Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Absolution
AUTHOR: E.M. Lindsey
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 198 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 19, 2021
BLURB:
“I’m madly, irrevocably in love with a man I met on the streets one night, and if I get a second chance, I plan to make sure I spend every day reminding him just how absolutely loved and cherished he is.”
By the time he turned twenty-nine, Alexei Gurgov has managed to put his dark past behind him. Running a bookshop and living a quiet life in London, he has very few expectations. He may be lonely, but alone means nothing can hurt him. Alone means there’s no one in his life to abandon him.
Then one night, he’s mugged in an alley, and his life is irrevocably changed.
Instead of going to the police, Alexei tracks down the mugger and learns he’s merely a starving man trying to get by. Offering him a job and a place to stay, Alexei is determined to help make it right. After all, he knows better than anyone what it’s like to struggle.
The one thing he doesn’t expect, however, is to fall for his sudden flatmate, even if it seems like August his hiding something from his past.
When all the chips fall, will this be his own version of a storybook romance, or are they star-crossed lovers, determined to burn bright and fall apart?
***
Absolution is the re-release of a book published in 2016. Additional words have been added lengthening the story to 30% longer than the original, but the plot and conclusion remain the same.
REVIEW:
Alexei is mostly content. He’s got his bookstore and his flat and he’s not dependent on anyone. He’s getting by. He’s suffered unimaginable loss at a young age and didn’t have the tools or the support to come through that without some very deep wounds. But he’s also not vulnerable to that kind of devastation again. So he tries not to think too much about how lonely he is.
August is more than down on his luck. He too has suffered – much of it at the hands of those that should have had his back and loved him unconditionally. That didn’t happen. He didn’t handle it well and made pretty much a mess of things. That is not to imply that he at deserved what happened to him because he most assuredly did not. But when he finds himself desperate and Alexei offers him the first helping hand in a very long time, he’s suspicious as hell. But he is also desperate and so he agrees to Alexei’s offer of a hand.
As August and Alexei settle into a routine, there are many surprises along the way. The bookstore is easier to manage with two. August can actually cook and bake! There is a undercurrent of tension that neither wants to acknowledge until it’s about to boil over. And then they can’t get enough of each other. Both have been raised in conservative faiths which doesn’t help their general feelings of unworthiness and not deserving of love. But they seem to be making a go of things. Until the distrust – of both each other and themselves creeps in 🙁 Both men make serious mistakes in dealing with their misgivings and their fears and it could cost them everything they were so sure they were building.
What a beautiful and difficult story. This is only my third E.M. Lindsey story and I have loved them all. I am drawn to the pain and difficulties of these flawed by beautiful characters that they write. In this story, both MCs have been through more than their share of trauma. And though their reasons and reactions to that trauma were different, it turned out they ended up in the same place at different times in their life. Homeless. Bereft of human companionship and compassion. But Alexei is further along in his journey and he recognizes a lot of himself and his past in August and he’s compelled to help. It takes a fair amount of time though for August to feel comfortable sharing much with Alexei – not without reason since his past is a bit dodgy and he’s worried about being out on his own the cold again. Literally. Neither man has any experience with relationship and given their abandonment issues it’s not in the least surprising that they stumble a bit and with every step forward, there also seems to be a step back. Neither is at a place where they believe that they deserve love. And of course that is their undoing. I was repeatedly conscious of the fact that hurt people hurt people. It’s like a reflex. A self-protective mechanism. My own sister has repeated her philosophy to me that “If it’s a choice of two people in the room getting their feelings hurt, it’s not going to be me.” And I honestly do not know where that comes from, because she has literally been that way from our quite privileged childhood. Thankfully therapy helps 🙂 I don’t want to spoil this story at all, but suffice to say, my heart was broken, and mended and broken and mended again. The ending was extremely satisfying even if I was a bit surprised – pleasantly so – at how it worked out. The little twists and turns made it all the most poignant. Highly recommended for fans of grief/loss/recovery and second chances. Beautifully done!
RATING:
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