Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Aftermath
SERIES: Vino & Veritas #5
AUTHOR: L.A. Witt
PUBLISHER: Heart Eyes Press
LENGTH: 394 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2021
BLURB:
Brent Weyland was the life of the party until an injury ended his hockey career. Now he’s retreated alone to a lakefront house, trying to make sense of a life and body that don’t feel like his anymore.
Jon Norquist was happily married right up until he wasn’t. Now a single father in his forties, he’s trying to figure out what comes next. In the meantime, he pours his heartache and regret into the lyrics he sings for the wine bar crowd a couple of nights a week.
When a friend coaxes Brent out for a night of wine and music, he puts Brent and Jon on a collision course. Their chemistry is instantaneous. Jon gives Brent’s battered body a much-needed remedial lesson in pleasure. And Brent gives Jon a reason to smile again.
Multiple reasons, actually. Neither man wants anything serious, but love has a habit of showing up whether it’s welcome or not. No matter how hard they try, the two can’t help having feelings for each other, even as life continues to throw them curveballs.
But they’ve both got baggage to unpack and hurt to move past, and if they can’t leave their pasts in the past, they might just miss out on an amazing future.
REVIEW:
In Aftermath, L.A. Witt’s entry into the Vino & Veritas series, two men living very different lives are each trying to rebuild a life while dealing with the aftermath of life-changing circumstances.
Brent is a former NHL hockey player whose career was cut short by a nearly fatal car accident that broke his pelvis and hip. The brutality his body suffered on the ice for two decades is catching up with him and his body is failing in many ways. With his lost career and the intense, ever-present chronic pain, he’s feeling depressed, isolated, and unconfident. He simply doesn’t know who he is without hockey.
One night at the Vino & Veritas wine bar, Brent encounters Jon, a guitarist/singer playing there. Jon is a single father still trying to find his feet more than a year after his divorce. The men are instantly attracted to each other but experience a disastrous night together. They’re two painfully lonely men longing for human connection so they give it another try and fall into a friends-with-benefits arrangement. Sadly, they are each fearful they’re not enough for the other and their insecurities have them both feeling a long-ten relationship isn’t in the cards.
This is a long book at nearly 400 pages, and in this case, that’s not a good thing. At twenty percent I wasn’t sure how I’d make it through to the end. It’s not a bad book, and the subject matter is interesting, but I found the storytelling to be monotonous and the pace way too slow. There’s lots of leisurely kissing, which at first was enjoyable, but it became repetitive. And then the characters’ discussions about Brent’s pain management and dealing with his pain during intimacy was exhausting. I read Am I hurting you? and Are you okay? way too many times. I appreciate the attention the author gave to another related topic but again, there was too much page time devoted to the subject. This book would’ve been more successful had it been 100 pages shorter; as it was, I skimmed the last sixty percent. The book also suffers from a lack of world building. Unlike the previous books in the series, I never felt immersed in the charming town of Burlington. This story could’ve been set anywhere.
The notable side characters include Jon’s son Cody, Brent’s best friend Ethan, and Brent’s father. Cody is a sweet ten year old who, refreshingly, likes Brent and doesn’t have a problem with his dad’s new boyfriend. Ethan is supportive of Brent by being encouraging and honest and is key to Brent’s recovery. Unfortunately, Brent’s father is a disgusting human being and Brent’s scenes with him are heartbreaking.
I wish I liked Aftermath more than I did, but I’m glad I finished it because it had an ending that made me smile. In the end, Brent and Jon are perfectly matched for each other in helping each other over the hurdles standing in the way of their happiness.
RATING: 
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