they’re described from the character’s point of view in retrospect, not in detail during the read).
There are books with just angst, and then there’s this book where it’s so heavy it’s actually difficult to breathe sometimes. That is why my review will primarily focus on Jake's character development because that's what this book was about for me.
He’s bled out in his nightmares, crying for mercy. None came.
This writer captured me with the first page. It starts off with Jake in his apartment and a gun in his mouth. From the first page onwards we're faced with how far down Jake is. How bleak his life is, and how much he hates himself.
It’s heartbreaking and shocking and I couldn’t not keep reading. Because you see how broken he is, how much he hates himself, and you want to wrap him up in a blanket and give him a cup of hot cocoa.
Jake is going to break your heart because he has been through so much.
Having to grow up in the environment he has. A promise to his mother binding him to a man that acts as the anchor holding him in the water and drowning him with every moment he spends there.
He’s lonely and it isn’t until Dallas walks into his life that he starts living.
He’s been drowning. There’s no doubt in my mind that one of these days he would have pulled the trigger.
All it takes is one moment of ‘fuck it’ and it’s done. He would have died in that apartment and God knows when someone would have found him.
He felt as though he didn’t have anyone in his life he could count on to notice.
Dallas becomes Jake’s life raft, and he’s there for him when Jake needs someone most.
I’ve landed in some kind of Wonderland, and my Mad Hatter is really fucking torn up inside. - Dallas
He’s insecure. Beaten down so many times, dealt so many shit hands in life that it’s a miracle he’s still even there.
It shows how strong he is. To keep going despite everything, even if he has come close to ending his life many times.
Stuck. Unable to face who he is because the one time he did, he lost everything.
Jake changes. He grows. He’s a beautiful person, and not just because of how hot he supposedly is.
It’s the moment Dallas fell for him, that Jake completely won me over.
I promise you this, Jacques Moore; I will be with you every step of the way. Because you’re stuck with me now. No matter what, no matter what we become, I will be here with you. Because I don’t want to live in a world without you in it. Might as well take away the fucking sun and stars, because my life will be that much darker. So fucking dark.
You root for Jake and every step he takes towards moving past the ghosts that haunt and suffocate him. Dallas is a great protagonist, but the focus of this book really was Jake. The development of their relationship goes hand in hand with Jake’s. The life that Dallas brings into his life, the secondary characters such as Celeste and Dallas’ mom just add more to the story.
You peeled away the dark I lived in, and if I cry, it’s because I’m happy… So damned happy, Dal.
Overall this was a book I liked reading. There’s a lot of heavy subject matter in it, though, so I don’t think it’s for everyone and it’s best to consider the triggers I mentioned above. It’s about how Jake grows and learns to love himself and allow himself to love others. I liked this author’s writing style, and although the pacing felt a bit off - considering how much has happened in that span of time I’m willing to overlook it.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
Reviewed by Kudrat from Alpha Book Club
March 30, 2017
Damn I wish I knew where to begin with this one...
I'm probably going to ramble a bit here because I really don't know where to start with this. I can say with all honesty I had no idea what I was getting into I didn't even read the blurb I saw the title, I saw the authors name and I made grabby hands. That was it done deal. I didn't need to know anything more.
About 2 pages into the story I was hooked, you couldn't make me stop reading this if you tried and believe me real life did it's damnedest and I just kept reading. Everything that I could possibly put on hold so that I could read I did...including sleeping.
Jake Moore's just an ordinary guy...he works as a welder and uses every penny he can to take care of his dying father...the man who has gone out of his way to do nothing more than make life a living nightmare for both Jake and his mother. The woman who made Jake promise that he'd take care of him if anything were to happen to her. Sadly, Jake really loved his mother so he's doing his best to keep his promise even if it kills him and honestly it just might.
Dallas Yates is a pretty ordinary guy too, but his life's been very different from Jake's. His family may be quirky but it's filled with love, lots and lots of unconditional love. When Dallas finds himself looking at an art deco building on the fringes of WeHo it's not the nearly impossible to see potential that the building holds that convinces him this is the place to open up his club...nope, it's shy smile of the metal worker across the street that seals the deal for him.
Dallas sees Jake. Not the drawn in tightly held person that Jake presents to the rest of the world. The Jake that he sees is so much more...he's smart, funny, he's so damned beautiful it makes Dallas's heart ache and he's talented the things he can do wit some scraps of metal and a welding torch can leave a person speechless and while Dallas is pretty sure from the start that Jake's it for him. He also sees that Jake may never be ready for the relationship that Dallas wants...so what's a guy to do? Be a friend because it's painfully obvious that Jake needs one of those so with the encouragement and support of his friend Celeste, who I'm convinced is her own force of nature...
For Dallas this wasn't about what was in it for him. It was about Jake. He saw a man that deserved to be loved and yet no one ever had and even if it only ever meant being his friend, Dallas wanted to change that. He wanted to help Jake see himself as someone deserving of love, he wanted to world to see the Jake that he saw. This more than
anything spoke so strongly to how different Jake and Dallas's lives had been.
Jake spent his whole life being used and abused. He'd never known what it was like to have someone love him...just because he was. Dallas gave him this and that kind of love neither wants nor needs reciprocity.
Dallas grew up surrounded by love. Never wanting for it and always knowing that the more he gave to the world the more that came back to him. Life may not have always been perfect for him but he always had the love and support of his family...he never had to question it or his self worth.
While it was Jake who needed to make the journey and find himself, in the end it was Dallas's willingness to be there from start to finish that helped Jake find the inner-strength that he needed to go from the darkness that he'd spent his whole life in to a life that held the promise and hope of a world filled with more.
'There's This Guy' worked for me. I felt it and I got the connections and while it may not have been for everyone, I'm betting we all have at least one story like this. A story that in spite of it's seemingly dark tones speaks to us of love, hope and promise for a better tomorrow...one that let's us stand in the sunshine and hope for more.
********************
An ARC of 'There's This Guy' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I'm probably going to ramble a bit here because I really don't know where to start with this. I can say with all honesty I had no idea what I was getting into I didn't even read the blurb I saw the title, I saw the authors name and I made grabby hands. That was it done deal. I didn't need to know anything more.
About 2 pages into the story I was hooked, you couldn't make me stop reading this if you tried and believe me real life did it's damnedest and I just kept reading. Everything that I could possibly put on hold so that I could read I did...including sleeping.
Jake Moore's just an ordinary guy...he works as a welder and uses every penny he can to take care of his dying father...the man who has gone out of his way to do nothing more than make life a living nightmare for both Jake and his mother. The woman who made Jake promise that he'd take care of him if anything were to happen to her. Sadly, Jake really loved his mother so he's doing his best to keep his promise even if it kills him and honestly it just might.
Dallas Yates is a pretty ordinary guy too, but his life's been very different from Jake's. His family may be quirky but it's filled with love, lots and lots of unconditional love. When Dallas finds himself looking at an art deco building on the fringes of WeHo it's not the nearly impossible to see potential that the building holds that convinces him this is the place to open up his club...nope, it's shy smile of the metal worker across the street that seals the deal for him.
"Who fucked you up, Jake?" Dallas wondered softly. "Who reached into that pretty soul of yours and tore it apart?"Jake sees everything he's ever wanted in Dallas, but he's been told his entire life that what he wants is perverted and wrong...but if that's true then he can't help but wonder why does being with Dallas feel like something's finally gone right for him for the first time in his life.
Dallas sees Jake. Not the drawn in tightly held person that Jake presents to the rest of the world. The Jake that he sees is so much more...he's smart, funny, he's so damned beautiful it makes Dallas's heart ache and he's talented the things he can do wit some scraps of metal and a welding torch can leave a person speechless and while Dallas is pretty sure from the start that Jake's it for him. He also sees that Jake may never be ready for the relationship that Dallas wants...so what's a guy to do? Be a friend because it's painfully obvious that Jake needs one of those so with the encouragement and support of his friend Celeste, who I'm convinced is her own force of nature...
"He hurts you, punches you, or even farts in your general direction, I will kick his ass," Celeste declared fiercely,... "Well, as soon as I buy a new pair of shoes to do it with. Ass kicking requires some serious shoes."There's probably a lot about this relationship that shouldn't work for example Jake and Dallas don't exactly have balance in their relationship, but realistically relationships often aren't balanced all the time...life's not always fair, that's just how it works sometimes. Relationships are give and take but unfortunately it's often more give and less take for one partner or the other and these things frequently shift but in the case of Dallas and Jake we didn't really see this happen and yet it still worked.
For Dallas this wasn't about what was in it for him. It was about Jake. He saw a man that deserved to be loved and yet no one ever had and even if it only ever meant being his friend, Dallas wanted to change that. He wanted to help Jake see himself as someone deserving of love, he wanted to world to see the Jake that he saw. This more than
anything spoke so strongly to how different Jake and Dallas's lives had been.
Jake spent his whole life being used and abused. He'd never known what it was like to have someone love him...just because he was. Dallas gave him this and that kind of love neither wants nor needs reciprocity.
Dallas grew up surrounded by love. Never wanting for it and always knowing that the more he gave to the world the more that came back to him. Life may not have always been perfect for him but he always had the love and support of his family...he never had to question it or his self worth.
While it was Jake who needed to make the journey and find himself, in the end it was Dallas's willingness to be there from start to finish that helped Jake find the inner-strength that he needed to go from the darkness that he'd spent his whole life in to a life that held the promise and hope of a world filled with more.
'There's This Guy' worked for me. I felt it and I got the connections and while it may not have been for everyone, I'm betting we all have at least one story like this. A story that in spite of it's seemingly dark tones speaks to us of love, hope and promise for a better tomorrow...one that let's us stand in the sunshine and hope for more.
********************
An ARC of 'There's This Guy' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2017
Let me warn you: this book starts with an emotional punch to the gut that almost knocked me out, and it gets worse from there. Much worse. Jake has to go through hell dealing with physical and emotional abuse, a tyrannical, abusive, dying father, flashbacks, suicidal tendencies… But as painful as it was to see him struggle, I loved watching him slowly, slowly pick up the pieces and change from a suicidal wreck to a man who can be honest with himself about who he is, one who accepts and even likes himself, and who finds a partner who is everything Jake never admitted he wants. It is an emotional journey of epic proportions and while it left me emotionally drained like few novels do, I also think it is one of the most rewarding books I have read in a long time. Well worth the “effort” of dealing with my own reactions – close to tears as I came on more than one occasion.
Jake has more baggage than one man should have to carry. Fear and angst define and limit him despite the fact his heart yearns to be free. His mother, while helping him deal with his father’s abuse when Jake was a child, made it clear that being gay is an abomination. Jake’s father – where do I even start? He is a selfish, tyrannical piece of work who doesn’t even deserve to be called human, as far as I am concerned. Jake is gay, but due to his parents’ indoctrination, he feels guilty, unworthy, and immoral about it to the point of rejecting himself. And as if all of this is not bad enough, Jake also struggles financially (much of it due to the fact that he feels he has to pay for his father’s care in a hospice). No wonder Jake is ready to end it all! Jake is attracted to Dallas as soon as he sees him, then works with him on the restoration, but his initial reaction sums up the issue in a nutshell: “Dallas Yates was everything Jake needed to deny himself.” Talk about a challenge!
Dallas comes from a very different background. He has a family who loves him, is well-off financially, and he specializes in challenging projects. When Dallas is looking for a place to restore and turn into a club for his best friend’s drag show, he ends up buying a dilapidated Art Deco building close to where Jake works. At first it is Jake’s physique that attracts Dallas, but as they bond over restoring the building to its former glory, then become friends, Dallas begins to fall in love and want more than a physical relationship. It is slow going mostly due to Jake’s issues, but Dallas never gives up and I admired him for his perseverance and insistence on therapy for Jake, as much as for the loving way in which he helps Jake deal with his issues.
Jake and Dallas could be poster children for what a slow burn romance looks like. And this is exactly as it should be because Jake has so many emotional barriers to work through before he can accept himself, never mind a relationship with a man – something he has grown up to believe is unacceptable and depraved. Dallas is amazingly patient and supportive, but he has glimpsed the man, the artist, Jake could be once he frees himself from others’ opinions of how he should lead his life. And Dallas is determined to help Jake be everything he can be. In that sense, Dallas is like a sculptor who helps free Jake’s soul from all the debris stopping Jake from being a happy, productive guy.
If you’re ready for an emotional roller coaster that will leave you wrung out but feeling uplifted with a sense of great hope, if you think that men who are their own worst enemies deserve help and support when digging themselves out of mental and emotional hell, and if you’re looking for a read that is honest about the issues and the struggle some gay men face when they strive to overcome the damage abusive parents and a lifetime of suppressed feelings have done, then I can wholeheartedly recommend this novel. It’s well written, emotionally powerful, and an extraordinary story all rolled up in one breathtaking experience. And the ending couldn’t be more perfect and made it all more than worth it.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Jake has more baggage than one man should have to carry. Fear and angst define and limit him despite the fact his heart yearns to be free. His mother, while helping him deal with his father’s abuse when Jake was a child, made it clear that being gay is an abomination. Jake’s father – where do I even start? He is a selfish, tyrannical piece of work who doesn’t even deserve to be called human, as far as I am concerned. Jake is gay, but due to his parents’ indoctrination, he feels guilty, unworthy, and immoral about it to the point of rejecting himself. And as if all of this is not bad enough, Jake also struggles financially (much of it due to the fact that he feels he has to pay for his father’s care in a hospice). No wonder Jake is ready to end it all! Jake is attracted to Dallas as soon as he sees him, then works with him on the restoration, but his initial reaction sums up the issue in a nutshell: “Dallas Yates was everything Jake needed to deny himself.” Talk about a challenge!
Dallas comes from a very different background. He has a family who loves him, is well-off financially, and he specializes in challenging projects. When Dallas is looking for a place to restore and turn into a club for his best friend’s drag show, he ends up buying a dilapidated Art Deco building close to where Jake works. At first it is Jake’s physique that attracts Dallas, but as they bond over restoring the building to its former glory, then become friends, Dallas begins to fall in love and want more than a physical relationship. It is slow going mostly due to Jake’s issues, but Dallas never gives up and I admired him for his perseverance and insistence on therapy for Jake, as much as for the loving way in which he helps Jake deal with his issues.
Jake and Dallas could be poster children for what a slow burn romance looks like. And this is exactly as it should be because Jake has so many emotional barriers to work through before he can accept himself, never mind a relationship with a man – something he has grown up to believe is unacceptable and depraved. Dallas is amazingly patient and supportive, but he has glimpsed the man, the artist, Jake could be once he frees himself from others’ opinions of how he should lead his life. And Dallas is determined to help Jake be everything he can be. In that sense, Dallas is like a sculptor who helps free Jake’s soul from all the debris stopping Jake from being a happy, productive guy.
If you’re ready for an emotional roller coaster that will leave you wrung out but feeling uplifted with a sense of great hope, if you think that men who are their own worst enemies deserve help and support when digging themselves out of mental and emotional hell, and if you’re looking for a read that is honest about the issues and the struggle some gay men face when they strive to overcome the damage abusive parents and a lifetime of suppressed feelings have done, then I can wholeheartedly recommend this novel. It’s well written, emotionally powerful, and an extraordinary story all rolled up in one breathtaking experience. And the ending couldn’t be more perfect and made it all more than worth it.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
March 9, 2017
This was a very well done hurt/comfort story that looks at what it takes to make changes in your life. Dallas is renovating an old warehouse with his best friend. He's more than happy to find out the attractive man across the street, Jake, will be the person who is going to restore the metal grating over his windows.
Jake has noticed Dallas before he starts working for him but Jake would never think of making a move on him. Jake is deeply in the closet and struggling with a background of severe childhood abuse, current depression and he's caregiving for his horrible father.
As the two men start to work together Dallas quells his attraction to Jake because he realizes what Jake really needs is a friend. What follows is a very touching slow burn romance.
The romance was really believable in this because there was no magic solution that was provided due to them falling in love. They're friends for months first. Jake goes to therapy and puts the work in. They talk and communicate over everything. Then they proceed with their relationship. I loved the fact that the author did it this way.
I thought the writing was good and I loved the character development. I felt a great connection between the two men, and I as a reader was connected to their story. I also enjoyed the side characters and they roles they played.
If you've read this author before you know that most of her stories contain a mystery, often a murder, and the investigation is part of the plot. This was different and focused on the relationship. It was probably her most contemporary romance to date.
There are some heavy scenes in this book and it might not be for everyone. Nothing is graphic but note this if you have triggers with stories about severe depression, child abuse or domestic violence.
For all other readers though, I highly recommend this. I enjoyed it a lot.
Jake has noticed Dallas before he starts working for him but Jake would never think of making a move on him. Jake is deeply in the closet and struggling with a background of severe childhood abuse, current depression and he's caregiving for his horrible father.
As the two men start to work together Dallas quells his attraction to Jake because he realizes what Jake really needs is a friend. What follows is a very touching slow burn romance.
The romance was really believable in this because there was no magic solution that was provided due to them falling in love. They're friends for months first. Jake goes to therapy and puts the work in. They talk and communicate over everything. Then they proceed with their relationship. I loved the fact that the author did it this way.
I thought the writing was good and I loved the character development. I felt a great connection between the two men, and I as a reader was connected to their story. I also enjoyed the side characters and they roles they played.
If you've read this author before you know that most of her stories contain a mystery, often a murder, and the investigation is part of the plot. This was different and focused on the relationship. It was probably her most contemporary romance to date.
There are some heavy scenes in this book and it might not be for everyone. Nothing is graphic but note this if you have triggers with stories about severe depression, child abuse or domestic violence.
For all other readers though, I highly recommend this. I enjoyed it a lot.
March 31, 2017
Dallas Yates isn't sure what he's doing buying an old property that's going to take a lot to turn into a club. He's glad when his eyes continually find an enticing welder who works at the fabrication shop across the street.
Jacques(Jake) Moore can't keep his eyes off the man who seems interested in the building across the street. This man awakens deep feelings that Jake knows he shouldn't feel, doesn't deserve to feel.
Dallas is the sun that brings light into the darkness that has always surrounded Jake. This is about love finding away to dispel the shadows that can obliterate the belief that a person deserves to be happy. It's a beautiful story, with hope being the beacon that we all flock to.
This is a bit of a departure for Rhys Ford in story line, but that doesn't make it any less a compelling story. I'd also like to see a story based on Celeste. Another great character in a growing list from Ms. Ford.
Jacques(Jake) Moore can't keep his eyes off the man who seems interested in the building across the street. This man awakens deep feelings that Jake knows he shouldn't feel, doesn't deserve to feel.
Dallas is the sun that brings light into the darkness that has always surrounded Jake. This is about love finding away to dispel the shadows that can obliterate the belief that a person deserves to be happy. It's a beautiful story, with hope being the beacon that we all flock to.
This is a bit of a departure for Rhys Ford in story line, but that doesn't make it any less a compelling story. I'd also like to see a story based on Celeste. Another great character in a growing list from Ms. Ford.
March 16, 2017
It’s almost like this was two books… the first half is dark and sad and really sets up the pieces that makes Jake who he is.
There are –moments- of sunlight, because that’s what Dallas is. His family’s awesome, he’s awesome, his heart is big as the town he’s named like. But surrounding Jake – clouds and more clouds. It’s hard to read and tough to get through – not gonna lie.
Because it’s Rhys Ford, every nuance and description is poetic and full of color and flavor – and pain. That’s sometimes hard to take when the picture is so bleak.
But… in the second half of the book it’s like the clouds lift and we’re gifted with a fresh new outlook on life and a bit of wonder at what’s left behind.
I think you definitely need to be prepared for the rough, but the pay off is really happy, so the journey is worth it.
4.5 of 5 stars
There are –moments- of sunlight, because that’s what Dallas is. His family’s awesome, he’s awesome, his heart is big as the town he’s named like. But surrounding Jake – clouds and more clouds. It’s hard to read and tough to get through – not gonna lie.
Because it’s Rhys Ford, every nuance and description is poetic and full of color and flavor – and pain. That’s sometimes hard to take when the picture is so bleak.
But… in the second half of the book it’s like the clouds lift and we’re gifted with a fresh new outlook on life and a bit of wonder at what’s left behind.
I think you definitely need to be prepared for the rough, but the pay off is really happy, so the journey is worth it.
4.5 of 5 stars
July 3, 2025
Okay ... I finished mostly due to Tremblay's kick-ass narration.
The story? It's fine. Five years ago Id've been moved but I'm not in this head space anymore. Now I'm more prone to notice that this is some kind of "f***ed up life" porn.
Jake has had ALL the bad growing up & as an adult.
An alcoholic, homophobic father who didn't hesitate to beat up his wife (who he claimed to love) and his son (who he didn't).
A mother who also made it clear that a gay son would not be okay and chose to stay with an alcoholic & violent man, to the detriment of her son and herself. I don't care if this is perceived as victim blaming but I have NO tolerance for women who will keep their children suffering the abuse of these men. Jake's mother not only does that but saddles him with the emotional weight of caring for his abuser when she is gone 🤬🤬🤬
When he becomes an adult and goes to college he gets the courage to have a gay experience. His chosen partner is a dick and not in a good way. This man makes Jake's first (and only) sexual experience horrible.
Despite being described as a great & good looking (gorgeous) guy Jake has no friends, to say nothing of family. Hard to believe.
As happens in romancelandia (not complaining) he meets Dallas, a happy-go-lucky gay guy with no big issues. Dallas rescues him. From everything.
Their relationship develops pretty fast. Meeting, falling in love, etc. Given the truckloads of baggage that Jake carries it seemed too much too soon for me. Plus, call me crazy, but I do/did wonder at the permanence of these two as a long term couple. We're talking about a young gay man in America, in WeHO, Los Angeles, California, in the XXIst century having his first (positive) gay experience be his HEA to conform to necessities of the genre. Sure.
Also TBF to Dallas (if Jake's issues are taken seriously) it's a lot to take on.
Separately: it's interesting how this almost reads historical, how we as a society change drastically in short lapses of time.
As always YMMV but for me it's 5 ⭐️ for the narration; 2.5 ⭐️ for the story. That's where I am right now.
The story? It's fine. Five years ago Id've been moved but I'm not in this head space anymore. Now I'm more prone to notice that this is some kind of "f***ed up life" porn.
Jake has had ALL the bad growing up & as an adult.
An alcoholic, homophobic father who didn't hesitate to beat up his wife (who he claimed to love) and his son (who he didn't).
A mother who also made it clear that a gay son would not be okay and chose to stay with an alcoholic & violent man, to the detriment of her son and herself. I don't care if this is perceived as victim blaming but I have NO tolerance for women who will keep their children suffering the abuse of these men. Jake's mother not only does that but saddles him with the emotional weight of caring for his abuser when she is gone 🤬🤬🤬
When he becomes an adult and goes to college he gets the courage to have a gay experience. His chosen partner is a dick and not in a good way. This man makes Jake's first (and only) sexual experience horrible.
Despite being described as a great & good looking (gorgeous) guy Jake has no friends, to say nothing of family. Hard to believe.
As happens in romancelandia (not complaining) he meets Dallas, a happy-go-lucky gay guy with no big issues. Dallas rescues him. From everything.
Their relationship develops pretty fast. Meeting, falling in love, etc. Given the truckloads of baggage that Jake carries it seemed too much too soon for me. Plus, call me crazy, but I do/did wonder at the permanence of these two as a long term couple. We're talking about a young gay man in America, in WeHO, Los Angeles, California, in the XXIst century having his first (positive) gay experience be his HEA to conform to necessities of the genre. Sure.
Also TBF to Dallas (if Jake's issues are taken seriously) it's a lot to take on.
Separately: it's interesting how this almost reads historical, how we as a society change drastically in short lapses of time.
As always YMMV but for me it's 5 ⭐️ for the narration; 2.5 ⭐️ for the story. That's where I am right now.
February 13, 2018
Obwohl sein Vater ihm sein ganzes Lebens schlecht behandelt, verprügelt und auch verbal missbraucht hat, fühlt sich der Schweißer Jake Moore sich für ihn verantwortlich. Jetzt, wo er an der Schwelle des Todes steht. Doch der alte Kerl, so krank er auch sein mag und so schlecht seine Prognose auch ist, stirbt einfach nicht. Und damit hängt Jake weiterhin in einer Warteschleife, die ihn immer weiter in Depressionen zieht.
Dallas Yates ist fasziniert von diesem scheuen, attraktiven Mann. Und er erkennt auch die tiefe Traurigkeit, die Jake ständig begleitet und immer wieder in seinen Augen und seinen Gesten zu sehen ist. Zwar fühlt er sich zu Jake hingezogen, doch Dallas erkennt auch sehr schnell, das Jake erst einen Freund braucht; eine Stütze. Alles andere kann und muss warten. Zum Glück ist Dallas ein sehr geduldiger Mensch. Und er wird alle Geduld und Stärke benötigen um Jake durch schwere Zeiten zu helfen und sich dabei aber selbst nicht zu verlieren.
Rhys Ford und ich hatten keinen guten Start und eigentlich wollte ich nichts mehr von ihr lesen. Doch diese Geschichte konnte mich dann doch etwas versöhnen. Drama gibt es viel, doch es spielt sich in den Köpfen der Männer ab. Es ist keine laute Geschichte, auch wenn Jakes Vergangenheit drastisch und düster ist. Sehr eindringlich wird sein beengtes Leben beschrieben, seine Ängste und Sorgen. Aber auch seine Sehnsüchte, die so fern erscheinen.
Manchmal ist das Buch schon zu ruhig, dass es gewisse Längen mit sich bringt. Die Sprache ist sehr poetisch, was mir ganz gut gefallen hat. Aber da es eben auch ein wenig spannungsarm ist und sich viel in den Köpfen der Männer abspielt, kommt man gelegentlich in die Versuchung diese Längen einfach zu überblättern.
Von Dallas und Jake erfährt man sehr viel, auch wenn das Hauptaugenmerk auf Jake und seiner Entwicklung liegt. Doch auch Dallas hat einen dunklen Fleck in seiner Vergangenheit, der durchaus auch in seine Gegenwart hineinspielt. Durch Dallas Freundin Celeste kommt auch noch ein wenig Humor in die Geschichte, die ansonsten doch extrem deprimierend und schwermütig wäre. Trotzdem hat sie mir ganz gut gefallen, auch wenn sie nicht vollständig überzeugen konnte.
Dallas Yates ist fasziniert von diesem scheuen, attraktiven Mann. Und er erkennt auch die tiefe Traurigkeit, die Jake ständig begleitet und immer wieder in seinen Augen und seinen Gesten zu sehen ist. Zwar fühlt er sich zu Jake hingezogen, doch Dallas erkennt auch sehr schnell, das Jake erst einen Freund braucht; eine Stütze. Alles andere kann und muss warten. Zum Glück ist Dallas ein sehr geduldiger Mensch. Und er wird alle Geduld und Stärke benötigen um Jake durch schwere Zeiten zu helfen und sich dabei aber selbst nicht zu verlieren.
Rhys Ford und ich hatten keinen guten Start und eigentlich wollte ich nichts mehr von ihr lesen. Doch diese Geschichte konnte mich dann doch etwas versöhnen. Drama gibt es viel, doch es spielt sich in den Köpfen der Männer ab. Es ist keine laute Geschichte, auch wenn Jakes Vergangenheit drastisch und düster ist. Sehr eindringlich wird sein beengtes Leben beschrieben, seine Ängste und Sorgen. Aber auch seine Sehnsüchte, die so fern erscheinen.
Manchmal ist das Buch schon zu ruhig, dass es gewisse Längen mit sich bringt. Die Sprache ist sehr poetisch, was mir ganz gut gefallen hat. Aber da es eben auch ein wenig spannungsarm ist und sich viel in den Köpfen der Männer abspielt, kommt man gelegentlich in die Versuchung diese Längen einfach zu überblättern.
Von Dallas und Jake erfährt man sehr viel, auch wenn das Hauptaugenmerk auf Jake und seiner Entwicklung liegt. Doch auch Dallas hat einen dunklen Fleck in seiner Vergangenheit, der durchaus auch in seine Gegenwart hineinspielt. Durch Dallas Freundin Celeste kommt auch noch ein wenig Humor in die Geschichte, die ansonsten doch extrem deprimierend und schwermütig wäre. Trotzdem hat sie mir ganz gut gefallen, auch wenn sie nicht vollständig überzeugen konnte.
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