The Light Reflected

Provincetown #2

by Will Freshwater

What do you do when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams? For three long years, Max Balais has been working a series of dead-end jobs, bagging groceries at the local A&P and working as a cod fisherman, to support his mom and sister. At twenty, he’s finally ready to escape his small life in Provincetown and fulfill his dream of becoming a famous musician. Young and handsome, Max is about to get everything he thought he always wanted, but there’s just one catch.

Max’s existential angst about leaving his old life behind is made worse by the arrival of an idyllic summer, riddled with a colorful cast of characters, and the return of Danny Cavanaugh, Provincetown’s most eligible bachelor and Max’s best buddy. As the eldest son of one of the most wealthy and influential men in town, Danny is torn between fulfilling his father’s expectations and pursuing his own dreams. A series of fiery exchanges and steamy misadventures generate enough heat to make Max and Danny’s friendship catch fire. What starts out as a casual summer romance soon turns into much more as the two young men get a chance to trade places and discover that sometimes, when you are looking for your heart’s desire, you don’t have to look any further than your own backyard.

Just when it seems like Max has figured out a way to have it all, a twist of fate threatens to take Danny away from him forever. Afraid of losing the only man he’s ever loved, Max makes a bargain with the Devil. But will it be enough to keep Danny, or will Max’s gambit bring his whole world crashing down?

Genres: Contemporary, Queer, LGBT, Gay, Romance, M M Romance, Friendship

222 pages, Paperback

Published September 3, 2022

About the author

Will Freshwater was born and raised in a small steel town outside Pittsburgh. He graduated, cum laude, from Boston College and was awarded a Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Will has lived and worked in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Tampa. Although he enjoyed a successful career as a corporate attorney, Will can happily confirm that his true vocation is writing. He currently resides in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, with his husband, Stephen, and Daisy, their golden retriever.

Contact Will: www.willfreshwater.com

Reviews

[Clace · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cringe

Buddy read with sushi and wavy

[Veronica Ticker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t prepared for this book. It was everything I don’t usually read, yet I liked it.

My main problem was with the point of view. It changed in the middle of chapters with no warning, and at times it was hard to follow. Most of the book is a flashback to understand why we’re in the situation we’re in at the beginning, in a very roundabout way. I won’t say the author misleads us, but I was expecting some kind of happy ending, which I never got.

Yes, I didn’t have a problem with the not happy at all ending. It fit the characters and their story, though it was still sad. Melancholy and resignation were what I felt, and I didn’t mind. I also get that it was some sort of prequel to the author’s debut novel, but I’m afraid it didn’t end happier anyway. Fingers crossed it did.

Why did I think it was okay for Max to not have a happy ending? He wasn’t exactly a bad guy, but some of his choices were very selfish, and he made stupid decisions for all the wrong reasons. He was human and flawed. As a young gay man with a limited dating pool–he lives on a small island–and a recent past of not being really attractive, he’s in search of love and connection. Though his best friend Danny ends up offering him all of that, he isn’t mature enough, nor experienced enough, to recognize what they could have. By always chasing the next best thing, he misses on what’s simply good. Which doesn’t mean he was the only person responsible for his downfall, and one particular event, while somewhat deserved, made me feel second hand unfairness.

One element felt unrealistic, but it’s often the case with MM stories: everyone seemed to be gay, or at least bisexual. The whole island was described as some gay paradise. Suspension of disbelief well needed here.

The writing was good overall. I didn’t care much for the historical and architectural bits that felt a bit like regurgitated wikipedia. But there were a lot of very good extended metaphors. It participated with the mood, or color, of the book.

If you’re looking for a love story, this isn’t it. But if you want the coming of age of a flawed character, it’s a good point to start from.

Quickie

- Series: Provincetown #2 (can be read as a standalone)
- Hashtags: #MM romance #small town romance #opposite sides of the track #friends to lovers #bisexual #new adult
- Triggers: no HEA, mention of past deaths and sickness
- Main couple: Max Balais & Danny Cavanaugh
- Hotness: 3/5
- Romance: 2/5
- + the author has a way with words
- – no HEA is tough…

[DLB2572 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

I thought book one was amazing and then I got hooked by this one and just WOW. Max's story is one that will definitely stick with me for a bit.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[Jarrod Murrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Light Reflected by @willlivestowrite is a book I’ve had my eye on for a while now, so when I got the chance through @netgalley to have a read I jumped straight in.

This is a story of summer love. Or two best friends turned lovers. Max, who is a resident of Provincetown, and Danny, a rich kid who comes to the island every summer with his family. These two friends couldn’t have come from different lives, with Max working 2 jobs to help keep his family afloat and plan his escape of the island.

What starts as a budding romance between the two friends takes a turn as family expectations and youthful inexperience threaten to come between them.

I will admit, I got so confused by the timeline during the first few chapters of this book. But that was my own fault and not the fault of the author 😅

The way this story plays out feels natural and not forced with an interesting case of side characters. Some throughly enjoyable for various reasons, and some you can’t help but dislike. Even those who take one action that spoils your view of them (I’m looking at you Josie).

The ending for me is where I felt a bit let down. I know that it’s how summers end, everyone drifts back to their own lives, but I was hoping for something a bit more after becoming invested in this summer romance. The epilogue seemed mildly unnecessary to me, but it helps to set the scene for what I assume is the next book in the series. One which I will have to pick up!

[kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living in New England I loved the Provincetown setting.
This book has so much emotion and life in Max and Danny’s story and it will keep you turning page after page.
I love reading characters that I have become invested in.
A wonderful addition to The Provincetown series!

[Bernard Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The brave sequel to Favorite Son! A love story between Max and Danny, two hot Provincetown young men, may be a challenge for some gay romance fans. For me, it is as it should be. Although I may be a little surprised with the ending, I am aware that not every love story ends happily. That’s our cruel reality. Kudos to the author for his courage to challenge a key characteristic / trope of romance genre and readers’ expectations.

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Favourite Son and this prequel was just as compelling. Will Freshwater has a wonderful descriptive style that the allows the reader to get inside and identify with the characters. His elaboration of the complexity of relationships in a small town context balanced with a delightful raunchiness was very well done. I found myself at times shouting “Oh No!, don’t do that” and at other times marvelling at the rawness of descriptions of human nature. A great read and I thoroughly recommend it.

[Charles Edwards-Freshwater · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compulsively readable and quite unique portrayal of the gay experience, especially in today's market where so much of the queer literature waters things down to make them "more palatable". I have to admit, I wasn't expecting the plot of this one to be as surprising and full of twists as it was. I went in expected a fairly linear love story, and what I got was a pretty fascinating look at gay culture in a tourist town, some truly lovable characters and a story that lead me down paths I didn't think it would follow at all.

What I particularly liked is that it felt a lot more authentic that a lot of other books I've read in a similar set up. The friends to lovers journey had just the right balance, and the main characters themselves were flawed and human - albeit perhaps a bit hypersexualised, but that's sort of the fun of it all. You can definitely tell that this is a book written from the gale male gaze, and that really adds a certain je ne sais quoi.

The ending was the real winner for me - though there is quite a "bolt from the blue" plot twist which I think could have perhaps had a little more development. However, it's the sort of ending that definitely hits that mark, which I think is quite rare.

Ultimately, a big thumbs up!

[Rafael Andrade · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Don`t judge a book by its cover". I did it, and I regret having done it. Beautiful cover. However, The Light Reflected reads like a 90s Mexican novella. The author only nailed in his choice of place to set the story, and that was it. The romance between Danny and Max, Liam who wanted to bang the boys, and Max with Bill towards the end was terrible. It reminded me of the Indecent Proposal movie but without the one-million-dollar one night only. Instead, Max sacrifices his loyalty to Danny to secure his stay in Province Town by having sex with Bill. I loved the premise, but the author failed to put the story together to a satisfying result.

[Steve Kluger · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unflinching exploration of two flawed but well-meaning people—one a dreamer who makes his dreams come true, and the other who lives on his fantasies, which don't often have a lot to do with reality. A really spectacular read.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always honored when authors are kind enough to send me copies of their books so I was thrilled when Will Freshwater offered to send me a copy of the second installment of their The Provincetown Series.
The Light Reflected follows longtime friends Max and Danny as they navigate their burgeoning feelings for one another, their respective futures, and whether or not their budding romance can survive the heat of a summer in Provincetown.
I have a feeling some of the characters in this book are interconnected throughout the series, but I felt like this was fine to read as a standalone.
Provincetown is almost as much of a main character as our hunky protagonists, Max and Danny, and Freshwater does his best to bring the town to life and lend a strong sense of atmosphere for the reader.
All in all, I thought the prose was strong throughout most of the book. Freshwater is a master of quips and double entendre. However, like many authors, I felt like Freshwater had a tendency to show rather than tell. This made some of the dialogue feel insincere and it also took away from some of the more important and climactic scenes in the book.
However, the heat between Max and Danny was palpable. And I thought Max was a well-written character. In fact, as the book drew to its conclusion, I found myself wanting to know more about Max and the journey he went on from the time he spent that fateful summer with Danny to the epilogue ten years later. And that, I think, is the true mark of a good book and talented author, having the ability to get a reader to care about a character and to wonder about what might be taking place off the page. A successful book sparks the imagination and stays with the reader well-after the book is finished. Hopefully, I'll eventually get the chance to read the rest of this promising series.

[B. Valdez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book stands head and shoulders above the first book in the series. You'd think by the timeline that this book should have actually been first in the trilogy but I actually enjoy that this book, set ten years prior to the events of Favorite Son, was read afterwards. The relationships and connections between the characters in this book were a lot deeper and had me hooked. I wanted to know what was going to happen next, even though I already knew the outcome by the first book. I couldn't put it down once I got back into it (I took a short break).

While I think this is the stronger of the two books, I can appreciate the shallowness of Favorite Son in retrospect. Max, the main character of this book, lived in the same small town he grew up in his whole life. The tapestry between the characters he meets was deeper from the outset due to that. Favorite Son starts in Washington D.C. with the main character Peter embroiled with a senator and the political life, which is inherently shallow and the connections between people more business transactions than relationships. That said, I would not switch the order of the two books. I loved that we got the ten years prior after touching on each player in the game through Peter and Favorite Son. I can't wait to see how it ends in the next book.

That said, I only gave this book a four star review because there were quite a few issues with the writing itself. There were grammar and spelling mistakes throughout, which I get. It's hard to get the manuscript perfect when you are an indie author. I am as well (and I happen to live in the same area as the author--I found this series in my bookstore's local section) and if the author ever happens to see this review, I would love to get in touch with you about editing. That aside, I also struggling with third person omniscient narration, which this series is written in. It is a legitimate style of writing to use; it just sometimes leaves me confused as to who said or thought what when there is little attribution to the characters in a scene. For these reasons, I had to knock off a star for this book. I would give it a strong 4.5 stars if we had that function.

[C.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent story! Max, worked in the local A&P and as a cod fisherman to help support his Mom and sister. He worked hard for his obligations and dreamed harder about becoming a famous musician. Danny, Max's best friend and son of a wealthy influential family returns to Provincetown. He has personal dreams and is eager to meet his Father's expectations. The two men, reconnect and have a fun summer getting to know each other and experience life. You can relate to these two as if they are real people. The author did an excellent job painting a picture of their humanity. The supporting characters are fun and add to the story. Will is an excellent writer that brings the reader along with the story. Does Max reach for his dream? Does Danny meet his Father's expectations or does he try to exceed his own? Well done! I received an ARC and am volutarily leaving a review.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down! I felt connected to the story in so many ways, and Max and Danny felt so very real to me. I was fortunate to read the novel while in Provincetown, which is where the story takes place. I used to visit Provincetown twenty years ago when I was a graduate student living in Boston, and Will Freshwater's wonderfully gifted writing brought back so many fond memories. Provincetown is a special and magical place, and Will has created a story that adds to that magic. After reading the book, I found myself imagining Max and Danny as I scanned the people walking along Commercial Street. Thank you, Will, for creating two unforgettable characters and sharing their beautiful story with us.

[Scott Garrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book thinking it was going to be the typical lighthearted, fluffy, and spicy MM Romance, but it brought so much for to the table. This reads more like a literary fiction work instead of a stereotypical romance book. I do have to say that I enjoyed the colorful cast of side characters more than our MC, Max. Nothing against Max, but he just made some very frustrating decisions throughout the book. I'm interested in hearing Danny's story, so I'll go back and read Will's first book.

I was so angry with Max in the end because his reasoning for doing what he did was very manipulative, which is probably why I liked our side characters more. He had something great going with Danny, and he mucked it up! I read some of the reviews for Will's first book, and it sounds like it all worked out for Danny in the end.

I've never been to P-Town, but this book definitely makes me want to go. Will did a great job detailing the town and it's beautiful scenery, making me want to visit soon.

Thank you to the author for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Light Reflected by Will Freshwater was the first I read from this author. It was an interesting and compelling story, set in Providencetown and part of a series. I did not read the first one Favorite Son prior to picking this up but do plan to in the future.

I did have a few issues with the POV and keeping up with the changes within chapters, it didn’t take away from the story for me though. Once I picked this up it only took me a few sittings to get through it. I was hooked into the story and our MCs.

Without giving too much away I was a little sad with the ending, but it had me feeling emotional by the time it was coming to a close. Special thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a copy to review.

[Babara-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a very haunting read that showcases why Max turned out the way he did as we first glimpsed him in Favourite Son.

I don’t usually like prologues after the fact but I really enjoyed Max and Danny’s past as best friends who became lovers until Max did the unthinkable….

It was a very emotional and heartfelt story with an in-depth look into the characters from Book one that keeps you as reader riveted until the last page that explains why we shouldn’t hate Max!

I look forward to more from this enthralling author!

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Received an eARC of this novel from GRR in exchange for an honest review***

This is the prequel to The Favorite Son. This book genuinely helps the reader understand about Danny. But for me starting the was difficult as I could not see Danny with someone other than John. However, the book was so good that I could not stop myself from liking it.

It indeed, was an amazing book and an emotional one for me.

[L H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max and Danny's story is wonderfully told. These two young men, one a dreamer working his way forward and up from humble beginnings, one a child of wealth burdened by expectations. Following along as their romance and the direction of their lives unfolds through varying twists and turns kept me turning the pages. Well written story with fleshed out characters, both main and secondary. Book three please!
I received an ARC from GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Maria771 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Max and Danny. It is the 2nd book in the Provincetown series. I LOVED this book. It is written in a way that hooks you and does not let go, even then it stays with you. The characters are absolutely amazing, love Danny and Max, a few others - not so much 😜. There some twists that will surprise you and keep you reading. Please read this book. Definitely recommended.

I received this book as an Arc and I am happily reviewing it voluntarily.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a love story with a charming HEA, you should look elsewhere. But if you're looking for real, emotional journeys of two flawed characters trying to find themselves, then you have come to the right place. I really enjoyed book 2 in this series (although I think could read as a standalone) even though I did hope for a happier ending to the book. I look forward to reading book 3 and hopefully a happier ending for these characters.

[Michael Pilkenton · Rating 5 out of 5]

great follow up book in the series

This book moves fast and keeps you enthralled. Max and Danny are a great match until they aren’t. The storyline is solid and fun… I can’t wait to read book three.

[T Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not at all what I expected, however, quite engaging. I was surprised by the ending, too. Guess I wasn’t ready for it. The story kept you reading and when I turned the last page I wanted more. This author’s stories are most certainly not the run of the mill, they’re very different. I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book.

[K Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

What A Great Story!
I loved this story so much. It was
Gripping from the beginning and the end will rip your heart out! Well done!!

[Melissa]

DNF, 14%. No rating. I just couldn't get in to the story.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted this book by the author and wasn't sure what to expect. In short, I loved it. Will's writing is so carefully crafted and beautiful.

The two main characters, Danny and Max were so different, but fit so well together. And Max's journey toward achieving success and love was a great reminder of how reckless and foolish we can be when we're young, in love, and feeling like our hearts are invincible.

I haven't read the first book, but I don't think it affected my understanding of the characters or story. I'll definitely be reading the first book, and I'm excited for the third book.

[Janice Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max as a young man may seem like a player, but he was inexperienced and in love with his best straight friend Danny. It is a slow burn, but eventually, they get together and spend a tumultuous summer together.

After their breakup, we get to see how Max gets his start as a player and as a "player". It is heartbreaking to think that Max threw away their relationship by doing what he did, but with the intention of saving their relationship by keeping Danny close. But in making that fateful decision, it guaranteed to break them apart for good.

After having read the first book in this series, I was expecting a sequel, but it is more of a prequel that just shows a glimpse into the MC's past. Knowing what happens in the first book, I realize this is the past, and the thing that Max and Danny have does not last. But knowing the love waiting Danny in the future, I am kinda glad that things happened the way they did. After all, past relationships and people in our lives help shape the people we are today.

This book has a lot more steam and sexy scenes, compared to the almost nonexistent intimacy in the first book. I liked that aspect in the second book much better.

[William Kearns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will Freshwater has created another amazing book, telling the story of Danny and Max that explains so much. The memories of Provincetown come flooding back through this love story between two men. The heartbreak within the story is unbearable but Will keeps his stories real and even harsh. I can’t wait for book 3!

Update: I just finished re-reading the follow on book ‘The Favorite Son’ and this book excites you about the life of the younger Danny and sets the foundations for what happens next. Will’s story telling connected me to the characters so visually that I had my own relationship with them too! Beautifully and graphically created.

[Bkwrm24 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max's story ❤️
3.5 Stars ⭐️

I enjoyed this one so much more than the first, it was emotional that's for sure...it was so much more than I was expecting!!!

I would most definitely recommend.

* I received an ARC from GRR, this is my open and honest review *

[Geboyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed book 1, but book 2? This is more of a prequal and I think makes me want to go back and read book 1 all over again.