Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: Stained Hearts
SERIES: Links in the Chain #3
AUTHOR: Parker Williams
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 194 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 10, 2019
BLURB:
Can two hearts stained by past pain find healing together?
Tom Kotke held his husband of twenty-five years on the day he died and spent nearly a year adrift. Determined to force Tom back into the world, his family takes him to the Park View Diner, where he meets young stained-glass artist Aiden Dawson. For a brief moment, Tom doesn’t think about his deceased husband—a terrifying prospect.
Slowly, Aiden draws Tom out of his shell and helps him feel alive once more. But Tom isn’t the only one who has suffered. Aiden fears no one sees beyond his wheelchair. Even if Tom can convince him he’s different, they’ll still have to overcome their age difference and a secret that could destroy their future together.
REVIEW:
Ok so everyone get ready to tease Parker. Real hard. He always says he doesn’t make anyone cry, that it’s all K.C.,’s fault or some mess but this one is all him and you will need a box of tissues handy. Trust me. It’s a year jerker but so damn good. Another beautiful love story. Not without hardship or moments of grief or hurt, but one that endures it all to form a bond to last all time.
Since his husband’s death, Tom has been kind of floating around numb. He doesn’t cry as much anymore but everything reminds him of him. Everything in their home and lives. He feels the whole in his soul every single day. But his family finally decided enough is enough and out of love for him, they get him to go eat out. Going to Lincoln’s diner, Park View, he is happy to see his friends and his eyes take on a very sexy young man. What Tom has no idea of, is it was kind of predestined. When he realizes Aiden does stained glass windows, he knows he wants this man to do one for him. Aiden agrees and slowly over time, they get to know each other, through meetings about the glass. And Tom is finding he’s not thinking as much about his husband as he is Aiden. He finally asks for a date and they do, but Tom trips himself up a lot. With Aiden being disabled, Tom often thinks he needs certain help, but it offends Aiden instead. So they are learning to navigate around each other. All Tom knows is he wants this young man in his life….and his bed. But fears from Aiden about his disability, and their age difference come up and causes a ripple. And an incident causes a bigger one. And they both have to decide, are they going to let this stuff come between them or finally let go and love each other?
Aiden is so incredibly adorable. I just love him. But he’s right. Just because he’s disabled doesn’t mean he’s totally helpless and it causes contention sometimes. Sometimes he pushes himself too far and Tom takes over regardless but in that case, it’s a matter of Aiden’s health being in jeopardy. But I felt where he was coming from. He wants people to see him as him. And what he can do with his work. Not just someone in a wheelchair or crutches. So he gets defensive to quick sometimes, but it’s understandable. And Tom has to learn that. He does. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t screw up? We all do. We all think we’re helping when we’re hindering, but we learn and move on. And that’s what it takes. In every relationship there is some kind of baggage. In this one, they both have some. And Aiden also has to deal with the fact that he feels like he’s competing with Tom’s dead husband. To Tom, he doesn’t think that way, but when he starts seeing things from Aiden’s point of view, he realizes he gets it and tries to make it right.
Every relationship takes work. It’s not all sunshine and roses. With what both of these guys are dealing with, it’s a lot. But the work they put in it, makes it more than worthwhile. Doesn’t mean they don’t fight. Or have disagreements or hurt feelings. But it’s a learning experience and one that you learn everyday. And it made for one hell of a story.
RATING: 
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