Guestreview by Christine
TITLE: A Love Song for the Sad Man in the White Coat 
AUTHOR: Roe Horvat
NARRATOR: Vance Bastian
PUBLISHER: Beaten Track Publishing
LENGTH: 6 hours, 52 minutes
RELEASE DATE: June 12, 2018
BLURB:
Simon had always expected love to feel different than this. Whether it was his Catholic upbringing or the poetry he’d read, Simon had thought that true love would be uplifting, fulfilling, that it would give a meaning to his loitering, and add joy to his leisure. But not this kind of love. This love was a flesh-eating monster, sharp-clawed and evil-eyed, ravishing his mind with medieval cruelty.
Dr. Simon Mráz is a respected specialist and lecturer at the Charles University in Prague. He is a serious man, responsible. His students call him “The Cruel Doctor Frost” not because he’s unkind, but because of his unwavering, ice-cold composure. As a psychiatrist, he values sanity. And sanity can be found in work, restraint, and self-control.
Not many know of that one time in the past when “The Cruel Doctor Frost” lost his cool. His ill-advised, secret affair with a student left Simon deeply wounded. Since that day, every minute of Simon’s life has been a struggle to remain sane and functioning. He’s managed so far. As long as he is needed, and as long as his work makes a difference, Simon can scrape together enough strength to get up in the morning and run off the nightmares. But when his friends begin drifting away, his beloved protégé becomes independent, and the man who bereaved Simon of his precious sanity might return…. Simon’s mind and body stop responding to his impressive willpower.
REVIEW:
This is truly one of the most unique m/m romances I have experienced. It boasts an interesting and engaging story-telling style with believable dialogue that rings with authenticity and depth of feeling.
The bulk of the novel is the slow development of the main character, Simon, and the reader/listener only knows him through the filter of his grief and bitterness over the disappearance of his lover, Matěj. Throughout the story, it is hard not to want desperately for Simon to overcome the despair he tries to cover, for as the backstory of their relationship and what led to Matěj’s mysterious disappearance slowly unfolds, so does the empathy for Simon begin to blossom.
Roe Horvat’s imagery and vivid descriptions create gorgeously stark visuals of Prague and of Simon’s internal chaos. The reader/listener feels Simon losing control, despite the huge elephant of denial that lumbers through his life. Haunting images of Matěj provide glimpses of the specter that plagues Simon, his obsession, grief, and loss overshadowing any positivity. They are alive and all-consuming, and at first is seems difficult to establish a connection with his character. I found it a bit of a struggle to feel sympathy for him when his only feelings and traits are shrouded by negativity. Yet his story—and the mystery that is Matěj—become more compelling as the story of Matěj’s disappearance gradually unfolds.
The layers of Matej’s character, seen briefly at the beginning of the story, are slowly peeled away as the story progresses. His personality, his flaws, and his mental state become clearer, especially as the reasons and mystery surrounding his disappearance are revealed. There are brief shifts in point of view here, as Matěj, Mike, and Matej’s sister Marta all help create further depth of understanding and move the plot forward. Ultimately, however, it’s Simon’s voice, his pain, anger, and vulnerability bursting through in harsh, vivid detail as Matej is further revealed, and Simon’s own struggle with mental stability becomes more evident.
This is not your traditional story arc, but rather a realistic tracing of love found and lost and found again, of grief and healing, of inner turmoil and resolution. It plunges into the mind, heart, and soul of a man grieving, and though dark at times, it is ultimately a satisfying romance with both demons and delights. It provides the reader/listener with an emotional ride that concludes with gratifying character growth and self-realization, and a sweet, promising HFN.
NARRATION REVIEW:
Vance Bastian is a new-to-me narrator. Some of his interpretations of the dialogue and the more deep, emotional demands of the story come off as relatively light and youthful, yet there are also some shining moments where his performance truly captures the intensity of the scenes. Overall, Mr. Bastian provides an enjoyable listening experience.
RATING:
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