I knew going into this book that it would wreck me, both because of one of the characters’ relationship situation and how well Lindsey manipulates language to tug at the heartstrings. I did not expect two of the characters to share a similar history—one in the immediate context and one further down the road, but still carrying the after-effects of trauma. Both men deserve love and healing, but they could not have found it in each other without the inclusion of the third, a man with so much overwhelming love to share.
Half the magic is how Xan and Luca have encountered each other before. The possibilities inherent in that encounter were strong, but as painful as the next few years were for Xan, there’s no guarantee the happily ever after would occur if Xan had gone right instead of left that day. That Sebastion and Luca would have been at the same point in their relationship to offer more than what they could to each other.
On the surface, this is a poly, queer, age-gap romance. Except the beauty of Lindsey’s storytelling ability is that the story encompasses so much more. A triad romance is already the story of four different relationships (between each partner and between all of them). This book is also about the relationship between Xan and Max, and even about the one between Sebastion and Rhys. This book might be a romance, but not every romance ends happily ever after without communication, honesty, and work—and sometimes timing. I could say that luck brings about the better timing at the end of this story, but it’s definitely still about making it work and taking the leap, and the result is all the more satisfying because of it.
I highly recommend this stand-alone novel to all fans of Lindsey’s writing, and any reader looking for a high-angst romance that is more than worth the ending.
Rating: 5 (out of 5) stars. Cross-posted to Amazon and Goodreads.