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Galassie e oceani
Cogliendo la sua unica occasione per fuggire, Ethan Hosking lascia l’ex violento e tutta la sua vita, e si inoltra nel cammino distruttivo di un incendio. Dalla foresta devastata dal fuoco emerge Audrey Hobbs, vivo ma solo, un uomo nuovo alla ricerca disperata di un nuovo inizio. Senza documenti e senza denaro, con nulla a parte il telescopio del nonno, si lascia guidare dalla Croce del Sud.
Patrick Carney è il guardiano del faro di Hadley Cove, una cittadina sulla remota Kangaroo Island, a sud della costa australiana. Dopo la tragica morte dell’amante quattro anni fa, vive una vita solitaria: ci sono solo lui, un gatto tigrato, l’Oceano Indiano e Antartico, e una marea di solitudine. È contento della sua vita finché in città non arriva uno straniero che attira la sua attenzione.
Patrick non si sarebbe mai aspettato di provare interesse per qualcun altro.
Aubrey non si sarebbe mai aspettato di essere felice.
Tra l’amore per le stelle di Aubrey e quello per l’oceano di Patrick, questi due cuori fragili devono imparare a navigare in acque sconosciute. Se riusciranno a superare la tempesta del loro passato, forse troveranno un amore che eclisserà tutto.
Patrick Carney è il guardiano del faro di Hadley Cove, una cittadina sulla remota Kangaroo Island, a sud della costa australiana. Dopo la tragica morte dell’amante quattro anni fa, vive una vita solitaria: ci sono solo lui, un gatto tigrato, l’Oceano Indiano e Antartico, e una marea di solitudine. È contento della sua vita finché in città non arriva uno straniero che attira la sua attenzione.
Patrick non si sarebbe mai aspettato di provare interesse per qualcun altro.
Aubrey non si sarebbe mai aspettato di essere felice.
Tra l’amore per le stelle di Aubrey e quello per l’oceano di Patrick, questi due cuori fragili devono imparare a navigare in acque sconosciute. Se riusciranno a superare la tempesta del loro passato, forse troveranno un amore che eclisserà tutto.
295 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 25, 2018
419 people are currently reading
4029 people want to read
About the author
N.R. Walker
133 books5,285 followersAuthor also writes as A. Voyeur
N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn't have it any other way.
She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who she gives them life with words.
She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things...but likes it even more when they fall in love. She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.
She’s been writing ever since...
https://www.facebook.com/N.R.WalkerAu...
N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn't have it any other way.
She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who she gives them life with words.
She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things...but likes it even more when they fall in love. She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.
She’s been writing ever since...
https://www.facebook.com/N.R.WalkerAu...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,069 reviews
June 15, 2018
This is one of the most romantic books I've ever read. Aubrey and Patrick are so good to each other. Even though Aubrey's life as Ethan was filled with abuse and pain, he doesn't let that define him. He walks through a fire and emerges from the ashes a stronger man, a man determined to be free.
The Southern Cross constellation leads Aubrey—who takes his beloved grandfather's name—south to a small Australian town on the coast where a lighthouse keeper awaits. His grandpa always told him the stars wouldn't lead him astray.
Patrick is no stranger to grief. He is endlessly fascinated by the ocean and knows better than anyone how cruel a mistress she can be. The symbolism of Patrick being a lighthouse keeper wasn't lost on me; he becomes Aubrey's beacon of light, the one who guides him home.
A layer of tension cloaks the story. Aubrey walked away from his identity, from his violent ex-boyfriend who has much political clout, but can we ever really escape our past?
Aubrey works hard to make a place for himself, and Patrick just wants to take care of him. They share meals (Patrick is a wonderful cook), visit the penguins, hang out with seals, fix a washing machine (which proves far more exciting than it has any right to be), and have picnics (pillows, blankets, hot soup, bread—Patrick thinks of everything) in the lighthouse. Even Patrick's cat falls for Aubrey (she has good taste).
When Aubrey sprains his ankle, Patrick, literally and metaphorically, carries him, including the one hundred and two steps from the top of the lighthouse.
This book is entirely relationship and character driven; both MCs are complex people with hopes and fears and desires. Their connection is instant, but the trust takes a little longer.
Neither man wants to rush into a sexual relationship. Having lost his partner four years prior, Patrick feels guilty about finding love again. Once they do come together, it's sensual and tender and incredibly hot. All those kisses melted my heart.
Even though Aubrey can't share everything with Patrick, he is one hundred percent real. Patrick doesn't care that Aubrey has one pair of jeans or a rough haircut. He thinks Aubrey is beautiful. They talk about the ocean and the stars.
And even though Patrick is fourteen years older than Aubrey, the age gap doesn't matter to either one of them. Aubrey loves the specks of gray in Patrick's beard and hair.
I adored both men and the love they shared. I loved the small-town charm and the quirky secondary characters, including the nosy but well meaning coffee shop owner who sends out a search party when Patrick doesn't show up for his daily cup of brew; the cop who once carried a torch for Patrick and is summarily suspicious of Aubrey, but proves to be a good guy in the end; and the cranky, antisocial old man who lets Aubrey bunk in a van in exchange for maintenance work. And Tabby the cat, of course!
Galaxies and Oceans is a love story about two men who heal each other. It's slower paced and beautifully written, with a distinct Aussie feel. If you prefer more action and heavy-handed plot in your books, this might not be the book for you.
But it was the perfect book for me.
The Southern Cross constellation leads Aubrey—who takes his beloved grandfather's name—south to a small Australian town on the coast where a lighthouse keeper awaits. His grandpa always told him the stars wouldn't lead him astray.
Patrick is no stranger to grief. He is endlessly fascinated by the ocean and knows better than anyone how cruel a mistress she can be. The symbolism of Patrick being a lighthouse keeper wasn't lost on me; he becomes Aubrey's beacon of light, the one who guides him home.
"Everything about you means comfort to me ... Kind of like I'm lost at sea and you're the lighthouse and safe harbour. I know when I'm with you, no one can hurt me."
A layer of tension cloaks the story. Aubrey walked away from his identity, from his violent ex-boyfriend who has much political clout, but can we ever really escape our past?
Aubrey works hard to make a place for himself, and Patrick just wants to take care of him. They share meals (Patrick is a wonderful cook), visit the penguins, hang out with seals, fix a washing machine (which proves far more exciting than it has any right to be), and have picnics (pillows, blankets, hot soup, bread—Patrick thinks of everything) in the lighthouse. Even Patrick's cat falls for Aubrey (she has good taste).
When Aubrey sprains his ankle, Patrick, literally and metaphorically, carries him, including the one hundred and two steps from the top of the lighthouse.
This book is entirely relationship and character driven; both MCs are complex people with hopes and fears and desires. Their connection is instant, but the trust takes a little longer.
Neither man wants to rush into a sexual relationship. Having lost his partner four years prior, Patrick feels guilty about finding love again. Once they do come together, it's sensual and tender and incredibly hot. All those kisses melted my heart.
Even though Aubrey can't share everything with Patrick, he is one hundred percent real. Patrick doesn't care that Aubrey has one pair of jeans or a rough haircut. He thinks Aubrey is beautiful. They talk about the ocean and the stars.
"When you look at the stars, what do you see?"
"Impossible possibilities ... Movement and stillness, incomprehensible vastness. Infinity."
And even though Patrick is fourteen years older than Aubrey, the age gap doesn't matter to either one of them. Aubrey loves the specks of gray in Patrick's beard and hair.
I adored both men and the love they shared. I loved the small-town charm and the quirky secondary characters, including the nosy but well meaning coffee shop owner who sends out a search party when Patrick doesn't show up for his daily cup of brew; the cop who once carried a torch for Patrick and is summarily suspicious of Aubrey, but proves to be a good guy in the end; and the cranky, antisocial old man who lets Aubrey bunk in a van in exchange for maintenance work. And Tabby the cat, of course!
Galaxies and Oceans is a love story about two men who heal each other. It's slower paced and beautifully written, with a distinct Aussie feel. If you prefer more action and heavy-handed plot in your books, this might not be the book for you.
But it was the perfect book for me.
July 11, 2018
This was an incredibly rewarding romance. I can definitely say I am totally in love with Patrick and his lighthouse in Hadley Cove.
Patrick is a lighthouse keeper on Kangaroo Island. His sad past left him lonely and hurting in the small seaside town he calls home. One day, a young man shows up in town, doing odd jobs to have a roof over his head, but mostly keeping to himself. Patrick befriends him and accepts that Aubrey doesn’t tell him about his past, but for Patrick, the only thing that counts is the here and now. And here and now with Aubrey means happiness and a new chance at love.
Patrick is the most amazing character. He’s personified comfort. Aubrey could not have met a better man than him.
You gotta get over their love being super slow burn for various reasons that prevent both guys from just jumping at the risks of love. But once you’re in for their tiny steps, it’s an amazing journey.
I loved the beautiful references to the ocean and the stars that both mean so much to these guys and that are lovingly woven into the entire story.
The reason why I’m not giving the full 5 stars is Aubrey’s past and motivation. I found everything he did perfectly understandable. It confused me to see Aubrey treat his past like a dirty secret that would destroy his love and life with Patrick if it ever came out.
I mean, why? What did *he* do wrong? The usual road would have been going to the police right away. He was a victim, after all.
Did he honestly think Patrick would love him any less if he knew? And did it affect Patrick’s love in any way once he found out? No, it did not, so Aubrey’s motivation and conflict felt kind of off throughout the story.
Other than that, this is a perfect comfort romance about healing hearts and finding your place in the world.
I definitely recommend this 100%
4 stars!
Patrick is a lighthouse keeper on Kangaroo Island. His sad past left him lonely and hurting in the small seaside town he calls home. One day, a young man shows up in town, doing odd jobs to have a roof over his head, but mostly keeping to himself. Patrick befriends him and accepts that Aubrey doesn’t tell him about his past, but for Patrick, the only thing that counts is the here and now. And here and now with Aubrey means happiness and a new chance at love.
Patrick is the most amazing character. He’s personified comfort. Aubrey could not have met a better man than him.
You gotta get over their love being super slow burn for various reasons that prevent both guys from just jumping at the risks of love. But once you’re in for their tiny steps, it’s an amazing journey.
I loved the beautiful references to the ocean and the stars that both mean so much to these guys and that are lovingly woven into the entire story.
The reason why I’m not giving the full 5 stars is Aubrey’s past and motivation. I found everything he did perfectly understandable. It confused me to see Aubrey treat his past like a dirty secret that would destroy his love and life with Patrick if it ever came out.
I mean, why? What did *he* do wrong? The usual road would have been going to the police right away. He was a victim, after all.
Did he honestly think Patrick would love him any less if he knew? And did it affect Patrick’s love in any way once he found out? No, it did not, so Aubrey’s motivation and conflict felt kind of off throughout the story.
Other than that, this is a perfect comfort romance about healing hearts and finding your place in the world.
I definitely recommend this 100%
4 stars!
April 25, 2024
4.75/5
What an almost absolutely perfect story, I honestly didn't find anything in it that I didn't like. Everything was done as it was supposed to be, if it weren't for the fact that I was a bit bored during the first thirty percent of the book, I would have given it five stars, and that's a very occurrence for me.
I fell in love with both of our main characters — Aubrey and Patrick. They've both been through a lot in their lives, and their journey to overcoming it was probably one of the healthiest I've ever read, so at the end of the book, when they finally found happiness together, I literally had tears in my eyes.
The relationship between Aubrey and Patrick was just so beautiful, healthy and sweet. There was an age difference between them, Patrick was forty-one and Aubrey twenty-seven, but as someone who likes age-gap romances, this wasn't a problem for me.
The side characters were amazing too. Colin, although I was quite skeptical of him at first, eventually became my favorite side character. I'm glad it also had a happy ending. I'm glad he also got his happy ending too.
After reading The Weight Of It All, I knew I had to read more N.R. Walker books, and this story certainly won't be my last by this author. I cried for ten minutes at the end because of how much I didn't want to finish this book.
And finally, fuck you Anton. I hope you rot in prison forever.
What an almost absolutely perfect story, I honestly didn't find anything in it that I didn't like. Everything was done as it was supposed to be, if it weren't for the fact that I was a bit bored during the first thirty percent of the book, I would have given it five stars, and that's a very occurrence for me.
I fell in love with both of our main characters — Aubrey and Patrick. They've both been through a lot in their lives, and their journey to overcoming it was probably one of the healthiest I've ever read, so at the end of the book, when they finally found happiness together, I literally had tears in my eyes.
The relationship between Aubrey and Patrick was just so beautiful, healthy and sweet. There was an age difference between them, Patrick was forty-one and Aubrey twenty-seven, but as someone who likes age-gap romances, this wasn't a problem for me.
"I put my hand to his cheek. “The southern lights are beautiful, but they’re nothing compared to you.”
“What’s got you staring at nothing and smiling?” he asked. I hadn’t realised he’d stopped talking.
“You.”
The side characters were amazing too. Colin, although I was quite skeptical of him at first, eventually became my favorite side character. I'm glad it also had a happy ending. I'm glad he also got his happy ending too.
After reading The Weight Of It All, I knew I had to read more N.R. Walker books, and this story certainly won't be my last by this author. I cried for ten minutes at the end because of how much I didn't want to finish this book.
And finally, fuck you Anton. I hope you rot in prison forever.
October 25, 2024
I’ve been saving this book, hoping it would be as good as it sounded. The newer NR books don’t quite hit like the older ones.
After fleeing an abusive relationship, Ethan Hosking transforms into Aubrey Hobbs and finds himself on the remote Kangaroo Island, guided by his grandfather’s telescope and a longing for a new life.
Patrick Carney, a lighthouse keeper still mourning the loss of his partner, living in isolation with only the ocean and his cat (who doesn’t like him) for company.
NR beautifully intertwines Aubrey's search for peace with Patrick's quiet existence, creating such a sweet and tender connection between the two broken men.
This was a beautiful story, if occasionally sappy. Full of themes of healing, and unexpected love.
“Kind of like I’m lost at sea and you’re the lighthouse and safe harbour. I know when I’m with you, no one can hurt me.”
*The narration of the audiobook by Joel Leslie was a five stars. This deeply emotional story works very well with his dramatic tone.
After fleeing an abusive relationship, Ethan Hosking transforms into Aubrey Hobbs and finds himself on the remote Kangaroo Island, guided by his grandfather’s telescope and a longing for a new life.
Patrick Carney, a lighthouse keeper still mourning the loss of his partner, living in isolation with only the ocean and his cat (who doesn’t like him) for company.
NR beautifully intertwines Aubrey's search for peace with Patrick's quiet existence, creating such a sweet and tender connection between the two broken men.
This was a beautiful story, if occasionally sappy. Full of themes of healing, and unexpected love.
“Kind of like I’m lost at sea and you’re the lighthouse and safe harbour. I know when I’m with you, no one can hurt me.”
*The narration of the audiobook by Joel Leslie was a five stars. This deeply emotional story works very well with his dramatic tone.
![Profile Image for Carol [Goodreads Addict].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1626057011i%2F10717098._UX200_CR0%2C33%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
June 12, 2025
Galaxies and Oceans is a stand alone romance by N.R. Walker. I’ve read a bunch of N.R. Walker’s books now and have come to expect her light hearted, sweet, sexy stories. Then my friend suggested we read this one and I am just blown away by the beauty of this book! It’s nothing like any of the others I have read. This is a beautiful story of two men who have suffered, for different reasons, but both have resigned themselves to the life they now live. But then they met and their future’s immediately began a new path, a new future that would be bigger and brighter than either of them could have imagined.
Ethan Hosking knew he could no longer live the life he was enduring at the hands of his abusive boyfriend. So when the opportunity presented itself, he took it. And became Aubrey Hobbs. A man who moved from one place to another, doing jobs for cash to survive, until he eventually found his way to the tiny town of Hadley Cove located on an island in South Australia. Aubrey is twenty seven years old and has a deep love of the stars.
Patrick Carney is forty one years old and is the lighthouse keeper on Hadley Cove. Four years ago, Patrick lost his partner. He has since lived his life alone with his cat, and his lighthouse duties. He goes in to town, visits with the residents and returns home alone. He knows he will never find the love he had again and is resigned to a solitary life. Patrick loves his job, and loves living in Hadley Cove.
“Grief was like the great Southern Ocean, it moved in ebbs and flows, often turbulent and rough, or peaceful and settled, and even over time when I could navigate the waters, the tide never stopped.”
As soon as they met, I think both Patrick and Aubrey knew that things were going to change. For the first time in four years, Patrick felt something. He didn’t quite know what, only that it was something he thought was long gone. But having those feelings again confused him, made him feel guilty even. And for Aubrey, something about Patrick made him feel safe, at peace. Those were feelings he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
“Something was changing inside me. A shift. An awakening. A small, flickering flame I thought long extinguished.”
This was just such a beautiful story. A story of love, of second chances, of new beginnings. I truly couldn’t have loved these two more. They were each other’s missing piece. They just seemed to understand each other, to know what the other needed. Was it the stars that led Aubrey to Hadley Cove and Patrick? Or was it fate? Were these two always destined to be together? I’d like to believe they were, that they were always going to find each other somehow.
This is such a beautiful story that deeply moved me. I can’t say enough how much I loved it and that if you haven’t read it, that you’ll give it a go. And that these two men will steal your heart, just as they did mine.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
Ethan Hosking knew he could no longer live the life he was enduring at the hands of his abusive boyfriend. So when the opportunity presented itself, he took it. And became Aubrey Hobbs. A man who moved from one place to another, doing jobs for cash to survive, until he eventually found his way to the tiny town of Hadley Cove located on an island in South Australia. Aubrey is twenty seven years old and has a deep love of the stars.
Patrick Carney is forty one years old and is the lighthouse keeper on Hadley Cove. Four years ago, Patrick lost his partner. He has since lived his life alone with his cat, and his lighthouse duties. He goes in to town, visits with the residents and returns home alone. He knows he will never find the love he had again and is resigned to a solitary life. Patrick loves his job, and loves living in Hadley Cove.
“Grief was like the great Southern Ocean, it moved in ebbs and flows, often turbulent and rough, or peaceful and settled, and even over time when I could navigate the waters, the tide never stopped.”
As soon as they met, I think both Patrick and Aubrey knew that things were going to change. For the first time in four years, Patrick felt something. He didn’t quite know what, only that it was something he thought was long gone. But having those feelings again confused him, made him feel guilty even. And for Aubrey, something about Patrick made him feel safe, at peace. Those were feelings he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
“Something was changing inside me. A shift. An awakening. A small, flickering flame I thought long extinguished.”
This was just such a beautiful story. A story of love, of second chances, of new beginnings. I truly couldn’t have loved these two more. They were each other’s missing piece. They just seemed to understand each other, to know what the other needed. Was it the stars that led Aubrey to Hadley Cove and Patrick? Or was it fate? Were these two always destined to be together? I’d like to believe they were, that they were always going to find each other somehow.
This is such a beautiful story that deeply moved me. I can’t say enough how much I loved it and that if you haven’t read it, that you’ll give it a go. And that these two men will steal your heart, just as they did mine.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
December 16, 2021
If life was a shower of average reads, this would have been a 5 star read for me. But I have read another cute, a rather too i-live-and-read-for-these-kind-of-books story from the same author which made me bawl my eyes out because it was just too human and warm and perfect.
This story is just as warm and cute and heartbreaking at times (trigger warnings for abuse) with issues of hidden identity.
The story is all about finding love after having survived a painful past, an abusive relationship and a dead partner.
It's written well I would say. Walker's writing always bring me some kind of comfort.
I read this book on a day I was feeling not too good recently. Small town story, food love, taking care of someone broken, stars and the ocean, and that kind of love. Damn. I am still smitten even after days of reading it.
However, the blurb is a little misleading. It's way too dramatic. There's no drowning man in the first place. It feels like one of the main characters came out of the ocean or something. It didn't happen.
But the actual story is rather realistic.
I liked how the side characters were developed as well.
The story seemed a little too far fetched or convenient at times.
Like if Anton (the abusive ex) was a powerful politician, there was nothing much about him in the story as was made to believe that he must be really powerful and twisted in the whole story.
I would have loved some extra closure to that part.
Otherwise, I would love not to criticize too much but love this book for all the faith in human that it has successfully restored in me.
Stay safe.
Cry if you feel the need to cry.
🍂Pick up this book if you
1. Love queer boylove romance
2. Like reading about understanding, warm and caring partners
3. Want to cry your heart out because everything is just so cute and you just need a book hug
4. Small town stories
I cried while reading this because I knew a part of me was healing.
This story is just as warm and cute and heartbreaking at times (trigger warnings for abuse) with issues of hidden identity.
The story is all about finding love after having survived a painful past, an abusive relationship and a dead partner.
It's written well I would say. Walker's writing always bring me some kind of comfort.
I read this book on a day I was feeling not too good recently. Small town story, food love, taking care of someone broken, stars and the ocean, and that kind of love. Damn. I am still smitten even after days of reading it.
However, the blurb is a little misleading. It's way too dramatic. There's no drowning man in the first place. It feels like one of the main characters came out of the ocean or something. It didn't happen.
But the actual story is rather realistic.
I liked how the side characters were developed as well.
The story seemed a little too far fetched or convenient at times.
Like if Anton (the abusive ex) was a powerful politician, there was nothing much about him in the story as was made to believe that he must be really powerful and twisted in the whole story.
I would have loved some extra closure to that part.
Otherwise, I would love not to criticize too much but love this book for all the faith in human that it has successfully restored in me.
Stay safe.
Cry if you feel the need to cry.
🍂Pick up this book if you
1. Love queer boylove romance
2. Like reading about understanding, warm and caring partners
3. Want to cry your heart out because everything is just so cute and you just need a book hug
4. Small town stories
I cried while reading this because I knew a part of me was healing.
May 9, 2023
Almost 5 perfect heartbreaking, swoony stars.
Where to start?
First of all: people who follow my reviews know that I love audio books, and I have my favourite narrators, and some that I avoid at all costs. Joel Leslie, who narrated this one, is a bit hit and miss for me, but he nailed it here. Thankfully, we haven’t had many in-page orgasms, because he does tend to overact sex scenes 😂 and yes, his “older mc voice” does sound a bit throaty and occasionally asthmatic, but other than that, he did a great job giving life to the characters. So yes, it’s safe to listen to him here.
As for the story: it starts with a bushfire, and with Ethan, who’s been severely abused by his boyfriend, contemplating to end his life by letting himself be consumed by the fire, but in a final act of defiance (and hope), he decides to only fake his death and flee, assuming a new name. 6 months later, he’s far away in the south, always having followed the Southern Cross, in a tiny city on an island, looking for a way to earn some cash. There, he meets Patrick, who’s in his early 40s and who lost his partner a few years earlier to the sea.
Oh god, you say, there’s not only abuse, but a dead ex?
Trust me, both tropes are handled beautifully. Your heart will ache and break for them occasionally, but there’s so much love, and light, and humour, that you can’t help but fall in love with their love.
Why not 5 stars, but only 4.5 rounded up? Because it lagged a bit In the middle, even though I wasn’t bored at any point.
I won’t spoil what happens, because you kind of guess where it’s going, and the magic this book brings to your life isn’t the “action”, but the slow relationship build and the way they learn to love and trust each other, and how they help each other heal. Suffice to say - I’d definitely recommend it to all of you who love a well written hurt/comfort book. Let yourself be drawn in and enjoy ❤️
Where to start?
First of all: people who follow my reviews know that I love audio books, and I have my favourite narrators, and some that I avoid at all costs. Joel Leslie, who narrated this one, is a bit hit and miss for me, but he nailed it here. Thankfully, we haven’t had many in-page orgasms, because he does tend to overact sex scenes 😂 and yes, his “older mc voice” does sound a bit throaty and occasionally asthmatic, but other than that, he did a great job giving life to the characters. So yes, it’s safe to listen to him here.
As for the story: it starts with a bushfire, and with Ethan, who’s been severely abused by his boyfriend, contemplating to end his life by letting himself be consumed by the fire, but in a final act of defiance (and hope), he decides to only fake his death and flee, assuming a new name. 6 months later, he’s far away in the south, always having followed the Southern Cross, in a tiny city on an island, looking for a way to earn some cash. There, he meets Patrick, who’s in his early 40s and who lost his partner a few years earlier to the sea.
Oh god, you say, there’s not only abuse, but a dead ex?
Trust me, both tropes are handled beautifully. Your heart will ache and break for them occasionally, but there’s so much love, and light, and humour, that you can’t help but fall in love with their love.
Why not 5 stars, but only 4.5 rounded up? Because it lagged a bit In the middle, even though I wasn’t bored at any point.
I won’t spoil what happens, because you kind of guess where it’s going, and the magic this book brings to your life isn’t the “action”, but the slow relationship build and the way they learn to love and trust each other, and how they help each other heal. Suffice to say - I’d definitely recommend it to all of you who love a well written hurt/comfort book. Let yourself be drawn in and enjoy ❤️
May 12, 2020
Re-read 5/2020
My first time re-reading it and I loved it just as much as the first time. Such a beautiful story. One of my favourites by this author.
*********
Original review:
Another beautifully written story by N.R. Walker.
Aubrey and Patrick are amazing characters. I loved how gentle, open and honest they were with each other. Their relationship felt real and the transition from friends to more than friends was done just right.
The setting was amazing, too. A true comfort read.
My first time re-reading it and I loved it just as much as the first time. Such a beautiful story. One of my favourites by this author.
*********
Original review:
Another beautifully written story by N.R. Walker.
Aubrey and Patrick are amazing characters. I loved how gentle, open and honest they were with each other. Their relationship felt real and the transition from friends to more than friends was done just right.
The setting was amazing, too. A true comfort read.
August 26, 2025
Fifth reread – Aug/25
Every time I return to Galaxies and Oceans, it feels like coming home. I love these two even more with each read 🌌🌊🥹🩵
”So for now, I’m just happy for the peace and quiet, a simple life. That’s all I want. Just you and me, we can have picnics in the lighthouse, or on the rocks watching penguins, or looking at the stars. I’d be happy if we could do that forever.”
I leaned and kissed him. “Are you saying picnics and stargazing is all you want to do forever?”
He slow blinked and smiled serenely. “Yep.”
“Here, on this island?”
“I never want to be anywhere else.”
I sighed. His words settled warm in my belly, in my soul. “Forever?”
“Until the stars are no more.”
Fourth Read fev/25
I love this book. I love Hadley Cove—the lighthouse standing strong against the tides, the gloves and beanies, the penguins and seals, fish and chips, the southern lights, stargazing, Miss Tabby watching over everything like she always knew they’d find each other, the comfort food by the fire. I even love the meddling habitants… ish.
But most of all, I love Aubrey and Patrick. So, so much. More with every read. 🌊🌌
This is my comfort read. This book always leaves a warm, fuzzy feeling inside and never fails to make me smile and cry. The isolation and beauty of Hadley Cove wrap around you, making you feel both the vastness and the quiet ache of being alone. The ocean mirrors Patrick’s grief—constant, endless, something he’s learned to live beside but never quite let go of. And the stars… the stars are Aubrey’s hope. He followed the Southern Cross, and it led him home. To freedom, to peace, to trust, to love.
Watching them slowly break through their shells, allowing themselves this second chance, is so beautiful it hurts. They are both so alone, so lonely… both carrying terrible losses. They deserve this happiness.
Aubrey, my sweet baby. My heart breaks a little more each time I read this. But he ran. He found the strength to start over, to become Aubrey, to finally be loved unconditionally. I just want to wrap him up in the softest, warmest blanket and keep him safe—(Patrick being the blanket, obviously). Every moment of warmth between them feels earned because we know what Aubrey endured to get here.
Patrick is a natural caretaker—it shows from the very first moment. The gloves, the beanie, the food he keeps making for him 🫠🫠🫠. He’s been mourning for four years, and I understand his doubts, his fears, his guilt over loving another man. But Patrick’s grief isn’t just about losing Scott—it’s about figuring out who he is beyond that loss. Second chances are never easy, especially when the love before was incredible and ended in tragedy…
Their intimacy was swoonworthy. It felt like first times. Simple kisses, uncontrollable desire, but with such care, such adoration. Patrick worshiped Aubrey the way he deserved, and it was everything. Rest assured it's not lovey dovey, when these two come together, it's like witnessing galaxies and supernovas—intensely passionate and utterly glorious.
The talks with Scott… I’m used to them by now, and that voice feels like Patrick’s way of letting go, of moving forward with Scott’s approval.
Aubrey’s early thoughts about Patrick… Maybe a little fast, a little surprising, considering his past. But Patrick made him feel safe. He was kind, steady, and peaceful. So, of course, baby Aubrey felt that way about him early on.
Their HEA made swoon like crazy! Love them***
And two words to Anton- FUCK YOU!
_________________________________________________
Reread April 24
Third read and… omg a still cry every time… I’m a sucker for Aubrey and Patrick and their stars and waves… they filled me with such warmth… 🌊✨♾️ to them❤️
——————————————————————————
I usually read fantasy, but every once in a while something catches my eye and I enjoy reading a real-life novel! And this time it was a lighthouse that drew me to this book… And OMG I wasn't prepared for this... Probably the most romantic , adorable book I've ever read. The MC's baggage is explained but not intensely explored. What is explored is simply the fact that 2 souls who were lost find each other in an incredible setting and develop a love that is eternal and wonderful. I don't usually get carried away by feelings like that but.... I can't stop smiling, giggling, crying because Patrick and Aubrey are everything!❤️ my heart is full!
“As it’s written in the galaxies and oceans, I promise my heart to you,” Patrick said. With shining eyes and tender hands, he slid the ring on my finger.
I blinked back happy tears, my heart completely full. “May the stars forever guide us, and may this lighthouse bring us home.”
Excerpt From
Galaxies and Oceans
N.R. Walker
Every time I return to Galaxies and Oceans, it feels like coming home. I love these two even more with each read 🌌🌊🥹🩵
”So for now, I’m just happy for the peace and quiet, a simple life. That’s all I want. Just you and me, we can have picnics in the lighthouse, or on the rocks watching penguins, or looking at the stars. I’d be happy if we could do that forever.”
I leaned and kissed him. “Are you saying picnics and stargazing is all you want to do forever?”
He slow blinked and smiled serenely. “Yep.”
“Here, on this island?”
“I never want to be anywhere else.”
I sighed. His words settled warm in my belly, in my soul. “Forever?”
“Until the stars are no more.”
Fourth Read fev/25
I love this book. I love Hadley Cove—the lighthouse standing strong against the tides, the gloves and beanies, the penguins and seals, fish and chips, the southern lights, stargazing, Miss Tabby watching over everything like she always knew they’d find each other, the comfort food by the fire. I even love the meddling habitants… ish.
But most of all, I love Aubrey and Patrick. So, so much. More with every read. 🌊🌌
This is my comfort read. This book always leaves a warm, fuzzy feeling inside and never fails to make me smile and cry. The isolation and beauty of Hadley Cove wrap around you, making you feel both the vastness and the quiet ache of being alone. The ocean mirrors Patrick’s grief—constant, endless, something he’s learned to live beside but never quite let go of. And the stars… the stars are Aubrey’s hope. He followed the Southern Cross, and it led him home. To freedom, to peace, to trust, to love.
Watching them slowly break through their shells, allowing themselves this second chance, is so beautiful it hurts. They are both so alone, so lonely… both carrying terrible losses. They deserve this happiness.
Aubrey, my sweet baby. My heart breaks a little more each time I read this. But he ran. He found the strength to start over, to become Aubrey, to finally be loved unconditionally. I just want to wrap him up in the softest, warmest blanket and keep him safe—(Patrick being the blanket, obviously). Every moment of warmth between them feels earned because we know what Aubrey endured to get here.
Patrick is a natural caretaker—it shows from the very first moment. The gloves, the beanie, the food he keeps making for him 🫠🫠🫠. He’s been mourning for four years, and I understand his doubts, his fears, his guilt over loving another man. But Patrick’s grief isn’t just about losing Scott—it’s about figuring out who he is beyond that loss. Second chances are never easy, especially when the love before was incredible and ended in tragedy…
Their intimacy was swoonworthy. It felt like first times. Simple kisses, uncontrollable desire, but with such care, such adoration. Patrick worshiped Aubrey the way he deserved, and it was everything. Rest assured it's not lovey dovey, when these two come together, it's like witnessing galaxies and supernovas—intensely passionate and utterly glorious.
The talks with Scott… I’m used to them by now, and that voice feels like Patrick’s way of letting go, of moving forward with Scott’s approval.
Aubrey’s early thoughts about Patrick… Maybe a little fast, a little surprising, considering his past. But Patrick made him feel safe. He was kind, steady, and peaceful. So, of course, baby Aubrey felt that way about him early on.
Their HEA made swoon like crazy! Love them***
And two words to Anton- FUCK YOU!
_________________________________________________
Reread April 24
Third read and… omg a still cry every time… I’m a sucker for Aubrey and Patrick and their stars and waves… they filled me with such warmth… 🌊✨♾️ to them❤️
——————————————————————————
I usually read fantasy, but every once in a while something catches my eye and I enjoy reading a real-life novel! And this time it was a lighthouse that drew me to this book… And OMG I wasn't prepared for this... Probably the most romantic , adorable book I've ever read. The MC's baggage is explained but not intensely explored. What is explored is simply the fact that 2 souls who were lost find each other in an incredible setting and develop a love that is eternal and wonderful. I don't usually get carried away by feelings like that but.... I can't stop smiling, giggling, crying because Patrick and Aubrey are everything!❤️ my heart is full!
“As it’s written in the galaxies and oceans, I promise my heart to you,” Patrick said. With shining eyes and tender hands, he slid the ring on my finger.
I blinked back happy tears, my heart completely full. “May the stars forever guide us, and may this lighthouse bring us home.”
Excerpt From
Galaxies and Oceans
N.R. Walker
November 19, 2025
I love consent, don’t get me wrong... But sometimes consent written into some books can feels really abrupt like a slap in the face like HELLO I AM CONSENTING ADULT U MAY TOUCH ME THERE and it really can take me out of the story/scene sometimes… because again, I do love me some consent, it can just be jarring occasionally when not written or handled correctly?
I feel like NR Walker, in Galaxies and Oceans got consent and turns it into this memorising beautiful communication sequence that flows and makes the scenes soft and tender (and then sexy as hell) without the forceful fakeness that consent can sometimes give me.
I realise my book kryponite seems to be communicative and patient men ✨
This story is all about that hurt and healing, and even when the story dragged on a bit there, I was still vouching for them and enjoying their lighthouse hangs, trauma healing and fish & chip dates.
Smol town Australian romance at its finest, with an odd dramatic ending that was all crammed into 15 minutes at the end there, but that’s okay!
I generally struggle with Australian books, and I was taken aback by the fact this book starts in Canberra, where I currently live, and wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy the story for destroying my “I read for escapism” vibes ahahha but it was too lovely not to love 🥹
I LOVE 🌈💖LOVE💖🌈
I feel like NR Walker, in Galaxies and Oceans got consent and turns it into this memorising beautiful communication sequence that flows and makes the scenes soft and tender (and then sexy as hell) without the forceful fakeness that consent can sometimes give me.
I realise my book kryponite seems to be communicative and patient men ✨
This story is all about that hurt and healing, and even when the story dragged on a bit there, I was still vouching for them and enjoying their lighthouse hangs, trauma healing and fish & chip dates.
Smol town Australian romance at its finest, with an odd dramatic ending that was all crammed into 15 minutes at the end there, but that’s okay!
I generally struggle with Australian books, and I was taken aback by the fact this book starts in Canberra, where I currently live, and wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy the story for destroying my “I read for escapism” vibes ahahha but it was too lovely not to love 🥹
I LOVE 🌈💖LOVE💖🌈
December 23, 2024
yes ... well ... I cried like a baby ... no surprise there.
It was just beautiful. Poetic and heartbreaking.
Drawn to the isolation, to the brutality, I bummed a lift and arrived in Hadley Cove to a turbulent ocean, howling southerly wind, and dark and foreboding, low-hanging clouds. And I felt at home. I wasn’t sure I’d ever feel at peace again, but by God, I could almost taste it here. And I wanted it. I wanted to find a place where I could stop running. 🥺🥺🥺
The plot is not the most exciting, but I didn't expect it to be. I was only here for the emotions and the way Aubrey and Patrick deal with their pain.
There was something about Patrick that made me want to tell him everything. I wanted to crawl into his lap where he’d keep me safe, he’d rock me back and forth with my head on his chest, and I’d tell him all my secrets, then he’d say magical words that would fix the mess my life had become. 😩🫠😩
It had been so long since I’d felt this, since I’d felt anything. But right there, in front of the very waters that had broken my heart, I felt alive, wanted, and I felt, for the first time in four years, that I was not alone. 😍🫠🥰
So on an emotional level, the book really filled me up. I'm even reasonably satisfied with how the whole melodrama was resolved near the end, even though it comes quite late in the book.
Other than that, there are definitely things to criticize, so the book isn't really perfect, but I don't want to right now. I'm a repression artist and since it's almost Christmas, I'm just going to focus on the fact that the book made me cry, which was my intention when I decided to read it.
It was just beautiful. Poetic and heartbreaking.
Drawn to the isolation, to the brutality, I bummed a lift and arrived in Hadley Cove to a turbulent ocean, howling southerly wind, and dark and foreboding, low-hanging clouds. And I felt at home. I wasn’t sure I’d ever feel at peace again, but by God, I could almost taste it here. And I wanted it. I wanted to find a place where I could stop running. 🥺🥺🥺
The plot is not the most exciting, but I didn't expect it to be. I was only here for the emotions and the way Aubrey and Patrick deal with their pain.
There was something about Patrick that made me want to tell him everything. I wanted to crawl into his lap where he’d keep me safe, he’d rock me back and forth with my head on his chest, and I’d tell him all my secrets, then he’d say magical words that would fix the mess my life had become. 😩🫠😩
It had been so long since I’d felt this, since I’d felt anything. But right there, in front of the very waters that had broken my heart, I felt alive, wanted, and I felt, for the first time in four years, that I was not alone. 😍🫠🥰
So on an emotional level, the book really filled me up. I'm even reasonably satisfied with how the whole melodrama was resolved near the end, even though it comes quite late in the book.
Other than that, there are definitely things to criticize, so the book isn't really perfect, but I don't want to right now. I'm a repression artist and since it's almost Christmas, I'm just going to focus on the fact that the book made me cry, which was my intention when I decided to read it.
August 12, 2021
“May the stars forever guide us, and may this lighthouse bring us home.”
This is my 8th book of NR Walker, and to put into pieces, fractions of words of just how brilliant of a writer she is, requires more stealth than I have within myself.
Because She did it Again.
She broke my heart and also pieced it back together.
Am I going to be as melodramatic as an Asian Drama never fails to be? YES. I don't come discounted people.
I've said it once that Nr Walker's books are my definition of healing. I bloody get theraphy from her works. She has a way that no matter how dark and traumatic or light and fluffy, she kind of always finds a way to heal a portion of my sanity and whatever's left in my soul.
This book has one of the most fascinating, intriguing, and gut wrenching premises. And the story that followed through is truly one of the most captivating, enlightening and ROMANTIC stories I've ever read.
Because Nr Walker's writing isn't just healing, it isn't just captivating, it is simply beautiful. It is wholesome and rich with everything it portrays and it captures truly the essence of humanity, of love, of grief and heartbreak, of losing everything you've ever had.
There was power in her words and between her sentences lies strength and epiphany and wonder for such magnificent characters, a thought-provoking perspective and the ability of an incredible storyteller.
Time simply didn’t stop. It trudged on while you wandered aimlessly, helplessly, with only grief and loneliness as companions. Time mocked and ridiculed, passing slowly when you were the one left behind, and at the same time flying by so damn fast, reminding you that you were stuck.
If you're reading this review right now and you haven't yet read what the premise of this book is, honestly I recommend NOT reading the premise of this book. I went into this story completely blind, with nothing but affection and awe for this cover and this writer, and I wasn't dissapointed.
I feel like in stories, especially in romance and over two love interests, there's always a favorite y'know? A preferred my kinda person, the he/she's my type, the kind of person you would want to spend the rest of my life with, fictional be damned.
But this book, I FAIL to comply to whom I want to worship the ground of.
There was no 'he's the better one' because honestly, these two character honestly deserve the world and beyond. There was such elegance in the rawness of what they felt, how they communicated with each other, how the words felt as they looked at each other and the utter devastation and euphoria as they longed for one other.
He smiled, and his cheeks tinted with the sunset. “I used to think you were this coastline personified. Eyes the colour of water, and your beard is the colour of the brown rocks and grey like the storms, and you were as beckoning and as strong as your lighthouse. So having a heart as big as the Southern Ocean kind of fits.”
Patrick sat back and happily watched the performance in front of us, and for a long while, I watched him.
It was as though he was the personification of this coast, this ocean. He was browns, blues, and greys, just like the scenery behind him, with a spark of life in his eyes but a sadness too. A little worn, rugged, weathered, but beautiful all the same.
These two characters are the definition of patience, of strength, of genuine kindness.
I like to think of them as the pursuit of humanity. Because humans, no less characters aren't perfect, and they didn't strive to be perfect, they strived to be human and in it's integral form, I learnt the true elegance of what that sentence holds.
“Can you hear that?” I asked quietly, looking to Patrick before searching the stars again with the telescope. “How the ocean and the wind speak to the lighthouse. It’s like a quiet symphony; an ode to the stars,” I said, almost as a joke.
Maybe it's because I'm still young and I haven't experienced 'life' or whatever the fuck the adults of our words rants on about, but this book? This book serves not just romance, not just the utter devastation in it's purest and worst kind two people can bring together, it serves as a life lesson.
Perhaps I'm just a cynical fool for the past decades, but the level of empathy in this book, rendered me senseless. Rendered me in awe and wonder. It made me ask the rarity of it and marvel and what it represented and became off.
He turned to face me, and his smile was more genuine now. “This little town isn’t so bad. It’s far enough removed from the rest of the world to make it perfect.”
And now honestly, I just want to live the setting of where this book takes place. I never truly appreciated small town romances but this... Yup. This is good.
I'm not going into depth about the certainties of what happened or go into detail of the plot and directions this book took or blah blah blah, because I'm not that kind of reviewer 🤪 I just want to say in so many words, that this book is a profound piece of nature and truly a gift of humanity in its self because the number of times I wrote in my annotations how the words these book held were antidotes to whatever was left of my soul.
Stories were better told over time, anyway, when allowed to unfold only when they were ready to be written.
✨ As for the rating, I'm not actually sure of what I want to rate this book as. I was pondering between the lines of a 4.75 or a 5 star.
I have ZERO complaints about this book, but the only reason between that fine line is that, Code Red is one my favorite books of Nr Walker and it may as well be my favorite book of the year and THAT is a 5 Star.
This is not my favorite book of the year but it's certainly jumping into that category, so I'll probably come back later after a few weeks to change it's rating. ✨
And to end this pitiful review, this book was for the stars, because don't ever forget, If you're ever lost, follow the stars
Immediate Reactions
i... I'm not okay.
June 12, 2018
"When you look at the stars, what do you see?"
There is a reason that Moonlight Sonata is my favorite piano piece. There is such beauty in that somber overlay.
That's how I would describe this story and the writing style. Beauty in a somber overlay.
Aubrey is recently out of a violently abusive relationship, and Patrick is four years along, but still mourning, from the death of his partner.
In rural, southern Australia is where their galaxies and oceans intersect.
There is a strong hurt/comfort theme to Patrick and Aubrey's story, on both their parts, and this is the reason (personal preference) that it wasn't a 5-star read for me. I'm not the biggest fan of the hurt/comfort theme. (But, Renee, you said you loved the beauty in the somber pieces! <-Yeah, I know, I'm quite the conundrum, but oh well).
This one was a sexier story for Walker, and I loved that. ;)
It also just crossed the line over too sugary sweet, if I'm being honest.
But I can't tell you a thing was wrong with the writing style. She is so smooth and sucks me in every time.
Fans of Walker will love this one!
July 3, 2018
While I can definitely see why a lot of people will like this, it wasn’t really for me. I was bored for most of the story.
And I’m all for open communication, but I felt as if these guys talked everything to death. They rehashed every single thing at least 3 times. How they felt, if they wanted each other, if they should have sex now or wait some more, if they were comfortable. And this the entire time.
This started out pretty good with Ethan recovering from a beating from his politician boyfriend. When the cabin he is in is about to be burned to the ground by a forest fire, he gets the idea to escape. He leaves all his possessions behind and hopes Anton will think he died in the fire.
Ethan eventually ends up on Kangaroo Island as Aubrey Hobbs. Aubrey doesn’t have any money, but he’s willing to do all kinds of odd jobs to get by.
Since the town is super small it is not long before he meets Patrick, who takes care of the lighthouse on the island. The two become fast friends, but Aubrey is hesitant to let someone get close, and Patrick is still grieving over his dead boyfriend, who died 4 years earlier.
But both cannot deny their attraction and Aubrey ends up kissing Patrick. Patrick thinks he is not ready for a new relationship yet, but can’t seem to stay away from Aubrey, so the two men decide to take it slow and see where the tide takes them..
This book started out pretty great, and I was totally ready for some hurt/comfort. And I did like the hurt/comfort parts with Aubrey, but unfortunately it was a bit overshadowed by Patrick and his grief and guilt about his dead partner. Now that is never one of my favorite tropes, so that’s totally on me for reading a book with a deceased lover in it.
I also felt this was more flowery than NR Walker usually writes. Now I could be totally wrong about that, but it was just the overall feeling I got from this.
Then he curled his fingers inside me and touched me where no one had ever touched me.
I didn’t need my grandfather’s telescope. I didn’t need to look skyward, to be outside or surrounded by night.
I saw the stars anyway.
I was almost certain that heaven had just collided with the earth. That the world outside could resort to madness and we would be oblivious to all but this moment.
But he took me to the astral planes again. When I was face down with him on top of me, inside me, he found my sweet spot and worked it so thoroughly, he didn’t just show me a supernova.
I became one.
I do think lots of people will enjoy this, but I ended up with a good solid meh.
------------------------------
An ARC of Galaxies and Oceans was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
And I’m all for open communication, but I felt as if these guys talked everything to death. They rehashed every single thing at least 3 times. How they felt, if they wanted each other, if they should have sex now or wait some more, if they were comfortable. And this the entire time.
This started out pretty good with Ethan recovering from a beating from his politician boyfriend. When the cabin he is in is about to be burned to the ground by a forest fire, he gets the idea to escape. He leaves all his possessions behind and hopes Anton will think he died in the fire.
Ethan eventually ends up on Kangaroo Island as Aubrey Hobbs. Aubrey doesn’t have any money, but he’s willing to do all kinds of odd jobs to get by.
Since the town is super small it is not long before he meets Patrick, who takes care of the lighthouse on the island. The two become fast friends, but Aubrey is hesitant to let someone get close, and Patrick is still grieving over his dead boyfriend, who died 4 years earlier.
But both cannot deny their attraction and Aubrey ends up kissing Patrick. Patrick thinks he is not ready for a new relationship yet, but can’t seem to stay away from Aubrey, so the two men decide to take it slow and see where the tide takes them..
This book started out pretty great, and I was totally ready for some hurt/comfort. And I did like the hurt/comfort parts with Aubrey, but unfortunately it was a bit overshadowed by Patrick and his grief and guilt about his dead partner. Now that is never one of my favorite tropes, so that’s totally on me for reading a book with a deceased lover in it.
I also felt this was more flowery than NR Walker usually writes. Now I could be totally wrong about that, but it was just the overall feeling I got from this.
Then he curled his fingers inside me and touched me where no one had ever touched me.
I didn’t need my grandfather’s telescope. I didn’t need to look skyward, to be outside or surrounded by night.
I saw the stars anyway.
I was almost certain that heaven had just collided with the earth. That the world outside could resort to madness and we would be oblivious to all but this moment.
But he took me to the astral planes again. When I was face down with him on top of me, inside me, he found my sweet spot and worked it so thoroughly, he didn’t just show me a supernova.
I became one.
I do think lots of people will enjoy this, but I ended up with a good solid meh.
------------------------------
An ARC of Galaxies and Oceans was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
December 15, 2024
Y‘all I’m conflicted 😩
I loved so many things about this but struggled with a few things at the same time.
This is a classic case of it‘s not you, it’s me.
First the things I adored: the setting was absolutely breathtaking. Kangaroo Island and all its inhabitants? The nature? The penguins and sea lions? The LIGHTHOUSE?! Absolutely stunning. I also loved the writing, the character development, the gentleness that poured from the pages, Tabby the cat, the hurt/comfort aspect, the grandeur of the romance and the satisfying epilogue.
Now the things I struggled with and - again - this is a me-problem: the dead ex trope. And in this case, the perfect dead ex, Patrick is still undeniably in love with (which he admits to openly). The dead ex he still talks to constantly in his head and the reason he feels guilty for most of the book. I ached for Patrick and his lost love but I also felt so bad for Aubrey, because if Patrick had the chance? I’m not sure he wouldn’t choose the ex over Aubrey up until 80% of the book. At least that’s the vibe I got and it stung, even if Aubrey seemed to be okay with it.
Speaking of Aubrey… I feel like he pushed Patrick a little bit, which isn’t a bad thing per se, because Patrick probably needed pushing. BUT I just thought it didn’t really fit with Aubrey’s backstory? I mean, he suffered unbelievable abuse - mentally, sexually, physically - for YEARS. He was isolated, raped, beaten half to death. He faked his death to break free, he left everything, lost everything, was homeless, barely surviving and didn’t trust anybody for good reason.
Now. How is he so okay, so ready to trust, to be (sexually) intimate, to love - all after a few days and with a man who isn’t really emotionally available in the beginning because of the dead ex? Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED that for Aubrey, like, so much. He deserved everything after all the trauma he suffered through, but it didn’t feel realistic, at least for me. I kinda wished for more - dare I say it - angst, uncertainty, hesitancy, carefulness on his part, to make their relationship development more believable. But no, he was ALL IN after TWO DAYS, going so far as to moving in with Patrick. Wouldn’t someone with his backstory be more tentative to enter a situation where he’s dependent on another person again?
I know everyone loved this and I absolutely see why, I did also love it and the ending moved me to tears. But I can’t look past these two things, I’m sorry, please don’t hate me! Okay, I’m going to hide now, byeeee.
3,5⭐️
PS: Joel Leslie was alright here (WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT?!?) or I just learned to get used to him because he narrates every. second. audiobook 🙄 But him reading sex scenes? Still a big fat NOPE.
I loved so many things about this but struggled with a few things at the same time.
This is a classic case of it‘s not you, it’s me.
First the things I adored: the setting was absolutely breathtaking. Kangaroo Island and all its inhabitants? The nature? The penguins and sea lions? The LIGHTHOUSE?! Absolutely stunning. I also loved the writing, the character development, the gentleness that poured from the pages, Tabby the cat, the hurt/comfort aspect, the grandeur of the romance and the satisfying epilogue.
Now the things I struggled with and - again - this is a me-problem: the dead ex trope. And in this case, the perfect dead ex, Patrick is still undeniably in love with (which he admits to openly). The dead ex he still talks to constantly in his head and the reason he feels guilty for most of the book. I ached for Patrick and his lost love but I also felt so bad for Aubrey, because if Patrick had the chance? I’m not sure he wouldn’t choose the ex over Aubrey up until 80% of the book. At least that’s the vibe I got and it stung, even if Aubrey seemed to be okay with it.
Speaking of Aubrey… I feel like he pushed Patrick a little bit, which isn’t a bad thing per se, because Patrick probably needed pushing. BUT I just thought it didn’t really fit with Aubrey’s backstory? I mean, he suffered unbelievable abuse - mentally, sexually, physically - for YEARS. He was isolated, raped, beaten half to death. He faked his death to break free, he left everything, lost everything, was homeless, barely surviving and didn’t trust anybody for good reason.
Now. How is he so okay, so ready to trust, to be (sexually) intimate, to love - all after a few days and with a man who isn’t really emotionally available in the beginning because of the dead ex? Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED that for Aubrey, like, so much. He deserved everything after all the trauma he suffered through, but it didn’t feel realistic, at least for me. I kinda wished for more - dare I say it - angst, uncertainty, hesitancy, carefulness on his part, to make their relationship development more believable. But no, he was ALL IN after TWO DAYS, going so far as to moving in with Patrick. Wouldn’t someone with his backstory be more tentative to enter a situation where he’s dependent on another person again?
I know everyone loved this and I absolutely see why, I did also love it and the ending moved me to tears. But I can’t look past these two things, I’m sorry, please don’t hate me! Okay, I’m going to hide now, byeeee.
3,5⭐️
PS: Joel Leslie was alright here (WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT?!?) or I just learned to get used to him because he narrates every. second. audiobook 🙄 But him reading sex scenes? Still a big fat NOPE.
July 28, 2018
4.5 Stars
Galaxies and Oceans by NR Walker is about healing and moving on and getting a second chance at love and at life. It's such a beautiful story full of hope.
Starting over isn't easy under the best of conditions. Choosing to walk away from everything because you feel there is no other choice has to be one of the scariest feelings ever. Ethan did this. He knew that staying with his abusive - and influential - boyfriend would never get better, and he would not be allowed to just leave. Being presumed dead gave Aubrey a fresh start, but some wounds don't heal easily and Aubrey is afraid to get too close to others, and he prefered it that way, until he met Patrick, the lighthouse keeper in ...
Patrick has shadows of his own. His partner died four years ago, and Patrick has never learned how to move on. He goes about his very predictable routine - lighthouse checks, first thing, coffee at 8am, grounds maintenance, and helping others in the small town that need it, until he encountered Aubrey, who taught him how to breathe again.
The story has a rather solemn feel to it, with both MC's dealing with past trauma, but the romance is strong and gorgeous and slow slow burn. There's no melodrama, no miscommunication (so refreshing!), just a sweet (maybe a touch too sweet for my personal tastes) and sexy story about healing and living.
I truly enjoyed Galaxies and Oceans and would heartily recommend it.
----------------------
ARC of Galaxies and Oceans was generously provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.
Galaxies and Oceans by NR Walker is about healing and moving on and getting a second chance at love and at life. It's such a beautiful story full of hope.
Starting over isn't easy under the best of conditions. Choosing to walk away from everything because you feel there is no other choice has to be one of the scariest feelings ever. Ethan did this. He knew that staying with his abusive - and influential - boyfriend would never get better, and he would not be allowed to just leave. Being presumed dead gave Aubrey a fresh start, but some wounds don't heal easily and Aubrey is afraid to get too close to others, and he prefered it that way, until he met Patrick, the lighthouse keeper in ...
Patrick has shadows of his own. His partner died four years ago, and Patrick has never learned how to move on. He goes about his very predictable routine - lighthouse checks, first thing, coffee at 8am, grounds maintenance, and helping others in the small town that need it, until he encountered Aubrey, who taught him how to breathe again.
The story has a rather solemn feel to it, with both MC's dealing with past trauma, but the romance is strong and gorgeous and slow slow burn. There's no melodrama, no miscommunication (so refreshing!), just a sweet (maybe a touch too sweet for my personal tastes) and sexy story about healing and living.
I truly enjoyed Galaxies and Oceans and would heartily recommend it.
----------------------
ARC of Galaxies and Oceans was generously provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.
June 20, 2018
5 stars.
By now, it's no secret that I love everything N.R. Walker writes. Before I started reading Galaxies and Oceans, I hadn't read a book in about a week and I was getting antsy. And this was exactly what I needed but I didn't know until I read it.
Aubrey and Patrick's life is both filled with pain but they don't let that define them. They're both trying to move forward and to be happy. Trust doesn't come easy to them with Patrick losing his boyfriend a few years ago and Aubrey leaving an abusive relationship but they try.
This was quite possibly one of if not the most romantic book I've read. I loved the small town feel and the secondary characters. I could just picture it in my mind while I was reading everything. I loved that I had a smile on my face the entire time. Add the fact that there was an age-gap in this and I was in heaven.
This was the an amazing read and exactly what I was looking for.
An arc was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Stories were better told over time, anyway, when allowed to unfold only when they were ready to be written.
By now, it's no secret that I love everything N.R. Walker writes. Before I started reading Galaxies and Oceans, I hadn't read a book in about a week and I was getting antsy. And this was exactly what I needed but I didn't know until I read it.
Aubrey and Patrick's life is both filled with pain but they don't let that define them. They're both trying to move forward and to be happy. Trust doesn't come easy to them with Patrick losing his boyfriend a few years ago and Aubrey leaving an abusive relationship but they try.
If I was adrift and lost, and I certainly felt it some days, then he was my shining beacon, my tether and guide to something good and whole.
My lighthouse.
This was quite possibly one of if not the most romantic book I've read. I loved the small town feel and the secondary characters. I could just picture it in my mind while I was reading everything. I loved that I had a smile on my face the entire time. Add the fact that there was an age-gap in this and I was in heaven.
This was the an amazing read and exactly what I was looking for.
Sometimes you have to listen to the silences. When things aren't said. That's where the truth is.
An arc was provided in exchange for an honest review.
September 20, 2023
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
Grief was like the great Southern Ocean; it moved in ebbs and flows, often turbulent and rough, or peaceful and settled, and even over time when I could navigate the waters, the tide never stopped.
This was my third time reading/listening to this book, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. It’s heartbreaking, but so so beautiful as well. I’ve loved every N.R Walker book I’ve read, but this one is very special, and might have some of the prettiest writing she has done. The imagery and world she has managed to create in this book is just stunning.
It was as though he was the personification of this coast, this ocean. He was browns, blues, and greys, just like the scenery behind him, with a spark of life in his eyes but a sadness too. A little worn, rugged, weathered, but beautiful all the same.
Both MCs are incredibly easy to love, and I wanted them to be happy together basically from the first time they interacted. One MC is a widower and has to deal with the guilt of moving on (very tastefully done, I will say), while the other has been the victim of domestic abuse for a very long time. To say they have some hurdles to overcome is an understatement, but they both deserve to be happy. The author handled both of these topics with a lot of care and sensitivity, and it paid off. Beautiful characters and a beautiful story. Highly recommend.
“Kind of like I’m lost at sea and you’re the lighthouse and safe harbour. I know when I’m with you, no one can hurt me.”
It also has one of the prettiest covers ever.
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Widower
Slow burn
Abusive ex
Age gap
New identity
Hurt/comfort
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Wildfire
Domestic abuse
Physical abuse
(Some of the abuse is detailed, in the past)
Grief
Death of a partner (past)
Brief mention of drowning (not detailed)
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
How was it possible that this younger man could level me so completely? I was older, I had more experience. I was fourteen years older than him—I’d had my first kiss before he was born, for God’s sake… Oh God. I’d had my first kiss before he was born.
“May the stars forever guide us, and may this lighthouse bring us home.”
Grief was like the great Southern Ocean; it moved in ebbs and flows, often turbulent and rough, or peaceful and settled, and even over time when I could navigate the waters, the tide never stopped.
This was my third time reading/listening to this book, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. It’s heartbreaking, but so so beautiful as well. I’ve loved every N.R Walker book I’ve read, but this one is very special, and might have some of the prettiest writing she has done. The imagery and world she has managed to create in this book is just stunning.
It was as though he was the personification of this coast, this ocean. He was browns, blues, and greys, just like the scenery behind him, with a spark of life in his eyes but a sadness too. A little worn, rugged, weathered, but beautiful all the same.
Both MCs are incredibly easy to love, and I wanted them to be happy together basically from the first time they interacted. One MC is a widower and has to deal with the guilt of moving on (very tastefully done, I will say), while the other has been the victim of domestic abuse for a very long time. To say they have some hurdles to overcome is an understatement, but they both deserve to be happy. The author handled both of these topics with a lot of care and sensitivity, and it paid off. Beautiful characters and a beautiful story. Highly recommend.
“Kind of like I’m lost at sea and you’re the lighthouse and safe harbour. I know when I’m with you, no one can hurt me.”
It also has one of the prettiest covers ever.
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Widower
Slow burn
Abusive ex
Age gap
New identity
Hurt/comfort
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Wildfire
Domestic abuse
Physical abuse
(Some of the abuse is detailed, in the past)
Grief
Death of a partner (past)
Brief mention of drowning (not detailed)
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
How was it possible that this younger man could level me so completely? I was older, I had more experience. I was fourteen years older than him—I’d had my first kiss before he was born, for God’s sake… Oh God. I’d had my first kiss before he was born.
“May the stars forever guide us, and may this lighthouse bring us home.”
February 27, 2021
AUDIOBOOK Feb 2021: beautiful narration by Joel Leslie. 4.5 stars still
ORIGINAL EBOOK Nov 2018:
Like the slow movements of the tides and the wonderous expanse of the stars, this book slowly filled me with love for the two men who needfully and inevitably came to trust each other.
Perhaps the slow pacing of the book will needle those desperate for more to happen. Perhaps this need for FASTER and NOW will get in the way of some readers from enjoying the beauty of the words Walker set down. And perhaps this slow undercurrent of love will keep them from allowing our MCs to take their own journey. This is their book, not mine, nor yours. This book of theirs told their love story the way it needed to be told—patiently, steadily, and sometimes ferociously.
One man escapes a brutal, abusive situation by disappearing into a wildfire. His stars guide him south until he comes to a jagged scrap of rock: Kangaroo Island. Mistrustful of everything and everyone, a man without a name, he meets the kind lighthouse keeper—a man who has been living through his own sorrows, a man also emotionally apart from others.
So you wonder how a story of an abused man and a grieving man can become the magical tale that Walker spun? Well, trust, kindness, understanding and patience go a long way towards healing souls. And that’s exactly what happened. The slowest of burns by design on the part of the two lovers allowed for the inclusion and exorcism of their pasts.
Some might think that openly grieving an ex-partner an intrusion on a current relationship, but one can’t just erase past love, like pain, as it never happened.
The romance, passion and sex these two share on this journey is STUNNING!!! It’s SEXY, yes ROMANCE IS SEXY!! Romance and not insta-love, not insta-heal is what is at the heart if this story and I loved every page of it. I also loved how INCREDIBLY HOT the sex was because of the romance.
This story set at the world’s end has a happy ending for our lovers and a very satisfying one for me.
Let this slow wash of emotions wash over you...give this story the time it needs because I, for one, reveled in the power of time, nature, destiny, and the stars.
ORIGINAL EBOOK Nov 2018:
Like the slow movements of the tides and the wonderous expanse of the stars, this book slowly filled me with love for the two men who needfully and inevitably came to trust each other.
Perhaps the slow pacing of the book will needle those desperate for more to happen. Perhaps this need for FASTER and NOW will get in the way of some readers from enjoying the beauty of the words Walker set down. And perhaps this slow undercurrent of love will keep them from allowing our MCs to take their own journey. This is their book, not mine, nor yours. This book of theirs told their love story the way it needed to be told—patiently, steadily, and sometimes ferociously.
One man escapes a brutal, abusive situation by disappearing into a wildfire. His stars guide him south until he comes to a jagged scrap of rock: Kangaroo Island. Mistrustful of everything and everyone, a man without a name, he meets the kind lighthouse keeper—a man who has been living through his own sorrows, a man also emotionally apart from others.
So you wonder how a story of an abused man and a grieving man can become the magical tale that Walker spun? Well, trust, kindness, understanding and patience go a long way towards healing souls. And that’s exactly what happened. The slowest of burns by design on the part of the two lovers allowed for the inclusion and exorcism of their pasts.
Some might think that openly grieving an ex-partner an intrusion on a current relationship, but one can’t just erase past love, like pain, as it never happened.
The romance, passion and sex these two share on this journey is STUNNING!!! It’s SEXY, yes ROMANCE IS SEXY!! Romance and not insta-love, not insta-heal is what is at the heart if this story and I loved every page of it. I also loved how INCREDIBLY HOT the sex was because of the romance.
This story set at the world’s end has a happy ending for our lovers and a very satisfying one for me.
Let this slow wash of emotions wash over you...give this story the time it needs because I, for one, reveled in the power of time, nature, destiny, and the stars.
June 28, 2018
Ahhh! What a lovely, wonderful book!
This is romance at its best.
Despite the dark undertones in Aubrey's past this story made my heart flutter and my eyes teary-eyed. And I loved the setting, and the description of it!
Aubrey and Hunter are attracted to each other on first sight but they take things easy and sensibly slow. Both are chasing shadows of their past and are careful to take their developing relationship step by step, and after discussing things openly and honestly. I loved the gentleness between them, how softly they tread so not to hurt the other one.
I really adore what NR Walker has done here. Not only do we get a wonderfully romantic love story, but two incredibly sympathetic MCs who made me feel with them all the way.
I also have to mention the lyricism of the writing when it comes to setting the scenes, describing "Galaxies and Oceans" (I so love when authors find eye-catching titles!) and some very well observed truths :
Time simply didn't stop. It trudged on while you wandered aimlessly, helplessly, with only grief and loneliness as companions. Time mocked and ridiculed, passing slowly when you were left behind, and at the same time flying so damn fast, reminding you that you were stuck.
Time was a cruel beast.
If you are a romantic at heart you will love this!
This is romance at its best.
Despite the dark undertones in Aubrey's past this story made my heart flutter and my eyes teary-eyed. And I loved the setting, and the description of it!
Aubrey and Hunter are attracted to each other on first sight but they take things easy and sensibly slow. Both are chasing shadows of their past and are careful to take their developing relationship step by step, and after discussing things openly and honestly. I loved the gentleness between them, how softly they tread so not to hurt the other one.
I really adore what NR Walker has done here. Not only do we get a wonderfully romantic love story, but two incredibly sympathetic MCs who made me feel with them all the way.
I also have to mention the lyricism of the writing when it comes to setting the scenes, describing "Galaxies and Oceans" (I so love when authors find eye-catching titles!) and some very well observed truths :
Time simply didn't stop. It trudged on while you wandered aimlessly, helplessly, with only grief and loneliness as companions. Time mocked and ridiculed, passing slowly when you were left behind, and at the same time flying so damn fast, reminding you that you were stuck.
Time was a cruel beast.
If you are a romantic at heart you will love this!
May 20, 2024
I'm feeling emotional. After all those poor attempts at hurt/comfort, I have found the ULTIMATE hurt/comfort story. And, my dudes, it was so beautiful and heartbreakingly wholesome. Aubrey Hobbs runs away from his pos of a boyfriend, taking advantage of a bushfire to erase his former life. He ends up in a tiny island off the South of Australia, where he meets Patrick. Patrick is the lighthouse keeper and has his own deal of pain because his partner Scott died at sea.
The way their relationship develops is a fucking treat, as they slowly become the safe space fof each other. Their self awareness and truly adult conversations were a highlight of the story, as well as their dates in which they got to know one another.
I loved how their age gap wasn't even an issue or something used as a plot device. And I loved how poetic the characters were and how heartfelt without being ott it was.
I also liked how Patrick talked to Scott in his head, and how the themes of grief for a dead partner were treated.
Two broken men find each other and helped the other heal while falling in love. Perfection. As someone with a story of violence and healing, this book spoke to me in a language I understand.
There's a bit of tension towards the end, but no 3rd act breakup, which I deeply appreciated.
Read this book and enjoy their beautiful love.
The way their relationship develops is a fucking treat, as they slowly become the safe space fof each other. Their self awareness and truly adult conversations were a highlight of the story, as well as their dates in which they got to know one another.
I loved how their age gap wasn't even an issue or something used as a plot device. And I loved how poetic the characters were and how heartfelt without being ott it was.
I also liked how Patrick talked to Scott in his head, and how the themes of grief for a dead partner were treated.
Two broken men find each other and helped the other heal while falling in love. Perfection. As someone with a story of violence and healing, this book spoke to me in a language I understand.
There's a bit of tension towards the end, but no 3rd act breakup, which I deeply appreciated.
Read this book and enjoy their beautiful love.
July 21, 2023
This book has been my companion for this past week. I don't know a better way to explain it. I listened to it while traveling to work, while walking the dog, cooking. You know. Just living my life. And it's been such an amazing companion.
Reading this book was like taking a rollercoaster for your feelings. I had them all at some point. But in between it was sooting. And beautiful. And sugary sweet (which you know, I love.)
Joel Leslie did a fantastic job narrating this book.
Reading this book was like taking a rollercoaster for your feelings. I had them all at some point. But in between it was sooting. And beautiful. And sugary sweet (which you know, I love.)
Joel Leslie did a fantastic job narrating this book.
September 1, 2019
Wow! Just WOW!!!!
NR Walker has done it again, her writing is sublime!! The stories she comes up with are sublime, I loved this book, it was gut wrenching, full of angst and it was FANTASTIC! Just when I think her books can’t get any better she goes and writes this beauty. Lol.
NR Walker has done it again, her writing is sublime!! The stories she comes up with are sublime, I loved this book, it was gut wrenching, full of angst and it was FANTASTIC! Just when I think her books can’t get any better she goes and writes this beauty. Lol.
October 11, 2018
4.5 stars.
February 1, 2024
Re-listen #2, 4.5 stars... Decided I wanted to go back to something emotional and well done and it held up. Authors don’t write love stories like this anymore.. it’s the perfect blend of heartbreak and drama and fun and love and steam. It’s an organic and uncomplicated connection between MC’s where both have baggage but it’s not toxic or OTT. Walker’s writing has been trash for a couple years but back in the day she wrote some of my favorite queer love stories. It’s sad she’s fallen onto so many people’s DNR shelves lately.
Also, Joel pulls the emotions out of this so well. It’s just so good.
——————————
ETA I listened to this in early 2021… I updated my review to take out the sentence “this author can do no wrong”…. Because the author has done nothing but wrong in nearly two years. But… this book and audio is worth it.
You know a book, and it’s narrator, are good when you pretty much hang onto every word and spend hours ignoring your family so you can finish it. In MM, this one... it stands apart. And above. And beyond. And Joel’s heartbreaking narration just takes it a step further. This HEA is fought so hard for by such broken but beautiful men. A unique plot with poetic storytelling. This has risen to the top of my all time favorite reads ever.
Also, Joel pulls the emotions out of this so well. It’s just so good.
——————————
ETA I listened to this in early 2021… I updated my review to take out the sentence “this author can do no wrong”…. Because the author has done nothing but wrong in nearly two years. But… this book and audio is worth it.
You know a book, and it’s narrator, are good when you pretty much hang onto every word and spend hours ignoring your family so you can finish it. In MM, this one... it stands apart. And above. And beyond. And Joel’s heartbreaking narration just takes it a step further. This HEA is fought so hard for by such broken but beautiful men. A unique plot with poetic storytelling. This has risen to the top of my all time favorite reads ever.
May 4, 2023
Reread/Relisten: May 2023
NR Walker is my go to comfort read when I feel a slump coming on or I am waiting for a book to come out.
I love these two, yes there was that lull in the middle but I enjoyed seeing these two broken souls come together!
4 stars: May 2021
Book 200 of this year and it was a good one!!
Patrick and Aubrey were everything they were perfect for each other and I loved seeing their relationship grow!
I think that the middle did drag for a little bit but since I loved both characters I was okay with it. But man I wish the ending was longer, but it still ended beautifully. I am slowly getting through all NR Walkers backlist and I’m enjoying every second of it!
NR Walker is my go to comfort read when I feel a slump coming on or I am waiting for a book to come out.
I love these two, yes there was that lull in the middle but I enjoyed seeing these two broken souls come together!
4 stars: May 2021
Book 200 of this year and it was a good one!!
Patrick and Aubrey were everything they were perfect for each other and I loved seeing their relationship grow!
I think that the middle did drag for a little bit but since I loved both characters I was okay with it. But man I wish the ending was longer, but it still ended beautifully. I am slowly getting through all NR Walkers backlist and I’m enjoying every second of it!
May 3, 2024
Finished this book awhile ago, but couldn’t stop thinking about it. So, I’m changing my initial review to a glowing 5/5 🌟
This book is for the hopeless romantics 💗 their love is so tender and pure, without the need of any accolades. So, I’m leaving it there 🫶
This book is for the hopeless romantics 💗 their love is so tender and pure, without the need of any accolades. So, I’m leaving it there 🫶
May 6, 2024
Reread 05/2024:
Loved it as much as the first time! ❤️
Loved it as much as the first time! ❤️
November 14, 2025
This is officially another N.R.Walker backlist hidden treasure. Very australian (maybe all her hidden treasures are australian set?), but a totally different flavour of Australia, cold, and polar facing, and penguins! It's really angsty, sobbing stuff, and to be fair just a tiny bit too soppy for me, but it's so good I will forgive it. Really great control of just about everything storytelling wise. Battered boyfriend faking his death, grieving older man who keeps a lighthouse, grumpy grieving cat, fantastic small small town characters, lightouse and star gazing and aurora australis (nearly wrote borealis, corrected..), penguins and seals, and a maybe ghost with advice...
It is soap opera dramatic intensity but still feeling realistic enough. I got some quibbles regarding a side character's role which I think was played for dramatic intensity .
I mentioned the "Australia" bit, and I think that is important not just for flavour and penguins and all but for context for angst to make sense. Things which according to this book are crimes in Australia would not be in my local jurisdictions. I did not google it, taking the author's take (bein Australian and all) as being far more knowledgeable than my instinct. But just warning, because it surprised me and it is a bit relevant plot wise.
Very very good, a lot to admire here. It is a smidgeon too soppy for me to have it as an utmost favorite but no doubts as to rating it the whole 5 stars.
And in case I did not mention it enough, there are penguins, fairy penguins and just google it, trust me on that and I think Australia is totally cheating at the too-cute-animal thing and should be disqualified of any competition but still provide plenty of visual imagery. For science.
It is soap opera dramatic intensity but still feeling realistic enough. I got some quibbles regarding a side character's role which I think was played for dramatic intensity .
I mentioned the "Australia" bit, and I think that is important not just for flavour and penguins and all but for context for angst to make sense. Things which according to this book are crimes in Australia would not be in my local jurisdictions. I did not google it, taking the author's take (bein Australian and all) as being far more knowledgeable than my instinct. But just warning, because it surprised me and it is a bit relevant plot wise.
Very very good, a lot to admire here. It is a smidgeon too soppy for me to have it as an utmost favorite but no doubts as to rating it the whole 5 stars.
And in case I did not mention it enough, there are penguins, fairy penguins and just google it, trust me on that and I think Australia is totally cheating at the too-cute-animal thing and should be disqualified of any competition but still provide plenty of visual imagery. For science.
July 5, 2018
New beginnings. Rebirth. Revival.
That’s what I think of when I think of Aubrey and Patrick. And when I think of them together, my heart races and my face softens. Their love is deeply passionate, fierce and firm, and beautifully brave. Walker is one of my favorite authors for good reason, but this story completely blew me away. The pain is quick and sharp; from the very first page I was hooked and anxious. However, she counterbalances the hurt with an abundance of love. Aubrey is a survivor of domestic abuse. He escaped his tormentor….but at a hefty price. A violent bushfire created an opportunity he couldn’t resist. Faking his death, he fled south leaving his entire existence behind him. Six months later he finds himself at Hadley Cove and at the mercy of a few dozen strangers hoping they might give him a chance. One might argue there’s nothing random about him crossing paths with Patrick, the resident lighthouse keeper. Or could even go as far as saying their intentional connection was set by the stars. *sigh* I’m not sure if there’s anything more romantic than the universe playing a role in bringing two soul mates together.
What's to like: Neither men are looking for love when Aubrey arrives in the teeny seaside town (which I adored!). Aubrey is simply trying to carry on despite the many hardships he’s faced. Orphaned as a young child, his grandfather raised him. However, a cruel twist of fate took his only family from him before he hit adulthood. Striving to follow his dreams he made it to college only to have that derailed from completion by his controlling boyfriend. Control turned into abuse and he was caught in the endless cycle of domestic violence. To say life has been unfair would be an understatement. On the other hand, Patrick found his happiness and blissfully relished in the joy of true love. Until his partner was lost at sea. Four years have passed, but the fracture through his heart has yet to close. He succumbs to his grief and sorrow. Although he has barely begun his fourth decade, he’s resolved to his solitude. Well, that was until the new man in town with a bright pair of eyes with a magnetic pull caught his attention. How’s that old saying go?? “Just because you weren’t expecting it, doesn’t mean it’s not everything you’ve been waiting for.” Yeah…that.
What's to love: It’s easy to fall for both Aubrey and Patrick. They are extremely lovable. Aubrey was reborn with a new outlook on life. I am in awe of his strength and courage. He literally climbed out of the ashes and reclaimed a new life. He doesn’t trust easily, which is to be expected. But even he can’t deny there is just…something about the sexy keeper of the lighthouse that makes him feel safe. It’s as if his heart and soul see peace and comfort within Patrick. They form a fragile friendship that burns into a deeper bond. I was captivated by their fall. Patrick hasn’t completed his mourning and he’s overwhelmed with guilt. He wasn’t supposed to feel this way again. But with the help of Aubrey he realizes that grief changes and love is everlasting. He can still honor his love for Scott and give his heart to Aubrey. Because love can be infinite and eternal. Some things can’t be stopped or controlled; the tides will forever rage and the stars will burn through the darkness for all time. A beautiful lighthouse sets the perfect backdrop. Walker doesn’t skimp on the tender moments. This story is filled with healing and solace. There’s passionate picnics, sweet stargazing, and affection that will melt your heart. Sprinkle in some heat and an intriguing secondary cast and I was stunned into an immediate reread. That is a rare occurrence and I cherish the powerful books that leave me breathless. This is a remarkable tale that is worthy of your attention.
Beware of: Domestic Abuse. It’s not on page but that doesn’t diminish the sharp pain. I ached and raged on behalf of Audrey. Then we have, an age gap. Patrick is fourteen years older than Aubrey but numbers mean little in the face of love. Additionally there is the loss of a loved one. Patrick’s ex, Scott, suffered a tragic death but true love never ends. Patrick discovered he can still hold fast to his love for Scott and also give his heart to Aubrey. Sometimes we aren’t meant to find pure love only once. And I’m so grateful Walker blessed Patrick with his second chance at happily ever after.
This book is for: If you’re looking for swoon, eager for sexy, and wish to be captivated by a love story mapped by the stars, follow the light here.
Book UNfunk
That’s what I think of when I think of Aubrey and Patrick. And when I think of them together, my heart races and my face softens. Their love is deeply passionate, fierce and firm, and beautifully brave. Walker is one of my favorite authors for good reason, but this story completely blew me away. The pain is quick and sharp; from the very first page I was hooked and anxious. However, she counterbalances the hurt with an abundance of love. Aubrey is a survivor of domestic abuse. He escaped his tormentor….but at a hefty price. A violent bushfire created an opportunity he couldn’t resist. Faking his death, he fled south leaving his entire existence behind him. Six months later he finds himself at Hadley Cove and at the mercy of a few dozen strangers hoping they might give him a chance. One might argue there’s nothing random about him crossing paths with Patrick, the resident lighthouse keeper. Or could even go as far as saying their intentional connection was set by the stars. *sigh* I’m not sure if there’s anything more romantic than the universe playing a role in bringing two soul mates together.
What's to like: Neither men are looking for love when Aubrey arrives in the teeny seaside town (which I adored!). Aubrey is simply trying to carry on despite the many hardships he’s faced. Orphaned as a young child, his grandfather raised him. However, a cruel twist of fate took his only family from him before he hit adulthood. Striving to follow his dreams he made it to college only to have that derailed from completion by his controlling boyfriend. Control turned into abuse and he was caught in the endless cycle of domestic violence. To say life has been unfair would be an understatement. On the other hand, Patrick found his happiness and blissfully relished in the joy of true love. Until his partner was lost at sea. Four years have passed, but the fracture through his heart has yet to close. He succumbs to his grief and sorrow. Although he has barely begun his fourth decade, he’s resolved to his solitude. Well, that was until the new man in town with a bright pair of eyes with a magnetic pull caught his attention. How’s that old saying go?? “Just because you weren’t expecting it, doesn’t mean it’s not everything you’ve been waiting for.” Yeah…that.
What's to love: It’s easy to fall for both Aubrey and Patrick. They are extremely lovable. Aubrey was reborn with a new outlook on life. I am in awe of his strength and courage. He literally climbed out of the ashes and reclaimed a new life. He doesn’t trust easily, which is to be expected. But even he can’t deny there is just…something about the sexy keeper of the lighthouse that makes him feel safe. It’s as if his heart and soul see peace and comfort within Patrick. They form a fragile friendship that burns into a deeper bond. I was captivated by their fall. Patrick hasn’t completed his mourning and he’s overwhelmed with guilt. He wasn’t supposed to feel this way again. But with the help of Aubrey he realizes that grief changes and love is everlasting. He can still honor his love for Scott and give his heart to Aubrey. Because love can be infinite and eternal. Some things can’t be stopped or controlled; the tides will forever rage and the stars will burn through the darkness for all time. A beautiful lighthouse sets the perfect backdrop. Walker doesn’t skimp on the tender moments. This story is filled with healing and solace. There’s passionate picnics, sweet stargazing, and affection that will melt your heart. Sprinkle in some heat and an intriguing secondary cast and I was stunned into an immediate reread. That is a rare occurrence and I cherish the powerful books that leave me breathless. This is a remarkable tale that is worthy of your attention.
Beware of: Domestic Abuse. It’s not on page but that doesn’t diminish the sharp pain. I ached and raged on behalf of Audrey. Then we have, an age gap. Patrick is fourteen years older than Aubrey but numbers mean little in the face of love. Additionally there is the loss of a loved one. Patrick’s ex, Scott, suffered a tragic death but true love never ends. Patrick discovered he can still hold fast to his love for Scott and also give his heart to Aubrey. Sometimes we aren’t meant to find pure love only once. And I’m so grateful Walker blessed Patrick with his second chance at happily ever after.
This book is for: If you’re looking for swoon, eager for sexy, and wish to be captivated by a love story mapped by the stars, follow the light here.
Book UNfunk
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