Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: rock
SERIES: Bonds We Share
AUTHOR: Anyta Sunday
PUBLISHER: Sunday Publications
LENGTH: 248 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2014
BLURB:
a love story written in stone
Igneous.
When Cooper’s parents divorce, he finds himself landed in Week About—one week with his mum and one week with his dad. Only, it’s not just his dad he has to live with. There’s Lila, too: The other woman, the one who stole the rock-solid foundation of his life.
And then . . .
There’s Jace. Lila’s son. Lila’s smug, regurgitated-fish-scale-blue eyed son.
All Cooper wants is to have his family back the way it once was, but there’s something about this boy that promises things will never be the same again.
Sedimentary.
Resisting the realities of his new life, Cooper and Jace get off to a rocky start. But rocky start or not, after hundreds of shared memories together, they forge something new. A close . . . friendship.
Because friendship is all they can have. Although it’s not like they are real brothers. Technically, they’re not even stepbrothers . . .
Metamorphic.
But how does that friendship evolve under the pressures of life?
Under pressures of the heart?
~ ~ ~
rock is a slow-burn, coming-of-age romance about anger that turns into attachment, rivalry that becomes devotion, and the one person you’re absolutely not supposed to fall for.
It’s about learning that love doesn’t always rebuild what was broken. Sometimes, it reshapes it.
Perfect for readers who love:
• forced proximity
• tension that simmers for years
• rivals-to-something-more
• messy family dynamics
• first love that changes everything
CW: Pregnancy loss, cancer diagnosis, death of a parent
REVIEW:
Cooper is devastated by the breakup of his family when he is 12. His sister is 14 and she takes the betrayal even worse – especially since it’s clear that his father has been lying to him all along. Honestly, this was the part of the story that made me absolutely furious. This is one of the worst ways I’ve read/heard of children being told their parents are breaking – finding that one parent has been living a double life apparently and when his kids are at their most vulnerable as teenagers, decided not to do that any longer and make the break. I mean I know it happens all the time because adults are just winging it in life too, but this is really inexcusable to burden these kids with adult problems. It doesn’t get any better when Cooper discovers that Jace, the son of his father’s mistress/long term girlfriend/other partner, calls Cooper’s father “dad”. WTH??? Needless to say, Cooper is beyond angry and he refuses to deal with his father. His sister, Annie, will not visit nor speak with her father.
Eventually Cooper’s mother convinces him to spend time with his dad at his place – which is better than the home Cooper has been living in with this family and where his mother and sister are still living. This is further complicated by the fact that Lila, the “other woman” is pregnant. UGH!!! Cooper is doing his best to keep it together. He is fascinated by rocks and they are his safe place. Depending on the composition of the rock, Cooper knows all about the properties and how they can take on some of the anxiety he’s dealing with, because make no mistake. Cooper has anxiety long before the breakup of his family – but of course it’s exacerbated by the emotional upheaval. The rocks ground him and he’s able to stave off panic attacks if he can focus on them.
Cooper begrudgingly goes along with the shared custody arrangement and he and Jace reach a bit of a detente. They have to share the same home every other week and so they need to figure out a truce. Cooper realizes he’s gay and there is some drama at school around that. Jace is his champion and supporter though. Jace is also a musician and his talent helps Cooper relax and appreciate him more also. Their relationship builds as they go through high school together.
Cooper realizes that his feelings for Jace are not exactly “brotherly”. They are closer than ever – each providing a safe haven from the stress in their lives. They celebrate milestones together and support each other through the ups and downs of growing up. When Jace is looking to date girls however, this becomes painful for Cooper because he finally accepts that he is in love with Jace. Uh oh. But they are stepbrothers – not “related”. When they finally kiss, things get even more confusing. Jace comes clean about why he can’t be with Cooper.
Jace goes off to college and Cooper is left behind. He’s depressed and just decides to focus on school. He wants to eventually get his PhD, so he studies very hard and gets stellar grades. He ends up going to a different college. Jace brings someone home and it just about kills Cooper. He decides he’s got to find something else in his life too.
When tragedy strikes, their family is once again thrown into disarray and Jace and Cooper are going to have to figure out what they really want.
This is such a heartbreaking story. I was so mad at the beginning of this book with the way Cooper and Annie’s lives were upended in what seemed to me to be a very callous manner. Everybody always says, “kids are resilient” as if there is any other choice. I didn’t like Jace much either – but at least I can excuse him since he is a kid also and he does seem to realize his mistakes with Cooper pretty quickly. I full supported Annie’s response to the trauma she was enduring. The supporting characters – particularly Cooper’s mates and Cooper and Annie’s mum I thought were very realistically written. Frankly I felt like adults in this book really needed to take a hard look at themselves and work a hell of a lot harder to apologize to the people they hurt. Perhaps that’s just me. On the other hand, the romance between Jace and Cooper is magical. I really loved how they went from pretty much enemies to friends to first and true loves. Talk about the path to love no running smoothly! They really suffered and worked hard for their HEA. For literally years. Anyta Sunday is a pro at the slow burn, and the pining in this one is just top notch! I loved these boys and really wanted happiness for them. The price was steep, but well worth it. Highly recommended.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
