Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE:  Sol

SERIES:  Learning to Love, Book 2

AUTHOR:  Con Riley

NARRATOR:  Cornell Collins

PUBLISHER:  Tantor Audio

LENGTH:  9 hours and 35 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  January 31, 2023

BLURB:

Solomon Trebeck’s heart broke the night of his bi-awakening.

Fifteen years later, Sol’s back in Cornwall where it happened, single, shy, and oh-so lonely. Teaching art to kids wasn’t his life plan. Neither is raising a teenage nephew, but with no family left to support him, a live-in job at a boarding school becomes his life raft.

Problem: that life raft is sinking.

Solution: Sol’s first love could have the cash to keep it afloat.

Reconnecting with Jace Pascoe might save the school—the one place Sol’s nephew is happy. Asking for his help opens old wounds, but Jace helps to heal them, fusing Sol’s broken heart back together. However, Jace has his own shadows, no matter how brightly his smile dazzles.

Falling for Jace again could be so easy. It could also be a huge risk when neither of them plans to stay in Cornwall forever . . .

Contains mature themes.

REVIEW:

Sol, the second book in Con Riley’s Learning to Love series, is a love letter to the arts, a missive about the importance of the arts in education, and a portrait of family. Riley is a superb writer across the board, but she particularly shines in her lyrical prose and vivid imagery, both showcased here in breathtaking fashion. She captures Glynn Harber, its classrooms, lodging, and gorgeous grounds, as well as the intricate, beautiful artistic works brought to life by art teacher Solomon Trebeck and his uber-talented nephew, Cameron. Riley writes this book as if she’s painting with a paintbrush, creating a textured, layered world with complex, colorful characters, using her pages like a canvas.

The thread tying the story in Sol together is Sol’s high school crush, Jace Pascoe, a man who found a way to remain true to himself and keep his passion alive, despite obstacles that could easily have drained that joy from him. Jace is the equalizer – the man who shows Sol that the health of a family, especially a non-traditional one with a traumatized teenager and an overtaxed Uncle/father, hinges on Sol, the backbone of the family unit, taking care of himself, not just everyone around him.  Sol is and has always been a loner due to social anxiety.  He was taught to believe it was a personal failing, and now he feels all his flaws have come to light as he flounders in raising Cameron on his own while he struggles with his grief and loneliness. Jace shows Sol the importance of nurturing the soul through things you are passionate about – like art.  In fact, Sol learns to love several things within the security of Jace’s embrace: he learns how to love art again, how to love Cameron in a way that most resonates with him, and he learns to love Jace and accept that he’s allowed to have this happiness with him.

The relationship between Sol and Jace is a second-chance romance depicted with little angst and tons of authenticity.  Their relationship is effortless, and their generous spirits leap at the chance to embrace what they loved and lost through no fault of their own fifteen years before – each other.  Their scenes together are sexy, yet tender and emotional, full of meaning.  You can feel their love rising from the pages.

Riley handles this story with a deft hand, and it unfolds beautifully, quickly pulling you in.  Sol, Cameron, and Jace are endearing, relatable characters who I adore.  But Riley, setting the stage for the next story in this series, develops Luke’s character significantly, and it’s a surprisingly heartbreaking portrayal.  I fell a little bit in love with Luke during this story – the seemingly stern, closed-off headmaster who, like Sol, has dedicated himself to something to which he is passionate – the healing and education of those who otherwise couldn’t avail themselves of it due to money or circumstance – but has let it deplete his internal reserves.  He is fighting the good fight and won’t give up until there is nothing left to fight for. Luke is central to this story in a way you won’t anticipate, but will thoroughly appreciate and enjoy.

Of course, Cornell Collins is back to narrate the audiobook of Sol, and, of course, he does a superb job, as always.  What is so special about Cornell Collins is that his ordinary is consistently extraordinary.  Of particular note here is his intuitive, nuanced portrayal of Cameron. There are so many aspects to Cameron’s character: He’s a highly emotional teenager who has never recovered from essentially losing his mother and then, more recently, losing his grandmother, who helped raise him. Cam loves Sol, but Sol sets limits, deciding where they’ll live and what school Cam will attend.  Cam is always at the forefront of everything Sol does, but that’s not always easy for a grief-struck teen to understand. The tension between his acute need for Sol’s love and guidance and the strong desire to act out and rebel due to his anger and grief is captured perfectly in Collins’ tone, pacing, pitch, and intonations. Cam sounds like a kid with the weight of the world on his shoulders, but his passion and joy – art – shine through, and you can hear that in the unadulterated tones of Collins’ voice.

Sol and Jace are also captured thoughtfully and accurately, and Collins’ delivery is precise and fully engaged. He is in character here, not reading lines but living the lives of these characters. Collins creates an immersive experience through his encompassing, mesmerizing performance. 

While Charles, the first book in the Learning to Love series, is not strictly required to read Sol, I highly recommend you listen to Charles, too, and ideally first, because: 1) it’s excellent; 2) it provides excellent context for Sol; 3) it’s performed by the very excellent Collins; and 4) it is about Charles Heppel – who is simply excellent in every way.  Once you meet Charles, you’ll know what I mean.  

Sol has a different feel from Charles, and I enjoyed the different perspective, especially in the triple love story Sol tells: the romantic love story of Sol and Jace, the family love story of Sol and Cameron, and the greater love story of Sol and Glynn Harber.  Sol is an audiobook I highly recommend.

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

Audible 

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