Reviewed by Carissa
TITLE: After the End
AUTHOR: Alex Kidwell
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 200 pages
BLURB:
After Quinn O’Malley loses his partner of ten years, Aaron, to cancer, he withdraws from everything. In a single tragic moment, he goes from an artist with a loving partner and a future to an uninspired comic book store owner who barely exists. He hides behind a shield of grief, refusing to let Aaron go. He feels guilty for even trying to imagine a life apart from what he’d had.
The charming party planner Quinn’s best friend insists he meet on a blind date isn’t someone he’s ready for. Brady Banner walks into Quinn’s small frozen world and turns everything upside down. For years, Quinn has focused on endings, but as Brady begins to thaw his existence, Quinn realizes that one moment can do more than stop a life—it can also start a new one.
REVIEW:
I left writing this review to the last minute, and unfortunately I’m about to be dragged out of my house by a bunch of hooligans, so I don’t really have the time to give this book the review it deserves. But I’ve got thirty minutes to reassemble my parts and and get this written, so I’ll give it the best go I’ve got.
“…You’re still in that headspace of twin rockers on a porch, his-and-his towels, forever kind of stuff. But when I look at you?” He rubbed his thumb lightly along my cheek. “I see an interesting guy I just met. Someone I’d really like to get to know. Just because I kissed you, doesn’t mean we’re at the big, grand declarations stage. Okay? We’ll go slow. Iceberg slow.” Brady’s smile spread into a teasing grin. “An afternoon watching golf slow. We’re not at the end yet. We’re at the walks in the park, meeting for coffee part. You can enjoy that. It’s okay.”
It’s been two years since Quinn O’Malley lost his partner Aaron to cancer. And to say that he’s having a bit of a problem moving on would be an understatement. But his best friend has been nagging him to meet this guy she knows, and he’s agreed to go–if only to prevent an intercession or some such nonsense. Brady Banner is nothing like Aaron, though–except in that Quinn finds himself drawn to the vibrant man. But his heart is still very broken from losing Aaron, and even if a few of the parts find themselves smitten with Brady, Quinn doesn’t know if he can let go of Aaron long enough to find himself in Brady’s arms. Or, more importantly, if he can be the kind of man that Brady deserves.
I’ve only read one other book by Alex Kidwell (Gumption & Gumshoes, which I really enjoyed) so I didn’t know exactly what to expect from this book. Well, other than to start ugly crying at some point–I figured that part was pretty much a given. But what I found in this book was just lovely for all that it was melancholy.
I liked how I fell in love with Quinn’s love for both Brady and Aaron. Thru Quinn’s eyes we get to see the fairytale romance with Aaron (with obligatory sad ending), and I think we really start to get why Quinn is so devastated by his loss. And that makes the reticence he shows understandable. But then we get to see how Brady crashes into Quinn’s little life and seems to be determined to hang onto any piece of Quinn he can have.
But Brady isn’t just going to settle for second place. He love’s Quinn, so he is going to wait with Quinn as he heals, but I think he also wants to be the man that Quinn loves. He doesn’t shy from calling Quinn on his shit, but he he knows when to pick his battles.
And like he says, Quinn is smitten with him. He just doesn’t know it yet.
This book was thoroughly enjoyable–even the bits that had me hunched over my kindle, ugly crying. It was very well written, and I loved these guys quite a bit. I’ve so very glad they got their HEA (even if happily-ever-afters a very fragile in nature). I totally recommend this book when you are looking for something a bit sad, but also hopeful and sweet.
RATING: 
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