Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Too Like the Lightning

AUTHOR:  Travis Beaudoin

PUBLISHER:  Sonder Street Books

LENGTH:  301 pages

RELEASE DATE:  March 4, 2022

BLURB:

Andrew Madigan had everything he ever wanted.

He’d worked hard to build this perfect little life. A stable relationship with a successful man. A beautiful home in a quiet suburb. And best of all, a job where he spent his days talking about literature.

Then his tenure was denied and, too quickly for him to stop it, everything crumbled.

Now, with his dreams in the dust and his confidence shattered, Andrew has one summer to figure out his next move.

Bulbs, Florida, is like no place Andrew’s ever known. It’s small and provincial. It’s hot as hell. Storms roll through every single day. But Andrew just has to keep his head down. Finish his book, find a new job, put things back on track. Easy-peasy.

He didn’t plan on making a friend.

Coley Brandt has a green thumb and an easy smile. He’s much younger than Andrew, but he puts Andrew at ease, makes him feel at home. Their time together reminds Andrew what having a purpose feels like.

Suddenly, this long, lonely summer feels too short.

But Coley has dreams of his own, and they’re a million miles away from the life Andrew’s trying to get back.

Maybe this is just a summer fling. Maybe, like the lightning, it’s only meant to be glorious for a moment before it disappears.

Or maybe it’s something more.

Too Like the Lightning is a steamy small-town, age-gap romance. It’s perfect for lovers of second chances, coffee on the back porch, thunderstorms, poetry, and happily ever afters. 85,000 words

REVIEW:

So I had no idea what to expect with this book as I was totally unfamiliar with this author, but I was very pleasantly surprised.   When this story opens, Andrew Madigan has lost a lot.  His job, his boyfriend, his self-esteem, his place in the world, his motivation.  He’s really just so sad.  His best friend has offered her husband’s rental property in Florida since it’s the off-season and he takes her up on it and heads to FL.  Anyone who has spent any time in Florida during the summer will recognize the very real descriptions of air so wet you feel like you’re drinking it when step outside.  The storms are spectacular.  And it’s a far cry from his neat little life as an English professor at a small liberal arts college in Virginia.  But he can hopefully spend the time looking for a new job and finishing the book he’s been working on forever.

When Andrew arrives, he supposed to meet the caretaker.  But instead, the bright shiny son of the caretaker, Coley Brandt shows up.  Coley’s dad has taken a fall so Coley’s going to be doing the work around the place for a few weeks.  Mowing, taking care of the old tree that was taken down in a storm, clearing the invasive species, etc.  Andrew is drawn to him immediately.  He’s gorgeous and strong – but he’s a straight boy 😉  And he’s 20 to Andrew’s recent 34.  But when they actually talk, it seems like Coley is a lot more than just a pretty face who is good at outdoor work.  He’s got ideas. He’s taking a literature class 😉  He’s got feelings about stuff.  They get into a rhythm – becoming friends as Andrew helps Coley with some of the outdoor work in an effort to get out of his funk and back on track.  They spend time swimming and lazing in the pong on the property after their work.

Then one day it rain.  They have fun in the rain together much to Andrew’s surprise.  And then Andrew reveals that in fact, he is not a straight boy.  And things change.  But as the summer goes on, Andrew realizes that he’s developed much stronger feelings for Coley.  He is interested in his plans, his life, his thoughts.  He realizes things are going to be difficult when he leaves because he’s fallen hard for Coley.

When Andrew gets a call that he doesn’t expect and it’s possible he can get his old life back – or at least some semblance of it, he decides he needs to leave.  It’s sooner than planned and he doesn’t want to do the wrong thing with Coley, nor does he want to make this more than it is.  In his leaving though, he does make some mistakes.  Turns out he’s not so interested in returning to his old life after all.

I really really liked this story.  I will admit the first 30% is a little slow going.  I was never quite sure what was going to happen between these two.  It’s definitely a slow burn.  There is a LOT of head stuff with Andrew – but I thought it was really important to establish his headspace.  He’s been through a lot and he’s still kind of dealing with the fallout.  Coley is just what he needs – even though he doesn’t realize it.  For quite a while.  Coley is not some dumb kid. He’s got ideas and ambitions and he’s a really mature 20 year old who isn’t just out for a good time.  He’s good at reading people and he’s picked up a lot on Andrew’s passions.  Andrew tries hard to be brave – but he hasn’t had a lot of practice.  He’s better at feeling bad about stuff and like an impostor.  His self-esteem has taken a hit but Coley recognizes a lot of passion in him and how much he’s trying.  It does take them a while to get on the same page and to get truly honest about their feelings.  But it’s totally worth it.  Highly recommended for fans of slow burn romances with a really lovely payoff.

RATING: 

BUY LINK:

Amazon