Halo by E.M. Lindsey

Can theses two men who come from different backgrounds work through their differences? Angel reviewed Halo.

From the blurb:

One mistake: Victor got into the wrong car.

One decision: Oliver didn’t kick him out.

One lie: neither of them knows who the other person is— at least, not until it’s too late to turn back.

There are many words for what Oliver does for a living, and none of them are very kind.

But Oliver’s time in that industry is nearly at an end, so when a gorgeous older man with sad eyes tumbles into his path, Oliver finds it impossible turn him away.

Victor looks at him like he’s an angel, even when Oliver feels like a devil, but he knows better than to hope. After all, men like them are only ever destined for star-crossed love.

But as months of separation carry on, Oliver realizes that maybe he really is willing to fight for what he wants.

And, more importantly, for who.

Halo is a stand-alone novel featuring an age gap romance, the best hot wings known to man, the merits of good gas station burritos, aquarium dates, meteor showers, lava lamp mood lighting, kissing hands, and the most hard-won happily ever after you may ever read.

Angel's Review:

EM Lindsey is one of those authors who I know is going to take me on a incredibly emotional well-written story. And that's what they did yet again with Halo. Victor just discovered his soon to be a wife in bed with his business partner and 'friend'. After seeing that horrific sight, he decides to go on the honeymoon he originally booked for him and his future wife to share together. 

He was expecting to be lonely and sad, while also being angry at the people who treated him so poorly. But instead he mistakes a random guy as his driver for the night and ends up with something he never expected. An angel.

Oliver is finishing his last semester of college working towards getting a degree so he can become a history teacher. In order for him to pay off his tuition, he has to sell his body to the men who will pay him for it. 

I really enjoyed reading about both Victor and Oliver. I felt bad for Victor because of how people treated him. People always made him feel poorly and never took into account how he was doing or how he was feeling. But Oliver wasn't like that. Yes, Oliver was blunt and honest, he was also kind and supportive. He didn't treat Victor like a burden or like an invalid. He treated him as a person and had respect for him and how his body operated. Oliver wanted to help make Victor see his own self-worth, and Victor wanted to show Oliver that he's so much more than his outward appearance. 

I feel like both of these characters grew and learned so much from one another. And even though they had to be apart for a period of time, I think they were both better off for it. They were both able to work on themselves and were able to discover that their feelings for one another were real, and not just a fling. I appreciated how both of these characters were supportive of each other, the scene where Victor fell down and Oliver listened to his wishes and walked away, even though he didn't know if he should. Oliver respected Victor's boundaries, and Victor respected and honored Oliver's as well. 

I.. don't know how I feel about Emil, I definitely feel like his character could be redeemed.He did apologize to Victor and was trying to do better by the end of the book so that's a bonus, but I'm still on the fence about his character. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and this story and I love Victor and Oliver's relationship. 

"I figured if it has to be this bad, we can at least make the memory worth it." 

The scene where they go to the beach and have a picnic was so, so monumental. 

Rating: 5 Stars

Lesetiger's Review:

I haven't read many books by E.M. Lindsey, but this blurb made me curious. I loved the writing style, wonderfully written, detailed and emotional with great characters. 

Victor is just hitting rock bottom in his life when he catches his bride-to-be in bed with his friend and business partner. He decides to spend the honeymoon as planned, only without his bride. But if you were expecting a lot of sadness and loneliness, you are definitely wrong. By chance, Victor meets Oliver and mistakes him for his booked driver, while Oliver mistakes Victor for his booked client. And so they spend an evening together and have a lot of fun together. Another week should follow. Oliver tries to finance his studies by offering his services. 

The two of them are very different, but I loved Oliver for the way he saw Victor as a person, gave him small services quite unobtrusively, and above all, respected him. Victor wasn't used to that in his environment. I loved reading about the week the two spent together. They each treat their counterparts with respect. Oliver is falling in love with Victor, yet he respects his boundaries, even if it's hard for him. I also had a hard time reading this passage because it was already very emotional. And yet both characters grew from the situation. 

I loved this book. The characters are deeply created by the author; the story is entertaining and emotional, and both main protagonists grew throughout the book. 

I was captivated from the beginning and was happy to see the happy ending. Highly recommended.

Rating: 5 Stars

Halo is available to buy as an ebook, paperback, or to read with Kindle Unlimited subscription.