Reviewed by Lesley
TITLE: Chasing The Light
SERIES: Granite-Glacier #1
AUTHOR: Mal Trevino
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 211 Pages
RELEASE DATE: January 23, 2024
BLURB:
Aiden Marsh is nobody. After his long-ill mother dies, he’s left by himself with the end of their apartment lease, and the loneliness of the city. When the internet friend he’s been crushing invites him on a trip to photograph the northern lights, how is he supposed to say no? There’s just the tiny little fact that he’s been lying about his life for the last year. But everyone lies on the internet, right?
Russell Merritt had it all. Had. Past tense. A meteoric rise to photographer fame: a storied freelance career and his own show on World Wild. What else could he want? Then it all came crashing down, and that’s exactly the question he has to answer. What else could he want?
Now, Russell and Aiden are taking on the wilds of Granite-Glacier–Russell’s old, forsaken hometown–on a photo excursion that lets them both forget the mess of their lives. But even their growing attraction can only keep reality at bay for so long. They’re going to have to drag all their secrets out into the light.
Chasing the Light is a sweet, all-vibes MM romance set in a small town. For fans of secret identities, forced proximity, the wild outdoors, and internet-friends-to-lovers.
REVIEW:
To say Aiden Marsh is having a hard time is an understatement. His mum has just died after a prolonged illness, and he is all alone. He gave up everything to look after his mum, college , friends and now he is about to loose the apartment he shared with her. The only thing he has had for himself during her illness is an internet forum for photography professionals where he gets to talk to other people who love photography. So what if he had to lie and say he was a professional photographer, his one real friend from the forum knows the truth at least.
Russell Merritt is a famous photographer who used to have his own television show and an amazing life until a disastrous relationship ruined his career. Now he has slunk home to Granite Glacier in a run-down cabin in the woods where he hides away from the world. After joining an online photography forum he rediscovers his passion for photography when he sees the work of a young photographer who thinks out of the box, Aiden. He then becomes friends with Aiden through the forum.
After Russell posting that there is a really high chance of seeing the Northern Lights Aiden joins him on a wilderness trip to see if they can catch the magic in the sky on film.
Having just come back from a holiday where I got to the most amazing displays of the Northern Lights, I was really excited to read this book, especially as I was hoping for some amazing descriptions of them. What I got was a sweet, a little angsty love story about two despairing people who helped heal each other after learning how to be honest with themselves and each other.
Mal Trevino is a new author to me and I enjoyed their style of writing. The descriptions of Lake Superior and the wilderness around it were pretty and the story moved at a decent pace. I am interested to read the next book in the series and learn more about the area.
RATING: 
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