Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: #VanLife
AUTHOR: Morgan A, Lenore
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 236 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 24, 2025
BLURB:
One summer. Two boys. A season of possibilities.
Twenty-three-year-old Evan has a camper van, a telescope, and a dream: to experience a summer of freedom before his rich, overbearing parents force him to carry on the family legacy.
What he hadn’t expected was Briar.
Briar has worked at Camp Viridian Lakes for five summers. He knows what poor runaways like himself can expect: long shifts, meaningless flings, and struggling to feel like he’s real.
Despite their different upbringings, sparks fly during a mountain hike meet-cute. But while ‘van life’ is a trend for Evan, it’s the only life Briar knows. And even starlit, invincible summers must come to an end… Unless they can teach each other how to be their free, authentic selves.
A 61000-word tale of emotionally significant stargazing, natural adventure, and steamy marshmallow sweetness with a side of angst and a HEA guaranteed!
REVIEW:
A story of discovering who two young men really are deep inside by a brand-new author.
Evan’s parents have his whole life planned out for him. Marry their business associates daughter so that they could merge their businesses. Leave his silly bugs, flowers and stargazing of his youth behind. Get the gay out of his system once and for all. GROW UP! Take over his responsibilities that he was born in to. The problem is that both he and his fiancé are both gay/lesbians and have absolutely no desire to be with the other and shackled to the life that their parents have arranged since they were young. So, Evan barters one last summer adventure before being forced into a “lavender marriage” with Jenna. Off to Camp Vivian Lakes he goes to have one last final adventure looking for rare finds and watching his beloved stars. What he didn’t expect to find, while out on his first hike, was the beautiful boy swimming in a hidden lake and underwater way too long to be healthy. Briar has worked at the camp for the last five years. The same camp that he spent part of his youth exploring while his Mom worked to keep them fed and a roof over their heads. But Mom is gone and he hightailed out of town, from his critical step-dad, in an old van that sat in his ex’s weed patch. He knows he’s not worth more than a summer fling but Evan has him believing they are real. But can they withstand the demands that are in place for Evan???
This story will get you right in the feels. First you will hurt for Evan. The impossible demands that his parents have made on his life. They are dictators that rule his every move. He was never allowed to plan and do what he wanted without blasting from his father and mother. But, as the story unfolded, it was Briar that captured my heart. He was doing literally anything and everything to just stay alive. And the fact that he kept self-harming himself to make sure something nice was real broke my heart. He literally became a throwaway kid that no one cared if he existed or disappeared. That’s why Evan’s solution to their dilemma was particularly hurtful. He trusted what Evan said even though he knew what was likely to come. I trusted Evan to make good when what went down shattered Briar.
This book was a bit slow in places. I know that both men agreed to take things slow so that Briar felt respected. But seriously, after filming that scorching hot 🔥🔥🔥scene for Briar’s followers, I think that Evan should have got Briar’s not-so-subtle hints that he was more than ready. But I did enjoy their interactions and the care that Evan lathes on Briar.
I loved how the story ended. Kind of a “rides off into the sunset” moment. But I had hoped for an epilogue. There was mention of a free short story about them at the end of the book but I couldn’t find it anywhere.
I am thankful that I took a chance on this brand new author and look forward to more new stories in the future.
RATING: 
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