Reviewed by Cindy
TITLE: Ten
SERIES: Love by Numbers Book 1
AUTHOR: Tia Fielding
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 227 Pages
RELEASE DATE: January 15, 2019
BLURB:
Can two broken men build one life?
Ten years.
That’s what Makai lost for a crime he didn’t commit. He’s been exonerated, but the abuse he suffered in prison isn’t so easy to leave behind. He heads to the one place he remembers being happy: Acker, Wisconsin, where he spent summers with his grandpa. Unfortunately, not everyone wants Makai there.
Ten days.
That’s how long Emil, now twenty-one, was held prisoner as a teenager. The mental and physical injuries he suffered at the hands of a drug trafficking ring still haunt him.
Nightmares, anxiety, and PTSD challenge the connection forming between Makai and Emil, though together, they might find a way to move beyond their pain and into a future—and a relationship—that both had thought impossible.
Now they just have to convince Emil’s father, the town sheriff. It won’t be easy with danger closer than they know….
REVIEW:
At first Makai and Emil seem like a couple of very broken men who are looking for something to anchor themselves with, but as the story went on, I realized that neither one was as broken as they could have been.
Makai returns to the only place that’s ever felt like home when he’s released from prison. He’s unsure of his welcome but he’s gotta start somewhere and it turns out that Acker is the perfect place.
Emil has every reason to be afraid, but he keeps pushing through the fear to find himself something better in life. With the support of his parents and therapist, he’s already healed so much even before he meets Makai.
I loved watching these two figure out how to first be friends before slowly moving on with their relationship. Makai’s care and attention to Emil’s needs are the direct result of the abuse he saw and suffered through in prison. It’s what first puts Emil at ease long enough for them to get to know each other.
And Emil? It’s in his nature to take care of others and Makai is desperately in need of someone on his side. They both have issues that leave them vulnerable but together they shore up the broken parts of each other.
The appearance of Joey/Joie is a welcome addition to this story. I love the author’s portrayal of this young gender-fluid person and the attitudes of the people around them. I only wish every town was a accepting as most of the people in Acker are.
The glimpses we get into the anguish felt by Emil’s parents because of the horrors their son faced are small but powerful and I think a good representation of how to be supportive.
To me this whole story felt hopeful without falling into something cheesy. The emotions are honest and heartfelt and there’s never a time where the story feels rushed or fake. I applaud the author for not letting the whole “love fixes everything” trope run away with this story. Because love doesn’t fix everything. It can, however, help make the trials and tribulations we go through in life a little easier to bear, just like it did for Emil and Makai.
I can’t recommend this story enough.
RATING: 
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