Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Linear Park
SERIES: States of Love – Rhode Island
AUTHOR: Ken Harrison
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 61 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 22, 2017
BLURB:
Sean and Nick’s life together was a fairy tale: childhood friends who became lovers, high school sweethearts who married after college, both handsome professionals. Sean always enjoyed a few drinks, but after the death of his father, his alcoholism spiraled out of control… and it cost him everything.
When Sean loses his job and becomes too surly and unreasonable to live with, Nick has little choice but to end the relationship. Sean can’t blame Nick for giving up—not after the arguments and the lies—but he longs for the happiness and love they shared before he spoiled everything. He resolves to get sober and win back his husband. But even if he wins his battle with alcoholism, will it be too late to save his marriage?
States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.
REVIEW:
This is a very short story dealing with the effects of alcoholism on a relationship.
Sean and Nick have been inseparable since kindergarten. First they were best friends. Then they each were their first love. Next came lovers and finally marriage. Nick was a successful surgeon and Sean was working for a bank. Their families adored them both and they had the perfect life. Sean had always enjoyed a drink but when his dear father was diagnosed with cancer he started drinking daily to deal with his emotions. When his father passed he fell into the bottle and shut his husband out. After he lost his job it all spiraled down hill until Nick couldn’t take it anymore and drove him to a hotel and left him. Finally one day he had it. He had lost everything and knew he had to get sober. So he went to the place Nick had left a brochure for him to look into rehab. “Linear Park” is what happens next.
This is all told from Sean’s point of view. Actually we don’t have Nick on page much in the book. Sean went from blaming everyone else for his problems to finally accepting the truth and getting help. I really like Todd, his sponsor. He was there for him but didn’t coddle him. He made him responsible for his own actions and future…with a bit of gentle nudging along the way. I did feel for Nick. Here is the man that has always been his best friend and the love of his life spiraling down a deep hole that he couldn’t help with. Being a doctor it had to have been twice as hard not being able to help him. His lone act of making Sean leave to force him to get better had to have devastated him.
Although the book is really short the author did a great job of building Sean’s character and story. My only complaint was that it just stopped suddenly. I wanted to know what happens next and I was disappointed when it just ended. I know there is promise of Sean getting his life back but it just ended.
The book is part of the States of Love series, a series where a different author has a book based in a different state. This time it was Rhode Island. Unfortunately I have never been to or know anything about this area of the United States.
This was a well written, quick read but left me feeling a bit stranded and frustrated.
RATING: 
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