Reviewed by Amber
TITLE: Lovers & Fighters
AUTHOR: Nash Summers
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 127 pages
BLURB:
Scott Halleck and Julian Reeves are polar opposites in almost every way. Scott, a modern arts curator at a museum in Chicago, relishes the finer things in life. Julian is a strange photographer whose hair color changes as frequently as his mood. As far as Scott can see, Julian is an erratic know-it-all who lives his life one day to the next. To Julian, Scott is an uptight, too-coiffed perfectionist.
As the two men continue to run into each other, their dislike grows, but beneath that animosity, a fire is beginning to spark. Scott is baffled when he realizes he is falling for Julian, a man who burns hotter than a wildfire. Scott will have to decide, for the first time in his life, if he’ll let the flames take over.
REVIEW:
Well, crap! This is one of those stories where you need at least 24 hours to let it sit and marinate so you can formulate your thoughts so it all doesn’t come out in a jumbled mess. Unfortunately I don’t have 24 hours so you all are going to have to bear with me and suffer through it. It won’t be that bad, I promise.
Nash Summers is a “new to me” author. Her writing is, for lack of a better word, deep. Very deep. If you are looking for a quick fluff filled read that will leave you lighthearted and giggling at the end, then this is NOT the book to read. There is nothing lighthearted or giggly here. Nothing at all.
This book is hard to get through. The emotions are so raw. Maybe that’s why I needed time to get my thoughts in order, I still feel very open and exposed after reading this.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. I did, but what’s hard for me is the fact that the characters weren’t together for a good 97% of the book. And when I mean not together I mean, not together, at all. But what got me, and I mean really got me were those few fleeting moments when they were in each other’s presence. The emotions were so raw, so real it almost makes you uncomfortable.
“His lips almost touched my ear when he whispered, “If you want me, Scott, then give me you. Give me the air in your lungs and the heart in your chest, but don’t you dare give me a picture of the moon and tell me that it’s mine.”
Scott and Julian are flawed and damaged both for very different reasons. These two are like magnets. Flipped on one side they are pulled together, flipped on the other they forced apart. They can’t get it together and they can’t get over themselves enough to allow them to be together.
It’s so hard reading their interaction because you can feel the strength of their feelings but you know it’s going to end badly.
This ends a little unsatisfying but with these two it still left you feeling hopeful. I’d categorize it as a tentative HFN. There are so many layers to this authors writing style. She drew me in then tossed me about and I was ok with it. I even wanted more.
This was a good story. I definitely recommend. I would love to know more about Julian and Scott. I hope this isn’t the end for them.
RATING:
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