Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  In the Absence of Light

AUTHOR:  Adrienne Wilder

SERIES:  In the Absence of Light #1

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  341 pages

RELEASE DATE:  April 3, 2015

BLURB:

For years Grant Kessler has smuggled goods from one end of the world to the next. When business turns in a direction Grant isn’t willing to follow he decides to retire and by all appearances he settles down in a nowhere town called Durstrand. But his real plan is to wait a few years and let the FBI lose interest, then move on to the distant coastal life he’s always dreamed of.

Severely autistic, Morgan cannot look people in the eye, tell left from right, and has uncontrolled tics. Yet he’s beaten every obstacle life has thrown his way. And when Grant Kessler moves into town Morgan isn’t a bit shy in letting the man know how much he wants him.

While the attraction is mutual, Grant pushes Morgan away. Like the rest of the world he can’t see past Morgan’s odd behaviors

Then Morgan shows Grant how light lets you see but it also leaves you blind. And once Grant opens his eyes, he loses his heart to the beautiful enigma of a man who changes the course of his life.

REVIEW:

My heart was his. I seriously began to wonder if it ever wasn’t. That he’d always held me and I just didn’t know it. Like seeing the light in a way I couldn’t, he’d seen a love that hadn’t happened yet, but knew it would. 

In the Absence of Light is a truly exquisite love story. One moment I was tearing up, the next I was laughing. The romance, humor, and drama all touched my heart. But it’s Morgan’s inner beauty that drives this tale. He has an extraordinary soul hiding inside a neurodiverse mind. Only the most special – and luckiest – people experience the gifts he possesses within. And Grant is the most special of all. This book has all the feels. 

Morgan is a very special man, not because he lives with autism spectrum disorder, but because he thrives despite it. He has numerous and significant tics and regresses sometimes, but he lives independently, is an artist, and holds a job as a busboy. He has a razor-sharp wit, frequently goading and tricking Grant, and teasing him about his advanced old age (he’s thirty-six to Morgan’s twenty-four). 

Grant is new in town, having recently retired from a shady career in private shipping. He bought a ramshackle house with the intention of fixing it up while hiding from his past for a few years. He’s waiting until he can cash out his hefty offshore accounts and take off for tropical locales. He’s initially intrigued by Morgan but can’t see past the tics and idiosyncrasies he views as Morgan’s shortcomings. His perception of Morgan is clouded by plenty of misconceptions. But Morgan has his eye on Grant and he’s going to get what he wants. He puts Grant in his place a few times, too, which is quite amusing. 

Both men have trust issues. Grant can’t trust Morgan to recognize his own limits and know what’s the best course of action, and Morgan is afraid to trust Grant and give up control because he’s fearful of being hurt and deserted. They’re also both haunted by their pasts. Grant has had questionable business dealings involving the FBI, and has a not-so-nice ex-boyfriend. Morgan is so very, very brave, having survived a tremendously difficult childhood and severe, even horrific, trauma as an adult. He stands up to the erroneous assumptions people make about him based on his appearance and has flourished against all odds. There’s a lot happening in this book. There are several plot lines happening concurrently but they all tie together well and resolve nicely. 

The secondary cast enhances the narrative. Morgan’s Aunt Jenny, Jessie the bar owner, and Berry the hardware store proprietor all figure prominently and can be considered Morgan’s greatest supporters and friends. Fortunately, the residents of this town in the boondocks of Georgia mostly love and accept Morgan for who he is. 

Morgan has a special affinity for sunlight and the flow of light. He runs his fingers through the air in its rays and watches it refract through glass, making patterns and geometric shapes. It speaks to him. He gets so mesmerized and sometimes fades away while he watches it. The absence of light is just as important to him:  

In Morgan’s case the light had let me see the tics, the muscle spasms, and his strange movements and I’d been distracted by them. The dark took it all away and left me sitting next to a person, not a behavior, a human being, not perceived defects. Someone insightful, quick witted, determined, generous, kind and armed with a wicked sense of humor. 

And finally, just let me say … Gah … the sex! In the Absence of Light is so sexy and steamy, my glasses fogged up. No question, Morgan and Grant have serious chemistry. 

I can’t praise In the Absence of Light highly enough. This book is a masterpiece, one I enjoyed immensely. I adore Morgan and Grant and their dynamic. Mr. Wilder is publishing the second book in the series, By the Light of Dawn, this week and you won’t be disappointed. Look for our review on October 19, 2020. 

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon