Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Building Forever
SERIES: This Time Forever
AUTHOR: Kelly Jensen
NARRATOR: Austin Jay
PUBLISHER: Riptide
RELEASE DATE: May 28, 2020
LENGTH: 9 hours and 58 minutes
BLURB:
A new town, a new neighbor, and a new chance to build a forever.
Charlie King is doing fine. Sure, he’s a widower raising a teenage daughter who just got her first boyfriend, his book series isn’t writing itself, and he has a crush on his new neighbor – the guy next door. But everything’s just fine.
Simon Lynley is doing better. He moved to Bethlehem to fall out of love and rebuild his career. An affair with his neighbor isn’t part of the plan, but the attraction between them is too hard to ignore.
But when Simon’s ex follows him to Pennsylvania to reconcile, and Charlie’s life starts to feel like a video on repeat, everything comes apart. Charlie fears that he’s failing as a father, and Simon is a distraction he can’t afford. Meanwhile Simon doesn’t know if he could survive being left again, and he hasn’t come all this way to make the same mistakes. Despite their fears, it’s only together that they’ll find the strength to slay old foes and build the forever they’ve been waiting for.
REVIEW:
Charlie is a technical writer as well as a science fiction novelist. He’s a single dad raising his only daughter who is 17 and a senior in high school. His wife Mary died 5 years before and he’s been focused on his writing and Olivia since then. He’s not dated – but he’s picked up a few liaisons at the book conventions he’s attended in the past couple of years. His best friend is his deceased wife’s brother and they have been close since childhood. Phil has his own family but he’s been a rock for Charlie and Olivia – particularly during Mary’s illness and afterwards when Charlie was trying to manage his child and their grief. Charlie lives in a big old farmhouse that’s been in his family for a few generations as his parents have moved to Florida after they retired.
Simon is an architect who has just moved in next door from out of state and he’s making a fresh start in a new town. He’s looking forward to hopefully getting to do the kinds of projects he’s always dreamed of and not the cookie cutter developments that he has been doing. He’s also making a fresh start after the demise of his long term relationship with an ex-boyfriend. He meets Charlie in a case of mistaken identity, but they hit it off and Charlie thinks he detects some more than possible friendship there. He’s really trying to focus on getting his new job in line and focusing on starting over really and he doesn’t want any complications.
Charlie married when his girlfriend got pregnant when they were still in high school – so that changed their lives. They were very happy until Mary got sick and he wouldn’t change anything, but he’s always kind of had this niggling knowledge that he’s also attracted to men – and very specifically now his neighbor. But he’s not sure that Simon is even into guys, but he’s kind of hoping that maybe he is and that they might get to know each other better and he decides to ask Simon on a date. But Simon has had a rough time because of his cheating ex and he’s not in a great place for it after Charlie’s initial overture. But eventually he gives in because heck yeah, he’s been interested in Charlie since the moment he laid eyes on him.
Of course there are a few obstacles in their way – including nobody knowing that Charlie is into guys and Simon’s skittishness thanks to his ex. There is also the little issue of a teenage daughter that has her own issues going on. In addition, there is some bad blood STILL between Charlie and his former mother-in-law that really puts a damper on things. Thankfully Phil and his wife and everyone else basically has no time for the MIL and they are there to support Charlie. Without spoiling anything, I will just say that things go wrong, or certainly not to plan, but with the right support and encouragement, Charlie and Simon work their way to a point of
This is my week for new to me narrators! I had not listened to Austin Jay before, but I really enjoyed his voice choices here – especially Charlie. I just felt what a ray of sunshine he was – especially to Simon. I love the emotion he infused into all the characters – male and female. His ability to even perform the teenage girls not as parodies or caricatures made the story that much better. I really liked Simon and Charlie – both together and separately. They also each have amazing BFFs! Phil was so supportive when Charlie came out to him after talking about his own kids – what a good dad 🙂 The supporting characters, including Simon’s friend Frank and Simon’s boss and their neighbor Cassie, really add to the story – each with their own histories and relationship with the MCs. Simon’s ex was also well written and although we don’t like him, he is definitely an authentic feature to the story. I particularly enjoyed how the author made the daily life and the trials and tribulations of trying to build a relationship and raising a teenager and the angst that comes with that balance the story out. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this family and extended family come together and support one another. Highly recommended especially for those who love later in life embracing of bisexuality and lovely family dramas where everyone works together to make things right 🙂 I can’t wait for the next book!
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