Reviewed by Cheryl

TITLE: The Heights

SERIES: Lakeshore #1

AUTHOR: Amy Aislin

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 235 pages

RELEASE DATE: September 20, 2018

BLURB:

Twenty-one years ago, a four-year old child was kidnapped from his front yard. He was never found. Until now.

All Nat Walker wants is to make his late father’s dream of running a father/son woodworking shop come true. And he had the perfect building in mind–until the new guy in town came in and bought the place right out from under him. The fact that the new guy is adorable means nothing. For all Nat cares, he can take his new dance studio and waltz back to New York City.

Professional dancer Quinn Carroll couldn’t be happier that he made the move to the small town of Lakeshore, Oregon. Sure, it’s not New York, but now he’ll be living closer to his adoptive brother. And since his studio will be the only one in the area, he should get enough business to keep him busy. Besides, there’s something about this place that seems familiar…

He doesn’t expect to fall hard for the local, grumpy woodworker who won’t even smile at him.

Or find out that his entire life is a lie.

REVIEW:

It’s 4am and I’m tired, but I wanted to write this review while the magic of the story was still with me, while I was still sitting around a table with Quinn, Nat, Shay, Evan, Court and their families.

I’ve read plenty of books about kidnapping, but most of them have centred around the kidnapping itself, or perhaps the healing from it afterwards. I can’t say I’ve ever read a book about a kidnap victim who, rather than coming to terms with a kidnapping, had to come to terms with being reunited with his family twenty years later, having had no idea he’d ever been kidnapped at all.

Quinn is a wonderful character, bright, sunny, complex, and once the kidnapping and his new family come to light, tormented by guilt and confusion.

Quinn had a happy childhood and is particularly close to his brother, Shay who he followed to Lakeshore because he couldn’t bear to be separated from him. He’s close to his adoptive family, and if he has a desire to trace his birth family, it’s certainly not to replace the one he has.

When he finds out about the kidnapping, he’s thrown into turmoil, unable to come to terms with having a whole new family in his life. The kidnapping itself is the least of his worries and not a driving focus of the book, although I think there may be more on that score in later books. His main issues are with reconciling his love for his adoptive family with his desire to embrace his newly discovered brothers.

Fortunately for Quinn, his new boyfriend, Nat is just what he needs, but Nat has issues with letting anyone get close to him because of a terrible fear, born when his father died of a heart attack in front of him, of losing people he cares about.

Both Quinn and Nat are endearing characters that I came to care deeply for very quickly, along with Shay, Quinn’s adoptive brother. They’re beautifully deep and well rounded, something I can say for every character in the story, no matter how minor. The author has a real talent for drawing three-dimensional people, giving tiny details that bring them alive. She even writes children beautifully.

I have to say, though, that the character my heart goes out to the most is Evan. After having his twin ripped away from him when he was four years old, helpless to stop the car driving away, he spent twenty years searching. Even when Quinn was declared officially dead, he never gave up hope, even though it crushed him. Then, twenty years later, he’s reunited with the other half of his being, only to be rejected and pushed away. Nothing about that is Quinn’s fault, but it surely doesn’t soften the blow.

Evan is distraught, terrified of losing his brother again. Although it’s only referred to obliquely it seems he’s developed a lot of issues, never able to settle to anything, having no direction to his life etc, and he has no idea how to deal with the current situation. Fortunately, he has Court, as Quinn has Shay and Nat.

I very much hope that future books in the series will give us more insight into Evan and reassurance that his pain is eased, perhaps by his mysterious “friend”.

I’m also very interested in meeting Ian. There are, in fact, lots of potential couples to fuel future books which I hope won’t be too long in the coming.

That’s not to say the book is perfect. There are some rough patches that may or may not be ironed out before the final release, but purists might get their knickers in a twist over them. Personally, I don’t see the point in spoiling a perfectly good story by nit picking, but it needs a mention for the sake of my own credulity. I’m not going to dwell on this. I’m sure if you’re that interested you’ll find out for yourself. I hope you conclude, as I do, that a tale of this quality with such imaginative content, beautifully illustrated detail and characters you can relate to as friends, deserves more.

Apart from the nit pickers I am sure readers will find this a smooth read. There’s plenty of depth and the tension is warm and natural, not angsty or forced in any way. Every step of the way characters are supported when they fall apart, achingly self-aware yet blind at the same time. Nothing felt forced and there was very little need to suspend disbelief about anything.

This book has feels by the score and will make you laugh and cry, but not excessively so. I very much hope it will leave you with the same warm and hopeful feeling as it did me. This author and this series is now on my “automatic buy” list. If they’re new to you I encourage you to dip a toe as soon as possible. I know reading is very subjective, but I truly think this book has something for everyone. Give it a chance, you might be surprised.

RATING:

BUY LINK:

Amazon