Tag Archives: former ice hockey player

L.A. Witt handles sensitive issues with consideration

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5_V&V_Witt_ebook_FINALAftermath by L.A. Witt

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this entry in the Vino and Veritas series, but I also found it frustrating at times – even though the situation both men were in made their behaviour completely believable.

Both Brent and Jon have serious issues they’re dealing with and that gave a bit of a melancholy air to a lot of the narrative which, for me, meant I didn’t rush through it like I had with some of the others in the series.

That’s not to say it wasn’t a great romance, because it really is. It demonstrates beyond any doubt that love is love and if you love someone enough, you will move all obstacles – even the ones you create yourself with doubt – to make it work.

I also very much appreciated one specific element of the narrative, which I won’t go into detail on because I think it deserves to be read and understood as you’re going through their experiences. I think it was handled with incredible care and sensitivity.

And, as someone who lives with chronic pain and serious mobility issues through atrophy and other tendon/muscular related reasons, I would seriously like to thank L.A. for the consideration and accuracy in which she explored Brent’s injuries and debilitating medical conditions and the very realistic affects they had on his daily life.

There are some really beautiful moments in this book but also times when I wanted to shake or slap them both and tell them to just have a bloody conversation about their fears 😁

The ending is incredibly satisfying though, and I loved the dogs and Jon’s son Cody. Brent’s dad through, he needs to gerrint bin as we say in Yorkshire.

#ARC kindly received from the publishers Hearts Eyes Press in return for an honest and unbiased review

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A much more serious feel for this latest entry in the Colors of Love series from V.L.

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Red Currant CoverSongs of a Red Currant Wine by V.L. Locey

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This one focuses on an ex-ice hockey player who never quite made success stick, even when he reached the professional leagues, and who’s now 55 and a washout coaching at a school when the story opens.

As it goes on, it becomes ever more easy to sympathise with Carl. He’s got demons buried deep into his soul, along with his closeted fears about being gay.

He’s not in a good place, but he’s also got no reason to change either, when he’s rocked by the death of his first teenage love Mike.

Returning home sets him on a path that sees all the feels as he battles with his conniving inner voice, which constantly tells him having a drink isn’t so bad.

He finds it hard to think of himself as an alcoholic, but it’s pretty clear that’s exactly what path he’s living, and at times it’s both heartbreaking and frustrating to see him fall again.

But!

With consummate skill, the story begins to bring in little slivers of hope.

After Carl hits rock bottom, I very much appreciated that it was his ex-wife and her new boyfriend (who happens to be Carl’s school’s athletics director) who helps him take his first steps out of the mire.

And of course there is Tigh. Who is almost 30 years his junior and, while he behaves like someone just hitting his mid-20s, he’s also a bit of an old soul imho.

He’s seen his own share of traumatic events and he’s doing his best to move on, and he’s very sure about his attraction to Carl.

It’s not an overly angsty narrative but there are stumbles along the way. There’s also a wonderful bunch of secondary characters, including Carl’s dad, who is the most awesome senior and adds his unwavering love and support.

Steam is swoony rather than scorching but there are a couple of scenes which were full of emotion and feels when Carl finally gets to just be himself – sexually confident gay man.

All in all, another excellent addition to the series.

#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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