Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Until I Saw You
AUTHOR: Dianna Roman
PUBLISHER: Wild One Press
LENGTH: 316 pages
RELEASE DATE: January 24, 2023
BLURB:
An MM romance story of survival, healing, and finding the courage to love.
Harper Reid has no money and nowhere to go, but he can’t spend one more day under the same roof as his abusive boyfriend. Desperate to start fresh, he takes on a special case through the caregiver agency that contracts him. The client has fired everyone else, but this job includes lodging, so Harper will find a way to make it work until he’s back on his feet.
High-flying, eccentric Riley Davenport has lost his sight, effectively clipping the vivacious man’s wings. Learning to navigate in darkness is difficult enough without being treated like a house plant by his girlfriend, parents, and friends. The last thing he needs is another pushy caregiver, hovering over him, curtailing the last of his freedom. But Harper Reid is different…very different.
Nervous, quiet, reserved. It’s almost like Harper has secrets and is the one who needs to be taught how to live again. And why does he smell like sugar cookies? Men aren’t supposed to smell delicious.
Trigger warnings: off-page domestic abuse, adult language, explicit consensual sexual content, see inside preview for additional content advisory.
REVIEW:
Maybe that’s what I really needed all along, someone kind and alone just like me because together, we’re not alone.
Until I Saw You is a phenomenal book!!! And I have a new book boyfriend, y’all! Riley, who recently lost his sight in a terrible evident, is utterly scrumptious. He’s funny and kind with a positive attitude and upbeat energy. He’ll soon be questioning how straight he really is when he starts falling for Harper, his new caregiver.
This is such a heartwarming, delightful, hurt/comfort story – my favorite trope. I love damaged main characters and here we have two. You would think Riley is the one being comforted but actually, it goes both ways. Riley and Harper are hurting in vastly different ways, physically and emotionally. I say bring on the angst. I love to be brought to tears. Pass the tissues, please… this one is a tearjerker.
Riley Carrington was a very successful app developer before his accident. Now he’s just trying to get through each day without needing help. He wants to be treated as normal, as he was before his accident when he was sighted and capable. After he fires several carers, he acquiesces to his mother’s demand to hire live-in help and keep them. Cue Harper Reid, a vision therapist who is now homeless, broke, and badly needs a job after being beaten and abused by his boyfriend.
There’s something about Harper. He’s an enigma. His presence puts me at ease the way I can tell him anything without judgement or being treated like an invalid, while at the same time, I’ve found myself excited to get out of bed in the morning, knowing I get to bullshit with him some more. It’d be nice to know what the face of the person who’s brought this breath of fresh air into my life looks like.
It’s not all smooth sailing at first for these two lonely men; Harper is terrified of his own shadow and Riley doesn’t want to depend on anyone. Eventually, though, they fit together like peanut butter and jelly. Riley is awesome – he’s “vivacious, playful, attentive” and perennially happy. He’s sweet and funny, largely due to his lack of a filter.
Harper starts to feel safe with Riley and Riley becomes more open to Harper’s lessons on reading Braille and navigating the outdoors world. Riley adopts a failed seeing eye dog, the world’s gassiest, ugliest dog who goes by a series of more than a dozen names, from Larry to Eisenhower to Barkus Maximus. Riley’s eccentric side is so endearing, including his addiction to Better Cheddar crackers. (I remember these from my childhood. I didn’t know they were still made but I just found some in my grocery store. I had to get a few boxes. Yum!)
This sensation of having another person cling to me as though I’m in control, as though they’re depending on me for a change? Maybe I’m a bit of a narcissist, but it sure as hell feels better than being the one dependent on other people.
Until I Saw You has all the feels. I adore Riley and Harper as a couple. They provide the comfort the other needs and help each other heal. It’s not always easy. Harper, in particular, feels helpless and wants to learn to stand on his own. I really like that it wasn’t love at first sight (um, so to speak). They get to know each other slowly, gradually learning they need each other. I also particularly like that Riley’s bisexual awakening is not a big deal for him. Thank goodness, there’s no internalized homophobia.
There a great supporting cast, including Riley’s best friend, Rob, his parents, and Harper’s best friend, Daniel. And let’s not forget the comic relief, Larry.
I know it’s only a few weeks into 2023 but I already have the first book for my Best of the Year/Top Ten list. Go grab this book, it’s fantastic! Although it deals with some heavy topics, it’s swoony, humorous, and sometimes lighthearted. It’s Dianna Roman’s best to date, and that’s saying a lot. I’m ready to read it for a third time.
RATING: 
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