Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Volatile 
SERIES: Treacherous Chemistry #1
AUTHOR: Avylinn Winter
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
RE-RELEASE DATE: May 3, 2019 (Second Edition)
LENGTH: 322 pages
BLURB:
Chris Sinclair fades under a dark cloud after losing his mother to cancer. On the cusp of adulthood, he doesn’t know where he should go or how to get there. But watching life pass him by was never the plan, and when he is forced to attend a concert in an attempt to coax him out of his shell, he discovers that life might have more to offer.
Dante Heron holds the audience between his delicate bow and the tips of his fingers. He plays the violin as if every heart is his to command, but the discipline needed to perfect his skills has left him with nothing to spare. He’s a fire that burns too bright or not at all—unpredictable and demanding.
When Chris is unexpectedly offered a job to travel around Europe as Dante’s assistant, or ‘friend’, he surprises himself by accepting. Their journey barely starts before Chris realizes he’s in over his head. Every step along the way is fraught with tension, and the farther they go, the closer they veer to a breaking point.
Invisible strings are at play, stitched into Dante’s life by those who should have taught him how to love. Perhaps Chris is right to be afraid, but sometimes, what you fear the most is what you can’t afford to lose.
This story has been published previously in another version. This second edition includes material from the companion short story, Magnetic, and is extensively rewritten and expanded.
REVIEW:
Since his mother’s death, Chris had been depressed and letting life pass by him. Dragged to a concert by his brother, and a chance meeting, has Chris being hired as a friend to the violinist, Dante, while the man tours Europe. Dante was a child prodigy. As a result, he’d been coddled and looked after. As such he had some unusual ways of dealing with life and people. The spark between him and Chris, for once had a person caring about him instead of his talent. With both Chris and Dante in delicate places in their lives, their friendship turns into a blessing and a curse.
Chris is at college, so when he is offered a summer job that takes him to Europe, he sees no reason to turn it down. Dante intrigued Chris. Despite never asking himself if he was gay or not, there was no denying there was a connection between them. For this and many other reasons, Chris looked forward to the experience and dreaded it.
With a violin in his hands, Dante is at peace and happy. Without it, he is conflicted. The man is an artistic, complex, genius with mood swings to match. He frequently takes women to his bed, and when he doesn’t, he insists on sleeping next to Chris.
I was pleased to see that this sexual element isn’t overdone. It is there but is left in the background until the right time for explicit sex to take a starring role.
Chris is at odds with himself. Dante and his music invoked feelings that went deeper than he ever thought possible. Regardless of what was going on in his head, he was determined not to be another notch on Dante’s bedpost. One minute the two would be close and the next miles apart.
Their situation isn’t helped by those close to Dante, who let the man do his thing – which is anything that helps him meet his obligations.
The majority of the story is told in the first person from Chris’s viewpoint. By this time, I’d gotten the impression that Dante was an asshole who was difficult to dislike. My gut told me there was more to it than that. But I felt annoyed at Dante on behalf of Chris. Then, about 68% of the way through, Dante has some input. At this time, some actions become transparent, and he is seen as more than the coddled star.
Volatile is an emotionally complex story full of miscommunication and the resulting fallout. As engaging as it is, it needs to be read over several days. Otherwise, it could be a real mind-fuck. Strong characters litter the supporting cast, who use protection rather than nurture as a way to cope. Though, this doesn’t describe everyone.
Chris tries to use logic to govern his thoughts and actions, but no logic can dictate the heart. Much of the time, he blames himself for the situation. Chris is as emotionally fragile as Dante. Where Dante enforces that fragility – in ways, he makes Chris stronger too. Dante unlocks parts of Chris he didn’t know existed. The same can be said between Chris and Dante.
Both men have had very different but no less traumatic pasts. Together they can make the other stronger. But first, they need to realize and to trust what they have is worth fighting for, instead of second guessing and keeping each other at arms-length.
Volatile gave my emotions a bit of a workout. I got annoyed for Chris, then later for Dante. I wanted to slap a few people and wished that others said more than they did. At one point, I also shed a tear. When I read the last sentence, I felt exhausted, elated and wanted to read words that no longer existed. The story dragged me in, and although, for my sanity, I had to put it down, I also needed to pick it up again to find out what happened next.
RATING: 
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