Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Blindspot

AUTHOR:  A.M. Rose

SERIES:  Daydream, Colorado

PUBLISHER:  Self Published

LENGTH:  335 pages

RELEASE DATE:  January 25, 2021

BLURB:

Standing out in a town like Daydream, Colorado should have been impossible to do, yet somehow Drew managed. All his life he had been the one everyone was looking at when he walked down the street. No matter how hard he’d tried to fit in, fingers pointed at his back and whispers followed his every step. Until it all got too much and he’d left Daydream. For good.

Among all the special people in Daydream, Mason was just a bit more special. He had the ability to see all sorts of things; private conversations, someone’s biggest mistakes, and their tiniest, most insignificant moments. But even with this ability to glance into the future, he didn’t see Drew leaving Daydream for good. He didn’t see Drew breaking his heart. And he definitely didn’t see him coming back.

REVIEW:

Blindspot is a pleasurable first novel in A.M. Rose’s new series, Daydream, Colorado, focused on the magical town and its residents. The love story of Drew and Mason is intertwined with mostly whimsical magic and only a reference to dark magic used in the past, off page. If you haven’t read Daydream, the free, short prequel to the series, I highly recommend it even though it’s not necessary to do so before reading this story. It will certainly enrich Blindspot considerably because it provides a more thorough overview of the town and its people, plus it stars the incomparable Sage, as Mason’s bestie, and Sage’s love interest, Ben, who are significant figures in Blindspot. It’s a light and fanciful read.

Here we have Drew who was born without magic – a very rare occurrence – and grew up as the only non-magical resident in the town of Daydream. It was nearly unbearable for him, feeling alone and ridiculed. But worse were the torturous experiments his “perfect” brother evilly forced him to endure for thirteen years, which could’ve killed him if he hadn’t escaped town. But by fleeing, he abandoned his best friend, Mason, with whom he had just started a romantic relationship. After their first night of lovemaking, Mason awoke to an empty bed; Drew had disappeared without a word, leaving Mason brokenhearted and without any idea why he abruptly left.

After being away from his home town for ten years, Drew has returned for a brief visit at the behest of his parents after they tracked him down through a private investigator. Now that he’s back, his relationships with his parents and Mason are contentious. With his parents he’s overflowing with rage; around Mason he’s guilt-ridden and filled with sorrow and longing.

Mason works at the village bakery with Sage. As part of his magic repertoire, he experiences “glances” into the future that sometimes manifest as harrowing nightmares that leave him terrified. He loves Drew but can’t allow them to be more than friends because of the potential for another broken heart. He has no reason to believe Drew won’t return to his life far away again. In addition to the love story, the book contains the mystery of why Drew disappeared and how it can be remedied.

The prose flows smoothly and is highly descriptive, creating vivid scenery of both the characters and their surroundings. The visit to healer Darian’s home and farm, for example, is a feast for the senses, from the gentle giant of a man covered in tattoos to his flower covered grounds:

Darian’s house was just as contradictory as the man himself was. An odd mixture of beautiful flower arrangements and motorcycle parts, soft plush floral recliners and masculine, dark wood tables and shelves. And enough plants to make you question if you had just stepped through a portal into the jungle.

I enjoyed all the components of the novel but I felt it dragged a bit. At 335 pages, it’s on the longer side for a novel in this genre but I usually find books of this length more rewarding than shorter ones. Blindspot would benefit from a more up-tempo pace, though. I loved the magic portions, but the everyday life parts were slow. I can’t believe I’m going to say this – I thought there was too much dialogue – and too much time spent on whether Mason could forgive Drew and get past his fears. However, I think my comments should be taken with a large grain of salt. I have read so many short stories and short novellas over the past few weeks, thanks to the Winter Wonderland giveaway, that I think I’ve temporarily drained my patience when it comes to reading full-length books. It’s possible a re-read six months from now would have me thinking the pacing is just fine.

Otherwise, I relished Blindspot. The secondary characters are endearing, particularly the adorable Sage his boyfriend Ben, and Orson, Mason’s caring father. Head Witch Malachi and Darian, while not what I’d call endearing, are certainly likable and add a layer of interest to the story. Malachi is amusing in his stoic crankiness and weirdness. I mostly read contemporary MM romance and found this to be a refreshing and thoroughly enjoyable departure from my usual. It seems Darian is next on deck in this series and I can’t wait.

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon