Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Hold On

AUTHOR: Barbara Elsborg

SERIES: Fate We Make #2

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 332 pages

RELEASE DATE: 10/15/2023

BLURB:

Sixteen long years behind bars. Almost half his life. But finally, freedom and a future Dominic can see. Yet as he steps into the world, a whispered threat shatters his hopes of a fresh start. He’ll never be able to stop looking over his shoulder.

Ren narrowly survives the most dangerous situation of his life, but at least his attackers think he’s dead. Spending the summer stuck on his brother’s archaeological dig isn’t his idea of fun, but it beats being fussed over by his mother. It’s as good a place as any to heal physical and mental scars, and he has plenty of those.

The roar of Ren’s motorbike is his lifeline, the one thing that makes him feel truly alive. But a moment’s lapse in concentration and he knocks Dominic off his feet. The accident brings together two damaged souls whose pasts won’t stay buried. With danger on their tail, hanging on to hope—and to each other—won’t be easy.

Join Dominic and Ren as they fight to keep the shadows of the past at bay and their future bright. In a world where love is fragile, two hearts learning to heal may just discover love is worth the risk.

REVIEW:

Hold On, the second book in Barbara Elsborg’s Fate We Make series, is an intriguing romantic suspense novel about two broken men who are lucky to find each other and help with the other’s healing from traumatic experiences.

Dominic is the older brother of Col (from He’s the One). Dom is finally free after spending sixteen years in prison and high security mental institutions. Col is his only family so he goes to live with him at Asquith while he tries to settle into a new life. He’s filled with despair that he would never fit in anywhere, never be accepted by anyone who learns of his horrific childhood. But he feels he has to make a new life for himself from scratch, away from Col, so he doesn’t drag down Col who feels responsible for Dom’s care.

Dominic and Ren run into each other – literally – in a motorcycle “meet-ouch”. Ren is at Asquith temporarily while he heals from terrifying torture. His brother, Will, is an archeologist working on a dig on the grounds of Asquith where he involves Ren while he hides out and recovers from his broken body. Will and Col are both protective brothers.

Both men live in abject fear of retaliation. They are attracted to each other but can’t see how they can fit into each other’s lives while both remaining safe. The have to learn to trust each other with their dark secrets. They both deserve a second chance at a life filled with love, calm, and safety.

This high angst book is about healing, trust, forgiveness, injustice, and second chances. I love hurt/comfort themes. The suspense is real; I worried I’d encounter the Big Bads every time I turned a page. There are scary (but brief) dark moments of torture and references to child sexual abuse, which is thankfully not on page. Overall, I enjoyed this book quite a bit, as I do all of Ms. Elsborg’s work. I loved the inclusion of Col, Theo, and Theo’s father, the Lord of Asquith, and having the chance to see Col and Theo as they settle into a life together. If you read He’s the One, you’ll definitely want to grab a copy of Hold On. I suggest starting with the first book  Highly recommended.

RATING: 

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