Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Faces
AUTHOR: A.M. Rose
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 192 Pages
RELEASE DATE: November 10, 2021
BLURB:
He drew a thousand faces, but none of them were his…
His whole life, the one thing Dorian wanted more than anything else, was to know who his soulmate was. But while he can find everyone else’s soulmate, he can’t do the same for himself.
Resigned to a life of solitude, he spends his days giving people the key to their happiness, borrowing their joy and basking in the beauty of their love. It’s enough…
Until he meets Hayden.
Hayden, who is everything Dorian had ever dreamed of.
Hayden, who cares for Dorian the same way Dorian cares for him.
Hayden, who doesn’t believe in soulmates.
REVIEW:
Soulmate noun: Someone with whom one has a special, almost spiritual connection
In a world where the concept of soulmates is gospel, people decide to put their lives on hold until, or if, they find their one and only soulmate, instead of creating their own happiness.
Dorian has an esteemed position in this world. He’s The Artist who draws the portraits of his clients’ soulmates. He has the gift of “feeling” a vision of the soulmate’s face by holding the hand of the client. The years go by while he hopes one day he’ll draw his own face, meaning he’ll be sitting across from his own soulmate while holding his hand. But ironically, it hasn’t happened yet.
Then he meets Hayden, not in his studio but at a coffee shop. There’s an instant magnetic pull between them and they make plans to see each other again. Hayden is a kind man who’s devoted to his mother and sister, but after his father – his mother’s soulmate – left the family when his sister was young, he eschewed the idea of fated partners. His mom pushes him to have his portrait drawn, believing it’s the only way to find your person. But for Hayden, his mom’s story is all the proof he needs that it doesn’t work. He doesn’t believe in soulmates and wants to meet someone and establish a connecting the old-fashioned way.
Feelings quickly grow between Dorian and Hayden, but conflict develops when Hayden finds out who Dorian is. Their friendship has a natural ease and promises more, but how can they reconcile their diametrically opposed views? Hayden refuses to have his portrait drawn so Dorian must decide if he can be involved with someone not knowing if they’re soulmates. If not, someday they’ll be forced apart and have to say goodbye when Dorian finds his own true love.
It’s a clever concept that reminds me a bit of the prince trying to find Cinderella with her missing glass slipper. Unlike in Cinderella, this fairytale has some suspense in not knowing how it will end.
A.M. Rose has done a great job with the characterization of the leading men. Dorian and Hayden are sweet, likable characters with a sympathetic storyline. Hayden’s little sister, Ariel, is a standout secondary character with a winning personality and heartwarming relationship with her brother.
Do you like epilogues that stretch far into the future? You’re in for a treat with this one … twenty-three years!!! It truly is a happily ever after. This is a sweet book I happily recommend.
RATING: 
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